Are you familiar with competitive video gaming, otherwise known as esports? I ask only because as someone who plays games and is knee deep in doing so, my perspective on how widely known this stuff is to the mainstream is warped.

The International (which is a tournament for a game called Dota 2, TI5 is taking place in the old SuperSonics arena in Seattle in August) had a grand prize of over $5,000,000 last year, and a total prize pool of more than $11,000,000 and was covered by ESPN. The winners of last year's tournament, Newbee (a team from China), instantly became the five highest earning professional esports competitors in history.  

Comparing the prize to other sports, apart from club soccer, The International is right at the upper echelons, prize money wise, in world sport.

Now, not to debate whether this is a sport or not (honestly I don't think it's an important conversation to have, what difference does it make whether it is or isn't), I was just curious as to the perspective of those who aren't as entrenched in this stuff as I am. Do you think of this as a novelty, as just something the kids are doing (although I'm the 'kid' in our group of players and I'm greying rapidly), as something cool or interesting, anything? Do you think this is the dumbest shit ever? Is this (much like other ESPN dalliances) a fad, like poker?

I'm not here to pass judgement on anyone for their opinions at all, I'm just curious to hear what they might be.

That said, and ceding that I had never even heard of this until your post, I would still have to say that I would be surprised if there were not such an event, and I would only think that it will most likely get bigger and bigger as time goes on.

I consider this a "game" more than a sport, just like I consider poker, pool, and the like "games" not sports, but wherever you find men/boys playing a game, money is certain to be right behind. Several years ago a friend of mine was the number one "Golden Tee" player in the country and he barely made a hundred grand. I predict in future years five million will look like a pittance as more and more players get involved.

Truth be told, I would expect that to be eclipsed this year - the prize pool is largely crowd sourced, and the means to do so for this year's tournament started yesterday. It's already close to a million dollars ahead of what it was last year at the same point in time (scroll down to the predominantly purple graph in the link below).

I agree with your assessment in regards to it being a game vs a sport, by the way - I'm just not certain it's a distinction that really changes anything. Frankly I'd consider this more of sport than dressage is, yet that's in the Olympics. Competitive horse dancing. To each his own I guess?

Each to their own is right. lol

and yes, if ESPN is going to cover nine ball tournaments, not to mention Pro Wrassling (sic) and poker. I guess that ship as to what is actually a sport sailed a LONG time ago.

and call baseball for what it is.......not a sport lol. What type of a fucking sport is it if it can be played 200 days a year with guys who have beer bellies and it lasts fucking hours with bunch of tools standing around.

I swear at this rate of political correctness and the attitude to include everyone into everything we are maybe 10 years away from having a cock sucking Olympic and calling it a sport.

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