What really is holding back competitive gaming from becoming part of the mainstream, is the public. Accepting up and coming new trends can be difficult for the people who are accustom to the already established norm of their culture. Media outlets like CBS, HBO and TMZ in the past all have incorrectly defined the sport and have also given it a image that they believe fits their agendas. TMZ goes to the extant of writing “Question — What do pimply-faced geeks who play video games all day have in common with the 6’8″ demigods who roam NBA courts on a nightly basis???” In the description portions of one of their YouTube videos where they interview Rick Fox owner of Echo Fox (eSport Franchise) and also former NBA star for the Boston Celtics and LA Lakers. The exact same thing happens again in less than a month TMZ does another interview with Rick Fox and instead of fixing their mistakes they just repeat the cycle. TMZ goes onto writing “Beware NHL fans … Rick Fox says your sport will be overtaken … by nerds … ’cause the “League of Legends” team owner thinks eSports is primed to take hockey’s place as the fourth major sport in the U.S. in just TWO YEARS!”. This constant cycle of misjudging the eSport community just does not end.
For a news/media outlet to set specific physical standards for sports players just goes to show how ignorant some can be. Can this trend end? will the image that society gives video game playing ever change? If our media cannot accept this new outlet then the casual viewer will have no desire to follow eSports or learn about it. How did our culture come to know and love the sport of basketball or football? Well soon after the creation of these sports back in the late 1800’s, the creation of leagues rose and opened up the gates to the world of professional sports. with their own rules and regulations. They could turn a fun game to play and pass time, to something that can be considered a career, grant fame, fortune and set a standard of living that is now portrayed as the perfect life to regular society.
Esports just like professional sports started with its creation of leagues. Leagues that go by the name of Electronic Sports League (ESL) and League of Legends Championship Series (LCS). These are some of the larger brand leagues that come along with their own rules and regulations, Which is no different from from the NBA or the NFL What makes basketball and football so popular in North America is its ability to create rivalries between fans and players stemming off of the fact that each team represents a state or city. Which then causes an increase in enthusiasm and support for teams. Esports on the other hand is on the international level of fan bases. Where organisations can represent multiple countries rather than just national states.
Community and fan base is everything when it comes to sports along with professionalism and extreme consistency in the skill of said athletes. But if an entire culture is going to misinterpret the underlying definition of what a sport really is and what it adds to society then without a doubt mindsets will not change and this sport will belong in the niche category of sports.
Works cited
TMZSports. “Rick Fox- ESports Jocks Are Just Like NBA Players…Real Athletes | TMZ Sports.” YouTube. YouTube, 12 Mar. 2016. Web. 02 Dec. 2016.
TMZSports. “Rick Fox- ESports Will Overtake NHL In 2 Years!! | TMZ Sports.” YouTube. YouTube, 21 Mar. 2016. Web. 02 Dec. 2016.
Rowan Counterintuitive 