@mdchapel9 NASCAR, Formula 1, and Motorcross isn't sitting on ass, they are driving. If you're that interested you can research the demands imposed on the driver by the vehicles and race tracks, but I'm not that big into racing either (I do love cars though). Playing a video game is not a sport (an athletic activity), I disagree with you about that.
I don't know of any athletes who don't know how to read in this day and age and cheaters and criminals exists everywhere, I didn't go as far to say every athlete is a role model or insinuate that I would like these people personally. Even then, it's not about respecting the individual, it's about respect for the craft. I don't see your point. I was explaining why I, "the average Joe", doesn't care for professional gaming. I know a professional gamer and I still don't care for it. I don't take gaming that serious. I compared pro gamers to athletes because the writer calls professional gaming "e-sports" which is ridiculous, there is zero relationship to sports. I also made the comparison because I can't go from watching people play sports competitively to watching people play video games competitively, it just doesn't make sense to me, even though I enjoy playing competitive multiplayer myself. The co-founder of MLG knows this already, this is why he said it's not about people 24-30 (no, I'm 21), but the next generation. I thought I was being very clear, but instead you took it as an attack on pro gamers. My message is, play your heart out, I'm just not going watch-I have no reason to.
If the sponsors want to waste hundreds of thousands of dollars on professional gamers, that's their prerogative. If pre-teens to adult men want to dedicate their entire existence to playing a video game, in hopes of going pro, then I wish them good luck. God knows they'll need it, it's not the healthiest lifestyle (until you hit those six figure contracts and can afford to buy your life back, so to speak). As for spectating, hell no. The writer of this piece tried damn hard to make watching a Street Fighter match sound interesting, but no, watching the pros play is about as fun as sitting on the couch watching your friends play, except you don't have next on the controller and the people you are watching are complete strangers.
Maybe it's because I watch so many different sports and marvel and respect what athletes put their bodies through and transform themselves into, but I have no interest in watching some guy who sits on ass and plays Halo 14-15 hours a day, sit on ass and play against another guy who who does the same. The fact they get paid is just a bad joke on whoever is signing their checks.
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