Reading 10: Esports

I think Esports are a great competitive or entertaining outlet for millions of people. It's not the medium where I choose to exercises either of these faculties, but I understand it's value in the world of sports and the global marketplace. I was amazed reading these articles how widespread the fandom for these Esports competitions were. When they are putting up numbers like the BCS Championship or the NBA finals you have to take them seriously.

A current debate is whether Esports should be added to the Olympics. Some say it doesn't have the physical nature of Olympic sports. I would argue with examples like shotgun shooting or triathlon the level of physicality is on a spectrum. These Esports professionals are executing hundreds of moves a minute moving their fingers, arms, and head with extreme precision.  I think the Olympics have a storied history and their events need to include this next chapter of history. There has been some criticism from IOC heads that video games are too violent in nature, but how can you reconcile statements like that with boxing, wrestling, and biathlon where actual guns are used.

My only concern about Esports is the life balance of it's players. The Guardian article writes about how many youth in South Korea have faced adverse health side effects from gaming for an absurd amount of hours. A doctor reported of a case where a south Korean youth died from exhaustion and starvation playing the game. I think what prevents this phenomenon in most sports is that the body would become too exhausted after playing or practicing even four hours. Football has it's health issues, but the players do not come anywhere near the number of hours these professional gamers put in. The highest level gamer teams have nutritionists and physical therapists, but few other professional gamers enjoy these benefits. I understand that these competitors are motivated to be the best in their craft, but there are other things in life that need to be enjoyed like family and friends. I think for Esports to sustain a pool of professional athletes they need to encourage healthier lifestyles.