US government recognizes League of Legends players as pro athletes - Polidicks

This is amazing news for eSports. For previous gaming competitions, getting a foreigner into the country was actually an incredibly difficult thing to do. If it's labeled as a sport, they can get temporary visas to live in the US during the competition. This is genuinely no different than normal sports. Football has all sorts of tactics that well-versed watchers notice and comment on. Competitive gaming has similar stuff, and it can be incredibly fun to watch in the same way that conventional sports are.

[QUOTE=.Isak.;41432226]This is amazing news for eSports. For previous gaming competitions, getting a foreigner into the country was actually an incredibly difficult thing to do. If it's labeled as a sport, they can get temporary visas to live in the US during the competition. This is genuinely no different than normal sports. Football has all sorts of tactics that well-versed watchers notice and comment on. Competitive gaming has similar stuff, and it can be incredibly fun to watch in the same way that conventional sports are.[/QUOTE] Good luck with that, e-sports is still mainly somewhat fringe and not that big; Even if somewhat only due to culture where video games were shunned for a good while. Should see Dota 2 and SC II players get the same treatment soon, if you're playing for money in a tournament it shouldn't matter what it is. If it's chess, football or video games, you should get the same treatment in regards to visas. Though i still don't know about player being called athletes though; They're kind of not even if some do work out a fair bit.

[img]http://www2.macleans.ca/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/really-fat-guy-on-computer.jpg?w=273[/img] Very athletic league of legends player...

[QUOTE=meatwad253;41432567][img]http://www2.macleans.ca/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/really-fat-guy-on-computer.jpg?w=273[/img] Very athletic league of legends player...[/QUOTE] Yes because everyone who plays video games competitively looks like that. Bet fp would be more ok with this if it was dota2.

It feels wrong that SC2 players aren't recognized as athletes while LoL players aren't. Also, it feels a bit weird to call them "athletes". I'm not sure what other word to use though.

[QUOTE=Wolfos;41432955]It feels wrong that SC2 players aren't recognized as athletes while LoL players aren't. Also, it feels a bit weird to call them "athletes". I'm not sure what other word to use though.[/QUOTE] Athletes is just legal terminology to allow them to play. There's a such thing as competitive chess, and foreigners coming to competitions are technically athletes. SC2 and Dota are likely going to follow suit. They absolutely have audiences large enough to make sporting visas a realistic idea. More people watch these games than chess competitions, and chess is treated like a sport for foreigner visas.

While I'm fine with competitive players getting recognition, calling them athletes is pretty stupid. Why not just refer to them as pro-gamers or something. [editline]12th July 2013[/editline] [QUOTE=.Isak.;41433073]Athletes is just legal terminology to allow them to play. There's a such thing as competitive chess, and foreigners coming to competitions are technically athletes. SC2 and Dota are likely going to follow suit. They absolutely have audiences large enough to make sporting visas a realistic idea. More people watch these games than chess competitions, and chess is treated like a sport for foreigner visas.[/QUOTE] Wasn't aware chess is considered a sport, guess that changes things.

I've gotten into watching DotA. Never really understood esports before then but it's actually really exciting to watch if you know what all the numbers and bars mean. So this sounds good to me.

[QUOTE] League of Legends pro players as [B]professional athletes[/B][/QUOTE] Athletes? Are you fucking shitting me? I bet most of them couldn't even run up stairs let alone a marathon.

I wonder if there will be some sort of eSports Olympics in the future or something.

[QUOTE=The mouse;41433270]Athletes? Are you fucking shitting me? I bet most of them couldn't even run up stairs let alone a marathon.[/QUOTE] Textbook definition of stereotyping right here folks.

Does that make the thing with the 'eat their still-beating hearts' thing the first ever athlete scandal for LoL?

[QUOTE=The mouse;41433270]Athletes? Are you fucking shitting me? I bet most of them couldn't even run up stairs let alone a marathon.[/QUOTE] as if an athlete has to do something physically exhausting for it to be a sport CS:GO is a sport it requires skill

[QUOTE=The mouse;41433270]Athletes? Are you fucking shitting me? I bet most of them couldn't even run up stairs let alone a marathon.[/QUOTE] did you read the article or are you just purposely trying to look stupid

[QUOTE=Fourm Shark;41438791]I should have phrased that better. I meant something like the player pointing out interesting things in the game, or improvised comedy, or walkthroughs.[/QUOTE] there is commentary, though. the exact same kind of commentary you'll hear watching any other sport. information about what's going on in-game as well as info on the teams, players, strategies, etc.

[QUOTE=BeAR!);41438108]ath·lete /ˈaTHlēt/ Noun A person who is proficient in sports and other forms of physical exercise. LoL is hardly physical exercise, should be known as eAthletes or something as they aren't doing anything physical[/QUOTE] Professional gaming is a type of sport. Good job.

[QUOTE=The mouse;41433270]Athletes? Are you fucking shitting me? I bet most of them couldn't even run up stairs let alone a marathon.[/QUOTE] A lot of pro players don't look like stereotypical gamers. One would think that if someone is a pro gamer he is a no lifer that does nothing but play games. But competetive gaming requires a similiar mindset than competetive sports do.

[QUOTE=BeAR!);41439538]sports requires physical effort, clicking a mouse doesn't.. i dont think you can class gamers under a category which means good fitness and physical sporting ability[/QUOTE] Videogames, while not nearly as physically strenuous, still require a level of skill that is not easily attained. It's in a strange limbo between sport (such as football) and game (such as card games like Blackjack or Poker); it's effectively in a class of its own. It requires physical input in the form of hand-eye coordination and mental input in the form of strategy. In a way, it's like Chess, except instead of turns it's all in real-time, so it puts pressure on players to make rapid decisions for their strategies and react to their opponent's strategies accordingly.

[QUOTE=BeAR!);41438108]ath·lete /ˈaTHlēt/ Noun A person who is proficient in sports and other forms of physical exercise. LoL is hardly physical exercise, should be known as eAthletes or something as they aren't doing anything physical[/QUOTE] Chess is a sport

[QUOTE=.Isak.;41433073]Athletes is just legal terminology to allow them to play. There's a such thing as competitive chess, and foreigners coming to competitions are technically athletes. SC2 and Dota are likely going to follow suit. They absolutely have audiences large enough to make sporting visas a realistic idea. More people watch these games than chess competitions, and chess is treated like a sport for foreigner visas.[/QUOTE] This is really all that needs to be said. If you complain about this, you should be complaining about Chess as well, and I'd imagine Poker is the same.

[QUOTE=BeAR!);41439538]sports requires physical effort, [B]clicking a mouse doesn't[/B].. i dont think you can class gamers under a category which means good fitness and physical sporting ability[/QUOTE] except by its very definition it DOES require physical effort or are you clicking your mouse with your mind cause I sure am not with that said, "sports" needs to be redefined

[QUOTE=Wolfos;41432955]It feels wrong that SC2 players aren't recognized as athletes while LoL players aren't. Also, it feels a bit weird to call them "athletes". I'm not sure what other word to use though.[/QUOTE] That's probably because LoL is extremely popular. Now that gaming has been recognized by the government as a sport, many more games will be included in the official sport business or whatever you want to call it.

Call them brainthletes or something then, that's not the main idea. It was done so they can go compete in international tournaments without trouble.

odd that it's just for a single game

I watch TV competitively I strategically plan out what channels I'm going to change to in what order and use the "last" button I should be called an athlete as well

[QUOTE=POLOPOZOZO;41439811]I watch TV competitively I strategically plan out what channels I'm going to change to in what order and use the "last" button I should be called an athlete as well[/QUOTE] If people are interested enough in your TV watching skills to watch you do it live versus other professional zappers and pay to go see it, generating enough viewers for companies to be interested in sponsoring you so you can make a living out of doing solely that, then yes you should have an equal chance as pro LoL players to be called a professional athlete.

[QUOTE=RenegadeCop;41431084]It's like sports, but no one usually dies.[/QUOTE] They do its just it takes awhile for the diabetes to kick in.

[QUOTE=wickedplayer494;41431089]Or gets life-altering injuries.[/QUOTE] Tunnel Carpal syndrome

[QUOTE=DigitalySane;41432850]Yes because everyone who plays video games competitively looks like that. Bet fp would be more ok with this if it was dota2.[/QUOTE] probably because as it stands league is about as much of a sport as fuckin mario party

[QUOTE=Moupi;41440403]probably because as it stands league is about as much of a sport as fuckin mario party[/QUOTE] Wish i could make 4 grand a month minimum playing mario party.