Are pro video-game players our 21st Century athletes?

Video-game enthusiasts are not typically associated with tests of grueling physical endurance or demonstrations of strength. But in an age where digital technology rules all, are gamers the new form of athletes?

[units]

I love my video games but the thoughts of passing this off as an sport us a insult

[cleft5]

God No!!! What is wrong with people.

[Axonometri]

Are you serious?? I'm rolling right now.

[Eyeco]

"ath·lete   [ath-leet]
noun
a person trained or gifted in exercises or contests involving physical agility, stamina, or strength; a participant in a sport, exercise, or game requiring physical skill."

I love gaming but sitting down bashing buttons, isn't what i consider a sport/ athletic in any way. I can't believe this came from BBC of all things

[rainslacker]

I don't know...I've seen some DDR players that can get pretty crazy physically while playing in the arcade.

I'm personally waiting on the great Video Game Competition riots of 2027.

[pompombrum]

I have respect for people who play games to a "professional" level but to call them athletes is absurd. Cyber athlete maybe but there is a world of difference between a professional gamer and someone who plays sports/does athletics professionally.

[Kyosuke_Sanada]

Same amount of sweat, leagues of difference in effort.....

[pompombrum]

Shouldn't that be the other way around? Same amount of effort, leagues of difference in sweat.

[goldwyncq]

Well, some people consider Chess as a sport... So should we start referring to chess players as athletes then?

[Hicken]

A sport is, at its basest level, simply a competition. The real difference here is in the physical preparation required, and physical exertion expended.

So yes, chess is a sport. But chess players are not athletes.

[KimoNoir]

if you say pro gamers are athletes, i would say being a student in a difficult university is equal to being a sport as well...

[Megaton]

Our athletes are our 21st century athletes.

[Qrphe]

That's not the definition of an athlete.

This is not as bad as people claiming that SC or LoL will be in the Olympics within the next decades (when in reality not even chess has even made it there), oh wait

[KwietStorm_BLM]

No, no, no.

[NYC_Gamer]

No....

[ilovepersona]

Double, quadruple no, though I still admire pro gamers whose feats are pretty amazing.

[3-4-5]

We need a new word besides athlete because it's derived from the word Athletic and you don't need to be athletic as we know it, to actually be good at video games.

But yea we need to recognize that some people , just like in anything else in life, are gifted at what they do , and if what they do well is video games , then we need to give them the credit they deserve.

One mans trash is another man's treasure. There are millions of kids who look up to gamers rather than Pro athletes .

I'd say Pro-gamers are much better role models anyways, and that being said, You have a much better chance of being a pro gamer then you do at making a pro sports team.

I don't blame kids for wanting to be like them. It's the more realistic route. You can train daily on your own and not have to constantly pay ice time, or be at "practice " for hours.

Your "practice " is what you already love doing anyways.

In some ways, pro gamers have it all figured out. The rest of society needs to catch up and except that though.

[DivineAssault]

Hell no! just like the previous centuries, the olympics are

[MrKim12]

If gaming somehow implemented physical activity, I would consider it. But by definition, I don't consider gaming to be a physical exercise, so no.

[iWishTifaWasReal]

i came here because of the asian girl in the picture.

where is sheee?

[ALLWRONG]

:D