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TommyTweedy is now a free agent

Xelz

Go over there!
Professional athletes make a fuck ton of money is the main thing, only the top of the top of the top FG players can make a living off of it. Tweedy as great as he is won’t make a living off gaming.
There are plenty of pro athletes in physical and esports that don't make huge incomes, they're just in less popularized sports. Median annual pay for physical pro athletes is $44K according to Livestrong. And pro athletes in some current popular sports didn't used to earn big salaries; watch Eight Men Out, for example. Bottom line, someone who gets paid to compete in a sport is a pro, even if they have to supplement their income from other odd jobs.

I agree, though, that Tweedy might not make a good living off fighting games, especially if he can't land another sponsor or find a way to fund his travel to tournaments.
 

Krankk

Smoke & Noob & Rain
Woah, woah, woah... Let's not pretend as if the gaming industry didn't make more money than the movie industry last year. We're talking about billions and billions of real life Bison dollars here. Gaming is huge. E-Sports is huge as well. E-Sports is filling out entire stadiums. E-Sports athletes have contracts, sponsors, get a lot of money and all that good shit.
Saying that they're just "gamers" is kinda oblivous, considering that there are levels to everything. Me playing soccer doesn't make me an athlete, just like me playing video games doesn't make me a professional player. I'm not as fast or agile as Ronaldo and I don't have the same hand-to-eye-coordination and reaction times as Shroud. Both variants require a certain set of skills, which not everyone has and even the people, who have them - need to train hard to keep them.

The only issue the fighting game community has, is that it's simply not as big as other communities... such as the FPS community, or the MOBA community. If it was bigger, there would be much more money for the professional players.

But yeah, it's kinda ignorant to dismiss professional gaming. Even to not consider professional gamers as athletes. Most athletes have a small window of time to get in, make money and get out again. And if they're smart, they try to build a brand in process to profit from it afterwards. Justin Wong did it right for example. And Justin Wong is a thicc boi. But so are sumo wrestlers. Or are we now not considering sumo wrestlers as athletes? Seriously, where is the line? Do you need to move your legs in order to be considered an athlete or what?

I mean, is someone professionally playing chess, dart or pool considered an athlete?
I mean... FISHING is considered a sport.

athlete
noun [ C ]
us /ˈæθˌlit/
person who is trained or skilled in a sport and esp. one who regularly competes with others in organized events:
a professional athlete
 
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Sutter Pain

Your mothers main.
I mean, is someone professionally playing chess, dart or pool considered an athlete?
Probably not chess but maybe borderline for dart, pool, archery ect... If I was one I would probably not consider myself a athlete but someone who gets paid for a hobby that I enjoy. I guess it is up to the person if they want to call themselves a "athlete" or not.

This is just my opinion and not trying make it sound like facts.
 

Sutter Pain

Your mothers main.
Woah, woah, woah... Let's not pretend as if the gaming industry didn't make more money than the movie industry last year. We're talking about billions and billions of real life Bison dollars here. Gaming is huge. E-Sports is huge as well. E-Sports is filling out entire stadiums. E-Sports athletes have contracts, sponsors, get a lot of money and all that good shit.
Saying that they're just "gamers" is kinda oblivous, considering that there are levels to everything. Me playing soccer doesn't make me an athlete, just like me playing video games doesn't make me a professional player. I'm not as fast or agile as Ronaldo and I don't have the same hand-to-eye-coordination and reflexes as Shroud. Both variants require a certain set of skills, which not everyone has and even the people, who have them - need to train hard to keep them.

The only issue the fighting game community has, is that it's simply not as big as other communities... such as the FPS community, or the MOBA community. If it was bigger, there would be much more money for the professional players.

But yeah, it's kinda ignorant to dismiss professional gaming. Even to not consider professional gamers as athletes. Most athletes have a small window of time to get in, make money and get out again. And if they're smart, they try to build a brand in process to profit from it afterwards. Justin Wong did it right for example. And Justin Wong is a thicc boi. But so are sumo wrestlers. Or are we now not considering sumo wrestlers as athletes? Seriously, where is the line? Do you need to move your legs in order to be considered an athlete or what?
Some valid points for sure but I would still consider a construction worker more of a athlete then someone who plays video games. I think there is nothing wrong with the term competitive gamer.
 

Xelz

Go over there!
I mean, is someone professionally playing chess, dart or pool considered an athlete?
Billiards is technically considered a sport. And according to the Olympics, shooting clay pigeons with a shotgun, sailing, shooting air rifles, etc. are all sports.

The definition of a sport according to the Oxford English dictionary is, "An activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment." Whether esports qualify as "sports" is hotly debated, and certainly won't be decided on in the TYM forums. IMHO, the manual dexterity and physical reaction times required to play fighting, FPS, and RTS games, along with some other genres, absolutely qualifies as physical skill. The main question is whether esports require as much or more physical exertion as physical sports that meet the definition, such as billiards and skeet shooting.
 

BlackShade

Mortal
Billiards is technically considered a sport. And according to the Olympics, shooting clay pigeons with a shotgun, sailing, shooting air rifles, etc. are all sports.

The definition of a sport according to the Oxford English dictionary is, "An activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment." Whether esports qualify as "sports" is hotly debated, and certainly won't be decided on in the TYM forums. IMHO, the manual dexterity and physical reaction times required to play fighting, FPS, and RTS games, along with some other genres, absolutely qualifies as physical skill. The main question is whether esports require as much or more physical exertion as physical sports that meet the definition, such as billiards and skeet shooting.
It obviously requires some skill but nothing has less physical exertion then playing a videogame. Well maybe watching someone playing a videogame. You can call it a game of skill or whatever but calling it a sport and the players athletes is ridiculous imo. But i see the point you are trying to make. I wouldnt call a lot of those activities you mentionend a sport but they are in the olympics.
 
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Dankster Morgan

It is better this way
There are plenty of pro athletes in physical and esports that don't make huge incomes, they're just in less popularized sports. Median annual pay for physical pro athletes is $44K according to Livestrong. And pro athletes in some current popular sports didn't used to earn big salaries; watch Eight Men Out, for example. Bottom line, someone who gets paid to compete in a sport is a pro, even if they have to supplement their income from other odd jobs.

I agree, though, that Tweedy might not make a good living off fighting games, especially if he can't land another sponsor or find a way to fund his travel to tournaments.
Alright, what I mean to say is that I would consider Tweedy a pro gamer, but not an athlete
 

Xelz

Go over there!
It obviously requires some skill but nothing has less physical exertion then playing a videogame. Well maybe watching someone playing a videogame. You can call it a game of skill or whatever but calling it a sport and the players athletes is ridiculous imo. But i see the point you are trying to make. I wouldnt call a lot of those activities you mentionend as a sport but they are in the olympics.
Maybe they should be called "ethletes" instead ;)
 

trufenix

bye felicia
Professional athletes make a fuck ton of money is the main thing, only the top of the top of the top FG players can make a living off of it. Tweedy as great as he is won’t make a living off gaming.
Making a living doing something is not the definition of being a professional. Not in any field.
 

Dankster Morgan

It is better this way
Gamer isn’t some dirty word, it’s okay to be a gamer, esports players don’t need to be “athletes” to have respect for their skill.

And common guys you really don’t gotta criticize someone for their weight, have some class
 
Woah, woah, woah... Let's not pretend as if the gaming industry didn't make more money than the movie industry last year. We're talking about billions and billions of real life Bison dollars here. Gaming is huge. E-Sports is huge as well. E-Sports is filling out entire stadiums. E-Sports athletes have contracts, sponsors, get a lot of money and all that good shit.
Saying that they're just "gamers" is kinda oblivous, considering that there are levels to everything. Me playing soccer doesn't make me an athlete, just like me playing video games doesn't make me a professional player. I'm not as fast or agile as Ronaldo and I don't have the same hand-to-eye-coordination and reaction times as Shroud. Both variants require a certain set of skills, which not everyone has and even the people, who have them - need to train hard to keep them.

The only issue the fighting game community has, is that it's simply not as big as other communities... such as the FPS community, or the MOBA community. If it was bigger, there would be much more money for the professional players.

But yeah, it's kinda ignorant to dismiss professional gaming. Even to not consider professional gamers as athletes. Most athletes have a small window of time to get in, make money and get out again. And if they're smart, they try to build a brand in process to profit from it afterwards. Justin Wong did it right for example. And Justin Wong is a thicc boi. But so are sumo wrestlers. Or are we now not considering sumo wrestlers as athletes? Seriously, where is the line? Do you need to move your legs in order to be considered an athlete or what?



I mean... FISHING is considered a sport.
Fishing isnt something virtual made by another person with exploits and such. Gaming is not a sport.
 

trufenix

bye felicia
Would playing sports professional athelete’s “profession”? As in what they do to make a living
So all those teachers / artists / janitors in the world with multiple jobs to "make a living" aren't?

How much money do you have to make doing something before you're allowed to be a professional?
 
So all those teachers / artists / janitors in the world with multiple jobs to "make a living" aren't?

How much money do you have to make doing something before you're allowed to be a professional?
Just like a college teacher is a called a "professor" because they are teaching at the HIGHEST level.
 

Juggs

Lose without excuses
Lead Moderator
I know people gonna hate me for saying but I do not in anyway consider people who play video games athletes. I have a lot of respect for people who make money from video games but I just can't. I have been a athlete and a gamer all my life but I think there is distinction between the two.

Maybe some of the DDR people though is close they are crazy as fuck.
The thing is that there doesn’t need to be an athlete label. Just call them professional gamers. Professional gaming takes just as much time and dedication as pretty much any sport, it’s just way less physically demanding. But there’s nothing athletic about gaming, that isn’t said in a negative way though. You don’t need to be considered an athlete to be looked up to, respected, admired or whatever else.
 

Sutter Pain

Your mothers main.
The thing is that there doesn’t need to be an athlete label. Just call them professional gamers. Professional gaming takes just as much time and dedication as pretty much any sport, it’s just way less physically demanding. But there’s nothing athletic about gaming, that isn’t said in a negative way though. You don’t need to be considered an athlete to be looked up to, respected, admired or whatever else.
Yup I agree, Pro gamer or Competitive gamer are the ones I would use. Pro if your getting paid by sponsors and making a living off it and competitive gamer if not.