eSports hits big time, with or without Olympics

I understand the huge draw in video game playing and how much money companies are making from this. However, you will never be able to convince me playing video games is a sport. Moreover, an Olympic sport.

JJ Jetplane: "However, you will never be able to convince me playing video games is a sport. Moreover, an Olympic sport."

I agree to an extent, and I find it hard to call eports a "sport", but then, I think it is more a problem of what we consider a sport than what esports are. For example, in the '70s chess was featured as a sport in many countries, and often appeared in Sports Illustrated along with other sports. It is also vying for Olympic event status, by the way. Table tennis was not considered a sport for a very long time, but rather was seen merely as recreation. Same with snowboarding. Now we can't imagine the Olympics without either. If a "sport" needs to be physically taxing, how is sitting in a race car any different than a chair with a controller? There's Nothing physical about race car Driving that doesn't Apply to video game players (except you won't die in an accident... probably). I would argue that esports require far more dexterity and mental agility than archery and shooting, which require more mental focus (also a component of video games). And why isn't Football (American football) an Olympic sport if all that is required is physical effort? Why not cheerleading? Then of course there are past events now gone, like equestrian and others. Things like marathons were not events in Ancient Greece, nor are most of the events today, so the idea that we have to do what they did then is ludicrous. And lest we forget the new crop of events coming in or that have been proposed and that seem ridiculous.

Countries like Russia and the US already consider eSports players as "athlètes" having taken the "mind" into consideration with "sport". And finally, whether we like it or not, it is only a matter of time until they enter, and the main Reason will be money -- the Olympics are dying, and right now the IOC is desperately seeking to keep them alive, asking two or more countries to jointly host the Games, or suggesting that they be held in Athens from now on, every time. eSports would bring exponential sponsorship growth, and renewed interest in both joining the Games and watching broadcasts of the events (which would ensure continued sponsorship of media conglomerates). It would bring Young people by the droves, which is part of why the Olympics were suggested to start again, more than 100 years ago. Then, after they have been in the Games a couple of times, people will, like other things, Wonder how it could ever have been questioned to begin with.