• Log InLog In
  • Register
Liquid`
Team Liquid Liquipedia
EDT 10:48
CEST 16:48
KST 23:48
  • Home
  • Forum
  • Calendar
  • Streams
  • Liquipedia
  • Features
  • Store
  • EPT
  • TL+
  • StarCraft 2
  • Brood War
  • Smash
  • Heroes
  • Counter-Strike
  • Overwatch
  • Liquibet
  • Fantasy StarCraft
  • TLPD
  • StarCraft 2
  • Brood War
  • Blogs
Forum Sidebar
Events/Features
News
Featured News
[ASL22] Ro4 Preview: Mirror Mirror4[ASL22] Ro8 Preview: Within Reach5[ASL22] Ro8 Preview: In A Tizzy11[ASL22] Ro16 Preview: Holy Diver5[ASL22] Ro16 Preview: Rough Waters10
Community News
5.0.17 Patch Notes - October 7, 20265Weekly Cups Results (Sep 28-Oct 4)0SC4ALL: II SC2 Complete Invited Player Lineup10StarCraft II 5.0.17 PTR Patch Notes (Sept 30, 2026)78Weekly Cups (Sept 21-27): herO and ByuN double2
StarCraft 2
General
5.0.17 Patch Notes - October 7, 2026 StarCraft II 5.0.17 PTR Patch Notes (Sept 30, 2026) How do you feel about the mass reverts in the 5.0.17 PTR? [Old] StarCraft 3 Reportedly in Development Weekly Cups Results (Sep 28-Oct 4)
Tourneys
ISSL (IntoTheTV x SOOP SC2 League): Premier Stellar Fest TWO the Moon (Dec 16-20) Sparkling Tuna Cup - Weekly Open Tournament 2026 GSTL Grand Finals Sea Duckling Open (Global, Bronze-Diamond)
Strategy
[H] ZvP Mid-Late Game: Stalkers Collossi HT
Custom Maps
[M] (2) Sweltering Sands [M] (2) Frigid Storage
External Content
Mutation # 546 Catch the Train The PondCast: SC2 News & Results Mutation # 545 And Drops and Rifts Mutation # 544 Double Trouble
Brood War
General
GG Lan Fest Sofia, Bulgaria [this November] BW General Discussion Fantasy returning? Sagi.gg Launcher Released BGH Auto Balance -> http://bghmmr.eu/
Tourneys
[ASL22] Semifinal A [ASL22] Semifinal B [Megathread] Daily Proleagues [ASL22] Ro8 Day 4
Strategy
Simple Questions, Simple Answers Cliff Jump Revisited (1 in a 1000 strategy) Replay Review Process - What do you do?
Other Games
General Games
Nintendo Switch Thread General RTS Discussion Thread Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne Stormgate/Frost Giant Megathread Total Annihilation Zero
Dota 2
Dota 2 Champions League Season 3 Begins April 25! Official 'what is Dota anymore' discussion
League of Legends
[TL LoL EUW IHs] Teemo shall perish
Heroes of the Storm
Heroes of the Storm 2.0
Hearthstone
Deck construction bug
TL Mafia
TL Mafia Community Thread
Community
General
US Politics Mega-thread Artificial Intelligence Thread Canadian Politics Mega-thread Things Aren’t Peaceful in Palestine Russo-Ukrainian War Thread
Fan Clubs
Serral Fan Club
Media & Entertainment
[Manga] One Piece Movie Discussion! Diablo Animated Series on Netflix
Sports
Football (Soccer) Thread MLB/Baseball 2023
World Cup 2022
Tech Support
Computer Build, Upgrade & Buying Resource Thread
TL Community
Recent Gifted Posts
Blogs
[ASL22] Ro4 Day1 Ticket Giv…
bITt.mAN
Escaping Into Video Games: G…
TrAiDoS
38 yo Retired SWE loo…
PurE)Rabbit-SF
Can Bots Beat Pros?? Starcr…
namkraft
[meme] I finally understa…
LUCKY_NOOB
Regacy Esports:Our Goa…
regacyesports
Customize Sidebar...

Website Feedback

Closed Threads



Active: 8915 users

eSports is a stupid term

Blogs > hoby2000
Post a Reply
1 2 Next All
hoby2000
Profile Blog Joined April 2010
United States918 Posts
August 23 2014 22:50 GMT
#1
I use to be a fan of calling competitive gaming eSports, but now I see that it's not a good title at all. I'm not saying that technically they're not sports - I'm saying technically it shows that we as a community yearn too much to be accepted by a wider audience so people will appreciate the lifestyle we love. We want to be legitimatize ourselves through a second opinion.

Instead, we should appreciate that we have a unique idea that can have it's own platform to stand on, and start embracing unknown technologies and ideas that are not used by the traditional sports we all idolize.

I don't know what we should call it, and I'm not saying completely abandon eSports immediately. I'm simply stating that we need a new term because eSports is a poor description of what competitive gaming actually has become. It's different than sports and deserves it's own recognition.

One last thing - In this quest to establish a new name for competitive gaming, we as a community should include Poker. It's a game, it's competitive, and sure as hell can be played online. Not only that, but no one wants to refer to poker as a sport either, and definitely not as an eSport.

Let the gears start spinning.

*
A lesson without pain is meaningless for nothing can be gained without giving something in return.
Complete
Profile Joined October 2009
United States1864 Posts
August 23 2014 23:14 GMT
#2
It's just a word. You're over thinking it.
hymn
Profile Blog Joined February 2008
Bulgaria832 Posts
August 23 2014 23:19 GMT
#3
Uuuuum, yeah. Poker is not a sport because there's too much chance in it. It's a game of betting money and calculating the most ev play from the options you are given. Starcraft on the other hand, has much less chance involved and I am perfectly fine with it being called an electronic sport.
Also, statements like "I don't know how to call it but it's wrong to be called esport." are completely useless when the person that raised them has no proposal.
azk he is the north american player but the titan he is the french stars
Djzapz
Profile Blog Joined August 2009
Canada10681 Posts
Last Edited: 2014-08-23 23:26:19
August 23 2014 23:26 GMT
#4
I used to think like that. Then I stopped caring. The term esports has been thrown around enough that esports are now de facto a thing even though I don't necessarily agree with the borrowing of the word sport. Issue solved. You're welcome.
"My incompetence with power tools had been increasing exponentially over the course of 20 years spent inhaling experimental oven cleaners"
Cheren
Profile Blog Joined September 2013
United States2911 Posts
August 24 2014 00:01 GMT
#5
On August 24 2014 08:19 hymn wrote:
Uuuuum, yeah. Poker is not a sport because there's too much chance in it. It's a game of betting money and calculating the most ev play from the options you are given. Starcraft on the other hand, has much less chance involved and I am perfectly fine with it being called an electronic sport.
Also, statements like "I don't know how to call it but it's wrong to be called esport." are completely useless when the person that raised them has no proposal.


There's luck in every esport, in Starcraft one player often gets an advantage purely through blind build order picks (especially in mirror matches), in WC3 games were won and lost off item drops, in Dota you have miss chance, crit chance, etc.

And what about Hearthstone? Not only is there the RNG of what cards you draw, but some of the cards have additional, some times game-changing, random effects.

Poker's not an esport because it's usually played live so that the opponents can see and study each other's faces. There's no necessary "electronic" component, otherwise it would be an esport.
Jerubaal
Profile Blog Joined June 2010
United States7684 Posts
August 24 2014 00:11 GMT
#6
One of my first posts on TL was a thread about how metagame was a silly term. Then Liquid'Tyler called me an idiot.

It was great.
I'm not stupid, a marauder just shot my brain.
Aveng3r
Profile Joined February 2012
United States2411 Posts
August 24 2014 00:20 GMT
#7
I agree. Progaming would be a better name
I carve marble busts of assassinated world leaders - PM for a quote
hypercube
Profile Joined April 2010
Hungary2735 Posts
Last Edited: 2014-08-24 00:45:40
August 24 2014 00:43 GMT
#8
The term ESPORTS has history. Saying "you're hurting competitive gaming" or "professionalism is killing competitive gaming" just doesn't have the same ring to it.

edit: Live poker is played with physical cards. Those cards are made of molecules whose atoms are held together by electrons. Hence poker is an esport.
"Sending people in rockets to other planets is a waste of money better spent on sending rockets into people on this planet."
itsjustatank
Profile Blog Joined November 2010
Hong Kong9179 Posts
August 24 2014 01:34 GMT
#9
yeah eSports is stupid, it's spelled ESPORTS btw. get with the program. it's a SERIOUS thing. ESPORTS.
Photographer"nosotros estamos backamos" - setsuko
bo1b
Profile Blog Joined August 2012
Australia12814 Posts
August 24 2014 01:48 GMT
#10
On August 24 2014 10:34 itsjustatank wrote:
yeah eSports is stupid, it's spelled ESPORTS btw. get with the program. it's a SERIOUS thing. ESPORTS.

It's also pronounced with a lisp
ninazerg
Profile Blog Joined October 2009
United States7291 Posts
August 24 2014 01:52 GMT
#11
You know what else is a stupid term? Your mom.
"If two pregnant women get into a fist fight, it's like a mecha-battle between two unborn babies." - Fyodor Dostoevsky
lichter
Profile Blog Joined September 2010
1001 YEARS KESPAJAIL22272 Posts
August 24 2014 01:59 GMT
#12
On August 24 2014 10:52 ninazerg wrote:
You know what else is a stupid term? Your mom.


whoa slow down there muscle man
AdministratorYOU MUST HEED MY INSTRUCTIONS TAKE OFF YOUR THIIIINGS
Jerubaal
Profile Blog Joined June 2010
United States7684 Posts
August 24 2014 01:59 GMT
#13
On August 24 2014 10:48 bo1b wrote:
Show nested quote +
On August 24 2014 10:34 itsjustatank wrote:
yeah eSports is stupid, it's spelled ESPORTS btw. get with the program. it's a SERIOUS thing. ESPORTS.

It's also pronounced with a lisp


Um...excuse me. That was very rude and you had no right to say that...
I'm not stupid, a marauder just shot my brain.
Jerubaal
Profile Blog Joined June 2010
United States7684 Posts
August 24 2014 02:00 GMT
#14
On August 24 2014 10:59 lichter wrote:
Show nested quote +
On August 24 2014 10:52 ninazerg wrote:
You know what else is a stupid term? Your mom.


whoa slow down there muscle man


I heard nina was on the beaver tranquilizer.
I'm not stupid, a marauder just shot my brain.
Fecalfeast
Profile Joined January 2010
Canada11355 Posts
August 24 2014 04:56 GMT
#15
On August 24 2014 11:00 Jerubaal wrote:
Show nested quote +
On August 24 2014 10:59 lichter wrote:
On August 24 2014 10:52 ninazerg wrote:
You know what else is a stupid term? Your mom.


whoa slow down there muscle man


I heard nina was on the beaver tranquilizer.


Um...excuse me. That was very rude and you had no right to say that...
ModeratorINFLATE YOUR POST COUNT; PLAY TL MAFIA
Lucumo
Profile Joined January 2010
6850 Posts
August 24 2014 06:20 GMT
#16
It used to be called competitive gaming in the first half and the good later part of the 00s, so we should just use that again.
Nebuchad
Profile Blog Joined December 2012
Switzerland12559 Posts
August 24 2014 10:30 GMT
#17
On August 24 2014 08:19 hymn wrote:
Uuuuum, yeah. Poker is not a sport because there's too much chance in it.


Debatable on both fronts, poker is still a skill game despite how much luck it implies, and sports can contain a bunch of luck as well (look up Tanja Frieden's snowboard cross victory at the olympics)
No will to live, no wish to die
vult
Profile Blog Joined February 2012
United States9400 Posts
August 24 2014 14:37 GMT
#18
Meh, I used to not like the term but now it's kind of grown on me. Competitive Gaming as a term is too formal, and esports just rolls off the tongue.

ESHHHPORTSHH
I used to play random, but for you I play very specifically.
Muffloe
Profile Joined December 2012
Sweden6061 Posts
August 24 2014 15:06 GMT
#19
Well, it's either esports or cybersports, and between the two I prefer esports. And most people seem to agree
Saechiis
Profile Blog Joined May 2010
Netherlands4989 Posts
Last Edited: 2014-08-24 16:25:54
August 24 2014 16:23 GMT
#20
I don't want to be a cyberathlete, if I'm going to put in thousands of hours of practice and dedication I want a cooler name. Cyber makes my salty tears sound imaginary.
I think esports is pretty nice.
1 2 Next All
Please log in or register to reply.
Live Events Refresh
OSC
22:00
King of the Hill #264
Liquipedia
[ Submit Event ]
Live Streams
Refresh
StarCraft 2
MaxPax 256
OGKoka 250
Codebar 26
StarCraft: Brood War
Britney 47007
Calm 4302
Shuttle 2423
Bisu 1650
FanTaSy 1568
Mini 736
Soma 654
EffOrt 594
Rush 497
Stork 348
[ Show more ]
Hyuk 271
firebathero 245
Light 245
Snow 225
ZerO 185
actioN 124
Barracks 121
Dewaltoss 86
Zeus 84
Killer 78
hero 73
Shinee 42
Pusan 39
Hyun 38
ToSsGirL 35
Free 31
Sharp 31
Bale 28
Shine 26
PianO 21
Aegong 19
HiyA 19
zelot 17
yabsab 15
sorry 14
Sacsri 8
Noble 8
Dota 2
Gorgc8786
Dendi1169
Counter-Strike
kRYSTAL_157
x6flipin157
Heroes of the Storm
Lowko501
crisheroes500
Other Games
singsing2178
hiko1847
B2W.Neo400
byalli257
Livibee213
Hui .192
Liquid`VortiX171
Mew2King72
Trikslyr37
Rex27
ZerO(Twitch)10
Organizations
Other Games
BasetradeTV223
StarCraft: Brood War
lovetv 8
[ Show 10 non-featured ]
StarCraft 2
• StrangeGG 50
• AfreecaTV YouTube
• intothetv
• Kozan
• IndyKCrew
• Migwel
StarCraft: Brood War
• BSLYoutube
• STPLYoutube
• ZZZeroYoutube
League of Legends
• Nemesis2350
Upcoming Events
OSC
7h 27m
Replay Cast
8h 12m
OSC
1d 8h
Big Brain Bouts
1d 19h
Rex vs INexorable
GgMaChine vs HeRoMaRinE
Reynor vs herO
AI Arena Tournament
2 days
BSL: Ladder Tournament
2 days
Sparkling Tuna Cup
2 days
Patches Events
3 days
BSL Open Qualifier
3 days
BSL Open Qualifier
3 days
[ Show More ]
WardiTV Weekly
4 days
PiGosaur Cup
5 days
The PondCast
6 days
Liquipedia Results

Completed

CSL 2026 AUTUMN (S22)
Blizzard Classic Cup 2026
Copium Cup

Ongoing

ASL Season 22
Super Anchor Qualifying S3
Acropolis #5
Acropolis #5 - GSB
ESL Pro League Season 24
Stake Ranked Episode 4
1win Private Club #1
Logitech G Play Connect 2026
SL StarSeries Fall 2026
FISSURE Playground #3
BLAST Open Fall 2026
Esports World Cup 2026
BLAST Bounty Summer 2026
BLAST Bounty Summer Qual

Upcoming

Acropolis #5 - GSC
BSL Season 23
SC4ALL II: Brood War
BSL 23: Non-Korean Championship
HSC XXX
Stellar Fest 2: Lunar Cup
SC4ALL II: StarCraft II
Kung Fu Cup 2026 Grand Finals
RSL Offline Finals
HCC Season 3
eXTREMESLAND 2026
PGL Major Singapore 2026
Stake Ranked Episode 6
BLAST Rivals Fall 2026
IEM Beijing 2026
Stake Ranked Episode 5
PGL Masters Bucharest 2026
1win Private Club #2
Thunderpick World Champ. '26
TLPD

1. ByuN
2. TY
3. Dark
4. Solar
5. Stats
6. Nerchio
7. sOs
8. soO
9. INnoVation
10. Elazer
1. Rain
2. Flash
3. EffOrt
4. Last
5. Bisu
6. Soulkey
7. Mini
8. Sharp
Sidebar Settings...

Advertising | Privacy Policy | Terms Of Use | Contact Us

Original banner artwork: Jim Warren
The contents of this webpage are copyright © 2026 TLnet. All Rights Reserved.