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Starcraft, sport or not?

Blogs > FlaShFTW
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FlaShFTW
Profile Blog Joined February 2010
United States10253 Posts
November 02 2010 23:02 GMT
#1
At my school, I'm in a deadlock debate over whether or not Starcraft is a sport. First, let me define sport...

SPORT: (noun)- an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature, as racing, baseball, tennis, golf, bowling, wrestling, boxing, hunting, fishing, etc.

OK, so now that you understand that definition of "sport" (all info taken off dictionary.com) I am able to begin my argument.

First off, I strongly believe that Starcraft is a sport. It's number one in eSports for goodness sakes! Let's do a checklist shall we?

1)an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess. CHECK
Here, I'd like to point out the OR in this sentence. This means that it can be requiring skill, OR requiring physical prowess, OR both. In this case, we have skill, because we are moving the mouse at blinding speeds, moving our fingers across keyboards, and most of all, show emotions. Which brings me to my next topic.

2)often of a competitive nature. CHECK
Starcraft people all know about emotions and competitiveness. For all old-timers (no I'm not one of them), we remember oh-so vividly the rivalry between BoxeR and [NC]Yellow... We even remember sAviOr's peak, and Bisu's Forge FE... And you say these aren't competitive qualities??? That means that the rivalry between the Lakers and Celtics in basketball, or the Yankees and Red Sox in baseball, all aren't any part of this competitiveness???

So what are your thoughts on this matter, do you think Starcraft is, or is not a sport, and please defend your reasoning. Don't give me one-liners (COUGH RESPECT TL COUGH) blatantly saying, "OH YOU SUK!!! STARCRAFT IS NOT A SPORT". Thank you.

**
Writer#1 KT and FlaSh Fanboy || Woo Jung Ho Never Forget || Teamliquid Political Decision Desk
TL+ Member
ieatkids5
Profile Blog Joined September 2004
United States4628 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-11-02 23:08:30
November 02 2010 23:08 GMT
#2
depends on how you define sport. and also, stop worrying about people who don't think SC is a sport. just understand that they disagree with you, and if it helps, tell yourself that you're superior to them. it'll make your life a lot easier.
VarmVaffel
Profile Blog Joined June 2008
Norway378 Posts
November 02 2010 23:09 GMT
#3
I really use to call on chess with this discussion comes up. Chess is (as far as I know) regarded by most people as a sport, and it definately doesn't require any more athletic activity than Starcraft does.

I know it might not be the best to conclude with something like this, but most people I've talked with that already regard chess as a sport seem to understand my point of view very quickly with this statement.
Cofo
Profile Blog Joined June 2010
United States1388 Posts
November 02 2010 23:10 GMT
#4
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_sports

It's an e-sport. Whether or not you consider e-sports to be in the same category as "traditional sports" up to you, but I honestly think the whole argument is mostly just a matter of semantics.
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Enervate
Profile Joined August 2010
United States1769 Posts
November 02 2010 23:16 GMT
#5
In my opinion, Starcraft is not a sport; it's an eSport. The main separating factor is that Starcraft is played entirely through an electronic interface, while a sport is conducted in a physical realm. I'm not saying eSports are somehow inferior than sports, just that they are different.
FlaShFTW
Profile Blog Joined February 2010
United States10253 Posts
November 02 2010 23:21 GMT
#6
On November 03 2010 08:16 Enervate wrote:
The main separating factor is that Starcraft is played entirely through an electronic interface, while a sport is conducted in a physical realm.

I understand by what you mean, but didn't the definition just support my ideas??? I said that it can be only on skill, and not physical attributes, though you do need quite a bit of stamina. But hey, thanks for the comment, I appreciate your views.
Writer#1 KT and FlaSh Fanboy || Woo Jung Ho Never Forget || Teamliquid Political Decision Desk
TL+ Member
Pholon
Profile Blog Joined March 2008
Netherlands6142 Posts
November 02 2010 23:31 GMT
#7
On November 03 2010 08:02 FlaShFTW wrote:
SPORT: (noun)- an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature, as racing, baseball, tennis, golf, bowling, wrestling, boxing, hunting, fishing, etc.

[...]

Here, I'd like to point out the OR in this sentence. This means that it can be requiring skill, OR requiring physical prowess, OR both.


You leave out "athletic". I feel chess isn't a sport by this definition?
Moderator@TLPholon // "I need a third hand to facepalm right now"
valaki
Profile Joined June 2009
Hungary2476 Posts
November 02 2010 23:31 GMT
#8
If chess is sport SC is too.
ggaemo fan
Mobius
Profile Blog Joined March 2009
Canada1268 Posts
November 02 2010 23:41 GMT
#9
its an e-sport.. any korean really into the e-sports scene will correct you everytime you call it a sport lol


personally i dont understand the difference but to them its big -_-;
Entusman #51
Redmark
Profile Joined March 2010
Canada2129 Posts
November 02 2010 23:41 GMT
#10
Honestly I wish we (gamers) would stop caring so much about what other people think. Other 'sports' (poker, soccer in NA, golf, whatever) never got anywhere just by debating with people who aren't fans. If it gets popular enough, it will be accepted - if not as a sport, as a professional competition, which is the same thing really.
Seide
Profile Blog Joined August 2010
United States831 Posts
November 02 2010 23:49 GMT
#11
if darts is considered a sport, I will be damned in SC cant be considered a sport. :D
One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish.
KiLL_ORdeR
Profile Blog Joined June 2009
United States1518 Posts
November 02 2010 23:50 GMT
#12
I would say the SC definitely falls under the requirement of physical prowess, maybe even more so than skill.

Just going out on a limb here, but at, for example, the wide reciever position in football, it does not take a whole lot of skill to catch a football. Anyone can learn how to do it. But where good players separate themselves is the ability hold position on a defender, which is the skill of playing well, and to run very fast, as well as make athletic jumps, which falls under physical prowess.

all of these elements require years of focused training and dedication, and failure before you obtain success.

In SC, anyone can pick up the game, play zerg, and build drones, lings and roaches. Where good players separate themselves is the ability to see what their opponent is doing and react properly (the skill), and then to be able to move their hands fast enough to execute properly (which is the physical prowess.)

All elements require years of focused training and dedication, and failure before you obtain success.

also, a lot of people would argue in football that subtle positioning will separate you from equally athletic players, but there is only so much you can do against someone who is both stronger and faster than you. The same applies to SC, where you can exploit very subtle timings and other things, but there is only so much you can do against a player who has far better mechanics.

So ya, that's my 2 cents.
In order to move forward, we must rid ourselves of that which holds us back. Check out my stream and give me tips! twitch.tv/intotheskyy
siv00
Profile Joined September 2009
261 Posts
November 02 2010 23:50 GMT
#13
It's not a sport, there are no athletics involved.
Crunchums
Profile Blog Joined December 2008
United States11144 Posts
November 02 2010 23:51 GMT
#14
That depends entirely on how you define sport. By my definition of sport, it is one, but it is not an athletic one.
brood war for life, brood war forever
Jonoman92
Profile Blog Joined September 2006
United States9105 Posts
November 02 2010 23:52 GMT
#15
it's not a sport, it's an e-sport

It lacks the threshold of needed physical activity imo to be a true sport (likewise darts isn't a sport either, it's a game/activity.)
siv00
Profile Joined September 2009
261 Posts
November 02 2010 23:53 GMT
#16
And you say these aren't competitive qualities??? That means that the rivalry between the Lakers and Celtics in basketball, or the Yankees and Red Sox in baseball, all aren't any part of this competitiveness???


This is what's known as a strawman - a sign that your argument is quite weak.
OpticalShot
Profile Blog Joined October 2009
Canada6330 Posts
November 03 2010 02:09 GMT
#17
Sport or eSport or not, SC definitely is more of a "sport" than poker is in my opinion... and poker is broadcasted in all the major sports broadcasting channels here in North America. So yeah.
[TLMS] REBOOT
Waffles
Profile Blog Joined July 2009
Romania605 Posts
November 03 2010 04:04 GMT
#18
any activity with competition that requires phyiscal activity is a sport. theres professional hotdog eating, thumb wrestling, beer pong,poker . all of those require physical activity and competition. if you are trying to convince someone that you are an athlete playing this game i would guess that you would have to somehow convince that 300 apm means being able to pitch a baseball at 100mph with pinpoint accuracy or something since you have such finger control. It really depends on the pereson you are trying to convince for something to be a "sport"


Holgerius
Profile Blog Joined January 2009
Sweden16951 Posts
November 03 2010 04:24 GMT
#19
A matter of definition I think. IMO it's a sport.
I believe in the almighty Grötslev! -- I am never serious and you should never believe a thing I say. Including the previous sentence.
Subversion
Profile Blog Joined April 2010
South Africa3627 Posts
November 03 2010 05:01 GMT
#20
Un-fucking-deniably yes.
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