[SmG Shane]

Though the abilities of professional video game players are impressive, I don't believe they can be equated with the abilities of professional athletes.

Video games simply do not require the physical aptitude of sports. This is blatantly obvious in sports like football, basketball, hockey. Even in the "less athletic" sports like golf, the use of one's body is far more prevalent than in eSports. Gamers don't face varying conditions in which they play and the physical requirements are minimal at best.

Video games also rely on mathematics that yield certain results. Games are programmed to favor certain approaches and results are ultimately determined by the computer and not by the players themselves. When I take a jump shot with Steph Curry in 2K, the CPU calculates probabilities based on where I shoot, who is guarding me, the score of the game, the time remaining, etc. These probabilities are fed into an algorithm that decides the result. These events do not occur when Steph Curry shoots in reality. (That is my simplified understanding of how video games work.)

Professional gamers are talented and make huge time commitments, but the fact that their physical abilities are limited and the results of their play are determined by a computer means that they cannot be considered real athletes, nor can eSports be considered real sports.