Commander Breetai said:
There's a huge difference between playing a sport and being able to push buttons quickly. The first is impressive, the other isn't. The first is worthy of respect, the other isn't.
Being able to play a video game does not make you anything special, and it never will. The simple fact that there are people who feel otherwise is both pathetic and laughable.
Not all sports are required to have
physical exertion.
Case in point, chess, poker, blackjack, bass-fishing, pie eating contests etc... are all considered "sport", garnering much "respect" from their respective audiences.
Certain types of video games require different means of winning.
Teamwork is required,
quick reflexes can make or break a match,
knowledge of your surroundings and your enemies is essential. You have to
prioritize objectives, know how to
use your abilities,
work around enemy strategies to defeat them, develop
counter-strategies to make a come-back in a bad game, etc...
Gee,
sounds like any other damn sport, don't it? And that's only detailing FPSs, going to fighting games you have to know your characters strengths and weaknesses, know your enemies strength and weaknesses and exploit them to the best of your ability. In racing games, you need to know the track your driving and know how to handle your vehicle, making snap decisions that could end up making or breaking the race. In puzzle games, hell those speak for themselves.
These guys love playing video games. They're making money doing what they love to do. Props to them for achieving what
everyone wants to do someday. You can't tell me that you've never wanted to be paid to "inspect breasts" or "try the poisonous rate of this delicious cake" or some stupid thing like that. If you can make money off of doing something you love, more power to you. That's better than what most people can say.