Over the weekend, something glorious happened for eSports. ESPN 2 showed a Heroes of the Storm tournament, Heroes of the Dorm, live on air. Despite being really cool, twitter exploded over it. Then, an ESPN presenter decided to mock eSports, its announcers and its players.
First, the good – the tournament was a big deal. Blizzard obviously wants people to jump on board with Heroes of the Storm. So much so, that they offered each team member of the tournament four years of paid tuition – for those who don’t understand how expensive university is in the US of A, that’s about equivalent to $100k per player depending on the university. Of course plenty of people on twitter decided to mock the event and say they didn’t understand why ESPN was showing this. I’m a bit confused by their outrage considering ESPN regularly broadcasts Spelling Bees and eating competitions. But it had to go from bad to worse.
Colin Cowherd is an ESPN presenter. He also has a podcast to share more of his opinions. However, his latest one shows not only a complete lack of understanding of eSports (confusing League of Legends with Heroes of the Storm), but also a distinct lack of respect for gamers or his shoutcasting colleagues.
You don’t have to watch the whole thing if you don’t feel like it. Here’s a highlight lowlight of what he felt compelled to say:
Somebody lock the basement door at mom’s house and don’t let ’em out. I tagged out at Harry Potter. I tolerated Donkey Kong. I’ll tell you what that was the equivalent of there: of me putting a gun in my mouth and having to listen to that. Unbelievable. You know what the funny thing is? Listen to how intense they are. Those guys are totally into it.
He even included a soundboard clip of Ogre from Revenge of the Nerds yelling “nerds!”. I find it hard to believe that there are still jocks like this out there. What makes this Cowherd guy think that he’s superior to his eSports counterparts? Does he realize that eSports will overtake those other games he knows? Beyond his lack of understanding, his distinct lack of respect for anything other than what he knows shows his lack of character. It’s a shame that ESPN employs people like this. I may not always enjoy watching eSports, but there are also plenty of traditional sports that I don’t like watching. That doesn’t mean that I think those who do enjoy it are somehow lesser, and I still have a ton of respect for eSports athletes from all walks of life. Shame on you Colin Cowherd.
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Last Updated: April 28, 2015
Lardus-Resident Perve
April 28, 2015 at 10:08
Cowherd…Cow Herd…Cattle Herd…Lots of BS coming from him
Brady miaau
April 28, 2015 at 12:56
TWO days.
Lardus-Resident Perve
April 28, 2015 at 13:00
Well, TWO and a half. But who’s counting 🙂
Brady miaau
April 28, 2015 at 19:15
TWO
ChatWraithShichi
April 29, 2015 at 05:44
Cow..ard..?
UnholyMunk
April 30, 2015 at 15:40
I saw his surname and was like – Cattle Decapitation! 😀 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWeTeFn0LhM
Blood Emperor Trevor
April 28, 2015 at 10:10
But it’s not a sport. And he’s being a dick about it. Look how “controversial” he is. Whoop-de-doo.
Jonah Cash
April 28, 2015 at 10:10
His surname says a lot about him… He also said that he would quit if ESPN asks him to host an eSports game. Hope he has a backup career in mind because he is going to need it. eSports has a huge following and if he thinks that ESPN wouldn’t tap into that following to make money then he is sorely mistaken!
Thats_how_I_Troll
April 29, 2015 at 12:29
He has, didn’t you hear, he will sell bait in a fishing town…
Jonah Cash
April 29, 2015 at 14:10
He would be lucky to sell any bait with that small little brain of his… I feel better now that I have insulted someone on the internet…
Aries
April 28, 2015 at 10:12
Wow, what a P*** ,really
BurnZ
April 28, 2015 at 10:17
Ignorance is bliss, and being a ass**** helps as well. It’s strange that ESPN would even have someone like this who clearly has no knowledge about E-Sports to commentate on it in the first place?
ChatWraithShichi
April 29, 2015 at 05:44
rage makes good radio, that’s all.
Spathi
April 28, 2015 at 10:21
Looks like the name Colin is reserved for people who don’t understand e-sports.
Hammersteyn
April 28, 2015 at 10:24
http://i.imgur.com/YUUhi.gif
Deceased
April 28, 2015 at 10:49
Fine, guess I’ll be the one to ask…
WTF?!?! What is up with this gif? O.O
Feels like something you’ll see on Acid, yet I’m stone cold sober as I’m watching this 😀
Hammersteyn
April 28, 2015 at 10:55
LOL maybe this will help
hairyknees
April 28, 2015 at 10:30
10/10 comment upvoted xD
Pariah
April 28, 2015 at 10:31
Comment of the week for me.
Hammersteyn
April 28, 2015 at 10:21
I’d rather follow the Moba herd than his herd
hairyknees
April 28, 2015 at 10:30
THAT’S THE NICEST THING YOU’VE EVER SAID!
Pariah
April 28, 2015 at 10:46
I read that as incest. I need to get glasses…
Lord Chaos
April 28, 2015 at 10:47
Think it has more to do with your mind than your eyes.
Dutch Matrix
April 28, 2015 at 10:48
Puts a whole new spin on MILF. Mom, I’d like to f_ _k…
Pariah
April 28, 2015 at 10:49
Aaaaand taking it to the next level. Eish. O_O
Dutch Matrix
April 28, 2015 at 10:49
But isn’t that the aim of all gamers? Getting to the next level????
Lord Chaos
April 28, 2015 at 10:49
O_o
Broken now…
Pariah
April 28, 2015 at 10:48
Maybe both, actually. >_>
Sageville
April 28, 2015 at 10:25
This guy doesn’t deserve attention.
Hammersteyn
April 28, 2015 at 10:35
Nether does Bill O Reilly, yet he’s still on the air because he causes controversy. Maybe the same thing applies here?
Rock789
April 28, 2015 at 10:36
They call it being a shock-jock for a reason… And with a surname like that…? Wow… Just wow…
Brady miaau
April 28, 2015 at 10:42
“Despite being really cool, twitter exploded over it”: did Twitter explode in a negative manner? If so, then is this so called shock jock not just following the seemingly majority of ESPN viewers?
Of course, I think it silly of the man to mock something he clearly does not understand, as it shows a level of thinking that has led to some of the worlds big tragedies.
JohnnyGoode
April 28, 2015 at 16:53
Holy shit the hyperbole. You’re totally right, the insults to eSports (lol) by an ESPN shock jock are totally tantamount to “some of the worlds [sic] big tragedies.”
Brady miaau
April 28, 2015 at 18:49
I have been waiting all day to be called out on this. Been playing too many MMO’s recently and being subjected to certain comments have left in an odd mood. Also, why does someone broadcast every minutes “Who here sucks *****?” (I added the question mark, of course)
Of course I am being quite toungue in cheek, although it does annoy me, in general, when public figures comment on something they are not experts about, as there is sometimes a perception of prior or hidden knowledge.
Ross Woofels Mason
April 28, 2015 at 10:48
My question is honestly wtf is this on ESPN? with actual sports commentators?
Doing something like this is like going to a Harley Davidson club and asking them to commentate on modern performance art. They are not going to have a freaking clue what they are doing or what they are actually meant to be saying.
Personally I think people are just getting overly up tight about this. It’s some cock knocker who spends his life commentating on sport. You can expect the guy to jump into e-sports and then be enthused about it.
If ESPN want to get into esports great, but start with streams on your website and hire e-sports commentators.
Admiral Chief
April 28, 2015 at 10:54
Die ou lyk sommer soos tent-pen materiaal
Dutch Matrix
April 28, 2015 at 10:55
Jy wil hom in die grond in spyker? Of meer die Bybelse storie van die vrou wat ‘n tentpen deur een of ander Generaal/Koning se kop gedryf het?
Admiral Chief
April 28, 2015 at 11:30
As ek hom sien wil ek hom met ‘n hammer in die grond in slaan
Hammersteyn
April 28, 2015 at 10:57
Iemand moet hom ‘n sambreel leen want dit p**sklappe reen as Matty hom kry.
Kikmi
April 28, 2015 at 11:15
Rich from a guy who looks like Seymour from Little Shop of Horrors to be calling out others as nerds.
Greylingad
April 28, 2015 at 11:23
Some people will never understand what it takes to do anything at a professional level, this moron is one of them, yes, I said it, the thing with gaming is that not everyone sees it under the same light as that of physical sports. This in effect then reduces any other form of sports, like Formula racing or rally etc. to what these commentators usually brush off as insignificant. For guys like that, I really don’t have any time. Sports, across any board, should always be treated with the same amount of respect as others, especially if you feature in an international program, but then again, this dude probably wouldn’t be able to tell you what a shuttlecock is…
Gr8_Balls_o_KFM_Fire
April 28, 2015 at 18:58
I am not being mean or anything but please do some research on the physicality of motorsport before implying that it’s not physical.
Racing drivers, esp F1 drivers are among the absolute fittest athletes in the world.
Greylingad
April 28, 2015 at 19:58
My point exactly, a commentator like this would be the one that would miss fine detail like this…
Gr8_Balls_o_KFM_Fire
April 28, 2015 at 20:11
Ohhh i see what you meant now 😀 my bad
Cheers enlightened one
Greylingad
April 29, 2015 at 08:39
Are you maybe suggesting that I don’t know some of the challenges involved in racing? Here’s an interesting one for you, part of the physical challenges that formula 1 drivers face is not only being fit, but also that within 6 years of partaking in formula 1 racing, the average driver grows about 3cm shorter, this has to do with the excessive gravitational acceleration that they have to withstand, much like that of a fighter pilot, only in f1, it is mostly because of deceleration,as you brake into a corner as this is where the greatest force is exerted… Useless bit of info of the day, proudly sponsored by, hehe, the enlightened one…
Gr8_Balls_o_KFM_Fire
April 29, 2015 at 08:48
I actually knew that 😀
Did you also know that under the same braking drivers’ sweat beads fly off their faces onto the visor? There’s no way to alleviate that problem. Unless it’s a myth.
I take it you are a fan.
What’s your stance on the tree-hugging?
Greylingad
April 29, 2015 at 10:42
Hahaha! Yes, quite much a fan actually… And I have never, ever in my life had an opinion about tree hugging, I can’t imagine what squeezing tree bark must feel like…
chimera_85
April 28, 2015 at 11:30
ESPN, nuff said
Matthew Holliday
April 28, 2015 at 12:03
agreed.
the dota 2 TI4 got similar flak.
Darren Peach
April 28, 2015 at 13:03
Ironic.
HvR
April 28, 2015 at 13:33
Stupid shock-jock culture just seem to multiply everyday. Ignorant fools misrepresenting topics and insulting groups of people they know nothing about; being controversial for the sake of being controversial. Stern got lame already in the 90’s. Every “Late Night Show” has degenerated into this, most mainstream news shows is heading that way, most popular culture talk show radio these days is like listening the “special class” in a trade school and with Gareth “100 people listen to un-radio” Cliff and his replacement Sol “die drol” Phenduka it seems South African broadcasters is trying hard to emulate this crap.
Sir Faulty
April 28, 2015 at 13:34
I still don’t get the whole eSports “thing”. To me playing a computer game is not a sport no matter which way you slice it so I would probably side with the jock but he could have said it in a tone that wasn’t so ignorant and downright hostile subverting to the typical cliche of people who enjoy playing games living in basements.
shadus
April 28, 2015 at 17:31
its called esports because its a whole lot easier to stay then the alternatives. Everyone gets that it doesn’t take athletic prowess to compete however it takes tons of dedication and mental acuity. Right now esports are growing popularity and it would be foolish for ESPN to pass on that potential revenue stream especially in the lull that is april. If ESPN wants to take this seriously they need to have a sit down with their on air personalties and some well known esport announcers( DAY9 or Total Biscuit) and go over the basics. That way everyone is on the same page and you don’t risk alienating perspective customers. If you approach this half hearted its going to be a nerd vs jock culture war all over again.
Charl van der Merwe
April 29, 2015 at 08:12
yea its not a sport, its an eSport. ESPN broadcasts many things that aren’t sports, just in case you were confused.
Sir Faulty
April 29, 2015 at 09:52
I am not confused. Playing video games in my eyes is not sport or “e” sport no matter which way you cut it!To be honest I wouldn’t cover it either so I don’t blame him!
Charl van der Merwe
April 29, 2015 at 11:59
Would you class eMail as mail even though there is no paper or ink.At its core its a message, just like eSports has no physical aspect, at its core there is still tactical competitive play that involves teamwork.
Unless you are too narrow minded and purely define sport as physical exertion, but I have never heard of a sport that has no competition.
un_aligned
May 4, 2015 at 03:34
Narrow-minded? Physical activity is in the definition of the word ‘sport’. It’s only recently that gamers have tried to call it something else for their own reasons.
Note: I’m a gamer. And ‘eSport’ is a stupid word for professional gaming.
Sir Faulty
May 13, 2015 at 10:44
Call me narrow minded then but gaming will never be a sport in my mind. CASE CLOSED!
Charl van der Merwe
May 13, 2015 at 11:15
god, no one was calling it a sport /facepalm
Sir Faulty
May 16, 2015 at 16:11
Enough! Your mental abilities bore me *YAWN*
sigma7
April 28, 2015 at 13:47
I’m surprised people talk with some supposed authority about things that they don’t even know about.
Michael Knack
April 28, 2015 at 16:45
This is the guy who, when asked “What does Kentucky have to do, in the Final Four, to beat Wisconsin, replied “Show Up”! Just another douche bag with a microphone.
ChatWraithShichi
April 29, 2015 at 05:43
Lol, it’s kind of funny. He’s playing up being angry about it. I feel bad for him if he’s so out of the loop. I don’t like heroes of the storm, and I like LoL less, but any sports “professional” should be able to appreciate the nuances of strategy and teamwork, no matter the setting.
Dima Wisotski
April 29, 2015 at 08:03
Heh. “Basement nerds” eh? Wonder who buys all those 300$+ GPUs, 144hz screens, and gaming peripherials then? Seems a bit too much for kids on allowance.
IcKY
April 29, 2015 at 11:18
ESPN please assign Cowherd to ESL MKX tournaments right away
un_aligned
May 4, 2015 at 03:26
I’m a gamer. eSports is not a sport. Hell, golf isn’t even a sport. It’s a stupid name, and gamers are morons for not thinking so.
Also, MOBA is not a genre. It’s a mod. For a shitty game. We’ll all be a lot better off when we admit this.
Flergun Slade
May 11, 2015 at 05:20
I love how he mispronounces Blizzard.
sdfgfsdf
January 24, 2016 at 17:56
Esports are for retards, lol