In the United States the airwaves are dominated by sports leagues like the NFL, NBA, MLB, and the NHL. In countries like Brazil, England, and China, sports like soccer, MMA, and rugby dominate their popular sports culture. 

Recently esports has broken onto the scene, pitting the best gamers worldwide against each other in various competitions. But make no mistake: Esports is not a real sport, like football or basketball.

To play video games at a competitive level obviously takes a lot of skill and practice, and the same thing could be said about a sport like football. The main difference, however, is the physical skill it takes to compete in a real sport like football.

NFL stars have stories of going on long runs through their cities as children and giving away their entire summers to train and get better. The only muscle a pro gamer is exercising is in their thumbs. 

Sports can be an escape from reality for passionate fans, and the stadiums they play in reflect that energy. Popular sports fan bases like the LSU Tigers, Pittsburgh Steelers, or Los Angeles Lakers draw fans in with performances from otherworldly athletes with physical abilities that very few people possess. 

Esports players, meanwhile, are sucked into their own reality, and are not playing to the crowd. At the end of the day, sports is entertainment. 

Esports is great for a lot of things. It gives people a previously unavailable outlet to use their skills. Also, more people can build their lives as professional gamers as opposed to becoming professional athletes. 

Unfortunately that alone shows how hard it is to become a pro athlete, and how hard real athletes have to work at their craft to reach the top of their sports. 

There are just too many factors that prevent esports from being recognized as a legitimate sport.