Nike Signs Deal With Esports Athlete

AlphaAtlas

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Nike signed on professional League of Legends player Jian 'Uzi' Zihao as part of a sportsware endorsement deal. This is the first time Nike signed a deal with an esports athlete, and he's being signed on in a big way. Zihao will appear alongside NBA star LeBron James to promote the "Shut Up and Dribble" Showtime series.

Zihao, 21, is widely regarded as one of the best League of Legends players in the world, and recently won a gold medal in the title at the Asian Games in Jakarta, where competitive gaming was included for the first time as a demonstration event. Chinese state television broadcaster CCTV aired a documentary about Zihao's esports career before his appearance at the Games. Zihao's team RNG have also signed a number of non-endemic commercial deals in recent times, partnering with both German car giant Mercedes and fast food chain KFC.
 
Sorry I have never bought on to any of this esports stuff. Plus the guy has probably never even seen a basketball let alone dribbled one.

Love the tough guy picture pose though. It suits most of the esports crowd
 
Esports Athlete o_O Yeah tapping that keyboard and moving that mouse....definitely up there with running a marathon.

That's like saying someone who sits on the couch all day shovelling food into himself and watching tv is a tv watching athlete. Can he get some sponsorship for "sneakers" to comfort his feet when he goes to take his daily shit?
 
Athlete is the wrong term.
I'm sorry, I associate athleticism with physical exertion.
Darts, bowling, golf, snooker, league, these are not athletes.
These sports involve incredible finesse and dexterity though.
 
It's almost like words have never had revisions to their definitions before. I don't care either way but not sure why some get emotionally affected by calling someone an athlete. Just think, finally some of you all might get referred to as an athlete as well! :D
 
Too bad they did not call it "Competitive Gaming" or "Professional Gaming" or "Electronic Competition" or something like that.
They should make them stand up while they play. At least that way they are exerting themselves somehow.
 
Meh, dunno. Zihao looks like the type that might physically exert himself when he does a no. 2, which could make for "athletic" muscles where people don't usually get them.

I've experienced that same issue (meaning the no.2 related one; had to clarify that) from time to time in the past, but usually as the result of something that clogged up the old pipes. I wasn't wearing Nikes when ithat happened though, and Dulcolax worked wonders (guess I'm out of the "running" to be signed up for a Nike sportsware endorsement deal).
 
Just because you don't run, or lift, doesn't mean your body doesn't experience exertion. You may balk at the idea, but the body does experience plenty of movement in many competitive video games, as well as increased cardio-vascular activity. Remember, these are people playing the absolute best they can, they train their body as well as their mind.

How is one an e-sports athlete when e-sports aren't athletic? The usage is confusing likeness in competition with likeness in activity. The English language doesn't change just because some nerds are feeling hype.
 
It's not irrelevant, they sponsor athletes, and it appears they consider that person an athlete. If you want to get their justification, ask them.

Nike’s endorsement is irrelevant to the point. They’re literally endorsing someone that plays video games all day. The very definition of the word athlete implies physical exercise.
 

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Notice how he doesn't have a can in his mouth?

Or were you just trolling? Do I hear a WHOOSH WHOOSH?
 
Laff, Everyone bitching about athletics this, esports that, probably had parents or are parents who told their kids youll never make money playing vidjamagames, and are now verry bitter, that they are eating their words.. :ROFLMAO:

Now do I get why the hell Nike is sponsoring gaming.. Hell no..

Think they'd be better off sponsoring drone racing!! :D:D
 
Just no.
Just because you don't run, or lift, doesn't mean your body doesn't experience exertion. You may balk at the idea, but the body does experience plenty of movement in many competitive video games, as well as increased cardio-vascular activity. Remember, these are people playing the absolute best they can, they train their body as well as their mind.
 
This thread is either seething with jealousy, or just plan angry. The worlds changing guys. Just like people were angry that blacks and minority were allowed to play sports back 60 years ago, it seems some people are angry now that things that aren't traditional such as sports isn't filled with physically fit atheletes. TImes are different now. While I absolutely love sports, and I personally applaud those who physically keep themselves in steller condition, I've always felt sports were things that had, or people that 1) Competition between players and 2) spectators, even if it's just a small amount, 3)train repeatedly in an almost zealot like fashion, . No this isn't a perfect definition, but it's kinda how the world see's it now. People will get endorsements for being good or at least appearing to be good at something. Just look at the Youtube broadcaster thing.

Btw as someone who used to document some Esports guys for a Moba company, I can tell you some of them are Scary strong and atheletic. I know it's safe to joke that they are basement nerds, but I'm telling you guys, soon it's gonna some pretty studly peeps running amok doing this esports thing. Mostly as money comes in.
 
SO...........they sponsored the guy making shoes for them half of the day????? YUP that's Nike!!!!
 
How is one an e-sports athlete when e-sports aren't athletic? The usage is confusing likeness in competition with likeness in activity. The English language doesn't change just because some nerds are feeling hype.
Actually, yes, the English language has changed drastically over the years.
You may want to look up a few words like "gay" and "pussy" - 50 years ago, those had drastically different meanings with much more positive connotations than they do these days.

Heck, the word "geek" used to be extremely derogatory less than 40 years ago.
So yeah, the word "athlete" and its meaning is changing, even if it is just for marketing.
 
Actually, yes, the English language has changed drastically over the years.
You may want to look up a few words like "gay" and "pussy" - 50 years ago, those had drastically different meanings with much more positive connotations than they do these days.

Heck, the word "geek" used to be extremely derogatory less than 40 years ago.
So yeah, the word "athlete" and its meaning is changing, even if it is just for marketing.

There is a thing called slang. They've turned the word "athlete" into slang for "gamer". No different than gay being slang for homosexual and pussy being slang for vagina. A slang word either becomes widely accepted (definitive) or it becomes derogatory (insulting). When it becomes an entry into a dictionary, the dictionary will let us know which one it is.

And Delicieuxz's context was "doesn't change...because of a specific reason". That reason being some nerds feeling the need to refer to themselves as something that they are not in order to demand attention and attain self-gratification.

They could call themselves "the weight lifters of gaming", but the term is slang that becomes industry jargon, just the same.

Nike is exploiting the opportunity to appeal to the wallets of a specific demographic - the hundreds and hundreds of millions of video gamers the world over. And there's absolutely nothing wrong with them doing so, because they are a business with the goal of profits.
 
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Actually, yes, the English language has changed drastically over the years.
You may want to look up a few words like "gay" and "pussy" - 50 years ago, those had drastically different meanings with much more positive connotations than they do these days.

50 years ago "gay" and "pussy" were also used to describe the same things as today that I assume you're referring to.

Language evolves, but calling gaming athletic isn't an evolution, it's a devolution that ignores what the word means and would make it lose its meaning for the sake of some gaming competitions coping the sentiment of athletics for the sake of hype.

And then what word would be used to describe athletic activity - is there another? Would you invent a new word to refer to strenuous and fitness-building activities of the body? If so, why not just create a new one to describe gaming sports, or just call gaming what it is: Gaming, competitive, a sport, if you wish. But, it isn't athletic.
 
50 years ago "gay" and "pussy" were also used to describe the same things as today that I assume you're referring to.
Yeah, no, they weren't.
Back then, "gay" meant "happy" and "pussy" meant either "cat" or "fine" (classy/sexy).

There is a thing called slang. They've turned the word "athlete" into slang for "gamer". No different than gay being slang for homosexual and pussy being slang for vagina.
I said 50 years ago, not 20 years ago.
Does history for you two not extend beyond the 1990s or something?


What a couple of geeks - and no, I don't mean the "nerdy" kind. ;)
 
Nike is just trying to cash in on that sweet E-Game money. Nothing more nothing less. It's a billion dollar business and they were missing out. I get it.

No one ever considered Bobby Fischer an athlete, not in the chess sense, there wasn't ever a debate.

While some E-Gamers may be athletic and have athletic-centric hobbies outside of their E-Game competitions, these competitions themselves are not athletic competitions. It is disingenuous to even consider these E-Gamers athletes while representing themselves in non-athletic competition.
 
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