Dear Colin Cowherd,
In a three-minute segment on your Monday episode of The Herd you managed to take aim at your employer, the video game community and everyone involved in producing the Heroes of the Dorm tournament, which was broadcast on ESPN2 over the past weekend. Rather than fight your antipathy with anger, I challenge you. I challenge you to give competitive video games a chance.
I ask this of you because I enjoy The Herd, but your closed minded approach to competitive video games is out of character. You can either embrace change or be the “get off my lawn” guy you often refer to. Professionals in this industry who have little interest in considering change or looking toward the future lack value. I don’t want to see ESPN leave you in the past if the unlikely day comes when your superiors send you to cover a Call of Duty tournament.
Change has been alive and well in sports within your lifetime. The NBA adopted the three-point line. Professional football and baseball accepted instant replay. Popularity of the World Series of Poker exploded in the early 2000s partially because of ESPN’s support. Now competitive gaming is more popular than ever, which is why your employer sees it as viable programming. Do you really want to be the voice that speaks against sports’ natural progression? Those who don’t embrace change are likely to be shouting on the sideline while the medium continues to charge forward.
What does it hurt by accepting competitive gaming? Your negativity towards the scene was clear. You didn’t care enough to even get the name of the game right. Rather than approaching this content with vitriol, try consideration. How can it negatively impact your career by embracing video game-related content, or at the very least tolerating it?
Being bullied by the sports community is nothing new to video game lovers. We’ll get over it. Rather than getting involved in a shouting match that would be a good fit for your show, treat this as an opportunity to broaden your horizons. I challenge you to make an effort. Do some research. Find out why the commentators you mocked were so appropriately enthusiastic about what they were covering. Discover why this event was substantial enough to be aired on your network, or why it was held in a sold out venue.
The definition of “sports” has evolved even in ESPN’s 36-year history. That’s why having one network isn’t enough anymore. ESPN2, ESPN News and ESPN3 online are needed to encompass today’s broad term of “sports.” What’s gained by locking out competitive gaming when there’s clearly room for it? Or perhaps the better question is, why are you willing to retire because it’s here?
Your listener,
Max Parker
