As the esport industry has been growing over the past few years, so has the debate about whether or not esports are even sports. And, while I am of the opinion that it doesn’t even matter, what actually makes a sport a sport? Athleticism? Mental fortitude? Competition? Trash talk!

Whether you are watching fancy celebrations or post game banter, trash talk is an integral part of the game. Hell, it’s sometimes hard to make it through a hockey match without players socking each other in the face. But all of that makes it fun! It adds to the drama of a big match; it gives players life and personality. Talking smack makes us more interested in the outcome of the game, regardless of what is being played – the same goes for League.

When Doublelift trash talked TSM this whole offseason, it made the TL – TSM season opener all the more interesting. Would he be able to back it all up, or would he make a fool of himself? The match was no longer just a player competing against his old team, there was pride on the line. You could feel tangible emotion in his quest for revenge. He did not want to win, he wanted to “absolutely demolish TSM’s legacy.” THAT is something worth watching.

So who cares if esports are sports or not, they are here to stay! And as long as they’re here, we might as well talk some smack. It’s not a game without some flame! Here are all the things our beloved pros are telling me about their Wood 5 opponents…

Week 2

• Adrian – “TSM seems really passive as a team… MikeYeung is just another ward for them.”

• Doublelift – “Febiven literally ints in every one of my solo queue games, so it’s funny that he went on stage and shit talked, but every game I’ve ever seen him he is just hard trolling my game… So I think he just got lucky vs CLG.”

• Aphromoo – “C9? Who is on that team?”

If you’d like to flame me, go ahead and tweet @parkeso. For pictures and stories, follow my Insta @parqueso. If you’re not big into social media, email me at [email protected]. =)