The notion that electronic sports are simply common pastimes taken to extremes by pale and socially awkward teenagers is one that continues to be frighteningly popular. It's both simplistic and dismissive and that makes it attractive. Spending time contemplating whether or not you think electronic sport has any relevance in society is something few people are prepared to do. A concise and dismissive opinion is all someone needs to both excuse themselves from having to answer difficult questions, but at the same time allow them to toss in their two cents.

Some are less dismissive in so far as they try to steer clear of the stereotypical recluse who will only tear himself away from computer games to fetch another pack of cheezitz and a Dr. Pepper from the fridge, but they retain the overly simplistic characteristic.

Detractors of e-sports are all too common both inside and outside of the gaming spectrum. On one side are those who don't play computer games, people who consider gamers to be hermits at best and believe them to be training to commit acts of domestic terrorism at worst. On the other side are the those who indulge exclusively on gaming consoles. You might expect the console crowd to be somewhat sympathetic towards our cause given the amount of unjustified flack they themselves have been subject to these past few years however, most console gamers are just as oblivious as those vindictive activists who level scathing accusations of immorality and youth corruption at anyone within five feet of an Xbox. The average console gamer has the competitive gamer pegged as an out of shape, sun-deprived, socially inept dullard with a crippling fear of "vagina dentata".

E-sports headlines rarely make the evening news which can make it difficult to get a beat on public opinion, but every so often an event transpires that shines light on how regular people view this irregular sport.

When the committee behind the Olympic torch relay revealed that they wanted prominent e-sports figures to be involved in the running the community's partisan undercurrent surfaced amidst an eruption of forum activity. Many e-sport enthusiasts were ecstatic to see their passion receive recognition in a formal manner that just oozed prestige. Surprisingly, there was an outpouring of negative commentary from the very same community, who saw it as less of a milestone for competitive gaming and more of a degrading smudge on the otherwise pristine historical legacy of the Olympics.

Complaints from distressed traditionalists were flying in all directions across the Internet with staunch e-sport supporters swinging harder than Jason Giambi at the 1992 Summer Olympics to bat them out of the park. A major complaint to surface during the debate was the notion that e-sports' inclusion in Olympic proceedings was simply a gimmick. A gimmick that traded the dignity of the event for an opportunity to arouse curiosity amongst uninterested youth. I find it perplexing to think that competitive gamers of all people would perceive this to be a negative development. The Olympic council are extending a hand to a younger and increasingly more technology oriented generation by embracing a sport they themselves helped build and still, concerns about the authenticity of competitive gaming continued to dominate community pages.

Paul Wood, Assistant Editor of Merriam-Webster has a historical take on the definition of sport. "The broadest and oldest definition of 'sport' (dating back to the 1400s) is 'a source of diversion' or 'recreation'" e-sports could fall under this definition, he went on to say.

"In the 1500s, 'sport' also came to be applied specifically to endeavors that usually took place outdoors and involved some degree of physical exertion. This newer meaning is how the word is more commonly used today. However, it is still possible to accurately apply the word to other forms of amusement and play".

Whether or not e-sports are technically defined as "sports" is inconclusive, it's neither included nor excluded by technical definition.

The term "sport" is usually defined as a physical activity, but contrary to popular belief that's not in fact a requirement of an official Olympic sport. Curling, archery and chess are all official Olympic sports yet all are less physically demanding than activities commonly defined as a "sport" in popular culture. Electronic sports are often compared to chess in that both are games of the mind as apposed to the physical body. It's true that the majority would define chess as a board game and not a sport but that's not how the Olympic committee regards it. Given the similarities between the two it's quite possible that electronic sports could one day be an official Olympic sport, perhaps even an event at the Winter or Summer games.

Something that seems to slip the collective mind of the e-sports communities, and indeed people in general, is that the Olympic games aren't about selecting a handful of the most popular forms of competition because it seems dignified, it's about giving everyone a chance to compete, to be a part of a global gathering, that means a broad array of sports that interest people from all walks of life. In the spirit of giving everyone an opportunity to be a part of the Olympic games electronic sport is absolutely in keeping with the tradition of the Olympics, despite popular opinion.

Health is also a defining characteristic of sport for most people. It's true that most sports do assist in keeping the body fit, it's also true that sitting in front of a computer for hours on end won't do much to improve your health. However, it's important to note that neither e-sports professionals nor traditional athletes rely on any one activity to keep fit. Archery, curling, horse riding, golf or motor sports aren't likely to make you fit but responsible athletes use a variety of methods to train their bodies and improve their abilities. Competitive sports are recommended as part of a varied workout regiment and not as a work out in its entirety. Most soccer players will hit the gym to improve their health as well as their soccer abilities and similarly e-sport athletes will hit the gym to keep their bodies fit and their minds sharp.

Competitive gaming is an opportunity to add increasing variety to your training regiment by testing the brain as well as the body.

Weight is not always relative to health but for the sake of argument let's use it as an example of health here. If competitive gaming truly is bad for your health then surely the number of overweight gamers would outnumber those who are in good physical shape. Grab a piece of paper, a pen and draw two columns, one for overweight professional gamers and one for slim professional gamers. Let me know which column runs off the end of the paper first.

Concerns over electronic sport almost always entail assumptions of an embarrassing degree, they're predominantly wishy-washy but often extend to cheap and tasteless. Concerns over competitive gaming's affect on the casual gaming experience, although ridiculous on paper, are in no short supply. If competitive gaming truly had an adverse affect on regular gaming then I would have to concede the point, people would have a right to be upset, but that's almost never the case.

An ever present worry emanating from the console community is one of almost comical proportions, one that will continue to increase in popularity as more console gamers venture online. Some feel that people who play games to an excessive degree in fact ruin the game for those who don't. The loud-mouthed teenybopper on Xbox Live who screams bloody murder in to his microphone after each and every kill is the console community's go-to depiction of a professional gamer. They assume the competitive PC gaming crowd is comprised entirely of 13-year-old's who do nothing but play computer games.

Few teams will take on anyone under sixteen and if they do it's usually under special circumstances. When we look at a game like Counter-Strike the competitive aspects have in fact increased the longevity of the game. In every stage of a players development there are forms of competition to accommodate them, be it public, league or tournament play.

It might seem like I'm grabbing at straws here but this complaint is just as common as "It's not a sport" or "It's a murder simulator". You yourself might not think the opinions of console gamers, or anyone else for that matter, hold much water in e-sports territory but negative public reaction will only slow the rate of growth for electronic sports. If mainstream success is to be achieved then societal dogma has to be in favor of e-sports.

Electronic sports is simply part of a rapidly changing culture and change is something people are naturally resistant toward. Colossal cultural shifts like the birth of the Internet left the less technology savvy people twisting in the wind, as have many cultural changes. People are hardwired to be resistant towards change. Timeless issues like rebellious and ireful youth are consistently attributed to new cultural fads like the latest music artists, movies and now even video games are being targeted to validate the irrational fear of older generations towards a temperamental society. Electronic sports is simply caught in the crossfire. E-sports doesn't attract any attention directly, it's not popular enough to, but whenever it does attempt to waltz into the spotlight it is immediately slimed by the excess bile of anti-video game rhetoric.

The importance of public opinion is something rarely stressed but for the sake of growth it's imperative that people are either supportive of, or indifferent to electronic sports. Every member of every household, in Europe certainly, is liable to know what soccer is. Chances are quite a large number of those people will in fact be soccer fans, but some won't, the one's who aren't will have few negative comments however, "I just don't like it, I prefer boxing" or something to that effect, would be quite common.

A small minority of soccer detractors will have something along the lines of "soccer fans are basically beer guzzling hooligans" to say, but those people make up a small, ignorant minority, as do those committing acts of soccer hooliganism. The problem for electronic sports stems from the fact that the few people who have heard of electronic sports do in fact hold one of those irrational, ignorant view points.

If the majority of e-sports' potential market for growth is of the opinion that the sport has nothing of value to offer society then growth will grind to a sluggish, unimpressive pace. Sponsors have no interest in associating their products with a concept their target market holds nothing but ire for. With negative opinions roaring through pop culture word of mouth, which until now has been one of e-sports few recruitment initiatives, will turn against the sport.

Additionally, game developers have no interest in producing games for a niche market that is liable to remain a niche indefinitely. Without that potential for growth a game's multiplayer experience will continue to play second fiddle to physics engines perfected to the point were wind resistance, surface materials and obstructive variables are all calculated and applied to make sure shooting an obscure piece of debris on the ground reacts accurately.

For the sake of growth and indeed the sport in its entirety public perception has to be swung in electronic sports' favor and it's entirely up to the gamers to do so. People can only duck reality so long as reality isn't staring them right in the face, it's about getting e-sport out there and parading it in front of the world, confrontation. Concepts like the Championship Gaming Series, E-sports League of Champions and other high profile events help in that regard, but there's more that can be done.

What are your ideas?