Joe Rogan Discusses Esports at the Olympics – “This is the Olympics trying to cash in – it’s a dirty business”
On an episode of his popular podcast, Joe Rogan addressed the recent news of esports potentially featuring at the Olympic games, and the reservations the IOC has about ‘violent’ video games.
On September 1, Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympics Committee, said that “so-called killer games” are “contradictory to the Olympic values.”
The statement was another affirmation that despite the potential for esports at the Olympics, it could be marred by the ‘violence’ in certain games.
After seeing the news, Joe Rogan and his guest, comedian and actor Tom Papa, discussed their view on it, as both esports and Olympics outsiders.
“This is the Olympics trying to cash in. That’s all that is. I think the Olympics are dirty, I think it’s a dirty business, and this was highlighted by the movie Icarus. […] What it’s really all about, is making money.
If they did have [esports] in the Olympics, what they would basically do is, take these guys who are making millions and millions of dollars playing video games at a professional level, and they would make them work for free.
And then [the Olympics] would make all the millions and millions of dollars, but say ‘yay, you get to be in the Olympics.’ It’s a dirty business.”
It is true that while some members of the IOC and the esports world have been pushing for esports at the Olympics, there are many in the esports side of things against the proposal.
Many feel that esports is burgeoning, or even booming, with it’s own current eco system, and that is a big part of its continued success – avoiding such institutions as the Olympics.
While it is undeniable that the Olympics would bring more mainstream attention to esports, there is also the flip side of the coin, which is that not all of that attention would be positive.
And as Joe Rogan himself explains, the players and teams themselves would stand to gain very little from competing in the Olympics, that they cannot already gain outwith. Perhaps the added attention would lead to more sponsorships etc. in the long term, but short term, the benefits would mainly favor the IOC itself.
