Xbox Video Download Service Succeeding By -- Gasp -- Being Decent

Professional Baseball Players Form Professional Video Gamers League

from the getting-paid-to-do-what-you-usually-do-anyway dept

Fri, Dec 22nd 2006 1:19am — Dennis Yang

As we've mentioned many times before, video games seem to be quite popular with professional sports stars. Today, New York Yankee Johnny Damon and the shrewd folks from Boras Marketing announced the formation of the Professional Baseball Video Game League (PBGL). The new league actually has nothing to do with baseball specifically, but rather, consists of professional baseball players playing video games against each other as well as a few lucky common folk. The first game they'll be playing is Project Gotham Racing for the Xbox 360. Sure, we enjoy watching these guys play baseball, but is it really going to be entertaining to watch these guys play video games? The NFL is doing something similar with Madden Nation, but in that incarnation, NFL Players sponsor individual gamers (who are actually some of the best in the nation) in playing Madden (which is actually a video game about football) and aren't actually playing the games themselves. So, Johnny, go have your fun with this new league, but please stay away from Guitar Hero.

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12 Comments

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Matthew, 22 Dec 2006 @ 4:45am

GH2 FTW
My Pac-Man's wrist > ur Nintendo thumb !!

Frankly, if Damon can pull this off and make something entertaining out of Baseball then its only better for the world.
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Nick, 22 Dec 2006 @ 5:30am

The only thing Damon has ever made entertaining was ripping on him and the rest of the BoSox before they won their championship (and after for their belief that not being the team with the highest payroll, but 2nd highest, made them a regular David vs. Goliath).

With the Yanks, A-Rod and Giambi are much more viable targets than Damon, what with the constant underachieving and steroid abuse respectively. Not to mention Randy Johnson being the ugliest man in baseball.
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Andrew W, 22 Dec 2006 @ 6:28am

If they play in front of a live crowd with big TVs, then yeah I think I'd watch.

But if it's a recorded show like Madden Nation---what with the edits and forced storylines and whatnot---then forget it. It's no fun to watch people play games if you can't actually watch them play the whole game, get into the flow, have a chance to root, etc.
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Anonymous Coward, 22 Dec 2006 @ 6:38am

i wouldnt watch
man shit, id rather watch porn then any of that
that shit is wack
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xxl3w, 22 Dec 2006 @ 7:31am

Not Funny
At #4. Not funny.

reminded me of the "masturbation guy". Also, not funny. Try again somewhere else I'm assuming?
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xxl3w, 22 Dec 2006 @ 7:31am

Not Funny
At #4. Not funny.

reminded me of the "masturbation guy". Also, not funny. Try again somewhere else I'm assuming?
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Dave's Football Blog, 22 Dec 2006 @ 7:32am

Are those Madden players designing offenses?
I'd like to see how creative those Madden players get in designing plays for their teams. I bet one of those guys could design a better offense than Dan Henning's in Carolina.
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ITGuy, 22 Dec 2006 @ 8:05am

Oh great
As if watching grown men who get grossly overpaid for playing a kids game wasn't bad enough... Now they think we want to wath them play video games too? I hope to hell i get my guns on one of these pansys in Halo.
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rijit (profile), 22 Dec 2006 @ 2:49pm

Pro Gaming
Pro Gaming is coming. Already there are worldwide gaming organizations and in some countries the pro gamers are more popular than regular athletes, one on one gaming challenges and league tournaments attract huge crowds of people to watch. The gaming leagues that are in the US now have a good following started, it won't be too long until Pro Gaming hits the mainstream in the US.
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Grumpy Old fart, 22 Dec 2006 @ 5:20pm

To IT guy..

An interesting statistic recently revealed that the average age of the serious simmer was around 45 if not higher. Sim racing is beginning to move into the realm of sanctioned sports from what I have seen with the rFactor guys

And as for youre macho desires with your big guns.... Give us a break, junior, we dont need anymore loudmouth internet heroes
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kate anderson, 22 Jun 2007 @ 9:20am

GH2 FTW
can i be able to know you and maybe i can buy a cup of coffee.
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Xbox360Fixer, 14 Jun 2009 @ 12:34am

I beat Johnny Damon at E3 Xbox 360 Contest
Johnny Damon didnt even know how to hold the xbox 360 controller right. It was like he was playing the Wii. I think theses sports stars should just stick to what that know, and leave the real gamers to play the xbox 360.
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