The first 12 team slots in the Overwatch League cost, reportedly, $US20 ($27) million each. This was mostly because at least a dozen rich people were willing to give that much money to Blizzard, but was also at least in part to avoid situations like the ongoing disgrace that is the Miami Marlins, where a cash-poor owner leveraged his way into control of a franchise and then refused to properly invest in it.
Look. Pitchers getting hit in the head by batted balls happens all the time, and is no joke. But I dare you to watch this Super Mega Baseball 2 clip from Giant Bomb producer and Mario Maker nightmare creator Dan Ryckert and not laugh.
Last night's game between the Cleveland Indians and Toronto Blue Jays had some weather delays. So while the tarps were laid out across Progressive Field, some staff decided to make use of one of the otherwise-idling jumbotrons.
It looks like hockey will joining the growing trend of tsports getting into esports. The National Hockey League will host the 2018 NHL Gaming World Championship, where fans of the virtual ice can compete for a share of a $US100,000 ($127,372) prize pool and a chance to be a part of the 2018 NHL awards.
Blake Martinez of the Green Bay Packers not only tied for leading the NFL in tackles this season, but also finds some time to play Dota 2 on the side. Though he currently plays under "Packernation50," Martinez told the story of his induction to the cult of Dota at yesterday's Captains Draft 4.0 tournament -- including his first screenname.
2017 was the year that esports became harder to ignore than ever, even for the sports blog readers who are desperate to do so. TBS has been broadcasting its Eleague Counter-Strike: Global Offensive competitions since 2016, and in 2017, the show expanded into broadcasts of Street Fighter, Injustice 2 and Rocket League, with each event boasting prize pools in the tens of thousands. Speaking of big money, Dota 2's The International tournament prize pool climbed to a record-breaking $US23 million ($30 million) in 2017.
