Professional Warcraft III players to carry Olympic torch in China
by Scott Jon Siegel 
{ Apr 18th 2008 at 11:00PM }
Both Sky and Moon are professional Warcraft III players, with the former being recognized as the world's best Human-class player, and the latter as the one of the world's best Night Elf-class players. Both were chosen by Razer from a group of ten professional gamers, selected by the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games. Congrats go out to both.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
atghiphop @ Apr 18th 2008 11:06PM
I dont wanna be rude but thats just crazy. Professional gamers carrying the olympic torch??? I mean ya im sure these guys are dedicated, but seriously?? Rather then being cool, i think its borderline pathetic. but uh ya... congrats!!
Mr.ESC @ Apr 19th 2008 1:59AM
I think it's pretty damn Ironic.
A event that suppose to celebrate physical fitness is going to be opened by 2 guys that play videogames the hobby of most obese people these days, as stereotypic as it sounds.
Well at least it was the best 2 players of Warcraft III.
Ted @ Apr 19th 2008 4:36AM
Former or current olympic sports that relied more on skill than on physical fitness:
Golf
Archery
Equestrian
True, video games would take that to a new extreme, but I think it's reasonable to allow two professional WCIII players to carry the torch. Especially in a country where so many people play video games. It's a 'sport' in the sense that it pits people directly against each other and is very competitive.
alphacrumb @ Apr 19th 2008 8:08AM
Now on the torch bearer roster for the 2010 Winter Olympics: respective champions from the competitive fields of tiddlywinks, Dungeons and Dragons, and Hungry Hungry Hippos.
A Pissed-off English Gamer @ Apr 19th 2008 4:41PM
The olyimpic games are about celebrating human ability. I don't care if it's moving their legs fast or their fingers; exceptional ability is exceptional ability. This is awesome.
Moggeh @ Apr 20th 2008 11:27AM
@ted
I agree with most of what you said, except that Equestrian requires immense physical strength(at least at Olympic Level). I can understand to people that don't ride often, but people build up amazing muscles doing equestrian.
Wes @ Apr 21st 2008 2:48AM
@Atghiphop
I think its pretty reasonable. Honestly, I think thats pretty fair as some mental sports can be just as difficult as physical ones.
I believe if I went to the gym everyday, dietly strictly and practied often, I might be able to deadlift a good amount of weight. Pretty not olypmic but I bet I could get close if I dedicated myself for the next 20-25 years.
However, I don't know if I could say the same about beating the current Grandmaster of Chess or out theorizing Steven Hoppkins or Albert Einstein nor disproving all or even some of their thories with definity.
Granted, Olympics traditionally are physical tasks of strenght or endurance combined with some form of hand-eye co-ordination and focus, whereas, most online gmaes require only the later.
Fernando Rocker @ Apr 18th 2008 11:07PM
Speaking of the Olympics... do you think Mario and Sonic at the Olympics is still going to sell a lot until the Olympics?
I want to buy it, but I want to buy it at a lower price... so, if the sales start dropping, it might receive a price cut.
tmacairjordan87 @ Apr 18th 2008 11:47PM
Shame on you fernando. I actually thought even you wouldn't buy the wii's shovelware.
I would actually force myself to suffer through watching the real olympics than playing that POS.
Fernando Rocker @ Apr 19th 2008 12:23AM
That's why I want to pick the game at $20... besides, I have a wife... she like to play casual videogames.
By the way... anyone has finished Doom on Live Arcade? I just finished the game on Ultra Violence... damn... it was very hard, specially the last episode.
copa @ Apr 18th 2008 11:09PM
Jesse Owens just rolled over in his grave.
And good avatar.
LAWL @ Apr 18th 2008 11:17PM
AWSOME!
About time something good at all camed out of those olympics its been all about the tibet and thats kinda a sad situation over there.
Now thats some cool stuff,how about some WC3 matches as olympic events that would be worth watching.
fun behind,its cool to see these happen from a gamers perspective
Neebs @ Apr 18th 2008 11:30PM
lol wut
Batzarro(A.K.A Rap-Rock Cameo) @ Apr 18th 2008 11:49PM
"We need someone expendable to carry the torch. You know, the protests and all? Are there any WoW in China?
StuScotsLazyEye @ Apr 18th 2008 11:51PM
I'm sorry, but keep this kind of crap out of the Olympics, seriously...and never tie video games and actual sport together ever again.
Mr.ESC @ Apr 19th 2008 2:09AM
Are you saying this for the MLG or because back in the 90's it stopped being cool(Blame the Nintendo world Champion Thor for advertising crappy games)?
porath @ Apr 20th 2008 10:39AM
they'll carry it, but not for long ...
Mr.ESC @ Apr 19th 2008 2:02AM
Don't worry I heard they are going to lend them segways.
Shawn @ Apr 19th 2008 12:35AM
PC Gaming represent represent
iofthestorm @ Apr 19th 2008 2:03AM
Damn, I was about to say Warcraft III represent but I think that covers it. Meh, these guys would probably own me before I even built my first hero or something.
Foetoid @ Apr 19th 2008 12:42AM
Lucky most chinese are quite slim and fit, even the gamers that sit inside all day. Now if this was an Australian or American gamer who had to run the torch, it'd be like watching Homer Simpson in the torch relay (yes i'm an aussie, and i know we're nearly as morbidly obese as the americans).
iofthestorm @ Apr 19th 2008 2:04AM
Nearly being the key word there, I don't think there's any country more obese than us Americans. It's kind of pathetic...
Andrew @ Apr 19th 2008 11:34AM
The Chinese are slim becasue they smoke so damn much. Two thirds of chinese men smoke and it's a state run industry so that's not about stop.
Being terrified of the government also helps keep you slim.
Jeff @ Apr 20th 2008 2:02AM
The government doesn't do anything about the smoking because its very effective population control.
Kujel @ Apr 19th 2008 1:07AM
Aboot damn time real games got presence at the Olympics.
sictransitgloria @ Apr 19th 2008 5:31PM
i hope those nerds are ready to get soaked
I Love Bowser @ Apr 20th 2008 6:16AM
Funny.
TheHuntIsOn @ Apr 19th 2008 5:24AM
Why don't they just conquer WoW instead of Tibet?
I Love Bowser @ Apr 19th 2008 5:56AM
Watching this year's olympics is equivilant to supporting Tibetan repression. We should all be ashamed for allowing this to happen.
colin @ Apr 19th 2008 6:03AM
should we leave iraq too?
colin @ Apr 19th 2008 6:05AM
i hope you don't own anything that was made in china ...
I Love Bowser @ Apr 19th 2008 6:21AM
Yes we should leave Iraq: I think I'm a isolationist, as horrid as that may sound to you. And as a consequence, I try to avoid any Chinese made goods. But due to the manufacturing hegemony China holds over us, I do have some goods from that state. I'm not sure which ones, but I'm sure I have some.
finnith @ Apr 19th 2008 5:31PM
Isolationists are the same people who caused WW1 and WW2. Interventions should be made if there is hard evidence that human rights have been violated.
Brad @ Apr 20th 2008 11:42AM
finnith is suggesting that we invade China...
colin @ Apr 19th 2008 6:01AM
i know i shouldn't come to joystiq for political discussion. but oh well. i work (and am good friends) with a girl from beijing. once you get past the wool that the sensationalist news-media tries to pull over your eyes, you will see that the "violence" towards tibetan protestors by the "chinese military" is actually false. the people you see beating protestors are Nepalese. and for some reason they cut out the scenes of the protestors inciting the violence.
its all projected perspective on the newsmedia's part, kinda like how the black people are looters and the white people are just looking for supplies during katrina.
that being said, china DOES hold political prisoners whose crimes are nothing more than handing out pamphlets in support of freeing tibet. they still have a ways to go as far as civil liberties are concerned.
but don't boycott the games because your favorite left-wing actor wants you to. there are at least 2 sides to every story.
I Love Bowser @ Apr 19th 2008 6:26AM
Nice to see you have a balanced perspective. No bias at all.
Seraphim @ Apr 19th 2008 8:33AM
http://www.anti-cnn.com/
Scroll down till you see the pictures of how the media has distorted the facts.
colin @ Apr 19th 2008 6:02AM
should we leave iraq too?
James B @ Apr 19th 2008 7:56AM
Probably the only good thing China's done regarding the Olympics.
snarfoogle @ Apr 19th 2008 10:06AM
Sky? Why isn't Grubby going to do it?
snarfoogle @ Apr 19th 2008 1:06PM
@Fernando - Does the XBLA version of DooM have the 4th episode? E3 is a joke compared to E4 in terms of difficulty.
Fernando Rocker @ Apr 19th 2008 2:13PM
Yes... I finished the Fourth Episode on Ultra Violence... damn, E4M2 was very hard...
Mr.ESC @ Apr 19th 2008 2:19PM
Save and Load FTW.
hvnlysoldr @ Apr 19th 2008 11:54AM
I don't think presidents should boycott the opening ceremony. No it would be far more face disgracing to China if every single speaker blasted China every single opportunity. And all countries beat the pants off the Chinese athletes just like against Hitler's.
Mr Khan @ Apr 19th 2008 2:35PM
Agree, i never saw the significance of boycotting the olympics when its happened. It always felt to me like not going was more disgraceful than going
Just go, let the Sub-Saharan African teams make statements about Darfur, and let the Indian teams make statements about Tibet
China would be constrained to not fire back, lest they look even worse on the global spotlight
A Pissed-off English Gamer @ Apr 19th 2008 4:47PM
Yeah, Jesse Owens' victories in Nazi Germany certainly prevented the horrible persecutions and the following war afterwards, oh wait.
hvnlysoldr @ Apr 19th 2008 7:17PM
We're talking about the method of protesting. Never mind all three world wars could have been prevented. Don't start the fourth.
BC @ Apr 19th 2008 5:11PM
The previous message has been approved by the Chinese government. Seriously, though, you got your information from a Chinese girl you work with? Ugh. I hate when Western people talk to someone foreign and think that they somehow get the *whole* story, as if foreign people are completely objective and it's only Western White people who have biases. The fact of the matter is that I've had enough discussions with Chinese people on the internet to know that there is plenty of nationalism and bias going on when they talk. The fact of the matter is that Chinese people are taught certain things by culture, their media, and their government. It plays into their biases in self-serving ways, and so they are readily accepted by them -- just as White racists in the US "learn" certain things about black people. That doesn't make it the least bit objective.
All your talk about "sensationalist news-media tries to pull over your eyes" is just the Chinese pulling the wool over your eyes.
"but don't boycott the games because your favorite left-wing actor wants you to." Yeah, what makes you think that everyone who has an opinion doesn't *really* have an opinion and are getting their marching orders from a "favorite left-wing actor"? Yeah, nobody thinks for themselves except you.
Wake up @ Apr 20th 2008 11:49AM
I hate it when Western people who speak only one language, have never left their home country and probably can't even find it on a map of the world think they know something about world politics. Even worse when they think that they somehow get the *whole* story.
The fact of the matter is that Western people are taught certain things by culture, their media, and their government. It plays into their biases in self-serving ways, and so their views are readily accepted by themselves.
Mr.ESC @ Apr 19th 2008 8:17PM
You,Fail
Die!!!
Munf munf for boi's dinner! And lots of spaghetti
You wont find adobe here in Nairobi.
La li lu le lo
La li lu le lo