5 sources needed.

1. Think about your topic.
2. Talk about your topic.
3. Listen carefully for researchable topics not immediately named in your thesis.
4. Use whatever search engine works best for you
   • Library Database directly
   • Google Scholar
   • Wikipedia articles that yield rich lists of sources you can then retrieve by title
5. If you run into a pay wall, enter the titles in the Campbell Library database.
6. Read about the value (both positive and negative) of celebrity endorsement.
7. Learn about our tendency to dissociate ourselves from unsavory characters (AND their products, AND their social views).
8. Apply that evidence—from outside your primary topic—to your very specific thesis.

1. Working Hypothesis 1

Esports and virtual reality will replace traditional sports because of the worldwide concern for injury.

1a. Working Hypothesis 2

Esports will become more popular than traditional esports due to the worldwide concern for injury.

2. Five Academic Sources

https://onlinegrad.syracuse.edu/blog/esports-to-compete-with-traditional-sports/#:~:text=Activate%20projects%20that%20in%20the,the%20141%20million%20NFL%20viewers.

With Viewership and Revenue Booming, Esports Set to Compete with Traditional Sports

They use the comparison of Ninja (Tyler Blevins) to the likes of Tom Brady and Lebron James. According to Syracuse University, “Technology consulting firm Activate estimates more than 250 million people watch esports,” and along with that most of them play those games as well. Syracuse also states, “By 2020, Activate suggest that 70 million people will watch a single esports final, which is higher than the viewership for U.S. professional baseball, soccer, and hockey finals.” Also by 2020, as a collective, we will have watched, “3 billion hours of esports.” Also, because esports isn’t, “rooted in any region or culture,” there is a broader reach globally for popularity.

Twitch, owned by Amazon, is the worlds biggest live streaming platform. According to Ali Moiz, the CEO of Streamlabs, Twitch is the first of its kind; it has the ability to create real-time reactions between the streamer and audience. Ali Moiz also states that it is, “exciting for people to donate to their favorite Twitch streamer and hear them call you out live on stream in front of thousands of people.”

Over time the esports industry has been taking pages out of the sports industries playbook. Overwatch, for example, has created their own Overwatch League. Also, according to ESPN, “Disney signed a deal with Blizzard to bring the league to ESPN and ABC.” Esports has also grabbed the attention of the Olympic games. Another example of esports as a, “competitive threat,” to traditional sports is NBA 2K. The NBA recently created their own esports league as well.

Another historic moment for esports, and the gaming industry as a whole was when Ninja played with Drake live on stream (I was there for it). Blevins’ peaked in viewership with Twitchs’ all time viewer record, 635,000. There is also growth within the collegiate esport community.

According to Syracuse University in terms of esports marketability it will be quite similar to hose of traditional esports and the steaming services, such as Twitch, will greatly, “assist marketers in creating optimized advertising.” Syracuse also stated, “data analytics and artificial intelligence may change how esports games are played.” They further this point with a very interesting comparison of Elon Musk’s OpenAI to professional esports players. This sheds light on the possibility of players vs. computers in competition.

*https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-50801-2_15 (replace)*

https://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/concussions-in-football

Commentary: Concussions in football

Due to tough guy mentality, many players will attempt to shrug off their injuries and continue to play regardless of the consequences after. According to Harvard University, “repeated blows to the head, not just those that are severe enough to cause concussions, increase the risk for a variety of symptoms later in life, such as depression, poor motivation and concentration, and problems with learning and memory.” When someone withstands a concussion it accelerate quickly, and then decelerates as it hits against the skull. Nerve cells get stretched, and their connection get disrupted and torn.

More recently there’s been a major focus on repeated impacts, which occur quite often in football. CTE, neurodegeneration, and “second-impact syndrome”. According to Harvard the are most worried about back-to-back impacts which can cause death due to brain swelling.

“NFL leaders have not been quick to endorse the idea that employment as a player is a risk factor for chronic brain disease,” Harvard states. Football, as a sport, is inherently violent. The players enjoy the game while they play, but then may have to suffer the consequences later on in life long after retirement.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has stated that the powerful influence of the NFL could be used to enforce brain health protocols/protections to protect their players and our youth.

https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/IntR-04-2016-0085./full/html

(I don’t know how to open this)

Professor Note: To gain access to the PDF you “don’t know how to open,” search for the article by title in the Rowan Library database while you’re logged into your Rowan account. As a tuition-paying member of the academic community, you should be able to open most journal documents.

—DSH

Turns out this is simple. Click Download Now. The button:

The result:

PDF in Files – Esports Athletes and Players: A Comparative Study

https://sportsworld.nbcsports.com/virtual-reality-sports-arkansas-kentucky/

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/esports/article-4812762/amp/Why-esports-real-sports

https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/mij/15031809.0005.106?view=text;rgn=main

https://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2014/09/07/espn-boss-declares-esports-not-a-sport/#4b5a9d755f80

3. Topics for Smaller Papers

(Definition/Classification Argument)
Explain How a Term or Category is Understood or Misunderstood, Used or Misused, how Related things differ, or how Unrelated things are similar

Esports aren’t real sports. By definition, esports are different than real sports, but there is no distinction besides the physical exertion, and public opinion.

(Cause/Effect Argument)
Explore a Causal Relationship Essential to your research

Injuries in Traditional Sports to the growing popularity of esports.

(Rebuttal Argument)
Reveal a Counterargument to be flawed

Traditional sports will never but fully removed from our culture, yet sensitivity of our population could lead us in that direction.

4. Current State of the Research Paper

Describe in a brief paragraph how you’re feeling so far about the progress you’ve made, how your opinions have changed (or solidified), and what you anticipate will be your eventual outcome.

I believe this is exactly what I’m looking for. My hypothesis is quite radical from what most are saying. The general belief is that the esports industry will continue to grow over the years, but there is little evidence to suggest that traditional sports will be eliminated anytime soon. However, my argument, states that virtual reality sporting will provide a safer alternative. For example, the concussion epidemic in the NFL could get itself banned. Quite Black Mirror-esque but still possible to argue I believe. Definitely need more evidence to support it though.

In Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring,” the piccolo makes a surprise appearance.

https://bit.ly/3jnWZa8