Newspaper Editor Calls Pro Gaming Broadcast "Downright Stupid"

According to The Battle Creek Enquirer's Eric Greene, the broadcast of video game tournaments on television is a sign of the apocalypse, or at the very least the decline of American civilization:

I envision two sweaty-palmed, pimple-faced 14-year-olds casting virtual spells on each other in the "World of Warcraft," and millions of people watching at home, ignoring all familial, spiritual and hygienic needs as they await the outcome of the make-believe contest. And with that, we blissful and carefree Americans may have sunk below the point of no return.

Greene seems to think that, for some reason, showing pro gaming on TV is a sign that we're "losing the war for such things as attention span, conversation, artistic expression and outdoor activity." Watching a Detroit Pistons game, something Greene enjoys, does not have the same negative impact on society for some reason.

It seems pretty clear that Greene simply has no time for gamers, and therefore, anything having to do with them is of no value:

I know there are hordes of dedicated video game players, many of whom lead productive lives and contribute to mankind. And there's no question that sitting in front of a flickering tube pressing the same buttons repeatedly for hours is a perfectly productive and stimulating exercise in brain and emotional development for people who surely can't find better uses for their time and talents.

I discussed this with my mom, and I think her reaction sums it up pretty darn well:

He's just being snotty.

CBS Announcement Signals Death Knell [Battle Creek Enquirer, via GamePolitics]