*By Zane Bhansali*
Esports fans tuning into Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's new show on NBC, "The Titan Games," may be surprised to see a familiar face: Alex "Goldenboy" Mendez, who is more likely as a commentator for "Overwatch" or "Halo" than for an athletic obstacle gauntlet.
Goldenboy's appearance on "Titan Games" marks one of the first times that an esports commentator has crossed over to mainstream entertainment. “It was very humbling to see that they had appreciated what I did," Goldenboy told Cheddar Sports.
"Titan Games," which premiered Jan. 3, caps off a stellar year for Goldenboy that includes 57 different events casted across 18 different games. He attributes that growth to an increased acceptance of esports as a fully-fledged industry in its own right.
“I think as a whole the industry has just really trended upwards as far as acceptance with mainstream media," Goldenboy said. "We’ve started to push away the stereotypes ... Now, more and more people are starting to accept that this is an industry, a growing industry, a business that has tons and tons of eyeballs and ears that are just glued to every little bit of content."
One of the things that Goldenboy said was most enjoyable about working on "Titan Games" was the production's understanding of the ways in which esports sets itself apart, right down to the gamer tags. When he asked if it would be "ridiculous" to go by his tag on the show, he said the showrunners responded, "No! That’s who you are. That’s your brand, we want that."
"If [Johnson] can go as 'The Rock,' then I can go as Goldenboy."
That homegrown sense of fun and levity is what Goldenboy says makes esports unique ー and what will draw in new audiences.
“What’s so great about this is, you don’t need any formal training, you don’t need a degree. I’m not very smart,” he laughed.
He's critical of attempts to grow esports by forcing it to fit a traditional sports model, and of cynical corporate attempts to capitalize on the industry boom.
"If you’re not having fun, people are going to sniff that out right away," Goldenboy said. "That is the raw character that makes video games and esports so amazing. When you try to corporatize it, you lose all of that. As long as we're entertaining and everyone's having fun, I think that resonates with the audience."
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It was a thrilling finish for American snowboarder Shaun White. The athlete made history Tuesday night by becoming the first snowboarder to win three Olympic gold medals. USA Today sports reporter A.J. Perez weighs in on the significance of this moment.
Transgender athlete Chris Mosier says that times have changed, and there's less at risk for LGBT athletes to be their authentic selves when they compete.
Chipotle announces a new CEO. Dominos and Tinder and teaming up for Valentine's Day. The Director of National Intelligence sounds the alarm on Russia and the midterms elections. Sarah Kauss is the CEO of water bottle company S'well. Her small idea has turned into one of the most successful female-run businesses. Legal technology platform CannaRegs is on a mission to make sense of the legal landscape of marijuana for stakeholders in this growing space. Vermont Governor Phil Scott is asking legislators in his state to speed up equal pay legislation.
After a snowmobile accident during a professional competition in 2008 resulted in the amputation of his leg, Mike Schultz knew there was only one thing to do: find a way to continue competing in the sport that he loves. Ten years later, Mike is now a first-time Team USA and Paralympic Snowboarder. Schultz joined us to share more about his story and what motivates him to get up and get started each day.
This Changes Things: Advice for the executives and leaders of tomorrow, brought to you by American Express OPEN. On Between Bells: Adam Rippon & The Official Johnny G. Weir win the Olympics. With SB Nation, UNO, PCMag, and more.
This is a big year for the Olympics, and in particular, for the LGBT community. The U.S. has its first two openly gay male athletes competing in the Winter Olympics.
The 2018 Winter Olympics are making history for a number of reasons, but one of the biggest stories out of Pyeongchang is the records that openly gay athletes are breaking almost every day. Figure skater Adam Rippon and freestyle skier Gus Kenworthy are the first openly gay men to compete for the U.S. in the Winter Olympics, and they are doing it in style.
Adam Rippon and Gus Kenworthy are the first openly gay men to compete for the U.S. at the Winter Olympics. But they're doing more than bringing home medals -- they might be changing the way America perceives the LGBT community.
