We kind of discussed it in the Stadium thread but @Kyyle23 correctly pointed out it is really a tangent from stadiums.

At least here in Texas high schools, eSports competitive teams are really taking off. Worldwide more people born this century are playing video games over all than participating in physical sports. Additionally, the sub group of gamers playing sport specific games is increasing while physical game play is declining.

Even physical sports are seeing a huge increase in generating ad revenue from virtual ties to their games though predictive markets.

The e sports stars are earning a living with millions of fans watching. It's a high growth industry while physical sports are experiencing flat or a decline with younger audiences.

We have embraced non human entertainment. The Simpsons were the longest running TV show in history.

We've embraced recorded versus live, movies replaced stage theater to a great degree. CGI has redefined movies.

E books replaced physical books.

Humans have always changed. Baseball is much different than the first team to 21 runs wins beginning. Field dimensions have changed, why won't they change to a screen instead of dirt and grass?

How much "safer" can we make football until it loses it appeal or is replaced by AI athletes? How many player gambling scandals will we endure before we eliminate the human element?

If you are watching a game on your screen (TV, phone, tablet, watch, glasses, eye implant) does it really matter if those images you see are actual humans or they are unable to distinguish the difference AI generated? Everyone here watches more games via broadcast then in person.

But I've always embraced change. Perhaps the younger generation wants to slow the pace of these changes and will grab hold of traditions. But based on the last few hundred years we know kids do things differently then their parents. Everyone will eventually be the Boomers their kids will make fun of for not changing with the times. Yes, even vapes will stop being cool.

And I guess I should add, like most of the major changes in sports, I'm not a fan of the changes. Just like everyone else here, how it is when we are in our formidable years is how we want it to stay. But it doesn't stay the same.

I enjoy amateur athletics and preferred the Olympics of the Miracle on Ice over the Dream Team but it was easy to see the future with professionals. Predicting in the 1970s that the games would be dominated by pro athletes would have seemed crazy but here we are.

College athletics is rapidly becoming paid minor league programs instead of free minor league programs. Just like professional sports the college teams with the biggest budgets are doing the best. It's easy to predict allowing players to be part time students. Is that trolling? Is predicting players may not even have to attend classes trolling? Or will the payments stop here forever?