Carrasco then walked

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    August 16, 2018 11:39 PM EDT
    The Overwatch League has planted its flag atop the esports mountain. But just like its twitchy-thumbed superstars [url=http://www.newyorkyankeesteamshop.com/authentic-babe-ruth-jersey]Babe Ruth Jersey[/url] , the premier circuit can't afford to sit still.

    Not as long as Fortnite commands the rest of the gaming universe.

    The Fortnite phenomenon has put Overwatch in a strange position. The Overwatch League's inaugural season has been a barrier-breaking achievement, but Blizzard Entertainment's 6-on-6 first-person shooter isn't nearly the world's most popular video game. That would be Fortnite, a battle royale that has transcended gaming and smashed into the mainstream unlike any title in years. Overwatch executives say they aren't nearly panicked because of one grand gamble: their deep pockets and impressive infrastructure can keep Fortnite from making a successful charge for the crown.

    THE LEAGUE

    A top-selling game doesn't necessarily make an elite esport 鈥?the latter requires a professional circuit, loyal fans and a product that's just as enjoyable to watch as to play.

    The Overwatch League has set the standard for esports in its first season. Ten million fans watched its opening weekend, and 100-150 thousand tuned in for every second of the regular season. The league's two-night championship sold out Brooklyn's Barclays Center, and the opening night aired live on ESPN, the network's first live broadcast of esports in prime time. The league has a fierce and sizable stable of fans, big-name investors like New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and the momentum of a monumental first season.

    FORMIDABLE FORTNITE

    Yet video gamers are clearly more ravenous for Fortnite. The breakout title from Epic Games has 125 million global players, compared to 40 million for Overwatch. Perhaps more jarring, Google searches for "Fortnite" outpaced "Overwatch" 14-to-1 in the week leading up to the Overwatch League Grand Finals.

    Fortnite's crossover appeal is unrivaled, a fact most recently on display when France's Antoine Griezmann celebrated a goal in the World Cup Final with a dance move popularized by the game .

    How could Overwatch not be terrified of a competitor with that kind of organic reach?

    Simple: it doesn't see Fortnite as competition 鈥?yet.

    "Fortnite right now is 99 percent a game and not an esport," said Ari Segal, president of Immortals Gaming, which runs Overwatch's Los Angeles Valiant. "But I think obviously there's a path for it to become an esport."

    The distinction is key. Structured, competitive Fortnite events are still in their infancy, and Epic has a ways to go to match the professional experience provided to Overwatch League fans. Epic began that effort by promising in May to offer $100 million in Fortnite esports prize pools 鈥?an enormous sum for the industry.

    Yet early returns have been shaky, like when the Fortnite Summer Skirmish Series was cancelled mid-play due to technical issues. The tournament has also been hindered by conservative game play [url=http://www.milwaukeebrewersteamshop.com/authentic-eric-sogard-jersey]Eric Sogard Milwaukee Brewers Jersey[/url] , with players waiting until the last possible moment to engage. In a statement, Epic said that it "under delivered" in what was supposed to be its first marquee esports event while laying out plans to improve the viewing experience.

    Epic did not respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press.

    "It takes a lot more than a press release to build an esport," Overwatch League Commissioner Nate Nanzer said. "I think I can speak as well as most that there's a ton of investment and planning and infrastructure that you need to build in order to do professional esports at a high quality bar."

    THE GRAND FINALS

    Overwatch's Grand Finals have been a showcase for that. All it takes is one look at the 165-foot-wide, 36-foot-tall LED screen behind the Barclays Center stage 鈥?players and fans alike were in awe of the massive display.

    But it runs deeper than flashy tech. The league's broadcasts on Twitch have been nearly flawless technologically all season. Its teams have impressive support staffs including chefs, physical trainers and PR managers. Even the in-event entertainment is first-rate: DJ Khaled performed at Saturday's championship finale.

    Which isn't to say Overnight is a finished product. There's work to be done packaging its events, especially for casual fans. Blizzard plans to experiment with its broadcast structure to better serve diehards and newbies alike. Those adjustments began with more explanatory segments on the ESPN show for uninitiated viewers, and the league will use feedback from that to shape coverage for next season.

    "What I saw on Twitter was fun," said Pete Vlastelica, President and CEO of Activision Blizzard Esports Leagues. "I liked seeing the healthy debate between the old-school, old-guard sports audience who wondered what they were watching and then a lot of young sports fans who were very excited by what they were seeing."

    Even as it experiments, everything about the league has the look and feel of a top-notch pro sports organization, and that's been a matter of investment and expertise for Blizzard and its team owners 鈥?a group that includes Kraft, New York Mets COO Jeff Wilpon and Los Angeles Rams owner Stan Kroenke.

    Esports organizations, like Segal's Immortals, are keeping a close eye on Fortnite.

    "Do you have the access to capital and the human resource capacity and the organizational bandwidth to be nimble and flexible to evaluate whatever that next thing is?" Segal asked. "With respect to Fortnite, it's an ongoing evaluation."

    BUILT TO LAST

    At some point, it seems likely that Fortnite 鈥?or perhaps another battle royale [url=http://www.bengalscheapstore.com/sam-hubbard-jersey-cheap]Sam Hubbard Jersey Bengals[/url] , like PlayerUnknown's Battleground 鈥?will get there. When it does, Overwatch thinks it's poised to survive.

    For starters, Overwatch the game was built to endure. Blizzard Entertainment specializes in titles with staying power. Its Warcraft franchise launched in 1994 and has remained a hit. Same with series like Diablo (1996) a Russell Wilson's head knows football was the right choice. Baseball still has his heart.

    A 2014 Super Bowl champion quarterback with the Seattle Seahawks, the 29-year-old began a week of workouts Monday with the New York Yankees.

    "Is this just a stunt?" he said. "I think that if you really know me, baseball's been a part of my blood. It's been a part of who I am and where I've come from and what I've done. When you see me make plays on the football field, a lot of that's a direct correlation to baseball."

    Wilson hit six homers in 39 swings as part of a batting practice group that included Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, the top sluggers in the major leagues last season, plus Gary Sanchez and Greg Bird.

    A middle infielder who hit .229 over 93 games at Class A in the Colorado Rockies' system in 2011 and '12, Wilson became the Seahawks' starting quarterback in autumn 2012. He was selected by Texas in the 2013 winter meeting draft and attended spring training with the Rangers.

    Wilson was on vacation in the Bahamas early this month when he learned he had been acquired in a trade by the Yankees, his favorite team growing up. While the Yankees gave playing time to football players Deion Sanders and Drew Henson, they said Wilson will not appear in any spring training games; they want to observe his leadership skills, and he wants to soak up the attitude of a franchise with a record 27 World Series titles.

    "There's an aroma around here that I've got to figure out, and I can't wait to learn more about it and use that for my football career," he said.

    Wearing pink sunglasses for BP, Wilson fell short of the fence in his first 17 swings with a 33-inch, 31-ounce Louisville Slugger, a personalized maple model H319C in black. He then hit three in his next four tries [url=http://www.buccaneerscheapstore.com/ronald-jones-ii-jersey-cheap]Ronald Jones II Buccaneers Jersey[/url] , cleared the left-field walkway and clanked his final drive off the center-field batter's eye.

    "It's just cool being able to pick his brain, that was the coolest part for me," Judge said. "When he's working out, everything is for a purpose."

    Wilson was on the field hours early, working with shortstop Didi Gregorius. He and the Yankees were all smiles.

    "Watching him take a ball from the outfield that was kind of an in-between hop and watching him moving his feet real well and create a longer hop, that's a savvy good-player move," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.

    Wilson spoke to the team before batting practice about leadership principles and said Judge and Stanton would be tight ends if they played in the NFL. He wore No. 73 鈥?his football number, 3, is retired by the Yankees for Babe Ruth and his baseball number in high school was 7, retired by New York for Mickey Mantle.

    He said his great uncle wears a Yankees cap every day, even to Seahawks games.

    "I was always a fair-weather fan. I loved watching the best players, the best teams play. So when I was growing up, playing football, it was the Green Bay Packers at one point, then it was the 49ers, then it was the Cowboys," Wilson said. "But for baseball growing up [url=http://www.authenticsarizonacardinals.com/cheap-christian-kirk-jersey]Christian Kirk Color Rush Jersey[/url] , I was always a huge Yankees fan, and I think it was because I loved the process. I love watching winners win."

    Wilson has no intention to switch sports.

    "I love playing the game I play now," he said. "Being the starting quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks, I'm one of 32 men in the world that get to do what I get to do. It's the best job in the world, and so for me I'm very passionate about that. And my focus is winning more Super Bowls, doing whatever it takes to do that."

    He doesn't want to expand to a third sport and dabble with dribbling.

    "I wouldn't be good at basketball. But baseball," he said, "it's like riding bike."

    NOTES: Boone said he likely will break up Judge, Stanton and Sanchez with left-handed hitters in the batting order against most right-handed pitchers. Coming off left shoulder surgery, Judge is slated to play his first exhibition game Wednesday and in another Friday, both times in the outfield. ... OF Clint Frazier sustained a mild concussion Saturday while diving into a fence at Bradenton to deny Ryan Lavarnway an extra-base hit. Boone said Frazier likely will miss a few days but not more. "Foggy, that's how I felt all day," said of his condition Sunday.

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