Seahawks CB RICHARD SHERMAN earlier this month attended the Call of Duty World Championship in L.A., and he is "excited by how quickly the esports space has grown," according to Jason Wolf of ESPN.com. It was Sherman's "first time experiencing an esports event in person," and he also "intends to attend the annual Seattle-based Dota 2 championship The International next year, an event that awarded" over $20M in prize money this past August. Sherman said that he has played Call of Duty "avidly on consoles" since '08. Sherman: "(esports) has grown so rapidly over the last couple years, I think everyone is starting to (take) notice and pay attention. These guys are out here competing for $2 million (at the Call of Duty World Championships). That's real money. That's as real as it gets. I'm looking forward to seeing how that industry grows and maybe, maybe getting more involved." He added, "It's going to get even more incredible once you get more into the virtual reality space." Sherman: "The esports industry is starting to make a lot more money. ... You can see how marketing and innovation can help any sport and any operation grow. I'm going to keep a close eye on (esports) and if it works out, then it works out" (ESPN.com, 9/9).
