Pizza and esports don’t seem to mix that well

Pizza is a staple food of the gamer. I've eaten it while playing board games, tabletop wargames and of course, PC/console games. It works because it's hot, greasy and easy to eat since it's built around holdable slices. No need to bother with a knife and fork, keeping at least one hand free. It's also quite a common food for watching games, but pizza chain Papa John's recent forray into esports has left a mixed impression.

While beer companies use sports as a way to push product by juxtaposing an image of masculinity with the product, Papa Johns weren't able to do that so much, even after announcing that esports fans could get 50 per cent off if they used the promo code “PIZZAGG” when ordering from the company. The reason? A fair few people didn't like the CEO's health care policy.

What about the merits of toilet pizza?

This isn't something that many other sports fans would care about or even be likely to know about, but for some reason it's stuck with esports fans. Gaming commentator and Youtube streamer, Totalbiscuit, said: “EG cooperation with Papa Johns could be good but I will not support a company whose CEO has such backwards views on healthcare.”

Similarly, LolKing.net community director Rhea Monique called the pizza chain “scum,” though she agreed that it was a smart business move by those involved. Ultimately she just wished it was “with a better business.”

PCGamesN shines a light on the difference between these attitudes and traditional sports, which rarely if ever question the marketing of a product based on its CEO's opinions.

KitGuru Says: Is there a different sort of crowd that comes with esports? A more conscientious one?

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