Fansided

15 athletes who are pop culture superfans

By Bruin Belisle

BROOKLYN, NY - FEBRUARY 14: Zach LaVine of the Minnesota Timberwolves dunks during the Sprite Slam Dunk Contest at the 2015 State Farm All-Star Saturday Night on February 14, 2015 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2015 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
BROOKLYN, NY - FEBRUARY 14: Zach LaVine of the Minnesota Timberwolves dunks during the Sprite Slam Dunk Contest at the 2015 State Farm All-Star Saturday Night on February 14, 2015 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2015 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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BOSTON – AUGUST 5: Boston Red Sox starting pitcher David Price throws during the first inning. The Boston Red Sox host the New York Yankees in a regular season MLB baseball game at Fenway Park in Boston on Aug. 5, 2018. (Photo by Matthew J. Lee/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) /

2. David Price: Fortnite

Honorary Mention Fortnite Fan: Juju Smith-Schuster

David Price is one of the greatest pitchers in baseball, until you tell him he has to pitch in a meaningful game. He’s fallen off slightly since joining the Boston Red Sox and apparently his addiction to Fortnite might have had something to do with that.

If you live under a rock, Fortnite is the world’s most popular “battle royale” style video game. One hundred players are pitted against each other on an island, with only one coming out victorious. For most players, it’s the highest form of competition since the glory days of competitive sports.

Price is not alone when it comes to an obsession with Fortnite. Hundreds of professional athletes are hopping on to the battle bus and collecting victory royales (winning matches). Everyone from Price to Alex Ovechkin, to JJ Watt, to our next big-time gamer, Pittsburgh Steelers wideout Juju Smith-Schuster.

Smith Schuster himself is a hardcore gamer. His stock rose in the world of esports when he was famously part of the record-breaking Twitch stream including Drake, Travis Scott and Fortnite‘s Michael Jordan, Ninja.

Smith-Schuster is very well-known in the Fortnite community and even netted himself a six-figure contract to represent the popular esports team, HyperX. (Esports athletes are athletes too, right?)

Smith-Schuster is only 21-years-old and he’s already proven that he is a big-time wide receiver in the NFL. His popularity both on the field and in the gaming world is already off-the-charts and he’s bridging a gap between sports and esports on a daily basis.

As you can see, there are two ways a story can be swung. In Price’s case, Fortnite is seen as a detriment to his pitching when he isn’t performing up to the standard he’s expected to. Price himself didn’t help the fact when he told the media he’d lay off the gaming until his carpal tunnel healed.

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