Spectator Sport

I used to love to play league but am now resigned to mostly watching. A little background first, I've played since the end of Season 2, I am mid 40's, not a great player and Silver. I play mostly normals and some ranked. Lately, I am not inclined to play, the game is too competitive for my casual play, people take it too seriously; including myself, and as a result players get very emotional. This is true if the game is normals or ranked. The result of this seriousness is players are unbelievable rude to one another. I am guilty of this as well. Bottom line after I play a few games of league I feel like I've gone for a dip in a swampy lake. I have no answer to this widespread well know problem. Of all the games I have played and I have been a gamer since Commodore came out with the Vic20, I have never had as much fun or been as frustrated by any game. The MOBA game style begets this toxic behavior, of that I have no doubt, so there is likely no real answer to removing the behavior from the game. I tell my friends that the League community is the most toxic I've ever seen and when there is a discussion about how other games are toxic I have to shake my head in wonder at how wide the toxic gap really is from League to any other game. I now say, "Friends don't let friends play League." I have heard from some the game popularity is dropping off. I really have no idea if this is true or not. What I do know is that after playing for 4 years I have finally found a game that has weaned me off league and it is league. I love to watch the game! As a spectator sport league is amazing. The broadcasters, the players, the coverage, the worldwide leagues, the pro streamers, the pinnacle play, the drama of a game 5 - I love it all. So, although I may not find myself on Summoner's Rift as often as I once was, I do find myself looking forward to watching the seasons unfold, MSI and Worlds.