I watched 'League of Legends' esports live. I wasn't sold.

Watching "League of Legends" live for the first time in person, after years of following along while the tournament was held in Paris or Chinese cities, was a wild experience. I brought a friend with me, one who only casually plays "League." Sitting down in Hulu Theater at New York's Madison Square Garden this past weekend, I immediately felt a rush from seeing thousands in the crowd screaming, booing and cheering over things as small as an enemy stealing a red buff with smite, or a few players trying to return to base but getting stopped by an enemy spell. At first, it was blood-pumping. Feeling the crowd's nail-biting trepidation only added to a broader sense of communal joy.