Would you rather play varsity basketball or varsity League of Legends?

Welcome back to Hello Monday, our podcast and weekly series. Our show is meant to be listened to, and you can always find it anywhere you get your podcasts. But I also want to talk about it, and we'll continue to do that right here.

Last week, I struck up a conversation with an Uber driver whose adult son was about to graduate from college. The young grad aspired to be a professional esports commentator. My driver told me his son had made $14,000 in brand sponsorships working part-time while he finished school, and thought that he'd be able to pull in considerably more once he could apply himself fulltime. "He's working really hard at it," the guy told me. "The world is so different than when I was coming up in it, so I just figure I'll support whatever he does as long as he's working hard at it."

I was on my way to an intimate conference run by the tech and media advisory Activate. The speakers included people building startups, and investing in them. Many of the more interesting conversations involved esports. This is a field that will be much broader than just the video game players. There's a growing appetite for watching them, talking about them, and participating in all the ways that a superfan might love, say, football. The 2018 League of Legends World Champion-ship attracted more viewers than the Super Bowl and the NCAA Final Four combined.

This is a new phenomenon. In 2016, The University of California at Irvine launched a varsity esports program. It built a 3,500-square-foot esports arena and recruited five players, doling out $15,000 in scholarship money to them for their ability to clean up in the multiplayer game League of Legends. While some private schools already had esports leagues, UC Irvine was the first large public university to embrace the sport.

Just three years later, esports is becoming a standard offering. There are nearly 200 US colleges offering scholarships. Universities are standing up teams that can earn millions more in tournament prizes. A Santa Monica startup called PlayVS that organizes high school esports leagues has raised $46 million.

So yes, to all the parents concerned about children playing too much Fortnite, it's possible your daughter or son has stumbled upon a skill that will lead to a viable career path. (Also, if you happen to be an adult skilled at gaming, there sure are a heck of a lot of esports coaching jobs available right now.)

Is this a passing fad, or is there real opportunity for my Uber driver's son? It's a perfect question for a Hello Monday episode. So help me out: who should I bring on Hello Monday to talk about this?

I want to talk to esports athletes who aspire to go pro, or who have already. And, I’m particularly interested in folks who want to make their living around these folks--commentators, game creators, advertisers!

One thing I heard: My Favorite Murder

This true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark is like grabbing a glass of wine with a friend and sinking into the gory details. Why is it funny? Why is it horror-inducing? I can’t answer either, and I also can’t stop listening. I prefer the early episodes, like 25-75.

One thing I read: What people are talking about at Cannes Lions

As colleague Katie Caroll documents, the ad world is deeply engrossed in the conversations that will set the tone for the year to come--and getting some sunshine and bubbly--in the South of France. If you can't make it all the way to Europe, we've got a great platform for keeping up with the most important of those conversations, like this interview with founder and entrepreneur Joe Marchese:

"Creativity is only possible when you actually reach people, and it's getting harder and harder to do that."

My colleague Orlando Crowcroft is streaming live from Cannes with interviews throughout the next few days. You can catch them all here.

Where to find me: Folks We Love with Your Zen Mama

The good folks at Your Zen Mama recently interviewed me about Hello Monday, journalism, and being out as a gay parent. They also wanted to talk about how I balance the new baby and my career.

Editor Kaycee Byxbee writes, "It’s reassuring to know that much of this generation is being raised with more sensitivity and awareness, and the more we can celebrate and tell everyone’s stories, the merrier we are." I couldn't agree more.