If you get mad and start cussing during a competition you loose. Plain and simple. Any drop in focus and that's it. IF you get mad you start to tense up and that is it, you can't catch that puck, strike that drive, clear the bar. you see it all the time in youth competitions.
Friendly banter is trying to get the guy you are competing against to loose his cool while you keep yours, cussing is horrible for this (and also while avoiding any technical fouls.). Don't know why but cursing at someone gets you mad, often madder than the other guy.
Athletes train hard not to get mad but to live in the second and just shrug it off. When you see someone rage you don't see them competing anymore for a while. They need to cool off and refocus.
The myth that "regular" sportsmen are just as bad as gamers is a nothing but a myth used to excuse the horrible behaviour of gamers.
On a lighter note athletes and gamers have more or less the same diets. Though athlets, atleast in the world of T&R do drink more than gamers.
There's some much conjecture and opinion in your post.
Listen. The fact is there are more recorded videos of professional athletes behaving "badly" -- talking shit. Than behaving well. We're excluding their broadcasted games, because I know I'm not the same guy in front of my boss that I am at home. Some guys are the same, some guys aren't. But the fact is a majority aren't because of policy or whatever, and we have youtube to confirm what I said is a fact. Now before you say "duh of course they get recorded doing bad things than good things." I would agree, however how are you going to prove your point? There's no empirical proof. There is however for my argument.
Also, being calm cool and level headed is only how some people compete. One of my friends Robert was the most raging angry mother fucker you've ever met on a basketball floor until he got off. Sound like somebody? Kobe Bryant? The fact is this kid got scouted for the NBA. I used both a personal and professional anecdote. And we both know your point here is moot because it is an opinion. Some people play while their hot, some people play while their cold. Might as well have not even said anything here jbourne.
Friendly banter is not as you define it. Friendly banter, I'm willing to bet by 90% of the populace is never trying to offend anyone... ever, because its friendly -- asshole. If you can't see the lack of logic in your arguments I'm just going to stop replying. At least say "my definition of friendly banter." How old are you?
Also, who said gamers were the worst "trash talkers?" God damnit kid I'm going to make you start citing your sources. Do you ANYTHING about sports, ANYTHING? Do you know what happens in real sports? Nikki Lauda talked shit to Michael Schumacher. Wanna know what happened next? Michael Schumacher fucks Nikki Lauda's wife. You ever hear about something like that in E-Sports? What about the stuff that happens off the field like the Broncos QB getting shot in a drive by because the last team he played against he talked shit to a blood on the other team. Kid your head is so far up your own ass. There's no REAL threat of violence or struggle or qualm in E-Sports. Its just words.
I'm from a place where words cause real violence. Like say the wrong thing and you might get shot. While you might not get shot in sports you're a hell of a lot more likely to get cracked in the face, have your wife cuckolded, and overall have your life affecting in some very negative way. You wanna know why kid, competition. Here you're acting like me saying I'm going to fuck your mother is going to end the world. Give me a fucking break.