[Jimbo]

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I don't think that ESPN is responsible for paying superstar players for being on TV and boosting their ratings, but I do think that it's ridiculous they don't give anything back.

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I don't watch poker on TV to see Phil Helmuth cry on his momma's shoulder nor to see Annie and Howard embrace after they have both busted out of a tourney. Nor to see Mike M. to act foolish, these are all unfortunate byproducts of the production.

You are forgetting that obviously nearly any player can win a poker tournament. The skill level required to win is so low compared to other sponsored sports that there are no real superstars. Only players who enter more tournaments than others.

Unless you figure out a way to change the rules of the game to increase the chances that the better players will win a larger precentage of the time they are owed no extra money just for being lucky that particular week. Then you generate a new set of problems, by changing the rules and decreasing the chance an amateur has to win the groundswell in participation will again decrease and you are back to square one.

I'll be the first to admit that there are many people who enjoy a good soap opera. These folks probably do consider some of these players as part of their family. I'm just not one of them.

Jimbo