[Saddlepoint]

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I don't think we should include Phil Hellmuth in this discussion, since his [censored]-ish bheavior has grown into an all-encompassing study in human pathology, deserving of excessive air time.

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He should get his own channel.

It seems to me that Norman Chad is actually making an effort to point out and praise "model" table behavior this year, and that if anything he's going after the Matusows even harder. Obviously this is subjective but it's something I've noticed, and maybe other people have as well. Now I might be talking out of my ass here, but why do you people think he's doing that? He could just be a pompous dick. But I think the more likely explanation is that he's aware of precisely the effect you're alluding to, and he wants to use his stage to teach all these new players how someone should act.

If that's the case, he's going above and beyond anything that we have the right to expect of him. The poker boom exists now because people watch poker on TV, which requires that it be entertaining to a broader audience than 2+2ers. That means more smelly-shirt-guy. Take the good with the bad.

I'm not completely sure what infuriates you so much about these people being given air time by ESPN. Even if it wasn't an inevitability, which it is, do you think it would really encourage people to act this way at a poker table when there aren't any cameras around? Especially when the color guy points out ten times an hour that it's not appropriate? And ESPECIALLY when none of these jackasses are ever shown winning anything?

That last point's really important. These people might get air time, but pay attention to the way they're presented. It would be a LOT different if you had guys like Ivey or Ferguson fist-pumping and shouting and [censored]. They don't hype guys like that, they "Dan Druff" them. The one exception is obviously Hellmuth, but it's my impression that they're even presenting him this year as someone not to be taken very seriously. Again, subjective.

And the idea that any of this is going to drive new players away is dumb, honestly.