Quote:
Originally Posted by Toupee Jay
For many years I loved Norman's schtick, but it has gotten old over time. Lon never made much of an impression one way or the other, just a foil for Norm's chatter. They were the voice of the WSOP for a long time but the time has come for them to give way to some real commentators who know the game thoroughly and are able to explain what's happening in an intelligent manner. Ali and Nick come across as real pros and do justice to the play we are watching, be it good or not so good. They are the new voice of poker and can help carry it to a new level of acceptance. More of them is what poker needs on TV and less of the other nonsense.
Maria kind of fell flat in her appearances on the air, while Antonio is good at analysis but seems to favor telling insider stories that have no meaning to many of his viewers.
Will always have <3 for Lon and Norm. They're the voice of the WSOP and for me the main event is still synonymous with their commentary. Their pre-recorded work remains solid and it would be a shame to see them go.
That being said, Ali and Nick are very good at live broadcasts. Great mixture of high level analysis and irreverent, improvised banter. Some of their quips and comments had me rolling during the last few days of the ME on PokerGo.
If I were running the ship, I'd have Ali and Nick do the live stuff, with Lon and Norm staying on to do pre-recorded segments. Although I love the live shows, for a casual viewer, I think the pre-recorded "highlight shows" like the 2003/2004 main event broadcasts are going to be more enjoyable. Live poker is pretty slow and not great to watch unless you're more of a hardcore fan.