Poker Media Priorities
Girl-on-Girl Boxing vs. PPA
The Rumble at the Rio had its press conference/weigh-in ceremony today in the Rio Pavilion hallway to introduce Liv Boeree (representing UltimateBet) and Melissa Castello (representing PokerNews), who will be fighting each other on July 1 for publicity charity. ESPN filmed it, and the poker media was out in force to cover it. Almost every poker media outlet was there to take photos or gather notes to publicize the event.
It is significant to note that only about 25% of those reporters were anywhere near the Poker Players Alliance press conference yesterday. PPA Chairman and former NY Senator Alfonse D’Amato spoke, along with NV Rep. Shelley Berkley and PPA board members Greg Raymer and Linda Johnson, to announce National Poker Week.
Who says the poker media doesn’t have integrity/priorities?
DanM says:
June 23rd, 2009 at 6:26pm
I agree with you, Jen … but that may just be the media, not just poker media. it takes something like near-revolution in iran for mainstream media to forget about Paris Hilton.
And actually, that could be a case of don’t-shoot-the-messenger. After all, if the people eat it up … yes, I blame people … and maybe God for making them such base horndogs.
Poker Shrink says:
June 23rd, 2009 at 7:48pm
. . . I am with Dan again on this one. I am even going side with Jen, although she does get testy when her feminist bloomers are all in a knot but as I have said many times in the past: Every poker website with a camera puts the microphone in the hands of cleavage instead of a knowledgeable poker reporter. I mean just how many photo shoots have there been at the 2009 WSOP? and how many have had even the faintest thing to do with poker??
BJ Nemeth says:
June 23rd, 2009 at 8:44pm
Was there any mention of all the bad blood between PokerNews and UltimateBet during last year’s WSOP Main Event with regards to Tiffany Michelle?
PokerNews published a strongly-worded letter from an executive denouncing UltimateBet and dropping all of their ads from the site. Of course, UB and AbsolutePoker ads were welcomed back several months later with considerably less fanfare.
Obviously, that issue has nothing to do with Liv Boeree or Melissa Castello. But I’m sure the higher-ups approved this match, if they’re using all the logos. How quickly money and media attention can compromise business ethics …
California Jen says:
June 23rd, 2009 at 11:19pm
Dan and Shrink, let me get this straight… You agree with me? I’ll need a day or two to process this odd turn of events.
BJ, PokerNews and UB made nice-nice when PokerNews needed revenue and UB needed to help its reputation. Mutually beneficial situation, devoid of all ethics or principles. Just like this fight…
California Jen says:
June 24th, 2009 at 3:19pm
After giving this a little thought and having a convo with someone from PokerNews, I’ll admit that my wording in the last comment about the PokerNews/UB partnership being “devoid of all ethics or principles” is a bit harsh. Did I like it when PokerNews began to accept advertising $ from UB again? Noooo. It was a business move, and I’ll keep my other opinions to myself.
The fight? Definitely devoid of ethics/principles with the exception that money is being donated to charity. But there are a million other ways to donate money that do it through such a shameless attempt to attract the attention of the boys in this industry.
BJ Nemeth says:
June 24th, 2009 at 3:26pm
My problem with PokerNews accepting ad money from UB was the very public manner in which they *stopped,* and they claimed some high moral ground. It also upset me that UB & Absolute were guilty of big scandals, and PokerNews kept taking their ad money. But slapping a patch on the PokerNews girl — that is an egregious offense?
I’m annoyed because PokerNews had their cake and ate it too. They took the high moral ground for canceling all UB/Absolute ads, and then turned around and accepted them anyway. And nobody held their feet to the fire for doing so. (Mostly because nobody noticed until well after the fact.)
Ed says:
June 24th, 2009 at 3:28pm
“But there are a million other ways to donate money…”
Playing free poker tournaments at the Lodge was my favorite way. I helped many women get through college. 😛