philophilia

The best thing about the old Celebrity Poker Showdown was expert Phil Gordon.

I am not a gambling girl. However, CPS was fun to watch, as long as it was TiVoed so that we could skip the commercials. And it was all about Phil.

I mean, yeah, I love Dave Foley, but really, Phil was the best. He was just so...Phil-like. Even the contestants seemed to have a thing for Phil. After having had tutorials with him -- screw charity! -- they all seemed to be playing just to make him proud.

Moreover, he and Dave really mastered the whole "big guy picks on little comical guy" banter. They may both be straight, but they had frickin' great chemistry.

In short, Phil made me want to play poker -- preferably with Dave Foley, who would, you know, lose to me.

Or something.

Now, however, they have this new Phil and...it's just not the same. The chemistry isn't there. There's just sort of awkward dorkiness, like two eighth-graders on a first date. At a mall foodcourt. At 2 in the afternoon.

Phil is dead! Long live Phil!

What a shame.