ESPN -- WTF?!?!?!????

Un-f*cking-believable!

The geniuses at ESPN and Cox Cable have conspired to keep me from seeing the last half hour (hell, maybe hour--I have no idea) of the final table of the 2009 World Series of Poker.

According to ESPN, and the Cox digital cable guide, the final table was to run for two hours, from 6 pm until 8 pm local time. No problemo. Since a two-hour show means 44 minutes of comercials, my plan was to wait until 6:45 to start watching, fast-forwarding through the commercials and ending right about the same time the broadcast did.

I got a late start and didn't sit down on the couch till a few minutes after seven, but no problem there. I watched all the way through, and then just as the action got down to three-handed and Joe Cada caught a deuce on the flop to come from way behind, the recording ended--in the middle of the hand. I quickly clicked over to ESPN, and frickin' SportsCenter was on. ESPN2 didn't even have it on... WTF? What happened to the rest of the broadcast?

Oh, I know what happened as far as the tournament goes--there are blogs and webcasts all over the place describing the action, and a guy I know was there at the Rio last night watching the final table live, so I know how it all went down, but I was really hoping to see it on TV. But the morons in charge--and I don't know who to lay the entire blame on--at ESPN and Cox Cable have kept me from doing so.

Nice going, idiots.