Sorry that I'm a little late on this, but I've been debating how the 3rd installment of "Action" that aired Sunday night left me feeling.
In a word: Done.
Yes, I'll probably watch the 4th (and thankfully the last) episode on Sunday night but I'm going to walk away from it feeling that a real opportunity was missed. An opportunity to show the rank-and-file sports gambler whose life is really going to change due to this.
Instead we got the following:
1. Bill "Krack" Krackenberger - Arguably the best, most well-rounded person to come out of this show. I find myself liking Mr. Krack. He's a guy I'd love to sit down and have a drink with and talk sports betting. He's also been right a majority of the time, which is no surprise from a professional bettor.
2. David "Vegas Dave" Oancea. - The tout, a jerk of epic proportions and someone who, to his credit, took being right on a couple of bombs to parlay that into selling picks that are more wrong than right, and who has been accused of wire and other frauds and seems to have bought some fancy things with his winnings and then tried to convince us that he's at the "top of the game" as a result of it. Easily the worst person on the show, he's also the least interesting. There's nothing fun about watching him preen.
3. Todd Winshev - A gambling addict who can be hard to watch at times. To be truthful, I find myself liking the guy and I feel sorry for him, but you can't help but get the feeling that he's going to flame out soon the way he is going. I hope the best for him, but I fear the worst.
4. Kelly Stewart - At this point what is there to say? Through no fault of her own she's being portrayed in a manner that I don't think she would view as negative, but it is. They keep referring to her "big wins" from long ago in the same manner that they do Vegas Dave. The only difference being she genuinely seems to be a nice person. but they're trying to sexualize her in a manner they're not doing with the other key people.
What's REALLY missing from "Action" is the rank and file gambler, the bro who goes with his friends to a book, bets a couple of hundred on the games, wins a few, loses more, and then heads out to the clubs, the blackjack tables or elsewhere to finish his Vegas trip.
THESE are the people who will be affected most by the changes in gambling laws, as suddenly they might have a local option. Yet, Action has been mute on them.
It's a missed opportunity, and it's really hurt the quality of the show.
