With the Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers still alive deep in the NBA playoffs this past season, NBA and ABC television executives were thrilled at the potential ratings juggernaut of a Kobe vs. Lebron finals. The Orlando Magic bested the Cavs, though, and many NBA fans and executives grumbled about what might have been. Efforts were make to pump up the Dwight Howard vs. Kobe Bryant angle, but those efforts flat lined. The fact that the game is a team sport is not a huge concern for those watching the bottom line because it's clear that individual star power is the engine that drives ratings and sales.

When Tiger Woods is competing on Sunday for a major championship, the entire planet seems to take notice and television ratings skyrocket. When Dale Earnhardt Jr. is in the lead at Daytona, folks make sure that their remote control is locked onto the race. When Kobe Bryant faces off against Lebron James, the anticipation and viewership is sure to be remarkable. Poker is no different that NASCAR, golf, and the NBA.

Poker gets the most attention and buzz when its biggest stars shine on its biggest stage. That is why we have to assume that Jeffrey Pollack, the Commissioner of the WSOP, will probably sleep with a large smile on his face from now until November's cards are in the air. Phil Ivey, one of the most popular players on the planet, will instantly provide a glut of media buzz and fan interest for ESPN's coverage of this year's main event and final table. For poker to continue gaining a foothold as a mainstream sport, this sort of success by big-name stars has to continue.

Marketing gurus at all of the major sports work tirelessly to find niches for their star participants. In its best form, sports are like a well-crafted novel. Underdogs, heroes, villains, scapegoats, David or Goliath ... no matter the sport, the story is often scripted similarly. Unlike most movies and books, we have to wait with great anticipation to see if the good guys always do come out on top.

The story of the completely unknown amateur coming from nowhere to win poker's most elite crown-and biggest paycheck-has been seen and re-played with names like Varkonyi, Moneymaker, Raymer, Hachem, Gold, and Yang. It seems that the fickle viewing public desires a new storyline. They've read that book before. Perhaps this year will write a new script, when a giant of poker makes a run to reclaim the crown for the superstars.

Will poker ever get to the point where highlights and scores will be on your local news broadcast at 11 p.m.? Will poker world rankings ever be as commonplace in the newspaper's sports section as the division standings in Major League Baseball? Will kids on the playground ever wear Negreanu or Brunson garb as proudly as they do a Shaq or Tom Brady jersey?

If poker, and the executives that help promote it on television, find a way to groom and present their biggest stars in the correct manner, perhaps those improbable lofty goals are possible. For televised poker to reach its apex on major networks and pull in viewers who are not serious players themselves, the stars must shine brightly. Folks need to fall in love with Ivey and Brunson, and love to hate Hellmuth They'll tune in for the story and the drama, even if they only barely understand poker.

Now go make it happen.

John Carlisle is a National Certified Counselor with a Master's degree in Counseling Psychology from West Virginia University. Contact John at carlisle14@hotmail.com.