Where In The World Was Ethan?
Hello. It's Ethan. Back on the blog.
The world of barstool sports never ceases to amaze me. Roughly two years ago (September 2020ish) my barstool email was shut down. Couldn't get in, couldn't even email it. No one told me anything but i just thought it was the end. The artist formerly known as one month trial ethan was no more. Another toothpick.
Fast forward roughly two years and here I am. Currently sharing a desk with close personal friend Philly Mays writing this blog at Barstool HQ on my notes app following an appearance on the Dave Portnoy Show.
How did it happen? Well let's take a deep dive into the timeline of it all:
Phase 1: Getting "fired"
Estimated date: returning from winter break early 2020
Lil ole omte came back from - frankly - a lovely winter break. Unbeknownst to me, break was a very loose term. A bukkake of egg on my face.
The lack of blogging over the two weeks wasn't exactly the best for negotiating tactics considering i was literally on a month to month basis. Live and learn.
Credit to me for offering up* my blogging services for free in order to make up for it.
*the only choice. offer to work for free or do what i do now. Nothing.
Phase 2: working for free
Estimated date: January 2020 to ???
Money was never a big factor for me. Working for free? I live at home. The money was more of a surplus for extra activities, I do it out of passion. Just so happens my passion is getting berated by 35 year old former EIC's for not doing a job I technically didn't even have, so who really won?
If you really wanted to break it down, I was paying money to come into work. Paying money to blog on this site. Has anyone else done that? Doubtful!
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Phase 3: COVID
estimated date: march 2020 to whenever Covid restrictions were lifted
The most productive days of my blogging career were right after I was faux fired. At least twice a day every weekday. Even cohosted two weekly twitch shows. (s/o Jackmac and Zah, respectfully)
Even got a "I've been considering paying this guy again" from Dave on a rundown around this time.
Then. Covid.
COVID's breakout season sent ethan and the trialies packing. The whole schtick was done for the time being. It's kinda hard to be the guy who pays to come in to work without being able to come into work.
Phase 4/5: Not blogging/ getting yelled at for not blogging
estimated date: during lockdown
During COVID, my blogging went severely down. Maybe it was a lack of motivation, maybe a lack of awareness. Not my best regardless. Kind of fell out of love with all of it and was going through the motions.
The former Editor in Chief... not a fan! Turns out he didn't like that new mo one bit. Even called me out publicly on twitter. Whatever.
Like I get trying to rally the troops but how many other people were being publicly put on blast for a volunteer job? Just a thought. Anyways it wasn't too bad, we move.
Phase 6: E-mail deactivation
Estimated date: August/September 2020
One day, en route to opening my Barstool email to check gchat to see what the talk of town was and boom.
Nothing.
The only thought at this point is that I've been squeezed out. Not a fake squeeze out like you see frequently around these parts but a true, unadulterated squeeze out.
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note - hindsight is 20/20 on this one. they would've just fired me right in my stupid face with no remorse.
Phase 7: no more blogs
My blogging account wasn't shut down but my blogs started to sit in pending purgatory. They'd sit there for hours upon hours.
It would actually be so long that i was genuinely convinced that there was a sort of timer on the blogs to self destruct them if they didn't get published. I didn't know what to do. Couldn't email anyone to figure it out so I thought the squeeze was in full effect.
Phase 8: entrepreneurial endeavors
Here's where I cut my losses.
"They don't want me anymore" was a reality that i had started to come to grips with. That was fine with me.
Enter thekampman. my online poker alias. COVID got me really into poker and i took advantage of that. It's all i do. Day in, day out. My basement has transformed into a card room. Thekampman poker room & lounge is usually rocking 3-4 times a week when it's not the off-season.
Poker and fleecing the rents into a $45 per lawn-mowing deal has been my main source of income.
C'est la vie
Not too shabby in my opinion. Not even trying to be a hardo but I'm pretty decent at NLH because its quite literally all i do.
Phase 9: DM from Karim
estimated date: march 28th 2022
1/4th of the "you should be blogging Ethan" groupchat, Karim, reached out to me asking me to come on the Dave Portnoy Show.
As much as I love Karim, there's literally only one thing he'd be hitting me up about. My interview video was reposted and went viral again (most viewed video on DPS YouTube. view count more than doubles the 2nd place. who's counting tho? not me).
"I can prolly do that for you" and the rest is history. I came in, did the show, and now might be moving to Miami for content? Weird life man. Weird life.
Catch my full appearance on the Dave Portnoy Show