American Sports Blogger Josh Zerkle Joins GreasieWheels for WSOP Main EventWednesday, July 7, 2010 Monday Morning Punter, also known as “Punter,” “MMP,” or “PUNTE” (POON-tay), is the pseudonym for J0SH ZERKLE, an American sports blogger GreasieWheels has sponsored Zerkle to cover the main event of the 2010 World Series of Poker in Las Vegas. Zerkle brings a unique twist to poker coverage and player interviews and his massive number of followers will help to expand the WSOP brand. "We met Josh last year during a Blogs With Ball event," said Lisa Wheeler, president of GreasieWheels. "Not only was he charming, but his written and video blog reached millions of viewers. It was a no brainer to bring him back for the most prestigious poker event. We look forward to his coverage." Follow "PUNTE" on Twitter. Below is more information on the popular sports author.
ABOUT JOSH ZERKLE - Josh “came out” and revealed his actual name on July 11, 2008, when it was announced that he would be a regular weekend contributor on Deadspin. Josh first commented on Deadspin as “Monday Morning Punter” in May of 2006. He would keep that pseudonym, a play on the name of the Peter King NFL column “Monday Morning Quarterback,” as one of five Deadspin commenters that founded Kissing Suzy Kolber (KSK). KSK is often referred to as a spinoff of Deadspin, but KSK’s satirical work is quite different from the alternative news format of the Gawker sports site. KSK won instant acclaim, and soon became destination reading for NFL fans looking for levity and humor in their pro football coverage. Josh posted “How Punter Spent Earth Hour: A Running Diary” on KSK in March of 2008. The fictitious piece showcased Josh’s rebellious acts against environmental conservation, including his attempt to spray-paint “PUNTER-PALOOZA” into his front lawn. After making the letters too big (and eventually running out of space to spray), a passerby asked, “What’s PUNTE?” The post was well-received by KSK readers, and Josh would eventually adopt PUNTE as his primary moniker. In June 2008, Josh participated in an online roast for outgoing Deadspin editor Will Leitch with KSK contributors, along with incoming Deadspin editor A.J. Daulerio, Bill Simmons, and ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt and others. In September 2008, KSK was featured by the men’s magazine GQ as one of “73 Reasons We’re Living In A New Golden Age Of Football.” In October 2008, HOUSE OF PUNTE: The KSK Podcast, made its debut on KSK, with Josh as host. The podcast features general sports opinion and guest interviews, and is posted infrequently on KSK. In February 2009, Josh was named managing editor of With Leather, the sports news, humor and gossip site started by his KSK colleague, Matt Ufford. Ufford left the site to start Warming Glow, a television blog written in the same vein as With Leather. In February 2010, Josh participated in the Trash Talk Championship of the World at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. He finished 27th in a field of 60 celebrities and poker pros. He counts poker among his hobbies. Josh correctly predicted the final score of Super Bowl XLIV, which saw the New Orleans Saints defeat the Indianapolis Colts, 31-17. Josh made identical picks on The Gally Blog and the Joe Sports Fan podcast.“I don’t expect Dwight Freeney to play…I think the Saints are really underrated on defense…I think the Saints are gonna have sort of a home field advantage down there in Miami. I’ll give you a score, I’ll say Saints 31, Colts 17. It’ll be 24-17 and then the Saints will tack on one [touchdown] more.”With the Saints leading 24-17 in that game, Saints defensive back Tracy Porter returned a Peyton Manning interception 74 yards for the last touchdown of the game, essentially fulfilling Josh’s prophecy. Josh co-operates the Twitter feed “Your Cat Sucks,” along with Brandon Moskal, a friend from his college days. Josh grew up in suburban Cincinnati, Ohio. He earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Ohio State. He currently lives in Virginia with his wife and hedgehog. |
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and freelance writer best known for original contributors to the NFL humor blog Kissing Suzy Kolber, and managing editor of the sports humor and gossip site With Leather. He also contributes or has contributed to Deadspin, WashingtonPost.com, Sports By Brooks, and Carbon Poker Blog.