Daniel Negreanu has launched a full-scale campaign to rid the poker world of sunglasses.

Negreanu vented on an episode of High Stakes Poker recently, suggesting that wearing sunglasses can facilitate cheating, and are bad for the popularity of the game.

“They are so bad for poker on so many levels. Poker wouldn’t be on TV if everyone wore hoodies and sunglasses to hide their eyes. If anyone wants to start a petition to ban them in any form of poker whether it’s tournaments, cash games, or televised events I’d do whatever I could to help,” Negreanu said.

The ability to see and read your opponents’ eyes is a key difference between online poker and live games, Negreanu said in a recent blog post. He also said he supports a complete and total ban of sunglasses in all forms of live poker, including tournaments, cash games and televised play.

Speaking in reference to his new TV series, Negreanu proudly boasts that “there is a rule in place where you can’t hide like a chicken behind sunglasses!”

Negreanu goes on to point out that some of the biggest names in the sport, like Phil Ivey, Doyle Brunson, Patrik Antonius and Tom “durrrr” Dwan don’t feel the need to hide behind shades.

Banning the wearing of shades, Negreanu says, will protect the integrity of the sport. He feels strongly that players should simply “man up and take [the] silly things off.”

While Negreanu is free to express his opinion, he’s wrong on both counts. Negreanu thinks he’s an expert reader of his opponent’s actions, so it frustrates him to not have a perceived edge. But hiding your weaknesses through your appearance has always been a part of poker – look at Chris Ferguson.

And I don’t know how Negreanu thinks wearing sunglasses somehow prevents a player from being accessible to a television audience. Phil Hellmuth, arguably the most recognizable player in the world, has always worn shades.

What do you think? Typical Negreanu rant? Or does he have a point?