I like where you ended up with your version...the guy looks downtrodden 😉 That said, a TV that close to someone kind of reads like he's at home, with his TV on the table in front of him.
As breweries (and some bars) are one of my favorite places to people watch and draw, in my experience it's hard to beat the straight-on across the bar angle for these kinds of illustrations, even if its the most boring angle to start with. Unless I want the viewer to be part of the conversation, IE sitting on the same side near the character, I find I can really push the emotions further if I can get both sides of the characters face in the frame. Or, if I really want to make them seem really despondent, it's not hard to fold their arm up on the bar and rest their head on it, or even chin-down on the bar, staring down at betting stubs, or eyes drawn upward toward a TV. Fun concept!