New Grizzlies HC Mark Iavaroni-- 4pm today

On the show today at 4 oclock. Tell your grandmammy.

HOFer Jim Palmer in studio on Thursday

Hall of Fame pitcher Jim Palmer will be in studio with us on Thursday. Cue up anonymous commenter with the "baseball talk is boring" post. Also, we will have the audio from the Iavaroni press conference and analyseeez of it. Joe Rogan is booked for Friday at 5. More on that later.

Marc Iavaroni hired as new Grizzlies HC

I love the hire. I will have more on this later. I guess now is a good time to bring up that this was my choice on NOVEMBER 14th, 2006.

Andre Dawson on the show

Andre Dawson is scheduled to join us on the show today. This is certainly a guy who has seen a great career, with fantastic statistics, diminished by the incredible jump in power numbers due to steriods. This guy should be in the HOF. Tune us in.

Bobby Bowden on the show

The guy will never let you down, he is a great talker. This was one of my favorite interviews ever. Here is the audio if you missed it.

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Tom Penn (assistant GM) leaves the Grizzlies for Portland

I just talked to Tom and he is in Orlando at the pre-draft. If he can break away he will be on in the 3 oclock hour. He told me that he had talked to Portland for several weeks now and he loves the idea of being with Kevin Pritchard and the Blazer organization (also former VP of bus. ops Mike Golub is there). He said that the deal was worked out right before the lottery (in fact, at the lottery). Then the Blazers got the first pick. What luck. The guy takes a job and his new team promptly gets the first pick with a 5% chance. Maybe he was the lucky charm and what did the Grizzlies in. Hopefully we can catch up with him today. Tom has always been good to the show and I wish him all the luck. He gets to do what we all wanted to do... root for Oden or Durant.

Bobby Bowden on the show today

Bobby Bowden on The Chris Vernon Show 5-29-07

The all-time winningest coach in D1 college football history will be on the show today at 5:30. This guy is, in my opinion, one of the top 5 interviews in the sports world. We will talk about his life in coaching, changes in college football, re-making his staff, etc. The guy is a guaranteed lock to be wildly entertaining to listen to. 5:30 today, Bobby Bowden, don't miss it.


Also, if you never voted for the M Awards, go vote for the show and for Gary. You make the choices on this, not the publication, but the fact of the matter is that it will have to be overwhelming for us to win. Rock the vote. The voting closes this week. Here is the ballot.

Jerry West statement about report out of LA (of course)

I just got this from the Grizzlies...

STATEMENT FROM JERRY WEST REGARDING YESTERDAY'S MEDIA REPORT

Jerry West, Memphis Grizzlies President of Basketball Operations "In response to yesterday's report, I want to make it clear that I have not spoken with the Lakers organization or Kobe Bryant about a job upon my retirement in Memphis. My loyalty is to Michael Heisley, the Memphis Grizzlies organization and our fans. I have a job to do with the Grizzlies through June 30 and much to accomplish by that date." "I started my career with the Lakers and will always be a Laker fan. Mitch Kupchak and I are great friends and I would never do anything to jeopardize that friendship or to undermine his position with the Lakers. I have no plans to seek employment with ANY organization." "I hope this puts an end to any further media speculation regarding my future plans."

I think I speak for everyone when I say... who gives a crap. Just fix the Grizzlies as best you can and roll out. How about some kind of statement about the Grizzlies and how the future is bright (even if it is not)? Of course there is a statement when it is something could affect the Lakers. Is it too much to ask that anyone in a leadership position to at least gives the impression that they care more about the Grizzlies than the average fan does?

UFC First Impressions

I laid down the money and bought the UFC ppv show last night. After all of the build-up, whether it was the cover of SI, the interviews and weigh-ins on ESPN, or the fact that I knew a ton of people that would be watching this, I had to get it. I had never seen one of these events before and I figured it was about time. I went on-line and put 25 bucks on the event. I bet 4 underdogs-- I have Kalib Starnes ($5), Houston Alexander ($5), Jonathan Buckman ($5), and Rampage Jackson ($10). I have never seen any of these guys fight, but I like rooting for the underdog. Alexander is easily the longest shot of the night.

Remember, I don't claim to know about this, these are my first impressions.

My first thought during the broadcast was how UFC has got this right. There viewers are prodominently young males, and everything associated with the build-up is young and hip. The President of UFC is a young hip guy (Dana White) who represents the organization well and could easily just be a guy in the crowd. That helps. The big-name announcer is Joe Rogan. Who hates Joe Rogan? Nobody I know does. The guy seems cool, and again, seems like a great face for something young and hip.

The ring announcer is Bruce Buffer. Is that Michael's younger brother? Must be. A ring announcing family? Michael Buffer does every big fight in boxing and his brother does the big UFC events? Talk about cornering the market.

The first fight was ok. It went to the cards and I thought it was funny that the loser starting saying "screw the judges, screw the scoring." While the winner, Kalib Starnes, said "I would have given him the win." That's a winner for Verno.

The second fight was awesome. Some older guy named Houston Alexander was making his UFC debut and was a huge underdog. He is from East St. Louis and he looks huge to me. He is fighting some guy that is really popular called the "dean of mean." It's a cool nickname, but he got the crap kicked out of him in less than a minute. Houston Alexander don't play. I could have told anyone that you probably don't want to fight a guy from East St. Louis, but what do I know? Oh wait, I had money on that, pay the man.

The third fight was ok. Some guy named Terry Martin beat up some guy pretty bad. I was eating some chips and dip while this one was going on.

The fourth fight was against a judo guy (Parysian) vs. a guy named Jonathan Buckman. I was impressed when they said that Buckman was an all-state wrestler and baseball player in high school and turned down D1 scholarships in football to be a MMA guy. Nice athletic resume. The judo guy could have been in the Olympics for judo but he went to UFC. The fight went to the cards and the judo guy won. It was a pretty good fight, but not as good as the announcers said. And I lost my 5 bucks on that one.

At this point it seems like the event is going quickly so UFC is gonna replay fights from earlier in the night. I wish they would have more background stuff about the fighters, like boxing does, between the matches.

The fifth fight had an older guy fighting a 21 year old making his debut. The fight had to be stopped because the older guy was gonna break the rook's arm. I like the violence, but I didn't want to see the arm get broken. Good stopage.

THE MAIN EVENT

Rampage Jackson is from Memphis and I am gonna be rooting for him. He is a big underdog. I love the fact that he howls like a wolf and wears a chain that you could buy at Home Depot. It takes him about a minute to beat the crap out of Chuck Liddell. I must confess that I was totally into this, I was going nuts. It was like watching a Tyson fight, except almost nobody thought Rampage would win. Raliegh Egypt represent. Pay the man.

Here is the sum of it...

I cannot believe that the CA does not even mention this event, or the fact that Jackson won considering he is a Memphis guy. How behind the times can you be? Foresight please.

If a boxer got in the ring in this sport, he would get beat up badly. If one of the MMA fighters took on a boxer in a real boxing match, he would get the crap kicked out of him. It is two different sports.

I do worry that MMA will face the problem of over-saturation. When I was a kid and was collecting baseball cards there were 3 or 4 companies. All of the sudden, there were 400 different brands and inserts and everyone lost interest. Poker had this happen. It was cool to see the World Series of Poker but now it is just too much when it is on every channel. It does strike me that everyone is trying to get a piece of this sport and it will be too much.

I thought the event was awesome and I understand why this sport has grown the way it has. It's exciting, there is no denying that. I thought it was worth 40 bucks. I had 25 bucks on the entire event and end with 57 in my account. Gotta love the underdogs.

RAMPAGE!!!!!!!!

Represent. I absolutely loved the ppv. I will have a full rundown of the whole event and my impression of UFC after getting this event. Rampage Jackson beat the absolute crap out of the "face of UFC." I was going crazy. Memphis has a champion.

First UFC Pay Per View Buy on Saturday

I am on board as of Saturday night. I will have a rundown of the event and my thoughts. I am gonna be rooting for the guy from Memphis (Raleigh Egypt HS), Rampage Jackson. This is my guy, unless he loses, and then I am done with him. UFC on the cover of SI, on ESPN.com, its everywhere, and I have to jump in on this.

Jayson Stark audio

If you missed it, ESPN's Jayson Stark was on the show to talk about his new book "The Stark Truth" about the most overrated and underrated baseball players of all-time. The book is great.

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Ronnie Brown and Jayson Stark on the Friday show

ESPN baseball analyst Jayson Stark will be on the show at 5 oclock. I love reading the guy on .com, he has a new book on the most over/underrated players of all time, and I am glad we get to talk some baseball with him.

Miami Dolphins RB Ronnie Brown is scheduled to join us in the first hour of the show.

Thank you for coming out to the Saucer

Gary Parrish has a story about our gig at the Flying Saucer on CBS sportsline.com.

Ron Higgins has a story about the party in the Commercial Appeal.

I want to throw up

After spending an entire day and night at the Flying Saucer in anticipation of the lottery, when it was announced I don't know what I was feeling. Sorry for everyone and myself I guess. What a punch in the gut that was. #4? AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Well, I said it before tonight and I stick by it, you have to trade Pau Gasol. He is your only real chip and you have to move him for a combo of players and a pick (or picks). Then you sign a free agent PG (Mo Williams) I prefer, and then you probably get Brandan Wright (assuming Atlanta does not trade the pick or take another PF, which knowing them, they may).

You have to trade that pouting Spanish wimp and get something for him. Pau as your best player does not work. This was the chance at a star and it came up short. Scrap the "build around Pau" plan and get you some more talent in here.

There is no good way to paint this. It is a total letdown. Damn.

Mo Williams interview 5-21-07

Come to the Flying Saucer downtown tonight. Here is the Mo Williams interview. Click on channel guide and it is there.

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Everything changes on Tues. night (for better or worse)

If you are reading this, you are expected to be at the Flying Saucer downtown on Tuesday night. Here is the release from the Grizzlies...

Flying Saucer – Downtown
730 ESPN’s “The Chris Vernon Show” will broadcast live from 3-6 p.m. before Eric Hasseltine, Grizzlies radio play-by-play announcer joins team mascot Grizz and members of the Grizzlies Dance Team to tip-off the official party. ESPN will be in attendance to shoot fans reactions to air during the live Lottery show.

Come and join us for the show and then the lottery. This is one of those moments that either way we will all be able to say that we remember where we were when...

Let's hope this goes our way.

Mo Williams was on the show on Monday. I will do my best to get the audio up by the morning.

Mo Williams on the show Monday

Bucks PG, soon to be free agent, Mo Williams has been a topic of conversation on the show and amongst Grizzly fans for quite a while now. Williams is scheduled to join us on the show on Monday and we will find out how much he is looking to get on the open market. I might just go ahead and sign him.

He is on in the first hour I believe.

That fight was terrible

I am not going to expound on this now, but needless to say, I want my money back. What a piece of crap fight. Way to make people want to watch you Jermaine. Just Awful! At least the second to last fight was awesome.

USC Basketball Coach Tim Floyd today

Rule changes, OJ Mayo, the NBA playoffs, scheduling against Memphis this year, there is a lot of stuff to get to with Coach Floyd today.

Also, I will attempt to sign Mo Williams of the Bucks to a contract with the Grizzlies when he joins us on Monday. NBA player and ESPN blogger Paul Shirley booked for Monday also.

Update on Don King: We have a chance but he is being tough because he is not the major promotor (it's Lou DiBella's fight to him). He has turned down interviews everywhere from New York to LA because its not "his fight". So its up in the air on that.

Don King on the show on Thursday

Don King will be on the show on Thursday to talk about the Cory Spinks/ Jermaine Taylor fight. On a side note, I ran into Jermaine in the parking lot downtown tonight and he might have the nicest car I have ever seen in my life (black Lamborghini). Don't see those everyday in Memphis.

Also, USC basketball coach Tim Floyd will be on the show on Friday.

Late money update (DROY DeMeco Ryans on show too)

Defensive Rookie of the Year DeMeco Ryans will be on the Wednesday show also. Ryans (former Bama star) was second in the NFL in tackles and had more tackles than any other rookie has had in the last 20 years. He will be on at 5.

Thanks for the emails on guest requests, great ideas so far, keep them coming. Send them to me at verno@730espn.com.

Omar Gaither on the show Wednesday

Former Tennessee Vol and current Eagles LB Omar Gaither will be on the show. Also, keep a look out for some other NFL guys. Miami Dolphins RB Ronnie Brown, Houston Texan LB DeMeco Ryans, and others in the coming days/weeks to get some football talk in the off season.

As always, if there are guests that you want us to get, we will take a run at them. We are working on a ton of people right now, but if you have a good idea-- hit me up at verno@730espn.com.

Now the NBA really has a problem...

Tim Duncan also left the bench in last night's game. Here is the video. If the NBA says a rule is a rule, they have to suspend Amare, Diaw, and now Duncan. Wow.

Evaluation

The two best dunks of the weekend deserve your evaluation. Baron's dunk is getting all of the love, but Flip Murray over Kirk Hinrich might end up being criminally underrated.

Come to Southaven RV today

I am out there from 3-6. We are giving away a trip for two to the Indy 500. Flight, hotel, pit passes, tickets, transportation to and from track, VIP stuff, etc. You can go to one of the great sporting events totally for free if you come out and register. This is an embarrassingly huge prize package to win. Like Joakim Noah says, we do it big. Where can you have such a good chance at a huge prize like this? Collecting bottle caps or some crap? All you have to do is be one of the people that gets out there and you have a chance. Get over to Southaven RV. Gary Parrish will be out there with me. 55 south to Church Rd. next to Great American Home Store. Bedare.

Kentucky gets a new coach

Former Texas A&M basketball player Chris Walker has been hired to coach for Billy G at Kentucky. Chris Walker has achieved quick stardom because Chris Walker is on youtube, and oh is he on youtube. This is an instant classic. Hat tips to Gary Parrish and emailer Doug for the heads up on this brilliant version of Total Eclipse of the Heart. I really hope this guy becomes a head coach one day with this still floating around. Good hire Billy. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Helping everyone understand Spain and our Spanish posters

Men dressed up like cheerleaders, a man dressed up like a dalmatian, a stuffed goat on a ladder, and Pau Gasol. Now Spain makes sense to me. Translations needed, I guess.

What is Calvin Borel saying?

A jockey named Calvin Borel won the Kentucky Derby on Saturday and the big mystery remains. We still have no definitive answer as to what this guy was saying. He says that he would "like to thank his fiance Lisa" and then it turns into frontier jibberish (or cajun I suppose). We have gotten a lot of "she did a lot of jobs for me" or some variation of that, but that is not what I hear.
The funniest answer was submitted by a caller named Kevin who claims that the mystery line is "she did DeSagana Diop for me." What I know is if you can be speaking English and there can be a thousand different answers to what you are saying... you have really done something. Please enroll anyone you can to help us answer this incredible mystery. Let's play the game...
What is the Kentucky Derby winning jockey saying?

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Also, Pirates pitcher (and former Germantown player) Paul Maholm and Kansas Jayhawks bball coach Bill Self will be on the show tomorrow.

R.I.P Diego Corrales

Boxer Diego Corrales died in a motorcycle accident this morning in Las Vegas. I loved watching this guy fight. The 10th Rd between him and Castillo was one of the best rounds in the history of boxing. I will never forget that fight, it's maybe my favorite of all-time. If you have never seen it, you have to. Corrales/ Castillo Round 10...

Bernard Hopkins makes a surprise visit to the show

We were talking to Bert Sugar live from Vegas today about the De La Hoya/ Mayweather fight when he then passed the phone over to Bernard Hopkins and he gave his thoughts on the fight, as well as his upcoming fight with Winky Wright (where he compares Winky to a turtle). Nice show moment... and if you missed it,
HERE IT IS (Bernard Hopkins on The Chris Vernon Show 5/04/07).

Also, we are going to be out at Southland Greyhound Park in West Memphis on Saturday for the Kentucky Derby. It's the place to be on Derby day. Be Dare. I will be doing a show from noon-3 before the Derby. Be Dare.

God Bless the Golden State Warriors

A tear is running down my face. I don't know if I have ever been so happy about a team winning a series, when it wasn't one of "my teams" winning, as I was when Golden State knocked off the Mavericks. When a team like the Warriors can pull off the biggest upset in NBA history by playing a running, chaotic style, they can be a serious agent for change league-wide. This sends an incredible message that can be even bigger than the whole "well you cannot win a championship playing that style" argument. Only one team wins a championship, but what is providing us with winning playoff teams? Basketball was a victim of terrorism when the clutching, grabbing, walk the ball up the court style of basketball was producing winning playoff teams. Now we have a situation where running basketball is producing winning playoff teams. In fact, it produced the biggest upset the league has ever seen. A team that was one of the most dominant regular season teams in league history was taken down by a team that with a few weeks left in the season appeared to have no chance at making the playoffs. When analyzing the series, and in the process winning three lunches off Eric Hasseltine with my pick, I said that there is no other person in the nation not involved with the Mavericks that you would want to write up your Mavs scouting report other than Don Nelson. That certainly played a massive role in the Warriors pulling it off, but the style of play is a major factor that could resonate throughout the NBA. I love it. The greatest athletes in the world being given the freedom to do what they do best... play basketball the way it should be played. That was an absolute beat down. Dirk is a chump. If you do not like watching the Warriors, you should never be allowed to watch basketball again. The NBA is changing, let's all hope the Grizzlies follow suit and join the future of the NBA. Slow down basketball becoming a thing of the past, big men are becoming less important, and the world's greatest athletes are allowed to look like the world's greatest athletes. God bless you Golden State Warriors. Now go knock off Utah or Houston and continue the assault on what the NBA had become.