The change to 730 Fox Sports...

You may have heard me mention on the show earlier this week that starting Monday, August 5th, you will notice some major differences with our station. In fact, we become 730 Fox Sports. Monday will mark the beginning of our third year as a station, so I guess the timing worked out well. I am thrilled about this, because this gave us the opportunity to pick out a new lineup that we thought our listeners would like the most. I am one of those listeners when I am not on the air.
So here is how this shakes out with our new lineup starting Monday...

6-8am-- "The First Team on Fox with Steve Czaban"
8-11am-- "The Dan Patrick Show"
11-12am-- 730 Fox Sports Rewind, Specialty
12-3pm-- "The 2 Live Stews"
3-6pm-- "The Chris Vernon Show"

Overnights and weekends will be Fox Sports Radio (JT the Brick, etc.)
We have also signed a deal with Westwood One to become the home for Sunday Night Football, Monday Night Football, SEC football, and we will cherry pick other college and NFL games throughout the season.

I am thrilled with the move, because in the end, I wanted us to have the best lineup for our listeners that we can provide... regardless of affiliation. We have always wanted this station to be younger, cooler, more passionate, and more current than any other sports station in Memphis. We have accomplished that, and we needed to keep that going. All you have to do is come to one of our big remotes (like the draft party or the NCAA tournament party) and look around at the people there. The younger generation of sports fans (under 55) are listening to us.

With that said, we have a better lineup now. I have been convinced for a long time that the 2 Live Stews show needed to be on in Memphis and that people would dig it here.
Our listeners always loved the Dan Patrick Show when he was on our station and now we get him back with his syndicated show. JT the Brick (late night) had great influence on me when I sat down with him years ago, and I have always been a big fan of him and his show, so I am thrilled he will be on the station.

So those are the changes, and that will be the lineup for 730 Fox Sports starting on Monday. A big thank you to all of you that listen to the station and support the show. You will never know the debt of gratitude I feel towards all of you that have helped make this station and my show a success. Monday we become 730 Fox Sports.

Allow me to explain myself...

I have gotten more than a few emails about a comment I made on the show yesterday. I was alerted that the comment is being discussed on the Grizzlies message board under the heading... "Verno: Mayo trade was just a smokescreen."

There are always going to be people that disagree with me whenever I say something that they do not want to hear. Let me say, as a fan of the team, I hate to think about reality too. I am not going to write a novel on the subject, but just consider the following...
In the last few years we have had 3 extremely important assets that could be used to improve the team.

What happened with the Eddie Jones expiring deal? What was attained by trading Pau Gasol? Why would salary cap space this summer not be used? Why has every job in the organization that has come open been filled with a cheaper alternative?
I have been talking about all of this for a long time. Still, I am amazed that some cannot accept the cruel truth of the situation. The Grizzlies priority is not basketball. Nobody with a sane mind could argue that.

Remember, on my very show it was sold to us that there we were going to be one of the few teams going into this summer with significant salary cap space. We were going to be able to "be a major player." What changed?
You can come up with your bologna answer, but then you have to go find legitimate answers for the other questions I have posed. Suddenly you realize that my explanation for the transactions of the past few years fits across the board.

I hate the truth about this situation. The "plan" is to be awful and save money. I hope in three years that we will look up and the Grizzlies are competing in the playoffs. I hope this "plan" works out. But the "plan" is based on finances and sold to us on a basketball level, like everything else that has happened. (Let me give you an example of how a financial move is made and then sold on a basketball level... Kinsey is waived so that they don't have to pay him, his roster spot is never replaced for the sake of "flexibility.") The truth is that they carried the minimum on the roster so that they would only have to pay the minimum, not because they needed roster flexibility... but the move is sold as a basketball move, not a financial move.
What I am saying is that every move with this organization is a financial move and then it is the job of Chris Wallace and everyone else to sell it as a basketball move.
The Grizzlies motto this year, and next year should be "Finances First!"

I typed longer than I intended, but let me finish with this... the truth is found in the actions, not in the words. Pretty poetic, huh?

The bet that got Roser escorted by security

On Friday I mentioned that we were getting a little tired and delirious with SEC Media Days. To set this up... everyday there are fans in the lobby of the Wynfrey Hotel waiting to possibly get an autograph from their favorite player or coach. These are typically not children, they are adults. In fact, some of them can look like Kid Rock wearing old Auburn jerseys (you will see him in all his glory). Long story short, Auburn Kid Rock was in the lobby for a good portion of the day and we bet Roser that he would not jump in front of him and yell our favorite Kid Rock lyrics "Now get in the pit and try to love someone!" Auburn Kid Rock was not amused. I apologize for the video-- you can fast foward to the end if you like. You will see Roser yell it, and then the security guards follow...

SEC Media Days (Day 2) Nick Saban and Phil Fulmer on the show, etc

Alabama coach Nick Saban was on with us at Media Days and was more likeable than he has ever been before. Saban was making an obvious effort to be more personable. Is it an act? I really don't care. He was a lot more interesting to talk to and easier to talk to than he has ever been before. We did not talk much at all about football. Check it out below if you missed it.

Tennessee coach Phil Fulmer was on with us also. Fulmer is always good on the show and this year was no exception. He talks about the off-the-field stuff, the new OC, being at UT for 16 years, etc.

I have also loaded the Chris Wallace interview from yesterday.

Tomorrow 1pm WJOX in Bham

I am hosting an hour on WJOX in Birmingham on Thursday at 1pm because I lost a bet on their show. The show is called The Roundtable. The station is a 100,000 watt flame-thrower. This is gonna be awesome. If I get assasinated before my show tomorrow, I loved you all and thanks for listening. If you want to listen, you can listen online at http://wjox1005fm.com/ and just click on listen live.

Urban Meyer was thrilled to see Roser

SEC Media days cont. (Ok, Tebow's fans are showin up now)

SEC Media Days, Day 1 in Bham (so far)

Day one will include the inspirational Sylvester Croom, the cyborg sent to earth to coach football known as Urban Meyer, the pompous (i won with Nick Saban's talent) Les Miles, and the lovable Bobby Johnson. Roser found an Alabama football fan that offered him $50 for a Bama media guide, I don't know if he has gotten the money yet. Tim Tebow will be here today and I cannot believe there are not more girls in the lobby. In fact, the majority of the lobby residents when I walked through looked like old perverts holding footballs that they want to get signed. Can you sign it "to pervert" Tim?

Anyways, Roser and I ran up on that Heisman and struck the pose...

A big thank you...

To all of you that voted for the Memphis Sport M Awards. They sent me a new logo that you can see on the right side of the page saying that we had won the awards for a second year in a row. We can never express the debt of gratitude we feel. Thank you. Back-to-back homey.

Joey Dorsey gets his first ejection (in the friggin Summer League?)

...and he is in street clothes. Who gets ejected from a summer league game? And one that they are not even playing in?
Joey can contribute to a team and have an NBA career, but when you are a bench guy the rope is very, very short in terms of putting up with antics. This could not have worked out worse for Joey... he tries to intimidate Dee Brown, runs his mouth at the ref, gets ejected, Dee Brown hits game-tying shot, Wizards win in OT.

The Professor (Grayson Boucher) in studio, on the road this week

This week Grayson Boucher (The Professor) was in studio. The Professor had a great story to tell about how he became a streetball legend and internationally famous for being such. If you live under a rock and are unfamiliar with his exploits, type it in on youtube. This guy was as humble and accommodating as any guest that we have had in studio. No ego whatsoever. Straight scissor-clippin in the pic. Tough spot for me, I look at him and he is doing the scissors.. so I went for it.

This week the show is on the road. On Monday we will be live from the Liberty Bowl golf tournament at Ridgeway CC, on Tuesday the Buffalo Wild Wings tour continues at the Hacks Cross location, and Wed-Fri we will be live in Birmingham for SEC media days.

Off Monday and Tuesday

Monday and Tuesday we will be running "The Best of The Chris Vernon Show" shows. They will be 5 minutes long. Ha. No, they will be 3 hours each. Memorable interviews and segments from the first half of the year will be in my place. I will be back live on Wednesday from Poplar/ Highland Buffalo Wild Wings and the Cornhole tournament will follow the show.

Hilton Armstrong = First Victim

MLB All-Star George Sherrill, Former NFL player Jason Peter (The Audio)

If you missed the Jason Peter (Former Nebraska All-American, Carolina Panther) interview today on the show, listen to it below. Jason Peter has a new book out where he is extremely candid about his career and his battles with severe addiction to heavy drugs. It was beyond captivating to listen to a man tell the stories that Peter did on the show, and to understand what he has gone through without dying. The response we got to this interview was overwhelming. Check it out if you missed it, you will not regret it.

Memphian George Sherrill is now an MLB All-Star at the age of 31. He came on the show and we talked about playing in the Independent Leagues, becoming an All-Star, who he has trouble facing, etc. Sherrill is loaded in the player also.

MLB All-Star George Sherrill, Jason Peter on show today

George Sherrill is a Memphian. His family lives in their same house in Midtown and he played at ECS. He is now, at 31 yrs of age, an All-Star closer for the Baltimore Orioles. He will be on in the first hour.

Jason Peter is a former All-American at Nebraska and Carolina Panther. Peter now has an extremely candid autobiography about his downward spiral of addiction to painkillers, cocaine, and heroin. The book is called Hero of the Underground.

Marc Gasol and Chris Wallace (The Audio)

The Grizzlies had a press conference today announcing the signing of Marc Gasol. Marc joined us on the show today before flying back to Spain. We talked about the decision to come and play in Memphis, what type of player he is now, etc.

Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace was on the show for his weekly segment and we talked about free agency, NBA players playing for their country in the Olympics, the roster, summer league practice, etc. Both Gasol and Wallace are loaded in the player.

Newest Grizzly Marc Gasol on the show today

It will happen in the first hour. This should be interesting.

Mic Check from this week

It is on Wednesday nights @ 9:45 on CW 30. This week was about the Grizzlies getting Mayo.
Mic Check

USC Coach Tim Floyd and CBS Columnist Gregg Doyel on O.J. Mayo (The Audio)

USC basketball coach Tim Floyd was on the show to talk about everything O.J. Mayo.
Coach Floyd will get you excited about the deal the Grizzlies swung on draft day to attain Mayo.

cbssports.com columnist Gregg Doyel wrote the following article about Mayo being the best player in the draft... Just watch: O.J. will mash rest of draft class into a pulp. He joined us to talk about the article, and other crap.

Audio from both is loaded.

Buffalo Wild Wings tour continues today, Love Train contest

Buffalo Wild Wings tour continues today @ the Hacks Cross location. The 2nd annual Cornhole Tournament will continue.

The Love Train photoshop contest will be something that goes down in the archives as something we were never fully able to enjoy. We will have to do one for Mayo in the future. The winner of the contest was the following entry by Tim. Congrats to Tim...