Rudy Gay, Mike Conley, and Kyle Lowry...

all called in to the show today from Grizzlies Media Day. We talked about the summer, the roster, Rudy Gay- Thespian, Conley having to go in public with Greg Oden, etc. The audio is loaded...

I could not see the Cowboy game...

because my TV was hidden somewhere in the piles of money. Someone told me that they lost. Well, there goes my undefeated season. Watch your kids, because Redskins fans are all pedophiles and they will all want to celebrate like they won the friggin Super Bowl.

Back to the money...
Vinnie Verno picks games and Vinnie Verno wins. 3-2 this week (and the Teams in Turmoil parlay also hit) and the overall record now stands at 20-7 (74%) so far this season. The seven we lost were clearly fixed.

For the show this week... I know that Grizzlies media day is Monday of this week, and I know that Rick Pitino is scheduled for the show this week, and I can't remember what else we have going on.

If you missed the TV bit (MIC CHECK) this week, here it is...

Philanthropy (The Picks)

17-5 (77% documented) so far this season. Get on this train or get hit by it....

Ole Miss +22 over Florida (you can make a living betting on 20pt dogs in the SEC year in and year out, and we do. Too many points)

Troy +17 over Oklahoma St. (Troy is a ATS team, in fact 13-3 in last 16 ATS. We love them. Not to mention they beat this team by more than 2tds last year)

San Diego St -11 over Idaho (Idaho is the worst team in the world. A total abomination. They have played 3 d1 opponents and lost a combined 163-35. )

Texas -27.5 over Arkansas (This is another one of the worst teams in the world. I thought this line should have been 50 or more. This is a massacre waiting to happen. Hide the women and children)

Colorado +6 over Florida St. (I don't think FSU should be a 6 pt favorite over anyone. I love Hawkins and I love that their RB is Rod Stewart. Wake up Maggie, Colorado.....strrrrr.....)

goofy parlay is...

Teams in Turmoil Two Team NFL Parlay of the Year!
Buffalo -8 over the Rams
San Diego -7.5 over Raiders

The streak continues...

While the world sits stunned by the outcome of the USC/ Oregon State game, the listeners of the Chris Vernon Show cannot help but chuckle. Watch out for that Beaver trap. This is too easy. I went to the Black Keys concert last night and I probably got a hundred text messages. They were mostly the same... "Vinny Verno, you are the greatest!" "You are the man!" "You truly are a genius!" Really it was just a bunch of stuff like that, stuff I already knew. The world is taking notice and I am using this incredible brain for some good. This year we play for keeps. 16-5 now going into the weekend, actually 17-5 because we didn't add the Colorado win from last week. Philanthropy is today.

Phil Fulmer and O.J. Mayo (The audio)

Fulmer and O.J. were on the show today, loaded in the player...

Phil Fulmer and O.J. Mayo on the show today

Fulmer will be on in the first hour. O.J. scheduled to join us in the second hour. Check it.

Bill Romanowski joins the show as a regular

4 time Super Bowl champion Bill Romanowski is scheduled to join us on the show weekly during the NFL season. Romo was on the show today to talk about who the best coaches are, the situation in Oakland, who hurt him when he hit them, what he regrets, etc. Romo will be on with us on Mondays at 5pm.
Still to come this week on the show... Illinois coach Ron Zook, Tennessee coach Phil Fulmer, O.J. Mayo.
Romo audio is loaded if you want to check it out.

Scheduled for this week...

Bill Romanowski on the NFL
Grizzlies draft pick Darrell Arthur (in studio)
Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer (this should be fun, Auburn game this weekend)
Illinois coach Ron Zook (play Penn St. this weekend)
Grizzlies draft pick O.J. Mayo
Arkansas St. coach Steve Roberts (play Memphis this weekend)

Philanthropy now 15-5

I may not be at the show today. If I don't make it back in time, I will let Roser do the show. On Sunday night I bought a private jet and headed to a tropical island to stay in the mansion I bought last weekend. I will try to make it back but it will depend on the weather. In such tough economic times I am a beacon of light for the community. Vinnie Verno: Change you can believe in and country first.

Philanthropy is now 15-5. That is 75% if you are scoring at home.

Philanthropy (The Picks), new audio loaded

Philanthropy is 11-4 (73%) so far this year. Jump on this train or get run over by it. Here are the picks this week...

Alabama -9 over Arkansas (Arkansas is one of the worst teams in D1, they prove it this weekend)

Troy +21.5 over Ohio St (love this game, love this game. Troy could shock em. We will absolutely take more than 3 tds though)

Air Force +9.5 over Utah (I don't care if Utah is ranked, this game is ALWAYS close. Air Force 9-1 ATS in last 10, we will gladly take the 9.5)

Wake Forest +4 over Florida St. (I will believe it when I see it from the Noles, until then I will take the better football team as a road dog)

MTSU +6 over Arkansas St (I could not believe this line. MTSU pounds these guys every year. I like that Blue Raiders team because they covered for us last week. Take MTSU. Easy pickins)

The NFL goofy parlay is the Chalk Parlay of the Year!
Bills -9
New England -12
Giants -13
Denver -5.5

Bert Sugars picks (to cover)-- Fresno, Rutgers, Utah, Purdue, LSU

I loaded up Denunzio, Wallace, Mumme on the player if you missed them...

Micheal Heisley: 215th richest man in America

The Grizzlies owner has a net worth of 2.1 billion dollars, good enough to put him in the Forbes 400 List. Forgive me when I don't feel bad when he loses money with the Grizzlies. I have always been puzzled with contingent of fans that defend the consistent cutting back in spending on the team that has hurt the product from all angles. Grizzlies losses for him is like me losing 10 bucks. The facts are not that Heisley is a great owner that is willing to spend, the facts are that Heisley was an owner that was willing to spend. There is no debate that both the basketball and business sides have been downsized financially drastically in the last few years. Now we are at a point where there are less season ticket holders for the Grizzlies than any other team in the league. He did spend money, he did not make money back and so now he is gonna limit losses until he can get rid of the team. Listen to him talk about when the team was in the playoffs. He talks about them like they won a damn championship, or even 1 game. All you have to do is hear him and you get the sense that he sits behind a closed door and says, "We made the playoffs three straight years and these people still would not support this team enough, so screw it." The dude is so out of touch with Memphis and the fans it is amazing. "I will be around more, I will be more involved, blah blah blah." He comes in one time a year and says it, and we will hear it again this year. There is apathy from the fans and the team on the business side and basketball side is run on the cheap. Don't listen to me or any other media member (esp. the ones in Heisleys pocket), just ask any Grizzlies employee or former employee what they think about the franchise. The local owners had enough and they rolled out, and the only hope is that one day the team will be sold to someone that wants to have the team survive and thrive in Memphis (which is admittedly wishful thinking). I love the last line of the Forbes write-up:

Computer salesman became turnaround whiz. Used $150,000 profit from selling home and $10 million in bank loans to acquire Conco, maker of sewer and drain equipment. Expanded holdings; bought several near-bankrupt Rust Belt manufacturers. Today Heico operates 40 companies. Earnings generated through steel, construction, equipment. Founded private equity firm Stony Land Partners 2007; returned investors' money 2008 after credit crunch hit. Owns pro basketball's Memphis Grizzlies despite several efforts to sell team.

The team I care about, the team some of you care about, is a throw away line at the end of the profile. That seems about right.

The Article: http://www.forbes.com/lists/2008/54/400list08_Michael-Heisley-Sr_93KG.html

Gary Pinkel, Jim Grobe, and Terry Bowden (the audio)

#5 Missouri coach Gary Pinkel joined us on the show and talked about his team so far, building a program, Chase Daniel, etc.

#18 Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe talked about what he thought about Ole Miss, the extremely rare philosophy they used when building Wake, the Florida St. game coming up, etc.

College football analyst Terry Bowden talked about the season so far, whether coaches know what the point spread is in a game, why the spread offense is trending down, if Matthew Stafford is elite, the game he lost because he was trying not to "show to much" because of who his opponent was the next week (great story), etc.

I thought all three of them were really interesting today. If you missed any of them, they are loaded in the player...

Scheduled for this week (so far)

Missouri coach Gary Pinkel
Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe
College football analyst Terry Bowden
New Mexico St. coach Hal Mumme
New York Jets (and former Vol) Shaun Ellis

Another winning weekend (what's new?)

The Go To the Bank Week 2 NFL parlay of the year was 3-oh, 3-oh, 3-oh

The college games were 3-2. UAB could not get us one stupid touchdown. New Mexico St was on the Nebraska 2 yd line as the clock ran out, almost the backdoor. Oh well, we caught a break with Iowa taking a safety at the end.

Mental note: Kirk Ferentz has no regard for the point spread.

Kansas still covers like they were born to do it.

USC might be the Patriots this year in college. (no point spread too big)

Philanthropy record goes to 11-4 (73%)

You should easily be a bazillionaire by now.

Philanthropy (The Picks) w/ audio

Never doubt the great Vinny Verno. Comin off a blazin 5-0 last week. If you do not live in a mansion and drive a luxury car, blame yourself. I am trying to help you here.
Philanthropy Record is (8-2, 80%) this year

UAB +30 over Tennessee (if UAB can get me one TD, Tenn has to get me by more than 5tds. no way)

MTSU +17 over Kentucky (I could not believe this. Kentucky has a totally garbage offense. This is insulting)

Iowa St +13.5 over Iowa (again, totally insulting. Iowa St. always covers in this game, and now it is almost a 2td, give me a break)

N Mex St. +25 over Nebraska (I am ridin with my boy Hal Mumme and Joe Lee Dunn on this one. Nebraska struggled with San Jose till the end, 25 is too many)

Western Michigan -8 over Idaho (Idaho is the worst team in D1, and injured. This line should have been 20, we get it at 8)

The goofy NFL Parlay is the Go To the Bank Week 2 Parlay of the Year!
G- Giants -9 over Rams
T- Titans +1 over Bengals
B- Buffalo +5.5 over Jags

bert sugars picks (all against spread)---
Cal, Michigan, Virginia, Vandy, Georgia

My new favorite college football player, Sylvester Croom and John Chavis (Audio)

There is the very real possibility that my favorite player in college football this year is Karlin Brown, and I have never seen him play. When the middle linebacker at Miss. St. went down and they needed a replacement... they will now turn to Karlin Brown.
Brown will start in the Auburn game on Saturday night for the Bullies and I cannot wait. Why? Because Karlin Brown is my size. Wait until you see him. He is 5'8" 195lbs. It seems impossible. I looked up his videos on Rivals just to see if this is for real. This dude is starting at middle linebacker in the SEC against Auburn. I cannot remember the last time I anticipated watching a player more. Karlin Brown, do your thing, mangle and destroy.

I asked Sylvester Croom about Karlin Brown, his team losing to La. Tech, minority coach hires, etc. I have loaded the audio if you missed it.

I also loaded the audio of Tenn. Def. Coor. John Chavis joining us on the show.

Chris Wallace segment, Linda Cohn (The Audio), todays show

Scheduled for the show today...
Mississippi State coach Sylvester Croom
Tennessee Defensive Coor. John Chavis
ESPN.Com's Ivan Maisel
Herrington and Movies

The Chris Wallace weekly segment is loaded in three parts. We busted his chops about a possible Zach Randolph deal, etc. Linda Cohn from ESPN joined us on the show to talk about her new incredibly revealing book about her life. Cohn is loaded in the player also.

What rhymes with Vinny Verno? 5 and ohhhh

And Vinny Verno is.............. 5 and oh, 5 and oh, 5 and ohhhhhhhhhh! That photo is actually of me. I burst into friggin flames, authorities had to come and put me out.

I give picks, they win, everyone becomes millionaires. The picks are always posted on Friday and if you slept on this, boo to you. Roser just told me he is drivin a Bentley to work on Monday. Philanthropy. I am a philanthropist. Woooo hoooooooo!!!!!! Updated Philanthropy record... (8-2, 80%)

Philanthropy (The Picks), Denunzio returns (Audio)

Here are the games this week, Roll with Vinny Verno or don't roll...

Kansas -20.5 over La. Tech (this will be known as the Kansas blood bath for yrs to come)

Southern Miss +17.5 over Auburn (too many points for a non-crappy team to get)

Air Force +3 over Wyoming (hard to defend team against a team we always win against)

La Monroe +12.5 over Arkansas (La Monroe could be favored in this, Arkansas is total crap)

Arizona St -14 over Stanford (last year combined score...79-6.. come on)

The goofy parlay is... The Not walking through that door Week 1 PARLAY OF THE YEAR!

Cincy -1 over Baltimore (Johnathan Ogden is not walking through that door)

Dallas -5.5 over Cleveland (Bernie Kosar is not walking through that door)

Jacksonville -3 over Titans (Steve McNair is not walking through that door)

Bert Sugars Picks

UConn -7 over Temple

Northwestern -6.5 over Duke

G Tech +7 over BC

Texas Tech -10 over Nevada

Denunzio Picks-- Dolphins, Bengals, 49ers, Saints (against spread)

You are welcome degenerates

Vandy ssssssssssstttttttttttttttttttrrrrrrrraight up! How bout that? Bravo Bobby J. I had your back. Home teams catchin points on a Thursday, we love ya at the Verno household.
Giants hit too. What a beautiful Thursday night.

Just wait till tomorrow when I drop some more winners on that head. You should just go ahead a make reservations to your restaurant of choice. Philanthropy is too easy this week.

Welcome to the NBA Darrell Arthur

Nice. He and Chalmers got caught smokin some weed in their room. Hey, that rookie symposium is stressful.