Will Barton, Will Coleman, Tarik Black in studio (The Audio)

Memphis basketball Will Barton, Will Coleman, Tarik Black were all in studio on the eve of Memphis Madness. They were tremendous radio guests. You will learn about them, the other players on the team, Coach Pastner, etc. Lots of laughter. You want to listen to this if you missed it, trust me. 

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Agent Josh Luchs on the show (The Audio)

One of the best sports articles of the year came out today on SI.com.  Josh Luchs (as told by George Dohrmann) is the subject of the cover story for the Sports Illustrated that comes out this week.  The tease to the story was "Josh Luchs says he paid thousands of dollars to dozens of college football players. Now he is coming clean on sports' dirtiest business."  It is an absolute must-read article.

We were able to track down Josh Luchs for an appearance on the show.  Here is the audio if you missed it.

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And HERE is the article if you have not read it yet.

Philanthropy (The Picks)

Vinnie Verno has done what he has never done before - giving away his "private clients" picks.  These picks have been 25-0 so far this year and have only been available to clients that put at least 1 million dollars on each game.  Here they are-- for free to you...

Oklahoma St -23.5 over La Laff
Ohio St -22.5 over Indiana
Baylor +2 over Texas Tech
Northern Illinois -3 over Temple
San Diego St -4.5 over BYU

Philanthropy (The Picks)

Navy +10 over Air Force
Stanford +7 over Oregon
UCLA -24 over Wash. St
Alabama -8 over Florida
ATL Falcons -7 over San Fran

RIP Greg Giraldo

Comedian Greg Giraldo was one of our favorite guests we have had on the show.  Here is the link to his appearance on the show from 8/12/09.

http://chrisvernon.blogspot.com/2009/08/comedian-greg-giraldo-on-show-audio.html

Vinnie goes 2-3, boooooooooo.

Stanford keeps paying.  Most underrated team in the nation, maybe no longer.  Get a chance to roll with them again against Oregon next week.
UConn took care of biz with a late pick 6.
How Idaho got beat by Colorado St. Vinnie will never know.  Literally, Vinnie will never know.  There was not one camera at the game, Vinnie is trying to find out if the game was actually even played.
Tennessee is an embarrassment to the SEC, blame them- not Vinnie.  If UAB could kick a FG that would have been a win for them.
Air Force didnt know the game started at 1pm, started playin at 2:30 and won but couldnt cover.

Philanthropy (The Picks)

Vinnie Verno keeps fillin your pockets.  You are welcome, even though you don't say thank you.  You don't need to, Vinnie knows these picks are the only reason that you are not living in a dumpster.

Tennessee -14 over UAB
Air Force -13.5 over Wyoming
UConn -20 over Buffalo
Idaho -8 over Colorado St.
Stanford -4.5 over Notre Dame

Cortland Finnegan, Dan Dierdorf on the show (The Audio)

Titans corner Cortland Finnegan joined us on the show to talk about wanting to be the dirtiest player in the league, the recievers who talk the most trash and are most dificult to cover, etc.

Cortland Finnegan on The Chris Vernon Show (9-23-10)

CBS analyst Dan Dierdorf came on the show to talk all things NFL.

Dan Dierdorf on The Chris Vernon Show (9-23-10)

Mark Richt on the show (The Audio)

Georgia coach Mark Richt joined us on the show to talk about starting the season 1-2, reasons to be optimistic, Aaron Murray, the Miss. St. game this weekend, etc.

Mark Richt on The Chris Vernon Show (9-22-10)

Vinnie keeps on winning (the notes)

Navy wins by 2 tds - La Tech was gaspin for air in 2nd half, worn down
K State wins at the end of game.  their rb is the truth (Daniel Thomas)
Stanford wins.  was over by the time 1st qtr ended.  Stanford is awesome, big-time team.
Colorado St is the worst team in the history of college athletics, they have to be.
Miss. St. was a letdown.  Vinnie thought they had it in em.

Philanthropy (The Picks)

Easiest picks Vinnie Verno has ever made in his life.  5 mortal locks, 5 bloodbaths, 5 massacres.  Turn it off at halftime.

Navy -3 over La Tech
Miss St +8 over LSU
Colorado St +8 over Miami (OH)
Kansas St -4 over Iowa St
Stanford -17 over Wake Forest

Mike Leach, Sonny Vaccaro on the show (The Audio)

Former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach joined us on the show on Thursday to talk about agents, Reggie Bush, teams, offense, his lawsuit against Tech, etc.

Mike Leach on The Chris Vernon Show (9-16-10)

Sonny Vaccaro for his weekly segment and we talked about Arn Tellem, Bruce Pearl, Brandon Jennings, etc.  audio...

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Heisley signs the rookies to full 120%

Here are his quotes to the CA... "As far as I'm concerned, I'm happy the issue has been resolved," Heisley said. "There's no question I'm doing what I should have probably done earlier."

"In the general spirit of the way (the CBA) was put together, I felt we should relent and not have a performance situation," Heisley said. "I don't think I was on the right side of the issue."

Hahahahaha!  How far he has come since he was on the show.  He was always wrong, everyone with a brain knew he was on the wrong side of this, and Heisley defenders have egg all over their face again.  Scroll down and find the Heisley interview on the show (from 8/23) if you never heard it.  Warning: you will not be able to stop laughing.

Vinnie Verno back in the game

3-1-1 right on the your doubter heads.  How dare you question the great Vinnie Verno!  Oklahoma St. turned it over 5 times, and Jake Delhomme happened, or would have been 5-0.  Vinnie is back to his philanthropic ways!

Philanthropy (The Picks)

For you those of you with us a long time, you realized that last week was simply to throw Vegas off.  Season record (1-4)  Vinnie Verno has 5 mortal locks this week....

East Carolina -13 over Memphis
Oklahoma St. -13.5 over Troy
Alabama -12 over Penn State
Stanford -6 over UCLA
Cleveland Browns +3 over Tampa

Southern Heritage Classic giveaway

Today on the show, we will be giving away tickets to the Southern Heritage Classic as part of the Kraft Huddle to Fight Hunger program.  The tickets are being given away by Kraft.  Please check out their website that includes Joe Montana, Erin Andrews, the Neely's, etc.  www.huddletofighthunger.com -- and listen to the show today during the top 5 at 4:05 to win tickets.

Young P-Nut in studio (The Audio)

FOX 13 did a story on a 7yr old Memphis rapper named P-Nut this week.  The story was picked up everywhere on blogs all across the nation after it hit youtube.  If you have not seen the video, you really should go check it out  ( http://tinyurl.com/22s34pe ).  Anyway, after the seeing the video, I had to get young P-Nut in studio.  He joined us on the show today.  There is absolutely no way this kid will not be a star.  The looks, the humor, the charisma, the rapping, he's got it all.

The audio is loaded here as the second hour of the show.  If you just want to hear P-Nut, press pause when i begins and let it the audio load all the way- then scroll to the 25:25 mark.  That is where is starts.

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Vinnie Verno starts 1-4 (The Excuses)

Thanks to Oklahoma St.- game and spread never in question
Florida- was bogus.  How could I have known they can't even snap the ball?
UConn- I had no idea that Usain Bolt was playing QB for Michigan. Fastest QB ever.
Texas- they were playing a food.  Could have racked it up, they didnt care.
Northwestern- that will teach me to trust nerds. gave up cover-killer td with 2 min to go. stupid nerds.

Philanthropy (The Picks)

Vinnie Verno starts another journey to a billion dollars....

Season Record- (0-0)

Florida -36.5 over Miami (OH)
Texas -30.5 over Rice
Oklahoma St. -17 over Washington St
UConn +3 over Michigan
Northwestern -3.5 over Vandy

Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace (live from Israel)

Chris Wallace joined us for his weekly segment on Wednesday live from Israel (setting the record for the guest from the longest distance).  He was touring the holy lands, meeting the president of Israel, etc.

Wallace joins us from Israel...

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Dan Mullen on the show (The Audio)

Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen joined us on the show this week to talk about the upcoming season, the Memphis game to open the year, the websites he checks every morning, etc.

Dan Mullen on The Chris Vernon Show (8-31-10)

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FOX 13 TV appearance (The Video)

Fox 13 brought me on to talk about the Heisley interview. Lionel Hollins had been interviewed by them earlier in the day and had a clip of him taking me to task to start things off.  Everytime I put a clip of me on tv on this site it is always some frozen pic of me lookin stupid.  You notice that?  Can't catch a break.  Here it is...

Michael Heisley on the show (The Audio)

The owner of the Memphis Grizzlies, Michael Heisley, joined us on the show for the first time.  "An interview 10 years in the making."  I think it might have lived up to the hype.  If you missed it, here it is....

Michael Heisley on The Chris Vernon Show (8-23-10)

Lucero plays live on the show (The Audio)

Lucero lead singer Ben Nichols came in the studio on Thursday for the "Sound of Memphis" segment.  Ben played an acoustic guitar and Rick Steff was on accordian.   They played two songs, both of which are favorites of mine.  Lucero headlined the Rock 4 Love concert Saturday night at the Hi-Tone.

Lucero live on the show (8-19-10)

Sonny Vaccaro on Xavier, etc. (The Audio)

Sonny Vaccaro came on the show today and talked about the Xavier Henry situation, etc.  Sonny certainly described the situation differently than we had thought about it before in regards to why teams almost always give a player 120% of contract.

Sonny Vaccaro on The Chris Vernon Show (8-19-10)

Verno Productions Inc. (and how you can get involved)

I own The Chris Vernon Show.  Well, technically, Verno Productions Inc. owns the show.  It has been this way since the beginning of 2010.  A few weeks ago I explained the entire situation on the show.  If you missed it, here is what matters...

At the beginning of 2010 I took over total control of the show and started Verno Productions Inc.  This was only possible because of a tremendous group of advertisers that believed in the idea, and a legion of loyal listeners that support those sponsors.

This has been quite a year.  My wife gave birth to our first child, and I started a company.  So I was getting the company started at the same time that I was getting about 2-4 hours of sleep per night.  I was selling in the morning, doing the show in the afternoon, and trying to learn to be a father at night.

Things have turned out great, better than I could have imagined.
Sponsors of the show that signed up with Verno Productions included Jason's Deli, The Smile Center, Lexus of Memphis, Wiseman/Bray Law Firm, Lawrence Stewart CarStar, the Hi-Tone, etc.

I have always told people and potential advertisers that I don't have the biggest audience, but I do have the most loyal.  My audience supports the businesses that they hear on the show, and the sponsors see results.  The show works.

I have not reached out to add any advertisers to the show, until now.  I'm in a much better place to be able to add businesses to the show.  Baby Verno is now almost 7 months old (and I am getting better at the father stuff), I have gotten everything with the business right, etc.  I am looking to add a few more businesses to the show.  If you own a business, work at a business, blah blah blah, that you think could benefit from advertising on the show - here is the # to call- (901) 485-4352.  I will do everything in my power to make sure you have spent your money wisely.

Now, off to build an empire...

The show is now available on iTunes

The podcast of the show will be available on iTunes from now on.  The easiest way for me to tell you how to find it is to just tell you to search my name in the search box on iTunes and scroll down to Podcasts (it will be right there, listed).

I am not sure how many shows will be available at one time  (hopefully 10 or so) but you can just "subscribe" to the podcast and it will download every day and then you will have it even if link goes dead at some point.

Big thanks to Kevin Brumfield for his help with everything.  All it took was his brain...and my credit card.  haha.  Thanks for listening, and for subscribing to the podcast (which you are about to go do immediately).

Houston Nutt on the show (The Audio)

Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt joined us on the show on Tuesday to talk about bringing in Jeremiah Masoli, Raymond Cotton leaving, how Masoli will translate in SEC, players to watch out for, etc.  We also continue a tradition of Houston giving us a movie review.

Houston Nutt on The Chris Vernon Show (8-10-10)

Our trip to Baltimore (Day 1)

We headed to Baltimore to go to the  National Sports Collectors Convention.  Roser and I actually got into Baltimore on Thursday night, but we really did not do much.  We went to the convention to pick up our passes and saw some things for about 30 minutes, and then went to the Orioles/Angels game (great game by the way, park is fantastic).

Friday was the day we really got going.  We went to Washington DC for a quick trip in the morning and hustled around to see some of the sights.  We then made it back to Baltimore to hit the ground running on the convention.  This place is heaven for a sports fan... absolute heaven.  I had read an article Bill Simmons wrote about the event last year in Cleveland and it sold me on the fact that I had to check it out this year.  Anything you could ever imagine related to sports and sports memorabilia is here.  I took a ton of pics and here are some examples of things we saw...

When I think of Ted Williams, I think pilot.

I think it is fair to say that Ty Cobb got a heck of a deal from Readers Digest.

If you have the chance to take a pic with Babe Ruth, you do it.

Oh, the Braveheart collage with the Mel Gibson autograph.  Not a real popular item at the show.  May have to reduce price to move it. $450

How awesome is this pennant?  There cannot be that many of these in existence, right?  I am buying it tomorrow.  I think it was $45.

I used Friday to scout out the place and decide what I was gonna take a run at and blow my life savings on.  Still could not get out of there without buying stuff.  Here were the day 1 purchases- a Tom Herr signed photo where he is making ridiculous face ($6).  A Y.A. Tittle autographed famous photo and a Bob Lilly tackling Jim Brown autographed photo ($10 each).  A huge Pete Rose poster with an autograph and hit # (I don't even care about Pete Rose, but it was $29 and the pic is awesome).  A Dr. J bobblehead and a Kurt Warner bobblehead ($8 for both of them).  Not too much damage.  Tomorrow I have a list and do real damage.

Here are Roser first day purchases.  A Deion Sanders autographed Florida St. jersey, a Michael Jordan Birmingham Barons bobblehead, and the SI with Bo Jackson in a Memphis Chicks jersey.  Nice work for Roser on Day 1.

I will try to update again before we get home.  Hopefully we have money to get home after tomorrow.  You have to come to this convention at least once.  Totally amazing for a sports fan, it has exceeded all of our expectations.

Deuce McCallister in studio (The Audio)

Former Ole Miss Rebel and New Orleans Saint, Deuce McCallister, joined us in studio for about half of the show today and we talked about everything I could think to ask.  His college career, coaches, injuries, New Orleans, recruitment, the Super Bowl- anything I could think of.  We also took questions from callers.  He was absolutely fantastic on the radio, and a great guy.  The audio is broken down by segments below.

Deuce McCallister on The Chris Vernon Show part 1
Deuce McCallister on The Chris Vernon Show part 2
Deuce McCallister on The Chris Vernon Show part 3
Deuce McCallister on The Chris Vernon Show part 4
Deuce McCallister on The Chris Vernon Show part 5

R.I.P. Lorenzen.

Tony Allen on the show (The Audio)

Tony Allen (the newest Grizzly) completely surprised us by making his first appearance on the show and slaying the interview.  We had no idea what to expect, but were thrilled- cannot say enough about this first performance.  One of our favs of the year so far.  Bravo Tony.

Tony Allen on The Chris Vernon Show (7-23-10)

Chris Wallace on the show (The Audio)

Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace was on for his weekly segment on Wednesday to talk about the OJ Mayo situation, the Xavier contract, etc.

Chris Wallace on The Chris Vernon Show (7-22-10)

Nick Saban on the show (The Audio)

Alabama coach Nick Saban joined the show on Wednesday afternoon at SEC Media Days.  We were one of the three shows he did on radio row.  We talked about his new movie, his personality, agents in college sports, his statue, etc.



Nick Saban on The Chris Vernon Show (7-22-10)

Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace on the show (The Audio)

Wallace joined us from the summer league in Vegas to talk about OJ at point guard, why Xavier Henry is not playing in the league, etc.

Chris Wallace on The Chris Vernon Show (7-15-10)

Charlie Murphy on the show (The Audio)

Charlie Murphy from Chappelle's Show joined us on the show on Thursday.  He is performing at the Horseshoe on Saturday night.  Below is the uncensored audio of the interview.  I am warning you in advance that there are a few things that should be bleeped, but are not in this version.

Charlie Murphy on The Chris Vernon Show (7-8-10)

The Grizzlies Workouts (The Final Opinions)

Here is one final post about the players I have seen before the 2010 NBA Draft.  This is for the world to see and be able to reference forever.  I might regret this.  In fact, there is really no possible way that I will not regret this...

Let the record show that this year the guys that I saw workout for the Grizzlies were candidates for the 12th pick, the 25th pick, and the 28th pick.

I went back through previous NBA Drafts (starting in 2000) to find guys that were taken 12 or below that became All-Stars.  Here is what I found.  I am just using guys that have been drafted in the first round.
12 Guys drafted in the first round 12 or below since 2000 have been in at least 1 All-Star game

6- Seniors (Maglore,West, Howard, Nelson, Granger, Lee)
2- Juniors (Jefferson, Martin)
1- Sophomore (Rondo)
1- International (Parker)
1- Freshman (Randolph)
1- High Schooler (G. Wallace)

It is interesting to me that Seniors have by far the best trend of this group. I understand that there can be players that you would consider better than some of these that have not made all-star teams, but I drew the line at one appearance in the game.
I know what comes up next... what about the guys that were drafted in the second round that became all-stars?  I counted 5.
2 Juniors (Redd, Boozer)
1 Sophomore (Arenas)
2 International (Ginobili, Okur)


This makes me feel much better about my affection for Damion James.  I will ride with him and you can call me out on it forever.  I am more confident in James than I am in the other guys that I have seen at the workouts.  If you made me choose from the players that I saw, I'd take James.  I don't give a crap about "it is too high" to take a guy.  He is the guy I like the most (again, of the ones I have seen in person) and I couldn't care less about where some mock(ery) draft has him slotted.

What I found during the research was that if you get a really good, long-term rotation guy 12 or below in the draft- you have done well.  People don't always see it this way, but it is the truth.  The majority of guys drafted 12 and below never play a significant role on a team that does anything meaningful.

Here are the guys that I would bank on -  These are the guys you are allowed to call me out on forever.  I'm riding with...
Damion James
Patrick Patterson
Quincy Pondexter

Everybody is always looking for the guy that everybody passed on that turns out to be a fantastic player.  I did not get to see Eric Bledsoe (decline), Elliot Williams (decline), Avery Bradley (hurt)-  so if they end up being great, don't blame me.  Here are the guys (again, that I saw) that if they wind up being much better than projected, I might be a little surprised, but certainly not stunned.  Potential steals...
Lance Stephenson
Jordan Crawford
Devin Ebanks
Greivis Vasquez

Guys I do not think will live up to what people think they will be- going under assumption that people think they are gonna be better than a role guy (here is what I could regret)
Xavier Henry
Paul George
Luke Babbitt

My favorite guy I saw that will be drafted in the second round (or go undrafted)
Jerome Randle

The Grizzlies Workouts (Paul George and Damion James)

Paul George has gotten a ton of hype.  He is gonna be the steal of the draft!  He could be the best player in the draft!  He is the guy that is flying under the radar!  I have heard it all about Paul George, so I had to go see him in his workout with the Grizzlies on Tuesday.  Going into the workout I must say that I was again hoping to see the guy that the Grizzlies had to take at 12 if he is available.  I just don't think it is there with the kid, and to be honest, if it was he would be going top 5.  There is a possibility that I could have this kid pegged wrong but I cannot stand guys that "motor" is a problem with.  They disgust me.  I think you lose with guys like Paul George because when push comes to shove, they will cave.  I don't wanna worry about a guy giving max effort.  Everybody can wait for the light to come on, I'll pass.  I detest the fact that he was on a losing team (which should be virtually impossible in a crap conference if you are a lottery guy), and the fact that he was not first team all-conference in the WAC, get real.  I would bank on that potential everybody loves going unfulfilled.  I have no time for lazy.

Damion James is the other player I saw in a workout this week.  He is the anti-Paul George.  He competes.  Played in college for 4 years and was crazy productive, yet playing in college for a long time is held against him.  I love guys like James.  Tough, rugged, athletic, and he cares about winning.  He wants to win every drill, he wants to win every race, he cares.  It is amazing to me what a rare trait this has become.  Maybe the fact that these guys play 5 trillion games over the course of their careers by the time they get to this point dulls their competitive edge, so if you still have it then it really says something about you.  He also fits my elite HS player theory (they pan out waaaaay more often than not).  I would want this kid on my team.  He probably will not be a star, but you win in the NBA with guys like Damion James.  I get so tired of seeing all these guys that are too cool to give maximum effort and bust people in the mouth.  This kid is gonna be a good NBA player for a long time, and he is what I want my role guys to look like.  I am in on Damion James.

Josh Pastner on the Bluff City, the team, the draft, etc. (The Audio)

Josh Pastner on The Chris Vernon Show (6-21-10) part 1

Josh Pastner on The Chris Vernon Show (6-21-10) part 2

The Grizzlies Workouts (part 2)

The Grizzlies have had more workouts over the course of the last week and the only one that I missed through the whole process was the one that Larry Sanders from VCU was supposed to be at.  He cancelled, and so did I.  Here are some more thoughts on the players I have seen...

Jeremy Lin - from Harvard.  Smart (haha).  Not an option for the Grizz but surprised me with 2 dunks in the workout.  Probably Europe.

Sheron Collins- poor Sheron.  Earlier in the draft process I was talking to a player about Collins and asked him what he thought about him - here is the quote- "I've been knowin Sheron for a long time.  Sheron... Sheron got a weight problem."  The player was unfortunately a prophet.  I heard he got injured early in the process and ballooned, but it was still surprising to see in person.  He probably weighed 240 at the workout.  I don't know if he will get drafted.

Jeremy Wise- former standout for Southern Miss that played in the D League last year.  Seems to be good enough to be a really nice player in the D League, but I would be surprised if he is a rotation player in the NBA.

Jordan Crawford- I was a big fan of Crawford going into this workout and came out not as big a fan.  I wanted him to be great.  I wanted him to standout amongst the crowd.  I wanted him to be the clear best player on the court.  He was not.  This is not to say I still don't like him, because I do.  He is a scorer and he did not shoot well, which makes for a tough workout.  His first step and ability to get off the deck are really good.  Something that bothered me is that he always looked tired (part of that is bad posture).  It seemed like he was leaning over and grabbing his hips and shorts quite a bit.  If Crawford turned out to be a really good player that could score in bunches I would not be surprised, but he did not in the workout.  I wanted this kid to be the diamond in the rough, and I guess it is possible, but I would be scared to say that after seeing the workout.

Greivis Vasquez- I had made fun of Grizzlies front office people that would bring up liking Vasquez to me, but after seeing the kid in person, I won't anymore.  Vazquez can play.  He has one great trait - his court vision is elite and he constantly gets guys better shots.  He is not a good athlete, but he might be able to get by because he has some tricky moves that create space and is so good a getting the ball to guys and creating points for his team.  He can knock down shots if you back off of him.  I like him much more after seeing him in person.  Vasquez will get assists when he is in a game, there is just no way he will not be able to do that.  He has that one identifiable great trait.  In addition to that, he plays with a confidence and swagger that I like in guys.  I liked this kid.  Surprise workout for me.

Patrick Patterson- no player has been endorsed on the show like Patterson.  David Thorpe of ESPN.COM came on the show and said that Patterson would be perfect for the Grizzlies and is the player they should select if he is available.  Thorpe compared him to Udonis Haslem- which was interesting to me because people have this idea that they want a star with the 12th pick, but chances of that are slim at best.  So what about the guy that you know is going to be solid?  You know he is not gonna be a superstar, but you also know there is no way he will not be able to contribute and be in your rotation.  These are the things that intrigue me about Patterson.  Once upon a time I endorsed taking Joakim Noah with the 4th pick instead of Mike Conley, and I used the same reasoning.  I knew what Noah was gonna be.  There are times that you can play it safe and make the better pick, and there are times where you passed on a star because you played it safe.  In a draft that is incredibly difficult to predict who will end up being the steals, the safe route may be the best.  Patterson is a really good player.  He can really shoot in pick and pop situations, he can rebound, and he is willing to defend.  I liked Patterson.

Devin Ebanks- looks quite a bit like Ariza when you see him.  Ebanks has the requisite athleticism to be a fantastic player, but it seems to be what is going on between his ears that has him projected at the bottom of the first round.  He is really long, looks to be in good shape, can shoot pretty well.  Hard to judge on college performance because he played on one of the slowest teams in the country.  Ebanks was a great high school player and I get the sense that he could really be helped by the more open, up-and-down game in the NBA.  If he matures a little more mentally and physically, I could see him being really good.  He has the size, length, and athleticism.  I just don't know if he has the fire and desire.  Hard to bank on a guy that you are not sure is all there upstairs, but might be worth the risk.

Darrington Hobson- saw his name in the first round in some mocks at the beginning of the process.  I seriously didn't know he was one of the players at the workout until about halfway through.  I thought he was one of the fill-ins to even out the workout.  It would be unfair to peg the guy one way or another because I really was not paying much attention to him.  It will be my luck the guy turns out to be awesome (haha).  I will just plead ignorance.  I figure if he did anything that stood out in the least I would have noticed him before the workout was halfway done.

Terrico White- Memphis kid, played at Ole Miss.  Had about 20 family members at the workout to see him.  This was a tough one because he is 6'5" and I really wish Willie Warren would have been there (he was supposed to be) because it would have put another guard on the court at his workout.  At his height, he was the smallest guy on the court by a good margin.  He falls into the combo-guard discussion (does it not seem that is what everybody is this year?) but I am not sure you are gonna see him with the ball much.  He is an undersized scorer and is not totally unlike Lester Hudson, who was on the Grizzlies last year.  Again, he was playing with much bigger guys in these drills so it was tough to evaluate for me, but I think he may drop to the second round.  He was just ok.

Sonny Vaccaro (The Audio)

Sonny joined us for his weekly segment to talk about the Finals, free agency, the draft, etc.  He tells us he is convinced about where Amare Stoudemire will go.

Sonny Vaccaro on The Chris Vernon Show (6-17-10) part 1

Sonny Vaccaro on The Chris Vernon Show (6-17-10) part 2

The Grizzlies Workouts

The Grizzlies draft workouts have been going on at FedEx Forum.  I have been to all of the workouts so far.  Here is a rundown of every player I have seen so far (this is through Sun., rest up later this week)...

Jerome Randle - I liked this guy.  He is small, but he can get his own shot, get in the lane, and is an elite level shooter.  I have felt like guys being small has been blown out of proportion in recent years.  Much like in football with wide receivers (where you used to want them to be big and strong), guards like this kid that you cannot put your hands on have a real advantage.  It did not used to be that way, but it is now.

Armon Johnson- has gotten some love over the course of the last few weeks.  I didn't see it.  Big and strong but his lack of a shot really hurts him.  Not crazy quick, and is not gonna stretch a defense.

Ish Smith- crazy fast, pretty good handles.  Cannot shoot to save his life.  If this kid could shoot he would be dangerous.  It is like a Greek tragedy.  Even his FT numbers from college are really poor.

Luke Harangody- not nearly as big as I thought he was.  Has to be able to hit NBA 3's and not convinced he can do that.  Hard worker, but not athletic or long enough for the position he would play.

Ryan Richards- kid from England that made a big splash in Chicago.  He is a project who will be making a enormous leap in level of competition.  Possible he could become good, but he is years from that.

Raymar Morgan- impressed me.  You can tell this guy has been very well coached.  Tough and plays smart.  Would not be surprised if he gets picked in second round and makes a team.

Lazar Hayward- not unlike Morgan.  Knows what he is doing on the court.  He should probably get picked in the second rd. and make a roster.

Dominque Jones- really good athlete that should be able to get his own shot.  Reminded me of Jack McClinton from Miami , who I saw last year.  McClinton got drafted by Spurs and I don't think he was on a roster last year.  I could see this kid being a bench scorer.

Xavier Henry- He falls into my "dog theory".  There are guys in the league that make up for talent they lack by having the "dog" in them (Battier, Lowry, Glen Davis), and then there are guys that are have supreme talent and that makes up for not having the "dog" in them (Pau, Rudy, Joe Johnson).  The guys that have the "dog" and the talent are typically your bonafide superstars.  The guys that don't have either the supreme talent or the "dog"?  They are just guys.  Henry is just a guy.  He is a jump shooter.  He is a good shooter, but he is not the kind of guy you would want to go to war with.  I sense that he developed much earlier than his peers and that gave him a great advantage.  I don't see it with him.  If you think he is gonna be a star in the league, you are wrong.  I have been to workouts for 9 years, I know what the stars look like.  He is by no means a diamond in the rough.

James Anderson- was hurt so I am not gonna hold that against him.  He played through it during the workout.  Always has struck me as a poor-mans James Harden, still does.

Stanley Robinson- certainly looks the part.  He is big, athletic, long, and fast.  Looks tremendous running up and down the court.  The problem is when you involve a basketball.  He will play in the NBA as an energy guy that will probably grab some rebounds and create some havoc, but that is about it.

Quincy Pondexter- I really liked Pondexter.  The kind of guy you want to go to war with, and a much better shooter than I thought he was.  Long, athletic, strong.  I liked this guy and I think he will be better than a bunch of guys drafted ahead of him.  He should have a good career.

Lance Stephenson- Born Ready!  Lance is really interesting because he did not have a great year at Cincy, but was an elite level high school player.  He is big, really big.  He has a bunch of moves that get him to the rim but his jumper is just decent and his shot selection is not great.  That being said, he has a big upside but could be risky.  I don't know if Stephenson will ever be in a starting 5 of a really good team and playing within a team concept, but I could see him as a really nice piece to come off the bench and get buckets (like the role JR Smith plays).  The kid is strong as a bull and tough as nails.  I liked him in the workout.  Ceiling is much higher than other guys, but chance of failure might be too.  Boom or bust.

Luke Babbitt- could do nothing against Pondexter.  He is being helped quite a bit amongst fans because of youtube videos and good college numbers.  After seeing him up-close I am surprised that people are so high on him.  He measured well, but plays slower than those measurements.  He can shoot pretty well, but he is absolutely not a diamond in the rough.  He is just a guy.  Not impressed.

Jeremy Evans- played at Western Kentucky and had never heard of him before I saw him.  He is long, athletic, and not afraid of contact.  I would invite this kid to play on the Summer League team for sure.  He held his own against guys that will get drafted in the first round.

Andy Rautins- he is a good shooter.  Poor guy had to play against Stephenson and it was man vs. boy.  He will play in Europe.

Craig Brackins- Brackins can shoot it.  Really good range.  Pick-and-pop 4 man.  Not really rugged enough to get in the mix with the 4's in the league, but he is skilled for his height and can stretch the floor out fairly far.  He was pretty good.  NBA role player.

Michael Davies on The World Cup (The Audio)

Michael Davies is a Brittish TV producer who covers the World Cup for ESPN's Off the Ball blog.  I heard him on the BS Report w/ Bill Simmons last week and was totally captivated.  We were able to get in touch with him and get him on the show and he was tremendous.  One of our favorite guests in a long time.  Even if you do not care about soccer, you will love this guy.  He is on twitter (@embassydavies).

Michael Davies on The Chris Vernon Show (6-11-10)  part 1

Michael Davies on The Chris Vernon Show (6-11-10)  part 2

Sonny Vaccaro on NCAA, John Wall, etc.

Sonny joined us for his weekly segment on Thurs. and talked about the NCAA and the sanctions on USC, the John Wall shoe deal with Reebok, the NBA Draft, etc.  He also throws out his idea of who will coach Michigan St. if Izzo leaves.

Sonny Vaccaro on The Chris Vernon Show (6-10-10) part 1

Sonny Vaccaro on The Chris Vernon Show (6-10-10) part 2

Tons of NBA Draft talk from the show (The Audio)

Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace on The Chris Vernon Show (6-2-10) part 1
talks about the Euro trip that he is going on, needs and draft talk
Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace on The Chris Vernon Show (6-2-10) part 2
draft talk and takes calls

Sonny Vaccaro on The Chris Vernon Show (6-3-10) part 1
Sonny talks about Bledsoe, and different draft prospects that he has talked about with agents and GM's
Sonny Vaccaro on The Chris Vernon Show (6-3-10) part 2


David Thorpe (from ESPN.COM) on The Chris Vernon Show (6-4-10)
talks about the top of the draft, the guys the Grizzlies will be looking at with 12th pick, and who he thinks is the best fit for the team (he has one guy in mind perfect for them)

Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace (The Audio)

Wallace joined us for his weekly segment on Wednesday live from Chicago to talk about the lottery, the draft, and some prospects.

Chris Wallace on The Chris Vernon Show 5-19-10

Common on the show (The Audio)

Common (Hip-hop artist/ Actor) joined us on the show on Friday to talk about his new movie "Just Wright".  We also talked about how he got his break into music, and how he then parlayed that into an acting career.  Really cool guy.  Audio is below if you missed it.

Common on The Chris Vernon Show (5-14-10)

Rick Barry, Rick Reilly, and Chris Wallace (The Audio)

HOFer Rick Barry joined us on the show to talk about LeBron and his performance, the playoffs, etc.

Rick Barry on The Chris Vernon Show (5-12-10)

Rick Reilly came on to talk about his new book and was hilarious

Rick Reilly on The Chris Vernon Show (5-12-10)

Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace came on for his weekly segment to talk about the playoffs, prospects, etc.

Chris Wallace on The Chris Vernon Show (5-12-10) part 1

Chris Wallace on The Chris Vernon Show (5-12-10) part 2

Sonny Vaccaro on Cal, WWW, LeBron (The Audio)

Sonny Vaccaro joined us for his weekly segment and talked about LeBron, where he may end up, and the connections with Calipari, Worldwide Wes, and Chicago.  Check it.

Sonny Vaccaro on The Chris Vernon Show (5-6-10)

Vinnie Verno picks "Super Saver" to win Derby

You are either with us or against us.  Do your thing again Calvin Borel.  Do your thing.  $$$$$$$$$$$$$

Skewby in studio (The Audio)

Skewby is on the cover of the Memphis Flyer music issue this week, and there is a tremendous article by Chris Herrington about him inside (or HERE).  He came in studio for our Sound of Memphis segment to tell us his story, and freestyle.  I have a funny feeling that in 5 years we are gonna be talking about the time he came in and did the show.  He has great people around him, he has the look, and he has a tremendous talent.  Here is the audio if you missed it.

Skewby on The Chris Vernon Show (4-29-10)

Just give the Cowboys the Super Bowl trophy now

Houston Nutt, Dan Mullen, Chris Wallace on the show (The Audio)

Ole Miss and Miss. St. both have their spring games this weekend.  The coaches of both of the teams came on the show to talk about tons of stuff that I don't feel like typing a description about. So just listen.

Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt on The Chris Vernon Show (4-14-10)

Miss. St. coach Dan Mullen on The Chris Vernon Show (4-14-10)

Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace joined us for his weekly segment and we talked about a ton of stuff too.  Check it.

Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace on The Chris Vernon Show (4-14-10) part 1

Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace on The Chris Vernon Show (4-14-10) part 2

Harlan T. Bobo in studio (The Audio)

We have wanted to get Harlan in studio for a long time.  I am a huge fan of his music, and his first album "Too Much Love" is one of the greatest breakup albums ever written.  His new album, "Sucker" came out on Tuesday (it is great) and the cd release party is Saturday night at the Hi Tone.  If you have never been to one of his shows you are truly living in folly and error.  Anyway, Harlan came in studio and did the longest radio interview he has ever done in his life and played some songs.  The audio is broken into the interview portion, and the songs portion.  Check it.

Harlan T. Bobo on The Chris Vernon Show Part 1

Harlan T. Bobo on The Chris Vernon Show Part 2

Baseball! Baseball! Baseball!

Dikembe Mutombo in the studio (The Audio)

The Great Mutombo made his show debut by coming in the studio for a full hour.  This was quite the thrill.  Mutombo talked about everything from mentoring players, his work in the Congo, his work now with the NBA, how he became a bball player from being at Georgetown as a med student, etc.  He was absolutely great and could not have been a nicer guy.  The interview is broken into three parts.

To donate to Mutombo's Foundation (I did, you should if you can) go to http://www.dmf.org/

Dikembe Mutombo on The Chris Vernon Show (3-31-10)  part 1

Dikembe Mutombo on The Chris Vernon Show (3-31-10) part 2

Dikembe Mutombo on The Chris Vernon Show (3-31-10) part 3

Pastner talks about Elliot Williams, the Final 4, etc.

Memphis coach Josh Pastner joined us on the show on Tuesday to talk about if Elliot Williams will turn pro, the tournament, being happy and positive all of the time, etc.  Check it.

Josh Pastner on The Chris Vernon Show (3-30-10) part 1

Josh Pastner on The Chris Vernon Show (3-30-10)  part 2

Vernodamus, Vernodamus, Vernodamus!!!!!!!!

Originally printed Feb 7th, 2010.  It was meant to be---

http://chrisvernon.blogspot.com/2010/02/watch-out-for-st-marys.html

I am countin on you St. Marys, dont let me down

Josh Pastner, Daniel Jeremiah (The Audio)

Memphis coach Josh Pastner joined us on the show to talk about the CUSA tournament, what Memphis needs to do to get into the tournament, etc.

Josh Pastner on The Chris Vernon Show (3-9-10)

Daniel Jeremiah from MOVETHESTICKS.COM joined us to talk about all things NFL Draft.  Daniel is a former NFL scout and talked to us about the Bradford/Suh debate, challenges in scouting players based on college system and position, etc.

Daniel Jeremiah on The Chris Vernon Show (3-9-10)

Sonny Vaccaro weekly segment

This week Sonny Vaccaro joined us to talk about college basketball, the best players, and where he hears players are going to go in the NBA draft.  He then tells us what he has heard from agents and GM's about Elliot Williams.  He also talks about the Renardo Sidney situation.  The interview is broken into two parts.

Sonny Vaccaro on The Chris Vernon Show (3-4-10) part 1

Sonny Vaccaro on The Chris Vernon Show (3-4-10) part 2

Dude smacks his face on the rim trying to dunk at Grizzlies game

Joe Jackson dunks on Tarik Black

both are going to Memphis.  big-up to MemphisRoar.com for getting some great footage of this from the Class AAA region semi.  I cannot stop watching this dunk.  nasty.

http://memphisroar.com/2010/03/joe-jackson-dunk-on-tarik-black/

Let Thabeet Build (the new song)

"Let Thabeet Build" - by Jon Roser on The Chris Vernon Show

Ronnie Brewer on the show (The Audio)

Ronnie Brewer joined us on the show today to talk about how he found out about being traded, becoming a Grizzly, what Deron Williams said to the Salt Lake Tribune, etc.  Check it.



Ronnie Brewer on The Chris Vernon Show (2-19-10)

Sonny Vaccaro on the NBA Trade Deadline

Sonny Vaccaro joined us on the show yesterday for our weekly chat.  Sonny had some very interesting things to say about what took place at the trade deadline, including what he thinks it means for the future of LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.  The interview is broken into two parts.

Sonny Vaccaro on The Chris Vernon Show (2-18-10)

Sonny Vaccaro on The Chris Vernon Show (2-18-10)

Regarding the Grizzlies (Trade Deadline)

Love that the Brewer deal got done.  Great guy and perfect fit for the team.  Love it.
(If you missed it- you can scroll to the bottom of this page and find the interview we did with Ronnie recently on the show, we even talked about Memphis and playing here)

I was told that after today (being that there are now quite a few teams with cap room) the Grizzlies feel as if it is going to take at least $11 mil. a year to get Rudy back next year but they are planning being able to do it.
The exact quote was "This was a hell of a day for Rudy"

The talks (per the Mercury News) about trading O.J. in a deal for Monta Ellis are real.  Ellis has some big fans in the organization, and they were willing to part with Mayo to get it done.  I am not a fan of this but it did happen.

The Grizzlies walk away from today with all of their first round picks for next years draft in place.  Look for them to sell one of those picks for $3 million and keep the other two.

As the CA reported- The Grizzlies were interested in Dorell Wright from Miami...but they were gonna make the deal for him or the deal for Brewer.  They were not bringing on both.  They made the right call in my opinion.

Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace calls in on Brewer trade (The Audio)

Chris Wallace calls in on Brewer trade (2-18-10)

Remembering Dana (Dana Kirk and Denny Crum, The Audio)

Former Memphis coach Dana Kirk did his last radio interview with us in 2008.  Memphis had just been become #1 and we talked to Dana about the last time that the Tigers were that high in the rankings (his team).  We also rehash the story of the day Dana introduced me to Jerry Lawler.  I did not cover Dana as a coach, I only knew him as a co-worker and friend.  When I started in radio Dana was extremely supportive and good to me, and one of the first calls I got when I left my old station to come to 730 was from Coach Kirk.  Dana was a friend to me, and I am gonna miss him.
Dana Kirk on The Chris Vernon Show 2-21-08

Former Louisville coach Denny Crum joined us on the show to remember Dana.  Dana coached under Coach Crum prior to coaching at Memphis.  Coach Crum talked about Dana, the Memphis/Louisville rivalry, etc.

Denny Crum on The Chris Vernon Show 2-16-10

Watch out for St. Mary's

I was up late last night and was searching for a game to watch on TV.  There were just a few still on, and I ended up watching St. Mary's/San Francisco.  I knew that San Fran. had recently delivered Gonzaga a shocking loss, but I also knew they were not supposed to be any good.  The Dons have a couple of quick players and a couple of bangers and I could see how they beat somebody if they played out of their minds, but I don't want to talk about them.  I want to talk about my new favorite team, St. Mary's.

I fell in love with this team almost immediately.  It was as if I had formed a bond.  I am up late with a baby... their games are on late... it was meant to be.  As I was watching them I kept thinking to myself - this is the mid-major team that you don't want to see in your teams pod come tourney time.  They have a big (Omar Samhan) that is avg. 22 and 11.  They have a freshman guard named Matthew Dellavedova from Australia that quickly became one of my favorite players I have seen all year.  They have size they can bring off the bench, they are well-coached and play smart, and they have a bunch of guys that can hit shots (as well as being great FT team).

This is my team this year.  Watch out for St. Mary's.  If they are in the tournament, they are knockin some teams out.  Just like me finding them last night, it is meant to be.

Memphis coach Josh Pastner, Gonzaga coach Mark Few on the show (The Audio)

Memphis plays Gonzaga on Saturday at the Forum.  On Friday, both Mark Few and Josh Pastner were on the show to talk about the season so far, and the game this weekend.  Few is always great on the show, and you will enjoy Pastner bustin me up about being critical of SMU loss.  Both were great.  Check it.

Gonzaga coach Mark Few on The Chris Vernon Show (2-5-10)

Memphis coach Josh Pastner on The Chris Vernon Show (2-5-10)

"Mathletics" author Wayne Winston (The Audio)

Wayne Winston is a professor at Indiana University, an advanced stat guru that has worked with the Dallas Mavericks and others, and the author of the new book "Mathletics: How Gamblers, Managers, and Sports Enthusiasts Use Mathematics in Baseball, Basketball, and Football" 

Wayne joined us on the show to talk about the book, how mathematics are now being used in professional sports, how they will be used in the future, the Grizzlies and who is responsible for them winning games, etc.  He was incredibly interesting.  His website is http://www.waynewinston.com/.  Here is the interview broken into two parts...

Wayne Winston on The Chris Vernon Show part 1

Wayne Winston on The Chris Vernon Show part 2

ALL-STAR

Runaway Lane (The Kiffin Song)

Runaway Lane by Chris Vernon (featuring Justin Moore from Ingram Hill)

For old times sakes...

The UT Wild Boys Photo Shoot (aka The Orange Lamborghini bit)

hahahahahahahahhahahahaha!

Ronnie Brewer (Utah Jazz) on the show (The Audio)

Ronnie Brewer from the Utah Jazz joined us on the show on today (the off-day between the 2 games this week with the Grizzlies).  Ronnie is at the very top of the list of our favorite NBA players to bring on the show.  He is always great.  Today we talked to him about playing for Sloan, playing in Utah, being in a contract year, Memphis, twitter, the Gilbert Arenas situation and NBA players and guns, etc.  Check it.

Ronnie Brewer on The Chris Vernon Show (1-7-09)

Grizzlies Statistical Analyst Aaron Barzilai (The Audio) and Chris Wallace (Audio)

On Tuesday I read an article on TrueHoop where Henry Abbott was asking questions of stat guru Wayne Winston.  LINK In the article, one of the questions was about coach of the year.  Here is what Winston said...

9. Coach of the year?

I think Lionel Hollins or Paul Westphal. Nobody thought these teams had a shot at playoffs, but they do now. Give Aaron [Aaron Barzilai, quantitative analyst for the Memphis Grizzlies and basketballvalue.com founder] some credit for Grizzlies’ great play!

I had not heard of Aaron previous to this interview but I wanted to get him on to talk about who he is, what he does, what he does for the Grizzlies, and advanced stats in the NBA.  He was on the show on Wednesday.  It is broken into two parts.  Aaron's website is basketballvalue.com

Aaron Barzilai on The Chris Vernon Show (1-6-10) part 1

Aaron Barziali on The Chris Vernon Show (1-6-10) part 2

After Aaron was on, Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace joined us on the show for his weekly segment and he spoke about advanced stats, Aaron, etc (Rondo story is interesting).  Below is that portion of the bit today.

Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace on The Chris Vernon Show (1-6-10)

Tim Donaghy on the show (The Audio)

Disgraced former NBA official Tim Donaghy joined us on the show to talk about his story, if the NBA is a fraud, best and worst players and coaches with the refs, how refs view Memphis and the Grizzlies, etc.
Audio is broken into two parts.

Tim Donaghy on The Chris Vernon Show (1-4-10) Part 1

Tim Donaghy on The Chris Vernon Show (1-4-10) Part 2

Rudy Gay on the show (The Audio)

The Grizzlies are now .500.  We celebrate by talking to the leading scorer.  Rudy joined us on the show to talk about eating Persian food with Hamed, favorite road cities, the team, Randolph, his contract, etc.  Check it.

Rudy Gay on The Chris Vernon Show (1-4-10)

Feelings through art