Glenn Younes: 'Weekend With Vinny' - 2012 NFL Combine - Part 1
The 2012 NFL Combine was an experience to be certain but the added experience of traveling with our own "GM" Vinny Cerrato made it a trip to remember, and blog about. The next few days I'll trickle out different stories about my "Weekend with Vinny". By the way we traveled Weds to Sat so the weekend thing is really just a play on "Weekend at Bernie's."
Our 2012 NFL Combine started with me reaching out to the NFL and former radio friends about a month prior to the event to gauge the setup, hotels, media credentials etc. once the info was gathered our staff went to work to order the line at Lucas Oil Stadium and I went to work booking our flights and hotels. I was instantly the personal assistant to Vinny. My producer Doug Kibler helped me with the process then got bumped from the trip thanks to a lack of credentials from the league. The trip quickly turned into "just the two of us" Vinny and Glenn, a match made in heaven. Our flight left BWI weds evening at 5:25pm, at 2:45 Vinny was itching to leave our studio to get going. The 20 year age difference between the two of us was became readily apparent, he raced out of the building only to drive 5 miles under the speed limit. Side note: the Vinny in a hurry theme will be present throughout the trip.
All and all we got to the airport in plenty of time, so much so that we grabbed a bite to eat while waiting to board. I got a miso soup which I spilled directly on my crotch, making it look like I had wet myself. That made for a nice laugh, the "liquid" dried fast enough on my gray pants and we were off to board the flight, a packed flight at that. Vin took the window I took the isle, leaving the middle open and an opening for me to invite a very cute blond to sit next to us. She said Yes... score one for old G-Unit. Then comes the Cerrato charm and I was done. Vinny talked wine with her, dress shoes, ski resorts and in the process ate 85% of an entire pack of gum I "loaned" him.
A pretty decent flight except the part where I tried to watch a movie on my iPad. I think Vin was playing a game with me because every 3-5 minutes he'd try to talk to me, I'd have to pause the movie, take my headphones off and then start the process all over again and again and again. It ended with the blond staying on to Colorado and most of the plane emptying. We land, Chris Sims (former NFL QB, Texas Longhorn QB & son of Phill Sims) gave me props on the cute girl invite to sit in the middle seat. Chris shares a cab with us to the hotel and we strike up many conversations on the 20 minute ride. Chris and I had a couple mutual friends in football and the biz, a small world for sure. Sims would like to get into coaching and he and Vinny talked about different people they know, including a mutual friend of them both in Texas Head Coach Mack Brown. We get to the hotel, exchange info and it's now time to eat. The Dinner Vinny and I share is the topic of the next blog entry..... To be continued.
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