Now Place Your Bets » James Bernardo

Apr.06.17. Watch our interview with “Hit King” Pete Rose on Vimeo

James Bernardo — Thu, 06 Apr 2017 08:15:49 +0000

Now’s the best time to watch our full interview with Pete Rose following the premiere of our documentary, “Now Place Your Bets” where Pete played a major role. Pete’s interview contains all of the back story and interesting sidelights about his life and career that any sports fan would enjoy. If anything, the documentary highlighted just how pivotal Pete Rose is to American sports history and culture.

You can view the over one-hour Pete Rose interview on Vimeo on Demand (VOD) at https://vimeo.com/ondemand/thepeteroseinterview. Don’t miss it!

Aug.29.16. Sports betting contest gets rolling

James Bernardo — Mon, 29 Aug 2016 23:59:39 +0000

Last Friday August 26, I paid a visit to the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook to witness the kickoff of their SuperContest weekend. This annual pro football handicapping contest, to my understanding, started in the late eighties and has persisted over the years under various names, formats and management. Essentially, contestants compete for prize money by coming up with the best winning picks percentage against the point spread during the regular season. What caught my attention was the dramatic growth in participants over the last five years, proof positive that sports betting is gaining momentum and mainstream followers.

Walking around, I had a chance to interview Jay Kornegay (Westgate’s SuperBook Director and SuperContest organizer), plus a handful of new and returning players for their impressions on this year’s contest. I also ran into Steve Prentky, a former contest winner whom we’ve interviewed for the documentary back in August 2015, as he officially enters the SuperContest this year. Finally, I was able to get some pointed observations from two veteran handicappers, Joe D’Amico and Tony George, about the event and sports betting trends in general. Truly, it was a worthwhile trip and an eventful feature for our documentary.

Jul.20.16. Horse racing at Del Mar

James Bernardo — Fri, 22 Jul 2016 07:58:00 +0000

Long before sports betting drew national interest with the growth in popularity of the professional sports leagues, people had for decades eagerly flocked to race tracks across the country to lay their bets on horse races. This national pastime has played a pivotal role not only in the evolution of sports betting but also the development of telecommunications and related legislation in America. Coming to the Del Mar fairgrounds and covering some of the day races for the documentary is our way of paying tribute to this important historical phenomenon.

Jul.05.16. Vegas Dave bets $1 Million on MMA Fight

James Bernardo — Thu, 07 Jul 2016 07:39:35 +0000

I caught a ride with Vegas Dave (Dave Oancea) tonight as he drove on the Las Vegas Strip. Mainly, I asked him about his recent $1 Million wager on the Tate-Nunes MMA fight slated for Saturday, July 9 at the new T-Mobile Arena. It can only be described as another gutsy move from a self-professed ‘gut’ player. Big money on big sports isn’t one for the faint of heart. Win or lose, Dave set another record for the largest money wager on paper, to date, for a Mixed Martial Arts fight.

Our story continues.