Stu Feiner Interview
The Stool Goes One on One with The Source
Today the Stool had the privilege to go one on one with The Source: Stu Feiner. Many people will remember him from his ridiculous gambling show called the Sports Advisors, which was on in the early 90’s and is sure to appear someday on VH1’s year in review. The Sports Advisors was highlighted by Stu Feiner having mini explosions every two minutes ranting and raving about how he was going to kick your bookmaker in the teeth and it was ABSOLUTLY 100% FREE. Also, Stu Feiner was the basis for Al Pacino’s character in Two For the Money. So without further ado, here is our interview with The Source. (And yes this is a real interview!)
1. In the movie Two For The Money, the character Walter Abrams was based on you. How realistic would you say it was?
It wasn’t realistic at all. To be honest Al Pacino can’t hold my fu-cking jock. When’s the last time he made a good movie? The story is based on a guy Brandon Link who came to work for me in 1991. He was making 8 dollars an hour before he met me. I flew him down to NY and he set up all my 900 numbers and was a great handicapper. We’d go into the city and spend $20,000 a weekend. Brandon left me in 1995 after going on a losing streak. He moved to California and became a caddy at the Riveria and wrote the movie script based on his life. The only scenes from the movie that are true is when I go to the GA meeting and people recognize me and threaten to rip my head off for giving them losing picks. That and I bought Brandon Link a Porsche when he came to work for me with a license plate that said 900 king. Everything else is bull shit. And I thought it was a crappy movie.
2. What’s your favorite gambling movie of all time?
Let it Ride with Richard Dreyfuss.
3. How did you get into this business?
Here is the story. My dad was a huge Raiders fan and was the type of guy who’d beat me if the Raiders lost. So naturally I grew up a Raiders fan. I remember before the Raiders played Jaworski’s Eagles in the Superbowl I saw a guy by the name of Ed Horitwitz go on NBC and say he developed a computer program to pick winners. It was basically always taking home dogs. Anyway he came on and said the Eagles were going to crush the Raiders. I said this guys a fu-cking idiot and bet 600 bucks on the Raiders, which was like 6 billion back then for a kid in high school. Anyway, after Oakland freaking killed them I went to my dad and asked him for money to start my business. I said if this guy Ed Horitwitz can make money selling horrible picks, I can make money selling good picks
4. Here is the million dollar question. If you are as good as you claim to be with your picks why do you need to sell them?
This is the only way I can make money. When I bet on games I end up losing because I don’t have the discipline to stick to my system and my money management sucks. In fact I don’t bet at all because anytime I start betting I lose control. I bet on my favorite teams, games that are on TV, basically anything. I bet the board. Back in the early 80’s I was getting killed because I’d chase losses and bookies gave me credit and saw that I was an earner so they gave me unlimited credit. The result is that you chase losses and bet games you wouldn’t ordinarily bet. All gamblers are like this. I’ve never met a gambler who has made money. Everybody loses. Some people say they win but they’re lying. The best way for me to make a living was to quit cold turkey and only give away my cold calculated picks. And rooting for my picks is enough action anyway.
5. Why are you based in New York and not Vegas?
What’s the difference? I don’t bet games myself and if I wanted to I could do it online or through a bookie. It doesn’t matter where you are. Everything I need is right here.
6. What % of games should a pro handicapper hit?
You need to hit 60%. 6 out of every 10 games.
7. How has the internet affected your business?
It’s been huge. First of all online sports books are the best thing that’s ever happened to the gambling business. Everybody should need to have the money they want to bet in hand so they don’t lose their shirt. Bookies giving people credit is what ruins lives. People come crying to me about how they’ve lost their houses and their families. What do they want me to do? I tell them that they’re sick fu-cks and need a psychiatrist. But the bottom-line is this wouldn’t happen as much if people bet through off-shore sports books because they don’t give credit. That’s why people would be better off if the Government legalized gambling so you could walk up and place a bet in a convenience store.
8. Are there any sites you’d recommend?
Sportsbook.com advertises on my website. I’ve never heard anybody complain that they haven’t gotten paid.
9. How big is the sales aspect of your job? I’ve heard rumors that your guys are ruthless once they think they have a warm lead.
All of our customers have contacted us through our external marketing so it’s generally a pretty easy sale. People are looking for what we have.
10. How many guys do you have working for you?
I had about 250 guys in 1997. Now I have 18 handicappers, 10 writers and the rest is admin for a total of about 45 people. The internet is the reason we don’t have as many. Our score phones which were a big part of our business got 37 million calls in 1985. We’re down to 7 million this year because only old timers want to listen to 2 minutes of ads before getting the information when you can get it on the web.
11. I used to watch Sports Advisors as a kid. Do you stay in touch with the guys on the show, primarily Kevin Duffy and the Coach Ron Bash?
Duffy is my brother in law. He isn’t in the business anymore. He’s doing credit card processing. As far as the Coach I haven’t seen him in like 6 years. He’s heavy into the horses. A BIG horse guy.
12. Did Ron Bash really swim with the Dolphins to get a vibe on who would win Dolphins games?
Yeah, he flew out to the Bahamas one year. I think he went to the Atlantis and jumped in with the Dolphins. And since he lived in Miami and had a good beat on them he incorporated it into his routine. I think he used to go to the track with Wayne Heisinger too.
13. Do people still recognize you from the show?
All the time. I’ll walk down the street and people will ask me to scream at them. So I give them the old 100% FREE 100% FREE 100% FREE. It’s ABSOLUTLY A MORTAL LOCK and its 100% FREE! People eat it up.
14. Were you jealous of the Coach Ron Bash’s one to turn to gesture?
We used to bust his balls about that all the time but the thing about it is that it worked. Everybody remembered it and he gave good opinions.
15. What other handicappers do you respect the most?
Ah, good question. None. Everybody waits to see who I pick and then they follow me.
16. What’s your favorite sports book in Vegas and why?
Stardust is the line I use. That’s how I judge if I win or lose so I guess I’d have to say Stardust.
17. What is your opinion on exotic bets like teases and A+R’s?
They’re all sucker bets. The only way you can win is betting straight and still nobody wins. All gamblers are losers.
18. Do you have any betting strategies that you could recommend? For example should people always bet the same amount on every game?
My strategy is based all on going against public opinion. Anybody who says they have a proven handicapping strategy is bullshitting. There is no such thing. The only thing that works is going against the public.
19. Do you favor betting on any sports over others?
My favorite sport to bet is baseball. And I prefer the NFL over college football.
20. What’s the best part about the gambling business?
It’s the money I make. It’s a hard freaking business and I work hard but I enjoy the money.
21. What’s the worst part about it?
All gamblers are losers. So I deal with people who have lost their entire lives and want me to save them. But there’s nothing I can do. <!--POLLS--><!--FILES-->
The Stool Goes One on One with The Source
Today the Stool had the privilege to go one on one with The Source: Stu Feiner. Many people will remember him from his ridiculous gambling show called the Sports Advisors, which was on in the early 90’s and is sure to appear someday on VH1’s year in review. The Sports Advisors was highlighted by Stu Feiner having mini explosions every two minutes ranting and raving about how he was going to kick your bookmaker in the teeth and it was ABSOLUTLY 100% FREE. Also, Stu Feiner was the basis for Al Pacino’s character in Two For the Money. So without further ado, here is our interview with The Source. (And yes this is a real interview!)
1. In the movie Two For The Money, the character Walter Abrams was based on you. How realistic would you say it was?
It wasn’t realistic at all. To be honest Al Pacino can’t hold my fu-cking jock. When’s the last time he made a good movie? The story is based on a guy Brandon Link who came to work for me in 1991. He was making 8 dollars an hour before he met me. I flew him down to NY and he set up all my 900 numbers and was a great handicapper. We’d go into the city and spend $20,000 a weekend. Brandon left me in 1995 after going on a losing streak. He moved to California and became a caddy at the Riveria and wrote the movie script based on his life. The only scenes from the movie that are true is when I go to the GA meeting and people recognize me and threaten to rip my head off for giving them losing picks. That and I bought Brandon Link a Porsche when he came to work for me with a license plate that said 900 king. Everything else is bull shit. And I thought it was a crappy movie.
2. What’s your favorite gambling movie of all time?
Let it Ride with Richard Dreyfuss.
3. How did you get into this business?
Here is the story. My dad was a huge Raiders fan and was the type of guy who’d beat me if the Raiders lost. So naturally I grew up a Raiders fan. I remember before the Raiders played Jaworski’s Eagles in the Superbowl I saw a guy by the name of Ed Horitwitz go on NBC and say he developed a computer program to pick winners. It was basically always taking home dogs. Anyway he came on and said the Eagles were going to crush the Raiders. I said this guys a fu-cking idiot and bet 600 bucks on the Raiders, which was like 6 billion back then for a kid in high school. Anyway, after Oakland freaking killed them I went to my dad and asked him for money to start my business. I said if this guy Ed Horitwitz can make money selling horrible picks, I can make money selling good picks
4. Here is the million dollar question. If you are as good as you claim to be with your picks why do you need to sell them?
This is the only way I can make money. When I bet on games I end up losing because I don’t have the discipline to stick to my system and my money management sucks. In fact I don’t bet at all because anytime I start betting I lose control. I bet on my favorite teams, games that are on TV, basically anything. I bet the board. Back in the early 80’s I was getting killed because I’d chase losses and bookies gave me credit and saw that I was an earner so they gave me unlimited credit. The result is that you chase losses and bet games you wouldn’t ordinarily bet. All gamblers are like this. I’ve never met a gambler who has made money. Everybody loses. Some people say they win but they’re lying. The best way for me to make a living was to quit cold turkey and only give away my cold calculated picks. And rooting for my picks is enough action anyway.
5. Why are you based in New York and not Vegas?
What’s the difference? I don’t bet games myself and if I wanted to I could do it online or through a bookie. It doesn’t matter where you are. Everything I need is right here.
6. What % of games should a pro handicapper hit?
You need to hit 60%. 6 out of every 10 games.
7. How has the internet affected your business?
It’s been huge. First of all online sports books are the best thing that’s ever happened to the gambling business. Everybody should need to have the money they want to bet in hand so they don’t lose their shirt. Bookies giving people credit is what ruins lives. People come crying to me about how they’ve lost their houses and their families. What do they want me to do? I tell them that they’re sick fu-cks and need a psychiatrist. But the bottom-line is this wouldn’t happen as much if people bet through off-shore sports books because they don’t give credit. That’s why people would be better off if the Government legalized gambling so you could walk up and place a bet in a convenience store.
8. Are there any sites you’d recommend?
Sportsbook.com advertises on my website. I’ve never heard anybody complain that they haven’t gotten paid.
9. How big is the sales aspect of your job? I’ve heard rumors that your guys are ruthless once they think they have a warm lead.
All of our customers have contacted us through our external marketing so it’s generally a pretty easy sale. People are looking for what we have.
10. How many guys do you have working for you?
I had about 250 guys in 1997. Now I have 18 handicappers, 10 writers and the rest is admin for a total of about 45 people. The internet is the reason we don’t have as many. Our score phones which were a big part of our business got 37 million calls in 1985. We’re down to 7 million this year because only old timers want to listen to 2 minutes of ads before getting the information when you can get it on the web.
11. I used to watch Sports Advisors as a kid. Do you stay in touch with the guys on the show, primarily Kevin Duffy and the Coach Ron Bash?
Duffy is my brother in law. He isn’t in the business anymore. He’s doing credit card processing. As far as the Coach I haven’t seen him in like 6 years. He’s heavy into the horses. A BIG horse guy.
12. Did Ron Bash really swim with the Dolphins to get a vibe on who would win Dolphins games?
Yeah, he flew out to the Bahamas one year. I think he went to the Atlantis and jumped in with the Dolphins. And since he lived in Miami and had a good beat on them he incorporated it into his routine. I think he used to go to the track with Wayne Heisinger too.
13. Do people still recognize you from the show?
All the time. I’ll walk down the street and people will ask me to scream at them. So I give them the old 100% FREE 100% FREE 100% FREE. It’s ABSOLUTLY A MORTAL LOCK and its 100% FREE! People eat it up.
14. Were you jealous of the Coach Ron Bash’s one to turn to gesture?
We used to bust his balls about that all the time but the thing about it is that it worked. Everybody remembered it and he gave good opinions.
15. What other handicappers do you respect the most?
Ah, good question. None. Everybody waits to see who I pick and then they follow me.
16. What’s your favorite sports book in Vegas and why?
Stardust is the line I use. That’s how I judge if I win or lose so I guess I’d have to say Stardust.
17. What is your opinion on exotic bets like teases and A+R’s?
They’re all sucker bets. The only way you can win is betting straight and still nobody wins. All gamblers are losers.
18. Do you have any betting strategies that you could recommend? For example should people always bet the same amount on every game?
My strategy is based all on going against public opinion. Anybody who says they have a proven handicapping strategy is bullshitting. There is no such thing. The only thing that works is going against the public.
19. Do you favor betting on any sports over others?
My favorite sport to bet is baseball. And I prefer the NFL over college football.
20. What’s the best part about the gambling business?
It’s the money I make. It’s a hard freaking business and I work hard but I enjoy the money.
21. What’s the worst part about it?
All gamblers are losers. So I deal with people who have lost their entire lives and want me to save them. But there’s nothing I can do. <!--POLLS--><!--FILES-->
