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+----- Thread: Ronnie Valentine (/thread-852937.html)
Ronnie Valentine - ODUCoach - 07-06-2018 10:57 AM
I know I could have put this in the Minium thread, but I thought it deserved its own. I got chills reading this.
https://pilotonline.com/sports/columnist/harry-minium/article_5aee214c-7c5b-11e8-b344-8b846b3f63cb.html
RE: Ronnie Valentine - odufansam - 07-06-2018 11:19 AM
Harry goes out with a home run. Powerful story.
RE: Ronnie Valentine - DaBigBlue - 07-06-2018 12:05 PM
A very strong story.
RE: Ronnie Valentine - ODUguy1999 - 07-06-2018 12:31 PM
great story, hope for the best for Ronnie. Sad to see how easy it is for life fall apart and lose everything.
RE: Ronnie Valentine - ETSUDB8-79 - 07-06-2018 12:32 PM
Harry Minium is a great writer so it is hard to make this call but in my opinion this may be his best article ever. What a way to go out and boy will he be missed. May you always have fair winds and following seas good sir.
RE: Ronnie Valentine - ODU_NYG - 07-06-2018 12:33 PM
Dang. I never knew any of this. Great story.
RE: Ronnie Valentine - FearTheLion - 07-06-2018 12:50 PM
That was some real impressive work by HM.
RE: Ronnie Valentine - Old Dom Swag - 07-06-2018 12:55 PM
Great story. I hope Ronnie can make it back to Norfolk and get some help from the NBAPA.
RE: Ronnie Valentine - monarx - 07-06-2018 01:18 PM
WOW. Thats a heck of a story. Harry just wrote one of his very best. Seriously award-winning, stunningly good work right there. Happy for HM to have one of his last pieces for the VP be so freaking strong. And Im also happy to hear Ronnie is getting his life back together. I had no idea he was struggling like that. There but for the grace of God go all of us.
RE: Ronnie Valentine - JJMonarch - 07-06-2018 01:33 PM
I am so appreciative of Harry reaching out to do this story. It is so sad but a fabulous piece of writing. Valentine is and always will be one of my Favorites. There has never been anyone in our program that had a sweeter shot than Valentine. I can see him now taking that corner jumper.
RE: Ronnie Valentine - Big Bluezilla - 07-06-2018 02:02 PM
I'm almost speechless. What a fabulous piece of journalism. Thank you HM! Here's to hoping Ronnie can get home, reconnect with his family, community, and Old Dominion.
RE: Ronnie Valentine - ODUDon - 07-06-2018 02:10 PM
Ronnie V was a total stud. Lights out shooter. I would love to see him come back to the Ted. He would get one hell of a welcome home.
RE: Ronnie Valentine - mac - 07-06-2018 02:40 PM
I wrote on here a couple weeks ago I had heard 20 years ago Ronnie was living under an underpass. Him getting into actual housing is a huge step. Losing hope is one of the worst things that can happen to someone, it seems Ronnie is getting a glimmer of hope back.
Fantastic story, simply great. Kudos to Harry Minium and also Wes for his help.
Now think of this. Ronnie Valentine scored in double figures every game he ever played in at ODU. Let’s get him to the TED ODU folks and recognize what he did during his time as a Monarch.
RE: Ronnie Valentine - Mr.BigBlue - 07-06-2018 08:30 PM
I hope they can find enough $ to bring this Monarch legend home !
RE: Ronnie Valentine - The Flagship - 07-08-2018 08:38 AM
When I see stories like this, there always seems to be a feeling of hopelessness with people in this situation. So I was reading the article and found quite the opposite.
1. Seemed mentally strong
2. Worked with kids
3. Kept a neat apartment
Things like that are not necessarily what you find with lost causes. I hope he stays the course and makes the effort to come back to Norfolk, at least for a visit. Would be great to see him welcomed at a basketball/football game. If he took that next step to reconnect with people that can help him, I would support him through a GoFundMe page, or something similar.
He was a senior when I was a freshman, so I had the privilege of seeing him play one year. He was tremendous. As I recall, he had a long streak of double-digit scoring games. I think it was the longest in the NCAA at the time. If not the longest, it was close. I made an attempt to look it up but it's one of those odd stats that is hard to find.
RE: Ronnie Valentine - ODU BBALL - 07-08-2018 10:10 AM
I was fortunate enough to see Ronnie play high school basketball at Norfolk Catholic even before he was recruited to come to Old Dominion. I remember thinking that he was so talented of a scorer even though he was being double and triple teamed. I was thrilled when I saw in the newspaper that he was going to go to ODU. I didn't even know he was being recruited by them. Got to follow him playing for the Monarchs and remember things like his 44 point game against Tulane. He has always been one of my favorite Monarchs since I have been following ODU (late 60's).
Here is a video presentation of Harry's search for Ronnie to bring the newspaper story to life a little bit better. Enjoy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdmURjDyZik
RE: Ronnie Valentine - mac - 07-08-2018 12:44 PM
Just a fantastic piece of journalism. Deserved the front page treatment it received in today’s Virginian-Pilot.
B-Ball, just think. Ronnie V scored those 44 points on the road. With no 3 point shot either.
Bring Ronnie home. If ODU, Resse Neyland or anyone else needs help, please reach out. I’m not rich but I’m so moved by this Ill give $500. And I’m a persuasive type. I can get others to help too.
RE: Ronnie Valentine - Monarchist13 - 07-08-2018 02:03 PM
(07-08-2018 12:44 PM)mac Wrote: Just a fantastic piece of journalism. Deserved the front page treatment it received in today’s Virginian-Pilot.
B-Ball, just think. Ronnie V scored those 44 points on the road. With no 3 point shot either.
Bring Ronnie home. If ODU, Resse Neyland or anyone else needs help, please reach out. I’m not rich but I’m so moved by this Ill give $500. And I’m a persuasive type. I can get others to help too.
Check out the footer of the article;
Quote:CONTACT INFORMATION TO HELP RONNIE VALENTINE
Former ODU basketball player Reese Neyland is leading an effort to bring Ronnie Valentine home to Norfolk after nearly 27 years of being homeless in Miami. To contact Neyland, call, 818-427-6200 or email r.neyland@live.com
RE: Ronnie Valentine - ODUgrad81+82 - 07-08-2018 07:33 PM
For what it's worth, I posted this with a link to the Pilot article on my Facebook page yesterday for my friends from NCHS who aren't in the area now. Some memories. Our 40 year reunion was couple years ago and several of us wondered where Ronnie ended up. Thanks to Harry Minium for doing this article. Great job.
I remember Ronnie being a gentle person, but a beast on the court. One of the best I ever saw play. In high school, I used to joke the only reason he needed the rim was to hold the net in place, since he was definition of nothing but net. Lucky to watch him play 6.5 years total between high school and college.
First game I ever saw him play was as sophomore at Booker T Washington playing Catholic in Granby Street gym. Catholic was really good that year with John Newsome a senior on that team. He was recruited by and played 2 years at U Maryland. They went at each other all game, back and forth scoring for their teams. I had never heard of Ronnie until that night. As I recall, Catholic won a close game. Newsome scored 35 and Valentine 34. Ronnie made a real impression on me that night as a kid with tons of potential. Within a couple weeks, he was our classmate at Catholic and our teams the next few years were awesome. I believe Ronnie was originally heading to Pitt to play in college, but somehow ended up going to ODU.
Always been a huge basketball fan and in 1975 was already a season ticket holder at ODU, even through still in HS. Always intended to go there for college, so when Ronnie came to ODU it was awesome. Enjoyed watching him play and develop into what I was certain would be a successful pro career.
The rest of the story is in the article, but as others commented, circumstances and life creates cross-roads that no one can truly understand the outcomes of until years later. The heart hurts for what Ronnie has been through over the years, but happy he seems to be doing better. I pray for a more peaceful life for Ronnie in the future.
RE: Ronnie Valentine - mac - 07-09-2018 08:55 AM
13- THANK YOU!