Jim Valvano's story going to the screen, to be played by Ray Ramano

[House P]

Speaking of long in the tooth, Ray Romano is 17 years older now than Jim Valvano was when he died. A lot of CGI, I guess.

FWIW, Jimmy V was born less than a year before Coach K. Sadly, Jimmy V has been dead for 29 years (and last coached 32 years ago).

A few other points

- Jimmy V won more NCAA tournament games in his 10 seasons at NC State than the program has won in the 32 years following his departure.
- NC State has gone 216-317 in ACC games in the post Jimmy V era.
- At the time he stopped coaching, Jimmy V had 42 more career wins than Coach K.

[brevity]

Awful Announcing: Bob Valvano hopes the Jimmy V biopic will be a true reflection of his brother

Awful Announcing recently caught up with Bob Valvano, Jim’s brother. The ESPN broadcaster and ESPN 680 Louisville radio host hopes that this biopic will be an accurate reflection of his brother. Valvano wants the film to show “warts and all.”

bobvalvano.jpg

“Often he has been portrayed like a cartoon character,” Bob Valvano (seen above) said. “If you liked him, he was that funny, crazy guy. If you didn’t like him, he was that guy who ‘was cheating his [***] off and winning games.’ He was human. He had flaws. But he was an inspiring person. That was legitimate. The message at the ESPYs, that’s who he was.”

As it was announced a few months ago, Ray Romano is set to play Jim Valvano. So who plays Bob Valvano? Not a bad time to point out that Brad Garrett has a lot of experience playing an overlooked brother, as well as a heavier real-life person:

bradgarrett.jpg

Too bad Peter Boyle isn't still around. He would have made an interesting Dick Vitale.

[miramar]

Just one man’s opinion, but I would say that Jimmy V was way funnier than Ray Romano.

[weezie]

...Who plays Coach K?

So, not Brad Pitt?
How about Ryan Gosling with dark hair dye?

[CameronBlue]

Just one man’s opinion, but I would say that Jimmy V was way funnier than Ray Romano.

Make it two. Romano is a good guy, good comedian. But he's good at one-liners. In no way does he have the panache that Valvano had when "working the room". That's when Jimmy V was at his best. Romano is good at plodding elephant cartoon characters and the biting one-liner, but that's it. He's no actor.

There is an interesting, feel good story on youtube about Romano if you can find it. Romano picked up a complete stranger on the streets of NYC on 9/11 who was without transportation out of Manhattan when they shut down the bridges. He befriended the guy, invited him to dinner and drove him out of the city the next day (if memory serves). Sumpin like that.

[Rich]

Just one man’s opinion, but I would say that Jimmy V was way funnier than Ray Romano.

Make it two. Romano is a good guy, good comedian. But he's good at one-liners. In no way does he have the panache that Valvano had when "working the room". That's when Jimmy V was at his best. Romano is good at plodding elephant cartoon characters and the biting one-liner, but that's it. He's no actor.

I don't think you give him enough credit as an actor. He was very good in some out-of-the-box roles such as Vinyl on HBO.

[CameronBornAndBred]

I don't think you give him enough credit as an actor. He was very good in some out-of-the-box roles such as Vinyl on HBO.

I agree. His sitcom didn't last as long as it did solely because of his jokes.

[duke74]

I agree. His sitcom didn't last as long as it did solely because of his jokes.

Ray, like Spider-Man and Duke74, is a native of Forest Hills, Queens, NYC.

[MartyClark]

I don't think you give him enough credit as an actor. He was very good in some out-of-the-box roles such as Vinyl on HBO.

I watched Vinyl, didn't like it much, and don't remember Ray Romano's character.

He played himself in an episode or two of Mark Maron's show and was an entertaining jerk.

Everybody Loves Raymond was highly successful and amusing at times. All of the characters were one dimensional and cartoonish.

[Nepos]

Thanks for sharing. I agree - sounds interesting - I hope they do it well.

Who plays Coach K?

Count von Count?

[Rickshaw]

Count von Count?

Michael Savarino.

[CameronBlue]

I agree. His sitcom didn't last as long as it did solely because of his jokes.

It was an ensemble cast, completely different dynamic from the weight he'll have to carry as a title subject in a biopic. Ray picked up an emmy (for male lead, he picked up others as a producer), good on him. Doris Roberts lost more of those in storage than that. Patricia Heaton picked up 2 as lead. I think they did most of the heaving lifting. But hey, he has 1 more than I do. So he's not a piker, he's just not my choice to play someone who is almost the definition of a modern tragic hero.

[CameronBornAndBred]

It was an ensemble cast, completely different dynamic from the weight he'll have to carry as a title subject in a biopic. Ray picked up an emmy (for male lead, he picked up others as a producer), good on him. Doris Roberts lost more of those in storage than that. Patricia Heaton picked up 2 as lead. I think they did most of the heaving lifting. But hey, he has 1 more than I do. So he's not a piker, he's just not my choice to play someone who is almost the definition of a modern tragic hero.

Well, hopefully you will give it a chance. No reason to judge before it's even been made. I can name a casting selection or two that I was sure were going to be disasters that turned out to be great after actually watching.

[CameronBlue]

Well, hopefully you will give it a chance. No reason to judge before it's even been made. I can name a casting selection or two that I was sure were going to be disasters that turned out to be great after actually watching.

Oh gosh of course. It was said of Olivier that unlike many of his feted contemporaries, acting was not in his nature, he just worked extremely hard at it. Process means a lot and can give a performer the confidence to reach for something truly transformative.

Maybe Romano will surprise me
Maybe I'll receive an angry phone call from his agent
Maybe his agent will read my manuscript.