Ron Drogo, (spnited), RIP

Long time lurker, seldom poster...sad, sad day for SportsJournalists.com. I always enjoyed reading about the various SportsJournalists.com outings and spnited was at the top of the list of people I wanted to meet from this community. I'm saddened I never got that chance. My condolences to his friends and family.

RIP spnited

 

Wow. Like many here, I didn't know him, except through his posts on the board. But I really enjoyed his honesty and perspective. I'll surely miss that.

RIP, spnited.

 

I had seen the Ron Drogo thread when it first popped up, but didn't know the name.

This morning I saw RIP spnited and I felt like someone had punched me in the chest.

I never knew spnited in any way other than SJ, but I still feel a big loss, and I think that says a lot about what he meant to SJ.

I am just incredibly sad. For the SJ community, and his friends and family.

RIP spnited.

 

As some of you know, I haven't posted here in awhile, and I've avoided doing it today at least for some time, partly because I didn't know what to say, and partly because I was still in a state of shock and also because I know Drogo would have laughed at me if I got too sappy.

Well, sorry, but I can't help it. Ron Drogo -- and yes, we owe it to him to use his real name -- was a good friend of mine for more than 30 years. When Marty Noble called me with the news Monday night, I have to tell you the two of us were completely silent for about 15 seconds. We douldn't talk. What rotten luck. Drogo had a brother who died a little more than a year ago, now this??

He was here at my house for a pizza lunch about a month ago with some other former co-workers from The Star-Ledger, and I'm sure he said he had taken a stress test and was feeling fine. I don't know what happened, but it was so sudden none of us know exactly what to say.

Except for this ... Drogo was the consummate newspaperman when it comes to the sports section. He could do everything, but seemed best suited for what he ended up doing at The Record, running the high school section. He loved it, was enthusiastic about it and knew more about Bergen County High Schools than anyone.

To say I'm devastated may be an exaggeration, but I did lose a dear friend, and our pizza lunches will never be the same.

Thanks for letting me get that out ...

Dan Castellano

 

Never met him, never interacted with him, but LOVED his posts and his perspectives. RIP.

 

Sorry, casty.

I feel for all you folks who lost a flesh-and-blood friend.

 

Danny, I think this post speaks for anyone who worked with him or knew him outside of work. He was a great newspaper man.

 

Here I barely knew the guy except through posts and I'm saddened at this. Usually come here early in my day to check what the latest crises are in sports and to get a laugh, and instead get this. God Speed ...

 

Spnited posted the way one should post on a message board: not telling all about himself, but making sure what he did tell was true. From what I know about him, there was no shtick, he was the genuine article.

 

This saves me a post. I was just wondering if "schtick" — which I've seen a few times on this thread — was the wrong word to use, given what those who knew him best have said.

 

So that was real animosity between he and BYH?

 

I can't add anything to this thread other than this: I really miss my friend.