Rod Carri has Passed Away
Posted: Thu Dec 21, 2017 5:22 pm
I’m in shock right now, but I wanted to let everyone know our friend, and lifelong Rhody Ram, Rod Carri passed away at 3pm this afternoon.
I’ll pass along more details as I know them and I’ll provide a proper post persuant to what would be worthy of him, but I wanted to let everyone know.
Rhody has a new guiding angel, and someone to win for. Rod will be missed by all of us.
EDIT, of which I hope paints a picture worthy of his impact in my life:
It's tough to put into words on an internet message board anything that would come close to the impact Rod had over various forms of media; whether it be the talk shows he frequented, his command of the twitterverse, or right here on a URI message board - his internet home away from home. Everyone knew Rodfromcranston.
As a fan, I think TP put it best: that he "was the kind of fan every program needs: loyal but not a sycophant; a carrier of the flag and a defender against external critics that wasn't afraid to hold the program to account; an unofficial program historian; at times an insider and at other times the leader of a loyal opposition.
Rod Carri was as much of a legend for a program as a fan could be, and he was a good man as far as I've ever heard. He will be sorely missed here and at the Ryan and throughout Rhody Nation."
Above his love of Reagan conservatism and Rhody basketball - Rod loved his family - his daughter and grand children, and especially his dogs. If you were fortunate enough to get to know Rod outside of the Rodfromcranston everyone read and heard online and the airwaves, he had an incredible ability to make you feel like part of the family.
As a fellow paizan and Rhody fanatic, I never felt more "at home" than the first time I met Rod at a season ticket holder event years ago. We had known each other from the Projo board days, and he had made a point to get to know me simply because I was a nut job who ran around the court with a painted face.
We became instant friends. The simple fact that we loved being Italian, loved our families, our dogs, and loved the Rams was enough to offset plenty of differing viewpoints and discord. Rod was the best kind of friend you could ask for because he would pull your card when you needed it to be pulled, and would always tell it to you straight. One of his favorite quotes was from of course, Reagan, who said "Somebody who agrees with me 80 percent of the time is a friend and ally, not a 20 percent traitor."
You could disagree with him passionately, and boy oh boy could he passionately disagree with you, but you could always count on Rod to give you a level-set on everything. He would never lie to you just to spare your feelings. He respected everyone enough to give them the truth and an unfiltered view. He treated everyone as an intellectual equal and offered up the same advice and opinions he would give to family, because as an Italian that's how he treated anyone he considered a friend.
In a world filled with fake, vapid, bullshitters - Rod was a welcome beacon of clarity. You always knew where you stood with him, and he always stood by his convictions.
For years I would always find Rod at halftime to catch up, or jump down to his seats in 207 to watch some of the game with him, Andrea and his grandkids. The amount I learned about basketball, URI basketball, and life in general through those conversations is immeasurable. If you weren't fortunate enough to share a game with Rod, I truly feel like you were robbed of one of the more valuable experiences you could ever have hoped to had at the Ryan Center.
If your only interactions with Rod were on the board, you were only able to get a fraction of what Rod's company and conversation had to offer. He was a better man than he was a poster on this board, and it was clear Rod was the backbone of this board and fanbase.
I will forever miss Rod's quick wit and direct comments. I'll miss him telling me to cut the shit, stop acting like a petulant child, or throwing an internet tantrum as much as I'll miss his genuine friendship and kindness. If you didn't get to know Rod well enough to understand those latter parts of his personality, I feel bad for you. You missed out on one of the better men I've had the privilege to call a friend.
Last year when I was in the hospital, Rod was genuinely one of the first people to reach out to my wife and myself to see if there was anything he could do to help.
For those of us who got most of our glimpse of Rod through an internet or radio window, I can't even imagine how tough Andrea, his grandkids, his dogs, and the rest of his family have it. They got the best part of Rod, not the internet poster, but the man. I don't know if there are enough prayers or words to fill that void and my heart is truly broken for them.
It's almost surreal, everyone curses the internet and sneers at relationships people have formed because of it, but here I sit writing this post with tears coming down my face after losing someone I'd consider a true friend.
As a man who loved the Rams above all else, I am so thankful he got to see one more run, one more title, and one more NCAA win. I am thankful his last games at the Ryan Center were W's, and that he got to witness that shellacking of PC in person.
I can only imagine that the first thing he did upon arrival to the pearly gates was to look up Dave Gavitt's whearabouts and have some words with him.
I hope the rest of this season plays out in a way that would cause Rod to have a giant smile on his face while he watches from the other side.
I'll forever think of Rod any time Rhody gets a win, signs a true big man, or someone tells me to cut the shit. Rest easy mi amici. Go Rhody.
I’ll pass along more details as I know them and I’ll provide a proper post persuant to what would be worthy of him, but I wanted to let everyone know.
Rhody has a new guiding angel, and someone to win for. Rod will be missed by all of us.
EDIT, of which I hope paints a picture worthy of his impact in my life:
It's tough to put into words on an internet message board anything that would come close to the impact Rod had over various forms of media; whether it be the talk shows he frequented, his command of the twitterverse, or right here on a URI message board - his internet home away from home. Everyone knew Rodfromcranston.
As a fan, I think TP put it best: that he "was the kind of fan every program needs: loyal but not a sycophant; a carrier of the flag and a defender against external critics that wasn't afraid to hold the program to account; an unofficial program historian; at times an insider and at other times the leader of a loyal opposition.
Rod Carri was as much of a legend for a program as a fan could be, and he was a good man as far as I've ever heard. He will be sorely missed here and at the Ryan and throughout Rhody Nation."
Above his love of Reagan conservatism and Rhody basketball - Rod loved his family - his daughter and grand children, and especially his dogs. If you were fortunate enough to get to know Rod outside of the Rodfromcranston everyone read and heard online and the airwaves, he had an incredible ability to make you feel like part of the family.
As a fellow paizan and Rhody fanatic, I never felt more "at home" than the first time I met Rod at a season ticket holder event years ago. We had known each other from the Projo board days, and he had made a point to get to know me simply because I was a nut job who ran around the court with a painted face.
We became instant friends. The simple fact that we loved being Italian, loved our families, our dogs, and loved the Rams was enough to offset plenty of differing viewpoints and discord. Rod was the best kind of friend you could ask for because he would pull your card when you needed it to be pulled, and would always tell it to you straight. One of his favorite quotes was from of course, Reagan, who said "Somebody who agrees with me 80 percent of the time is a friend and ally, not a 20 percent traitor."
You could disagree with him passionately, and boy oh boy could he passionately disagree with you, but you could always count on Rod to give you a level-set on everything. He would never lie to you just to spare your feelings. He respected everyone enough to give them the truth and an unfiltered view. He treated everyone as an intellectual equal and offered up the same advice and opinions he would give to family, because as an Italian that's how he treated anyone he considered a friend.
In a world filled with fake, vapid, bullshitters - Rod was a welcome beacon of clarity. You always knew where you stood with him, and he always stood by his convictions.
For years I would always find Rod at halftime to catch up, or jump down to his seats in 207 to watch some of the game with him, Andrea and his grandkids. The amount I learned about basketball, URI basketball, and life in general through those conversations is immeasurable. If you weren't fortunate enough to share a game with Rod, I truly feel like you were robbed of one of the more valuable experiences you could ever have hoped to had at the Ryan Center.
If your only interactions with Rod were on the board, you were only able to get a fraction of what Rod's company and conversation had to offer. He was a better man than he was a poster on this board, and it was clear Rod was the backbone of this board and fanbase.
I will forever miss Rod's quick wit and direct comments. I'll miss him telling me to cut the shit, stop acting like a petulant child, or throwing an internet tantrum as much as I'll miss his genuine friendship and kindness. If you didn't get to know Rod well enough to understand those latter parts of his personality, I feel bad for you. You missed out on one of the better men I've had the privilege to call a friend.
Last year when I was in the hospital, Rod was genuinely one of the first people to reach out to my wife and myself to see if there was anything he could do to help.
For those of us who got most of our glimpse of Rod through an internet or radio window, I can't even imagine how tough Andrea, his grandkids, his dogs, and the rest of his family have it. They got the best part of Rod, not the internet poster, but the man. I don't know if there are enough prayers or words to fill that void and my heart is truly broken for them.
It's almost surreal, everyone curses the internet and sneers at relationships people have formed because of it, but here I sit writing this post with tears coming down my face after losing someone I'd consider a true friend.
As a man who loved the Rams above all else, I am so thankful he got to see one more run, one more title, and one more NCAA win. I am thankful his last games at the Ryan Center were W's, and that he got to witness that shellacking of PC in person.
I can only imagine that the first thing he did upon arrival to the pearly gates was to look up Dave Gavitt's whearabouts and have some words with him.
I hope the rest of this season plays out in a way that would cause Rod to have a giant smile on his face while he watches from the other side.
I'll forever think of Rod any time Rhody gets a win, signs a true big man, or someone tells me to cut the shit. Rest easy mi amici. Go Rhody.