Ronnie Coleman: More to the Man in the Netflix Documentary
Have you had a chance to check out “The King” on Netflix?
While I thoroughly enjoyed my business partner, Ronnie Coleman’s documentary, I felt that it left out some of the most important attributes that many people don’t really know about Ronnie. Over the years, Ronnie and I have done hundreds of shows together and no matter the crowd or place, the same questions get asked over and over again. Most of the questions surround his accomplishments or any personal advice he could share. But, there are very few questions aimed at the actual person Ronnie is versus the person he has become.
Admittedly, my first mistake was not participating in his documentary. The producers were more than willing to work with my schedule, but I had a hard time justifying my value towards the project. Who am I after all? Well the truth is, I am the guy who has spent the majority of the last TEN years sitting next to Ronnie. No one has spent more time with him in this span, other than his family, and that’s only because he’s had to stay home the last few years because of surgeries. He is not a celebrity, a legend or a God to me. He’s my friend, my business partner, and the Godfather to my only son. I know him on a different level, a personal level, and I will always regret not showing the world that part of him in his documentary because the truth is, the deeper you go, the more you will love Ronnie.
Here are a few things bonus features about Ronnie that I would like to share with you:
If You Don’t Have Anything Nice to Say, Don’t Say Anything at All
We all heard this as children but I feel like Ronnie is the only one who actually listened. The supplement game is a battlefield. Not even “your friends” fight fair, yet I have never heard Ronnie speak ONE ill word about another human being…ever! Please digest that for a moment. I’m a foul-mouthed, angry Irishman that can’t accomplish that in ONE hour let alone a lifetime. Screw me over once and I will happily tell you, your mom, and anyone who will listen how big of a peace of shit you are. Ronnie on the other hand can walk away from any situation without holding a grudge. It’s a remarkable quality and probably the driving force behind why he is so positive. Perhaps he’s so positive because he wont allow himself to absorb the negativity from others.
Ronnie Doesn’t Sweat the Small Stuff…Or Anything For that Matter
Ronnie has in innate ability to avoid stress. I would go as far as saying his stress receptors have dead ends. I can not tell you how many times we’ve had conversations where Ronnie says “dude you stress to much.” And my reply “dude you don’t stress enough.” Whether its business, sports or his personal life, he has this deep belief that everything is going to be OK…even when I say “no it isn’t m’fer.”
Ronnie is a Phenomenal Dad and This One Really Pisses Me Off…
Wait, let me finish. Ronnie is a victim of racially charged stereotypes. One of which happens to be about Ronnie fathering a bunch of kids he doesn’t pay child support for…but they have it all wrong…he doesn’t pay child support because he’s married and his kids live happily with him and his wife. He picks them up from school, takes them to practice and even goes to church. He attends birthday parties and even buys the gifts. He is a present father and that’s far more important than a financial father, even though he has that part covered as well.
Ronnie is Significantly Smarter than Most People Think
Again, Ronnie falls victim to racially charged stereotypes, so let’s look at this from a birds-eye view. Ronnie graduated WITH HONORS. Ronnie won awards as a police officer. Ronnie won the Mr. Olympia, not once, 8 times. Ronnie owns a successful supplement company called Ronnie Coleman Signature Series (that everyone expected to fail). HE can tear through a profit and loss statement, breakdown a balance sheet and understands the complexities of cash flow. Call me stupid, but somehow this country boy has enough smarts to excel in everything he’s ever done and his success continues to escalate the older he gets. Intelligence comes in many forms and one of the reasons Ronnie is popular is due to his high level of emotional IQ. IMO that’s far more important than understanding advanced calculus in today’s world…he understands people.
Ronnie is Generous to a Fault
Ronnie will literally give his last dollar to anyone in need. Seriously, just ask him. He lends people money knowing they wont pay him back and never asks to be paid back. I once asked him how much money is on his IOU book and he said well over $500,000. I constantly tell him that he doesn’t owe anyone anything but he just likes to give.
