Referee Ted Valentine, who is widely known by the nickname TV Teddy, says he is considering retiring after his latest brush with controversy.
Valentine came under fire after turning his back on North Carolina’s Joel Berry last week:
UNC's Joel Berry tried to discuss a non-call with referee Ted Valentine.
Valentine was not interested. pic.twitter.com/dP5jeL90pK
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 4, 2018
Here’s more on his retirement talk:
While most officials prefer to maintain a low profile, Valentine’s exuberance on the court and penchant for confrontation has drawn him much unwanted attention as well as the nickname “TV Teddy.” Most of the time, he has accepted the scrutiny with perspective and relative good cheer. Yet, during a telephone interview with The Fieldhouse Saturday night, Valentine expressed frustration about the criticism he received as a result of his decision to turn his back on North Carolina point guard Joel Berry II during the Tar Heels’ loss at Florida State Wednesday night. He even went so far as to suggest he might walk away from the profession he has worked in for nearly 30 years.
“I’m thinking about retiring,” Valentine said. “I’ve had enough of people blowing up stuff. I think I’ve had a stellar career, and I think it’s time to get ready to walk away.”
According to Valentine, as a result of the incident and the attention it drew, the Big Ten removed him from two games he was assigned to work over the weekend – Friday’s contest between Wisconsin and Rutgers, and Sunday’s game between Ohio State and Michigan State. Valentine said the ACC gave him the option of working Georgia Tech’s home game against Yale on Saturday, but he decided to pass and spend a rare winter weekend at home.
