Posted on December 19th, 2011
JEFF GREEN
By DERON SNYDER
The Sacramento Kings announced Monday that forward Chuck Hayes failed his physical because of a heart abnormality. The four-year, $21.3 million contract that Hayes signed last week was voided.
The Boston Celtics made a similar announcement Saturday regarding forward Jeff Green, stating that he’ll undergo heart surgery and miss the upcoming season. Green also signed his contract last week, a one-year deal worth $9 million that he won’t receive now.
If the problems had been detected after the routine physicals that teams conduct when players sign new contracts, Hayes and Green would have been paid in full. And if there were a way to ensure full payment and subsequent good health, they certainly would have chosen that option.
But it’s better that the heart problems were discovered now, before the players engaged in one more workout, scrimmage or game. Because you never know when or where trouble might surface, and no one wants to endure another situation like the one the Celtics faced with Reggie Lewis.
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Posted on December 19th, 2011
By DERON SNYDER
Saturday was tough for Georgetown’s basketball program as news spread about Jeff Green, the former Hoya and current Boston Celtic who will undergo heart surgery next month and miss the NBA season. Georgetown coach John Thompson III spoke with Green over the weekend and was impressed with his response to the discovery of an aortic aneurysm.
“It’s been a difficult week,” Thompson said after the Hoyas defeated American 81-55 at Verizon Center. “Jeff is a part of who we are, and he’s as upbeat as anyone can be as it relates to what’s going on with him.”
The Hoyas hope their play can help him stay upbeat. Georgetown is 9-1 and ranked No. 16 entering the meat of the schedule, which begins Thursday when Memphis comes to town for a rematch. The Tigers were ranked No. 8 when they lost to Georgetown 91-88 in overtime in the Maui Classic.
That victory was sandwiched by a 67-63 loss against then-No. 14 Kansas and a 57-55 road victory against then-No. 12 Alabama, and those three games put everyone on notice: These young Hoyas are not overwhelmed.
“This is a confident group,” sophomore point guard Markel Starks said after his career-high 18 points led all scorers Saturday. “Moving forward, we’re just going to keep getting better.”
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Posted on December 18th, 2011
By DERON SNYDER
By most accounts, Sam Hurd was just a nice guy. Teammates said he was well-liked and low-key and often sang gospel songs to himself. One former teammate said Hurd struck him as “a family guy.”
All of that could be well and true.
But federal agents said there’s more to Hurd, a side that could send him to jail for up to 40 years. He was arrested this week on charges of conspiring to possess and distribute cocaine. The Chicago Bears, who in July signed Hurd to a three-year, $5.1 million contract, released him on Friday.
The Bears’ contract included a $1.35 million signing bonus, but that apparently wasn’t enough to provide the lifestyle Hurd sought. He wasn’t satisfied with just being an NFL player; he wanted to be a playa-playa, along the lines of Tony Montana.
There’s no other explanation for Hurd allegedly expressing an interest — while meeting with an informant and an undercover agent — in purchasing 5-10 kilograms of cocaine and 1,000 pounds of marijuana … wait for it … per week!
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Posted on December 17th, 2011
By DERON SNYDER
The late Jack Tatum, one of the hardest hitters in NFL history, played from 1971 to 1980 and never shied away from his reputation, writing a book with the title They Call Me Assassin.
He followed up that effort with a pair of books: They Still Call Me Assassin: Here We Go Again, in 1989, and Final Confessions of an NFL Assassin, in 1996.
Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison plays as if he’s a contemporary of Tatum’s, seeking to carry on the legacy. Never mind that the NFL today is in a different era with different standards.
Harrison either doesn’t get it, doesn’t care or both. And the NFL finally had enough after his latest kill shot, a jarring, helmet-to-facemask blow on Cleveland Browns quarterback Colt McCoy. The league this week suspended him without pay for one game, making Harrison the first player to miss game time as a penalty under the NFL’s revamped policy regarding such collisions.
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Posted on December 17th, 2011
By DERON SNYDER
Wes Unseld embodied toughness for the Washington Bullets throughout the ‘70s, providing an imposing presence in the paint. The same was true of the “Bruise Brothers,” Jeff Ruland and Rick Mahorn, whose picks and elbows were a menace to opponents in the early ‘80s.
No one is suggesting that the 2011-12 Wizards will remind you of your father’s Bullets. But whatever Washington lacks in might, it has the potential to overcome through height.
“It’s intimidating to look at our team,” owner Ted Leonsis said Thursday during the Wizards’ media day at Verizon Center. “We go 7-feet, 6-11, 6-11, and we’re bringing guys who are 6-11 off the bench. Our 6-9 and 6-8 players play with a lot of enthusiasm and energy. It’s a big person’s league.”
Guards and wings get most of the NBA love. But the best way to stop them, or slow them down, or prevent second-shot opportunities, is with formidable bigs near the basket.
That could be a Wizards’ strong point this season.
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Posted on December 15th, 2011
By DERON SNYDER
There aren’t many opportunities to make fun of guys such as Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert, whose estimated net worth of $1.5 billion makes him the 293rd richest American according to Forbes. Even when he acts like a horse’s you-know-what — which has been the case since “The Decision” — those coffers give him a great comeback line.
However, it was comical to watch him moan and cry last year after LeBron James bolted to South Beach. Gilbert added new material to his clown act last week as he lamented the deal that would have sent Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Lakers.
“I just don’t see how we can allow this trade to happen,” Gilbert wrote in an email to NBA officials and owners that was obtained by Yahoo Sports. “When will we just change the name of 25 of the 30 teams to the Washington Generals?”
He didn’t mention which five teams portray the Harlem Globetrotters, but I’m guessing it’s the Lakers, Celtics, Knicks, Heat and Bulls.
(Judging by recent manipulations regarding Paul’s inevitable departure from New Orleans, Lakers/Clippers might be a coupled entry. Maybe Knicks/Nets, too, especially if Deron Williams re-signs and/or Dwight Howard winds up in Brooklyn).
If owners in markets such as Cleveland, New Orleans and Memphis are jealous of their peers in Los Angeles, New York and Chicago, it’s perfectly understandable. Say what you will about life in the big city, but size usually matters when it comes to maximizing your profile and profits.
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Posted on December 12th, 2011
By DERON SNYDER
After embarrassing his university Saturday by helping to spark an ugly, game-ending brawl against crosstown rival University of Cincinnati, Tu Holloway wasn’t done. The senior guard and All-America candidate for Xavier continued to act like a knucklehead during a postgame news conference.
“That’s what you’re going to see from Xavier and Cincinnati,” Holloway said nonchalantly. “We got disrespected a little bit before the game, guys calling us out. We’re a tougher team. We’re grown men over here. We got a whole bunch of gangstas in the locker room. Not thugs, but tough guys on the court. We went out there and zipped ‘em up at the end of the game.”
No, what they did was disgrace themselves and their families, while highlighting a dangerous and pervasive philosophy, particularly among many African-American young men.
On the streets, that mindset can lead to the graveyard or the prison yard. On the court, it can lead to being knocked down by a sucker punch and kicked in the head once you’re on the floor. That’s what happened to Xavier center Kenny Frease, who appeared to be on a peacemaking mission when he was cold cocked by Cincinnati forward Yancy Gates.
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Posted on December 11th, 2011
By DERON SNYDER
That certainly was fun, way more entertaining (and competitive) than anyone imagined. Too bad the Washington Redskins can’t play New England every week.
Sure, the Patriots generate a lot of offense. But they yield a bunch, too. They were the perfect remedy for an inconsistent Redskins attack that posted its most points and most yardage all season, albeit in a 34-27 loss Sunday at FedEx Field.
No one expected a shootout between Tom “Captain America” Brady and Rex Grossman because the latter misfires and shoots his team in the foot too often. But the Redskins couldn’t ask for a more susceptible opponent if their offense ever started to click.
The Patriots’ scoring prowess might skew their defensive numbers a bit, as teams hopelessly behind can pile up inconsequential yards. But New England without the ball doesn’t remind anyone of Baltimore. Opportunities figured to abound against the Patriots – ranked dead last in the NFL in yards per game. The only questions involved the Redskins‘ ability to capitalize.
They did, to a point, amassing 463 yards. There were a slew of big plays, eight passes that covered at least 20 yards (including a 51-yard bomb to Donte Stallworth) and three runs that covered at least 15 yards. Rookie halfback Roy Helu rushed for 126 yards. Stallworth (96 yards) and Jabar Gaffney (92 yards) had huge days against their former team.
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Posted on December 9th, 2011
By DERON SNYDER
The NBA’s decision to void Chris Paul’s trade to the Los Angeles Lakers is wrong on so many levels, deciding where to begin is difficult.
There’s the inherent conflict-of-interest in the league – i.e., the NBA’s other franchises – owning the New Orleans Hornets, leading the ludicrous Dan Gilbert to write that “this trade should go to a vote of the 29 owners of the Hornets.” As if they wouldn’t put their own teams’ interests ahead of the Hornets’ well-being.
There’s the undermining of Hornets’ general manager Dell Demps, who supposedly had full authority and autonomy to run the franchise as he saw fit. Working with officials from the Lakers and Houston Rockets, Demps orchestrated one of the best deals possible for an impending free agent, but the league essentially punked him in the end.
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Posted on December 9th, 2011
By DERON SNYDER
To be completely honest, I never really understood the big deal about Army–Navy.
I got the fact that it’s an incredibly intense rivalry. I saw that they’ve knocked heads since 1890. And the sight of stadium sections packed with soldiers and sailors in dress grays and blues has impressed me as much as anyone.
But it’s not big-time college football. The teams aren’t as good as the ones on TV every week. And virtually none of the players is well known or headed to the NFL.
So nothing against the Black Knights’ and Midshipmen’s annual game, but I never fully comprehended all the passion it prompted.
Until last week.
Fittingly, the revelation occurred at the Army-Navy Country Club, a private entity in Arlington that “draws its membership primarily from Active Duty and Retired commissioned U.S. Military Officers and Warrant Officers,” according to its website, and “is also home to a number of civilian members many of whom have served in our nation’s government.”
It was there, during a media event for Saturday’s game, that I met captains from each team: Steve Erzinger, Max Jenkins and Andrew Rodriguez for Army, Alexander Teich and Jabaree Tuani for Navy.
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