Posted on August 17th, 2012
By DERON SNYDER
Tyrann Mathieu is 20 years old with the rest of his life ahead of him. His skill and dedication to football put him in prime position to become an NFL millionaire in the next year or two. But he must decide what he wants most, the money or marijuana.
Mathieu, a Heisman Trophy finalist as a sophomore last season for Louisiana State University, has entered a drug rehabilitation center since being dismissed last week from the team. That’s a great first step for the All-America defensive back, especially compared to transferring and playing elsewhere this season, which he considered. He certainly had options; about 20 schools contacted LSU and asked for permission to speak with the player known as the “Honey Badger.”
But football can wait. It won’t matter where Mathieu goes next unless he quits smoking weed. Other schools and other coaches might be willing to take a chance — and reap the benefit of his talent in the meantime. Thankfully, Mathieu’s father realizes that his son getting clean is the No. 1 priority, not getting back on the field right now.
Tyrone Mathieu told ESPN on Friday that “there is no timeline” regarding his son’s resumption of college and football, although this fall remains a possibility. Tyrone Mathieu said his son is at the Right Step recovery center in Houston, where he’s being counseled by former NBA player John Lucas.
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Posted on August 16th, 2012
By DERON SNYDER
Melky Cabrera, in the midst of an MVP-like season for the San Francisco Giants, tested positive for testosterone around the All-Star break. Major League Baseball announced Wednesday that the Giants outfielder is suspended for 50 games.
Ryan Braun, who won the MVP award with the Milwaukee Brewers last year, tested positive for testosterone after the 2011 regular season ended. After he won his appeal in February, MLB vehemently disagreed with the arbitrator’s decision, which was based on a technicality and not the test’s veracity.
Those cases — not to mention the three other major leaguers suspended this season — bring us to the sad conclusion that performance-enhancing drugs in baseball are alive and well. Especially in the minor leagues, where there have been 70 suspensions this year (although 19 were for a “drug of abuse,” meaning some players still are interested in getting high more than making highlights).
I have no idea if testosterone provides a buzz, but it definitely delivers a boost. Cabrera, who averaged .267 with eight homers and 54 RBI during his first five seasons, was a different player last year. He hit .305 with 18 homers and 54 RBI for Kansas City, crediting it to working harder, eating better and drinking less.
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Posted on August 15th, 2012
By DERON SNYDER
A popular discussion during the run-up to London 2012 involved Team USA’s hypothetical chances in men’s basketball against the original Dream Team. It all started when Kobe Bryant, not surprisingly, said that he thought his team would prevail.
Charles Barkley, among other Dream Teamers, said Bryant was crazy. Even President Obama weighed in, siding with the 1992 squad that featured Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird.
But what about Jordan vs. LeBron James, the heart and soul of 2012’s gold-medal-winning team? That long-running debate about who’s better was pretty lopsided before James won his first NBA title this year, and he’s still five championships behind Jordan. But he just pulled off a feat that only Jordan ever accomplished: winning an NBA title, the MVP award and an Olympic gold medal in the same season.
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Posted on August 14th, 2012
By DERON SNYDER
There is a humongous difference between treating people equally and treating people fairly. We see it all the time in sports, politics, entertainment and business, where star performers are given much more slack than mediocre contributors.
I never heard anyone put it more bluntly than former Dallas Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson, who openly admitted that he treated everyone differently. If a fourth-string rookie guard fell asleep in a team meeting, he’d be cut on the spot and sent packing. If Emmitt Smith dozed off in a team meeting, he’d be nudged gently and given a cup of coffee.
Equal? No. Fair? Absolutely. It makes perfect sense, yet many folks seem surprised or outraged when the difference is acknowledged: Exceptional workers earn more exceptions because they’re more valuable and harder to replace.
Chad Johnson should have remembered that simple truth when he signed a one-year contract with the Miami Dolphins. Aging wide receivers coming off pitiful, 15-catch seasons with New England have little leeway and less latitude when trouble finds them. That’s the primary reason Miami wasted no time in cutting Johnson after his weekend arrest for allegedly head-butting his wife.
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Posted on August 13th, 2012
By DERON SNYDER
Movies can’t do it. TV shows are poor substitutes. Broadway plays fall short.
Nothing comes close to matching the human drama of sports when Eldrick “Tiger” Woods is involved. His enthralling storyline compels more than ever, four years after the shocking twist that turned golf and his world upside down.
He turned pro in 1996 and dominated for 14 years before things came to a crashing halt on Thanksgiving night in 2009. Since then we have asked and he has answered a couple of questions:
Would he ever win another tournament? It took 749 days, but he finally did it in December 2011. Yeah, but that wasn’t an official event; would he ever win again on the PGA Tour? That took a little longer, but he checked off that box in March. Could he string together victories like before? He has won three times this year, more than any other golfer on the tour.
Now only the most daunting and pressure-filled question remains: Will he ever equal Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18 major wins? Woods needs four more to tie, but he’s having the hardest time capturing his first since 2008. He’s been in position to win each of the four majors this season, only to fall out of contention in the final two rounds.
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Posted on August 11th, 2012
By DERON SNYDER
Dwight Howard did himself no favors in dragging out his exit from Orlando. He turned off Magic fans and NBA fans everywherewith his wishy-washy ways, going back and forth in deciding whether to stay or go. He was one of the NBA’s most popular superstars entering last season, but vacillating followed by trade ultimatums transformed Howard from a lovable giant to a national “Dwightmare.”
But one team’s curse can be another team’s blessing, and the Los Angeles Lakers believe that will be the case with Howard in Hollywood. The Lakers joined forces with Philadelphia and Denver for a four-team deal that seems to benefit every team except Orlando.
How does that work? The Magic traded Howard, the best player in the deal, but failed to land either the second- (Andrew Bynum) or third-best player (Andre Iguodala) in return. Orlando got a bunch of middling and/or unproven players, plus five draft picks over five years.
“A primary goal for our basketball team is to achieve sustainability while maintaining a long-term vision. We feel this deal puts us in a position to begin building in that direction,” Magic General Manager Rob Hennigan said. “In addition to the six players joining our team, we will be in a position to maximize our salary-cap flexibility in the near future, as well as utilize the multiple draft picks we have acquired going forward.”
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Posted on August 9th, 2012
By DERON SNYDER
Once again, it’s time to check off some items on my “TIDU List” — Things I Don’t Understand:
*How Seattle became so desperate at wide receiver.
Terrell Owens might have tread left on his tires at 38. He has missed a full season and had major knee surgery since his last NFL game, but had 72 catches and nine TDs in 2010. Though his finances are a mess, he remains in awesome shape physically
Still, signing a punch line says a lot about the Seahawks… and it’s nothing to brag about.
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Posted on August 8th, 2012
By DERON SNYDER
In 2010, as part of the celebration for his 49th birthday, President Obama played a pickup basketball gamewith luminaries such as LeBron James, Magic Johnson, Bill Russell and Dwyane Wade. The game was played at Obama’s favorite local court — D.C.’s Fort McNair — not counting the one he had built at the White House upon moving in.
On Tuesday, three days after his 51st birthday, came word of another hoop-dreams treat that will also serve as a fundraiser. The Obama Classic will be held in New York on Aug. 22 and will feature Michael Jordan and several NBA stars, including Carmelo Anthony, Rajon Rondo and John Wall, in a shootaround. Jordan and NBA commissioner David Stern will also co-host a $20,000-per-person dinner with the president that evening.
The Obama campaign didn’t forget about the folks with less disposable income, who are welcome to donate and win a chance to participate in the event. “Imagine shooting hoops with Carmelo Anthony, Patrick Ewing, Sheryl Swoopes, Kyrie Irving and Alonzo Mourning,” Deputy National Field Director Marlon Marshall wrote in an email to supporters. “Oh, and you’ll get to meet President Obama and Michael Jordan over dinner, too.
“Now stop dreaming and make it happen. You and a guest of your choice could join President Obama and some of the greatest basketball stars for a special night at the Obama Classic. Pitch in $3 or whatever you can, and you’ll be automatically entered for a chance to win.”
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Posted on August 7th, 2012
By DERON SNYDER
There can be a thin line between reasons and excuses, between explanations and rationalizations. But in many respects, either you get something done or you don’t, regardless of what else transpires.
When it comes to sacking opposing quarterbacks, Redskins linebacker Brian Orakpo hasn’t been getting it done, at least not at the level anticipated after his 11 sacks as a rookie in 2009.
Only six NFL players had more sacks that season. Then-teammate Andre Carter and the Dallas Cowboys‘ DeMarcus Ware each had 11 to tie Orakpo, who made his first Pro Bowl appearance. Orakpo reached the Pro Bowl again in 2010, even though his sack total dropped to 8.5.
Perhaps the decline could be written off as a sophomore slump. Or the league making adjustments. Or Orakpo simply having a bad year. He still made impact plays without reaching the quarterback, such as drawing a holding penalty that negated the game-tying touchdown as time expired in the season-opener against Dallas.
Then the Redskins drafted Ryan Kerrigan in 2011 as a bookend outside linebacker to bring pressure from sides. That was supposed to free up Orakpo for more sacks and it worked:
He upped his total by a half-sack to nine.
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Posted on August 7th, 2012
By DERON SNYDER
Floyd Mayweather Jr. is no longer serving timein a Las Vegas jail. But the clock is ticking for the undefeated boxer.
He’s not getting any younger, at age 35, and neither is his main rival, Manny Pacquiao, who’s 33. If the superstars ever plan to meet in the bout that has boxing clamoring, they need to do so before they’re shells of their former selves. Pacquiao showed signs of deterioration in June during his last fight — albeit a terrible decision — when he failed to put away a fighter with broken foot.
Mayweather, who was less than two weeks into his sentence when Timothy Bradley beat Pacquiao, spent 63 days in jail on a domestic-battery charge. He began his stint on a high note, shortly after improving to 43-0 with a unanimous decision against Miguel Cotto in a world super-welterweight title bout.
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