Posted on December 12th, 2012
By DERON SNYDER
When a big-boy school welcomes Bobby Petrino as the new football coach, in a year or two, it can thank Western Kentucky for paving the way. Until then, the Hilltoppers can thank Tennessee, Auburn and Kentucky for being phonies, hypocrites and cowards.
Such schools won’t mind being fired upon in the near future, but only because WKU stepped forward to take the first hail of bullets.
Petrino’s previous sins won’t be less egregious a couple of seasons from now. He’ll be the same former Arkansas coach who hired his mistress and lied about her presence on his Harley when they crashed. He’ll be the same former Atlanta Falcons coach who left a note in each player’s locker before fleeing in the midst of his first season. And he’ll be the same former Louisville coach who interviewed for a job that his mentor still held, got a big raise from the Cardinals and still bolted for the NFL.
None of that will matter when the next major school hires him; there was no reason to pretend that it matters now. Petrino has been called a lot of things (sleazeball, jerk, bad guy), but he enjoys universal acclaim for his coaching prowess, good for top-10 rankings at Arkansas and Louisville and a career record of 75-26.
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Posted on December 10th, 2012
By DERON SNYDER
Losing back-to-back games — on the final play of regulation last week and in overtime on Sunday — is no way to begin your stretch run. It’s also no way to bolster your argument for consideration as an elite quarterback.
That’s where the Baltimore Ravens and Joe Flacco find themselves after a 31-28 loss to the Washington Redskins at FedEx Field on Sunday. They’re good enough to be contenders and good enough to be on the verge of victory, but not good enough to seal the deal, at least not lately.
In a game heavy on playoff atmosphere and postseason implications, the seasoned Ravens figured to have the edge. These situations are as normal to them beginning contests with midfield coin tosses. But it was the upstart Redskins who found a way to win, while the more-experienced Ravens failed late for the second consecutive week.
“It’s how you start, not how you finish,” said halfback Ray Rice, who rushed for 121 yards and a touchdown that gave Baltimore an 8-point lead with 4:47 left. “I don’t want to be known as ‘If we get them close in the fourth quarter, the Ravens will give it away.’ That’s never been us and it’s not going to be us.”
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Posted on December 5th, 2012
By DERON SNYDER
Santana Moss reached the playoffs in three of his first four NFL seasons, all with the New York Jets. After Washington acquired him in 2005 for Laveranues Coles, via a straight-up trade, Moss advanced to the postseason in two of his first three years with the Redskins. He was accustomed to such success, having lost just eight times in three seasons at Miami, going 3-0 in bowl games.
But he hasn’t been part of a winning team since Washington went 9-7 in 2007. With a good chance to end that streak over the next four weeks, Moss says this season felt the same as his others in D.C., whether the coach was Joe Gibbs, Jim Zorn or Mike Shanahan, and whether the quarterback was Mark Brunell, Jason Campbell or Donovan McNabb.
“Every team, I’ve felt like we had enough players to go out and compete against anybody and be one of those teams that goes to the postseason,” Moss said Monday after Washington’s 17-16 win against the New York Giants. “When [Shanahan] came and we didn’t go the first two years, my mindset was still the same. I’m not going to sit here and lie and say I knew something was going to be different this year.”
There would be more flash and pizzazz with Robert Griffin III at quarterback, though that wouldn’t necessarily translate into more wins. Cam Newton dazzled while setting rookie records for rushing and passing last season, yet the Carolina Panthers finished 6-10. Considering the Redskins’ concerns on the offensive line and in the secondary, a similar record with RG3 wasn’t out of the question; it actually would be an improvement from the Rex Grossman/John Beck campaign (5-11).
But RG3 is the Redskins’ most obvious upgrade and most significant factor in Washington’s resurrection from 3-6 afterthought to 6-6 contender. The only thing more impressive than his ridiculous numbers (17 touchdowns, 4 interceptions and a 67 percent completion rate) is the way his presence inspires and energizes the team. The results are more evident now, after three consecutive victories, but the raised expectations were in effect even before that.
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Posted on December 4th, 2012
By DERON SNYDER
The won-lost column doesn’t include moral victories, which allegedly are nonexistent if you ask coaches and players. But most of us can find some satisfaction in defeats, especially when your team exceeds expectations. If it plays well and remains competitive throughout a game against a championship-caliber opponent, that often suffices if it’s more than you imagined.
The Washington Redskins were in that position Monday night, playing on the NFL’s prime-time stage, facing the defending Super Bowl champions in a December game with postseason implications. Only the wildly optimistic could have envisioned those circumstances three weeks ago, let alone three months ago when the season began.
In that sense, the Mike Shanahan era was vindicated before kickoff at FedEx Field. Entering his 44th game as Washington’s coach and grand pooh bah, Shanahan had led the Redskins to late-season relevance for the first time in his tenure and the first time since they 2008, when they finished 8-8 under Jim Zorn.
So beating the New York Giants and moving into the thick of the playoff race was gravy. The 80,246 fans who chanted “RG3!” throughout the game were able to carry the cheer into the parking lot after Robert Griffin III engineered a 17-16 victory
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Posted on December 2nd, 2012
By DERON SNYDER
We don’t know what drove Jovan Belcher to kill his girlfriend, in front of their infant daughter and his mother, before heading to the Kansas City Chiefs‘ practice facility and killing himself, in front of coach Romeo Crennel and general manager Scott Pioli.
It could be a simple case of domestic violence. Or undiagnosed mental illness. Or football-induced brain trauma. Belcher’s teammates on the Chiefs and from his days at the University of Maine say the actions were uncharacteristic of the 25-year-old man they knew.
Like others, I wonder what led him to commit such a heinous act against 22-year-old Kasandra Perkins, who gave birth to his child less than three months ago. I wonder how he could behave so horrifically in the presence of his mother, who was in town to help the couple care for her granddaughter. I wonder why Belcher was compelled to speak one last time with Crennel and Pioli, who tried to stop him from harming himself.
But in the wake of this tragedy, I find myself pondering another question, too: Whose death would be enough to alter the NFL’s almighty schedule?
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Posted on November 29th, 2012
By DERON SNYDER
Baseball’s latest Hall of Fame ballot, a referendum dreaded for several years, was released this week. Now all of the hypothetical debates on enshrining steroid users will play out for real, argued by roughly 600 members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. And those fine folks receive a lone instruction for making their determination:
“Voting shall be based upon the player’s record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character, and contributions to the team(s) on which the player played.”
That doesn’t help much.
Is each category weighted the same? Are they listed in order of importance? Do overwhelming “yeas” in a few areas override “nays” in some others? Voters are on their own, answering those questions as they see fit.
I don’t have a vote, but I wouldn’t have the slightest hesitancy in selecting Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens at the very least. Their record, ability and contributions are exceedingly and abundantly above the threshold for inclusion, notwithstanding nebulous concerns about integrity, sportsmanship and character.
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Posted on November 27th, 2012
By DERON SNYDER
BROOKLYN, N.Y. — With few exceptions, professional sports rarely contain the emotion and fervor normally associated with the college game. Aside from storied matchups like Lakers-Celtics, Cowboys-Redskins and Yankees-Red Sox, passion runs a lot cooler at the pay-for-play level. The energy and excitement that exists on a college campus disappears once students are spectators only, not competitors as well.
That wasn’t the case Monday night at Barclays Center, where the Brooklyn Nets hosted the New York Knicks for the first time. Single-cup coffee makers don’t brew faster than the league’s newest rivalry took root.
It was a historic moment for the Big Apple, but it embodied time-honored themes that are recognizable in any region and any season. Upstarts butting heads with bigwigs. Newcomers fighting for turf against the old guard. A young sibling wrestling his big brother in the backyard.
Most of us love a good underdog story, and it’s hard to imagine one turning out better — for at least one night. The Nets, who moved to Brooklyn this season after 36 years in the Knicks’ shadow/New Jersey, prevailed in an overtime thriller before nearly 18,000 fans. For the first time in history, whether they were home or away, the Nets had more fans than the Knicks. They were noisy and exuberant, chanting throughout the game, never louder than with 20 seconds left, when Jerry Stackhouse sank two free throws for the final margin, 96-89.
“Every time some sort of Knick contingency started to cheer, our fans got louder,” Nets coach Avery Johnson said. “This is what we have been dreaming about since I’ve been here. It is a nice feeling, and I’m glad we rewarded our fans with a victory. They deserved it.”
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Posted on November 25th, 2012
By DERON SNYDER
Woeful Wizards. Not only does the phrase roll off the tongue much easier than Washington Wizards, it’s an accurate description of current conditions. The NBA’s only winless team is a national laughingstock, a punch line waiting to happen for comics, columnists and late-night TV hosts. What a joke!
Except there’s nothing funny about the pained expressions of coach Randy Wittman when he addresses the media after yet another loss. Humor is nowhere to be found in the Wizards‘ locker-room as players — their voices barely registering as whispers — try to explain the latest setback. There’s nothing but broken hearts and wrenched guts, grown men in a public battle against their ravaged emotions and sinking spirits.
The Wizards have no victories through 11 games. Ten of the defeats were tightly-contested affairs, none more so than the past two, a pair of excruciating, overtime losses against Charlotte and Atlanta. The Bobcats and Hawks won by a total of three points with Charlotte needing a couple of extra periods Saturday.
Some folks believe blowout losses are easier to digest than nail-biters, that being hopelessly behind in the last quarter is better than a punch in the stomach at the final horn. But neither style makes a “0” look any slimmer in the win column, or reduces the weight of figures in the opposite column.
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Posted on November 23rd, 2012
By DERON SNYDER
n attempting to predict Russia’s role in World War II, Winston Churchill called it “a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.” I could say the same thing about finding a solution to the NFL’s safety problem.
But not Ray Anderson, the league’s executive vice president of football operations. Anderson seems to disagree with the degree of difficulty in reform. He suggests that players can change the nature of the game as easily as they change their clothes on game day.
Anderson appeared Tuesday on ESPN Radio’s “Mike and Mike Show” — before Baltimore Ravens safety Ed Reed successfully appealed a one-game suspension for illegal hits — and argued that defensive players simply have to adjust their approach.
“The burden is on the defender to alter his target in situations like that, where a [receiver] is defenseless,” Anderson said. “Here’s the bottom line for us — hits to the head and neck area are potentially life-altering, as well as career-altering. We believe that, and we have enough to show us that. Illegal hits to the head and neck area are our biggest concern, and we are absolutely intent on getting those out of the game.”
It’s a noble and worthwhile goal, spurred by more information on concussions and more litigation on concussions. Regardless of the motivation, no one should be opposed to making the game safer. All you need is one look at the debilitating effects suffered by scores of former players.
Anderson accurately assesses the danger of blows to the head and neck area. He also correctly notes that fewer defenders attempt to wrap up ball carriers during tackles, opting instead for big, missile-launch hits. The threat of making helmet contact increases with that technique.
But it’s not always the defensive player’s fault.
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Posted on November 20th, 2012
By DERON SNYDER
Maryland’s move to the Big Ten went from rumor to fact at a dizzying rate over the weekend. Likewise, personal opinion about the switch lurched sharply during those 48 hours. By the time the news was official Monday, my feelings had traversed every extreme of the emotional spectrum.
Athletic director Kevin Anderson said the process for fans who mourn Maryland’s departure from the Atlantic Coast Conference is akin to the stages of grief. There’s denial, anger, depression and acceptance. They essentially morphed into one glob of sentiment, because this case moved too fast for separation.
However, the final stage doesn’t necessarily involve a sad ending. Leaving the ACC doesn’t automatically amount to a terminal prognosis for Terrapins athletics.
Some longtime fans might equate the move to the loss of a loved one. That’s totally understandable; remembrances from a 60-year-old relationship don’t fade easily, if ever.
But falling in love with the past is a certified threat to your preparedness for the future. Though no one is certain how events will play out for Maryland in the Midwest, the Terps’ present circumstances cleary aren’t as good as they used to be. And nothing about the ACC suggests a significant uptick is ahead — at least nothing that can match the Big Ten’s enticing prospectus.
Yes, Maryland has a rich history in the ACC. But nostalgia and tradition — like aura and mystique — don’t pay any bills.
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