Posted on December 7th, 2015
By DERON SNYDER
Cam Newton makes some folks irrational. They are so blinded by preconceived and post-conceived notions of the Carolina quarterback, they make nonsensical statements and mean-spirited decisions.
Consider what happened Sunday in the Panthers’ 41-38 victory against New Orleans. After rifling a 13-yard touchdown to Ted Ginn Jr., Newton runs to the end zone. He virtually begs the ref for the ball because – as everyone who watches football knows – Newton likes to give them to children in the stands.
The ref looks at Newton, turns away dismissively and tosses the ball, leaving his hand extended like the follow-through on a shot (or offensive gesture). Then he struts away as if he proved anything besides the fact he’s a jerk. Newton can’t believe it but the scene gets worse. He runs toward the “ball boy” – a balding, middle-aged man with a gut – and asks him for the ball. Incredibly, this lowly sideline assistant balks and tries to play keep away, believing he has more authority than the starting QB. Exasperated, Newton snatches it from his hand, runs back to the end zone and hands it to a little girl in a Panthers jersey.
It was one thing when Packers’ defensive end Julius Peppers last month threw a ball aside disdainfully to prevent Newton from doing his thing. (As on Sunday, Newton retrieved it and made a little boy happy). But I can’t imagine a ref and ball boy being that rude if, say, Tom Brady or Russell Wilson asked for the pigskin.
The sequence exemplified the disrespect some have for Newton, merely one of the NFL’s biggest stars and the unquestioned leader of a 12-0 team. He entered the league with a couple of strikes against him in critics’ minds, who couldn’t see past the allegations of theft at Florida and improper benefits at Auburn, the spread-option style and infamously alleged “insincere smile.” And, of course, the end zone dancing, first-down gesturing and Man of Steel mimicking.
Five seasons into his career, Newton still can’t get his due credit, even though he’s the main reason Carolina has won 16 consecutive regular-season games. Some headlines I saw in the weeks leading up to Sunday’s game were mind-boggling:
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Posted on December 2nd, 2015
By DERON SNYDER
At the news conference introducing Dusty Baker as the Nationals manager, someone asked about a certain former slugger possibly joining the staff as hitting coach. “We have not discussed Barry Bonds as a candidate,” general manager Mike Rizzo said. A couple of weeks later, Rick Schu was brought back as the lone holdover from Matt Williams’ staff, joined by new assistant hitting coach Jacque Jones.
Nothing against Schu and Jones, presumably fine gentlemen, but adding Bonds to the mix would’ve been a lot more interesting.
Washington and Nats ownership might be too conservative for such a polarizing figure, at least for his first baseball job since retiring after the 2007 season. Conversely, Miami and Marlins owner Jeff Loria have less aversion to risk and controversy. They see only upside in giving Bonds a shot to transfer some of his prodigious knowledge to willing pupils. According to multiple reports, he’s on the verge of joining Don Mattingly’s staff.
Good for the Marlins. Good for Bonds. Good for baseball.
There’s no reason to let an extraordinary baseball mind waste away if it wants to be engaged in the sport. Lesser talents, equally tainted, have already returned to the game without shame for past steroid use.
Williams, named in the Mitchell Report as an alleged doper, has gone from Arizona to Washington and back to Arizona. Mark McGwire is about to begin his third coaching job, on the Padres’ bench, after stints as hitting coach for the Dodgers and Cardinals. Manny Ramirez is a hitting instructor in the Cubs’ organization. Alex Rodriguez just capped a remarkable comeback season and showed tremendous insight and passion as a postseason broadcaster.
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Posted on November 30th, 2015
By DERON SNYDER
On Tuesday, Kobe Bryant visits his hometown for the final time as an NBA player. The Philadelphia Sixers will be on the opposite end of the court, fresh off tying one record for futility and extending another.
Bryant’s Lakers are 2-14 and are primed to let Philadelphia break into the win column after an 0-18 start. Only the 2009-10 New Jersey Nets began a season as poorly as these Sixers, who have lost a remarkable 28 consecutive games. That’s a feat unmatched by any U.S. professional sports franchise ever.
This season aside, Bryant can’t share much about chronic losing with the young Sixers. He has won five NBA titles, two Olympic gold medals, an NBA MVP and been selected to 17 All-Star Games. But he has a wealth of knowledge on being a rich and famous teenage superstar, experience he should discuss with 19-year-old Philly center Jahlil Okafor.
The No. 1 overall pick last summer, Okafor leads all rookies in scoring and minutes per game (17.5 and 33, respectively). He’s third among rookies in rebounds (8.2) and third in blocks (2.34), but he’s tops in disturbing off-court incidents that recently came to light. There was a reported after-hours altercation in Philly, that included a gun pointed at his head; a reported ticket for driving 108 mph on the Ben Franklin Bridge, which has a speed limit of 45 mph; and a reported after-hours street fight in Boston, where he pushed and punched a man (video courtesy of TMZ).
“I hold myself to a higher standard than anyone else ever could and I’m not proud of some of my decisions over the last few months,” Okafor tweeted Sunday. “I own my choices both personally and now publicly. At this point I am cooperating and respecting the process I have to go through.
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Posted on November 29th, 2015
By DERON SNYDER
LANDOVER, Va. – NFL players and coaches have made a pact, reached a secret agreement on acceptable language when discussing games publicly. The terms of the accord are clear and rarely broken.
No single contest is worth more than any another. Whether it’s an early-season, mid-season or late-season match-up, doesn’t matter. Each Sunday, Monday, Thursday (and sometimes Saturday) carries equal weight, merely one-16th of the whole, period.
Naturally, we on the outside refuse to play along. When the New York Giants have won five straight against Washington and visit FedEx Field with first place on the line in late November, that’s a big game. Certainly bigger than, say, the Week 3 meeting at MetLife Stadium when the season was just getting underway.
And when Washington responds under those circumstances with one of its best all-around outings, taking a shutout into the fourth quarter and holding on for a 20-14 victory, that performance says something. It make a point and speaks loudly.
“You can say this was a statement game,” left tackle Trent Williams said. “It just felt good to play the way we know we’re capable of as a team. If you want to be blunt about it, we have another statement game next week, followed by another statement game.”
But a team has to start somewhere.
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Posted on November 25th, 2015
By DERON SNYDER
I truly believe that every day should be a day of thanksgiving, though there’s nothing wrong with a holiday where we all stop and count our blessings.
I try to give thanks daily for my universal assets – life, health and strength; food, clothing and shelter; family, friends and loved ones – as well as my specific, special gifts named Vanessa, Sierra and Sequoia.
There’s much to be grateful for in the world of sports. It usually serves as a welcome diversion from the day-to-day, real-life issues that can consume us if we’re not careful. Instead, we can add some fun and games for momentary escapes, enjoying a respite from the never-ending 24/7 grind.
As such, I’m thankful …
*For Steph Curry. He could be mistaken for a towel boy. But his slick ball-handling, incredible shooting and crafty passing make him the NBA’s best player at the moment, a pleasure to behold.
*For the Golden State Warriors. You can feel their joy as they whip the ball for open looks and lay-ups. They have taken San Antonio’s version of beautiful basketball and multiplied it exponentially, adding a fun factor.
*For the NFC East. This is where hope lives, even for 3-7 Dallas. The Cowboys are only two games behind New York, which is only one game ahead of Washington. The Giants visit FedEx Field Sunday for what’s essentially a playoff game. Weak division, good drama.
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Posted on November 23rd, 2015
By DERON SNYDER
Dan LeBatard asked an interesting question on his ESPN radio show last week, wondering what possibly could cause a slide in NFL popularity. There were few convincing answers.
Noted journalist Charles Pierce suggested it would take not just an on-field fatality, but a series of high-profile deaths such as (God forbid), Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Aaron Rodgers. An anonymous special-teamer or obscure offensive lineman would be insufficient. A solitary A-list player wouldn’t be enough.
I suppose a flurry of in-game tragedies among the most-prominent stars could shake the NFL from its position as TV’s undisputed ratings champ and pop-culture Goliath. Or perhaps a season where the number of deceased players is so startling – like seven football deaths in high school this year – their identities wouldn’t matter.
The majority of fans are undeterred by football’s violent nature. They won’t stop watching just because some players are carted off in immobilization devices. The mental and physical toll that players often experience after retirement doesn’t impact viewers’ enjoyment of in-the-moment action.
There is no evidence that the game is too violent for consumers’ taste.
But could it become too non-violent?
Complaints about the number of rules designed to protect players have never been louder. More than 35 years have elapsed since Hall of Fame linebacker Jack Lambert stated “quarterbacks should wear dresses.” He might suggest they wear bikinis nowadays. Receivers, too.
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Posted on November 18th, 2015
By DERON SNYDER
The legendary disco band Chic had a 1978 hit that peaked at No. 12 on Billboard’s R&B Singles chart and No. 38 on the Hot 100 chart. Part of the lyrics went as follows:
“Everybody dance, do-do-do,
Clap your hands, clap your hands
Music never lets you down
Puts a smile on your face
Anytime, anyplace
Dancing helps relieve the pain
Soothes your mind, makes you happy again”
Rosemary Plorin should play that song, grab her 9-year-old daughter and twirl around their living room for a spell. The little girl would enjoy it and the mother might gain a better appreciation of joyful expression.
In case you missed it, Plorin is the Nashville mom whose note to Carolina quarterback Cam Newton was published Monday by The Charlotte Observer. She was upset by Newton’s touchdown dance in the Panthers’ 27-10 victory against the host Titans, claiming that the 10-second routine was off-putting and raised questions in her fourth-grader.
“Because of where we sat, we had a close up view of your conduct in the fourth quarter,” Plorin wrote. “The chest puffs. The pelvic thrusts. The arrogant struts and the “in your face” taunting of both Titans’ players and fans. We saw it all.”
Among the schoolgirl’s questions: “Won’t he get in trouble for doing that? Is he trying to make people mad” Do you think he knows he looks like a spoiled brat?
“I didn’t have great answers for her,” Plorin continued, “and honestly, in an effort to minimize your negative impact and what was otherwise a really fun day, I redirected her attention to the cheerleaders.”
Right. No danger of chest puffs or pelvic thrusts there.
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Posted on November 17th, 2015
By DERON SNYDER
Putting 47 points on the board and sitting a half-game out of first place in the NFC East puts all sorts of scenarios in one’s head.
Even though we know the future is uncertain, even though we’re aware of week-to-week reality checks, even though our visions typically morph into eyesores, we can’t resist playing “what-if” in the afterglow of euphoria. And nothing makes the heart race like a 47-14 rout against a franchise that recently was near-elite.
Two painful seasons have passed since Washington harbored such bright hopes and much has changed since then – notably the coach, the quarterback, the architect and 60 percent of the roster. Questions still remain but new general manager Scot McCloughan has found answers before with teams that made playoff runs.
Reaching the postseason this year would be an incredible feat, no matter what might happen there. Though a ludicrous thought prior to this season, with Washington a combined 7-25 the previous two years, the playoffs are not out of the picture.
Saying that with a straight face, and not being asked what you’re smoking, is a victory in itself.
Granted, the prospect is due to the division’s putridness as much as the team’s progress. A 4-5 record normally isn’t grounds to beat your chest. While Gruden’s squad has shown resiliency in losing consecutive games only once this year, it has yet to win back-to-back games, something good teams do frequently. Washington also has yet to win on the road in four tries.
Both of those boxes can checked off Sunday when they visit the undefeated Panthers. A victory at Carolina would be a mark of legitimacy in this crazy season where few teams stand out. Two-thirds of the league is at or below .500, including the entire NFC East and AFC South.
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Posted on November 16th, 2015
By DERON SNYDER
LANDOVER, Md. – Fans witnessed an amazing display Sunday afternoon when the Saints came to FedEx Field. The home team welcomed the visitors with excitement and the anticipation paid off with multiple scoring drives and prodigious yardage.
By the time the clock hit 0:00, the scoreboard read Washington 47, New Orleans 14. As the energized crowd exited with giddiness for the second consecutive home game, one conclusion made sense more than any other:
The Saints have an awful defense.
There’s a tendency to overreact in these parts when the team struggles or the quarterback throws two picks or the coach channels Jack Nicholson in “A Few Good Men.” One week, Kirk Cousins is the worst QB to step under center. This week he’ll rank among the greatest of all time; he literally was perfect (in terms of passer rating).
At the risk of being labeled a party-pooper, let me remind you again that New Orleans was the opponent. The Saints are like a magic elixir, good for whatever ails an offense. Washington was so-so entering Sunday but got well in a hurry, scoring on eight of its first nine possessions before punting with 3:38 left in the game.
The final statistics were mind-boggling.
Cousins led the offense to 40 points, throwing for 324 yards. He had four touchdowns, five incompletions and zero interceptions. Halfback Alfred Morris rushed for 92 yards, averaging 6.1 per pop. Halfback Matt Jones caught three passes for 131 yards, including a 78-yard screen for a touchdown. Halfback Chris Thompson rushed for 54 yards … more than the entire team rushed for in any of the last four games.
Thank God for New Orleans.
“We knew we were going to get a heavy dose of the running game,” Saints coach Sean Payton said, “and obviously we didn’t handle it well.” (By comparison, New England coach Bill Belichick knew Washington would try to force a ground attack down the Patriots’ throat, but they yielded a mere 37 yards rushing last week).
Before anyone goes overboard about the fireworks, consider the source. New Orleans lets teams can catch fire easier than match-light charcoal.
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Posted on November 12th, 2015
By DERON SNYDER (as published in The Washington Times)
– “Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.” – Frederick Douglass
At the risk of inciting the crazy separatists who harbor visions of “taking back our country,” I offer the above quote as a reminder. There is no progress without struggle. Only agitation can break stagnation, whether the goal is civil rights, women’s rights, gay rights … or athletes’ rights.
The University of Missouri football team’s protest had nothing to do with NCAA policies, procedures or prohibitions. The players weren’t seeking a more equitable share of the copious loot they generate. They didn’t take a stand for better healthcare after injuries render them useless to schools.
Controlling their likenesses wasn’t on the list of demands. Neither was redefining impermissible benefits nor receiving academic support past their athletic eligibility. No, the team’s threatened boycott wasn’t about them, or athletics, at all.
And that’s why the NCAA should be very, very afraid.
If the Mizzou protest leads to athletes using their leverage in NCAA reform – a battle primarily fought by administrators, lawyers and journalists – there’s no telling how much damage will be inflicted on the billion-dollar college-sports complex.
“If the players don’t play, the pyramids fall,” former Nike and Adidas executive Sonny Vaccaro told Yahoo Sports.
As we saw Monday, when Missouri president Tom Wolfe and chancellor R. Bowen Loftin announced their resignations, athletes have incredible power. Protests amidst racial tensions had engulfed the campus for several weeks, including a hunger strike by one student. But the nation was oblivious until the football team weighed in and drew attention like a Sumo wrestler directing traffic.
It’s a good bet that Wolfe and Loftin would still have their jobs if 32 players hadn’t tweeted their support for the protests. It’s also a good bet that coach Gary Pinkel would have a difficult time recruiting future stars if he had come out against those 32 players. By galvanizing the team and coaching staff – blacks and whites together – Pinkel helped push the movement over the edge with a tweeted photo of unity.
The change they enacted was largely symbolic. The removal of two officials just might lead to substantial measures that address the problems, but that work remains undone. However, any good that follows is undeniably a result of the team’s action, whether you applauded or were appalled.
The cause is easy enough to support, unless you favor racial slurs and swastikas on campus. Finding allies will be more difficult if student-athletes turn their attention inward. Few issues in college sports are as divisive as “pay-for-play” or other forms of compensation beyond a scholarship.
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