Posted on December 9th, 2017
By DERON SNYDER (as published on 106.7 The Fan)
Bradley Beal has always been one of the NBA’s best shooting guards … if you asked him.
Most observers haven’t thought of him quite as highly, especially as he battled injuries after Washington picked him third overall in 2012.
He had a smooth and sweet stroke but nothing else stood out besides his confidence-bordering-on-cockiness. The Wizards gave him a max contract in 2016 anyway, partially because they had no choice, and he repaid them with a career year, setting personal-bests last season in games, scoring, assists and field-goal percentage.
The performance made him a near-consensus pick for the Eastern Conference’s biggest All-Star snub.
After his outing Tuesday, Beal can safely book a trip to Los Angeles for the festivities this season.
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Posted on December 7th, 2017
By DERON SNYDER (as published in The Washington Times)
The Nonsensical Football League.
That’s what the NFL really stands for. Because trying to make sense of its judgment will drive you crazy.
Commissioner Roger Goodell & Co. long ago proved they don’t have a clue about meting out punishment. Suspensions have been scattershot. Rulings have been arbitrary. Logic and reason have been nonexistent.
Whether the subject is domestic violence, bounties, weed, or air pressure, the NFL usually gets it wrong, often in spectacular fashion.
There’s no better proof than events that transpired during Week 13.
It was among the most flagrantly dirty hits ever. It was one player clearly and maliciously attempting to injure an opponent. It was a violent, premeditated attack, personal and repulsive.
I’m not talking about the block that Pittsburgh’s JuJu Smith-Schuster put on Cincinnati’s Vontaze Burfict. Nor am I referencing the hit that Cincinnati’s George Ioka put on Pittsburgh’s Antonio Brown.
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Posted on December 4th, 2017
By DERON SNYDER (as published in The Washington Times)
The Philadelphia Sixers have become NBA darlings this year, featuring a pair of otherworldly players drawing national attention and acclaim.
But the emergence of point guard Ben Simmons and center Joel Embiid doesn’t erase four years of putridness or change a simple fact:
The so-called “Process” was an atrocity.
Now, Sixers fans chant about their faith in former GM Sam Hinkie’s tanking plan. Embiid has embraced the controversial strategy as his nickname. Philly already has more wins this season than it totaled in 2015-16. Wells Fargo Center has gone from crickets to sellouts, boasting the league’s second-best average attendance.
This is a charming story on the surface, a franchise finally rewarded for its patience in rebuilding.
Simmons is running away with the Rookie of the Year award. Embiid is playing like an All-Star after missing his first two-plus seasons due to injury. They have blended with an unearthed gem (Robert Covington), a veteran sharpshooter (J.J. Redick) and an up-and-coming Croatian (Dario Saric) to form one of the NBA’s most exciting teams.
But Hinkie’s decision to strip the franchise bare was an affront to everyone involved. To the players, who knew they had little chance of competing as they took the floor each night. To the employees, who manned the phones, fielded the emails and interacted with the public. To the fans, who continued to show up and root for an organization that wasn’t even trying.
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Posted on December 4th, 2017
By DERON SNYDER (as published on 106.7 The Fan)
NBC Washington analyst Brian Mitchell went on a classic rant Thursday after his former team suffered a blowout loss against Dallas. But one thing he said on the postgame show struck me as odd and somewhat funny.
“I’m embarrassed to say I’m a Redskins fan,” he fumed.
Really?
What took so long?
The franchise has been mostly a disgrace for quite some time, way before a 38-14 loss with nine starters on injured reserve and guys off the street playing key positions. Fans have had abundant opportunities to feel shame and humiliation about their team since Dan Snyder purchased it in 1999.
On the field. Off the field. The field. The nickname. The logo. If you’ve wanted something to take pride in, you’ve had to look elsewhere.
This franchise has been no better than long-time punchlines such as the Browns, Lions, Raiders and Rams – which Tom Boswell points out are the only teams with fewer wins in the past 16 seasons. Maybe paper bags haven’t been in order, but fans often have felt like covering their eyes.
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