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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Posted on November 29th, 2017
By DERON SNYDER (as published in The Washington Times)
In Kansas City, some folks are suggesting it’s time to replace quarterback Alex Smith with rookie Patrick Mahomes. The Chiefs are in the playoff hunt but have lost four of their last five games.
In Buffalo, questions linger about the decision to bench quarterback Tyrod Taylor for rookie Nathan Peterman. The Bills remain in postseason contention but gave away a game with Peterman’s five-pick start.
In New York, blistering criticism flooded the airwaves and cyberspace Tuesday after a quarterback change was announced. The Giants, going nowhere at 2-9, decided to proceed without Eli Manning under center.
What’s the controversy there?
I understand that no position receives as much scrutiny, acclaim and blame as quarterback. I realize that Manning has won two Super Bowls and his family is NFL royalty. I know he’s a fixture in the Big Apple with 210 consecutive starts since November 2004.
But I’m confused by claims that the Giants are mistreating Manning by making a move now. Is it because Geno Smith and rookie Davis Webb will play instead? Is it that Manning represents the best chance to win? Was the team simply supposed to let the veteran ride out the string?
The only argument that halfway makes sense is this: New York stinks with him and will stink without him, and if that’s the case, he might as well finish the season.
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Posted on November 28th, 2017
By DERON SNYDER (as published in The Washington Times)
College coaching carousels are fascinating to behold, a sport within sports.
Maybe it’s the public nature of job openings that often materialize after rampant speculation. The list of hot prospects and rumored candidates are intriguing as well. So too is the debate in defining great jobs vs. good jobs vs. lousy jobs. The high salaries involved don’t hurt, either.
A lot of mid-major coaches can’t be picky when opportunities arise within a Power Conference. Moving up often offsets any deficiencies found at the new school.
But the most sought-after up-and-comers can turn down overtures from lesser outposts, waiting a few years for destination jobs.
That’s especially true in basketball. This season, Archie Miller has the reins at Indiana after six seasons at Dayton, which he led to the last four NCAA tournaments. Two years ago, Shaka Smart was the nation’s most-coveted mid-major hoops coach after taking VCU to five consecutive NCAA tournaments, including a Final Four. He parlayed that success into the Texas job.
Dayton and VCU have become veritable launchpads. Miller is the third consecutive Flyers coach who left for a Power Conference. Will Wade, now in his inaugural season at LSU, is the forth consecutive Rams coach to make the leap.
But whereas 68 coaches reach basketball’s Big Dance each season, the stakes are higher in football. Only four teams reach the College Football Playoff. Another eight teams are slotted in the remaining “major bowls.”
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Posted on November 26th, 2017
By DERON SNYDER (as published on 106.7 The Fan)
It’s not bad enough that Washington’s last back-to-back playoff appearances were 1991-92.
It’s not bad enough that the franchise has won 10 games just three times since Dan Snyder’s purchase in1999.
It’s not bad enough that poor personnel decisions affecting the front office and roster have made the team a laughingstock since the last playoff victory (2005).
Instead of letting that sorry litany speak for itself in solidifying their reputation for ineptitude, the Skins insisted on going a step further. They used a stunning, visual display Thanksgiving night to hammer the point for a national TV audience.
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Posted on November 24th, 2017
By DERON SNYDER (as published in The Washington Times)
LANDOVER – Where’s the flex schedule when you need it?
I know, I know. It would never work for Thanksgiving. The NFL only switches games scheduled for Sunday, moving them in or out of the primetime window based on their appeal. Games slated for Thursday, Saturday or Monday are ineligible.
Besides, NFL fans have suffered through decades of mostly lousy Lions football on Thanksgiving.
We couldn’t expect the league to react just because Washington’s first-ever home game on the holiday was as appealing as weeks-old mac-n-cheese left on the counter.
But if ever a game didn’t warrant infringing on our collective Turkey Day, it was Washington’s 20-10 victory against the New York Giants.
This isn’t Detroit or Dallas, where generations of fans have grown up with the custom and turned it into a ritual. I suspect most of us would be perfectly fine if the Skins never played a home game on the fourth Thursday of November.
For the majority of the evening, both teams appeared lukewarm to being there as well.
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Posted on November 22nd, 2017
By DERON SNYDER (as published in The Washington Times)
Birthdays are the most common method for noting our individual orbits around the sun.
Collectively, we reflect and celebrate our treks when New Year’s Eve slides into New Year’s Day.
While I certainly rejoice on those occasions, Thanksgiving has become just as meaningful. Gathering with family has a lot to do with that, recognizing we survived another 52 weeks and remembering those who didn’t.
The next holiday isn’t guaranteed for any of us.
So, when I’m blessed with the opportunity to express gratitude on the fourth Thursday of November each year, it carries special significance. Especially with Vanessa, Sierra and Sequoia by my side. With food, clothing and shelter to address my physical needs. With family, friends and loved ones to meet my emotional needs.
And I can’t forget about sports. The industry has provided entertainment for as long as I can remember, and employment throughout my adult life.
With that said, I’m thankful:
• FOR THE NFL’S REALIZATION THAT IT’S NOT IMMUNE TO ADVERSITY.
I understand setting the bar high. But the league got full of itself in attempting to generate $25 billion a year by 2027. It showed disdain for fans (full-price tickets for exhibitions), players (a full slate of Thursday games) and advertisers (an increasingly sloppy product). Having POTUS pick on you as TV ratings decline doesn’t help.
Karma is no joke.
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Posted on November 21st, 2017
By DERON SNYDER (as published in The Washington Times)
No, Washington doesn’t scare any of its remaining opponents.
But the feeling is mutual when looking at the schedule. The Skins have every reason to believe a 10-6 record is possible, which would keep their faint playoff hopes alive.
Six-game winning streaks don’t come easy. The difference between victory and defeat can be razor-thin in the NFL.
Hanging on for touchdown catches in the end zone. Intercepting a pass on last-gasp drives. Gaining half-a-yard on third-and-1 situations.
Odds are that Washington will lose a game down the stretch. But we can’t always trust the odds, as evidenced by the Skins’ 99.6 chance of winning in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game before New Orleans rallied.
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