Posted on January 4th, 2018
By DERON SNYDER (as published in The Washington Times)
Jon Gruden’s legend is built primarily on Tampa Bay’s Super Bowl team 15 years ago.
That’s an awfully long shelf life.
He left the Bucs after the 2008 season and slid into the Monday Night Football booth, where his quirky personality and professional shtick have made him a star. He also brings his persona to NFL draft coverage via “Jon Gruden’s QB Camp,” a popular ESPN show in which top prospects go one-on-one with “Chucky.”
As far as brands, he’s an A-plus.
As far as coaching, it’s fair to question how he earned his high grade.
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Posted on January 3rd, 2018
By DERON SNYDER (as published on 106.7 The Fan)
If the NFL and HBO want compelling drama with a dash of dysfunction for the next edition of “Hard Knocks,” there’s no choice better than Washington.
The Skins will feature a plethora of juicy storylines entering the 2018 season. The quarterback will be a fabulously wealthy Kirk Cousins or the replacement trying to fill his shoes. Coach Jay Gruden will shoot for postseason success like his famous brother, who’ll be back on the sidelines with the Raiders or still grimacing in the Monday Night Football booth.
Senior V.P. of player personnel Doug Williams will stamp the franchise after his first draft without groundwork from the former GM. Team president Bruce Allen will fight the narrative that he’s just a suit and not a real football guy. Team owner Dan Snyder will stay in the background and hope no one highlights the bountiful lowlights of his tenure.
Unless the league and HBO executives are skittish about weeks of saturation coverage drawing attention to the franchise’s nickname, Washington is a perfect subject for their in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at training camp.
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Posted on January 1st, 2018
By DERON SNYDER (as published in The Washington Times)
Mark Emmert has said a multitude of ridiculous things in the seven years he’s been president of the NCAA.
Most of his crazy talk has involved the sham of “amateurism” and its phony correlation to big-time college football and basketball. But he went a step further last month, suggesting that prep players with NBA ambitions shouldn’t enroll at institutions of higher education.
“Is this a part of someone being part of your university as a student-athlete, or is it about using college athletics to prepare yourself to be a pro?” Emmert said at the SportsBusiness Journal Intercollegiate Athletics Forum. “If it’s the latter, you shouldn’t be there in the first place.”
Of course, that’s a preposterous stance, as if “student-athlete” and “NBA prospect” are mutually exclusive. It’s not an either/or situation. You can be both.
But players with professional ability, like Maryland forward Justin Jackson, might strongly consider leaving sooner rather than later.
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Posted on January 1st, 2018
By DERON SNYDER (as published in The Washington Times)
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Two quarterbacks who might be elsewhere next season, leading two teams going nowhere this season, faced off on a bitterly cold day at MetLife Stadium.
That really was the only interesting aspect of Sunday’s game between Washington and the New York Giants.
Not whether the visitors would complete a three-game winning streak to finish at 8-8. Not whether the hosts would snap a five-game losing streak and produce a victory in front of new GM David Gettleman. Not whether the fans who showed up – including the (fool?)hardy souls tailgating in sub-zero wind-chill temperatures – would report cases of frostbite.
No, this was all about Eli Manning and Kirk Cousins, quarterbacks who are equal parts similar and dissimilar.
Manning came out on top as the Giants prevailed for an 18-10 victory that ended with kneel-downs from Washington’s 1-yard line. Cousins’ third interception moments earlier had ended thoughts of a comeback and – God forbid! – overtime.
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