By DERON SNYDER (as published in The Washington Times)
Six games. That’s how long it took before Dan Gilbert’s franchise reverted to its 2010 form, when the Cleveland Cavaliers last resembled a horse’s rear end.
The fault back then was on the owner, who wrote a juvenile letter after LeBron James’ “Decision” to leave for Miami. Gilbert trashed him for exercising free-agency rights, describing the move with terms like “cowardly betrayal” … “shameful display of selfishness” … “shocking act of disloyalty” … and “heartless and callous action.”
He sounded like a jilted lover when he went all-caps, Comic Sans, to “PERSONALLY GUARANTEE THAT THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS WILL WIN AN NBA CHAMPIONSHIP BEFORE THE SELF-TITLED FORMER ‘KING’ WINS ONE.”
We knew that guarantee was worthless, like Cavs tickets without James.
By DERON SNYDER (as published in The Washington Times)
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – The trip to metropolitan New York was more like a trek to sunny Jamaica for Washington’s NFL team. In continuing to rebound from a so-so start to the season, Jay Gruden’s bunch dispatched the Giants and epitomized the island-nation’s well-worn motto:
“No problem.”
That’s the story and we’re sticking to. After winning for just the third time in nine visits to MetLife Stadium, after tightening its grip on the NFC East, after constructing the rare three-game winning streak under Gruden, Washington gets an ‘A’ for its 20-13 victory against the hapless G-Men.
By DERON SNYDER (as published in The Washington Times)
Old habits die hard, even when we hate them and clamor for their demise. No matter how much we complain and wish they didn’t exist, we often find ourselves embracing and repeating them, over and over and over again.
Take, for instance, the decision to kick extra-points instead of attempt two-point conversions.
For years we’ve criticized coaches for being too conservative, too risk-averse. We’ve advocated that they “go for it” more frequently, whether “it” is a fourth-down conversion or double points after a touchdown.
But deep down, many of us are scared. The consequences of failure make us quiver, even though the only thing riding on the outcome for us is emotion. Conversely, coaches can put their job and career on the line when they buck conventional wisdom instead of staying safely ensconced in the herd.
By DERON SNYDER (as published in The Washington Times)
After beating Carolina two weeks ago, Washington cornerback Josh Norman noted that the home team started the game on defense and ended the game on defense. “That’s what you want,” he said.
Maybe that’s what HE wants. I think most fans would prefer a series of kneel downs from Alex Smith in victory formation.
Such conclusions are certainly less nerve-wracking than watching Cam Newton drive the Panthers to within 16 yards of the go-ahead touchdown. And they’re definitely less stressful than endings like Sunday, when Dallas lined for a game-tying, 47-yard field goal with three seconds remaining, but a penalty made it a 52-yard kick that caromed off the left upright.
“Man, it was crazy,” Washington linebacker Mason Foster said after Washington survived for a 20-17 victory. “Just hoping and praying man, for real. We had been working hard, everybody is living right, so something had to go our way and I’m just glad that it happened like that.”
By DERON SNYDER (as published in The Washington Times)
LANDOVER – Adrian Peterson is making Jay Gruden lazy.
Who needs drive, ingenuity and creativity, when you can trade those in for the luxury of handing off to an age-defying runner who’s turning back the clock? Why try to devise new and innovative ways to maximize your limited offensive attack, when you simply can let Peterson do the heavy lifting?
That wasn’t a bad idea 10 years ago, or five years ago, or maybe even three years ago. In 2015, at age 30, Peterson led the league in rushing and carries. But he missed 15 games the following year with a torn meniscus in his right knee … which occurred five seasons after he suffered a torn ACL and MCL in his left knee.
Peterson has cheated the odds twice in his Hall of Fame career. Asking him to do so once again, is probably asking for trouble.
But that hasn’t dissuaded Gruden from putting the offense on the veteran’s back. Peterson rewarded his coach by carrying Washington to a 20-17 victory Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys. A.P. rushed for 99 yards on 24 carries, but it seemed like he toted the ball twice as much.
Perhaps that had something to do with the predictability of Gruden’s play calling. Four of Washington’s first five offensive possessions began with quarterback Alex Smith handing off to Peterson. Washington had three drives in the third quarter. Care to guess what happened on first down each time?
By DERON SNYDER (as published in The Washington Times)
Welcome to a new NBA season, where a “vacancy” signs hangs atop the Eastern Conference.
The team that occupied the penthouse for eight years remains in the building. But it was forced to downsize and relocate to a lower level when its head of household departed for Hollywood. Several tenants, including the Washington Wizards, are vying to move in and replace Cleveland.
We can guarantee that the coveted digs will have a new occupant to represent the East in the NBA Finals. We can also guarantee that LeBron James won’t enjoy his customary view now that switched coasts. Like everyone else out west, he’s looking up to the Golden State Warriors, who show no signs of vacating the premises.
But at least James isn’t blocking upward mobility back here anymore. That good news for all parties involved. The Wizards aren’t among the favorites to replace the Cavaliers, but at least the stone wall has become a cracked door.
By DERON SNYDER (as published in The Washington Times)
Fifty years ago on Oct.16, Tommie Smith and John Carlos walked to the podium to accept their respective gold and silver medals after the 200-meter sprint at the Olympic Games in Mexico City.
Wearing beads and a scarf, as their first sign of protest, they took off their shoes and stepped onto the stand. And when the United States national anthem was played, they lowered their heads and raised a black-gloved fist in a salute beamed around the globe.
Just six years old at that point in 1968, I didn’t realize the impact of those actions – or the consequences Smith and Carlos faced – until many years later. The iconic photograph had been etched in my brain long before then, but I had no idea of everything behind their act of defiance.
It’s a lesson worth learning, especially now, as some of the same issues still resonate lead to other forms of protest.
By DERON SNYDER (as published in The Washington Times)
LANDOVER – Now comes the real test for Washington’s NFL team. This upcoming week will challenge players to dig deep and search their souls. They’ll have to look in the mirror, stare themselves in the eye, and prove that their manhood is sufficient to handle what lies ahead.
For most teams, overcoming adversity means conquering troublesome circumstances and bouncing back after heartbreaking defeats.
But in Washington, overcoming adversity means riding out good times and preventing victories from bringing you down.
The Carolina Panthers didn’t know this, but they came to town at the worst possible moment, with the home team reeling from an embarrassing defeat. Cam Newton & Co. might’ve thought Washington would be easy pickings after it was shredded by New Orleans.
By DERON SNYDER (as published in The Washington Times)
It appears that Jay Gruden’s tenure in Washington won’t end well. At least he’ll have plenty of company to commiserate with him.
His immediate predecessor, Mike Shanahan, left a pile of burnt ash in Ashburn. The saga careened from Donovan McNabb to Rex Grossman to Robert Griffin III – with a splash of John Beck and a hint of Kirk Cousins – before the veteran coach departed with 24 wins against 40 losses.
Before that, Jim Zorn completed one of the craziest coaching stints in NFL history. He’ll forever be the sole answer to an absurd trivia question: Who was hired as an offensive coordinator in January, named head coach the following month, and later was stripped of play calling and replaced by a bingo caller?
Joe Gibbs 2.0 wasn’t nearly as exquisite as the original model. But it was farcical to expect anything close from a 64-year-old who hadn’t coached in more than a decade. Gibbs reached the playoffs twice but had a 30-34 overall record. The NFL had largely passed by the Hall of Famer, like his Tony Stewart overtook lesser drivers in Turn 3.
Steve Spurrier? Ha! He was Costello to Zorn’s Abbott. Spurrier tried to establish D.C. as a University of Florida satellite campus. But his former Gators should’ve gone straight to a retirement home because most weren’t cut out for the NFL. Only Spurrier saw that which didn’t exist.
By DERON SNYDER (as published in The Washington Times)
There are two schools of thought about the fracas that ensued following UFC 229’s main event Saturday night in Las Vegas.
One, the post-match melee – with Khabib Nurmagomedov in the crowd and Conor McGregor in the octagon – won’t hurt the sport at all.
Two, the extracurricular activity – simultaneous bonus brawls featuring MMA fighters, trainers and goons – actually will help the sport.
Forget about the notion that fans and potential fans were turned off when Nurmagomedov climbed out of the cage to confront McGregor’s jujitsu coach, while three Nurmagomedov associates hopped inside to attack McGregor. Anyone truly offended by those antics aren’t part of UFC president Dana White’s target audience.
Follow
