By DERON SNYDER (as published in The Washington Times)
Another Thanksgiving is upon us, and do you know what that means? It
means we’re about a month away from New Year’s Day and a fresh set of
resolutions.
Expressing more gratitude is an annual fixture on that list. At best,
the act is done daily for feats as simple as waking up or arriving at destinations
safely.
Other times, it comes into sharp, painful focus – such as when a 43-year-old
cousin dies suddenly and your Thanksgiving plans now include driving eight
hours on Black Friday to attend a Saturday funeral to mourn with her 17-year-old
twin sons and other family members.
But as it is written, give thanks in all circumstances (43 years could’ve
been 23). Regarding sports, that encompasses wins, losses and even ties. The
ability to field a team and compete is praiseworthy by itself.
By DERON SNYDER (as published in The Washington Times)
Questions about quarterback Dwayne Haskins out-number the answers, a ratio
that won’t change anytime soon. With three starts in five NFL appearances – following
just one season as Ohio State’s starter – the Washington Redskins’ rookie can
generate as much pessimism or optimism as observers possess.
Only a few characteristics would be deemed undeniable by a consensus.
He has ideal size at 6-4 and 230 pounds. He has exceptional arm strength
to make any throw. And he comes across as a “young” 22-year-old, not mature
beyond his years.
There are a number of legitimate concerns regarding Haskins, but his
youthfulness isn’t one of them for me. I just assume he’ll grow up and grow
into the 360 degrees of being an NFL quarterback. That’s why I’m not overly concerned
that Haskins was celebrating with fans and missed the final snap Sunday against
the Detroit Lions.
How much indignation is appropriate? I’m not sure exactly … just less than
the amount unleashed after Case Keenum entered the game to take a knee in
victory formation.
By DERON SNYDER (as published in The Washington Times)
LANDOVER, Md. — We are long past the stage where wins and losses are overriding concerns for the Washington Redskins this season. Wins and losses on given plays and key drives, in specific situations and certain conditions, are far more important considerations than the final score during the last few games.
However, week after week and month after month of chewing on defeats is
a depressing way to spend Sunday afternoons. While there’s no guarantee the
taste will linger for the young players expected to lead a turnaround, you
don’t want them growing accustomed to it, either.
By beating the Detroit Lions on Sunday, 19-16, and snapping a nine-game
streak at home, the Skins checked off a few boxes that are small in the grand
scheme, but possibly building blocks for the big picture.
By DERON SNYDER (as published in The Washington Times)
The Washington Redskins have many weaknesses as an organization and,
presumably, some strengths, too. But you won’t find “good judgment” on the latter
list.
In matters large and small, Washington routinely exhibits worst
practices, consistently veering opposite of the approach used by well-run NFL franchises.
The unsound methodology is revealed on and off the field, including player
relations, employee relations, community relations, and media relations.
Now the ineptness has touched a tragedy.
Safety Montae Nicholson had not played in three weeks as an ankle injury
sidelined him against Minnesota and Buffalo before Washington went on its bye. But
there he was Sunday, dressed and ready to go against the New York Jets. He played
on 70 of 71 snaps, and only Jonathan Bostic and Cole Holcomb recorded more tackles than
Nicholson’s five.
Except every defensive player should’ve had more tackles than Nicholson.
He should’ve been in street clothes. He didn’t belong on the field just a few
days after taking a woman to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead from a
suspected drug overdose at his house.
By DERON SNYDER (as published in The Washington Times)
Like an expansive all-you-can-eat buffet, five days of Colin Kaepernick
and the NFL last week offered something for everyone.
The league can claim it tried to do right, offering the banished
quarterback an opportunity to showcase his abilities. More than 20 NFL scouts
were at the Atlanta Falcons headquarters on Saturday, waiting to see if the
former NFC champion could still play.
Kaepernick can claim that’s exactly what he proved, albeit not per the NFL’s
guidelines. In a 40-minute workout at an Atlanta high school, watched by a
handful of scouts in person and thousands of onlookers online, he demonstrated
that his NFL-caliber talent remains intact.
His critics can claim he’s too much trouble, more interested in making
statements than making plays. By balking at the league arrangements and declining
to attend the close workout 30 minutes before its start time – instead, moving
the session 51 miles away and making it public – he wrested control from the dictatorial
NFL.
His supporters can claim the league was never serious anyway, simply
going through the motions for appearances’ sake. The offer seemed fishy from
the jump, put together hastily and in solitude, with unnecessary restrictions
on when, where, and who. That’s no way for the culprit to treat the aggrieved.
By DERON SNYDER (as published in The Washington Times)
LANDOVER, Md. – Quarterback Dwayne Haskins started at home for the first time Sunday.
The outcome was similar to the last game Case Keenum started at FedEx
Field. There was also a semblance to the last game Colt McCoy started here. Ditto
for the most recent home starts by Josh Johnson, Mark Sanchez and Alex Smith.
It was another win for the visitors and another sad 60 minutes of
football for the hosts. Only the names (New York Jets) and final score (34-17)
changed.
You have to go all the way back to Oct. 21 of last season – when Smith
started and won against Dallas – to find a different result at FedEx Field,
regardless of the signal-caller in burgundy and gold. Since then, the Redskins and
their carousal of QBs are 0-9 in their not-so-friendly confines.
But in one significant aspect, this latest defeat was unlike the others
since Smith’s right leg was mangled Nov. 18 against Houston. This time, the
Redskins started a quarterback who conceivably
might man the position for 10 years.
Suffice it to say he has quite a journey ahead. “Life is hard,” Haskins
said after his home debut. “I’ve got to work harder.”
He’s not the only one. Just the one with all eyes – and hopes – on him.
By DERON SNYDER (as published in The Washington Times)
Before Colin Kaepernick does his first stretch, before he runs his first
sprint, and before he throws his first pass at Saturday’s NFL workout in
Atlanta, there’s likely only one thing that matters and renders everything else
moot. How he answers will outweigh his size,
conditioning, and arm strength.
Can he still play? That has never been an issue … unless you’re intellectually lazy and dishonest. Judging by the number of uninspiring-to-awful quarterbacks on NFL rosters, ability isn’t a prerequisite, but Kaepernick has plenty.
No, the main question on everyone’s mind Saturday will be the same question
on everyone’s mind since Kaepernick took his last snap.
Will he still kneel?
That always has been the most important consideration for NFL teams and
nothing in that regard has changed. The wrong response will ensure his
continued unemployment.
By DERON SNYDER (as published in The Washington Times)
If you thought a kinder, gentler, NCAA was emerging as it moves toward allowing athletes to monetize their own likeness, name, and image, you’re not paying attention.
The letters still stand for No Compassion At All and the organization’s paradigm
remains intact, despite recent pressure and threats from a few legislative
bodies. The NCAA proved as much last week, flexing its misplaced muscles against
potential No. 1 draft picks in the NFL and NBA.
WASHINGTON
– Duke Ellington School of the Arts co-founder Peggy Cooper Cafritz died in
February, but her contributions to the school and world at large live on. She
bequeathed about 250 pieces – one-third of her acclaimed art collection – to the
school, making it one of the biggest gifts ever of contemporary works by
artists of African descent.
“In My Shoes: The Peggy Cooper Cafritz Art Collection” opens at the Ellington Gallery with a reception and fundraiser on Thursday, Nov. 7, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The minimum suggested donation is $20 and accepted at the door via cash or check. The exhibit remains on display at the gallery (3500 R Street NW) through Friday, Dec. 13.
Cafritz’s
inventory of primarily African-American art was among the largest in the
nation. Ellington received pieces by Hank Willis Thomas, BK Adams, Louise
Bourgeois and Mark Thomas Gibson. “She was always very clear that her collection
was not only important to her, but it had to live beyond her,” says Thomas, a
1994 alum.
“A
person’s collection says everything about where their heart and head live,” Ellington
School CEO Tia Powell Harris says. “By keeping her collection alive, we can
peer into what inspired her. These pieces have traveled with the rest of Peggy’s
collection, and now they’re home.”
By DERON SNYDER (as published in The Washington Times)
Funny how a World Series title can change your perspective.
Before the Washington Nationals embarked on an epic postseason run, fans
pulled hair and gnashed teeth fretting about the possible departures of homegrown
stars Stephen Strasburg and, more worrisome, Anthony Rendon.
This isn’t to suggest the players’ pending decisions as free agents are
no longer a concern around town. It’s just hard to generate the same sense of
urgency with the Nationals in possession the Commissioner’s Trophy.
Every front office in baseball is currently going through a familiar
process, making moves and plotting strategy that will shape their 2020 roster. It’s
nothing new for the Nationals, who also do likewise every year, adding and
subtracting faces from the prior season.
Only this time, general manager Mike Rizzo & Co. are atop the only franchise
that won its final game and commemorated the achievement with a joyous team snapshot
on the field.
That memento ensures missing players will be more noticeable than normal
on photo day in spring training.
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