Author Archives: Deron Snyder
HBCU Athletics Not Keeping Up With Academics
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By DERON SNYDER Fifty or so years ago, before they became commonplace at major colleges such as Louisiana State, the University of North Carolina and the University of Florida, the nation’s top African-American student-athletes played at HBCUs such as Grambling, … Continue reading
Armstrong’s Lie More Shameful Than His Crime
By DERON SNYDER I’m not sure how many folks can watch Tyler Hamilton’s interview on “60 Minutes” and still think that Lance Armstrong was clean in becoming the world’s top cyclist. If holdouts were uncertain beforehand, Hamilton’s apparent pain and … Continue reading
Being Gay In Sports Won’t Matter One Day
By DERON SNYDER In other news, Phoenix Suns president Rick Welts announced that he’s gay. He’s undoubtedly not the only such executive in the league. Surely other teams also have homosexuals on the payroll. About the only thing remarkable would … Continue reading
Don’t Be Afraid To Let Kids Fail
By VANESSA W. SNYDER Teachers love it when parents are supportive and involved with their children’s schoolwork. It’s great to know there’s accountability and reinforcement at home because it helps us do our job. It also sends the students a … Continue reading
NFL Labor Hardly Slavery
By DERON SNYDER The average NFL fan can’t identify too closely with NFL players — and certainly not NFL owners. But most fans know what it means to work and receive a paycheck, regardless of how little they get in … Continue reading
Mike Tomlin Finally Getting Some Respect
By DERON SNYDER Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin got straight A’s at Denbigh High School in Newport News, Va., and he competed deep into statewide academic competitions. But he never let his football teammates know about his book smarts … Continue reading
Lopsided ‘Signing Day’ Unjustly Binds Players Only
By DERON SNYDER Wednesday was “National Signing Day” for the country’s football-playing high school seniors. It’s a virtual national holiday in the world of sports, an occasion that’s grown to garner wall-to-wall TV coverage and up-to-the minute Web updates. The … Continue reading
Black History Month Still Necessary
By DERON SNYDER Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour was the 16-year-old valedictorian of his high school class in 1964 — also known as “Freedom Summer” — when the slaying of three civil rights workers punctuated escalating racial violence in his state. … Continue reading
‘Rooney Rule’ Still A Necessity
By DERON SNYDER New York Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell was the “it” black candidate this off-season when it came to NFL head-coaching vacancies. Fewell interviewed for the top job with the Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos and Cleveland Browns, all … Continue reading
Blacker Berries And Bitter Juice
By DERON SNYDER Here we go again. Just two months after ESPN’s The Fab Five documentary sparked a controversy involving Jalen Rose and Grant Hill, we’ve suffered another instance of black athletes sorting our dirty laundry in public. This time … Continue reading →