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LeBron’s Nikes Are Business, Not Personal

Posted on August 24th, 2012No Comments

By DERON SNYDER

Some folks behind the steering wheels of luxury sedans can barely keep food on the table. Some folks who live in gorgeous mini-mansions can barely pay their other bills. Some folks who regularly buy expensive clothes, make expensive hair-care appointments and drink expensive cups of coffee can barely make ends meet.

Is that the fault of the automakers, builders, designers, stylists and baristas? Of course not. Likewise, no one should blame Nike and LeBron James if their exorbitantly priced sneakers land on the feet of people who really can’t afford them.

A shock wave roiled pop culture this week when the Wall Street Journal reported that Nike’s priciest version of James’ next basketball shoe is expected to retail for $315. After a day of furious reaction from some quarters, Nike said the reported price is inaccurate, while pointing out that James’ main shoe will retail for $180, with another signature shoe offered at $120.

Even if the high-end, technology-laden model comes in at $275-$290, that’s still too costly for most of the teens and youngsters who’ll clamor for the shoes. Critics howled at Nike and James for having the nerve to market such expensive sneakers, especially given the current economic climate.

Michael Strahan About To Get Live! Gig?

Posted on August 22nd, 2012No Comments

By DERON SNYDER

Plenty of pro football players hang up their cleats and transition to coaching careers. Far fewer go from making plays as athletes to calling plays as broadcasters. Then there’s the select number who make the leap from sports to pop culture, becoming mainstream entertainers in film or TV.

Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown retired at his peak in 1966 and went on to star in more than 40 movies. Around the same time, Fred Williamson went from being an NFL defensive back to one of the first “blaxploitation” stars. More recently, O.J. made a name in Hollywood before he was named in a murder case.

Successful moves to the small screen have been far less frequent, unless you count reality-TV shows that have featured the likes of Deion Sanders, Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco. But it looks as if broadcaster Michael Strahan is about to set a new standard for former pro athletes gaining TV prominence that’s not sports-related.

According to Broadcasting & Cable, and since reported by multiple other outlets, the former Super Bowl champ with the New York Giants will replace Regis Philbin next month as co-host of Live! alongside Kelly Ripa. She’s expected to make the announcement during the Sept. 4 broadcast.

Redskins ‘QB Controversy’ Is Figment Of Imaginations

Posted on August 22nd, 2012No Comments

By DERON SNYDER

It’s bad enough that sports journalists around the country are shredding the Washington Nationals for the Shutdown Stephen Strasburg project. Most local media, however, seem to agree with the decision, probably due to our proximity and our inherent interest in the team’s long-term planning.

But there’s nothing like a good debate in sports, and Strasburg’s countdown is fresh and different — qualities that often are in limited supply for sports squawkers.

However, quarterback controversies are old, familiar and comfortable topics, predating the tussle between Oakland’s George Blanda and Daryle Lamonica. That’s probably why some folks in the media are trying to engender a competition between Robert Griffin III and Kirk Cousins.

Never mind that the Washington Redskins mortgaged their future and half of the practice bubble to obtain RG3. Never mind that coach Mike Shanahan emphatically named him the starter right after RG3 shook hands with the commissioner. Never mind that RG3’s name, image and jersey are plastered around D.C. like campaign stickers in a seven-way City Council race.

Breaking Ground Is Nothing New For Condi Rice

Posted on August 20th, 2012No Comments

By DERON SNYDER

Condoleezza Rice doesn’t mind being among the best in her field, and she hasn’t been shy about being first, either, whether it was the first African-American woman to serve as national security adviser, secretary of state or Stanford University provost.

Now she can add another precedent to her list: the first African-American woman to become a member at the prestigious Augusta National Golf Club, home of the Masters.

“I have visited Augusta National on several occasions and look forward to playing golf, renewing friendships and forming new ones through this very special opportunity,” Rice said Monday in a statement released by the club. She joins South Carolina financier Darla Moore as the revered club’s first female members.

This is no small step for Augusta National, which opened in 1932 and seemingly has been stuck there ever since. The club didn’t have a black member until 1990, but there’s no shortage of back waiters, black bartenders and black caddies. It’s among the nation’s most exclusive organizations, believed to have about 300 members, all of them accomplished, connected and wealthy.

Rehab Only Concern For The ‘Honey Badger’

Posted on August 17th, 2012No Comments

By DERON SNYDER

Tyrann Mathieu is 20 years old with the rest of his life ahead of him. His skill and dedication to football put him in prime position to become an NFL millionaire in the next year or two. But he must decide what he wants most, the money or marijuana.

Mathieu, a Heisman Trophy finalist as a sophomore last season for Louisiana State University, has entered a drug rehabilitation center since being dismissed last week from the team. That’s a great first step for the All-America defensive back, especially compared to transferring and playing elsewhere this season, which he considered. He certainly had options; about 20 schools contacted LSU and asked for permission to speak with the player known as the “Honey Badger.”

But football can wait. It won’t matter where Mathieu goes next unless he quits smoking weed. Other schools and other coaches might be willing to take a chance — and reap the benefit of his talent in the meantime. Thankfully, Mathieu’s father realizes that his son getting clean is the No. 1 priority, not getting back on the field right now.

Tyrone Mathieu told ESPN on Friday that “there is no timeline” regarding his son’s resumption of college and football, although this fall remains a possibility. Tyrone Mathieu said his son is at the Right Step recovery center in Houston, where he’s being counseled by former NBA player John Lucas.

Rewards of PEDs Outweigh Risks In MLB

Posted on August 16th, 2012No Comments

By DERON SNYDER

Melky Cabrera, in the midst of an MVP-like season for the San Francisco Giants, tested positive for testosterone around the All-Star break. Major League Baseball announced Wednesday that the Giants outfielder is suspended for 50 games.

Ryan Braun, who won the MVP award with the Milwaukee Brewers last year, tested positive for testosterone after the 2011 regular season ended. After he won his appeal in February, MLB vehemently disagreed with the arbitrator’s decision, which was based on a technicality and not the test’s veracity.

Those cases — not to mention the three other major leaguers suspended this season — bring us to the sad conclusion that performance-enhancing drugs in baseball are alive and well. Especially in the minor leagues, where there have been 70 suspensions this year (although 19 were for a “drug of abuse,” meaning some players still are interested in getting high more than making highlights).

I have no idea if testosterone provides a buzz, but it definitely delivers a boost. Cabrera, who averaged .267 with eight homers and 54 RBI during his first five seasons, was a different player last year. He hit .305 with 18 homers and 54 RBI for Kansas City, crediting it to working harder, eating better and drinking less.

LeBron Might Be Better Than MJ

Posted on August 15th, 2012No Comments

By DERON SNYDER

A popular discussion during the run-up to London 2012 involved Team USA’s hypothetical chances in men’s basketball against the original Dream Team. It all started when Kobe Bryant, not surprisingly, said that he thought his team would prevail.

Charles Barkley, among other Dream Teamers, said Bryant was crazy. Even President Obama weighed in, siding with the 1992 squad that featured Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird.

But what about Jordan vs. LeBron James, the heart and soul of 2012’s gold-medal-winning team? That long-running debate about who’s better was pretty lopsided before James won his first NBA title this year, and he’s still five championships behind Jordan. But he just pulled off a feat that only Jordan ever accomplished: winning an NBA title, the MVP award and an Olympic gold medal in the same season.

Chad Johnson Not Worth The Headache

Posted on August 14th, 2012No Comments

By DERON SNYDER

There is a humongous difference between treating people equally and treating people fairly. We see it all the time in sports, politics, entertainment and business, where star performers are given much more slack than mediocre contributors.

I never heard anyone put it more bluntly than former Dallas Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson, who openly admitted that he treated everyone differently. If a fourth-string rookie guard fell asleep in a team meeting, he’d be cut on the spot and sent packing. If Emmitt Smith dozed off in a team meeting, he’d be nudged gently and given a cup of coffee.

Equal? No. Fair? Absolutely. It makes perfect sense, yet many folks seem surprised or outraged when the difference is acknowledged: Exceptional workers earn more exceptions because they’re more valuable and harder to replace.

Chad Johnson should have remembered that simple truth when he signed a one-year contract with the Miami Dolphins. Aging wide receivers coming off pitiful, 15-catch seasons with New England have little leeway and less latitude when trouble finds them. That’s the primary reason Miami wasted no time in cutting Johnson after his weekend arrest for allegedly head-butting his wife.

Major Weekend Woes Worsen for Tiger

Posted on August 13th, 2012No Comments

By DERON SNYDER

Movies can’t do it. TV shows are poor substitutes. Broadway plays fall short.

Nothing comes close to matching the human drama of sports when Eldrick “Tiger” Woods is involved. His enthralling storyline compels more than ever, four years after the shocking twist that turned golf and his world upside down.

He turned pro in 1996 and dominated for 14 years before things came to a crashing halt on Thanksgiving night in 2009. Since then we have asked and he has answered a couple of questions:

Would he ever win another tournament? It took 749 days, but he finally did it in December 2011. Yeah, but that wasn’t an official event; would he ever win again on the PGA Tour? That took a little longer, but he checked off that box in March. Could he string together victories like before? He has won three times this year, more than any other golfer on the tour.

Now only the most daunting and pressure-filled question remains: Will he ever equal Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18 major wins? Woods needs four more to tie, but he’s having the hardest time capturing his first since 2008. He’s been in position to win each of the four majors this season, only to fall out of contention in the final two rounds.

Orlando Mucks Up ‘Dwightmare’ To Lakers’ Delight

Posted on August 11th, 2012No Comments

By DERON SNYDER

Dwight Howard did himself no favors in dragging out his exit from Orlando. He turned off Magic fans and NBA fans everywherewith his wishy-washy ways, going back and forth in deciding whether to stay or go. He was one of the NBA’s most popular superstars entering last season, but vacillating followed by trade ultimatums transformed Howard from a lovable giant to a national “Dwightmare.”

But one team’s curse can be another team’s blessing, and the Los Angeles Lakers believe that will be the case with Howard in Hollywood. The Lakers joined forces with Philadelphia and Denver for a four-team deal that seems to benefit every team except Orlando.

How does that work? The Magic traded Howard, the best player in the deal, but failed to land either the second- (Andrew Bynum) or third-best player (Andre Iguodala) in return. Orlando got a bunch of middling and/or unproven players, plus five draft picks over five years.

“A primary goal for our basketball team is to achieve sustainability while maintaining a long-term vision. We feel this deal puts us in a position to begin building in that direction,” Magic General Manager Rob Hennigan said. “In addition to the six players joining our team, we will be in a position to maximize our salary-cap flexibility in the near future, as well as utilize the multiple draft picks we have acquired going forward.”