Posted on August 9th, 2012
By DERON SNYDER
Once again, it’s time to check off some items on my “TIDU List” — Things I Don’t Understand:
*How Seattle became so desperate at wide receiver.
Terrell Owens might have tread left on his tires at 38. He has missed a full season and had major knee surgery since his last NFL game, but had 72 catches and nine TDs in 2010. Though his finances are a mess, he remains in awesome shape physically
Still, signing a punch line says a lot about the Seahawks… and it’s nothing to brag about.
Continue reading…
Posted on August 8th, 2012
By DERON SNYDER
In 2010, as part of the celebration for his 49th birthday, President Obama played a pickup basketball gamewith luminaries such as LeBron James, Magic Johnson, Bill Russell and Dwyane Wade. The game was played at Obama’s favorite local court — D.C.’s Fort McNair — not counting the one he had built at the White House upon moving in.
On Tuesday, three days after his 51st birthday, came word of another hoop-dreams treat that will also serve as a fundraiser. The Obama Classic will be held in New York on Aug. 22 and will feature Michael Jordan and several NBA stars, including Carmelo Anthony, Rajon Rondo and John Wall, in a shootaround. Jordan and NBA commissioner David Stern will also co-host a $20,000-per-person dinner with the president that evening.
The Obama campaign didn’t forget about the folks with less disposable income, who are welcome to donate and win a chance to participate in the event. “Imagine shooting hoops with Carmelo Anthony, Patrick Ewing, Sheryl Swoopes, Kyrie Irving and Alonzo Mourning,” Deputy National Field Director Marlon Marshall wrote in an email to supporters. “Oh, and you’ll get to meet President Obama and Michael Jordan over dinner, too.
“Now stop dreaming and make it happen. You and a guest of your choice could join President Obama and some of the greatest basketball stars for a special night at the Obama Classic. Pitch in $3 or whatever you can, and you’ll be automatically entered for a chance to win.”
Continue reading…
Posted on August 7th, 2012
By DERON SNYDER
There can be a thin line between reasons and excuses, between explanations and rationalizations. But in many respects, either you get something done or you don’t, regardless of what else transpires.
When it comes to sacking opposing quarterbacks, Redskins linebacker Brian Orakpo hasn’t been getting it done, at least not at the level anticipated after his 11 sacks as a rookie in 2009.
Only six NFL players had more sacks that season. Then-teammate Andre Carter and the Dallas Cowboys‘ DeMarcus Ware each had 11 to tie Orakpo, who made his first Pro Bowl appearance. Orakpo reached the Pro Bowl again in 2010, even though his sack total dropped to 8.5.
Perhaps the decline could be written off as a sophomore slump. Or the league making adjustments. Or Orakpo simply having a bad year. He still made impact plays without reaching the quarterback, such as drawing a holding penalty that negated the game-tying touchdown as time expired in the season-opener against Dallas.
Then the Redskins drafted Ryan Kerrigan in 2011 as a bookend outside linebacker to bring pressure from sides. That was supposed to free up Orakpo for more sacks and it worked:
He upped his total by a half-sack to nine.
Continue reading…
Posted on August 7th, 2012
By DERON SNYDER
Floyd Mayweather Jr. is no longer serving timein a Las Vegas jail. But the clock is ticking for the undefeated boxer.
He’s not getting any younger, at age 35, and neither is his main rival, Manny Pacquiao, who’s 33. If the superstars ever plan to meet in the bout that has boxing clamoring, they need to do so before they’re shells of their former selves. Pacquiao showed signs of deterioration in June during his last fight — albeit a terrible decision — when he failed to put away a fighter with broken foot.
Mayweather, who was less than two weeks into his sentence when Timothy Bradley beat Pacquiao, spent 63 days in jail on a domestic-battery charge. He began his stint on a high note, shortly after improving to 43-0 with a unanimous decision against Miguel Cotto in a world super-welterweight title bout.
Continue reading…
Posted on August 3rd, 2012
By DERON SNYDER
Truth be told, we weren’t that inspired by Olympians like Michael Jordan and Carl Lewis. While they dominated their sports like few have ever done, it’s commonplace to see African Americans conquer basketball and track and field. This is by no means a putdown, but seeing Jordan and Lewis excel in their chosen arenas was as stimulating as hearing Jay-Z master the rap game.
The same can’t be said of extraordinary teen gymnast Gabby Douglas, the first African American to win the individual all-around Olympic gold medal. Watching her fly through the air, twisting and flipping over the various apparatuses, triggers a flood of emotions that ballers and sprinters simply can’t unleash (through no fault of their own).
That’s why Gabby’s impact will extend far beyond sports. Jordan and Lewis served as role models for countless basketball players and track stars who followed, just as Jordan and Lewis had a number of predecessors to emulate. Gabby had Dominique Dawes, the three-time Olympian who in 1996 became the first female African-American gymnast to win an individual medal.
The number of young black girls who decided to try gymnastics undoubtedly surged thanks to Dawes’ emergence. And there’s likely to be a new wave of interest, now that Douglas has two gold medals and a chance to win more. But just as Dawes didn’t spawn an influx of black Olympic gymnasts, Gabby is unlikely to change the demographics dramatically.
Continue reading…
Posted on August 3rd, 2012
By DERON SNYDER
Now that Penn State’s shocking stream of sad news has slowed, the NCAA can turn its attention to less-depressing matters … good, old-fashioned recruiting violations! While Jerry Sandusky’s atrocities were unimaginable and led to unprecedented penalties, the NCAA can walk its well-worn path in handling the likes of, say, Central Florida.
UCF received sanctions Tuesday, added to the school’s self-imposed penalties, that include a one-year postseason ban in men’s basketball and football. The NCAA also slapped the school with a “lack of institutional control” charge and a $50,000 fine, all based on engaging with outside entities in luring prospective athletes.
Greg Sankey, an NCAA infractions committee member, told the Associated Press that UCF’s situation was troubling because there was “knowledge of the representatives or third parties being involved in the recruiting process and [school officials] facilitated that.”
If the NCAA is serious about changing the culture of big-time college sports — especially men’s basketball — it can begin with the runners, street agents and various intermediaries involved at the top level of recruiting. Sorting through the bad guys and good Samaritans won’t be easy, though.
Continue reading…
Posted on August 1st, 2012
By DERON SNYDER
We don’t know why O.J. Murdock took his life Monday. We don’t know the problems he faced and considered unmanageable. We don’t know the emotions he felt and considered unbearable.
But we do know that Murdock, 25, was an NFL player. And that alone is reason for concern, considering the recent string of suicides among former NFL players, combined with the slew of concussion-related lawsuits filed against the league.
Unlike former star linebacker Junior Seau, who committed suicide with a gunshot to his chest in May, and former star defensive back Dave Duerson, who took his life in similar fashion in February last year, Murdock didn’t appear interested in leaving his brain to science. He shot himself in the head.
He also didn’t have a long NFL career behind him, preparing for just his second year with the Tennessee Titans after missing his entire rookie season with an injury. That’s another factor that separates him from Seau, Duerson and Ray Easterling, a former defensive back who committed suicide at the age of 62 in April.
Continue reading…
Posted on August 1st, 2012
By DERON SNYDER
The Washington Nationals didn’t make any moves at Tuesday’s trading deadline, which means at least two things: General manager Mike Rizzo likes the makeup of his team, and Edwin Jackson is staying put for just the second time in seven years.
Not that Jackson — the starter in Wednesday night’s game against the Phillies — was worried about being shipped out. Growing up in a military family and pitching for seven teams in his 10-year career has made him extremely adaptable to new environments. Besides, he usually goes from sellers to buyers when traded, and the Nats clearly weren’t in sell mode.
Things worked out perfectly for Jackson last season, when the St. Louis Cardinals acquired him in an eight-player deal a few days before the trading deadline. Three months later, he was sipping champagne and being fitted for a ring.
“Everybody they got pretty much was something they needed,” Jackson said Tuesday, about 30 minutes before the deadline passed. “It wasn’t like they needed one or two pieces. They got multiple pieces, and everybody played a factor in us winning.”
Continue reading…
Posted on July 30th, 2012
By DERON SNYDER
The U.S. men’s Olympic basketball team needed a good challenge Sunday in its opening game against France because the next two opponents are lightly regarded Tunisia and Nigeria, which could lose by 70 points combined.
The two African nations are making their Olympic debut in 2012, which also marks the first time that a pair of countries from the continent have qualified in men’s basketball. Conversely, France, which won a silver medal in the 2000 Olympics, is led by veteran San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker and boasts several other NBA players on its roster.
The French trailed by just one point after the first quarter Sunday, but Team USA cruised from there for a 98-71 victory. “We’re pleased,” coach Mike Krzyzewski said in a postgame interview. “We played a very good game against an outstanding team. France is so well-coached, and in Parker, they have as good of a guard as there is in the tournament.”
Continue reading…
Posted on July 28th, 2012
By DERON SNYDER
Etan Thomas is on a mission. While the 6-foot-9 forward would like to resume his 11-year NBA careerafter sitting out last season, his new quest has nothing to do with rebounds and blocked shots. It’s about affection and connections.
Thomas, a poet who also blogs for the Huffington Post, grew up in a single-parent household, like more than 60 percent of African-American children. His parents divorced when he was 7, and although he still saw his father regularly, Thomas grew to resent the void. He recognizes those same feelings in today’s youths during speaking engagements.
“When I go to correctional facilities, I see myself in those kids,” he said during a recent panel discussion on fathers, held just outside Washington, D.C. “There’s all this anger inside. A lot of them come from single-parent households and don’t know what to do with it. So they make bad choices.”
That’s just one reason he wrote Fatherhood: Rising to the Ultimate Challenge. It’s meant to inspire and encourage children — whether they’re living with one or both parents — and dads, whether they’re absent or active.
Continue reading…
Follow
By DERON SNYDER
