Posted on April 24th, 2012
By DERON SNYDER
The Washington Capitals and Boston Bruins haven’t provided much merriment through six games of the tightest playoff series in NHL history. There have been few laughs or light-hearted moments. Instances of glee have been fleeting, followed by more high anxiety and tense nerves.
I have never gone whitewater rafting, but I imagine this series is comparable to that sort of “fun,” the thrill of maneuvering through rapids while on the edge of your seat, the threat of danger never far away. This ride comes to an end Wednesday night for whichever team makes the crucial mistakes at inopportune times, crashing and capsizing and catapulting into the offseason.
Capitals coach Dale Hunter said his team should enjoy Game 7 at TD Garden. Judging by the Caps’ demeanor Tuesday at the Kettler Ice Complex, the players have bought in.
“This has been a blast so far,” defenseman Karl Alzner said after practice. “It’s one of the more fun series I’ve ever played in … Everything’s been so tough all the way through, it really keeps you into the series, and I think everybody’s enjoying themselves quite a bit.”
Everybody except the fans. Games 2, 4 and 5 resulted in Caps victories, but they were draining affairs that produced relief more than anything. There weren’t many happy emotions in Games 1, 3 and 6, either, delivering the same drama without the payoff. The pain was only deepened when two of the losses occurred in overtime.
Continue reading…
Posted on April 23rd, 2012
By DERON SNYDER
It was vicious and brutal, violent and brazen. It was indefensible, incomprehensible and intentional. And no matter how much Metta World Peace (aka Ron Artest) has mellowed during three seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, the elbow he threw Sunday harks back to his past transgressions.
After a nice dunk during the Lakers’ home game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, World Peace began celebrating on his way back up the court. He pounded his chest with his right fist as Thunder guard James Harden bumped him ever so slightly while headed in the opposite direction. World Peace drew back and unleashed one of the ugliest, hardest elbows you’ll ever see, hitting Harden flush in the side of his head.
Harden dropped to the ground as if he had been shot. World Peace, who squared off as Thunder players rushed to confront him, was ejected from the game and awaits a league ruling on his likely suspension.
“During that play, I just dunked on [Kevin] Durant and [Serge] Ibaka,” he told reporters afterward. “I got real emotional, real excited. It’s unfortunate that James had to get hit with an unintentional elbow. I hope he’s OK. The Thunder, they’re playing for a championship this year. I really hope he’s OK, and I apologize to the Thunder and to James Harden. It was such a great game. It was unfortunate so much emotion was going on at that time. That’s it for today.”
Continue reading…
Posted on April 20th, 2012
By DERON SNYDER
It seems like only yesterday that Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard was among the NBA’s most popular superstars. A lovable giant with an electric smile and fun-filled personality, Howard was one of the league’s “good guys.”
But then this season turned into a drawn-out soap opera, As Dwight Turns, with Howard vacillating between wanting to stay and wanting to leave. He made a last-minute decision at trade deadline in late March, deciding to stick around for at least one more year, with no guarantee that the scenario won’t be repeated next season.
Instead of a decrease in drama after Howard signed the necessary paperwork, the adventure continued and the dysfunction escalated. Two weeks ago embattled coach Stan Van Gundy confirmed reports that Howard told management that he wants the coach fired. Then Howard tried to save face in a TV interview but did himself no favors by admitting that he has requested Van Gundy’s firing in the past.
Howard went from being the face of the NBA to being a lower body part on the opposite side. The bottom fell out Thursday, one week before the playoffs begin, when an Orlando TV station reported that Howard won’t play for Van Gundy anymore. Other media outlets shot down the report, but the damage was done in the court of public opinion. He was ripped for being a quitter and would-be coach killer.
Continue reading…
Posted on April 20th, 2012
By DERON SNYDER
Once again, it’s time to check off some items on my “TIDU List” — Things I Don’t Understand:
• Why Nicklas Backstrom missed Game 4.
The Capitals’ top center admittedly cross-checked Boston’s Rich Peverley at the end of Game 3. But the infraction was no worse than some Bruins shenanigans that have gone unpunished. Besides, Backstrom’s reputation is squeaky-clean, which should count for something. The NHL said Backstrom’s reaction was “excessive and reckless.”
But the ruling reeks of excessive subjectivity and reckless disregard for fairness.
• Why Jordan Zimmermann gets no love.
Whatever the Nationals’ No. 3 starter did to the hitters, he should apologize and offer retribution. Because he’s getting virtually zero support. Zimm has yielded three earned runs in three starts, 21 innings in which the Nats have scored twice. Last year, the team averaged 2.6 runs while he was on the mound.
Here’s hoping they kiss and make up soon.
Continue reading…
Posted on April 18th, 2012
By DERON SNYDER
According to its mission statement, the University of Kentucky is “dedicated to improving people’s lives through excellence in education, research and creative work, service and health care.” Judging by the success of its men’s-basketball players, the school is doing an outstanding job accomplishing its mission.
The Wildcats won the NCAA national championship earlier this month. On Tuesday the entire starting lineup — freshmen Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Marquis Teague, along with sophomores Terrence Jones and Doron Lamb — entered the NBA draft in a nationally televised news conference.
The talented teammates, who demonstrated near-perfect unity on the court en route to a 38-2 season, displayed the same cohesiveness by departing in unison. “We made it work,” Jones said. “We all wanted to be there and do it together like we’ve done everything else together.”
Young, exceptional players can be tough to mold into a team, especially if their individual ambitions supersede the collective goals. But the Wildcats were selfless to a flaw, sacrificing personal stats and deferring to one another in a way that’s rare among their generation. And the results were breathtakingly beautiful, old-school basketball to satisfy the grumpiest purist’s soul.
Continue reading…
Posted on April 17th, 2012
By DERON SNYDER
The first inclination might be to mock the Jacksonville Jaguars upon learning they’ve added marriage to their formula for evaluating free agents. Apparently, new owner Shahid Khan, general manager Gene Smith and rookie coach Mike Mularkey want men who are good husbands as well as good players.
“If you’re happy at home with your wife at home, I think the energy level is higher,” Mularkey told the Wall Street Journal. “It’s very important to me. There’s a lot that goes with being married. I just believe the happier you are with your wife, the happier you are on the field. I really believe that.”
When the initial impulse to mock the Jags subsides, it might be followed by smirking or outright laughter. Some of the game’s greatest players are single or less-than-ideal spouses. And it’s impossible to know the real status of a marriage, as facades can conceal turmoil.
That said, it’s understandable why teams in markets such as Jacksonville might prefer players who are married and supposedly settled. Slower, sleepier outposts have less to offer singles in search of nightlife activity. Players who have all the action they want at home might be more content with the limited options, as opposed to bachelors who might become frustrated.
Continue reading…
Posted on April 16th, 2012
By DERON SNYDER
As has been customary since 2009, all Major League Baseball players, managers, coaches and umpires wore No. 42 on April 15 — Jackie Robinson Day — to commemorate the pioneer’s debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Ceremonies were held in every stadium, with video tributes and on-field celebrations to honor Robinson’s legacy. His family, former teammates, former Negro Leaguers and NBA great Bill Russell were among those who took part in the celebrations.
But another custom has evolved over the years since MLB retired Robinson’s number in 1997, the 50th anniversary of his debut. The day is also used to highlight the dwindling number of African-American players in the big leagues. USA Today reported that the percentage has dropped to 8.05 percent, the lowest since the earliest days of the sport’s integration.
That represents a dramatic decline from the peak of 1975, when 27 percent of all rosters were African American, according to the newspaper, adding that the percentage was 19 percent as recently as 1995. “Baseball likes to say things are getting better,” said agent Dave Stewart, a former pitcher and front-office executive. “It’s not getting better. It’s only getting worse. We’ve been in a downward spiral for a long time, and the numbers just keep declining.”
At least one player is tired of the same old narrative every year. Chicago Cubs center fielder Marlon Byrd said that the focus on Jackie Robinson Day shouldn’t be on the decrease in the number of black players but instead on the increase in the number of black professionals.
Continue reading…
Posted on April 16th, 2012
By DERON SNYDER
A three-time NBA All-Star at the time, Gilbert Arenas catapulted into the national discourse for all the wrong reasons in December of 2009. He became infamous in an instant, the player who brought guns into the Washington Wizards locker room after a confrontation with a teammate.
“Someone said they were going to shoot me,” Arenas told USA Today recently in his first extensive comments on the incident. “So since I’m one of those guys who says, ‘I want to see this happen; I want to see you actually shoot me,’ that’s where that came from. I brought the four guns in and said [in a note], ‘Pick one so the day you want to shoot me, let me know; I’ll be ready to get shot.’
Convicted on gun charges, he spent 30 days in a halfway house, performed 400 hours of community service and paid a $5,000 fine. NBA Commissioner David Stern suspended him for 50 games without pay. Arenas became persona non grata in Washington and flamed out last season through a 49-game stint with the Orlando Magic. The team released him in December, though it still owed him the $62 million left on his contract.
Continue reading…
Posted on April 13th, 2012
By DERON SNYDER
Time is money, and charity begins at home. But those truths can be taken too far if there’s never time for serving and giving, free of charge. Participating on the U.S. Olympic basketball team is just one example.
All-Stars Ray Allen of the Boston Celtics and Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat caused a brouhaha this week when they said that NBA players should be paid for competing in the Olympics. “You talk about the patriotism that guys should want to play for, but you [need to] find a way to entice the guys,” Allen told Fox Sports South on Tuesday.
Wade co-signed after Miami’s practice the next day. “I do think guys should be compensated,” he told reporters.
Wade quickly backed off on Thursday, perhaps in response to the rapid-fire backlash from across the country. He issued a statement — “I do not want to be paid to go to the Olympics” — and he went into further detail on his Twitter account.
Continue reading…
Posted on April 12th, 2012
By DERON SNYDER
The Washington Nationals were quite popular among the baseball media during spring training, drawing postseason predictions from multiple prognosticators. Virtually everyone spoke highly of the Nats’ rotation, bullpen, defense and core youngsters.
However, there was a nagging concern with a much-discussed, easy solution: The Nats needed a center fielder who, preferably, could bat leadoff. That was the team’s Achilles’ heel, a glaring weakness that general manager Mike Rizzo needed to address.
Shortstop Ian Desmond couldn’t do anything about the outfield situation, but he could erase the notion of a hole atop the batting order. All he had to do was pick up where he left off last season. Or continue to take it up a notch, which he did in Thursday’s home opener against Cincinnati.
Desmond went 3 for 5 with a run scored in the Nats’ 3-2 victory. That improved his batting average to .406 on the season, with a .441 on-base percentage and a .563 slugging percentage.
“He’s more than a table-setter,” manager Davey Johnson said before the game. “He’s a run producer. … I think he’s getting more comfortable in who he is and what his job description is. That’s fun to watch.”
Continue reading…
Follow
By DERON SNYDER
