Posted on December 27th, 2011
By DERON SNYDER
He went from NBA obscurity to mainstream celebrity faster than the paparazzi flash. Only four players averaged more rebounds per game than he did last season. He ravaged the Washington Wizards in their season opener and was booed lustily each time he touched the ball.
He’s New Jersey Nets forward Kris Humphries, and he’s the NBA’s Most Disliked Player.
That’s the distinction Forbes gave Humphries last week, based on surveys by Nielsen and E-Poll Market Research, a company that tracks perceptions of athletes and other celebrities.
Judging by Humphries’ production (21 points, 16 rebounds) in the Nets’ victory, and the track record of his fellow disliked ballers, Washington needs a player on the list.
If that wouldn’t be the ultimate sign of progress for the Wizards, at least it would demonstrate some relevance.
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Posted on December 26th, 2011
By DERON SNYDER
Peyton Manning didn’t do it. Neither did Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Dan Marino, Joe Montana or any other NFL quarterback. Cam Newton has more passing yards than any rookie in NFL history, breaking the record that Manning set in 1998.
And Newton started from behind. Imagine what he might have done if the Carolina Panthers’ offseason team workouts weren’t wiped out by the NFL lockout.
Standing 6-foot-5, weighing 250 pounds and possessing a canon for an arm, Newton is unlike any quarterback we’ve ever seen. He’s mobile in the pocket and shifty in the open field, fast enough to outrun some defenders and strong enough to run over others. He’s on the verge of becoming the NFL’s first quarterback with 4,000 yards passing and 700 yards rushing.
Sports Illustrated’s Peter King wrote that “Cam Newton is on his way to the best rookie season ever. By any player.” A post on Pro Football Talk, under the headline “Cam Newton Is Indestructible,” said he’s arguably already a top-10 NFL quarterback.
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Posted on December 26th, 2011
By DERON SNYDER
Some fans look at the Washington Wizards and see a glass that’s half full. Other fans look at the team and see a bare table, no glass at all.
The latter view is overly harsh and pessimistic. But whichever assessment is closest to yours, Washington isn’t close to the A-list teams in Miami, Boston, New York and Chicago, and still some distance from the next tier of Atlanta, Indiana and Philadelphia.
Everyone agrees that a gap exists, and it’s unlikely to close significantly during this abbreviated season which tips off Monday when the New Jersey Nets visit Verizon Center. The Wizards won a mere 23 games last season. Winning the same amount this season would show serious improvement, taking their winning percentage from .280 to .348.
The prospect of a fourth consecutive losing season — preceded by four consecutive winning seasons from 2004-08 — isn’t anything to get excited about. But as painful as it might be, progress for the Wizards won’t be measured by the win-loss column.
“It’s not a one-game, one-season arc and narrative that we’re on,” owner Ted Leonsis said. “It’s a multiseason narrative that we’re on. It’s the second step in a long journey — the second season under new ownership and a new strategy — and I think we’re off to a good start.”
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Posted on December 24th, 2011
By DERON SNYDER
The scenes were reminiscent of the worst Black Friday incidents: Shoppers lining up for hours and breaking through doors. Folks suffering injuries from being trampled or punched. Police resorting to pepper spray to subdue unruly crowds.
Except this wasn’t Black Friday. It was an Air Jordans-release Friday, and it prompted an outbreak of madness, mayhem and melees across the country.
The Jordan XI Concords are replicas of the shoes Michael Jordan wore when he returned to the NBA in 1995 after his one-year hiatus as a minor-league baseball player. Retailing for $180 for men (lower prices for children and — yes — toddlers), the white shoes with the black patent leather surrounding the bottom revolutionized the sneaker industry.
But they’re still just sneakers, no matter how much status is misguidedly attached to them.
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Posted on December 22nd, 2011
By DERON SNYDER
Once again, it’s time to check off some items on my “TIDU List” — Things I Don’t Understand:
• Why Dale Hunter was announced as coach instead of interim coach.
With a deal that reportedly ends after this season, Hunter is on trial with the Capitals and vice versa. If they don’t like his results as Bruce Boudreau’s successor, they can get someone else. And if Hunter doesn’t like life behind an NHL bench, he can return to his junior league empire.
Fine, no problem. But the parties should have been up-front about it.
• How the BBWAA could be so dense on former Philadelphia Daily News columnist Bill Conlin.
The baseball writers’ association essentially defended Conlin after allegations of child sex abuse led to his abrupt retirement Tuesday. Its initial statement mentioned a “notable career” and “a member in good standing since 1966,” but didn’t mention any shock, sorrow or sympathy.
Give the BBWAA a big, fat ‘F’ on the lessons from Penn State and Syracuse.
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Posted on December 22nd, 2011
By DERON SNYDER
No matter how much they try to make objective, impartial decisions regarding players’ fitness, the trainers and medical staff for NFL teams aren’t oblivious.
They realize that coaches, front-office executives and teammates are concerned about the health and well-being of each individual player. But they also know that there’s a strong desire to see injured players return to action as soon as possible, which is the wish of every injured player, too.
There’s no telling how much subliminal pressure factors into decisions when a player is deemed healthy. If it’s a 50-50 call, do the staff err on the side of caution? Or do they cross their fingers and send the player back on the field?
The NFL finally took a step toward addressing the potential conflict of interest on Wednesday. The league announced that a certified athletic trainer, paid by the NFL, will be at each game to monitor play and provide medical staff with “any relevant information that may assist them in determining the most appropriate evaluation and treatment.”
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Posted on December 21st, 2011
By DERON SNYDER
Ben Roethlisberger’s toughness is legendary, mythic even, embodying the industrial-strength spirit of blue-collar Pittsburgh. Gritty “Big Ben” doesn’t go down easily in the pocket, and he doesn’t come out of the lineup easily, either.
No matter the injury, the Steelers quarterback seems to gut it out, suck it up and play through it.
There he was during warm-ups on Monday Night Football, grimacing and gimping with each dropback and follow-through. He moved with the grace of a petrified Frankenstein. His right ankle appeared atrophied compared to his injured left ankle, which was encased in a brace.
ESPN announcer Steve Young voiced the sentiment that most objective viewers surely had after watching Roethlisberger before the game.
“Looked awful. Can’t play; can’t play,” Young said on the broadcast. “The guy’s a stud, we understand that. If you ask him a question — ‘You want to go?’ — he’ll go. But it became very clear to me that he can’t play. He can’t protect himself. He can’t do anything that he’d like to do.”
The only thing Roethlisberger could do was live up to his reputation. He played the entire game, throwing three picks, taking three sacks and losing a fumble.
Tough guy, right?
The answer was clear until we heard this startling admission regarding needles and painkillers. “There was no injection,” Roethlisberger told reporters after the 49ers’ 20-3 victory at Candlestick Park. “There was two Tylenols and two Advil.”
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Posted on December 19th, 2011
JEFF GREEN
By DERON SNYDER
The Sacramento Kings announced Monday that forward Chuck Hayes failed his physical because of a heart abnormality. The four-year, $21.3 million contract that Hayes signed last week was voided.
The Boston Celtics made a similar announcement Saturday regarding forward Jeff Green, stating that he’ll undergo heart surgery and miss the upcoming season. Green also signed his contract last week, a one-year deal worth $9 million that he won’t receive now.
If the problems had been detected after the routine physicals that teams conduct when players sign new contracts, Hayes and Green would have been paid in full. And if there were a way to ensure full payment and subsequent good health, they certainly would have chosen that option.
But it’s better that the heart problems were discovered now, before the players engaged in one more workout, scrimmage or game. Because you never know when or where trouble might surface, and no one wants to endure another situation like the one the Celtics faced with Reggie Lewis.
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Posted on December 19th, 2011
By DERON SNYDER
Saturday was tough for Georgetown’s basketball program as news spread about Jeff Green, the former Hoya and current Boston Celtic who will undergo heart surgery next month and miss the NBA season. Georgetown coach John Thompson III spoke with Green over the weekend and was impressed with his response to the discovery of an aortic aneurysm.
“It’s been a difficult week,” Thompson said after the Hoyas defeated American 81-55 at Verizon Center. “Jeff is a part of who we are, and he’s as upbeat as anyone can be as it relates to what’s going on with him.”
The Hoyas hope their play can help him stay upbeat. Georgetown is 9-1 and ranked No. 16 entering the meat of the schedule, which begins Thursday when Memphis comes to town for a rematch. The Tigers were ranked No. 8 when they lost to Georgetown 91-88 in overtime in the Maui Classic.
That victory was sandwiched by a 67-63 loss against then-No. 14 Kansas and a 57-55 road victory against then-No. 12 Alabama, and those three games put everyone on notice: These young Hoyas are not overwhelmed.
“This is a confident group,” sophomore point guard Markel Starks said after his career-high 18 points led all scorers Saturday. “Moving forward, we’re just going to keep getting better.”
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Posted on December 18th, 2011
By DERON SNYDER
By most accounts, Sam Hurd was just a nice guy. Teammates said he was well-liked and low-key and often sang gospel songs to himself. One former teammate said Hurd struck him as “a family guy.”
All of that could be well and true.
But federal agents said there’s more to Hurd, a side that could send him to jail for up to 40 years. He was arrested this week on charges of conspiring to possess and distribute cocaine. The Chicago Bears, who in July signed Hurd to a three-year, $5.1 million contract, released him on Friday.
The Bears’ contract included a $1.35 million signing bonus, but that apparently wasn’t enough to provide the lifestyle Hurd sought. He wasn’t satisfied with just being an NFL player; he wanted to be a playa-playa, along the lines of Tony Montana.
There’s no other explanation for Hurd allegedly expressing an interest — while meeting with an informant and an undercover agent — in purchasing 5-10 kilograms of cocaine and 1,000 pounds of marijuana … wait for it … per week!
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