Posted on December 17th, 2011
By DERON SNYDER
The late Jack Tatum, one of the hardest hitters in NFL history, played from 1971 to 1980 and never shied away from his reputation, writing a book with the title They Call Me Assassin.
He followed up that effort with a pair of books: They Still Call Me Assassin: Here We Go Again, in 1989, and Final Confessions of an NFL Assassin, in 1996.
Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison plays as if he’s a contemporary of Tatum’s, seeking to carry on the legacy. Never mind that the NFL today is in a different era with different standards.
Harrison either doesn’t get it, doesn’t care or both. And the NFL finally had enough after his latest kill shot, a jarring, helmet-to-facemask blow on Cleveland Browns quarterback Colt McCoy. The league this week suspended him without pay for one game, making Harrison the first player to miss game time as a penalty under the NFL’s revamped policy regarding such collisions.
Continue reading…
Posted on December 17th, 2011
By DERON SNYDER
Wes Unseld embodied toughness for the Washington Bullets throughout the ‘70s, providing an imposing presence in the paint. The same was true of the “Bruise Brothers,” Jeff Ruland and Rick Mahorn, whose picks and elbows were a menace to opponents in the early ‘80s.
No one is suggesting that the 2011-12 Wizards will remind you of your father’s Bullets. But whatever Washington lacks in might, it has the potential to overcome through height.
“It’s intimidating to look at our team,” owner Ted Leonsis said Thursday during the Wizards’ media day at Verizon Center. “We go 7-feet, 6-11, 6-11, and we’re bringing guys who are 6-11 off the bench. Our 6-9 and 6-8 players play with a lot of enthusiasm and energy. It’s a big person’s league.”
Guards and wings get most of the NBA love. But the best way to stop them, or slow them down, or prevent second-shot opportunities, is with formidable bigs near the basket.
That could be a Wizards’ strong point this season.
Continue reading…
Posted on December 15th, 2011
By DERON SNYDER
There aren’t many opportunities to make fun of guys such as Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert, whose estimated net worth of $1.5 billion makes him the 293rd richest American according to Forbes. Even when he acts like a horse’s you-know-what — which has been the case since “The Decision” — those coffers give him a great comeback line.
However, it was comical to watch him moan and cry last year after LeBron James bolted to South Beach. Gilbert added new material to his clown act last week as he lamented the deal that would have sent Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Lakers.
“I just don’t see how we can allow this trade to happen,” Gilbert wrote in an email to NBA officials and owners that was obtained by Yahoo Sports. “When will we just change the name of 25 of the 30 teams to the Washington Generals?”
He didn’t mention which five teams portray the Harlem Globetrotters, but I’m guessing it’s the Lakers, Celtics, Knicks, Heat and Bulls.
(Judging by recent manipulations regarding Paul’s inevitable departure from New Orleans, Lakers/Clippers might be a coupled entry. Maybe Knicks/Nets, too, especially if Deron Williams re-signs and/or Dwight Howard winds up in Brooklyn).
If owners in markets such as Cleveland, New Orleans and Memphis are jealous of their peers in Los Angeles, New York and Chicago, it’s perfectly understandable. Say what you will about life in the big city, but size usually matters when it comes to maximizing your profile and profits.
Continue reading…
Posted on December 12th, 2011
By DERON SNYDER
After embarrassing his university Saturday by helping to spark an ugly, game-ending brawl against crosstown rival University of Cincinnati, Tu Holloway wasn’t done. The senior guard and All-America candidate for Xavier continued to act like a knucklehead during a postgame news conference.
“That’s what you’re going to see from Xavier and Cincinnati,” Holloway said nonchalantly. “We got disrespected a little bit before the game, guys calling us out. We’re a tougher team. We’re grown men over here. We got a whole bunch of gangstas in the locker room. Not thugs, but tough guys on the court. We went out there and zipped ‘em up at the end of the game.”
No, what they did was disgrace themselves and their families, while highlighting a dangerous and pervasive philosophy, particularly among many African-American young men.
On the streets, that mindset can lead to the graveyard or the prison yard. On the court, it can lead to being knocked down by a sucker punch and kicked in the head once you’re on the floor. That’s what happened to Xavier center Kenny Frease, who appeared to be on a peacemaking mission when he was cold cocked by Cincinnati forward Yancy Gates.
Continue reading…
Posted on December 11th, 2011
By DERON SNYDER
That certainly was fun, way more entertaining (and competitive) than anyone imagined. Too bad the Washington Redskins can’t play New England every week.
Sure, the Patriots generate a lot of offense. But they yield a bunch, too. They were the perfect remedy for an inconsistent Redskins attack that posted its most points and most yardage all season, albeit in a 34-27 loss Sunday at FedEx Field.
No one expected a shootout between Tom “Captain America” Brady and Rex Grossman because the latter misfires and shoots his team in the foot too often. But the Redskins couldn’t ask for a more susceptible opponent if their offense ever started to click.
The Patriots’ scoring prowess might skew their defensive numbers a bit, as teams hopelessly behind can pile up inconsequential yards. But New England without the ball doesn’t remind anyone of Baltimore. Opportunities figured to abound against the Patriots – ranked dead last in the NFL in yards per game. The only questions involved the Redskins‘ ability to capitalize.
They did, to a point, amassing 463 yards. There were a slew of big plays, eight passes that covered at least 20 yards (including a 51-yard bomb to Donte Stallworth) and three runs that covered at least 15 yards. Rookie halfback Roy Helu rushed for 126 yards. Stallworth (96 yards) and Jabar Gaffney (92 yards) had huge days against their former team.
Continue reading…
Posted on December 9th, 2011
By DERON SNYDER
The NBA’s decision to void Chris Paul’s trade to the Los Angeles Lakers is wrong on so many levels, deciding where to begin is difficult.
There’s the inherent conflict-of-interest in the league – i.e., the NBA’s other franchises – owning the New Orleans Hornets, leading the ludicrous Dan Gilbert to write that “this trade should go to a vote of the 29 owners of the Hornets.” As if they wouldn’t put their own teams’ interests ahead of the Hornets’ well-being.
There’s the undermining of Hornets’ general manager Dell Demps, who supposedly had full authority and autonomy to run the franchise as he saw fit. Working with officials from the Lakers and Houston Rockets, Demps orchestrated one of the best deals possible for an impending free agent, but the league essentially punked him in the end.
Continue reading…
Posted on December 9th, 2011
By DERON SNYDER
To be completely honest, I never really understood the big deal about Army–Navy.
I got the fact that it’s an incredibly intense rivalry. I saw that they’ve knocked heads since 1890. And the sight of stadium sections packed with soldiers and sailors in dress grays and blues has impressed me as much as anyone.
But it’s not big-time college football. The teams aren’t as good as the ones on TV every week. And virtually none of the players is well known or headed to the NFL.
So nothing against the Black Knights’ and Midshipmen’s annual game, but I never fully comprehended all the passion it prompted.
Until last week.
Fittingly, the revelation occurred at the Army-Navy Country Club, a private entity in Arlington that “draws its membership primarily from Active Duty and Retired commissioned U.S. Military Officers and Warrant Officers,” according to its website, and “is also home to a number of civilian members many of whom have served in our nation’s government.”
It was there, during a media event for Saturday’s game, that I met captains from each team: Steve Erzinger, Max Jenkins and Andrew Rodriguez for Army, Alexander Teich and Jabaree Tuani for Navy.
Continue reading…
Posted on December 9th, 2011
By DERON SNYDER
Life at the U.S. Military Academy couldn’t have been much better for linebacker Andrew Rodriguez as a sophomore in 2009.
He was a starter in all 12 games and led Army with 85 tackles. He excelled in the classroom, en route to a 4.14 grade-point average. His father and a sister, both West Point graduates, stayed safe through deployments and the possibility of deployments.
The Black Knights struggled on the field that year, coach Rich Ellerson’s first, going 5-7 and more importantly losing their eighth consecutive game against Navy. But Rodriguez, an Arlington native and Bishop Ireton High School graduate, was one of the team’s bright spots. Heading into his junior year, his prospects and the team outlook were promising.
Then a routine weightlifting session led to a back injury, wiping out his 2010 season and jeopardizing his 2011 season.
Worse than perhaps never playing again, graduating from West Point came into serious doubt.
Continue reading…
Posted on December 8th, 2011
By DERON SNYDER
At this point, we can’t stop questioning what the deal is with Detroit Lions defensive lineman Ndmuakong Suh.
We thought it might be a bum rap as his reputation grew for being a dirty player. In only his second season, he’s already third on Sports Illustrated’s annual bad-boy list, now called the “NFL’s Meanest Players.”
When Suh initiated a meeting last month to discuss his fines and personal-foul penalties with league officials, including NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, we thought it was a shrewd, pre-emptive move that might cut him some slack and reduce his offenses. “I have gained a better understanding of how I need to continue to play the game to help my team win,” Suh said in a statement after the meeting.
But then he turned into a big turkey on Thanksgiving, stomping on an opponent in Detroit’s loss. The blatant, unsportsmanlike conduct outraged Suh’s critics and earned him a two-game suspension from the league.
Now his behavior is in question again after he crashed his car last weekend in his Portland, Ore., hometown. Suh called 911 after the crash and said, “Yes, everyone is fine” when the dispatcher asked. He also filed a police report that indicated the same.
But two passengers in the car have contradicted his story.
Continue reading…
Posted on December 5th, 2011
By DERON SNYDER
The Escalade that he crashed on Thanksgiving 2009 was the beginning of a long and winding road for Tiger Woods, taking him from voicemails to divorce court, from surgery to revamped swing, from new coach to new caddie (the human version).
But there was never a win along the way.
Until Sunday, when he birdied the last two holes to win the Chevron World Challenge by one stroke. And just like that, it was as if the former No. 1 golfer had never gone away. There he was, in his traditional red shirt, pumping his fist and letting out a roar.
Continue reading…
Follow
By DERON SNYDER
