By DERON SNYDER (as published in The Washington Times)
Even
if no one leaned on Kevin Durant, of course he felt pressure.
Internally,
he was itching to get back, to resume his torrid affair with the game. He was
convinced he could help his teammates rally from a 3-1 series deficit, just
like the Warriors did in 2016 against him and Oklahoma City. He was determined
to prove – to himself and his critics – that he’s as strong as he’s skilled.
Externally,
he knew Golden State was on the verge of losing the NBA Finals. He heard media suggestions
that his absence with a calf strain was due to a lack of toughness and commitment.
He saw an injured Klay Thompson return with a vengeance after missing Game 3.
Golden
State officials were successful in sitting Thompson for a game after the
sharpshooter suffered a strained hamstring. They endured his impassioned plea
to play but let caution rule. “The risk (of re-injury) was too great and being
down 2-1 is not the end of the world,” Thompson told reporters prior to
returning for Game 4.
Being
down 3-1 wasn’t doomsday, either.
But
being on the verge of elimination created a greater sense of urgency for Durant
and Golden State, whether anyone admits it. The questions are how much pressing
came from the player, how much came from the team, and did the doctors/trainers
shirk their responsibility?
By DERON SNYDER (as published in The Washington Times)
As
a child growing up in Brooklyn, I looked forward to attending Harmony Heart
Camp in Pennsylvania every summer. It was my six-week respite from the hustle
and bustle of city life.
Among
the counselors’ primary concerns was sharing the Bible and making sure we were
good Christian boys and girls. But there were plenty of fun things to do, too, including
swimming, rowing, hiking, sports, arts & crafts, and – my favorite activity
– horseback riding.
“Ponyback”
riding is more accurate, but that’s irrelevant.
I
gravitated to the corral and spent most of my time there over the next several
years. This city slicker became quite the young horseman, winning several blue ribbons
in rodeo events and eventually being entrusted to help counselors run the operation:
grooming, saddling, feeding, and administering rides to my fellow campers.
I
wanted to stay around those beautiful animals and began conjuring ways to keep one
at home, despite dwelling in an apartment building. (My mother gently let me
know that such aspirations were futile.) I dreamed of becoming a jockey and/or
working around horses for the rest of my life.
Alas,
the closest I’ve come is covering a Kentucky Derby, covering an opening day at
Saratoga, and spending a few days at Aqueduct to cover a jockey of interest to
my Florida newspaper.
Though
they’ve barely been in my life since I was 14, I still love horses.
I
believe that The Stronach Group (owner of Santa Anita Park), the Thoroughbred
Owners of California, and the California Thoroughbred Trainers feel likewise. I
just question their decision to continue racing in light of two more horse
deaths in two days, bringing the total to 29 at Santa Anita during the current season.
By DERON SNYDER (as published in The Washington Times)
In
“The Godfather,” after an emotional discussion on possibly gunning down a rival
gangster and dirty cop, Michael Corleone utters a classic line: “It’s not
personal. It’s strictly business.”
That
might be Washington left tackle Trent Williams’ favorite part of the movie.
Williams
has spent his entire nine-year career in D.C. No current player has a longer
tenure. He has established himself among
the NFL’s elite at his position. “He’s the best tackle in pro football,” coach
Jay Gruden said Tuesday. “He’s a great player for us, a great leader.”
If
president Bruce Allen and senior vice president of football operations Eric
Schaffer winced a bit upon hearing such laudation, it’s understandable.
Williams doesn’t need any more leverage as he skips mandatory minicamp in hopes
of a new contract.
The
seven-time Pro Bowler already has the team by its proverbial short hairs.
By DERON SNYDER (as published in The Washington Times)
Golden
State plays a beautiful brand of basketball. It arguably has the NBA’s sweetest-shooting
backcourt ever, Steph Curry and Klay Thompson. The ball and the Warriors move with
speed and grace, on slick passes and sharp cuts, often resulting in easy layups
or open jumpers.
It’s
accurate to call their style of play pretty. But don’t be fooled:
The
Warriors are also plenty gritty.
Their
fluid offense, pace-and-space with small-ball lineups, can at times obscure
their toughness and resiliency – traits more commonly associated with plodding bruisers.
Nothing about Golden State is physically imposing. Even former scowl master
DeMarcus Cousins is a softer and gentler version of himself.
However,
when you peel away the transition baskets, three-pointers, back doors, swing passes,
slipped screens, and other aesthetically pleasing optics, you’re left with a
team that’s just as comfortable fighting and clawing as it is running and
gunning.
By DERON SNYDER (as published in The Washington Times)
“This is the best important open job in all of
sports right now.” – owner Ted Leonsis on Wizards’ GM vacancy.
It’s
quite possible that no else in the world agreed with Leonsis when he made that
statement on April 3. And there’s good reason to wonder how much he truly
believed it himself.
“Open”
is the only part of the job assessment that was universally accepted as
accurate.
Eight
weeks later, nothing else has changed. The position remains unfilled and (to candidates
with options) unappealing.
By DERON SNYDER (as published in The Washington Times)
Ladies
and gentlemen, welcome to another exciting edition of America’s favorite sports
pastime, The Blame Game!
Today’s
contestants hail from the Washington Nationals, whom several prognosticators picked
to reach World Series. When we last left
the Nats, they were coming off a disappointing 82-80 season in Dave Martinez’s
inaugural campaign as a major-league skipper.
Now
in his second year at the helm, Martinez is a favorite to win MDB honors – Most
Deserving of Blame. Also in the hunt are the Lerners, general manager Mike
Rizzo, and the injury bug. Each has played a key role in Washington’s 14-21 mark
entering Wednesday, the NL’s second-worst record and the Nationals’ worst winning
percentage since September 2011.
By DERON SNYDER (as published in The Washington Times)
With
all due respect to No. 2-seed Denver and No. 3-seed Portland, there’s a sense
that the Western Conference finals are underway as we speak, even while the aforementioned
teams toil to advance.
The
Nuggets and Trail Blazers have produced a scintillating back-and-forth in their
semifinal matchup, particularly Game 3’s instant-classic, four-overtime
thriller. Neither squad has won consecutive contests and neither has protected its
homecourt, with Denver’s road win Sunday knotting the series at two games
apiece.
Great
stuff.
But
most attention is focused on the other Western conference semi, featuring
three-time champion Golden State and would-be nemesis Houston. Denver and
Portland have plenty of talent between them, but not the star power of Kevin
Durant and James Harden, nor the teams’ recent history and bad blood.
In
Durant and Harden, we’re witnessing the reigning MVPs for the NBA Finals and
NBA regular season. Durant is staking his claim as the league’s best player and
Harden is right behind him, pushing like he did when they battled in practice
as Oklahoma City teammates.
“Hopefully,
he pulled a couple of things from me, but I probably pulled way more things
from him than he got from me,” Durant said via The San Francisco Chronicle.
A
rematch of last season’s Western Conference finals, the Warriors-Rockets series
was looked forward to with great anticipation all season. Unfortunately, Denver
won 54 games to Houston’s 53 (clinching the second seed), while Portland also
won 53 games (securing the third seed on tiebreakers), leading to an
earlier-than-expected reprise.
By DERON SNYDER (as published in The Washington Times)
Here
we go again … with a twist.
Another
athlete has made national headlines for his political views, for stances that drew
attention from the White House. But this time, President Trump has sung the
player’s praises instead of calling him an SOB.
“Congratulations
to Nick Bosa on being picked number two in the NFL Draft,” POTUS tweeted last
week after San Francisco selected the Ohio State defensive end. “You will be a
great player for years to come, maybe one of the best. Big Talent! San
Francisco will embrace you but most importantly, always stay true to yourself.
MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN.”
Ha!
You thought sports and politics don’t mix!
Actually,
this is good. Anything that causes us to look inward and ask difficult questions
– like who we really are and what we really believe – is welcome. Maybe some of
us will pull our heads from wherever and open our eyes.
By DERON SNYDER (as published in The Washington Times)
The
NFL has a laundry list of things done poorly, including its handling of concussions,
player discipline and Colin Kaepernick. But there’s no denying the league has mastered
at least one thing:
Making
a buck.
The
Super Bowl once was just a championship game. Now kickoff merely culminates a
weeklong festival, giving host cities a boost that puts major conventions to
shame. The early offseason once was a dead zone. Now the annual Scouting
Combine is circled on calendars, sort of an Olympics for NFL hopefuls in shorts
and T-shirts.
And
then there’s the draft.
It
once was a dull, drab event held in unvarnished ballrooms. Now the “NFL Draft
Experience” is a slick production that takes place over three days, drawing hundreds
of thousands of fans for interactive festivities. Held in Nashville this year,
beginning Thursday, “the Experience will be the largest to date and the first
to integrate a free concert series,” the league said in a statement.
Considering
the draft’s expense and the attention it draws in the ramp up – let alone on national
TV when the first round gets underway – there’s no way the NFL wants Arizona’s
intentions known ahead of time.
That
would be a waste of perfectly fine drama, suspense and intrigue, even if the
Cardinals know exactly what they plan to do once they’re on the clock. “We’re
still working through things,” Arizona coach Kliff Kingsbury told reporters
Tuesday. “It is a process. I wouldn’t say the hay is in the barn.”
Either
way, the league likely told them to keep the barn doors closed until Thursday, when
the dominoes – and maybe the quarterbacks – start falling.
By DERON SNYDER (as published in The Washington Times)
Maybe
it’s not completely his fault. But I blame agent Drew Rosenhaus.
Nearly
14 years ago, standing alongside client Terrell Owens in front of the star
receiver’s home, Rosenhaus answered several consecutive questions with a dismissive
phrase that pops up sometimes when interview subjects object to the query:
“Next
question.”
Owens
had just read an apology in hopes of returning to the Philadelphia Eagles, who dismissed
him the day before facing Washington in Week 8. Rosenhaus stepped forward after
Owens’ statement and proceeded to embarrass himself in front of the assembled
media, repeatedly uttering the unprofessional and unclever response.
(Rosenhaus
obviously had a different take on the matter, considering that he later wrote a
book titled “Next Question.” The best one that day in New Jersey was from a
reporter who asked what Rosenhaus had accomplished exactly – in eight months as
Owens’ representative – besides getting him kicked off the team. Classic.)
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