Posted on February 23rd, 2016
By DERON SNYDER
There’s a thin line between honoring a legend and making a mockery of the game.
Retirement tours are susceptible to falling on the wrong side.
Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers are just the latest example. The ultimate case occurred two years ago when Derek Jeter capped his 20-year career with a farewell tour that felt nearly as long.
Chipper Jones, Mariano Rivera, Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Julius Erving also enjoyed notable goodbye treks.
To be honest, I see the appeal. Loads of cool gifts are received. And it’s one last chance to bask in admiration from opposing fans and players. In Bryant’s case, experiencing so much love on the road is brand-new. His final visit to Chicago was more of the same, from the video tribute, to the special starting-lineup announcement (delivered by former teammate Pau Gasol), to the hand-written signs, the “Ko-be!” chants and the extended ovations.
“I’m at peace, extremely at peace,” he told reporters Sunday prior to the 126-115 loss, the Lakers’ 46th defeat in 57 games this season. “I keep waiting for the hammer to drop. At some point it really has to hit, but it hasn’t hit me yet. I feel it’s the right thing and I’m ready to move on.”
All of us should be ready to move on. But there are eight weeks left, including final visits to Memphis, Denver, Phoenix, Utah, New Orleans, Houston and, his last road game, Oklahoma City.
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Posted on February 16th, 2016
By DERON SNYDER
Leadership architect Sam Chand has a simple definition for an organization’s culture. From an insider’s point of view, it’s: “This is how we do things here.”
Every place has a culture, formed by what’s valued and what’s celebrated, what’s rewarded and what’s punished. That’s true in homes, workplaces, churches and schools.
According to six women who filed a federal lawsuit last week, the University of Tennessee athletic department does things in a despicable way regarding sexual assaults and student-athletes, particularly football players. The school’s alleged handling of cases is not only loathsome but illegal, too, a violation of Title IX laws meant to protect students from gender discrimination in federally funded education programs.
The story sounds familiar because we’ve heard similar charges way too often in the last few years.
There’s the former Florida State official who claims football players accused of sexual assault receive special treatment and most victims decline to press student conduct charges. There’s the University of Minnesota administrator who last summer emailed concerns about reports of sexual assault involving “individual players” and “groups of football players.” Interestingly, the Golden Gophers’ then-athletic director, Norwood Teague, resigned in August for sexually harassing two female colleagues at a leadership retreat.
There’s former Baylor University defensive end Sam Ukwuachu – convicted in August of sexually assaulting a women’s soccer player after he was cleared in a “school investigation” – and former Baylor defensive end Tevin Elliott – accused of sexually assaulting five women from October 2009 to April 2012 before an incident led to his conviction in January 2014.
There have been high-profile cases at Vanderbilt, Missouri, Colorado and Montana, presumably with cases elsewhere that we can’t remember or never heard about.
From the outside looking in, a number of athletic departments use cover-ups and pseudo probes to handle claims of sexual misconduct.
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Posted on February 11th, 2016
By DERON SNYDER
As a lover of basketball, Gregg Popovich abhors “Hack-a-Shaq,” intentionally fouling opposing players who are hideous free throw shooters.
As coach of the San Antonio Spurs, Popovich readily embraces the strategy.
“I hate it,” he told reporters Tuesday. “It’s ugly. But I’m going to do it. You don’t want me to do it anymore, learn how to shoot a free throw.”
That’s seemingly impossible for Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond (.381 career free throw percentage), Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan (.418) and Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard (.571). Those players combined have drawn roughly 69 percent of Hack-a-Player fouls this season.
But there’s another way to stop Pop and fellow coaches from continuing the custom: Change the rules.
The debate on intentional fouls dates to the Wilt Chamberlain era. The NBA instituted the current rule for off-the-ball fouls after watching Chamberlain, a notoriously poor free throw shooter, run away from opponents trying to foul him late in games. Now, whenever away-from-the-play fouls are committed in the final two minutes of regulation and overtime periods, any teammate already in the game shoots a free throw and his team retains possession.
Teams still can hack away for the first 46 minutes and it wasn’t much of an issue. But an increasing number of coaches are utilizing the practice. ESPN reports that the number of intentional fouls entering last weekend was 266.
The total all of last season was 164.
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Posted on February 8th, 2016
By DERON SNYDER
Quarterbacks dominated the story line entering Super Bowl 50, which is only natural considering they play sports most prominent and predominant position. Most of the talk centered on Cam Newton’s emergence as the NFL MVP and Peyton Manning’s presumed last go-around.
We mentioned that Denver possessed the league’s No. 1 defense and Carolina wasn’t too shabby at No. 6. But the main questions were how the Broncos could stop the Panthers, who led the NFL in scoring, and how Manning could generate much offense at all, after failing to do so for much of the season.
As it turned out, Manning got to pound Budweiser enjoy a second Super Bowl win but he was merely along for the ride. Denver’s defense and MVP Von Miller were the real story Sunday, reminding everyone that some old adages still ring true, even in today’s pass-happy, big-hit-averse, fantasy-friendly NFL.
Elders told us what wins titles. Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall blamed the media for letting younger generations forget.
“You guys influence peoples’ minds to think, ‘it’s all offense, it’s all passing, it’s all this, it’s all that,’” he told reporters after Denver’s 24-10 victory. “Defense wins championships. Two years ago, the Seahawks thrashed us. Best defense in the league. This year, we soundly beat the Carolina Panthers. Best defense in the league. It happens all the time.”
The Panthers went three-and-out on their first possession and Denver punched them in the mouth on their second. Miller wrested the football from Newton on a strip-sack that was recovered for a touchdown. Newton’s size and strength was no match for Miller, who took the ball like a bully picking on a nerd.
Newton was never the same after that. His confidence was shot and his enthusiasm was sapped. His facial expressions throughout the game conveyed a sense of deep stress. He seemed to labor in his breathing, trying to figure out where Miller or DeMarcus Ware would appear next. The Broncos finished with seven sacks, including another forced-fumble by Miller that led to Denver’s only offensive TD with three minutes left in the game.
Somewhere, Tom Brady was empathizing. The New England QB was hit 17 times and sacked four times by Denver in the AFC Championship. Newton was thought to be too mobile to suffer a similar beating, but he couldn’t overcome his offensive line’s open-door policy.
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Posted on February 3rd, 2016
By DERON SNYDER (as published in The Washington Times)
Doug Flutie was a short quarterback. Colin Kaepernick is a skinny quarterback. Dan McGwire was a tall quarterback. Jared Lorenzen is a fat quarterback.
It’s beyond me how anyone blessed with the gift of vision doesn’t notice those physical distinctions, claiming to be height-blind or weight-blind. Are they hair-blind, too, oblivious to the long-flowing locks of Richard Sherman and Clay Matthews?
Of course not.
Yet, some folks insist we should ignore the obvious when it comes to, say, Cam Newton, or racial minorities in general. We’re supposed to be colorblind, acting as if black and brown skin isn’t discernible from lighter hues.
If you think that viewpoint is ideal, or even realistic, you’re deluding yourself.
The problem isn’t recognizing that Newton – gasp! – is a black quarterback. It’s the assumptions, preconceptions, biases and stereotypes that can follow the acknowledgment.
People don’t face nearly as many subliminal judgments based on height or weight compared to skin. Instantaneous assessments based on the latter have been seared into our nation’s consciousness since before we became a nation. Most of us are unaware of the implicit pre-judging that occurs in our minds and subtly shapes our thought process.
Newton’s color is irrelevant from the moment the ball is snapped until the whistle blows. Sure, we can ascribe racial traits to his style of play but that’s intellectually lazy, as if John Elway wasn’t a precursor to Newton like Steve Young preceded Michael Vick.
It’s everything else about Newton that fans the flames of melanin-based animosity: the exuberance, the dancing, the clothes, the out-sized personality. That what gets outright racists riled up and can stir subconscious negativity in good-hearted, well-intentioned folks as well.
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Posted on February 1st, 2016
By DERON SNYDER
ESPN reported over the weekend that Detroit Lions star wideout Calvin Johnson decided to retire.
Other weekend reports suggest that Cleveland Browns star bust Johnny Manziel also decided to retire.
The only difference is Manziel doesn’t realize it.
Johnson will go down as an all-time great, the Lions’ franchise leader in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. No NFL player has accumulated more receiving yards and receiving touchdowns since Johnson was drafted in 2007.
The five-time Pro Bowler is only 30 years old, but his body is battered and his desire has waned. Detroit fans are experiencing an unwanted case of déjà vu, harkening to the early retirement of Hall of Fame halfback Barry Sanders. The two best things the Lions enjoyed over the last four decades ended abruptly and prematurely.
But at least they left good memories and major accomplishments behind.
Manziel will leave Cleveland fans with nothing but questions, regrets and viral videos over two wasted seasons.
The latest in a slew of unfortunate incidents occurred Saturday morning in suburban Dallas. We’ve reached the point where no one is surprised when Manziel appears in the news for drunken behavior, domestic disputes or run-ins with fans. We’re subconsciously braced for the worst – Manziel harming himself or others – with little hope he’ll reverse course.
For the second time in four months, Manziel is under investigation for an altercation with a girlfriend. No charges were filed in October and no arrests were made Saturday. But according to a police report, the woman in Dallas was so worried about Manziel’s mental and physical well-being, authorities used a helicopter to search for him.
The department “will deploy all useful personnel or tools available to fully investigate any call,” Fort Worth police spokesman Cpl. Tracey Knight told reporters. “Especially when there is a concern for health or safety of a person.”
Who knows where it will end for Manziel? The next time a helicopter is deployed, he might be in a white Bronco.
Read more…
Posted on January 27th, 2016
By DERON SNYDER
Commissioner Rob Manfred insists he didn’t intend to rile up baseball’s Hatfields and McCoys, the faction of fans who adore the designated-hitter rule and the faction that despises it. But that’s exactly what Manfred did when he responded to a question last week at the owners’ meetings.
“Twenty years ago, when you talked to National League owners about the DH, you’d think you were talking some sort of heretical comment,” Manfred told reporters Jan. 21. “But we have a newer group. There’s been turnover. And I think our owners in general have demonstrated a willingness to change the game in ways that we think would be good for the fans, always respecting the history and traditions of the sport.”
This is what the pro-DH group heard: Shots fired!
No other sport views the past with as much reverence as baseball, where grainy, black-and-white highlights make the Zapruder film seem like high-def. Baseball is the only sport that routinely brings up old greats like Babe Ruth and Joe DiMaggio and uses them as measuring sticks for modern-day players. The national pastime has spawned a ferocious species of fan – dinosaurus puris – that bites off heads when history and tradition are threatened.
The DH might be the final frontier, one of the last vestiges tying the sport to its origins. The American League stopped forcing pitchers to bat in April 1973, when the New York Yankees’ Ron Bloomberg stepped in against the Red Sox’ Luis Tiant but never took the field. Ever since then, the AL and the NL have played distinctly different styles of baseball and fans have taken sides.
Manfred’s recent remarks gave hope to those who prefer to see nine hitters per lineup versus eight plus a pitcher. Nothing sinks their spirits lower than a two-out scoring chance early in the game with the starter coming to bat. Talk about your buzzkill.
Conversely, DH critics roll their eyes at the junior circuit’s brand of ball. They liken the strategy – if agreeing that any exists – to a simple game of checkers, requiring little thought by managers. If the only goal is lighting up the scoreboard, there’s always beer-league softball for that.
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Posted on January 18th, 2016
By DERON SNYDER
The following isn’t hindsight. My wife can vouch for me, because I said it aloud as soon as Aaron Rodgers completed his remarkable, insanely athletic pass for a 41-yard touchdown on the final play of regulation against Arizona.
The thought leaped to mind instantly: “Green Bay should go for two.”
Arizona’s defense was reeling, shell-shocked after yielding the Hail Mary and a 60-yard completion on fourth-and-20 a few plays earlier. The Packers trailed by one point with no time on the clock. Coach Mike McCarthy faced a crucial decision: Convert the two-point conversion and win the game, or kick the extra-point and see what happens with the coin flip.
It should’ve been an easy choice.
But football coaches have been “playing it safe” since the advent of leather helmets. The book says it’s better to head into overtime than risk everything on one snap from the opponent’s 2-yard line. A prodigious amount of testicular fortitude is required to buck conventional wisdom and open yourself to scathing criticism. If McCarthy went for two and failed, he’d never hear the end of it.
That makes no sense, but it’s true. Conversely, very little has been mentioned about his decision to play for the tie. Virtually all of the postgame discussion has centered on overtime’s format, which kept Rodgers on the sideline as Arizona’s Larry Fitzgerald gained all 80 yards on the game-ending touchdown drive.
“It comes down to a coin flip sometimes after a long hard-fought game,” Rodgers told reporters after the game, “back and forth, bizarre plays made by both teams, and unfortunately it comes down to that.”
What’s unfortunate is McCarthy’s failure to seize the moment. His team was an underdog on the road. The fact that only one point separated Green Bay and Arizona after Rodgers’ final heave was miraculous. Cardinals coach Bruce Arians’ hyper-aggressiveness on the previous series had aided the Packers, giving them about 35 extra seconds for their final drive. All McCarthy had to do was dial up a successful two-point conversion and the Packers would be headed to Carolina.
And get this: Despite all the flack he would’ve taken if the play failed, going for two in that situation gave McCarthy a better chance of winning!
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Posted on January 13th, 2016
By DERON SNYDER
From Madison Avenue to Capitol Hill and from network headquarters to mayors’ offices, the National Football League is accustomed to getting its way. The line in “Concussion” was absolutely true: The NFL owns a day of the week.
It has stakes in Mondays and Thursdays, too, plus select Saturdays.
All of that power can go to a league’s head, making it feel invincible and impervious. Such entities believe they can do what they want, when they want and how they want, going through the motions of negotiating, building consensus and working in good faith.
But whenever necessary, the billionaires’ club breaks out enough brass knuckles and lead pipes to make Jimmy Hoffa smile from his end-zone crypt in Jersey. Or, it slaps unruly subjects in the face and sweet-talks them into remaining loyal, like the dynamics between supervisors and employees in the world’s oldest profession.
St. Louis went to bed Tuesday night as a scorned lover. The Rams are headed back to Los Angeles, from whence they came in 1995. That indignity makes St. Louis a two-time loser, previously dumped by the Cardinals in 1988.
A lesson in karma? St. Louis had no problem playing a role in Los Angeles’ heartbreak two decades ago. Jilted partners welcoming another city’s former mate is part of the NFL.
Arizona opened it arms for the Cardinals. When the Colts slipped out in the middle of the night in 1984, Baltimore used its charm to seduce the Browns from Cleveland. Nashville agreed to lie down with Houston’s Oilers in 1997. Los Angles took in the Raiders in 1982 but watched them return home to Oakland in 1995.
St. Louis grieves the loss of its (putrid) NFL franchise but the relationship didn’t have to end this way. The Chargers and Raiders had a deal to leave for L.A. and share a stadium in Carson, Calif., which would’ve left the Rams as odd team out. Unfortunately for St. Louis fans, Rams owner Stan Kroenke is better at league politics and has stronger supporters than Raiders owner Mark Davis, who’s still paying for the sins of his father.
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Posted on January 11th, 2016
By DERON SNYDER
Bowl season – capped by Monday’s College Football Playoff championship – and March Madness – which ends with the Final Four in April – always bring two colors to mind: green and black.
They represent the vast sums of money being raked in and the vast majority of athletes being raked over.
Increasingly, the annual climaxes for intercollegiate revenue sports unleash streams of debate on what’s right and what’s fair. Colleges, athletic departments and administrators are experiencing exponential growth in income and salaries, while the football and basketball players who produce the wealth largely operate under the quaint “student-athlete” model crafted in the mid-1950s.
Alabama’s Bear Bryant was 15 years away from integrating his football team (beating LSU and Ole Miss by one season) back then. Adolph Rupp was 10 years away from leading his Kentucky Wildcats against a Texas Western squad that had five black starters and changed the face of college basketball.
Back then, college sports was all white, with very little green. The situation has flipped in the half-century since, and justifiying the status quo has become increasingly difficult. I once resided on the other side of the argument, believing that a scholarship was fair compensation for the football and basketball players who generate billions of dollars. I contended that developing a system for compensation would be too difficult and messy, too hard to decide who gets what and why.
But the money grew to the point where my continued defense of the longstanding arrangement became impossible. The situation is morally repulsive. Here’s how Donald Yee puts it in a recent op-ed published in The Washington Post:
“Most fans of college football and basketball go along with the pretense, looking past the fact that the NCAA makes nearly $1 billion a year from unpaid labor,” writes Yee, a sports agent whose clients include New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton.
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