Deron Snyder
Articles by Deron Snyder
SNYDER: No Redskins QB controversy now — maybe later
Once again, it's time to check off some items on my "TIDU List" — Things I Don't Understand, including the RG3-Kirk Cousins debate. Published August 13, 2014
SNYDER: Kevin Ward Jr.’s death reminds us how dangerous emotion can be in extreme sports
The loss of life on a racetrack is tragic under any circumstances, but this instance is particularly sad because it has nothing to do with racing, per se. Instead, it has everything to do with the macho, tough-guy posturing that exists in the sport's undercurrent. Published August 11, 2014
SNYDER: With Becky Hammon, champion Spurs keep cutting unique path
There wasn't much more the Spurs could do to separate themselves from fellow NBA teams … unless you're talking about winning more championships. But like it or not, the franchise moved further from the pack Tuesday when it added Hammon to the staff, making her the first female full-time assistant coach in NBA history. Published August 6, 2014
SNYDER: Service academies should lead fight against sexual violence
Students at the Air Force Academy, West Point and the Naval Academy are supposed to be different. They're supposed to adhere to honor codes and higher behavior standards befitting of officers in our armed forces. It might not be the case on other college campuses, but "character" is supposed to be more than a cliché when you'll don your country's uniform upon graduation. Published August 4, 2014
SNYDER: Is Durant coming home to D.C. as a free agent in 2016?
Kevin Durant, a four-time NBA scoring champ and D.C. native, made waves Tuesday at Team USA's training camp in Las Vegas. All it took was speaking openly and honestly about perhaps joining the Wizards as a free agent in 2016. Published July 30, 2014
SNYDER: Steroid era feats still warrant Hall review
Voters don't want to honor steroid era stars with plaques in Cooperstown and the ability to write "HOF" alongside their autographs. But I see enshrinement more as acknowledging the obvious: They were among the greatest players during a period when many used performance-enhancing drugs. Published July 28, 2014
SNYDER: Michael Sam a pioneer, but Tony Dungy doesn’t need to be
A handful of hearty men and women accept the challenges — the commotion, division, frenzy, contention, etc. — that the rest of us, like Dungy, would rather do without. That doesn't automatically mean we're evil or hateful. It doesn't mean we're rooting against anyone. It just means we lack the fortitude to be a pioneer. Published July 23, 2014
SNYDER: Robert Griffin III, Jay Gruden perfect together — for now
Griffin is fully recovered from the knee injury that severely hampered his performance last season. Gruden is eager, energetic and enthusiastic, raring to start his first training camp as an NFL head coach. Published July 22, 2014
SNYDER: Nationals flush with possibilities as second half kicks in
This is more like it. This is what we expected from the Washington Nationals all along, winning a pair here and three-of-a-kind there, settling in at the table with one of baseball's best hands. Published July 21, 2014
SNYDER: Emmanuel Mudiay’s decision to skip college another step toward sea change
Widely considered the nation's top guard entering next season, Mudiay first sent shockwaves by choosing SMU over bluebloods Kentucky and Kansas. It was a tremendous coup for coach Larry Brown and positioned the Mustangs as a Top 10 preseason team. But now, Brown joins John Calipari and Bill Self in lamenting the 6-foot-5 point guard as another who got away. Published July 16, 2014
SNYDER: Like it or not, Derek Jeter is reason to watch All-Star game
We don't know how, we don't know who and we don't know when. But the New York Yankees shortstop will be honored Tuesday night in his final All-Star Game. The players just have to think of something different than last year, when former Yankees closer Mariano Rivera wound up taking the field by himself and basking in a long round of applause. Published July 14, 2014
SNYDER: Robert Griffin III worth his weight in bronze to Baylor
I'm neither a Baylor University alum nor a fan of the Baylor Bears. But I know what I'd say to outsiders who oppose Robert Griffin III's upcoming statue outside the school's new stadium: Mind your business. Published July 9, 2014
SNYDER: Upon further review, MLB instant replay remains beholden to human element
Cutting-edge technology at every conceivable angle still can't overcome the old-fashioned synapses found in baseball umpires and MLB's New York-based replay officials. No matter how many bad calls are made right, the resentment is palpable when incorrect rulings are allowed to stand. Published July 7, 2014
SNYDER: Musings on Bryce Harper, Tim Howard and more
Full-blown jerkdom is ahead for the Nationals' wunderkind unless he changes course. Coming off the disabled list (again) and offering unsolicited lineup advice is wrong for established vets, let alone 21-year-olds in their third season. Published July 2, 2014
SNYDER: Turns out, Jurgen Klinsmann pushed the right buttons for U.S.
I never understood the big deal about Klinsmann's comment about the U.S. not being ready to win the World Cup. It seemed like the perfect combination of tampering public expectations and challenging the team to reach deeper. Coaches always do the latter in private, during practices and meetings, but they usually refuse to let unfiltered truth seep out during interviews. Published June 30, 2014
SNYDER: LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony make NBA offseason worth watching
Wherever James and Anthony land, watching the process play out will be a blast. The fate of Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh makes a nice subplot. So does Minnesota's contemplations of trading Kevin Love before he walks away for nothing (the scenario that brought Anthony to New York from Denver). Published June 25, 2014
SNYDER: For a month, we’re soccer fans — and there’s nothing wrong with that
For four weeks (even with the inevitable dip when the United States is eliminated), headers, corner kicks and equalizers are mentioned in a high percentage of sports conversations. Folks who don't know the difference between yellow cards and green cards become temporary soccer buffs every four years, like clockwork. I am one. And I am not ashamed. Published June 23, 2014
SNYDER: Tony Gwynn’s death reinforces need for baseball tobacco ban
Addictions aren't broken that easily, especially not in a culture where tobacco is as ingrained as sunflower seeds and bubble gum. Having a ban in the minors, but not the majors, simply means users cheat or find workarounds until they're called up, where they're free to dip and chew at will. Published June 18, 2014
SNYDER: R.C. Buford, architect of another Spurs championship, deserves more credit
Pat Riley would win soundly in a popularity contest. Many NBA fans don't know what Buford does for a living and most couldn't identify him in a lineup. But the disparity in versatility and overall talent compared to the Spurs is painfully obvious. Published June 16, 2014
SNYDER: If lawsuits don’t kill NCAA, its members might
The NCAA that we've come to know and despise is in critical condition with a prognosis that suggests the end is near. The equivalent of flesh-eating bacteria are close to devouring the body from within. Outside, it is suffering injury from a series of blows that ultimately could be fatal. Published June 11, 2014
