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Deron Snyder

Deron Snyder

Deron Snyder is an award-winning journalist and Washington Times sports columnist with more than 25 years of experience. He has worked at USA Today and his column was syndicated in Gannett's 80-plus newspapers from 2000-2009, appearing in The Arizona Republic, The Indianapolis Star, The Detroit News and many others. Follow Deron on Twitter @DeronSnyder or email him at deronwashtimes@gmail.com.

Articles by Deron Snyder

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) celebrates after scoring a three point basket against the Portland Trail Blazers in the first half of Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Sunday, April 21, 2019, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Alonzo Adams)

Russell Westbrook feud with reporter dings NBA

Athletes who are rudely uncooperative with the press do a disservice to their league, in general, and to emotionally invested fans, in particular. That's not good for business or public relations. Published April 22, 2019

Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin, right, of Russia, punches Carolina Hurricanes' Andrei Svechnikov, also of Russia, during the first period of Game 3 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series in Raleigh, N.C., Monday, April 15, 2019. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

Alex Ovechkin shouldn’t be blamed for fighting in hockey

If the league opts to eliminate the practice, fine. But Monday night's main event shouldn't be the deciding factor. That would be a classic overreaction to an unfortunate set of circumstances, a knee-jerk decision fueled by optics, not a clear-headed move based on facts. Published April 17, 2019

Magic Johnson wipes his eyes as he speaks to reporters prior to an NBA basketball game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday, April 9, 2019, in Los Angeles. Johnson abruptly quit as the Lakers' president of basketball operations Tuesday night, citing his desire to return to the simpler life he enjoyed as a wealthy businessman and beloved former player before taking charge of the franchise just over two years ago. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) **FILE**

Magic Johnson did the Lakers — and himself — a favor by stepping down

There's something to be said for realizing you're unhappy and taking steps to change it. There's no getting around the fact that he handled his departure poorly. But whether he "owed" it to James, Buss and/or the franchise to stick around longer is debatable. In fact, you could argue that Johnson has done the Lakers a favor, removing himself as an absentee executive whose heart wasn't in the job. Published April 10, 2019

Washington Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg throws during the first inning of an exhibition spring training baseball game against the Miami Marlins Friday, March 1, 2019, in Jupiter, Fla. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Bryce Harper gone? No problem for reloaded Nationals

Bryce Harper is gone and the Nationals' streak of fruitless postseasons remains. Nothing is going to change the first fact, but obliterating the latter is well within the realm of possibilities. Published March 27, 2019

FILE - In this Sept. 10, 2017, file photo, Los Angeles Angels' Mike Trout is greeted in the dugout after hitting a solo home run in the first inning of a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners in Seattle. A person familiar with the negotiations tells The Associated Press Tuesday, March 19, 2019, that Trout and the Angels are close to finalizing a record $432 million, 12-year contract that would shatter the record for the largest deal in North American sports history.  (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)

SNYDER: On money, athletes take heat either way

Folks use baseball contracts to mock Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray for choosing football with its nonguaranteed deals. And then those same folks criticize athletes like Bryce Harper and Antonio Brown for chasing the last dollar. We can't have it both ways. Published March 20, 2019

FILE - These are 2018 file photos showing, from left, New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham, Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jarvis Landry, Browns defensive end Myles Garrett and Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield. One of the architects of Kansas City’s turnaround, Cleveland Browns general manager John Dorsey has revamped a Cleveland roster that now includes Beckham, Landry, Garrett and Mayfield.  (AP Photo/File)

John Dorsey has transformed Browns

Like Eliza Doolittle in "My Fair Lady," Cleveland was a guttersnipe, one of the league's most raggedy franchises for nearly a quarter-century before John Dorsey showed up as Professor Henry Higgins. Published March 13, 2019

FILE - In this Feb. 28, 2017, file photo, Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown, left, smiles as he is introduced by Steelers President Art Rooney II for a news conference about Brown's contract extension at the NFL football team's headquarters, Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2017, in Pittsburgh. Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown has ended his lengthy standoff with the team by meeting with president Art Rooney II, though any shot at reconciliation between the two sides appears to be out of the question. Brown, who has asked to be traded, posted a picture on various social media accounts on Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2019,  that showed him arm in arm with Rooney at the Palm Beach International Airport. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic, File) **FILE**

Siding with players like Antonio Brown should be your natural inclination

One moment, Brown had zero dollars in guaranteed money over the next three years, plus a dysfunctional relationship with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. The next moment, Brown was headed to the Raiders with $30 million in his pocket and a coach who gushes over him. Published March 11, 2019

This combo of images shows, from left, amateur basketball league director Merl Code, Former Adidas executive James Gatto, and business manager Christian Dawkins. The three men were sentenced Tuesday, March 5, 2019, in the widespread college basketball recruiting scandal that has tainted two dozen schools. Gatto got nine months in prison. Dawkins and Code got six months each.  (AP Photo/Bebeto Mathews, left, Seth Wenig, center and right)

Prosecutors taking wrong approach in NCAA probe

We still have a long way to go in what's essentially United States v. College Basketball As We Know It. Tuesday's development -- in which two former Adidas executives and an aspiring NBA agent received jail time -- was nothing compared to what might lie ahead. Published March 6, 2019

In this photo from Dec. 30, 2018, Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown stands on the sideline before an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, in Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin says he's disappointed in the behavior of star wide receiver Antonio Brown but added the team has not received any formal trade request from Brown's camp. (AP Photo/Don Wright) ** FILE **

Antonio Brown can go bonkers somewhere else

If Antonio Brown's acting up with Pittsburgh -- where he has reached the playoffs in six of nine seasons and never experienced a losing record -- he's liable to go completely bonkers with Washington. Published March 4, 2019

Washington Nationals Bryce Harper, looks at the baseball field from their dug out before the start of the Nationals last home game of the season against the Miami Marlins in Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2018. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) **FILE**

Bryce Harper’s excellent adventure now looks more like a bad horror flick

Surely, the finale is approaching and the credits are about to roll as "Bryce Harper's Unfortunate Offseason" fades to black. Expected to be a blockbuster adventure, it has been a dud of a horror flick, with Harper and agent Scott Boras as the victims and the market playing the killer. Published February 27, 2019

Duke's Zion Williamson (1) celebrates after he scored against North Carolina State during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Durham, N.C., Saturday, Feb. 16, 2019. (AP Photo/Chris Seward) **FILE**

No good reason to bar high school players from NBA draft

I ask the question for the umpteenth time: Is prohibiting high school basketball players from the draft REALLY about their welfare? If so, why isn't there equal concern about delaying professional paychecks for prep golfers, actors, tennis players, singers, etc.? Published February 25, 2019