Skip to content
TRENDING:
Donald Trump
Advertisement
Author profile
Deron Snyder

Deron Snyder

deronsnyder@gmail.com

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

A Big East Conference logo is displayed on the court after Georgetown played Western Carolina in an NCAA college basketball game at the Verizon Center in Washington, on Saturday, Dec. 15, 2012. The seven Big East schools that don't play FBS football have decided to leave the conference and pursue a new basketball framework. The seven schools are: Georgetown, St. John's, Villanova, DePaul, Marquette, Seton Hall and Providence. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

SNYDER: Big East pays price for abandoning its values

The Big East's chickens haven't come home to roost. They've come back to destroy the place, ripping off the ceiling, knocking down the walls and smashing up the foundation. They've come home and created a shambles, just like the Big East has decimated Conference USA, twice.

December 16, 2012
New Western Kentucky head coach Bobby Petrino smiles during an NCAA college football news conference, Monday, Dec. 10, 2012, in Bowling Green, Ky. The 51-year-old was fired by Arkansas in April for a "pattern of misleading" behavior following an accident in which the coach was injured while riding a motorcycle with his mistress as a passenger but now wants to make the most of his second chance. (AP Photo/The Daily News, Joe Imel)

SNYDER: WKU will let Bobby Petrino atone for sins

When a big-boy school welcomes Bobby Petrino as the new football coach, in a year or two, it can thank Western Kentucky for paving the way. Until then, the Hilltoppers can thank Tennessee, Auburn and Kentucky for being phonies, hypocrites and cowards.

December 11, 2012
Washington Redskins defensive back Jordan Pugh (32) sacks Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco (5) in the second half at FedEx Field in Landover Md., on Sunday, December 9, 2012. Washington Redskins won 31 to 28. (Craig Bisacre/The Washington Times)

SNYDER: Ravens, Joe Flacco can’t seal the deal

Losing back-to-back games — on the final play of regulation last week and in overtime on Sunday — is no way to begin your stretch run. It's also no way to bolster your argument for consideration as an elite quarterback.

December 9, 2012
Redskins cornerback Cedric Griffin (left) was suspended four games for using Adderall. (Craig Bisacre/The Washington Times)

SNYDER: Focusing in on Adderall

Playing defensive back in the NFL has never been harder. They barely can touch a wide receiver past the line of scrimmage. They must master physics while delivering hits over the middle. They must stay in coverage longer and longer against pass-happy offenses and quarterback-friendly rules.

December 6, 2012
Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III (10) and Washington Redskins wide receiver Pierre Garcon (88) celebrate on the sideline after Washington Redskins wide receiver Josh Morgan (15) scores on a 13 yard run off of a fumble by Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III (10) to put the Redskins up 7-3 in the first quarter as the Washington Redskins play the New York Giants for monday night football at FedEx Field, Landover, Md., Monday, December 3, 2012. (Andrew Harnik/The Washington Times)

SNYDER: Redskins cultivating a winning mindset

Santana Moss reached the playoffs in three of his first four NFL seasons, all with the New York Jets. After Washington acquired him in 2005 for Laveranues Coles, via a straight-up trade, Moss advanced to the postseason in two of his first three years with the Redskins. He was accustomed to such success, having lost just eight times in three seasons at Miami, going 3-0 in bowl games.

December 4, 2012
Washington Redskins wide receiver Josh Morgan (15) celebrates with Washington Redskins wide receiver Pierre Garcon (88) after scoring on a 13-yard run off of a fumble by quarterback Robert Griffin III (10) to put the Redskins up 7-3 in the first quarter as the Redskins play the New York Giants on Monday Night Football at FedEx Field, Landover, Md., Dec. 3, 2012. (Andrew Harnik/The Washington Times)

SNYDER: Redskins want a seat at the table for contenders

The won-lost column doesn't include moral victories, which allegedly are nonexistent if you ask coaches and players. But most of us can find some satisfaction in defeats, especially when your team exceeds expectations. If it plays well and remains competitive throughout a game against a championship-caliber opponent, that often suffices if it's more than you imagined.

December 4, 2012
**FILE** Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher walks off the field Dec. 19, 2010, during the third quarter of an NFL football game against the St. Louis Rams in St. Louis. Police say Belcher fatally shot his girlfriend early Saturday, Dec. 1, 2012, in Kansas City, Mo., then drove to Arrowhead Stadium and committed suicide in front of his coach and general manager. (Associated Press)

SNYDER: Who’s big enough to bring NFL to a halt?

We don't know what drove Jovan Belcher to kill his girlfriend, in front of their infant daughter and his mother, before heading to the Kansas City Chiefs' practice facility and killing himself. But in the wake of this tragedy, I find myself pondering another question, too: Whose death would be enough to alter the NFL's almighty schedule?

December 2, 2012
FILE - In this July 23, 2007, file photo, New York Yankees starting pitcher Roger Clemens throws against Kansas City Royals' David DeJesus in the first inning of a baseball game in Kansas City, Mo. Clemens, Barry Bonds and Sammy Sosa are set to show up on the Hall of Fame ballot for the first time on Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2012, and fans will soon find out whether drug allegations block the former stars from reaching baseball's shrine. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga, File)

SNYDER: Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens merit vote into Hall

Baseball's latest Hall of Fame ballot, a referendum dreaded for several years, was released this week. Now all of the hypothetical debates on enshrining steroid users will play out for real, argued by roughly 600 members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America. And those fine folks receive a lone instruction for making their determination:

November 29, 2012
Brooklyn Nets guard Deron Williams (8) drives against New York Knicks guard J.R. Smith (8) in the first half of their NBA basketball game at Barclays Center, Monday, Nov. 26, 2012, in New York. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

SNYDER: Knicks-Nets rivalry already blossoming in the Big Apple

With few exceptions, professional sports rarely contain the emotion and fervor normally associated with the college game. Aside from storied matchups like Lakers-Celtics, Cowboys-Redskins and Yankees-Red Sox, passion runs a lot cooler at the pay-for-play level.

November 27, 2012
Washington Wizards head coach Randy Wittman argues with referee James Williams in the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Atlanta Hawks at Philips Arena in Atlanta, Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2012. Atlanta won 101-100 in overtime. (AP Photo/David Tulis)

SNYDER: 11 games in, Wizards a lost cause

Woeful Wizards. Not only does the phrase roll off the tongue much easier than Washington Wizards, it's an accurate description of current conditions. The NBA's only winless team is a national laughingstock, a punch line waiting to happen for comics, columnists and late-night TV hosts. What a joke!

November 25, 2012
Baltimore free safety Ed Reed was suspended one game by the NFL for illegal hits, but his punishment was changed to a $50,000 fine. (Associated Press)

SNYDER: Line blurs on legal, illegal hits in NFL

In attempting to predict Russia's role in World War II, Winston Churchill called it "a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma." I could say the same thing about finding a solution to the NFL's safety problem.

November 22, 2012
Big Ten Commissioner James Delany speaks at a news conference to announce the University of Maryland's decision to move to the Big Ten in College Park, Md., Monday, Nov. 19, 2012. Maryland is joining the Big Ten, leaving the Atlantic Coast Conference in a shocker of a move in the world of conference realignment that was driven by the school's budget woes. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

SNYDER: So what if Maryland’s switch to Big Ten was all about the money?

Maryland's move to the Big Ten went from rumor to fact at a dizzying rate over the weekend. Likewise, personal opinion about the switch lurched sharply during those 48 hours. By the time the news was official Monday, my feelings had traversed every extreme of the emotional spectrum.

November 20, 2012
Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III (10) scrambles in the second quarter as the Washington Redskins play the Philadelphia Eagles at FedEx Field, Landover, Md., Sunday, Nov. 18, 2012. (Andrew Harnik/The Washington Times)

SNYDER: Redskins’ feel-good win comes with caveats

When wins for the Redskins have been scarcer than African-American votes for Mitt Romney, complaints about the quality show a lack of gratitude. Victories in the NFL are not to be taken lightly, no matter the opponent or whatever transpired during the game. The standings only reflect the ends, not the means.

November 18, 2012