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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

San Francisco quarterback Alex Smith folds under the pressure of a hit by St. Louis linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar on Nov. 11, 2012. Smith later left the game with a concussion.

SNYDER: QBs went down with concussions at a dizzying pace

On Monday, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Brady Quinn missed his second consecutive game as he recovers from a concussion. On Sunday, one-fourth of the games featured a starting quarterback who was knocked out of action with a concussion. At least nine other players suffered similar head injuries in Week 10 (making it a typical NFL week), but they're virtually an afterthought.

November 13, 2012
Washington Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan walks on the sidelines during the first half of an NFL football game against the Carolina Panthers Sunday, Nov. 4, 2012, in Landover, Md. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

SNYDER: Mike Shanahan’s comments heard loud and clear

Mike Shanahan, like his performance as Redskins coach and spokesman, is open to interpretation. His record in Washington, his postgame comments, his player personnel skills, his ability to inspire confidence -- everything about his tenure requires clarifiers on one hand and qualifiers on the other.

November 6, 2012
andrew harnik/the washington times Redskins cornerback Josh Wilson had a difficult day against Panthers receiver Steve Smith, who scored on this 19-yard catch during the second quarter. It was Smith’s first touchdown reception of the season. Wilson also drew two pass-interference penalties, one of which he contested with an official (below) during the fourth quarter.

SNYDER: Life is draining out of Redskins’ season pass by pass

The early-season excitement, the euphoria surrounding Robert Griffin III is gone. The Washington Redskins' fast start and unexpected promise has evaporated. Hope that a change was at hand in Mike Shanahan's third season at the helm has disappeared.

November 4, 2012
Alabama coach Nick Saban watches his team prior to an NCAA college football game against Mississippi State at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., Saturday, Oct. 27, 2012. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

SNYDER: Pay players, crush the NCAA’s cartel

The NCAA is patting itself on the back after passing a series of sweeping changes that will make cheating costlier for coaches and athletic programs. The threat of season-long suspensions, lengthier postseason bans and heftier fines is supposed to cleanse the underbelly of big-time college sports.

November 1, 2012
LeBron James and world champion Miami face Boston on Tuesday, while Washington coach Randy Wittman and the Wizards start their season at Cleveland. Also, Dallas visits the Los Angeles Lakers. (Associated Press)

SNYDER: Two treats, one trick to start NBA season

Someone in the NBA office has a cruel sense of humor. Either that or the schedule-maker discovered a problem very late in the process and devised a quick-fix solution that sticks out like a polka-dot basketball.

October 30, 2012
Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma speaks with Kelly Faris (34) as Brianna Banks (13) listens during practice before the NCAA college basketball team's media day in Storrs, Conn., Tuesday, Oct. 16, 2012. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

SNYDER: Lower rim, raise hopes for women’s hoops players

Having rediscovered the love of basketball, my 13-year-old recently tried out for her middle school team and made the final cut. This will be her first organized play in several years, dating to the phase when she was a veritable tomboy who lived and breathed hoops.

October 23, 2012

SNYDER: Slaying of prep hoops star Ben Wilson resonates 28 years later

Few things bring complete strangers together more than sports and tragedies. Whether we're residents celebrating a world title or residents navigating natural (or man-made) disasters, we're in it together. The common bond unites in moments like those, making it easier to see ourselves in one another.

October 18, 2012
Ray Lewis is a 13-time Pro Bowl selection, two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year and the MVP of Super Bowl XXXV. (Associated Press)

SNYDER: Time, injury catch up to Ray Lewis

Ray Lewis was a year older and a step slower last month as he began his 17th NFL season. He covered less ground on pass plays and offered less resistance on running plays. The laws of nature suggest that trend will continue if Lewis mounts a comeback next year.

October 16, 2012
Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III (10) breaks though tacklers for a 76 yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. (Craig Bisacre/The Washington Times)

SNYDER: Balance is key with RG3

The Washington Redskins and their star quarterback face a dilemma that's unlikely to fade as the season progresses. It's not a choice between equally undesirable alternatives because clearly there's an advantage in using Robert Griffin III to his fullest.

October 14, 2012
Washington Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman (11), right, walks off the field as the St. Louis Cardinals celebrate their win over the Washington Nationals in game five of the National League Division Series at Nationals Park, Washington, D.C., Saturday, October 13, 2012. (Andrew Harnik/The Washington Times)

SNYDER: The week Washington baseball grew up

The Washington Nationals and their newly-minted fans grew up this week. Over the course of three days in southeast D.C., they hung out with the defending World Series champions. The Cardinals showed them the ropes of autumn baseball, gave them glimpse of life in the postseason's pressure cooker.

October 13, 2012
Nationals pitcher Edwin Jackson wipes his brow during pitching coach Steve McCatty’s visit to the mound in the second inning Wednesday. Jackson allowed four runs in five innings as St. Louis rolled to an 8-0 win and 2-1 lead in the National League Division Series. “He just made bad pitches,” manager Davey Johnson said. (Andrew Harnik/The Washington Times)

SNYDER: Veteran Edwin Jackson failed to perform as advertised

The biggest game in Washington Nationals history was nowhere close to that magnitude for starter Edwin Jackson, who entered Wednesday having pitched in a pair of World Series in prior years. Game 3 of the National League Division Series, by definition, isn't comparable to what's at stake in the postseason's latter stages.

October 10, 2012