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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

Mark Turgeon guided Maryland to a 17-15 record in his first season. Heading into his second, there are only two players who played in the Gary Williams era who are returning: James Padgett and Pe'Shon Howard. (Associated Press)

SNYDER: Out with the old: Maryland is Turgeon’s team now

And then there were two. Mark Turgeon replaced Gary Williams as Maryland's men's basketball coach last May. Exactly one year later, only two players from the old regime remain at College Park. So let's hear it for the sole survivors, rising senior James Padgett and rising junior Pe'Shon Howard.

May 17, 2012
Washington Capitals head coach Dale Hunter comes stands in the bench area before the start of the first period as the Washington Capitals take on the New York Rangers in game six of the NHL eastern conference playoffs semifinals at the Verizon Center, Washington, D.C., Wednesday, May 9, 2012 (Andrew Harnik/The Washington Times)

SNYDER: Family business suits Dale Hunter best

The fans who wildly cheer the team wanted Dale Hunter back. So did the players, firmly convinced that his way is the right way. Officials in the organization wanted Hunter back, too, enamored with his firm hand and no-nonsense approach.

May 15, 2012
Carmelo Anthony and the New York Knicks lasted five games in the playoffs before being ousted by the Miami Heat in their first-round series. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

SNYDER: Melo may be costly lesson for N.Y.

No one would suggest that Carmelo Anthony is equal to or better than LeBron James (except maybe Melo himself), and no would suggest that the New York Knicks had a shot at beating the Miami Heat. But looking at the superstars and their respective teams can be instructive for would-be players and wanna-be general managers.

May 10, 2012
Former All-Pro receiver Cris Carter admitted he used bounties to protect himself, offering money to teammates to take out players who were trying to do the same to him. (AP Photo/Tom Olmscheid)

SNYDER: Visions of a kinder, gentler NFL

They have been part of football for as long as the game has been played. They have ridden the evolutionary wave from leather helmets and single wings to polyurethane shells and four wide. They have been so ingrained in the culture that no one gave them a second look.

May 9, 2012
Washington Nationals' Wilson Ramos, center, is mobbed by teammates after hitting the game-winning RBI in the 11th inning to defeat the Philadelphia Phillies 4-3 at Nationals Park on Friday, May 4, 2012, in Washington. (AP Photo/Richard Lipski)

SNYDER: Nationals’ bandwagon is starting to fill up

The Washington Nationals didn't shine in their first coast-to-coast broadcast since Nationals Park opened in 2008. ESPN's audience for Sunday Night Baseball saw Philadelphia deliver a 9-3 beating and watched Washington outfielder Jayson Werth suffer a broken wrist.

May 8, 2012
Kirk Cousins, selected with the 102nd overall pick, gives the Redskins quarterback depth, but the team has a lot more pressing needs. (Associated Press)

SNYDER: Another QB after RG3: Why is this a good idea?

Apparently, the Washington Redskins' brain trust still is suffering side effects from last year's painful experiment, when it tried to swallow a dose of Rex Grossman and John Beck at quarterback for a full season.

May 1, 2012
Boston Bruins center Gregory Campbell (11), left, and Washington Capitals defenseman John Carlson (74) get physical after a play in the first period as the Washington Capitals take on the Boston Bruins in game four of National Hockey League first round playoff hockey at the Verizon Center, Washington, D.C., Thursday, April 19, 2012. (Andrew Harnik/The Washington Times)

SNYDER: Buckle up, there’s one more game to go

The Washington Capitals and Boston Bruins haven't provided much merriment through six games of the tightest playoff series in NHL history. There have been few laughs or light-hearted moments. Instances of glee have been fleeting, followed by more high anxiety and tense nerves.

April 24, 2012
Mike Mularkey was named the Jacksonville Jaguars head coach after spending the 2008-11 seasons as the Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator. (Associated Press)

SNYDER: In Jacksonville, bachelors are being singled out

The first inclination might be to mock the Jacksonville Jaguars upon learning they've added marriage to their formula for evaluating free agents. Apparently, new owner Shahid Khan, general manager Gene Smith and rookie coach Mike Mularkey want men who are good husbands as well as good players.

April 17, 2012
Washington Nationals shortstop Ian Desmond (20) batts as the Washington Nationals defeat the Cincinnati Reds in extra innings, 3-2, for their home opener in Major League Baseball at Nationals Park, Washington, D.C., Thursday, April 12, 2012. (Andrew Harnik/The Washington Times)

SNYDER: Nationals’ Ian Desmond in comfort zone

The Washington Nationals were quite popular among the baseball media during spring training, drawing postseason predictions from multiple prognosticators. Virtually everyone spoke highly of the Nats' rotation, bullpen, defense and core youngsters.

April 12, 2012
Bobby Petrino's downfall at Arkansas started with a motorcycle crash and ended with revelations that he paid his mistress $20,000 before hiring her to the football staff. (Associated Press)

SNYDER: Too many misdeeds by Petrino forced AD to cut him loose

The affair with a woman young enough to be his daughter was the least of Bobby Petrino's worries. If that was the sole charge he faced, Petrino still would be employed as Arkansas' football coach, mapping out practice schedules with an eye toward next week's Red-White spring game.

April 11, 2012
Kevin Seraphin has produced 10 or more points in 10 of the Wizards' 13 games since the trades that moved JaVale McGee, Nick Young and Ronny Turiaf. (Associated Press)

SNYDER: Given a chance, Kevin Seraphin proves worth

As it turns out, Nene and Brian Cook weren't the only bigs Washington acquired when it traded JaVale McGee, Nick Young and Ronny Turiaf. The Wizards also got the new-and-improved player who was buried on their bench. Wednesday's game against Indiana presented more evidence of the discovery, yet another exciting chapter in "The Evolution of Kevin Seraphin."

April 5, 2012
Just 19 months removed from Tommy John surgery, Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg was named the team's Opening Day starter. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

SNYDER: Nationals will only go so far with Strasburg

Despite all the hype and highlights, strikes and spotlight, and the accolades and attention, Stephen Strasburg is a relatively unknown quantity. Entering his third season with the Nationals, he's yet to begin a year in the majors, yet alone start on Opening Day.

April 3, 2012
Kentucky coach John Calipari talks to reporters during a news conference in New Orleans on Thursday, March 29, 2012. Kentucky will play Louisville in an NCAA tournament Final Four game on Saturday. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

SNYDER: John Calipari condemned for winning within rules

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I declare that John Calipari and Kentucky have been falsely accused and unfairly maligned. Mr. Calipari and the Wildcats have conducted themselves with honor and followed the rules in their three seasons together. Charges that they're ruining college basketball and making a mockery of education are without merit and should be dropped immediately.

March 29, 2012
Duke guard Austin Rivers is just the fourth player to leave for the NBA after one season in Mike Krzyzewski's 32 seasons at the Durham, N.C., school. Rivers' father, Doc Rivers, coaches the Boston Celtics. (Associated Press)

SNYDER: One-and-done freshmen come from all walks

Is coach Mike Krzyzewski running a basketball factory at Duke? Has he turned his back on education? Are his Blue Devils better role models than John Calipari's Kentucky Wildcats?

March 27, 2012