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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

Closing time gets more comfortable for Washington’s defense

After beating Carolina last week, Washington cornerback Josh Norman noted that the home team started the game on defense and ended the game on defense. "That's what you want," he said. Maybe that's what HE wants. I think most fans would prefer a series of kneel downs from Alex Smith in victory formation.

October 22, 2018

Gruden needs more up his sleeve than Peterson

Who needs drive, ingenuity and coaching creativity, when you can trade those in for the luxury of handing off to an age-defying runner who's turning back the clock?

October 21, 2018

Wizards see hopes rise with door cracked open in East

At least LeBron James isn't blocking upward mobility back here anymore. That's good news for all parties involved. The Wizards aren't among the favorites to replace the Cavaliers, but at least the stone wall has become a cracked door.

October 17, 2018

Tommie Smith, John Carlos protests over social issues still resonate a half-century later

It's a lesson worth learning, especially now, as some of the same issues still resonate. A half-century before Colin Kaepernick took a knee and put his NFL career on the line, Smith and Carlos raised their fists and put the world on notice.

October 15, 2018

Washington’s timing just right to overcome adversity

For most teams, overcoming adversity means conquering troublesome circumstances and bouncing back after heartbreaking defeats. But in Washington, overcoming adversity means riding out good times and preventing victories from bringing you down.

October 14, 2018

Jay Gruden era sees its clock ticking

It appears that Jay Gruden's tenure in Washington won't end well. At least he'll have plenty of company to commiserate with.

October 10, 2018

You call it a brawl, UFC just calls it marketing

There are two schools of thought about the fracas that ensued following UFC 229's main event Saturday night in Las Vegas.

October 8, 2018

NCAA’s policies on amateurism should be the real federal fraud case

Here we are, forced to endure the charade as federal prosecutors put recruiting tactics on trial in New York, where the first of three cases off an FBI probe of college basketball's so-called underbelly has begun. But the real fraud is wasting our tax money on what's essentially a matter between the NCAA and its member institutions.

October 3, 2018

Bryce Harper’s, Le’Veon Bell’s next contracts keep us guessing

Why the Nationals should overpay Bryce Harper and why strangers care about Le'Veon Bell's contract are two of the many things in sports that are tough to figure out right now.

October 1, 2018

Safety concerns eat at football from top to bottom

Roughing-the-passer penalties have more than doubled though three weeks compared to last season (34-16). The controversy is dominating discussions about the league in derogatory fashion. Meanwhile, at the youth level, where there can't be too much safety talk, participation continues its drop.

September 26, 2018

Tiger Woods still worthy of emulation, admiration

Neither marketing executives, pro golfers nor golf fans, imagined Woods would go through everything he's endured to wind up again in the winner's circle at age 42 after a five-year drought. None of us is Tiger Woods. And I'm not sure, notwithstanding his fortune, we'd want to be.

September 24, 2018

Washington’s offense shows just how dangerous it could be

Coach Jay Gruden and quarterback Alex Smith assured us that the unit is capable of more than intermediate strikes. They said the lack of downfield passing and the wideouts' MIA status was a function of the defenses, not Washington's philosophical approach. Trust us, they said. More is coming. They didn't waste time making good on their word.

September 23, 2018

Protect the QBs, sure, but this is ridiculous

Once again, the NFL has demonstrated its uncanny inability to find the sweet spot between extremes. On some of the most pressing issues the league faces, its judgment either caroms off the left pole or ricochets off the right one, as if splitting uprights is equivalent to splitting atoms.

September 19, 2018