Nathan Fenno

FENNO: NCAA silence on North Carolina academic scandal speaks volumes

Where is NCAA president Mark Emmert? That the scandal is academic and not athletic is irrelevant. The president has already shown a devil-may-care willingness to disregard tradition and intervene at Penn State.

June 10, 2013

FENNO: Baseball’s mess with Biogenesis is really just beginning

Major League Baseball had a problem. When multiple reports in January linked a slew of players, including Ryan Braun and Alex Rodriguez, to a Coral Gables, Fla., anti-aging clinic called Biogenesis of America, the league needed to act.

June 5, 2013

FENNO: As Redskins fullback and now Navy lieutenant, Eric Kettani worthy of salute

No uniform, khaki or burgundy, completely holds the 26-year-old Kettani. He spent three years on active duty, deployed aboard the frigate U.S.S. Klakring with 20-hour days and enough stress to make high-pressure situations seem normal.

June 3, 2013

FENNO: RG3 as good at dodging questions as he is at dodging tacklers

While Robert Griffin III succeeded in narrowing the scope of conversation Thursday, the larger question surrounding his contentment about how he was used by Mike Shanahan and Redskins last season hasn't disappeared.

May 30, 2013

FENNO: Dr. Lewis Yocum’s legacy lives on in careers saved

Yocum never threw a pitch, waved a runner home or swung a trade for the Nationals. But the renowned orthopedic surgeon's influence on the organization is everywhere you look. The impact, really, is as indelible as the scars on the right elbows of Stephen Strasburg and Jordan Zimmermann.

May 29, 2013

FENNO: Fred Davis has plenty to prove after two shortened seasons

For the third straight year, he's playing for a long-term contract that, so far, has been as elusive as pre-knee surgery Robert Griffin III in the open field.

May 27, 2013

RG3 in tears after knee surgery: ‘Real men cry’

The Redskins quarterback choked up as he described the aftermath of the Jan. 8 surgery when Dr. James Andrews also repaired the lateral collateral ligament.

May 23, 2013

FENNO: Otto Porter should be automatic pick for Wizards

This isn't simply an opportunity for general manager Ernie Grunfeld to add to the gifted young core of John Wall and Bradley Beal while solidifying the gap at small forward, much in the same way the Oklahoma City Thunder built a juggernaut through the draft and savvy trades driven by the long view, not instant gratification.

May 22, 2013

FENNO: No reason to believe Bryce Harper concussion conspiracies

The not-so-subtle implication racing through the Internet of a concussion conspiracy by the Nationals makes as much sense as, well, running into walls. What could they possibly gain by pretending Harper didn't have a concussion or engaging in a game of semantics to avoid using the word?

May 20, 2013

FENNO: Bryce Harper an even more irresistable force if he resists testing immovable objects

Harper's second unsuccessful encounter this month with the physics of smacking into an outfield wall led to him doubling down on the hair-on-fire approach. He told reporters "I'm trying to kill myself out there" and, really, that's what the collision looked like.

May 15, 2013

FENNO: Derek Boogaard lawsuit puts NHL on notice

Already, the NFL is swamped by litigation in federal court from 4,336 former players, at last count, over head injuries sustained during their careers. That includes 33 Pro Football Hall of Famers. It's a problem no public relations assault or rules changes or donation spree has been able to shake. The NHL's turn is here.

May 13, 2013

FENNO: Living CTE diagnosis would be game-changer in head injury studies

The brain-shredding neurodegenerative disease took root in Junior Seau's brain before he shot himself in 2012. Same with Ray Easterling, who also took his own life last year. Dave Duerson pulled the trigger in 2011. Dozens of other former NFL players were diagnosed.

May 9, 2013

FENNO: On NFL’s fringes, Mike Repovz clings to thread of hope

No NFL mock draft mentioned the outgoing, mop-haired offensive lineman from Central Michigan. No trip to the pre-draft combine or big-name agent or endorsement deal. A YouTube video of one of his workouts garnered 373 hits. So, Repovz watched the draft's final day at Buffalo Wild Wings and hoped, but didn't expect, to hear his name mentioned.

May 6, 2013

FENNO: Stop with the panic and start enjoying Stephen Strasburg for his ability

The last pitch Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg threw in Atlanta on Monday night touched 98 miles per hour. But that wasn't enough -- oh, not even close -- to quell the wave of near-panic over his pitching arm's health.

May 1, 2013

FENNO: Don Cherry’s views are as outdated as, well, Don Cherry

Don Cherry doesn't think female journalists belong in locker rooms. No, this isn't a bulletin from 30 years ago.

April 29, 2013

FENNO: Redskins need intangibles, potential and upside in this draft

This is a different sort of draft for the Redskins, one, at long last, with a quarterback to build around instead of the years-long quest for competency at the position. Possibility lurks among the cliches.

April 24, 2013

FENNO: Human tragedy washes over NFL concussion litigation

At least 59 former players named in the litigation are dead, according to a review by The Washington Times. The deceased players aren't an abstract legal argument. They can't be fixed with a slick 30-second commercial about the NFL's safety evolution or mandatory thigh and knee pads or mouldering collective bargaining agreements.

April 8, 2013

FENNO: Pat White return to NFL would set troubling precedent

White accused the NFL of concealing the long-term consequences of head injuries. Eleven causes of action in all. Fraud. Negligence. Even added "intentional infliction of emotional distress" and "negligent infliction of emotional distress" in his short-form complaint. All that disappeared when the possibility of an NFL contract materialized this week.

April 3, 2013

Redskins interested in QB White

The Redskins and former Miami Dolphins quarterback Pat White are interested in agreeing to a contract, according to a CBS Sports report.

April 2, 2013

FENNO: Clint Romesha’s quiet Opening Day tribute a reminder of true heroism

The Medal of Honor recipient pushed away a temporary blue bracelet on his left wrist to reveal a black aluminum band covered with silver etching. "These are the eight soldiers we lost that day," he said, shortly before throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at Nationals Park.

April 1, 2013