Rick Snider

Washington, D.C.

Columnist at Yardbarker

Yardbarker and Command Post columnist. Writing Washington sports and life since 1978. Tour guide. Scottish Lord.

Articles

Commanders, Dan Quinn setting the tone on Day 1 of OTAs: 'We are always the hunters'

1 week ago | yardbarker.com | Rick Snider

ASHBURN, Va. – Washington Commanders coach Dan Quinn didn’t take a breath, cut back a snap or lessen the tempo during the team’s first practice since the NFC Championship Game. It’s always go time. “We are always the hunters,” Quinn said. “We’ve got a lot to prove. We’re going after it. The hunter is a mindset. That doesn’t change.”No wonder quarterback Jayden Daniels went deep on third down during his two-minute drill in April 28 practice.
Great Father’s Day gift idea: Secrets of Caveman Cooking

1 week ago | ricksniderswashington.com | Rick Snider

I have the perfect Father’s Day gift – my updated version of “Secrets of Caveman Cooking.”First, your dad will laugh. That’s always a good thing. Second, he’ll cook some of these recipes on the grill. That’s a good thing, too. Who’s up for moose burgers or Yabba-Dabba Do Ribs? This is a win-win. Forget the shirt – give him a fun experience. This is an updated version of my 2000 book. I added a dozen recipes, updated stats and technology and you even see a new style and cover.
‘Wild Bill’ was the supreme justice

2 weeks ago | ricksniderswashington.com | Rick Snider

William Orville Douglas served the most time of anyone on the Supreme Court and it still wasn’t long enough for the accidental libertarian. The Associate Justice served 36 years and 209 days as a Franklin D. Roosevelt appointee who lasted until his 1975 retirement. Even then, Douglas tried to participate in the Court’s business until a 1978 letter from all nine justices informed him he was retired.
For whom the bell tolls

3 weeks ago | ricksniderswashington.com | Rick Snider

Actually, it tolls for Americans. A grateful Netherlands gave the Carillion to the U.S. as thanks for saving the country during World War II. Adjacent to the U.S. Marines Corps Memorial in Arlington, the 130-foot bell tower was first erected in 1954 at a nearby site before moved to its present venue in 1960. The bells weigh 28 metric tons and comprised of 80 percent copper and 20 percent tin. There were 49 bells until adding another in 1995 for the 50th anniversary of the Netherland’s liberation.
Commanders rediscover prime time in 2025 NFL schedule

3 weeks ago | yardbarker.com | Rick Snider

It seems television executives have a new attraction after the Commanders’ NFC Championship loss. Washington now ranks alongside Kansas City, Philadelphia, Buffalo and Dallas as marquee teams to watch. It's the most prime-time games ever for the Commanders, mainly because Washington’s 1983-91 heyday of three Super Bowl championships came before the start of Sunday and Thursday night games, plus streaming services like Amazon Prime Video or Netflix.
Commanders rediscover primetime in 2025 NFL schedule

3 weeks ago | yardbarker.com | Rick Snider

It seems television executives have a new attraction after the Commanders’ NFC Championship loss. Washington now ranks alongside Kansas City, Philadelphia, Buffalo and Dallas as marquee teams to watch. It's the most primetime games ever for the Commanders, mainly because Washington’s 1983-91 heyday of three Super Bowl championships came before the start of Sunday and Thursday night games, plus streaming services like Amazon Prime Video or Netflix.
Admiral Byrd stands tall at Arlington National

3 weeks ago | ricksniderswashington.com | Rick Snider

Admiral Richard Byrd was simply one tough hombre. He was the first man to fly over both the North Pole (1926) and the South Pole three years later. His expeditions, including five to Antarctica, mapped several hundreds of thousands of miles beginning in 1928. The man spent five months living in an ice shack. We’re talking Congressional Medal of Honor and Legion of Merit recipient. Wow — now there was the world’s most interesting man.
Sometimes statues teach us much beyond what’s seen

3 weeks ago | ricksniderswashington.com | Rick Snider

The plaque says the statue is a young warrior soaring with a winged snow leopard as it strives for its future. That’s the easy part. The statue sits in front of the Kazakhstan embassy. Sorry, never heard of it, which isn’t completely unusual when walking by embassies, this one at 16th St.Turns out Kazakhstan is the ninth largest country in square miles and broke away from the Soviet Union in 1991.
Remembering why memorials mean so much

4 weeks ago | ricksniderswashington.com | Rick Snider

Let’s be honest, when you’re a tour guide who is by the memorials regularly and perhaps hundreds of times overall, you get a little numb to them. It’s a job and you can forget how special they truly are. It doesn’t happen to me at Arlington National Cemetery, but walking by the Lincoln Memorial seems like just another day. And then something happens to make you remember it’s all about real people.
How to find a name on the Vietnam Memorial Wall

4 weeks ago | ricksniderswashington.com | Rick Snider

Reprinting some of my favorite columns. They’re looking for a friend, comrade or relative from the past. The Vietnam Memorial Wall offers that connection. You can touch the names, feel the person if only in half-inch letters etched in granite. Unlike so many displays, you’re encouraged to touch the wall. Rub their name on a piece of paper to take home. But how do you find that person? Most people think the names are alphabetical.