I wondered the same thing when they diverted to SBY. But I wasn't flying the airplane and have no idea where we were when the event took place.

It certainly isn't my job to command the airplane from the last row or the keyboard of a computer and if the captain thought SBY was the best alternate, I cannot question his judgement. How do any of us know that it wasn't the nearest suitable? I do know there was weather that day en route from ROA and we may have been deviating around it.

My comments about the excellent job were in regards to their handling of it. As to the diversion airport I have no comment or reason to judge. I am not qualified to do so as I was sitting in a passenger seat.

There could be any number of reasons (weather, terrain, etc.) why they chose to go where they went and it's not for me to pass judgement upon their reasons for deciding that it was the 'nearest suitable airport'.