Bleacher Report - Articles by Alex Goble

Unnecessary Celebration

Alex Goble — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 12:52:56 -0400

Baseball

In today's game on the diamond, sluggers fill the need to follow their shots out of the ball park before ever circling the bases. Every time Barry Bonds hit a home run, during his path to the home run record, he felt the need to glorify his achievement to the opposing pitcher and team by standing at home plate with both arms in the air, as to physically say it was good. This is not sportsmanship. Now, little leaguers are doing the same thing every time they knock one out of the park. Further evidence that sportsmanship is disappearing, Alex Rodriguez felt the need to shout at an opposing player moments before he was about to make a routine out on a pop-fly.

Football

This is probably the worst of all the leagues. Players like T.O., Chad Johnson, and L.T. feel the need to showcase their acting talents. L.T. is known as one of the most respected players on and off the gridiron, but yet he strikes a pose every time he enters the endzone and has, on more than one occasion, be less than civil to fellow teammates. The worst and most offensive player in the league is Shawne "Lights Out" Merriman. He insists on performing a "dance" after every sack or tackle he makes. Veterans and the coaching staff of the Chargers have told him to lay off his routine since is causing nothing but problems for the other defensive players. His need to extol his actions to the rest of the world. What message is this sending to a younger generation that sees the way he acts and the money he is paid while doing it?

Basketball

Of all the major sports leagues, the NBA has to be the most promising. Their are not multiple fights every night, they do not dance out of control after every shot, and the players generally appreciate the ability of the player they are matched up against. That being said, there is one player that declines to show sportsmanship. Jason Terry of the Dallas Mavericks is known to many as the "The Jet." He sticks his arms out like plane wings and pretends to "fly" after making a big shot. There is no need for this. His peers, Kobe, Nash, Iverson, and Kidd don't feel the need to make a fool out of themselves, so why does Terry? Gilbert Arenas has made several game winning shots, many of them circus shots, and he always just walks away and lets his shot do the talking. Why is this so hard of a concept for Jason "The Jet" Terry to comprehend?

To hear talk of past players like Barry Sanders and Jerry Rice, who just handed the ball to ref after scoring, and seeing the actions of many current athletes who let their play do the talking for them, makes one wonder where certain athletes get it from?

Time for Carmelo Anthony to Move On

Alex Goble — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 14:16:41 -0400

As the NBA season winds down, the Denver Nuggets have to make a very tough decision. It is time to move Carmelo Anthony to another team and begin to rebuild.

Anthony has been everything the Nuggets thought he would be on offense when they drafted him back in '03. Problem is, he has not lived up to any of the other expectations. He has consistently disappeared on the defensive side of the ball, and he has yet to take the reins of this NBA franchise.

There has been talk that the Nuggets need to blow up the team and start over with just Anthony to build around if they fail to make it past the first round of the playoffs.

As of right now, the Nuggets probably will not even make the playoffs. The turmoil that the Nuggets have faced this season is hardly reason to blow up and start again. The solution is as easy as moving 'Melo.

The Nuggets already tried to build a team around Anthony when they drafted him, so who's to say that it will work this time?

The better business decision is to make sure that Iverson, Camby, Nene, Chucky, Martin, and J.R. are all around next year. Anthony is an all-star player. He will attract the attention of a team looking for a quick fix from a player who is not intended to be a leader or the face of a franchise.

The Nuggets could acquire multiple high-round draft picks or solid role players for Anthony and begin to rebuild around proven players like Iverson and Camby.

George Karl would be able to take back control of his team knowing that he is not in jeopardy of losing his job because he upset the star player.

Iverson is mature enough to take what Karl is telling him to heart, not become upset and play with less intensity or desire.

For the first time in nearly a decade, the team would have a declared leader to bring his team into battle. The defense would become much more consistent with Camby and Martin leading the way without having to try and make up for Anthony's defensive inability.

Raiders News: Al Davis's Last Stand

Alex Goble — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 13:48:01 -0400

The NFL season has not yet begun, but Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis is going all in. He is acting as if this may be the one last shot at regaining their winning ways of the past before Al calls it quits. He has made Oakland one of the most active teams in free agency this year.

Oakland and Al Davis have long been known for creating teams filled with players of questionable character and players looking to prove that they still have what it takes to be a playmaker in this league. This year, Al Davis has gone into his deep pockets and acquired just the players to fit this mold.

Davis first made a big splash in free agency by signing former Denver Broncos wide receiver Javon Walker to a six year deal. This free agent pickup was huge in the ongoing rivalry between Oakland and Denver. Javon also fits the mold of an Oakland Raider. He is very talented, when he is healthy, and he is arguably one of the better wide receivers in the game today.

Javon has also made a name for himself by being a selfish player. His relationship with former great Brett Favre turned sour in Green Bay, leading to a last minute trade on Draft Day to the Denver Broncos.

While is Denver, he instantly became a hit. He was the most talented receiver Denver had seen since Rod Smith in his prime. Last year he got hurt and Denver found it's new go-to-guy in Brandon Marhsall. Javon didn't like that he was now a number two receiver and publicly called out Mike Shanahan to trade him.

Javon Walker has a 50/50 chance of being a very good free agent pickup for Oakland, but he also has the chance to revert back to his old ways and become a cancer to a locker room.

Recently, the Raiders traded for Pro Bowl cornerback DeAngelo Hall. Again, he is a solid player that can stay with anyone in this league using his amazing speed. Problem is, Hall has a history of being a troublemaker when things go wrong for him.

He will commit personal fouls out of frustration and hurt the teams chances of winning close ball games. Last year it was widely known that he and his former head coach did not see eye to eye. He was fined and bench for multiple games for conduct detrimental to the team. He is a player that will give a team the spark they need or he will tear a team apart with his lack of ability to control his emotions.

Both of these players are risky players to fill a team with, unless the team is owned by Al Davis. Al is going all in, in an attempt to have one last shot at a championship before fading into the Black Hole that he helped create.

Broncos Analysis: Mike Shanahan Brings Back Mile High Magic

Alex Goble — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 15:16:59 -0400

It's time to give Mike Shanahan the credit he deserves.

The coach has proven this offseason that he's ready to take his team to the next level. The Denver Broncos are once again a title contender.

Past offseasons haven't been kind to Mike or the Broncos. They've signed some bust players (Sam Adams, Javon Walker to name to most obvious), and they've had some trouble in the draft (Maurice Clarett might not have been so bad if he could have stayed sober for more than 12 hours at a time).

Due to these poor choices, the Broncos and Mike have been made to look like fools who overpay good athletes and take chances on mediocre ones.

Last year, the Broncos smashed their piggy bank and went all out. They paid whatever it took to make sure that they got the best players in free agency.

While some players (Dre Bly, Brandon Stokley, and Daniel Graham) added some much needed veteran leadership to the young team, others (Javon Walker, Simeon Rice, Sam Adams) did their best to tear the Broncos apart.

After the last game of the season, Walker told the media that Denver was not the right place for "Walker"—and that he had to find a new team. This could have been a devastating blow to the Broncos organization, but Mike and Co. found a way to rid themselves of this "cancer:"

They cut him, and he later signed with the lowly Oakland Raiders.

That's a two-for-one in Bronco Country.

No other team in the league has the amount of young talent that the Broncos have. According to an unnamed NFL scout, they have the new Tom Brady in Jay Cutler. Also along to help the cause are Brandon "Human Highlight" Marshall, Tony Scheffler, and (no surprise here) a very talented running back in Selvin Young.

On the other side of the ball, the Broncos have one of the best young defensive ends in the league in Elvis Dumerville. They also added Marcus Thomas up front to complement a talented secondary, which includes Dominique "Da Brain" Foxworth.

These young players, along with the talent of veterans like John Lynch and the Bailey brothers, will no doubt be feared by opponents come Sundays this fall.

Tom Brady: The Ultimate Underdog

Alex Goble — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 16:31:53 -0400

Memo to the rest of the league:

Tom Brady has won three Super Bowls and has been named MVP in two of those games. He is a virtual lock for the Hall Of Fame and he is still young by NFL standards. He is arguably the best quarterback since Joe Montana.

And now he is more driven than ever.

He was humiliated in the biggest game of his life and now, he is out to show everyone that he can still win the "big one." He has the best wideout in the game back and, for the first time, he will be able to come into this season slightly under the radar.

No one expects the Patriots to go 18-0 again. The first time they lose, they will be crushed by the media as unable to put together another run to the Super Bowl.

And that is just what Tom Brady wants.

He will lure everyone into a false sense of security. Tom will make everyone believe that he has nothing left in the tank after last season's memorable run. The media and fans will question whether or not he is the same quarterback that led his team to three championships.

All NFL teams say that they don't listen to the media and that they prepare for each game the best they can. That is not completely true. Other teams will start to build a false sense of confidence instead of preparing for the upcoming game against the future H.O.F. quarterback. This is when Brady will strike. He will start to dismantle team after team until there is no one left and he is holding the Lombardi trophy over his head at the end of the season.

You have been warned...

Can Carmelo Anthony Mature Into a Leader?

Alex Goble — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 14:26:04 -0400

When the Denver Nugget's drafted Carmelo Anthony third in the 2003 Draft, many thought he would be the answer to the franchises woe's.

Four years later, those who thought he was the answer are now more confused than ever.

There is no question that Melo put the Nuggets on the map when he first put on the powder-blue uniform, but he has yet to take control of the team. There have been moments when he has shown that he is ready to take this team to the next level, but they come too little and far between.

Players will always be compared to those drafted or brought into the league with them—Carmelo is no exception. The leadership and game management shown by fellow draft classmates Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh are far superior to the leadership skills of Melo.

Many compare Melo to LeBron James. They are very close friends and have the similar ability to take over a game or team as they wish. LeBron has chosen to do so, while Melo is still deciding.

Last year, Melo got the chance to play with one of the best players in the NBA when All-Pro guard Allen Iverson was traded to the Denver Nuggets. He was supposed to be the veteran leader that would take Melo under his wing and make Melo the true leader of the team.

The duo got a late start since Iverson had to play alone for fifteen games, while Melo served his suspension for sucker-punching another player. It is now a year later and nothing has changed. Melo still is amazing on offense and struggles on defense.

The close friendship between Iverson and Melo has made it difficult for Melo to take Iverson as a mentor and not just another teammate.

A true leader is never questioned on his desire to win. When Allen Iverson takes the floor each night, he plays like there is no tomorrow. The same can be said for LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh and younger players Brandon Roy and Chris Paul.

When Carmelo takes the floor, some are left to wonder if his heart is really into that particular game. When the game gets away from Melo, he tends to lose control of his desire and rather than play his heart out; he sulks up and down the court for the rest of the game.

Will Melo ever be the leader of this team? The answer is one that has baffled the front office of the Denver Nuggets and sports reporters across the nation.

Denver may have to do what the Boston Celtics did with Paul Pierce. They may have to introduce a proven leader and veteran to the team and let Carmelo play without the responsibility of being the face of a franchise.