Glover Quin's stomach is probably tumbling like a washing machine on spin dry. He's one step away from realizing something that almost never came to fruition. Quin has a hulking physique - his biceps ripple. He's a junior college kid. He knows the definition of hard work.
Away from the cacophony of Radio City Hall, away from the backdrop of madness that surely will become the 2009 NFL Draft green room, DeAndre Wright will be in Maryland, Va. - his hometown - spoon in hand, crunching and munching on a bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch.
Forgive San Diego State's Stephen Strasburg for being fed up with the hype. Better yet, don't blame him. The gushing infatuation with the 103-mph right hander is downright ridiculous. Strasburg doesn't seem tailored to fit in his own shoes. It sounds odd considering that you buy shoes that fit you.
In Friday's story about SDSU's Stephen Strasburg, it was reported that he struck out only 20 batters. He has 121 strikeouts, after fanning 14 batters in Friday's game against the Lobos. The error was made in reporting.
Whether Lobo head coach Mike Locksley knows it, he's a psychologist at heart. During Saturday's Cherry-Silver scrimmage, the UNM football team reinforced the findings of renowned psychologist Robert Zajonc, who in 1965 accounted for the duality of the social-facilitation effect.
The UNM football team's final spring practice finished in stirring fashion, with the Cherry-Silver scrimmage coming down to a last-minute field goal. In contrast to last year's 35-7 Cherry win, this year's game highlighted a balanced mix from both squads.
Rafael Neda took care of business for the UNM baseball team when it mattered most against San Diego State on Sunday at Isotopes Park, giving the Lobos a 2-1 series win. On Friday night, Lobo fans witnessed a pitching duel for the ages. Top prospect Stephen Strasburg shut out the Lobos in a 1-0 victory for the Aztecs, but the Lobos struck back, taking Game 2 12-4 on Saturday.
Godlike NFL figure Vince Lombardi sent his Moses, Bill Walsh, down this past Tuesday and handed the American sporting community his equivalent of the Ten Commandments. It's called the 2009 NFL regular-season schedule. The schedule, which was announced on April 14, couldn't have come at a better time.
Murderers Row, meet Stephen Strasburg. San Diego State's right-handed pitcher will face the Lobos' batting lineup today. Strasburg has been portrayed as something of an urban legend, a pitcher harkening back to a story Sports Illustrated concocted about a hard-throwing ace named Sidd Finch, whose fastball whizzed by at 168 mph.
If you were to compile a list of adjectives to describe last year's UNM football team, chances are you wouldn't use words like "balanced" or "high-scoring." More than likely, you'd describe them as a smash-mouth, lull-you-to-sleep-then-catch-you-snoozing team.
It's true. In certain cases, prayers are better left unanswered. Such is the case of Isiah Lord Thomas III. Thomas has been given a chance at redemption. Tuesday, news broke that he will be named head coach at Florida International University. He will replace Sergio Ruoco after five straight losing seasons.
The UNM women's tennis team won three straight matches this weekend to close out its regular season. After two 7-0 victories against Wyoming and Air Force on Thursday and Friday, the Lobos rallied to a 5-2 win over Colorado State on Saturday at the UNM Tennis Complex.
After five hours and four weather delays, the New Mexico Tailwind Invitational was finally underway at the UNM Track Stadium on Saturday. But the men's team stormed back in its later races of the day to claim the Tailwind title. The Lobos beat second-place finisher Wyoming 164-154, with Northern Arizona and South Florida rounding out the top four.
It's not quite accurate to call Tate Smith a dark horse in the UNM football team's quarterback competition. But he is more liberated. He can thank head coach Mike Locksley for that. Remember, when Locksley was introduced to replace Rocky Long, he said every position was up for grabs.
Attitude and work ethic aren't the problem for the UNM football team's running game - it's the youth and inexperience. The Lobos will head into the 2009 campaign with an assembly of young running backs: freshman A.J. Butler, sophomore James Wright and converted defensive back Terence Brown.
To say the UNM football team's offensive line weighs a ton wouldn't be far off. The Lobos' line started off the year weighing a little more than 1,500 pounds altogether. But due to the nature of head coach Mike Locksley's system, they might shed a few pounds before the season is done.
While Lobo safety Ian Clark is still recovering from off-season shoulder surgery that has kept him from participating in spring practices, it hasn't stopped him from pumping up his teammates, especially on Wednesday at University Stadium. Clark was at the back of the north end zone at University Stadium doing his best to maintain the intensity of the defense, in particular the secondary he will lead in the fall.
The UNM volleyball team isn't getting much rest in the off-season. After traveling to the University of Arizona on March 28, the Lobos hosted the UNM Spring Invite this weekend at Johnson Gym. UNM went 6-0 during the tournament, defeating teams from UTEP, West Texas A&M, New Mexico Military Institute, in-state rival New Mexico State and an all-star team of ex-college players.
A windsock could have been handy for the UNM men's soccer team in the Lobos' first home game of their six-game spring schedule. UNM played twice on Saturday, getting in some reps against Colorado State-Pueblo later in the day. But in the first game against Fort Lewis on Saturday, it was hard to tell which team would benefit most from the blustery conditions at Robertson Field.
A football player points to the sky after scoring a touchdown. A baseball player kisses his cross necklace before stepping up to bat. An athlete thanks God in his speech after receiving an award. Religion and athletics often cross paths and sometimes seem intertwined.
Solutions by The State News
