Signed, sealed and delivered. Although head coach Rocky Long said that he and Athletics Director Paul Krebs agreed on a contract extension as early as July, the University finally made it official, announcing Long's five-year extension Tuesday. Long's annual salary jumped from $439,000 to $750,000.
In a game punctuated by thundering African drums and the cheers of 2,451 people, the 19th ranked UNM men's soccer team gutted out a 104 minute bout with third-ranked Notre Dame but came up short, losing 2-1 in double overtime. It was UNM's lone exhibition game of the fall and its first game since advancing to the NCAA tournament where the Lobos lost to UCLA 1-0 in the opening round.
In its home-opener, the UNM women's soccer team couldn't notch a win against the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks on Sunday at the UNM Soccer Complex. But the Lobos didn't lose, either. In a physically contested battle with as many spills and slide tackles as a football game, the Lobos and Lumberjacks finished the afternoon tied 1-1.
Staff Report Since being drafted by the Boston Celtics, former Lobo basketball player JR Giddens has been ping-ponging across the United States - Texas, California, Oklahoma, Boston, and, most recently, New Mexico. His life, he said, revolves around basketball.
Chris Hernandez lines up split out to the left in a two-wide-receiver bunch formation. His teammate, cornerback DeAndre Wright, jogs out opposite of him, tip-toeing the line of scrimmage. As the ball is snapped, Wright gives Hernandez a friendly jam, upsetting the timing of Hernadez's slant route and forcing Donovan Porterie to check-down to his running back.
Of all the issues being debated by presidential hopefuls Barack Obama and John McCain, each have yet to discuss a divisive issue among the ranks of the NCAA - amateurism in the NCAA. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the concept, amateurism is where a player doesn't accept endorsement or earnings of any kind for engaging in sports.
UNM wide receiver Roland Bruno has lived the life of a walk-on. "I already knew when I first got here, being a walk-on, even players who come in on scholarship have to spend at least their first year on scout team," he said. He persevered - rode the proverbial rollercoaster of emotion.
Rewind to 2004. Team USA wasn't going to win gold. I predicted it back then. I told my friends, guys whose lives revolved around basketball. I told them. They didn't believe. With Allen "The Answer" Iverson showing up late for team practice, he provided more head-scratching questions than answers.
Recruiters said he was too small to be a linebacker. Coaches said his athletic future was in baseball. Zach Arnett played college football anyway. Three years later, the senior is leading the University of New Mexico into its 2008 season as the starting middle linebacker and team captain.
UNM tailback Rodney Ferguson has been a big, bruising force throughout his football career. While some running backs are noted for their quickness or finesse and shy away from contact, Ferguson squares his shoulders and braces for impact. "It's my nature," Ferguson said.
University Stadium is dead, dormant, hibernating. It has been since Dec. 22, 2007, the last time the Lobos took to the field in a 23-0 trouncing of Nevada in the New Mexico Bowl. Since then, 31 Saturdays have come and gone, all without the click-clack of cleats, without the boisterous whoops and hollers of the "Red Sea," as quarterback Donovan "Moses" Porterie calls it.
Paul Pierce should be thanking his lucky four-leafed clovers he's a basketball player. After being fined $25,000 by the NBA for making "menacing gestures" at Atlanta Hawks' power forward Al Horford during last season's NBA playoffs, Pierce's explanation was it was a sign for "blood, sweat and tears.
Lobo cornerback DeAndre Wright has a message for his Aunt Velma: Thank you. It's true that much of the success Wright has had at the University has been the fruit of his hard work. However, if it wasn't for his Aunt Velma, Wright might not have made it to NewˇMexico.
Josh Bazinet is trading in his helmet for a headset. On July 8, UNM enshrined the former Lobo defensive back as the University's football analyst. Bazinet will talk alongside newly hired play-by-play announcer Scott Galetti. Although Bazinet has no previous broadcast experience, he said being a player under coach Rocky Long will help him convey some of the nuances of the games to the fans.
Staff Report UNM catcher Rafael Neda was named to Baseball America's Second Team on June 30. The announcement brings Neda's major honor running total to four. At the end of the season, Neda garnered an honor from the Pro-Line Athletic/National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, who named Neda to its Division I Freshman All-America First Team.
Scott Galetti is giving up California coastlines - and the accompanying Pacific waves - to come splash around in the Rio Grande (Rivalry). Galetti, who was named UNM's new play-by-play announcer last Monday, said he's anxious to call some classic Lobo-Aggie games.
Staff Report UNM javelin star Katie Coronado placed sixth at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Ore. After capturing the silver medal in the NCAA Championships, Coronado came into the Olympic trials with a lot of momentum. But after advancing to the finals, Coronado was unable to secure a roster spot on the U.
Scott Galetti's hiring couldn't have come at a better time. In fact, the timing was so good, I'm going to start referring to Athletics Director Paul Krebs as "Timex" or Deion Sanders' nickname - "Prime Time." I say this because in order for the Lobos to move up and become a more attractive, marketable, legitimate contender, we needed a new voice - a mover, a shaker, someone who could reach a broader array of listeners.
Rejuvenated after returning from an excursion to South America, the UNM volleyball team has its eyes on having a successful upcoming season. The Lobos traveled to Argentina on May 27 for a 10-day sightseeing and training trip. But the exotic vacation almost didn't happen.
"I want to remain a (Dallas) Cowboy. I've been here for five years and I've made Dallas my home, and I would love nothing more than to be a Dallas Cowboy." These are comments Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Terry Glenn recently made to the Dallas Morning News.
Solutions by The State News
