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.
Self-contemplation is fundamental in the practice of Zen. Maybe we all need to contemplate: Is the Zen Master overrated? Before the NBA Finals began, the discussion was: Is Phil Jackson the greatest coach in NBA history? Better than Red Auerbach, who coached the Boston Celtics from 1950-1967, winning nine NBA championships at the helm? It seems we have a definitive answer to that question - no.
Former UNM pitcher Stephen Smith has finally gotten the proverbial monkey off his back, as Smith signed a free-agent contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. "It was a relief," he said. "Finally, actually getting to sign a contract after playing baseball for four years (in college) and not getting anything until my fourth year.
At 29 years old and with undoubtedly a few more years of quality basketball left, Kobe Bryant's legacy is not yet set in stone. But after the Los Angeles Lakers' loss to the Boston Celtics in the 2008 NBA Finals, Bryant's place in history definitely took a step back.
Although it is tucked away a mere two miles from UNM's Main Campus, South Campus houses all athletic facilities, including the office of Athletics Director Paul Krebs. Coincidentally, what may seem to be just two miles can be viewed as just a place for the athletics department.
For J.R. Giddens, in his senior year as a Lobo, the season didn't end so giddy. On back-to-back occasions, Giddens released two shots that came tantalizingly close to dropping - one in the Mountain West Conference Tournament against Utah and one against Califonia in the NIT.
Staff Report UNM women's javelin star Katie Coronado finished second at the NCAA Championships in Des Moines, Iowa, on June 14. Securing the silver medal, Coronado broke a school record with a throw of 179-6. Coronado will compete at the USA Olympic Trials in two weeks.
Tim Donaghy seems prepared to take down the NBA. The disgraced referee, who pled guilty to charges that he bet on games he officiated, now dropped a bombshell. In a letter submitted by his lawyer, Donaghy alleges that it was in the best interest of the NBA to extend a series in 2002, between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Sacramento Kings, to seven games.
When the Spanish conquistador Coronado came to the United States in 1510, he was searching for the Seven Cities of Gold. Needless to say, he never found them. But some 500-plus years later, UNM javelin star Katie Coronado is on a similar quest, in search of her own gold-standard, as she is set to compete in the NCAA Championships on June 11 in Des Moines, Iowa.
Over the weekend, the UNM men's basketball team went camping. But this year, the Lobos tipped off without a mix of thunderous dunks and without the high-flying athleticism because they were missing their emotional spark plug: J.R. Giddens. The senior, who left to pursue his NBA dreams, was instrumental in last year's rebuilding process.
Coco Crisp went cuckoo, but it wasn't for Cocoa Puffs. Instead, Crisp, doing his best impersonation of Roy Jones Jr., was busy throwing haymakers at Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Jeff Shields. Proving he has more than a knuckleball, Shields went for the K.O. with what looked like an unavoidable knuckle-sandwich.
Staff Report Add another item to the memory bank. For Lobo golfer Alexandra Phelps, competing in the NCAA Tournament ranks among her most memorable experiences in her career at UNM. "It's been a great experience," she told GoLobos.com. "And regardless of what I shot this weekend, I knew I would leave with so many great memories.
Solutions by The State News
