Sorry for the delay posting this practice report, but I had some errands to run and work to do before I could get down to blog business.

First, an update on senior kicker John Sullivan. He officially has a torn ACL in his left leg, which is the leg he plants on to kick. He is going to try some rehab and a brace instead of surgery because it turns out he doesn't meet the requirements for a medical redshirt season. He spent one season at San Jose State before coming to UNM and is a fifth-year senior. You have to miss substantial parts of two seasons due to injury in order to qualify for the medical redshirts and that isn't the case for Sullivan. UNM head trainer Dave Binder has had a few athletes under his care pull off the return from an ACL surgery with a brace and no surgery. I suspect it will be painful, but it could work. Long said he didn't have anyone use the no surgery approach, but the UNLV starting kicker did it last season and was effective. "I think he has a better chance because it's the plant foot that's injured," Long said.

Eric Garrison, who now owns the starting kicker job, sat out practice Monday and will see a doctor to make sure the hit he took during Saturday's scrimmage didn't cause any trouble. But Binder said it is merely a precaution and he thinks Garrison is fine.

OJ Swift had his knee scoped yesterday, and Binder said the surgery was very successful. Swift tried to play through a torn miniscus during spring ball, but it hurt too much and he wasn't mobile enough to be effective. So he had the surgery and should be back in good shape in three to six weeks, with most guys coming back in three weeks.

Sylvester Hatten was officially back in the lineup today, giving the offensive line a bit of a boost. At this point, bodies help the line that just has nine healthy players. The line is struggling because the guys are young and learning a new offense O-line coach Jason Lenzmeier seems to be doing everything he can to help the guys, and he can demonstrate form and technique better than any other coach on the field. The other coaches are close, but Lenzmeier is so much younger and in great physical shape to push guys around and show them the ropes. Despite struggling, they seem to be listening and I think they have a much better relationship with Lenzmeier than the line did last year with Bob Stanley.

The defense continues to dominate every drill, but UNM coach Rocky Long was happy to see the offense focus a little more and receivers catch more passes. "I think the offense was more focused and did a better job today," Long said. "They showed a little more effort, and had some success because of it."

I don't know that the passing game was especially sharp, but there were two flashy plays to end practice. Donovan Porterie went deep to Marcus Smith, who outran a second or third-string defensive back for a pretty touchdown that had to be for somewhere in the neighborhood of 70 yards. But the best play that drew applause and ended practice on a high note was Porterie's pass to Daryl Jones that went for a touchdowns. The pass was behind Jones, but he reached out with one arm, tipped it to himself, tucked it under his arm and ran for the touchdown. I think it was about 10-yard pass that turned into something like 50-yard touchdown.

That's all for now. Check out Tuesday's Trib for more spring football coverage.

Posted by ilimon at 08:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM women's basketball players Timi E-Nunu and Brandi Kimble were among six athletes recognized as Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars. Athletes haveto compete in an intercollegiate sport, maintain at least a 3.2 cumulative GPA and be active on their campuses or in their communities. Here's the list of UNM athletes honored:

Women's Basketball
Timi E-Nunu, 3rd Team
Brandi Kimble, 4th Team

Women's Soccer
Terryn Granados, 1st Team
Alanna Abeyta, 2nd Team

Women's Tennis
Nora Quintal, 4th Team

Women's Track & Field
Kristan Matison, 1st Team

Posted by ilimon at 01:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

University of New Mexico kicker Kenny Byrd landed a three-year free-agent contract with the Detroit Lions and fellow Lobo offensive lineman Robert Turner reached an agreement with the Dallas Cowboys. The terms of Turner's deal are not being disclosed.

Byrd said he still has the option to go with another team if a better offer comes along in the next few days, but he is elated to be with the Lions.

"I''m so excited about it," he said. "It's pretty unbelievable to be able to say, `I'm a Detroit Lion.'"

UPDATE: Here's a link to the story about Byrd and Turner I posted on the Tribune's Web site.

Posted by ilimon at 06:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The marathon draft has come to an end.

Quincy Black was the only Lobo drafted, but agents for Robert Turner and Kenny Byrd are hard at work now lighting up phones of teams with room on their rosters at their positions.

But we finally have heard the last word from Mel Kiper Jr. and company. Love him or hate him, you really don't need or want to hear anyone for about 20 hours.

Check back for updates later tonight on all the Lobos. And, of course, there will be more coverage in Monday's edition of the Trib.

Posted by ilimon at 04:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We are down to the last five picks of the draft, and it appears Lobos Robert Turner and Kenny Byrd will be hunting for free-agent contracts and camp invitations. This is not exactly a surprise, but I'm sure it's pretty tough on Turner. Byrd knew few kickers get drafted and thought he'd have better luck scouting the teams with the greatest kicking needs and seeking an invitation to camp.

Turner is a guy who has gotten tons of accolades his entire UNM career. He was part of an offensive line that was extremely successful early in his career and the draft always seemed like a strong possibility for him. Then some bad things happened.

He fractured his wrist and had surgery before his senior year, forcing him to sit out an important spring football session when the new Bob Toledo offense was installed. The line struggled with the departure of Ryan Cook, who was so good he blocked two or three guys after the snap or slowed them down enough to keep everyone together. The line struggled under a new position coach, who I can say now that he is gone was a terrible fit for the team.

Turner righted the ship and is a tremendous leader. He was determined to turn things around and put himself in better draft position by the end of his senior year. Then he ran into more wrist trouble and couldn't complete workouts at the same time all the other pro prospects did leading up to the draft. He probably looked good on paper, but teams were wary of the injury issue. Why draft him when you can get him as a free agent and check out whether he'll work out for cheap?

So Turner is getting a taste of what Hank Baskett endured last year, but it all worked out for Hank.

At this point, it's best not to get drafted and go with a team where you fill a need and have the best chance of staying on the roster.

I think Turner has the ability and intelligence to overcome this obstacle much like Baskett did, but it's not easy and there are no guarantees. We'll see what happens next.

Posted by ilimon at 03:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

UTEP quarterback Jordan Palmer was selected by the Washington Redskins with the 31st pick of the sixth round and 205th overall pick of the draft.

I'm surprised he got drafted and think this is a big mistake by the Redskins, but they haven't exactly been lighting up a great draft run anyway. Palmer is nowhere near as good as his big brother Carson, but he thinks he is just as talented. That's why he was leading the nation in interceptions at some point during the past two seasons. He is supremely confident in his ability to make tough passes that he just can't make. And if you can't hack it and make good decisions at UTEP, how in the world are you going to adjust to the speed and pressure of the NFL.

Good for Jordan Palmer getting this far and living out his dreams. But bad for Redskins fans who took on a project that may never get off the ground.

Posted by ilimon at 02:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

TCU offensive tackle Herbert Taylor was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs with the No. 22 pick in the sixth round and 197 overall pick of the draft. Taylor's another strong TCU athlete, the kind who posed a lot of problems for other Mountain West Conference teams.

Still no news on Robert Turner or Kenny Byrd. This is about the range I would expect Turner to potentially get a call, although I would not be surprised if he slipped to free agency. More on why I think he might not get drafted in a separate post coming in a few.

Posted by ilimon at 01:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I think Tampa Bay just ended up with two of the best, and least heralded, linebackers in college football. They took Quincy Black yesterday and just selected Adam Hayward of Portland State. Don't worry too much about competition ... Black will play outside or middle linebacker, while Hayward is an inside guy. The thing is both these guys are really athletic and had tons of tackles last season. No one paid much attention to them and dismiss them because of the level of competition they faced, but I think they're a very strong tandem. Of course Tampa Bay has some great guys already on defense, but I foresee them playing cover two the way Rocky Long does -- rotate a ton of guys to keep the thing running like hell on wheels. Never let up on a single down ever. Could be a lot of fun to watch and a great formula for success.

And as I wrote this, Houston stepped up and took Wyoming safety John Wendling with the ninth pick of the sixth round and 183rd pick overall. I interviewed Wendling twice and think he's a pretty nice, down-to-Earth guy. He was up for a lot of academic and service awards in addition to being the centerpiece of a very strong Wyoming defense. The scouts say they don't care, but I think it does hurt when you come from a small school and your team wasn't always competitive. You can't deny this guy is talented and he should be able to stay on Houston's roster.

Posted by ilimon at 12:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I forgot to post when New England selected Colorado State offensive tackle Clint Oldenburg with the 34th pick in the fifth round and 171st pick overall of the draft. This should be a nice fit Oldenburg, who I think can stick to the Patriots' roster. Life obviously just got a lot more interesting in New England with the addition of Randy Moss. I like the restriction I just heard about on the deal. One problem or scandal and the Patriots say Moss is gone. And the thing is, the Pats are probably one of the few teams with the clout to really do it. They can live without him and they've got what he wants -- Super Bowl rings. No other Mountain West guys, but a lot of WAC and other small conference guys are getting the call now.

Posted by ilimon at 12:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Of course the biggest news today is Oakland trading Randy Moss to New England for a fourth-round pick and a lot of other stuff. On paper, it sounds pretty good for both teams. Moss wasn't happy rebuilding in Oakland. He may be have a caustic personality, but you have to give him credit for training like crazy and not being as likely take him ball and go him like Terrell Owens. So Oakland has this great bargaining chip to rebuild with and the Patriots get the type of receiver Tom Brady needs to make his offense more than just a sad shadow of its championship self. I'm a New England fan, but I have to admit the trade made me uncomfortable at first. I don't like guys who have attitude problems, even if they don't necessarily get in the way of their great play. It's growing on me, but it's not easy to love this trade if you are wary of guys like Moss.

See, this is why day two is awesome. Really fast picks. A big trade. And the guys who go today are more likely to be the impact players on these teams down the road. Just check out the Super Bowl XLI roster, and you'll see a ton of guys who were drafted on day two or came out of free agency.

Posted by ilimon at 10:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Opps, I forgot about TCU safety Marvin White as a strong Mountain West Conference guy still available. Sometimes I look at TCU and think you could take any guy off their defense and be happy knowing you got a great athlete who is hungry and flies to the ball. Maybe it's just the talent pool in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and the fact that they tend to dominate the MWC offensive players whose game are rarely based on speed.

White went to Cincinnati with the No. 15 pick of the fourth round and 114th overall pick of the draft. Good pick for the Bengals. And it says something nice about White too because Cincinnati is one of those teams this year that is only picking guys with good character (can't imagine why). White must have passed all the right tests.

Posted by ilimon at 09:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Utah defensive tackle Paul Soliai is headed to Miami, which drafted him with the ninth pick of round four and 108th selection overall. Soliai is one of many strong Mountain West Conference players still available who could be great impact players for teams.

Some of the top MWC guys left include tight end Jonny Harline from BYU, defensive tackle Kelly Talavou from Utah, safety John Wendling from Wyoming and offensive lineman Robert Turner from UNM. We'll talk more about Turner's prospects later, which unfortunately aren't looking as good as most Lobo fans might think heading into today. And don't yell at me for not mentioning Kenny Byrd. Of course I think he's clutch and can play at the next level, it's just that kickers don't get drafted. It's better for them to get invited to a tryout.

Posted by ilimon at 09:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Good morning!

I know a lot of people like the drama of the first day of the NFL Draft, including speculation of who will go first. I happen to like day two a lot. There are guys with a lot more interesting personal stories who have overcome obstacles to fight their way into the NFL. The quicks also come a lot more quickly.

We've got some Lobos who could get thei big call today, including Robert Turner and Kenny Byrd. Let's watch and see what happens.

Posted by ilimon at 09:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The marathon first day of the draft is mercifully over, and I'm taking a break from this wall-to-wall NFL action. I'll be back tomorrow with live blog updates, comments from Quincy Black and the latest on Lobos Robert Turner and Kenny Byrd.

Good night.

Posted by ilimon at 09:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I went back through my recording of the draft and here is what Mel Kiper Jr. had to say about Quincy Black:

Kiper said: "Speed. That's his game. You talk about moving him around and put him in positions where he can make plays. This kid is an athlete who can run like a deer. You talk about a kid who can fly. Six-1 and a half, 237 pounds, 4.42s consistently, 42-inch vertical jump.

"Not real instinctive though. Locating the ball, finding the football not his forte on a consistent basis but speed and athleticism definitely are. Kind of like a Thomas Howard type who came out of UTEP last year to Oakland.

"They're rolling the dice that, hey, you can get him in the right spot. Special teams should be a big factor. One of the fastest defensive players and most athletic players in this draft, just not real instinctive."

Chris Berman noted the hardships Black has overcome and said it was nice to see him make it to the NFL.

So do you agree with Kiper's take on Quincy?

Posted by ilimon at 08:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Bucs chose Quincy Black with the fourth pick of the third round, making him the draft's 68th overall selection. Here's the story I posted on the Trib's Web site with more details. I will post more updated information once I get in touch with Black.

Posted by ilimon at 07:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Get ready for the last 32 picks for today and the round we should see Quincy Black drafted. I hope they finally start to go a little more rapid fire with the picks, but I won't hold my breath.

Posted by ilimon at 07:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Chicago took Central Michigan defensive end Dan Bazuin with its second round pick instead of former Lobo Quincy Black. So the wait continues, but Black said he would be thrilled to go anywhere. Chicago just would be really nice. It could still happen, just not this round.

Posted by ilimon at 06:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Eric Wright from UNLV was selected with No. 21 pick in the second round and No. 52 overall. He has a ton of talent, but ESPN analysts are talking about rape and drug possession charges Wright faced previously and the big character issue that has loomed over the draft. He's getting a huge second chance and could have been drafted higher, arguably the top MWC pick, if he had a clean background.

Posted by ilimon at 06:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We're nine spots away from the Bears' second-round pick. Will Quincy Black get his fairy tale draft story? We'll find out if it will happen in the second round pretty soon.

Posted by ilimon at 05:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Miami Dolphins chose BYU quarterback John Beck with the No. 8 pick of the second round and 40th selection overall in the draft. Beck has been getting glowing reviews all day and analysts are surprised that he slipped this far in the draft and the Dolphins should feel fortunate to get him at this point.

Posted by ilimon at 05:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Aah, there's the love affair with Utah's Eric Weddle I expected to continue on draft day. Weddle got all the draft hype in the Mountain West Conference this year. San Diego selected Weddle with the No. 5 pick in the second round and No. 37 pick overall in the draft.

The ESPN analysts did question whether San Diego gave up too much trading up to get Weddle, but they never question his talent or versatility.

So Weddle is the first Mountain West Conference player plucked in the draft. We'll see who is next.

Here's one other interesting note. The first round was dominated by players from BCS schools. This isn't exactly unusual, but the little guys normally get at least one person in the first round. Not this year.

Posted by ilimon at 05:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Cibola High star Alan Branch finally landed on an NFL team, going to Arizona with the first pick in the second round and 33rd overall of the draft. Here's the story I just posted on the Trib's Web site with all the details.

Posted by ilimon at 04:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Oooh ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. slammed Alan Branch, saying he has the size and talent to be a star but this slip in the draft should be a wake-up call that he must perform better. Kiper also said Branch could have used another year at Michigan.

It's so nice when they add insult to injury. They didn't say this is a wake-up call for Brady Quinn, who campaigned to be the No. 1 pick and fell to No. 22. I can see why the Branch family can't stand Kiper. He may be right, but he isn't consistent with who he chooses to take swipes at and who he gives a free pass.

Posted by ilimon at 04:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Cibola High star Alan Branch wasn't among the first 32 names called during the NFL Draft, bumping him to the second round at best. He left Michigan a year early based on the projections that listed him as a top 15 pick, but rumors about stress fractures in his leg and poor work ethic seemed to have hurt him tremendously.

I don't think Branch will be waiting much longer, but I said that a few hours ago. This, by the way, is the longest first round in NFL Draft history.

Posted by ilimon at 04:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

OK, for just a second I thought maybe the Bears will stun everyone and take Quincy Black with the second to last pick in the first round. Ummm, no. They went with a very good pick, Miami tight end Greg Olsen, to help bolster their offense. I saw the Super Bowl live, and I can certainly attest to their need for a strong tight end who can catch the ball and give the Bears a boost on offense.

Black's really supposed to go in the second or third round anyway.

Posted by ilimon at 03:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So far the stupid Coors commercials are bugging me more than the draft experts. They use stock audio of press conferences and pretend the coaches are responding to stupid beer questions. It's just lame. And unfortunately, it's in heavy rotation. It gives me even more of an excuse to check the Red Sox-Yankees game during commercial breaks, although my Sox are finally starting to fall off cloud nine. You knew the Yankees would not lose forever. It would be nice, but it wasn't going to happen.

Posted by ilimon at 03:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

BYU quarterback John Beck is the first Mountain West Conference guy to get some hype as the draft crawls along through the end of the first round. They gave a glowing assessment of his skills and potential as a pro quarterback on ESPN. They flashed to Beck live in Provo, Utah, where he grinned and laughed at all the lavish praise.

I wonder how much pull Steve Young had in making sure Beck got some love. It's funny because during the season, Utah's Eric Weddle was the guy everyone absolutely loved.

Posted by ilimon at 03:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's not looking good for Alan Branch as the draft rolls on and teams searching for defensive players but opted not to go with Branch. He is getting dangerously close to tumbling out of the first round, which certainly would be a disappointment for a guy who came out of school early to lock in his high draft status. He'll still make a lot of money and have a lot of motivation to prove people they were wrong to snub him, but it's still not a pleasant experience.

Posted by ilimon at 02:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

After looking miserable and hiding in the commissioner's private lounge, Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn was drafted by Cleveland with the No. 22 pick. Quinn grew up a few hours from Cleveland and its a great fit for him. He called it "a childhood dream" to play for the Browns during his interview on ESPN.

Now Phil Parker, the Trib's sports copy chief, can go back to being a Browns fan. He was furious over the team's first pick and wanted Adrian Peterson or Brady Quinn. Now he's got Quinn. My sister went to Notre Dame and I'm an Irish fan, so I'm happy for Quinn too.

If Quinn can get his sweet story playing for him hometown team, then maybe Quincy Black will end up in Chicago.

Posted by ilimon at 02:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I could have said the offense looked terrible in Saturday scrimmage, but I'll go with the nicer headline.

It was not a good day for the offense and the defense had a pretty good time taking advantage of it. Since UNM only has nine healthy offensive linemen, the team can't do a real scrimmage. So the Lobos operated on a points system that gave the defense points for stops and the offense points for first downs and scoring. The team also used a regulation field instead of field that was only 50 yards long like they did last week. The longer field made it harder for the offense to score.

The final score was Silver, the defensive team, 33 and Cherry, the offensive team, 13.

The offense had a very hard time moving the football. The team didn't pick up a first down until the 30-minute mark, making the score 20-1 in favor of the Silver team.

The biggest problem clearly was the Lobos' inexperienced offensive line. Losing three potential starters for the season, along with the two seniors who departed, made it pretty brutal.

"The problem definitely was that we only have nine healthy offensive lineman," UNM coach Rocky Long said. "We have an experienced defensive line that was motivated today and took advantage of the mismatch. The defensive line was young and had the same problem last year. It's just something you have to work though in the spring."

There were a few times when quarterback Donovan Porterie did have protection but passes were dropped or he was picked off in the end zone making a receiver on the other side clearly was open. And those problems bothered Long far more than the score.

"I'm not disappointed with the offense, I'm just bothered that we dropped some passes early in the scrimmages we should have caught that could have changed the whole momentum of the scrimmage," Long said.

The coach said he expects the Wednesday scrimmage to either have a much closer score or for the offense to dominate. "It's funny, but in spring football it always changes with each scrimmage," he said. "The thing is you never win unless you have a tie with this kind of scoring system. The most important thing is that the guys work hard and improve."

There didn't appear to be any major injuries, although they got a brief scare when senior kicker Eric Garrison limped off the field. He made his field goal but the protection quickly collapsed and he hit the ground. He got up slowly and limped off but seemed fine later.

I got a chance to catch up with Vicki Cook, mother of Ryan and Erik Cook. Erik Cook has gotten a ton of playing time out the shortage of lineman. He was competing for a starting job at left tackle and right guard, but he got bumped over to center for spring workouts. His mom said Erik has been really excited about his chance to play, working out hard and watching his diet to do everything he can to get better. Erik also talks with his big brother Ryan, a former Lobo now with the Minnesota Vikings, every day. Erik takes in all the tips and advice he can get from Ryan. After he is done with finals, Erik is scheduled to go visit Ryan in Minnesota. Former Lobo Brian Ramsay playing in the Canadian Football League also will be joining them for awhile. The guys should have a lot of fun and squeeze in serious workouts since it will be training camp time soon for Ryan.

That's all for now. Back to live blog updates on the draft.

Posted by ilimon at 01:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I thought Alan Branch would go to Denver, but the Broncos took Florida defensive end Jarvis Moss with the No. 17 pick. Moss is an athletic pass rusher, so I guess that fits Denver's needs better than a big guy like Branch. So we're still waiting for Branch's big moment.

Posted by ilimon at 01:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's OK if Alan Branch slips in the draft spots, but it's not so easy to take when another defensive tackle is picked ahead of him. The Green Bay Packers selected defensive tackle Justin Harrell of Tennessee with the No. 16 pick, spurning Branch. Harrell had an injury that prevented him from competing in every phase of the draft process, while Branch competed in everything. Yet Branch got the injury tag and was considered a risk. It doesn't make sense to me, but I still think Branch will go soon. At least he's not Brady Quinn hiding in the commissioner's private room. Did he learn nothing from watching Matt Leinart last year? Talk about awkward moments.

Posted by ilimon at 01:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I just got back from Lobo football practice. Unfortunately for Alan Branch, he didn't get picked while I was gone. It looks like all the negative rumors hurt him a little bit after all. He was projected to be a top 15 pick and that didn't happen. It isn't necessarily a bad thing if he goes within the next seven to 10 picks. He will still make a lot of money, he probably will go to a more competitive team and he'll have a bigger chip on his shoulder to prove himself.

I'll post a Lobo football practice update soon and keep watching the draft.

Posted by ilimon at 01:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'm leaving for Lobo football practice, but technology and my lovely cell phone will let me keep up with the draft. And we'll have a story up on abqtrib.com as soon as we learn Alan Branch's fate.

Posted by ilimon at 10:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I think Cleveland made a good choice with Joe Thomas, although it probably is giving the Trib's Phil Parker a heart attack. Parker is a huge Browns fan and wanted Adrian Peterson. Thomas is solid and if you read the Sports Illustrated feature on him a few weeks ago, I think it'd be hard to think of him as anything less than a great choice. He's a nice guy who happens to be a very, very good left tackle. And if you read The Blind Side, an awesome book by Michael Lewis, you know how important it is to have a strong left tackle.

Posted by ilimon at 10:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

No pressure for JaMarcus Russell, the LSU quarterback picked with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft by the Oakland Raiders.

He's great and he could do well, but he has no offensive line. That's gonna hurt for awhile. I wonder of the Raiders will have the patience to let him develop. I think he can be great for the team, but perhaps it would have been smarter to trade the No. 1 pick for more first-round selections to plug holes. Only time will tell.

There is tremendous pressure to do well as a first-round pick, but I think Russell may actually have it slightly easier than most guys in that spot. If he doesn't work out, most people recognize the Raiders have a ton of problems and are cursed as long as management is so crazy. So he won't take all the blame if this doesn't work out.

Alright, now I am sure it will take a long time to get through the first round. A lot changes for each team based on which guys were selected with the first few picks. All the agents I've talked to say it really is madness right now. Phones are ringing off the hook and teams are scrambling. That's a real reassuring way to do business, but that's why people pay so much attention to draft weekend. The drama is legit.

Posted by ilimon at 10:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

OK, the Raiders have known forever they have the top pick. They had tons of time to negotiate a trade with other teams or decide which way they want to go with their pick. Why wait so long to make a decision? Why burn the whole clock? Grrrrr.

Posted by ilimon at 10:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The wait is finally over. Sort of.

The NFL Draft is seconds away from beginning, and I'll be blogging through the whole thing with an eye on the athletes with New Mexico ties.

Rio Rancho native and Michigan star Alan Branch is the first name we should see, and Quincy Black's name should be called later today.

I'm hoping Branch goes early because it's nice when local kids do well, and I don't want to have to worry about him getting picked while I go to Lobo football practice. The only draft break I'll take is from about 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the latest for practice. It's a scrimmage day, and I don't want to miss the action. I live Downtown, so that make it easy for me to get to and from the stadium fast.

My other hope is that the ESPN draft analysts are less annoying this year. I know, I'm asking for a whole lot. Last year was pretty rough. Chris Berman was especially bad. He would act like he suddenly had a moment of clarity and thought a guy would be picked next. Seconds later, the commissioner would name that guy as the next draft pick. It was so bogus because the NFL has to tell ESPN who is about to be picked so they can roll all that fabulous game footage or get the perfect reaction shot. A producer relayed it Berman and he used it to be the guy who broke the news instead of the commissioner. That's just annoying and wrong.

I'm not a Mel Kiper Jr. fan either. I think he may have been a better analyst when he first created his job and made the connections necessary to evaluate guys. Now I feel like he relies on different sources who don't always provide accurate information.

We'll see whether I throw something at my TV by the end of day one. I love my TV, so that probably won't happen. The mute button, however, is a temptation that is very hard to avoid.

Alright. Let's see how this all shakes down.

Posted by ilimon at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

For those of you who could not make it to the UNM women's basketball awards banquet, here 's a run down of the award winners:

Best Attitude - Amy Beggin

Most Improved - Christian Shelter

Best Defensive - Brandi Kimble

Community Lobo - Katie Montgomery

Reaching for the Stars - Julie Briody

I did not attend the banquet because I had other work, but I must be the only one in town who wasn't there. The event at Hotel Albuquerque in Old Town was supposed to draw more than 900 people.

Posted by ilimon at 09:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos had a good practice, rebounding from the sluggish workout that got them in trouble Thursday, but it wasn't a good day for kicker John Sullivan.

Sullivan, a senior who has been biding his time behind Kenny Byrd, was having the strongest performance of the spring among kickers. He was poised to steal a starting job but those plans evaporated when he tried to tackle Marcus Parker on a kickoff return and crumbled to the ground Thursday. UNM head trainer Dave Binder is still awaiting an MRI, but after examining Sullivan again Friday morning he thinks it's a torn ACL. The quickest a UNM player has returned from a torn ACL is six months. DonTrell Moore pulled off that recovery, but he had a pretty remarkable physique.

UNM coach Rocky Long wasn't sure if Sullivan had redshirted, but he thinks he had burned it already. The kicker would, however, still be a strong candidate for a medical redshirt if he chooses to make a comeback. We never saw much of Sullivan with so many talented kickers entrenched ahead of him, but he had the best hair among all Lobos. When he grew out his hair, he resembled The Flying Tomato -- snowboarding and skateboarding star Shawn White.

As I mentioned, the rest of the team turned in a much better workout Friday.

"I thought it was better," Long said. "I think they were sharper and more focused. They weren't even slow during the first part, so maybe they're starting to get used to practicing in the morning."

The guys were just in shorts and helmets, so there was no serious contact. But they flew around during skills drills and displayed the proper technique and fundamentals coaches have been demanding.

The team will practice from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday in University Stadium, with a scrimmage running from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. It's free and open to the public, so feel free to go check it out.

That's all for now. Check back later for more football news.

Posted by ilimon at 09:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The NCAA has banned coaches from text messaging recruits in all sports beginning in August. Coaches around the country pleaded to have restrictions made on text messaging instead of an all-out ban, but Thursday the NCAA's board of directors shot down their compromises. The NCAA did leave open the possibility of revisiting that legislation as early as 2008.

We've done some text messaging stories in the past and know a lot of UNM programs take advantage of the option. It's mostly done by assistant coaches who are younger and more adept at using the technology during the recruiting season.

Here's a complete story on the ban that was posted on ESPN.com.

I'm not surprised the NCAA made this decision because it always reacts strongly when it hears athletes are being pressured or adversely affected by anything coaches do during the recruiting process. Some athletes were bombarded by text messages, which rolled in during classes and all hours of the day and night. They also sometimes paid high fees when the text messages weren't part of their cell phone plan. And many said they felt pressure to reply or call the coach when they got the message, adding more stress.

I also think the rule may be amended in 2008 because the call for a compromise came a little too late. The coaches didn't really articulate their argument formally until this week, long after piles and piles of testimonials from athletes and their parents already had made a disturbing impression on the NCAA. A better case can be made next year and texting could make a comeback. With lots of rules and restrictions, of course. It's the NCAA ... you gotta have the rules and restrictions.

Posted by ilimon at 07:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Tribune's Richard Stevens and Jeremy Fowler will join Joe O'Neill guest hosting the afternoon sports talk show from 4-5:50 p.m. on KNML-AM (610) The Sports Animal. You can call in at 246-0610.

They are going to be the last guest hosts before Erik Gee takes over the afternoon show. Ian Martin has moved his show to 8-10 a.m. to fill the void left by Don Imus. I wrote a story for today's Trib about the programming changes.

Posted by ilimon at 02:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Sorry for the delay in posting my blog notes following this morning's early practice. I had a really busy day and didn't get a chance to do this as early as I would have liked but better late than never.

First the good news. It was a full-contact hitting day and no one got hurt. And no one who was hurt got worse. The guys who are missing spring football are in what is known as the play pen with the assistant strength coach, Joaquin. They do a ton of conditioning on the sidelines and wear their shorts and jerseys, so they remain very much part of the team through the whole rehab process. The kind of new thing they are doing this spring is that the coaches have the injured guys take a break and go over to watch some of the scrimmage so that they get to see important concepts of the new offense and the defense.

Today was an early-morning practice and I was told the team would start scrimmaging right away at 5:50 a.m. I got up time, but I guess I was a little slow getting ready for whatever reason. I ended up rolling into the parking lot right at 5:50 a.m. and was worried I would miss the good stuff. It would be my first full pads, full contact scrimmage. Fortunately they were still stretching. I actually like the early practice time because it freed up the rest of my day to do a whole bunch of other things. Anthony Kilby got to the field about two minutes after I did, which meant he was late and had to run after practice. Travis Brown got there a little later, so he sat out today's practice and did conditioning drills. UNM coach Rocky Long said Brown may miss Thursday's practice and do more conditioning depending on exactly how late he was for practice. As I mentioned, I ran late so I can relate to these guys running late too. But I also had 5:30 a.m. basketball practices in high school and was never late for those for fear of painful punishment like tons of sprints and loss of playing time. The coaches got to go home today at 5 p.m. instead of 7 p.m. thanks to the early start, so that's nice for them.

I mentioned yesterday I was looking forward to this scrimmage and thought the offense was doing a great job and showing signs of improvement in just the one day span I had witnessed. Maybe I built it up a little too much. The guys were sluggish and the early scrimmage wasn't very pretty. Long agreed when I talked to him and said they got better in the last few minutes.

The guys did a lot of position work, and I've noticed the coaches are continuing their campaign to spice things up and do unconventional or competitive drills to teach skills whenever possible. Most of the defense did a funny one Tuesday with defensive coordinator Osia Lewis and linebackers coach Lenny Rodriguez diving to throw pylons at players as they moved through an obstacle course. The players went through the gauntlet in two groups, with two guys competing against the course and each other. I definitely think that creativity makes a big difference for the guys.

The the offense did better during some seven-on-seven drills. Cornerbacks coach Troy Reffett did and safeties coach Danny Gonzales jumped up and down a lot, pleading with the guys to tighten up the pass coverage. It was pretty funny to watch them react physically to every pass, leaning forward or backward as if that would somehow get one of their players in the right position. And they cheered whenever the guys made the right play.

Later in the week, I will be ready to share some thoughts on the quarterbacks. Donovan Porterie is getting better at running the offense. And we've all seen his athletic ability, but I wanted to watch the backups a little more before sharing some thoughts on how they are throwing the ball.

The team did some goal line work, and it didn't go very well for the offense. "They worked hard and showed some aggression, but we've got a long ways to go there," Long said. The offense did score a few times and get out of trouble when the offense was stacked against its own goal line, but it wasn't the type of execution I was expecting. I can't help but think the injuries on the offensive line contributed to the offense's struggle on the goal line drills. There was one bad snap and Donovan Porterie fell on the ball in the end zone. He was in the shot gun and and had enough time to grab the ball and throw it out of bounds, the preferred option in that situation since falling on the ball is safety. I'm not saying the offense was terrible today, but you have to think there is a reason when you can't get the ball into the end zone from close range. Long once told that you have a 55 percent chance of scoring if you get possession of the ball inside the 50-yard line, so I think getting the ball inside the 20-yard line should generate more touchdowns than the offense scored.

That's all for now. Sorry about the false advertising on the last blog promoting a story in today's paper. We ran out of space, so the story will run in tomorrow's Trib.

Posted by ilimon at 06:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It was a pretty interesting day of practice despite the windy conditions.

First I'll share injury news. No one was hurt today, but it looks like OJ Swift will be having his knee scoped next week. He entered spring ball with a torn miniscus but wanted to try to make it through the workouts because he couldn't cause further damage. But the pain ended up being too much and he hasn't been able to practice. So UNM head trainer Dave Binder said he decided to sideline Swift and proceed with the surgery. It's a very minor surgery and Swift should be back working out in 10 days.

As previously mentioned, I missed the first week of practice, but I am basing my comments on the observations I have made and interviews with players and coaches. I think the defense is showing the first signs it is up to the challenge of keeping up with the defense, which already knew its assignments and was flying around the field aggressively during week one. Now on day two of week two, the guys were just in shoulder pads. But the quarterbacks were threading some nice passes on routes in traffic despite the wind. UNM coach Rocky Long said he thought the offense definitely improved and he was happy to see the plays the offense made, but he said the offense still has a long way to go.

I think it's always very hard during spring football to evaluate a team. Is the offense doing well or the defense having a bad day? In this case, I think both sides worked really hard and the offense made some nice plays that illustrate growth.

We get a much better picture of the team's develop Wednesday morning. Early Wednesday morning. The team works out in full pads with everyone up to be hit except starting quarterback Donovan Porterie. They will open practice with a scrimmage at 5:50 a.m.

So I'll leave my Tuesday practice notes a little short because I'll have tons more to offer Wednesday morning after practice. If you have any questions, feel free to post them any time in the comments section or e-mail them to ilimon@abqtrib.com.

Posted by ilimon at 08:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Although it was a really windy afternoon, it was great to be back for my first spring football practice. I hated missing the first week due to illness and death in the family. I think those tough experiences actually make me appreciate football a whole lot more right now.

So here's what I learned today. I know some of it is old news to the diehards who have a constant pulse on the team, but I have to get myself and everyone else caught up.

Devin Clark is scheduled to have surgery Thursday to repair his ankle. He didn't suffer a fracture, but head trainer Dave Binder said it's unstable and needs the surgery to help strengthen it. He expects Clark to rehab and be back at full strength by August. I talked to Clark, who is on crutches, and he's pretty frustrated but hopeful he will be back by August. Some guys fell on him when he was blocking one day at practice, a pretty routine situation that just went wrong. Clark was pretty excited about spring ball. He's a weightlifting fiend and actually did lifting competitions in his down time, so he definitely was physically improving during the long layoff before spring ball. As I said before, Clark is bummed but seems ready to fight his way back to the field.

So that leaves the Lobos pretty decimated on the offensive line for spring football. They lost two senior starters, plus Vince Natali is gone due to off-season surgery and Clark is hurt. Erik Cook also jammed his fingers pretty badly today, but he stepped up and handled snaps at center despite some serious pain. It obviously would be nice to have veteran guys in the lineup when you're learning a new offense, but offensive coordinator Dave Baldwin and coach Rocky Long both said it could be a blessing in disguise. Now the backups get valuable experience and have a chance to show what they are capable of doing. Someone is bound to get hurt during the regular season, so these guys will be more adept at stepping in if they don't manage to steal starting jobs. Starting quarterback Donovan Porterie also spent a lot of time as a backup and taking snaps from Cook, so he says he's happy to have him as his center for spring ball. And he said the backups aren't bad, so they aren't hurting the rest of the team's ability to learn.

Baldwin and Long had a lot of optimism for this week. They have installed the biggest things they needed and feel like the guys should start getting sharper. They really slow down when they think about what they're doing instead of just doing it. The offense is about 75 to 80 percent installed, and what's left is apparently very minor.

Baldwin is a vocal guy, but he said he doesn't want to ignore mistakes or placate players. He also wants them to feel no intimidation in front of 40,000 screaming fans on the road. The players seem fine with his style and he does pepper in the praise to make sure they get a balanced diet critique. Porterie said it helps to get both criticism on the field and in the film room the next day because it stays fresh and is reinforced, allowing the players to fix problems faster.

On defense, Long said he has kept the simplified approach he used during the bowl game preparation. The difference is the guys don't have to worry about game planning. So the defense is really set and the guys have a clear understanding of what they need to do. As a result, they fly around the field a little more aggressively. And Long wants that aggression back more than anything else, so he said he is happy with the way the first week of practice went for the team.

That's all for now. Check out tomorrow's Trib for a full report.

Posted by ilimon at 06:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I haven't had a blog update in weeks because I had a whole bunch of personal emergencies pop up that have taken me away from work.

I was scheduled for vacation last week when my grandmother in El Paso was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer and suddenly took a grave turn. I am grateful most of my extended family could drop everything and made it to El Paso in time to say goodbye before her death. She was very supportive of my newspaper career and an inspiring woman who I will miss. My family is especially grateful to the staff at Thomason Hospital for keeping her comfortable and also tending to all of our needs.

At the same time, I got pretty sick and was briefly hospitalized in El Paso for a problem with my immune system. I am on the mend now thanks to great medical care. I have to thank Dr. Augustine Eleje, who took a personal interest in making sure I got better quickly. I've seen a lot of doctors over the years and understand just how special it is to find one who takes good care of you when you are in need.

In my absence, several other Trib sports reporters have stepped up to help cover spring football. I wish I could have been out there from day one providing tons of blog updates and stories. The good news is that I'll be back at work Monday and will be able to resume my normal coverage of the team.

I know this is more personal than my usual blog posts, but I wanted readers to understand I wasn't just taking a strangely-timed vacation. I also wanted a chance to thank all the people who helped me out during the past few weeks.

Posted by ilimon at 08:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Three athletes who saw significant playing time are leaving the Utah women's basketball program, according to the Deseret News. Sophomore forward Joh-Teena Filipe, junior forward Marie Warner and freshman guard Brette Ulsaker have all left the Utes program. The Deseret News reported they were released from their scholarships but did not indicate whether the players were planning to transfer to other Division-I programs.

I think this is a pretty significant blow for Utah. While these players probably weren't happy and are better playing elsewhere, they represented a huge chunk of Utah's talent and experience. Filipe got tremendous experience during the Utes' Elite Eight run two years ago and was a great force opposite Jessica Perry inside. Marie Warner easily was the Utes' most athletic player, often coming off the bench and giving Utah a strong inside-out presence. And Ulsaker had a lot of potential and picked up experience this season when Utah was forced to go with a very young rotation of players.

Obviously Utah still has a strong program and sophomore point guard Morgan Warburton will be the team's leader for the next two seasons, but this is still quite a blow. With Wyoming surging and BYU and New Mexico constantly reloading, you can't afford to take a step back to replace this many talented players.

Posted by ilimon at 02:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

It stinks writing these stories, but I can't ignore it when two former UNM football players get in trouble with the law. I know a lot of people already heard about former quarterback Chris Nelson, a senior who started seven games during the 2006 season, was charged with shoplifting a bottle of liquor. But it turns out John Mulchrone, also a senior starter during the 2006 season at tight end, was charged with drunken driving. It's impossible to regulate behavior of athletes who are no longer in the football program, but it still stings to see them arrested.

Posted by ilimon at 02:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This information has been out for a few days, but I still wanted to post that UNM senior linebacker Cody Kase is one of 42 athletes named to the 2007 Lott Trophy watch list. The trophy honors the top defensive player in country, factoring performance on the field and in the community. The award is named after former San Francisco 49ers star Ronnie Lott. Players are evaluated based on integrity, maturity, performance, academics, community and tenacity. As a result, the winner is called the defensive IMPACT player of the year. The award is voted on by select members of the media, previous finalists, the board of directors of the Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation and advisers to the foundation that include retired college coaches.

Kase is a no-brainer for this type of award. He suffered an injury that limited him for several games last season, but Kase was still a strong defensive player. And he was one of two athletes on the list who were academic All-Americans last season. Kase got his first B of his academic career last season but still has an unbelievable academic record considering all the work he juggles. And he told me he does it without pulling all-nighters because he thinks nine hours of sleep a night is really valuable and what makes him so successful.

Tommy Blake from TCU is the only other Mountain West Conference player on the watch list. Here's the complete watch list:

The 2007 Lott Trophy Watch List

Xavier Adibi, LB, Virginia Tech, Sr., 6-2, 226 (Hampton, Va)

Jamar Adams, S, Michigan, Sr., 6-2, 212 (Charlotte, NC)

Josh Barrett, S, Arizona St., Sr., 6-2, 227 (Reno, Nv)

Tommy Blake, DE, TCU, Sr., 6-3, 250 (Aransas Pass, Tx)

Caleb Campbell, DB, Army, Sr., 6-2, 224 (Perryton, Tx)

Jonathan Casillas, LB, Wisconsin, Sr., 6-2, 214 (New Brunswick, NJ)

Antoine Cason, DB, Arizona, Sr., 6-0, 182 (Long Beach, Ca)

Simeon Castille, CB, Alabama, Sr., 6-1, 189, (Birmingham, Al)

Dan Connor, LB, Penn State, Sr., 6-3, 225 (Wallingford, Pa)

Shawn Crable, LB, Michigan, Sr., 6-5, 245 (Massillon, Oh)

Maurice Crum, LB, Notre Dame, Sr., 6-0, 225 (Riverview, Fl)

Brian Cushing, LB, USC, Jr., 6-4, 245 (Park Ridge, NJ)

Bruce Davis, DE, UCLA, Sr., 6-3, 237 (Houston, Tx)

Jordan Dizon, LB, Colorado, Sr., 6-0, 225 (Kauai, Hawaii)

Glenn Dorsey, DL, LSU, Sr., 6-2, 299 (Gonzales, La)

Sedrick Ellis, DT, USC, Sr., 6-1, 295 (Chino, Ca)

Zack Follett, LB, Cal, Jr., 6-2, 237 (Clovis, Ca)

Eric Foster, DT, Rutgers, Sr., 6-2, 265 (Homestead, Fl)

Vince Hall, LB, Virginia Tech, Sr., 6-0, 240 (Chesapeake, Va)

Chris Harrington, DL, Texas A&M, Sr., 6-5, 267 (Houston)

Nic Harris, DB, Oklahoma, Jr., 6-3, 226 (Alexandria, La)

Derrick Harvey, DL, Florida, Jr., 6-4, 245 (Greenbelt, Md)

Jonathan Hefney, S, Tennessee, Sr., 5-9, 186 (Rock Hill, SC)

Chris Horton, CB, UCLA, Sr., 6-1, 210 (New Orleans)

Kelin Johnson, SS, Georgia, Sr., 6-1, 194 (Daytona Beach, Fl)

Cody Kase, LB, New Mexico, Sr., 6-2, 212 (Valencia, Ca)

Drew Kelson, LB, Texas, Sr., 6-2, 215 (Houston)

Mike Klinkenborg, LB, Iowa, Sr., 6-2, 240 (Rock Rapids, Ia)

Nick Larkin, DE, Boston College, Sr., 6-4, 250 (Cincinnati)

James Laurinaitis, LB, Ohio State, Jr., 6-3, 244 (Hamel, Mn)

J Leman, LB, Illinois, Sr., 6-3, 244 (Champaign, Il)

Chris Long, DL, Virginia, Sr., 6-4, 284 (Ivy, Va)

Derek Lokey, DT, Texas, Sr., 6-2, 280 (Denton, Tx)

Dwight Lowery, CB, San Jose State, Sr., 6-1, 185 (Santa Cruz, Ca)

Marc Magro, LB, West Virginia, Sr., 6-3, 240 (Morgantown, WVa)

Jeff Van Orsow, DL, Oregon State, Sr., 6-4, 262 (Las Vegas)

Darryl Richard, DT, Georgia Tech, Sr., 6-4, 285 (Destrehan, La)

Keith Rivers, LB, USC, Sr., 6-3, 230 (Lake Mary, Fl)

Bo Ruud, LB, Nebraska, Sr., 6-3, 235 (Lincoln, Ne)

Eric Wicks, DB, West Virginia, Sr., 6-1, 205 (Pittsburgh)

Wesley Woodyard, LB, Kentucky, Sr., 6-1, 212 (La Grange, La)

Tom Zbikowski, S, Notre Dame, Sr., 6-0, 210 (Arlington Hts, Il)

Posted by ilimon at 06:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)