UNM has called off this year's Lobo Garage Sale, which was scheduled for Aug. 18 before the Fan Photo Day / Fall Cherry-Silver scrimmage. It turns out fans simply cleaned UNM out last year. The equipment staff took inventory of its surplus items and reported the Lobos didn't have enough to sell to make the garage sale worthwhile.

Posted by ilimon at 12:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I wrote a story for today's Trib with five questions I think the Lobos need to address during fall camp, which begins Thursday.

My five questions in much more condensed form were:
Can the Lobos learn the new offense?
Can the offensive line rally from the spring injuries and learn their roles in the new offense?
Can Donovan Porterie stay healthy, especially since the backups are really inexperienced?
Can John Sullivan or anyone else step up to fill ace kicker Kenny Byrd's shoes?
And can the Lobos find enough playmakers on defense to offset the monster number of tackles Quincy Black racked up last season?

So those are my questions. What are yours? Is there anything you want me to address during fall camp? Any stories you want me to tackle? Fire away in the comments section or shoot me an e-mail at ilimon@abqtrib.com

Posted by ilimon at 12:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The UNM Alumni Letterman's Association announced 19 former Lobo athletes will receive fifth year scholarships, allowing them to complete work toward degrees after their UNM athletic scholarships expired. This year the group renamed the award in honor of George Brooks, who ran the ski program at UNM for 37 years and led the Lobos to their sole national championship. Brooks retired this year.

Here's the list of athletes who received scholarships:
Alanna Abeyta, women’s soccer; Charlie Beljan, men’s golf; Julie Briody, women’s basketball; Becky Dover, softball; Matt Foote, baseball; Kaela Kelly, women’s soccer; Lars Loseth, men’s skiing/men’s soccer; Alex Mach, men’s skiing; Nora Quintal, women’s tennis; Amy Ray, softball; Petter Roering, men’s skiing; Jay Russell, baseball; Bridgette Sanchez, women’s soccer; Jackie Smith, baseball; Kelly Soldow, swimming; Daniel Stovall, baseball; Kristine Sweat, women’s soccer; Jenna Syverson, swimming; and Jedd Young, men’s skiing.

Posted by ilimon at 04:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Brian Urlacher didn't win the Super Bowl, but his ex-teammate Brian Johnson just won a different pro football championship. Johnson and the San Jose SaberCats rode strong defense (sound familiar?) to beat the Columbus Destroyers 55-33 in Arena Bowl XXI Sunday in New Orleans. It was San Jose's third title in six years and Johnson's second championship. He plays fullback and linebacker for the team. Johnson's contract with San Jose runs through next season.

Posted by ilimon at 05:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Former Lobo Quincy Black, who was selected in the third round of the 2007 draft by Tampa Bay, has agreed to a four-year contract with the Bucs, according to a Tampa Bay fan site on the Scout.com network. The deal allows Black to join the rest of the Bucs at training camp, which begins in two days at the Wide World of Sports in Orlando.

Posted by ilimon at 09:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

New Mexico State may be moving up, but the Aggies still have a way to go before they are seen on the same level as Hawaii and Boise State. NMSU was picked to finish sixth in two Western Athletics Conference preseason polls released today. Here's the rankings:

COACHES POLL
Hawaii
Boise State
Fresno State
Nevada
San Jose State
AGGIES
Louisiana Tech
Utah State
Idaho

MEDIA POLL
Hawaii
Boise State
Nevada
Fresno State
San Jose State
AGGIES
Louisiana Tech
Utah State
Idaho

The only awards I've seen released so far name Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan as the offensive player of the year and San Jose State defensive back Dwight Lowery as the defensive player of the year.

Should the Aggies be ranked higher or are they doomed to finish in the bottom half of the WAC standings?

Posted by ilimon at 12:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Here's the big list of Mountain West Conference rankings and awards. What do you think? Did the Lobos get a fair shake?

The Mountain West Conference released the following preseason rankings and awards voted on by select members of the media:
SCHOOL (1st place votes)
1. TCU (18)
2. BYU (3)
3. Utah (2)
4. LOBOS
5. Wyoming
6. Colorado State
7. Air Force
8. San Diego State
9. UNLV

And here are the awards. Three Lobos were recognized, while TCU dominated the following list:

AWARDS - OFFENSE
Offensive Player of the Year: RB Aaron Brown, TCU
WR Travis Brown Sr. LOBOS
WR Ryan Wolfe So. UNLV
OL Seth Aulai Sr. BYU
OL Dallas Reynolds Jr. BYU
OL Matty Lindner Sr. TCU
OL Jason Boone Sr. Utah
OL Robert Conley Jr. Utah
TE Wade Betschart Sr. Wyoming
QB Brian Johnson Jr. Utah
RB Rodney Ferguson Jr. LOBOS
RB Aaron Brown Jr. TCU
AWARDS - DEFENSE
Defensive player of the year: DE Tommy Blake, TCU
DL Jesse Nading Sr. Colorado State
DL Tommy Blake Sr. TCU
DL Chase Ortiz Sr. TCU
DL/LB Beau Bell Sr. UNLV
DL/LB Ward Dobbs Jr. Wyoming
LB Drew Fowler Sr. Air Force
LB Bryan Kehl Sr. BYU
LB Jason Phillips Jr. TCU
DB Quinn Gooch Sr. BYU
DB DeAndre Wright Jr. LOBOS
DB Brian Bonner Sr. TCU
DB Julius Stinson Sr. Wyoming
AWARDS - SPECIALISTS
Special teams player of the year: PK Louie Sakoda, Utah
P Jim Kaylor Sr. Colorado State
PK Louie Sakoda Jr. Utah
KR Brian Bonner Sr. TCU
Freshman of the year: LB Ricky Brewer, Colorado State

Posted by ilimon at 11:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

UNM head football coach Rocky Long has cracked the Top 25, but not in a good way. Coacheshotseat.com, which tracks college football coaches in danger of losing their jobs, ranked Long No. 25 on its list of coaches likely to get the axe. The site notes Long's record at UNM is 52-57, with a winning percentage of 45.8. The site stated it has cost UNM $71,863 per win during Long's tenure.

Long isn't the only familiar name on the list. It seems former Lobos coach Dennis Franchione will always own a spot on the hot seat. He ranks No. 23 on this list despite a solid surge at Texas A&M last season that likely saved his job. New season, new demands.

Five coaches UNM will face this season also are in the Top 25. Wyoming coach Joe Glenn ranks No. 4, UNLV coach Mike Sanford is No. 18, Colorado State coach Sonny Lubick is No. 19, Arizona's Mike Stoops is No. 21 and UTEP's Mike Price is No. 22.

New Mexico State's Hal Mumme is ranked No. 34.

The No. 1 coach on the list is Arkansas' Houston Nutt, while the one with the most job security is Florida's Urban Meyer.

I think there are some problems with the list. Long certainly is under pressure to win a bowl game. A conference championship would be better, but the bowl losses are adding up and becoming a problem. So I suppose I can see how he would slip into Top 25.

But I think Colorado State's Sonny Lubick should be ranked the highest among Mountain West Conference coaches. He was supposed to be one of those untouchables, but if they can force out Fisher DeBerry, Sonny Lubick shouldn't be safe.

Posted by ilimon at 11:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)

I spent the past six weeks learning how to do the Trib's morning sports editing shift and then doing the actual shift putting out the newspaper. It's a tough job, with a very early wake-up call (you have to be at the office at 4 a.m.). During this period, I didn't have time to write many stories.

Now I'm off the morning shift and focusing on reporting full time. A lot of you have e-mailed and posted on the blog that you want more football and women's basketball coverage. I'm working on it.

The good news for football fans is you've got lots of news coming your way next week. The Mountain West Conference football coaches are gathering in sizzling Las Vegas for the preseason media meetings. Lobos Rodney Ferguson and Cody Kase will be joining UNM head coach Rocky Long at the event. You can catch all the action on CSTV. And if you don't have the network, the Mountain West also has links to the event being streamed live online.

Posted by ilimon at 01:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UTEP football coach Mike Price went in for a checkup Thursday and doctors discovered a major blockage in one of his arteries. Doctors implanted a stent to relieve the blocked artery and Price is expected to be released today, according to the Associated Press.

I know you have to put background information in stories, but I wonder if a national story ever will be written about Price without referencing Sports Illustrated and strippers.

Posted by ilimon at 11:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A judge ordered former Lobo star Brian Urlacher and the mother of his toddler to take three-hour parenting classes. It's part of a bitter custody battle over their 2-year-old son, Kennedy. Here's a pretty detailed account from the Chicago Sun-Times about the latest chapter in the ugly mess.

Posted by ilimon at 09:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

The mystery is over. UNM forward Dionne Marsh's surgery was to repair two dislocated discs in her back, an injury she dealt with all of last season.

It's pretty crazy to think that she dealt with such a severe injury during the basketball season, especially considering the beating she always took in the paint.

Marsh and UNM coach Don Flanagan were optimistic about her making a 100 percent recovery. If she is able to make the physical transition smoothly, she still could face a few mental challenges. It's tough to be vulnerable and take a beating again when you've suffered such a severe injury.

Posted by ilimon at 11:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The same night a New Mexico State football player was charged with battery, five UTEP football players were arrested in connection with a fight in Downtown El Paso, the El Paso Times reported. One player recently kicked off the football team also was involved in the fracas.

Police responded to a call about a crowd of men and women in the street by Club Blu night club in the 200 block of South El Paso Street.

The Times reported: Isaiah Carter, 17, a freshman linebacker from Converse, Texas, was charged with public intoxication; Damon Cromartie, 20, a sophomore defensive back from Riverside, Calif., was charged with disorderly conduct; Tufick Shadrawy, 20, a sophomore wide receiver from Arlington, was charged with assault on a public servant, attempt to take weapon from peace officer and interference with public duties; Brandon Thigpen, 17, a freshman defensive back from Moreno Valley, Calif., was charged with public intoxication; and Brian Wilkins, 20, a sophomore linebacker from Tustin, Calif., was charged with assault on public servant, resisting arrest, search or transport and interference with public duties. Also arrested was Emeri Spence, 22, who UTEP officials said was recently dismissed from the team. Spence, who was listed as a junior linebacker from Garland, Texas, in last year's football media guide, was charged with interference with public duties and resisting arrest, search or transport.

UTEP coach Mike Price said he is investigating the players' involvement in the incident and take any disciplinary action necessary once he has all the facts.

None of the players stand out as athletes expected to make a major impact on the team during the 2007 season, but I'm not sure if any of them were young up-and-comers the Miners were hoping to lean on more this year. The charges don't sound so good. Public intoxication is bad enough for underage athletes, but trying to take a police officer's weapon is really bad. We'll see what happens.

Posted by ilimon at 04:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

New Mexico State wide receiver A.J. Harris was arrested and charged with battery against a household member Sunday, the Las Cruces-Sun News reported on its Web site. Las Cruces police responded to a call by a woman who said her house was damaged. When police questioned Harris, he said he slapped the woman, according to the Sun-News story.

Harris played in 12 games for the Aggies in 2006, finishing with 71 catches for 789 yards, seven touchdowns and 817 all-purpose yards.

Posted by ilimon at 06:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I did a story for today's Tribune and included a note about two players leaving the team. Luke Higgins, a junior defensive end, and Mike Vandenberg, a sophomore wide receiver, are looking to transfer, UNM coach Rocky Long said. Higgins needs to pass summer classes before he is eligible to transfer. Vandenberg already is set to transfer to Montana.

Both players had potential, but they had a lot of talented players ahead of them on depth chart. The bigger question is how it could impact the football team's Academic Progress Rate, which already is dangerously closed to costing the team scholarships. I have heard rumors the NCAA may not penalize schools anymore for transfers who leave in good academic standing, but I haven't gotten any confirmation on it. Long said that kind of rule change would be great news for the program, but he hasn't heard about it. And he reads every news item released by the NCAA, so it's hard to imagine he'd miss any change in policy. If you have any more details on a potential rule change, please post a comment on the blog or e-mail me. I'd love to hear about it.

Posted by ilimon at 03:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I wrote a story for today's Tribune about the preseason college football rankings in six magazines. The Lobos were picked an average of fourth by the magazines. UNM coach Rocky Long said once again he does not put any stock in preseason rankings.

The Trib spent a good chunk of change to let me review these magazines. Now I'll offer my ratings, so that you can chose the best one if you opt for just one college football magazine this year.

1. The Sporting News / $6.99
It picked the Lobos finished third and TCU to win the conference.
These ratings are compiled by regional writers who actually have seen the teams they discuss. It doesn't offer a ton of extra frills or trivia, but it definitely has the most credibility.

2. Phil Steele's / $8.95
It picked the Lobos to finish fourth and TCU to win the conference.
If you are a stat geek, this is the magazine with you, but I have to warn you the layout is absolutely terrible. I've never seen a magazine harder on the eye. It's bad. There aren't any cute rankings, but there's all the information and stats you could ask for previewing every college football team in the country.

3. Anthlon Sports: Western Editon / $6.99
It picked the Lobos to finished fourth and TCU to win the conference.
Since this is the Western edition, it has a lot more space devoted to the Lobos and other Western teams. There are a few interesting lists at the start of the magazine, but UNM just gets routine game notes. So it has a nice layout but not much meat.

4. Lindy's / $6.99
It picked the Lobos to finish fifth and TCU to win the conference.
This magazine has some fun awards up front, including one calling QB Donovan Porterie coolest in the clutch. When it comes to the actual school preview, UNM only gets half a page and it's a very limited preview.

5. Street and Smith's / $6.99
It picked the Lobos to finish fifth and TCU to win the conference.
There is a solid overall preview and some fun awards by Las Vegas Review-Journal writer Steve Carp, but the UNM preview is once again very thin. It simply lists the basics about the team. It has even fewer of the basic facts included in other magazines.

6. Scout.com / $5.95
It picked the Lobos to finish tied for fourth and TCU to win the conference.
Scout's strengths are its message boards and army of writers covering recruiting, not its preseason magazine. I know it's tough to evaluate the Mountain West, but it's a little weak to pick three teams to finish fourth and another three to finish seventh -- make a decision. I also don't see picking Air Force among the crew to finish fourth when it has far more questions than any other program this year. The Lobos only get half of one page in this magazine, which probably is a dealbreaker for most diehard UNM fans.

Posted by ilimon at 03:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

A story I had been working on for quite awhile made it in to the Fourth of July edition to the Tribune. It turns out that the Lobos' poor academic progress rates in men's basketball and baseball will likely cost both programs scholarships next year. The first-year coaches of both teams are working to improve the numbers, but it appears they have too much to overcome to avoid sanctions. The football team is close to the line, but it appears the program will avoid losing scholarships.

The APR is a very complicated topic, so feel free to post any questions you have about it. I'll do my best to answer the questions.

Posted by ilimon at 06:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

As most of us enjoy this lazy day, celebrating our independence, a whole lot of coaches are on the road. July may mean sizzling summer for the rest of us, but it's recruiting, recruiting, recruiting for college coaches. The UNM women's basketball coaches have scattered throughout the country now that all but one of their summer camps are over. (There's one more right before school starts in August). At least one recruit was expecting to see the coaches later this month in Memphis. And when I caught up with UNM coach Don Flanagan Monday, he was driving to Oregon for the End of the Mountain Trail tournament, a pretty big AAU tournament widely known out west.

These tournaments are not just about looking at next years recruiting class, but scoping talent for the next two or three years. It's important for programs like UNM, looking to move up from strong to elite program, to forge these relationships early.

Enjoy the rest of the holiday and a short rest of the work week.

Posted by ilimon at 04:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)