近距离内射合集

As a New Mexico State University graduate covering the UNM Lobos, I鈥檝e gotten plenty of 鈥淣ot bad for an Aggie鈥� comments through the years about things I鈥檝e written.

Over the past two months, since starting an A1, front page column for the Journal that I chose to dedicate to storytelling 鈥� personal profiles, really 鈥� about some of the great people around our state who I鈥檓 lucky enough to come across as part of my job, I鈥檝e gotten a new batch of the same sentiment.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 like sports, so I don鈥檛 read your stuff very often. But I鈥檝e enjoyed your columns. They aren鈥檛 bad, for a sports guy.鈥�

I love getting them!

While I didn鈥檛 have the same optimism of this column鈥檚 success as did my boss, James Bennett, when he voluntold me to start a front page column to get my work out in front of more people, I wasn鈥檛 convinced it would move the needle much.

I was wrong. I鈥檝e genuinely been blown away by how many of you have taken the time not only to read these columns, but then to reach out to me to let me know, often thanking me for letting them know about people they wouldn鈥檛 have otherwise known about. 

I鈥檝e always thought storytelling doesn鈥檛 have a 鈥渟ection鈥� of the newspaper. This has reinforced that. We all live in our own bubbles, and that鈥檚 fine. I鈥檓 in mine, too. But this column has reminded me of the pleasant surprises we can discover when we take the time to just venture just beyond our comfort zone. 

Another unexpected surprise of this column is how often I now get asked how the people I鈥檝e written about are doing.

So, for this week, I鈥檓 offering up some of those updates.

Jake Griego

After I wrote about 96-year-old Korean War vet Jake Griego stealing the show 鈥� over and over 鈥� performing the national anthem on his harmonica at events around Albuquerque, his daughter told me he bought 100 copies of the Journal (our circulation director thanks you, Jake!) to give to friends and family.

Thursday, she told me dad has only seven copies left.

I鈥檓 not sure I know 97 people, let alone 97 who would want to read about me.

But Jake鈥檚 something else, keeping everyone around him on his toes and staying busy as can be. Friday, he performed at the New Mexico State Fair as part of a special commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

Mike and Yolanda Sanchez

Never have I received more email, texts or social media engagement for any one story than when I wrote recently about Mike and Yolanda Sanchez, the 鈥淕atekeepers of the Pit鈥� who have manned the same coaches and players鈥� parking lot to UNM鈥檚 iconic basketball arena for the past quarter-century.

As the two continue their fights with stage 4 cancer 鈥� Mike prostate cancer, Yolanda lung cancer 鈥� I was getting letters from dozens of former players, coaches, college officials, high school officials, cousins, former colleagues and others who at some point came across Mike and Yolanda and who all, even if not ever catching their names, came away never forgetting those smiles and the way those two Albuquerque gems made them feel before going to a game.

Five days after the column published, UNM recognized Mike and Yolanda for their years of service during the first-half of the Sept. 5 Lobo football game at University Stadium. Mike, unfortunately, wasn鈥檛 feeling up to getting to the game, but the announced crowd of more than 24,000 fans roared as Yolanda and their daughter, Myra Sanchez, were shown on the video board.

And while there was no mention that night of naming that small parking lot on the southeast side of the Pit the 鈥淢ike and Yolanda Sanchez Coaches and Players鈥� Lot鈥� as I suggested in my column, I plan to keep sounding that horn until it happens.

Valerie Flores

The 鈥淧ole Lady鈥� was present and accounted for, waving her New Mexico state flag and UNM Lobos flag atop a large pole at both of ESPN鈥檚 College Game Day shows 鈥� at LSU on Sept. 5 and in Austin, Texas, on Saturday ahead of the UT vs. Ohio State game.

The Sept. 5 game was ESPN鈥檚 third most-watched 鈥淐ollege Game Day鈥� show ever and had a peak viewership of 3.5 million people 鈥� all of whom saw a bright yellow New Mexico flag and a red UNM Lobos flag waving behind the stage of football analysts all show as well as in front of the stage where country star Laney Wilson performed during the show.

Wilson even signed Flores鈥� orange, Home Depot hard hat (the show is sponsored by Home Depot).

As for Flores鈥� day job, the Texas-based dyslexia teacher showed her former student, Yamile, now in the 5th grade, a copy of the Journal column that mentioned the young girl. Yami, as Flores refers to her, last year joked that she made Flores famous by dubbing her the 鈥淧ole Lady.鈥� A few weeks ago when she saw her name in the Journal, her eyes lit up and she turned to Flores, 鈥淲ait a minute. (Now) I鈥檓 famous too!鈥�

Notah Begay

Writing about New Mexico鈥檚 own Notah Begay didn鈥檛 have the same, people behind-the-scenes sort of origin as these other columns. This one was just because the guy deserves his flowers.

We published a story on Begay in the Aug. 24 print edition of the Journal. The next day in Atlanta, he received the Payne Stewart Award for his vast contributions to the Native American community, primarily through his NB3 Foundation.

鈥淚 never thought I could actually become a Payne Stewart Award recipient,鈥� Begay said during his Aug. 25 award ceremony. 鈥淢any people have asked me, 鈥榃ell, why is that?鈥� It鈥檚 because people like me don鈥檛 win awards like this.鈥�

They do now, Notah.

James Keefner

The 鈥淢ayor of Isotopes Park鈥� recently won a gold medal in bowling at the state Special Olympics games and a silver in basketball the next day.

And two weeks ago, his dad, Jim, told me, James got to play catch on the grass he helps keep looking so good at Isotopes Park with his 88-year-old grandmother, Virginia Brockwell.

Odds & ends

I鈥檒l sign off with two notes.

First, to Coach Lindley in Alamogordo. I鈥檒l take a lap.

In my introductory column announcing this new storytelling project, I left out a chunk of my own. I wrote that I was born and raised in Santa Fe. And I was, but moved from Santa Fe after 5th grade.

My Chaparral Junior High football coach in Alamogordo brought to my attention I left out a rather large chunk of that 鈥渁nd raised" part of the upbringing.

Yes, coach. I am still a very proud graduate of Alamogordo High School and my parents 鈥� Mom and stepfather 鈥� still live there. Go Tigers!

Lastly, I鈥檝e enjoyed being able to bring to you stories of people who have great stories to tell.

Please keep the emails coming and let me know about more of these great New Mexicans whose story deserves to be told, even if its just by a sports guy.

Geoff Grammer is the Sports Editor of the Journal, a podcaster, columnist and covers UNM Lobos basketball, among other things. Reach him at ggrammer@abqjournal.com or follow him on Twitter (X) .