In Episode 13, I sit down with longtime Journal prep sports editor James Yodice. We talk about the high school football season ahead, what it means to be the prep editor at the state's largest paper (for my money, as tough a gig as there is in journalism), the time his computer caught fire, some of his favorite places to cover a game in the state and how much he enjoys having a colleague who sings the Alamogordo High School fight song during the hectic Friday nights.

In Episode 12, UNM classes start Monday, Aug. 20, which means it's the last first day of school for Dane Kuiper and Anthony Mathis. The two seniors on the Lobos basketball team sat down with me last week to talk about the journeys at UNM so far, the season ahead and the legacy they hope to cement in their final year at UNM. They also talk about when they first played each other in the 6th grade when Anthony was living in Oregon and Dane in Alaska, who talks more trash, is Dane really a good fisherman just because he has tattoos of fish and what are their memories of the run the team went on to finish last season?

In Episode 11, I sit down with Lobos hoops coach Paul Weir for some stories from the recruiting trail, and more. What does the intense July recruiting period really even mean anymore for a program like UNM? Is it even the best use of time and resources for a program like UNM (or others in the Mountain West) that seem to be made up of as many or more DI and junior college transfers than high school kids anymore? I talk with Paul about that and much more in this episode.

In Episode 10, we have some Lobo hoops updates and hear from Paul Weir on his thoughts on scheduling, and why UNM's non-conference schedule still isn't completed, then have a lengthy catch-up conversation with former Lobo and Los Alamos High graduate Alex Kirk. We talk about his golf game, his pro career, some Lobo memories (he gets some trash talk in about some former pickup games he played), his Foundation and his life off the court, including his dating an Olympic volleyball player.

In Episode 8, I talk with Lobo basketball transfers JaQuan Lyle, the former two year starter at Ohio State, and Vance Jackson, who started as a freshman last season at UConn. The two sat out this season for UNM per NCAA transfer rules so we talked about how hard it was to watch their teammates, how hard UNM's conditioning program is, the future of Lobo basketball and who actually won more games when the two played one-on-one over the past six months?

Three UNM Lobos play their final home game off the season March 3 in the Pit -- Joe Furstinger, Antino Jackson and Sam Logwood. I talk with two of those three (Logwood couldn't make the interview) about their memories and the legacies they hope to leave. I also talk with Paul Weir about the foundation these seniors have helped leave for not only the longterm, but just over the next week or so this season and how grateful he is for them taking a chance on him in his first year coaching the team when they could have moved on.

In Episode 6 of the Talking Grammer podcast I have two interviews to share with you, one with former NBA All Star and former Lobo basketball great Danny Granger, who is now working with CBS Sports Network, the network broadcasting nest week's Mountain West Tournament games. Danny talks about his time with the Lobos, his dabbling in the television world and the current scandals in college hoops. In the second interview on this episode, I interview my 8-year-old daughter, who by flipping a coin to all seasons is beating me, the college basketball writer, in picking college hoops games this season and I'm not too happy about it. I post all the picks on social media and fans and coaches across the Mountain West have been rooting for the coin over me all season. I've decided to ground her until she starts letting me win some games.

Talking Grammer, Episode 5 features a conversation I had with UNM men's basketball associate head coach Chris Harriman last week. Chris and I talked about his time at UNM (this is his third season and he's the lone holdover from the Craig Neal era), his time working for Rick Majerus at Saint Louis and Tim Miles at Nebraska, his addiction to coffee and his 10-year-old son, Avery, giving him great perspective on life with an always-happy outlook while battling Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia since the age of 2.

Talking Grammer, Episode 4 features an interview I did with Lobo basketball strength and conditioning coach Tyler Stuart, the man behind the madness of the crazy conditioning program UNM has implemented this season. How out of shape was this team when he started? How do he and Lobos coach Paul Weir work together? The podcast also features audio from an interview I had with Weir in August in which he explained his philosophy on hiring Tyler and his goal to have a program that could wear opposing teams down.

It took awhile, but I'm back and trying another go at this Talking Grammer podcast. Episode 3 features an interview I did (in a noisy airport) with UNM Lobos guard Anthony Mathis the day after the team's shocking win at UNLV. That's at about the 7 minute mark after I ramble a bit about my cold, my sloppy writing and what I hope to bring with the future of this podcast. Hope you enjoy.