Just when you thought...
November 7th, 2009 by Doug Strickland under KRQE Sports Blog, NCAA...the dark clouds were starting to somewhat lift on UNM athletics, yet another thunderstorm rolled onto the scene late Thursday afternoon. Lobo womens soccer player Elizabeth Lambert was the center of attention in completely all the wrong ways in the team's 1-0 loss to BYU in the Mountain West Conference Womens Soccer Tournament semifinals. Lambert was the instigator of several rough plays in the match, but the capper was when Lambert pulled the pony tail of one of the BYU players, literally snapping her neck back and forcing her to the ground.
The game was broadcast by The Mtn., with the rough plays splattered Friday all over YouTube and national television outlets, including The Early Show on CBS and ESPN. This was not what UNM needed in light of the recent events surrounding Lobos football coach Mike Locksley and his altercation with assistant J.B. Gerald; more negative national publicity and more negative national commentaries about something involving UNM.
Give UNM credit for something. Unlike the Locksley incident which has dragged on for weeks, the university acted swift here. Lambert has been suspended from the Lobo womens soccer program indefinately. How long does that prove to be since she's a junior and is expected to return to UNM next season? Time will tell. But for now, this was the right action to take. The things Lambert did on a soccer field have no place in sports, actions she has admitted were wrong and has apologized for. Just the same, the damage is done and like in the Locksley fiasco, there is much healing that needs to happen.
One footnote to this issue. There were some who called in to local radio sports talk shows Friday afternoon who felt that since this involved BYU, who some Lobo fans have learned to hate, this was okay. Think again and this time take off the rose colored glasses. Bad sportsmanship is bad sportsmanship, no matter who the opponent is. It's not a good example to set for young people who may one day wear the cherry uniforms the Lobos don now.

