By Bill Syken
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If you're ever headed for Albuquerque, make sure to add the word capsaicin to your vocabulary. That is the chemical that makes chile peppers hot, and you'll be ingesting plenty of it, because in New Mexico they'll throw a chile on anything -- burger, turkey sandwich, eggs, you name it. And the thing you learn about capsaicin is that it doesn't just hit you going down. This is one chemical that leaves an exit wound. Which is fine, because the proper way to leave Albuquerque is with your ears ringing and your inner membranes burning. That will mean you've sampled sufficiently the wonderful local cuisine and that you've enjoyed basketball at The Pit -- the home of the New Mexico Lobos, which in 1999 was determined to be the loudest basketball arena in the country by the St. Petersburg Times.
| |   Fans have packed The Pit -- where the Lobos have had only one losing season -- since it opened in 1966. David Benyak/University of New Mexico |
The reason noise reverberates through The Pit, and into your bones, is the manic intensity of the fans. Perched in the high desert, Albuquerque doesn't give the locals much else to shout about. "This is our excitement," says Maralyn Beck, a sophomore from Albuquerque who has been going to games with her family since she was eight, and who now plays tuba in the pep band. The Lobos have four Albuquerque natives this year -- which makes the fans' embrace all the more intense. "We know these kids," says Beck excitedly. "I went to high school with [reserve guard] Jeff Hart."
So everything gets a big cheer -- Jeff Hart, outlet passes, whatever. If a Lobo gets a breakaway dunk, get out the cotton. Sometimes students, who stand the entire game, even direct their energies toward the season-ticket holders who are at the age at which they will sit when they feel like it. "Stand up, you geriatrics," some students shouted at a recent game.
Mike Roberts, who has been calling UNM games on radio for 35 years, says he began to realize the Lobos had something special going a couple of decades ago when a bald man sat next to him before a game and said, "I wish we had something like this at home." The man was Jerry Tarkanian, the legendary former coach of UNLV, that evening's opponent. If there's a down side to all the hoo-ha, Roberts says, it's that "it takes me about an hour after the game to get my hearing back. Other than that, it's great." Opponents seem to get distracted by the noise or just feel guilty about spoiling the fun. The Lobos were 10-18 in 2002-03 -- but all of the wins came at home.
For those worried about their eardrums, note that the volume has been turned down a few decibels due to the team's recent less-than-stellar form -- the Lobos haven't made the NCAA tournament since 1999. One columnist noted that the team was so discouraging in an early-season performance, spectators could actually hear the ball bouncing on the court. Also, fans are finding other outlets, such as the resurgent football and women's hoops teams. And across from The Pit is a beautiful new stadium for the city's Triple-A baseball team, the Isotopes.
If that name sounds familiar, it's because the Isotopes are the minor league team on The Simpsons that in one episode threatened to move to Albuquerque, thus inspiring life to imitate art. It's forgiving of the team to embrace the name, because it was Homer Simpson who, in another episode, looked at a map and declared, full of wonder, "Hey, there's a New Mexico." Clearly he'd never been. But if Homer were to visit, be sure that with his appetite, the state would have made an impression.
5 Questions For... Brian Urlacher
The Bears' four-time Pro Bowl linebacker, a UNM alum, tackles Lobo life.
1. Lambeau Field or The Pit -- which is more vicious? "Lambeau just because of the numbers. Then again, I never got to sit in the UNM student section. It was so hard to get tickets. But The Pit, with all those people coming down on you, can be pretty wild."
2. Your favorite nonsports spot in Albuquerque? "You've got to take the tram up the Sandia Mountains, where you can see the whole city. That's where they took me on my recruiting trip, and after that I was sold."
3. And for food? "I think that's what I miss the most about that place -- the Mexican food is the best. They've got Gardunio's for tacos and rice, and I usually get at least six."
4. Your younger brother, Casey, shacked up at your Chicago home while he attended Lake Forest College. Of you two, who had the better rooming situation in school? "Him, easy. He had the basement with all the games and could pretty much do whatever he wanted. Then again, I had a lot of hot chicks in my dorm, so that pretty much made up for it."
5. As a former Lobo yourself, I ask: Rebecca Lobo -- hot or not? "Oh, yeah. Something like 6'4", a good athlete. Hell yeah."
-- Adam Duerson
Best Places To ...
Bask in the neon glow: Central Avenue is part of historic Route 66, and you can still get your kicks at its restaurants and bars, whose signs light up the night.
Feel the burn: M & J Sanitary Tortilla Factory. The carne adovada (chunks of pork marinated in red chiles) is the house specialty.
Take a scenic drive: Head north toward Santa Fe and you'll get a taste of the Land of Enchantment's high desert landscapes that inspired painter Georgia O'Keeffe and, unfortunately, others.
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Issue date: February 26, 2004
