This Is the End... My Friend

Are Lobo football fans fair weathered friends? The question came up again this weekend as Mike Locksley was officially dismissed as UNM head football coach. Rocky Long upon casting his alma mater aside, used similar words to describe the local gridiron aficionados. Dennis Franchione, Joe Morrison and Joe Lee Dunn also brought up the question of fan loyalty, attendance and financial commitment.

It's not a fair question of course, since we've suffered nothing but unfair weather for so long. In all actuality, Albuquerque and the state of New Mexico owe the Lobo football team nothing. They have the backing and facilities to compete against teams on their level. Should this infrastructure be upgraded in order to compete with the football powers of the BCS? The good years have been few and far between, there is no reason to believe that pouring more money into Lobo football would produce a better product on the field.

When Mike Locksley was hired we were sold a bill of goods. Mike was the answer, he would take us to another level, which he did do, just in the wrong direction. Lobos fans had every right in the world to expect a competitive football program under Locksley. It never happened and he never owned up to his shortcomings, which only made his job harder. Mike Locksley is an obstinate man, not to say he's determined or driven, just hard  headed and dull. He was never cut out to be a head coach, Locks took the job for the same reason a grifter scams a sucker... the payout, or in his case the buyout. 

To ask the community to put down their hard earned cash, in times of economic uncertainty, in one of the poorest states in the country is delusional. Steve Alford and Mike Flanagan are worth every penny UNM pays them, because they produce winners. Locks on the other hand was, as we like to say in New Mexico "Stealin' Paychecks." The fans and the entire community soured on him the moment he attacked an assistant coach. What kind of man does that, what kind of man resorts to violence when dealing with those under his charge?  A man who was supposed to be a leader and a mentor, instead became the subject of ridicule across the country. 

UNM is a progressive institution, and the thought of firing a black coach left Paul Krebs, the Regents and everyone else frozen with fear and indecision. Rather than endure the possible outcry of racism (and a hefty buyout) that would follow Mike's dismissal, they gave him free reign to ruin the football program.

Race has never been a factor, it's about incompetence. Everything that Rocky Long and UNM built up over the course of eleven seasons, Locks destroyed in one. Yet, he got two more seasons and if not for Joshua Butts driving under the influence and almost hitting a pedestrian, he still had a couple more to go.

At least they restructured his buyout clause, and the violations surrounding the Butts incident may reduce that payment even more. Chalk this up as a lesson well learned, one that I thought we had learned with Joe Lee Dunn or Mike Sheppard. Whenever the Lobos hire a head football coach and he starts out with back to back seasons of fewer than 2 wins, it's not going to work out, let him go. Fuck! we never learn or listen to our own advice. Now!, will someone please call Rich Rodriguez and see what he's up to these days. 

My Short List of UNM coaching candidates

1. Rich Rodriguez

2. Jim Tressel

3. Mike Lynch

4. Mark Mangino

5. Dennis Franchione

6. Vince Lombardi

Get to crackin' Paul Krebs, I've made the job easy for you.

Keep your head down, the shit has hit the fan!