Snake in The Pit

The UNM basketball team’s sixth man is just your
average 44-year-old, tattoo-covered super fan.

by BRIAN GATES

Many of the contributors to the University of New Mexico men’s basketball team either attended the university or have established wealth in the state of New Mexico. Mark Tichenor did not attend college and does stucco for a living.

“The Snake,” as Tichenor is known, does not contribute monetarily, but in terms of support. He is perhapsthe most notorious fan the team has.

Snake began going to Lobo games when he was 7 years old in 1971. His father and grandfather both had season tickets and Tichenor became the ball boy for the team. He maintained his position for seven years until he was 14.

“Those were some of my most fun years,” Tichenor said. “Those were the days with Stormin’ Norman Ellenberger.”

Mark "Snake" Tichenor recieves hugs from former Lobos Jeff Hart and Ritchie McKay

Tichenor earned the nickname “Snake” because of the way he slithered around the floor collecting the balls. He also owns a number of snakes and has a tattoo of a snake.

Snake has been going to games for 37 years now and has a collection of more than 30 different jerseys. Many were given to him, but not necessarily by Lobos.

“My first jersey came from San Diego State head coach Gary Trinkle. He saw me when he was getting off the bus and he gave me a jersey of one of the players,” Tichenor said.

Tichenor has been given a number of jerseys from Lobo players as well, but has bought some of them himself.

“I get a lot of it at yard sales and stores,” Tichenor said. “Some of my nicest Lobo gear has come from thrift stores.”

Snake says that the person who really got him interested in Lobo basketball was former coach Bob King. King, whom the Lobo’s court is named after, was the team’s coach during Tichenor’s first year as a ball boy. Tichenor was a pallbearer in King’s funeral and after the ceremony was given one of King’s Lobo sweaters by his widow.

“The jerseys are cool but the sweater is my favorite piece of Lobo memorabilia,” Tichenor said. “That sweater means more to me than all of the jerseys combined."

Tichenor says his best memory was during the 1977-‘78 season when the Lobos won the Western Athletic Conference title.

“After the game there was a party in the locker room and we had a cake fight,”

Snake said. “There was cake everywhere. I was all caked up.”

Tichenor can be seen at every home Lobo game in the front row of section 26. Tichenor wears a different jersey to every game and is noticeable because of his bald head and many tattoos.

Tichenor is also notorious for his ability to heckle opposing teams. He always waits for teams to get off the bus so he can tell them a thing or two and can often seen screaming at the opposing bench during games.

“Welcome to the desert. That’s what I usually say.” Tichenor said.

Mountain West Conference players have gotten to know Snake from his relentless taunting through the years. He has something special for each player. Snake refers to UNLV’s Wink Adams as “Wink-a-dink-a-doo,” but says the one he is looking forward to this year is Wyoming’s Brandon Ewing.

“I’ll tell him ‘keep your boxing gloves at home,’” Snake said, referring to an altercation between Ewing and some Lobo players two years ago.
Snake is eager for next year’s team and believes that they will make the NCAA Tournament as long as they can make their free throws.
“I can see it on [ coach Steve Alford’s] face every time they miss a free throw,” Snake said. “You make those doggone free throws or he’s going to break clipboard after clipboard during the season.”

Tichenor also thinks that senior Tony Danridge will be the key to next year’s team.

“Before he broke his leg he was eating [J.R. Giddens’] lunch last year in practice,” Tichenor said. “Nobody can do it like the Dandy-man can.”

Tichenor is not married and has no kids. He likes working for his stucco company because he gets to be outside. He works often enough to save money to go to the occasional away game each year, but is not able to attend all of them.

“I always go up to Air Force and when we are playing the Aggies. I usually mix in one or two more games a year but I always go to the Las Vegas for the conference tournament,” Tichenor said.
The only things that Tichenor likes other than Lobo basketball are other Lobo sports.

“I go to the football games and an occasional baseball game,” Snake said. “I hang out at the duck pond too. I just love the University of New Mexico.”

Written May 6, 2008

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