Sometimes, it's really tough being an alumnus of the University of New Mexico. While I don't consider my four years at the school are not to be the best of my life, I do have an affinity for rooting for their sports teams and occasionally going to their student theatrical performances. The best thing that came from my college days is that I decided to make Albuquerque my home. Since I still live in the alma mater town, I'm still a Lobo because everyone here's a Lobo, woof, woof, woof.

This brings me to our 2009 football season. We had a new coach, new style and a new attitude, or so the billboard said. We also had a football team that couldn't win a game. I knew it was going to be bad when we got whipped by 40 by Texas A & M to start the year and then another 40 by Tulsa, but when you lose at home to the in-state rival New Mexico State, you know it's going to be a tough season.

To make things worse, the new coach, who is black (one of the very very few in Division I), first got into a little hot water when he dismissed his secretary, an older Hispanic lady. She claimed he fired her because she wasn't pretty enough for football recruits. This cause a tiny uproar and was ultimately resolved by settling out of court by giving the secretary a new UNM job and free tickets to a ton of athletic events. Even unattractive secretaries have their price.

Meanwhile, the Lobos continued to lose, now mostly to the Mountain West Conference. They lost to Texas Tech and Wyoming and Air Force and UNLV.

The coach wasn't even around for the homecoming UNLV loss. You see, somewhere along the way, the coach got into an altercation with an assistant. Some say a punch was thrown. Some say he choked the wide receiver coach. Some say he grabbed the shirt sleeves. At first, the athletic department issued a written reprimand for the coach. People complained about the leniency. Then he received a 10-day suspension, which meant he didn't coach the homecoming game with UNLV. Then just as it seemed the situation had been resolved, the coach went on ESPN to say his side of the story. Instead of closure, it just stirred things up again. The assistant coach hasn't sued yet, but he's still on the payroll and not working. I crave to have a job where I am suspended with pay.

Through it all, the Lobos lost. They barely lost at San Diego State, where incidentally, our old coach is now the defensive coordinator. I still say he left UNM because he knew this year's schedule was way too rough for the talent he had. Then, the Lobos looked good for a quarter and a half before getting blown out at Utah.

Thousands called for the coaches job. Fire the bum! We won't be able to recruit because of his altercation (like we ever really could). Lobos blow! Nobos! The idea of a winless season was becoming a very real possibility.

FYI, the Lobos have had one winless football season, going 0-11 in 1987. Five years before I started going to school there. I take no responsibility for it.

I held out little chance of a win when the BYU Cougars came to town. They were nationally ranked in the top 25, full of big Mormons, and they always beat us no matter how good or bad we were. Strangely enough, the Lobos came to play. Even with our kicker missing all three field goal attempts and an extra point, the Lobos had the ball with a chance to win with three minutes left in the game. I felt something I hadn't experienced all year long with the team: Hope. In typical Lobo form, they wilted under the pressure (a common occurrence in Lobo sports), and our quarterback was sacked twice in the final drive to ensure a 24-19 victory for the Mormons, I mean Cougars.

This left Colorado State at home and TCU on the road. Anyone following college football this year knows TCU is battling for the national title, having not lost a game. CSU has been reeling with seven straight conference losses. UNM had one real shot left at winning ONE football game.

Nothing comes easy for the Lobos. After leading the entire game, our sixth-year quarterback threw an interception while driving down the field, and CSU returned it for their own touchdown, giving the Rams the lead for the first time at 27-23. We got a field goal to make it 27-26, and eventually got the ball with 90 seconds in the game. With a fourth-and-three scramble from our quarterback for a first down, the Lobos eventually got into field goal range, and our beleaguered kicker had a chance to kick us to victory with a thirty-seven yard attempt with twelve seconds left in the game. The kick...was...GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!

It took almost all season. It was ugly at times. It was close to not happening at all. But the Lobos win! Lobos win! Lobos win! Whiskey & egg nog all around! Kahloo Kallay! Oh happy day! The Lobos have won a football game!

They close out the year next week at TCU. 1-11 never sounded so good.

Chris Jungle strives not to be a perfect loser as well.