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Sunday, September 19, 1999
City Sports Outclass Venues
By Mike Hall
Associate Sports Editor
As the Albuquerque sports scene cruises toward the year 2000, it finds itself with possibly the fullest plate ever.
Professional teams in three major sports: the Dukes in baseball, the Scorpions in hockey, the Slam in basketball. Of course, these may be major sports, but they aren't major league. The Albuquerque area, after all, has a population of only 675,000.
On the collegiate scene, the University of New Mexico provides 21 sports, one of which -- men's basketball -- can call itself major league, one of which -- women's basketball -- is almost there, and a third -- football -- is desperately trying to go big time.
On the high school level, Albuquerque Public Schools teams head into 2000 with a solid springboard -- the best-ever attendance for football in 1998 and one of the best-ever in boys basketball in 1998-99.
The only thing missing that Albuquerque fans have grown used to in the past decade is professional soccer. But bet on that to return sometime soon, albeit at a third-division level -- the lowest in the United States.
To keep the picture this rosy, however, might not be that easy.
It is not a question of performance on the field or the court or the ice; it is a question of bricks and mortar. To wit: Albuquerque's sports facilities either lack in numbers or are too far out of date to satisfy the needs of the 21st century.
The problems:
* The Sports Stadium, where Los Angeles Dodgers Triple A farm club plays, is a nice setting for fans to watch a game. But does it meet the needs of the major league club -- which ultimately foots the bill -- or does it meet the needs of fans in terms of concessions, restrooms and amenities?
Fact: Between 1990 and 1998, 70 new minor league stadiums were built in the United States, 20 of those seating 9,000 or better. Could a city with a new stadium woo away the Dodgers?
* University Stadium, where the football Lobos play, has a nice press box and some nifty end-zone seats that are part of the Tow Diehm facility. After that, it is too small and too antiquated to keep up with the college football scene of the 21st century, University of New Mexico athletic director Rudy Davalos says. For the Lobos to lure quality recruits and more fans, the stadium must be enlarged and enhanced.
Fact: University Stadium -- without portable bleachers -- seats 31,218, barely enough to qualify for the 30,000 required by the NCAA Division IA.
* Tingley Coliseum has seating (10,200), but it's a rodeo arena. It soon will house the International Basketball League's Slam, in addition to its present tenant, the Western Professional Hockey League's Scorpions. But truth is, it's not an attractive place to visit or, apparently, to play. Even the state high school basketball tournament moved games into high school gyms to avoid Tingley.
Fact: Tingley Coliseum will be renovated to the tune of $7 million. Will that be enough?
* The Pit still is revered nationally as one of the great collegiate basketball arenas, but it needs to be renovated in order to become more than simply a basketball arena. Davalos says new restrooms, food courts and a new roof capable of holding a gigantic four-sided, video-enhanced scoreboard would be a good start.
Fact: The Pit, which seats 18,061, will be 33 years old Dec. 1. While it remains legendary in college basketball circles, it is far from modern.
A common cause
People in charge of running these entities almost all agree: An upgrade is imperative, sooner, not later.
"What's going to happen one of these days," Dukes president and general manger Pat McKernan says, "is that somebody is going to approach (the Dodgers) with a far better facility for players -- locker rooms, batting cages under the stadium. If it doesn't cost them any more, then they'll look at it." The Dodgers hinted recently that was the case, waiting until the last minute to sign a new one-year agreement with the Dukes.
Adds Davalos: "We've got to get our (football) stadium enlarged. To me, we're at a crossroads. Others are improving what already is better than ours. Go into the millennium with a 30,000-seat stadium? I'm always fascinated with those who say we can't fill what we've got. It's a good thing Bob King and those people didn't think that way back when the Pit was built."
Davalos tried to get money to expand the stadium during the last legislative session but received only $1 million, which will be used to upgrade restrooms and concessions.
John Whisenant, the new coach of the Slam and a longtime Albuquerque resident, wondered aloud during a recent news conference to announce the team, "Do you think people will come to Tingley?"
The Scorpions owner, Michael Plaman, believes they will and points out his team has had sellout crowds. He also notes that after he took over the team late last season, "from Jan. 20 when we took over, we had the highest average attendance in the league (more than 5,000 per game)."
He adds that if either of the proposed new arenas is built -- Downtown, which Albuquerque Mayor Jim Baca prefers, or on the State Fairgrounds, which the State Fair Commission prefers -- he would still need a fair lease to survive. "A good lease at Tingley is still better than a bad lease in a new building," Plaman says.
All of these things, of course, cost money -- something New Mexico traditionally has not had. And, there are those who wonder if the city can support all the professional teams, new facilities or not.
McKernan once owned the defunct Silvers of the Continental Basketball League. "At this stage, having been a former basketball owner, Albuquerque has only so much to spend. People have only so much discretionary money; it will hurt everybody eventually. (At UNM) women's basketball has cut into men's basketball to a degree. If you want to support Lady Lobos basketball, it has an effect on everybody."
Davalos thinks professional teams keep coming to Albuquerque "because the market is growing. They find it more enticing and come in thinking they can capture the market." McKernan puts it this way: "They overestimate; both income and interest."
But, Davalos says, "Albuquerque is interesting because we have sophisticated basketball fans, almost like a major league crowd. I think that's why some minor league sports have struggled here. The city is not big enough for major leagues, and it's too sophisticated for minor leagues. The bottom line is, most of our fans won't leave (the Lobos) for that (minor league franchises). Our fans deserve the major leagues, but they can't afford it."
Plaman says the picture is not that bleak. He says his new lease with Tingley provides $200,000 a year in concessions and parking revenues. In addition, clearing up debt and working out a new purchase arrangement for equipment such as Zambonis will lower annual expenses by $400,000.
"The Scorpions team has one of the greatest chances of success of any minor league team in the country," Plaman says. "We should break even or make money the first year, where they were losing $400,000 per year. At the same attendance level we'll make money. We'll have fun and make a little money. If we get into a new building, all the better."
High school success
On the high school level, facilities aren't the main issue, although that would be hard to argue around state basketball tournament time when overflow gyms for early-round games sometimes shut out fans.
On the field, Albuquerque Public Schools athletic specialist Buddy Robertson says, "It will stay like it is or maybe be better. Participation is holding steady in all sports, while track and soccer are growing a little bit. We haven't had a decrease."
He also says the revival of football programs at Rio Grande and especially at Valley have provided added revenues. And, as the quality and competitiveness in basketball continue to improve, the number of fans in the seats should increase.
Robertson says the district should be able to continue funding athletics and extracurricular activities. "There's always that fear of pay-for-play, but as long as I'm in the job, I'll fight it. I think it's discriminatory as hell. Parents pay enough: shoes, insurance, booster club dues, admissions."
Virgil Lewis, an Albuquerque resident and the chairman of the U.S. Youth Soccer Association, addresses the soccer question. "The past 10 years' growth has been consistent, 8 to 10 percent," he says. "Our fans have to come from players. As these youth players progress and become adults having their own children, I think we'll see a solid fan base."
Lewis also believes as the United States improves and starts winning internationally, popularity will climb. "People in this country want winners; just like here in Albuquerque we want winners."
Will professional soccer return to Albuquerque? "I think what Albuquerque should look at right now is a good third-division team, maybe even a women's team. ... We're a ways from being able to support a true professional team just in terms of population base."
Reflecting the past
The future overall looks something like the past.
"I don't see any earth-shaking changes," Davalos says. "Our fans come because of the Lobo team, not because of any individuals. The name New Mexico on the back is more interesting to them than the player's name."
McKernan says, "I think it will be status quo (in 2010). Some things may go, some may come. That's how it's always been, so it will be about the same. There isn't enough discretionary money to expect much else."
One thing that probably won't happen is a little grudge war that had Albuquerque boxing fans buzzing most of the last decade. It's doubtful the area ever again will see two guys from virtually the same area of town -- Danny Romero and Johnny Tapia -- holding boxing titles at the same weight.
"Can you believe it?," asks Danny Romero Sr. "It's a little town, not the whole state of New Mexico. I don't think there were two champions from the whole country of Mexico during that time. It's too bad people were so consumed with the rivalry they forgot what these kids achieved."
An expert on New Mexico sports, Mike Hall has covered topics ranging from women's basketball to athletic budgets and has helped coordinate the Journal's coverage for nearly a decade.
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