Received an e-mail from a New Mexico fan complaining about the behavior of Utah's players on the bench during the game last night, as well as coach Jim Boylen -- whom the fan accused of inappropriately confronting the notoriously manic, bald and tattooed fan nicknamed "Snake" who for years has cheered the Lobos and jeered opponents from a seat in the front-row of the student section at the Pit.

Turns out, though, Boylen evidently was just teasing.

In fact, Snake told my colleague Mark Smith of the Albuquerque Journal that he was impressed that Boylen knew his real name -- Mark Tichenor. And according to Tichenor (via Smith), he and Boylen engaged in some good-natured banter back and forth before the game, with Boylen teasing him about his name by saying that a guy named Mark Tichenor nicknamed "Snake" was like having an accountant nicknamed "Spike."

With any luck, I'll be able to reach Tichenor soon and get a first-hand version of his encounter with Boylen. But to hear Smith tell it, it was far more friendly and innocuous than my angry e-mailer made it sound. As for the supposed boorish behavior of the Utes on the bench? I don't have an answer, but doubt -- just based on the credibility of the complaint about Boylen -- that there is much to it.