Johnny Damon strode to the plate in the top of the 1st inning. As a member of the road team, some booing was expected. But this wasn't just another at bat or another typical road trip for Damon. This was his first game back at Fenway Park since he left to join the New York Yankees. Some fans cheered. Others booed. Damon paused, found some fans that were cheering, and tipped his cap their way.

It had been the debate of the week in Boston: do we cheer or boo Johnny Damon? After all, he had left the team for a big payday and with the Yankees of all teams! The debate continued after the game (for days). What do you do when a player on your team joins its fiercest rival? Especially when that player was the leadoff hitter on the team that won Boston its first World Series in 86 years.

Such are the dilemmas of today's sports fans. It's 2006, not 1956, when most players were drafted by and stayed with the same teams for their entire careers. You never needed to worry about your team winning the World Series one year and fielding a bunch of strangers the next. You never heard the words "salary cap casualty." Guys were born to play for your team and they retired with their numbers in the rafters and decades of service to the hometown clubs.

Today? Roger Clemens could legitimately wear any one of three different caps on his Hall of Fame plaque. Shaquille O'Neal will go down in history as one of the greatest centers of all time, and yet he's played for three different teams in his career.

It's tough enough for fans of specific teams, but what about people who root for particular players? At least at the end of the day, a team's fans know who to cheer for-anyone wearing the correct uniform. But fans of individual players-those that have no allegiance to that player's team-don't know what to do.

I got an email yesterday from my friend (and trusty editor of the Can), Tatiana. The email was simple and to the point: "Steve McNair might get traded to the Ravens. THE RAVENS! What will I do then?!?!"

Consider this for a moment. She had never watched professional football until 1997. But she was impressed that Steve McNair-while playing at Alcorn State of all places-finished 3rd in the Heisman voting. When he became the starter for the Titans, she decided to check out the NFL. Just like that she found a team to root for: The Tennessee Titans. They went all the way to the Super Bowl two years later, and she's been a die-hard fan ever since.

But her rooting interest begins and ends with Steve McNair. If he no longer plays for the Titans then she will have no reason to continue supporting the Titans. She's been a fan of the Titans for 9 years. To just flip the switch and root for their division rival is not an easy task. Especially an inherently unlikable team (even if you're not a Titans fan), such as the Ravens.

Years ago, you grew up and rooted for the home teams. You really didn't have much of a choice. They were the only teams on local television, there was no cable TV, and unless you wanted to root for a team by reading about them in the newspaper, you were stuck with your local teams-whether you liked it or not.

Today, there's a plethora of media choices from the Internet to satellite radio to sports subscriptions on cable and satellite TV. If you live in Hawaii but want to be a New York Mets fan, the only thing standing in your way is the time difference and a few hours of missed sleep. Transplanted Colorado Avalanche fan living in London? A couple of phone calls and you may never miss a thing.

But what do you do when that key player doesn't play for "your" team anymore? Damon and McNair are just two examples. Adam Vinatieri's going to be an Indianapolis Colt this year. What's a Patriots fan to do? What do White Sox fans think about Frank Thomas playing in Oakland? Are Mavericks fans enjoying Steve Nash's success in Phoenix? How did Sabres fans feel about Dominik Hasek playing in Detroit and Ottawa?

The list is endless. There ought to be a company that recycles old uniforms for you. Send in your Pedro Martinez Red Sox shirt for a Mets shirt. Get rid of your Phillies Jim Thome jersey and pick up a new White Sox one. For a nominal fee, of course. Hmmm...I might have stumbled onto something here. (Note to self: call my business manager.)

So what's the answer to all of the team-changing that goes on? Fans need to show their teams and players the same loyalty that they get in return. When you're getting that autograph, be sure to tell the star player that you'll never root for anyone except for him. But if he leaves your team, boo him like crazy and burn his pictures and T-shirts (preferably in front of him). If your team does something you don't approve of, dump them and pick another one. Be prepared to jump ship at any time. Go where the best offer is. Say all the right things. As Damon said, "These fans meant a lot to me here...But time goes on. Players move on." Fans can, too.

www.sportsinacan.com