The Boston Red Sox. The NY Yankees. The San Antonio Spurs. The North Carolina Tar Heels. The New England Patriots. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The USC Trojans.

As I reel off these names, can you hear it? Can you hear that faint rumbling?

It seems more and more supposed 'fans' can hear the call. It is the call of the bandwagon and it seems that it is blowing its horn more loudly than ever. Even here, in the NW corner of Minnesota, I see Bo Sox hats and Irish caps. (Don't ask me why.)

These fans go around blowing their own horn about their 'favorite' team, but can't name a single historic player. You ask them to name someone who stood out over 10 years ago and they just stare into space until drool runs down or they glare at you for questioning their fanhood.

It just pains me to see so many people just jump freely from team to team. I mean, players do it enough, fans shouldn't have to too.

What has happened to loyalty? To pride? To honor?

All I have to ask you wagontrain fans is this: Who will be your favorite team 2 years down the road? 5 years? In fact, I'll just come by and see after the next championship game. And don't hide your new hat.

Note: To all you loyal fans out there, if you know anyone like this inspire them to be like you. They are in obvious need of guidance.

Ah, it is that time of year again. The time when athletes can make or break themselves. The time when they set themselves up for a 4 or 5 year ride or can blow it all down the drain.

It may sound like I'm talking about spring sports, but I'm really talking about something smaller, but this ways in much more important than a tenth of a second in the 40 or 10 points in your batting average.

What I'm really talking about is something I recently had to go through. The most dreaded of all things for the hopeful college athlete. The (drumroll please) ACT (and SAT if you want it included).

At no other time in a young athlete's life (or student for that matter) can something that takes only 3 or 4 hours, have such an impact. This test is supposed to deem whether or not you are considered at "college level ability". It is supposed to determine if you will be able to make the grade. It is supposed to be the number one indicator of someone who is ready to go on in their life academically. As these students sit down, some of them munching gum, chewing fingernails to nubs, or twiddling their thumbs, they all know that any hope of an athletic scholarship hangs in the balence. Or truly does it for some of these student-athletes out there.

Somehow there are always athletes (and sometimes students) who are kicked out of college and off of teams after 1 or 2 years because they couldn't make the grades. I mean they aren't even close most of the time. They are pulling D's and F's and the college has to kick them out or else they will face the academic penalties.

Now you tell me how they got there in the first place. We've all heard of those gifted athletes at our favorite schools who have been kicked off the team and out of school because they are academically ineligible. I know from first hand how very gifted athletes can take one extra "test" and manage to make it into a college that initially rejected them. We know about Spurrier and how he wants to recruit athletes who are slightly lower on the academic scale so he can field a better football team. You can see Lisa's article if you don't believe me.

How come colleges always seem to find room for these amazingly talented athletes who can't make the grades but can't seem to find room for kids who have passed all their tests but are more likely to be in the chess club (sorry for the cliche) than to try out for an intramural sport?

All I'm really wondering is how come all these colleges will take on a troubled athlete but not a good student? What has happened to the integrity of  what are supposed to be some of the finest facilities of learning in our nation? Where has the sense of honor gone?

Will somebody riddle me that?