Sports fans are a loyal, passionate and sometimes eccentric breed.

Being a bandwagon fan is one is the worst labels a sports fan can be called. Well, other than being called a Yankees fan. A bandwagon by definition is a movement, party, or faction with a very strong popular appeal. To jump on the bandwagon is to shift one's vote or side to the winning side. The greatest appeal in being a sports fan is riding the highs and lows of your favourite team's tribulations until the hopeful culmination of a championship victory. So when a team that you've been rooting for over a period of years makes true on a championship the victory is that much sweeter. It is for these reasons that loyal sports fan detest bandwagon fans that transparently shift their loyalties each year and are able to experience the triumph of a championship victory each year.

	A bandwagon team?

A little while back my buddy Haibin moved from Halifax to Calgary and immediately became a fan of the Calgary Flames. Before the move Haibin was a casual fan of the Red Wings. The minute his allegiance switched, the outcry from his friends started: "You can't just switch your allegiance because you moved." "You're a bandwagoner!" I found the situation interesting and decided the issue of switching allegiances from one team to another needed further investigating. So I thought if I could develop some ground rules for this allegiance switch, we could all avoid situations like Haibin's. Oh and by the way switching your allegiance to a team that just missed the playoffs for the seventh straight season like the Flames did can hardly be called jumping on someone's bandwagon.

Here are some guidelines for fans that are thinking about switching their allegiance:

- You can change your allegiance to a new team if you move cities. Especially if you're moving away from a city that didn't previously have a professional sports team.
- You can switch your allegiance if a new expansion team starts up in your city. But be warned about cheering for an expansion team. You'll need to have a lot of patience and a short-term memory. The wait can be very long for that elusive championship victory. Seriously, you need to realize what you're getting into. Just look at the Tampa Bay Devil Rays as a perfect example of the horrific side of being a sports fan.
- If a team relocates and moves to a new city, you can consider yourself a free agent sports fan. Especially if that team moves to a new city and changes their team name and colours and distances themselves as far away as possible from their old existence. All 4 Hartford Whalers fans immediately became free agents when their club moved to Carolina.
- Another way to switch fan allegiance is if a major player retires or is unceremoniously traded or let go by a team. Some people cheer for a team primarily because of a major superstar that is associated with a specifc team, if that player leaves the team that allegiance and affliction for the team disappears and should therefore make the sports fan a free agent. If Mario Lemieux retires from the Pittsburgh Penguins I will become a free agent with the option of choosing a new team to root for.

The most common reason for fans wanting to switch allegiances is because of poor performance. A true sports fan cannot end their fan relationship with a team simply because they are losing. At times it can be hard cheering for a losing team but that's the cost associated with loyalty; sticking with a team during the tough times. That being said there is one small exception to the rule. If the poor performance of the team is directly associated with dumping salary due to severe economic circumstances, then a fan is given a loophole to switch allegiances. Two recent examples of this are the Montreal Expos' fire sale dump during the mid to late 90's and the Pittsburgh Penguins recent salary dump to avoid bankruptcy.

There is one sensitive issue that may present itself for free agent sports fans and that is the gray area of being called a bandwagon fan. If Mario Lemieux chooses to retire and then I choose to start cheering for the New Jersey Devils, I would undoubtedly be called a bandwagoner. In order to avoid this sensitive area there should be a one-year grace period for cheering on championship teams. So this year it would be okay to once again cheer for the New England Patriots. Next year free agent fans can choose to cheer for the Buccaneers (if they don't repeat, which is a great possibility).

Because of the Buccaneers Super Bowl victory I'm sure people who see me sporting Bucs gear will automatically think I'm just a bandwagon fan cashing in on the Bucs success. Those who know me, know the truth. In order to avoid situations for myself and other fans in this situation I've come up with the perfect idea: Sports Fan I.D. Cards. The cards will have your picture, name and will list the date in which you've been a fan of the team. After seeing this sample card I'm sure the question will be asked. How do I get my own I.D. Card? Well, simply contact Foursport.ca as operators are standing by.

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