GONE WITH THE WIN...

WHAT IS THERE ABOUT our wonderful world of sport that brings out the idiot in so many of its devotees -- the craziness that induces people to paint their faces and bare chests, tear down goal posts, attack officials, scream obscenities and demean coaches?

When their team is winning, they become pussy cats, swearing their fidelity to the athlete, coaches, owners, and cheerleaders, while the media is hailing them as "the greatest fans in the world."

All in one year, the Yankees can have "the greatest fans in the world." The Packers can have "the greatest fans in the world." Duke, the Lakers, Indiana, the Boston Bruins, winners everywhere, can have "the greatest fans in the world."

All of these love affairs last just as long as the winning continues. When it dies "the greatest fans in the world" turn into Mr. Hydes. Heads begin to roll, franchises begin to move, and "the greatest fans in the world" begin to wear brown bags over their heads.

If you doubt any of this, just look at what happened to Happy Valley, USA in the middle of the past football season. After five decades of worshipping their Nittany Lions, "the greatest fans in the world" began booing the team, chanting obscenities at the officials, and taunting their "losers."

Even their beloved Joe PA didn't escape. That inevitable question -- always raised when a coach over 50 loses a few games -- had to be asked: "Is the old man losing it?"

That is the course of true love in sports. There has to be a scapegoat. Someone has to be blamed. And it won't go away until their Joe PA rearms and the team resumes winning. Happy Valley will then resume its pastoral elegance, and Sports Illustrated will then announce that "Happy Valley has rediscovered its basic decency and responsibility."

God bless football and let us continue to hope its obsessed fans grow up some day.