Are you on the band wagon?

 The Kansas City Chiefs are 3 and 0! Three weeks in to the new season, and the Chiefs have won as many games as they won the entire 2009 season. Every Friday is Red Friday, and this year, red is everywhere.

By the end of last year, there was very little red wore to celebrate the team each week.

As a casual observer but not rabid fan of the Chiefs, I've noticed the Chiefs' band wagon is pretty well occupied during the down times. There are thousands of loyal Chiefs fans, as evidenced by the vitriolic sentiments expressed after last year's horrible season. I've also noticed the band wagon is over-flowing since the 2010 season is off to a great start.

I'm an avid Notre Dame football fan. We are having the opposite problem this year: people jumping off the band wagon. People are jumping off ND's band wagon so fast, there's a national shortage of crutches from all the ankle injuries resulting from their leaps.

The Chiefs are having a great season, they don't need more fans this year. If you weren't a fan last year, don't come along now for the glory. If you weren't buying game tickets when they were as cheap as a date with Paris Hilton, don't bemoan their high cost this year.

You have to be there for the heartbreak to celebrate.

If you're jumping off the ND band wagon this year, or you jumped off during the three previous coaches, stay off. If you're not there to shed tears of anguish over losing, don't come back with eyes welled up in tears of joy when the team is winning. Be there now, or stay away.

You have to earn your spot on the band wagon, whether we're talking about the Chiefs or Fighting Irish.

The same is true in life.

What band wagons are you on? Who are you loyal to? Who is on your band wagon? Who is loyal to you?
Are you more loyal than some people deserve or reciprocate? Is it time to get off some band wagons?

You earn spots on band wagons by being there for others when times are tough. It's easy to support someone when they are successful and life is going smoothly, but true loyalty is shown during the tough times.

It is not fun and glamorous to be there for someone whose business is struggling, or someone with cancer, or someone who was laid off. But, that's when you are needed most.

Jump on the band wagon during the losing seasons so you can enjoy the sweetness of winning seasons.

Go Chiefs!
Go Irish!