If we're honest, we must admit sports fans can be a self-centered bunch. Perhaps you've noticed.

Why, on the one hand, would they criticize a high school basketball player for admitting he would leave college after one season - or skip it altogether - for the NBA draft but they would not say boo about - or even applaud - a baseball player's decision to sign a pro contract right after high school?

That was the curious juxtaposition of a couple of stories in Wednesday's paper.

Former Decatur MacArthur baseball star Blair Springfield signed with the Cubs. He, like many other baseball players, will skip college. In his case, he'll turn away from a national letter of intent with Illinois State. Instead, he'll get a handsome signing bonus and make his way to rookie ball, where there no promises. The reaction, generally, was "good for him" and maybe, depending on your perspective, "Go Cubs."

Similarly, Le'Bryan Nash, a Texas prep basketball star, called himself a "one year and done" guy as far as college is concerned. Take away the NBA's age requirement for first-year players, you can bet he'd skip college and turn pro. The reaction, generally, was he will be using college basketball to get to the NBA and that the college game suffers because of it.

To which, I offer this: Puh-leeze!

Two kids making similar decisions and getting different reactions.

Where I come from, that's a double standard.