Bill Clinton did one good thing this week -- he became a fan.

Now he'll have to listen to the criticism because in doing so he failed to live up to the image required of him in sports.

The reason -- by becoming a fan, he showed just how insensitive he really is.

There's a little tradition carried on from year to year. When a sport's team wins a national championship, the president invites the players to a White House ceremony. Clinton fouled it up this year when he procrastinated after the Florida State football team won its first national title.

The invitation came after a Rush Limbaugh broadcast (coincidence? I doubt it). It certainly would seem pitiful if it took Limbaugh pointing out the lack of an invitation to prompt Clinton to issue one.

On the other hand, it took the president less than 10 minutes to troop down to Arkansas' locker room after the basketball team won the NCAA Tournament on Monday.

Of course, the cries in Clinton's defense will go out -- he's an Arkansas fan, not a Florida State fan. He was at the game last night but wasn't at the Orange Bowl on New Year's Day. And the list goes on.

Sure, he's a fan, but that doesn't excuse him from screwing over the Seminoles for more than a month.

I don't care that Clinton went into the locker room to congratulate the Razorbacks. All champions deserve to be commended by the President of the United States.

It's what is expected.

Unfortunately, that's the big issue here. Expectations. Images.

Sports has taken a bow to playing an image game. Throw in an actor or a politician and the game is complete. The Final Four had both -- Clinton and actor Kevin Costner.

To top it off, Clinton opened Monday night's basketball game with a speech about being fans. Classic hogwash from a "Hog" himself.

On that same day, Clinton threw out the first pitch at the Indians' Jacobs Field on Opening Day. OK, perhaps that one's not so bad because it is tradition. But Nancy Kerrigan throwing out the pitch in Boston. Gimme a break.

The only reason they brought in Nancy was to help fill a few seats. Which is what Michael Jordan will probably do in Birmingham.

I've long been a dissenter of Jordan in baseball. Now, the Barons have given me another reason to hate Jordan in baseball.

Before anyone knew Michael was coming to town, the Barons gave local school children 46,000 free tickets for Sunday's game. However, with Mike on deck, those kids will have to wait until later this month to use the passes. Probably long after Jordan has moved on to the next farm league.

The Barons claim taking the tickets away was necessary because of the crowd influx. But Oak Grove High School principal Dick Atchison said it best: "I think it's all about bucks. Michael Jordan is coming and they can now sell these tickets . . . These kids have to feel slighted."

And American sports fans should feel appalled.

The Baron owners should feel ashamed.

But no matter how the fans or owners feel, little, if anything will change. The owners will continue to use Jordan to sell tickets, and the fans will readily buy them up. More Nancy Kerrigan-types will throw out the first pitches on future Opening Days, and the fans will come to watch.

It's not just about greed. It's about images and expectations. That's what sells tickets and give reporters like me something to write about.

It's pathetic when a man named Bill can't even go to watch a basketball game without facing criticism. But he should have expected as much.