Some stories are funny. Some stories are serious. And some stories, like this one, are just plain weird. Per the Fargo Forum, it sounds as though the "Piggyback Bandit" made his way to a recent MIAC basketball game between Concordia-Moorhead and St. Olaf. Who is this bandit? Well ... per the story, he's a 250-pound man who has been reportedly been banned from high school games in multiple states. Now he's working his way onto the college scene:
Sherwin Shayegan, 28, has been banned from all North Dakota high school sporting events after attempting to get piggyback rides from students at three high school games in Bismarck last weekend, according to KXMB-CBS12 in Bismarck. Concordia Sports Information Director Jim Cella said Shayegan was "definitely the guy" coaches noticed handing water to players at Wednesday's men's basketball game against St. Olaf College at Memorial Auditorium. Cella said the man, believed to be Shayegan, dressed in a T-shirt and basketball shorts, was seated behind the St. Olaf players. ... Shayegan got close to players, pouring cups of water and leaving them on the table for the athletes.
That's all well and good. But the key question: Was there any piggybacking?
The St. Olaf coach said he was uncomfortable with Shayegan's actions so Cella approached him and asked him to keep a safe distance. Shayegan seemed to comply without incident, Cella said. "There was no piggybacking at our place," Cella said.
Very strange. It would be funnier, too, if not for those pesky assault charges.
UPDATE: The Minnesota State High School League released an advisory from Executive Director Dave Stead, regarding Shayegan, a little while ago. Here it is, in part:
On February 9, 2012, Shayegan was seen in St. Cloud, MN, and he is now known to be in Minneapolis today, February 10, 2012.
Sherwin Shayegan is known to cause a direct threat to the health and safety of student athletes and others. Therefore, in my capacity as the Executive Director of the Minnesota State High School League and on behalf of the member schools of the Minnesota State High School League, I am immediately banning Sherwin Shayegan from all MSHSL regular season and post-season MSHSL-sponsored athletic and fine arts activities.
