I'm writing an exam tonight, and I can't resist the urge to post in multiple-choice format:

Portland Trail Blazer basketball fans seem likely to forgive second-year power forward Zach Randolph, who was arrested the other night for allegedly smoking pot as he rolled down NE MLK Blvd. in his Cadillac SUV. (Despite the similarity to a Chris Rock joke setup, those are the actual facts.)

Why will the fans forgive Zach?

A. He's a young man who still has some growing up to do. Most of us old fogies did some things when we were 22 that we don't want to talk about now.

B. He's got funky clothes and a quiet demeanor that reveal him to be a real person.

C. He does have a license and auto insurance -- he just didn't have them in the car.

D. He's going to pay a price to the criminal justice system, and to the team, if his drug tests come back positive for pot.

E. If they let him, he'll probably sign autographs for the other folks in his diversion classes.

F. He apologized right away, and seems genuinely embarrassed and sorry.

G. The Blazers have already killed one scapegoat by trading Bonzi "Tall Man" Wells, and Rasheed "Meds" Wallace's bags are packed, too.

H. Some of Zach's older teammates' bad habits rubbed off on him. "When you put a dirty shirt and a clean shirt in a bag together and shake them up, the dirty shirt don't get clean."

I. Zach freakin' scored 34 points and snagged 9 rebounds against Indiana last night! Give the rest of us some of whatever he's been smoking!

J. All of the above.