11 p.m.

• This always baffled me.

Marie Osmond and husband Brian Blosil are divorcing after 20 years of marriage, the pair announced Friday ... "Though our marriage is ending, we continue to have a very amicable relationship."

If you're splitting up, how can you still have an "amicable" relationship? How does one go about arranging such a thing?

"Hi baby, you know I like you and all, right?"

"Yeah, snook-ums."

"Want me to leave and split our assets 50/50?"

"Sure. Don't forget to take out the trash as you leave."

• Now this is funny.

Snoop Dogg says he was shocked at being denied a British visa this week, although he remains hopeful authorities will allow him to "share my message of love and harmony."

 

"I was shocked by the decision but am optimistic that the British authorities will soon realize my global efforts to promote peace and grant me the opportunity to come back for my fans," the rapper said Wednesday during an interview for the documentary "In Prison My Whole Life."

Three paragraphs later...

Legal troubles are not new for Broadus, who was also barred entry into Britain in May 2006.

 

In April 2006, he and five others were arrested on charges of violent disorder and starting a brawl after a fight erupted when members of the rapper's group were denied entry to British Airways' first-class lounge at Heathrow Airport.

Oh, yeah, they also talked about Mumia. *shrug*

Segments of the rapper's interview were released Thursday by a publicist for actor Colin Firth, who is producing the documentary on death row inmate Mumia Abu Jamal. The interview with Broadus had been scheduled for London, but was filmed in Amsterdam instead.

10:45 p.m.

• Oh boy, MORE BASEBALL DIVERSITY SHIT.

Major League Baseball began an effort to emphasize its place in the history of America's struggle for racial equality just one day after a study said only 8.4 percent of its players last season were black, the lowest level in at least two decades.

 

Participants in a panel discussion Friday night on baseball's civil rights history agreed that baseball should crank up efforts with community groups, schools and others to interest more young blacks in the sport.

 

"To play this game you have to start early and play continuously," Hall of Famer Dave Winfield said. "You can't say, 'Oh, this is a good opportunity' at 14 or 15 years old. It's too late. You'll never catch up. Baseball is tougher than the other sports in that respect."

 

The panel discussion was held on the eve of the first "Civil Rights Game," which is expected to become an annual event. The inaugural game was set for Saturday between the Cleveland Indians and the St. Louis Cardinals.

 

The game is part of an effort to highlight its place in the history of America's struggle for racial equality.

 

"Baseball integrated long before (the public schools) and also before the armed forces," said Jimmie Lee Solomon, MLB's senior vice president of baseball operations and an organizer of the event.

*gag*

With so many young blacks attracted to basketball and other sports, too few grow up knowing how to play baseball or understand strategic moves of "the game within the game," said Solomon of the MLB.

 

The annual "Civil Rights Game" is part of baseball's efforts, he said, "to make sure that the American pastime remains just that, the American pastime."

 

Before Saturday's game, baseball scheduled a luncheon to present its first "Beacon Awards" for efforts to further civil rights. Chosen to receive the awards were filmmaker Spike Lee; Vera Clemente, the widow of Pirates great Roberto Clemente; and the late Buck O'Neil, a former Negro Leagues player and the first black coach in the major leagues.

OK, you guys win. Get a few Tyrones and Leroys out onto the field in those fancy jerseys and quit talking about this shit already. I like how this annual "Civil Rights Game" is being played by a team with arguably one of the most offensive mascots in any sport. And by "offensive" I mean "offensive if you're a bitch-ass faggot and actually recoil in fear at the sight of this:"

Oh dear, I wonder if the White Sox will ever get a chance to play in this Civil Rights Classic? While I'm on this subject, why is that one 1919 World Series called the BLACK SOX scandal? OMG RACISM! No wonder there aren't any black people playing baseball!!

8 p.m.

• Well, the Final Four is just around the corner, so let’s see how I did this year with my brackkketology. Bolded teams are the ones I picked for that particular game. Teams with a line through were teams I had that got eliminated in an earlier round. Just for shits and giggles, I’m giving myself one point per correct pick for the first round. For the second round I’ll give myself two points per correct pick, and so on.

FIRST ROUND

Florida (1), Jackson State (16): Correct

Arizona (8), Purdue (9): Correct

Butler (5), Old Dominion (12): Correct

Maryland (4), Davidson (13): Correct

Notre Dame (5), Winthrop (11): Correct

Oregon (3), Miami of Ohio (14): Correct

UNLV (7), Georgia Tech (10): Incorrect

Wisconsin (2), Tex A&M CC (15): Correct

Kansas (1), Whoever (16): Correct

Kentucky (8), Villanova (9): Incorrect

Virginia Tech (5), Illinois (12): Incorrect

Southern Illinois (4), Holy Cross (13): Correct

Duke (6), VCU (11): Incorrect

Pittsburgh (3), Wright State (14): Correct

Indiana (7), Gonzaga (10): Correct

UCLA (2), Weber State (15): Correct

North Carolina (1), Eastern Kentucky (16): Correct

Marquette (8), Michigan State (9): Incorrect

Southern Cal (5), Arkansas (12): Correct

Texas (4), New Mexico State (13): Correct

Vanderbilt (6), George Washington (11): Incorrect

Washington State (3), Oral Roberts (14): Correct

Boston College (7), Texas Tech (10): Correct

Georgetown (2), Belmont (15): Correct

Ohio State (1), Central Conn. State (16): Correct

BYU (8), Xavier (9): Correct

Tennessee (5), Long Beach (12): Correct

Virginia (4), Albany (13): Correct

Louisville (6), Stanford (11): Correct

Texas A&M (3), Penn (14): Correct

Nevada (7), Creighton (10): Incorrect

Memphis (2), North Texas (15): Correct

Total score: 25 correct, 7 incorrect. 25 points.

SECOND ROUND

Florida (1), Purdue (9): Correct

Maryland (4), Butler (5): Incorrect

Oregon (3), Winthrop (11): Correct

Wisconsin (2), Georgia Tech (10): Incorrect

Kansas (1), Villanova (9): Correct

Southern Illinois (4), Illinois (12): Correct

Pitt (3), Duke (6): Incorrect

UCLA (2), Indiana (7): Correct

UNC (1), Marquette (8): Correct

Texas (4), Southern Cal (5): Incorrect. Boy was this incorrect.

Washington State (3), George Washington (11): Incorrect.

Georgetown (2), Boston College: Correct

Ohio State (1), Xavier (9): Correct

Virginia (4), Tennessee (5): Correct

Texas A&M (3), Louisville (6): Incorrect

Memphis (2), Creighton (10): Correct

Total score:

10 correct, 6 incorrect. 20 points. 25 cumulative points.

THIRD ROUND

Florida (1), Maryland (4): Correct

Wisconsin (2), Oregon (3): Correct

Kansas (1), Southern Illinois (4): Correct

UCLA (2), Duke (6): Correct

North Carolina (1), Texas (4): Incorrect.

Georgetown (2), George Washington (11): Correct

Ohio State (1), Tennessee (5): Correct

Memphis (2), Louisville (6): Incorrect

6 correct, 2 incorrect. 18 points. 43 cumulative points.

FOURTH ROUND

Florida (1), Oregon (3): Correct

Kansas (1), UCLA (2): Correct

Georgetown (2), Texas (4): Incorrect

Ohio State (1), Louisville (6): Correct

3 correct, 1 incorrect. 12 points. 55 cumulative points.

FINAL FOUR

Florida (1), UCLA (2)

Ohio State (1), Texas (4)

TERRIFIC TWO

Ohio State (1), Florida

So far I have 55 points out of 104. At least when it came to guessing which teams would get this far I got three brackets out of four, and that ain’t bad.