Day 397

• Luke Bryan has tested positive for the coronavirus.  In what will make people groan, he's an American Idol judge -- and has been replaced for whatever duration necessary...  by original judge Paula Abdul.
• The Masters, to I think no one's surprise, garnered it's lowest ratings since 1993.
• Wow.  Gary Player's son was caught trying to advertise golf balls during his father's honorary-opening ceremony last Thursday.  He won't do it again -- he's been banned from Augusta National Golf Club.
• Hell just froze over.  I have to agree with Joe West...  One time.   

Joe West was accused by former major-leaguer Paul Lo Duca of rigging the strike zone -- stating he would give Lo Duca's team preferential treatment while Lo Duca was behind the plate and West was calling balls and strikes if he would have the pitcher, the Mets' Billy Wagner, give Lo Duca access to his 1957 Chevy.

Only one problem with that story, Mr. Lo Duca...  And my anonymous baseball historian friend also pointed it out as it was also looked up...  No such game ever happened.  Looking up on Baseball Reference, it never occurred that Wagner was pitching, Lo Duca was catching, and West was calling balls and strikes.

(Closest it ever got, to my friend's research:  West was the 2nd base umpire in a game of that ilk.)

That error has cost Lo Duca half a million dollars in a lawsuit West rightfully filed.

Eugh.  I feel dirty.

"You're a fucking asshole, JOE WEST..."

That's better.  Carrying on...   

• More anti-Asian racism and more threats because "MY TEAM LOST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  After making a key error in the final play in a Cleveland loss to Chicago last night, Yu Chang received a number of both threats and Asian-racist messages on his social media.  MLB Security is investigating.
• A Moline High School Black football player was hazed with racism earlier this season when he was forced, for pain of having his knees smashed if he didn't, to sit near banana peels.  He says he wants to be treated as a human first and not a victim, and would much rather us not talk about it.  Your stand is admirable, sir.  I cannot, in good conscience, comply.  Because this has to stop.  Period-freaking-end.  I see the effects every day of similar.  Trust me on this one.