Day 746

• There was a motherfucking throwdown tonight at the Oscars.  Will Smith BELTED Chris Rock right on the stage -- and it was clear it was over comments Rock made about Will's wife on a joke Rock told earlier in the evening.  Uncensored feeds had "keep my wife's name out of your motherfucking mouth" on it.  Smith eventually won Best Actor for his portrayal of Richard Williams (Venus and Serena's father) in King Richard.  He tearfully apologized to the Academy for his outburst.  And that better be the end of comedians at the Oscars.  It's clear that there are enough tensions out there now that what has been funny for a long time won't be.
• Saint Peter's' tremendous run hit reality tonight -- and, for the first time in history, Duke and North Carolina will meet in the NCAA Tournament in the national semifinal.
• North Carolina's win cost me about 9000 places in the ESPN contest, but I still enter the Final Four (Villanova vs. Duke, Duke winning on that bracket) in the top .15% of all brackets.
• You did need to have all four of the Final Four to get in the $100,000 drawing.  You had to have at least seven (all but St. Peter's) of the Elite Eight.
• Soon-to-be former Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich and two Ukranian negotiators were poisoned at the recent "peace talks" with Russia.  Still want to believe there's a peaceful non-nuclear solution that is not total victory for Putin?   
• Albert Pujols will finish his career with the Cardinals.  He goes back on a one-year contract.