NCAA gets tough on academics -- for the smaller programs, at least. Plus: World Baseball Classic to begin. And: Oscar nominee "Murderball."

MLB hands the villain role to cable and the Dish Network with a surprising, non-exclusive DirecTV deal. Plus: Whooooops!

When nitpickers go bad: How could Frank Deford forget the Watson sisters in 1884? Plus: 48 words about hockey. And: LSU vs. USC? Nah!

Three cheers for Illinois not bringing its outdated, racist mascot to the Final Four. Plus: Barry Bonds, crooked refs and slacking at Tournament time. The readers write.

It's because the Blue Devils are so privileged. Trouble is, Americans secretly love privilege -- and Duke

UNC students have been protesting the existence of the Silent Sam statue for the last 50 years

The solution to the rampant corruption in college sports might be to pay the players. It's a controversial idea -- and it's gaining ground.

Some hockey fans draw a line between "violence" and "fighting." They're fooling themselves. Plus: ESPN does something exquisitely right.

Olympics: The best and worst at the microphone. Plus: The sartorial report. And: The injuries are mounting.

Salon's TV picks for Weekend, March 31-April 2, 2000

NCAA Tournament preview, Part 1: The left side of the bracket, featuring this column's annual foolhardy pick to go all the way.

Rangers pitcher Kenny Rogers beats up a cameraman. Tough week for the media. Plus: Hey, Marquette, what's wrong with "Warriors"?

In 2000 Roy Williams said he couldn't abandon his players to leave Kansas for North Carolina. Now he can, and some players feel betrayed.

The Senate minority leader misses a layup

Barry Bonds' television "reality": Just a nice guy everybody hates for some reason. Plus: Maryland wins the Tournament.