The big day

Obviously, today is a big day because of the release of The DaVinci Code in theaters. Haven't read the fiction. Meanwhile, here in Alexandria-Pineville, many are planning to protest the film's opening on Friday.

Just remember it's fiction. It's meant to be enjoyed in its element and context. Brown created -- well borrowed -- a fictional concept about Christ's divinity and a relationship with Mary Magdalene. But it's fiction. Enjoy it for what it's worth, and only what it's worth.

Now onto more important things ...

Finished reading Last Dance by John Feinstein tonight. Good book. It takes an in-depth look at the Final Four, starting with 2005 and UNC's national title run. However, the book is so much more than that. Feinstein gives his readers an in-depth look behind the scenes at Final Fours in years past. Feinstein, like many of my favorite writers, is simply, easy to read and a dogged reporter. While he doesn't hesitate to give his opinion, Feinstein will give you facts, facts and more facts. Part of me wants to become Feinstein, along with many more of my favorite sports journalism figures. He just loves covering sports -- something I'd like to be able to do myself some day.

Like I mentioned yesterday, the next book is Game of Shadows -- chronicling Barry Bonds' use of steroids, as told by two reporters from the San Francisco Chronicle. I'm very much looking forward to delving in to the dirty aspects of my once-favorite sport. For so long I was young and naive about baseball, thinking about the game in its purest form. Now I know it's changed, and I'll never look at the same way again.

Somehow, someway, I'm still fighting in my fantasy baseball league. Despite a recent slump -- well if you can call 3 weeks "recent" -- Hoss' Heroes are sitting pretty in a second-place tie, eight "games" out of first. If we can keep plugging away, Vlad Guerrero, Mike Young and Lance Berkman will heat up and start carrying the team like they are supposed to.

Apparently the ACC, upset over getting just 4 bids last year, wants to expand the NCAA tourney field. One option -- which I favor -- is adding 3 teams to make the field 68, then having 4 play-in, or "opening round", games. An option which I vehemently oppose would be to expand to 80 teams -- far, far too many. However, my proposal goes a step further. Unlike the current play-in game, my system would exempt all conference tourney champs from the play-in game. The 8 lowest at-large teams would square off in the opening round, then be placed in the bracket with a normal seed.

Sad to hear about Albert Belle. Belle was elected into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame last year. Buddy Davis, a former colleague of mine who covers the La. Hall, told me it seemed like Belle had genuinely recuperated from his bad attitude that he carried with him during his playing days. But it seems the Shreveport native can't shake his bad rap, and trouble continues to haunt him.