Finally, a headline we’ve been waiting for since 2003: Vanessa Bryant has filed for divorce from Kobe Bryant! Like countless other celebrity/California divorces, she cited “irreconcilable differences.” Also known as “you cheated on me one too many times, so I stayed with you through all your court trials and championships so that I could get my half of it all in 2011.” Yep, the Laker who plays for $25 million per year (and counting) did not have a freakin’ prenup. Maybe that’s not something you really think about when you get engaged six months after meeting on a music video shoot.

More power to you, Vanessa! Keep your head held high, and put your fist up in the air — you know, the one with that 8-carat purple diamond ring on it that’s worth $4 million alone. Collect your spousal support, take care of Natalia and Gianna and enjoy the fabulously single life, because your divorce is one of the Most Necessary Breakups of 2011 (well, in general, really)…congratulations!

Who else made the list? You know, all those whose headlines kinda made you smile with relief and gave you hope in humanity again. Let me refresh your memory…

initiating the gallery...

Who else thankfully called it quits? And who do you think still needs to? Hey, the year isn’t over yet, there’s still a chance they’ll come to their senses!

Ashley is a UC San Diego grad who is holding on way too tightly to a potential career in magazines and goes to Vegas all too often. She’s fascinated with celebrities and strawberry beer and doubles as a pathological texter/emailer/blogger. Feed the addiction with tweets @cashleelee. Thanks in advance.

Tired of watching the game with your beau and his boys and worrying more about the nacho verde salsa spilling all over the couch than that insane fourth-quarter fumble?

Let me introduce you to the newest sport for women to participate in while the men watch the big screen.

A quirky, female-inspired show that has become a haven for women during sports season, While the Men Watch is a live sports talk just for women to enjoy while their men scream and sweat through the game.

Ladies, if you’re interested in suiting up this season and playing on the female side of things, you’ll need a pair of stilettos, your best skinny jeans and your boo’s oversized, stinks of wings and Bud Light, mint-condition game day jersey. Don’t have the right game day jersey? No problem, there’s no penalty for wearing a Jeter jersey during the PGA tour.

Since the show boasts such a huge following, with over 2,000 listeners at its launch last year during the Super Bowl, I thought I’d head over to the site and see just what all the hype is all about.

Here’s what I found:

The show is basically the polite version of the Dummies Guide to… and it’s aimed at women who either know nothing about sports or can’t stomach another third quarter drive. It defines everything from penalties to first downs to baulks and is co-hosted by Lena Sutherland and Jules Mancuso, two women with fanatical sports husbands.

When the women aren’t brushing up on sports knowledge, they’re focused and ready to tackle the real issues on every woman’s mind as the game clock ticks: How cute is that quarterback? What kind of ab workouts do the cheerleaders do to stay so fit? Oh, the bowl is getting low, should I make more pigs-in-a-blanket? More nachos, anyone?

The women might be limited in their sports knowledge, but they are not biased when it comes to which sports they discuss on the show. Every week the women feature new commentaries depending on which sport is in season — NBA, NFL, MLB, racing, tennis…you get the idea.

After skimming the articles, I’m definitely going to tune in to the livestream the next time it airs. I’m both a sports fan and a female (a double-whammy, I know!) and after reading some of the content on the site, I’m willing to bet the hosts won’t let me down. It’s a funny, sarcastic twist on what women think. Anybody else wondering if Mel Gibson will make a guest appearance?

Sure, the show is a little bit stigmatized as far as its creation goes because it plays on the idea that women are only concerned with cosmetic and materialistic images, but what woman isn’t curious about the man underneath that oversized helmet? Or the pitcher with that really great butt?

If you’re male or female and you’re curious to get inside the mind of a woman watching sports, you can listen to the talk show live on the site at WhileTheMenWatch.com.

With March madness at its peak right now this topic probably doesn’t seem like all that much of a stretch to you, but you might be surprised by the direction this topic is going in…

Should student athletes be paid?

Jalen Rose, ESPN/ABC studio analyst, member of University of Michigan’s Fab Five, and  the writer of this piece seems to think so. And while my first response to that question was an undignified snort, I have to say that after reading his points, I might be reconsidering my stance.

My immediate reaction was absolutely not. Sports are an extracurricular activity that students choose to take part in. Just like the school paper or honors societies or student government. They do is because they enjoy it. Or if they don’t have a love of the game, they’re often very good at the game, and they do it because they get a scholarship for playing that game. Full tuition paid? A free education? That was their payment. What more could they possibly need?

But Rose offers some good points.  He argues that being a student athlete is a full time job. (CollegeCandy reader and student athlete, Chelsea, agrees.) Rigorous training schedules, practices, and games take up the majority of these students’ time, far more time than most other extracurricular activities take up.  And the free time they do have is often spent in class or studying for classes. They do have to maintain a respectable GPA, after all. Rose points out something we all know but never seem to truly grasp: student athletes don’t have much free time.  And as the sister of someone who played high school football for four years, I have to agree. If high school football left my brother without much time to do anything but eat, sleep, and breathe football, then I can’t even imagine the demands that come along with being on a college team.

As a result, these students are left without time for a part time job, and have no means of making any money in college, all while colleges everywhere make lots and lots of money off of them. (Just look at all the money spent and earned during March Madness.) Granted, not every college student works, but some need to. While universities often provide their student athletes with full scholarships, if a student’s family cannot afford to give the athlete spending money, he or she is left without any means of paying for those necessary living expenses that always come up. Laundry. Food that doesn’t come from the cafeteria. School supplies. New clothes. Books. These are expenses that need to be taken care of, and Rose proposes that a $2000-per-semester stipend will do just that.

But what do you propose, ladies? Is the stipend a good idea? Should student athletes be paid at all? Or is getting out of college loan-free enough of a payoff?  Is being a student athlete a full time job? Should there be some sort of need-base system? Or should it be skill-based? And do you think it’s fair that universities, and networks, and brands, and basically everyone but the athletes themselves, are making a profit off of this?

Leave a comment and let us know!

This has been, by far, the craziest NCAA tournament I can ever remember. Every single game so far has increased my blood pressure, spiked my heart rate and probably shaved a few years off my life. If your bracket has survived the madness, props to you; I’m already down a two Final Four teams (I guess that’s what you get for ever having faith in a team from Pittsburgh or Notre Dame). Woof.

After a much needed break to get our heart rates back to normal, the next round of the tournament, the Sweet 16, kicks off this Thursday. Here’s a rundown of everything you need to know before you grab that bucket of wings/anti-anxiety medication and park yourself in front of the TV.

Some of the biggest upsets so far:

Butler over Pitt – I usually wouldn’t give a rat’s *** about anything that came out of Pittsburgh, but when an eight-seeded Butler team knocks out the first number one seed of the tournament, it’s a BFD. Especially since I probably lost a couple hundred dollars thanks to those fools. This was probably one of the weirdest game endings, ever. It came down to foul shots.

VCU over Purdue – I had never even HEARD of VCU before this tournament. The Virginia Commonwealth Rams may be the 2011 Cinderella Story. One of their own players (Jamie Skeen) even said if he was a regular person, he probably wouldn’t have picked VCU to make it to the Sweet 16.

Marquette over ‘Cuse – If you saw Marquette’s reaction at the final buzz, you’d agree with me on this one… I don’t think anyone has ever been more excited to find out they are going to New Jersey.

Games to watch:

Butler/ Wisconsin – Butler is a very, very strong 8-seed. I wouldn’t be surprised if they upset Wisconsin and made it to the Elite 8.

Florida / BYU – The Jimmer isn’t slowing down anytime soon. Going to be a great fast-paced game that you won’t want to miss.

March Madness has nothing to do with the preparations for spring break, daylong drinking holidays like Mardi Gras and St. Patrick’s Day, or studying for midterms. It is about the best three weeks of any sport — the NCAA Tournament. The best of college basketball. Even if you’ve never watched a single minute of any game all season, you can still enjoy the Big Dance. It may be the only thing your friends are talking about the next few weeks so it may be a good idea to learn some important terms.

• Sweet 16/ Elite 8 / Final Four – These are the names of different rounds of the tournament. Throw out these phrases and you may be able to impress some of the testosterone-driven so much they may remove themselves from their TV screens. It’s a long shot, but it couldn’t hurt.

• Bracket – Bracket, bracket, bracket. You’ve definitely heard this word A LOT this week. March Madness is a huge gambling event. People pick their choices to win every game. There is absolutely no science behind this. (I know people who make their picks based on school name, mascot and the uniform colors.) It may be too late to input an official bracket, but you can print one at ESPN or Yahoo Sports and make your own picks for the rest of the games.

• Bracket Buster – The upset game that ruins everyone’s brackets and their chances at a large pool of money. This may mean nothing to you now but Morehead State beating Louisville made a lot of people really, really angry. Think about it as the higher number seed (the worse team) beating the better team (the lower seed). After a really big upset you can say that your bracket is “busted.”

• Kemba Walker – One of the star players on the UConn team and sometimes referred to as King Kemba. Think, Michael Jordan. He is gorgeous to watch on the court as he blows up the boards (scores lots of points) and not bad too look at during his post-game interviews. Mmm.

• Buzzer Beater – The shot taken right before the clock runs out, when the buzzer would sound. It literally beats the buzzer. This mostly refers to the baskets that win or tie a game.

• Cinderella Story – The underdog team that should have lost in the early rounds of the tournament but managed to beat a big name team to advance. And just like Cinderella (and every other Disney princess), you can’t help but root for them.

• Buckeye – As a Penn Stater, I am ingrained to hate everything Ohio State. Ohio State received the overall number 1 seed for the tournament and many think they are favored to win the whole thing. The Buckeye is their mascot… and it’s a nut. SMH.

• The Ship – No, this is not a reference to that large cruise ship you just got off of. The Ship, or the Championship Game, will be held on April 4.

You can check out any of the games on TruTV, CBS, TNT and TBS. This is the first year that every single game is being televised so grab some popcorn, open up a cold beer, and make yourself comfortable on your couch. Or take your new-found knowledge to the bar to impress some sports fans! Either way… let the madness begin.

Ever feel like you’re the only one sitting on the couch, mindlessly staring at the TV with no idea what’s going on? Are phrases like “point conversion”, “fumble” and “fourth down” completely foreign to you? Well have no fear, here are a few simple things to keep in mind so that you can keep your head afloat during College Football Saturdays. Grab the chips and dip, and prep yourself for kickoff!

To start off, here are some fun facts about football. The field is measured in yards, 100 yards long, but 120 including both end-zones. The Pittsburgh Steelers have won more Super Bowls than another other team in the history of the NFL. The ’72 Miami Dolphins are the only team to achieve a “perfect season” (meaning no losses throughout the entire time), though the New England Patriots had a perfect regular season (their only game loss was in the Super Bowl itself) in 2007. It began based on the rules of rugby and soccer combined, but the first real football game (the way we know football now in the USA) was played between Princeton and Rutgers in 1869 (Rutgers has since commemorated the game field by making it a big, beautiful… parking lot). I could go on and on with boring stats and scores that are floating in my head, but I promise that I’ll spare you.

Unfortunately, there isn’t any technology to translate exactly what John Madden is muttering about while he comments on the game, but if you’re lucky enough that he lets someone else get a word in edgewise, here are some basic terms that can help you navigate the game like a pro.

Coin Toss: This is a literal coin toss used to decide which team starts on which side of the field. The home team captain gets to call head or tails and they can pick whether or not they would like possession of the ball first or whether they want to have a choice on their side of the field.

Kickoff: This occurs (at a minimum) twice throughout the game, once after the coin toss and once after half time. Each team brings out their special team and kicker to begin the half of the game. It also occurs after touchdowns or field goals are scored.

Touchdown: A touchdown occurs when a player carries the ball over the end line into the end zone. It is worth 6 points without a conversion.

Point Conversion: A point conversion occurs after a touchdown is scored. The team who just scored has one play to either kick the ball into the uprights (for an additional point) or run the ball over the end line again for an additional two points.

Interception: When one team is throwing a pass to one of their teammates and someone from the opposite team snatches it instead.

Fumble: No, it’s not what your boyfriend does when he’s drunk and trying to find the bathroom (well, at least in this instance). It’s when somebody drops a pass they just caught or when the ball isn’t in “reasonable control.” This can result in an incomplete pass or an interception.

Foul: There are many types of fouls in football, so I’m not going to try to even explain. Just know that most fouls are created to keep the game safe and fair. Most penalties just mean that the football needs to be moved back a certain amount of yards (determined by the ref). Penalties like “offsides” or “out-of-bounds” are the most common.

End Zone: The ten yards of glory at the end of each field. Everyone wants to get there and have their ten seconds of fame (or ten decades if you’re Brett Favre).

Down: A down is kind of like an attempt. When you hear the words “first down!” or “second down” it means that it’s the teams first/second/third/fourth attempt to move the ball in the direction in which they’re trying to score. It can get a little bit complicated, but based on where the team starts with the ball, they need to move ten yards from that spot in four tries (or “downs”) in order to keep possession.

Offense/Defense: Like any other sport, the offense is trying to score and the defense is trying to make sure they don’t!

Punt: The difference between a punt and a kick is that a punt is when a player drops the ball and kicks it while a kick if off of a stand.

Upright: The big metal poles in each End Zone. Field goals and kicked point conversions are scored through these.

Field Goal: A kicker is brought onto the field in order to score a field goal. Each field goal is worth three points.

Positions: Everyone’s got their specialty; a quarterback throws, runningback runs with the ball, linebacker blocks for the quarterback, a kicker kicks, a punter punts, a receiver receives catches and so on… There are a few more but those are some of the key spots.

There are many, many, many complicated rules to football (and even more for attending a college football game). There are a bajillion types of fouls (okay, that might be an exaggeration) and lots of complicated details about each position, but you’ve got a basic grasp. Now that you’re prepared to be Tony Romo’s or Tom Brady’s next side-line girlfriend, share your knowledge with your friends!

I must admit, I did get swept up in this year’s World Cup. What’s so wrong about cheering for the U.S. as if I actually understand what’s going on? So what if I hesitated each time before saying “score!” because I wasn’t sure if it was the correct terminology in soccer.

One thing’s for sure: even for someone who doesn’t quite understand sports (ahem, myself), it sure is fun watching those sexy men run up and down a field (court? stadium?). So here are my top reasons why athletes are a particular breed of mouth-watering man candy.

They sweat
Something about a guy getting all hot and steamy is just irresistible. Sure wouldn’t mind hitting the showers with them after the game… Okay, I’m getting carried away here, but seriously, it must be some kind of primal attraction that draws us to perspiration.

They show their badass side
When opposing team members get all up in each others’ space, penalties are called, yellow cards tossed out, a whole bunch of other sports jargon I don’t know, it is just plain exciting. Who doesn’t have just a little bit of a weakness for guys opposing authority and getting into trouble?

They have muscles
And lots of them. Especially in the abs region. Anyone want to join my organization to make all sports shirtless?

They are a package deal
Most spectator sports are played in teams. Teams mean hoards of attractive men in one place. A bunch of guys, even only somewhat good-looking guys, become instantly hotter when they are together. Simple as that.

They are successful
Alright, now I don’t mean this in a gold-digging, materialistic way, but an athlete’s celeb status really only adds to his appeal. We can’t deny our love for male celebrities, and athletes just take it a step further with their sporty skills.

They are passionate
You know if a guy is playing a sport professionally, he’s gotta be in love with the game. Just think of how devoted he could be to some lucky lady (namely, me). Knowing a guy is determined in one aspect of his life makes a gal confident he’s that hard-working in a relationship.

So keep ogling those athletes; it’s the most exciting part of watching a game anyway.

There’s been big to-do recently over whether or not cheerleading counts as a sport and it all started when Quinnipiac decided to cut women’s volleyball in favor of a competitive cheerleading squad. Some of the volleyball players are suing the school saying that competitive cheerleading is “as much a sport as chess”… which is kinda a non-sequiter of an argument, but whatever. Whether you hated cheerleaders with a fiery vengeance or dedicated your life to being one, it’s time to cast your vote – cheerleading, sport or not?

On the pro-sport side, cheerleading isn’t easy; there’s lot’s of physical training involved, it requires both special skills and a major time commitment just like any other sport. What cheerleaders, at least the ones on competitive squads like the ones we’re talking about, do physically involves years of work with gymnastics plus strength and flexibility training – I mean heck, they lift girls up and throw each other around and do all kinds of impressive flippy things, it’s hard not to take that seriously. And in terms of the dedication it takes to be on a competitive college cheer squad, it’s easily on par with what, say, football or basketball players go through, so why shouldn’t it be a sport?

On the “not a sport” side, to be considered a sport under Title IX an activity has to have coaches, practices, competitions during a defined season, and a governing organization, plus competition must be its primary goal – not merely the support of other athletic teams. And while cheerleading does meet some of that criteria, there’s definitely some glaring holes. As far as I know, there’s not a defined cheer season nor is cheer set up as a primarily competitive sport; from what I always understood, a big part of being a cheerleader was sidelines cheering, which means the competition aspect is more of a secondary thing. Also, while I recognize the inherent challenges in cheer, there are plenty of other groups, like dance squads that are equally physically demanding but I wouldn’t call them a sport either…

What do you say guys? Is cheering a sport? Should it be? Or is this just the school’s attempt to meet Title IX standards on the cheap? Duke. It. Out.

I don’t know about you guys, but I feel like the longer our relationship goes on, the greater the pressure there is to give him a seriously kick ass gift. Don’t get me wrong, I know it’s “the thought that counts” and yes, David would be equally happy with an iPod or a 3 day cruise (speaking from experience…unless he was just faking his excitement to make me feel better). I just love the process of finding the perfect gift for my perfect boyfriend. (I feel the same way about gift giving in general. It takes me a solid 2 months to Christmas shop.) And after 2 and a half years, I’ve built a pretty impressive record for gift giving.

Of course there are the times when I get it totally wrong (I thought getting him a sex toy for graduation was both hilarious and practical- he did not agree), and those are the gifts that haunt my memory while I try to find his 23^rd birthday present.

It can be hard shopping for your boyfriend. You know him so well, you should be able to spot from a mile away the thing or experience he’d love most. But, unfortunately it’s not always that easy. So whether you’ve got a boyfriend with a summer birthday, your anniversary is coming up, or you just want to surprise him with a little something, I’ve compiled a go-to boyfriend gift guide. Happy shopping!

Hobby Gifts

Does your man have a passion or pastime that he absolutely loves? What about getting him an upscale accessory? David is chess obsessed, so I’ve been trolling the internets to find a nice chess set for him. Does your boyfriend love poker? Check out this Texas Hold ‘Em chip set with a table (and it’s only $99!) For bonus points, tell him to invite the boys over for a poker night, complete with man-food and his favorite beer provided by you.

Dating an athlete?

Well, even if you’re not, chances are the guy you’re dating loves a certain sport (or all of them). If he’s baseball obsessed check out this cool score ticker. David’s been obsessed with it since he saw it at the mall, so it’s definitely on my list of possibilities for him. If your man is more the kind of guy who likes to get in on the action, think about signing him up for a sports league. Depending on where you live and what sport you register him for, prices range from around $50- $75 for seasons that last for a few months. A lot of leagues have happy hour specials and post-game sponsor bars with drink specials included in the registration fee.

Road Trip!

Take advantage of summer time, gas up your tank and pack him a weekend bag without him noticing. Tell him you guys have to go run errands, and hit the open road. Blind folds are optional (and awesome) and so is telling him where you’re headed. Check out what deals are around where you’re living. Hit an amusement park for the weekend (The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is calling my name), see if you can rent a beachfront condo (or better yet, ask a friend or relative if you can stay there for two nights), check out last minute hotel deals near the beach. Even if you stay in or near your hometown, staying in a sweet hotel will make it feel like a vacay. And the weather is gorgeous (but the mosquitoes haven’t noticed yet) so why not go camping for the weekend? Use your imagination and get excited to totally sweep your boyfriend off his feet.

If all else fails…turn to video games.

No matter how old he’s turning, he probably still loves video games. Here are the hottest video games out right now, ranked by sales. Just make sure you get a game that’s compatible with his system, and when in doubt, call his best friend to ask what they’ve been playing lately.

What’s the next gift you’re thinking of giving your boyfriend? Do you have a tried and true method for picking the perfect present? If so, let’s hear it!

Week after week (after week after week…), CollegeCandy and our pal John bring you some of the weirdest, funniest, and saddest things he hears on his college campus. And we know he’s not the only one who hears this stuff. Join the Overheard revolution! Listen in on some weirdos’ conversations and share them in the comments or send ‘em over. You know there’s a lot of funny things to be heard on your campus, so take off those (faux) Burberry ear muffs and tune in.

(Customer and cashier, at a cash register.)

Cashier: That doesn’t even look like your signature.

Customer: I know. It looks like Chinese or something.

Cashier: Yeah, I think it looks like if somebody had a stroke.

Customer: Yeah I was going to say that, but I thought that would be inappropriate.

(Guy and girl in tour group, walking through campus.)

Guy: Flying’s weird. Turbulence feels like you’re … hitting a ton of small animals, or something.

Girl: Ohh-kay. Don’t know you well enough for that kind of humor yet.

(Girl, buying food at a Subway.)

Girl: Can I have a footlong meatball sub on … the fattening bread?

(Guy, leaving some girls at a bar.)

Guy: Call me! We’ll do something!

Girl: Yeah, sure!

(Guy leaves.)

Girl: Yeah, nobody likes him. He’s awkward and old and he has a really creepy family.

(Girl, on the phone.)

Girl: So I woke up on the porch this morning. Yup, right next to the grill and the beer. Yup, it was awesome.

(Mom, with family, in a sports bar.)

Mom: So wait, there are only two halves?

Daughter: Yeah, two halves.

Mom: I don’t get it. Why two?

Daughter: Well … like, there aren’t four, ’cause that’d be quarters.

Mom: I don’t understand.

(Guy, girl, talking in an office.)

Guy: So you wouldn’t go back in time and kill Hitler?

Girl: I don’t think I would, no.

Guy: Geez, I mean … maybe you look kind of Aryan …

Girl: I’m Jewish.

(Two guys, talking in a dorm room doorway.)

Guy 1: Dude, you’re drinking and you’re still not done with that assignment?

Guy 2: No, it’s done. I did it all in this special ink that only appears when you spill beer on it.

(Guy, ordering from Starbucks.)

Guy: Hi, can I get a venti Italian?

Barista: A … sorry, what?

Guy: Italian roast? Venti Italian roast.

Barista: Oh, oh. Coffee.

(Two guys, talking during a plane trip.)

Guy 1: You’re a priest. You think America needs a miracle right now?

Guy 2: Don’t know about America, but I need a hamburger right now.