Marion Jones is begging President G.W. Bush to commute her sentence out of the goodness of his heart. In addition to getting her Olympic medals snatched away for using performance-enhancing drugs, Jones was sentenced to six-months in prison for lying to feds about it and for check fraud. She entered prison in March, and the Justice Department has confirmed that she is among hundreds of felons who request commuted sentences. The department analyzes the requests and makes recommendations to the president. What do you think are her chances of success? I'm going with slim to none. [HP]

• Marion Jones appears on Oprah to say that everyone makes mistakes. Duh. [EUR]

• Faith in humanity: shaken. [SR]

• Boy, this just makes me want to head right over to Ed Hardy! You? [XXL]

• A court in New Jersey fines a man for using the word "nigger." [USAT]

• Mary J. Blige performing on One Life To Live makes me feel the same way that Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton's appearances on the Tyra Show do. [SP]

Just a few days after Marion Jones' six-month prison sentence for steroid use and fraud, a drug scandal playing out in Albany, N.Y. The district attorney there is on a mission to arrest doctors and pharmacists suspected of distributing steroids. The DA accuses a whole roster of celebrities, including Mary J. Blige, of getting performance-enhancing drugs from the targeted doctors. Interestingly, they're all black. Blige was the first to deny involvement. From the NY Daily News:

"Mary J. Blige has never taken any performance-enhancing illegal steroids," the singer's spokeswoman Karynne Tencer told the Daily News.

The R&B singer leads a roster of entertainers named in a probe by Albany County District Attorney David Soares, the Times Union reported.

Rappers 50 Cent, Timbaland and Wyclef Jean and actor Tyler Perry also allegedly ordered steroids or human growth hormone from doctors and pharmacists targeted in Soares' investigation, according to the paper.

Authorities have uncovered no evidence the celebrities violated any drug laws.

I don't know about Mary, Wyclef, or Tyler Perry, but the fact that Timbaland and 50 Cent's names have come up in a steroid probe is no surprise.

MARION JONESIN' Marion Jones, former Olympic hero and current disgrace to the sport of track & field, was sentenced to six months in prison today for using steroids and being involved in a bank fraud scheme. She had previously asked the judge to give her probation with no jail time because she has already suffered enough. Clearly, the judge disagreed.

• People scored the money shot of the biggest wedding of the year! Keep in mind we're only three days in. [People]

• More Raz B ridiculousness. [CC]

• Roy Jones, Jr., has a really big mouth and a really tiny heart. [Bossip]

• Swagger Jacking: The Political Edition. [TS]

• Marion Jones thinks she shouldn't have to go to jail, because she's been punished enough already. I'm inclined to agree. [TSG]

• It's really sad when one can find a more lasting love on I Love New York than on The Bachelor. [People]

• Omarion defends Chris Stokes against child molestation allegations. He said Stokes was always like a father figure to him. [SOHH]

• Kobe Bryant is the youngest player in NBA history to score 20,000 points. Sports. Yay. [EUR]

• Check the difference in enthusiasm — IDRIS ELBA! YAY! [BV]

• Marion Jones's sad steroids evidence. [TSG]

• Will more marriages save the black community? [STL]

• Marion Jones and Barry Bonds share something in common besides steroid use. [ATU]

• "A new report from the American Cancer Society finds substantial evidence that lack of adequate health insurance coverage is associated with less access to care and poorer outcomes for cancer patients." This research is blowing my mind; I never would have guessed. [EA]

• The NAACP keeps racking up the defendants in its class action lawsuit against subprime lenders. [ET]

• Florida voters no longer need to have their names and drivers license numbers matched by state databases in order to vote. [FT]

One of the unforgotten victims of Marion Jones steroid scandal, her 2000 Olympic teammate — has decided to speak out and is saying the exact same thing I would: "Hell, no! I'm not giving back my damn gold medal just because Marion Jones took some steroid-laden oils and lied about you. The committee will have to pry my medal from my cold, dead, lifeless hands. Try me!"

That was a paraphrase, but you get the picture.

[CNN, Jossip]

Once a role model for little black girls everywhere, Marion Jones is now bankrupt and finally ready to admit that she took steroids before the 2000 Olympics.

The plea comes after years of angry denials by Jones, 31, who in 2000 won five medals in Sydney – three gold and two bronze track and field medals – and was the most celebrated female athlete of the games.

Jones is expected to be stripped of her medals in light of the revelations. Under the statute of limitations, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and other sports organizations have eight years to withdraw medals and nullify results.

She stands to spend up to 6 months in jail and will probably receive a lengthy suspension from the competition world. But, hey! Unlike some baseball players I know (of), at least she eventually told the truth.

[People]

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