It’ll be tougher to stop cackles

Despite the date on the top of the page you are reading, this is no April Fool’s joke: If certain bureaucrats have their way, booing at high school sporting events in the state of Washington will be forbidden.

That’s right. A booing ban is being considered -- seriously -- by the Washington Interscholastic Activities Assn.

“I don’t know why people think it’s acceptable to boo in the first place,” Mike Colbrese, the organization’s executive director, told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. “It’s a pretty novel concept to me.”

Apparently, Colbrese doesn’t get out to many Seattle Mariners games.

Endangered species: boo birds

The boo ban is part of a WIAA review of fan behavior. Already, the organization prohibits handmade signs and artificial noisemakers at games and forbids fans from criticizing officials before, during or after sporting events.

Instead -- seriously, again -- the WIAA requests that spectators submit any complaints about officiating in writing.

“It’s a much broader topic than just booing,” Colbrese said. “What we’re trying to teach our fans is that you have to be civil. Just because you bought a ticket, you can’t be irresponsible or disrespectful.”

That’s Washington for you.

Down here, it’s very different. At certain Los Angeles sporting events, the purchase of a ticket not only grants you the right to boo, but also the privilege of spending another $15 to park.

Trivia time

No eventual men’s NCAA basketball champion has faced the highest possible seeded opponent in each round. True or false?

Week 13 Power Rankings

This was the week ESPN told Ron Jaworski to “Go in there and break a leg!” ...

1. Final Four: The host city is psyched. Monday night, a team in Atlanta will actually win a championship.

2. Joakim Noah: Ancestry traced all the way back to the original Noah, who was hated for limiting admission to two at a time.

3. Dodgers, Angels: Sports Illustrated picks them to meet in the World Series. And the season had looked so promising.

4. Twins: Mia Hamm and Nomar Garciaparra turn two.

5. Jaworski: One year too late, ESPN adds him to its “Monday Night Football” booth. Jaworski is knowledgeable, doesn’t shout and has no catchphrases. No wonder it took him so long.

6. Tiger versus Federer: At last we have a winner in the debate over who’s the most dominant athlete in the world. Michael Phelps.

7. NFL gets tough: League says it will penalize teams for players’ off-field misconduct. Cincinnati Bengals become first NFL program to receive the death penalty.

8. Sidney Crosby: Limited edition figurine of the Penguins’ star will sell for $49.95. Not available in Kansas City.

9. Carl Pavano: Just to clarify, the Yankees insist there was never any “Win a Chance to Start on Opening Day” fan contest.

10. Fantasy baseball leagues: They are booming, and no wonder. Nobody makes you pay $15 for parking.

Knicks joke of the day

From David Letterman: “A woman, I believe somewhere in Florida, is enjoying a snack when all of a sudden she chokes on the snack and this is -- if you live alone or have friends who don’t like you -- a fear for all of us that you’re enjoying a snack and you choke.

“Well, her life is saved because her pet dog leaps on her and Heimlichs her. The dog Heimliched the woman [and] she’s alive today.

“I’m telling you, this is a very talented dog. Next, he’s going to try to breathe life into the Knicks.”

Trivia answer

True.

North Carolina in 1993 and Maryland in 2002 came the closest. North Carolina faced second-seeded Kansas in the national semifinals instead of a No. 1. Maryland faced the highest possible seed all the way until the final, when the Terrapins faced fifth-seeded Indiana.

And finally

San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Steve Kline on teammate Barry Zito’s nutritional program:

“Toad food? Tofu? I don’t even know what that is. I don’t believe in dieting. I went on two diets in my life, and I got fatter both times. No thanks. I’ll be out eating Beer Nuts.”

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mike.penner@latimes.com