Opinions

• New Bobcats owner Michael Jordan carefully reveals optimism
  Michael Jordan spoke eloquently on a number of subjects Thursday when he met the media for the first time as the Charlotte Bobcats owner.

• So far, Mariners' Sweeney is passing the eye test
  Logic said that Mike Sweeney had absolutely no chance to make the Mariners this spring.

• No matter your age, there's an investment strategy for you
  It's a no-brainer to open an IRA by April 15 for tax advantages, but after the stock market trauma of the last few years, picking investments for it doesn't seem simple.

• Xavier-Pittsburgh should be a marvelous matchup
  Naturally, Pitt coach Jamie Dixon got his share questions Saturday about Xavier star Jordan Crawford. What did you think he was going to say, that a Big East team was going to assume the position for the guy who dunked on LeBron James?

• Shock and chalk dust
  Saturday in the NCAA tournament was as uneasy as one ... two ... three.

• Kansas State waking up the echoes from traditions past
  They need to rework Frank Martin's contract as basketball coach, give him a zillion dollars and enjoy this ride.

• Michigan State needs Summers for this one
  After Michigan State lost to Minnesota in the Big Ten tournament, MSU coaches sat down with Durrell Summers. This was not unusual. Summers's major appears to be Meetings With Coaches, and his minor is Sitting Down. At times this season, the coaches have left Summers on the bench because they thought other, less talented players were playing harder.

• Samhan and McConnell lead Saint Mary's charge
  The game was won. What once seemed implausible now made perfect sense. All the moment lacked was a finishing flourish.

• Kansas State waking up the echoes from traditions past
  They need to rework Frank Martin's contract as basketball coach, give him a zillion dollars and enjoy this ride.

• Farokhmanesh spells defeat for Kansas
  Ali Farokhmanesh stands behind the three-point line with the basketball and Kansas' dream season in his hands. Two rows up and maybe 30 feet away, Cindy Fredrick is yelling at her son to shoot the ball. Pulling out is the smart play here.

• With Kansas ousted, Kentucky looms as favorite in NCAA Tournament
  Finally, genuine NCAA Tournament electricity came to the Crescent City.

• Photo finish is great, but day at Florida Derby greatly flawed
  You wanted the unexpected? You wanted a dramatic finish? It wasn't just Northern Iowa stunning No. 1 Kansas in the NCAA Tournament on Saturday. Cinderella was running closer to home, on four legs, in the 59th Florida Derby at Gulfstream.

• As the stakes rise, Mavericks need Terry to be a consistent force on offense
  At one level, it's pretty easy to see how the addition of Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood to the Mavericks' core has given Rick Carlisle more flexibility than he's ever had.

• Random evidence of a cluttered mind . . .
  I like to think I am smarter than a fifth-grader. But am I smarter than a Wofford Terrier? Maybe not.

• Blackhawks' Campbell isn't out for revenge
  In regard to the official apology Capitals superstar Alex Ovechkin offered after inflicting the injury that potentially ended Brian Campbell's season and hurt the Blackhawks' Stanley Cup hopes, Campbell says thanks.

• Why should Washington stop now?
  Why not Washington?

• With Kansas gone, Kansas State can make a name for itself again
  The stage is yours now, Kansas State. We're all waiting to see what you do with it.

• Old Dominion expects return engagement in NCAA Tournament
  Keyon Carter repeated the mantra four times.

• It's Roddick vs. Ljubicic at Indian Wells: Who knew
  INDIAN WELLS, Calif. - In the Good Ol' USA, you have to be a real tennis aficionado to fully know and appreciate Ivan Ljubicic. Not so much for Andy Roddick.

• Duke always is a love-hate proposition
  We know the brand. We love the brand. We hate the brand.

• Syracuse's Boeheim a college rarity, a fixture in one locale
  In a hallway here at HSBC Arena, Jim Boeheim and Mark Few stood about 10 yards apart, and Boeheim used a golf term to describe his coaching counterpart in Sunday's second-round NCAA basketball game.

• Another Kansas letdown in NCAA Tournament
  Add Northern Iowa to the list no Kansas fan wants to read.

• After Northern Iowa's massive upset of Kansas, we know who Ali Farokhmanesh is now
  Ali Farokhmanesh stands behind the three-point line with the basketball and Kansas' dream season in his hands. Two rows up and maybe 30 feet away, Cindy Fredrick is yelling at her son to shoot the ball. Pulling out is the smart play here.

• Northern Iowa's Farokhmanesh and St. Mary's Samhan help put the Madness in March
  Reason No. 1,001 to love the NCAA Tournament if you're not a devotee of Kansas or Villanova: Although the odds are stacked heavily against their mid-major teams winning the national championship, the early rounds provide a platform for talent that operates largely below the radar.

• Scouts think they see a great Wall at top of list
  In my annual salute to the NCAA tournament, here's the annual mock draft of draft-eligible collegians, regardless of whether they're coming.