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2 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Talent leaders remember Brian Roberts as champion for civil liberties, water system improvements California governor orders mandatory water restrictions in state Standing Stone owners will open brew pub in downtown Medford Retired geology professor talks about earthquakes Jacksonville resident Gary Dahl, creator of the Pet Rock, dies at 78 Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Emergency services Oregon AG sues White City company over subscription scam Police investigate mini-spree of White City car break-ins Siskiyou County man arrested near Talent on kidnapping charges One person suffers smoke inhalation in Ashland house fire on Union Street Politics and Elections Jackson County Commissioners plan no tax on marijuana for one year Arthur I. Cyr: Iran – a crisis without end Arthur I. Cyr: South Korea represents long-term triumph – for them and for US Special election: Jackson County voters OK marijuana tax Ex-Merkley aide chosen as Oregon secretary of state Education New SOU board hikes tuition 5 percent Southern Oregon Education Service District superintendent to retire in June Which comes first: The rocket or the egg? Medford School District one of most accident-prone in state Dianne Williamson: College admissions mania ill-advised Environment A sea-foam change Rogue Valley lions on their way to California Corps hopes to clear Lost Creek Lake of debris Beetles taking toll on Ashland pines Mt. Ashland Ski Area to host party March 28 State News Navy vet recalls a time of MAD, and nukes in Vietnam Seaside moves closer to allowing pot dispensaries Democratic schools budget clears Oregon House: $7.3 billion Oregon ski areas ask lawmakers for re-strengthened lawsuit protection More truck traffic coming into Oregon via Highway 97 Nation - World Obituaries Gary Dahl Death Notices Edward Thomas Reichenbach Frederick David Schatz James Francis Poole Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Shareable Sports Latest Stories South’s Fisher ties for third in SWC opener North dominates in SWC opener Patriots owner Kraft testifies in Hernandez trial Djokovic triumphs, but Venus Williams falls Randle sets record, leads Stanford in NIT Varsity 541 College Sports Randle sets record, leads Stanford in NIT UConn coaches won’t go to Indiana for Final Four Coaches hired for league-bound RCC Looking for a leader Sports leagues need to fight Indiana law Pro Sports Patriots owner Kraft testifies in Hernandez trial Djokovic triumphs, but Venus Williams falls Cubs' Lester frustrated by Bryant’s demotion Ko rolls toward LPGA history NASCAR penalizes RCR, Newman for tires Community Sports Business Latest Stories Standing Stone owners will open brew pub in downtown Medford A study in fine-tuned artistry Cars We Remember: ‘Topper’ movie car most memorable After being sidelined by blindness, Stan Moore returns to the bike business in Medford Mandatory paid sick leave gets mixed reviews Real Estate News East McAndrews Road sees a resurgence in commercial projects Business briefs: March 7 New construction prices jump 18.2 percent in Jackson County People In Business People in Business, March 26, 2015 Transportation Rogue Disposal plans natural gas fueling site Alaska, United Express boost Medford airport to record February CEO Rieder leaving Erickson March 31 Agriculture Broth maker leaves San Diego for Medford Harry & David announces new president Opinion Latest Our View: The tangled web at Medford's Northgate Centre Letters to the Editor, April1 Kathleen Parker: Religious freedom is a two-way street Landgren cartoon: European travel essentials Our View: Lawmakers ending a small annoyance in the law Editorials Our View: The tangled web at Medford's Northgate Centre Our View: Lawmakers ending a small annoyance in the law Other Views: Sage grouse listing would be unfortunate Our View: Phoenix lion sanctuary was a missed opportunity Other Views: Gun background check bill won't make us safer Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, April1 Letters to the Editor, March 31 Letters to the Editor, March 30 Letters to the Editor, March 29 Letters to the Editor, March 28 Columns Kathleen Parker: Religious freedom is a two-way street Guest Opinion: Marijuana offers Oregon benefits, drawbacks Kathleen Parker: A leap of faith — into thin air George Will: Remembrance of Clintons past Dana Milbank: The end of the White House's insularity? Guest Opinions Guest Opinion: Marijuana offers Oregon benefits, drawbacks Guest Opinion: How to end the influence of money in elections Guest Opinion: How schools teach U.S. history raises hackles Guest Opinion: Guest Opinion: Raise your voice against child abuse Lifestyle Latest stories Fish on: Winter steelhead fishing is so good on the upper Rogue that even rookies can limit out Tips for catching winter steelhead in the upper Rogue Page H. Onorato: What’s on the menu for Easter? Page H. Onorato: Leftover ham and eggs make for some yummy dishes after Easter Carol Link: It’s time to get into shape for spring yard work Food Page H. Onorato: Leftover ham and eggs make for some yummy dishes after Easter The journey from inspiration to written recipe Tammy Kelly: Lighten up traditional Easter desserts Kitchen Call: Goat cheese recipes worth bleating over Community blog: Try slightly smoky baked beans instead of refried Home and Garden Carol Link: It’s time to get into shape for spring yard work Dear Monty: Relocation brings pay raise and challenges Garden Cameos: Planning for a fragrant garden year round Paul Rogers: Choose the right tool for job in the garden Home Help: Easy enhancements for your master closet Health Brent St. Germain: Feeling the burn again HealthStyle: Normal anxiety or anxiety disorder? Community blog: How to Get Rid of a Tension Headache St. Mary's student helps others with diabetes Community blog: Sleep Tight: Making Your Bed, Body and Mind Ready for Rest Hiking Biking Faith Religion briefs: Friday, March 27 Religion briefs Religion News: Presbyterian Church gives approval on same-sex marriage Religion briefs: Friday, March 13 More religion events in the Rogue Valley Milestones and Achievements Haga-Parks Exercise helps special-needs kids adjust to airport procedures Engagement: Workman-Wright Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories Trivia Tuesdays at South Stage Cellars Sweetwater String Band tonight at Oberon's Tavern in Ashland Rising Stars raises $10,000 for LIFE Art ‘Million Dollar Quartet’ plays the Craterian Theater Here's Tempo's top five picks for live entertainment this week Theater Review: From past into present in OSF's 'Long Day's Journey' ‘A Dream of Red Pavilions’ at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival Review: Education and its discontents Next Stage Repertory presents 'Educating Rita' at the Craterian Theater Eugene O'Neill's 'Long Day's Journey into Night' opens at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival Music Sweetwater String Band tonight at Oberon's Tavern in Ashland Rising Stars raises $10,000 for LIFE Art ‘Million Dollar Quartet’ plays the Craterian Theater Futurebirds play the Brickroom in Ashland The 2015 Rising Stars music competition ends with its final round on the Britt stage in Jacksonville Community Events Get Up & Go: April 1 Trivia Tuesdays at South Stage Cellars Rogue Valley artist Linda Evans' pastel paintings capture landscapes of Southern Oregon Ashland Independent Film Festival announces this year's lineup OSF Hip-Hop Poetry Open Mic Dining Restaurant Inspections: March 29 Basque-inspired cuisine at Eleven in Ashland Parsing the meaning behind wine medals and scores Restaurant Inspections: Sunday, March 22 Jasmine Thai Cuisine Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obits Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Special Sections Business Services NEWS NOW Talent leaders remember Brian Roberts as champion for civil liberties, water system improvements ... Standing Stone owners will open brew pub in downtown Medford ... Jacksonville resident Gary Dahl, creator of the Pet Rock, dies at 78 ... Talent leaders remember Brian Roberts as champion for civil liberties, water system improvements ... Standing Stone owners will open brew pub in downtown Medford ... Jacksonville resident Gary Dahl, creator of the Pet Rock, dies at 78 ... COLLEGE BASKETBALL COMMENTARY Only blue bloods need apply Comment By Chris Dufresne Los Angeles Times MailTribune.com By Chris Dufresne Los Angeles Times Posted Mar. 29, 2015 at 7:17 PM By Chris Dufresne Los Angeles Times Posted Mar. 29, 2015 at 7:17 PM » Social News It turned out this wasn’t the year for something different, fresh, shiny or new. The world wasn’t ready for Notre Dame advancing to its first Final Four since 1978, or Gonzaga marching on to the backdrop of Bing Crosby’s “Swinging on a Star.” The Fighting Irish ran out of luck Saturday and the team from Spokane, on Sunday, broke a spoke. The Final Four ended up with an old-money reunion of familiar, fleshy faces — four portraits hanging in a country club cigar room. Sean Miller’s team, once again, got left standing on a corner, in Winslow, Arizona. The Final Four we have been delivered — Kentucky, Wisconsin, Duke, Michigan State — is as traditional as the Rose Parade. Three of the schools still standing are the top seeds from the Midwest, West and South regionals. The remaining “upstart” is Michigan State, No. 7 in the East, maybe, but coached by top-seeded Tom Izzo. “Something New,” well, that was a Beatles album. The gathering in Indianapolis next week features Duke vs. Michigan State followed by Wisconsin and Kentucky. The coaches — Mike Krzyzewski, Izzo, Bo Ryan and John Caliparii — have combined for 27 Final Four appearances, 174 NCAA tournament wins and seven national championships. Wisconsin and Kentucky haven’t met in the Final Four since way back last April, while Duke and Michigan State are synonymous with postseason success. What saves next weekend from “same old syndrome” is Kentucky’s pursuit of college basketball’s first 40-0 season. Kentucky got here with wins over Hampton, Cincinnati and West Virginia, by a combined 75 points, before getting two-point tested in the Midwest final against Notre Dame. The game proved, at least, that Kentucky is not infallible. “We’re undefeated, but not perfect,” Calipari has been saying to no one willing to listen. Kentucky showed tremendous resolve under pressure against Notre Dame, making its last nine field-goal attempts and stopping the Irish on their final three possessions. You ask: What was the Wildcats’ motivation? “Desperation, probably,” guard Andrew Harrison said. “We had no choice or we were going to lose.” Kentucky earns kudos for trying to do one of the toughest things in sports: win when everyone thinks you should. Wisconsin might have an upset shot if it shoots the way it did against Arizona on Saturday, which was 78.9 percent (15 for 19) in the second half. Kentucky edged Wisconsin by a point in last year’s national semifinal in North Texas. The difference was Aaron Harrison’s game-winning shot with 5.7 seconds remaining. Wisconsin lost only one starter from that team, Ben Brust, who scored 15 points in that game. The Badgers advanced to their second straight Final Four by winning the Big Ten regular-season and tournament titles and then dispatching Coastal Carolina, Oregon, North Carolina and Arizona in the West. “Last year it was a great feeling getting to the Final Four,” Wisconsin guard Josh Gasser said after Saturday’s victory at Staples Center. “It was almost like we were on top of the world. This year we kind of got the attitude like “what’s next” type thing. I don’t know. It’s a little different feeling. … We’ve got bigger goals and stuff on our mind.” Wisconsin is playing fun and loose and riding two of basketball’s hottest hands in Frank Kaminsky and Sam Dekker, who combined for 56 points Saturday. “We’re just trying to have as much fun as possible,” Kaminsky said. “We’re still kids. … I’m 21 years old. I’m having a blast. I’m trying to do all the fun things that I can do while I can still do them.” Michigan State got here by flipping the switch on what appeared to be an ordinary 2014-15 campaign. The Spartans, though, are led by Izzo, inarguably one of the game’s best late-season coaches. Michigan State, since suffering its 10th loss on March 1, has won eight of nine. The defeat was to Wisconsin, in overtime, in the Big Ten tournament championship game. Michigan State, in the tournament, has knocked out Georgia, Virginia, Oklahoma and Louisville. “I wasn’t really planning on working this late,” Izzo joked. “But, God, I love to work this time of year.” Things didn’t look promising Sunday after Louisville took an eight-point lead into halftime at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, N.Y. Louisville had won 94 straight games with a halftime lead of six points or more. Louisville appeared ready to extend the streak when, trailing by one with only a few ticks left, Mangok Mathiang hit a tying free throw that bounced high off the heel and into the basket. That had to be fate, right? “We’re going to win this thing,” Louisville coach Rick Pitino said to himself. Mathiang missed his second try, though, sending the game to an overtime period dominated, 11-5, by the Spartans. This was a big improvement on Michigan State’s overtime performance against Wisconsin in the Big Ten title game, in which the Spartans were outscored, 11-0. Duke claimed the South by beating Robert Morris, San Diego State, Utah and Gonzaga, the Blue Devils’ victim Sunday in a dominating 14-point win in Houston. Many favored Gonzaga because the Bulldogs had depth, size and the experience advantage over Krzyzewski’s young team. In the end, Gonzaga proved it still wasn’t ready for prime time while Duke proved having Krzyzewski is the ultimate advantage. Duke haters must now stomach another week of Coach K talking about hunting down more milestones. Krzyzewski is now tied with John Wooden for most Final Four appearances, 12, and is two wins from his fifth NCAA title. His matchup against Izzo, along with Ryan vs. Calipari, will be a love-fest hosted by the mutual admiration society. This isn’t, necessarily, the Final Four any of us asked for, or wanted. It’s easier to get worked up when one of the four is George Mason, Virginia Commonwealth, or the Shockers of Wichita State. This Final Four, somewhat sadly, comes as no shock. By Chris Dufresne Los Angeles Times MailTribune.com By Chris Dufresne Los Angeles Times Posted Mar. 29, 2015 at 7:17 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. fantasy football Who Will Be QB1s with New Teams in 2015? 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