A few thoughts as we are less than two weeks from Opening Night:

• I was glad to see that the Twins signed Joe Mauer to an 8 year, $184 million contract. As nice as it would have been to see Mauer in a Red Sox uniform, it just seems right that a Minnesota icon like him should end up in his hometown uniform for what should amount to the rest of his career. Mauer will join the ranks of players you think of first when you think of their teams, joining guys like Cal Ripken with the Orioles, Tony Gwynn with the Padres and Robin Yount with the Brewers. Players like that, especially in the relatively small markets, are important for MLB and the fans of those franchises.

• I'm not a huge college basketball fan, but the first weekend of the NCAA tournament is probably the best sports weekend of the year. You get last minute wins (like Michigan State over Maryland on a last second 3-pointer yesterday), upsets (a number 1 seed, a number 2, 3 threes and 3 fours went down over the weekend) and plucky underdogs (Cornell in the Sweet Sixteen?) Lots of fun to watch.

• I don't know if he'll make the team at age 40, but it sure was nice to see Alan Embree back in a Red Sox uniform. Theo signed him over the weekend to compete for the second lefty in the bullpen spot. Always good to see one of the guys from 2004 back with the team.

• I don't have a problem with the Rangers giving manager Ron Washington a second chance after he tested positive for cocaine. People who screw up generally deserve a second chance. But his assertion that it was the first time he had used cocaine? At age 57? Is this like all those players who claimed they used steroids "so they could come back from an injury"?