Jackson Free Press

As TV singing competition "American Idol" wraps its 15th and final season, we look at the contestants representing Mississippi in the final three.

The Human Rights Campaign this evening announced in a release that the Mississippi Manufacturers Association—a frequent contributor to conservative candidates and supporter of "pro-business" legislation in Mississippi—is calling on Governor Phil Bryant to veto HB 1523, which has passed both houses and awaits the Governor's response.

The NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Comes to a Close

This regular season of college basketball turned out to be wild and unpredictable, so fans hoped that the NCAA Tournament would be the same.

The first weekend of the tournament played out just like the regular season, with upsets and potential Cinderellas. Reality came crashing down during the second weekend as most of the upstarts went home, and the major conferences or basketball powers from non-football conferences were the only programs still standing.

Slowly, the tournament turned into the Atlantic Coast Conference invitational. Seven teams from the ACC got into the tournament, and six went to the Sweet Sixteen. Four ACC teams reached the Elite Eight and two reached the Final Four.

The ACC was so dominant in this tournament that three out of the six of the conference's losses have come at the hands of other ACC teams. University of Wisconsin's win over University of Pittsburgh, University of Oregon's win over Duke University and Villanova University's win over University of Miami (Fla.) were the only non-ACC on ACC losses.

So what began as wild and unpredictable became a question of whether anyone could stop the conference's march to end up as the eventual champion. The uncertainty became full-on blowouts in the Final Four as the University of North Carolina and Villanova rolled Syracuse and the University of Oklahoma, respectively.

Tonight, either the Tar Heels or the Wildcats will win a national championship.

This run in the tournament is something positive for North Carolina after an academic scandal rocked the school. UNC is still waiting for the NCAA to decide what will happen after former athletes and students were found to be taking no-show classes, where students signed up to take a class but didn’t ever see the inside of a classroom even though they earned high grades.

Villanova on the other hand, is living life like it is 1985. The eighth-seeded Wildcats were the last team to win a title with no shot clock.

On its way to the title in 1985, Villanova beat North Carolina, but the Tar Heels won titles in 1993, 2005 and 2009. The Wildcats are looking for their second title in program history.

This game should feature two great defenses and two solid coaches. Villanova reached the final without a possible NBA player on the roster. North Carolina looks for its sixth title and is seemingly always loaded with top talent.

The Wildcats are a team where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. UNC is athletic and long and can control the paint area.

This matchup is the best overall team against the best conference. North Carolina is a three-point favorite in Las Vegas, but Ken Polmeroy’s model favorites Villanova.

Coverage starts at 8 p.m. on TBS for the national broadcast, TNT will provide the homer call for North Carolina, and Tru TV will give the Villanova homer call.

Donna Ladd was recently named one of Southern Living's "Innovators Changing the South." The JFP is proud of our "old-fashioned muck-racking journalist with a sharp modern voice."

It’s time for “the Showcase of the Immortals,” “the Show of Shows” on “the Grandest Stage of Them All.”

Are you ready for WrestleMania 32?

It’s understandable if people aren’t excited about this year’s WrestleMania. Depending how the event goes, WrestleMania 32 might be remembered more for which performers are not in a match.

Several of the WWE’s biggest stars are on the shelf or won’t compete for the company again, including John Cena, the company's biggest face in more ways than one, who is out with a shoulder injury.

Randy Orton, multiple-time champion and crowd favorite, is also out with a shoulder injury, and Seth Rollins, the only former member of The Shield who won’t be on the card, is out with a knee injury.

Those are three big name stars, and you can add a couple more to the list. Daniel Bryan, leader of the Yes Movement and major fan favorite, recently retired due to injuries and concussions, and CM Punk won’t be making an appearance after walking out and deciding to fight in the UFC.

It is worth mentioning that Sting might have been on the card if Rollins hadn’t injured him in at a pay-per-view match called “Night of Champions.” There is no telling if Sting was going to be in a match at WrestleMania 32 or if he would simply slip away into the WWE Hall of Fame, since he was close to the end of his career before the injury.

Mid-card talents will also be missing, including Cesaro (billed as the “Swiss Superman”), who is out with a torn rotator cuff, Luke Harper (member of the Wyatt Family), who suffered a knee injury, Neville (billed as “the Man Gravity Forgot”), who is out with a broken ankle, and Tyson Kidd, who is dealing with an injured neck.

The women’s division is without some star power, as former WWE Divas champion Nikki Bella is out with a neck injury. That leaves her twin sister, Brie Bella, who is married in real life to Daniel Bryan, at WrestleMania.

Injuries are a part of professional wrestling. The outcomes of the matches are predetermined, but the potential for harm from falls, flips, chair shots and so forth, is real.

But even with the injuries, the show must go on, and while the card might be underwhelming, in some areas, it has some potential.

There are three matches on the preshow to WrestleMania 32 that will be televised on the USA network. The chance for some of the biggest early pops might come from the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal.

The Usos vs. The Dudley Boyz (tag-team match)

Expect the Usos to get the win here in a quick match that will feature some of their highflying moves and a table or two at some point.

Total Divas vs. B.A.D. and Blonde

The WWE is going to have the Total Divas team (Brie Bella, …