March Madness: The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

Every year during the middle of March, the frozen grounds begin to thaw out and I get the first installment of a series of teases by Mother Nature that the weather is actually going to turn warm for good.  

However, it's normally inevitable that the temperature will drop once again and that there will be, at the very least, a chance of snow in the near future (which normally occurs around my birthday...what a great present). 

Along with this, I always know that come March I will be in full college basketball fan mode as well.

I've always loved college sports, in particular, and March Madness has come to be one of the things I look forward to most during the year (that is, after my mom's Christmas morning casserole and family vacations to northern Michigan).  

I can't say where this passion started for sure. 

It could be due to the fact that I grew up in a family in which everyone follows the tournament and fills out a bracket. 

Or maybe it's because basketball was my favorite sport to play growing up and I had a pretty awesome killer-crossover move on the court. 

Or it might be due to the fact that I can still remember Scoonie Penn and Michael Redd leading the Buckeyes to a 1999 Final Four appearance. 

Sidenote: If anyone can locate a Scoonie Penn Ohio State jersey for me, I would be indebted to you forever.

Whatever the reason is, I get so caught up in the NCAA tournament annually and I have definitely followed the tradition so far this year. 

As normal, I have found myself cheering for schools that I didn't realize existed from leagues I've never even heard of before.  After the first round, I was hoping that Murray State would make it all the way to the Final Four. 

I've had chills more than once from last second shots and acted like a fan of about five different teams so far. 

The reason the NCAA tournament is one of the best sporting events is because I'm not alone in any of this; tons of people experience these same feelings when watching the tournament games. 

Hopefully, the upcoming rounds will prove to be just as exciting and I will develop false (albeit short-lived) association with a couple more teams. 

And of course...Go Bucks!!