The month of March always brings with it a sense of exhilaration. The weather is changing, the days are slowly getting longer as the winter doldrums begin to fade away and the prospect of springtime brings about a certain feeling of rejuvenation. This exhilaration and rejuvenation also permeate to areas of life other than just the weather, as the sporting world will see one of its most anticipated tournaments come to the forefront this month.

College basketball’s season-ending tournament, commonly known as March Madness, is unique in the realm of sports due to its mass appeal.

It is first and foremost the ultimate sports gauntlet, as the 68 best collegiate teams in the country will face off over the next month until only one team remains standing.

Historically, the college basketball tournament is also incredibly unpredictable, every year powerhouse teams seem to fall to underdog competitors from directional schools.

That is a large part of the allure, as those who do not follow the game for the duration of the season generally have the same odds to predict an accurate bracket as those who consume large amounts of basketball from October to March.

Filling out a March Madness bracket is something of a cultural expectation. Office pools across the city, state and country are currently forming before games tip off to start the tournament on Thursday.

The chance to simply earn some bragging rights over co-workers and friends generally serves as motivation enough for even the most nonchalant and casual fan to fill out a bracket.

To get in on the fun, we have included a bracket on the back page of today’s newspaper.

This is a time-honored tradition that we have fallen away from in previous years, but serves as a fun opportunity for families and friends to put pen to paper and fill out one bracket the old-fashioned way.

Please take some time, have some fun, and roll the dice on one of the most entertaining and enjoyable sporting events of the year. Take it from us, filling out a bracket is more fun if you pick some Cinderella stories to pull some upsets.

Don’t be afraid to embrace the tournament and all its madness.