By Matt Stevenson

March 20, 2015

The sun shines bright, the breeze enters through the cracked windows, and the birds are chirping once again! Spring is here which means the world of sports has reached its most fascinating event, March Madness.

This riveting event that generates millions of dollars each year is unlike any other sporting event due to the “win or go home” mentality the tournament endures.

This year we have a national powerhouse that has the rare opportunity to accomplish the idolized 40-0 record in Kentucky. Many believe this is the worst tournament field in recent years due to the lack of “good” bubble teams and lack of competition for Kentucky.

ESPN’s Colin Cowherd went as far as asking NBA D-League teams to face Kentucky and even thinks the Wildcats of Kentucky could win.

They have 2 of the 3 top big man prospects in Willie Cauley-Stein and Karl-Anthony Towns. Experience from last years finals team with the Harrison brothers starting at guard, and of course Trey Lyles starting at small forward. Let’s not forget about arguably the best bench in the land as well, as coach Calipari can literally substitute out the whole starting line up and still win quite easily. This year it’s Kentucky vs. the field.

Why is so much attention paid to this tournament though? Well a few reasons, for one everyone and anyone can make a bracket. So many say that they don’t watch college basketball so they don’t do the bracket, but the truth is nobody has ever even come close to perfecting one.

You have the office pools at work, the local bar pools, your high-school friends pool, even families have their own pools to do! Everyone gets involved and everyone has their own strategy.

From coin-flipping to just picking your favorite teams. Some try to use their expertise analysis to determine their perfect bracket, while some fill theirs out without even looking at the teams and just the seed numbers.

Of course, sports media wouldn’t focus so much attention on a tournament if it didn’t have the celebrity endorsements it has for years and even more now. Players such as Indiana Pacers Paul George, Cleveland Browns Joe Haden, and James Harden of the Houston Rockets all have their own tournament challenge inviting thousands of fans to interact with their favorite players at a shot at millions of dollars.

The rush of having the opportunity to win millions of dollars, watch your team win a National Championship, beating family and friends in friendly competition, and interacting with celebrities is awesome and it only happens once a year. But it’s not the reason why this is so special.

What makes this March Madness Tournament so captive is the fact that we are watching young kids live out their dreams. The back-and-fourth stretches of fast paced basketball, the physical moments when competitiveness outweighs thought, the pressure shots to advance to the next round, and what would March Madness be without the all too beloved buzzer beaters.

March Madness is an exhilarating event and the best time of the year in sports. While the kids that participate in the tournament work towards a career and to cut down the nets, us fans enjoy the unexplainable adrenaline rush as we watch our favorite teams take the ball up the court down 2 with 10 seconds left.

Will your team hit their buzzer beater to go down in the great history of March Madness or will your bracket get busted? Good luck to everyone with their brackets and enjoy this pulchritudinous tournament.