I love March. And a large portion of April.

The dull, gray and dead of winter fading into the pretty, colorful and vibrant blooms of spring.

The warm air and sunshine making it easier to get out of bed in the morning without the promise of bitter cold.

Relaxing over spring break, no matter if it’s spent at home or elsewhere.

Even though work may seem just as stressful as class to some, the chance to work and have extra money is refreshing to me.

And the thought that the end of homework and tests for three months looms just weeks away is one of the most comforting thoughts when I’m up at 4 a.m. writing papers.

But all of these things put together don’t come close to the real reason I love this time of year.

For 10 months out of the year, I pay sporadic attention to sports.

I watch the Super Bowl, I love watching tennis and soccer matches I occasionally come across while flipping through channels, and the NBA is sometimes mildly entertaining.

But, as a non-avid sports fan, I can honestly say March Madness is one of the best, most exciting times of the year.

And yes, it would also be the truth if I told you I think I like the NCAA tournament better than Christmas.

While I enjoy watching basketball for the rest of the season, it’s completely different when everything’s on the line.

The drama is bigger and better than any episode of Grey’s Anatomy. 

Every game seems to go down to the wire.

The idea that the season’s end comes with a loss makes bottom-seeded teams no one has ever heard of play with enough heart to give the top teams in the country heart attacks.

It’s in that 16-seeded team that just won’t go away in the first half.

It’s in the last 10 minutes when that team, that looked like it left its will to win in the locker room at halftime, makes a comeback.

It’s in the last two minutes of the game and the teams are still dead even, as if the last 38 minutes of the game were completely unnecessary. Or nonexistent.

Even better, it’s in the last second when the team that’s behind makes an impossible shot, a Mario Chalmers-style shot, to tie it up or win the game.

And then they do it all over again two nights later.

Whether it’s your favorite team or the underdog fighting its way deep into the tournament, it doesn’t matter who’s playing, you always have someone to cheer for, especially if you’ve filled out a bracket.

Keeping track of your bracket can be slightly exhilarating, even if you don’t have any sort of wager on it.

It also brings a certain sentiment.

Some of my first and favorite memories are from hanging out with my family watching the tournament.

The one memory from last year I’ve replayed the most in my head is standing center court at Allen Fieldhouse in a mosh pit of other fans when the clock ran out during the championship game.

Sometimes, when I’m on Mass Street on a quiet Sunday afternoon, I can still see the crowds of people celebrating.

You don’t have to be a sports genius or a basketball guru to appreciate the season.

Some people have the Super Bowl, some have the World Series, but I will always have

March Madness. <br/>