1. You’ll know why I chose the phrase Sweet 16.

2. The NCAA Tournament only happens once a year.

There’s like eight different Bachelor’s now. (I have a sister that’s why I know that, shh.)

3. There are real scandals and redemption stories.

Earlier this year, Arizona Head Coach Sean Miller was caught (allegedly) offering $100,000 to his star Center, DeAndre Ayton. For those of you that don’t know, you aren’t allowed to pay college players to play for your school. In fact, it is a federal offense. Miller and Ayton were cleared to return to Arizona, and now we have a fired-up Arizona team gunning for their first ever NCAA title. Now I’m not saying finding a tweet from 2011 saying “John My Dads a Rich WhiteManshischi” thinks girls smell worse than boys isn’t exciting. I’m on the edge of my seat.

4. It takes talent and hard work to reach the NCAA Tournament.

I’m not saying the actors-I mean CONTESTANTS on The Bachelor aren’t talented, but then again I’m not saying they are.

5. We can root against Lipscomb (the team that knocked out Stetson.)

They play last year’s winners (North Carolina) in the first round. Sucks to su-I mean tough draw, go Bison!

6. Stetson hosts students from all over the country…chances are, your state is represented in some way.

New Yorkers: Go Iona! Floridians: Go Florida/Florida State! Texas: Go Texas/Texas Tech! Massachusetts (My Home State): Go………hm. Well at least the Patriots won the last Super Bo-oh no. I need to go lie down

7. It’ll give you something productive to watch during your classes.

8 Ball Pool multiplayer is a nice option, and I respect it, but the real money only comes in when you’re at the tip of the iceberg. Meanwhile, no one has EVER completed a perfect bracket.

8. There is drama. And a lot of it.

Here’s a clip: https://youtu.be/3ZV5SWyiWRM from just about a week ago. This wasn’t even a tournament game…this was just a game to GET INTO the tournament. Real tears from a player and coach that worked four years to get to the tournament and never quite made it. Of course, not getting a rose is just as sad, probably sadder. And I’ll be a model one day.

9. The Bachelor is filled with beautiful people. Us, as college students, love beautiful people. The tournament has you covered. For the men:

And, for the women:

And, best of all? They aren’t unrealistic expectations of what the perfect man/woman should be like. They don’t have a mic in their ear. They don’t break up 2 weeks after the show is over. I’m not talking about anything in particular, I swear.

10. You can fill out a bracket!

Even if you don’t get the full bracket down, Bleacher Report does a REDEMPTION BRACKET challenge later on in the Tournament with prizes including cash and free trips…Also, the beauty of filling out a bracket, each pick being meticulous and well-thought out, it’s much like a-oh wait all of you stopped reading when you saw the word “cash.”

11. There is no annoying host.

The commentators for the games put in place by the NCAA are all top-notch and often times, quite entertaining. I don’t even know the hosts name from The Bachelor, but I already hate him.

12. There’s just as much crying in the tournament as in The Bachelor.

Though it’s kinda weird how we as humans get so much enjoyment over watching other people be sad…it’s me too though, I’m not above it.

13. You will finally understand the Snapchat events saying things like “Go Xavier”, “Go Dogs”, “Sweet 16!”, and “Final Four!”

I would think the little basketball in the top left would give it away but, I don’t know. Then again I didn’t even have Snapchat until a few months ago, so my leeway to judge other people for being “uncool” is practically invisible.

14. The games aren’t as long as NFL games.

Whilst football games can run up to 3 and a half hours in length, a long college basketball game is considered 2 hours. Also, you have a 15 minute long halftime report and countless media timeouts (commercials). The commercials are nowhere near as entertaining as Super Bowl commercials, and Justin Timberlake won’t be dancing around wishing it was 2005, so people actually stopped texting; but the media timeouts are an excellent time for bathroom breaks or social media checks. “Social media checks”…..see the “uncool” portion of reason #13.

15. Frisbee dogs!

Chances are you won’t be able to watch it since it’s during the halftime show but still…frisbee dogs!

Sidenote: look at how much air that dog is getting in what appear to be little mitten boots. Even the dog is like: “Poor wardrobe choice, I’ll admit it, but it don’t DOGgone matter when I snag this disc”. Get it, DOGgone.

16. Number 16 already? I could do 40 more. On a serious note, though, the NCAA Tournament is truly one of the premier sporting events to watch during our 365 day calendar. You don’t even have to like basketball…the NCAA Tournament is an opportunity to be in a worldwide phenomena, one that rocks the world for the 2-3 weeks it takes place. And that reason, even for a natural contrarian A-hole like myself, is enough to have me tuning in year and year again.

But, I can’t make the decision for you…here, turn on The Bachelor’s Second Cousin Jim in Paradise. I hear this season, all the contestants are only allowed to speak in acronyms.

Oh you’re wondering what channels the Tournament is on? CBS, TRUTV, TBS, and TNT. Oh and by the way, you made the right decision.

-Ben Gainsboro

Love this piece? Hate this piece? Love me? Hate me? Let me know on Twitter: @bagainsboro16.