Embrace the Madness.

Just do it.

Don’t lie. By now, I’m sure your bracket that you spent hours, maybe even days, filling out was completely dashed in a matter of minutes Thursday night when the powers that be in Baylor and Iowa State were unceremoniously booted from the tournament thanks to a couple familiar faces — at least to Troy fans — in Georgia State and UAB.

For me, there is an internal battle that goes on every year the NCAA Tournament kicks off and the upsets start rolling in.

Do I get mad? My dear bracket that I just knew this time around was perfect is now worthless. And there goes the pool money I thought was mine. Can’t I at least have one day of picking the right teams?

But I love the chaos. Face it; the best part of the NCAA tournament is the first few rounds and the chaos that ensues.

Sure, we watch these games to root for our team and hope that they will be the last squad standing come April.

This year, we wait anxiously to see if Kentucky can make it to the elusive 40-0 mark.

Yawn.

Any postseason has that. Every sport crowns a champion at the end.

But the NCAA Tournament is just so different.

Who would have thought that Uconn was going to walk away with a national title last year? Who would have guessed that Butler would appear in two consecutive championship games and come oh so close to winning at least one of those?

We watch the tournament for the chaos. We watch the tournament to cheer for the little guy. The guy that no one watches all year and suddenly becomes America’s sweetheart after a slew of upsets.

That’s what makes the NCAA Tournament different.

Want to get mad that your team lost in the first round to a double-digit seeded team? Sure go ahead. Want to get mad when the perennial favorites are bounced in the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 for unknown teams with fascinating backstories? That is your right.

But there is one simple and unequivocal reason why this tournament exists and why we watch it. To see upsets. To see chaos.

That’s why I watch the tournament.

I tried to pick a winner this year with my bracket. But obviously, it isn’t going so well thus far.

And that’s fine with me.

I love to see the chaos. I love to see UAB spitefully win its first game against Iowa State.

I love to see a coach with a torn achilles tendon fall off of his stool when his son sinks the game winning 3-pointer.

Have some fun. Embrace the Madness.