Remember that time that it was almost March Madness? Oh wait, that time is NOW. Let’s get into the moment with a little magic from last season…

QUIPS FOR THIS WEEK

College Basketball

Last week, we watched a bunch of really great NCAA basketball conference tournament games. You can check out all of the final scores here, but some notable winners are North Carolina (ACC), Michigan State (Big Ten), Kansas (Big 12), Fresno State (Mountain West) Oregon (Pac-12), and Kentucky (SEC). Remember, there are 32 automatic bids for the NCAA tournament, and 31 of those come from the winners of the conference tournaments.

NOW it’s time to embrace March Madness and the bracketology that comes with it! See here for the full bracket, and get ready for the magic to begin this week.

Soccer

Soccer on this side of the pond is back in action! The MLS season kicked off with all 20 teams having matches. Will the Portland Timbers repeat their championship-winning season, or does 2016 glory belong to another club? Stay tuned for all of the latest updates as this MLS campaign unfolds.

In Europe, Champions League action resumed with four teams advancing to the final 8. Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, Wolfsburg, and Benfica moved on. They await potential quarterfinalists depending on this week’s matches: Barcelona/Arsenal, Bayern Munich/Juventus, Manchester City/Dynamo Kiev, and Atletico Madrid/PSV Eindhoven.

In English football’s oldest tournament, the FA Cup, last year’s champions Arsenal were knocked out in a surprise upset, losing 2-1 to fellow Premier Leaguers Watford. Everton defeated Chelsea 2-0, while Crystal Palace dispatched Reading by the same score line. The final spot in the semi-finals will belong to either Manchester United or West Ham United, who drew 1-1 on Sunday. Their quarter final replay date is TBD, dependent on the outcome of Manchester United’s upcoming Europa League match.

Other

Maria Sharapova tested positive for a banned substance at the Australian Open.  She had been taking mildronate – a drug that was recently placed on the banned substance list – for ten years. Following the drug test, sponsors including Nike, Tag Heuer and Porsche have suspended or severed ties with the 28-year-old tennis player.

JUST FOR FUN

Talking trash
The funniest signs from the Rangers/Penguins game this week

STORIES FOR INSIGHTS, COOL FACTOR + DEBATE

#rideforOlivia
A global phenomenon
The tribute to 17-year-old Olivia Inglis, who fell off her horse and died on a cross-country course, has touched individuals around the world