It’s March and I’m not mad.

Why? Well, it helps not being a huge college basketball fan. Most important, it helps knowing there is no method to the madness.

March is the time when office copy machines probably get their biggest workout of the year and more thought was given to filling out brackets than was given picking the perfect Valentine’s gift, one of the reasons you’ve got nothing better to do than fill out brackets.

I’m not knocking March because I am playing, will play again and have played before.

Finding a bracket contest is about as easy as finding crack. Somebody who knows somebody’s brother who knows somebody’s cousin who knows somebody who works at Taco Bell can find you a bracket.

Or you can do like I’ve done the past two years, play online and play for free, just for bragging rights.

I’ve done the office pools and won fairly big and I’ve done the office pools and lost fairly big.

The editor's pick as of this morning. Subject to change.

The trouble with office brackets is, and I know this from personal experience, there’s sometimes someone who doesn’t approve of gambling, which is what it is, and is willing to snitch to corporate for a 5-cent raise. They could have used what they would have earned with that 5-cent raise to buy a couple of bracket sheets.

The first rule in playing brackets is to make sure the boss wants to get in. If the boss wants to get in then it is not gambling but a corporate affair, something on the line of a company picnic.

If the boss is not into gambling then you need to plan and fill out your brackets during lunch or when the boss is away and the office snitch is on the phone talking to corporate about how they put the kibosh on interoffice gambling pools.

Find out if it’s OK to make copies using the office copier. If the boss is in this won’t be a problem and the boss will tell the officer manager to lighten up.

With all the office politics and protocol out of the way you can proceed to fill out your brackets. I highly recommend playing several brackets with several scenarios — from having Norfolk State winning it all to having Davidson and Carolina playing for all the marbles.

Know in filling out your brackets there will be upsets, which is why right now I’ve got Belmont and West Virginia going to the second round and Florida State making it to the National Semifinals. This may change, especially if I see comments saying I’m an idiot.

The last time I won big, I went to some Vegas websites for encouragement. Only go to those which offer free tips because many times you’ll end up paying more for the service than you will win.

Like everyone is an expert about what city council should do about the Roanoke Rapids Theatre, in March everyone becomes a basketball expert. Simply nod your head and say, “yes,” when they offer you advice, unless that person is Coach K or Dean Smith.

The most important rule is to never pick with your heart, sage advice I learned from my first year in fantasy football. As much as I want N.C. State to win it all, even my limited college basketball knowledge tells me the Wolfpack will have trouble getting out of the first round. That’s why UNC-Asheville fans should not become over zealous and pick them to win it all over Kentucky. Upsets happen but sometimes miracles don’t.

I’ve seen people with less basketball knowledge than myself win these things so the criterion is rather loose. You can pick by school name, mascot and what teams your aunt curses because their game is going to interfere with the Young and the Restless and the Bold and the Beautiful. There’s really no method to the madness — Lance Martin.