It might just pay to fill out our brackets

Bracket jawn time! March Madness is here and so is the chance to show no one knows the college basketball scene like you, alumnus of you-know-where, showing up loud and proud for whatever school claims your loyalty.

Don’t worry, The Inquirer has all NCAA Tournament savants covered. Look into your mental crystal ball and make your picks on who will advance and how far.

Plus, it’s a sweepstakes. Not only do you get bragging rights, you also get to win, win, win, and share an extra thrill with every victory prognosticated correctly. So fill out that jawn, like now. You could win $1,000.

Here’s your bracket jawn for the men’s and women’s tournaments.

— Inquirer Sports Staff, @phillysport

Tell us what is your personal favorite March Madness memory: sports.daily@inquirer.com

The NFL’s “legal tampering” begins Monday at noon, which means it’s time for the Eagles to begin shopping for free agents. Jeff McLane offers his guide to the Eagles as they enter the market.

Phillies manager Joe Girardi enters spring training on the final year of his contract with his 2023 option still not picked up. Any progress, Dave Dombrowski? “Nothing has changed,” the Phillies president said Sunday as players reported to camp in Clearwater, Fla. Of course Girardi would like to know his future — anyone would — but the well-traveled former player, TV analyst, and manager knows this is all part of the game.

The Phillies say they aren’t rushing Zack Wheeler back to the mound, and there is an optimistic outlook on Zach Eflin’s chances of starting the season.

Is the shortstop job Bryson’s Stott’s in 2022? Girardi says don’t expect Didi Gregorius to give up his job that easily.

On Sunday, Doc Rivers and the 76ers faced off against the Magic, who plucked him from the broadcast booth and started his coaching career nearly 20 years ago. Rivers reflected on those early years of his career after his team reached Orlando, where he went 41-41 and won Coach of the Year honors in his first season.

Hired in 1999 by then-general manager John Gabriel “sort of sight unseen,” Rivers was recently voted as one of the top 15 coaches in NBA history after winning a title with the Boston Celtics and coming close as part of the Los Angeles Clippers. Now in his second season with the Sixers, Rivers is shepherding another star-studded group with title hopes. But Orlando still holds a special place for Rivers. “It will be the place that, forever in my mind, is what made me a coach,” Rivers said.

That special place was not the site of an easy win for the Sixers, even against the lowly Magic. They finally put away Orlando in overtime.

Next: The Sixers play at 7:30 p.m. Monday against the Denver Nuggets and MVP candidate Nikola Jokic, creating a clash of big men at the Wells Fargo Center.

Claude Giroux registered his 900th career point career in game No. 999 with a second-period goal, but the Flyers still found a way to lose for the second straight day, again throwing away points with almost no time left on the clock Sunday night.

A night after giving up the go-ahead goal to the Carolina Hurricanes with just 3:50 remaining, the Flyers one-upped themselves yet again, surrendering a shorthanded, game-tying goal to the Montreal Canadiens with just 43 seconds left. They would concede again in overtime to the last-placed Habs, suffering a 4-3 defeat.

Next: The Flyers are working St. Patrick’s Day, as they host the Nashville Predators on Thursday at 7 p.m. on NBCSP.

Cory Burke scored on Saturday to keep the Union undefeated, even in the bitter cold of Subaru Park. The weather was such a factor that manager Jim Curtin thanked the fans who braved the elements to cheer on their team. Next week, the team may look a bit different, with a debut for Mikael Uhre likely and the return of Julian Carranza.

Since there’s been quite a bit of attention and acclaim for NBA players of late for 50-point-plus games, let’s recall a moment in which a Sixers player scored that many — and almost no one cared. On this day in 1995, guard Dana Barros made 21 of 25 field goals for a grand total of 50 points. It was all for naught in a 136-107 loss to the Houston Rockets.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Jonathan Tannenwald, Gina Mizell, Alex Coffey, Scott Lauber, Olivia Reiner, Mike Jensen, and Jeff McLane.