This is truly my favorite time of the sports year. Not because of the beginnings of NFL preseason. Not because of my fantasy football drafts. Not because of the MLB pennant race that’s heating up, and not because of the upcoming college sports season. It’s all because of a little known event, beloved in England.

What I’m talking about is a competition that gets little coverage in the USA, but one that excites so many who know about it to no end. We’re talking about England’s FA Cup, which finally kicked off last weekend.

You may be wondering what sets this event apart from the rest, and what makes it better. It’s the sheer size of it all. Very few events have as many contestants as 762 from the start, and very few have as many rounds (14) as the FA Cup happens to have. The beauty of this all is not only the single round elimination format, but the fact that teams of all levels have the chance to compete with one another.

It is entirely possible for huge upsets to happen (including teams known as “minnows” stunning bigger teams). It is entirely possible, if the 9th tier team were to survive that long, that Manchester United could travel to the equivalent of a high school team in American football. Can you imagine the New England Patriots coming to town and playing your local high school? While that is strange to American sports fans and would never happen in this country that is entirely possible in the FA Cup. Upsets are also commonplace. Two years ago, Barnsley FC (a second tier team) made it into the Final Four of the FA Cup, beating giant Liverpool on the road and then beating another giant in Chelsea at home.

This is where legends are made. Take the Cup from 20 years ago, where Sutton United ousted Coventry City, a premier team. Sutton United wasn’t even a member of a league, akin to an amateur recreational team. Then there’s the 1975 contest, where amateur team Wimbledon FC ousted premier team Burnley and then went so far as a draw with the defending champs Lees in the third round.

The beauty of it all lies within the dream that it allows for, combined with the shock value that comes with massive upsets. It gives the lesser teams a chance, if for all but a moment, to feel big, and prove its worth against the giants of the soccer world.

The best thing I can compare it to on an American level is March Madness, only over 10 times the size. Think about the way that the 16 seeds get a chance to play behemoths like UNC, and how exciting it is for them. This brings it all to a completely new level. The possibilities are endless.

Do you want to watch ten months of March Madness? Do you want to see amateur teams take on some of the biggest and richest clubs in the world on an even field? The FA Cup has all of that and deserves your attention. An event this special is truly something that we would never see in American sports and that is a shame. However, thanks to English soccer, we all get the chance.

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