Not Jeff Stelling: More than just a game.

"It's only a game"; a comment that plagues those who do not enjoy or revel in sport, a comment which I believe is unfair and made with little understanding. Think of the things you love the most, it could be music or films, maybe theme parks or any activity that gives you a buzz - the spine tingling, almost chilling, adrenaline pumping buzz. For me, this comes from sport.

Not everyones cup of tea, I get that, but to say that it has little meaning is far from the truth in my eyes. Not once have I been to a football, rugby, or cricket game that lacked passion and pride. Of course this has both positive and negative connotations - no one likes to see hooligans fighting, i'm not condoning that sought of ridiculous violence but surely people have got to see what it really means, especially in this, one of the greatest years of sport I have ever witnessed.

One example is the olympics, an international event which made me proud to be British. We hosted the greatest games of our time - a monumental achievement, and one that made me truly realise what sport is capable of. As I stood in my front room cheering the likes of Mo Farah and Bradley Wiggins, I looked around to see three generations of family on their feet screaming at the Tv - not something likely to happen during an episode on Eastenders, even if Phil Mitchell did just throw another ludicrous punch across the pub.

Sport is something that can bring a whole nation to tears, be it in triumph or despair, it causes arguments and rivalries but creates joy and wonderful memories. There are moments awe, silence and wonder. Moments of brilliant primal elation and these are the moments that I savour the most - they don't come around often, so when they do make sure you take a second to think about that line "It's only a game". In those moments, sport is not merely a game, it's an incomparable power, an unstoppable force, forgive the cliche but it's a genuine emotional roller coaster.

I have a good relationship with my older sibling, but a hug between us is a rare sight (understandable since I am 18 and he 20, usually arguing or annoying each other), so when we do 'embrace' it is a clear indication for me that sport is more that a game, the most recent time this has happened was 19th of May 2012, hint - we are both big Chelsea fans.

These are a couple of the moments I had the pleasure to see in my fairly short life time so far, and I can guarantee that as long as you're not a stone hearted, life loathing individual, then you will find some sort of joy in at least one of them: