Warning, more of a rant than a blog, contains expletives.
I have very little interest in sport so the announcement that London was to host the 2012 Olympics left me cold and not looking forward to a summer where the media would be covered with wall-to-wall sports commentary and jingoism.
As it was family bereavements, their aftermath, building work, health concerns, and a sick cat, on top of the demands normal in this house, left little space to get worked up about sport and its irritations.
However, one morning it must got to me because I wrote the following Facebook post.
One sporty type was on Radio 4 this morning claiming schools have to have competitive team sports so that children "learn how to work in a team".
Try doing any social folk dance as an individual and see how far you get: Dashing White Sergeant, Strip the Willow, Circassian Circle, and Square, Morris or Sword dances all require team work. And you have to carry on until the music stops not give up when it suits you. Just because it's not competitive doesn't mean it's not useful both as exercise and learning. There's even maths for goodness sake - you have to be able to count to at least 4 and preferably multiples thereof.
And I wish they'd leave off this bollocks about sport being "character building". Yeah? Tell that to the marines: that's why they have to be randomly tested for anabolic steroids and God knows what else they put in their bodies to get an advantage.
Not to mention a rugby player faking a blood wound.
Then there are professional footballers with the morals that would shame a sewer rat and language to match.
I know plenty of people who have not and never will be involved in sport that have more true strength of human character and fortitude than any sportsperson you can name.
Look at any parent of a child with a disability (physical or learning), husband or wife caring for a spouse with dementia or anyone coping with a disability: that's where you'll find character.
Maybe it doesn't make the flag wavers feel great about TeamGB, or politicians preen over how many medals 'we' got.
But it's real and it's true and it's more valuable and worthy than anything that's ever happened in any Olympic stadium ever.
I don't know about you but I feel much better for getting that off my chest.
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