Sport needs chaos - and that's where the National beats Cheltenham hands down

Would it be true to say we all need a bit of chaos in our lives? Probably not. I think most of us thrive on stability, although there's a haywire aspect of my finances that fans of Jackson Pollock might find pleasing.

But I'm certain most of us relish a bit of chaos in our sport, the kind of thing that adds a frisson to the build-up before a major event and makes us say: "Anything can happen." Leicester can win the Premier League, Mike Tyson or John McEnroe might have some kind of meltdown, Jean van de Velde will start pinging shots all over the place.

For your true mayhem, it's hard to beat a game of American Football, in which a constantly changing cast of 22 men run headlong into or away from each other, about 70 times per game. One of the most celebrated moments in that sport's history involved the Stanford University band marching prematurely on to the field in celebration during the final play, only to be skittled by the California Golden Bears running through them for a decisive touchdown.