And the winner is...football

You never believed it would happen, and then it did. 

Literally kicking and screaming, Tottenham foundered in their quest to reel in Leicester City; and the hugging began around Jamie Vardy's house. 

Never has a team other than one's own captivated so many and the Foxes' celebrations, recorded for posterity on German defender Christian Fuchs' mobile, were probably as accurate a reflection as any of the delight most football fans felt when the 2015/16 title became forever Leicester's. 

It's an incredible tale. One to talk about all summer. One to re-tell the kids around the campfire years from now. 

Perhaps what defines Leicester's success best is the absence of any hype.

The thing with hype is that it requires people to invest their belief in players and/or clubs. Take the likes of Jack Wilshere or John Stones. Talent alone has, in many ways, forged their world-class reputations for them. 

Forget whether they can stay fit, string good performances together or actually win anything - what matters is how easy they are on the eye, and how able we are to invest in the belief that one day they will be worldbeaters. We hype them and hype them - and then end up disappointed. 

In Leicester's case, there has been no real hype. There is not a trace of a Wilshere or a Stones in their entire squad. The world is meant to beat Leicester rather than the other way round. 

However hard you tried, it was always impossible to genuinely see Danny Drinkwater as a peer to Pirlo, or consider Vardy as Aguero's equal.

However many delightful turns he does, it is still almost impossible to shake the suspicion that PFA Player of the Year Riyad Mahrez is some kind of imposter among the footballing elite; that the achievements borne of his skinny little legs somehow count for less than those of a Messi, Suarez or Ronaldo. 

Hype-proof

In fact, Leicester's rivals for the title have been hyped more than they have. Spurs have undoubtedly made huge strides under Mauricio Pochettino and, with the youngest squad in the Premier League this season, it is realistic to expect them to improve and further realise their potential. 

Yet, perhaps because Leicester have been hype-proof,  Tottenham have found themselves bigged up to the gills - even though, in the cold light of day, they were never really that close to ever catching the Foxes. 

Fantastic performances against Manchester United and Stoke have been elevated above mediocre displays versus West Ham and West Brom. Dele Alli has rightly been praised to the hilt for a fantastic debut season in the Premier League, but - for example - his niggly temperament has been dressed up as a positive rather than the potential negative it became.

Tottenham's lack of a Wes Morgan-esque leader, so obvious last night against Chelsea, was never addressed. A little hype and we all believed they were ready to win the league when they weren't. Maybe next season. 

Despite nearly everyone wanting Leicester to win the league, we all suspended belief for so long. Even some Leicester fans, who inconceivably bet on them to win the league at the start of the season, cashed in their betting slips early. We wanted to believe, but never truly did. 

Until today.  

It's a beautiful day for Leicester and Claudio Ranieri, but also for the beautiful game. Talent, drive, focus and sheer heart have won the day. Hype (as we all know, but so often choose to ignore) is irrevelant. 

It is all well worth a 17-Fox salute:

Vardy. Mahrez. Kante. Drinkwater. Schmeichel. Morgan. Huth. Simpson. Fuchs. Albrighton. Okazaki. Gray. King. Ulloa. Schlupp. De Laet. Dyer.

Let the hype begin; they deserve it.