There are two theories that I’d like to propose. The first is that there are fewer people than you imagine who are commenting on any social media and that there are fewer still who are truly passionate about anything anyone writes. And the second is that of those folks who are commenting there is an even smaller number of nearly religious zealots who are ruining the Arsenal for the rest of us.
For the first, I noticed that on this site I get about 3,500 hits a day. On my twitter account I have a similar number of followers: 3,537. Given all of those people you would think that any time I said something funny or interesting it would elicit thousands, or at least hundreds, of responses. But that is never the case. At most I get maybe a hundred responses. And, this is important, the majority of those responses come from a very small handful of people. And among those people, an even smaller number follow everything I write religiously. This phenomenon cuts across all the media I publish on.
For those few of you who follow everything I write, I think of you like really good friends, almost like best friends. Even my ex-girlfriend didn’t read everything I wrote, in fact she never read anything I wrote on any football sites and while we are still friends on Facebook she never reads anything I write there either. It is a huge ego boost if just one person follows everything I write so to have several dozen people comment like they did the other day always makes me feel special.
The chart above describes this phenomenon as a square root function. That chart is not generated by actual data, but is rather just a hypothesis. I started with a pure square root and posted it on Twitter. Response was pretty good because when you get down to the third and fourth data point in a f(x) = SQRT (x) function, the number is really small. For me, across all my social media accounts that fourth data point would be a number like 3 for a pure square root function.
That number seemed too small. I’ve met more than three people who read my blog every day so I know that can’t be true. So I played around with the numbers and landed on f(x) = 5*SQRT (x) which seems just about right. If I posted every day on here, Arseblog News, and on Twitter, I would generate an audience of something like 12,000 hits. That fourth data point winnows that number down to 54. Which, in my experience, seems about right.
54 people follow me religiously. Let’s start a cult!
Well…
That idea of gathering my 54 into my arms and forging off in our own direction actually brings me to my second theory and honestly it’s not really my theory at all but stems from multiple sources on human interaction. Basically, it’s the theory of “the other.”
The easiest example is that I write a football blog about the Arsenal. In my daily writings we (the Arsenal fans) write about stuff that others do (the non-Arsenal fans) that tick us off, make us laugh, etc. But the important point is that they (the others) don’t belong in our group. In fact, when a Spurs supporter comes on this site and starts saying stuff we disagree with inevitably someone will tell them to “fuck off to a Spurs blog.” Because they don’t belong in our self defined group.
One of the dangers of this self defined grouping and subsequent self-policing is a theory called “incestuous amplification.” What happens is that in small groups the stuff they talk about becomes dogmatic and in fact starts to become part of their personality — a way that they define themselves as separate from “the others.” If you insulate yourself in a small group and refuse to listen to outside information, your reality changes.
I’ve been accused of this insularity here on this blog and I take measures to make sure that is not the case. Yes, I have banned people but not because I disagree with their opinion: you have to be a racist, a sexist, a xenophobe, a spammer, or a troll to get banned. For example, I didn’t ban any of the folks who disagreed with me on whether the Adebayor chants were racist until they started hurling invectives. If you call me a “liberal Yank cunt” well, you’re just not welcome here anymore.
It’s a power that I wield very carefully for the exact reason that I don’t want us to become too insular.
In the past, I don’t remember too much factionalism among Arsenal supporters. We all supported the Arsenal and while there may have been some disagreement, we all defined ourselves as “Gooners” and everyone else as “the others.” But what’s happened lately among us Gooners is that sides are being chosen and incestuous amplification happening within factions of Arsenal supporters.
For example, I read an article this morning suggesting that Denilson could return to Arsenal because according to some sources he’s worn out his welcome in Brazil. I can already hear the war machines turning. There are people who will say “support any Arsenal player no matter what!” and there are people who will say “fuck Denilson no matter what!” and they will go to whatever dark corner of the internet that supports that view and begin to build their dogma. Then, a select few, priests if you will, will be sent out to spread the gospel.
Denilson, the footballing crab, is back! He’s all that is wrong with Arsene Wenger over the last six years. Failed youth policy, pampered stars, overpaid, lazy, not giving 100%, doesn’t care about defense!
OH YEAH??? Well, I supported Arsenal when we were utter shit and had players like Lefty McOnefoot* who scored 18 own goals in a season. True Arsenal supporters will back every player who wears the red and white!
But go back to my first theory. This is a very, very small number of people we are talking about. If you say that there are 2,000,000 Arsenal supporters in the world and you apply my formula, there are just 420 people in the whole world who will be making comments like the ones I’ve imagined above.
The reason you think there are more can be explained with one of my maxims: you can spot the asshole in any group of people because he/she is always the loudest. Those 420 are the people who take content from other sites and post a huge screed against Arsene Wenger in the comments. They are the ones who call each other “cunts” in an argument. They threaten people with violence. They make racist and sexist comments and call it “banta.”
It’s just a theory, but wouldn’t it be nice if we all just ignored the 420? If we just had fun supporting the Arsenal? Which, doesn’t mean you can’t be critical. Just don’t be a member of the 420.
Now, if you don’t mind I have to get back to editing the Catechism of 7amkickoff.
* I feel terrible for Lefty McOnefoot. He had such a promising career until he had a foot cut off in that horrible meat packing incident. He never could kick the same with his wooden leg.
someone’s attention seeking, or just feeling lonely…
Lefty McOnefoot had one sweet left foot. Legendary if I can be so bold. RIP
Out of all the decisions Wenger’s made in his career,
selling an experienced premiership footballer in Emmanuel Eboue and replacing him with a 19 year old non league footballer, GOSH that’s got to be the worst.
Now we will suffer!!!
@akaash, I thought everybody wanted him out after the penalty he gave in the 101th in the Liverpool game.
I am still with the “Arsene knows” brigade but that decision really really baffles me!
sorry thought this was high times
ARSENAL ARSENAL ARSENAL
@the wanderer, Took me several hours to catch on to the 4/20 reference (thanks Josip@3.42). Nice one.
Reasonable and rational. The two things that crazies are not.
leaving bloggers aside the nation paper sports reporters seem to have god given right to say what they like never mind the truth,they have power to bring down amanager or at least cause problems at a club,are they above being sued for damages
Tim, there are two blogs I read daily: you and Arseblog. I’m not happy that your By the Numbers feature is there rather than here, but I understand it. Nonetheless, you two are my only daily football blogs (few others are 2-3 times a week).
I don’t comment here much though, very rarely.
So in conclusion, you have silent friends, even if you don’t know that they are friends.
Wahey!
Interesting. A lot of that applies to me too.
@Zeddington Toast, Post more when you can. Be part of the family. Cool
almost silent friend here too.
The problem with the 420, is that no-one ever thinks of themselves as being one of them. They just see other “stupid” people who haven’t got the intelligence to agree with their viewpoint.
i hate this AKB vs doomers. The truth is ( as i see it!) probably not one of all the people who read, comment and spam all over the arsenal blogs has even a 1/100th of Arsene’s knowledge. That doesn’t mean that you can’t disagree with him, but you do so from a position of ignorance.
We don’t know how much Denilson gets paid. We don’t know why Mata went to Chelsea. We don’t know why he bought Squillaci. Everybody likes to guess and talk like their opinion is definitive, but it isn’t.
Mine is, though. Obviously.
@workingchris, Heart on sleeve.
Yeah, I’ll second Zeddington Toast. I don’t really engage in the comments but I’m a regular reader and thoroughly enjoy it. Keep it up. Here’s to sensibility.
Anonymity can make you do crazy things, and for some people the internet is just a place to do/say whatever the hell you want. I’d bet most of the loudest are “internet tuff-guys” that have little to say anywhere other then the internet.
There is a lot of group psychology that gets played out everyday in sport. The commentators and pundits suffer from it as much as anyone else, and they have to say something, and with little new thought, they just keep saying “no footballing brain” because someone said it, and it sounded smart, and “arsenal can’t defend, shoulda bought cahill, bolton only let in 5 this weekend” and on and on.
This is actually the first time in my life I’ve gotten sucked into following a sports team, and as perverse as it may sound, Arsenal is extremely interesting and entertaining to follow, not that I want to see us find another incredible way to lose but the fact that we perform like no other team I’m aware of… what a ride.
Finally if you care about something like what that clive guy thinks… step back a couple.
@joakal, Welcome, my friend, to the ride that never ends…
@JV Mauer, Ditto
@joakal, Well you’ve got one thing right – Arsenal is perverse this year for sure. Welcome to the club. and well said: I am forever cautioning my kids never to post anything that wouldn’t say in front of someone’s face or that I (Dad) would be ashamed of reading. I’ve made them the same pledge. It’s tought when your a Gooner though, especially this season!
1NTTA
You’re so right about this. Any blog has its resident posters who seem to try to dominate any debate and usually turn the agenda to their own views. Many of these people are mad.
I don’t always read your posts, but do follow you on twitter. I usually agree with what you say but rarely ever comment. Very much like your slightly off topic posts (like this one). The increasingly tribalistic and high pressure atmosphere surrounding football (the fans, the press, pundits, everything) makes the experience of being a football fan unpleasant at times (I’m not talking about losing games here, I mean in general), and I’m not sure it has to be this way.
are we talking about “le grove”?that would typify your calculation as being reasonably accurate….i mean does that guy gambon sleep?
nice, tim.
i don’t know about the 420, i am still stuck in the chapman era. isn’t that alex james a hell of a passer?
@scruzgooner, Cool
Another silent one here.. Love the blog Tim, I read it daily.
I understand how you got your results, just thought the graph would be better represented as a bar graph as it isn’t really a graph of a function. You’re taking the value of f(x) and subsequently using it as your new x value. g(x)=5*sqrt[f(x)] and so on, if you get what I mean.
Anyhow, keep it up! I’ll be silently checking in @ 11:30am ET to read the next piece
Tim
I count myself as one of those people that read your musings on 7am when published. As I think I’ve said before, as a Brit now living in the States, it’s interesting to get a footballing perspective from someone who didn’t grow-up with the sport.
But, and this is meant as a compliment, your posts are generally not light reading. Although page hits are some indicator or reader interest, page duration, if such a thing exists, would be more useful. Of those 3,500 hits per day, how many stay long enough to read beyond the first paragraph.
Many of the other sites out there are much easier to digest. From memory, I can’t remember a single site that made reference to f(x). Maybe fuckyoujimmy(x).
So, in order to compare your posts with the others out there, you need to add a variable that represents its comprehensibility. Posts that are easy to understand would be greater than one, those more difficult (like yours) would be less than one. The norm would equal one.
What this means is, the magic number is probably several orders of magnitude greater than 420. It’s like comparing the tabloids with newspapers of higher quality. We all know the tabloids are shit, but why do so many people read them? And the answer is, because they are easier to read. And, as a consequence of this lack of quality from which people form (if that’s no too kind a word) many opinions, the quality of the general discourse follows this lowly path.
And it’s getter lower by the day.
So, what’s your point? Why should those 420 people be anti-Wenger, why aren’t they pro-Wenger. If Wenger was doing a good job, would anybody be against him? No. Also, you may only get small hits on this site, but if you look at Arsenal on Facebook, they get a massive amount of hits on their site every day, and 80% of those are anti-Wenger too.
Also, every Arsenal fan I speak to is unhappy with Wenger, but most of them can’t be bothered to post online. So what about all of the people that DON’T post derogatory comments about Wenger online, but might have derogatory opinions? Why do you assume only anti-Wenger nuts pervade the Arsenal blogs? Maybe it’s because your pro-Wenger, and therefore the only reason for your article is to put down people who carry a genuine grievance and take the moral high ground. That’s just propaganda, you should write for Arsenal.com.
@James, Read the whole post. Tim clearly includes both sides in his description of the 420. Stop being so 420ish.
@James, I thought Tim pointed to both extremes in his sample posts from the supposed 420. He tends to lean to supporting Arsene as most followers on this site, but it isn’t without some criticism and disappointment.
I thought the point us that both extremes are a bit much. And there really isn’t a need to have splinter supporter groups at each other, in my opinion.
Hello there,
I check your blog every week, usually 3-4 times a week (in fact, I check most of the other blogs too). Desigunner, Walter’s Untold Arsenal and yours are some of my favorites. I am an avid fan who never comments anywhere but is saddened to no end seeing people within our own camp trash each other. I can take stick from a ManU fan any-day, not from one of us.
Sure, Arsene has his flaws but they are highlighted because of the factors that are totally beyond his control. I wish Arsene to get a grip on transfer market but I want us, the fans, to get more grip on ourselves.
I couldn’t resist not commenting on this article though. Just a timely reminder for you that there are fans like me out there who’re always silently behind you, looking for any inspiration that they get for the club we all love; ARSENAL.
@Shail609, Swweety… bless
Hello, I read your blog/twitter every day, never commented before but just thought i would now to let you know I exist (and despite never meeting or talking we are closer than you and your ex after this blog, how bizzare!)
Dedicated daily reader. First time comment.
Dear Tim,
Perception can be a tricky thing. One man’s “Liberal Yankee Cunt” can be another man’s “Liberal Yankee Lovemuffin”. Case in point:
So just sit back, relax, and imagine those 420 just drooling over the thought of you, um, all naked and stuff. Or however you prefer to imagine them.
Hello Everyone
I am at home today, as I am unwell and with very little else to do, I watched some Daytime TV (I wonder why Jeremy Kyle Show is still on TV?, (USA readers think “The Jerry Springer Show” of 10 years ago) So passé and so depressing. Also I read the morning broad sheets, I slept, I drank soup, took some Night Nurse medication, I read a number of Blogs about Arsenal, I laughed coughed and splattered when Szczesny posted his four Tweets ( So self assured that young man), I frowned @SnoopDogg homage Video to JW19 ( Is he permitted into the UK) and spent more than one hour on Arsenal I Player watching all 15 minutes Highlights of every EPL games this year and concluded after 7 games the following : We have eight players injured, four of which are out for 2 months or more, we have had four offside goals allowed against us, one hand ball goal allowed against us, two Red Cards suspension for 3 games, two Red Cards suspension for one game and we have recruited five new faces who have had no pre-season with the team.
Oh Yes, we sold one of the best midfielder in the world, and took the money for another.
No wonder Arsene is chewing tooth picks… yes Arsene I’ve noticed.
Tim: I hope I’m one of the friends you mentioned above but if your consider me as one of the “The Others “ I have searched for them, I wanted to join their posse and with help from Wiki and my own extensive knowledge I have discovered their identities. I just need time to decide which one to follow.
The Others -TV series: A 2000 science-fiction series by John Brancato and Michael Ferris
The Others -2001 film: A 2001 film by Alejandro Amenába,
The Others -1997 film: A 1997 film by Travis Fine
The Others -1974 film: A 1974 film by Hugo Santiago
The Others: Mysterious inhabitants of a strange island television series Lost
The Others: Andromeda – Season 4 an episode of the TV series
The Others : The Ancients in the television series Stargate
The Other: A fictional character in television series Doctor Who.
The Others: A British Rock Band
The Others: An album by Italian Electronica artist Mauro Picotto
FINALLY. …Up to the first 21 submissions/comments today, most were from new signatures I have never seen before/or rarely see. Therefore your popularity is extended further than your formula of f(x) = 5*SQRT (x) equals 54. Let’s make this new influx welcome.
In terms of friends and family…. there is always six degrees
As a Yank living in the UK for some years, I like to read your blog to get a slightly alternative view of Arsenal issues.
Your site is different from, but analogous to, another site I like (Arsenal Arsenal) who do not ascribe to AKBs or Doomers or allow cussing, or insults — and yet still gets a very good, intelligent turn out.
Your Post today is excellent and you should take pride in it!
Well done.
Tim,
You should be proud as a writer. The fact that any number of people follow this blog for the sheer entertainment/education/interest in your intellectual capital is high praise. And Barry Webb @ 9:28 is absolutely right. Your blog is not always easy reading. I mean references to Elie Wiesel and Ozymandias by Shelley in just the past few weeks? In fact it can be quite demanding for the average fan or reader. Which is the other common denominator. You are smart. Smart people generally attract other smart people. At least those who seriously follow you. Not that I’m necessarily saying I’m smart, but who doesn’t want to be, or at least appear that they are?
This little corner of the internet is a gift for all Gooners who have a) the time and appreciation for your style, b) a sense of humour, and c) something to contribute beyond the ranting and raving you can find almost anywhere else.
You’ve managed, in the egalitarian and democratic era of wide-open communication and very heavy competition for eyeballs, something unique and attractive for, if not millions maybe for dozens (I left our “just”) of Gooners. That my friend (if I can call you that) is something to be proud of. No pressure…
1NTTA
@1NilToTheArsenal, 1nil, excellent post.
in surveying the gooner blogosphere there are precious few that actually seem to want to think about the issues at hand, here. most want to regurgitate whatever drumbeat is loudest on a given day, or so it seems to me. tim, ‘holic, and the folks at arseblog (among a few others) seem to actually want to engage the issues in a creative fashion rather than simply spew rehashed newsnow comments from goal.com, metro.co.uk, the daily fail, and other screamers. even the online gooner has good moments, though i disagree with a lot of what’s posted there.
for blogs that require readers’ active participation in the experience, i am grateful. the commenters seem to be, in general, more thoughtful than the spewing cnuts that grace so many other blogs with their “arsene out! arsene knows best! i know better than arsene (or the board, or the players) what’s good for arsenal” chants, chants that are repeated ad nauseum in blog comment sections all day long. if you have to put something in to get something out of a blog post, it’s going to self-select the people who stay and read post after post, and will create a space in the comments section for actual conversations that give to everyone, not just the chanters.
@scruzgooner, It would be interesting (read: I’m too lazy to do it myself) to determine an accurate survey of which supporters among the top clubs (yes, I will always count ourselves in that company), have the most active social media following? The most erudite? (too subjective, impossible to quantify). I’ve trolled other territory, but not found anything as interesting as here, or A cultured Left Foot or Arsenal Blog, or I Believe in Arsenal (Sian’s really great). Not even close. Are there ANY other team’s fan blogs worth following for interests’ sake?
1NTTA.
@1NilToTheArsenal, the only non-arsenal site i’ve read that comes even close to the best of arsenal blogs (here, ‘holic, arseblog, aclf, the occasional tie a yellow ribbon) is kumb.com, a west ham blog i’ve read when we’ve been playing them (they come up on newsnow at that point).
i can’t speak for the whole world, but, especially when you compare arsenal fans’ commenting with that found rawk or glory-glory, i think we know how to handle a keyboard. i also hang out at arsenal-mania from time to time, and aside from the ever-spiralling death depression that happens there, it’s got some really good posters.
you’re welcome to do the research, though
@1NilToTheArsenal, There’s a reason Nick Hornby’s an Arsenal fan…
Hi Tim,
I disagree slightly with your calculations. You do not account for people who follow your writings religiously everyday (like me) but do not comment (this is my first comment in the close to 2 years that I have been reading your blog)
I’m another daily reader…any others in the Middle East?
I like your theorum…sorry to bollox your numbers with my nouveau commenting…
In my dips into history I was always with Leonidas and his 300 Spartans(good film) but thanks to your erudite comments I know now that I’m one of the 420.If Wenger knows so much more about football than us peasants when is he going to put it right?He’s a busted flush and he won’t go away.So all we can do is support the team,enjoy the matches and hope for the good times to come again.If he was managing Dallas cowboys he’d be long gone.
Another silent follower – posting to show Tim my support for his well written missives.
I follow 7am, Arseblog and A Cultured Left Foot daily. I used to follow Le Grove up until a few weeks ago but just had enough with the negativity. I do not mind different opinions but started to feel they were pushing an agenda which I never feel from this site.
Keep going Tim, and thanks for your efforts.
Dear Tim & London Calling, I have grown the habit of reading this blog and LC commenting. I occasionally write on this blog, esp during a game, because there is nowhere else I love more to vent my anger or share my joy. I also read those Arsene Must Go blogs(ANR & Le Grove) occasionally to get a balanced view of what happens to the Arsenal and Arsene. Part of the fun of following a team is to talk and argue with fans, even if just on the internet. That is why I don’t like to follow a ‘perfect’ team like Barca, or Liverpool in the 70s. I like a ‘fallible’ team. And thanks to London Calling, we have a feminine touch on this blog–is that politically incorrect to say so?
If the once mighty Arsenal is to disintegrate like the British Empire, I hope it is done gracefully.
@DF, GREETINGS!!!!!! We have a very long way to go before we surrender… we The Arsenal and we are matching on.
@London Calling, “We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender…”
Hey Tim,
I just wanted to know that I read your blog just about every day (and if I miss a day, I catch up later) and I’d like to think we’re still good friends even though I no longer live in T-Town (sadly missing out on Doyle’s and all the great footy in the park). Also, I like your theory and want to give kudos to you for being such a strong writer despite your IT-related day job. I’ve been in IT consulting for about 4 years ago and I can vouch that, despite all their generally exceptional technical abilities, most IT professionals have a hard time stringing a few coherent sentences together.
Cheers!
@teflonmike,
Oops, that should read “4 years now” instead of “4 years ago.” I suppose I make my own point.
hmmm…eh… i am confused. Don’t u think graph of f(x) = 5*sqrt(x) is kinda wrong?
if x=1; f(x) = 1, x=4, f(x)= 2, and so on.
What you have done is found sqrt(3537) = data point 1
sqrt(dp1) = dp2;
sqrt(dp2) = dp3;
sqrt(dp3) = dp4;
I guess.?!
Anyway i got ur point and it’s well said. Majority of gooners have jobs and other commitments. They don’t have time to abuse fellow gooners and complain of something which they can’t control. They don’t have energy for it. And surely they all are passionate about arsenal just as u and me. They just know where to control it and conserve their energy for other things.
@critic,
yea, say let x be the number combined of social media interactions,
let f(x) represent “# who actually read your post daily”
let g(x) represent “# of people who comment”
let h(x) represent “# of people who all love your post”
thus
f(x) = 5*sqrt(x)
g(x) = 5*sqrt[f(x)]
h(x) = 5*sqrt[g(x)]
@Matty, this is the correct formula.
*i gave examples for f(x) = sqrt(x).
can i be your friend
I am one of those occasional posters that reads your blog everyday(along with arseblog/le-grove/aclf)…
Just a point on “the other”… wouldnt it be true that there is an element of Freudian notion of the unheimlich in our reactions to those that we define as other to our constructed identity(pro-wenger/anti-wenger)we hate them not so much because of what they say or how they act but because we see a nasty and uncommon reflection of self in their writing. “They” then become a dumping ground for all of the negativity “we” dont want to have associated with us i.e they are fairweather fans/sicophantic/racist or what have you. Identity is not so simple even in football.
Candidate for the funniest quote of the year:
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/966152/gabriel-agbonlahor-on-ronaldo's-level,-says-villa-captain-petrov?cc=5901
If this does not make you fall off your chair laughing, nothing will.
@T-Town, You’re right, that did make me fall off my chair. The last time that happened was when someone said Javier Hernandez was better than Messi!!
hey tim! hope i dont ruin ur formula but ive been religiously reading this blog (except when im traveling) for almost a year and im not sure that i have ever commented here!
I’m sure most of the 420 guys must be in someway related to Le Grove. It’s probably the worst of all Arsenal blogs. They totally drive you insane with their morbid opinions. They immediately ban folks with opposing views. I commented once or twice on LeGrove. My comments were explicit but contained no cuss words or abuses and I next thing I now I was banned from that site, not that I give a rat’s ass about it!
Besides 7am kick off and few selected other I love reading blogs by this bloke called Mr Renoog. He does not write often but when does, it’s amazing.
If you guys have time, try this post: (hope I don’t get banned for this)
http://mr-renoog-videos.blogspot.com/2011/05/what-makes-barcelona-such-formidable.html
@Metalhead,
the 420 is all of the people who act poorly, not just one web site.
Also, le Grove banned me for being American.
@Tim, well, heck, tim, if anything’s going to get you banned it’s that you’re from tacoma…:)
i’m from santa cruz, and get that shite all the time! apparently i’m “nowt but a daft hippie”.
Everyone keeps saying that they want to be counted. You are counted. Read the graph again, second on the list:
# who read your posts daily
Third is
# who comment
Fourth (h(x) = 5*sqrt[g(x)]) is
# whole love ALL your posts.
420. 420? 420!!
Been smoking the good stuff have ya Tim!! =P
I am also a regular reader of this blog as well as a couple of other Arsenal blogs (Arseblog, A Cultured Left Foot, Arsenal Arsenal and Gunnerblog). I rarely comment on any blog I read (twice on Arseblog I saw “0 arses” and couldn’t resist) but I also wanted to say that I greatly appreciate reading your daily offerings, as well as those other bloggers who can be bothered to do the same (and have something interesting to say). It’s even more appreciated at times like these, to read stuff about Arsenal that isn’t constantly negative, which is the only slant the general media normally take when writing about our club.
Anyway, just to let you know that I’m sure there are many more like me, who quietly read and agree with a lot of the sense that’s written, but don’t necessarily speak out. Keep it up, as genuine Arsenal fans need blogs like this to help cut through all the bullshit.
This post and others like it around the web indicate a siege mentality that I welcome. Because we have not been successful in recent years, and appear to be entering a period of mediocrity (I speak as a realist now, not as the guy who screams like a little girl when Arsenal score), we are bonding over “meta” blogs like 7amkickoff, which comfort fans by collapsing games, blogs, and comments into numbers, whereby the nebulous is made measurable, and disappointment is objectified to allow distance–distance being comforting. We retreat, we measure, we console. I hope we also improve. In the meantime, we have each other. I read this blog as much for its chief writer as for his comments.
I have been fortunate to meet Tim face to face (over bourbon), and talk about this team we all love. He is as articulate, passionate, and self-aware as he is in the bazillions of pixels he assigns every day.
Well done, Tim, and long may it continue.
“for its chief writer as for *its* comments” (and that would be you guys, the many people who contribute to this blog and make it the enjoyable, witty, and controversial place it is…the best).
@Bunburyist, As my daughter would say, “WOWZER ZOWSER!”
As incomprehensible as that may seem to some, it is a compliment, so there you go…
None other than Lee Dixon has weighed in on this season and has written us off, maintaining that we are top 8 at best. Thoughts? I am firmly in the belief of all or nothing. Top ofur or a relagation battle and nothing in between.
1NTTA
@1NilToTheArsenal, Try as I might, I honestly can’t imagine our being in a relegation fight come April. Mid-table, perhaps, though being the eternal optimist, I’m still waiting for the others to drop points and for us to kick-off into our next unbeaten 50+ game run that’ll see us take the title come May.
Count another one Tim. I drop by everyday. I also subscribed to the feed lately.
This one and Walter’s Untold are the only places that I visit every single day. Love your posts. Just thought I would let you know. Keep it up.
Another original article, cracking stuff. I may not post everyday but I read the full article and come back several times to read the interesting posts made by all. We have an international break and this is where great writers like Tim come into their own, keeping his readers entertained when there is not much to debate other than the inevitable international injuries. Me, I will be doing my bit for the next week trying to contribute to the recovery of the Greek economy, I will ensure however that I get my daily 7am Kickoff daily fix.
Singapore Gooner checking-in; daily reader and finding myself commenting more often ever since the new season started because your postings keep me sane, I get doses of great literature and enjoy the myriad of opinions and thoughts from fellow Gooners.
Yeah for Tim!
I read most Arsenal blogs but , and I don’t know if there are more like me, but I only really comment on blogs that make me angry(I am going to change that, for my sanity if nothing else). I have become almost infamous on Le grove and I am the biggest Wenger head out there. I have been banned numerous time now ( I am never abusive) but I always find a way back(multiple names) to remind them that they are not the whole world and when the negativity goes from our club so will their blogs popularity. The irony is that i am contributing to their blog more than the pro wenger ones but hey. Keep up the good work.
There you go Tim, there are legions of us voyeurs peeping through the net curtains every day at your blog. Keep up the stirring work.
I’ve been reading this blog literally every day in the last three years or so.
Yesterday I couldn’t find time to open my laptop the entire day, since I’m away from home on some ad festival by the sea where the wine is excellent and the weather is beautiful, hence the late comment.
But still, it’s 10 AM right now, I just woke up and I’m on a terrace directly above the sea, and the first thing I do when I open my laptop is to read your new post.
I think I may be developing a man crush here, Tim, shouldn’t have posted those pictures a week ago, my wife already knows you more than my other friends.
So, cheers mate, and by the way I agree about Lefty, he developed quite of a partnership with Unlucky Goonerstone.
Tim: If you build it the will come.
The word should be “they”. Keyboard issues.
Tim, any stats on the effect the 420 have on the average IQ of Arsenal supporters?