Apparently my use of this fine term, featured in the headline of this fine blog, in the article right below this one has been causing quite the stir around these parts.
I half-apologize.
Not a fan of the Chelsea Offside.
1. My sense of humor usually works. Apparently not this time. For that, I do offer sincere apologies. The use of doldrums was by no means intended to somehow debase MSK Zilina, its supporters, Slovakia, its natives, Palo Macho or anyone else for that matter. I myself have never been to the country, and thus have no reason to slight it. And I did not slight it - at least not knowingly. The term doldrums isn't necessarily negative; well, kind of. But doldrums, as in gloomy, I don't think is that off, particularly from the perspective of our Chelsea players. Do you think they're happy about traveling to Zilina? From dearly ol' London? I don't. But this is not to defend the use of the term. Again, apologies.
2. This is a BLOG. A blog is an online journal, right? So opinion is fair game? I thought so. I fully expect to receive negative feedback. In fact, I enjoy it. However, it seems that most of these "new" commenters seem to think that, as an online blogger, I'm required to do certain research amongst other things, including following certain protocols (i.e. no offensive content). Negative. This is a blog. My blog, actually (though Daryl and Co. may have something to say about that). I post what I feel. If you don't like it, that's fine. Close to 100,000 people did enjoy The CO last month, though, so I must be doing something right.
3. As stated to one of those upset with the piece, I did two separate hours of research on MSK Zilina. I found hardly anything, not squad news. Nothing. Leading scorer? There wasn't a chance, at least not with my Google searching savvy (which I thought was quite good). Guardian, Sky, Goal.com, none had pertinent information on club news regarding this match. If I had found it, it certainly would have been posted. But, seeing as I'm not a full-time blogger and I do have a full-time job, as a journalist (how crazy is that?), I did not have the time needed to devote myself fully to this preview. Yeah, and this Soccerway page, it wasn't surfacing last night so sorry, I guess.
4. Now this should get a kick out of some of you. I'll be liveblogging the match for TheScore.com. Feel free to follow along with me here. KTBFFH