If you had told us back in June 2019 that we would have made it to 100 posts, I would have laughed at you. Yet here we are, two and a half years later of on-again, off-again writing and have hit 100 posts. Looking back, we have posted on a lot of different subjects. From weekly EPL predictions (those were tough) to general life updates, we seem to have traversed a multitude of topics before settling on mainly Revolution pieces. While branching out has started again, we have disappeared as life has provided us with troubles. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for those of you who have stuck around through our trials and tribulations. We hope you stay and see what is to come. There are many drafts in the pipeline. Here’s to hoping that 200 won’t be in two and a half years.
To celebrate, we thought we would each take a second to write about our favorite moment from writing for Short Corners Long Prose.
Jeremy (lord writer of 62% of these posts)
While there have been many posts on here, I have put more than my fair share of research into my favorite moment from writing for this blog that came roughly a year ago. Roster announcements were made after the Revolution was knocked out of the playoffs in 2020. It became apparent that the Revolution would not be going forward with long-time homegrown player Diego Fagundez. Once that was confirmed, I took my time and wrote a thank you and recap about his time in New England.
Fast forward and to it being posted and reposted once he joined Austin, and there was a comment on our Twitter, thanking us for the kind words. This was a turning point that while writing was and still is for fun, there could be unforgettable moments. It’s a moment that made me realize even if we don’t always get the response. It’s about having someone appreciate what you write about them. That someone read what was about him, made me smile and want to keep moving this blog forward.
A close second would have to be when Chris C and I were part of the announcement (as well as the Short Corners piece I wrote) that the Revolution had signed Jon Bell. The #announceJonBell hashtag was fun in the 2020 offseason, and it culminated in this wonderful moment for us.
Chris C on 100 (the one who annoys people on Twitter)
Soccer brings together all sorts of people. Whether it’s your own team, finding rivals, or just going around the world to watch some soccer in general…It’s a great thing. So, when I started writing during my pandemic unemployment stage, I got really good at annoying people. This particular time, which was an inspiration to the article that I loved and still love to this day, I wasn’t trying to piss anyone off. I wrote about the Chattanooga Red Wolves, who were playing New England Revolution II that day. All of a sudden, I got a twitter comment stating that I shouldn’t give the Red Wolves the time of day.
Whoa!
It was crazy to me that all it took was me trying to promote my own play-by-play to annoy this person. Then, the rest was history. I took to a conversation with that person. This spurred on my thirst for knowledge. Next, I started in on research for what is now called “The Chattanooga Dilemma Part 1: Chattanooga FC“. The piece came together through info scoured from USL attendance archives, Reddit, Facebook and other odds and ends. It was a lot of fun to piece together and now, I’ve become a quasi-supporter myself. Yes, that means I’m a CFC supporter. (No, Jeremy, that doesn’t mean I’m a Chelsea fan now (booo, but you may change your mind depending on Juve and EFC)) But, as well, that also means I need to work through the other side still. “The Chattanooga Dilemma Part 2: Chattanooga Red Wolves” still to come (sure, its only been sitting in drafts since February).
Chris P on 100 (who is currently working through his Taty feelings)
Over the past almost two years now, soccer has been a saving grace for me during the pandemic. I couldn’t sleep, my diet was garbage, and I worked in a perpetually short-staffed hospital pharmacy. Soccer took my mind off all that and helped me “feel something” again. Derby barely surviving their relegation fight last season had me on the edge of my seat and caring about something for the first time in months. That is the exact moment I realized just how much soccer means to me.
I put my mind to do a piece about my love for the EFL Championship, League One and League Two. It is one of my favorite pieces since I started writing with Short Corners. “EFL Playoff Promotion Predictions” was so much fun, as I got to make my own predictions for people to read. As well, I got a few of our friends, partners and my family to make their predictions too. We all know, involving my family is an amazing thing…
Because my fellow Revolution supporters aren’t just my friends; they are my family. People who share similar struggles that will actively go out of their way to help anybody who needs it. In the Midnight Riders, I have found a sense of belonging for the first time in a long time. The tailgates were the first place I felt welcome and liked as opposed to tolerated and “dealt with”. Many of my happiest moments are due to soccer and my supporter family. Soccer isn’t just a game to me. Soccer is life.
Final Thoughts
While we may not always have been consistent with posting, we appreciate all the people who have read this over that time. We grew from 176 views our first year to over 2000 views and counting in 2021. We thank all of you and hope you continue to enjoy what we put out.
Post 100, wow. Being honest with you, we were hoping we could make the MLS Cup winners piece to be post 100. That obviously didn’t happen for the Revolution this year. But, we can still celebrate soccer for what it is. It’s a sport that transcends everything. Our blog has gotten hits from 30 other countries outside North America in 2021 alone. Coming from Ireland, the UK, Germany, Portugal, India, Brazil, Italy and many more. It’s the fun we’re having while talking soccer that matters at the end. Hitting 100 is so very special for us.
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