ESPN - Soccer's Misery Index

[Smiley Culture]

I’m not sure how fanbase got dragged into this because this is just a list of teams that haven’t won anything in a while, aren’t as good as they have been in the past or teams who’ve suffered questionable ownership and are paying the price for it now. 

To fit either list, the miserable fanbase or the winning nothing for years, Newcastle United have to be somewhere near the top though. 

[Berserker]

They should include Boca in there, 13 years since they don't win a Libertadores, lost the most important final ever as well as several other important clasicos while we're at our best moment ever, they're bitter as fuck.

[RandoEFC+]

I'm glad that we made the cut but what a load of absolute shite. The whole thing focuses on Liverpool, claims that we somehow created our own biggest problem by leaving Anfield so they could have it and describes them as "annoyingly successful". They probably will be over the next few years but until they just won the Champions League they'd literally won one League Cup more than we had in the second half of my lifetime. Maybe this is seen differently by slightly more aged Evertonians.

Our misery isn't defined by our rivals. Our misery is losing 3-0 at home to Wigan when the FA Cup draw has opened up in front of us, our misery is the man behind N'Golo Kante and Riyad Mahrez winning Leicester the league title coming to Everton and spending £17 billion on failed number 10s, our misery is our ability to concede goals in the 94th and 96th minute of a game to draw a match in which the opposition hadn't had any shots on target up to that point. Our misery is an art in its own right, and it's painted in a thousand shades of blue, not red.

[Eco]

13 hours ago, Inti Brian said:

Why is that a problem?

Because when you're writing an article that you have to garter attention, you aren't going to dive into leagues that have such little interest. 

[Eco]

And I'm obviously a bit different, as I follow a club in each country, as well as my 'local' club here in the States. 

But when I think of miserable, I think more along the lines of clubs whose owner(s) don't have the club's best interest at heart and they end up running that club into the ground. I couldn't imagine the pain the fans go through during such a penalty. 

Clubs that settle for mediocrity are also some miserable fan bases. 

[Mpache]

3 hours ago, Eco said:

Because when you're writing an article that you have to garter attention, you aren't going to dive into leagues that have such little interest. 

I still don't see how this is a problem. People love reading about world football, so unless you're trying to make clickbaity money there's really no issue with it.

[Mpache]

7 hours ago, Berserker said:

They should include Boca in there, 13 years since they don't win a Libertadores, lost the most important final ever as well as several other important clasicos while we're at our best moment ever, they're bitter as fuck.

Yeah and they also hire terrible managers every single time. Barros Schelotto, Alfaro and now Miguel Angel Russo.

[Eco]

Just now, Inti Brian said:

I still don't see how this is a problem. People love reading about world football, so unless you're trying to make clickbaity money there's really no issue with it.

Be honest...did you read the article? 

I ask because the ESPN headline is in fact, 'Soccer's Misery Index features Man United, Rangers, Malaga, and other painful tales,". 

If the purpose of the article was to be 100% authentic and not care about how much it read (or shared), it could have dove into any of the leagues in Africia, Asia, and more in South America. But instead it remained where people are interested in, Western Europe and North America (with a Brazilian team thrown in there).

My point being, if you suggesting that a Peruvian club be added into the article, it just was never going to happen. It's an article written by an American company, for Americans, and so it must talk about clubs/cities that Americans are familiar with.  

[Eco]

6 minutes ago, Inti Brian said:

I still don't see how this is a problem. People love reading about world football, so unless you're trying to make clickbaity money there's really no issue with it.

..and I don't really agree with this. 

I'd say most people don't enjoy reading about football in Africa or Asia. I don't think the majority of Europeans or South Americans really 'love' reading about the MLS for CPL. People love to read what interests them, and there is too much football in the world and not enough time in a day for most people to love reading about all world football. 

[Mpache]

1 minute ago, Eco said:

My point being, if you suggesting that a Peruvian club be added into the article, it just was never going to happen. It's an article written by an American company, for Americans, and so it must talk about clubs/cities that Americans are familiar with.  

Except I wasn't, I was replying in context of the thread.

I praised it for being diverse and then gave my own thoughts. Still, this doesn't change that people love reading about world football.

[Eco]

2 minutes ago, Inti Brian said:

Except I wasn't, I was replying in context of the thread.

I praised it for being diverse and then gave my own thoughts. Still, this doesn't change that people love reading about world football.

I agree to a point about this statement. 

If you look on this very site, where we all love football, you will see in the General Football section that we have loads of topics on leagues that are really only updated by 1, maybe 2 people. I think people who love football, love discussing those leagues/countries that interest them. 

I love football, but I can't sit a read an article on some Ecuadorian team unless it somehow involves Atlanta United or Inter Milan. 

[Mpache]

Just now, Eco said:

..and I don't really agree with this. 

I'd say most people don't enjoy reading about football in Africa or Asia. I don't think the majority of Europeans or South Americans really 'love' reading about the MLS for CPL. People love to read what interests them, and there is too much football in the world and not enough time in a day for most people to love reading about all world football. 

As someone who has been writing about Peruvian football in English for about 3-4 years now, I can tell you that they do. Obviously there is more interest in football that they know about, but they know an odd article on something they know nothing about won't do them harm. 

I struggled through anxiety a few years ago because there wasn't consistency in my pieces and thought there was more interest in it. I eventually just came to the conclusion that people like reading the odd piece here and there. If there is something funny in that league, or a historical piece that has relevance (like if I write on Teofilo Cubillas or Nobby Solano) people will be interested. As a writer you can include something juicy that will interest readers. I wrote about Geronimo Barbadillo a few years ago. It got big because he was a pretty important player for Tigres and in Italian football and also because I marketed it in a smart way.

I know people who have gotten somewhat popular of writing about Carribean and Filipino football, so if you do it right people will be interested. Also depends on your history of writing. Everyone has different taste in reading. 

[Mpache]

2 minutes ago, Eco said:

I love football, but I can't sit a read an article on some Ecuadorian team unless it somehow involves Atlanta United or Inter Milan. 

Which is kind of the point I was getting at.

People love reading about something funny in a certain league (like cows running onto the pitch) or the importance of certain teams in a country, but not so much the league as a whole. I wrote about historic players that had history abroad and tried to include a lot of their local success and blend it in of sorts. That's the sort of things that will interest people.

I don't think people really care if Alianza are going to win their 23rd title in Peru outside of Peruvians. If I somehow link it to Jefferson Farfan or Claudio Pizarro, both former players of the club, then maybe some more interest will arise.

[Mpache]

8 hours ago, Smiley Culture said:

I’m not sure how fanbase got dragged into this because this is just a list of teams that haven’t won anything in a while, aren’t as good as they have been in the past or teams who’ve suffered questionable ownership and are paying the price for it now. 

To fit either list, the miserable fanbase or the winning nothing for years, Newcastle United have to be somewhere near the top though. 

Except there's a big difference between fans who expect to win trophies compared to fans who know their club is shite and fully accept it.

I can see where you're coming from, but these fans who suffer don't really gather enough interest for ESPN to make a full piece about it. If it was me, I would have mixed it up. I would have included Leyton Orient, Universitario, Veracruz, Deportivo Quito, Newcastle United, Parma, Palermo, Dnipro, a few of the ones on this pieces and the likes. ESPN has higher standards though.

[Eco]

Just now, Inti Brian said:

Except there's a big difference between fans who expect to win trophies compared to fans who know their club is shite and fully accept it.

I can see where you're coming from, but these fans who suffer don't really gather enough interest for ESPN to make a full piece about it. If it was me, I would have mixed it up. I would have included Leyton Orient, Universitario, Veracruz, Deportivo Quito, Newcastle United, Parma, Palermo, Dnipro, a few of the ones on this pieces and the likes. ESPN has higher standards though.

I'm not sure how you can include any team currently in the top division (Newcastle United and Parma), when we have clubs like Bury and Bolton in England, Palermo, Foggia, and Bari in Italy that have no funds and are fighting to keep the lights on. 

[Mpache]

Just now, Eco said:

I'm not sure how you can include any team currently in the top division (Newcastle United and Parma), when we have clubs like Bury and Bolton in England, Palermo, Foggia, and Bari in Italy that have no funds and are fighting to keep the lights on. 

Literally all the clubs I've mentioned in that post are fighting to keep the lights on or were at one point except Newcastle.

Leyton Orient I'm not too educated on but as far as I know are really struggling if not already wound up. Need to keep myself updated.

Universitario are probably not in danger but are 200 million in debt with terrible administration every year and liquidation threats all the time. I suspect because they are a big club in the country they will find a way. Even if they do go bust they'll just start again.

Veracruz were recently expelled from the Mexican league in what is a big plaza for football in Mexico due to terrible ownership

Deportivo Quito again is not one I'm too educated on but they are not in the top 2 tiers of Ecuador and are a semi-big club. I can only guess whats going on there as similar to what happens to Peruvian clubs.

Parma were expelled to the 4th tier a few years ago thanks to administration.

Palermo are on those same lines really.

Dnipro lost most of its money thanks to the war and the 2015 Europa league finalists are now in the amateur Ukranian leagues.

 

[Eco]

2 minutes ago, Inti Brian said:

Literally all the clubs I've mentioned in that post are fighting to keep the lights on or were at one point except Newcastle.

Leyton Orient I'm not too educated on but as far as I know are really struggling if not already wound up. Need to keep myself updated.

Universitario are probably not in danger but are 200 million in debt with terrible administration every year and liquidation threats all the time. I suspect because they are a big club in the country they will find a way. Even if they do go bust they'll just start again.

Veracruz were recently expelled from the Mexican league in what is a big plaza for football in Mexico due to terrible ownership

Deportivo Quito again is not one I'm too educated on but they are not in the top 2 tiers of Ecuador and are a semi-big club. I can only guess whats going on there as similar to what happens to Peruvian clubs.

Parma were expelled to the 4th tier a few years ago thanks to administration.

 Palermo are on those same lines really.

Dnipro lost most of its money thanks to the war and the 2015 Europa league finalists are now in the amateur Ukranian leagues.

 

That's why I didn't mention all your teams, Parma and Newcastle are good now, in fact Parma now are playing good football and fighting for Europe..Their fans are likely over the moon with the state of their club now. 

[Smiley Culture]

52 minutes ago, Eco said:

That's why I didn't mention all your teams, Parma and Newcastle are good now, in fact Parma now are playing good football and fighting for Europe..Their fans are likely over the moon with the state of their club now. 

So people can’t be upset because their team plays in the top division? 

[Eco]

Just now, Smiley Culture said:

So people can’t be upset because their team plays in the top division? 

Is that what I said? No. 

What I said was, when creating a list of the most miserable fan bases, it's hard for me to put any team in the top division when we have clubs like Palermo, Bury, Foggia, Bolton out there. 

[Azeem]

England national team would also make that list right?

[Smiley Culture]

1 hour ago, Eco said:

Is that what I said? No. 

What I said was, when creating a list of the most miserable fan bases, it's hard for me to put any team in the top division when we have clubs like Palermo, Bury, Foggia, Bolton out there. 

But what you’re saying is fanbases seemingly cannot be deemed miserable because they’re playing in the top flight. 

Success is not definitive in terms of Football. While we do have fans whom having a team to watch is merely a success, it doesn’t mean fans of other clubs cannot be disappointed in their club. While Bury have ceased to exist, it doesn’t mean Manchester United fans cannot be disappointed for having the propensity to think 7th place in the Premier League is good enough. 

 

[Eco]

Just now, Smiley Culture said:

But what you’re saying is fanbases seemingly cannot be deemed miserable because they’re playing in the top flight. 

Success is not definitive in terms of Football. While we do have fans whom having a team to watch is merely a success, it doesn’t mean fans of other clubs cannot be disappointed in their club. While Bury have ceased to exist, it doesn’t mean Manchester United fans cannot be disappointed for having the propensity to think 7th place in the Premier League is good enough. 

 

Again, I haven't stated anything of the sort. You need to slow down and read. 

What I'm saying is, if I were to make this list, I couldn't put any teams that are currently in the top league (which to some is a success in itself) on the list. Does it mean they shouldn't be on the list? No. But it's saying that I would have a very hard time putting any of them on the list. 

Make your own list and your own rules. 

The pain that Manchester United fans feel, is very different than that of your club, or the numerous others I have mentioned. Not saying they can't feel frustrated with the current state of things, but compared to the troubles other teams are having, it's just extremely different type of struggle. 

Am I saying that you, as a person, can't be miserable? No, absolutely not. 

But I will say that all of us with a computer and internet connection could feel a little silly when we speak of our problems or issues and then go visit people who have far less than us. Same concept and not a hard one to comprehend.