Blogger Lesson Learned: Go with your Gut

Blogger lesson learned: Go with your gut when you have something to say.
Case: Jeff Cunningham

Earlier this week Ryan Hatch of Salt Lake based radio station 1280 The Zone, in attempts to describe Jeff Cunningham's role to the average Joe sports fan, compared the RSL striker to a relief pitcher: the go to guy you bring in off the bench to get you the win late in games. The comparison, in my mind, is quite accurate as Jeffy has scored three goals in the last two RSL wins coming on as a second half sub.

It's funny because driving home after the 1-0 loss to Columbus back on May 6 my friend and I were venting our frustrations about the lack of RSL results. Because everyone thinks they know more than the coach during hard times, whether you admit it or not, we were discussing what should be done differently. Among them was not starting Jeff Cunningham. Although the reason is rather obvious to RSL fans now, it made even more sense to us at the time.

If there is one thing Jeff Cunningham is known for it is coming into the game around the hour mark and demolishing tired defenses. Thinking back to last season, when Cunningham was with the Crapids, Jeff came on late in the All-Star game to score a pair of goals. During his post-game interview on television he discussed his role as a super sub.

Thinking that I could find the stats to back up my theory I hit last years record books on Jeff's 12-goal season in Colorado. It turns out that my theory, at least for 2005, was wrong. Of his dozen goals 8 of them were scored in games were Cunningham started. Thinking my theory destroyed I opted not to write the post. The very next week Cunningham comes off the bench around the 70th minute and scores a brace (2 goals) to the shock and awe of all MLS to give Salt Lake their first road win ever.

Now that the outcome has repeated itself RSL fans know that Ellinger may never start Jeff again.

The moral of the story for this blogger is to go with your gut. Write the story when you feel it, it makes you look a lot smarter when you turn out to be spot on. That's why we blog, right? Because we think we have something important to say because we see things differently.