Good morning! I tend to understate it, but today is a big day.
Today is the 4th anniversary of fitzie taking over the coffee world! Hurrah! rejoice! rejoice!
[Today is the first of two major milestones the hoddle of coffee will be celebrating in the coming weeks. I won’t spoil the second, but I hope you stay tuned for it.]
advertise
Honestly, this is a big day for me. When I took over the reins from Pardeep Cattry in 2022, I thought I might only last a few years. I also don’t think I can match her dominance as an overall goaltender. It’s almost inexplicable that four years later I’m still here as your steward.
I’ll have more thoughts on this soon, but first I want to say thank you:
-
Mennonite: Someone with a plan, when Pardeep announced her departure, I emailed him on January 13, 2022, expressing my interest in the position. He trusted me with one of the most visited pages of the site. I’ve done my best to repay him in full – through my writing voice, schedule, and more. Without it, none of this would be possible. My sincerest gratitude to you all and I will always be on your team.
-
broadbrook spurs: We are actually friends in real life! When the position opened, I wasn’t sure if I should take it. I was going through a pretty difficult time in my life and took a long break from this site (even blocked it at one point). After so many months away, I wasn’t sure I was the right person for the job, but Broadbrook convinced me. I emailed D-Menno because of him. Four years later I’m here again. He’s a great guy.
-
Pardeep and my other seniors: When Pardeep left, I knew I had a lot to catch up on, and I wondered if she felt the same way after Kim and Dustin left. Pardeep was my introduction to Cartilage Free Captain and I am very grateful.
-
To you lurkers and lurkers: Before I started throwing coins, I was a coin thrower and regular commenter. I remember interacting with many of you before taking on this responsibility. I am very grateful for your friendship and your objections to my views. I’m grateful for the new faces and voices that have emerged over the years. If you disagree with my opinions, my taste in music, or my undying love for Harry Winks, I also thank you for speaking honestly to me.
I’m really surprised I made it this far. When I became a head coach, all I wanted was to do a job as good as Pardeep did (not gonna lie – I also wanted to outlast her tenure. That’s the long-distance runner in me). Four years later, I still wonder how Pardeep did it. But I have a lot to be grateful for, and I really am.
I’ve told this story before, but I’ll tell it again: I first encountered Carty Free during the 2018 Winter Olympics. During the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, I actually worked at a media agency and worked the night shift (10pm to 10am). There was always a period of time when nothing was happening, and it was during that time that I discovered Cartilage Free Captain.
advertise
It took me some time to fully understand Hoddle of Coffee and Carty Free, but I jumped into it as a commentator during the 2018 World Cup. I’m so grateful that I did, and I realize how romantic it will be to celebrate my four-year anniversary eight years later at the Winter Olympics.
[If you all want a throwback to my first hoddle – here it is, from 9 February 2022]
In my first Hoddle, I mentioned several goals: you would get to know me more, it would be fun for all of us, I have a lot of ideas, and I would cultivate a Hoddle that reflects the community.
It’s up to all of you to decide whether I deliver on those promises. I would say I tried my best to do that. I may have given up on this game a few weeks ago when I said you didn’t even need me to comment on this site.
advertise
Now, I look to the future and its prospects. I’m not sure.
These 24 months have been really tiring. I don’t know how I do it, and most of the time I don’t know how to stick with it. I really don’t know. I will say that I am grateful to Dustin, Marty, and Sean for helping me during some of my most challenging moments.
Sometimes it’s just a few words on a page. Sometimes it involves more. Sometimes I half-close my eyes while typing, I don’t know if you notice (I only remember one time when you did). Sometimes I feel like my life hangs by a thread, but I try my best to be there for everyone.
I love this community and I remember everything it gave me on February 12, 2018 at 3am Eastern Time. I wish I could bring you everything.
advertise
With the deepest love and admiration,
Fitz
—-
Four more years to go!
Four more years to go!
Four more years to go!
Fitzie Track Today: Pedestrian at Best, by Courtney Barnett
Now for you the link:
Sports ($$): “Madonna, Soccer Mom: Why the Queen of Pop Watches Tottenham Hotspur Women’s Under-14s”
British Broadcasting Corporation: “Chelsea resume win over Tottenham in WSL”
Alasdair Gold: “How Thomas Frank must have privately felt about the debuts of Cristian Romero and Souza”
telegraph: “Billionaire owner, big-name players… now the London City Lions need a fan base”