It's been fun, but ...

As a reporter for a relatively small suburban paper, I've used this forum to expose my stories (but not expose myself, mind you) to a wider audience, and the feedback from some of the folks on these boards has been much appreciated over the years.

So I felt as if I should let you guys know that my days as Revolution chronicler for the Eagle-Tribune are coming to an end. I'm taking a copy-editing job at another paper (the one that Gus Martins used to work for).

Times are awfully tough in the newspaper business right now, and papers like the Eagle-Tribune are finding it increasingly difficult to devote resources to not only soccer, but other pro sports (we probably only covered half of the Bruins' and Celtics' home games last year, and that percentage will surely drop this year). Looking back four or five years ago, it's hard to believe that I could spent much of my summer covering two pro soccer teams (Revs and Breakers), not to mention much of my fall covering the high school beat. For a suburban paper, that's a lot of soccer -- probably too much, but my boss was good about letting me do what I liked.

But times have changed. Trust me, newspaper coverage of the Revs and MLS in general is not going to get any more plentiful in coming years. Just the opposite will happen, I fear. Major U.S. dailies are slashing (or eliminating) road coverage for NHL teams, and if they're ignoring hockey, they're certainly going to ignore soccer. It's just too expensive, and the teams simply aren't popular enough to justify the expense.

However, I'm still optimistic. In the wake of the World Cup, it's clear that attitudes have changed toward the sport. The cranky haters are a dying breed, and the next generation has far more respect for the game. They might not all love it, but they have an open mind about it. These people will be the editors and producers, sooner than later, and the last vestiges of bias against the sport will fade.

That doesn't mean MLS is going to explode in popularity, but the game will get a fairer shake, especially in the new media that will be most relevant 25 years down the road. Keep that mind as the traditional media find it increasingly difficult to devote time and resources to MLS.

Anyway, that's my soap-box moment. Thanks to those who took the time to read my stories over the last seven years, and keep reading (and supporting -- through letters to the editor, page views, subscriptions, anything) the reporters who still cover MLS. (Especially Mike Biglin in your Boston Herald!)

Tim Bresnahan