A Wee Update

Heard that you were leaving through Laurie's blog. Since I'll probably never get a chance to tell you this otherwise, just wanted to let you know that I think you're a great writer--I especially loved your review of "The Lives of Others" on cinematical.com. Good luck with whatever you are doing in the future.

Oh, and I hope Figo goes to NY for your sake.

Martha, thanks for being the one to bring me into the fold, though you're probably regretting it by now =). Love ya!

I guess that's better than nothing Martha.

By all means do come back to visit us often, I'll be eagerly awaiting a lengthy pro-Inter/pro-Zlatan/pro-Solari/pro-Figo rambling on Italy.Offside soon, as well as a few well-placed stabs at the Italian soccer establishment (worthy of your sharp tongue).

Not that I'm worried Chris can't do that sort of thing (his tongue is probably even sharper than yours), but there's just a different attraction to the whole thing when a feminine touch's involved.

Dagger. Good luck Martha and I'll look forward to your continued advocacy of all things Bobo in the comments section.

We'll all miss you, Martha. Good luck.

You'll be greatly missed here. Your blog is what got me to this website. Oh well, we'll always have Sergio 'hot-as-balls' Ramos then. In bocca al lupo Martha.

Alright Martha, please do come back!
And keep in touch!
You are my favorite blogger of all time, and you and your work really turned me on to this whole scene. I thank you deeply and sincerely for everything.

I'm glad to have made your day chris. :)

Hopefully Chris isn't an Inter fan....

but...but...can you promise to make chris make posts with pictures such as the naked-cannavaro-with-soccer-ball-inconveniently-in-the-way?!

Sad to see you go Martha, I loved reading your daily updates and you will surely be missed!

Thanks, everyone, I appreciate your kind words enormously, and it makes me really sad to be walking away.

Marco and mele, we've actually talked about the splitting duties idea. My concern is that in order write well, even if it's much less often, I'd still need to do the really time-consuming stuff -- the reading and researching -- just as intensely as I have been. Otherwise, I won't be informed enough to write even infrequently, you know? That said, the powers that be have graciously told me I can come back and help out any time I want, so if my situation changes, I will definitely see if we can work something out!

Best of luck to you, Martha.

I know exactly how you feel; I'm in grad school and I work full-time, so serieAmerica has been relegated to the back seat over the past couple weeks, and I feel terrible about it.

Thanks for all the good stuff... hope to see you over at Chris' for a good Nerrazurri bashing! I'll sure be missing those WAGS!

You will be missed, your blog was great to read daily! Do you have a myspace?

Martha - This is really sad news as I've completely enjoyed 'The Offside' and looked forward to reading the blogs each day. It was always so obvious of the hard work and level of effort you've had to put in because the articles were so detailed, informative and of course, very funny, so it isn't a big surprise that you don't feel able to keep up it any longer. I have loved exchanging Bobo filth and so happy that I found someone to share it with!!! Good luck and happiness for whatever you do in the future, and I still have the email address which I hope I can use to keep in touch from time-to-time. Thanks for everything Martha, its been a pleasure.

Aw, it won't be the same without you, Martha! (I add my voice to the chorus hoping that once a replacement is found, maybe you'll return as a co-blogger...)

Bye Martha...it's been great reading your work here at The Offside. I've learned tons about Serie A even if I didn't always comment, and it's all thanks to you. You'll be very missed.

Best of luck with everything!

I agree totally with Marco.
Once some one suitable is found, work out some sort of schedule so you're both on it, if that's possible. It wouldn't require nearly as much of your time.
I just don't want to see you go!
=[

Very sorry to hear it as I've loved visiting your slice of the web but best wishes to you!

LYK OMG NO.

As if this day could get any worse =[ This sad rossonera going to miss you loads Martha (even if she may have poked fun at Inter. once. or twice. or ten). You have no idea the number of times you've made me burst out laughing with your witty and informative posts. I one hundred percent agree with Marco, even if it's only reading your posts once a week, I would totally prefer it if you took a part-time role, rather than dissapearance completely.

and Zlatan FOREVER. (I swear this was the number one news source for all things Ibra)

Hey, I can be unbiased, actually. I just fail to do so at Roma, which I think is the point. And anyway, Martha failed to mention I'm just the stopgap until a permanent solution arrives. A stopgap which should start tomorrow.

(robert, this "We can’t have some Roma fan doing your job, their not smart enough." made my day. Thank you.)

Sorry, that last sentence in paragraph nº2 was supposed to be "I’m sure everyone would prefer that, to the alternative of seeing you *leave* entirely".

Martha, I had the feeling something like this was in store... Being much of a perfectionist myself, I too would probably stop doing something altogether, rather than doing it half-assed. From that point of view, I understand you completely.

However, I think there's a better solution for you than quitting the Italy blog entirely. How about sharing responsibilities? If time is an issue, alternate with RomaChris on odd days: that way, you won't have to update the blog EVERY day, and I'm sure you and Chris can find a suitable timetable arrangement to cover each day of the week appropriately. Hell, if it's too much of a problem, you don't even have to update the blog daily, once every two days will do just fine, I'm sure everyone would prefer that to the alternative of seeing you entirely.

Blogging is hard work, believe me I know :) but there are ways to make it work. Don't leave your faithful readership with tears in their eyes, please don't! I'll take Italy.Offside to be Inter-biased over Roma-biased any day of the week! :'(

='[
I'll really, really miss you and your work Martha.
I'm just speechless. Thank you so much for everything, from the bottom of my rossonero heart! I hope that some time you'll be a little more free and able to come back! But alas, I can only dream = P
Much love,
- Mike "mele419"

Noooo, don't go. We can't have some Roma fan doing your job, their not smart enough. It's a proven fact. :)

Any ways, I wish you all the best. And thanks for giving me the opportunity over at the Inter blog.

Don't be a stranger though!!!!

Oh Martha, this makes me sad. Thanks for all your hard work, mocking Inter just won't be the same. Beating them in the derby will still be as good though...

Aw. Your readership will miss you!

u will be missed. Thanks for letting me rant about Cagliari. The Offside has the most knowledgable soccer fans anywhere.

Thank so much, you guys, I wish it was Punk'd (even with the Ashton Kutcher). I will definitely still be around in the comments, if only to make sure Chris isn't too cruel to Inter.

And, Anthony, I'm not dead, just stopping blogging! Mutu is always welcome.

Oh,Martha, there was time that I thought you were Palermo's fan.I guess you support Inter and Palermo.Is that right? Though I'm not around so often , I'm sad that you'll leave this blog.I'll miss you and your humorous entries.

And I still didn't get to pimp out Mutu to you. Another day, another $20 lost.

Did anyone have a good teacher that left halfway through the year, on maternity leave? Kinda feels like that.

Weird metaphor, but I'm not good with words.

Yeah, like Steven said... Are we being Punk'd????

Martha, this blog was awesome! You did a great job with it!! Sad to see you leaving it. Be sure to stop by and post some comments. I am sure we will need some Nerazzurri faithful lending hand from time to time :)

All the best and FORZA INTER!!!!!!!!!

wish you all the best martha

All the best Martha !

you know...i just jumped on and saw your name and got all excited. then i actually read the damn thing... you broke my heart darling...my (nerazzurri) heart...

martha?! tell me this isnt a dream! please tell me you're back!!!!! if so, all is right with the world once again

I'll miss you babe. Please tell me this is like the fake ending of Punk'd?