twofootedtackle MLS Blog Index, August 2009

Here are the results of the twofootedtackle Index for Major League Soccer bloggers, August 2009.

The stats underneath all this were correct at 11th August 2009. Incidentally, I'd like to turn this into a top 25, so if I've missed any blog you think is worthy of inclusion (within the rules, below), please leave me a comment. Also, if you feel aggrieved to have not been included I'll be happy to run the rule over your site and see if you make it. Just be nice.

The list came from my own blogrolls and a good few hours' searching, so it's not exactly scientific - more of an indicator. Many blogs didn't make the cut, others have been removed due to inactivity.

I know there are some missing from this list. If you'd like to be considered for inclusion, please leave your URL in the comments.

Under the hood

The twofootedtackle index is based on a series of not-very-complicated sums which were devised to make the maths easier for my feeble brain. I won't go into the calculations, but the important points are:

• The index covers Technorati authority, the number of comments attracted by the last ten relevant posts, the tenure (i.e. age) of the blog and the recency of the latest relevant post


• These factors are weighted. Technorati authority is the most important, followed by tenure, then comments. The recency of the latest relevant post is also factored in quite heavily, so the index numbers of blogs with a week or more since that post are affected significantly


• This is an index, so the highest scoring blog is given a score of 1.00, and the remaining blogs given a score below that based on percentages of the top blog's total

I think that about covers it, so let's get going.

Major League Soccer, August 2009

1. Soccer By Ives - Technorati Authority: 128, TFT Index: 1.00


2. Soccerlens - Technorati Authority: 190, TFT Index: 0.71


3. MLS Talk - Technorati Authority: 45, TFT Index: 0.37


4. Climbing The Ladder - Technorati Authority: 20, TFT Index: 0.17


5. WV Hooligan - Technorati Authority: 21, TFT Index: 0.16


6. The Kin Of Fish - Technorati Authority: 14, TFT Index: 0.16


7. The 24th Minute - Technorati Authority: 1, TFT Index: 0.13


8. This Is American Soccer - Technorati Authority: 15, TFT Index: 0.12


9. Match Fit USA - Technorati Authority: 1, TFT Index: 0.11


10. MLS Daily - Technorati Authority: 1, TFT Index: 0.08


11. Ginge Talks The Footy - Technorati Authority: 5, TFT Index: 0.07


12. MLS Fan Blog - Technorati Authority: 4, TFT Index: 0.07


13. Soucie On Soccer - Technorati Authority: 1, TFT Index: 0.07


14. MLS Offside - Technorati Authority: 20, TFT Index: 0.04


15. Advantage Played - Technorati Authority: 1, TFT Index: 0.04


16. The Zygo Soccer Report - Technorati Authority: 1, TFT Index: 0.01

Notes

I'm a little surprised to see Soccerlens drop to second here. Soccer By Ives had, in the relevant period, attracted a frankly staggering number of comments. However, those comments aren't always the most...coherent. That's no reflection on Ives, of whom I'm a big fan. Ives' high overall score has skewed the index pretty badly but the running order still applies.

Incidentally, finishing bottom here doesn't mean you're not loved. Qualifying for the list means that you have made it onto my radar which isn't that easy across the Atlantic. I've seen plenty of crap and the blogs above blow it all out of the water.

The Rules

1. No club-specific blogs
2. No highlights blogs or aggregators
3. Comment scores based on PL posts only
4. Blogs were not included if they have not posted recently
5. Major media outlets excluded
6. Gossip sites excluded
7. Relevancy of posts is at my discretion, but I'm nice about it
8. Blogs without Technorati get an Authority of 1
9. Liveblog posts do not count
10. Larger sites with only one Technorati profile have their full Authority counted