USL, now flush with cash thanks to its luminary Preferred Sponsor program, has been stocking its league offices with administrative and PR talent for a few months now. Nick Murray probably saw that he was going to have to write blurbs about eighteen games every weekend. USL, who would rather not see Nick throw himself off the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in response to such a task, hired John Arlia.

Arlia immediately ingratiated himself with Louisville City fans by writing a clickbait article about how Louisville City wasn’t going to win a third consecutive title. We’ve already talked about it. However, not content to write an entire article about his doubts, he’s since doubled, or even tripled, down on his position. In his season predictions feature he wrote a few days ago, when writing about City’s title chances, he said “It’s not happening.” In his Eastern Conference preview, he places Louisville City second in the conference. When USL’s Twitter account asked whether anyone agreed with FiveThirtyEight’s season predictions (which have LouCity winning the Supporters Shield and the Cup, again), he said “In a word: no.”

Irking fans of a popular club is a great way to get attention. I get it. And it’s not too hard to bet on the field in a title race. Sure, a lot can go wrong. But, then again, last season a lot DID go wrong. Injuries. JOC leaving. Players coaching the team for like six weeks. And Morados won anyway. But going all in on Nashville with Gary Smith at the helm is a limb I wouldn’t walk out on. But you do you, John Arlia.