Call for Writers 2013

It's time to report for training camp.

This season Advanced NFL Stats is planning to add a small number of additional contributors. I’m looking for smart, articulate thinkers to bring a fresh perspective to the world of NFL analytics. Previous analysis or blogging experience is preferred, but not required.

Those interested should email me directly (see the About - Contact/FAQ menu link) no later than August 25th. Include the words 'Call for writers' in the subject line, please. Your email should include a brief introduction and links or attachments of two or more examples of your analysis and writing.  If you have no previous experience, you can send ‘demo’ drafts of the kind of analysis you’d like to do.

In particular, I’m looking for contributors to ‘own’ a regular weekly assignment. For example:

• WPA/EPA Players of the Week
• Most Exciting/Interesting game recap
• Team ranking narrative (I generate the weekly team rankings on Tuesday AM, and someone generates the write-up…biggest movers, new top dog, most overrated, most underrated, reasons for unexpectedly high/low rankings, etc.)
• Playoff probabilities write up--(highlighting critical, high-leverage games and review big winners and losers of the previous weekend; to start later in the season)
• The Contrarian--find something to disagree with each week and make a good case. (For example, last season you could do 'Why ATL is truly a 13-3 team' or 'SD's Special Teams will not regress to the mean')
• “Clutch” rankings for teams/players as defined here.
• Your own awesome idea

If you take one of the regular weekly assignments, you'll become a contributor emertitus the following season, with the privilege of writing on any topic you like. 

I can’t offer much in terms of compensation, but the site does generate a trickle of ad revenue. After my server and other expenses are accounted for, there will be enough left over to pay contributors a small pittance. It’s not much, but by the end of a full season, you'll have some decent pizza and gas money. What I definitely can offer is exposure. Advanced NFL Stats doesn’t have the broadest appeal, but  it is required reading for many in the media and some key people in the league itself.

My goal now is to unlock the value in many of the models and concepts developed here over the last several years. I feel there is a lot of untapped but interesting things to be written about, dissected, argued over, rejected, and accepted. Tables of WPA, EPA, and SR numbers and graphs of AYPA are fine, but unless someone breathes life into them in a topical and compelling way, no one seems to notice. That takes creative thought and time, and it's not really fair for me to hog all the fun. At the same time, I want to maintain the credibility this site has earned by retaining the hype-free, serious analysis this site is known for.

I hope to hear from many of you.

-Brian