A Call For Writers: We Need You!!!

My name is Carrington and currently a journalism major looking to go into sports writing. I think this would be a great way for me to begin my writing career and what better way to do it than for my favorite NFL team Carolina Panthers. my email is cvcaul@gmail if you want to email me.

Thanks,

Carrington

What’s up Panther Nation, my name is Ron and (in my Bart Scott voice) I CANT WAIT to contribute. I have a BA in communications, and I have worked on my college newspaper doing all kinds of sports articles. I have been a Panther fan for over 10 years, and have bloged occasionally here at CatScratchReader.com. I want to help in any way possible.

I’m not sure that my schedule permits me to be able to write on a regular schedule.

I have been a Panther fan for quite some time now, but all my thoughts, opinions, and knowledge of the team have come in the form of tweets, FB posts, or arguments at the sports bar on Sundays. I would say that out of the 24 hours in a day, including those of which I am at work, I spend about 12 thinking about the Carolina Panthers. I have a noticeable and blatant passion for this team, and it exists 12 months out of the year. I believe that the off-season can be just as important to developing a team as the regular season and understand the importance of total coverage. My background is in Psychology, in which I hold 2 degrees, but I do believe my education has been comprehensive enough to enable me to write in an entertaining and informative manner. Working to get my 15 minutes…

However, the high demand expectations each week may prove difficult as I am wrapped up in more pressing matters. I always have ideas about stories, both Carolina and league related. At best, I would be able to contribute one story every two weeks. I am interested and hopefully I will be afforded this opportunity again in the future.

My opinions on certain Panther topics might not be popular, but I know how to use punctuation and caps lock.

I am a passionate Panthers’ fan who enjoys writing. If you’re looking for academic credentials, I’m not your man. However, I do have the time and motivation to give you everything that you would potentially ask of me. Please email me at derekwithsa@hotmail.com. Thank you for the opportunity.

I have neither formal writing experience nor a portfolio to regurgitate to you. I will not pretend to be Hemmingway or Fitzgerald, but I would admit to exuding their passion when it comes to the Panthers. I have commented on CSR regularly and always enjoy the articles you editors submit on a daily basis. Anyway, I would welcome the challenge if given the opportunity.

I haven’t been one to comment much on here, but I’ve been an avid follower of CSR. However, I’ve been pretty active on the Panthers Facebook page. I wil be going into Journalism for my major in college once I finish my liberal arts (bleh). I’m a passionate but open-minded Panthers fan, always open to new ideas. I’d love to be considered, and would gladly put the work in so I can have a jump start on Sports Journalism.

That is what my dream is to write sports or be a broadcaster. This is what I am going to college for. I am currently 18 a senior in high school and living in Winston-Salem, I dont know if that matters. I honesty feel like I can be a great sports writer because I can see things from multiple views and my whole life is devoted to sports, everyone I talk sports with loves my knowledge of the game, I dont mean to sound conceited but I would just love a chance to write for this blog.

I was pretty active this season, in both threads and making my own FanPosts, but have kind of stopped commenting on articles. I come every day still, read up on everything, but have tried to stay away from both the trolls’ comments and from the cyclic, constant ideas that seem to come up in every thread. It’s the off-season, which means there won’t be much discussion that hasn’t already been discussed. And I would rather stay away from the controversial, conflicting people. I’ve found it much easier to dismiss / skip someone’s bone-headed statement, and found it much more beneficial to focus on the Panthers and those who really care about them.

With that said, I’ve written for several blogs (mostly dealing with the philosophy of writing, rather than anything sports-related), and can relay those sites if needed. I also have been paid to critique / edit transcripts by other authors, after I met several in an online community. What I looked over ended up being nothing worthwhile, but the experience is there. :]

Here are a few FanPosts of mine:

http://www.catscratchreader.com/2011/12/13/2633595/the-carolina-panthers-after-a-23-31-defeat-by-the-atlanta-falcons

http://www.catscratchreader.com/2011/11/29/2598609/reflection-speculation

http://www.dawgsbynature.com/2011/12/9/2622954/a-panther-fans-perspective-on-the-browns-steelers-game

Note on the last link: I wrote a FanPost for the Cleveland Browns blog, but since it was very much informal, I didn’t focus on correct grammar and such (and I actually believe I might have had a few Blue Moons). I wrote it after a very close loss to the Steelers near the end of the season, trying to give some hope to their community, and I actually “sort-of” called that Steelers would lose to the Broncos! :P

I love to do research, and I think I have some great opinions to share. Being given a topic sounds like something I would love, and even if I don’t get the opportunity, I’ll still try and share my ideas throughout this off-season and for as long as the Reader is around. :]

My e-mail is Gillespiei07@students.ecu.edu … Thank you for giving me a chance!!

How many “slots” is CSR able to add at the time? It’s a volunteer task… and if more and more people are willing to do it, does that mean more spots would be open? We all want to help, which is a good thing :]

However, my football knowledge is fairly limited. My Google-fu is Bruce Leroy level though. Give me a topic and throw together something.

I thought we might get 1 or 2 people interested, not 20+.

Full disclosure: I’m talking with the editors now on the best way we can handle all this. Obviously we have a lot of passionate fans who want the opportunity. My original plan was to ask the people interested to post a fanpost or two for evaluation, but we can’t have 25-30 hitting at the same time.

We will work something out sooner, rather than later. Thank you all at the wonderful response… we’re humbled, even if a little overwhelmed.

I would be all in, but I’m afraid my time commitment would be too unreliable…my lil ones are too young and demanding.

My name is Ryan, and I have been a Panthers fan since I was eight years of age. With regards to writing experience, I was an editorial writer for my high school newspaper. Also, I have received A’s on all of my college English Composition papers. Currently, I am an Accounting major at Old Dominion University. Although I currently live in Chesapeake, Virginia, I do have aspirations to move to North Carolina one day. Although I don’t have any intentions of making a name for myself, I believe that my work would provide a unique prospective on not only the Panthers, but also on the various aspects of the National Football League. I can also say that my passion for the game of football is unparalleled to anyone that I have associated with. I have a tremendous amount of respect for all of the managers, editors, and authors who have made Cat Scratch Reader what it is today. If I’m given the prestigious opportunity of joining the CSR staff, then I will strive to help CSR continue to be the very best that it can be.

My email address is rbent005@odu.edu.

got my print journalism degree in 2004 from App State, but to be honest i’ve always covered state, county and municipal politics, as well as crime, education and my specialty – general interest features. however, the panthers are a subject that has been near and dear to my heart since their inaugural season i also happen to be out-of-work at the moment (laid off near end of 2011 from daily journal in rockingham, nc.) have great references and clips, though they aren’t necessarily sports-oriented. this would be a dream opportunity for me to diversify my skill set and get back into practice. brownbyline@gmail.com. PLEASE HIT ME UP!!! we can work something out – i’m not greedy about being compensated or anything, and would be willing to do whatever i have to do to earn your confidence. hope you like what you hear:)

You can back load my contract and I’ll even sign a heavily incentive based contract.

I am diehard Panther fan like most of us here on CSR. I check into CSR multiple times a day. I enjoy the NFL off-season almost as much as the regular season. I’m planning to try to attend the NFL draft in NY this year and would like to post a few things from there. I don’t have a prolific posting resume here, but a few I have written seem to have gone over well. I have always been interested in writing, though I haven’t really done any formal writing for anything. (I got a C in journalism my sophomore year in college. But maybe I’m more like collard greens, I just take a little longer to excel)
email: jayniemeyer2070@gmail.com

There was a time long ago when I looked upon the Carolinas and I felt very happy for the citizenry. Back in 1995, I was working for the CBS television affiliate in Chattanooga, Tennessee and getting my feet wet in the sports anchoring business. Before I was offered the weekend job, I was allowed to try my hand at it to see if I had the writing chops for it, the capability of reading a teleprompter without looking like a four-legged traffic obstacle, and the mental instability to want to work for less than what unemployment pays now. The answer was a resounding “yes” on all accounts. Having left the Midwest behind, my allegiances to a certain Big Ten football team and a certain NFL franchise were hindered by how few people in the Volunteer state cared about my Wolverines in the college ranks, and Cincinnati in the pros. I add parenthetically that even fewer would relinquish the remote so that I could continue that allegiance. Clearly, the proliferation of satellite TV sports bars would help me down the road, but until then, I sought a new football team. My Bengals were awful, and the nearby Atlanta Falcons didn’t do it for me.

Enter the Carolina Panthers. Being actual cousins of Bengal tigers, just that premise would have worked for me, but holding a new NFL team in a high regard because two mascots shared a common ancestry was a bit thin. I liked them because I thought they were new, brash, and, hey, give a growing Piedmont region a team, they seem to have a solid fan base. The Panthers were good right out of the box; they were exciting, and I dubbed them the “Killer Kitties” on the spot in my weekly NFL highlights.

Fast forward to my tenure here in Charleston. Over the last twelve years, I have learned one thing when it comes to interacting with the (sporting) general public: people will put up with your being a fan of other teams if you have at least a tepid response when the local teams become the subject of conversation. Around here, the quality of life increased dramatically when USC and Clemson had good years, and if you doubt me, ask anyone who was around when that new millenium showed up.

So, here I go, offering up thoughts and opinions that will reflect not just an interest in the well-being of the Carolina Panthers, but other facets of our obsession with watching opponents mangling each other in a sport that also exhibits spectacles of finesse and speed. And a healthy dose of vulgarity for the zebras. It’s football. And the draft isn’t that far away.

I have been writing and commenting here for a long time, so I’ll save you guys the explanation of why I’d like to take the next step and become an official author/editor. I’ll just say that I love Panther football, I’d love to be a voice on the most respected blog of the team, and that I promise not to write Armanti Edwards articles on a weekly basis.

Oh, and BW owes me for not getting me that contract with the team.

—Erik

Maintained a personal blog since I found CSR. I posted two FanPosts in the playoffs, and will continue to do so in the offseason. Huge HUGE fan of the community and would love the opportunity to contribute. Thanks James!

We will be ironing out the process for proceeding in the next day or 2 at the latest and you will get an email from us with instructions.

Thanks again…we are elated to have this many Panther fans wanting to contribute. It’s going to be a great 2012!

Looking forward to the offseason and draft. I’d love to write, but like some have said can’t make the commitment so I look forward to the new contributors!

I would probably like to try my hand, but having a large and outstanding balance in dues prevents me from taking any such post.

Thanks BW

but I’m a bit wary of a time commitment, and I haven’t posted a ton of stuff on here that could be considered a resume. I am a graduate student at UNCC getting a masters in public relations and communication studies and spend most of my time writing academic papers. There is a particular type of writing I may be interested in though. I have a game rewind subscription and love going back to some of my favorite plays of the season to see what went right and how they break down. I may start taking screenshots and posting analysis on here, if they are well received maybe they will become a regular installment.

Let me start by saying that I enjoy this blog and that this is where I come for my Panthers news. With that said…

The number of posts I see on this blog with spelling and grammatical errors, in big stories that many fans (not just Panthers fans) are reading, is terrible. If you are putting out a call for more writers because your readership is growing, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to make sure that these posts are error-free.

CSR Staff:

I am a franchise-long Panther fan and an avid reader of CSR as well as the psuedo-defunct Carolina Growl. I have a degree in english from Guilford College, where I was a staff writer for the Guilfordian for two years and a columnist for one.One of my features articles is still used in the handbook provided for journalism students.

I would be honored to provide literate, intelligent, and hopefully sometimes comedic takes on emerging Panther and general NFL news. I hope I can be of service.

W-S Panther

at least this post right here, this call for writers, at least it has me posting around CSR again :P

I’m a sophomore in college majoring in Communication taking the Journalism track. To start off about my sports interests, I’ve been an extremely passionate Panthers fan ever since the 2003 season when they fell just short of being Super Bowl champs. They had an amazing playoff run that was full of fight, desire, teamwork and heart that reflected their amazing regular season and I’ve never looked back since. But even more than a Panthers fan, I’m a football fan. I don’t watch games to watch them, I watch to learn. When the ball is snapped, I look at the linebackers coverage’s (because you can’t see the secondary or wide receiver routes) and the offensive line to see the tactics they use to protect the QB and create holes for the backs. As far as writing goes, I love it. I love thinking of ways to explain thing in a metaphoric way and have the ability to simplify it in a way a mass audience can understand it. One example of a relate-able metaphor came in an IGN video game review of Jak II, (for anyone who was a kid in the mid 00’s and had a PS2 should know about this game) which was a sequel to Jak and Daxter, and the transition from the first to second was drastic to say the very least. It went from being a sweet child’s game to Grand Theft Auto without the blood and cursing. IGN described it as a “young teenager finding out about drugs for the first time” It was really the most brilliant explanation of the change in the games. I do really enjoy writing. I might be the only student in my school who enjoys writing paper. Maybe a little overwhelmed at first, but still enjoy it very much.
I’ve had a passionate for writing ever since the seventh or eighth grade, but have never had the balls to step out of my comfort zone to try to make something out of it, usually my excuse being ‘I don’t think I’m good enough’. So this is one of the steps I’m taking to rid myself of irrational fear. And looking at this opportunity to write for CSR from a rational point of view, I know the odds are against me. But being rational doesn’t mean I can’t look at the glass as half full. I hope you guys consider me for the spot, God knows I’ll embrace it and take advantage of it, but if not I’ll still be a member reading these blog posts everyday and supporting whichever writer is chosen.
If you need my Email it’s JReimann382@flagler.edu
Thanks for the consideration guys. Go Panthers!

I’d like to sign up to give my 2 centz! I’m a huge Panthers fan. I’m a Charlotte, NC native but I live in Atlanta. I am opinionated and can express my thoughts effectively and efficiently. I have multiple ideas for potential articles currently. Although I’m a big fan I can still be constructively critical of our team.

Hey, I’m new to the blog, but I thoroughly enjoy writing. Most (OK, all) of the stuff I’ve posted is college football related, and my personal blog is shuttered for the offseason so I can concentrate on my regular job. However, if you’d like to read my work, here’s a link to the blog: http://collegefootballreview.blogspot.com/

Because the current front page is filled with my (in retrospect awful) bowl picks, here’s a link to a more typical post of mine, a review of the week in college football (this one’s from early this season): http://collegefootballreview.blogspot.com/2011/09/saturday-in-review-91711.html

Lastly, here’s a link to a serious post, if you need a writer for that sort of thing: http://collegefootballreview.blogspot.com/2011/11/penn-state-opinion.html

Let me know what you think!