Attention all sports columnists, aspiring journalists, and fans

MOP Squad Sports is a popular and growing destination for fans who are looking for original fan commentary and analysis. Fans enjoy reading what you have to say and what better place to promote your name, boost your experience, and showcase your thoughts and writing style than right here at MOP Squad Sports?

You don't have to be a professional journalist to contribute, either. Most importantly, if you are a faithful fan of the game, you will be accepted equally as an aspiring journalist. Plus, ever thought of starting your own web site to promote your work? Don't bother creating something very few will see when you could use MOP Squad Sports, an already established destination. Make MOP Squad Sports YOUR site and be seen more by contributing more.

Interested? Before proceeding ... you must take a look at our benefits, restrictions, and perks section for more details. You are required to read and agree to these terms upon applying.

Remember that not everyone who applies gets the position. Prove yourself as best as possible by showcasing your writing style to the best of your ability. Use proper grammar and punctuation and don't be sloppy.

Columnist Benefits and Perks

• Worldwide exposure to your work and name. Create a name for yourself on the Internet as an established sports journalist. Use this experience to aid you in the future. Experience is valuable.
• You will receive full credit for your story and you will have the ability to receive feedback from readers.
• You will get a free, personalized @mopsquad.com e-mail address.
• You will have the opportunity to collaborate and share ideas with other sports columnists as you wish.
• We have numerous partnerships and affiliations with sites that regularly republish your content resulting in maximum exposure for your work. In other words, your content as a part of our web site is most likely to syndicated on the web through our relationships with other sites to thousands of sports fans around the world.
• As a columnist, you get freedom. We don't force you to write about one specific topic; write about any appropriate topic you want.

Columnist Rules and Restrictions

• We reserve the right to edit submitted content as needed or not publish a particular article at all in extreme rare cases. We will not make edits based on content, but only in the case of spelling and/or grammar corrections. You have your thoughts. Others should hear them... not just my thoughts.
• All content submitted becomes property of MOP Squad Sports, with proper credit given to the authors.  The reason for this is simple. By becoming property of the site, the site is able to protect your interests.  We're not trying to get rich off the writers, but we don't want anyone stealing our writers' works as their own.
• Writing for us is a non-paying position and is strictly volunteer work. Don't come to us expecting to make a living off the site. We don't and you won't, either. Like us, you are contributing due strictly to your love of sports and desire to share your thoughts and writing style with a large audience.

Columnist Guidelines and Tips

• First and foremost, I would rather see someone who is passionate and knowledgeable on what they are writing on than be a Pulitzer-Prize winner. Just as it is for the players, skills can be learned, but heart is immeasurable. I'm willing to help someone who might not be the strongest writer bring their ideas together, but I can't teach passion for a team.
• Use good English and grammar skills. Visitors will judge you on your writing style and abilities and no one wants to be looked at as ignorant. You are a representative of everyone on staff.
• When you have an opinion about something, be sure to back it up. If you claim one team is better than the other, explain why. Backup claims with facts.
• Adding quotes to enhance your articles is always a positive.
• Provide a descriptive, but catchy title with your articles. You could have the greatest article ever, but if it is accompanied by a weak title, no one will be interested in reading it.
• Use first-person (I, me, myself, etc.) in article introductions sparingly.  There are times where a personal attachment is good to have, but don't overuse the style. Instead, make your introduction informational and enticing to readers and 3-4 sentences in length.
• To maximize readability, break your work into paragraphs of 3-4 sentences. Avoid large chunks of text because it makes it more difficult to read. Try to keep language conversational. If unsure whether something is worthwhile, read it back to yourself out loud. If it flows well out of your mouth, it's a good start. If you're forcing yourself to get through it, you might want to re-think what you just wrote.

Article Topic Suggestions

• News analysis: Take a news story and add your editorial perspective.
• Player/team analysis/profiles: Write a biography of a particular team or player that interests you. Or break down a team or player.
• Player/team rivalries: Talk some trash in an area you feel strongly about, just make sure to back it up.
• Predictions/outlooks: Put it all on the line by making a bold prediction of an event or game. What's going to happen, and why?
• The past: Do the events of many years ago grab your interest? Share your memories and experiences or profile a legend.
• Anything goes: If it's about sports and is written well, chances are, we'll run it. Write about what moves you and you have passion for.

Finally ...

Last, but not least, remember to have fun! We want you to enjoy what you are doing, and if you don't, your work won't be as good as it could be. Like the people behind the site, we do this for our love of sports, not money or profit!

We look forward to working and hearing from you!  E-mail me at pete.lamont@mopsquad.com

Pete Lamont
Editor-in-Chief