SITE NEWS: Bill Barnwell Says Goodbye
I'll try to make this brief: I'm leaving Football Outsiders to join the new website Bill Simmons is starting in affiliation with ESPN. Although I've completed some essays that will appear in the forthcoming Football Outsiders Almanac 2011, this is my final contribution to Football Outsiders.
I joined FO as an intern during 2005, my junior year of college. I never could have possibly imagined that I'd eventually have the opportunity to write about football full-time, as I've done for FO during the past three years. It's been an absolute blessing to see a passion of mine turn into a career. My luck over the past few years has been better than anyone else's.
I've been incredibly fortunate to work with such a talented group of people over the past few years, folks whose work constantly forced me to get better. I'll miss contributing to Audibles and swapping ideas with the guys on staff more than anything.
Of course, I owe thanks to a lot of people. Aaron Schatz, obviously, for giving me the opportunity here at FO. Bruce Allen at Boston Sports Media Watch, for giving me a chance to develop as a writer and researcher in front of actual eyeballs. Gregg Rosenthal at Rotoworld, Chris Carle and Jeremy Dunham at IGN, and Dan Kaufman at ESPN Insider all believed in my work and gave me writing gigs for some incredibly naive reason. I hope I repaid that trust.
And, finally, I have to thank you, Football Outsiders readers. You created this monster. Thank you for buying books, providing feedback on articles, and clicking on that Catholic Match Girl ad a million times. Your high standards have always made me strive to get better as an analyst and as a writer. You all are proof that there will always be an audience for smart, passionate discussion. I'll miss you all. (Oh, and just in case there was any doubt: No, I was never Raiderjoe. In case it wasn't patently obvious, I'm nowhere near that funny.)
Thanks again.
-- Bill Barnwell
Comments
50 comments, Last at 28 Jul 2011, 12:32pm
#1 by theprophecy // Apr 20, 2011 - 1:48pm
Man Simmons is snapping up everyone good. Congrats Bill, hope you can still contribute here occasionally.
#18 by Dave Bernreuther // Apr 20, 2011 - 4:41pm
Yeah, but as long as he's still involved, the place will never meet its full potential...
#2 by Tor (not verified) // Apr 20, 2011 - 1:50pm
Thanks for all the excellent work. Good luck on the new project!
#3 by Aggie (not verified) // Apr 20, 2011 - 1:51pm
I really liked Bill's writing.
Aside from all the sarcasm of course.
Will you still be doing ESPN chats?
#4 by Spielman // Apr 20, 2011 - 1:57pm
Good luck, man. Keep doing good work.
#5 by Amos (not verified) // Apr 20, 2011 - 2:01pm
Best wishes. Loved all the content before. I'm sure I'll love it in the future.
#6 by otros // Apr 20, 2011 - 2:04pm
Man, Split hearing this news. Really enjoyed your contribution here, Bill. (Also, you helped me get an A on an econometrics final project, big thanks).
But then, I'm pretty sure I'll be reading on your new post.
Grats, Bill.
#7 by Eddo // Apr 20, 2011 - 2:08pm
Congratulations and good luck, Bill.
#8 by Rick Reilly (not verified) // Apr 20, 2011 - 2:23pm
When Bill was fighting oppressing troops in war torn Bosnia as a young lad, he never dreamed of writing for a football website and then later a general sports website started by a popular ESPN personality. Funny how things work out like that. Good luck, William...I am glad that you are not another casualty of the NFL owners' greed.
#9 by Karl Cuba // Apr 20, 2011 - 2:35pm
Sad to see Bill go, I've enjoyed his work here. Happy for him that he's still going to be getting to do what he loves.
#10 by drobviousso // Apr 20, 2011 - 3:13pm
Thanks for many great articles.
#11 by MilkmanDanimal // Apr 20, 2011 - 3:18pm
I'm assuming this means Simmons' new site will have even more FO references than his column currently does. Good luck and we'll see you over there.
#12 by Shattenjager // Apr 20, 2011 - 3:33pm
I'll just add to the chorus: Good luck, Bill.
I'm starting to be interested in this site Simmons is doing just because it seems to be such an odd mix of people he's bringing in.
#13 by nat // Apr 20, 2011 - 3:37pm
So long, Bill! Good luck and congratulations.
#14 by MCS // Apr 20, 2011 - 3:39pm
Congratulations and best of luck, Bill.
#15 by Aaron Brooks' … (not verified) // Apr 20, 2011 - 3:55pm
So long and thanks for all the fish!
I can't wait for coverage of Simmons' lockout.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/110304
#16 by Theo // Apr 20, 2011 - 4:02pm
Goodbye and good luck Bill, you really did grow as a writer.
Catholic Match Girl... hmmmmmm.
#17 by Alex51 // Apr 20, 2011 - 4:06pm
Congratulations! Good luck with your new gig.
#19 by Thomas_beardown // Apr 20, 2011 - 5:01pm
Congrats, and good luck.
#20 by Mr. Housebroken // Apr 20, 2011 - 5:22pm
Thanks Bill. I appreciated checking my fantasy sit/start decisions with your posts (after I had checked it out against the DEF DVOAs). I also appreciated the few emails I had interacted with you on as well. Best of luck to you going forward.
#21 by coboney // Apr 20, 2011 - 5:55pm
Good Luck Bill and thanks for all the stuff we've read from you here over the years. A sad day to have you depart.
#22 by Jerry // Apr 20, 2011 - 6:08pm
Congratulations, thanks, and good luck, Bill.
Can someone post a link to a description of Simmons' new site? This is the first I've heard of it, which means I'm hanging out in either the right or wrong places.
#33 by Shattenjager // Apr 23, 2011 - 2:53pm
I don't know that there is a written description anywhere. Simmons discussed it on the B.S. Report briefly a while back (I think it was the March 2 edition with Chuck Klosterman), but he said he didn't want to say too much until the contracts were all signed. He described it as a "spin-off" site that would have a number of writers and podcasts but didn't give much more information. Since then, he's mentioned a few writers (none of whom I had ever heard of and who don't seem to have much of anything in common with one another) besides Klosterman who will be writing for his site but not given any more real information.
#34 by Jerry // Apr 23, 2011 - 3:28pm
Thanks.
And I'll officially note that it's good to have FO back online.
#48 by Sid // May 06, 2011 - 5:06pm
it was offline?
#49 by Jerry // May 06, 2011 - 6:58pm
Not as long as you've been, apparently. ;)
When the Amazon cloud went down, FO went with it.
#23 by parttimemovieguy // Apr 20, 2011 - 7:37pm
Congrats on your new digs. You will be missed.
Go Raiders!
@ptmovieguy
#24 by Mr Shush // Apr 20, 2011 - 7:46pm
"No, I was never Raiderjoe. In case it wasn't patently obvious, I'm nowhere near that funny."
Is Bill hinting that Tanier's Raiderjoe?
/epileptic trees
Many congratulations and best of luck. Hope the new gig lets you write about soccer from time to time, too, as you make a hell of a lot more sense on that subject than any mainstream journalist on this side of the Pond I can think of.
#25 by Michael LaRocca (not verified) // Apr 20, 2011 - 9:02pm
I never did like Bill Barnwell anyway. KIDDING! Best of luck, dude.
#26 by MJK // Apr 20, 2011 - 9:11pm
Congrats, Bill, and thanks for all the work!
Glad you're having success. It's alwasy great to see a fellow Husky doing well!
#27 by Jere // Apr 20, 2011 - 9:59pm
Congrats Bill, I'm sorry to see you go. With no disrespect meant to the other fine writers at FO, I do think you and Aaron are the cream of the crop - and I mean that across media platforms. I take it given FO's affiliation with ESPN and Simmons that some crossover will remain. Best to you and all, Jere
PS. Who will be giving me crappy fantasy advice when the NFL decides to play nice again?!? ;)
#28 by tally // Apr 20, 2011 - 10:43pm
Does it matter? Or are you afraid of accidentally receiving good advice?
I kid, I kid. Sad to see Barnwell go but eager to see his contributions to Simmons new site.
#29 by AlanSP // Apr 21, 2011 - 12:44am
Thanks for all the work you've put in here and good luck with the new gig.
#30 by D // Apr 21, 2011 - 1:50am
As much as I hate to see you go, I can't help but congratulate you. I have enjoyed reading your stuff over the past 4 years. Good luck.
#35 by D // Apr 23, 2011 - 4:30pm
The servers crash as soon as Bill leaves. This can't be a good sign.
#36 by Drunkmonkey // Apr 23, 2011 - 4:43pm
That's what I wondered as soon as I saw the headline. I was wondering if the crash was the website's way of saying that it didn't want him to leave.
#31 by justanothersteve // Apr 23, 2011 - 11:40am
Many thanks for your work here. Good luck and I guess I'll have one more site I'll be checking out on a regular basis.
#32 by one.cool.customer // Apr 23, 2011 - 12:09pm
All the best, Bill. Really enjoyed you stuff over the years.
#37 by andrew // Apr 24, 2011 - 12:39am
Once an outsider, always an outsider.
well except for Easterbrook.
#38 by Jimmy // Apr 24, 2011 - 7:31am
Best of luck Bill.
#39 by stephenbawesome // Apr 25, 2011 - 8:26am
Congratulations on the new venture, and good luck.
#40 by Tommy Salamistick (not verified) // Apr 25, 2011 - 10:38am
Bill, is this the last time I will be able to take a shot at you since Simmons usually avoids a comments section? Well guess what! Best of luck but this is a terrible hire by Simmons!
#41 by The Other Ben … (not verified) // Apr 25, 2011 - 10:44am
Is there a stat we can use to calculate what player might have had better luck than Bill Barnwell over the past few years? Matt Cassel comes to mind. May you hand off to Jamaal Charles all day long at your new job, Bill.
#42 by Kevin from Philly // Apr 26, 2011 - 9:38am
Working for ESPN (a.k.a. "The Dark Side")? Well, I guess it coulda been worse - you could have been the player to be named later in Tanier's trade from the NJ public school system. Good luck with the new gig.
#43 by MP (not verified) // May 02, 2011 - 2:16pm
Feels like when Leigh Montville left the Globe. Good luck Bill.
#44 by Raiderjoe // May 04, 2011 - 5:43pm
firtst itme back on site in maybe week or two weeks . Just saw this right now at 5:40. Goign to get a 6pakc later after suppepr and readd whole thing annd wriite some comemnts. Hav eosme ctahcing up to do with reaidng herer
#45 by Raiderjoe // May 04, 2011 - 11:15pm
Good lcuk, Bill Barnwell. Nicie reading thigns you wrote here and wsill do so on Bill Suimmons site too.
#46 by Kevin from Philly // May 05, 2011 - 8:29am
I'd rather read Brooklyn Decker's thigns, but hey, whatever floats your boat.
#47 by Sid // May 06, 2011 - 5:05pm
I read all of Simmons's columns and listen to some of his podcasts and I haven't heard him mention this site.
In the latest column there's a sidebar advertising it, but this came out of nowhere for me.
#50 by Noahrk // Jul 28, 2011 - 12:32pm
Good luck, Bill! Thanks for all the good work.