Last August I launched Sharp Football Stats.com. The goal was to provide solid, advanced metrics which were publicly-accessible and easily digested. It can be difficult for many (fans, fantasy players, bettors and even NFL teams/coaches, etc) to understand the true “metrics that matter” and feel comfortable with analytics. Therefore, a prime objective was to uncover those true “metrics that matter” and present them in a manner so the user can quickly & easily understand the implication of the data.

Unfortunately, in today’s culture (a negative byproduct of technology, but something which can be capitalized on), most of us have become “visual learners” and as a result, I created Sharp Football Stats. In order to engage users, I wanted the data to be customizable. I wanted to present this customized data in a manner which allows the user to visualize a multitude of metrics and boil complicated data down to a single image. I believe this allows users to process the data quicker, and uncover things they would never know or realize otherwise. And via the visualizations and quick processing, users are able to retain the information much more effectively and efficiently. And that is a big foundation of the website: “Customize, Visualize, Process and Retain”.

There are many new and exciting expansions planned for Sharp Football Stats between June and the start of the 2017 NFL season. Many of the visualizations will be incorporated into my 2017 Football Preview magazine, which will be up in late June on Amazon.com. 

But one thing we're getting started on first is a content section. And to kick start that search, we're hosting the 2017 Great Writer Search.

Check out the details below.

The Sharp Football Stats 2017 Great Writer Search

1. You have two potential topics to choose to write about, each with a different deadline. You don't have to write about both but you can if you would like.

• Topic A: Impact of the 2017 NFL Draft - Deadline Wednesday, May 3rd
  
  
  • Using a data-driven framework, analyze the results of the NFL draft for a particular team or specific draft pick and examine whether needs were addressed as well as player fits and outlook for 2017.
  • The article may be optimistic or pessimistic, but should leave the reader with an actionable takeaway in thinking of a team's or specific player's arrow pointing up or down for the 2017 season.

• Topic B: 2017 Season Outlook - Deadline Wednesday, May 17th
  
  • Using a data-driven framework, discuss projections or outlook for the 2017 NFL season in any level of detail. It can relate to a team's outlook, a specific position's outlook or examine league-wide trends or forecasts.
  • The article may be optimistic or pessimistic, but should leave the reader with an actionable takeaway in thinking of a team's or specific player's arrow pointing up or down for the 2017 season.

2. In both articles, as well as the direction for the site's 2017 content in general, the actionable takeaway does not need to be fantasy-football related. In fact, it may be more appealing to discuss the landscape in general. Article conclusions which are purely football related can be applied by the reader for any gain, including season-long or DFS football or a greater understanding of the game of football in general.

3. An emphasis on using metrics acquired from Sharp Football Stats as well as the incorporation of screenshots turned graphics from Sharp Football Stats is highly encouraged, but not required.

4. Original and unique thoughts are recommended. The world does not need the 35th article on the same subject with similar conclusions. Content at Sharp Football Stats is encouraged, if not expected, to be replete with groundbreaking information or contrary (but accurate) assessments. Not every article will be a holy grail, but the goal of the content (and the contest) is not to be a high-volume news site. However, we are also not looking for hot "takes" which cannot be supported by evidence and sound logic.

5. In addition to the quality and originality and the points defined above, submissions will be judged on flow, clarity and grammar.

6. Submit your article prior to the deadline as a Word document (preferred) or .pdf attachment in an email addressed to: contact@sharpfootballstats.com

7. Use a subject line of: "Topic | Topic Title | Your Name | Your article title"

• Example: Topic A | Impact of the 2017 NFL Draft | Warren Sharp | The Swing and Miss from the Texans Front Office

8. If you are interested in any potential writing opportunity during the 2017 season, at the bottom of your article include:

• a brief description of any relevant experience you have as it pertains to the NFL,
• your Twitter handle,
• mention any other football related websites you currently work for (if any), and
• indicate whether you are active in the reddit.com/r/nfl community (username if you are and approximate frequency of use).

A panel will review the submissions and will announce a winner in by mid-June. There is the possibility that more than one winner may be selected. The winning article(s) will run on Sharp Football Stats and may be included in my 2017 Football Preview magazine, which has a sizeable distribution within the NFL community. If published, the winner will receive a free copy of the 2017 Football Preview. In addition, the winning author(s) may be offered writing opportunities during the 2017 season.

Good luck to all!