The Week of WiseStats db

Reprinted from the Bet Smart Media blog

It is a big week ahead for us. So much so, I’m up at 12:30am Sunday night getting prepared for the madness that’s about to ensue.

What madness, exactly? How about the fact that I only have 18 hours left to read as many articles as I can before my 2011 MLB fantasy draft! It’s the 4th year we’ve ran this league with the same guys — about 7 core, with 3 usually-rotating spots. This year, due overwhelming demand, we’ve opened the book up to make it a 12-team league. But I’m digressing!

The real reason this week is so big for Bet Smart Media because we are launching WiseStats db, the product whose vision has always been the company’s raison d’être. I’ve always wondered why, with the thousands of sports-themed websites out there, there was no way to “ask” about how a team performs under certain conditions. Sure, there are tons of places to get news, scores, and stats, but that content delivery model mistakenly assumes one thing: that the published content is valued equally by every sports fan.

It’s not.

Despite the fact that it’s 2011 and the Internet and its underlying technology has evolved drastically over the past 10 years, sports seems to have been left behind. ESPN, CBS Sports, Sports Illustrated, and the countless other sports-themed properties out there all do a great job providing content, but there’s been little innovation in the way they let you consume the content. It’s all static, and is not flexible.

That’s where Bet Smart Media comes in. Our whole existence is predicated on innovating on this static model. In an online world that is now defined by user generated content, why did sports get left behind? The technology is available (though complicated, as I’ve noted), and WiseStats db will be the engine that will lead the transformation from what we call “Sports Statistics 1.0″ to a more dynamic, interactive, and personalized user experience. You know, the things that you’ve come to expect from modern day web services!

WiseStats db lets you look at how your favorite team performs under game conditions that you define. It acknowledges that you probably have different opinions and perspectives than other sports fans, and it further recognizes that sports statistics are not a one-size-fits-all proposition. WiseStats db places you – the sports fan – squarely in the driver’s seat when it comes to how statistics are used to inform decisions.

WiseStats db launches this Thursday, March 31 to coincide with MLB Opening Day 2011. In the lead-up to this momentous day, we’ll be talking here each day this week to get you better acquainted with WiseStats db. Here’s the schedule:

• Tuesday – The 5 W’s of WiseStats db
• Wednesday – What Makes WiseStats db Innovative: The Use Case
• Thursday – Introducing WiseStats db!
• Friday – How WiseStats db Can Help YOUR Sports-themed Property

This product is truly innovative, and we promise that you’ve never seen anything like it before. If you’re a sports fan that uses statistics to try and pick the winners, then do yourself a favor and get to know WiseStats db in the coming days and weeks.

Make sure you’re up to speed by following Bet Smart Media on Twitter, liking Bet Smart Media on Facebook, and subscribe to the Bet Smart Media RSS feed.

See you again tomorrow, and wish me luck in my fantasy draft Monday night! Who knows — maybe this time next year I’ll be using WiseStats db to do research for my fantasy league .

- Jesse