In order for this to have any credibility, the same analysis needs to be done for other numbers to see if the graph shows a spike.
Lots of 17's doesn't surprise me at all. How many 16's are there? (There should be more.) How many 18's are there? (There should be fewer.)
The graph should look like a log titrating toward zero as the number increases.
How many stories in total?
With all due respect, all you've done is list a bunch of things that have the number 17 in them. This alone tells others NOTHING. You've definitely piqued a lot of emotions, though. Good for you. Good evidence, though…requires a complete view.