Nevin's Data "Points"

Our view during Super Bowl XLVII. There are some things in life that have to be experienced first-hand. Several years back, my daughter won an all-expenses-paid trip to the Super Bowl for two – and, to my delight, she chose to invite me to go with her. Now, I’m sure some of you have been to a Super Bowl, but it was my first (and, considering ticket prices, I’m guessing my last). And while I’m sure the view from the comfort of home and a big screen TV offered a “better” view of Beyonce’s halftime show, there are things (and people) you see when you are at the event that don’t make a TV producer’s selection (particularly when you happen to be at the Super Bowl where the field lights went out for 34 minutes). Let’s face it, it’s one thing to say you watched the Super Bowl – and something else altogether to say you were there! You wouldn’t know it from the headlines, but there’s actually a lot going on here in our nation’s capital. Like a smoldering ember, in no ...

Ravens or 49ers – either way, your stock portfolio could have something to cheer about this year. According to the Super Bowl Theory, which was invented/popularized by the late New York Times sportswriter Leonard Koppett, a Super Bowl win by a team from the old National Football League is a precursor to rising stock values for the year (at least as measured by the S&P 500), but if a team from the old American Football League (AFL) prevails, stocks will fall in the coming year. As it turns out both teams in Super Bowl XLVII - the Baltimore Ravens (by way of NFL legacy Cleveland Browns) and the San Francisco 49ers – are NFL legacy – and thus, regardless of which team wins, a legacy NFL team will prevail. Of course, looking back over the years, the record is a bit, shall we say, “inconsistent.” It “worked”for 12 of the first 13 Super Bowls – and, over 45 Super Bowls, it’s proven to be “accurate” 35 times. On the other hand, over the past 15 years, it has only held true about...