So Are the Days of Our Lives

Before the sand runs out on this anno domini we turn our eyes outward to the great wide world to see what lies ahead when we flip the hourglass over for 2013.  Our only guarantee is that all will work out, regardless of our picks, just as it always has.

·         BCS Champion: Alabama will easily cover the 10-point spread vs. Notre Dame, which should have at least three losses (Pittsburgh, Stanford, USC).  The Irish run out of luck.

·         Super Bowl Champion: Seattle Seahawks.  Russell Wilson is preternaturally confident and should be rookie of the year over RG III and Andrew Luck.

·         NCAA Men’s Basketball Champion:  Butler.  Bulldogs shed bridesmaid role on the strength of Rotnei Clarke’s jump shot.

·         World Series Champion: Toronto Blue Jays.  Ricky Romero wins Cy Young award.  We’re not kidding.

·         NBA Champion:  Who cares, but we’re going with the L.A. Clippers for entertainment purposes only.

·         Stocks of the Year: Tesla Motors (TSLA), Barnes & Noble (BKS) and Cobalt International Energy (CIE).  Tesla, the electric car maker is poised to grow big-time; Barnes & Noble’s Nook device and partnership with Microsoft should pay off; and Cobalt keeps finding oil in what we think will be a rising oil price environment.  You can check out our calls on istockanalyst.com by clicking here and here for TSLA; here for BKS, and here for CIE.

Surprises for the year:

·         No meaningful gun control legislation, despite being a no-brainer.

·         Oil will average over $100 a barrel despite booming production, because . . .

·         . . . economic growth will hit 3% and stay there, because the Fed will not ease off the gas pedal until it does and business and consumer confidence revive.

·          The Republican Party, fearful of joining the Whigs, will turn a corporate cold shoulder on its Tea Party hijackers.

Meanwhile, we bid adieu to 2012 thankful for all the usual suspects – healthy children, loyal friends, a repeatable golf swing.  Happy New Year.