By Rock Mayock 9:00 p.m. | Happy belated New Year to all of our wonderful readers! While 2013 was a relatively quiet year from the FOOTBALLPHDS, 2014 already shows the promise of greatness. This year, the FOOTBALLPHDS are prepared to deliver unparalleled insight into the worlds of college football, professional football, economy/finance, and entertainment. As a teaser for what is to come, we will issue the following high level overview of this year’s hot topics.
NFL: 2014-2015 Will be significant years for the NFL. In stunning turn of events, Super Bowl XLVIII will yield the first Nielsen Ratings decline in decades due to the halftime show highlighted by Bruno Mars and The Red Hot Chili Peppers. The ratings drop will signify the point where the NFL brand officially reaches the oversaturation point and fan fatigue sets in. The Super Bowl will not be watching unless you have money on the game because the Seahawks will best the Patriots 28-24.
There will be a resurgence of chatter regarding the NFL returning to Los Angeles. Although the Farmers Field project envisioned by AEG is dead, a new Chavez Ravine project under the oversight of Guggenheim Partners will gain traction.
Also in 2014, mounting financial constraints and escalating pressure from the NFL will force Mark Davis to quietly place the Oakland Raiders up for sale.
NCAA: Two USC related off season moves will send ripples throughout college football in 2014. Pat Haden’s hiring of Steve Sarkisian will prove to be disastrous when the Trojans start their season 2-4. This inauspicious start of the football campaign coupled with the poor performance of men’s head basketball coach Andy Enfield will result with Haden’s resignation.
Nick Saban’s hiring of Lane Kiffin as his offensive coordinator will result with Alabama’s worst offensive production in the Saban era. Fed up with the shenanigans of the SEC and college football in general, Nick Saban will retire from coaching to pursue a broadcasting career.
Economy/Finance: For months, The Fed has hinted that they will commence incremental increases to interest rates. By 3rd quarter 2014, rates will begin to inch higher, thereby signifying the end of The Great Recession. Upward pressure on interest rates will not cool consumer demand for new/existing homes, however, it will impact future stadium construction/renovation projects. As a result, the San Diego Chargers will NOT obtain financing for a new downtown stadium, thereby reopening the dialog for relocation.
2014/2015 will mark the unceremonious end for traditional retail as Best Buy, Sears, K-mart and JC Penney will all bite the dust.
The US automobile market will continue to enjoy record sales as consumers continue to flock to both fuel efficient and alternative fuel vehicles. The FOOTBALLPHDS will also be in the market to upgrade our pool of company cars. Dealers are welcome to contact Cousin Felipe at admin@footballphds if you have a good deal on a Mustang Shelby GT500 or when the 2015 Corvette Z06 hits the market.
Entertainment: 2014 will be the year that a Spanish channel program cracks the top 3 for morning shows. The reigning champs of morning television are Good Morning America (ABC 5.58M), Today (NBC 4.46M), and This Morning (CBS 2.93M). As the “Big 3” cable networks struggle with flat or declining viewership, Univision’s Despierta America has enjoyed 20%+ year over year viewer growth over the past two years. Fueled by a vibrant and extraordinarily good looking cast, Despierta America is poised to wrest the #3 spot from CBS by November 2014.
In addition to our typical material regarding stadium financing. mustaches, K-Pop, and the NFL draft; this is a taste of what will come from the FOOTBALLPHDS in 2014. Tell us what you anticipate for the year to come.
Mayock
