Predictions Guaranteed or Your Money Back

It’s time for another edition of crazy predictions based on, well, nothing, since I consume fewer and fewer data points by the year.  Just to clarify, these aren’t necessarily things I want, nor are they things I think will definitely happen, but rather represent possibilities that I’m keeping my eye out for.  But first, an assessment on last year’s predictions:

1. Having conquered sports and politics, analytics makes a big mainstream splash in farming and casting.  I assume this is true, since analytics has pushed its way into darn near everything.  Well, except the Phillies’ front office.

2. One of the big automakers announces a future date by which some of its models will have a driverless mode.  Has this happened?  I have to believe it has.  My daughter is convinced she won’t need to learn how to drive.

3. Bryce Harper makes the leap, both in his play and in his outspokenness about his faith.  Not nearly as many catchy quotes this year as last.  And, a relatively pedestrian .274/20/58/11sb line.  But give him time: he’s only 21, so he should be in Double A.

4. Bullish on: Turkey, Israel, Chile, Iran.  Bearish on: England, China, South Africa, Russia.  Turkey -14.1% Israel +21.3% Chile -19.4% Iran +121.3% England +12.7% China -0.6% South Africa -2.9% Russia -5.2%.  Hey, for once, not too bad.

And now onto 2014:

1. Barack Obama just never gets it going: Obamacare gets whittled away, another lofty campaign theme gives way to sloppy mismanagement, and foreign policy initiatives languish as a result of a loss of trustworthiness. 

2. 23andme wins its battle against the FDA, and by the end of the year “spit kits” go for $9.99.

3. Despite having legions of haters, Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus still top the charts.  Has to do with the fact that they actually have talent in spades. 

4. After the 2013-2014 season, LeBron stays in South Beach.  So does Chris Bosh.  No one else in the Miami Heat’s main rotation does.