The Daily Dish - January 31, 2012

New cereal out. Peanut Butter Cheerios. They’re outstanding. Gonna go right in my rotation with Peanut Butter Cap’n Crunch, regular Cap’n Crunch, Raisin Bran (topped with sugar), Cocoa Puffs, Corn Pops, Apple Jacks, and Cinnamon Life.

Here’s the ten most popular cereals in 2011, with their market share %’s included:

Cheerios 13.6%
Special K 6.1%
Honey Bunches of Oats 5.2%
Frosted Flakes 3.9%
Frosted Mini-Wheats 3.5%
Cinnamon Toast Crunch 3.1%
Lucky Charms 2.5%
Cap’n Crunch 2.5%
Froot Loops 2.3%
Life 2.3%

A few things blew me away – One, the stronghold Cheerios has on the cereal market. Two – Honey Bunches of Oats a strong #3? Three – I would have guessed Rice Krispies and Corn Pops would have been in the top ten for sure.

If you look at the historical stats, healthy cereals have seen more market share increases over the last 15 years than the sugary ones.

The Browns are said to have a “renewed interest” in signing Peyton Hillis. Which is great news in my book. He’s the best free agent running back out there. And you need running backs that can catch in the west coast offense, especially Pat Shurmur’s version of it that evidently frowns upon any passes that go more than 15 yards in the air.

Why create another hole? Not resigning Hillis creates a GAPING hole at RB, in addition to the holes at QB, RG, RT, WR, and TE on offense. Hardesty is a bum. Brandon Jackson is coming off an injury. You got nothing if Hillis leaves.

Just keep the guy off the cover of Madden Football. I’ve never seen anyone get so owned by the Madden Curse. Four agents in four months and he actually missed a game because of strep throat. Strep throat! Lie if that’s the real reason!

Had he not come out and finally just screamed “Uncle!” – totally acknowledging the Madden Curse by years end, he probably would have ended up on one of those Jimmy Dimora Vegas trips, or at the wrong bar late night with Shin-Soo Choo and Pat Sajak.

One of the best parts of the Super Bowl is the slew of prop bets available for people that like to make the game a little more interesting. Here’s some of my favorites for this year’s game:

How long it takes Kelly Clarkson to sing the national anthem. SWERB SAYS – Take the OVER 1:34. Clarkson is kind of a drama queen, I can see her milking this out. Also, the last few years, the under has won this bet, which has pushed the total down from the 1:38 total we usually see. Of course, last year’s under bettors were thrilled when Cristina Aguilera just totally omitted an entire line from the anthem, coming in at 1:28 as a result. In a related wager, I do like the 3-1 odds that Clarkson’s midriff is bare during the singing of the anthem.

Camera shots of Tom Brady’s super-model wife Giselle Bundchen – SWERB SAYS – Take the over 1.5. It’s almost a lock they show her once. And she’s most likely to be shown after really violent hits her husband takes, which should be aplenty with the Giants ferocious trio of defensive ends.

Who will win the coin toss? SWERB SAYS – The NFC. Amazingly, the NFC has won the coin-toss 14 YEARS IN A ROW. The odds of that happening are 16,000 to 1. I’m sticking with the NFC. That’s just too weird.

What color will Madonna’s hair be? SWERB SAYS – Blonde. It’s a costly bet, as you need to wager $40 just to win $10. A $10 “other” bet would yield you $30. Still – Madonna has been out of the spotlight for a while and will want to represent herself to America as the “Material Girl” platinum blonde Madonna we once all knew and loved. I also like the -300 odds that Madonna will sing using a headset. Odds of her using a handheld microphone currently stand at +200.

What color will the Gatorade be that gets dumped on the winning coach? SWERB SAYS – Red. It’s been many years since red has won this bet. The odds are great (11-2, a $20 bet wins you $110), both teams have red in their uniforms, and between the internet and Twitter, there’s a chance that some of the players may actually realize that yellow (2-1 odds), orange (2-1), and “clear/water” (3-1) have been the popular choices as of late. For those feeling really bold, blue is a 10-1 long shot.

Who will the Super Bowl MVP thank first? SWERB SAYS – God. Teammates is the favorite at 2-1, but I don’t know how you can go against God. Especially when you’re getting almost 4-1 odds.

Quote of the Day …

“I don’t think this is an example of life and limb being at risk. I like the fact that our fans care.” ~ Former Cleveland Browns president Carmen Policy, after tens of Cleveland fans were arrested for throwing bottles onto the field to protest the overturning of a game-deciding call by replay.

Market …

Totally flat day for the markets yesterday. Mortgage bonds started positive, stocks started the session down, and both traded to even by the end of the day. And the economic releases of the day, Core PCE inflation and Personal Income, both came in close to expectations.

Investors continue also to wait for news of progress on a Greek debt deal. Late last night, Greek Prime Minister Lucas Papademos said negotiators had made “significant progress” in talks to strike a restructuring deal on government debt and aimed to have a definitive agreement by the end of this week. World stocks rallied overnight as a result, and we’re likely to see a positive open for US stocks, with treasury and mortgage bonds selling off.

We will also continue to get earnings releases today, headlined by Amazon, who is expected to report a nice increase in sales, due primarily to the success of their new Kindle Fire e-reader/tablet computer.

The economic calendar features the release of the fourth-quarter employment cost index by the Labor Department at 8:30 AM EST, followed by the Case-Shiller index of November home prices at 9 AM EST.

The Chicago-area January purchasing managers index is set for release at 9:45 AM, while the Conference Board’s January consumer confidence data are scheduled for 10 AM.

News …

~ As Florida Votes, Romney Seems to Be In Driver’s Seat

http://www.cnbc.com/id/46200149

~ With Interest Rates Expected to Remain Low for Three More Years, What’s a Saver To Do?

http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2012/01/with_interest_rates_expected_t.html

~ Why Wall Street is Rooting for the Giants

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/why-wall-street-is-rooting-for-the-giants-2012-01-31

~ Dogs Star in 2012 Super Bowl Ads

http://www.usatoday.com/money/advertising/story/2012-01-30/super-bowl-ads-with-dogs/52893514/1

~ Amazon Expecting Big Jump in Sales Thanks to Kindle Fire

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/kindle-may-set-fire-to-amazons-results-2012-01-30?dist=beforebell

~ Euro Zone Joblessness Hits Highest Level Since the Birth of the Euro

http://www.cnbc.com/id/46201027