Will a win for either Chicago or Indianapolis in tonight's Super Bowl mean an economic boost for the winning city? Perhaps not as much of an impact as a winning season might have on a community.

So says Michael Davis, an assistant professor of economics and finance at UMR. Davis is one of the sports economics experts quoted in a recent news article about the economic impact of a Super Bowl victory. According to the news report, Davis believes that "general team success, as defined by regular-season wins, is just as important as a Super Bowl victory."

Davis, an assistant professor of economics at the University of Missouri-Rolla, said the Bears' 13-3 record this season means a gain in per capita income of $142 for Chicagoans when compared against an 0-16 season.

Davis explains the rationale in more depth in this research paper (PDF) co-authored with former UMR faculty member and sports psychology expert Christian End. For his part, End believes winning teams breed economic returns because fans feel better about themselves -- and more competent -- after a victory. "If I believe I'm a winner and I go out on my sales call, that belief can lead to an increase in confidence and productivity." End said.

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It's another story from the New York Times. (Hey, everyone knows that whatever the Times sees fit to print must be God's honest truth.) Here's the money excerpt:

Studies are piling up that show that messy desks are the vivid signatures of people with creative, limber minds (who reap higher salaries than those with neat “office landscapes”) and that messy closet owners are probably better parents and nicer and cooler than their tidier counterparts. It’s a movement that confirms what you have known, deep down, all along: really neat people are not avatars of the good life; they are humorless and inflexible prigs, and have way too much time on their hands.

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