It's not about being a spectator sport. It's about identifying (potentially undervalued) opportunities early. I didn't make this list to speculate, it's where I'd put my money if I had money to invest.
I wanted to publish my list publicly (esp. given YC W13 Demo Day) so I can publicly see my performance over time. No cheating and calling it after the fact. Trust me, if I had access to money to invest, I'd keep this list to myself and put my money where my mouth is.