Positional storylines: How do you follow the best Super Bowl run ever?

Originally Posted: July 9, 2018by Eric Marturano

On February 4, 2018, the Philadelphia Eagles won the Super Bowl. They beat the New England Patriots 41-33 in one of the greatest games ever played, doing so with backup quarterback Nick Foles at the helm. Several records were set during Super Bowl LII, including most yards gained in an NFL game by both teams combined (1,151 in total), the fewest punts from both teams in a Super Bowl (only 1), and the most points scored in a Super Bowl by the losing team (33). Culminating in the first NFL championship since 1960 and first ever Super Bowl win, the 2017-2018 Super Bowl run will go down as one of the best and most memorable runs in league history.

The question the team asks itself is one that is on the minds of many fans these days…how do you follow THAT?

How do you follow a 13-3 regular season with a +162 Points For/Points Against differential (good for 1st in the league, alongside the inferior New England Patriots who also finished the season at 13-3 and +162)?

How do you follow a 38-7 thrashing of a Vikings team that was, until then, widely considered the best defense in the league?

How do you follow this sequence??:

FOLES: “You want Philly Philly?”
*dramatic pause, knowing look, head nod*
PEDERSON: “Yea, let’s do it”

 This is uncharted territory for all of us. While I can’t predict exactly what lies ahead, here are some educated guesses on some of the storylines that will drive the Eagles – for better, or worse – this season at each position:

QB: Carson Wentz, the Comeback Kid….or Nick Foles, Football Rocky?Front and center this season will be the dynamic between QB Nick Foles, who led the Eagles to their first ever Super Bowl win, and QB Carson Wentz, who very well could have won MVP last season had he not gone down against the Rams in Week 14. Wentz is widely considered the more talented player and the future of the franchise. However, if he isn’t able to start the season and Foles is able to sustain the incredible success he had in the playoffs, Doug Pederson might find himself in a bit of a bind when deciding how to eventually shift the team back into Wentz’s hands. On the flip side, if Wentz struggles early on, how will the team and city respond knowing they have a Super Bowl MVP from just one season ago sitting on the bench? I would be more worried about this, but given the collective strength of character and leadership of Pederson, Wentz, and Foles, I’m confident they’ll be able to navigate the challenges of the QB position this season.

RB: Ajayi, Clement, and the Return of Darren Sproles

The Eagles lost their leading rusher in the departure of LeGarrette Blount but will arguably be even stronger, providing the lion’s share of the rushing attempts to Jay Ajayiwho averaged a very productive5.8 yards/carry on 70 attempts after being traded to the Eagles last season. At 25 years old, look for a breakout season from Ajayi. Corey Clement also came on strong as a change of pace from the bruising Ajayi/Blount and looks to continue to be a great 2nd option. Perhaps most exciting, though, is the return of Darren Sproles. At age 35 and coming back from both a torn ACL and a fractured right arm, the 5’6″ speedster adds another dimension to Pederson’s offense.

WR/TE: Jeffery, Ertz, Agholor, and…?
A huge storyline from last season was the improvement of WR Nelson Agholor. After a lackluster 2016, Agholor was a key piece of the passing attack in 2017, dropping less balls and leading the team in yards-after-the-catch. TE Zach Ertz (Pro Bowl) and WR Alshon Jeffery had great seasons as well and the trio of Jeffery, Ertz, and Agholor combined for 25 of the Eagles’ 38 receiving TDs (9, 8 , and 8, respectively). After losing TE Trey Burton (5 TDs in 2017) to a lucrative deal with the Chicago Bears and WR Torrey Smith (2 TDs), the Eagles look to 2nd round pick TE Dallas Goedert and WR Mike Wallace to pick up the slack. Look for RBs Clement and Sproles to contribute as threats in the passing game as well.

OL: Our Boys are Back in TownWhile C Jason Kelce holds the lasting image and final word for our 2017-2018 Eagles offensive line, the whole unit was one of the best in league last year and should return at full-strength. Most importantly, veteran and locker room leader LT Jason Peters will be back in the fold, hungry for a title he missed out on, taking the place of Halapoulivaati Vaitai, who provided solid depth in his absence. Pro Bowlers RG Brandon Brooks and RT Lane Johnson return as well, ready to crack some skulls. LG Stefen Wisniewski had an ankle injury in the Super Bowl, but should be back to full strength by the start of training camp. LG Chance Warmack will continue to provide depth for the unit as well.

DL: The Rich get RicherOne of the biggest reasons the Eagles won the Super Bowl last year was their killer defensive front. Between the return of Super Bowl heroes Brandon Graham and Derek Barnett and consistent stalwarts Fletcher Cox (Pro Bowl), Chris Long, and Timmy Jernigan, the Eagles were already poised for success. Now add in longtime greats Michael Bennett and Haloti Ngata, and this front is absolutely stacked. While new Tampa Bay Buccaneers Vinny Curry and Beau Allen will be missed, the Eagles will continue to dominate on the defensive front.

LB: The return of Jordan Hicks, the loss of Mychal Kendricks, the steadiness of Nigel BradhamLinebacker is one of the only positions of concern for the Eagles entering this season, as Jordan Hicks hasn’t been the most reliable in terms of health, and the team is missing key contributor Mychal Kendricks. However, Nigel Bradham should continue to be a force, and if Hicks can stay healthy, this unit should be fine. Adding the quick Corey Nelson should help, but one injury to this unit could cause some real trouble for the Eagles’ defense.

DB: Malcolm Jenkins looks to lead a talented, competitive groupPro Bowl strong safety and Philadelphia socialite Malcolm Jenkins and free safety Rodney McLeod provide a reliable backbone for an interesting group of corners: Jalen Mills struggled at times during the season but performed well in the playoffs, Ronald Darby will be in a contract year, and Sidney Jones is looking to prove himself after missing most of last year with an Achilles injury. The Eagles also drafted Avonte Maddox and will have Rasul Douglas vying for time. I’m intrigued to see how this group shakes out in training camp and the early stages of the season, as each player has some ups and down.

Special Teams: The Loss of Donnie JonesWhile the Eagles will be thrilled to have Darren Sproles returning kicks again, losing longtime punter Donnie Jones presents an odd challenge for an otherwise strong special teams unit. Currently, the punter looks to be Australian footballer Cameron Johnston. While the Eagles have expressed confidence in Johnston, he will have a beloved boot to fill in Jones.

“Hungry dogs run faster”
The hunger of otherwise key contributors who were in some ways “left out” of last season’s ultimate Super Bowl run (Wentz, Peters, Hicks, Sproles, etc.) is what I will be watching closely as a key indicator of where the team heads this season. As Jason Kelce so eloquently and bombastically put it, “Hungry dogs run faster”  – and hunger will need to be the focus of the Eagles as they look to defend the franchise’s first ever Super Bowl win.

Views from 116: “Processing” Off-the-court Ticketing Strategies

Originally Posted: July 5, 2018
by Eric Marturano

Believe it or not, “The Process” hasn’t only happened on the court these last few years in Philadelphia: the Sixers are also revolutionizing the sports ticketing market by leveraging analytics off the court to grow and retain their season ticket base. This past March, Braden Moore, Director of Analytics & Insights for the 76ers and New Jersey Devils, spoke about it at the 2018 MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference. The process through which CEO Scott O’Neil has been able to efficiently separate the good people of the Delaware Valley from their wallets is actually quite fascinating.

In 2013, when Braden began his role as Director of Analytics & Insights with the Philadelphia 76ers, there were many challenges. Chief among them were a customer base of only ~3,500 season ticket members and extremely disorganized business data. Like the team on the court around that time, Braden and the rest of team made it their mission to use data to inform how to make the best possible off the court decisions moving forward. The results they’ve seen since taking on this data-driven mindset on the business side have been promising: in 2015, 2016, and 2017, the Sixers led the league in new full season-ticket member sales. They’ve also consistently placed in the Top 10 across the league for renewal rates. These two patterns combined took the Sixers from 28th in 2013 in the NBA for Total Member Base all the way to 2nd in 2017. This past season, the Sixers ranked 3rd in attendance. Braden attributes this success not only to a data-driven mindset, but a true “dialogue” about how to use the data for real takeaways and actionable results. In practice, he outlines this process as a cycle of proper data collection and integration, improved models, and sales rep adoption/buy-in.

Data Warehouses and Data Arenas

76ers Data Collection, Analysis, and Utilization Process (MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference 2018, Braden Moore)

The powerful data collection and integration systems offered by Kraft Analytic Group (KAGR) data warehousing allows the Sixers analytics team to focus their brain-power exclusively on improving their quantitative models and outputs. Additionally, the team engages in a qualitative dialogue to help sales reps better understand the “why” behind the direction they receive from the team. These discussions also help sanity check the feasibility of proposed strategies. Because the analytics team relies on the reps to accurately input countless bits of customer information into their Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool, Braden and team find it crucial to data integrity for the reps to fully understand their key role in the process at-large. In this cyclical model, better data breeds better tools and models, which in turn breeds improved efficiencies for the reps and better rep data collection.

Particularly important to this cycle has been the Sixers analytics teams’ close partnership with KAGR data warehousing. Every piece of customer information that is collected flows through the KAGR data warehousing and to the Sixers analytics team and then back to the reps, completing a 360 degree view of the customer and constantly improved account service. For example, there is a workflow notification to the reps that is triggered when a season ticket member misses three games in a row which notifies the reps to call and find out why and how they can help (i.e., sell tickets to missed games to the season ticket member can either recoup losses or gain a profit). Because I go to nearly every game, I’ve never had to worry about such call, but I’ve certainly seen this data put to use in other ways from the season-ticket holding side (court access, birthday/anniversary gifts, deals I might be interested in, etc.). All of these actions are taken with the goal of increasing my likelihood to renew my season tickets and it starts with data analysis.

Retention is the name of the game

76ers & KAGR Workflow (MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference 2018, Braden Moore)

Regarding season ticket member retention in the aggregate, this framework can be quite powerful towards enabling responsiveness from the organization. Using relative importance output logistic regressions from their large data sets, the Sixers were able to identify key variables and metrics that the reps could put into action on either passively (i.e., how many games that members go to) or actively (i.e., how many times the rep calls, emails, or in-game visits their member). This is strategically important for the organization because it takes all typically confusing logistic regression jargon, equations, and quantitative speak and boils it down to actionable behavior for the sales rep. Rather than merely writing a recipe for success, the Sixers actually teach their employees how to cook the meal.

Factors Contributing to Season Ticket Member Retention (MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference 2018, Braden Moore)

In a short example, to address a season ticket holder like Greg, who is attending 33% of games, if a sales rep knows they only need to convince Greg to attend 41% of games (in reality, just 2-3 more) in order to drastically increase his renewal likelihood (from 60% likelihood to renew at 33% attendance to 81% likelihood to renew at 41% attendance), then they will be properly motivated to follow-up with Greg on no-cost perks (such as on-court pregame pictures for a game that is happening anyway).

Turning insights into actions for “Greg” (MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference 2018, Braden Moore)

In this way, the rep is able to utilize data insights to meet or exceed their sales goals. The Sixers’ analytics team is able to track this information housed by KAGR over time and create interfaces for their reps to easily monitor ticket members that they’re responsible for on quick-click dashboards.

Season ticket monitoring by seat (MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference 2018, Braden Moore)

The analytics team also uses data on the reps logging behavior themselves to motivate them to maintain data integrity. On the first day of hiring, reps shown that told they can increase the number of sales (wins) they have by up to 30% by logging information correctly. More clean data means more money for the rep’s pocket, more money for the organization, and more satisfied ticket holder. Everybody wins.

Reinforcing the “So What”

Motivational strategy for sales reps (MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference 2018, Braden Moore)

This data-driven mindset off the court has created incredible results for the Sixers organization. As they move forward and build off of this data into models that are currently in development (i.e., customer decision journey models), they’re well positioned to continue to generate and retain season ticket sales. Throughout the dregs of “The Process”, the Sixers had a saying of being “50-win ready” around the organization and believe that this model will help them sustain organizational success off the court as the team on the court continues to improve. After a 52-30 finish to the 2017-2018 season and first round playoff series win, the Sixers will look to meet the challenges of growing expectations and increased ticket demands – great problems to have if properly prepared.

Eric Marturano is a Sixers season ticket holder who works in market research analytics. Eric has attended the last four MIT Sloan Sports Analytics conferences.

Moses Malone: The Chairman of the Boards

When I was in middle school, for the first time in my life, I picked up a basketball with the intent to play. I had gone through a growth spurt (I'm the same height today...go figure) and loved watching basketball since I was a little kid (thanks, Allen Iverson). Now, I thought, I could finally be good enough to play since I was all of a sudden relatively tall. I didn't play much before because my dribbling was atrocious and, to this day, its barely passable. But there I stood at 5ft. 8in. in 7th grade, suddenly a viable 'big man'. I wanted to be good and I had begun to learn that there were other ways to contribute on a court besides scoring (which I sucked at). Rebounding and defense became my task. There was a special joy in doing the 'dirty work' on the court and I took pride in it. I liked the fact I could be valued even though I couldn't score as well as my friends, but what I liked more was feeling like I was personally winning in real time - out-hustling or out-jumping or out-diving someone else for an errant ball, making a pass to a more offensively talented teammate, and then lurking in the shadows for the possible miss to do it all again. Ben Wallace was popular then and I liked to think of myself as a version of him on the court (partially to justify my awful shooting, partially because I had a similar blown out hairstyle)... but who I really wanted to be was Moses Malone, mostly because he was a Sixer and multiple adults in my life had told me 'that guy could rebound'. As I continued to play, I began to study rebounding - the art of boxing people out and positioning - and quickly realized that Moses was the gold standard. The way he used his ass and his shoulders, the way he reacted faster than anyone else on the floor - that's who I wanted to be. He represented everything I loved about basketball.

Today, Moses Malone passed away in his sleep at the age of 60. It's a sad passing and I find myself feeling a lot of loss for someone I never met. He is one of the biggest reasons I love basketball and why I will play in any pickup game I can find - why I throw my body into strangers when a shot goes up, hoping to outwork them. Watching highlights of him playing at a young age taught me the joy of rebounding and I can never thank him enough for that. It's a joy unlike any other and I'd put it against anything else in this world. He will be missed. Rest in Peace, Moses.

Nonsensical Power Rankings: Movies I've Seen This Summer

Well, it certainly has been a while. A lot has happened to me since my last post. In my long absence, I've moved (into my old home...lots of renovations finally completed), visited both the New Jersey shore (Sea Isle City) and Lake Balch in Maine, and also went to a concert for my favorite video game series. Now, with my final year of college rearing its ugly head, it feels like the right time for a blog post.

How about a summer movie review?

Throughout this summer, I've seen a few movies of a few different varieties. Here are the Top 5, building from least favorite to favorite:
*Honorable Mentions:
- Turbo - Which, despite getting killed in the box office, was a surprisingly fun movie to go to with my 8-year-old brother. Note: Probably not worth seeing unless you're with someone younger than 10.
- Blackfish - An excellent documentary that will make you think twice next time someone mentions going to SeaWorld. I actually liked this film a lot, but as the only documentary, I found difficulty ranking it. An honorable mention seemed fair.
- Monsters University - A fine, fine movie. I just enjoyed the following 5 a little more.

5. The Bling Ring
The Stats: 60% (Rotten Tomatoes) / $5.8M (Box Office)
A story based in truth about some kids who constantly robbed celebrities (most notably, Paris Hilton) a few years back and were really, really proud of it. I found it as a sort-of broken mirror commentary on the self-involvement of my own generation - the generation of vain status updates, clicking smartphones, humblebragging tweets, photoshopped selfies, and instant YouTube fame. What these kids place value in or how they perceive their behavior is less a reflection on them personally and more a reflection on our current American society as one that glamorizes and obsesses over celebrity. The Bling Ring definitely does an excellent job of exposing the negative aspects of the apathetic self-obsession that has become synonymous with "Generation Me". However, while there is certainly a lot to glean from this Sofia Coppola flick, I felt as though it asked a few more questions than it could answer and at times focused more on dazzling style (and soundtrack) than its wealth of unfortunately untapped psychological substance. For not realizing its full potential, The Bling Ring sits as my 5th favorite movie I've seen this summer.

4. The East
The Stats: 74% / $2.3M
A psychological thriller of seeing the world through the eyes of a guerrilla-terrorist movement, The East checks in at #4. Brit Marling, Alexander Skarsgard, and Ellen Paige all carry this movie much further than any other ensemble might and make for quite a fun and thought-provoking ride. Marling, as main character Sarah Moss, goes undercover for a private intelligence firm and infiltrates an environmental terrorist group (led by Skarsgard and Paige) called "The East". From that point forward, The East expands from a simple job assignment to a quest for identity, purpose, and belonging - all the while under the moral ambiguity of "justified" criminal reactions to "unjust" corporate proceedings. While the acting is great and story-telling quite engaging, The East simply isn't that memorable - when someone asks me "Hey didjya see any good movies this summer?", it just won't be mentioned before the next 3.

3. Despicable Me 2
The Stats: 76% / $338.5M
Maybe irrational to some, but I just simply can't get enough of those Minions. Honestly, Despicable Me 2 probably wasn't as good as the original, but I thoroughly enjoyed myself at the movie theater. Of course, the aforementioned Minions steal the show, but Steve Carell's Gru and Kristin Wiig's Lucy have a lot of funny moments of their own. Maybe I'm just a sucker for comedy...particularly childish comedy...I don't know. What I DO know, though, is that no matter how much I like to laugh or enjoy animated film, Despicable Me 2 has no business eclipsing the next 2 films - easily the two best the films of the summer.

 2. Fruitvale Station
The Stats: 94% / $13.5M
 Michael B. Jordan is going to be a star. There just isn't another way around it. Who would have thought Wallace from "The Wire" would have his star take-off like this? As you may have guessed, Fruitvale Station is an incredibly well-acted film, thanks largely to Mr. Jordan. It depicts the last-day-in-the-life-of one Oscar Grant, a very real victim of unnecessary police violence a fateful New Years Eve not so long ago. The timing of this movie's release and the Trayvon Martin verdict are of course in no way related, but it's hard not to link the message of this movie with those who seek justice for victims like Trayvon and Oscar: Racial profiling and guns are a deadly, deadly mix and most certainly one that leads to more tragedy than justice. For the gravity of the message it carries alone, Fruitvale Station could have easily been my top movie for this summer. I, however, felt that it was edged out by one other film.

1. The Way Way Back
The Stats: 84% / $16.3M 
The Way Way Back is my top choice for "Best Movie I've Seen This Summer". An original story from top to bottom, it painted a beautifully awkward, painful, and remarkable summer of self-discovery and self-identity for a young boy named Duncan (Liam James), stuck with a crappy step-Dad (Steve Carell) and constantly disappointing mother (Toni Collette). Man-boy Sam Rockwell steals the show as young Duncan's hilarious-yet-honest guide to a more confident sense-of-self - a summer waterpark employee! More than anything, The Way Way Back, felt like an artful critique on parents more focused on catching a buzz than checking in on their kid - and served as a self-help bildungsroman for teenagers stuck at the kids table, watching their supposed role models behave more like children than they ever will. The Way Way Back is about taking control of your situation and making it better. It's about believing in who you are and finding joy in whatever situation you're in - and, as hokey as that line sounds, you'll find yourself genuinely charmed by this wonderful wonderful film.


So there you have it, an arbitrary ranking of some movies I happened to catch this summer. Do yourself a favor and see a few of them - particularly Fruitvale Station and The Way Way Back. I guarantee you'll be glad you did.

Quick Takes on the Recent Nonsense of our World

Hello loyal (and vast) fan-base. It has been a while since I've updated my blog and I have a lot I want to comment on. Because I don't have a lot of time due to currently being in the middle of moving (moving preparations are my main excuse for my lack of updates...that and laziness) and preparing for upcoming vacations, I have decided list here the vast amounts of nonsense in the world I have missed commenting on over the past few weeks, since my last post. Enjoy my short and sweet musings on recent events, both big and small:

The Fourth of July: The point of summer where you start to feel the turn from uphill (from spring) to downhill (towards fall). Always a little sad. But of course that sadness doesn't last. I mean, cookouts, fireworks, and America's birthday - what's not to love?

Dwight Howard to the Rockets: Good move for Dwight. A better move for Dwight? Being dominant at basketball again. We will see what happens. Good move for the Rockets too. Barely a playoff team last year, they now really have no place to go but UP (get it...cause they're Rockets?!?!). Just another fun team to watch for this upcoming NBA season.

Royce White to the Sixers: Less notable. Super interesting. Especially if you know anything about Royce White and his voice for mental illness. Hopefully we will actually see him on the court this year (he had a pretty big falling out with the Rockets last season). I like the move the for the Sixers - they're tanking anyway with 2 potential high draft picks...what do they have to lose?

Sharknado: Not a typo. This actually aired on SyFy last week. I haven't seen it, but what's to see? Sharks+Tornado=Sharknado. This wins my not-so-annual award for Most Intentionally Unintentionally Funny Movie I'll Never See But Will Always Make Me Laugh Upon Mention AKA The 'Snakes on a Plane' Memorial Award.
 
Asiana Flight Crash: Obviously, a tragedy for all of those involved. Then this happened. I simply can't believe this slipped past the news desk. There is no way someone read that out-loud and then gave it the OK for the news. Unreal. Definitely offensive (especially to victims), but its impossible not to be bewildered that this happened in real life. In 2013. At a SAN FRANCISCO NEWS STATION.

The George Zimmerman Verdict: Not a proud moment for America. I didn't watch every second of the trial (Side note: I think we should televise all trials C-SPAN style, or not televise any at all), but I, like most people, knew the basic fact pattern. Forget all the other issues at stake here for a minute (there are a lot and they are big,notably racial profiling and gun ownership): In what world can you claim self-defense for approaching someone as an aggressor?!?! (against the advice of police nonetheless!). That's a pretty frightening precedent to set, especially if you're more likely to be targeted by aggressive individuals than others. (Additional side note: Florida never fails to disappoint).

The Return of The Newsroom: The HBO show that everyone loves to love (or loves to hate) is back! Season 2: This Time It's Even Sorkin-i-er! seems prime for another big season. I go back and forth with this show, but I always tune in. It's fun, entertaining, and has a good enough story arc, which is more than you can say for most summer shows. Hey, I gotta have something to watch until Breaking Bad comes back...right?

The "Discovery" of 'Black Twitter': Apparently 'the media' discovered 'Black Twitter' today. These two links - here and here - are examples of such 'media' breaking such 'news'. To anyone familiar with Twitter, the 'discovery' of 'Black Twitter' on July 17, 2013 is laughable (this concept/fact is nothing new). I wonder how #BlackTwitter is taking their 'discovery'...

The ESPYS: Nothing is quite like athletes from different sports that give out their own awards (like...ya know...championship trophies?!) come together for a more arbitrary award process. I think I'll pass for the umpteenth year in a row...

Boston Bomber Rolling Stone Cover: Rolling Stone Magazine somehow thought this was a good idea. Hey, any buzz is good buzz...right? I'm not so sure. If you want to see the incredible amount of backlash for this offensive cover choice, read the comments on ANYTHING on their Facebook page. 

Thanks for reading! Going on vacation - see y'all in 2 weeks!

Nonsensical Power Rankings: "Back-in-My-Day" Songs

I've decided to arbitrarily rank stuff I like. Could become a recurring series if it goes well. Doubt it.
There are plenty of great artists in the world and even more great songs that they have produced throughout history. However, the tunes that we loved when we were younger have a special place in our hearts - a certain combination of nostalgia and je ne sais quoi that make them forever ours. "Throwback Jams" is a popular term for these types of songs, but I like to call them "Back-in-My-Day" songs, perhaps with the full expectation that one day someone younger (maybe even a child of my own) will bring one of these joys up in conversation, providing me with the chance to immediately explain that "back-in-my-day" this was an amazing song, and the music today just isn't as good, and blah-blah-blah, etc. Without further ado, a few of my favorite "Back-in-My-Day" songs that I (and hopefully you) will never forget. Enjoy this subjective list in an even more subjective order!:
*Note: I realize that all of these are R&B or Rap songs.
**Extra-Special Note: I don't care.

5. In Da Club - 50 Cent

BAHM-BOM....BOM-BOM...BOM-BOM....BAHM-BOM. If there was ever a song to make even the most mundane task feel cool, it's "In Da Club". The track that put 50 Cent on the map, produced by the illustrious Dr. Andre Romelle Young, is number 5 on this list. I would be tempted to put it higher, but anytime anyone other than 50 Cent says "Go (insert name), it's your birthday", they are participating in one of the most cacophonous, trying-to-be-hip-yet-exposing-self-as-completely-lame phrases of all time (others include "getting jiggy with it", "drop it like its hot" - both great songs, but not awesome catch phrases).


4. Say My Name - Destiny's Child

Just reading the title of "Say My Name" might cause it to get stuck in your head if you're familiar with the tune - and if you turned on the radio or TV in 2000, you probably are. Possibly their most well known jam, "Say My Name" won Destiny's Child two Grammy Awards in 2001. This song holds up and makes one think of a simpler time, before Beyonce ruled the world as Queen Bey/Mrs. Carter and was simply just Beyonce Knowles. Alas, those days are gone. Well, unless it's the Super Bowl. "Say My Name" doesn't make it higher than 4 on this list though, only because the top 2 are indisputable and the next one a personal favorite.


3. Without Me - Eminem

Remember when Eminem was hilarious and fun? Don't you miss that guy? Em's older stuff will always have a special place in my heart, but "Without Me" was one of the most perfect Slim Shady songs ever released. In my mind, there are three "Eminems" and I'll use a song title that may help describe each one a little better: There is the ultra-silly-don't-care-about-nothing Slim Shady ("Slim Shady"), the serious/hard-rhymer "Eminem" ("Lose Yourself"), and the vulnerable/personal Marshall Mathers ("Cleaning Out My Closet"). Each version of Eminem has its own merits, but Slim Shady is easily the funniest. 2002's "Without Me" is a classic, and for that, it is number 3 on this list.




2. Yeah! - Usher
If you didn't hear this song in 2003, you may have lived under a rock. And if you haven't heard it by now, then you probably stopped reading this list a while ago. One of the most beloved songs of my generation, "Yeah!" by Usher is an absolute dance-floor show-stopper. It makes you want to "take that, rewind it back" nearly every time. This is arguably the most representative song for kids who were born in the '90s and grew up in the '00s (what should we call those by the way?). Undoubtedly, when my future children ask me what "kids were into when I was a kid", "Yeah!" will be mentioned right away. But why is it only number 2? Well, it isn't the next song...


1. Hey Ya - Outkast

This song is perfect. I miss Outkast dearly. Listening to mainstream music today, it's hard to believe a song like "Hey Ya" being as popular now as it was when it came out in 2003. Quite possibly the pinnacle of auditory experiences, the sounds of Andre 3000 & Big Boi's party anthem can't help but put you in a good mood every time. "Hey Ya" is also educational - it taught us that "what's cooler than being cool" is, indeed, "ice cold" and that you should always be willing to lend your neighbors "some sugar". This is always the song I think of when I think of songs I will tell future generations of and, for that reason, its the #1 "Back-in-My-Day" song.



So there you have it, my "Back-in-My-Day" Songs Power Rankings. Agree, disagree, take heed, or shrug... I don't really care. There are A LOT of these types of songs by the way (I debated filling this list with older Kanye songs, but I refrained) and I'm sure you can think of a completely different Top 5 from your experiences growing up. Please share in the comments so I can take that trip down Memory Lane with you. I hope you have as much fun thinking about this stuff as I did.

Big Risks and Big Rewards: Yeezus Rises

Yeezus album art...or lack thereof

Ever since I was in middle school, the sounds of Kanye West have been a big part of my life. For better and worse, he's constantly been a prominent part of American culture since 2004. His major albums over that time - The College Dropout (2004), Late Registration (2005), Graduation (2007), 808s & Heartbreak (2008), My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010), and Watch the Throne (with Jay-Z) (2011) - have all been wild successes, each carrying a different brand of hip-hop, emotion, attitude, and style. However, his newest (and blasphemously named) album - Yeezus (2013) - may be his most radical artistic endeavor yet.
When Yeezus became available this past Good Friday via internet leak, I couldn't resist taking an early listen. At first, I wasn't sure if I had downloaded the right file, or this was even a Kanye album. It's jarringly different than his previous work - an almost-visceral, anger-filled in-your-face affair to be exact. And at only 10 songs long (most of Kanye's are in the 13-15 range), its over in a hurry (40ish min). It's hard to process and unpack every song the first time through, but after a few dozen  listens (the car at high volume is the best place), I've found that Yeezus, despite being one of the larger musical risks Kanye has taken, is really an excellent album. It might even be one of my favorites from him yet.
I could bore you with every detail of each track, but it's really better if you just give it a listen yourself. I will, however, provide some quick notes and highlights in the form of a two tier-ranking system:
Must-listens: "Black Skinhead" will probably be the most commercially popular song of this not-commercially friendly album simply because, well, its the catchiest - a driving, pumped-up beat that (if edited) could probably be played in stadiums or arenas. "New Slaves" is maybe the most important song - released early on buildings around the world, it's filled with anti-everything rants and defines the dark anger brewing throughout Yeezus. My personal favorite is "Blood On the Leaves", not only for an awesomely-powerful song sample of Nina Simone's take on "Strange Fruit" (it's a pretty sad song, so be warned), but when the heavy horns and drums come in a little after a minute, they truly blow you away. Easily the most quotable (to a comic level) is the over-the-top "I am a God"....all I can say is that next time I'm "in a French-ass restaurant", I'll be sure to shout "HURRY UP WITH MY DAMN CROISSANTS!" As a side note: stuff like this is why I love Kanye. Nobody is better at being intentionally unintentionally hilarious. A master of self-awareness, he's always in on the joke we don't think he's in on because we're the one making it about him in disbelief. I mean, come on, who else would name their album Yeezus?! 
Also-rans: "On Sight", "Bound 2", "Send it Up", "Guilt Trip", "Hold my Liquor", "I'm in it"... in that order. None of them are particularly bad, but they don't reach the level the aforementioned 4 others do. I'm not going to spend more time on these, but be sure to check them out and let me know what you think.
Overall, Yeezus is a huge-yet-successful risk. It certainly holds up well with his other albums, even though nothing will every touch My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Like I said before, Kanye always picks new directions with each album, and so far he hasn't missed. There are rumors or a Yeezus tour, so if you're really into it hit up the concert. I went to the Watch the Throne tour and I think Kanye is the best live-act there is. In other news, Kanye just became a father...and I can't wait to see how that factors into his next album.