THE JEFF’S 37 COUNTDOWN
#1 "How You Remind
Me" by Nickelback: This is
the second straight year in the top spot for this song. It also
solidifies Nickelback’s position as the most successful countdown artist in
Jeff's Countdown history. This is the fifth Nickelback song in this
countdown, a record for most songs by a single artist in a single
countdown. Additionally, Nickelback's three debut songs in this countdown
give them a whopping eight songs to garner countdown status over the years, by
far a record as well. I dedicate this one to all of those who have
followed the countdown this year. I hope you have enjoyed it! Until
next year, enjoy this one final video from YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFusVrhcc2s
#2 "Beverly Hills" by Weezer:
Bolting its way up the countdown ranks is this favorite of mine which is in
only its third year in the countdown. It debuted at #11 in Jeff's 35, then took two small steps forward last year, before its
seven spot ascension this year. I dedicate this one to my friends and
co-workers at Gore Appleton South. Two years ago, along with my Trip-J band
mates, I wrote the song "Appleton South" which is set
to the tune of "Beverly
Hills."
Since then I've spent a lot of time away from APS in my new commitment which
takes me to Northern New Jersey most of the time. I like my new commitment, but I
also miss the APS atmosphere quite a bit. In another year I'll most
likely be at a new plant down the street, but until then, I savor every day I
get to spend at Appleton South. I also savor every time I get to watch
the video to this song, which you too can watch by clicking on the following
link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4iTyHItFwg
#3 "Blurry" by
Puddle Of Mudd:
This is the sixth appearance for this song in the countdown. It's been in
the Top 10 all six years, and this year marks the fourth consecutive time
it has been in the Top 5. I dedicate this song to former Atlanta Falcons
quarterback Michael Vick, who not long ago blurred the lines between right and
wrong when in ventured into the underground and illegal sport of dog
fighting. He is now serving time for this indiscretion, and his future in
the NFL is very much in jeopardy. If Vick has access to YouTube in
prison, perhaps he can watch the video to this song by clicking on the
following link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGmrL2h8lrE
#4 "Piano Man" by
Billy Joel: Even though this song
no longer holds down the top spot, I still consider it the "granddaddy of
them all" in the countdown. It's been in every countdown, starting
way back in 1992 with Jeff's 21. It's been in the Top 10 all 16 of those years, and in the Top 5 for the last 15 years. It's
held down the number one spot for a record 11 years, including a run of 7
consecutive years from Jeff's 24 through 30 and 4 consecutive years from Jeff's
32 to 35. I dedicate this song to my good friend, and godfather of my
children, Ted Sidoriak. Ted and I have been friends since our freshman
year in college. We had many a good time during our stay at Widener
University, including the night of the Jeff's 22 Countdown Party,
which included the famous Kirkbride Hall vacuum cleaner pilfer. Thanks for being a great friend,
Ted. Enjoy this most excellent song from Billy Joel on me. This is
a more recent rendition of the song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ujp7DMDFR2Y
#5 "Harder To Breathe" by Maroon 5: Even though this song slips one spot from its #4
position last year, we still must acknowledge Maroon 5 for the very solid year
they've had, seeing that this is their third entry in the countdown.
"Harder To Breathe" is now in its fifth year
in the Jeff's Countdown. Last year's #4 position was its peak
position. I dedicate this one to Andy Pettite
of the New York Yankees, for admitting to using HGH when his name appeared in
the Mitchell Report on performance enhancing drugs in Major League
Baseball. Unlike his former teammate Roger Clemens, Pettite
has admitted to his wrong doing, and has handled the situation with
class. It is good to see someone finally telling the truth. Click
here to view the video to this song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__FB3OPNhh8
#6 "Mean To Live" by Switchfoot: In its fourth year in the countdown, this song
moves up one spot from its #7 position of last year. I dedicate this one
to the poor children of Nicaragua who will soon be receiving all of the New
England Patriots 2007 NFL Champions apparel, and all of the 2007 Patriots
Perfect 19-0 season apparel. Yes, all of the t-shirts and hats which
were pre-printed anticipating a New
England victory in the Superbowl, are being sent to Nicaragua to help clothe the underprivileged. This is all
well and good, but, weren't these children meant to live for something
more? You my friends were meant to watch the video for this song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72FkCoJfhgU
#7 "Photograph" by
Nickelback: Here is another quick
mover in the Countdown. It debuted at #32 in Jeff's 35 Countdown, then quickly ascended 17 spots to #15 last year, and another
8 spots to #7 this year. I dedicate this one to another quick mover,
Barack Obama, who last night won the democratic primary in my home state of Maryland. And now it looks like the Democratic primary
could be a "photo" finish. Be it known that I'm a republican
and a supporter of John McCain, but I'm definitely routing against Hillary
Clinton. I don't think she should be president again. I'm also not
a fan of Mitt Romney, so I'm glad to see him going down in flames. An
Obama vs. McCain presidential race would be a win win
for me. And who knows, I may even turn into a
"Barackican". As we await the remaining primaries, be sure to
check out this video by Nickelback: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dOzF4pyUfc
#8 "The Safety
Dance" by Men Without Hats:
In the history of the Jeff's Countdown, this is one of only two songs to appear
in each and every countdown. It was #14 in the first ever countdown,
Jeff's 21 back in 1992, and has been moving up and down the countdown ever
since. It peaked at #2 in Jeff's 28, and in all, it has now spent a total
of 9 years in the Top 10. I dedicate this one as usual to my good friend
Lisa Rizzo. Lisa was a former college classmate. We had many a good
time studying together, partying together, and just hanging out. Lisa was
always giving me the dirt on all of our professors. And she was one of my
few friends who really appreciated my alter ego as the "King of Retro
before Retro was cool." To view the video to this song, which includes dancing little people, just click on the following
link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcOZ6xFxJqg
#9 "Hate Me" by Blue
October: This song is on the Jeff's Countdown fast
track. It debuted at #18 last year, and in this, just its second year, it
advances all the way to the #9 spot. I dedicate this one to New York Mets
pitcher, Pedro Martinez. The former ace of the Mets staff (that title now
belongs to Johan Santana), was recently videotaped at a Cock Fight in the Dominican Republic. That activity is legal in the Dominican Republic, but none-the-less, many a PETA member is now hating
on Pedro. And now that I'm spending most of my time in the greater New York City area, I of course
have to hear about all of this on the news and talk radio. Unfortunately,
the cock fight video has been removed from YouTube. You can however,
still watch the video to this song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOziJi-1hHE
#10 "Best Of Times" by
Styx: When you talk to your friends later today, don't
tell them you had a good time reading the Jeff's Countdown blog, tell them you
had "the Best Of Times..." Even though this song has seen
better times, including six Top 5 appearances between Jeff's 28 and Jeff's
33, and hitting the #1 spot in Jeff's 31, it remains a countdown stalwart
in its eleventh countdown year. I dedicate this one to my wife Cindy,
with whom I will celebrate 10 years of marriage later this year. Though
we've had some bad times and some struggles, I still consider our time together
the "Best Of Times." And you must know
that I love you since I trust you to cut my hair. Speaking of hair, click
on the following link to view the video to this song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFCGn_bU_kI
#11 "When I'm Gone" by 3
Doors Down: In it's fifth year in
the countdown, "When I'm Gone" drops off five spots from its peak
position of #6 last year. I dedicate this one to Chief Illiniwek, the
former mascot of the University of Illinois. The Chief was dropped by the University as a symbol of the
University last year after two years of pressure from the NCAA which included
preclusion from being able to host post season events. The NCAA deemed
the Chief as hostile and abusive which I believe is a load of crap. What
hypocrites these people are. We take the Indians land, we infect them
will all kinds of infectious diseases, we herd them onto reservations, and give
them no respect for hundreds of years, until one day all of a sudden we decide
our college sports teams can't use Indian nicknames because Native Americans
might find them offensive. Even though I never attended Illinois University, I still miss
Chief Illiniwek, as did one professional football player, forgive me for not
remembering which one, who during a prime time game introduced himself as
having attended "the University of Chief Illiniwek." The spirit of the Chief lives on, even after he is
officially gone. Another mascot retirement I don't feel good about is
Rocky Pioneer, the former mascot of my alma mater, Widener University. For some
inexplicable reason, Widener decided to change its nickname from
"Pioneers" to "Pride" last year. Although I never
liked "Pioneers" that much, I miss it now that it’s gone. In my
mind I can just hear the obnoxious fans at Washington College in Cherstertown, Maryland, chanting
"We got spirit yes we do, we got spirit and you got gay
pride..." Somewhere C. Allen Rowe is turning over in his
grave. Unless he's not dead yet. If that's
the case, he probably just needs a pill. Enough about college mascots and
nicknames. Here's the video to this song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GYXm7n62nU
#12 "When It's Over" by
Sugar Ray: Did you ever walk into a room, turn on the
light, have the light blow, then immediately think that the reason the light
blew was because you flipped the switch too hard? That happened to me the
other day, and it wasn't the first time. As logical a person as I think I
am, it just doesn't make sense that that would happen
to me. But I guess some things in life just don't make sense. When
it's over, maybe it will finally make sense. Until then, let me dedicate
this song to Blair Rogers, and let you watch the video by clicking on the
following link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8ozMybeyyE
#13 "Pretty Vegas" by INXS: Clocking in at lucky #13 is this catchy tune from the reborn version of INXS. After debuting at #34 in the Jeff's 35 Countdown, this song skyrocketed to #16
last year. This year, the pace slows a bit, but it's still moving in the
right direction. I dedicate this song to Kip Sturgis, the newest member
of the Greater Oxford Poker Tour. Kip replaced me as the junior member of
the GOPT last fall. After a slow start, Kip's
luck has been changing over the course of the last few events. It appears
as if Kip's luck is changing, and who knows, if he
does well later in the month in AC baby, maybe next year it'll be Vegas
baby. To view the video to this song, click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zln7goGgGZc
#14 "Collide" by Howie Day: Moving up three spaces for a second consecutive year is this light
ballad by Howie Day. Now in its third year in the countdown,
"Collide" seems to be gaining strength. I dedicate this song to
my wife Cindy. As I read through the lyrics and the lyric
interpretations, and as I watch the video, I can't help but remember back 11 or
so years ago when I first "met" Cindy. I put the word
"met" in quotation marks because we lived in the same apartment
complex for about 2 or 3 years, and saw each other often, before we actually
spoke to each other (other than the one time when she ordered me to move my car
so the snow plow could clear the snow in our parking lot). The video to
this song portrays Day and his love interest, both on trains headed in opposite
directions to see the other person. They simply cannot
"collide" much like Cindy and I didn't collide for several years
before a fateful night at the "Fourth and Goal" night
club in Ottawa, Illinois. Yes it took a chance encounter at local club for us to talk
to each other, but once we did, well, the rest is history. Check out
Howie and his girl not colliding in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTz7rhommHI
#15 "Plush" by Stone Temple Pilots: This year marks 15 straight appearances for this song in in the countdown. It now passes "Jump" by
Van Halen as the third most popular Jeff's Countdown
song of all-time. In the past this song reached the #2 spot on three
separate occasions. In all, it has spent 7 years in the Top 5. In
recent years "Plush" has experienced a downward trend, dropping a
single spot every year since Jeff's 33. I dedicate this song to my five
year-old daughter Courtney Rogers for her infatuation with "plush"
stuffed animal toys. According to her, she collects "everything
except garbage" and included in her collection are several dozen stuffed
animals. All of these stuffed animals have names of course, and all are
members of her "home school class." The latest addition to her
collection is "Lily Ponds" a female frog who quickly married "Tutti Ponds" after they kissed. According to
Courtney, once two people kiss, they have to get married. If only life
were so simple... The video to this song has nothing to do with stuffed
animals: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2xNyxc5VWs
#16 "Original Prankster" by
The Offspring: After spending all seven of its prior years in
the Top 10, and the last five in the Top 5, this song slips to its lowest ever
position in the countdown. I dedicate it to Jim Sullivan, owner of the
New London Heavys of the Eastern States Fantasy Football League. The
Heavys, always a force in the regular season, never won a post season game in
their six years in the league prior to 2007. But that changed this past
season when the Heavys defeated the Oxford Bluehoagies in the wild card round
of the ESFFL Johnson Cup Playoffs. All of New London celebrated this
long awaited victory. The celebration was short-lived however, as the
Heavys lost the following week in the quarterfinals to the eventual champion
Breckenridge Pinkslippers. One step at a time Jim.
Let's see what next season holds for the Heavys. As you wait for next
season, check out the following video from The Offspring: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T142qsqt9Cs
#17 "What Goes Around Comes Around" by Justin Timberlake: The cat is finally out of the bag. The truth is finally
known. Yes, I must now admit that I am a big fan of Justin
Timberlake. And I have been for several years. Songs such as
"Cry Me A River", "Rock Your
Body", and "My Love" came very close to entry into the Jeff's
Countdown in prior years. But, at the time, I decided to not include
those songs, for fear of having the "Justin Timberlake fan" stigma
attached to my name. All that trepidation subsided however, after hearing
this song on the radio. I fell in love with it immediately, and early on
I knew it would have to be included in Jeff's 37. The song is great, the
video is great, and the message is great. This song is about karma, and I
am a believer in karma, that those who lie, cheat, and steal, will someday get
their punishment, and those who are kind and caring
will someday get their reward. I dedicate this song to Britney
Spears. Justin's ex-girlfriend, who dumped him at the height of her
popularity, is now getting her just due. She's lost her husband, lost her
kids, and has now even lost control of her finances as her mental stability is
currently being evaluated. If she is truly mentally ill, I feel bad for
her. But I'm more inclined to believe it truly is her ego and sense of
entitlement which is what has put her in the position she is in today, a true
sign of karma at work. To view the video to this song, click the
following link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKXm3Qg7sBo
#18 "Inside Out" by Eve 6: The Jeff's 37 Countdown marks the tenth consecutive year this song
has made an appearance. It debuted at #16 in Jeff's 28, then promptly worked its way up the chart until it peaked at
#2 in Jeff's 32. It has slid back down the countdown ranks in recent
years, but it is still one of my all-time favorites. I dedicate this one
to my daughter Allison Rogers. Last evening she scored a career high 4
points in her basketball game. On three other occasions over the past 2
seasons she scored 2 points per game, but last night she broke out, scoring one
basket from the "inside", and one basket from the "out"
side. She also grabbed 5 rebounds which earned her $1.25 from Coach Dad
(that would be me). Unfortunately we lost the game 16-12, but it was the
best game my Thundercats played all season. They made their coach
proud. To watch the video for this song click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2EE511FWsQ
#19 "It's Not Over" by
Daughtry: Chris Daughtry makes his second appearance in
the Jeff's 37 Countdown with another debut song. This is another great
tune. It's the one that put Daughtry on the map. From the video we
can ascertain that this song is about an ex-con who reunites with his love
interest following a stint in jail. I like to think of "It's
Not Over" as a rallying cry such as in sports. I therefore dedicate
this song to the Boston Red Sox and all their fans (otherwise known as Red Sox
Nation). The Red Sox were down 3 games to 1 to the Indians in the
American League Championship Series this past year. But, they
proved it wasn't over, and they came back to win that series, and later
the World Series. They were even more impressive in 2004 when they
overcame a 3-0 deficit to the Yankees to reach and later win the World
Series. In the past couple of seasons, the Red Sox have really proven the
old adage, "It's never over til it's
over." Click here to watch the video of this song on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6s8C2DvfGo
#20 "Here It Goes Again" by OK GO: Can you say
"one hit wonder"? That's what it looks like for this crew, at
least in the Jeff's Countdown. They do have some staying power, however,
as they return from last year's countdown and move up 4 spaces to enter the Top
20. I dedicate this song to Damon Lindelof, one
of the creators, writers, and producers of my favorite television show,
"Lost." After a 10 month hiatus, "Lost" returns for
its fourth season tonight. It may be a shortened season, but at least its back for 8 more episodes of action packed
adventure. Here it goes again! If you have never seen the video for
this song, you have to check it out! It's an awesome video with an simple but awesome concept: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pv5zWaTEVkI
#21 "If Everyone Cared" by
Nickelback: The boys from Canada are
back with their third entry in this countdown. This debut
song shows their more caring side. It's a bit sentimental, but still
a great song. The video to this song profiles several great
humanitarians. I would like to add one to the list and dedicate it to
Jonas Salk, the man who developed the first polio immunization. Thanks to
him, my generation and the generations after me have no fear of polio, like the
fears that ravaged my parents and grandparents generations. Learn about
other great humanitarians by watching Nickelback's video on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLOitzoK0eU
#22 “The Distance” by Cake: After debuting at #36 in last year’s
countdown, this song bolts up the countdown 14 big spaces, making it the
biggest leaper of all the returning songs in the countdown. I dedicate this one to professional cyclist
Alberto Contador. I drafted Contador in
the 5th round of my Tour de France Fantasy League last season, and
that turned out to be quite the value pick as Contador won the 14th
Stage, and the overall championship.
Sure the removal of Michael Rasmussen aided in Contador’s victory, but
there is no doubt in my mind that Rasmussen was doping in his time trial
training, and that was the sole reason he performed so well in the first time
trial allowing him to have his slim lead over Contador. The way this man can accelerate on steep
climbs is truly amazing. He cycled a
distance of 2,218.2 miles over the course of 23 days. That’s going the distance. To view Cake go the
distance in a live recording, click here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKax7euEM5Q
#23 "Fall To
Pieces" by Velvet Revolver: While we continue to
wait for the next Guns 'N Roses release, the "Chinese Democracy", we
still have Velvet Revolver which features more members of the original band
anyway. "Fall To Pieces" marks it's
fourth consecutive year in the Jeff's Countdown, but slides down 10 spaces from
its peak position last year. I dedicate this song to Bob Stearrett, whose
Uno game has fallen to pieces since leaving the
Rogers/Sullivan/Thomas/Ranalli/et al alliance on July 11, 2006. Even though his game was never that strong to begin with, it
completely fell apart when he left me and my fellow alliance members. The
rift in our Uno relationship occurred when my alliance put him on
"Pre-Probation." Even though there are no official sanctions
associated with Pre-Probation, Bob still felt he was being terrorized. We
were only trying to help his Uno career, but he decided life would be better on
his own. After setting nearly every possible record for being nappy, Bob decided to link up with the remnants of the
Dark Side alliance. Unfortunately for them, Bob has only brought
that alliance down creating much infighting in the process. Even with a
new alliance, Bob continues to be nappy more frequently than Britney Spears has
a melt down. Bob needs Uno rehab more than Velvet Revolver's lead man
Scott Weiland needs heroin rehab. Watch Scott and the boys belt out
"Fall To Pieces" on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwQg2smopwg
#24 "Nothing Left To Lose"
by Mat Kearney: This is a debut song in the Jeff's Countdown, and it is one
of those songs, that when I hear it, I can't stop myself from singing along
with it. Although more times than not I get the lyrics wrong, I still
subconsciously sing out loud. This song was released in 2006, but didn't
rise to popularity until the Spring of last
year. At least that is when I began to hear it on the radio and see the
video on VH1. I dedicate it to Lawrence Tynes, place-kicker for the New
York Football Giants. After missing 2 relatively short field goals in the
NFC Championship game played last weekend, each of which would have won the
game for the Giants, Tynes had nothing left to lose when he lined up for a
third and significantly longer try in overtime. Tynes dramatically nailed
it, sending the Giants to the Superbowl to face the undefeated New England
Patriots. The Giants are now playing with house money and have nothing to
lose against the heavily favored Patriots. I'll be routing for said
Patriots, for the sole purpose of seeing an end put to the Miami Dolphins
streak of being the only ever undefeated Superbowl Champion. Go
Patriots! And as you wait for the big game to go down, check out this
video by Mat Kearney: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xA-SLvdQK4
#25 "Peace Frog" by The
Doors: Though obscure, this song celebrates its 10th
appearance in the Jeff's Countdown. It drops four spots from last year's
#21 position, but remains in the 20's for the 10th time in the last 11
years. Somehow it missed out on the Jeff's 29 Countdown.
As always, I dedicate this song to my former college roommate, Jim
Earlis. Jim passed away several years ago after a tragic car
accident. The memory of he and fellow roommate Drew Grieb
dancing to this song will never leave me. The other memory of Jim which
will never leave me is the memory of playing tennis with him, racket in one
hand, and lit cigarette in the other. Fortunately he didn't have a
two-handed backhand. He always said he wouldn't die from cigarette
smoking, and unfortunately he was right. Please watch the YouTube video
for this song as a tribute to Jim: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHDSnfHb5nc
#26 "Follow Through" by
Gavin DeGraw: This is the continuation of something
good. "Follow Through" advances in the countdown for the
second consecutive year. It debuted at #29 in Jeff's 35, and then inched
up to #28 last year. I dedicate this song to Leonardo DiCaprio,
the man who starred in the last motion picture I saw in the theater.
Which movie might that have been you may ask? The
Departed, Blood Diamond, or The
Aviator? No, none of those... Gangs of New York, or Catch Me
if You Can? No, not those either. The last picture I saw in the
movie theater was Titanic. That's right; this Valentine's Day will
mark the 10 year anniversary of the last time I was in a movie theater.
On Valentine's Day 1998 I was on a date with my then finance' Cindy. Soon
after we got married and had children. After children, dates usually
consisted of dinner out if we were lucky. So the streak began. In
the Summer of 2003, the streak was in serious jeopardy
when Cindy's father and step-mother offered to baby-sit so we could go see Terminator
3. But Cindy's not into Cyborgs, so I waited until it came out on
video. The streak was again in peril about a year ago with the release of
Rocky Balboa. But that was released during the holidays, and
I was just busy with other things going on. Up until this point, the
streak just kind of happened. I wasn't actively trying to keep it.
In fact, most people who know about it are empathetic. But now that it
has almost reached the 10 year point (3,632 days and counting) it's Game
On! I'm going to ride this streak as far as I can take it. Jim
Carrey reprising his role as Lloyd Christmas can't even stop this train.
I am going to "Follow Through" on this one and become the Iron Man of
theater avoidance! As I continue to avoid the theaters, I will turn to
YouTube for my entertainment needs. You can too by clicking on this
link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBfbnjjjdKw
#27 "Figured You Out" by
Nickelback: Although this song was released several years
ago, and even though since its release it has always been a favorite of mine,
this is its first foray into the Jeff's Countdown. After listening to the
Nickelback album, "The Long Road" several times this past Summer, I
came to the realization that I like the song "Figured You Out"
slightly more than "Feelin' Way Too Damn Good." So it's in with
"Figured" and out with "Feelin'." That ends a three
year countdown run for the latter. The former, I dedicate to Steve
Oliver. Steve's Breckenridge Pinkslippers won the Eastern States Fantasy
Football League this past season, in the process; the Pinkslippers defeated my
Cecil County Bayfoxes in the semifinals. It was a hard fought contest,
but in the end, the better team won. Congratulations Steve. Next
season the Bayfoxes will get their opportunity for revenge because we all know
the schedule making gods will surely schedule a regular season re-match between
the 'slippers and the 'foxes. Until then check out Steve's favorite
Nickelback song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPNICgdlbl8
#28 "Crazy" by Seal: This Jeff's Countdown classic moves up one spot from last year's
countdown. It debuted at #23 in the Jeff's 29 Countdown, and has been
included in every countdown since, but has never moved any higher than its
debut position. This is the second consecutive year it has advanced, so
perhaps this song is gaining some momentum for future countdowns. I
dedicate this one to my co-worker Niki Frangakis. Niki got just a little
bit crazy at a work party, and hasn't been able to live it down, especially
when a certain someone, I'll refer to him as "Melvin", constantly
reminds her about it. Get off her back Melvin! And don't sweat it
Niki, we've all been there before. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECznJPcWiRI
#29 "Makes Me Wonder" by
Maroon 5: I personally believe that U.S.
Americans are unable find the Jeff’s Countdown web page because some people out
there in our nation don't have computers and, uh, I believe that our, uh,
education like such as, in uh, South Africa and, in uh, the Iraq, and
everywhere like such as, and, I believe that they should, our education over
here in the U.S. should help the U.S., uh, or, uh, should help South Africa and
should help the Iraq and the Asian countries, so we will be able to build up
our future, for our children. I dedicate entry #29 in the Jeff's
Countdown to Caitlin Upton, Miss Teen South Carolina 2007; because she really
makes me wonder how someone could really could be that brainless. If you
don't know what I'm talking about, click the following link to hear her speech
from the 2007 Miss Teen USA Contest: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj3iNxZ8Dww
And if you'd like to view a video of "Makes Me Wonder" by Maroon 5,
click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrF8vxLRDNE
#30 "Dani California" by Red
Hot Chili Peppers: The Peppers return to the
Jeff's Countdown for the second consecutive year with this favorite of
mine. "Dani California" debuted at #35 last year, and this year it moves up five spots
into its current position. I dedicate this one to my daughter Danielle,
affectionately known to me as "Dani Cecil County."
Danielle, now 18 months old and on the brink of the terrible twos, is more and
more fun every day. Click here to view the video to this song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiC_qw4LMhM
#31 "Stolen" by Dashboard
Confessional: This catchy tune caught my ear
last Spring, and stayed with me long enough to make its debut in the Jeff's
Countdown at the #31 position. I dedicate it to former major league
baseball player and Philadelphia Phillies pitcher, Mitch Williams. I
realized this past fall that in 1993 Williams had stolen my heart away from the
Phillies. It was in that year that the Phillies last went to the World
Series. In that series, Williams blew 2 saves including the deciding Game
6 when he surrendered the series winning home run to Joe Carter. The next
baseball season ended in a strike, and the season after that ended with me
having moved from Southeastern Pennsylvania to Illinois. Once in Illinois, I began routing for the Chicago White Sox. Even after my return
to the East Coast in year 2000, I continued to root for the Sox. In 2005,
I cheered them all the way to the World Series Title. But in my heart, I
always felt I'd remain a Phillies fan. Those feelings subsided
last season however, when the Phillies ended their 13 year playoff drought with
little or no interest from me at all. I realized that for the Phillies,
my heart had been stolen for good. To view the video to this song, click
here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epHN4uSHox0
#32 "Push" by Matchbox
Twenty: With this entry, we have the first true
countdown classic. "Push" has been in every Jeff's Countdown
since it debuted at #14 in Jeff's 27. It peaked at #11 a year later, and
bounced around in the 20's every year thereafter until this year, where it drops
to its lowest ever position at #32. I dedicate this one to Alec Baldwin,
who verbally pushed around his daughter in a phone message last year. To
hear the phone message, click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZf2D57o8Kg
The day this phone message was released to the public
(supposedly by Baldwin's estranged wife, Kim Bassinger) I was listening to the Howard Stern
Show on my travels on the New Jersey Turnpike. He played it over and over
and over again, to the point where I almost had it memorized. The next
day, a colleague of mine was late for a meeting with me. I almost called
him and left him a message that I was going to "straighten his ass
out" and that "he had made a fool of me for the last
time". Figuring he might have had a family emergency, I decided
against leaving the message, but of course I told him of my intents later on
which made him laugh. To see MB20's video for this song, click
here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKXHdQVQtas
#33 "Rockstar" by
Nickelback: The quality of the music video always factors
into the songs I choose for this countdown. In the case of this song, the
video is the single major factor meriting its inclusion onto this prestigious
list. When I first heard this song on the radio over this past summer, I
didn't think it was anything special. In actuality, I was a bit
disappointed considering Nickelback is my favorite band. But a few weeks
later when I finally saw the video air on VH1, I was sold. It's a great
video which melds together celebrities with average Joe and Joanna’s singing
the lyrics to the song. Practically each time I see the video, I realize
one of the people I thought was an average Joe is actually a celebrity.
For instance I didn't recognize Nelly Furtado
initially. I didn't recognize Dale Earnhart,
Jr. at first either (you can tell I'm not a NASCAR fan, huh?) One celeb I recognized easily from the start was Grant Hill.
So, I dedicate this song to him. Although I'm not a fan of the NBA
either, I am a fan of college basketball, in particular Duke University, where Grant
Hill, #33, starred for the Blue Devils, from 1990 to 1994. I'm glad to
see him doing well on his new team, the Phoenix Suns, and wish him luck for the
remainder of the season. Grant had his appendix removed last week, and is
out for a few more games, but when he returns I'm sure he'll once again be a
key contributor for the Suns. Click here to see Grant's cameo in the
video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmeUuoxyt_E
#34 "Wonderwall" by Oasis: After three consecutive debut songs, here is the first returning
song to this year's countdown. This one debuted at #23 way back
in Jeff's 26. After an eight year hiatus, it resurfaced again in Jeff's
35 at the #28 position. It took one small step upward to #27 in last
year's countdown, before dropping down a few spots into its current
position. I dedicate this one to Dominic Monaghan, one of the stars of my
favorite television show, Lost. Dominic's character, Charlie Pace, was
written off the show in last season's final episode. But knowing this
show, he'll either magically come back to life, or at least show up in the back
stories of other characters. In my favorite episode from last season,
episode #308 "Flashes Before Your Eyes",
Charlie appears in Desmond's flashback, singing the song "Wonderwall"
(off key I may add) on a London street corner. In
this flashback, which was potentially a dream sequence, Desmond learns that
there is an order to the universe, and that if someone is destined to die, the
universe has a way of "course correcting" if someone else saves that
person destined to die. In later episodes, Desmond sees flashes of
Charlie dying, and saves him several times, before the final episode of season
3 where Charlie has to die in order to potentially rescue the others.
But, has he really rescued the others? Or are the members of Naomi's
alleged rescue party coming to the island for a different mission? Only
14 more days until Lost Season 4, when we will hopefully find out. Until
then, check out the Oasis version of "Wonderwall": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAPtTS0TYtU
#35 "Over You" by Daughtry: This is a historic entry in the Jeff's Countdown as Daughtry
becomes the first contestant from the television program American Idol to make
an appearance in the Jeff's Countdown. I must say that Kelly Clarkson has
come close several times, but unfortunately for her, she never made the final
cut. I don't watch American Idol, but I have grown quite fond of the new
music coming from Chris Daughtry. He and his band are great new talents,
and I really like this recently released new song. I dedicate this one to
my co-worker Ron Presinzano. Ron and I became co-workers last Spring when my company Gore (http://www.gore.com)
acquired his company Amesil (http://www.amesil.com).
As these two companies integrate into one big happy family, I spend most of my
time at the Amesil location in North Central New
Jersey. In my free time there, I do a lot of cycling. Early on I
asked Ron and some of my other new co-workers to recommend some mountainy road
rides. Ron quickly mentioned the fabled "breakneck road"
mountain pass which climbs Mt. Hamburg near the Mountain Creek Ski Resort, but
quickly warned me that, "I wouldn't even want to drive my car
up that road." Ron's response was all the motivation I needed
to tackle the dreaded 1.5 mile section of road which ascended nearly 1,000
feet. I must admit that on my first attempt up breakneck, I
failed. I was too hyped up, and I expended too much of my precious energy
on the lower slopes of the climb. I bonked about a quarter of a mile from
the peak, where the road hit an inflection point and the gradient suddenly
exceeded 20%. I didn't know what hit me. But the next time out, I
took the lower slopes in a more relaxed fashion, conserving energy in the
saddle, in my granny gear, and when I reached the steep gradient, I got out of
the saddle and pounded the petals much like Daughtry pounds out the notes of
his song on his guitar. When I reached the top and began to descend down
the opposite side, I looked back and told Mt. Hamburg, "I got over
you." And the next day at work, I told Ron the same thing.
Watch Daughtry pound on his guitar in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4C_oHwLcivY
#36 – "You Dropped A Bomb On Me" by The Gap Band: Over the course of the past year
I had the opportunity to use a company car with Sirius Satellite Radio. During my many hours traveling the New Jersey
Turnpike, when I wasn’t listening to Sirius NFL Radio, I was tuned into the
80’s station. As a big fan of Retro
Music (of course, you may remember that I was the King of Retro before Retro
was cool), I enjoyed all the songs played on that station. However, “You Dropped A Bomb On Me,” by the
Gap Band really struck a chord with me, when I realized this song was finally
making a comeback following an unfair post 9-11 backlash. You used to hear this song on terrestrial radio,
at sports stadiums, and in dance clubs all the time, but once the 9-11 attacks
occurred, this song was put on the shelf, unfairly in my opinion, due to the
reference to bombs in its lyrics, even though the reference is purely
figurative. Since the song is making a
comeback, it must mean that Americans are once again feeling secure in the
sanctity of our country. For that
reason, I will dedicate this song to our Secretary of Homeland Security,
Michael Chertoff. If it’s okay to listen
to this song again, he must be doing something right. Join me in the revitalization of this song by
viewing its video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmbmPalsRi4
#37 – "Wake Up
Call" by Maroon 5:
As I enter the fourth dozen of years of my life, I bring to you the
Jeff’s Countdown once again. This year
it kicks off with this new song by Adam Levine and Maroon 5. In last year’s countdown, I chastised Levine
for not putting out any new music since MV’s debut album in 2002. Last year I said, “I must say that I’m a
little disappointed that Maroon 5 hasn’t had a solid follow-up hit since its
‘Songs About Jane’ album of about 5 years ago.”
Well, this past year, Levine answered my call with the release of the
album “It Won’t Be Soon Before Long.”
There are several new songs on this album which I like a lot, including
this one. I dedicate it to former
professional football player Max McGee.
In Superbowl I, McGee scored the first ever points in Superbowl history,
on a 37 yard pass from Bart Starr.
During that 1966 season, McGee caught only four passes
for 91 yards and a touchdown as the Packers recorded a 12-2 record and advanced
to Super Bowl I against the Kansas City Chiefs. Because McGee didn't
expect to play in the game, he violated his team's curfew policy and spent the
night before the Super Bowl out on the town. The next morning, he told starting
receiver Boyd Dowler, "I hope you don't get
hurt. I'm not in very good shape."
However, Dowler went down with a separated shoulder on the Packers'
second drive of the game, and McGee, who had to borrow a teammate's helmet
because he had not brought his own out of the locker room, was put into the
game. A few plays later, McGee made a one-handed reception of a pass from Bart Starr, and ran 37 yards to score the
first touchdown in Super Bowl history. By the end of the game, McGee had recorded
seven receptions for 138 yards and two touchdowns, assisting Green Bay to a 35-10
victory. McGee passed away on October 20
of last year, when at the age of 75, he climbed up on his roof to clean off
leaves and ended up falling off. Some 40
years ago, McGee answered his wake up call to play in the Superbowl. Now, may he rest in peace. Click on the following link to view a video
of this song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPYZgwbqJ2Q