Party like it’s 2000 (even if you’re not a Mets fan)

I’ll begin by assuring those who have known me for a long time that I haven’t abandoned the Phillies’ Phaithful for the Mets’ bandwagon. While I’m not a fan of the Mets, I have an appreciation for history. So let’s quickly rewind the clock to 2000 – the last time The Amazins were in the World Series – and look at how far we’ve come since.

1. How we learned to stop fearing Y2K, and love the new millennium

2000 started off with a bang. Well more of a whimper, really – to borrow an expression from T.S. Elliott. What was expected to kickstart the collapse of civilization did little more than leave families with hoards of canned goods and water. Time even reported one family that “swore disaster or not” to eat the 12 cans of SPAM it had gathered.

In June, the financial markets prepared for the “Leap Second,” which would challenge time synchronization and harmonization of communication and trading networks. Fortunately, it’s been almost four months and I’m not penning this from a bunker. While our reliance on computers was apparent in 2000, it’s clear that the stakes of said time shifts are only increasing in magnitude – even if it wasn’t inspiring made for TV movies.

2. A commercial changed how we answered the phone… sometimes.

From that 2000 Super Bowl spot to its classic Clydesdales, and almost everything in the middle,  Budweiser has covered the full spectrum of commercials for Super Bowl advertising. They’ve had a few stumbles like all goliath brands, but Budweiser’s ad is always one of the most anticipated components of the first Sunday of February.

3. Chads left us ‘hanging,’ and weren’t very popular

Champagne was on ice. Sparklers were at the ready. Confetti cannons stocked. And they were all put on hold. Five weeks later, the United States Supreme Court ruled that George W. Bush was the President-elect, becoming just the fourth U.S. President to be elected despite losing the plurality of the popular vote.

While the electronic machines used today have brought their fair share of controversy, we’re no longer reliant on chads for anything more than a pop culture reference, metaphor of days gone by or a Halloween costume.

I’ve obviously only scratched the surface of this throwback, so I invite you to tweet me your favorite moments of 2000. And to the Mets fans reading this, I’m glad you’re able to dust off that winter jacket you haven’t had much use for over the last few years.