Sean's RamblingsSean's RamblingsMy thoughts about TV, music, random DC and Pittsburgh info, sports (particularly Pittsburgh sports - GO STEELERS!), fun and informative links and updates of my life. 
Articles
NOOOOOOOOOOOO
2009-01-29 19:26:00 I just received an e-mail from NFLShop.com with the subject Steelers Fans: Pre-Order Your Super Bowl Champs Gear and this picture: I really, really, really hope Cardinals fans also received a similar e-mail. Otherwise, Arizona is your new Super Bowl Champion.
Official Won?t-Be-In-On-Time Permission Slip
2009-01-29 16:56:00 In celebration of the Pittsburgh Steelers appearance in Super Bowl XLIII, I hereby request permission to report late for work on Monday, February 2, 2009.* I plan to join the entire southwestern Pennsylvania region (aka Sixburgh) and Steelers fans around the world and participate in the following activities on Super Bowl Sunday:? Shop for appropriate Steelers attire to wear all day and night of Super Bowl Sunday? Stop by the nearest supermarket to stock up on all the Steelers essentials (chipped chopped ham, jumbo, etc.) ? Listen to "The Pittsburgh Steelers Polka" or other Steelers odes on the radio. ? Tune into the pre-game TV broadcasts and laugh at the stories showing the dirty, smoky city of yesteryear, knowing that Pittsburgh just doesn?t look like that anymore. ? Wave the Terrible Towel throughout the Super Bowl player introductions or until my arm gets tired. ? Chant "Here We Go Steelers, Here We Go" non-stop during the game ? Consume large quantities of pierogies, kiel... More About: Time , Permission , Official , Slip
Volunteer at the Virginia Wine Showcase
2009-01-29 14:28:00 We interrupt our Steelers Super Bowl coverage for a volunteer opportunity announcement for folks living in the DC area. The Virginia Wine Showcase is taking place next weekend, February 7-8, 2009 at the Dulles Expo Expo Center in Chantilly, VA. Volunteer s will receive free admittance to the event on a day they do not volunteer and the chance to sample the region?s finest wines. Plus, the Festival will make a donation to Volunteer Fairfax, a terrific nonprofit organization, for each volunteer recruited. Volunteers are needed the following dates and times:Saturday, February 7 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pmSaturday, February 7 from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pmSunday, February 8 from 10:30 am to 2:00 pmSunday, February 8 from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pmVolunteers will be working the front gate checking IDs and processing payments as well as assisting the event coordinators and the exhibitors. The minimum age is 16, but only volunteers 21 years and older may take advantage of free Festival admission. Pleas...
Steelers Links and Random Stuff
2009-01-28 15:28:00 - Two fellow Woodland Hills High School graduates are on this year?s Super Bowl teams. I hope that Steve Breaston loses two fumbles on Sunday, but has 1,500 yards receiving and 10+ touchdowns next year (especially if he?s on my fantasy team). Meanwhile, is Ryan Mundy even on the Steelers ' 53-man roster? Regardless, take that Penn Hills and Gateway!- Sign up for a five-minute shift to be part of the world?s longest Terrible Towel Wave.- Cotter wrote about the fact that there are 43 strip clubs in Tampa and the Cardinals arrival. I?m linking to the post because he is the first person I know to have bought a Snuggie. (One For The Other Thumb)- Have you seen this picture (by Ross D. Franklin/AP) of Captain Bruce Meyer holding an Arizona Cardinals flag outside the cockpit window as the team arrived at the Tampa International Airport?This doesn't seem very safe. Sully Sullenberger wouldn't hold a flag out of an airplane window!- Your new addition to the Washington Nationals broadcast... More About: Random , Links , Stuff
A Lesson in US Geography
2009-01-27 15:43:00 You may or may not know that the Senior Bowl took place this Saturday in Mobile, Alabama. The Senior Bowl is an exhibition college football game for many prospects hoping to get drafted by an NFL team.Here is a brief recap from the Associated Press via ESPN:Pat White had a message for all those experts who think the West Virginia quarterback might make a better receiver in the NFL: Not so fast.A local hero from Daphne, just outside Mobile, White led two scoring drives and passed for 95 yards as the South defeated the North 35-18 in the Senior Bowl, a showcase for many of college football's top prospects."I'm just happy I had the opportunity. This was a great coaching staff that taught me a lot in a week," White said. "I'm looking forward to keeping working, trying to get better."The most prolific running quarterback in major college football history, White stood out among a group of high profile signal callers and was the most valuable player of the game that featured many top ... More About: Lesson , Geography
TMI Monday
2009-01-26 15:38:00 I realize that I?m three days early for TMI Thursday, but it?s not every week when the Pittsburgh Steelers are in the Super Bowl. For the non-sports fan readers, you?ll have to excuse me for all of my football coverage this week. I plan to have some entertaining takes on the game as well as an exclusive interview, so it won?t be all sports, but my writing will tend to focus on the Steelers over the next week or so. For this week?s TMI, I need to admit something that may or may not be a big deal. I really like Taylor Swift?s new song Love Story. While this alone probably isn?t alarming, I am seeing a trend I am not proud of. In May 2008, I admitted to liking a Miley Cyrus song; in December, I wrote that a Britney Spears song is catchy; and just a few weeks ago, I used a TMI Thursday to share my thoughts on The Secret Life of the American Teenager. Am I turning into a 13 year-old girl? The only think I?m missing is a love for the Jonas Brothers. Well, approximately a year ago... More About: Monday
Friday Links
2009-01-23 15:51:00 There is a sighting of Ramblings favorite Kevin Pittsnogle. (New York Times)The Sports Guy?s "One final toss for The Dooze." Warning: It may get a bit dusty at your desk/home near the end. (ESPN). Mike Tomlin ?s 2-year anniversary as the Steelers coach was yesterday. (PSAMP)Chuck Noll was a great coach and is the rare great coach who didn't promote himself after retiring. (ESPN)At some point today, I'll be part of Meeting People is Easy. (One For The Other Thumb)I received an e-mail from Bodog with Super Bowl prop bets. If I?m a member of the E Street Band, I?m betting big money on this one:What Song will Bruce Springsteen sing to begin his Halftime Show at the Super Bowl?Born in the USA - 2/1 Glory Days - 2/1The Rising - 4/1 Born to Run - 5/1 The Wrestler - 5/1 Radio Nowhere - 8/1I?m on Fire - 12/1A couple of cool pictures of the Terrible Towel across the globe. (Mondesi's House)And a NASA video from space. (Blog 'n' Gold) More About: Links , Friday
Go Habs Go
2009-01-22 17:49:00 Before leaving for this year?s hockey road trip, I contacted the folks at the All Habs blog to learn more about Montreal and the Canadiens. To thank them for their suggestions, I agreed to write about my experiences and give my perspective of the Habs and the Bell Centre as someone visiting the arena for the first time. I?ll start by writing this: the Bell Centre has the greatest hockey atmosphere I have ever seen in person. It starts when you first walk into the arena. Almost everyone wears a Canadiens jersey or T-shirt. When you enter the seating area, you are amazed by the dozens of banners commemorating the Stanley Cup titles and retired players. This has to be intimating or perhaps inspiring for the Habs? opponents. At the very least, it is significantly more impressive than the WBNA Attendance Leader banners hanging from the Verizon Center in Washington. The introduction prior to the game is terrific. About 15 minutes before the opening face-off, the scoreboard shows ... More About: Montreal Canadiens , Carey Price , Robert Lang
TMI Thursday: A Picture
2009-01-22 15:08:00 While I didn't become Prime Minister for the day while I was in Ottawa (apparently, they understand what coup means in French), I did become a member of the Royal Canadian Mountain Police. Here's proof:(I'm the one on the left.)Yes, this is a pretty weak TMI Thursday , but I figure sharing a picture of a grown man with the RCMP bear is worthy of a TMI post.As usual, check out Live It, Love It for all of your TMI Thursday needs. More About: Picture
The Return
2009-01-21 16:26:00 Hi there. I?m back from my week-long hockey road trip which took me to games in Montreal , Ottawa and Toronto with stops in Rochester and Buffalo to see friends. While I was away, I heard that there was some type of celebration in DC and a sporting event in Pittsburgh. I was without television or internet throughout much of the trip, so I?m not sure if these are just rumors by a Canadian conspiracy group.Anyway, I?ll write a lot more about this year's hockey road trip and the Steelers going to the Super Bowl over the next few days. In the meantime, here are some questions that I hope you can answer (let?s call this trivia Wednesday):1. What is the status of Hines Ward?2. Did anyone go to the inauguration? If so, how was it? (You are not allowed to say that it was cold. The temperature yesterday afternoon in DC was at least 30 degrees warmer than Montreal.)3. How was the Bloggeration Ball?4. Did you know that Jock Callander is on the Stanley Cup?5. What can I do with $3.50 in ... More About: Return , The Return , Andy Warhol
Greetings From Montreal
2009-01-16 23:48:00 Bonjour! I am live from north of the United States border where it is freaking freezing. I don't believe that the temperature got above 0 either Thursday or Friday and the low last night was supposed to be about -15. My legs got numb after only walking outside for about 7 minutes yesterday. When I return to the DC area, I don't want to hear anyone complain about how cold it is.Anyway, I attended the Canadiens game last night and am having a nice time touring around Montreal today. I went to an art museum that had a very cool Andy Warhol exhibit. Yes, I could go to the Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, but I had to come all the way up to Canada to see some of his works. Off to Ottawa tomorrow, where I hope to be Prime Minister for the day. I promise not to do anything that will get me on the world news or cause an international incident. Then on Sunday, I'm looking forward to going to Rochester and Buffalo for the warmer temperature. Read that line again as I am being completely seriou...
Vacation/Click for Cans
2009-01-14 14:57:00 I'm heading out for my hockey road trip today and may or may not have e-mail access while I'm away. Between the AFC Championship game, the Bloggerational Ball and the inauguration, I'm going to miss a lot. I'll try to post from the road, but no promises as I don't even know if they have the internet in Canada (that's a joke). In the meantime, here is information about the Click for Cans online food drive:In an effort to take hunger head-on in NFL communities across the country this season, Campbell?s Chunky soup invited fans of all 32 NFL teams to click for their favorite team and help tackle hunger in their community with the Campbell?s Chunky soup "Click for Cans" online food drive. The contest is now in the postseason with the top four AFC teams and the top four NFC teams competing in the first-ever three-week Click for Cans playoffs, where they will have a chance to play for the Click for Cans Championship and the ultimate prize?thousands of cans of soup for their local F... More About: Vacation
Trivia Tuesday
2009-01-13 15:35:00 Welcome to the first Trivia Tuesday of 2009! Given below is the fictional country and actor/actors. Your challenge is to name the movie in which they appear.1. Tecala; Russell Crowe2. Val Verde; Arnold Schwarzeneggar (two possible answers)3. Isthmus; Timothy Dalton, Robert Davi4. Matobo; Sean Penn, Nicole Kidman5. Parador; Richard Dreyfuss6. Florin/Guilder; Cary Elwes; Robin Wright Penn7. Freedonia; The Marx Brothers8. Krakozhia; Tom Hanks9. Zamunda; Eddie Murphy10. Genovia; Anne HathawayAs always, please do not use the internet for the answers. Please leave your answers in the comments section. Good luck!Thanks again to Stump Trivia for creating these fun quizzes.
Monday Morning Thoughts
2009-01-12 15:25:00 While I must mention yesterday's Steelers game, I also have some thoughts on other topics below. After seeing every road team win during this playoff weekend, the Steelers looked really good Sunday afternoon in comparison. Willie Parker had his best game of the season running for 146 yards and two touchdowns. Ben Roethlisberger threw for 181 yards and a touchdown, but more importantly, had no interceptions or fumbles and was only sacked once. Santonio Holmes had a huge punt return for a touchdown, and the Steelers defense did a great job shutting down Darren Sproles who was held to 15 yards rushing and 91 yards receiving, 62 of which came on a late touchdown when the game was out of reach.Next up is the Baltimore Ravens : Round 3. Remember how Baltimore Ravens fans complained after Santonio Holmes? catch was ruled a touchdown on December 14? Well, they?re still bitter. Jamison Hensley of the Baltimore Sun wrote the following after Saturday's Ravens win, "These Ravens won with... More About: Montreal , Thoughts , Morning , Don Cheadle
Steelers-Chargers Live Blog
2009-01-11 22:13:00 Since I'm watching the game from home, I might as well share my thoughts about the game with friends/fellow Steelers fans. More About: Blog , Chargers , Live
Weekend Links
2009-01-11 15:40:00 Are you sitting around waiting for the football games to start? As I?m writing this, there?s still over 7 hours until the Steelers-Chargers game begins. Ugh. Well, here are some links to help you pass the time.The New York Times has been busy writing about Pittsburgh this week with articles about how Pittsburgh thrives after steel, Dick LeBeau and James Harrison.(h/t to Dan for the first two articles & Mondesi?s House for the third.)Dave Siegel provides a guest post on Live It, Love It after meeting the beautiful Padma Lakshmi . (If you?re reading this from work, it?s probably PG-13)I watched part of the Florida-Oklahoma college football game on Thursday (I refuse to call it the national championship because there is no such thing in Division I college football) and was amazed how announcer Thom Brennaman talked about Florida QB Tim Tebow. I?m surprised that Tebow hasn?t cured cancer or stopped global warming yet. Deadspin puts it better than I do.Going Five Hole found a video o... More About: Links , Weekend
Canadian Road Trip
2009-01-09 15:39:00 Let?s say that you are taking a road trip to Canada with stops in Montreal , Ottawa and Toronto . Where would you go in each of these cities? The reason for this post is because I am taking a road trip to Canada with stops in Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto. What a coincidence! I attended a wedding in Montreal almost 10 years ago, but don?t remember much about the city besides taking a river cruise and visiting the William Shatner Center at McGill University. I?ve never been to Ottawa, and figure that since I?m there, maybe I can be Prime Minister for the day. Toronto is one of my favorite places, and I plan on visiting the Hockey Hall of Fame on this trip since I?ve never been there before. I?m heading to these cities as part of my third annual hockey road trip and will be attending NHL games in each place. Besides the hockey games, I?m looking for suggestions of things to do. Therefore, please feel free to add any suggestions about things to do and see in the comments section be... More About: Canadian , Trip
TMI Thursday: The Secret Life
2009-01-08 15:55:00 Some people have not been happy with my recent TMI Thursday entries involving my bathroom experiences. Therefore, I?m going to reveal something a little cleaner although probably more embarrassing. As a football fan, I obviously planned on spending all of last Sunday watching the NFL playoffs. I rooted for my second favorite NFL team to defeat the Ravens, but the Dolphins were unsuccessful. Then, I watched the beginning of the Philadelphia Eagles-Minnesota Vikings game. However, part-way through the first quarter, something happened that I never expected.*During a commercial break, I went into the other room to see what my wife was doing.** She was watching a show on a station called ABC Family, which before Sunday, I would never be able to find. I caught a few minutes of the show, and went back into the living room. During the next commercial break, I flipped back to ABC Family, and as the afternoon continued, I ended up watching a marathon of the show?s first season and fl... More About: Life , The Secret , Secret
State of the Ramblings
2009-01-07 15:47:00 Tomorrow marks the fourth anniversary of Sean?s Ramblings. I never thought when I started this blog that I would make it to a second inauguration. I even surprised myself when I made it through the first inauguration which occurred only about two weeks after this blog began. Anyway, each year when I write a recap of the past year and what I expect to happen over the next year, I tend to state something like "I don?t know where this site will go." I?ve never been comfortable about what I want this blog to be as I tend to write mostly about sports but also enjoy sharing my opinions on pop culture and certain experiences that happen in my life. Well, this State of the Ramblings is different. After four years, I?m finally comfortable with my blog and what I write about. I?m still going to write about Pittsburgh sports, but I?m not a Pittsburgh sports-only blog. I?m still going to write about what happens in my life, but not everything that happens in my life. In all seriousness...
Referrals
2009-01-06 15:57:00 To start 2009, I thought I would share real searches, generally from Google and Yahoo, that people used to find and visit Sean?s RamblingsHow do I return a movie to Redbox?I know this is difficult so here are detailed instructions. Go to your nearest ATM, insert your debit card and enter your pin number. Select deposit and then place your Redbox movie into the deposit slot. That?s it!What year did burritos start?1998. There were no burritos before that year.Daniel Sepulveda girlfriendIf she has a strong leg, perhaps she could punt against the Chargers on Sunday.bathrooms on the fairfax connector busesThat?s cute.Evgeni Malkin fort pitt tunnelOver the past few games, Evgeni Malkin and the Pittsburgh Penguins couldn?t score a goal if the net was as large as the Fort Pitt tunnel.crazy daisy sharm el sheikh egyptSo Daisy of Rock of Love 2 went to Egypt?I hate manipulative people Really? Well, I love manipulative people. Take that!Steeler bohemianI don?t know what this is but I?m ...
Pitt-Georgetown Recap
2009-01-05 15:08:00 Did you know that the Georgetown University had a 28-game winning streak at the Verizon Center? The key word of that sentence is "had" after Pitt ?s impressive 70-54 win on Saturday. Here are my thoughts of the game from my view in Section 404.- When showed on the scoreboard, the national anthem singer looked like a frail, old man, who may not even make it through the song. Well, he quickly proved me wrong by belting out the anthem better than David Cook or David Archuleta ever could.- Speaking of the national anthem, I hate the Baltimore-Washington people who yell "O" during the line "O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave." That is completely disrespectful and tarnishes the national anthem. Stop it!- As for the game itself, DeJuan Blair is the man. I didn?t see the complete stats until I got home, but Blair had 20 points, 17 rebounds and added 3 assists.- I noticed during the game that the Panthers seemed to have few turnovers. I was correct as they only had 8, none ... More About: Recap , Gilbert Brown
Rock of Love 3 Fantasy League
2009-01-02 17:05:00 Fantasy football is over and the baseball doesn't start until late March or early April. Therefore, I need to have some kind of fantasy league to occupy my time. Thankfully, Rock of Love is back with a third season. OK, thankfully may not be the right word, but the third edition of Rock of Love starts this Sunday. So I have created a Rock of Love 3 Fantasy league titled "Why is There a Third Season?" If you are interested in playing and watching this train wreck, please feel free to join. Actually, you don?t even need to watch.To play the game, you select three characters for your team each week and get points based on a list of items including:2 points for getting drunk5 points for refusing to leave the bus1 point for saying ?bitch?4 points for sleeping with Bret-7 points if eliminatedTo view the group, click on this link.To join, click on this link.Good luck and have fun!Update: So Fafarazzi sucks. When someone tries to enter, and I click accept to allow them into the group, ... More About: Fantasy , League
TMI Thursday
2009-01-02 00:04:00 I wasn?t planning on posting today, but since it is Thursday , I figured I would share a quick story. After eating too many dairy products over the past day or two (mmm...cheese) coupled with some alcohol last night, I managed to clog my first toilet of 2009 even with a courtesy flush. Contrary to one person?s opinion, I don?t think that I?m using too much toilet paper.Anyway, on that note, Happy New Year!
2008 Year in Review
2008-12-31 15:39:00 Welcome to my 4th annual year in review, where I take the first line or two of the first entry of each month in order to produce a random and (hopefully) interesting summary of 2008 . January: New Year ?s Day used to be one of the best days of the year as a sports fan. February: Are you just sitting around your home waiting for the game to start?March: Did you know that this week (March 3-9, 2008) is National Procrastination Week?April: In preparing for the upcoming vacation, we thought it might be about time to join the 21st century and purchase a digital camera.May: In addition to more upbeat stories about the economy and the fact that Rev. Jeremiah Wright won?t go away, one of the major news items this week was the Miley Cyrus pictures taken by Annie Leibovitz for Vanity Fair.June: I have watched each of the first four games of the Stanley Cup Finals in a different state.July: What do I have in common with Hillary Clinton? A: Shots of Crown RoyalAugust: So I?m at my fancy Chicago h... More About: Review , Year in Review
What Ever Happened to Jerome Bettis?
2008-12-30 16:13:00 Perhaps you have heard of this former Steelers running back who retired after winning a Super Bowl in his hometown of Detroit. So where is Jerome Bettis now?Even though Bettis has been retired for nearly three years now, he still seems to get mentioned regularly. Over the past few months, Jamal Lewis, Mewelde Moore, Le'Ron McClain, Michael Turner , Brandon Jacobs , LenDale White, and even Tunde Ogun of Division III's Christopher Newport and Frankie Hejduk of the Columbus Crew have all been compared to Bettis.Tennessee Titans' coach Jeff Fisher - Yeah, [Jamal Lewis is] an emotional runner. He's enthusiastic. He is kind of like the old Jerome Bettis where he'll get up after a big play, jump up. Yeah, he's fun to watch. Not fun to play against, but fun to watch.Pats Fan.com after the Patriots lost to the Steelers - Mewelde Moore, filling in for the injured Willie Parker, looked like Jerome Bettis and caused severe tackling problems for the Patriots.ExtremeRavens.com - In my mind,... More About: Charlie Weis , Adrian Peterson
Second Favorite Football Team
2008-12-29 16:16:00 Let?s say that you are forced to cheer for a professional football team other than the team you currently support. Who would you choose? Here are my personal criteria in picking a "second favorite" team:1. They cannot be in the same division as the Pittsburgh Steelers.2. They cannot be the Dallas Cowboys or New England Patriots.3. There has to be some type of personal connection.Based on these factors, if I had to choose a second favorite team, the winner would be the Miami Dolphins . Besides not being in the AFC North and not being the Cowboys or Patriots, the Dolphins certainly meet item #3. Former Dolphins superstar Dan Marino is from Pittsburgh and played for the University of Pittsburgh Panthers. In addition, the Dolphins have had a player from my high school since 1997 (Jason Taylor from 1997-2007 and Lousaka Polite this season). Plus, the always entertaining former Steeler Joey Porter is a current member of the Dolphins. Overall, how can you not support a team that was ... More About: Football , Team , Favorite
Thoughts From Pittsburgh
2008-12-28 16:05:00 - I realize that it is Winter Break, but there should never be kids under 10 at Buffalo Wild Wings at midnight.- Overheard at the Heinz History Center A father and son listening to an audio recording of "Pittsburgh ese" words.Dad: Do you still think I talk funny?Son: Yes- Boo to the McDonalds and Wendy?s in Breezewood for being closed on Christmas. I thought everything in Breezewood was open 365 days a year. Meanwhile, there must have been 200 people at Sheetz.- I?m always amazed by the amount of Steelers jerseys and clothing worn throughout the city. This happens on a daily basis, not just on game days. How were the Steelers only #3 in team loyalty this year? More About: Thoughts
Random Thoughts and Links
2008-12-24 20:56:00 Among the $50 billion Bernard Madoff has lost for investors, today, the Elie Wiesel Foundation announced that it lost over $15 million through Madoff. Wiesel is a Holocaust survivor, Nobel laureate and "created the foundation some 20 years ago to foster international dialogue and youth programs to teach tolerance." Bernard Madoff may be one of the worst people alive.How can Capital One and ESPN call it "Bowl Week" when they show 20 college football bowl games from December 20 through January 2? I guess "Bowl Week" sounds catchier than "Bowls Over a Two-Week Period" or something.Hugging Harold Reynolds celebrates the 36th anniversary of the Immaculate ReceptionThe Washington Post (!) reviewed the 30th anniversary edition of Roy Blount Jr.?s "About Three Bricks Shy?And The Load Filled Up" about the Steelers dynasty.One for the Other Thumb has a special version of Meeting People Is Easy: Steelers Gifts EditionArjewtino is home alone. Finally, the guys at Doubt About It called it a ... More About: Random Thoughts , Random , Links , Thoughts
Fantasy Football Champion
More articles from this author:2008-12-23 20:23:00 I remember my very first fantasy football league. I was a junior in high school, and we really didn?t know what we were doing. There were no fantasy football magazines or websites. I don?t even think there were any websites back then. All of the stats were done by hand. With the #5 pick in the first round, I selected Jerry Rice. The only other players I remember on my team was Wilbur Marshall (we had an individual defensive player) and my starting quarterback, John Friesz of the San Diego Chargers. As you can guess, a team starting Friesz did not win the title. The league was done after one year as half of the participants went off to college. I didn?t play fantasy football again until 2001.Meanwhile, I have been in one fantasy baseball league consistently since 1992 and joined another league over the past few years. This year, I was in three fantasy football leagues, losing in the quarterfinals in my 16-team league after going 10-3 in the regular season and falling in the... More About: Football , Fantasy , Andy Reid , Fantasy Football , Champion 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
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