While I've written dozens of Celebrities in PittsburghGear posts over the years, this might be the first time that the celebrity is
actually a member of a Pittsburgh sports team. GQ published an article and
photo shoot of Pirates star Paul Skenes and his more-famous girlfriend Livvy Dunne. And in
one picture, Skenes is wearing his own jersey.
I'm also curious what Skenes is eating for (presumably)
breakfast in this picture. Is it one type of cereal or two? Does he eat cereal
without milk?
Forget about Wednesday's 4-2 Pirates win where Skenes pitched 7 innings
giving up only 1 unearned run and 3 hits with no walks and 6 strikeouts. The
Pirates and baseball media really need to ask Skenes about his breakfast eating
habits!
I started this blog in January
2005, and the Washington Nationals moved from Montreal and played their first
home games at RFK Stadium nearly three months later. While I will always
consider myself to be a Pittsburgh sports fan, I have attended dozens of Nats
games over the last 20 years including the Max Scherzer near perfect game / no-hitter and Stephen Strasburg's debut. I think I have some Nats credentials here. Therefore, in addition, to my annual Pirates predictions blog post, I decided to create a Nationals predictions blog post
this year. I reached out to a variety of people, and I think you'll enjoy their
thoughts. Here's the starting lineup.
Well, different starting lineup.
Ryan Clary: Host of the Locked on Nationals podcast and producer of Grant & Danny on 106.7 The Fan. (Twitter)
Frank Hanrahan: WTOP sports
reported and fellow Ithaca College graduate (Twitter)
Sean: Author of Sean’s Ramblings
which you’re reading right now. Still hoping for media credentials to cover a
game at Nats Park someday. (Blue Sky)
There are also some special guest participants at the end of this post.
1. There are high expectations for
2023 #2 overall pick Dylan Crews. What do you expect from him this season?
Ryan: I expect Dylan Crews to be a
very impactful defender in right field. He’ll establish himself as one of the
best defensive right fielders in baseball, that’s one of my bold takes. I think
offensively he will have a middle of the road season, with some highs and lows
throughout the season. He’ll have to learn how to hit the off speed/ breaking
pitches.
Frank: I would expect Crews to be
the every day right fielder for the Nats and be a real threat at the top of the
lineup as well as put some pressure on the defense with his base stealing
ability. Team needs a spark plug like him.
John: You always worry about
lofty, rookie of the year type expectations. Just ask Jackson Holliday
last year. But the experience Crews got last year will definitely serve
him well. If he wins Rookie of the Year, then great, though that award
isn’t often indicative of stardom. At 23 you just hope for a solid
year. If he’s simply “good” this year – say .270 and 15-20 homers – then
you have to feel great. But with young guys who have amazing tools, I
hesitate to get too specific because you never know when it’ll actually
click. The Nats will feel great if that’s this year, but if you have to
wait a year to see him explode, that’s fine too.
Richard: It will be interesting to
see Crews at the Major League level all season. I am expecting big things from
him and a breakout year and will live up to all the hype that has been
placed on the rookie. However, he will fall short in ROY voting, but it will be
fun to watch for Nationals fans.
Chris:.265, 15 HR, 70 RBI if he
plays the full year. Which is great!
Marc: I really think that Crews is
going to win Rookie of the Year in the NL. Yes, Roki Sasaki brings high
pedigree, but Crews already has MLB experience. Additionally, I think Crews has
played really well during Spring Training and done a great job of hitting the
play to RF with authority. I can clearly see him going 20/20 this year.
Andrew: Big things - 30+ homers, 90+ RBIs. Breakout year.
Sean: Solid season and finishes with
15+ home runs and 20+ stolen bases. (Not quite a 20/20 season.) Finishes top 3
in the NL rookie of the year voting.
2. Who will lead
the Nationals in home runs in 2025?
Ryan: James Wood will lead the team
with 30 homeruns in 2025.
Frank: I think James Wood is going
to have a breakout season and lead the team in homers.
John: Does CJ Abrams take another
leap this year and club the crap out of the ball? On a team lacking a
consistently menacing threat – unless Crews takes that big leap this season –
it is probably Abrams.
Richard: I predict James Wood will
lead the Nationals in home runs this season.
Chris: Wood. (I hope).
Marc: I think that James Wood will
lead the team in homers. He nearly led the team in homers last year despite
only being called up in July, so he is the obvious pick. I could also see
someone like Josh Bell or Nate Lowe leading in HRs though.
Andrew: Crews
Sean: James Wood with at least 25.
3. Will the Nationals be
buyers or sellers at the trade deadline?
Ryan: I think we will be on the
fence. I don’t see us selling anyone big outside of Kyle Finnegan, but I also
don’t see us moving off of any prospects. I think we stay put for the most
part.
Frank: Nationals will be cheap
as they usually are and be sellers at the trade deadline.
John: This is a team that has to be
sellers again. They have a few talented pieces for a future playoff run,
but not nearly enough just yet. That said, how many guys look like
someone who will fetch you a big return? Though with what relief pitching
commands near the trade deadline, get a dominant arm or two in the pen and you
might get a couple dudes who can be pieces in 2027 or so.
Richard: Sellers
Chris: Still sellers. One more
year!
Marc: I don't think that Nats will
be buyers or sellers actually. I think they will stand pat or flip some of
their veteran players on expiring contracts, if anything. Players like Jorge
Lopez, Kyle Finnegan, Amed Rosario and Mike Soroka are all trade candidates if
the team decides to sell. That being said, I doubt Rizzo will want to sell
based on the last few deadlines.
Andrew: Sellers
Sean: Sellers. Josh Bell will
continue of streak of getting traded for the 17th straight season.
4. Will CJ Abrams go to a casino
this season? (Sean’s
note: CJ Abrams was essentially suspended near the end of the 2024 season for
apparently spending all night at a casino. It was a big deal. With that
written, I probably should have asked this question differently. At least one
person didn’t participate in this prediction post because of this question.)
Ryan: No, CJ and the team has out
that in the rear view mirror and we are all good on that front.
Frank: CJ Abrams better be
attending gamblers anonymous meetings and not even thinking about heading back
to a casino.
John: Bet you no one cares as long
as he’s hitting…
Richard: I just wanted to let you
know that I won't be able to answer this question.
Chris: GOD I HOPE NOT
Marc: CJ is going to silence a lot
of doubters this season. I have been really pleased with his answers to
everything from the press so far have demonstrated he is past the issue.
Whether he actually goes to a casino, I am not sure. Maybe he does, but it
likely will not be as late with a game the next afternoon or in the public eye.
Andrew: No
Sean: I feel like CJ and the
Nationals probably have some type of agreement stating that he can’t go to a
casino.
5. Who will be the team's
surprise/breakout player this year?
Ryan: I think your surprise
breakout will be Jose Ferrer, I think he will be the best bullpen piece that we
have and he could look to make his first All-Star game. He’s got all the goods
to be an elite arm for the next decade plus.
Frank: Opening day starter McKenzie
Gore showed flashes last season as being a pretty solid major league starter
but I expect Gore to take a bigger step with a bigger role and dare I say a
near 20 game winner.
John: I’m going to say James Wood,
not necessarily a huge surprise, but I think he blows up this year.
That’s also partly because a buddy of mine coached him in high school, but he
put up good numbers at a young age and as he gets older, you figure he’s only
going to get better. Him and Crews together in the outfield can be really
special. Maybe not this season, but pretty soon.
Richard: Honestly, this player
isn't in the lineup just yet.
Chris: Wood. I am also a Jacob
Young guy.
Marc: A surprise/breakout player,
for me, is two fold. Offensively, I think that Jacob Young is going to the next
steps to be a contributor outside of his blazing speed and defense. He put on
some muscle this offseason and has done well in ST. On the mound, I think that
three pitchers will break out. The first is Jake Irvin, who already broke out
to a certain extent in the first half last season, but really fell off in the
second half. If he limits the home runs, he can be one of the best pitchers in
the starting rotation. Another one I think will break out is Mitchell Parker. I
really like his stuff from the left side and he has a year of big league
experience under his belt already. The third one is Jose A. Ferrer. He is a
lefty that throws a 100 mph sinker. How much more needs to be said? I think
that Ferrer can become the closer by the end of the season if the Nats trade
Finnegan. If nothing else, he will be a strong relief option for the back end
of the bullpen.
Andrew: Not sure he's a surprise but Crews will breakout bigtime this year.
Sean: Pitcher Brad Lord. The Nationals
bullpen has been an adventure for years. Maybe the rookie can bring some
stability. More importantly, lots of potential nicknames. Lord of the Bullpen. Sith
Lord. Lunch Lord (for any Girls5eva fans).
6. Which Nats Summer Concert are
you looking forward to the most: O.A.R., Natasha Bedingfield, Nelly, Sam
Hunt, Ja Rule/Ashanti, or Riley Green (who is apparently not the Detroit
Tigers' outfielder)?
Ryan: Gotta be Nelly! Nelly has
some big hits so I’m excited for him.
Frank: Sam Hunt is a concert I
would stay after to watch. I am a deep undercover country fan and Hunt has some
bangers!
John: My heart says OAR, but you
gotta have a little nostalgia for Nelly too. What’s happening now?!
Richard: O.A.R. Shattered.
Duh!!
Chris: Uh, this is not exactly a
murderer’s row of music. Ja Rule probably.
Marc: For the concerts, I am
excited for Sam Hunt and Nelly. I am a country music fan so those names are the
ones I am most interested in.
Andrew: OAR
Sean: I asked this question to my
oldest son who replied Nelly. If we go, I hope he plays Hot In Herre.
7. Finally, what's your overall
prediction for the Nationals? (ex. record, finish in the NL East)
Ryan: I think the Nats finish
78-84. The NL East will be too tough for them to break .500 but they will be a
sneaky decent team and will be a hard out. Young, fun, scrappy team.
Frank: In 2025, the Nationals will
win 70 games as the cheap rebuild continues and they will finish fourth in the
NL East. I need a reason to watch this team and hopefully Crews, Wood or Abrams
will play well enough to make the Nats summer time appointment viewing.
John: Thanks to the eternal
ineptitude, or apathy, of the Miami Marlins, the Nationals figure to
be solidly in fourth place in the division. If Crews has a monster year
this season, maybe they threaten for third, but I think there’s a wide
disparity between them and the contenders that have much higher expectations in
the division. This Nats team could be a bit scrappy sometimes, a definite
pain in the butt for opposing pitchers if you have to play them enough, but
it’s hard to win 8-7 every game. And with a pitching staff that still
seems anonymous and lacking for the most part, it’s hard to envision them being
better than a mediocre team this year. But I also say that as an Orioles
fan who knows teams can come out of nowhere faster than you think. So if
I’m wrong, well, I won’t be surprised. But from out here my expectations
aren’t very high.
Richard: I predict the Nationals finish
a couple of games over .500 and will be third in the division.
Chris: 3rd in NL behind Mets and
Braves, 81-81.
Marc: Predictions: I think the Nats
finish somewhere between the range of 75-85 wins. In my most optimistic
opinion, I think the young core can lead the team to a Wild Card berth, much
like the O's in 2023. Conversely, this core has yet to play a full season together
and relying on a team that has an average age in the late 20s is a risk. The
lack of veteran leaders like Jayson Werth/Scherzer can easily hurt this team in
a maturity standpoint. It is easy for me to look at the NL East and say they
will finish in 4th, but I genuinely think one of ATL/NYM/PHI will falter and,
if the Nats play well, they can finish in 3rd. Every season, a team
overperforms and a team underperforms. Who says that team to overperform can't
be the Nats?
Andrew: Finish 4th in the NL East
Sean: 75 wins. Slight improvement
from last season, but they can’t compete with the Mets, Braves, and Phillies.
BONUS PREDICTIONS:
You may know Mike Ploger as the in-game host for Nationals and Capitals games (as well as being a realtor). While he was unable to provide predictions based on his role in the organization, he shared that the Nationals will go 162-0 and a World Series (with a winking smiley face emoji). (Sean's note: Since the Nationals lost on Thursday, I will amend Mike's prediction to the team going 161-1 and a World Series!) (Instagram)
Caroline, the lead vocalist and guitarist, for the DC-area band Cinema Hearts also shared this:
I'm just proud to say I was a Nats fan since they started in 2005. My only prediction is I hope everyone has a great summer watching baseball and that I will one day sing in the stadium!
Thanks to everyone for participating. Please feel free to leave your own predictions in the comments below.
Photo Credits:
Dylan Crews by Geoff Burke-USA Today
CJ Abrams by G Fiume-Getty
Nelly by John Amis-AP
Cinema Hearts from their Instagram page by Natania Krebs.
Baseball season starts this week, so it's time for my annual Pirates post where I ask a group of people for their season predictions. While I probably write this every year, I think it's true that this year includes the best group of participants since I started doing these posts. So with that, I'm proud to introduce the panelists.
Nubyjas Wilborn – Pirates fans will
remember Nubyjas for covering the Pirates for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette a few
years ago. He currently covers the Tennessee Titans for SI. (Twitter) James Santelli – The biggest Pitt
women’s volleyball fan you’ll ever meet! (Blue Sky)
Ethan Hullihen – Arguably the best
person to follow on Twitter for Pirates payroll and transactions. (Twitter)
Josh Croyle – Author of Josh’s World and always up for participating in any of my silly or not silly
predictions posts. (Blue Sky) Jim Lokay – Pittsburgh born and
bred and FOX 5 DC anchor. (Blue Sky) Noah Hiles – Pirates beat writer
for the Post-Gazette. (Twitter) Jim Rosati – You know him from NorthShore Nine podcast (Twitter) Saxboy – Puts together incredible
Pirate-related (and other) videos. (Twitter) 1986-1992 Pirates – The best place
on the internet to find pictures, videos, and more of the 86-92 Pirates. (Blue Sky)
1.Let's start with the biggest star
on the team and one of the biggest in baseball. What do you expect from Paul
Skenes this season? Nubyjas: Paul Skenes is one of
those rare athletes that I’d happily pay to watch even if it means filling Bob
Nutting’s wallet. 😀 But seriously he’s a special talent who if he
stays healthy can be a perennial CY Young candidate. I expect a great season. James: It appears that anything
less than a Cy Young Award and the Pirates' first no-hitter in 28 years
(and first solo no-hitter in 49 years) would be a disappointment. Is it fair to
actually expect those from Skenes? Why not! I would say the sky's the limit,
but his limit may put him out of Earth's orbit. Ethan: It wouldn’t be fair to
expect MORE than what Skenes provided last year. Sure, it’s certainly
possible—and maybe even likely—I’m just saying we shouldn’t expect it.
With this season being his first full campaign, I can’t imagine the team
totally lets the reins off quite yet. Other than that, nothing would really
surprise me, but again, just don’t expect it. Young pitching is fleeting. Josh: Fan expectations are insanely
high, everyone seems to think he will go 28-0 with at least ten no-hitters. I
do not think he will be quite that good. I am thinking 14-7, 2.97 ERA, finishes
top five in Cy Young. Jim L.: He'll dominate once again
-- maybe not ASG starter stuff that early on, but there's no reason to think
he'll regress. Noah: The sky's the limit for
Skenes. I think it's reasonable to predict he will be well in the mix for this
year's National League Cy Young. I personally think he wins the award after
leading baseball in ERA and strikeouts. Jim R.: I'm not sure it’s fair to
expect to see what he did last year, but I do expect him to be one of the best
pitchers in the NL this season. Let’s go with something like 15-5 with a 2.55
ERA and he finishes 2nd in Cy Young voting. 1992: It’s going to be difficult
for Skenes to top such an incredible rookie season. But he’s a student of the
game and he’s aiming to do just that. In that vein, Skenes has been tinkering
with a couple new pitches this spring in an effort to try and induce contact so
he can lower his pitch count and thus go deeper into games. I think this
approach and adjustment will cause him to take somewhat of a “step back”
because the movement on his pitches is just too good. It’s simply hard for
hitters to make contact on him. I think he needs to double down on what he does
best, go for the strikeout and make batters try and miss his pitches. He’s also
going to be without his personal catcher Yasmani Grandal. In 2024, Skenes for
the most part allowed more base runners and ran up high pitch counts in his
first few innings of starts, but then locked in and became much more efficient
as the game progressed. Grandal had a knack of working with Paul to make
adjustments during the 2nd and 3rd time through the order. Don’t get me wrong,
Skenes is still going to have a very good season. I can envision him with an
ERA in the low 3’s, 14 wins, and 250 strikeouts in over 30 starts this season.
Andrew: Huge season. 15+ wins, over 1K/IP, flirts with a no-hitter at least 1-2 times. Cy Young candidate.
2. Who will lead the Pirates in
home runs in 2025? (Sean’s Note: My pick of Jack Suwinski in 2024 was so bad
that I disqualified myself from participating in this year’s predictions.) Nubyjas: While he’s not a power
hitter I will pick Bryan Reynolds because he at least makes consistent contact.
I’d love for O’Neil Cruz or Ke’Bryan Hayes to prove me wrong. James: I'll call for Bryan Reynolds
with the first 30-homer season of his career. Let's get him one before he gets
to the sorry end of the age curve. Ethan: Not much of a choice
here—the smart money is either on Bryan Reynolds or Oneil Cruz. I’m going with
Cruz, and let’s say somewhere between 25 and 30. Josh: Bryan Reynolds is a safe pick
with just 23 HRs. Jim L.: Bryan Reynolds? Noah: I will go with Oneil Cruz. If
I have to pick a number, I will guess 33. Jim R.: Gonna have to go with Cruz.
Hoping the move to CF can allow him to just go out there and play ball. 1992: Obvious answer is Oneil Cruz.
He has the most raw power on the club. But I do not believe he is going to go
up there swinging for the fences every time like he did the first
season-and-a-half of his career. He’s going to be focused more on putting the
ball in play, and getting productive outs. He’ll have a higher batting average
but that’s going to limit his homers to 28.
Andrew: Ke'Bryan Hayes
3.Will Derek Shelton be fired as
the Pirates manager during the season, fired after the season, or be
the team's manager in 2026? Nubyjas: If you would’ve asked me
this before the Jared Jones news I would’ve said no because I believe the
Pirates pitching would’ve overcame deficiencies in hitting. But. If Jones is
out for a significant time period it could get ugly. James: Unless he can get the Bucs
over .500 and in contention when the Steelers are playing games that
matter, nope, he's toast. I'll predict he gets the axe in mid-September and Don
Kelly takes over. Ethan: I’m not sure those making
the decision are the type that would make such a move during the season, but I
don’t think the club is going to be good enough (see below) to be considered to
have taken the next step, so let’s say Shelton goes after the season. Josh: No, I think he is fired
before the end of the season.
Jim L.: There's a difference
between being the manager of a bad team and the manager of an underperforming
team. It's not his fault that Nutting doesn't give him what he needs to win,
but it's easier to fire a manager than it is to admit fault (or sell the team.)
So, I think he's safe this year. Next year? That's anyone's guess. Noah: I don't think Derek Shelton
will be fired this season, but I also don't think he will be the manager next
year. Jim R.: Fired. 1992: I like Derek Shelton the
person but don’t believe he is the right manager to lead them to the playoffs.
I just believe after 5 years of losing the team needs a different voice. That
said, this is an organization that is painfully slow to make changes. Only a
complete dumpster fire would cost people jobs (see 2019 season with
embarrassing arrests and clubhouse fights). I believe the club will show enough
improvement that Derek will keep his job and be back in 2026.
Andrew: Manager in 2026. This is a step forward year for the Pirates.
4.Will Paul Skenes and Livvy Dunne
get engaged in 2025? Nubyjas: Sure. Why not? James: Yes, aboard the Gateway
Clipper Fleet. But not on the Princess or the Duchess. Oh, no. It's gotta
be the Empress. Ethan: I really couldn’t care less
about social media “stardom”, so I’ll just say I hope those kids are happy. And
if I had to bet…I’m going with no. Josh: Yes Jim L.: I don't care. Noah: No idea. Probably not. Jim R.: No 1992: Yes, my guess is it will
happen after the season concludes, around the holidays in 2025 before the new
year.
Andrew: 2025 offseason.
5. Who is your surprise/breakout
player for the Pirates this season? Nubyjas: Ji Hawn Bae if for no
other reason than it’s time for him to show and prove or move on. James: Call me naïve, but I'm
still a believer in Henry Davis. There's something in the bat that I can't
shake. And when Endy or Bart gets hurt, because a catcher always gets hurt, I
think Davis will seize the moment and put some punch into the lineup this
summer. Ethan: This really isn’t my kind of
thing, like at all, so I’m not sure my answer matters. I would be willing to
bet Oneil Cruz would be the popular pick, so I’ll try and come up with someone
different. I’ll say that Kyle Nicolas comes up after some bullpen glut gets
sorted through, finds some control, and becomes a big contributor to the
bullpen. Josh: Bubba Chandler...I think he
comes up early and has a solid year, perhaps finishing in the top 3 for ROY Jim L.: I'm pulling for Spencer
Horowitz. Noah: I will go with Kyle Nicolas.
I expect him to have a really good year out of the bullpen. Jim R.: I hope there’s a few, but
let’s go with Nick Yorke. 1992: Someone from the bullpen.
Let’s go with Kyle Nicolas. People have been raving about his stuff for a long
time, and he is good friends with Skenes and Jones. I think their mentality and
preparation will rub off on him, and I could see Kyle emerging to be a solid
8th inning guy on a team that desperately needs a lockdown bullpen after last
year’s disasters.
Andrew: Ke'Bryan Hayes
6. Will any of the Dodgers, Mets, and Braves NOT make the playoffs?
Nubyjas: Too much would have to go
wrong for the Dodgers to miss the playoffs. Hell, they were without Freddie
Freeman and Mookie Betts yet had no problem smoking the Cubs in Japan. If
anything the NL East gauntlet could eliminate either the Braves or Mets because
the Phils are a good team and the Marlins can catch you slipping. James: Hmm let's go with the Mets
missing out. If one of Lindor or Soto gets hurt or has a protracted slump,
things could really get interesting -- especially since the Braves are a more
complete team in that division. Ethan: Injuries are already
creeping up on both the Mets and Braves already, but in the end, I’d say it’s
more likely than not all three make it. However, I’d say the Mets have the
worst chance. Josh: Yes, the Braves miss out this
year Jim L.: MLB is broken. They all
SHOULD because they spend the money, but somehow, I think the Mets revert to
their old ways and vastly underperform this year and miss the postseason. Noah: The Mets will miss the
playoffs. Not enough pitching.
Jim R.: No 1992: The NL East is loaded. The NL
West is loaded. Outside the division winners, your wild cards will come from
those 2 divisions. I could see the Mets missing the playoffs, and the other
wild card going to Arizona who just missed out last year.
Andrew: Braves won't 7. What's your overall prediction
for the Pirates? (Record, finish in the NL Central, etc.) Nubyjas: My prediction is pain.
It’s hard to see this team finishing higher than third in the Central which is
a shame considering how weak the division seems to be this season. Pirates will
finish sub .500 again. James: 77-84 (Some
game against the Nationals or the Reds late in the season gets rained out
with no re-scheduling), which still winds up being good enough for 3rd place in
the NL Central. Maybe I'm just pessimistic because I'm making predictions right
after word that Jared Jones is having elbow trouble -- but that news only
illustrates how many things must go right, and how little can go wrong, for the
2025 Pirates to be a playoff contender. I'll note that I was two
wins on the optimistic side last year with a 78-84 prediction.
Ethan: As anyone reading this
hopefully knows, I’m really not one for bloviating or
prognosticating, so thanks for bearing with me (I couldn’t even get one numbers
question?!). Personally, I don’t think the team is going to be very good—they
weren’t very good last year, and didn’t do a ton to get much better. Internal
improvement is their only hope, and the list of “if such and such goes right,
they may have a chance” can only get so long before there actually isn’t one.
Ultimately, I’m not sure they finish above .500, so let’s go with 80-82.
Josh: 74-88...4th place.
Jim L.: 4th place. 78-84. If they
open strong as they've done in the past, it'll be short-lived. If they start
off sluggish, they'll only turn it around enough to skirt .500. I'm sorry, I
want this team to win but I'm just numb to the lack of commitment by the ownership.
Noah: I think the Pirates will
finish 82-80. They will remain in wild card contention until the final weeks of
September, but ultimately run out of gas down the final stretch.
Jim R.: 76-86, 4th place
1992: I think the team will show
enough improvement to keep management’s jobs safe but will fall short of the
playoffs and .500. They’ll be in “contention” for that last Wild card spot in
September but fade down the stretch. My prediction is 4th place, 80-82.
A few weeks ago, I mentioned that I was going on an overnight campout with my 5th grade son, Pedro Tulo (and that I would not survive a zombie apocalypse). Well, that campout happened. And this post is proof that I survived. A lot happened to get to this point/post.
Pedro Tulo and his Cub Scout den recently graduated (bridged is the technical term) and the leaders organized a campout as a celebration of this accomplishment. In the days leading up to the event, I received "helpful" text messages such as:
The forecast is calling for the temperature to go down to 32 Saturday night...I have worn my down puffer in my sleeping bag in a pinch.
And
While this isn't THAT cold for camping, it's possible that water in your bottles may begin to freeze in the early hours tomorrow. For this reason, it is preferable to have bottles that can be tightly sealed so that you can keep them in your sleeping bag to stay warm.
There were supposed to be 10 kids on the campout. The numbers on Saturday quickly dwindled. One kid had the flu. Another was out due to allergies/lack of energy. Another didn't give a reason (at least in the text chain). One dad wrote that they were having plumbing issues at their home and would arrive late. But would they? After meeting at the campground parking lot, we (6 kids and 6 adults) started our hike up to the site with all of our gear. About 2/3rds of the way there, one kid who had been sick but really wanted to attend vomited. They turned around and went home. It was starting to turn into Hunger Games! (Without the whole districts and teenage death thing. Oh, sorry. Spoiler!)
Once we got to the site, things were fine. There was a nice space for the tent.
We used pit toilets.
We boiled and filtered water.
We ate, um, gourmet meals.
Oh, a big one. We didn't see any bears.
The family with plumbing problems joined us. All was good. Except for the sleep part. I fell asleep before 10:00 and woke up in the middle of the night. When I checked my phone to see the time, I discovered that it was only 11:05 PM. That was it?!? I woke up several more times to put on more clothing layers, to use the bathroom, because my back hurt, or from Pedro Tulo waking me up. I finally got up around 7:30. 10:00-7:30 would be an incredible night of sleep except for the whole waking up at least a half dozen times.
Oh, this was Pedro Tulo just before he woke up.
Overall, we had a great time. At night, we had clear skies to see beautiful views of stars and satellites. I really do enjoy hikes and eating by a campfire. I can just do without tents and sleeping on the ground.
Want to feel old? NSYNC's Bye, Bye, Bye peaked at #4 on the Billboard chart for the week of April 15th, 2000, or 25 years ago next month. Now that we got that out of the way, NSYNC's Chris Kirkpatrick attended the Pittsburgh Penguins-Vegas Golden Knights game in Pittsburgh on Tuesday evening. Naturally, Kirkpatrick wore some Penguins gear to PPG Paints Arena.
If you want to know more about his Pens fandom, please check out this YouTube short from the Penguins organization and this interview with Taylor Haase of DK Pittsburgh Sports.
40% of NSYNC has now been featured on this blog for wearing Pittsburgh gear. (Thanks Joey!) Your turn Justin, Lance, and JC!
I was inspired to start Sean's Ramblings after reading blogs by several friends. My friend Dan was the author of one of these blogs and had a regular feature titled What Really Grinds My Gears after the TV show Family Guy. Well, I have a perfect example of this today.
Late in 2022, three friends and I purchased tickets to see Bruce Springsteen for approximately $200 per ticket. Why there was a television show called Who’s the Boss? and the answer wasn’t Springsteen is one of life’s greatest mysteries. Anyway, the concert was scheduled for summer 2023. It was postponed several weeks because of an illness and then postponed again to September 2024. By the time the concert date arrived, two of my friends were no longer to attend.
So I did what any other logical person would do with two extra tickets. I posted them on Ticketmaster and sold them. While I can't find the exact amount of the sale, I made some money even after refunding my friends for their tickets. Of course, Ticketmaster being Ticketmaster, they took a cut of the sale. Yes, Ticketmaster charged a rather significant fee to buy the tickets and took even more money from me selling the same tickets.
A few weeks ago, I received a 1099-K form from Ticketmaster/Live Nation. While I'm not an accountant or tax professional and I don't play one on the internet (or TV), apparently, this counts as income that needs to be reported on my tax return. Even better is that the amount on the form is the total amount of sale. The original cost of the ticket and the fees taken out for selling the tickets by Ticketmaster are not part of the equation. Ticketmaster is the worst.
You've seen the movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off, right? Matthew Broderick takes a day off school and lives it up in Chicago by going to a Cubs game, visiting the Art Institute of Chicago, eating at a fancy restaurant, and leading songs in a parade. I hope that these aren't spoilers from a nearly 40 year-old movie. This is also a somewhat poor summary if you haven't seen the movie. I think it's safe to write that Ferris had a great day. That's not a spoiler either.
Recently, I took a day off of work. Did I tour Washington DC by attending a Capitals or Wizards game, eat at a fancy restaurant, or lead the Cherry Blossom Festival parade (which is still a few weeks away) like Ferris Bueller? Not quite. Here's what I did to celebrate:
- Took my car in for an oil change and state inspection.
- Played pickleball where I was one of the younger people in attendance. Do not underestimate any of the other players. They all play regularly and are assassins. When I told my 13 year-old the probable age of many people there, he boasted that he could easily beat them. Not a chance. They would destroy him.
- Picked up paperwork from the pediatrician.
- Took my 13 year-old to the dentist.
- Went to Costco.
Oh, I also cut my toe nails.
Yep, I am really living the dream. I also suspect that this is what my life is going to look like when I retire!
I recently watched The Last of Us which aired on HBO. If you're not familiar with the show, it's based on a video game where a mass fungal infection causes people to turn into zombies. I mean, it's slightly more complicated, but that's the general premise. The show starts with the beginning of the pandemic and mostly focuses on several years later in a post-apocalyptic world where Pedro Pascal's character transports a teenage girl across the country. Hilarity ensues! (Spoiler: While there are some amusing scenes and the chemistry between Pascal and Bella Ramsey is fantastic, hilarity does not ensue.) I was really disappointed by the show's ending until I found out that there's a season two coming out. Knowing that the show didn't end where it did makes more sense.
Pedro Tulo is about to finish his time as a Cub Scout. Boy Scouts is right around the corner, and while the kids are largely responsible for their own activities there, parents really do the bulk of the planning in Cub Scouts. This helps explain my work in adding the wheels to Pedro Tulo's pinewood derby car.
Amazingly, the wheels stayed intact during the three heats of the race. Pedro Tulo didn't win (or place or show), but the car didn't fall apart on the track. I count that as a win.
In the next few weeks, Pedro Tulo's Cub Scouts den is going to go on one final campout. I wrote about our previous camping experiences here and here. For this one, we don't have the luxury of a car nearby. After parking, we will walk a mile with all of our gear to the campsite. That's not really a problem depending on how much we need to carry. We also won't have the luxury of plumbing and potable water. The campsite has pit toilets, which I don't believe I ever used. Regarding water, one of the parents mentioned that we'll simply have to boil water or use iodine tablets. Sure. I just have a bag of iodine tablets sitting around. Look, I don't need a fancy hotel, but potable water and plumbing doesn't seem like an extravagant ask.
What it comes down to is that I'm not very handy and have little to no outdoor/camping/survival skills. If there is a zombie apocalypse, I will not turn into Pedro Pascal's character. I'll be one of the first ones eaten or bit or whatever.
There is a
recent Verizon commercial that shares one of my biggest fears: my cell phone
not working when I need it most.
The purpose of
the commercial is to let consumers know that they can trade in any phone in any
condition. That's not what I get from it. What I see is the reason I still
use paper tickets for boarding passes at the airport. If I could still use paper
tickets for sporting events or concerts, I would do so. I hate the moment
when I have to scan my phone to get into a venue. I worry that it's not going
to work and that I spent lots of money only to be stuck outside. Fortunately,
that hasn't happened yet, but I worry it will.
So thanks
Verizon for encouraging me to never use my phone for a boarding pass!
I like to think that I'm up-to-date on pop culture. Somewhat through my kids, I know most of the current pop hits. When a friend posted on Facebook recently that his son predicted that Dua Lipa would perform at the next Super Bowl halftime show and the friend admitted that he had no idea "who or what is dualipa," I replied by naming several of her biggest songs that he had probably heard. While I don't watch many movies, I'm generally aware of those with the biggest box office numbers. I also follow sports and television rather closely.
Now that I got that out of the way, let's show how unaware I am. My kids watched the NBA All-Star celebrity game the other night. Here are the rosters:
From this list, I know the three country singers, Walker Hayes (he sang the Applebees song), Shaboozey (from Northern Virginia and singer of Tipsy), and Mickey Guyton (can't name any of her songs but she's performed the national anthem at several major sporting events). Matt Barnes and Baron Davis both played in the NBA, and Terrell Owens is a Hall-of-Fame wide receiver. From there, I know that Noah Kahan is a singer, Kai Cenat is a YouTuber my kids like, and I think that Oliver Stark was a character on Game of Thrones. While there were a couple Olympians in this group that I probably watched last summer, I don't know more than half of these celebrities. How many do you know? Or am I just old and out of touch?
I'm writing
about women's college basketball today and specifically about the George Mason
University team. (I'm sure you figured that out by the title.) The boys and I
attended a game in January where The Moose and Luigi both caught T-shirts
thrown to the crowd after the Patriots made threes, and Pedro Tulo participated
in an on-court challenge where he raced another kid in putting on a giant
basketball jersey, shorts, and shoes before attempting a shot. Although Pedro Tulo
lost, he also got a T-shirt for his efforts. Mason won by 20, and the kids had
a great time. Based on the
kids' schedules since winter break ended, we haven't been able to attend a
George Mason men's or women's game until Sunday. We didn't realize this until
we arrived, but Sunday was Mason's annual Pink game in support of breast cancer
awareness. Mason wore these incredibly cool black and pink uniforms.
Many people in the crowd wore pink as did the entire Mason coaching staff. I was and still am extremely impressed by Graduate Assistant Riley Childs who was on the floor passing basketballs to the team during warmups while wearing huge pink heels. Awesome.
The game itself was very competitive. The University of Massachusetts has a solid team and an impressive freshman point guard Yahmani McKayle. She is my favorite type of player. A fast point guard who passes well and finishes around the basket. While she can make threes (she shoots 40% from 3), she's more effective driving the basket and either dishing the ball to a teammate or making shots around much taller players. While I'm probably dating myself, she reminded me of Damon Stoudamire or Nick Van Exel. She finished with 21 points and 8 rebounds.
Possibly my new favorite player in all of sports is Mason senior guard Paula Suarez from Pamplona, Spain. She is what college sports, especially basketball, used to be all about. This is her fourth year at Mason, and she has improved in nearly every category each season. Plus, she did this.
At a stop in play but not during a timeout, Suarez just casually walked over towards the UMass bench to listen to the opposing coach give instructions to his players. I love the look McKayle gives her (might need to zoom in)! She's Mason's point guard and truly leads the offense. It also helps that Suarez scored 34 points with 12 assists in the two games we saw her play.
George Mason is in an interesting position. The team is 23-3 and 13-2 in conference after winning 76-66 over UMass. You would think that would be enough to be an NCAA tournament team, but the current projections have them as one of the first teams out. The Atlantic-10 conference is fascinating. Despite that conference record and winning 11 straight games, Mason is behind Richmond, who is 22-5 with a 13-1 conference record and a 12-game winning streak. Saint Joseph's just lost to Richmond and is now 11-3 in conference with a 20-5 record. In my book (yes, I have a book), all three should make the tournament. Mason plays Saint Joseph's next week. What makes things more complicated is that Mason's leading scorer, Kennedy Harris, is injured and has barely played the last few weeks. However, between Suarez and Nekhu Mitchell (pictured above) and Louis Volker having career highs on Sunday, I like their chances.
Photo of Mitchell and the Mason uniforms by Rafael Suanes/GMU
Welcome to Sean's Ramblings! If you're looking for thoughts on pop culture, music, fun and informative links, random DC and Pittsburgh info, sports (particularly Pittsburgh sports), and just what's going on in my life, then you're come to the right place.
Any questions, comments or links? Contact me at seanramblings[at]yahoo[dot]com.
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