Showdog Moms & Dads

I stumbled across this Bravo show tonight and within the first minute heard the phrases "teaser bitch" and "plastic vagina." I really hope they were talking about breeding dogs.

Welcome WVU Fans

Welcome to everyone visiting from WVSports.com. For the folks who regularly check this and have no idea what I'm talking about, apparently my blog has been referenced on a Mountaineer Message Board. For people checking this site for the first time, just so you know where I'm coming from, I was born and raised in Pittsburgh and grew up a Pittsburgh Panthers fan (I remember going to Pitt Stadium when I was in Cub Scouts, so that goes back a long way). While I didn't go to Pitt, I have many friends who did. I never liked Penn State athletics, but for some reason (probably Major Harris), I liked WVU. I also attended a camp outside of Morgantown for several years and was able to tour the sports facilities and hang out at Mario's. Plus, I went to the WVU-Miami football game a few years ago, and had a great time at Mountaineer Stadium. Great atmosphere to see a game. With all of this said, I'm still rooting for Pitt in the Backyard Brawl.

As I wrote several times in the last few weeks, the WVU basketball team has been great to watch. How can you not be impressed by a 6'11" center who shoots the three so well? So that's me.

Thanks to Kevin's mom, Tammy Pittsnogle, for checking out the site, and passing on the message to Kevin. He (and the team) have a lot of fans throughout the country, including this Pitt fan.

I'm Sick

I've been lucky in that I haven't been sick all winter. Everyone in my office has been sick at least once, and somehow I made it through. Well that's changed. My nose hasn't stopped running (yes I know, I better catch it), I didn't sleep well last night and I've been sneezing a lot more than I would like. Time for another shot of orange juice.

Anyway, I need to feel better soon since this is a busy week at work, and more importantly, I'm going to Chicago this weekend. I can't let this cold get in the way for my fantasy baseball draft preparation.

Quiet Weekend

Sorry that I haven't posted anything this weekend. It was a great few days for college basketball. I really thought (well hoped) that Villanova was going to beat North Carolina on Friday night. The team I hoped would go all the way lost in a fantastic game last night. Yes, Kevin Pittsnogle and WVU are officially out. I didn't follow WVU that closely throughout the year, but it seems like they could have played Pittsnogle and D'or Fischer together last night. Everyone knows Pittsnogle (well, at least they should) and he had a huge game with 25 points. D'or Fischer also plays center and is a great shot blocker and rebounder. He could have helped when it seemed like Louisville got easy lay-ups and offensive rebounds in the second half. I guess it's 20/20 hindsight. It was still a great game.

Spring Break Locust Attack

During last night's TV coverage of the NCAA Tournament, I saw a promo about a CBS TV Movie coming in April. The title: Locusts. On its website, CBS has a 5-second preview of the movie with buzzing and the tagline, "If you can hear the buzz, it's too late." Through a little research, I found out the Lucy Lawless of Xena fame will be the star (and a bigger name than the OC girl in Spring Break Shark Attack). For the record, I knew nothing about the Locusts movie when I wrote on Monday, "I'm surprised there wasn't a movie last spring about the cicadas attacking the earth." I guess someone last spring DID think about this.

My brother, who obviously did not see SBSA, asked if the point of the movie was to show hot women in bathing suits. While the obvious answer may be yes, it showed women AND men in bathing suits and on Spring Break. But the movie (well, at least the part that I saw before I went to sleep), was much more than that. It was about relationships (father/daughter; outcast type guy/girl; "evil" guy drugging girl/girl; shark/people).

However, with CBS now having the locusts movie, I think they are doing more than showing women in bathing suits and going with the disaster-style movie. CBS is going for the ten plagues! There's no way they could redo Charlton Heston and The Ten Commandments. They needed individual movies starting to help with rating. CBS started with SBSA (the first plague is the water of the Nile turning to blood) and now are onto Locusts (the eighth plague). My guess is they will base the Darkness plague on New York's blackout. My one flaw (yes, one!) in my case is I'm not sure where the Elvis movie fits in.

Kevin Pittsnogle Update

If you missed last night's West Virginia-Texas Tech game, Pittsnogle had 22 points in leading WVU to victory. During the last few minutes, WVU seemed to do everything to lose (two shot clock violations and another turnover), but they held on thanks in part to clutch free throw shooting by, who else, Mr. Pittsnogle. WVU now has a tough match-up tomorrow against Louisville in an all-Big East regional final.

As far as my quest to hear from Kevin himself, there is a lead (although it may be not much of one). I received an anonymous comment in an entry from earlier this week, that said "I forwarded this to Kevin, Can't promise anything though." This probably doesn't mean much...but maybe it does!

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

I know it doesn’t happen very often, but I want to talk politics. Last Wednesday, the Senate voted 51-49 to allow for oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). Before I talk a little bit about this vote, I don’t understand why there has been so little coverage and discussion about this. I know ANWR is not as exciting or dramatic as Terri Schiavo or the Michael Jackson trial. I also realize that just because the Senate approved the drilling, it’s not a done deal (I don’t know what has to happen, but I think the House has to vote). Anyway, this seems like a major issue that being somewhat ignored.

While I don’t call myself an environmentalist, I recycle when I can and I know (like everyone else) that it’s not good when an oil tanker crashes and the oil spills into the ocean. With that said, it seems like there are some things/places that people should just leave alone. That’s what I think about ANWR. It’s not an area where people are going to move and build condos. It’s good for certain types of habitat and wildlife, and is probably one of the few areas left that is virtually untouched by people. Why not keep it that way?

I know the answer for to this question is oil. We went to war against Iraq (the first time) for oil so this would be a much better fight, at least morally and ethically. The argument for drilling is this will reduce America's dependence on foreign oil. There is a good argument against this by Stephen Haycox, a professor of history at the University of Alaska Anchorage. He points out that there is no guarantee that the oil will be sold in America. He writes that if a tanker-load of oil on the high seas can be purchased and routed to an American refinery more cheaply than a tanker-load from Alaska, especially if there is a ready purchaser at a good price in Asia for the Alaska tanker, the oil company will do what's best for them.

Would the new oil help lower the cost of gas? Doubtful.

The Senate (and decision-makers as a whole) should be spending more time working on alternative sources of fuel and conservation efforts. Start by closing the SUV loophole in the fuel efficiency requirements and that could save more oil than ANWR may produce. Check Dan's March 19th entry for a more articulate discussion about this topic.


If you made it this far, congratulations and thank you. I'll go back to discussing Kevin Pittsnogle and Spring Break Shark Attack tomorrow.

Chuck Bell Got Robbed

Chuck Bell was eliminated today from the Sports Guy Intern Search on ESPN.com. In a six-person voting committee, Chuck lost the tie-breaker and was eliminated. Chuck made the final seven out of thousands of applicants. While Chuck will not join the A-list of famous IC folks (Gavin McLeaod, David Boreanaz, Jessica Savitch and Rod Serling - taught at IC), I think his accomplishment puts him in the B-List category joining CCH Pounder (ER and The Shield), Ricki Lake and Gavin DeGraw (who I just learned attended IC briefly).

Deleted Entry

I just wrote and deleted a three-paragraph story about my former job (which included a wonderful DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince reference). If you know me, and would like to hear the story, please let me know. Even though I was somewhat vague in my references, it's probably not the best idea to post it.

If you are interested in the Jazzy Jeff/Fresh Prince reference, here it is (and I'll call it my lyric of the week):

To make this long story short, short. When the cops pulled me over I was scared as hell. I said I don't have a license, but I drive very well, officer.

Chuck Bell/Sports Guy Intern Search

After a few week hiatus for NCAA Tournament, the Sports Guy intern search on ESPN.com is back. The seven finalists (including the Ramblings' pick, Chuck Bell) were asked what current NBA or WNBA player would you select to share a cell with if you were sentenced to life in prison. The guest judge for this round is Chuck Klosterman author of "Fargo Rock City" (which I am currently reading) and "Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs" (very good book).

Check out the responses here. We'll find out on Thursday whether or not Chuck advances.

Dear Pittsnogle Family & Friends:

I want to thank you for visiting my little corner of the web. I have had more hits in the past two days than in any other time since I started this. And it's partly due to the many Google searches of Kevin Pittsnogle. Therefore, I am on a mission to get a response from Kevin Pittsnogle himself. I know he's busy with that whole NCAA Tournament thing (plus classes), but after the season, I'd love to hear from him. Pittsnogle is just fun to say, but it's more than that. There is a huge fan base of Pittsnogle fans throughout the country. And I count myself as one of them. There's just something fascinating about a 6'10" center that hits threes as well as he can can. And it looks so natural, unlike Manute Bol's three-point shots from back in the day. Anyway this is my new mission. Kevin and WVU, good luck on Thursday against Texas Tech, and know that you have the support of Sean's Ramblings and possibly Gobo.

TV Update

I may be revealing a little too much about myself the last few days. While I am proud to say I watched the Animaniacs, and I enjoyed the Shark Attack Spring Break movie last night (more on that below), I am embarrassed that I am currently watching Still Standing (I think that's the name of the show) with Jami Gertz and the heavier guy from the Full Monty. Not a very good show, but I need some background noise. Anyway, Ben Savage is a guest star tonight. He's gained some weight. That's my observation. Maybe I'm just going through NCAA Tournament withdrawal. I can't wait until Thursday to watch WVU and Kevin Pittsnogle.

Back to Spring Break Shark Attack. I turned it off about an hour in because I needed to go to sleep. It was really funny, but I don't think it was supposed to be. I'm kind of curious to see how it ended. My guess is that the OC girl and the guy she liked (the "outsider" character) survived and lived happily ever after. The OC girl, who went to Spring Break without telling her overprotective and mean father, probably made up with him. Same with her brother, who was the shark researcher. Either that or the Dad was eaten by a shark while saving his kids. Oh and Kathy Baker and the other adult guy probably survived and got married.

Anyway, this seems like it could be the trend in TV movies. Last year, NBC had a movie where a giant earthquake (I think) made California an island and many people died. I'm suprised there wasn't a movie last spring about the cicadas attacking the earth. I guess they already did an asteroid hitting the earth movie.

Best TV Movie Ever

Congratulations to CBS! They showed hundreds of commercials over the past few days for Spring Break Shark Attack, and it paid off. I'm sucked into this. First, a great opening with four women drinking martinis on a raft. Not a boat, but a raft. Of course, the shark(s) got them. For the past 30 minutes, the sharks haven't been involved because they are focusing on people (the so-called plot). The dialogue is fantastic. Such classic lines as "Hey, how you doing? Want to hook up?" and "This could be my Everest" and finally "What happens at Spring Break, stays at Spring Break." Always good when there are only two adults in the entire movie. Oh, the main character just got drugged by the creepy guy who said that she would be his Everest. The plot thickens! High comedy all-around, although I don't think it's supposed to be funny.

NCAA Tourney

Congrats to WVU for beating Wake Forest in double OT. Even though it's unlikely, I'm pulling for the Mountaineers to go all the way. Not a good day for the ACC. Besides Wake's loss, Boston College also lost to Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Saturday Recap

First, I know there are some Syracuse fans and grads who read this. I hope that you're all doing OK after the SU loss to Vermont. If it makes you feel better (which I'm sure it won't), lacrosse season has started.

On to Saturday...I woke up around 5:30 this morning. Way too early for any day, but especially on a Saturday. I was scheduled to referee four soccer games: 7:00, 7:50, 8:35 & 9:20. Only one team showed up for each of the first two games so they were forfeited. While it's nice that I'll get paid for those games, I would much rather have had the extra hour and a half of sleep.

After lunch and running some errands, I did something this afternoon that I never do anymore, take a nap. I love naps! The days of nap time on blue mats have been gone for decades. In college, I would come back to my room after class, and fall asleep while watching Animaniacs before waking up for dinner. Unfortunately, I would sometimes wake up to the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers on TV. Anyway, when I'm running the country, I propose nap time everyday. Siestas for all!

If Dinosaurs Lived Today

When a first grade class was asked what they would if they found a dinosaur egg, a student replied that she would wait for the egg to hatch and then sign it up for ballet.

Like we did in elementary school, let's share. What would you do if you found a dinosaur egg? I would probably sell it on EBay.

Do I Need a Title?

- Why is CBS constantly showing the wife of Nevada's head coach? It's not like she's the only person rooting for Nevada in a close game.

- I don’t understand how a woman is like a McDonald's McGriddle.

- We're going to see A LOT of promos for the made-for-TV movie "Elvis" over the next few weeks.

- Speaking of made-for-TV movie commercials, visit Gobo’s blog to see his thoughts of Spring Break Shark Attack.

- During breaks in today's Congressional steroid hearings, did some of the Members talk to Rafael Palmeiro about Viagra?

- John Stamos is so dreamy.

- I'm really debating whether or not to bid on the Louis Lipps jersey on EBay. The pros: There are currently no bids and I like Louis Lipps. The cons: an XL jersey is going to be way too big and if I buy it, I'll have Lipps across my back.

Pitt Fall

As I wrote earlier, I didn't watch it and wasn't able to follow it for more than a few minutes. I have not seen any highlights of the game and there is only one article (by the AP) about the game on the major sports and Post-Gazette websites. So I'm left with that article and the box score. Although Krauser had a huge scoring game, he only had 4 assists. As a team, Pitt only had 10 assists and lost the rebounding battle. I didn't see Pacific play all year, but I knew that they only had 3 losses and beat Providence in last year's tournament with almost everyone coming back this year. I figured Pitt would win if they dominated inside. By looking at the rebounding numbers, that didn't happen. And as in most of Pitt's losses this year, Pacific hit a lot of three-pointers.

So what happens to Pitt now? I don't see Chevy Troutman making it to the NBA, but he could play internationally or as a Tight End in the NFL. Chris Taft and Carl Krauser may both go to the NBA. If Taft and Krauser both leave, Pitt will have a major "rebuilding" year next year.

Difficult Decision

I'm torn. Should I watch the NCAA Tournament tonight or ABC's new show Jake in Progress staring John Stamos?

NCAA Tournament/Jake in Progress?
NCAA Tournament/Jake in Progress?
NCAA Tournament/Jake in Progress?

Truly March Madness

I have agreed to ref some soccer games on Saturday. Not a big deal. The madness? The first game starts at 7:00am. I don't drink coffee, but if I did, would it be unprofessional to ref while carrying and drinking a cup of coffee? Probably.

More madness? Because of multiple meetings and that darn work thing getting in the way, I have barely been able to follow the NCAA Tournament today. It's probably good that I wasn't able to watch the Pitt loss to Pacific (the university not the time zone or ocean).

Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone!

More Kevin Pittsnogle

Welcome to everyone who has done internet searches for Kevin Pittsnogle. There have been at least ten of you. Please feel free to look through the blog and come back as often as you would like. While I am a Pitt fan, I have always liked WVU, probably because I went to a summer camp in Morgantown. I hope that Mr. Kevin Pittsnogle and WVU make a deep run into the NCAA Tournament, but lose to Pitt in the Elite 8.

And Kevin Pittsnogle, if you're reading this, can you please lighten up on Pitt a little bit next year.

Damn the broccoli, damn you and damn the Wright brothers!

This is the only quote I can remember from the Family Guy. Lois (the mother) tries to feed Stewie (the baby) broccoli and wants him to open up for the airplane. This was his reply.

This was also my reaction when I found out when Pitt is playing...Thursday afternoon at 12:40. Damn CBS, damn the NCAA, and damn Boise! I could be mistaken but I believe Boise is in the Mountain Time Zone, meaning this game is going to start at 10:40am local time. That's way too early for a basketball game.

Of course, I have an 11:00 meeting which will probably turn into a lunch meeting. I'm guessing I will miss the entire first half and have to rely on internet updates for the second half.

For 2006, I am taking off work for Groundhog's Day and the first Thursday and Friday of the NCAA Tournament

Extremely Random Thoughts

- Is there a published schedule anywhere of what time NCAA Tournaments games are being played on Thursday and Friday? I would like to know if I can watch the Pitt game or if I have to try and follow it at work courtesy of internet updates.

- Where do squirrels go at night? Do they cohabitate?

- After weeks of there always being college basketball games on TV, it seems odd that there are no games on TV tonight.

- I wish there was a list of songs I have heard the most in my life. I figure Happy Birthday is probably at or near the top of the list. I have a feeling that I've heard the Celine Dion Titanic song way too much. I think the Simpsons theme song would be in the Top 5. Maybe a Billy Joel or Neil Diamond song?

- A song that is probably climbing my wish-were-true list is Snap's The Power. Great song from around 1990. While hearing the song in the commercial for the movie Bruce Almighty was fine, I seem to have heard the song in car, and worse, diaper commercials over the past few months. A diaper commercial?!?!

Madness of March

As most of you already know, my all-time favorite team is the Steelers. I rarely miss watching a game. There is nothing like playoff baseball when your team is involved (Pirates in 1990-1992 and the Padres in 1997). There is also a great feeling of Opening Day. The hope that this is the year for your team and the unofficial start of spring. I cannot turn away from a Penguins playoff game, especially during the four and five overtime games over the past 15 years.

But my favorite sports time of year, even when Pitt or other teams I pull for are not involved, is the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament, the third Thursday through Sunday of March. There is nothing like 48 basketball games in 4 days where each team knows that if they lose, the season is over. There are always numerous buzzer-beaters and upsets. Essentially, this is reality TV at its best. So even though I feel that Pitt should have been a higher seed (they have a very difficult draw), I can't wait until Thursday. I would just rather be home or out watching the games on Thursday and Friday afternoon instead of being at work.

The Bourne Smarter Than Your Average Bear

I don't know why Robert Ludlum named the second book in the Bourne series The Bourne Supremacy rather than my suggested title. I'm currently about half way through the book. Two notes about the book. First, early in the book is a character named Yao Ming. This book was written in the 80s, so I'm sure the author was not referencing the 7'6" basketball player. However, I keep picturing Yao as the basketball player or as a cartoon on The Simpsons (he was a guest star during the post-Super Bowl episode). Second, the only similarities between the book and the movie are the title and the fact that the main character's name is Jason Bourne. That's it.

I should finish this book in the next week, and am probably going to wait a while before I start The Bourne Ultimatum. I might try The Da Vinci Code. Any other book suggestions?

Kevin Pittsnogle

Is there a better name in college basketball than WVU's Kevin Pittsnogle? Pittsnogle...It just roles off the tongue.

I Wish I Was a Little Bit Taller

Not only is the title the lyric of the week (courtesy of Skee-lo's 1995 hit "I Wish"), but it is also the subject of a radio commercial I heard today. There is a company called HeightMax, which produces a height enhancing supplement. The product is only 12-25 year-olds, so my dream of becoming 5'8" is going to have to wait. I don't know how safe or healthy this is, but wouldn't college and pro basketball players want to take this? When Congress is done with the baseball-steroid hearings, maybe they can investigate this.

Mating Pandas?

National Zoo officials say that it appears that the pandas (Mei Xiang & Tian Tian) will be ready to start mating within the next three days. Apparently this is the only opportunity each year to conceive a panda baby. The zoo has a Pandacam (make sure you scroll down) where you can watch the pandas. If the act actually does occur, there is a chance the video could be disturbing for the younger folks out there. What really is disturbing is the music/noise in the background. It sounds really creepy.

Big News on Mount Soledad

This may only be relevant to people who are living in or have been to San Diego, but the San Diego City Council voted that the giant cross on Mount Soledad must be removed. For those of you not familiar with Mount Soledad, it is the place with the best view of San Diego. Good job San Diego City Council! Plus the president of the Mount Soledad Memorial Association, which built and maintains the cross, seems to be in favor of moving the cross. This seems like win-win all-around, although I know there are a lot of people who are really upset by this.

Know Your States

Are you bored and looking for an educational activity that can take several minutes? Try to Place The State. This is much harder than it looks, especially when you are placing your first few states. I "borrowed" this activity from Andy's Blog.

Son sues dad over Steelers tickets

This article by Rebekah Scott is on the Post-Gazette's website, and I've included it below. I'm sure family gatherings are fun!

There's that special, sacred bond between a father and his son. And then there's Steelers season tickets.

According to a lawsuit filed today in Westmoreland County court, Cranberry resident Daniel Lemke paid his father Herbert of Murrysville $1,920 for his Steelers "seat licenses" in August 2003.

But according to Daniel, his dad never handed over the tickets. Dad intends to sell his seats to someone else for more money, the son says.

Daniel Lemke doesn't want his money back. He wants seats 2 and 3 in Row D, Section 142, at Heinz Field next fall.

"[The seats] are unique and have a special value to the plaintiff," the suit alleges, "for which he cannot obtain a duplicate on the open market."

Daniel Lemke wants the judge to enforce the exchange and make his father pay for his attorney fees, too. When contacted today he said only it's a private family matter and he has no comment. The elder Lemke could not be reached for comment.

Chuck Bell Survives & Advances

Isn't that what it's all about at this time of year? I have been posting information about Chuck's progress in ESPN's The Sports Guy Intern Contest the last few weeks. Chuck even made a guest appearance/comment right here on this blog. Tonight (actually earlier this evening but I didn't check out ESPN.com until recently), Chuck made it through Round 4 and is one of only seven finalists remaining. On behalf of friends, students and alumni of Ithaca College everywhere, I hope Chuck can join the ranks of famous Ithacans like Rikki Lake, David Boreanaz and of course, Love Boat's Captain Stubing, Gavin MacLeod!

I Need a New Jersey

With Kendrell Bell signing with the Kansas City Chiefs today, I need to buy a new Steelers jersey. I have had no success with my Steelers jerseys lately. In the late-90s, I had a choice of buying a Kordell Stewart or Jerome Bettis jersey. You can probably guess what I got. After Bell won AFC Defensive Player of the Year, I got his jersey. He's been hurt most of the last 3 years. So where do I go from here? Should I buy a new jersey of Hines Ward, Big Ben, someone else or should I go with a classic Steeler (John Stallworth, Mean Joe Greene, etc.)?

In another Steelers move today, they signed wide receiver Cedrick Wilson. I like the move, especially since the Steelers weren't going to pay the amount that Plaxico wants.

It's Getting Hot in Here

Darn it! I missed the first 20 minutes of the first episode of the Real World/Road Rules The Inferno 2. All I know is that the Miz is back and Coral doesn't seem to be there. There's no way she can have a real job. She's a professional Real World/Road Rules Challenge person. Fortunately, since MTV never plays videos anymore, I'm sure I will catch the entire episode in reruns.

Um, I mean, how about those NFL pre-draft workouts?

Wanted: Hamburger Helper Rice Oriental

In my mission to use this blog for good, not evil, I am on a mission to find Betty Crocker's Hamburger Helper - Rice Oriental flavor. My dad is a huge fan of this Hamburger Helper variety, but they don't sell it in Pittsburgh anymore. Actually, they really don't sell it anywhere anymore. Whenever he goes on vacation, he visits the local grocery store, partially looking the Rice Oriental Hamburger Helper. My brother and I have helped him a little over the years. In 1997 on a cross-country road trip, we found and bought several boxes in Tulsa, Oklahoma. On my honeymoon last summer, we found some in Skagway, Alaska.

I am calling out to anyone reading this. Please let me know if there is Hamburger Helper Rice Oriental at your grocery store. I will pay for the boxes and shipping, but contact me before you buy it. This is a late birthday/early Father's Day gift.

Thank you for your support.

Update February 2008: I still receive numerous hits from people searching for Rice Oriental Hamburger Helper. If you are searching for it, I've put together a list of places where it is available (with links) here.

Sunday Ramblings

- I like Hootie & the Blowfish and thought they had some really good songs in the 90s. Are things that bad that Hootie (aka Darius Rucker) now dresses up as a cowboy and sings in a Burger King commercial?

- From the "I feel old" department, I got recertified as a soccer ref over the weekend. I first got certified in 1990. Some of the people in the recertification class were probably in diapers or not even born when I first got certified.

- From the "I feel young" department, I saw Sideways last night. Very good flick, and I feel like I should go to a winery ASAP. I was also happy to see that Lowell from Wings got some work. The ONLY downside was we were by far the youngest people in the audience.

- O-H...I-O. Big win for Ohio State against #1-ranked and previously unbeaten Illinois today in college basketball. It was a great basketball day. #3 Kentucky lost to Florida, #2 Carolina beat #6 Duke and #7 Kansas lost to Missouri.

- Lyric of the week: "Come together all over the world From the hoods of Japan, Harajuku girls" - Rich Girl by Gwen Stefani featuring Eve. Although I was not a big fan initially of remaking Fiddler on the Roof, this song is definitely growing on me.

The Sports Guy Intern Contest - Elite Eleven

Congrats to Chuck Bell for advancing to Round 4 of The Sports Guy Intern Contest on ESPN.com. I've been writing about the intern contest over the past few weeks because A) The Sports Guy is one of my favorite columnists (I go to his homepage on ESPN nearly everyday and B) I knew Chuck from college, he's a good guy and I'm pulling for him.

I am writing this post at 2:17AM, and I'm not tired. I could be in trouble on Monday morning if I'm not tired again tomorrow night.

It's Still Winter, Right?

I wrote about the weather in the DC area a few times over the past week because we had several inches of snow, although less than what was expected. Even though the weather is nice today, there is still snow on the ground. Between the snow still on the ground and the fact that it's still winter, you would think (OK, I would think) that there would be sweaters at Kohl's. There were none, although shorts and bathing suits were available. I'm sure Kohl's is not alone. If I go to any other store, they probably won't have sweaters either. This just doesn't seem right.

Sean = Football Coaching Genius?

Definitely not for real football, but I am doing very well as the coach of the Miami University RedHawks in EA Sports' NCAA Football 2005. In my first two seasons, I am 21-6 with a MAC title and two bowl wins. I was rewarded a 6-year contract extension and turned down coaching jobs at Michigan and Oregon State because I wanted to see if I could win a National Championship or at least go to a BCS Bowl game with players I recruited. Yes, this is an XBox game and it's a nice way to unwind after work. Anyway, the Big 10 invited me and Miami to join the conference. So for this upcoming season (that I'm sure will start over the weekend), I will face Ohio State, Penn State, etc.

You may be asking (well, probably not), how can the Big 10 add another team? The answer: they kicked out Michigan State, who is now in the MAC (and projected to finish 6th in the conference). There is no chance this would ever happen in real life. Miami has 14,000 undergrads compared to 40,000 at Michigan State. There's the history and tradition of MSU football (Plaxico Burress) and especially basketball. However, Miami was the home of Ben Roethlisberger, so maybe this is a good move! :)

POP vs. Soda vs. Coke

My sister-in-law sent me this fantastic map of the most popular term used for pop (or soft drink, cola, etc.) for every county in the U.S. I'm sad to say that I live in a predominantly green/olive state.

Congrats Nats!

I almost forgot...congratulations to the Washington Nationals baseball team on their first win! They defeated the Mets 5-3 yesterday in an exhibition game.

Magically Delicious

In my bowl of Lucky Charms yesterday morning, there were almost no marshmallows. I was worried that General Mills was cutting back. I was all set to call the General to see what was going on. Even though I didn't contact them, the General and Lucky Charms leprechaun must have sensed my concern as there were plenty of marshmallows this morning. Little things like this can really set a tone for the day.

Battle of the American Bands

The Florida Times Union in Jacksonville has a 64-band bracket for the greatest American band. I haven't done a thorough look at this, but my brother pointed out that Boston and Kansas are missing and I would include the Foo Fighters. I have a problem with some of the seeding. How can the Doors or CCR be a #1 seed over Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band? Bon Jovi an 11 seed while J Giles Band is a 9? Creed a 12-seed (they shouldn't be in this) while Green Day is a 14?

Final Weather Post (Hopefully)

It's nice to know that other people living in the DC area can make fun of people's reaction to (or threat of) snow. From today's Washington Post...

To: All ActionEyewitnessTVNews Personnel

From: News director

Subj: Snow coverage.

Folks: Just wanted to offer a few reminders about how our TV station covers snowfall in the Washington area:

1. We mobilize "full team coverage" whenever snow is predicted, is falling or has fallen. We also do it if snow might fall. Or if it happens to be January, February or March.

2. Backdrop graphics: Before it snows, the sign on screen should read, "Snow on the Way?" If we get 1 to 2 inches, it's "Snow Emergency!" Three to 7 inches: "Killer Storm!" Anything more, we run with "Avalanches, Cannibalism Feared."

3. Anchors: Use dramatic verbs, even for minimal snow totals. Bad: "The region received a dusting today." Better: "Snow paralyzed/pummeled/blasted/buried the Washington area today." Better still: "Armageddon."

4. Reporting locales: The overpass. The city salt hut. The big-box hardware store. The supermarket (remember: Any market in which three shoppers are buying milk, bread or toilet paper simultaneously constitutes "panic buying").

5. Interview subjects: Anyone out walking or driving in snow. (Required question: "You're walking/driving . . . in THIS weather?") Cute kids home from school. The first guy to buy a shovel at Home Depot.

6. Best winter-weather footage, in terms of ratings: a) Car/bus failing to climb icy hill; b) More impressive snowfall somewhere else; c) Two cars skidding into each other (will accept video of this occurring ANYWHERE in U.S.).

7. Advice to weather forecasters: "Snow" is a terribly overused word. Instead, use weathery sounding words such as "precip" or "wintry mix." When in doubt, fall back on "the white stuff."

8. As soon as the snow stops, go with new graphic: "Winter Wonderland!"

And never admit we got the forecast wrong. Bundle up!

-- Paul Farhi