Friday Links

Before I share some great links below, I wanted to share this e-mail I received from Caralyn of Pittsburgh's Heinz History Center.

In celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Immaculate Reception, the History Center has begun a "Francoing" photo contest. Y'know, like, Tebowing, but more secular and easier on the knees.

Fans can submit photos of themselves Francoing via Facebook, Twitter or Instragram. One winner will receive a prize package that includes 2 tickets to the Steelers vs. Bengals game; a behind-the-scenes tour of the Gridiron Glory: The Best of the Pro Football Hall of Fame exhibition; a VIP experience at the History Center's “Immaculate Reception Memories” event; and VIP privileges at the Immaculate Reception monument unveiling at Heinz Field. So far we've already received photos from Machu Picchu, Aruba, Prague, and Seattle – but we'd love to see more of Steelers Nation have a shot at this great prize — and participate in honoring the greatest play in NFL history.

Go to the History Center's Facebook page for more information.

On to the links:

An oral history of Cheers. [GQ]

With college majors in theater and dance, why not a major in sports for athletes? [Chronicle of Higher Education]

Neal Coolong, the terrific writer at Behind the Steel Curtain, compares the naming of Steelers wide receiver Mike Wallace as a co-starter to his first assignment as a journalist with co-coaches. [Behind the Steel Curtain]

An incredible gallery of vintage pictures of Joe Namath, the pride of Beaver Falls, PA. [Kissing Suzy Kolber]

A day in the life of a Pittsburgh columnist. [Dejan Kovacevic's Blog]

Tim Grierson & Will Leitch list the top 28 Steven Spielberg films. He's made a ton of good movies. [Vulture]

This will happen to you if you don't recycle in Canada: [h/t Puck Daddy]



Enjoy your Friday and weekend!

My Conversation With Kordell Stewart

Twitter is great sometimes. In this case, Twitter allows me, your above-average blog writer guy, to directly interact with former Steelers QB Kordell Stewart. Enjoy this fascinating conversation:

Did Kordell spend all if his NFL money already? RT @kslash10 What's score of the Steelers game? Out of the loot

— Sean's Ramblings (@seansramblings) November 25, 2012

@seansramblings meant to say LOOP.....money's good brotha. Moneys real good..

— Kordell Stewart (@KSlash10) November 25, 2012

@kslash10 Good to hear!

— Sean's Ramblings (@seansramblings) November 25, 2012

Sure, I figured that Stewart meant loop, but I thought it was funny to point out the typo.

The next day, my wife was watching the Real Housewives of Atlanta, and I noticed that a guy that looked like Kordell Stewart was on the show. Here's another fascinating conversation:

Me: Is that Kordell Stewart?
My Wife: Yes.
Me: I had a conversation with him on Twitter yesterday.
My Wife: (no reply...long silence...apparently not impressed by my interaction with Kordell)
My Wife: How long did he play for the Steelers?
Me: About seven years. (He actually played for 8 years.)

It turns out that Kordell Stewart's wife is one of the Real Housewives of Atlanta. I guess Kordell's money truly is real good!

Update:

Kordell Stewart liked my blog post. I knew there was a good reason why I still have his jersey!

@seansramblings good article. More funny than anything. The wife not knowing was hilarious.

— Kordell Stewart (@KSlash10) November 28, 2012

Tuesday Videos & A Message From Andrew McCutchen

This video might look like a normal relay race as part of the halftime activities of this weekend's Southampton-Newcastle game, but stay to the end if you like laughing at the misfortunes of others.



This actually reminded me of a Pittsburgh Penguins game I attended years ago where they had people in sumo suits play hockey on ice between periods. I think I fell out of my seat laughing so hard.

(h/t Deadspin)

While this is an absolutely incredible goal by Zlatan Ibrahimovic of Sweden against England, why include music when listening to the announcers and crowd should be enough.



h/t Dejan Kovacevic

Finally, Pittsburgh Pirates OF Andrew McCutchen is excited that Mr. Brame (a friend of Sean's Ramblings) found his wife's car keys. Please take 45 seconds to read the story and hear McCutchen's message.

Where In The World Is Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala?

Watching Sunday's Pittsburgh Steelers game was not a fun experience unless you are a Cleveland Browns fan, I guess. Even in that case, are you really happy about your team's 3-8 record after going 18-46 the past four seasons? At least you have a "young" team led by a rookie 29 year-old QB.

Getting back to the Steelers, if you enjoy watching a professional team have eight turnovers in one game, then perhaps you did enjoy seeing the Steelers on Sunday. The fact that all four Steelers running backs lost a fumble may be unprecedented in NFL history. With the running backs struggling and likely a lack of confidence among the group, may I suggest bringing back fan favorite Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala?



Sure, Fuamatu-Ma'afala hasn't played professional football since 2004, but in 227 career rushing attempts and 43 receptions, Fuamatu-Ma'afala never lost a fumble. Plus, it's fun saying and writing Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala! Even if he can't play professionally anymore (though at 35, Fuamatu-Ma'afala is younger than Charlie Batch), could he at least come back to give a motivational speech to the team?

Curious as to what Fuamatu-Ma'afala is up to these days? After conducting a thorough internet search, I found that Steelers.com published this article last year about Fuamatu-Ma'afala:

What are you currently doing?
Working with youth sports for the U.S. Army on the bases in Hawaii. They have three bases on the Island of Oahu and we run all of the youth sports programs. We work with kids ages 3-17 and try to counsel them about their parents being deployed.

What is the fondest memory from your playing career?
It would be being in the locker room, hanging out with the guys and getting ready for the games. That is what I miss the most.

What was your best game?
My best moment was a game when we played Cleveland. I was doing special teams. Amos (Zereoue) was doing third down. We had the two-minute drill. Amos got hurt and I had to go in for him on the last drive to go ahead and help us win the game. I guess that would be my best moment.

What made playing for the Steelers special?
It’s very family-oriented. The organization from top to bottom respects everybody. When I went to Jacksonville it didn’t feel the same. Everybody says the same when they leave Pittsburgh. This will always be my second home. It was a great experience.

Teammates you were closest to during your playing days?
Kimo von Oelhoffen, Levon Kirkland…there were so many friendships with all of those guys.

Teammate who was the biggest character?
Earl Holmes. He was off the chain. He is a funny guy. I heard he is doing good coaching in college now. I am happy for him.

Do you still keep in touch with former teammates?
I do. I talk to Troy Edwards a lot. It’s fun talking and sharing old stories with the guys.

Do you still follow the Steelers and if so, how closely?
I do always. In Hawaii, nobody remembers me playing for the Jaguars. Everything was all about Pittsburgh. I am glad it’s like that. I want to be remembered as a Steeler.

Free Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala!

Sean's Week 12 NFL Picks

Happy Sunday everyone! After going 7-7 again last week, I am now 79-76-4 on the season through 11 weeks. Although I went 1-2 on picking games on Thursday, I went 4-0 on eating Thanksgiving deserts! Here are my picks for week 12:

Go Steelers and enjoy a special Charlie Batch Thanksgiving weekend!

Picture courtesy of Benstonium.

2012 Thanksgiving Message

On this Thanksgiving, I wanted to share this message for you and your family:

Love to eat the turkey
At the table
I once saw a movie
With Betty Grable

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Why Is Louis Lipps Wearing Zubaz Pants?

The Pittsburgh Steelers celebrated their 80th anniversary over the weekend by inviting former players to Heinz Field. Fifteen Steeler greats, including multiple Hall of Famers, posed for this picture prior to the Steelers-Ravens game.

While everyone in the picture is wearing jeans or black pants, #83 wide receiver Louis Lipps, one of my favorite players of all time, decided to make a fashion statement by wearing black and gold Zubaz pants. I don't understand this decision. While I guess the pants match the hat and jersey, why did Lipps feel like these pants were appropriate for this (or any other) gathering?

Regardless, I'll still wear my Louis Lipps jersey this Sunday.

Photo from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

Trivia Tuesday: Picture Edition

It has been several weeks since I received any comments on this blog. It has also been more than several weeks since my last Trivia Tuesday. Since there might be some correlation here, I thought it was time to bring back Trivia Tuesday. Please answer the questions based on the picture below.

As always, please leave your answers in the comments section below and do not use the internet for assistance. Good luck!

This quiz is courtesy of the fine folks at Pub Stumpers.

Sean's Week 11 NFL Picks

After going 7-7 in week 10, I'm still over .500 on the season with an overall record of 72-69-4. Hooray for me! Let's see how I do this week.

Enjoy the games!

How Do You Become A Socialite?

Perhaps you watch the news and have seen the multiple stories about the David Petraeus affair. With the election over and the media apparently finished covering the Hurricane Sandy clean-up efforts, the Petraeus story currently leads every newscast and appears on most newspapers' front pages. One of the key figures in this story is Jill Kelley described as a "Tampa socialite." My question (if you couldn't tell by the title) is how does one achieve the socialite status? Are there male socialites? Regardless, consider this my application to the members of the socialite board to become a socialite. Here are my qualifications:

- I am an avid reader often reading nearly a dozen books each day. I'm happy to discuss the merits and flaws of The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Dr. Seuss's ABC: An Amazing Alphabet Book any time.

- I still write a blog. How quaint!

- I am a certified soccer referee. If this doesn't qualify me to join the socialite community, I don't know what does. (And I clearly don't know what does.)

- I regularly fall asleep on the couch, often as early as 9:30 or 10:00. Maybe I shouldn't include this in my application.

- Every socialite needs some trivia in their lives, right? Well, I just so happen to attend trivia nights several times per month.

- The socialite community certainly needs fantasy football leagues. I am a commissioner of one league and participate in several other leagues, so I would be the perfect fit. Plus, my teams this year are mediocre (or worse) so this could help boost the self-esteem of others in the league.

- If being a good cook is a requirement, I could be out; however, I make a mean spinach pasta dish topped with feta cheese. (Note to self: Need to make the spinach pasta meal topped with feta cheese.)

Overall, the socialite community might need some good PR, and including me as a socialite would be a good step in making this happen.

I look forward to hearing from Ms. Kelley or any of the Real Housewives on my application. Thank you.

The Damon Thibodeaux Story

This is a bit of a departure from the usual tone of my blog (basically, it's a serious post instead of, well, everything else I write), but I wanted to share this true story about Damon Thibodeaux, a Louisiana death-row inmate who was recently exonerated after spending 15 years in prison. Let KARE-11 TV in Minneapolis explain:

There's also more information about Damon in this Washington Post article and this video from WDSU in New Orleans. I don't have any specific message; I'm just trying to spread the word about this case and Damon himself. Besides the videos and articles above, I encourage you to check out this website about Damon Thibodeaux. Thank you.

Steelers-Chefs Recap

The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs Monday night 16-13 in an ugly overtime game. Instead of showing highlights or writing about Ben Roethlisberger's injury, check out Chef Gordon Ramsay getting crushed in a charity soccer game. With the exception of Mike Wallace's touchdown catch, this was just as entertaining as anything that happened in last night's game.



I'm very impressed that every sentence of this post (including this one) ends with the word game.

Sean's Week 10 NFL Picks

After an incredible 11-3 week, I'm now over .500 with an overall record of 65-62-4. Maybe I finally know what I'm doing. Of course, in that case, you can disregard the Jacksonville pick from Thursday night.

Here are my week 10 NFL picks:

Have a great Sunday (& Monday night)!

Verizon Text Message Rant

I was in Colorado the past few days, and while I'll write about the trip soon (including a review of the movie showed on the airplane, Step Up Revolution), I need to share this text message I received from Verizon:

MSG USAGE ALERT: # ending XX29 used abt 50% of its MSG allowance for the bill ending on the 7th. Monitor at vzw.com. As of 11/05 06:49 AM EST. FREE MSG

Now this type of message isn't unusual and is quite helpful in letting you know if you are approaching your monthly text message allowance. However, please note the time of this message, 6:49 AM. Since I was in Colorado, I actually received this message at 4:49 AM!

I don't always sleep well in hotels, so naturally, the phone woke me up when I received the text message. If you think that I should have my phone off at that time, I use my phone as an alarm clock on vacation particularly as a back-up for hotel wake-up calls.

My question is why couldn't Verizon send this message in the middle of the afternoon or immediately after I sent or received a text message when I reached the 50% mark of my monthly allowance?

Election Night LiveBlog

Watch the election night results with me and the usual LiveBlog cast of characters. We'll cover the television coverage of multiple networks and share views from Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Michigan, and more. We'll start at 9:00 Eastern time and go until I fall asleep on the couch. Please feel free to join us and share your thoughts on the election.

Vote Baby Vote

Deee-Lite, the creator of one of my favorite songs of the 90s, Groove Is In The Heart, wants you to vote. Listen to Lady Miss Kier!



After you vote, come back to Sean's Ramblings at 9:00 PM Eastern time for an election LiveBlog.

(h/t A.V. Club)

Sean's Week 9 NFL Picks

After a 7-7 week, I'm now 54-59-4 on the season. I'm still not very good at this.

Anyway, here are my picks for week 9:

Enjoy your Sunday!

A Chunky Monkey Story

Although my wife doesn’t like being the subject of many blog posts, she thought that I should share this story about her recent trip to our neighborhood grocery store. (Actually, she told me this story, and I asked if I could post it.)

While waiting in the customer service line, the person in front of her started screaming at a store employee because they did not have Ben & Jerry’ s Chunky Monkey ice cream. Apparently, the woman visited this store a week earlier and found no Chucky Monkey ice cream. Several days later, although the store stocked other flavors of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, there remained no Chucky Monkey. As a loyal Safeway customer, she was appalled at this injustice! She had a friend coming in from out of town and apparently, this friend could not live with Chunky Monkey ice cream.

I’m not sure how or if this situation was resolved but there is a Ben & Jerry’s store located about a mile from Safeway. In addition, there are other grocery stores (like Wegmans) within close proximity. I understand loyalty to a company or brand, but if you need something so badly, it's okay to go somewhere else.

I have a feeling that Safeway didn’t want her to be a loyal customer anymore.