A Message to US Airways & The Steelers

The following picture was taken Monday at Washington National Airport:

My first reaction is Go Steelers! My second reaction is that there is no reason for there to be a Steelers logo on any US Airways planes. This January 25, 2014 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article helps explain the reason why.

American Airlines, which merged with US Airways last month, decided to close the flight operations control center in Moon and transfer the 600 jobs to Dallas-Fort Worth, its corporate home.

It's just the latest in a series of haymakers that has left the region as punch drunk as any prize fighter.

From the closing of a reservations center in Green Tree to the loss of flight simulation training in Moon to the shutdown of the flight crew base to the abandonment of its hub at Pittsburgh International Airport -- it seems that nearly every decision the airline has made over the last decade has gone against the region.

"How many wake-up calls do we need from US Airways to see that we're not part of their strategic plan?" asked Kent George, former executive director of the Allegheny County Airport Authority.

The upheaval has cost the region jobs and flights.

Employment has tumbled from a peak of about 12,000 jobs to 1,800 today. Pittsburgh will lose another 600 with the loss of the operations center and 53 more in a maintenance "rebalancing" expected to take effect in March.

The number of US Airways daily flights has plunged from a high of 542 in September 2001 to an average of 41 today. Stripped of its hub in 2004, Pittsburgh has lost service to cities large and small, from London to Harrisburg.

The quick summary here is that US Air has completely abandoned Pittsburgh after the city and more accurately Allegheny County and even the state of Pennsylvania spent milions of dollars to help the company. Yet, the airline continues promoting the Steelers, the most recognizable symbol of the city, on its airplane.

I think that I can speak for Steelers owner Dan Rooney here* when I ask US Air to remove the team's logo from its planes. Feel free to repaint the planes with either an American Airlines logo, a picture of a pile of cash or something not black and gold.


* I cannot speak for Dan Rooney.

Troy and Elmo

Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher attended Sunday night's Steelers-Bears game in Pittsburgh which resulted in this awkward (at best) picture of Kunis and Steelers owner Dan Rooney.

While some of my favorite websites have criticized Kunis, perhaps Rooney was simply walking away from an actress who he feels is inferior to his distant relatives Kate and Rooney Mara.

Although Kunis & Kutcher's appearance at the game is worth noting, these celebrities are no match to the star power of the individual that recently spent time with Troy Polamalu: Elmo.



While we don't let my son watch much TV and he's probably only watched Sesame Street a few times, he loves Elmo. He's seen Elmo videos, has several Elmo books and sleeps with an Elmo stuffed animal. On Sunday, we listed to Elmo's Song over and over and over and over and over again. Well, until he reached the Mr. Snuffleupagus solo at which point my son simply said "again" to inform me that it was time to start the song over. I haven't showed him this video yet, but I think it will be a big hit.

Meanwhile, in the video, Troy's hair has a strawberry fragrance. To my knowledge, Head & Shoulders, who likely pays Polamalu tens of thousands of dollars (if not significantly more) for him to appear in their commercials, does not have a strawberry product. Is Troy cheating on Head & Shoulders? Will Head & Shoulders cut ties with their spokesman over this? Do I like asking questions to end blog posts?

h/t Blog 'n' Gold

Photo by Brian Cassella of the Chicago Tribune.

Black Gold and Silver (Lombardi Baby)

I love my blog. In just the past week, I've had the opportunity to interview the founder of the Steeler Nation in Israel, received an e-mail from TMZ (more on this later), and now, I've been contacted by a gentleman with the title "The Sherpa" regarding the first-ever Punjabi-Influenced Pittsburgh Steelers Football Anthem. Again, I love my blog.

So let me introduce you to BlackMahal. They recently released the song Black, Gold and Silver (Lombardi Baby) featuring samples from owner Dan Rooney, the late great Myron Cope, and features vocals from Lal Singh Bhatti the godfather of Punjabi-American music. Enjoy!



Here's more information about the song and the group:

From the home of the terrific turbans comes the new terrible towel anthem, Black, Gold and Silver by BlackMahal available for free download at www.facebook.com/blackmahal.

The song takes the classic black and gold colors of the Pittsburgh Steelers and adds the silver of the storied Lombardi Trophy, given to the winner of NFL Super Bowl. First there was "Here We Go" by Roger Wood then "Black and Yellow" from Wiz Khalifa. Now BlackMahal unveils the first Bhangra-infused anthem for football fans, "Black, Gold and Silver."

The song features some dedications and samples of the late Steelers broadcaster and icon, Myron Cope, as the band re-invents the, "Yoi, Yoi, and Double Yoi" catchphrase.

Bhatti also introduces a new name for the team that sits at the confluence of the Monongahela, Alleghany and Ohio Rivers, translating them into 'thin-jabis' or "those from the three rivers."

"The new colors of the Pittsburgh Steelers are black, gold and silver," says BlackMahal rapper and executive producer Vijay Chattha. "The Lombardi trophy and its silver sheen has become a standard of success in the team's historic franchise, so we wanted to celebrate our colors on the song."

"Steelers Nation* is a worldwide community so it's time for the rest of the world, like us, to express our love for the Steelers in local flavors," continues Chattha, a native of Weirton, WV, just 45 minutes from Pittsburgh's Heinz Field stadium.

Part P-Funk, part Punjabi-Funk, BlackMahal is a 10-piece live music experience complete with drums, DJs, horns, hip-hop MCs, and the godfather of Punjabi-American music – Ustad Lal Singh Bhatti.

BlackMahal's lead vocalist, Lal 'Blitz-Singh' Bhatti, is regarded as the godfather of Punjabi-American music. Bhatti has collaborated with the Black Eyed Peas, The Doors and has performed for nearly every U.S. President since Gerald Ford as well has being honored at the opening of the Smithsonian Sikh Gallery in 2005.

For over four decades, Bhatti has used the power of dhol, bhangra and Punjabi music to bring people of all cultures together including performances at America’s Bi-Centennial celebration in 1976 all the way to the 2010 Vancouver Olympics as official Cultural Olympiad Performer.



BlackMahal is steeped in Old California, a Punjabi-American experience that started in the 1890s when the first Punjabi-Americans settled in the Great West and forged a new identity combining elements of Mexican and African-American influence. The band has rocked major concerts across North America including the 2010 Vancouver Olympics with features in Rolling Stone, Wired, The San Francisco Chronicle, and rotation on the BBC Radio 1.

* There's been quite a debate going on lately about whether Steeler Nation is Steelers Nation or Steeler Nation. The answer is clearly Steeler Nation. Ginny at That's Church put this to rest.

Sick Day

I’m at home today with a sore throat and runny nose (or is it running nose; maybe I should just write nasal congestion) and am basically not feeling well. If President Obama or Dan Rooney contacted me, I would have sucked it up and attended the Steelers ceremony at the White House, but since that didn’t happen, I’m hanging out with Ziggy. As a result, you get an extra special post today with my random thoughts.

- Morgan Freeman just gave an amazing speech to the Eastside High School students. I’m ready to take and pass the test, but first I’m going to sing Lean On Me at the assembly.

- The 24-caplet pack of Tylenol Cold Day costs $5.99 at Giant and the 24-caplet pack of Tylenol Cold Night also costs $5.99. However, if you want to buy the 24-pack that contains 12 Day pills and 12 Night pills, the cost is $6.49.

- Jake Peavy going to the White Sox would really screw up my fantasy baseball team. Don’t approve the trade, Jake! Use your no-trade clause!

- I think I’m going to try to update my links over the next few days. If you have a blog that you would like to be added, please let me know. Of course, I also hope that you provide a link to my blog.

- I am grateful that Scrubs and Bernie Mac are on television today. I can’t watch the judge shows. (Who the hell is Judge Alex?)

- If you’re on Facebook, please join the Sean’s Ramblings Facebook page.

Time for another shot of orange juice!

Super Bowl Champions!

Congratulations to the Pittsburgh Steelers for winning their sixth Super Bowl Championship by defeating the Arizona Cardinals 27-23. I recommend visiting the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for full coverage of the game as well as any and all of the blogs listed in the links sections on the right for other takes on the game. While I remain amazed by the James Harrison interception and touchdown return and the Santonio Holmes winning catch, for now, I want to write about the Steelers in general as opposed to the specifics of the game. (I may write more about the specifics later today or sometime over the next few days.)

I feel extremely lucky to have been born in Pittsburgh and to be a Steelers fan. I was too young to remember the first four Super Bowl titles, but learned all about the Steelers history from my dad and great uncle. Six Super Bowl championships are unprecedented and the tradition of excellence starts with the Rooney family. The Rooneys are model owners in the NFL as demonstrated by the continuity in the organization. How else can you explain the fact that there have only been three head coaches since 1969? Coach Mike Tomlin is an excellent leader and defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau may be the most respected coach in the league.

I linked to two stories yesterday about the legacy and history of The Terrible Towel and how all of the proceeds from each towel purchased go to the Allegheny Valley School. Every sports team seems to distribute towels or pom-poms for meaningful games, but, to my knowledge, the Steelers were the first major team to have this. I don’t think there is a curse involved with the towel, but bad things happen when you disrespect it. Did you hear that T.J. Houshmandzadeh and mayor of Phoenix?

Being a Steelers fan is easy. The team isn’t flashy and is known for tough defense and grind-it-out running game (though not so much with the running game this season). You generally don’t hear about Steelers players getting arrested or causing problems. Instead, you get great players and people like James Farrior, Troy Polamalu and Hines Ward. The Steelers work ethic reflects the city and vice versa. The Steelers are Pittsburgh. I am extremely proud of the Steelers and congratulate the team and the city of Pittsburgh on number six! Way to go Steelers!


P.S. I hope I didn't ruin this post by including a Bubby Brister picture. He was #6!

Super Bowl Game Day Links for Steelers Fans

Are you spending the day waiting for Super Bowl XLIII to begin? Here are some links, especially if you’re a Steelers fan, to help you pass the time until kick-off:

There is an incredible list of Steelers fight songs on the Steelers in Hoboken website. I’m still a huge fan of the Polamalu Song.

You can’t have a Steelers’ Super Bowl without hearing Myron Cope. This site has dozens of Cope quotes.

The New York Times and ESPN both have wonderful articles about the history and legacy of the Terrible Towel.

Michael Wilbon wrote a nice article about Dan Rooney. I love Ryan Clark’s quote comparing Rooney to Washington owner Dan Snyder:

"I'm not saying one way is better than another," Clark said, "But you're standing in line to get lunch, and you have to force him to go ahead of you. He sat at my bedside when I was sick [in the hospital]. He's a fascinating guy. He drives a Grand Prix. I can't help but compare it to Dan Snyder's driver and limousine, and the helicopter he'd land at practice. My first reaction to being around Mr. Rooney was, 'He must not know he's rich.'"

Don’t forget that the Puppy Bowl airs today at 3:00 on Animal Planet with a kitten half-time show. Jessie Dinh, Discovery Studios producer, took questions and comments about Puppy Bowl V in a Washington Post discussion on Friday. Plus, check out PSAMP's live-blog of this event.

Cotter of One For the Other Thumb asked Steeler fans where they are watching game. Here is my response:

When the playoffs began three years ago, we agreed to host a Super Bowl party for a group of friends. The Steelers were the #6 seed and seemed to have little chance of reaching the Super Bowl especially since the Indianapolis Colts dominated the league during the regular season. About a month later, the Steelers defeated the Broncos and were headed to Detroit. Since we had already agreed to host a party, we didn't want to break our plans. We had 3 or 4 other couples at our home, and I was the only person who truly followed the Steelers. There were a couple people with Pittsburgh ties who rooted for the Steelers to win and a few others that wanted the Steelers to win because they wanted me to be in a good mood. However, there was one person at the party who was a Redskins fan. He openly supported the Seahawks because he felt that Seattle winning would look better for the Redskins, who lost to the Seahawks earlier in the playoffs. I still don't understand the logic behind this. I should note that although I did not kick him out of my home during the game, we are not friends anymore. I'm not sure if I've even talked to him since that night.

So now that the Steelers are back in the Super Bowl, I've had a bit of a dilemma about where to watch the game this year. I thought about going back to Pittsburgh but I really can't take off time from work since I have a big conference coming up and just took the hockey road trip vacation. We could host again but I don't want to deal with making sure everyone has enough food and drink while trying to watch the game. So instead, we are going over to our friends' house. There will be about 10 people there, and although no else is really a Steelers fan, they are all football fans. They understand the importance the Steelers have in my life, and the hosts have already assured me that no one will be rooting for the Cardinals. While ideally I'd like to watch the game with only Steelers fans, I'm going to watch the game with close friends which is all anyone can ask for.

Plus, I'm sure I'll be on the phone with my dad and brother throughout the game.


Mondesi’s House has had amazing pictures of Steelers fans and Terrible Towels around the world throughout the week.

The Post-Gazette’s Brian O’Neill compares Pittsburgh fans and Arizona fans.

The Baltimore Sun writes about Steeler Nation.

I participated in a Super Bowl preview round table on MVN.

I generally like the Cardinals because Steve Breaston went to my high school (go Woodland Hills) and I watched Larry Fitzgerald at Pitt. However, here is a reason to hate the team (h/t Courtney via The Terrible Blog)



Finally, the local NBC station interviewed the President of DC Steeler Nation. If they want a true taste of Steelers fans in the area, the station should have a camera at the Pour House tonight.



GO STEELERS!