Benstonium Video

It's video day here at Sean's Ramblings. With the Penguins season starting in less than 24 hours, the guys at Benstonium created their latest (last?) in a series of Pens Withdrawal videos.



I have no idea why, but the line, "Oh, it is Snookie. OK. Yeah." cracks me up.

Yinz Luv Da Stillers

I like Jim Shearer. He agreed to participate in an interview with me last year, and I think that his Yinz Luv Da Stillers & Yinz Luv Da Guins videos are great. I'm not sure about VH1's decision to increase their weekly Top 20 Video Countdown from 2 to 2 & 1/2 hours, but if that means more exposure (and possibly more money) for Jim, then I'm all for it.

Therefore, while I don't want to relive Sunday's Steelers-Ravens game, it's always worthwhile to share Jim's work. Enjoy this week's YLDS:

Trivia Tuesday

Sporcle is a magical website. I can spend hours taking interesting quiz after quiz. For this week's Trivia Tuesday, I've selected three such quizzes as your weekly challenge.

1. Name the Washington DC area landmarks. Considering that I've lived in the DC area for 9+ years now, I feel like I should have scored better than 16 of 20.

2. Name the NFL quarterbacks with the most 300 yard passing games since 1960. Although I answered 23 of 28 correctly, there were a few easy ones that I missed.

Bonus (3). Based on 7-10 second clips, name the song titles from 2005 songs. This was one of the toughest quizzes I've seen on Sporcle, so I was happy scoring 24 of 50. I listed this as a bonus since I think you have 12 minutes to complete the quiz.

Please share your scores in the comments section below. Good luck!

My 5K Experience

It seems like only days ago when I asked for advice for running a 5K. Fortunately, I listened to your suggestions, and they were extremely helpful. Well, with the exception of the anonymous poster who wrote, “Is it this weekend? Then you’re SOL.” Turns out I was SIL, or something. In my first ever 5K race, I finished in a time of 27:31. Considering that I didn’t train at all for the race, I think I did pretty well.

Naturally, I have thoughts about the race that I’d like to share:

- I don’t own an iPod, but I borrowed one for the race. The first song that played as I started was Linkin Park’s One Step Closer. Now that’s a song to get you pumped up! Unfortunately, much of the race consisted of songs by the Goo Goo Dolls, Cindy Lauper’s Time After Time and Carrie Underwood’s Before He Cheats, which were not quite the songs to get your adrenaline pumping (though I enjoyed ABBA’s Dancing Queen).

- Whoever designed the course needs to, um, not design courses anymore. Sure, it was nice that most of the first mile was downhill, but I probably didn’t take advantage of this as much as I should have as I was trying to pace myself. However, most of the last mile was not just uphill, but as steep as the Monongahela Incline.



Sure, I may be exaggerating a little, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen a treadmill with an incline setting to match the closing climb.

- Bertucci’s Italian Restaurant sponsored the 5K benefitting the American Cancer Society. Therefore, the post-race food included pasta, bruschetta and pizza. These were all food items I had no interest in eating after running 3+ miles at 9:30 AM.

- You could tell that I was a running novice during the one water station at the race’s midpoint. I tried to drink some of the water while running, but spilled most of it on my shirt.

- I finished behind a guy who ran with a black lab dog on a leash. We were fairly even but he passed me as I struggled with the uphill climb.

- Conversely, I finished ahead of a teenager who looked like Rufio from Hook with almost the exact same haircut.



- The winner finished in a time of approximately 15:30. While I have no proof, I’m pretty sure that he cheated.

Finally, here’s a picture of me about to cross the finish line. I’m the guy behind the guy who decided to go with an all-out sprint at the finish (and mess up the picture). I was too tired to sprint.



Thanks to lacochran for organizing the race among DC bloggers.

Go Potters

A significant portion of my family is from East Liverpool, Ohio, most famous for being the "Pottery Capital of the World" and the hometown of former Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz. So when I saw that there was a video featuring the East Liverpool Potters on both Deadspin and Yahoo, I felt the need to post it here too to help represent my roots (my family not my football athletic ability). Enjoy.

Advice For Running a 5K

I am joining several other DC bloggers in running a 5K. There’s only one problem: I have no idea what I'm doing. Sure, I regularly run multiple miles while working as a soccer referee, but this generally involves sprinting, walking, jogging and standing still all in succession. However, I’ve never run 3+ continuous miles before. Therefore, I need some advice from you runners out there.

How does one train for a 5K? Does the fact that the 5K is coming up this weekend impact the training?

What do I do with my keys and cell phone while running?

What should I eat or drink the night before or morning of the race? I generally have a bowl of cereal (Honey Nut Cheerios or Lucky Charms) prior to working as a soccer ref. Not sure if this is the best idea, but that’s how I roll.

Is it rude to run a 5K while wearing an iPod? Does the fact that I don’t own an iPod change your answer?

Trivia Tuesday: Pulitzer Prize Edition

No introduction today as we’re going straight to the questions. Given the title and year of the Pulitzer Prize win, your challenge is to name the author of the ten books listed below.

1. The Age of Innocence (1921)

2. Gone with the Wind (1937)

3. The Grapes of Wrath (1940)

4. All the King’s Men (1947)

5. The Old Man and the Sea (1953)

6. A Fable (1955)

7. Rabbit Is Rich (1982)

8. The Color Purple (1983)

9. Beloved (1988)

10. The Road (2007)

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 Stump Trivia.

Steelers-Buccaneers Recap

At trivia night last week, our team did the unthinkable. In what is believed to be unprecedented, we scored a perfect game by answering every question correctly and for the maximum amount of points. On Sunday, the Steelers went to Tampa and delivered about as close to a perfect football games as you’ll see. Even when the Steelers perform well, I know that Steelers fans like to complain about some aspect of the game. It’s in our nature. Therefore, when I made that perfect game statement, I’m sure that some folks will counter that Charlie Batch threw two interceptions, Ike Taylor dropped an interception, the defense gave up 13 points and 303 yards and that the Buccaneers had a 33:06 to 26:54 time of position advantage. If you really feel like nitpicking, go right ahead. However, I’ll focus on what really happened.

- Charlie Batch for President! Seriously, he’s 35 years old, so he’s eligible by our constitution to become President of the United States of America. I’m sure that he’s quite happy (and better paid) serving as a Steelers QB, and he looked great yesterday. Three touchdown passes, a surprisingly strong arm for those that haven’t seen him in a while, and an impressive 24-yard run made for a wonderful Sunday. My dreams apologize to Charlie Batch.

- Rashard Mendenhall ran for 143 and the team as a whole averaged 6.3 yards per carry over 32 carries.

- No sacks allowed! The offensive line easily played their best game of the season by giving Batch plenty of time and opening up holes for the running backs.

- Mike Wallace is still fast and proved this by catching two 40+ yard TD receptions. This is the first time a Steelers WR caught two 40+ yard TD receptions in the same game since Louis Lipps, one of my all-time favorites.

- Only two penalties for 20 yards. I’ll take that every week.

- Solid special teams. The kick-off coverage has been a refreshing change since last year.

- Antwaan Randle El made an important catch to convert a third down.

Other notes:

- Did you know that Steelers Coach Mike Tomlin and Bucs Coach Raheem Morris coached together and are friends? I really wish we heard more about this. For example, I would like to know where their families vacationed together. Did they go to the beach? Vegas? Branson?

- Remember the Joey Porter-Jerramy Stevens media battle leading up to Super Bowl 40? Have you heard from Stevens since? Exactly. He had one catch for 22 yards for the Bucs yesterday and really hasn’t done much as a receiver the past few years.

- This was my first time watching the Steelers at Fast Eddie’s this season. What an upgrade from last year! The main section is bigger, and non-smoking, and there’s a new all-you-can-eat buffet that looked good. I also ended up sharing a table with two guys from North Hills and another from Weirton, West Virginia (and Pitt graduate) and had a great time. The Steeler bar experience is definitely the way to go to enjoy you Pittsburgh football.

Finally, your non-Brett Keisel interception/TD, Mike Wallace touchdowns, or Mendenhall spin move play of the game:



More about the game on ESPN and the Post-Gazette.

Katy Perry Sesame Street Controvery (Friday Links)

Katy Perry's appearance on Sesame Street will apparently not air. Lisa de Moraes has a great recap of this, but I think there's one thing that everyone is missing. This is all about ratings. Sesame Street's ratings have been down lately, so the increased attention is just what the show needs. The last time I remember hearing about Sesame Street was the contract dispute between PBS and Oscar the Grouch many years ago. The Katy Perry controversy is just what the show needs to increase attention and advertising dollars. [The Washington Post]

By the way, here's the video of Katy Perry and Elmo:



I'm not sure how to describe this, but this is a funny story about a child who needed tooth surgery but also wanted to attend a party. [Hyperbole and a Half]

A season recap of your AA Eastern League Champions, the Altoona Curve. [Pirates Prospects]

Check out Outsourced to see Anisha Nagarajan of Squirrel Hill and later Fox Chapel. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]

Congratulations to Igloo Dreams for reaching the five year blog anniversary. [Igloo Dreams]

A cool story about Pittsburgh Pirate Neil Walker. [Raise the Jolly Roger]

HBO plans to air a 24/7 series about this season's Winter Classic between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals. [Empty Netters]

Have a great weekend!

TMI Thursday: I Tried Out To Be a Cheerleader

When I was a high school junior, I auditioned to be part of my school’s cheerleading team. This was particularly difficult since the cheerleading squad consisted entirely of girls. Never backing down from a challenge, I thought I would break barriers by becoming the only male on the team. That last sentence sounds impressive but is totally false. I auditioned for the one spot on the squad where gender was not an issue: the mascot.

For the audition, my competitors and I had to perform a brief individual routine in costume in front of the cheerleading coach, several of the team members and each other. Routine may have been a stretch, but I had the perfect plan. I would show my enthusiasm and athletic ability by performing summersaults and cartwheels. This sounded like a wonderful idea except for the fact that I cannot and could not perform a cartwheel. During my first and only cartwheel, the mascot’s head fell off. This got huge laughs from everyone (including me) except for the coach who berated me. She thought I broke the mascot head, which apparently was fairly expensive. I didn’t get the mascot position. My friend (let’s call him Dave) earned the role of the Wolverine, although his audition was pretty weak. I guess not damaging the costume was more important than creativity. (If Dave happens to read this, he’ll probably disagree with my assessment of his audition but will admit that my cartwheel was funny.)

So why am I bringing this up? Well, perhaps you saw the video of the Ohio University Bobcat attacking Brutus Buckeye, The Ohio State University’s mascot, on Saturday. If not, here are two different views of the unprovoked attack.





I have mixed emotions on this. On one hand, a mascot fight is funny. I also appreciate the fact that Brandon Hanning, the OU mascot Rufus, became the mascot solely to tackle Brutus. That takes dedication and patience to wait an entire year before conducting the attack.

However, there’s always a chance that someone can get hurt. Ohio State fans calling for revenge against the Bobcat have short memories. Angela Anderson, who served as Herky the Hawk (the University of Iowa mascot), was "struck violently in the back of the head by an inflatable or hard foam object" while dressed as the Hawkeye mascot during the Oct. 30, 1999 football game at OSU.” (The quote is from The Lantern.) She complained of back injuries and eventually was awarded $25,000 in a court case against Ohio State for “severe personal injuries, pain and suffering.” As a brief tangent, the case docket information from this case is fascinating. Just look at the exhibit list from the pretrial statement.



I guess the moral of the story is that I’m glad that I didn't become the mascot. It would have been a shame if I injured the Gateway Gator.

Steelers Bar Finder App

I don’t own an iPhone, an iPad, an iPod or any other type of iProduct. However, I think I may get one simply to get Pittsburgh Steeler Sports Bar app available here.

This is a description of the app from its creator, MapMuse:

Steelers fans find a home in bars across the country on game day and beyond. Now with one easy-to-use app, you can find sports bars across the United States that are home to fellow Steelers fans. Simply enter a location or choose your current location to find Pittsburgh Steelers sports bars and pubs in the area, and an interactive map will tell you everything you need to know. Up to 500 places can be displayed on the map at the same time making it very easy to find places to catch a game in any city, metro area, state, region, or even another country. Scroll the map and the places are automatically updated with no need to enter a new location.

In addition to viewing Pittsburgh Steeler Sports Bars information you can add ratings and reviews and submit photos for any place displayed on the map.


Granted, I don’t really need an app to tell me that the best place to watch a Steelers game in the DC area is the Pour House with the DC Steeler Nation Fan Club (even if I rarely make it there).

Unrelated to the app, check out the latest Yinz Luv 'Da Stillers:

Trivia Tuesday: Homonyms/Heteronyms

Let me preface this week’s Trivia Tuesday by stating that I would never come up with these questions. However, trivia is all about variety. While these questions aren’t in my wheelhouse, this may be perfect for you. Your challenge is to name the word (with a single spelling) based on the two different meanings.

1. A type of tree with hard pale wood. The residue left after a fire.

2. A domesticated animal. To follow closely or persistently.

3. The female reproductive cell in animals. Urge to encourage someone to do something foolish or risky.

4. A religious painting, usually on wood. A picture on a computer screen that represents a specific thing.

5. An improvised performance by a group of musicians. Squeeze or pack tightly into a space.

6. The seventh day after a church festival day. A series of eight musical notes.

7. A type of knitting stitch. A large area of flat land with few trees.

8. A pointed post which is driven into the ground. A sum of money gambled in a game or venture.

9. A lightweight handheld collapsible canopy. A type of insurance policy.

10. Give way under pressure. Produce an agricultural product.

As always please leave your answers in the comments section below and do not use the internet for assistance. If I find that folks are struggling, I'll share the first letter of the word as a clue.

This quiz is courtesy of the fine folks at Stump Trivia.

Random Thoughts

Let’s start with a quick, quick recap of yesterday’s Pittsburgh Steelers-Tennessee Titans game. The Steelers defense was amazing forcing seven turnovers with four sacks. Plus, Titans running back Chris Johnson, who has had twelve consecutive 100-yard games, was held to only 34 rushing yards. Meanwhile the Steelers offense still has some work to do. The team is not going to win very often with 43 passing yards and going 2 for 15 in third-down conversions.

When I worked at Blockbuster, we had an automatic VHS tape rewinder to rewind all of the VHS tapes that hooligans failed to rewind. While at Yom Kippur services this weekend, it is easy to notice that the Torah is clearly coming to the end. I wonder if some company could make automatic Torah rewinders to take the Torah back to Genesis.

Congratulations to the Ithaca College football team for defeating Widener University 31-7. The Bombers are now 3-0 on the season.

Ithaca’s primary rival is the SUNY-Cortland Red Dragons. Because of this, I always choose to buy red delicious apples instead of Cortland apples.

Was it me or did it seem like a lot of players lost helmets or shoes during the course of Sunday’s Steelers-Titans game?

I listened to part of the Washington Redskins radio broadcast while returning from the grocery store. After Kevin Walter made a catch in overtime, either Washington broadcaster Sonny Jurgensen or Sam Huff stated that they hadn’t called Walter’s name during the game. After a long pause, play-by-play announcer Larry Michael stated that the catch was Walter’s ninth of the game.

Mark your calendars. The University of Pittsburgh men’s basketball team visits Georgetown at the Verizon Center on Wednesday, January 12th.

I had the opportunity to watch the premiere episode of tonight’s How I Met Your Mother before the show airs. This season picks up from where last season ends including another guest appearance by Rachel Bilson. Bilson may now be one of my top five actresses based solely on one of the closing scenes.

Although I didn’t notice him in the episode, JQ doppelganger Aaron Takahashi is listed on my “TV critic” information page as a guest cast member.

If I get to 100 Twitter followers, I’ll create a new TMI Thursday post. I’m currently at 96.


Finally, I can’t get enough of this video of Vince Young getting slammed to the ground by James Harrison, Aaron Smith and Brett Kiesel. I’m glad that Young is okay because I thought he may have been seriously hurt by the trio of Steelers defenders.

Random Ramblings

I may have some OCD tendencies. I must have the dishes and cups organized in a certain fashion in the dishwasher with no two items (besides silverware) touching. I also tend to eat only one thing on my plate at a time. For example, I’ll eat an entire burger, then the pickle and then the fries unless I make a conscious effort to mix it up.

Brian, the author of the fantastic Pittsburgh Pirates blog Raise the Jolly Roger as well as a systems engineering student shared a homework assignment including the following question:

Picard, Data, Wesley, and Troi are playing poker. Each makes a statement, listed below. Place these statements in order of high to low information content, and explain your reasoning:

(a) Picard: “I have three of a kind.”
(b) Data: “I have three kings.”
(c) Wesley: “I have a royal flush.”
(d) Troi: “I sense hostility.”

I have some problems with this question. First, I would be uncomfortable playing poker with folks name Picard, Data and Troi with an “i.” Actually, I’ll leave my concern with that since I just conducted a Google search to find someone with a first name of Troi only to discover that Troi (and the rest of these characters) are from Star Trek. Anyway, Wesley must be the correct answer since a royal flush is the best possible poker hand.

Facebook is terrific. I learned yesterday that Jordin Sparks was in the office of one of my friends recently and that another friend knows someone who was in a carpool with Prince Poppycock, a finalist on America's Got Talent, when they were kids.

Finally, here is your first Yinz Luv 'Da Stillers of the 2010 season:

My Jewish Identity

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, occurred last week and Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, begins on Friday evening. This is the High Holiday season, a time of celebration, and also a time of repentance and reflection. While sitting in synagogue last week, I did a bit of reflecting. I realized that these were the Jewish activities I participated in over the past year:

- Attended Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services;
- Lit Hanukkah candles and occasionally Shabbat candles;
- Participated in Passover Seders and ate matzo for eight days; and
- Gave a little money to charity.

I think that’s about it. Growing up, I was extremely active in a Jewish youth group, attended a Jewish day school and Sunday school as well as Pittsburgh’s School of Advanced Jewish Studies (I even got some college credits for this!) and spent a significant amount of time at the Jewish Community Center and its camps. I even worked for a Jewish organization professionally for four years. So how did I get to where I am now?

I’m at an odd age in the Jewish community. I don’t need a Jewish singles group and am too old to participate in activities for young professionals. Conversely, I don’t have kids so participating in family activities would be a bit creepy. Therefore, I really don’t have a community. We’ve thought about joining a synagogue but that doesn’t make sense for us. It’s fairly expensive to join, and, as illustrated above, wouldn’t really fit our needs.

I’m not going to make any type of New Year’s resolutions here. Yes, I want and need to do more this year than last year, but it needs to be meaningful. I definitely must give/perform more tzedakah this year. As for what’s next or what specifically I plan to do, I just don’t know. I’ll figure it out but thought I would share my thoughts here with you.

Anyway, thanks for reading. We’ll now return to my regular nonsensical posts.

Trivia Tuesday

We have a random edition of trivia Tuesday today, and I feel like I came up with some good questions. Let's see how you fare.

1. What is Lenny Kravitz’s best song? (There is only one acceptable answer in my opinion.)

2. What is the name of Rodney Dangerfield’s character in the classic film, Back to School?

3. With Rosh Hashanah just occurring last week, what is the current year in the Jewish calendar?

4. Name the actor who played Mr. Belvedere.

5. What late comedian played a 3-inch tall character on Fox’s short-lived TV series, Charlie Hoover?

6. Who hit the only home run at Pittsburgh’s PNC Park that went directly into the river?

7. Which Vermont city has the largest population?

8. Who is replacing Larry King on CNN?

9. Which football conference is worst: the Big East or the ACC?

10. How many fantasy football leagues am I in this year?

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

Steelers-Falcons Recap

Full disclosure: I missed the entire first half of Sunday’s Pittsburgh Steelers-Atlanta Falcons game. I had a good reason though. $200. That’s how much I made working as a soccer referee for 4 games Sunday morning. The plan was for the games to end at 1:00 meaning that I’d only miss part of the first quarter. Unfortunately, since these were playoff games, we had to have a winner. Naturally the last two games had to be settled by penalty kicks meaning that I wasn’t finished until closer to 2:00. You really don't care, do you? Well, anyway, while I completely understand if you want to go elsewhere for your recap, I hope that you'll read my thoughts on the game below since you might appreciate my insight that you can’t get anywhere else.

- Congratulations to Hines Ward for becoming the first Steelers player with 11,000 yards receiving. He is also the first Steelers player with 11,001 yards receiving, 11,002 yards receiving, etc.

- It’s so nice to have Troy Polamalu back. He probably is the one player that the Steelers can’t afford to be without. 5 tackles and an excellent interception that should have given the Steelers the win in regulation (thanks Jeff Reed!) is a solid day’s work. He’s just so much fun to watch.

- Antwaan Randle El may want to consider calling for a fair catch as a punt returner. He got blasted at the start of the fourth quarter and was lucky not to fumble.

- David Johnson deserves a lot of credit for Rashard Mendenhall’s game-winning TD run. Without his block springing Mendenhall, the run would have been a five-yard gain.



(This photo is by Jared Wickerham of Getty Images. Seeing how happy the guys on the sidelines are makes me smile.)

- Did Ziggy Hood play yesterday?

- Atlanta’s Roddy White is a Top 5 receiver in the league. There were several occasions where Bryant McFadden had excellent coverage, but White still made the catch.

- Solid game for Lawrence Timmons. 11 tackles include 3 tackles for a loss. I expect (hope?) a new blog post about the game immediately!

- At the end of the game, FOX announcer Dick Stockton made a reference to Hines Ward as Dennis Dixon’s alter ego. Does anyone know what this is supposed to mean?

- A burger and fries followed by desert featuring a giant chocolate chip cookie, vanilla ice cream and whipped cream was quite tasty but not a great combination.

- Chris Johnson and the Titans offense against the Steelers defense should be fun next week.

Book Signing and Saturday Videos

First of all, join Tim Gleason, author of From Black to Gold along with Andy Russell and Jim Wexell from 11-2 today at North Shore Saloon (208 Federal Street; right across from PNC Park) for a book signing. Please make sure you thank him for appearing on Sean's Ramblings!

As for the videos, here is the first Yinz Luv 'Da Stillers video for the 2010 season:



Plus the guys at Benstonium are brilliant.

Happy New Year: Drink Wine and Think of Tim Tebow

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, begins on Wednesday night at sundown. I searched YouTube to find the perfect Happy New Year message and came up unsuccessful (for example see the NSFW video that I shared the link to on Twitter). However, I did find the video below that's not necessarily about Rosh Hashanah, but I appreciate the variety of Kosher wines described by a guy wearing a Tim Tebow Denver Broncos jersey.



I'm sure people will be rushing to buy the Kosher for Passover Kedem Vodka!

With that, have a Happy New Year!

Trivia Tuesday: Name That River

Happy Tuesday everyone! I hope that you had a nice holiday weekend. This week’s challenge is to name the river that runs through (or borders) the cities listed below. Good luck!

1. Seoul

2. London

3. Paris

4. Cairo

5. Cincinnati

6. Memphis

7. Budapest

8. Washington, DC (There are two acceptable answers.)

9. Rome

10. Cleveland

As always please leave your answers in the comments section below and do not use the internet for assistance. This quiz is courtesy of the fine folks at Stump Trivia.

Lady Gaga Needs a New Terrible Towel

Lady Gaga performed at Pittsburgh's new Consol Energy Center on Sunday night and was smart enough to cater to the local crowd through various Pittsburgh shout-outs and waving a Terrible Towel.



However, it looks like Ms. Gaga may need a new towel. The last time I checked, the Steelers are 6-time Super Bowl Champions.

Is the first time a woman wearing a bikini/lingerie sitting on a piano bench with fire in the background waved a Terrible Towel? What would Myron Cope think of this?



Photos by Michael Henninger/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (This link also gives a review of the concert.)

2010-2011 Ted Marshall Open

After finishing in the middle of the standings last year, I need to redeem myself this year. Here are my entries in the 2010-2011 Ted Marshall Open Television Death Pool, ranked from 10 (most confident the show will be cancelled) to 1.

10. Smallville (CW)
9. Bleep My Dad Says (CBS)
8. Running Wilde (FOX)
7. V (ABC)
6. Made to Love (CBS)
5. Hellcats (CW)
4. Chaos (CBS)
3. America’s Next Great Restaurant (NBC)
2. The Good Guys (FOX)
1. Off the Map (ABC)

This was a difficult year as there were no easy choices like Lost last year. There's a good chance that you've never heard of many of these shows. I made a risky decision to select several new shows scheduled to be mid-season replacements. We'll see how that works.

Pitt Season Begins Tonight

The college football season officially begins tonight when the University of Pittsburgh travels to Salt Lake City to face the University of Utah. The entire University of Pittsburgh really isn't traveling to Utah (how would you move the Cathedral of Learning?), but the football team, marching band and other students, staff and alumni will go west. Anyway, I've been on record stating that I despise the Division I college football system (get a 16-team playoff!); however, the atmosphere of college football games are unmatched, and I enjoy watching the games especially the Pitt Panthers.

Therefore, in honor of the season-opener, I give you Darrelle Revis' incredible punt return in the 2006 Backyard Brawl between Pitt and West Virginia.

TMI Wednesday: An Ultrasound Story

Although TMI Thursdays are a thing of the past, I figure that this story about my health may qualify as too much information.

A few weeks ago, I had some discomfort on my right side. I thought that I may have had an appendicitis, but I figured that I would have been in significantly more pain if that was the case. A week later the discomfort continued, so I went to the doctor. While the doctor confirmed that it wasn’t an appendicitis, he directed me to get an ultrasound. Since you (hopefully) care about my well-being, I thought I would share the results (with some commentary).

Sonographic examination of the abdomen was performed. (Yeah it was.)

The gallbladder is normal in size and position. (That’s what she said. Seriously, the ultrasound was conducted by a woman.)

There are multiple polypoid lesions along the gallbladder wall with the largest lesion measuring 4 mm in size. (Wait, what? That's not funny!)



Previous report described echogenic foci measuring 1 to 2 mm along the gallbladder wall. (They’re just making up words here.)

There are no gallstones. (Woo hoo!)

Gallbladder wall thickness is normal. (Can I use the "that’s what she said" joke again?)

No pericholecystic abnormality is noted. (Pericholecystic has to have been a spelling bee word.)

The intrahepatic bile ducts and the visualized common bile duct are within normal limits in size. Common bile duct measures 3 mm at portal hepatis. (I don’t like seeing any version of the word hepatic or hepatis in a medical report.)

Liver size, configuration, and echogenicity are normal. No focal liver lesion is identified. (No focal liver lesion but what about bifocals?)

The spleen is unremarkable. (Excuse me! The spleen was just resting during the ultrasound. You should see it roll over or fetch a ball. Now that is a remarkable spleen.)

The pancreas is partially obscured but as imaged appears normal. (I have a shy pancreas.)

There is no ascites. (Apparently, ascites is excess fluid in the space between the tissues lining the abdomen and abdominal organs. You learn something everyday at Sean’s Ramblings!)

The kidneys are within normal limits in size and appear unobstructed. Right kidney measures 10.7 cm, and the left kidney measures 10.5 cm. (Is the fact that I’m right-handed related to the fact that my right kidney is larger than my left kidney?)

Conclusion: Small polypoid lesions along the gallbladder wall measuring up to 4 mm. Consider follow-up.


Long-time readers will likely not remember that I had high cholesterol when I started this blog. I had an ultrasound then that showed that I had a fatty liver and one polyp on my gallbladder. The fact that there are multiple polyps 6 years later was a little bit of a concern, but they are small. Plus, my liver is no longer fatty. I guess that means I should start drinking heavily.

So the deal is that I’m fine, but I need to get another ultrasound in a year. In addition, the discomfort is gone.

Trivia Tuesday

If it's Tuesday, there must be trivia! Your challenge is to name the war that the book and/or movie listed below is based upon (based on?). Please note that none of the wars repeat. Good luck!

1. All Quiet on the Western Front

2. The Green Berets

3. For Whom the Bell Tolls

4. The Last of the Mohicans

5. War and Peace

6. Johnny Tremain

7. A Tale of Two Cities

8. Cold Mountain

9. Captain Corelli's Mandolin

10. Jarhead

As always, please leave your answers in the comments section below and do not search the internet for answers. This quiz is courtesy of the fine folks at Stump Trivia.

In addition, don't forget that entries for the 2010-2011 Ted Marshall Open TV Death Pool are due tonight at 11:59 PM Eastern time. The choices seem much tougher this year as there are no obvious picks like Lost or 'Til Death. Even the new Jim Belushi show, Defenders, looks pretty good, unlike the awful According to Jim. You can use the internet to help you with this one.

Found In My Basement: Chess Trophy

Of all of my hundreds, I mean, several trophies, I am most proud of this one. This is the 1st place trophy from the 16th Annual Library Chess Tournament (1989) held at the Squirrel Hill branch of the Carnegie Library. I went to a new school for third grade where I didn't know many of my classmates. However, I became friends with the other male students pretty quickly (I think the girls had cooties) as we bonded playing football during recess. Once the weather got colder, recess was spent indoors. Looking for something to do, one of my new classmates, David Z., taught us how to play chess. For the entire winter and on rainy days in the spring, we played chess. Fast-forward to two years later (5th grade). David Z. and I were the top two players at the library chess tournament and played a match to determine the winner. In the case, I proved victorious as the student defeated the teacher. This allowed me to advance to the chess tournament of all of the Western Pennsylvania Carnegie Library winners where I fared pretty well. I switched to a different school in 6th grade and David soon moved out of state. Near the end of high school, I saw that he made the USA Today's All-Academic High School list and that he was going to Harvard. I have no idea where he is today, so I may need to use the power of the internet to search. Click here for more about the Found in My Basement series.

Terrible Towel Wedding

Jimmy and Eryn Bradley recently got married in California. Even though I have no idea who these people are, I'm happy for them, so congratulations! I'm also happy that they shared their wedding video (and a brief story) on the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.



I have two questions about people in the video.

1. Does the guy on the left side of the screen at the 1:47 mark not know how to wave a Terrible Towel or is he refusing to wave the towel because he's not a Steelers fan?

2. The person at 2:52 scares me a little. Plus, how does he have a beer BEFORE the reception? Did he bring his own beer?

Friday Links

It's one of the last Fridays of summer. If you have to be in front of a computer, you might as well enjoy some of the best of the internet.

Congrats to PSAMP on his one year anniversary of the Great Moments In Unlicensed Pittsburgh Sports Merch series! Check out some truly great T-shirts to honor this achievement. [PSAMP]

Dan writes about why he prefers real books to iBooks. I concur. [DanNation]

I interviewed Tim Gleason (aka maryrose) about his book From Black To Gold and then he interviewed Jerry Olsavsky, former Steelers LB and now the Defensive Quality Control Coach. Does that mean that I interviewed Jerry Olsavsky? [Behind the Steel Curtain]

A few facts you may not have known about the British invasion of Washington during the War of 1812 [DCist]

Jason predicts the Steelers opening day roster. [Jason Christ Superstar]

Sports Illustrated lists NFL's greatest players by numbers. [SI]

Join a college football pick'em group [RizzoSports Blog]

30 Books Everyone Should Read Before 30. I've read 6. [The Best Article Every Day]

Finally, this is courtesy of Sportsocracy

Worst Song Ever Nominee

It’s been almost exactly three years since I asked whether "I Did Yo Boyfriend" by Melody was the worst song ever. I think the conclusion was yes. However, I am proud to present a challenger to the title, "Take It Off" by Ke$ha.



That last sentence really isn’t fair to Melody or Ke$ha since I Did Yo Boyfriend truly is in its own category. With that written, Ke$ha earns a nomination solely because of the song’s chorus. The chorus is based on the tune of “There’s a place in France where the naked women dance. There’s a hole in the wall where the men can see it all.” Seriously. Who thought that was a good idea?

I realize that I’m taking a risk here by criticizing one of the hottest young artists in Ke$ha. I fully expect some angry (likely anonymous) comments from Ke$ha fans. In full disclosure, I think her first song "Tik Tok" is amazing. Well, amazing may be too strong of a word, but it is extremely catchy and has some of the most quotable lines from any song over the past few years. (Like you haven’t said “Wake up in the morning feeling like P Diddy.”) Unfortunately, Take It Off doesn’t come close to Tik Tok.

I really wonder what Ke$ha does from here. She’s a party girl and that’s what she sings about. That’s nice for a few songs and maybe even an album, but you can’t make a career out of that, can you?

Florida Politics: Death Wish

I spent the past week in Florida (more on this later), so I learned a lot about the candidates running for Governor and Senator for yesterday's primary elections. However, that's not the point of this post. Did you know that the Commissioner of Florida's Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is Charles Bronson? Bronson's name is on a sticker located on every gas station pump in the state.

So I did a little more research and discovered that the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner is an elected position. Obviously. If you had a choice of voting for Charles Bronson or someone else with a generic name like Eric Copeland, of course you're going to select Bronson. What name recognition!



I just wonder who could ever defeat Bronson. Clint Eastwood, John Wayne, and Jack Nicholson would all be strong opponents. Maybe Scott Baio?

Trivia Tuesday

Welcome to another edition of Trivia Tuesday. There are only seven questions today because, well, I could only come up with seven questions.

1. Of players born in Pennsylvania, who has the the most major league baseball hits? (This does not include any Negro league hits.)

2. What is the best Eddie Money song?

3. Name the four American states that have consecutive Ns in its names. (You have 1 minute to answer this question.)

4. What would you consider to be the song of summer 2010?

5. Who would you rank as the top five fantasy football players for this season (meaning who do you think should be the top five draft picks)?

6. What language is the most prevalent for US state mottos?

7. Who sings this lyric: "While everybody else is getting out of bed I'm usually getting in it. I'm not in it to win it."

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

Found In My Basement: Bill Buckner

While the entire Boston Red Sox nation hated Bill Buckner for many years, I always liked him. This is the reason why:



My grandfather got my brother and I autographed glossy pictures of Bill Buckner from his days as a Chicago Cub. I have no idea how or why my grandfather got these pictures, but I always thought it was cool, probably because all of the gold chains on Buckner's bat.

By the way, it seems like Boston fans finally forgave Buckner. Bill Simmons wrote a great article about him as part of ESPN Magazine.


Click here for more about the Found in My Basement series.

Found In My Basement: Jim Rooker

Now that's a scary title for a post! Jim Rooker was a major league pitcher from 1968-1980 with his final eight seasons on the Pittsburgh Pirates where he helped the team win the 1979 World Series. Rooker finished his career with a 103-109 record and transitioned into the Pittsburgh Pirates broadcast booth. Rooker's most famous moment occurred in 1989 when he stated after the Pirates took a 10-0 lead in the top of the first inning against the Philadelphia Phillies that "if we lose this game, I'll walk home." Naturally, the Pirates lost and Rooker did walk from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh for charity.

Several years earlier, though, he visited Churchill Elementary School. Actually, I don't remember if he visited my elementary school, but somehow, I have this autograph addressed to me and my classmates.



(To Churchill 1st Graders. Best Wishes "The Rook")

I love the moustache and chest hair look. Plus, did Rooker really refer to himself as The Rook?


Click here for more about the Found in My Basement series.

Found In My Basement: Soccer Trophy

My athletic career peaked at the age of nine. What is sad is that I realized this only a few years later. During the end of junior high school and certainly by the beginning of high school, my teammates and opponents on the soccer field were all bigger, stronger and faster than me. However, I’m reliving the past in this Found in My Basement series, so let’s go back to Fall 1984 where my team, the Burgundy Panthers, was the CAYSA Under-10 Champions.



It’s amazing to me that while I can’t remember what I had for dinner last night, there are parts of that season that I remember vividly. I played goalie during the first half of games and generally switched between midfield and forward during the second half. We had a very balanced team with multiple goal-scorers and a solid defense. While I was mediocre as a goalie, my best friend Mitch was the Tim Howard of the league when replacing me in the second half.

In week eight of the ten-game season, we were in second place facing our rival who happened to be in first place. The remaining games for both of us were against teams in the bottom of the standings, so we knew that this game was essentially for the championship.

In a brilliant coaching move, our coach (my dad) decided to start me in the field instead of in goal. Part-way through the first half, I got the ball near the top of the penalty box and took a low shot inside the left post by the diving keeper. That goal turned out to be the only one of the game as Mitch kept our opponents scoreless in the second half. We finished the season 8-1-1, and as you can see by the impressive trophy, earned the CAYSA U-10 Championship!

Here are your World Champion Burgundy Panthers:



Click here for more about the Found in My Basement series.

Trivia Tuesday

Your challenge this week is to identify answers that begin and end with the letter "O." For example, what state’s college football team regularly defeats the University Michigan? While there are multiple answers to this question, we’re looking for this (Ohio):



1. Nabisco developed this ‘sandwich cookie’ in 1912.

2. An herb from the Lamiaceae family often used in Turkish, Greek, Spanish, and Italian cooking.

3. A musical composition, usually based on sacred texts, such as Handel’s “Messiah,” that uses orchestra, choir and soloists.

4. The first name of Springfield Elementary School bus driver Mr. Mann.

5. A 1,336-mile-long river that runs mostly through Venezuela.

6. Florida’s third-largest city after Miami and Tampa.

7. Its third-largest city is Mississauga. The top two have NHL teams.

8. In 1925, this northern European capital changed its name from Kristiania back to its original name.

9. A Greek anise-flavored spirit.

10. The Bengals’ Chad Johnson had his surname changed to this, his jersey number in poor Spanish.

As always, please leave your answers in the comments section below and do not search the internet for answers. This quiz is courtesy of the fine folks at Stump Trivia.


Photo (by Jay Hansen of The OSU Alumni Association) of Ohio State's four living Heisman Trophy winners (l-r) Hop Cassady, Archie Griffin, Eddie George, and Troy Smith performing O-H-I-O at the Columbus Sports Commission's "Morning Sports Report" program on Tuesday, June 22, at the Greater Columbus Convention Center.

Found In My Basement

I am proud to introduce a new feature at Sean’s Ramblings. All this week (with the exception of tomorrow for Trivia Tuesday), I am sharing items found in my basement. I realize that this title could be a bit disturbing, so let me explain. My parents recently moved from my childhood home, so I inherited many items from my younger days. I thought I would share some of these items here.

The first items are autographed pictures of former Pittsburgh Pirates John Smiley, Jim Gott and Bill Madlock.



For some reason, I have what looks to be a photocopied picture of Junior Ortiz as well. Since there’s no autograph on the Junior Ortiz picture, I feel comfortable cutting part of his face out of the post. Anyway, if you can’t read the writing, John Smiley wrote “To Sean Best Wishes” while Jim Gott wrote “Sean Best Wishes.” There may be a theme to their messages. Bill Madlock just signed his name.

I wish that I had a great story about meeting these Pirates, but I don’t remember meeting them at all. I feel like I probably got these autographs from Smiley and Gott at some Giant Eagle grocery store appearance.

Tune in on Wednesday for the next edition of "Found In My Basement." Oh, you would be correct if you thought that this is a bit of a rip-off of PSAMP’s Great Moments In Unlicensed Pittsburgh Sports Merchandise.

Breaking News: Pittsburgh Steelers Remain Super Bowl XL Champs

Earlier this week, NFL referee Bill Leavy, who worked Super Bowl XL between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks, stated that he “kicked two calls in the fourth quarter and I impacted the game.” Based on Leavy’s announcement, I’m sure that the NFL is now going to declare the Seahawks the actual winner of Super Bowl XL. Start planning the victory parade through the Pike Place Fish Market!

Not so fast though. Mike Pereira was the NFL's Vice President of Officiating from 2004-09 and disagrees with Leavy’s assertion. According to Pereira, yes, Leavy made an incorrect call when he flagged Seattle QB Matt Hasselbeck for a low block. But the hold should have been called. So I guess that the Vince Lombardi trophy isn’t moving from Pittsburgh after all. Besides, did that 15-yard penalty for a low block really cost Seattle the title in a game where the Seahawks lost by 11?



I think the bigger issue here is why after nearly four and a half years is this still a topic of conversation. The referees didn’t cost Seattle the Super Bowl; the Seahawks cost Seattle the Super Bowl. The Seahawks were unable to stop the Steelers from making three big plays, converted only 5 of 17 third downs (while Pittsburgh was 8 of 15), dropped several passes, missed two field goals, and couldn’t pin the Steelers inside the 10 yard line in the punting game. Sure, it’s easy for former Seattle coach Mike Holmgren to want to deflect any criticism from himself. Blame the refs and don’t notice that my team and I (meaning Holmgren) did a terrible job managing the clock.

While I’m happy that Leavy feels like a weight is off of his shoulders, I think it’s time for everyone to move on and enjoy the upcoming football season, while the Steelers and all of its fans should continue to celebrate their fifth of six Super Bowl championships.

This post was originally posted on BlogCritics.

In addition, Christmas Ape at D.C. Steeler Nation and Bob Smizik of the Post-Gazette have more about Leavy's apology and Super Bowl XL.

Tom Petty Tickets Wanted (Ain't Too Proud to Beg)

So Tom Petty is coming to The Lube (also called Jiffy Lube Live and formerly Nissan Pavillon) in Northern Virginia this weekend. I would like to go, but I am cheap. Let me rephrase that. I am cheap when it comes to buying concert tickets. I have no problem paying $40 for a ticket, but I have a big problem paying an additional $12.50 per ticket for the Ticketmaster convenience fee. How is this convenient for anyone other than Ticketmaster?* Anyway, I've had no success finding tickets on Craigslist yet and besides my previous experience getting tickets from there was quite odd.

Therefore, I thought I would try out the power of the blog. Does anyone living in the DC area have tickets they would like to sell for a reasonable (unlike Ticketmaster) price? I'm looking for two seats in the 300 level or two lawn seats. If so, please leave a comment or contact me at seanramblings at yahoo[dot]com.


* I know that I've written about this before, but I don't feel like looking in the archives for this information since I'm pretty sure it involved a post about Spice Girls tickets.

Interview with Tim Gleason, Author of From Black to Gold

You may not know the name Tim Gleason, but if you’re a Steelers fan, you know the tremendous blog Behind the Steel Curtain and one of the site’s contributors, maryrose. Well, I’m about to reveal a major secret here: maryrose is Tim Gleason.

Well, this may not be a secret. Anyway, Tim recently released his book From Black to Gold, a historical perspective of the Pittsburgh Steelers as seen through the eyes of a die-hard season ticket holder. While I haven’t read the book yet, Tim shared some of the book’s chapters including:

• That first season in 1933 when the team could not play on Sundays due to Pennsylvania Blue Laws
• The whacky winter of 1941 when Art Rooney sold the team and then traded cities to get it back again
• Great stories of the burning Steelers-Browns rivalry
• The Immaculate Reception and how Instant Replay was born on that play
• How Rocky Bleier fought back
• The Terrible Towel – How it began, what it means and those it helps
• How Frank Sinatra joined Steeler Nation



Tim was nice enough to take some questions from me about the book.

First of all, tell us about the book.

In 1970, the American Football League merged into the National Football League to form a single 26-team entity. Since that merger 40 years ago, the Pittsburgh Steelers have been the most successful and consistent franchise in the NFL. The Steelers have won six Super Bowl Championships, more than any other team. They have compiled winning seasons in 30 of those 40 years, again, more than anyone else. Their overall .609 winning percentage (394-253-2) is also king-of-the-hill. The Steelers have boasted 64 players on the NFL's All Pro Teams, more than any other franchise. In addition to unparalleled success, the Steelers have shown remarkable consistency throughout the past 40 years. Never have they won fewer than five games, a claim that no other team can make, and only twice did they win just five games.

However, pro football did not begin in 1970, though some in Steeler Nation might like to think so. The NFL began in 1920, with the Steelers coming on board in 1933. In the 37 years that Pittsburgh played pro football before the merger, life was not so good. The Steelers were riddled with calamity, tragedy and, for the most part, failure. Regardless, we fans who were around before the merger were still in love with the team unconditionally. While part of me envies younger Steelers' fans who know of nothing but success, a bigger part is grateful that I experienced the growing pains. From Black to Gold is an account of both the growing pains and the glory.

How were you able to put all 75+ years of Pittsburgh Steelers history in one book? It seems like this could be an entire encyclopedia set!

I just focused on the great story lines. I wanted the book to be easy to read. That was important to me. I wanted people to really like reading the book as opposed to being a lengthy chore. It is still 260 pages in order to get in all the great stories and vignettes, but it is really an easy read.

How long did it take you to write the book?

About a year and a half all told. I took my time and enjoyed the research.

It’s hard to miss "Foreward by Art Rooney Jr." on the front cover. How were you able to get him for the book’s foreward?

One of his assistants read stories that I wrote and showed them to Mr. Rooney, who really liked them. Mr. Rooney sent me an autographed copy of his book Ruanaidh. When I wrote to thank him, I asked him if he would write the foreword if I continued writing. I sent him an outline just for kicks. Then I was in a grocery store when my phone rang. It was Mr. Rooney! I was shocked. He said he would be happy to write the foreword. That was all the motivation I needed. I am a no-name, so getting his name on the cover was very important to the book's success.



Do you have a favorite personal Steeler memory?

Yes, when I was a college student and I worked the Super Bowl in January 1979. It is a chapter in the book so I won't say too much now. I also have a great memory of going to my first Steelers' game in 1968, which is also in the book. Both of those memories have neat stories behind them.

What is it like being a Steelers fan in the Browns/Steelers border territory of Youngstown?

It is really intense. Half the town is Hatfields and half McCoys. It really jacks up when both teams are good, but that doesn't seem to happen too often. There is a lot of hate. The team that is down at whatever moment hates the most. I really enjoyed writing that chapter. The players themselves will tell you how much hate there is.



Care to share any predictions for the 2010 Steelers season?

I think 9-7 is reasonable, but then again, the Steelers always do best when they are under the radar. They are considered third right now in the Division, which means they might win it going away! I hope.

The book is not available in stores but can be purchased at www.fromblacktogold.com. Thanks Tim!

Trivia Tuesday: Name That Tune

Welcome to a "Name That Tune" edition of Trivia Tuesday. Your challenge this week is to name the song title and artist based on the lyrics of the ten songs listed below. You may begin...now!

1. Some people call me Maurice
'Cause I speak of the pompatus of love

2. All aboard. HaHaHaHaHaHaHa (I may be off on the number of Ha's.)

3. We're undeniable
Fine, fresh, fierce
We got it on lock
(I actually thought this line was fine, fresh beers, we got it unlocked.)
West coast represent
Now put your hands up

4. That I dug my key into the side of his
Pretty little souped up four wheel drive
Carved my name into his leather seat
I took a Louisville slugger to both head lights
Slashed a hole in all four tires

5. And the greatest of teachers won't hesitate
to leave you there, by yourself, chained to fate

6. But try to understand
Try to understand
Try try try to understand

7. I-I-I-I-I-I need I need you.
I-I-I-I-I need I need you.

8. He drinks a Whiskey drink, he drinks a Vodka drink
He drinks a Lager drink, he drinks a Cider drink

9. Toora Loora Toora Loo-Rye-Aye
(name of person) I'll hum this tune forever.

10. Listen it don't make no difference to me baby
Everybody's had to fight to be free

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

Random Questions of the Day

What do you do with a drunken sailor? Does this answer change depending on the time of day (ex. in the afternoon or earl-lie in the morning)?

Russ Grimm was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame on Saturday. As you can see below, Grimm's Hall of Fame bust includes his mustache. Does that mean that Grimm can't shave the mustache or grow a full beard? If he does decide to shave the 'stache, will the NFL redo the bust?



Photo by John Mcdonnell-The Washington Post

Congratulations Dick LeBeau!

I'm not sure that I've ever been this excited for someone to be enshrined into a Hall of Fame. After playing 14 seasons with the Detroit Lions accumulating 62 interceptions, third all-time among pure cornerbacks (think about how amazing that statistic is considering that passing is a much bigger part of the game than it was during LeBeau's playing days), and working as an NFL coach for over 35 years, including an extremely impressive run as the Steelers' Defensive Coordinator, LeBeau entering the NFL Hall of Fame is well-deserved.



Take a look at this historic day from around the country:

This is LeBeau's Hall of Fame speech. I wish that NFL.com would let me embed the video. [NFL.com]

Bengals' coach Marvin Lewis admires LeBeau [Cincinnati Enquirer]

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; the Detroit Free Press; the Columbus Dispatch; and ESPN (the AFC North Blog) have more.

Plus, here are a few Tweets from members of the Pittsburgh Steelers:









OK, the last one doesn't have anything to do with Coach LeBeau, but I like Timmons' insights.

Photo by Peter Diana/Post-Gazette

My First Steelers Training Camp Post

Occasionally, I consider myself as the writer of a Pittsburgh sports blog. Based on my posts the last few months, this is certainly not the case. So with that written, here are a few things about the Steelers (and other stuff).

Join Tec and Cotter for their annual trip to Latrobe for Steelers training camp. If you aren’t able to catch up with them on their Facebook page, just look for two guys wearing Steelers jerseys. That shouldn’t be a problem.

Of course, if you plan on attending training camp this weekend, Saturday is not the day to go as the entire team is traveling to Canton, Ohio for Dick LeBeau’s Hall of Fame induction. [USA Today h/t Behind the Steel Curtain]

Dick LeBeau was also a pretty good football player at Ohio State and Detroit. [Columbus Dispatch]

Steelers N’ At provides a guide to purchasing your next Steelers jersey. I’m fine with my Louis Lipps jersey, thank you. [Steelers N' At]

A relationship ended because someone didn’t want to deal with the long distance between Reston and DC. Perhaps they’ll get back together when Metro’s Silver Line is complete. To my knowledge, this has nothing to do with the Steelers. [Restonian]

Rating Metro Rider Attractiveness

For bloggers out there, have you ever had an idea for a post that you knew wasn’t very good, but you decided to write it anyway? Well, this is one of those times for me. After years of research, I’ve decided to rank the attractiveness of Metro riders proportionally by the Metro stations I frequent the most.

1. Ballston
2. Clarendon
3. Court House
4. Vienna
5. Virginia Square
6. West Falls Church
7. East Falls Church
8. Dunn Loring-Merrifield



I feel like trying to provide an explanation of these rankings will get me into even more trouble. However, the common thread of the top three is that they have a higher percentage of younger riders (meaning people in their 20s) than other stations. So before digging myself into more of a hole, I’ll let you help me. For Metro riders, do you agree with these rankings? Obviously, I’m most familiar with these Virginia stations, so are there are other stations that I’m missing? Basically, what Metro station has the most attractive riders?

Not Sure What To Write

I'm not sure that I feel comfortable writing this post. There is nothing funny about an attempted rape. Fortunately, the woman featured in the news video below from WAFF in Northern Alabama was not harmed. Plus, according to her brother, Antoine Dodson, the suspect left behind some evidence.



To my knowledge, Antoine Dodson is a real person and not an actor. He certainly is passionate. So passionate that someone made a song for Mr. Dodson.



The piano part seems unnecessary.

Trivia Tuesday

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls. For the first time in nearly a month, I am proud to present a "real" Trivia Tuesday where the questions come from someone other than me or Sporcle. Your challenge this week is to name the front man (or woman) given the listed backup bands. For example, "The News" would be Huey Lewis (Mike Tomlin would also be an acceptable answer).

1. The Bad Seeds

2. The E Street Band

3. The Blackhearts

4. The Attractions

5. The Crickets

6. The Funky Bunch

7. The Miracles

8. The Mothers of Invention

9. The Pips

10. The Flecktones

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

This quiz is courtesy of Stump Trivia.

Notes From Tucson

I spent the past few days in Tucson, Arizona, so I thought I would share my thoughts about the trip.

- Everyone said that even though Tucson would be hot, it would be a dry heat. Well, there was actually some humidity since it is Monsoon season. There's also a southern Arizona city named Dragoon, so yes, there was a monsoon in Dragoon.

- Why do flight attendants feel the need to announce that flights are very full? Is there really a difference between a full flight and a very full flight? If every seat is taken, it is a full flight. In my opinion, the only way it would be a very full flight is if they seated passengers in the bathroom or the aisle.

- I visited Old Tucson Studios where countless Westerns such as The Outlaw Josey Wales, Gunfight at the OK Corral, Rio Bravo, McClintock!, Tombstone, and The Three Amigos were filmed. Nearly every Hollywood legend including Clint Eastwood, James Stewart, John Wayne, Dean Martin, Angie Dickinson and Kirk Douglas worked there.



However, the tour guide did not mention one very special project filmed at Old Tucson Studios. A two-part episode of Webster where "the Papadapolises visit Lizard Flatz, Arizona and encounter Dusty, a man with interesting stories, a ranch, and Moonhunter, a horse that seems to be a legend, but ends up a reality after saving Webster from a rattlesnake. Moonhunter gets caught by some greedy no-gooders, and Webster almost gets killed. George wants to live on the ranch, Webster wants to save Moonhunter and set him free, but after all the excitement, they decide to head back to Chicago." I don't remember this episode.

- According to a billboard on I-10, John McCain is "Fighting for a Secure Border." There was no footage of the Senator standing in Nogales actually fighting.

- There were several roads with separate speed limits for the day and the night. How is this enforced? Is night considered the exact sunset time, when there are three stars in the sky, or some other method?

- There is a giant "A" on a Tucson mountain for the University of Arizona. Which came first, Arizona's A or BYU's Y on a Provo mountain?

- Sadly, I did not eat at In-N-Out, Waffle House or Little Caesars, three restaurants that don't seem to be anywhere near Washington DC.

- I read and heard that there are between 900,000 and 1 million residents of Tucson. There are definitely 1 million cacti (cactuses?), but I have no idea where all of these people are. Maybe they're all away for the summer or are hiding in fear of fighting John McCain.

Five Guys vs. In-N-Out

We've already considered one of the great debates of human history here at Sean's Ramblings, Wawa vs. Sheetz. Today, we need to solve another:

Five Guys



vs. In-N-Out



I'm not sure whether or not we can truly determine if one is better than the other, but that's where you come in. Please share your thoughts in the comment section.