Icelandic Football / Soccer

With all three boys away at camp, we took our first vacation without kids since The Moose was only a few months old. He’s starting high school in two weeks. And even that vacation wasn’t really a vacation. I was a groomsman in my friend’s wedding, so while we had a great time, it wasn’t actually a vacation. So with the kids away and to celebrate our 20th anniversary a year late, we went to Iceland.

As you might be able to tell by the title, this post is not about the beautiful natural wonders of Iceland and our experiences traveling around the country. That will come in a future post. This is about football in Iceland which I will now refer to as soccer for the rest of the post. Sorry to anyone in Iceland reading this who prefer football to soccer. For non-sports fans, please don't click away yet. You might find this interesting. Seriously. There's Icelandic music here too!

After flying overnight, we arrived in Iceland and essentially went straight to the Blue Lagoon. Is this geothermal spa an overpriced tourist destination? Yes. Was it worth spending the money for several hours in warm, remarkably blue water? Also yes. 

From the Blue Lagoon, we checked into the hotel and took a nap. I woke up and decided to walk around the neighborhood, and almost immediately after leaving the hotel, heard crowd noise and followed the sound. What I discovered was a soccer field with hundreds of kids in the stands and a stage in the middle of the field. It turned out to be the opening ceremonies for the annual Rey Cup youth soccer tournament. There were club teams from throughout Iceland as well as Germany, the UK, Faroe Islands, and several from the United States. The opening ceremonies included a performance from Icelandic hip-hop artist Herra Hnetusmjor. 

Shifting away from soccer momentarily, I really enjoyed listening to Icelandic radio. The pop stations played a mixture of songs from musicians you would hear on any American station (Ed Sheeran, Alex Warren, Dua Lipa) as well as songs in Icelandic, and others songs in English I was unfamiliar with likely by British artists. What made it even better was I couldn't understand anything said by the DJs. Sample dialogue in Icelandic:

Something, something, something (that I couldn't understand) Natalie Imbruglia Torn. Something, something, something...

The Weather Girls It's Raining Men something, something, something...

There were two songs in Icelandic that I heard several times that I liked, so I tried to figure out the title and artist. I ended up going on a deep dive of the Icelandic Billboard chart and listening to Icelandic songs on YouTube. Justin Bieber has a new album with several songs on the chart. Our friend Herra Hnetusmjor had a song in the top 5 that had previously reached #1. Pretty cool that someone with a #1 hit played the opening ceremonies of a youth soccer tournament. I couldn't find either song I liked on the Billboard chart, but while heading to the airport, one of the two songs played on the radio, and I was able to figure out it was this:

No clue what the lyrics mean, but I like the sound. Oh, there was no editing of English song lyrics on the radio. You clearly hear Sabrina Carpenter singing swear words that do not make American radio.

Back to soccer, the opening ceremonies were right next to Iceland's national stadium. While I wasn't able to go inside, I walked around the gates. The stadium is nice, but it's also much smaller than what I think a national stadium looks like. It's not Wembley in England or Azteca in Mexico. It seems like there is a seating capacity of 9,500 which would be less than my high school football stadium, The Wolvarena.

We left Reykjavik for several days to tour the south coast of Iceland, but I knew we would have time on Sunday evening when we returned. After discovering that the National Theatre of Iceland was near the hotel, I started looking into potential shows to see and got very excited at the potential of seeing Frozen, I mean, Frost.

If I'm going to see a show where I don't understand the language, at least this is one where I know the story. Although I never did figure out the theatre's website, it seems like the show already happened and was on the website as part of the season schedule. The other option was going to a professional Icelandic soccer match. And again, it was difficult to get information. I finally figured out that Valur Rejkavik, the top team in the Besta delid karla (or Men's Best Division) had a home match about a 10-minute drive from the hotel against FH. In case you're wondering, FH is short for Fimleikafélag Hafnarfjarðar. Since that's impossible to pronounce, I'm now referring to FH as the Fire Horses.

I struggled to find information about the game online, so I emailed the team twice to ask questions about how to buy tickets and where to park. I also commented on Valur's Instagram and Facebook posts to try to get this information. I received no responses to the emails or comments. Finally, a few hours before the match, one Valur fan sent me a message letting me know that I had to buy tickets via an app. This was extremely helpful.

About 30 minutes before the game, we arrived at the stadium and found parking to be extremely easy. There was only one entrance (which looks like the entrance to an apartment building) with no one in the ticket booth and one person watching people scan tickets to enter, or taking Icelandic krona from the few people who didn't have tickets electronically. We got tickets through the app's website and scanned my phone to get in.

I am clearly used to going to American professional sports venues. This felt more like attending a high school game. There were no assigned seats and only one of the four sides had stands. There were a few places to buy refreshment and one booth sold a limited amount of merchandise, but you come to Hlíðarendi (that's the stadium name) to watch soccer. Well, or basketball or handball since there's a large indoor court connected to the field. There's no pregame activities or halftime show. It's a soccer match. According to Wikipedia, the stadium holds 2,465 people including 1,201 in seats. I have no idea where the remaining 1,264 people would stand. I included several pictures and videos below so that you can see the stadium for yourself.

This picture makes me laugh. The kids were getting soaked by the sprinkler system. Plus, the boys wore Pepsi shirts, and Coca-Cola is clearly a stadium sponsor. Don't think placement of both Pepsi and Coke would happen at an American stadium.

Aron is on the Valur, but A-A-ron is not.

 

As for the game, Valur won 3-1. These are the highlights though without sound:

I really enjoyed going to the game. If you talk to anyone who visited Iceland, they probably went to the Blue Lagoon and stopped along the Golden Circle (again, future post). My guess is that I'm the only one who went to a Besta delid karla match!

Oh, the waffle (or vofflur in Icelandic) with cream and rhubarb jam was delicious! 

I'm Officially Old

The title says it all. You're reading the blog of a brand new member of AARP. Let the discounts begin! I signed up for a 5-year contract which included an insulated trunk organizer where I can place refrigerated or frozen grocery items. My contract runs slightly longer than the one T.J. Watt just signed with the Steelers, and I had to pay $60 instead of receiving $108 million. Otherwise, it's almost exactly the same.

In the last two months, I had two people ask if I plan on retiring soon. The first was my dentist of nearly 25 years though I think this was a set-up for me to ask her the same question. Her youngest child recently graduated from college, and she said that she will probably retire in 2027. While I appreciate the notice, I don't want to look for a new dentist. We have an excellent relationship, and I don't want a new dentist criticizing me for not flossing.

Last month, I saw a former board member of my organization for the first time in nearly 15 years. He also asked about possible retirement. In both conversations, I mentioned that my youngest is about to start 3rd grade, so retiring is still many, many years away. 

Finally, I'm terrible about getting new shoes. I wear my shoes out well beyond their life expectancy. My primary tennis shoes (basically the shoes I wear when not wearing "dress" shoes) have seen better days. I went to two stores, and shared several pictures with my wife to get her opinion. One shoe was completely black, and she replied that old men wear those shoes. 

While I didn't buy them, I think I'm starting to meet that profile and demographic!

2025 Pittsburgh Pirates Draft Recap

I wasn't planning on writing my annual-ish Pittsburgh Pirates draft recap this year. There are a few other things I want to write about, and I just don't have much time to write right now. And then the draft started. And I started seeing names of players and had ideas of fun things to write about them. So welcome back to another draft recap. If you're new to these posts, please don't expect a detailed analysis of each pick with player comparisons and future predictions. While there might be a few interesting items below, this post is mostly silly things that amuse me. Oh, I'm not going to write about every draft pick either. Enjoy.

17th round: Carter Gwost - OF, Little Falls HS (MN)

Although I've never met him, I think Carter is a friendly Gwost.

14th round: Connor Hamilton - P, Montgomery Bell Academy (TN)

He's not going to throw away his shot.

Competitive Balance-B round: Murf Gray - 3B, Fresno State University

I had to read this several times to make sure that the Pirates didn't draft Smurf Gray. At 6'4" and 230, no one is going to call him Smurf.

4th round: Gustavo Melendez - SS, Colegio Nuestra Senora de la Merced

Melendez was one of only seven players born in Puerto Rico to be drafted. I don't know how many players from Puerto Rico are usually drafted, but this number seems low for a place with so much baseball history. And also...

7th round: Brent Iredale - 3B, University of Arkansas

Since Brent was born in Australia, I was ready for lots of Crocodile Dundee jokes. Instead, I wanted to learn how someone from Australia winds up playing college baseball in Arkansas, so I contacted my friend Phil who just happens to be the play-by-play announcer for Razorbacks baseball.

Brent played at a junior college in New Mexico the previous two years. Our team likes to get players from JUCO and he was one of the top JUCO recruits from 2024. He's athletic and strong. Runs well. Good strong and accurate arm. 

He just chose baseball as a kid even though his family was more into rugby or soccer. It's tough to get noticed in Australia, especially considering the competition they're playing. So he went to New Mexico JC because he needed to play in the states to get noticed properly.

My reply: I guess that makes sense. LIke if I was a really good Aussie Rules football player in Pittsburgh, I would need to go to Australia to get noticed (or something like that).

Phil wisely ignored my comparison and wrote this:

He's also one of just a few people ever to play in the Little League World Series and College World Series. 

Sorry. I couldn't resist.

9th round: Jared Jones - 1B, LSU

Love this pick, and it's not about his heroics in the College World Series. It's about the fact that the Pirates currently have a player on the roster with the same name. If there is another Paul Skenes or Oneil Cruz eligible for next year's draft, I hope the Pirates select him!

19th round: Brandon Cain - P, University of Oklahoma 

If he makes the majors, the Pirates need to acquire pitcher Mick Abel who is currently on the Phillies. Nothing like a little Bible humor for you.

12th round: Cameron Keshock - P, Samford University

Would you be Keshocked if this is the last player included in the post? Well, it is.

As always, you can read all of my Pittsburgh draft recaps from over the years here.

Texas Tragedy

During my teenage years, I spent five summers as a camper and counselor at an overnight camp in West Virginia. Camps are an amazing place where you gain independence and get to have constant fun with friends with few responsibilities (well, except as a counselor). Decades later, I'm still friends with people from camp. My boys are heading to an overnight camp for their 4th, 3rd, and 1st summers respectively. After his first year, The Moose cried on the way home because he was going to miss it. As I'm writing this, Pedro Tulo is at a Scouts camp.

Maybe it’s because of my love of camps, but I'm finding the tragic floods in and around Kerr County, Texas just devastating. Over 100 people were killed including at least two dozen campers and counselors at Camp Mystic and over 150 people are missing as a result of floods. It’s truly awful and sad.

President Trump and his administration are certainly not to blame for the floods. Anyone claiming this is being ridiculous. Before last weekend, it's unlikely that Trump had ever been to Kerr County or even heard of it. Still, looking into whether cuts made to the National Weather Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and FEMA had any impact on the alert system before the flooding and during the recovery is definitely warranted. So is looking into the state and local emergency systems and policies and procedures. 

This is what Texas governor Greg Abbott said after a reporter asked who was to blame for this tragedy. 

“That’s the word choice of losers.” “Every football team makes mistakes,” he continued, referring to Texas’s popular sport. “The losing teams are the ones that try to point out who’s to blame. The championship teams are the ones that say, ‘Don’t worry about it, ma’am, we’ve got this.’” (Abbott's quotes available here).

Staying with the football metaphor, this is a really stupid statement. Every football team, particularly at the college and professional levels and likely at most Texas high schools, does extensive film study and evaluates how to improve. If a team wins 17-14, they don't say to themselves, we're good. We don't need to have any more practices. We don't need to evaluate how we gave up 14 points or why we didn't score more. Just show up a few minutes before next week's game to warm up. We've got this. Ma'am.

Now maybe "blame" wasn't the right word in the question, but you absolutely conduct an investigation so that this type of tragedy doesn't happen again.

Photo by Ronaldo Schemidt - AFP via Getty Images

Hersheypark

Pedro Tulo's 5th and 6th grade chorus took a trip to Hersheypark this spring. They drove about 3 hours from Northern Virginia, performed a few songs at a church near the park, and then got to explore the amusement park before driving home. Hersheypark is a cashless facility, and we certainly weren't giving an 11 year old a credit card. Instead we bought him a $25 prepaid Visa card which had a $5.95 fee. What a scam! Anyway, Pedro Tulo had a great time, said that he rode a few roller coasters, and wanted to go back this summer.

The fact that I finally have a kid who is old/tall enough to ride roller coasters and interested in riding them made me very excited. So the two of us went to Hershey a few weeks ago. While we had a great time, and I'm really happy that we spent time together, Pedro Tulo is still a little hesitant to ride many coasters. We ended up riding three. Cocoa Cruiser is a roller coaster by definition only with the biggest hill being 14 feet high. Trailblazer went faster but with no big drops. We also went on the indoor coaster called Laff Trakk which was pretty good. Still, my hope of spending a significant part of the day riding on "real" roller coasters didn't quite happen.

The next morning, we went to Chocolate World to buy some treats for home. During our time at the park and at the store, products like Hershey's Kisses, Hershey's Chocolate Bars, Kit Kat, and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are featured prominently and even in mascot form. This isn't surprising since these are the top selling products. However, I couldn't find my favorite Hershey's product, the Symphony milk chocolate bar, anywhere in the store. I asked one employee who said that he wasn't aware of the product. I was about to riot. Fortunately, another employee directed me to the right place. Symphony bars were hidden on a shelf with no signage whatsoever. This is a travesty. 

While I understand that Hershey's has dozens of products (I learned that they make the terrific Dot's pretzels), more needs to be done to promote Symphony bars. It doesn't have the history or the symbolism of other Hershey's products, but it's their best chocolate treat. 

Alexandra Daddario & Finn Wittrock In Pirates Gear

I've been in a bit of a writing rut lately. Just generally busy with the end of the school year, the start of the summer, and some work projects. Fortunately, the Pittsburgh Pirates are here to provide some content. In case you're wondering, this post is not about the team's performance or lack thereof. Instead, it's about actors Alexandra Daddario and Finn Wittrock throwing out the first pitch at Saturday's Pirates game.

Wittrock and Daddario are playing Milton and Kitty Hershey in the upcoming movie Hershey currently being filmed in Pittsburgh. The film does not appear to be about my trip to Hersheypark with Pedro Tulo last week. (That may be a future post.) I'm not familiar with Wittrock, who seems to be best known for his role in American Horror Story. Daddario was in the first seasons of True Detective and White Lotus and is not unattractive. (You can say the same about Wittrock too.) Other notable cast members who all get favorable marks in my book are Richard Kind (from every single TV show and movie), Alan Ruck (Spin City, Succession, and Ferris Bueller's Day Off), David Costabile (Breaking Bad and Billions), and Helene Yorke (The Other Two). This could easily turn into a Richard Kind appreciation post (there's a snack named for him too...maybe), but I'll just share these two recent videos of him.

Please feel free to click here for more Celebrities in Pittsburgh Gear posts.

Photos from the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Being Jewish In America

I've been thinking about writing some variation of this post for many months, but based on two significant events from the last two weeks, I finally sat down to do this. I am Jewish. Not exactly breaking news, I know. It's a big part of my identity like being a father and being from Pittsburgh and a Pittsburgh sports fan. Besides hoping that the tradition of eating pickles during Hanukkah catches on, I don't write about being Jewish very often. It's personal. I mean, sure, some of my posts are personal, but it's more fun to write about the Pittsburgh Pirates or pop music. Actually, it's not much fun to write about the Pirates these days. Through June 2nd, the overall ERA of Pirates starters is 3.66, which is 13th out of the 30 baseball teams. That may not sound impressive, but it's better than the Dodgers, Mariners, Cubs, Padres, Guardians, and Astros, all teams that would be in the playoffs if the season ended today. If only the team spent some money on hitting and the bullpen! Getting way off topic.

Before I get much further, this post may live up to this blog's title, Sean's Ramblings. I'm going to be rambling all over the place. Let's proceed.

On October 7th, 2023, Hamas, the governing body of the Gaza Strip, attacked Israel killing more than 1,200 people and taking approximately 250 hostages. Those killed and captured included men, women, and children from multiple nationalities. They attacked a music festival, burned families alive, and committed sexual violence. Over 600 days later, there are still hostages and bodies of hostages in Gaza. There seems to be no proof of life or Red Cross inspectors to check on the status of the hostages. That's not the point of this post though. Israel's response to this attack isn't the point either. Israel is in an impossible position. How do you respond to the worst attack in the country's history? How do you limit civilian deaths (something Hamas didn't try to do) to defeat Hamas when Hamas militants and leadership hide among civilian areas at places like schools and hospitals? And how do you get the hostages back? It's worth noting that Gaza under Hamas is not a bastion of democracy. They haven't held elections since taking power in the mid-2000s and kill their political rivals. Not a great place for those wanting freedom of speech, freedom of religion, or who are part of the LGBTQ community. Not much freedom of the press either as you don't see the New York Times or Washington Post or BBC or FOX or ABC ever reporting from Gaza. 

Thousands of miles away, protests emerged throughout the United States. You would think it would be about releasing hostages and against Hamas, but that hasn't been the case. Many protests, particularly on college campuses, have been against Israel. And this is where I'll admit that I've put my head in the sand a bit. Although my background is in higher education and student affairs, I haven't worked on a college campus in over 20 years, and my kids are still several years away from applying to schools. I've heard about or read about various protests on campuses and in cities, most notably in Washington DC since I live next door in Northern Virginia, but those haven't impacted me directly. For any protests in DC, I'm not driving near them as I'm more than likely taking my kids to their activities like basketball, scouts or theater classes. 

Of course, some of these protests have shifted from being anti-Israel to being anti-Jews. They have made Jews on college campuses (and beyond) feel unsafe or worse. For example, there were at least two attacks against Jewish students on the University of Pittsburgh's campus. By the way, I don't support someone getting arrested or deported for writing an op-ed in a student newspaper. Free speech is free speech. Inciting violence or actually conducting physical violence is a different matter.

Here's the reality. I don't walk around with a billboard or a sign stating that I'm Jewish. There are people who don't like Jews for whatever reason usually based on incorrect stereotypes. My friends know that I'm Jewish, but it's not something that I advertise. (And yes, while I guess this post is advertising that I'm Jewish, I still try to keep some anonymity here.) My religion/culture/social group, however you define Judaism, shouldn't be a big deal, but there's a long history of antisemitism in the United States and around the world. 

Small example. At our kids' elementary school, the 2nd graders had an activity where they put together slides or posters about their heritage and made items representing the heritage at a market. It's a fun project, and the kids get really into it. Both my wife's family and my family are from Eastern Europe, including Lithuania, Poland, and Russia (though there's some question about what country controlled what area at a specific time). For Luigi's project, he shared his Lithuanian heritage. It was fun researching and learning about Lithuanian food and historic sites, but Lithuanian heritage for him was a bit of a stretch since that goes back generations to his great-great grandparents. I guess the alternative could have been Israel, but we don't have family who lived there and came to the US. While my wife and I never discussed it, I think in the back of our minds, we didn't want to have the potential backlash of kids being mean to Luigi for being Jewish. And this is in 2nd grade! 

Were we being overprotective or overly sensitive? Worrying for nothing? Maybe. However, at his recent baseball game, the mother of one of the kids of the other team wore a T-shirt with the Palestinian flag depicted over the country of Israel (like the picture below), seemingly to go with the "From the river to the sea" sentiment that there should be no Jews in Israel, so maybe not. (By the way, that kid was terrible at baseball.) 

Still, words and taunts are one thing. Physical violence is something else, and that's what has happened recently. During Passover, someone set fire to the Pennsylvania Governor's mansion with the family inside because Josh Shapiro is Jewish. On Sunday, multiple people who march peacefully weekly in support of the hostages in Gaza were set on fire via a flamethrower and Molotov cocktails in Boulder, Colorado. Much closer to me, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim were killed at an event at the Capital Jewish Museum a few weeks ago. While the news has highlighted the fact that both were Israeli embassy staff, the assailant wasn't targeting them directly. He just saw two people leaving from an event at a Jewish museum. It didn't matter that the event was for young Jewish professionals working on humanitarian diplomacy throughout the Middle East and North Africa. It also didn't matter that Yaron and Sarah were peace advocates and that Sarah worked for an organization combining entrepreneurial training and conflict dialogue between young Israelis and Palestinians.

Threats or actual violence against Jews is nothing new. Still, I think my belief that it couldn't happen in the United States was shattered when 11 people were killed at the Tree of Life synagogue, a place my family belonged to until I was 16. Today, although my kids are used to seeing security at our synagogue whenever we go and probably don't remember a time when there wasn't security, I'm not a fan. I understand the reasoning, but it bothers me that we live in a society where this is necessary. So do I feel unsafe on a daily basis? Usually, no. But I also can't ignore the massive increase in antisemitic incidents.

The reality is that it's a scary time, and I don't see things getting better. On Monday, the national news covered the incident in Boulder, and a few stories later, shared that several dozen people seeking aid were killed in Gaza by Israeli troops. Except it didn't happen that way. Montana Tucker broke down the incident, and The Washington Post sent out clarifications on social media. Will we find out the truth about what actually happened? Probably not, and it doesn't matter. The headlines blame Israel, and people are right to be upset about civilian casualties. So the cycle of demonstrations and threats or worse will continue against Jewish organizations and groups and places of worship. Most have nothing to do with Israel and certainly not with the Israeli military. Yaron and Sarah were for peace and the victims in Boulder marched for awareness of hostages. That meant nothing to the perpetrators.  

Back to me (since this is my blog), I worry some. It doesn't dominate my thoughts, but it's unavoidable since I try to follow the news. I also know that I can't look at the comments section on Twitter or Bluesky or in articles. I'm curious what kind of comments I get to this post on Facebook and other sites. Even before I publish this, I'm grateful for the support that I'll receive. I also expect some hateful replies and maybe people unfollowing or unfriending me. If that's how someone feels simply because I'm Jewish, please unfollow. Meanwhile, I hope that the war in Gaza ends soon with the hostages released. 

Here are a few articles I came across while writing this post that I think are worth sharing:

An op-ed in The Kansas City Star, hometown of Sarah. (KC Star)

A message from American University's president on Sarah's murder. (AU)

Michael Rapaport sounding off. (Fox News)

How October 7th changed antisemitic attacks in the US. (The Washington Post)

An interview with the University of Colorado Boulder's Hillel Director. (ABC News)

The Mandela Effect: Iron City Beer Edition

A few months ago, we had problems with our washer. Even after the load finished, it continued to run. The only way to stop it was by unplugging the machine. Fortunately, it was still under warranty, so we had someone check it out. He pressed the button, and the machine magically worked again.*

My immediate thought when this happened was a line from an Iron City beer commercial that aired regularly in the Pittsburgh area during the late 80s or early 90s: "Hey, loser, press the reset button!" Unfortunately, I can't seem to find this video anywhere. I remember it taking place in a bowling alley, maybe filmed at Forward Lanes in Squirrel Hill. I contacted Pittsburgh Brewing Company, and they have no record of this commercial. Is this a Mandela Effect thing where people misremember pop culture events? I'm not making this up, am I? Does anyone else remember this?

Pittsburgh Brewing Company did send me an amazing compilation of their commercials from the 1970s going forward. No press the reset button though.

* Running a load shortly after the tech left, the same issue occurred, so pushing the button was not the solution. A new control panel did the trick!

Soccer Referee Story

I don’t usually write about my soccer referee experiences. I’ve worked hundreds of games since becoming certified in 1990 (that’s not a typo), and my games aren’t usually worthy of sharing. I’m making a slight exception today. Over the weekend, I worked at a pretty big tournament in Northern Virginia. Probably against my better judgement, I signed up to work four consecutive U11 boys games. For this tournament, that meant 30-minute halves with just one referee. While keeping up with kids in 4th, 5th, and/or 6th grades isn't a problem for me, 4 hours of game time is a lot. And without assistant referees it’s impossible to tell if a player is offsides or if the ball goes completely out of play. Basically, if it’s close, we’re going to keep playing.

Before the first game, one coach approached me about a goal being set about 2 inches behind the goal line. The goal must have been anchored to the ground since it was impossible to move. I mean, Hulk or Thor could probably move it, but the coach and I could not. Naturally, about half-way through the first half, his team took a shot that hit the post, and he immediately started yelling that it should be a goal. Even with the goal set back, it's unlikely that the entire ball crossed the line before hitting the post. Technology used at the World Cup might be able to determine that the ball crossed the line, but they didn't quite have any video replay for this U11 match. Besides, going over the line and hitting the post didn't prove it was a goal. I could have simply called a goal kick for the ball being out of play. And with no assistant referee, I couldn't make this call from 20 yards away. I'm getting really into the weeds. Besides, I'm completely burying the lede here. This coach sounded exactly like Norm Macdonald except that he was not at all funny. 

He continued to complain throughout the game, and I eventually gave him a yellow card for dissent. This follows a trend I've seen throughout the season. So much complaining by coaches and players. Another player on this team got a yellow card for dissent (complaining about calls) too.

The second and third games were uneventful except that both my calves cramped at the same time during the third game. And right when I awarded a penalty kick. That had never happened to me in a game before, and it was quite painful. I limped around for the next few minutes before they finally felt better. After the game, one of the parents of a player in the game gave me some electrolyte powder that I mixed with my water. It was disgusting, and I'm not sure how much it helped.

Then, there was the fourth game. The first half was fine with nothing remarkable. I still couldn't run as fast as I wanted, but it was fine. Part-way through the second half, after a team scored a goal, I pointed to the center circle and started writing this in my book with my back towards the goal. I completely missed some trash-talking and pushing behind me. As soon as I heard the commotion, I ran over, but it was too late. One team claimed that the other started the ruckus, but without seeing it, I couldn't do anything. Yes, I should have waited to write down the goal, but this also wouldn't have been missed with two assistant referees. Over the next few minutes, there were more fouls and more talking and the team leading having their players stay on the ground longer than necessary. Finally, after one player kicked another, I blew a hard whistle and started to run over to issue a yellow card. Before I got there, one kid pushed the kid who did the kicking to the ground. Ugh. Red card. Things settled down for the last 6-7 minutes of the game, but one coach told his team not to shake hands after the game and the coaches weren't exactly going to get drinks together. 

(For the record, I did have a whistle unlike Ed O'Neill.) 

What's funny is that the tournament had a mentor at the field, and I talked with him both at halftime and after the game. Besides waiting to write down the goal and maybe issuing a card for time-wasting, he thought I made the right calls. He basically said that some things were beyond my control. It was reassuring. It also shows that you can still learn even when you've done something for a long time.

Oh, several days later, my right calf is still tender, and I limp around for a minute if I rest/sit for too long.

Friday Video: Sally, When The Wine Runs Out

Time for a good, old-fashioned Friday video post. Today's video features the singer Role Model and his song, "Sally, When The Wine Runs Out" from his performance on The Tonight Show. There's a nice cameo part-way through too. This song gets regular airplay on SiriusXM's Hits One station (the only place where I hear new music) and is really good. 

Enjoy!

For my Pittsburgh friends, Role Model attended Point Park University and is highly influenced by and his career was kick-started by Mac Miller.

50

Turning 50 is a big deal. Sure, there are other birthday milestones. 13 for a Bar/Bat Mitzvah. 16 to be able to drive. 18 to vote. 21 to legally drink. You should be a (somewhat) responsible adult at 25 and certainly at 30. You become a man at 40. But 50 seems different. A half century is a long time. There seems to be a sense of mortality. While I’m in decent shape and my kids help keep me young, there’s a realization that you have lived at least half of your life. I could live to be 100 but that doesn’t seem realistic.

I’ve started reflecting a little bit. Am I where I want to be? The answer is yes and no. I love my family, but I'm not financially secure. I mean, while I'd like a bigger house and more/any disposable income, the kids get what they need in terms of playing sports, being involved in activities, and going to summer camp. They’re certainly not getting designer clothes and shoes. Plus, I am my father's son. Did I go to Costco on Monday hoping to get a discounted Mother's Day cake for my own birthday cake? Just turn the cake upside down and Mom becomes Wow! Oh, the answer is yes I went to Costco, but they didn't have any remaining Mother's Day cakes.

What I’m realizing is that I need to be a better friend. While being busy with work and my kids’ activities is certainly an excuse, I have not done a good job of keeping in touch with friends, particularly those who live out of town. I also need to reach out to my family more. I never had a big family, and it’s even smaller with my parents now gone. 

I definitely want to travel more. My wife and I are planning a trip abroad this summer to celebrate my 50th birthday and our 20th anniversary. In addition, my goal of visiting all 50 states is still a strong possibility after going to North Dakota last year. 

There’s no big ending to this post. I didn’t get any media credentials to cover any awards shows or athletic events in honor of my 50th birthday. I actually spent my birthday itself going to work and then driving my kids to basketball practice and a Scout meeting in the evening. It was just another day with more phone calls and a lot more messages on Facebook. I’m going to celebrate more soon and with the vacation this summer. Overall, I’m glad that I made it to 50, and I know there’s a lot more to do.

Who Are The Cardinals?

With Pope Francis recently passing away, the College of Cardinals is set to meet to select a new pope. While it seems unlikely that Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, and John Lithgow will be part of this process (though maybe the Vatican will allow for special guests!), I've been curious about who makes up the College of Cardinals. Being an American sports fan, I have some questions.

Since we’re considering Cardinals, are we allowing the St. Louis Cardinals, Arizona Cardinals, or a combination of both to select the new pope? And are we considering current players, former players, and/or the owners and front office staff? For example, Ozzie Smith, Albert Pujols, and Adam Wainwright seem to be good representatives from the St. Louis Cardinals. However, they are all retired. Should Victor Scott II or Lars Nootbaar get more consideration as active members of the team? I love including Lars Nootbaar in any blog post!

From the Arizona side, I’m all for Larry Fitzgerald getting a say in the new pope. Actually, of all of the Cardinals, he would get my vote as pope (if I was a cardinal). Fitzgerald just seems like an amazing person and just gave a great commencement speech at the University of Pittsburgh.

I know what you’re thinking. This is the COLLEGE of Cardinals. I identified professional cardinals. Do the University of Louisville Cardinals have a say? The women’s volleyball team has been excellent. What about the Ball State University Cardinals? Actually, that’s the answer. The next pope should be selected by Ball State’s most famous graduate, David Letterman. Done!

Yes, this is one of the dumbest posts I have written in the 20+ years of Sean’s Ramblings. These are the things I think/write about when I'm waiting in line at the DMV!

Photo of Lars Nootbaar by Steph Chambers/Getty.

2025 Steelers Draft Recap

I often post recaps after Pirates, Steelers, and even Penguins drafts. They are generally unique with random comments and facts about players' names and backgrounds. While I'll get to some of that momentarily regarding the newest members of the Pittsburgh Steelers, we have to discuss the Steelers quarterback situation. Prior to the draft, the Steelers had two quarterbacks on the roster, Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson. Rudolph was the Steelers' 3rd round pick in 2018. He has a career 14-14-1 record with 28 touchdowns, 20 interceptions, and 4,615 yards in 29 games. He is an average NFL QB though he gets bonus points for previously dating former Canadian tennis star Eugenie Bouchard. 

I like Rudolph. He can win games in the NFL, but he's not at the same level as other AFC quarterbacks like Mahomes, Allen, Jackson, Burrow, and Herbert. Thompson was Miami's 7th round draft pick in 2022 and seems to be early in his career as an NFL journeyman. You wouldn't be surprised to see Thompson as the 3rd quarterback on someone's roster in 2030. You would be surprised seeing him start more than 1 NFL game in 2025. With all of this, the expectation was that the Steelers would draft a QB. And they did in Will Howard in the 6th round. As an Ohio State graduate, I love this pick, but this doesn't solve the Steelers QB situation this season. 

All of this leads to the assumption that the Steelers will sign 41 year-old Aaron Rodgers, a likely first-ballot Hall of Famer. I am not a fan of Rodgers. Everything seems to be all about him. So much drama surrounds him. That's fine when you're the league MVP. It's annoying when you're close to 42 and have been a league average QB at best the last few years. Rodgers seems to love the attention and the mystery. Does he want to sign with the Steelers? Would he rather retire? Will he go on another darkness retreat to decide? 

Those Steelers fans who want Rodgers point to the end of the 2024 season for some type of resurgence. Looking a little closer, the Jets scored 9 points against the Rams in week 15 and lost 40-14 to the Bills in week 16 where Rodgers had 112 passing yards and 2 interceptions. Rodgers had good games in week 14 against the terrible Jaguars and week 17 against the already eliminated Dolphins. Not impressed. I don't want to deal with headlines about Mr. Rodgers' Neighborhood all season (which is an insult to Fred Rogers). I'm resigned to the fact that the Steelers will probably sign Rodgers at some point, but that probably won't happen until Rodgers can get the most possible press. At this point in his career, is he that much of an upgrade over Rudolph? Probably not. There has only been one NFL quarterback over 40 to have any success, and I don't think Rodgers is going to be the second. I'm not looking forward to rooting for Rodgers this year, and I don't think he's going to be very good. I also have a feeling I'm going to use this quote about Rodgers a lot this year.

Okay, enough of that. Let's let to my usual random draft notes. Here's are the 2025 Steelers' draft picks

Round 1: Derrick Harmon, Defensive Tackle, Oregon

Round 3: Kaleb Johnson, Running Back, Iowa

Round 4: Jack Sawyer, Edge, Ohio State

Round 5: Yahya Black, Defensive Tackle, Iowa

Round 6: Will Howard, Quarterback, Ohio State

Round 7: Carson Bruener, Linebacker, Washington

Round 7: Donte Kent, Cornerback, Central Michigan 

* Even though I still don't truly acknowledge Oregon and Washington as being in the Big 10, it's pretty remarkable that every selection until Kent is from that conference.

* I feel like Jack Sawyer's parents were really big fans of the TV show Lost

* I see a red door, and I want it painted Yahya Black!

* Fun fact: Carson Bruener is the son of long-time Steelers TE Mark Bruener. Another fun fact: Carson probably can't catch as well as Mark or he would have played on offense.

* How did Donte Kent go to a MAC school that wasn't Kent State? Missed opportunity.

* Lots of questions about the new Steelers QB. Will Howard have a chance at the starting QB job? When Will Howard sign a contract and start learning the playbook? Will Howard be the Steelers QB of the future? Will Howard like that his first name is the same as a question or is he used to it?

The Steelers also signed the following undrafted free agents:

Sebastian Castro, Safety, Iowa
J.J. Galbreath, Tight End, South Dakota
Ben Sauls, Kicker, Pittsburgh
Roc Taylor, Wide Receiver, Memphis
DJ Thomas-Jones, Fullback, South Alabama
Aiden Williams, Offensive Guard, Minnesota-Duluth
Ke'Shawn Williams, Wide Receiver, Indiana

* I definitely want DJ Thomas-Jones or if he goes by DJ TJ to provide music for a party! Maybe Thomas-Jones will team up with T.J. Watt and they can be DJs TJs!

* Roc is a great name for a wide receiver. Of course, I thought Dwight Stone was also a great name for a WR, and that had mixed results.

* Fun fact: The Steelers didn't draft or sign anyone from an SEC school. South Dakota, Minnesota-Duluth, and Central Michigan, but no Alabama, or LSU, or Georgia. 

Good Job, Gronk

I'm proud of being from Pittsburgh and am quick to praise and point out people with Pittsburgh ties especially when it comes to sports and entertainment. However, even though Rob Gronkowski, a future member of the football hall of fame, graduated from the same high school as me, I never seem to include him as someone from Western Pennsylvania. The Gronkowski family moved to my school district from Western New York just in time for Rob's senior year of high school. As kids say these days, the move was "sus" as there were several eligibility meetings by local and state athletic organizations. Gronk was eventually allowed to play and graduated. His one year in Pittsburgh is why I don't include him with other successful Western Pennsylvania athletes like Jason Taylor and Dan Marino. It might have been different if Gronk went to college at Pitt or Penn State or played for the Steelers, but he went to college at the University of Arizona, completely off the radar for Pittsburgh sports fans, and spent the bulk of his NFL career in New England and Tampa Bay. 

Less than two weeks ago, Gronkowski returned to Woodland Hills High School to celebrate the reopening of the school's weight room. His foundation donated $200,000 and partnered with U.S. Steel and State Senator Jay Costa in this endeavor. I never heard of him spending time in and around Pittsburgh after high school, and I wasn't aware that he still had any ties or allegiances to WHHS. I'm really happy that he's supporting the Wolverines!

In case you're wondering, as a 3-sport athlete at Woodland Hills (soccer, tennis, and swimming/diving) and weighing 120 pounds at graduation, you might be shocked to learn that I spent very little time at the weight room!

More information about this (the weight room, not my high school workout routine) including pictures and a time-lapse video are available on the Woodland Hills School District website.

Oh, and where can I get one of these Team Gronk T-shirts?

Photos by Andrew Chiappazzi/WHSD

April 2025 Random Ramblings

The Moose's 8th grade civics class recently did a mock trial at school. As he was describing his class to us at home, he mentioned the role of the prostitute in the case. It took a minute or two to figure out that he meant prosecutor or prosecuting. So close!

My wife makes an egg casserole with cheese, bread, and eggs. While it sounds simple, it's really good. The Moose recently asked for a piece of the carousel. Again, so close!

I'm late to this, but I started watching Cobra Kai. So much fun. So much nostalgia. My one question is how does Ralph Macchio look so young? He's 63. The first season was released in 2018 which means he was probably about 56 when the show was first made. Macchio doesn't look like he's older than 35 or 40!

I have had the same cleats for being a soccer referee for probably at least 10 years. They are slowly falling apart enough and now the stitching is coming out from the side of the right shoe. That's a nice way of writing that there's a hole in my shoe. I ordered new cleats, and they are a little tight. There's room at the toe and the heel, but it's tight around the rest of my foot. I'm trying to wear them around the house and hoping to loosen them up, but I think I may need to just give up and buy a different pair. (And wear the cleats with a hole for my next group of games and hope that they don't fall apart or that it rains.)

Six13 has a new Passover song. It's really good. 

I might be late to this, but I just watched the movie Casablanca. Really disappointed in the CGI and special effects. 

Photo by Mark Von Holden/Variety

You've Got To Live and Learn

I love 90s music. The 90s were when I graduated from high school and college and became a young professional. I also went to concerts by myself for the first time (not counting seeing Debbie Gibson in the late 80s).This was a foundational part of my life.

Over the weekend, while flipping around stations on SiriusXM, I came across a 90s "Back in the Day Replay" where they played the top 30 songs from this week in 1992. While I'm not sure if the songs in the countdown are the same as the Billboard chart, they seemed to be similar. Let's take a look at the top 30 songs according to Billboard (since I have this and not the SiriusXM list).

1. Save the Best for Last - Vanessa Williams

2. Tears in Heaven - Eric Clapton

3. Remember the Time - Michael Jackson

4. Masterpiece - Atlantic Starr

5. To Be With You - Mr. Big

Is this an adult contemporary countdown? These are all slow songs that might be played at the end of a high school dance. Well, no one is playing Tears in Heaven, the song based on Clapton's 4 year old son tragically dying from falling out of a window at prom or homecoming. Not a romantic song for teenagers (or anyone else). Of the other songs, I barely remember Masterpiece. All five of these songs are okay at best. In any event, these were your top 5 songs in the first week of April 1992? Yikes!

6. I'm Too Sexy - Right Said Fred

7. Breakin' My Heart (Pretty Brown Eyes) - Mint Condition

8  Make It Happen - Mariah Carey

9. I Can't Dance - Genesis

10. Beauty and the Beast - Celine Dion and Peabo Bryson

I'll admit that I'm a fan of I'm Too Sexy. It's just fun. And after seeing this, I know you want to tell your significant other that you're too sexy for your shirt or your hat or your car. Otherwise, we have more adult contemporary hits. We have early Mariah, and the absolute worst Genesis song. I also have no recollection of Breakin' My Heart or Mint Condition. Don't remember them getting airplay on B-94.

11. Justified and Ancient - The KLF featuring Tammy Wynette

12. Good For Me - Amy Grant

13. I Love Your Smile - Shanice

14. Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg  TLC

15. Hazard - Richard Marx

The KLF had a great song called 3AM Eternal. They followed it up with a similar sounding song and an extremely odd pairing with Tammy Wynette in Justified and Ancient. Even at the time, I remember being confused about what was happening. Good For Me is fine though the video is um, not good, and makes me dizzy. I Love Your Smile is a happy song, and TLC is just great. Even though my 14 year-old did not like Hazard, I think it's a fantastic song and has been the one stuck in the my head since I decided to create this post.

16. Thinkin' Back - Color Me Badd
17. Human Touch/Better Days - Bruce Springsteen

18. Everything Changes - Kathy Troccoli

19. Missing You Now - Michael Bolton

20. We Got a Love Thang - CeCe Peniston

All five of these songs are completely forgettable. I have no recollection of Color Me Badd having a second song. Human Touch probably doesn't make one of Springsteen's top 75 songs. I really hope that Kathy's last name rhymes with Broccoli. I also remember music videos being better than what I'm sharing in this post. 

21. If You Go Away - NKOTB

22. One - U2

23. Tell Me What You Want Me To Do - Tevin Campbell

24. Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen

25. Oochie Coochie - M.C. Brains

How about this for a group of five songs? You have two absolute classics by Queen and U2. Tevin Campbell always amazed me since it seemed like he was putting out hits at the age of 10. I'll give New Kids on the Block credit for having massive and catchy songs with You Got It (The Right Stuff) and Step by Step. If You Go Away is not one of these songs. Adding M.C. Brains here reminds me of the part of the movie A League of Their Own where the league makes a reel of its players. And how 'bout M.C. Brains? What a hitter.

26. Live and Learn - Joe Public

27. Romeo & Juliet - Stacy Earl featuring The Wild Pair

28. My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It) - En Vogue

29. Uhh Ahh - Boyz II Men

30. I'm the One You Need - Jody Watley

I thought Live and Learn was an awesome song in 1992. Not sure if it still holds up today. Now My Lovin' absolutely holds up. Just as good as 33 years ago. 

Overall, this is not a very good group of songs. In the top 20, you have some of the greatest selling artists of all-time, but these aren't close to the best songs by Michael Jackson, Mariah Carey, Springsteen, Celine Dion, and even Michael Bolton. So many ballads. Without looking, I'm just going to hope that the charts later that year were much better!

In case you're wondering, there are some amazing and memorable songs beyond the top 30. Prince's Diamonds and Pearls was #31, Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit was #32, and the one song I remember by Color Me Badd, All 4 Love, was #34 after reaching the top of the chart weeks earlier. Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me by George Michael and Elton John was just outside the top 40. Two other notable songs that debuted in the top 100 that week: Jump by Kris Kross and Under The Bridge by Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Skenes and Dunne in GQ

While I've written dozens of Celebrities in PittsburghGear posts over the years, this might be the first time that the celebrity is actually a member of a Pittsburgh sports team. GQ published an article and photo shoot of Pirates star Paul Skenes and his more-famous girlfriend Livvy Dunne. And in one picture, Skenes is wearing his own jersey.

I'm also curious what Skenes is eating for (presumably) breakfast in this picture. Is it one type of cereal or two? Does he eat cereal without milk? 

Forget about Wednesday's 4-2 Pirates win where Skenes pitched 7 innings giving up only 1 unearned run and 3 hits with no walks and 6 strikeouts. The Pirates and baseball media really need to ask Skenes about his breakfast eating habits!

Photos by Roe Ethridge