Pearls Heels and Cleats

Engagement Photos!!

2012-02-13T13:30:00.000-05:00

I haven't been blogging since a few things have come up in my life and has kind of deterred me from my actual life! The big thing that happened was I became engaged! My boyfriend Kyle popped the question when I was picking him up from the airport for Christmas. He didn't act alone though. Kyle bought my ring through my best friend Christie, and then they came up with how to propose to me. Her mom is a great photographer so Christie and her mom, Joy, were at the airport the whole time and captured every moment and I had no clue! I had no idea it was even coming! I remember saying it was just like Kyle to do it right away because he can never wait to surprise me! So, here is the video of our engagement!

Megan and Kyle Engagement 12-20-2011

For the Girlie Girl in Sports!!! My New Etsy Shop!

2011-12-03T14:09:00.001-05:00

Well, I have always been a fan of southern tradition when it comes to sports and I have always wanted to create my own line of accessories for the "better lookin' fan" at the tailgate! So I created my own Etsy shop to get started! I created my first tree skirt while in Texas over thanksgiving and I'm going to start creating other ones that are themed to college and football teams! Then I bought some chalkboard paint and was messing around with some wine glasses that I thought I'd put up as my first listing! They are so cute and no two are the same! I'm also going to tailor those to teams and personalize those to customers! What better way to fuse together my love of football and being a girlie girl? I encourage feedback and any suggestions anybody has! I'm so looking forward to creating more items for sports fans who want to show their girlie side! I'll be posting all new items that I list on here and I also created a facebook page that they will be shown on as well! Thank you for your support!!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pearls-Heels-and-Cleats/120426141405849

www.etsy.com/shop/pearlsheelsandcleats

Sidney Crosby's Living Situation(s)

2011-11-27T17:16:00.001-05:00

So I should be writing about the Steelers @ Chiefs game tonight but I wanted to mention this article I just came across...

I was reading the Post-Gazette.com article about how Crosby just sold his house that he has been renovating for the past 2 years in Sewickley Heights and has now bought a new house he liked in Sewickley. But he didn't buy the house because he liked it I guess, because he tore it down and is now building a new house. That's besides the point. My point is, when reading the article, I realized that Crosby is still living "part-time" at Lemieux's house. He has been living there since he was an 18-year old rookie. Now, this is either a genius move by Lemieux or its just the kid who doesn't want to move out of mommy and daddy's house.

Genius because Crosby hasn't got into any trouble "off the ice". Most likely that can be attributed to being under Papa Mario's watchful eye, "be back by 2 am, young Sidney, I'll send a car so you don't do any of that drinking and driving and I'll know where you will be!" I didn't even know you could really do that. But I guess if you are the owner of a team, you could do whatever you want to do. It's actually brilliant to keep your young, star player in check, right where you can see them.

Now from a different point of view, it could be a little weird. A lot of us in our 20s have moved home because we realize its a tough world out there and its much nicer at home where we don't have to do our grocery shopping or cook. Also, our economy sucks and with school loans taking each of our paychecks, its hard to keep up with rent and bills. Unfortunately for me, my parents won't let me come back home... but I think it's better that my dad and I don't live under the same roof (love you daddy!). Anyway, Crosby is not a normal 24 year old struggling to not have to put food back at the checkout counter because we came up $5 short. The article said he lives between an apartment and Lemieux's house while he was building his $2.4 million house and now building his new abode.

But why? Why not just live on your own? Most of us would kill to live at the Cork Factory, in a gorgeous loft in Shadyside or have one of those new Ryan townhomes around town! I just don't understand why Sidney Crosby won't live on his own full time? (By the way, this has nothing to do with Crosby as a person or player, just curious about his living situation!) I wonder if there are any other athletes that do this? I'll post the link below but it was just bothering me and I was thinking maybe somebody out there had read this and thought the same or different.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Sid buys and sells a home

UPDATE: Right before I was going to post this, I was informed by my boyfriend that the HBO series 24/7: Penguins vs. Capitals leading up to the Winter Classic showed that Alex Ovechkin lives with his parents in a townhome. He even said he didn't know who was going to do his laundry on the road...

Obsessed with Pinterest!

2011-10-14T12:21:00.001-04:00

I am now on Pinterest! I can't stop from looking all day long at all the amazing pictures out there! So many fresh and exciting ideas I can't get enough of! It's really taking away from my work but it's keeping me busy with the long hours I spend on set for this movie. My user name is mewolfley I believe. I'm still getting used to it and figuring it out. I think it's an amazing idea and I can't wait to see how creative it gets! I love the holidays and I'm really getting a lot of good ideas on decorating and fun things to do with Brae! Happy Pinning!

New Aery's Post

2011-10-12T11:47:00.000-04:00

Here's my take on the wonderful come back game of the Steelers on Sunday against the Titans

http://aeryssports.com/steel-city-blitz/theyre-baaackkk/

Can't wait for Jacksonville!!!

My New Workout

2011-09-21T12:11:00.000-04:00

I have ADD... really bad, as my friends know and I have a hard time staying with workouts that keep me interested. I grew up dancing and then went into figure skating and in college I started in pilates and yoga. In the beginning of my pregnancy I continued with yoga until I felt too fat and didn't want to do it anymore so I just went to walking (which in turn, made me go into labor 3 days early). I love working out but its hard to find the motivation and sometimes, time, to stick with it. When I had a gym membership to LA Fitness, I went at least 4 days a week until that fateful night a few years ago when God was watching over me (I know he always is) and I was all ready to go in my workout clothes and, sat down on the couch and I accidentally fell asleep. When I woke up, my phone was going off with calls and texts from friends and family ensuring my safety. I was then told that some sick, psychotic man went into my gym, pulled out 2 guns and killed several women. I will never know what could've been had I not fallen asleep. But that incident has never left me and I have not returned to the gym since.

I know that it is safe now, but I have since found other ways to workout outside of the gym. I recently returned to my dancing roots and have started this DVD that I had bought several years ago. It's the New York City Ballet workout and it's AMAZING! I always love how pilates made my body look and feel and it stems from ballet. A lot of classes integrate ballet into their routines now and for good reason. Have you ever seen a dancers body? I have several friends who are dancers and they look fantastic! I have a charity fashion show coming up in about 2 weeks and a movie I am working on starting next week and I am frantically trying to whip into shape quickly. Fortunately, I have athletic genes from my parents and it only takes a few workouts for me to see the difference in my body. But for everyone, it only takes one workout to make you feel 10 times better about yourself!

I am thinking about looking into classes around here at dance studios because I really love the art and I love the way it makes me feel. But for now, I'm sticking with this DVD because I can fit it into my schedule (and my budget) and I can't wait to see the difference it makes! Besides, who doesn't love a dancer's butt?

New York City Ballet Workout DVD

Steelers at Ravens: Unfortunate Recap

2011-09-12T11:39:00.000-04:00

Here is my take on yesterday's... game?

http://aeryssports.com/steel-city-blitz/what-the-steelers-at-ravens/

Hopefully, this is a one-time deal that our boys will never let happen again. They fell apart, figured out their weak spots and this week will be picking up the pieces.

I can't even talk about this game anymore...

Until Roger Goodell unleashes his wrath on fining our players

Megan & Murgia in the City | Pittsburgh Sports/Entertainment Podcast

2011-08-30T16:37:00.002-04:00

Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Hosted, Posted & Produced by Megan Wolfley & Frank Murgia

Welcome to the first podcast episode of "Megan & Murgia in the City" featuring Megan Wolfley (pearls, heels), daughter of former Pittsburgh Steelers Lineman Craig Wolfley and Frank Murgia (cleats), podcast co-host and producer for talent network news, Craig Wolfley and Ultimate Challenge Radio as they launch their weekly podcast based in their home city of Pittsburgh.

The main focus of the podcast will be the Pittsburgh Steelers 2011-12 season with insider info and opinions form Megan who works for the Steelers in the booth on game days with a mix of news from city events, Steelers bars and tailgate party info from Frank.

Living by the Motto:
"The Only Thing To Do In This City Is Sports, And We Drink To It"

Follow Megan Wolfley on Twitter (@mewolfley)
Follow Frank Murgia on Twitter (@RealFrankMurgia)

Podcast Talking Points:

- First Podcast, Hello, About
- A little Wolfley Lineman in the Mix
- Pearls, Heels and Cleats
- Writing for Aerys Sports/Steel City Blitz
- Working for the Steelers, Power and 93.7 the Fan
- Pre-Season Dress Rehearsal
- Mike Vick Makin' Paper
- What can Brown do for You
- Dennis the Under Dressed Menace
- Left(arm)wich
- Frank's Madden 12 Review
- North Shore Tailgating Review
- Players Crash McFaddens (Don't Be That Guy)

"Megan & Murgia in the City" Podcast #001

powered by talent network, inc.

To Download to Your Desktop and MP3 Player:
Windows users, right click on 'PLAY' and select 'Save Link As..'
Mac users hold the Apple command key down, click on 'PLAY' and select 'Save Link As..'

First Day Photos

Related Links:
AerysSports.com (Sports Written by Women)
Steel City Blitz on Aerys Sports
Megan Wolfley Steel City Blitz on Aerys Sports
talent network news
talent network inc.
CraigWolfley.com

My First Post for Aeryssports.com!!

2011-08-22T13:21:00.000-04:00

Well I just posted my first article for Aeryssports.com under Steel City Blitz and I have to admit I am so nervous but so excited! I was so thrilled when they brought me on as a contributor for the Steelers and I hope to make the most of this opportunity!

http://aeryssports.com/steel-city-blitz/

Back To Work!!

2011-08-16T08:04:00.000-04:00

Today is technically my first day back to work for the Steelers! I am so excited to get back into the grind! I've missed this feeling since the Super Bowl! Even though it's still summer, its really cool here this morning and the crisp air reminds me of football season. Today I am heading down to Heinz Field to hold auditions for 14 kids who have been called back to be our new "kid" hosts for the McDonald's KidZONE Show we film in the Coca-cola Great Hall at Heinz Field! This is my 6th year working for the show and I am the Floor Director. I absolutely love working behind the camera and working with these kids (if they are good, haha). It can get a little crazy because we film in front of a live audience of other kids (local football teams and cheerleaders) but the excitement they have to see our Steelers right in front of them and the chance to meet them is so fun for them! So now I'm off to the North Shore and praying we find a new group of great hosts to kick off this season!

KidZONE Taping Dates

Let The Games Begin...

2011-07-25T17:30:00.000-04:00

For the most part, the NFL Lockout 2011 is over!! Hallelujah, thank the good Lord that we can get back to work! I am so happy that everyone came to an agreement now before it got worse. Training camp opens Thursday up at St. Vincent! I know the players are ready to kick down the doors at training camp and get this started! I know people want to celebrate and I'm hoping that nothing bad happens between now and training camp! I'm sure that Mike Tomlin will do damage control immediately with some unfortunate events with our beloved Steelers and keep all other negative publicity at bay.

Everyone needs to focus on moving forward and not backtrack at all. I'm hoping that this season will be the best season to date because of the fear that was looming over not having a season at all. I think fans will be bursting through the gates come gameday and will probably be tailgating the night before out of excitement. After all, people were trying to tailgate for Roethlisberger's wedding this past weekend!

I've read that some people are concerned with his new marriage status and that it could affect his job. Maybe it will make him better since he won't have to focus on an extra curricular activities and keep him on track and out of trouble. But he does seem to do better when the cards are stacked against him. We shall see....

I wonder if Harrison will be fined or suspended at all in Goodell's first week out of the lockout? I'm sure there will be some repercussion for what he said in his Men's Health article. Will Hines Ward have any impending fines or suspensions for his DUI? Or maybe Goodell will just let Tomlin handle it internally and let the past be the past and move forward...

I'm so happy to ask... ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL??????

The NFL Boredom Epidemic

2011-07-14T16:32:00.000-04:00

NFL players got no jobs, getting arrested, James Harrison is bashing the commissioner and teammates, our PETS HEADS ARE FALLING OFF!!!

The common denominator, in my opinion, is simple: these guys are bored and frustrated.

It's completely understandable. Think about it. For most of these guys lives, they have been compeltely structured around football. Eat, breath, sleep football. They have a routine, coaches, trainers, teammates that all are focused on the same thing, day in and day out. It's kind of like messing up the schedule of a child. And NO I'm not calling grown men children, I'm just using a reference.

When a child's life is upset by their family moving, career change, divorce, or any major life changing event, they tend to act out. They cause drama, get in trouble, whatever it takes to get your attention. I think, again in my opinion, that the guys are going through the same thing. They don't have their coaches or normal trainers to go to. They can't even go "home" (field, practice facilities). So they have to try to come up with their own routine. It's not the same as they knew life to be for all the previous years before. So they are going to mess up when they are frustrated and act out. After all, who isn't frustrated with the way things are going. Mommy and Daddy can't come to an agreement and all we want to do is get back to our normal lives!

So we've had our problems with a few players recently...

Our beloved WR Hines Ward made a bad judgement one night while out with friends in Georgia. Now, I think it's time for someone to make sure that if you play for the Steelers, STAY OUT OF GEORGIA! Everyone thought that Ward was doing such a great job by using his time wisely during the lockout by going on DWTS and then winning the whole thing and bringing the mirror ball trophy back to Pittsburgh. But the lockout has remained after DWTS wrapped up and Ward still has nothing to do. We all know that even during the season, all players go out and drink, but now since they have no one to answer to, I think they are a little more loose than they would be without the lockout. So, after a night of drinking, Ward gets pulled over after a cop followed him for 4 miles and watched his Aston Martin hit a curb. Ward gets booked after failing a field sobriety test and recent reports are saying he took 3 breathalyzers and blew a .128 at some point. Whatever, he should have had his sober passenger drive, he made a mistake, and because he is the great Hines Ward, everyone had to know about it.

Ok, now here's good PR work from his managers. Despite the DUI charge, Ward claims he was not "driving drunk". Which maybe true because alcohol affects people of different sizes different ways. BUT realize he didn't say he wasn't "drinking and driving", which he was. So, he's denying the charge, which is fine, but he's very careful as to how he's portraying himself. He admitted to having 2 drinks but was not drunk driving. Doesn't matter. If you have alcohol in your system over a .08, by law you are impaired. A freind of mine lives around the area where Ward was that night and says the cops down there are bad. No favoritism at all. I was actually surprised they booked him.

Not even a week later, we are hit with another form of acting out from his teammate, James Harrison. The Steeler's bad boy was interviewed in Men's Health magazine and from the excerpts that were given online, he had more than enough to say to keep his reputation as is.

He started off with Goodell: “But up until last year, there was no word of me being dirty — till Roger Goodell, who’s a crook and a puppet, said I was the dirtiest player in the league. If that man was on fire and I had to piss to put him out, I wouldn’t do it. I hate him and will never respect him.”

Then moved to Roethlisberger: “Hey, at least throw a pick on their side of the field instead of asking the D to bail you out again. Or hand the ball off and stop trying to act like Peyton Manning. You ain’t that and you know it, man; you just get paid like he does.”

I can understand where he is coming from. A lot of the Steeler nation would probably agree. But it was a little extreme and unproffessional. I back Harrison for feeling the way he does. He is a target and that is very clear. The team in general has a bullseye mark on them, which has grown with all the controversy throughout the past few years, primarily starting with Mr. Roethlisberger himself. (I won't get into his troubles, because it's not worth it. What's done is done and everyone has moved on.) After the media had a field day with dissecting every word from this story, Harrison realized he had a little explaining to do, not about Goodell, but to his QB.

This morning, Merril Hoge called in Pittsburgh's DVE morning radio show to talk to Jimmy Krenn and Randy Baumann about his conversation with Big Ben after he received a call from Harrison about the article:
http://www.dve.com/cc-common/podcast/single_page.html?podcast=amshow&selected_podcast=Merril%2520Hoge%2520-%2520Harrison%2520Comments.mp3

As of now, the two teammates are fine. All has been talked through and put to bed. Which is, to repeat Mr. Hoge, most important for the team. I agree that journalists twist things to make a person or a story come out a certain way. For impact or personal opinion, it happens. I am nobody, but I've been lucky enough to have had a couple people interview me. And more than once have I either been misquoted or been portrayed in a way that I did not appreciate. I believe as long as the people who matter or you have affected, know the true meaning of what was said, that's most important and it's the most you can do. And that's what Harrison has done, well, to one person so far.

To defend Harrison as a person, I have been around him several times and not once have I ever thought of him as anything other than a good guy. Others who know him say the same as well. When my son was just a toddler, I brought him to an event and my dad and I were talking with him and his focus went to Braedon. He was great with him! He was joking around about how big Braedon was and how funny it would be if he were a Steeler one day. He's always been professional and cordial with media and fans. I always viewed him as a great player who epitomizes the Steelers defense and how football should be played. He is dedicated and serious about his job and I believe he is unfairly tagged as a "thug" in the NFL. He's not playing flag football and he makes sure the opposing offense knows that. He's also made sure Roger Goodell realized that too and unfortunately, he's paying the price, literally.

We can also bring up Rashard Mendenhall's twitter rants, but that's not news anymore. Things like Twitter and Facebook need to be monitored by their managers or whoever (even their wives might have something to say about their opinions) so they can approve or disapprove whatever they are going to say for the sake of their reputation and maybe give them an outside perspective. After all, as much as some would like to say they are only representing themselves and their opinion, once they sign their name, they represent a team.

To end where I started, I believe most of these problems we are having with our beloved NFL players are steaming from boredom and frustration. These guys are athletes, made to GO GO GO! For the most part, they are structured and disciplined. They know one way of life. They aren't supposed to know what it's like to not have football until they retire and have to find another outlet. Of course you will have your trouble makers throughout the league, but until 2010, I never thought of James Harrison as one. I hope there are no more troubles for the Steelers and they get it together so they can be ready for the hopeful 2011 season. I know I'm ready for some football. I can't imagine how hard it is for the guys to be told they can't play until "Mommy and Daddy" say so.

Oh, So That's What Double-Elimination Means...

2011-06-23T11:07:00.000-04:00

Well unfortunately, Texas A&M lost a game they should've won (in my opinion and everyone else in the Aggie crowd) to California. It just seemed as if the guys weren't there mentally when they stepped up to the plate. Sophomore Michael Wacha did a fantastic job as the starting pitcher, but it wasn't enough to hold off Cal's batters. I noticed there were a lot of foul balls, way more than usual, one almost hitting one of A&M's coach's daughters in the back of the head! I guess Cal had their heads in the game more so than the Aggies. I'm not a coach (obviously) so I'll leave it to the guys who really know what the team was going through, mentally, to justify that statement.

It was a very cold, windy, rainy game, especially with the "tornado" that came through the day before. No offense to ABC News but, the general consensus in Omaha was they blew it way out of proportion and it was just high winds. Still, nobody knows why the tornado sirens went off during the game. Everytime the skys started to part and sun came through, we all thought it was a good omen for the team! Even all my praying wasn't helping, but God had a plan and we had to trust it!

So, after we left the stadium and we stood in the rain to see Kyle and the team before they headed back to the hotel, I found out that they were leaving that night to return to College Station. Well, of course I was going to put on my best act and I kicked, screamed and pouted (it got me no where). I need to learn a better strategy to getting my way now that I'm an adult...

Anyway, as I met Kyle back at the hotel room, I watched him pack up, eat dinner and head to the bus to leave. I understand that the reason why they left so soon was to ensure the "safety" of the players; i.e. they wouldn't go out and party since they were out of the CWS. But the players and coaches had families still in Omaha and it would've been nice to have at least some more time with them until we had to leave as well! Anyway, we kissed the boys goodbye and Amanda and I set out to Margaritas to have a margarita (a very large one)! Not the best, but hey, we had to drown our sorrows somehow!

So here I sit on the plane back Pittsburgh (thankfully without a hangover) and toasting to a fantastic season for the Texas A&M baseball team, they have definitely set the bar for future Aggies! Congratulations guys, you deserve it!

Texas A&M vs, South Carolina -- ugh

2011-06-20T13:36:00.000-04:00

Well of course, my boyfriend's team HAD to play my Gamecocks in the 1st game at the 2011 CWS and just seein him get ready for the game had my heart jumpin! It was really exciting and all of us wives and girlfriends were on edge the whole day just hopin for a W after last night. After tryin to relax in the sun all day we got ourselves all pretty in our A&M colors and headed to the TD Ameritrade Park!

Now, I will admit that I felt a little sad that I wasn't standing in line for my ticket with the rest of the South Carolina fans but I am a good girlfriend and I stood my ground. After waiting in a line that lasted about 45 min for just Player Guests tickets (I thought we were supposed to have special privileges, haha) and sweatin all our makeup off, we set off into the park. Its really beautiful!

Well I was just so excited because I got to sit next to Kyle's parents in the family section! It was really fun to be around such a lively group of fans! So lively, in fact, that they put us on TV!

I have to admit I felt like a bit of a traitor in my Texas A&M shirt but I was so happy to support my boyfriend and his team for all their hard work and making it to the CWS! Unfortunately, after both teams scoring 4 runs in the first inning it stayed that way until the bottom of the 9th when SC's Scott Wingo drilled a bases-loaded single to give the Gamecocks a 5-4 victory over Texas A&M. It was quite shocking to us because we thought we were going into extra innings, but we stood there and watched as the boys met on the field and listened to a few words from Coach Childress.

(There is Kyle on the left in #50)

But I was so happy to be there for him after the game at the buses where it was so crazy with fans, friends and families waiting to get autographs, pictures and hugs from the boys. My new friend, Amanda, who is also dating a coach, were joking back and forth that we looked like groupies hanging by the buses waiting for them! Soon enough the boys got out and Kyle and I got our first picture together in his uniform! We never got a chance before so I was so excited to get this one with him!

So now the boys play tomorrow at 1 pm (12pm ET) to hopefully win this one and head onto another game after that! Saying lots of prayers today and we are headed off to an early dinner with the team at Anthony's Steakhouse (I think) and then back to the field! I'll be posting more pictures soon!

"You Got South Carolina Tattooed On Your Liver, Honey"

2011-06-14T17:37:00.000-04:00

So I did get one of my questions answered...

As a Gamecock, I have to say that I am pretty upset that I will "have" to root against them this weekend because Texas A&M is going to the CWS! And would you believe it, they play South Carolina first on Sunday! I'm so thrilled for the team because they worked so hard and with the way the game went yesterday, those boys deserve it! Amazing pitching game for the Aggies (and I'd like to give credit to a coach, wink wink) last night and are sailing right on through to Omaha.

As I was telling my mom about my dilemma of how my boyfriend refuses to let me cheer for my beloved (and reigning National Champion) Gamecocks, we were going through ideas of how I could sneak some sort of article of clothing on myself under my Aggie gear. I have several items of clothing that was so graciously given to me in the beginning of the season because I was told that I would need to wear them to the CWS when A&M beat SC. I thought he had a really sweet imagination at the time. But here we are, 4 months later and that's exactly what these boys are going to try to do!

Anyway, I was thinking of SC underwear or bandanna to hide in my shirt or something when my precious mother turned to me and said, "I wouldn't worry about it, you got South Carolina tattooed on your liver, honey..."

Well, I'd say its the best tattoo I got!

(Too many of those in college...)

Case of The Mondays

2011-06-13T12:44:00.000-04:00

I am trying to motivate myself today because I have so much to do but it seems so overwhelming! I am in such a weird position because I am desperately needing to clean up my life (house, jobs, etc) in order to figure out what I'm going to do! Today I'm starting on my house because I believe this is where I will start to clean out all the "clutter" in my life! With my job in limbo because of the NFL lockout, I've had a lot of time to reflect on what I need to prioritize. Nobody knows when the lockout will end and I'm really nervous about when I will be able to return to work after the AFL season ends! Therefore, I figured that I need to take this time to set things in order. But this is no easy task especially since my son is out of school and with the ever changing weather in Pittsburgh, I need to keep him occupied and its not always easy since he is such a ball of energy and is hard to contain him in the house!

Where do I start? I guess I'll just take it one day at a time, but I need to hurry because my amazing brother is coming home from his Army base in Germany on Saturday to spend 2 weeks at my house with our family before he is deployed to Afghanistan. So I will be playing hostess and also planning a send off party for him downtown towards the end of June (I desperately need to start on that!) Also, my boyfriend will be coming into town as well either very soon or at the end of June as well pending the outcome of his game today! He is a coach for the Texas A&M Baseball team and they are in the Super Regionals in Tallahassee, Florida this weekend (and today) and they play tonight at 7PM against FSU to move on to the College World Series! They won their first game on Saturday 6-2 but suffered a devastating loss last night (I went a little overboard with the fit I threw because they lost 23-9) but they play today to win! Saying lots of prayers! I'd love to go to Omaha to see them play!

At least after tonight's game, I'll have one answer! Hopefully it'll be that we'll be taking a trip to the CWS!!!

Lockout Affecting More Than Just Owners and Players

2011-05-19T11:15:00.000-04:00

I am about to go into my (God-willing the lockout ends) my 6th season working for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers have an amazing organization and I have been part of it for literally my ENTIRE life. I am so very blessed to have grown up in the Steeler family and now I work for them. It would be any Steeler fan's dream! Although my jobs for them are not big to the franchise as a whole, they are big for me and my son. This lockout is affecting more than just the owners and the players, most people don't see how its affecting the rest of the employees that don't get to be heard.

I grew up the first-born daughter of Pittsburgh Steeler offensive lineman, #73 Craig Wolfley. People ask me all the time what it was like to grow up the way I did, and honestly, I thought everyone's dad played football! I never understood why people would always want to have him "draw" on footballs or take pictures with my dad when we he would take us to a McDonald's playground or anywhere! I always wondered why they didn't want to take a picture with me? (I mean, I was a lot cuter at 5 years old in pigtails and missing teeth!) As I grew older, I realized who my dad was and what the Steelers meant to this city.

Being my dad's daughter and being associated with the Steelers brought a lot of pressure later in my life when I was first approached by one of the producers to audition for a reporting role for Steelers TV. Not only was I carrying my dad's legendary last name (in the Steel City) but now I had the opportunity of a lifetime to actually work for them and when I started to think about it, it was pretty scary. I had a lot to prove and being a woman in a man's world (I don't care what other people think, you are in a man's world when it comes to sports broadcasting) and showing people that I didn't have my job just because of who my daddy is.

So after that audition, I was also asked to take over 2 new positions that were opening up. I was to become an assistant on the McDonald's Steelers KidZONE Show and work in graphic design and updating stats on the jumbotron for all home games. I had A LOT to learn very quickly, but I was not going to let this opportunity pass me up. I was, after all, being offered to work for not only the BEST franchise in the NFL, but also the team that provided for my family. Even though I had to work along side my dad (which was difficult at times, especially for the poor guys who didn't know I was Wolf's daughter but quickly found out) it really has been a dream job.

It is a family at Heinz Field and everyone looks out for one another. I work with wonderful, amazing, talented people every week during the season who all work so well together to benefit, not only the team, but each other. I could go on forever and name each person I work with and talk about how they benefit the franchise, but that might be for another post. But my point here is, you don't see us behind the glass in the control room every game, controlling everything going on in the bowl. You don't see or really recognize all the hundreds of people it takes behind the scenes who make gamedays as magical as they are for the thousands of fans that pay good money to come cheer on their favorite team. I don't think most of the headliners in the lockout recognize who else they are affecting.

One of the benefits of working for one of the best franchises in the league is you get paid very good money when you work for them. I am a single mom and I depend very much on the money I make from Steelers. With this lockout still not being resolved, I am very nervous about when it will. I don't know whether or not I should think about looking for another job in case it's not ended? What about if we have a shortened season? I have bills to pay and a child to take care of and I know everyone that I work with has the same concerns. We can't even make future plans because we don't know what is going to happen! It's the people who work security at the stadiums, the vendors, the concession stand operators, the camera men, the freelance reporters, the men and women who clean up after drunken fans, the people who work in all parts of in game production that are being affected and most likely are just as concerned as I am about our job security.

I am not down playing how the players are affected, especially those who are not making $1 Million and up a year, I understand what they are going through. But I'm talking about people like me, who are not part of a union, who freelance and can't file for unemployment or get any sort of compensation if we do not have a season or miss part of it. It's the little people that the big guys aren't thinking of. It's the people who stand behind the scenes, behind the cameras and make the magic happen for all the amazing fans across the country, at every stadium, every gameday. Our paychecks may not be that much to sign off on compared to the players, but my job and that check means so much to someone like me.

Pittsburgh Power Shocks Spokane

2011-05-09T14:29:00.000-04:00

I am the sideline reporter for the new Arena Football Team, the Pittsburgh Power on 93.7 The Fan. Many people are very skeptical of arena ball, but once you see a game and feel the excitement of how fast paced and high scoring the game is, you'll be hooked. The Power are boasting the highest attendance levels in the league in its inaugural season! So obviously, something is going on in the CONSOL Energy Center in downtown Pittsburgh and it doesn't have to do with Sidney Crosby's concussion.

The Power has had a rough road so far, and fans, coaches and players were a bit worried about how this season would end. Fortunately for the Power, they are led by a confident, knowledgeable and passionate head coach, Chris Siegfried. Even when the team's record going into Saturday night's game against the defending Arena Bowl Champions, Spokane Shock, Siegfried was more than confident in his team. The Power has had many set backs through the first 7 games, plagued by injuries and off the field controversies (which are really just some reporters making a big deal of nothing) that have sidelined some very good and key players.

Coach joked at his pregame press conference on Thursday that he has a winning team on IR right now! The Power was on their 3rd quarterback until this game against Spokane when Siegfried surprised everyone (myself included) when he started the orginial starting QB of the season, Bernard Morris. Coach had told me before the game that even though he has been relying on backup QB, PSU alumn Anthony Morelli, as his current passer, he knew it would be Morris who would be the man to take them where they needed to go. Although Morelli deserves a lot of praise for picking up where Morris and then original backup, Cal U grad Kevin McCabe, left off, it was apparant that Morris is THE man for the job.

Before the start of the game, it was unclear to whether or not Morris was at 100% with his throwing arm (which was the reason he was placed on IR) but he said it wasn't his arm that he was unsure of, it was his stamina in the game. I interviewed him from the bench after his 1st TD pass and he said he felt great, he just had a hard time talking because he was so winded. Well, if anyone saw the game, they'd never know he was unsure about anything. Morris came back with a passion and let the Shock know who was taking snaps that night and threw bombs all down the field to wide receivers who were more than happy to be making big plays again. Although he misfired a few times, he got the job done.

The Power improved their record to 4-4 after a 51-41 victory Saturday night and they are taking on the San Jose Sabercats this Saturday night at home in the CONSOL Energy Center at 7:30 pm. The Power is coming back with a vengeance and I'm sure this will be a game Pittsburgh will not want to miss!

Big Ben's Savin' the Date

2011-02-28T12:14:00.000-05:00

TMZ apparently got hold of Ben Roethlisberger and Ashely Harlan's Save The Date.

So this is it. Now I have not had to plan my own wedding (yet!) but I would have to say for a couple who is about my age, I really don't see this being the save the date our generation would use. All the save the dates I have received have not looked anything like this. Usually there is a picture, or its a postcard, or magnet. And the floral design is not exactly my taste.

On that note, I wonder who on their guest list sold them out? And to TMZ? Really? I hope they got enough money to give them a really good wedding present. IF it is really the save the date, I couldn't imagine that the happy couple would be having such a large wedding that you couldn't trust the people you were inviting to not sell your invitations to Internet tabloids!

My first thought on this was maybe it was the company who they were thinking about using, who had made up several different ones to show them and they leaked it?

If I were them, I would never have my wedding here. If it really meant a lot to them to be married to each other and avoid all the media spectacles, wouldn't you just want to do this privately? Get away and take people with you that you could trust and it would really mean something for them to be there? But if they want to have all this attention, then they are on the right track. Many other celebrities get married in front of a hundred close family and friends and their save the dates never get out...so why did theirs? I'm interested to see how this all unfolds....