Best of 2023 - Sports

Finishing my week of best of lists, today I have my personal top 5 sports moments. Sports are a big deal to me. I love sports. I have played and been involved in sports for as long as I can remember. I love college football, basketball and playing and coaching my son in baseball. I'm all in as a runner now as well. Sports are important to me and I'm happy about that.

At number 5 I have Courtney Duwalter's excellent trail running season in 2023. She did some amazing things in some of the toughest trail races in the world this year. She set records, crushed goals and continues to be an inspiration. This year she won Western States, a 100 mile trail race. Then, to outdo herself, she won Ultra Trail Mont-Blanc. She also won Hardrock 100 earlier in the year. She set records in these races. She was also voted trail runner of the year. She did some of the most amazing things in trail running that I have ever witnessed from afar. And she did it with a smile on her face. Duwalter is the best trail runner in the world and she is only entering her prime. I'm excited to see so much more from her in the future.

At number 4 I have the Miami Heat's improbable run to the 2023 NBA Finals. They entered the playoffs as a play in team. They got beat by the Hawks in the 7-8 matchup. The Bulls, who were bad last year, held a late lead in the final play in matchup, only for the Heat to make a push and secure the 8 seed. They then proceeded to crush the 1 seed Buck, 4-1. They beat the Knicks in six games, but Jimmy Butler missed two of those games. They then went up 3-0 on the Celtics, only for the Celtics to tie the series. The Heat ended up running away with game 7, which was in Boston, to go to the Finals as an 8 seed that barely made the playoffs. The Nuggets beat them handily, but that run they had was very special. Jimmy Butler proved his worth in the playoffs. Bam Adebayo proved how good of a defender and low post player he can be. Duncan Robinson found his form. Caleb Martin played so well that he has forced himself into a starting role. And Erik Spoelstra showed us all why he is one of the greatest coaches to ever do it. I've never been a fan of the Heat, but I've never disliked them either. And this run was a total blast to watch as a fan of the NBA.

At 3 I have the Chiefs-Eagles Super Bowl. This game was pretty amazing. It started on a cool note too, with the Kelce Brothers playing each other, having two black starting QB's and an all black officiating crew. The game more than lived up to the hype too. These were the two best teams in the 2022 season, so it was fitting that they met in the championship game. Mahomes and Hurts went back and forth. Each team would go on efficient and fun scoring drives. The defenses made plays when they needed to. The refs did get involved a bit too much, but I was able to push past that since the on field competition was so elite. I had a blast watching the game and it was made so much better by how competitive and exciting it ended up being.

At 2 I have Michigan football winning the Big 10 for a third straight season. This was the first time in this run that I had high hopes and expectations from this football team. They lived up to them. I was skeptical of the schedule, but when they played the good teams, they beat them pretty handily. The Penn State final score was much closer than the actual game. They were up two scores early on Ohio State, and even when they came back and tied Michigan, I was never really worried. They then easily dispatched Iowa in the Big 10 title game. Add on all the off field "drama", this team showed maturity and an ability to close out the outside noise. The early season suspension of Jim Harbaugh was dumb, but not as dumb as the whole sign stealing thing. That was ridiculous, every team does it and these coaches that act like they don't, they are lying to us all. To see Michigan shut it all out, win games with relative ease all season long and end the regular season number 1, that was pretty dope for me as a fan. I'm excited, and nervous, for the playoff now.

Finishing my top sports moments, at number 1 I have the growth my son has made as a football player, particularly on the offensive line. My son has been playing tackle football for two years now. I was incredibly nervous when he started to play, and although I am still a ball of nerves when he plays, he is very, very into football, and he is getting pretty damn good at it too. He switched from d line to o line this season, and he has become a changed player. He had plays this year where he would maul a d lineman on the opposing team and I didn't believe it was my kid. He is a goofy, fun loving, sweet kid. But when he was on that football field, at certain moments, he was a blocking machine. He would pancake a player and then move on to another defender to block. He would get excited when he, or anyone on the o line, would make a block that would spring a big run. It is cool to see him play a sport he loves and to excel at said sport. He even missed time this year with a bruised collarbone, and his coaches would tell me how much they could use him as soon as he was cleared to play. And when he was cleared to return, he was inserted back into his starting o line spot.

That does it for my best ofs. I really enjoy writing these every year. They're a blast. Thank you for indulging me. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Ty Ranks the 2023 NFL Teams: A Fountain Coke at McDonalds Division

Welcome to day eight, the final day of my 2023 preseason NFL rankings. Next Monday I will do playoff predictions and my picks for award winners. And Tuesday will be my massive NCAA football blog. But today we wrap up the final four. These are the best of the best. These are the four teams that, barring massive injuries, should be in it all season long.

At number four I have the San Francisco 49ers. Don't like this team. I never have. I don't think Brock Purdy is all that great. But the team around him is absolutely loaded. Christian McCaffery is the ideal modern running back, when he is on the field. He is a great runner and maybe even a better pass catcher. He is awesome. Deebo Samuel is doing things at wideout that I have never seen before. He can line up anywhere and he is a threat to score at any time. Brandon Aiyuk gets better with every passing season. Jauan Jennings is one of these guys I've never heard of, but will be as consistent as they get. George Kittle is mildly overrated, and needs to let go of having hair, but the dude produces. The o line is nasty and mean. The defense is very good, maybe the best in the NFL. Much like his brother, I cannot stand Bosa's off field issues, but Nick Bosa may be even better than Joey Bosa. I still don't like either of them though. Arik Armstead has proven to be great. Fred Warner is one of the best linebackers in the league. Dre Greenlaw is no slouch either. The secondary, led by Tashaun Gipson, is as good as it gets in the NFL. The 49ers are loaded everywhere except QB. That shouldn't matter though. They can grind on offense and dominate on defense. They are a very, very good football team.

At number three I have the Philadelphia Eagles. They are much like the 49ers, except their QB is legit. Jalen Hurts is magnetic. I liked him in college and I like him even more in the pros. He is like a poor man's Mike Vick, and that is a compliment. Hurts is so finely tuned to run this offense and he does it at the highest level. I think they may miss Miles Sanders more than they are letting on, but D'Andre Swift is still very capable. Rashaad Penny and Kenneth Gainwell will get plenty of reps as well. They are the deepest backfield in the NFL. DeVonta Smith is amazing. He is everything they could have ever wanted him to be. This kid is going to have an incredible career when it is all said and done. AJ Brown is no slouch as well. He has thrived since being traded to the Eagles. The o line is the best in the NFL. No question. They are nasty and disciplined. The defense is elite as well. Brandon Graham is still getting a bunch of sacks in the twilight of his career. Jalen Carter may be the biggest human being I have ever seen. Fletcher Cox is still one of the best d lineman. Nakobe Dean looks to be the real deal, if he can stay on the field. Hasson Reddick should thrive here. Darius Slay leads an absolutely dominant secondary. The Eagles are here to stay and they may very well end up winning it all this year.

At number two I have the Cincinnati Bengals. Who would have thought they'd be this high? Not me. Joe Burrow is the second best QB in the league. The kid is a total gunslinger and he puts up numbers. Ja'Marr Chase is one of my favorite players to watch and I am thrilled the Bengals drafted him when they did. Joe Mixon has off field things to sort out, but on the field he is pretty dynamite. Chris Evans is a solid backup. Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd form a dynamic wideout trio along with Chase. Good luck trying to lock down all three in one game. Their o line has vastly improved since they were in the Super Bowl. Even the defense has gotten better. Sam Hubbard is a turnover forcing machine. He can also bring them back for six. Dax Hill should be even better in year two. Trey Hendrickson is a force off the edge. Chidobe Awuzie will have a good year. The Bengals are here to stay as long as they keep this young offense together. The d is not at the level of some of the other teams up here, but that offense is so good, they are the true team that can outscore anyone at any time.

As for number one, you all know it is the Kansas City Chiefs. Who is better than them? Who has a better offense? Who has the best QB? Who has the best tight end? Who runs the best plays? The answer to all of those questions is the Chiefs. Patrick Mahomes is a hall of fame player already. He is going to go down as one of the best to ever play the game. He does some of the wildest stuff ever, and it works. He is amazing. Isiah Pacheco has slid right into the starting running back role with ease. They also have Jerick McKinnon and Clyde Edwards-Helaire to take some carries and make catches out of the back field. Kadarius Toney, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Skyy Moore may not be big names, but everyone will know who all three are when Mahomes starts slinging TD's their way. Travis Kelce is the best tight end in the league right now, and may be one of the best to ever play. He is magnificent. He and Mahomes form a deadly duo. The o line does just enough to give Mahomes the time he needs and to open up holes for the run game. The defense is meh, but it doesn't really matter. Chris Jones is their best down lineman, but he is currently holding out for a big contract. I agree with his decision. George Karlaftis may end up being a good edge rusher. Nick Bolton is a very solid linebacker. Trent McDuffie is young, but he may be their best cover guy. And Justin Reid is a fine enough safety. When you look at the Chiefs roster it doesn't jump out with a ton of big names, except two, Mahomes and Kelce. That is all they really need to win a lot of games and titles. They have proven time and again that they are the new class of the modern NFL. There is no better team than the Chiefs right now.

Okay, that is my eight day ranking of all 32 NFL teams. I'm sure a lot of people disagree with some of the picks, but that is what lists are for. I want to have a conversation about why I am wrong or right. Come back next week for two more football blogs. It is nearing the most wonderful time of the sports year. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Ty Watches The Chiefs Beat The Eagles

That was a pretty fun game last night. I watched the Super Bowl, as I do every year, but this time seemed a bit more fun to me. I didn't have any rooting interest. I don't like or dislike either team. I like both teams' QB's quite a bit in fact. I think the coaches are fine. I live in Saint Louis, but am in no way a Chiefs fan. Philly has some wild fans, but I do like the Eagles uniforms and they have one of my all time favorite Michigan players. I like both Kelce brothers. Both teams have dudes that are easy to root for. I don't know, it was nice to watch a game where I wasn't rooting for or against either team. I was cool with any outcome.

And we got a doozy of a game. It felt like it was going to be good to great when both teams marched right down the field and score on each of their opening drives. I was ready for a good, close game after that. And after the College Football Final being such a blowout, this was a nice and wanted refresher. I like a good close game when a team or teams I'm not rooting for are playing.

Patrick Mahomes was dynamic. He proved time and time again last night why he was the MVP and why he is the best QB in the game. After he got hurt in the first half I was nervous for him, thinking he may not return. Not only did he return, he was amazing in the second half. He beat the Eagles defense with his arm and legs too. He played a wonderful game. Eric Bienenemy called a fantastic second half. I don't know that he has ever had a better half as a play caller. The fact that he is not a head coach is wild to me. He was so on point last night. He found plays that worked and finessed and used them in multiple ways. It was masterful. Travis Kelce was not the star receiver last night and he did not let that bother him. Isaish Pachecho had a solid game at running back. Guys like Kadarius Toney and Skyy Moore had big plays in the biggest game. It was cool to see those dudes show up with other guys out.

The Eagles showed the hell up as well. Jalen Hurts was incredible last night. I was already a fan of his, and he played a wonderful game. He used his arms and legs and really played a great game. I know he had that costly fumble, but he did more than enough to get his team a ring. AJ Brown was running slants over and over and constantly getting open. I don't think Dallas Goedert dropped anything thrown his way. Devonta Smith keeps showing everyone how elite he is. He has got to be a top three wideout in the league. That O line was phenomenal. This team showed up ready to play last night. I do think the Eagles got a little screwed at the end with that holding call, but the corner admitted he held the wideout, so I guess it was the right call. The Eagles did get away with some holds earlier in the game anyway.

All in all this Super Bowl was what I want every Super Bowl to be like. It was high scoring with teams going blow for blow. The stars for each team played very well. The QB's more than lived up to the week long hype and played great games. The coaching staff for both teams called very good games. The halftime show seemed fun. I know my wife really liked it. The commercials were fine, but also forgettable to me because I do not pay too close attention. The food I had at my home was very good. My son is very into football now and he stayed up for the whole game. This was about as perfect an evening of football as I could have wanted.

Congrats to the Chiefs on their second Super Bowl in the last four years. They have the makings of a possible dynasty and it looks like the important guys will be back to defend their title next season. And congrats to the Eagles on a great season. This team has the makings of a perennial playoff and title contending team. A very, very good night of football last evening. I could not have asked for more. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Some Thoughts on the Eagles Chiefs Super Bowl Matchup

The Super Bowl is set. I was wrong in my prediction. I figured the Bills were going to win based on their talent and them playing for Damar Hamlin. But, as I said last week, the Bengals went into Buffalo and rolled the Bills. Yesterday was not the same though.

I was rooting for the Bengals. Full disclosure folks. I wanted them to win for a myriad of reasons. I like Joe Burrow and Jamarr Chase. I like how boisterous they are. I love that they went to Buffalo and trounced the favorites. I like how much trash they talked after they won. They are a fun team to root for. I also wanted my nephew and brother to be stoked for a return trip to the Super Bowl.

That didn't happen. They looked worse yesterday. They played as poorly as they have all year. And they still had a shot. But Kansas City, who has so many injuries and hurt players playing, toughed out a victory. Travis Kelce played pretty well with as injured as he was reported to be. Patrick Mahomes played on one leg and looked as dynamic as he normally does. The Chiefs defense, long their achilles heel, played one hell of a game. They had two interceptions and something like eight sacks. They put them in the position to win the game. But it was a good game. It wasn't a blowout. Both teams traded blows. The Chiefs went up 10 and the Bengals came right back. The game went down to the wire. The Chiefs kicked the winning field goal with 3 seconds left. It was, for someone who had no real rooting interest, a good game.

The NFC title was not. The 49ers, who I could not have been more wrong about at the start of the season, luck ran out. Brock Purdy got hurt right away. Then Josh Johnson got hurt. The Eagles imposed their will. I have to admit that I loved seeing the Eagles run the ball right down the "vaunted" 49ers defense. They did what they wanted when they wanted. Miles Sanders scored twice. Gainwell had a nice TD run. Jalen Hurts proved even further that he should be the MVP. This game was over at halftime, and the 49ers did nothing in the second half to make that change at all. I get that they were down to Christian McCaffery at QB, but at least try to throw the ball. Philly barely had to prepare for any adjustments in the second half. This game was a wash and the correct team from the NFC is going to the Super Bowl.

I'm pretty pumped, again I have no rooting interest for this matchup. I think the two best teams are playing for the title. They have both been consistent and played well enough to get where they are today. This matchup is great. The Chiefs have a high powered high flying offense. The defense is coming along nicely, but make no mistake, the Chiefs go as Mahomes goes. He is the key to winning the title. The Eagles are awesome on defense, can run the ball which controls the clock and have been consistently the best team in the NFL all year. Jalen Hurts is a star. AJ Brown and Devonta Smith are two of the best wideouts in the game. Miles Sanders is an elite running back. That D line, with Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham and Josh Sweat is amazing. Hasson Reddick is a bull coming off the line on the pass rush. Darius Slay is one of the best corners in the league. The Eagles are as complete a team as there is in the NFL. The Super Bowl is strength on strength. The Eagles defense is one of the best in the league and the Chiefs offense is elite. The Eagles have a very good offense as well, but the Chiefs D just played a humongous game and look to be heavily improved. I cannot wait to watch. I have a feeling it could be a classic game with a memorable ending.

In the end I will take the Eagles to win and Hurts to take home two MVP awards this season. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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Ty's 2022 NFL Preview - Trying the New Locally Brewed Beer Division

Welcome back to my 2022 NFL countdown. Hope you all enjoyed your weekend.

Starting the countdown today, at number 12 I have the Denver Broncos. The Broncos probably made the biggest move of the offseason when they acquired Russell Wilson. I have never been a fan, but he is a very good QB. He knows what to do and he does it very well. Wilson is the type of QB that can turn the fate of a franchise around right away. This team is going to go from a non playoff threat to an actual playoff team. They also got Melving Gordon III on a cheap deal to backup Javonte Williams, who has potential to be a solid back. Jerry Jeudy is a solid receiver. KJ Hamler is a perfect third wideout. He is going to be the Broncos version of Tyler Lockett. Courtland Sutton is good enough. Their O line is very good and is getting better. Russell Wilson will enjoy not running for his life all the time. The Broncos defense may not have Von Miller anymore, but they still have Bradley Chubb. He is very, very good at football. They have a decent secondary. The D line is not full of names, but they are good. The Broncos D has not been the problem, it has always been the QB. Now they have a legit top five QB in the NFL. They will win 10 or 11 games and be in the hunt for the playoffs all season long.

At number 11 I have the Las Vegas Raiders. I almost called them the Oakland Raiders. Las Vegas is still odd to me. I do not trust Derek Carr at all. He is not a winning QB. He is a game manager at his very best. He is not worth the humongous contract they gave him. They got Davante Adams, and that is very, very big. He is the best receiver in the NFL. He will elevate Carr's game, and the familiarity with Carr is solid. But why are they trying to trade Josh Jacobs? He is a very good back. Why is Hunter Renfrow the number two wideout? He is, at best, a slot receiver. Darren Waller is good, but he keeps getting hurt. The O line is okay enough. The D had a big year. It was why they got into the playoffs last year. Maxx Crosby is legit. Chandler Jones is a great linebacker. So is Denzel Perryman. Rock Ya Sin is a good corner and he has a cool ass name. The Raiders D can play. I just keep going back to Derek Carr at QB. He is a liability and could halt any momentum they had from last season. With all that though, the Raiders are a 10 win team and a likely playoff contender.

At number 10 I have the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles made some very good moves this offseason. AJ Brown was a great addition. Devonta Smith had a monster rookie year. He will build on that. If Miles Sanders can stay healthy he is an upper tier running back. This will all benefit Jalen Hurts, who I like a whole lot. He has a cannon for an arm. He is a great runner. He is so good at the read option game. And this is year three for him. Time to show up. The O line is very good at run blocking as well. The Eagles D got Hasson Reddick this offseason. This is a great reclamation project for them. Darius Slay is very good. Josh Sweat should have a big season. Anthony Harris is a solid safety. Brandon Graham is back. Fletcher Cox is one of the best D lineman in the league. The Eagles are in a put up or shut up year. I think they will show up. I believe they can win 11 games and their division.

At number 9 I have the Dallas Cowboys. I do not like the Cowboys. I have never liked the Cowboys. I feel that the Cowboys are the most overrated team in the NFL. They consistently fall flat on their faces every season. They are irrelevant. That being said, I do like Dak Prescott. He is pretty awesome. He is one hell of a QB. The dude can sling the ball. I do believe that Ezekial Elliot is fully overrated. He got his big deal and has gotten worse every season since. He is not feared. He is not an every down back. He may get passed by Tony Pollard this season, who I like a lot. There is no more Amari Cooper. Ceedee Lamb, who is very solid, will step into his place. He and Prescott will make for a lethal duo. Michael Gallup is okay. I have no idea who Jalen Tolbert is. The Cowboys O line was their best unit. While still very good. they aren't as dominant as previous seasons. I have zero faith in the Cowboys defense. The defense is not very good, and that is why the offense needs to sling the ball so much. Leighton Vander Esch is wildly overrated. DeMarcus Lawrence's best days are behind him. Anthony Barr is a headcase. Jayron Kearse is very blah. But they do have two rising stars on D. Micah Parsons is going to be a force in the league. And Trevon Diggs is an intercepting machine. These dudes are wonderful. The Cowboys are like Gonzaga. On paper they look great. But when it gets to the nitty gritty they fold up. They will win double digit games and be in a dogfight with the Eagles all season. But come playoff time, who knows which Cowboys team will show up.

That is it for today. Come back tomorrow for the next four teams.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.  

Ty Ranks the 2021 NFL Teams - Just on the Outside Looking In Division

Welcome to day four of my NFL countdown.

Coming in at number 20 I have the Philadelphia Eagles. I am stoked that they have moved on from Carson Wentz. He always seemed to have this holier than thou arrogance about him. I was also not a fan of his coming out of college. And the whole religious thing is so overdone. The Eagles did the right thing. I also like Jalen Hurts. I'm a little annoyed by all the offseason workout videos, but it does show that he cares. He is putting in the time. I was lukewarm on him at Alabama, but when he transferred to Oklahoma he really showed me his full arsenal. Hurts is not just a scrambler, this kid can sling the ball. I'm not so high on the running backs. Miles Sanders is fine but he doesn't wow me. I do really like Jaelen Reagor, I really wanted Green Bay to take him two years ago in the draft and I adore Devonta Smith. They both have big time upsides, but they are both very young. Smith is a rookie in fact. I think they will be good soon, but not this year. The O line is fine, and Hurst scrambling helps them a ton. The Eagles defense is a big time question mark. I love Brandon Graham, but he is getting old. Ryan Kerrigan was a solid addition, but he cannot stay healthy. Fletcher Cox is awesome, but he is constantly double and triple teamed. Darius Slay was fine in Detroit, but now he is corner number one. The Eagles will be asking a lot of their defense and young skill players. The division, as previously mentioned, is a trash fire, and seven, hell maybe even six games could win it and secure a playoff spot. I like the pieces on offense, but the defense is older and often injured and they will struggle to stay in games. Six wins seems like the ceiling.

At number 19 I have the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys are the most overrated team in sports, at any level. I am so tired of hearing how this is the year for them. It has been the year for 2 decades now, and I do not know the last time they were in the second round of the playoffs. Dak Prescott is back from that horrific injury, and while I like him and like that he got paid, it is going to take time for him to look like himself. He is also having shoulder issues in camp. It is going to take time. Ezekial Elliot seems to have already past his prime and he is still owed a ton of money from the team. Tony Pollard is not a great back up option there either. Ceedee Lamb looked like a great pick last year, and while it still could pan out, he wasn't the threat people hoped he would be. That could be due to Prescott's injury or him being a rookie. Maybe it changes, maybe it doesn't. The jury is still out. Amari Cooper is a real legit number one receiver, but I do not even think he is as good as Dez Bryant was when he was on the Cowboys. Bryant was very good, but he was never in the upper echelon. Cooper is not as good as him. The O line is supposed to be one of their strengths, but guys have left or guys have been getting hurt. The Cowboys defense is not good. Their best linebacker, who was not that good, retired this offseason. The D line has names, but no one is that good anymore. Also, why do teams keep giving Randy Gregory chances? Sean Lee is being replaced by Micah Parsons who is a rookie and sat out last season. Leighton Vander Esch is extremely overrated. And the secondary is going to get carved by better teams. The Cowboys are the University of Michigan or Texas in the NFL. They are always about to breakthrough, and then they win seven games. I think that is exactly what is going to happen this season. And that could win them the division.

At number 18 I have the San Francisco 49ers. This is another team that has not recovered from the Super Bowl hangover. They should have won that game too, but they blew it. The Jimmy Garoppolo experiment should be over. They drafted Trey Lance and have clearly been shopping Garoppolo. He is not good, cannot stay healthy and takes up way too much of their payroll. I hope they start Lance ASAP and move on. The time has come. Raheem Mostert has proven to not be a one season wonder. He is a solid starting running back. He can also catch the ball out of the backfield. The receivers are not great. Mohammed Sanu is old. Brandon Aiyuk has not shown me much of anything. And Deebo Samuel has not popped yet. I think George Kittle is as overrated as Leighton Vander Esch. The dude is a haircut and nothing more. He is a poor man's Gronk, and I LOATHE Rob Gronkowski. The 49ers O line is fine, they open holes for Mostert, which is nice. It is not their fault Garoppolo holds onto the ball for far too long. The 49ers are built on defense, but that may be crumbling. Nick Bosa is coming off a torn ACL and he is an absolute garbage human being. He is racist and sexist and misogynistic and an egotistical asshole. I cannot stand him as a player but more so as a person. Arik Armstead and Javon Kinlaw are good, but always hurt. Jason Verrett is a good corner, but he is starting to get exposed. The 49ers were trying to win with defense and build the offense, but both phases are not that great or never were great. The 49ers are a six win team at best.

The final team for today, at number 17, I have the Pittsburgh Steelers. Ben Roesthisberger is a terrible human being, a trash QB now and super old. Their backup, Mason Rudolph, is a racist asshole. And Dwayne Haskins never got a real shot. They are boned at QB. I do love Najee Harris. He was so good in college. He seems like a genuinely good person. He is insanely athletic. And he can catch and block. He was a great pick. Ju Ju Smith Schuster is fine, but not as good as he thinks he is. Chase Claypool has serious skill, but he is hurt and no one knows how bad it is yet. Eric Ebron has never popped at tight end. The O line is serviceable. The defense is good. The Steelers do still have a solid unit on that side of the ball. Stephon Tuitt and Cameron Hayward are good D lineman. TJ Watt is a solid defensive end. I adore Devin Bush, and he is awesome at football. They traded for Joe Schobert, and he can play. And Minkah Fitzpatrick is a great lynchpin for the secondary. The Steelers have the dudes on defense to compete for a playoff spot. Their division has gotten much better, and the Steelers offense, outside Najee Harris, has done nothing to compete with Cleveland or Baltimore. The Steelers are an eight win team at best, because of their defense, but I bet they win only six or seven games.

That is it for today. Come back tomorrow. We are getting to real playoff threats now.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Where Should Carson Wentz Play Next Season?

Word is that Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz will be a key in the next big NFL trade.

I have kind of been in and out of the whole Carson Wentz trade speculation. I see, on separate days, that he’s out the door or that he’s sticking around. Lately it’s been that the asking price is far too high. I guess they want what the Lions got for Stafford. As you read last week, that trade, to me, wasn’t that big of a deal. But, if the Eagles are asking for a starting QB, and a bunch of picks for Wentz, they’re out of their minds. By all accounts, and I’ve read this on multiple sites, Wentz is hard to deal with. I don’t know if it’s ego or faith or whatever, but he doesn’t have the clout to be as demanding as many, many reputable people have written. He didn’t win the Super Bowl, Nick Foles did. And for those that may say, well he led them there, they doesn’t matter to me. He got hurt, and Foles stepped in and won when it mattered. Ever since that Super Bowl, Wentz has been mediocre at best, and Foles, while not as great as he was during that playoff run, did get paid and has started for two different teams. I think Foles is a better QB. I also do not think Wentz is even the best QB currently on the Eagles roster. That goes to Jalen Hurts. He’s younger, more explosive, more athletic and way more likable. When he got benched at the end of the season, the reaction from his teammates shows the respect he gained in one season. I don’t think Wentz would’ve gotten the same reception. Hurts also, at least so far, doesn’t get injured as easily as Wentz.

So for the Eagles to be this audacious, in asking for such a big return, I’m kind of shocked. I don’t know what team is begging to get a QB like Wentz, who appears to be an injured head case, and is also willing to give up a good amount of picks. Would the Texans do it so they could find a trade partner for Deshaun Watson? I don’t think either side wants that. The Bears seem to be sticking with Trubisky and Foles. The Steelers just signed Dwayne Haskins, so they have a project QB. Washington has signed a back up, and if they move on from Alex Smith, I think they’re going to go hard after Cam Newton, reuniting him with Ron Rivera. The Cowboys are going to franchise tag Dak. The Patriots will, most likely, go young and draft a QB. And the Seahawks, who seem to be fielding calls for Russel Wilson, would be foolish to trade him at all, and outright dumb to trade him for Wentz. I don’t see the value. I don’t see the need to bankrupt your future for a mediocre QB.

None of this makes any sense to me. What makes the most sense, to me, is for the Eagles to keep him for the remainder of his contract, and let him back up Jalen Hurts. He can come in in emergency situations, for gimmick plays and for mop up duty. The Eagles won’t get a goldmine for him, so just play the contract out. That’s what I’d do.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Ty Ranks the 2019 NFL Teams: Perfect Pepperoni Pizza Division

Today is the final day of my 2019 NFL countdown. I'm not done with the NFL after today though. I will come back tomorrow with my division winners, Super Bowl matchup, champ and award winners, and on Friday I will be writing one of my favorite pieces, my 2019 college football preview. But, today I will give you my final four NFL teams going into the 2019 season.

Coming in at number 4 I have the defending champs, the New England Patriots. Part of me was kind of shocked that I didn't have them as my number one overall team. I mean, they seem to be in the hunt every year, or at least since 2001, when Tom Brady took over as the QB. The Patriots, as much as I dislike them, are the biggest, flashiest and best dynasty of the 21st century. In any professional sport. I don't think anyone could argue that. In an era of cap space, player movement and coaching changes, they remain the one constant. But, they are getting older, and at some point, old age wins out. This team will not be this great for much longer, possibly only one or 2 more years. I know they just gave Brady an extension, but he will be 44 when that contract is up. I genuinely feel that this is it for him as the best QB in the game. I truly believe that he is the greatest QB that has ever played, but every great before him slowed down when they turned 40. Joe Montana, while still solid as a Chief, wasn't as great. Dan Marino aged poorly. We are watching guys like Eli Manning regress right now. Brett Favre was never the same, even with that one year in Minnesota, as he was with the Packers. The Broncos won a Super Bowl in spite of Peyton Manning. These things happen, and it will happen to Brady very soon. It will also happen with Julian Edelman, who is not a hall of fame player no matter what the Boston media tells you. Sony Michel is a good back, but how good will he be without Brady. Rob Gronkowski retired, but who really cares? They have an okay o line. They will still be good this year, but they have holes. Their defense is a true bend, but don't break defense. They will give up a ton of yards, but they will make it tough for you to score in the red zone. Just ask the LA Rams about that. I do like that they signed Michael Bennett, but I was wrong about him last year. And they took Chase Winovich in the third round, and while I think he will be a fine rush end, I don't see him becoming a star. I do like that they are giving N'Keal Harry a shot. He has the look and feel of a solid wide out. The Patriots are going to be good this year. Hell, they may even make another Super Bowl. But, they are older and that means key guys could miss time. Still, they will win their trash division with ease, and probably win 12 games during the regular season.

At number 3 I have a team that I seriously flirted with putting number one, the New Orleans Saints. The Saints are a very, very good team, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Drew Brees is another one of these older QB's, but he gets rid of the ball so fast, and he is deadly accurate, that he doesn't take too many hits. He has one of the better receivers in the game locked up now in Michael Thomas. This offense is so perfect for him, and he is the man at wide out for the Saints. Alvin Kamara is fast becoming one of my favorite NFL players, and he is the prototype modern NFL back. While guys like Ezekial Elliot and Melvin Gordon are holding out or asking for trades, Kamara is surpassing them in every category, and he is the one dude I would want if I were starting a NFL team today. He can run, catch passes and is blazing fast. Their o line can protect when needed. And Sean Payton is an offensive guru. Maybe the best in the league. Their defense is why I have them at 3, and not 1. They got so much better last season, but they still have lapses. They still have moments that make you shake your head. And you cannot always rely on your offense to bail you out. Sometimes that defense will have to make plays. I think they can get better, but I am still a little wary of how good they can be. The Saints also play in a tough division, and it won't be as easy as last year was for them. I still think they will win the division, probably win 13 games, and be a real threat to be in the Super Bowl, but it all depends on how much that defense can improve from last year.

At number 2 I have the Philadelphia Eagles. This current construct of the roster reminds me so much of their Super Bowl winning team. I know that Carson Wentz hasn't been entirely healthy during his career, and Nick Foles kept this team afloat last year and won a Super Bowl for them, but Wentz is a better, and younger QB than Foles. If he can stay healthy, he will have a humongous year. It helps that he has abut 5 guys that can run the ball, a great group of receivers that know what to do and very, very, very good o line protecting him. The Eagles also have one of the most sound and devastating defenses in football. They can stop any team in the run and pass game. They can rush the passer. The linebackers can cover and hit. The secondary is lock down. The Eagles are a very good football team with solid depth and big name players. They also have a very good coaching staff, no matter what the people over at The Ringer say. The Eagles will coast in their division, and I wouldn't be shocked if they went 14-2 or 15-1. They are that good. They are a legit Super Bowl contender.

The final team on my countdown, coming in at number 1, coached by Andy Reid, the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs have the best offense in football. By about a thousand miles. Patrick Mahomes is the next generation of QB. He is the modern NFL QB. He can run, and he can fling it. I would not be shocked, at all, if 5,000 yards passing and 50 TD's is his new norm. He is so fluid and calm and collected in the pocket. And when he has to scramble, he does crazy shit like no look passes, and he hits receivers in stride. He is an amazing QB. I'm not a Chiefs fan, but I am a big time fan of watching Mahomes play QB. He has great protection from, maybe, the best o line in the NFL. He has awesome, and fast, wide outs. Travis Kelce is a much more fun version of Gronk. He is also about a thousand times more likable. They have guys that can run the ball, although it is very disturbing to me that the NFL is letting Tyreek Hill suit up this year. Their defense was the problem last year, but they went out and signed guys that will help, mainly Tyrann Mathieu. He was such a great addition for this team. They will now be able to get after the passer, but also be able to cover when they do have to go man. The Chiefs seem to have it all right now. The only question, how will an Andy Reid coached team perform with this high of expectations? Andy Reid is a good head coach, in the regular season. That is why I could see the Chiefs winning 14 or 15 games, and easily winning the division. But in the playoffs, he has had some horrid moments. Will that happen this year? Maybe. But, I think Mahomes is good enough to erase any of Reid's past antics and guide this team to a big time season. They are the team to beat in my opinion.

Okay, that is my 2019 NFL countdown. I'm sure some people are mad at me, think I was too soft on some teams and probably think I am crazy for thinking that the 49ers or Browns are still going to be not that good. We will see. Come back tomorrow for picks.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Every year sports guys like Ty keep waiting for Brady and Brees to get older, and every year those two guys keep proving us wrong. Makes you think.

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Ty Ranks the 2018 NFL Teams: Some Awesome Kaldi's Cold Brew Edition

Today I have my final four teams in my 2018 NFL preseason countdown. These 4 teams all have a legit shot at the Super Bowl, depending on health. They, on paper, seem to have it in every phase. But, each team does have faults, and I will point some out today. But, all of these teams will be heard from all year. They should all easily win their divisions, and be in the playoffs for sure.

Okay, lets do it.

At number 4 I have the Pittsburgh Steelers. First things first, I despise the Steelers. I hate the Cowboys and Seahawks more, but the Steelers are a close third. I got so much joy watching the Jaguars put it on them, in Pittsburgh, last year in the playoffs. That was amazing. They also have a rapist at QB. People will say that he has changed since he got married and had a kid. But, he still committed sexual assault, multiple times, and he is a garbage person. That being said, when healthy, he can sling the ball around the filed. He is slow, plodding and out of shape constantly, but he is still hard to take down. Although, I love when his punk ass takes a big hit. It is glorious. The Steelers have one of the best running backs, LeVeon Bell, but the dude has never been properly paid by the franchise, and he always seems to get in some kind of small trouble prior to the season. I think these dudes should smoke pot to heal injuries and what not, but be better about hiding it Mr. Bell. But, Bell is one hell of a running back. He is patient, follows his blocks and bursts through the line when he gets his shot. He can also catch the ball out of the backfield. He scores a ton of TD's. Bell is great. The Steelers also have the best receiver in football, Antonio Brown. Brown is amazing. He catches everything. He is faster and taller than anyone covering him. He finds ways to get open all the time. He is so god damn good. He needs to get paid, which I'm sure the Steelers will do. I have nothing but good things to say about Brown. I also like Ju Ju Smith Schuscter and the rookie they took, James Washington. The Steelers are set at receiver. They also have a solid tight end. They have an okay O line. The Steelers are set on offense. Their defense is another story. First off, the whole Ryan Shazier thing was frightening and the NFL should be embarrassed with how they handled that. But, on the field, the Steelers defense is very blah. They should be better, but they aren't. They could not stop the run against the Jags. The secondary also let Blake freaking Bortles torch them with his arm and legs last year. They need to shore that up. But, they can score enough points to be a title contender next year. The offense could even get them home field advantage in the weak AFC.

At number 3, as much as it pains me, I have the Minnesota Vikings(I don't know if this makes you mad or happy RD). The Vikings win with defense. That side of the ball is amazing. They rule at all three phases. They have a stout line, great linebackers, who can cover, and a secondary that covers better and hits with fury. They are a dominant defensive team. I know that didn't show in the NFC title game last year, but that was a blip. They pretty much stopped everyone that came their way last year. I remember how they completely shut down the Packers twice last year. That was basically what they did to every other team. The Vikings defense is elite. On offense, they are good, but not great. I know everyone is going nuts over the Kirk Cousins signing, but not me. They gave him way too much money, all guaranteed, and he has never won anything of signifigance since he became a starting QB. He is more known for shouting, "YOU LIKE THAT!" to some random camera guy than anything he has done on the field. They do get Dalvin Cook back, and he will totally open up the offense. He is shifty, fast and can catch the ball out of the backfield. They have solid tight ends. They have Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen at receiver, and while they are good, are they one year wonders, or will they be able to sustain their newfound success? I don't know. Also, Diggs will always own a special place in all football watchers heart after scoring that miracle TD versus the Saints. The Vikings also have an elite O line. I just don't buy into the Cousins hype. But, if he is better than Case Keenum, which he better damn well be, with all the money they are paying him, the Vikings will be just fine. Their defense will take them very far.

At number 2 I, begrudgingly, have the New England Patriots. They just keep rolling out the same team, with pretty much the same staff, and they keep winning 12 or 13 games and easily win the division. That is what they do. Tom Brady is still elite. He may be the best QB to ever play the game. They don't have much of a run game, but since Corey Dillon retired, did they ever have a run game? Their running backs are just an extension of their passing game. Sure, they hand the ball off, but it is not that overwhelming. The receivers, while not being top notch, always put up numbers. Brady has made a ton of guys a ton of money. Sure, they lost Danny Amendola, Brandin Cooks and Julian Edelman is suspended four games. But, I'm sure they have some dudes in waiting that will be just fine. Look at a guy like Chris Hogan. The Patriots have 5 more of him on their roster. They also have Gronk. Now, I do not like Gronk at all. He is overrated, in my opinion, and if he were on any other team, and not a white guy, people would view him very differently. That is sickening, and his schtick has worn way, way too thin for me. But, he is a matchup nightmare, when he is healthy, which isn't very often. The Patriots defense is awful, but that doesn't really matter because they play in a shitty division, in the crummy AFC, and they always win double digit games. They will do that again, even with a horrendous defense, and most likely be in the Super Bowl once again. The Patriots are the Yankees of football, only they have a sustained 21st century success. I loathe this team.

My final team, the best team in the NFL in the preseason, and on paper, coming in at number 1, I have the Philadelphia Eagles. They won the Super Bowl, didn't lose anyone of importance and added Michael Bennett. I mean, how are they not everyone else's number one team. They have 2 solid QB's that work very well within their system. Carson Wentz is a future star and MVP. Once he is healthy again, he will be the starter and he will lead this team to many, many playoffs appearances. Until then, they have Nick Foles, who beat Tom Brady in the Super Bowl last year. Foles is in the perfect spot for him to come in and do what he is good at doing, then take a back seat when Wentz is back. They have a seemingly endless number of running backs that can do a bit of everything. Jay Ajayi is big and fast. Corey Clement is going to get more carries, and he is a classic running back. I'm sure they have 2 or 3 other dudes that will help them out when called upon. They have Zak Ertz at tight end, and he may be the most underrated tight end in the league. He is good, big, fast and has great hands. He also had the second best TD of the Super Bowl last year. They have Alshon Jeffrey signed long term now, and he blossomed there last year. He is a great, solid and awesome receiver. The O line can run and pass block with the best of them. I know the defense gave up a ton of yards and points in the Super Bowl, but don't get it twisted, they are real good. They can rush the passer very well. They added Michael Bennett, who will help with that, and run stopping, and grit and toughness. They have great, young linebackers. They have a solid secondary. The coaching staff knows how to best utilize the players they have. The Eagles, right now, are the best run team in the NFL, and they have some of the best talent on both sides of the football. I didn't think it would come together for them as quickly as it did, but it did and they are the reigning champs. I don't think it is too wild of a concept to believe they can repeat. They are that good.

There you have it, my 2018 NFL preseason countdown. Come back tomorrow and I will have full playoff predictions, my award winners and my Super Bowl opponents and champs.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is looking forward to the day when he does not need to automatically put New England and Pittsburg in his top four. Maybe he will have that change in 2030.

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Any Good American Needs to Celebrate the Philadelphia Eagles

Not once, but twice I have found myself rooting for the Philadelphia Eagles this year. First was the Super Bowl, when they defeated the New England Patriots, thus not only winning for their city, but for the majority of NFL fans out there. Now, I cheer for them because of what they have made that repugnant, disgusting, racist, amorphous blob that currently resides in the White House release yesterday.

In a statement, the "president" (not my president), rescinded their invite to the White house today to celebrate their Super Bowl win. Every team, pretty much every year, that wins a title in a major sport goes to the White House to celebrate. This is supposed to be a big deal. It is supposed to be an honor. It is supposed to be something that we all see and say, hey, these athletes did something special. But, ever since that racist, pile of garbage, dip shit of a person took over as "president", more and more title winning teams are refusing to go and visit him and his cronies, and it is getting under his skin now. Sure, the Cubs went last year, but no one of real importance was there, with the exception of Joe Maddon, and he looked absolutely miserable. And yeah, the Penguins went a year ago, but hockey is stupid, and who really cares. But, the Warriors didn't go last year. The UNC Tarheels skipped their trip a year ago. I'm pretty sure Villanova won't be visiting any time soon. And now we have the Eagles. It was pretty much common knowledge that none of them were going to go. Well, scratch that, I think less than 10 of the players on the roster were willing to visit.

When you look at some of the guys on the team, you knew they wouldn't go and give that monster the time of day. Malcom Jenkins is one of the biggest protesters in the NFL, and he also happens to be a big time guy in the NFLPA, and we all knew he wouldn't go. Same with Chris Long. He has been very outspoken about his political beliefs, and I love that. He also played this past season, and he gave all of the game checks he made to random charities. That is a true American. I know Nick Foles had zero intentions of going to the White House after the Eagles won. He said as much. And I'm pretty sure guys like Brandon Graham, Jay Ajayi, Legarette Blount, Corey Clement, Alshon Jeffrey, hell, 99 percent of the roster, had no real intentions of going to see those pricks in D.C. As I said, they have been very outspoken on how much they despise and are concerned by what is going on in Washington, and I love that about them.

So, for this piece of white trash to come out and basically say, I'm taking my ball and going home, or you were never invited in the first place, shows how immature and unfit he is for the position he cheated his way into "winning". If I've said it once, I have said it a million times. You cannot rescind an invitation that was already declined. The Eagles, the majority of them that is, already came out weeks, hell, months ago and said they wouldn't go. Now, this nonsense comes out. Oh, and for Fox News to put that story out that they did, the one with a picture of Zak Ertz kneeling and praying before a game, saying he was protesting, do your god damn research. Even me, a blogger from Saint Louis, knows that he prays before every game. How can an entire company be so off base? And good for Ertz to come out and chastise them and call them "fake news", which is their favorite term to use. Mad props to him for going public and letting them know that they were wrong.

You can see how all of this is starting to really goad the "president" and his cronies. They are really starting to lose their shit because famous pro athletes, that win without cheating, are not going to "kiss the ring". They want to stay as far away from all that nonsense as possible. They don't want to be seen with that "person". They loathe him and what he has done in less than 2 years. This is what a racist deserves. They don't need to be praised, they need to chastised. They need to be held accountable for their wrong doings. They need to be shunned. They need to be shown for the monsters they are.

To really hammer home their point, that athletes are people too, both LeBron James and Steph Curry came out today and said that neither team, whichever one wins the NBA Finals, will be visiting the White House any time soon. LeBron went out there and spoke his mind once again, and much like the Eagles players, I love him for that, Steph too. Kids are seeing this. My kids are seeing this, and seeing that they can stand up to bullies, and that makes me so very proud.

I hope star athletes and more famous people continue to speak their minds. We are fed up. There are monsters "running" the country right now, and we need more and more people to continue to speak their minds. Thank you Steph, LeBron, and most importantly for today, the Philadelphia Eagles. Thank you for what you are doing. You are the real patriots. You are the real Americans.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He wants all Eagles players and fans to know they are welcome at his house anytime. Just please leave the batteries at home.

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Some Quick Thoughts about the Entire Super Bowl 52 Experience

The Eagles won Super Bowl 52.

That was a nice sentence for me to write. Now, I have some thoughts on the game, the halftime show, the commercials, a little bit of everything basically.

First off, for those out there saying this was a "great game", stop it. You are probably the same assholes that loved the Rose Bowl from 2 years ago where USC beat Penn State in a shootout. No defense was played in this game. Save for one strip sack, this was a horrifically played game for both defenses. Neither team could stop the other one. Both offenses did whatever they wanted at any time they wanted. When the team that loses the game goes for 600 plus yards of offense, that is abysmal. That is Big 12 football. These were supposedly two of the top 10 defenses in football, but you wouldn't have noticed it if you watched this game last night. Even the tackling was just awful. This was a poorly played game for the side of the ball that is supposed to win championships. Yes, the strip sack won the game, but that was one play in a game where over 1,100 yards of offense was totaled between both teams. This was a trash game.

Next, the Patriots had a look of entitlement coming into this game. They walked out on that field and just seemed to think that the Eagles were going to roll over. They figured that they were the mighty Patriots and no team with a backup QB is going to beat us. I'm sure they thought that they would surely win because they have Tom Brady, they have Bill Belichek, they have Gronk, they have Josh McDaniels and Matt Patricia, they are the Patriots. Well, the Eagles didn't buy into any of that bull shit. They came to win. They weren't just happy to be in the game, they wanted to win the game. Props to them for not backing down to "mighty Patriots dynasty". That was pretty cool to see.

Nick Foles was amazing in this game. So was Tom Brady. These 2 QB's looked incredible last night. They each shredded what was supposed to be top defenses. Brady got rid of the ball quick and efficiently, which is what he always does. You don't go for 400 plus yards and however many TD's he had if you aren't on fire. But, Foles was better. He outplayed Brady in this game. Sure, he had one pick, but it was early, it was a poorly thrown pass that tipped off Alshon Jeffery's hand and into a Patriot players arms and it didn't really have any ill effect on the outcome of the game. The trick play worked for him and the Eagles. Both teams tried wide receiver passes to their QB's, and while Brady dropped a gimme, Foles hauled in his for a TD that gave the Eagles a 10 point lead going into halftime. He was also awesome on third down. The Patriots could not get off the field because Foles either bought time and found a receiver, or either got a quick slant out to a wide open player for a first down. He is going to be a starter next year, just not for the Eagles.

Which brings me to another point. Carson Wentz will be starting for the Eagles on opening day next season. Don't get it twisted. What Foles did was great, and he will be rewarded, but this team got where they where because of Wentz. He should have won the MVP, and I think he would have put the Eagles in an even better position to win the game by more last night. Foles was great in the playoffs, but Wentz is the future for the Eagles.

Which brings me to another point. Where do the Patriots go from here? Tom Brady will be 41 next season. Belicheck is ancient. Patricia and McDaniels are moving on. I've heard that some other coaches are going to look elsewhere. This is going to be an entirely different team next season. Last night may have been the last we see of this "Patriots dynasty". I would be shocked if Belicheck retires, but it wouldn't be crazy. Brady is going to be 41 as I said, and father time always wins. They will have to spend big money if they want to stay relevant, and that is not what the Patriots do. I do not think it is too far fetched to think that last night was the end. It has been 18 years, 8 Super Bowl appearances and 5 wins. That is a pretty solid run.

Getting back to the game now. As I stated earlier, the Eagles staff outcoached the Patriots. They had a better offensive game plan and they got the one play on defense when they needed it. They ran the ball more effectively, the passing game was almost a toss up, but Foles performed much better on third down, their trick play worked, they never let Foles get sacked, let alone pressured, it was a straight up win for the Eagles. There was no crazy catch on a helmet, or a miraculous throw and catch on the sideline, or a Patriots receiver missing an easy pass, the Eagles just beat them. They went out there and outscored one of the best QB/coaching duos of all time. I say again, congrats to the Eagles and Doug Pederson. And Doug Pederson, a man that the staff at The Ringer, outside of the few Philadelphians that work there, called "the worst coach in the NFL". I have listened to Mike Lombardi, Tate Frazier and Bill Simmons trash him all season long. I have heard Lombardi say in, or around week 11, "the Eagles have bought up all the confetti and are planning the parade route". Well, I guess you should claim that you were right. They beat your Patriots. They outplayed your Patriots. They outcoached your Patriots. They won the game, and a whole lot of that had to do with Doug Pederson. It is amazing to listen to them today on their podcasts all have to eat crow. It is the best kind of schaudenfraude you could ever imagine. And even with all that, they are still making excuses for the Patriots. Well, there are no excuses. They lost and the Eagles won. It is truly as simple as that. If you really want to listen to something today, and you are not a Patriots fan, or if you dislike them, go check out any Ringer podcast. You won't be disappointed. It is hilarious to hear them have to backtrack all the shit talking they did all football season long. Trust me, it is totally worth your time.

To wrap this up I have a few quick takes I want to throw out there from the Super Bowl. I only cared about and remembered 3 commercials. One was a Lexus commercial because it had "Black Panther" attached and there was a Run the Jewels song in it. The other was a spectrum thing that made me laugh because Death went to cut down a tree and his axe thing broke. The third was the preview for "Solo", and that was amazing. 

Oh, I just remembered a fourth one. I think it was a Chevy commercial that used MLK's speech. Screw you Chevy. How dare you. Who in the hell do you think you are? What a disgrace.

The announcing was horrendous, as I expected with Collinsworth and Michaels. They are so bad at this and I was getting legitimately angry during their play calling. Cris Collinsworth is definitely the worst broadcaster ever, and Al Michaels is old, sexist, probably racist and stupid. They were awful. 

I actually watched the halftime show, because I genuinely like Justin Timberlake, and that was a mess. It was boring, predictable and bad. It all looked pre recorded and it was just hackey. The Prince "tribute" was an abomination and I can't wait to push that memory out of my brain. Besides that, he didn't bring out anyone as a special performer. There was no Janet Jackson, no Britney Spears, not even one single member of N'Sync. It was a rough halftime show.

Twitter was awesome after the game.

I'm stoked that the Eagles won because that means a ton of their guys are going to boycott the dumbass White House visit. I love that LeGarette Blount and Chris Long won back to back Super Bowls on different teams. I was shocked that the refs actually made correct calls and let the teams play. I swear, if they overturned either the Corey Clement or Zak Ertz TD, I was going to lose my mind. But, they did the right thing and called a decent game. I was happy that the one big defensive play came from a former Wolverine. But, all in all, this was a pretty bad Super Bowl and I am glad that the 2017 season is done.

These are some of the things I had running through my mind and I figured I would share them with you today. Now, lets get ready for some March Madness and the NBA playoffs.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. The only thing worse than a Patriots Super Bowl win is a Patriots Super Bowl loss. Having to hear pathetic, entitled, fanboys make excuses for Brady and Belichick is pointless and tiring.

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It Was an Almost Perfect Weekend of NFL Playoff Football

This past weekend of the NFL playoffs was pretty wild. Well, 3 of the 4 games were wild. Lets get the boring one out of the way first.

The Patriots throttled the Titans. I had a slight glimmer of hope that the Titans would make it a game when they went up 7-0 late in the first quarter. But, the Patriots, and almost more importantly, the refs, made that null and void pretty quick. Mariota regressed pretty quick after the first quarter. The Titans defense could not stop the Patriots offense. Making the Titans play from behind is how you beat them handily. And, as I said, the refs were atrocious. It seemed like anytime that the Titans would get a stop, a first down or even grab some momentum, the refs stepped in and gave it all back to the Patriots. When the score was 7-7 and the Titans were driving again, Eric Decker got called for an absolutely terrible offensive interference to kill the drive. Then, after stopping the Patriots deep in their territory, and forcing them to punt, a phantom offside call was made when it was clear that the Patriots jumped first. This resulted in another Patriots TD. Finally, on a fourth and one play, the Patriots tackled Derrick Henry by his facemask, but nothing was called. No flags, nothing. It was horrendous.

The other three games on Saturday and Sunday would not let the horrific mismatch and terrible reffing spoil some great games. Truth be told, I did not watch a second of Eagles-Falcons, I was at the movies watching the new "Star Wars" with my son. But, I caught up on the highlights, and that was some tremendous defense played by the Eagles. With that being said, Steve Sarkisian proved to be a terrible play caller, especially when they had four chances from the 9 yard line to win the game. But, the Eagles suffocated and stifled the Falcons offense all game. They did not give Tevin Coleman or Devonta Freeman any space to run the ball. The Falcons defense played good too, but they let Nick Foles do just enough to get the win. Matt Ryan also reverted to his poor decision making late in crucial moments. I fully thought that the Falcons were going to win, especially after how they manhandled the Rams, but the Eagles would not let it happen. While they didn't do much on offense, they did enough. And their defense was awesome. They deserved to win, and they earned it too.

The most surprising game for me was Pittsburgh-Jacksonville. I did not see any of the first half of this game, I was at a birthday party. But I would periodically check my phone to see the score. Every time I checked it, it seemed that the Jags scored another TD. When I first checked it was 14-0 early in the second quarter. About 15 minutes passed, I checked again, and it was 21-7. Then we left the party and I saw it was 28-14 at the half. I assumed that when we returned home and I turned on the game that the Steelers would have tied it or taken the lead. Well, they cut it to 7 in the third, but they never grabbed the lead. When it was 28-21, I figured this was where the Steelers would wake up and grab a stranglehold on the game. Well, the Jags immediately took the ball all the way down the field and Leonard Fournette ran in his third TD of the game. This was when I started to think that maybe the Jags were going to win this game. But, not to be denied, the Steelers had another miracle TD on a fourth and three play. Roethsliberger heaved the ball in the air and a very injured Antonio Brown made a great, great catch for a TD. They cut it to 7 again. I started to go back around to thinking that the Steelers were going to win. But again, the Jags got the ball, god help me, Blake Bortles made some plays, and they scored on an easy pass to a wide open fullback to get a 14 point lead again. I was amazed at how well the Jags looked on offense, but also how poorly the Steelers were playing defense. The Steelers still wouldn't go away, getting back to within 7.  But, to attempt an onside kick with 2 timeouts and 2 minutes and 18 seconds left in the game at home, was simply stupid. That was a horrific choice by all the coaches involved on the Steelers. This gave the Jags great field position and set them up for the easy 2 score lead again. The Steelers blew this game, they were definitely looking ahead to the Patriots, but props to the Jags for going into Pittsburgh twice this season and winning both times.

The game of the weekend, the playoffs and maybe in the past 5 or 6 years, was the Saints-Vikings game. This was, to use a cliché, a tale of 2 halves. The Vikings owned the first 2 quarters. They stopped everything the Saints wanted to do, and they moved the ball at will. They looked like they were going to win with ease, especially when they had a 17-0 lead at halftime. But, credit to the Saints for making adjustments and turning this into a game. Drew Brees was making some great, great throws in the second half. His pass to Alvin Kamara was amazing. Kamara was also amazing in the second half. He is going to be a star. Michael Thomas started to get much more involved. He now is in that conversation of second best wide out in the league, behind only Antonio Brown. The Saints defense also started to make plays. When they took the lead at 21-20, I thought the Vikings were in for another heartbreak in the postseason. But, to their credit they kept plugging away. They got the ball back, marched into field goal range and kicked the go ahead field goal with just over 2 minutes left. That was more than enough time for Brees to lead the Saints down into field goal range to kick and take the lead very late in the game. The Vikings got the ball back with about 40 seconds left, and one timeout, but I figured they were toast. I mean, one timeout, Case Keenum, Vikings postseason history, no real deep threats, everything was stacked against them. And that was how this final drive started. They had one chunk play, but they had to burn their last timeout, and they were so far out of field goal range and hail mary range, I didn't think it mattered. And the next 2 plays made me feel this even stronger. Keenum was throwing ducks and getting pressured. Everything pointed to another blown playoff game. Then third down happened. With less than 10 seconds left the Vikings snapped the ball, and a sports miracle happened. Keenum bought just enough time in the pocket and just chucked the ball in the air. Out of nowhere Stefon Diggs, who it looked like jumped about 20 feet in the air, snagged the ball and turned up field. The Saints safety, poor, poor Marcus Williams, went in for the hit, but he completely missed Diggs. This was the worst attempted tackle I have seen at any level. Williams, who had a great rookie year, and had played very well in the game up until this point, just completely whiffed. His head was down and I think he just assumed that he was going to run into Diggs. That didn't happen, and now there are about a thousand GIF's and meme's "commemorating" this missed tackled. After Diggs realized he wasn't going to get hit, he turned up the field and ran. I kept yelling, the Vikings bench too, "GET OUT OF BOUNDS!", thinking that the Saints had another safety deep. But, much to mine, and everyone else's surprise, there was no one there. Diggs could have waltzed into the end zone if he wanted. It was a truly amazing sports moments. It is one of the best endings to a game that I have ever seen. I could not believe that the Vikings won a game in this fashion. It was such an amazing ending. I'm still kind of in shock how that game ended.

This was, at least 3/4 of it was, a very great football weekend. It was fun to see the NFL be fun at least one time this year. I don't think it matters in the long run though. I still think we will get Patriots-Vikings in the Super Bowl, and I still think the Patriots will win. But, this past weekend made it fun to be an NFL fan for a couple days. Hopefully the conference championships will be half as good as this past weekend was. We will have to wait and see.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is used to seeing Green Bay and Aaron Rodgers pull out last second miracle wins. This year's Rodgers is Case Keenum and the Packers have become the Vikings. 

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Ty Ranks the 2017 NFL Teams: The Anticipation for "The Last Jedi" Edition

New week, same 2017 NFL countdown here at SeedSing. This week we will finally get to the cream of the crop. The teams I will talk about this week all have a legit shot to make the playoffs, and about 60 to 70 percent of them could make a real case for going to, and winning, the Super Bowl. Lets go.

At number 16 I have Washington. I will not say or write the team name because it is offensive, so henceforth they will only be known as Washington. Washington has a QB problem. They cannot decide what to do with Kirk Cousins. Cousins is not a bad QB, but a 20 million plus a year QB? No way. He is not nearly that good. Off the top of my head there are many other QB's I'd want before Cousins name would even come up. Give me Brady, Rodgers, Newton, Wilson, Matt Ryan, hell, I'd even take Ryan Tannehill before Cousins. But, Washington is, by mistake I believe, doing the smart thing in franchising him. Make him continue to prove himself, then let someone like the Browns or 49ers throw way, way too much money at him when he has already played his best football for you. They have done it ass backwards, but it has been the "smart" move. The skill players are fine, but they did lose Desean Jackson this offseason. That is going to hurt, and hurt a lot. He was their deep threat. They do have Jordan Reed, and when he is healthy, he is good. They signed Terelle Pryor, and if last season is any indication, he is becoming a legit NFL wide out, just not a number one receiver. I like Josh Doctson, but he was seemingly injured all last season. Jamison Crowder is okay. That is the best way to describe the receivers, okay. Matt Jones was a revelation for the first half of last year, but then the NFL figured him out. Same thing can be said of Robert Kelly. Big runner, but can't really separate, and even though he is big, he gets tackled fairly easily. Their O-Line is rarely talked about, but that is good. That means they are doing their jobs. Washington's defense is, quietly, kind of good. Ryan Kerrigan is a very good pass rusher. Josh Norman, who kind of took a step back last year, is still a very good corner. He guarded the best receiver on the opposition every game last year, expect for the Giants games. That was very much publicized. Trent Williams is a very good defensive tackle. Su'a Cravens seems to be coming along nice. And Junior Gallette is still producing. Washington has a pretty decent defense that can stop teams. Their offense is what keeps them back I feel. They rely on Cousins, and he just isn't elite. He is more Joe Flacco than Aaron Rodgers, and he will continue to take them to the first round of the playoffs, and get beaten like a drum.

Coming in at number 15 I have the Houston Texans. Okay, Houston has the best defense in the NFL right now. Better than Denver, Seattle, anyone, in my opinion. They are so good on that side of the ball. JJ Watt, even though he never gets any criticism for some weird reason, is great. He is awesome, when he is healthy. I just wished he got the same judgement for his celebrations like Cam Newton gets. Jadeveon Clowney is awesome, but he is another guy that cannot stay healthy. But, when he is out there, he is great. Brian Cushing, who loves his steroids, is a tackling machine. As long as he isn't suspended for violating the NFL's drug policy, he produces. They lost AJ Bouye, but they have guys that can step in. Johnathan Joseph immediately comes to mind. Oh, I forgot about Whitney Mercilus on the D-Line. He is inconsistent, but when he is on he is dominant. This defense is awesome. Now, we must address the offense. First thing, I love that they moved up to take Deshaun Watson. I think he is going to be great and I think he can be the franchise guy they are looking for. I also love how they fleeced both Brock Osweiler and the Browns. Both brilliant moves by their front office. I also really like DeAndre Hopkins. He may be the most underrated receiver in the NFL. He is a legit number one. After that though, the Texans offense kind of falls off. Will Fuller, Braxton Miller and Jaelen Strong are not top level guys. At running back they have Lamar Miller and Alfred Blue. Miller was supposed to be Arian Foster's replacement, but he never really played out last year. And when Blue got his shot, he wasn't much better. The O-Line is okay, but not great. The tight ends are old school tight ends, and that doesn't work in the modern NFL. Houston is helped out by their atrocious division and their incredible defense. If Watson is the player I think he can be, this team could be a real threat. But that means counting on a rookie in the NFL. That is a scary proposition. The Texans will be in the playoffs, but the development of Watson throughout the year will be the factor in how far they go.

At number 14 I have the Philadelphia Eagles. Some may think this is too high, but I think the Eagles will surprise a lot of people this year. They could beat out both the Cowboys and the Giants in their division this year. I think a lot of people are sleeping on this offense. I think Carson Wentz is a decent QB. He is a hell of a lot better than Jared Goff, the guy taken before him last year. He performed much better than I expected last year. Add the fact that he has a legit receiver now in Alshon Jeffrey, and I think he will make the leap this year. Nelson Agholor is also an underrated, decent receiver. Don't sleep on the Torrey Smith signing either. He may have looked bad last year, but the 49ers offense was a mess. He will look much better this year. Zach Ertz is like a poor man's Greg Olsen or Martellus Bennett. He's a decent blocker but a much better pass catcher. He is reliable. I know they cut Ryan Matthews, but they still have Darren Sproles, and this is his last season. He has said he is done after this year. I feel like he is going to completely ball out. They also signed Legarette Blount. This backfield is filled with experience and winning. I like this backfield. Also, I forgot to mention the signing of Chris Long on defense. He has been great everywhere he has played. And Brandon Graham, a Michigan man, has gotten better every year. The Eagles are a good football team. They can, and probably will, surprise a lot of people. I know most people are penciling in the Cowboys in that division, but do not sleep on the Eagles. I like this team.

The final team for today, number 13, is the Denver Broncos. Last year many people thought was an aberration. I do not agree with that. The Broncos still have an incredible defense. Von Miller may be the best linebacker since LT. I'm not kidding. This guy is amazing. He recently said that he thinks 30 sacks in one season is attainable, and I bought it. He is the one guy that can do it. Aqib Talib, even with all the headaches he brings, is one of the better corners in the league, and if he gets his hands on the ball, he is housing it. Brandon Marshall is an incredible linebacker. One of the best in the league. Chris Harris Jr is lockdown as the other corner. Bradley Robey and TJ Ward are amazing safeties. Their D-Line is very good too. The defense is not the problem. The problem is the offense, and more importantly, it is the QB. Trevor Siemian is not a starting NFL QB. He was barely a Big Ten starting caliber QB in college. Paxton Lynch looks scared and slow out there. He may be a career backup. Those are guys they are counting on to run the offense. That is unsettling. Demayrius Thomas may have already played his best football. He is still good, but he hasn't been the same the past 2 years. He drops way too many easy passes too. I like Thomas, but I feel like he may not be an elite receiver anymore. Emmanuel Sanders is a great receiver that will go over the middle of the field, but that looks to be taking its toll on him. He is still a legit deep threat, but with Siemian and Lynch throwing the ball to him, does his downfield speed really matter? I don't think so. The Broncos do have a lot of options at running back, but none of them are great. CJ Anderson was supposed to take a big step last year, he did not. He barely got 3 yards a carry. Devontae Booker may be the future, but he doesn't get enough touches. They signed Jamaal Charles, but can he stay healthy and will he even be on the team when the season starts? Both are reasonable questions. The Broncos have an incredible defense, but the offense is very far behind due to the lack of a quality QB. They also play in a very, very good division. Wins will be hard to come by, but the defense will keep them in every single game.

That's it for today. Come back tomorrow for the next 4 teams.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He enjoyed being on the path of totality for the great eclipse of 2017. He thought his regular sunglasses would be sufficient to see the show. He is now unable to read this sick burn. (Just kidding, he watched it all through his homemade space toy).

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Ty Ranks the 2016 NFL Teams: The Hot Garbage Edition

Okay, now that you have finished reading my "Bar Rescue" update, I'm back with day 2 of my NFL countdown. Let's get to some more teams that I don't think are going to be very good.

Coming in at number 28, I have the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. You may say, but they looked good on offense last year and they were in a ton of games until the very end last year, why so low? Well, I'll tell you why. Yes, they have a good offense and yes, Jameis Winston looked much better than I thought he would last year, but they still have no real running game, I don't care how good the Muscle Hamster was a few years ago, and their offensive line is not that good. They seem to have a decent enough QB in Winston, who should only get better the longer he is in the league, and they have very good receivers in Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans, but that is where the good stuff ends. They have no real threat at running back and the line cannot block for long enough. Their defense is not very good either. They, like all the teams I have mentioned thus far, cannot pressure the QB or stop the run. Their secondary is not very good either. Then, they inexplicably fired Lovie Smith after one season. They did not hire a coach that I think will be better than Smith, and a lot of people agree with me on this. Smith did not get a fair shot. He could have made the defense competent. He could have had them close to 8 wins this year. Unfortunately, that will not happen. While I like some parts of the offense, I dislike everything about their defense and front office. Looks like another 4-12 season is on the horizon for the Buccaneers.

At number 27, I have the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles stink. They do not have a decent QB. They gave up on DeMarco Murray. They have no receiving threats. Their defense is no good. Their front office makes the Cowboys front office look competent. This team will not be good. Sam Bradford will probably start the year as QB 1, but he will either get hurt, or underperform, and then it will be the Carson Wentz show. Rookies do not do well in the NFL, and Wentz will be no exception. He has no one to throw to, and I don't think he is as good as some other people think he is. The Eagles reached big time on this pick. Their defense is very bad as well. They have no one, and I mean no one that is very good at all on that side of the ball. They will not be able to stop many teams, and much like the 49ers, they will not score too many points. This is a very tough time to be an Eagles fan because of what the now fired Chip Kelly did to this team. He traded away a ton of good players for some not as good players and the team has suffered, and will continue to for some time. I'd be shocked if they win 6 games, that is why I have them finishing 5-11.

At number 26, I have the Detroit Lions. This is kind of painful to me for a few reasons. When I was a kid, the Lions were my team. I loved Barry Sanders and Wayne Fontes and Hermann Moore. They were fun to root for. As I grew up, I realized the Packers were way better, but as I kid, I was a Lions fan. It's also a bummer because I have a lot of family members that are still Lions fans. Sorry, but the Lions just don't appear to be very good. First off, they lost their best offensive player since Barry Sanders this offseason in Calvin Johnson. He retired, but I still wont believe it until I do not see him out on the field. Without Johnson, their only receiving threat is Golden Tate. Yikes. The running backs aren't that good either. Reggie Bush is gone, so Ameer Abdullah will be the feature back. Again, yikes. He fumbles way too much and he can't take a hit. At QB, Matthew Stafford will prove how mediocre he truly is without Calvin Johnson. He will have to actually throw into tight windows and put the ball in his receivers hands. He doesn't have the luxury to just chuck the ball up and hope that Johnson comes down with it. The offense is going to take a big, big step back. The Lions are the first team on this list that I like on defense, but it won't matter. They will be on the field way too much because the offense will be going three and out 90 percent of the time. The defense will also continue to shoot itself in the foot with personal fouls and penalties in general. The Lions are going to take a huge step back. They will only win 4 or 5 games.

At number 25, we have the San Diego Chargers. Yeesh, this team is old and oft injured. Phillip Rivers has been in the league for what seems like one hundred years now, and he has very little to show for it. He is an okay QB, but he wouldn't be one of the first 10 to 12 QB's I'd take if I started a team today. He is way too erratic, and its only gotten worse the longer he has been in the league. His targets are old and hurt all the time now too. Antonio Gates was once great, but he seems to be a person that takes performance enhancing drugs, i.e., his suspension at the start of last year, and he gets hurt way too much. Stevie Jones is already out for the year after tearing his ACL yesterday. I don't know any other receivers on this team. At running back, they have Melvin Gordon Jr, a bust in the making, Ryan Matthews, cannot stay healthy, and Danny Woodhead, what good is he if he doesn't play for the Patriots. Not good choices. The offensive line is fine, but nothing to write home about. It also doesn't matter when Rivers is chucking passes to no one in particular. The defense isn't great either. They wouldn't resign Eric Weddle for some stupid reason, and other than him, they had no one that would set the NFL on fire. They will stop the teams worse than them, but the teams better, there's 25 of them, will score at will on this team. The Chargers are regressing, and they are doing it quickly. They are a lot like the Bears, in so, until they get rid of Rivers, they will continue to get worse. I'd be surprised if the Chargers did not go 5-11 this year.

That's it for today. Come back tomorrow for teams 24, 23, 22, 21. We are getting ever so close to some actual decent teams.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He has some hope, fantasy football hope, for a few players on the teams listed above. Follow Ty on twitter @tykulik.

Buddy Ryan and Pat Summitt - Legends who Defined their Sport

RIP both Pat Summit and Buddy Ryan. Both were phenomenal coaches in their respective sports. Buddy Ryan was one of the fiercest, most competitive defensive coaches that the NFL has ever seen. He was the guy behind the vaunted 85 Bears defense. Ryan may have been the greatest defensive minded coach of all time. He would get into it on the sidelines as well. He would yell and scream and even get into fist fights if he believed he was right. Buddy Ryan was a legend.

Then there's Pat Summit. Talk about a winner who's life was cut way too short. Summit had almost 1100 wins as a head coach. That is jaw dropping. Tennessee women's basketball was dominant for the majority of Summit's career. She is the John Wooden of women's basketball. She had one of the greatest basketball minds to ever grace the Earth. She was fiery as well. She was also flat out great at her job. Summit is one of the greatest basketball coaches ever, men's or women's. Summit is a true legend.

RIP to these two great sports minds. You'll both be missed.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Follow Ty on twitter @tykulik.
 

The Browns and Titans have Already made their Teams Better

The future looks bright in Cleveland and Nashville. Time to break out the shades.

The NFL draft starts next week. There has been a lot of movement in the two weeks prior to this years draft, a lot more than usual.

Last week the Titans traded the number one overall pick to the LA Rams (one more time I want to say SCREW YOU STAN KROENKE). They moved back in the first round and they also acquired a ton of other picks in this year and future drafts. I thought this was unusual, but the Rams just moved back to LA and they want to make a splash. It still doesn't make a lot of sense to me, and Tennessee got a much better deal out of it, but, sometimes weird stuff like this happens prior to the draft.

Then, just a couple of days ago, the Cleveland Browns traded the number two overall pick to the Eagles, again for a bunch of later and future draft picks. This really piqued my interest. Cleveland has been a gutter team ever since returning to the NFL in the early 90's. They have had about a million different players start at QB, and since they've blown every QB draft choice, they haven't really panned out so well with other position draft picks. Guys like Trent Richardson, Joe Thomas and Josh Gordon have not been that good since they entered the league. So, I assumed, like everyone else, they would stick with this pick and draft another QB. I know they signed Robert Griffin, but he simply cannot stay healthy. I also heard a lot about how there were three QB's in the upcoming draft that could be franchise players. So, Cleveland keeping the second pick just made sense to me.  Why would they trade this pick? Do they not like the QB's as much as other teams do? Do they think they can get someone later and have them sit behind Griffin for a couple of years? I have a million more questions, but these three will have to suffice for now.

Question one, why trade the pick? I think they like the idea of having multiple choices and not having to reach for a QB so early in the draft. This is actually a pretty smart idea by a front office that has seemed incompetent at times. Stockpile picks and draft players in the later rounds. Players picked in the later rounds seem to be more successful in the future than a lot of the first rounders. So, good, savvy move by the Browns.

Question two, do they not like the QB's available in round one as much as other teams do? I don't think its' just the QB's, I think this whole draft is pretty weak. This is actually, the main point of the blog today. After these two trades occurred, I did some of my own research about the draft because I think both Mel Kiper Jr and Todd McShay are morons. They're glorified, wannabe head coaches that have nothing but free time and they sit around and watch game film as if they are involved with an actual NFL franchise. Both of those guys are absolute jokes and they work for ESPN. It's a double whammy of idiocy. So, since I am just as qualified as both McShay and Kiper Jr, I looked into the draft class, and as I said before, it is not great. Sure, there's some good, quality guys that could be starters and even pro bowlers, but there is no franchise changing player out there. There's not one player that makes me think that they can turn one of the teams picking early in to immediate contenders. In fact, there hasn't been many transformative players since Cam Newton was picked first overall four years ago. But this draft class, oof, it's mediocre.

The QB's that every "expert" are high on, I don't see all that much from. Jared Goff is tall and has a good arm, but he's skinny, played in an offense that allowed him to throw a lot and he was still average and he did not lead Cal to more than 8 victories while he was there. He's about as good as Jay Cutler. Carson Wentz, the hottest name in the draft right now, played 1-AA college football, so he wasn't playing the toughest competition and he is a bit undersized. He did win a bunch in college, but so did Joe Flacco. Yeah, Flacco was the QB of a Super Bowl winning team, but that team won with defense, not because of Flacco. Wentz's name and stock will never be higher, but I'm not as impressed as others seem to be. The other notable first round QB is Paxton Lynch. Yeah, he started really strong and yeah, Memphis beat Ole Miss early in the year, but when that team needed him to lead the most, they folded. I would not draft him until the third or fourth round.

It's not just the QB's that don't impress me, it's most of the class. There's Ezekiel Elliot, who was great in college, but so was Melvin Gordon and he looked not so great his rookie year. I think Elliot is a lot like Gordon. It will be tough sledding for the first few years. On the defensive side of the ball, there's guys like Jalen Ramsey, Joey Bosa, Myles Jack, Vernan Hargreaves and Shaq Lawson. None of these guys really jump out as stars to me. Jalen Ramsey is big and fast, but he also gets beat deep sometimes. Bosa is tough to block, but he'd rather get high that work on his game. Myles Jack was injured all of last year and he kind of comes off as a spoiled brat. Hargreaves was torched by Michigan and Jake Rudock in the Citrus Bowl. That should scare a lot of teams away. Shaq Lawson is fast, but he is very undersized. None of these guys project as a Charles Woodson or a Bruce Smith. They all seem more like situational type players that will look good at times, but will also look mediocre most times. Even the offensive line players, usually the easiest ones to predict future success, look suspect with one exception. That exception is Laremy Tunsil. He is going to be a very, very good offensive lineman in the NFL. He has the size, strength, footwork and ability to put it all together. Everyone else in this draft is very ho hum to me. I don't see any great players, except for Tunsil. This is the biggest reason I think the Browns and Titans traded out of the top two spots. There's no pressure from the fan base to take a QB that early. The Titans already have a good, young QB in Marcus Mariota and the Browns, they have time to put a team together. Robert Griffin is not going to turn that team around.

Which brings us to my third question for the Browns, are they willing to draft a QB in the later rounds and let him sit behind Griffin for a couple of years? Absolutely. They have nothing but time. They can wait because that team is a total pile of garbage. The fans have no expectations for this team to be any good for awhile now. They can take someone and stash him on the bench and let him learn the system. They got rid of Johnny Manziel, who is a locker room cancer and just an all around garbage person, so the young QB they draft will not have to listen to his whining and complaining. And the Titans, they can draft a ton of other weapons with all the picks they stockpiled to help out Mariota in a year or two.

I can't believe I'm going to say this, but the Titans and the Browns front offices both did a very good job, getting these deals done. The Eagles and the Rams on the other hand, they made very poor choices. I'm sure the Rams will take Goff and I'm sure they'll go 6-10 or 7-9 like they do every year and their offense will be inept. Poor Todd Gurley. He has to deal with this shotty offense. He is the only real playmaker and Goff will not make any team fear the pass. Everyone will load the box against the Rams. And I'm sure the Eagles will take Wentz, which will piss off Sam Bradford, but the inevitable moment he gets injured, Wentz will be thrown into the fire. That's not how you want to bring a young QB along in the NFL. This draft is crummy and I don't get all the hype surrounding the QB's and the two big trades.

On a more serious not, I just want to say Rest In Peace to Prince. I heard the news that he died at the age of 57 today. I don't know too much about Prince, other than the fact that he is an exceptional guitar player and that he has written some of the best pop songs of all time. He voice just wasn't for me. But, I know our head editor, RD, is a huge fan of his and I know he will put together a much better, much more touching piece than I could ever write for you guys. You will be missed Prince and the cool people in the world need to quit dying.

Also, Rest In Peace to Pearl Washington. Many of you may not know who he was, but he is one of the all time great college basketball players. He played for Syracuse during the time when the Big East was the best and most competitive conference in the sport and Pearl Washington was the best player. He combined street ball with college ball and shined. He was an all time great. We lost two great people this week and that stinks. Rest In Peace Pearl Washington and Prince. You both will be missed by a lot of people.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Follow him on twitter @tykulik.

Ty is not impressed with the undefeated Carolina Panthers

This is how scary the Panters are right now

Yesterday I gave a lot of love to the undefeated Golden State Warriors. Today, I'm going to talk about another undefeated team, this time in the NFL, that hasn't impressed me.

I heaped a ton of praise on the Warriors, rightfully so, but the Carolina Panthers may be the most suspect 10-0 NFL team that I've seen in quite some time. Sure, Cam Newton is playing like an MVP this year. And their defense is about as shut down as they come. But, their run game has been spotty, at best, and they have no real receivers since Kelvin Benjamin went down in the preseason. Devin Funchess has turned it on as of late and Greg Olsen is, right now, the second best tight end in the league behind Rob Gronkowski. But, the main reason they are undefeated is, their schedule has been one of the easiest in the NFL. The ten teams that they've beaten are as follows; the Jaguars(4-6), the Texans(5-5), the Saints(4-6), the Buccaneers(5-5), the Seahawks(5-5), the Eagles(4-6), the Colts(5-5), the Packers(7-3), the Titans(2-8) and the team from Washington(4-6). The rest of their schedule has the Cowboys(3-7), Saints again, the Falcons(6-4), the Giants(5-5), Falcons again and their season ends with the Buccaneers. For those of you keeping track at home, that's 2 teams with a winning record, the Packers are good, but the Falcons are not. That's 4 teams that are at .500. The best of the .500 teams may be the Seahawks, and they've given up big leads at home, Marshawn Lynch is hurt, Russell Wilson is STRUGGLING and they don't know how to effectively use Jimmy Graham. The Buccaneers are shockingly a .500 team, but they're led by a rookie QB. Sure, Jameis Winston has looked good lately, but he's still a rookie. The Texans stink. I don't care that they recently beat the Bengals, they have no offense and, other than JJ Watt and Vince Wilfork, their defense stinks. And the Colts have been the biggest disappointment in the NFL. The rest of the teams they've beaten are all below .500. The Jaguars have won two straight, but it's still the Jaguars. They are about four or five years away from competing for anything important. The Saints play absolutely no defense. None whatsoever. They are awful. The Eagles are just as bad as the Saints, if not worse. They have no clue what to do on offense because Chip Kelly is an idiot and their defense just gave up 45 points, at home, to the Buccaneers. The Titans have nothing. They have a rookie QB, no running game, no receivers and no defense. They will probably end up with the worst record in the NFL this year. And the team from Washington is a joke in every sense of the word. They are an irrelevant franchise at the moment.

So, when you look at who the 10-0 Panthers have beaten, it's by no means a murderers row. We are talking a combined record of 45-55. That's pretty bad. That's really bad actually. They've also had to squeak out victories over the Titans two weeks ago, the Saints in week three without Drew Brees, they needed overtime to beat the Colts in week 8 and they needed a game saving interception to beat the Packers after they squandered a huge fourth quarter lead. The only real blow out came last week when they trashed Washington. A lot of teams have crushed Washington this year.

Now, it's hard to win 10 straight games, and just as I stated yesterday, you need luck and teams to blow games to have streaks that last this long. What the Panthers have done is very good and a bit intriguing, but if I was a team coming to play them in Carolina for a playoff game, I wouldn't be that worried about them. They don't have a very good home field advantage. They don't strike fear in their opponents. Put Cam Newton on any other team, the Panthers would be lucky to be 5-5 right now. For an example, put him on the Titans, and they'd be a 5-5 or 6-4 team right now. That's how good he's been this year. I didn't think he'd make much of a pro, but he's gotten better every year, and he's become an MVP candidate. But, he doesn't scare me when it comes to the playoffs.

This has happened with the Panthers before. Two or three years ago, they were the surprise of the NFL, winning their division with a 12-4 record. They seemed like a lock to get to the conference championship, but they got crushed in their playoff game and became an after thought. They have a real chance to go undefeated this year though. Their schedule the rest of the way is very easy, with their toughest game coming next week at Dallas. They should win that easily. So, let's say they finish the regular season 16-0. They'd be the number one seed and have a first round bye. They'd also have home field advantage. And let's just say they win that second round playoff game to advance to the NFC title. They'd either get the Green Bay Packers or the Arizona Cardinals. Those are the three best teams in the NFC in my opinion. I'd take the Packers, I picked them to win the Super Bowl, or the Cardinals in a second over the Panthers if I were a betting man. I know, the Panthers already beat Green Bay, but the end of that game showed me that the Packers know how to score on the Panthers. And the Cardinals, I think they'd absolutely crush the Panthers in a playoff game. They have an excellent secondary that would shut down their mediocre receivers, and someone will cover Greg Olsen. And the Cardinals offense, if healthy, I could see them scoring 40 by the end of the third quarter. They will beat them with the run, and their receivers are bigger and more physical than the Panthers secondary. It would be a totally lost season for the Panthers.

I will say again, good for you Carolina for being undefeated this late in the year, but until you win some games against quality opponents, I'm not impressed. The Warriors you are not Carolina, sorry. Good luck, and I hope Cam Newton continues to get better because he's fun to watch, but I just don't see them as a viable, fear inducing opponent to whoever they will face in the playoffs. The Panthers will have a very good regular season, possibly an undefeated one, but they will crap out in the playoffs, that's what they do.

They aren't champions yet.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man podcast. He just recently learned there is a North and South Carolina. What's next, a New Mexico? Follow Ty on twitter @tykulik. 

Nothing but Losers in the Nick Foles Sam Bradford Trade

NFL Scout thinking about next big deal

Trading for past potential never works out.

I'm from and live in Saint Louis, Missouri. Lately, I've been reading a lot of sports stories headlined, "Who Won the Foles for Bradford Trade". Football fans know what I'm talking about. Last offseason, Sam Bradford was traded to the Eagles straight up for Nick Foles. The trade at the time seemed very blah. It wasn't that big of a surprise to me. Both of these guys are mid level, at best, NFL quarterbacks.

Nick Foles wasn't really on anyone's radar until he blew up two seasons ago, coming in for an injured Eagles quarterback and put up insane stats. I believe he had 20 touchdown passes and 1, or maybe even 0 interceptions. He led the Eagles to the playoffs where they were ousted in the first round. Last season was supposed to be when Foles became a upper level quarterback. He wasn't going to be Tom Brady or Peyton Manning or Aaron Rodgers or Cam Newton, but he was supposed to be on the same level as a Jay Cutler or Russell Wilson. That didn't really happen. He started the season very slow. He looked to be lost in Chip Kelly's offense and struggled. Also, Chip Kelly is NOT an offensive genius, at least not in the NFL. Foles eventually got hurt and missed the last half of last season. Mark Sanchez replaced him and played better than him. That's insane to me.

Sam Bradford, on the other hand, was the number one overall pick in the draft. He was supposed to be the savior and new face of the Rams franchise. In his case, he could never stay healthy. He'd start to show flashes, fitting passes into tight windows, throwing a decent deep ball and protecting the football, but it was just that, a flash. At other times, he'd looked flustered and lost. Sometimes, the defense looked so much faster than he could comprehend. He'd take sack after sack by holding the ball way too long. And, he'd ALWAYS end up getting hurt, usually resulting in a lost season. He'd get a concussion or a banged up shoulder, but he always seemed to tear an ACL. Be it preseason or the regular season, he's missed time his entire career.

So when the trade was announced I wasn't surprised so much as thinking, why would these two teams trade for average, oft injured quarterbacks that haven't had much success in the NFL? I didn't really think either team won the trade, but multiple outlets had multiple feelings on the trade. Saint Louis media was thrilled to get rid of Bradford and his huge contract, and they were happy to have Foles. He was cheap and although he was just recently injured, he was more durable than Bradford. In Philadelphia, they were happy to get rid of the slow moving, plodding statue that was Foles. I guess they thought Bradford would be a better fit in Kelly's offense because he ran something similar at Oklahoma. That's problem number one, neither of these guys are mobile at all. They're both pocket passers. I also heard a report from Philadelphia saying that Bradford could lead this team to a Super Bowl, if he could stay healthy. Now, I'm not a Rams fan, but after watching him on local TV for four or five years, he NEVER stayed healthy. I already mentioned all his injury woes earlier. Before the season, Foles pretty quietly came to Saint Louis with little to no fanfare. Not much was expected from him because the Rams just drafted Todd Gurley, and their defense is top notch. Foles was supposed to be a game manager. In Bradford's case, the Super Bowl mention was out there, and he turned down an extension, deciding to bet on himself having a big season to get a big contract. Needless to say, Bradford's expectations were much higher than Foles. Then, the season started.

We are nine games into the season, and neither is really doing too much. Foles was just recently benched. He's completing almost less than 50 percent of his passes and he has 7 touchdown passes compared to 6 interceptions. Without Gurley, the Rams offense would be non existent. Foles isn't managing games. He throws critical interceptions and misses open receivers a lot. The Rams are struggling, look at what the Bears did to them last week, and Foles is a big reason why. I don't care or mind the benching. He's struggled and when you're more than halfway through the season, it's hard to fix these problems. Why not give Case Keenum a chance? What do the Rams have to lose really? In Bradford and Philadelphia's case, they've both been some of the biggest disappointments in the NFL. Philadelphia's offense has been downright awful at times. Kelly is calling way too many pass plays, putting the ball in Bradford's hand way too much. When you have DeMarco Murray, Ryan Matthews and Darren Sproles, why not run it 70 percent of the time? That's a great trio of running backs. But, the Eagles have counted on Bradford too much to the tune of 13 touchdowns and 10 interceptions and a 4-5 record. And also, guess what happened in their last game, Bradford got hurt. Surprise, surprise. He's going to miss, at least, the next two games.

I'll ask again, why are people trying to figure out who "won" this trade? No one did. Both of these quarterbacks have been huge disappointments this year, and both teams should have seen this coming. These two guys are back ups and should be treated that way. For what was supposed to be team changing trades for each team has been, but not in the way the Rams and Eagles thought. These guys stink. I don't know why this trade was made and I bet both teams GM's are kicking themselves right now. Both teams had big plans for this season, but these two QB's have almost derailed these plans.

Sorry Saint Louis and Philadelphia, no one wins this trade.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man podcast. He once traded his brother a rookie Bo Jackson baseball card for an Alf pog. Follow Ty on twitter @tykulik.

Ty Needs to Change his Super Bowl Picks: NFL Midseason Redo

Ty made some cookies to apologize about the Colts pick

Much like my blog yesterday, I'm going to tackle the NFL at the midway point.

Week 8 just ended and most teams have played 7 or 8 games. You can definitely get a sense of who is a legit contender, and who are the bottom of the barrel teams. I'll go over my previous division winners and I'll pick who I think will win their division now, and the wild cards from each conference. I'll also pick the MVP, coach of the year, offensive and defensive player of the year and offensive and defensive rookie of the year compared to my season preview.

Let's start with the AFC. The AFC East is being led by the New England Patriots at 7-0. The Jets are 4-3 and the Bills and Dolphins are 3-4. I was wrong about this division, picking the Dolphins. They've kind of gotten back on track, but they were just destroyed by the Patriots and they were a mess before firing Joe Philbin. The Jets and Bills are both middle of the road, but the Jets are playing much better than I thought with Ryan Fitzpatrick at QB. The Bills are a typical Rex Ryan team. They play good defense, have a subpar offense and blow games. The Patriots are clearly the class of this division. They're on a war path since the stupid "deflate gate" bull shit and Tom Brady and Bill Belichek are playing and coaching with anger, and they thrive that way. I don't think they'll go undefeated, but Tom Brady is playing like the MVP and they'll win this division easily. I shouldn't have doubted them. In the AFC North, the Bengals are leading the division with a 7-0 record. They're playing lights out defense right now, but they have to prove it in the playoffs before I trust them. The Steelers are 4-4 and just lost LeVeon Bell for the rest of the season, they're toast. The Browns are exactly what everyone, save for ESPN, thought they'd be. They're mediocre on offense and defense and people still talk about Johnny Manziel like he's an important player. The Browns stink. The Ravens are a shockingly bad 2-6. They've blown games that they should've won, and they look pretty bad on defense without Terrell Suggs. They're the most disappointing team in the NFL in my opinion and they just lost their best receiver for the year with Steve Smith SR tearing his ACL. The Bengals will run away with this division, no problem. The AFC South is a joke and this division made me look like a moron with my preseason preview. The Colts are in first place, but they're tied with the Texans at a dreadful 3-5. Andrew Luck is clearly hurt and their defense stinks. Screw you Indy for making me look like an idiot. The Texans are terrible. Their "vaunted" defense can't stop anyone, and their offense is bad and just got worse with Arian Foster going down with a season ending injury yet again. The Texans stink. Jacksonville and Tennessee have three wins combined. They're playing as everyone thought they would. Blake Bortles may not be that good of an NFL QB and the Jags defense is not good. The Titans are being led by a rookie QB, I know he's missed the last two games, and they may not win another game all season. Mariota is going through growing pains and he has no weapons on offense and their coach is pretty bad, and just got fired. I'm still picking the Colts to win this division, but they may only win 6 or 7 games and they will get crushed in the playoffs. The AFC West has been surprisingly competitive. The Broncos are still the best team and they're undefeated. Something is going on with Peyton Manning, but the Broncos are winning with their league best defense. They're lock down on that side of the ball. The Raiders are 4-3 and in second place. Derek Carr is a star in the making and now he has Amari Cooper to throw to. Their defense is playing halfway decent led by ageless wonder Charles Woodson. The Raiders may actually be good. The Chiefs had a brutal schedule to start the season and started 1-5, but they've won their past two and look better, even with Jamaal Charles out for the year. They have a good tight end in Kelce and a deep threat in Jeremy Maclin. Their defense is good as always. Unfortunately for them, they dug themselves to deep a hole and they won't be able to get out of it. The Chargers are a team in flux. They don't know if they're moving to LA, and they have no fan base. Phillip Rivers is on the back half of his good playing days, and Melvin Gordon hasn't lived up to the hype. The Chargers aren't a threat anymore. So, the playoff teams from the AFC will be division winners, Denver, Indy(UGH!), New England and Cincinnati. The Wild Cards will be the Jets, I can't believe I just wrote that and the Raiders, I really can't believe I just wrote that. I was wrong on Miami and Pittsburgh has suffered some brutal injuries, but other than that, I think I did okay. The Patriots are coming out of the AFC with little push. Denver is the only team that can compete, but they won't be able to beat New England in Foxborough. The Patriots will represent the AFC again in the Super Bowl. 

To the NFC. We will start with the NFC East. This division is a joke. The Giants are leading it with a 4-4 record, and they just gave up 52 points to the Saints. One week they look good, the other they look bad. The Eagles and the Washington professional football team have matching 3-4 records. How they got there is different. The Eagles play awesome defense, but their offense is bad. Chip Kelly is supposed to be an offensive genius, but he doesn't use DeMarco Murray properly, he relies on Sam Bradford too much and he has no real receivers. The Eagles are bad. Washington is lucky to be where they are. Kirk Cousins got way too riled up after a comeback victory over Tampa Bay. He's a terrible NFL QB, but who else do they have? Their defense is not very good either. Basically, they got very lucky three times and that luck is going to run out. The Cowboys have been plagued by injury and stupidity. Tony Romo and Dez Bryant missed multiple games. Joseph Randle is facing punishment for drugs and they're now starting Darren McFadden. Greg Hardy is a lunatic and doesn't belong in the league. And Jerry Jones, boy is he going nuts. The Cowboys may be the best team in this division, but that's not saying much and they are too far behind at 2-5 to win this division. The Giants will win the division and they will probably do it with only 8 wins. The NFC North is led by my beloved Packers at 6-1. They've looked pretty bad on offense the past couple of weeks though and the Broncos just throttled them on Sunday night. They'll fix what ails them, but they need a quick fix. They also need to use Eddie Lacy more, if he's healthy. The Vikings are playing pretty well, with a 5-2 record. But, let us not forget why their star player, Adrian Peterson, was out all of last season for beating a child. Announcers seem to have forgotten this, but I haven't. He's a monster. The Vikings are winning with good defense and the emergence of rookie receiver Stefon Diggs and smart QB play from Teddy Bridgewater, not child abuser Adrian Peterson. The Bears and Lions are equally bad. The Bears are 2-5 and as long as they have Jay Cutler at QB, they'll continue to be mediocre. The Lions are a dreadful 1-7 and they can't catch a break. They're also poorly coached and Matt Stafford is not a franchise QB, he's barely a starting QB. Calvin Johnson deserves better than this. The Packers will win this division. The NFC South has been surprisingly decent. The Panthers are 7-0 and playing awesome defense and Cam Newton is playing fantastic football. They also have a really good run game. The Falcons are 6-2, but they're not that impressive, save for Julio Jones and Devonta Freeman. Those are the catalysts of this team, not Matt Ryan. He's been erratic all season. The defense is serviceable. The Saints are 4-4 and Drew Brees is beginning to look like his old self, but he doesn't have any real weapons. Mark Ingram has been solid, but he's not a star and Ben Watson has been playing good at tight end, but that's it. And their defense, woof, they're bad. The Buccaneers round out this division at 3-4. They've played better than I thought they would and while Jameis Winston has looked bad at times, he's had his moments and Doug Martin may be turning his career around. But, they are still a bad team led by a rookie QB. Carolina will win this division. The NFC West has been as competitive as I thought it would be. The Cardinals lead it with a 6-2 record. Carson Palmer has been lights out and so has Larry Fitzgerald and Chris Johnson. They have a potent offense. Their defense is still really good too. Barring injury, this team should be considered a legit contender. The Rams are 4-3 and they look good one week, but bad the next. The emergence of Todd Gurley should definitely help this team out. He's been awesome. And their defense is still one of the league's best. The Seahawks are 4-4 and they've looked very unimpressive. Russell Wilson is not living up to the contract he got. Marshawn Lynch can't stay healthy and they don't know how to use Jimmy Graham. He's the best tight end in football, save for Rob Gronkowski, and he's only getting 4 or 5 targets a game. Their defense is giving up fourth quarter leads as well. They do not look like the "dynasty" that a lot of people predicted them to be. The 49ers are a total mess. They're benching Kaepernick in favor of Blaine Gabbert. WTF! He's a terrible pro. They have no running game, they traded away Vernon Davis and they can't get the ball to Torrey Smith or Anquan Boldin. Their defense is okay, but when you're on the field for 45 minutes of a 60 minute game, you get tired and when you get tired, you give up points. The 49ers stink. Cardinals win this division. So the NFC playoff teams will be division winners, New York Giants, Green Bay, Carolina and Arizona. The two wild Cards will be Minnesota and Saint Louis. This means I was wrong about the Eagles and the Seahawks. Neither will make the playoffs. I'm torn between Arizona and Green Bay, but Arizona will suffer some kind of injury and the Packers will figure out their offensive problem and they will win the NFC.

So, that gives us a Green Bay and New England Super Bowl. I'm going to stick with the Packers. They're the one team that can beat the Patriots. As far as the awards go, I was wrong on almost all of these. First of all, the MVP is Tom Brady. He's torching this league and he's on a mission. I picked Aaron Rodgers, but he's struggled lately and Tom Brady has not. Brady will also win offensive player of the year. Defensive player of the year will be Charles Woodson, not Ndomakong Suh. Woodson is still playing at an elite level and he makes the Raiders a real threat. Winning this will put him in the conversation as greatest defensive back of all time. Coach of the year is still Jeff Fisher in my opinion. He'll lead this team to a Wild Card spot and that alone gives him the award. I picked Melvin Gordon as offensive rookie of the year. He's been not so good mid way through the season. However, Todd Gurley looks to be a beast. He's setting records and rushing for a lot of yards on a good Rams team. Gurley is, hands down, the offensive rookie of the year. I picked Bud Dupree as defensive rookie of the year, but he has just blended in with the Steeler defense, he hasn't really stood out. Marcus Peters, however, has been a pretty good cornerback for the Chiefs from day one. He's my pick for defensive rookie of the year.

So, there you have it, my mid way NFL picks, Some are the same, some are different. Tell me why I'm wrong and give me your picks in the comment section.

Thanks

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man podcast. He thinks Tom Brady is over inflating footballs just to screw with the NFL. Follow Ty on twitter @tykulik

Ty's NFL Preview 2015: NFC

Game is on, get ready to...why is Ty's drink still green?

The NFC is also made up of four divisions as well, the East, West, North and South. The NFC East is made up of the, Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, the team from the region of Washington DC and the New York Giants. The Cowboys completely shocked me last season. I didn't see them playing that well at all, especially on defense. DeMarco Murray was awesome, but he's gone to the Eagles and Dez Bryant is good, but he's got Tony Romo throwing him the ball. That's a bummer. Jason Witten is reliable, but old. The defense will take a step back for sure. The offensive line is good, but as I mentioned before, DeMarco Murray is gone and Darren McFadden won't ease the loss. The Cowboys are going to take a big step back this season and probably only win 9 games. That may be enough to win this division. The Eagles have had a very odd offseason. Chip Kelly traded away a lot of great players like, LeSean McCoy and Jeremy Maclin and Nick Foles. The only one he really "replaced" was McCoy by signing Murray. Sam Bradford seems to be their starting QB, but he CANNOT stay healthy (I am from St. Louis, I know this). He's a liability. They also brought in Tim Freakin Tebow. That guy is not an NFL quarterback, he's just not good. The Eagles defense is pretty good and should keep them in games. They will either win 11 or 5 games, who knows. I will split the difference and say they get to 10 wins, but barely. The New York Giants aren't a very good football team, and the recent news that Eli Manning wants to be the highest paid player in football is laughable. Sure, he's won two super bowls, but what have you done for me lately besides lead the league in interceptions and stupid faces. They have no running game. They do have Odell Beckham JR and Victor Ortiz, but that doesn't matter when Eli is throwing it to the other team. Their defense is not good either. They will be lucky to get to 7 wins this year. Until they are willing to change their name, the team from Washington will get no love from me. They stink anyway and 4 wins would be a shocker. The Eagles will win this division and get the pleasure of being blown out by whoever they play in the first round of the playoffs.

The NFC West is one of the best, if not the best, divisions in the NFL. First, you have the Seattle Seahawks. They have the best defense in the league and it's not even close. All three phases are lights out, and while I may not like the players in the secondary, they are shut down corners and the safeties are heavy hitters. The offense is run by the overrated Russel Wilson. That offense is truly run by Marshawn Lynch. He's the current best running back in the league. He's truly a beast. They don't have great receivers, but they traded for Jimmy Graham this offseason and that will only make them better. They will easily get to 11 wins this year. The St.Louis Rams are up and coming, but I don't know how they'll play with expectations. They also have a great defense and one of the best defensive lines in the league. They drafted a great running back in Todd Gurley and replaced the oft injured Sam Bradford with Nick Foles. He's an upgrade at QB. The receivers are small, but explosive. If they can put it all together, they won't be able to challenge the Seahawks yet, but they could win 9 or 10 games. The Arizona Cardinals are another good team in this division. If Carson Palmer can stay healthy, they should be good on offense with him throwing to Michael Floyd and Larry Fitzgerald. The running game was in flux, but they just signed Chris Johnson to a one year deal. If he can do half as good as when he was with the Titans, they should be set. Their defense is awesome led by cornerback Patrick Peterson. They are really good, but they seem to get bitten by the injury bug every season. They should win 10 games, barring any big injury, but someone will inevitably get hurt, so they'll probably only get 8 or 9 wins. The San Francisco 49ers round out the division. This team seems to have gone into rebuild mode. They changed coaches, lost Frank Gore, Patrick Willis retired along with a lot of players on defense and Michael Crabtree left in free agency. They still have Anquan Boldin and Colin Kaepernick, but this team is going to take a huge step back. They will only get 5 or 6 wins this year. This division will be won by the Seahawks again, but it will be very tough.

The NFC South is the exact opposite of the West. This division could be won by a team with 8 or fewer wins. The teams are, the New Orleans Saints, the Atlanta Falcons, the Carolina Panthers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Saints still have Drew Brees, but he's old and they got rid of his best weapons. Their defense is terrible as well. 6 or 7 wins would be ideal for them. The Falcons have Matt Ryan,  Roddy White and Julio Jones, but they have no running game and they don't even try to run the ball and this is a team with another pretty bad defense. If Matt Ryan plays well and gets the ball to either White or Jones, they could outscore teams on their way to 8 wins, but 6 wins seems more likely. The Panthers do have Cam Newton and while he's inaccurate, he has a big arm and he's hard to tackle when he's in the open field. They have a so so running game led by DeAngelo Williams and they have upgraded at receiver with Kelvin Benjamin and rookie Devin Funchess. They do have a decent defense led by linebacker Luke Kuechly. They could win 9 games this year. The Buccaneers are still in rebuild mode and will be led by rookie QB Jameis Winston. Rookie QB's struggle and while he does have Vincent Jackson and the big receiver from Texas A&M, they have no run game and a god awful defense. 3 or 4 wins is the bar for the Bucs. The Panthers will win this division with only 9 wins this year.

The final NFC division, the NFC North should and will be won by the Green Bay Packers. The defense improved last season and will take another step in the right direction this season. They have the best QB in the league in Aaron Rodgers and he has weapons on offense like Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb. They also have a good running game led by Eddie Lacy. The Packers should win 12 games and the division easily. The Minnesota Vikings will be better. They get child abuser Adrian Peterson back and, while he hits little children, he's a good running back. But, he's a terrible person. Teddy Bridgewater looks like he's going to be good and if he can get some help from receivers the offense could look good. The defense is decent, but nothing to write home about. They could get to 9 wins this season. The Detroit Lions will continue to baffle me. Matthew Stafford is so inconsistent, but when you have a receiver like Calvin Johnson, he'll make you look good. They got a great running back in the draft in Ameer Abdullah. He'll immediately be better for them than Reggie Bush was. The defense lost Suh and Nick Fairley, so they'll take a step back. 8 or 9 wins seems like their destiny. The Chicago Bears round out the division and they're a total mess. They did hire John Fox, but he won't be able to fix the mess that is the Bears in one season. They have no defense, no receivers, a shitty QB in Jay Cutler and poor Matt Forte can only do so much. The Bears are like a worse version of the Chiefs. At least the Chiefs are competitive. The Bears will be lucky to get 5 wins this year.

So, the NFC playoff teams will be the Seahawks, the Packers, the Panthers and the Eagles, the four division winners. The two wild card teams will be, I'm going to go out on a big limb here, and pick the Rams and the Vikings. I even see the Vikings beating the Eagles in the first round and the Rams fighting, but losing late to the Panthers in the playoffs. The Vikings will see their season end at the hands of the Seahawks and the Panthers will get mercy killed by the Packers. This sets up a rematch of the NFC title game from last year, and the Packers will avenge their loss with a big win and advance to face the Colts in Super Bowl 50. 

Coming up next, Super Bowl and awards.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and co-host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. The editor appreciates his hopes for the Vikings. Follow Ty on twitter @tykulik.