2022 Top Five - Sports

Today I come to you all with my top sports moments of 2022. This has been a good sports year for me as a fan. I have not had much to complain about, but being a true fanatic, I have found stuff here and there. My list is all football and basketball. Well, there is one baseball thing. But those are the sports I watch. I do not watch hockey, soccer, NASCAR or even boxing anymore. I understand that the World Cup just happened, but I didn't watch a second of it. And RD and Tina do all the tennis talk for the site. I just wanted to give you all a heads up. On to the countdown.

At number 5 I have the final season of Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina. I am not the biggest MLB fan, but being a native St Louisian, and a Cardinals fan, this was a very important sendoff. Pujols came back to play his last year here. Yadi is a lifelong Cardinal, and in my opinion, the greatest catcher of all time. To see them play their final season together where they started was magical. What unfolded was even better. Yadi did his thing. He was consistent. He gunned wannabe base stealers down left and right. He hit his usual .270. He had clutch plays. He was as good as ever. Pujols started off slow but something happened to him after the all star break. He found his power. He started to bomb homeruns. He got to a point where 700 seemed like it was possible. And when he hit that magical number it was euphoric. I was stoked. The kids I coach in baseball were stoked. It was so cool to see the whole city get behind Pujols on his run to 700. The Cardinals won the division and looked like they could make a deep playoff run. The Phillies had other plans though. Even though they choked, seeing Pujols and Yadi finish their careers in St Louis, on a relatively high note, was pretty damn cool. They are two of the best to ever do it and two of the best Cardinals to ever do it. 

At number 4 I have the Cincinnati Bengals going on their incredible playoff run all the way to the Super Bowl. I could not believe what I was seeing while it was going on. Sure, one win seemed like it was possible. But to run through the AFC the way they did, and then beat the Chiefs to make the Super Bowl, it was great. I am not a Bengals fan at all, but my nephew is and my brother has lived in Cincy for a bit now. I was happy for them. I was stoked to see guys like Jamaar Chase and Joe Burrow show up big time in big time games. I like those dudes. And the Bengals did not disappoint in the Super Bowl. They may not have won, but they had a chance. They had an open guy on the final play. They stayed in the whole game. The Rams were bought to win a Super Bowl. The Bengals were built to win one. They are playing great this year. But that run, and all the texts between RD and myself during their run, that was pretty rad. I like the team and I wish them nothing but success in the long run.

At number 3 I have the Warriors-Celtics NBA Finals. It was an incredible series. I was rooting for Golden State because of my disdain for the Celtics. But it was cool to see Jayson Tatum, a STL native, play on the biggest stage. And I was certain that the Celtics were going to win after going up 2-1. It seemed inevitable. But then the Warriors woke up and looked amazing. Klay Thompson was coming off two ACL tears and started to look like himself. Draymond Green got back to playing top notch defense. Kevon Looney became a very poor man's Tim Duncan. Jordan Poole was getting points in limited minutes. Andrew Wiggins was locking up Celtic after Celtic. But it was Steph Curry who willed this team to victory. He did not want to be beat and it showed. He scored at will. He hustled on defense. He proved, without a shadow of a doubt, that he is one of the best to ever play. He earned this title. He was the well deserving MVP. He said this one felt best and it showed. I was in awe of his performance from game four to six. He was on a mission and it was beautiful to watch. This was a great finals and the best team won.

At number 2 I have the Michigan Wolverines football season. The new year started off rough with Georgia crushing Michigan in the CFP. I didn't know what to expect from the team going into this season, but they did not disappoint. They handled their cupcake of a non conference schedule. Then when they got into Big Ten play they opened with a tough win over Maryland. They then went on to crush every opponent until Illinois. They beat Penn State by 28. They put Michigan State into submission. They sacked Indiana QB's eight times. They ran over everyone. Illinois gave them a scare. Michigan did not deserve to win but they found a way. They then went to Columbus and won there for the first time in 22 years. Not only did they win though, they dismantled the university of Ohio State. They ran up and down the field on them. They made CJ Stroud look pedestrian. Blake Corum, the team's heart and soul, was hurt the week before and barely played. It didn't matter. They had the next man up mentality. They used this momentum and throttled Purdue in the Big Ten title game. They have a date with TCU coming up and I am terrified as always. But this team has proven me wrong all year. They have figured out ways to win games. Guys like Mike Morris, Mike Sainristil, Blake Corum, the entirety of the O line, Will Johnson, DJ Turner, Cornelius Johnson, they all deserve this. They have all earned this. I am hopeful as a Michigan fan for the first time in a long time.  I hope it doesn't bite me in the butt, but time will tell. As of now I am a hopeful Wolverines fan.

At number 1 I have a very personal sports moment. My son started playing football this year. Let me rephrase that, he started to play tackle football this year. I was nervous. I told him horror stories. I tried to convince him otherwise. But he was adamant and we relented. It was wonderful. He got better and better everyday as a football player. He was taught the right way to play the game. He seemed happy at practice and at games. He really looked like he was in his element. As the season went on the team continued to get better. They started to win more. They were really beating teams up. And my son lived in the backfield on defense and pancaked would-be tacklers on offense. It was a shock, in a good way, to see him progress the way he did. They won enough to make the fifth grade playoffs and it got even better. They won their first game handily. They had a tough test in the second game, but they ran away with that one as well. The championship was on a very windy and cold day. And they even gave up an early field goal. From there on out they scored 30 unanswered points. They destroyed the team that made it to the finals. They hammered them. And my son was smiling all the way. He loved every second of football. And I loved watching him. I am so glad I didn't coach also. I got to enjoy it from the stands. I am always proud of him and this is another notch in his belt. I was so happy to see them win and to watch him play all year. That is the best a sports dad can ask for.

That is it for sports. Come back tomorrow for my final top five, top five podcasts of the year, tomorrow.

Ty

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

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The Warriors Won the NBA Title and That Does Not Suck

Just like last season, this season I felt the urge to tune into game six of the NBA Finals last night. It had a feeling of something special. Something big was going to happen either way. The Celtics were going to push this to a winner take all game seven Sunday night, or the Warriors were going to wrap it up and become the newest dynasty.

Well, the Warriors wrapped it up. The game wasn't all that close either. This was not like last season when Giannis put up 51 points and all but willed the Bucks to the title. The Celtics got out to a torrid 14-2 start, but then the Warriors responded with a 21-0 run in the second, led by 15 at the half and the closest the Celtics would get the game in the second half was 8 points. This was a wrap with about ten minutes left in the game. The Warriors were going to get their ring. They had squeezed the will out of the Celtics. They suffocated them defensively and, even though it was not pretty, the Warriors did enough to get a 13 point win.

Steph was great. That needs to be said. He scored 32 on the DPOY Marcus Smart. He made six threes. He had seven boards and seven assists. He shot over 50 percent from the field. He more than earned the series MVP. But he had help. Draymond played a vintage game. He had 12 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 blocks and 2 steals. He was everywhere. He hit jumpers. Klay's shot was off, but the threat more than intimidated the Celtics into throwing a few guys his way. Kevon Looney grabbed boards and did the dirty work. Jordan Poole had 15 crucial points. Andrew Wiggins scored and completely shut down Jayson Tatum. Gary Payton II was a menace and spread the floor on the break. The guys who needed to show up did. They showed out. But make no mistake, this was all Steph. This was LeBron like. This was Jordan like. He knew he had to be great and he was for five of the six games. Hell, he was great in game five, he just missed some shots. Without this Steph, the Warriors would be a lottery team. He was majestic. He shined brightest when he needed to the most.

It also needs to be said that the Celtics had an absolute melt down. I have zero problem eating crow after writing last week that it was inevitable that they were going to win. They could not hold onto the ball. They turned it over far too much. Marcus Smart was exposed. He may be hurt, but he could not stop Steph if he were 100 percent. Al Horford had one good game and then was put on an island trying to guard the Warriors guards one on one. Jayson Tatum disappeared in the second half of games five and six. This should be a good lesson for him, but he did not play well in this series. I give Wiggins a ton of credit for that too. Jaylen Brown was good, but he became a ball stopper late in these games. Derrick White completely fell off. Robert Williams was never fully healthy. As much as it irked me at the time, Draymond was right after game one. He knew the Celtics could not duplicate that game three more times. And they didn't.

I was also so sick and tired of the griping from the Celtics, but the Warriors did the best thing. When the Celtics would complain to the refs, they would run and they usually scored. It was perfect. I have never been happier to see a team I do not root for win. I am not a Warriors fan, but I loathe the Celtics. So to see this Warriors team win in Boston, that was a thing of beauty.

It is amazing that the Warriors did this two years after they won only fifteen games. They did it a year after they were knocked out of the play in. They won three years after KD left for Brooklyn. They rebuilt this team on the fly. And they did it around the greatest shooter to ever step on an NBA court. This team is tailor made for Steph. All the cutting and screening to get open shots has worked to perfection. That is why they went out and got a Juan Toscano Anderson and Beilijica and Otto Porter Jr and drafted Poole late in the first. They got guys that fit the system with Steph and Klay and Draymond. They play beautiful basketball. To me they are the 21st century version of the Spurs. The Spurs were always good, would win titles, would constantly be in the playoffs and would rebound immediately after a bad year or two. That is what this iteration of the Warriors did. They are the 2000's Spurs, the 90's Bulls, the 80's Pistons and Celtics and Lakers. They are a legit dynasty. They have more than earned that. They have four titles in ten years. They have been to six finals in ten years. This is their least talented team and they still won it all. What a team. I may not be a fan, but I respect the hell out of them. I was happy for them. I was stoked to see Steph's emotions after the game. They earned everything they achieved this year.

My hats off to the Warriors. Congrats on a much deserved title.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet.

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Ty's 2019 NBA Finals Preview

The NBA Finals tip off in 2 days. I'm coming to you today with one of my favorite blogs to write, and that is my finals preview and prediction.

I will say, in the entirety of this website, I am pretty sure this is the first time that the Warriors are not going up against the Cavs. The Warriors are still there, but after the debacle that was the Lakers season, and LeBron going out West, this year, the Toronto Raptors exorcised some demons, traded for Kawhi Leonard, and they are there as the East's representative. Unfortunately for them, I don't think Kawhi will be enough to dethrone the Warriors. He is also hurt. And, along with Kawhi, the Raptors acquired Danny Green for his three point shooting and defense, but in the past 2 series he has been pretty much unplayable. He isn't making shots and he is getting beat regularly on defense.

It also needs to be said that the Warriors will, most likely, be without KD for the Finals, and even though he has hinted at playing, I think it would be better for both parties if Boogie Cousins didn't play either. But, last week I wrote a piece on how much fun the Warriors have looked since KD went down with a calf injury. They are certainly not better, no team would be better if their best overall player was out. But, they are so much more balanced, and fun, to watch again. This current iteration, as I said last week, reminds me of the first Warriors team led by Klay and Draymond and Steph and Steve Kerr that won the title in 2015. They play a lovely brand of space and pace. They are a faster version of the Spurs, with much, much more prolific shooters.

So, while I don't think this series will go very long, I do think it will be a tough played and hard fought Finals. Kawhi Leonard has been otherworldly in these playoffs. He has been a scoring machine. He has held up like the boss he is on the defensive end of the floor. He definitely got into Giannis' head in the last series, and shut down Ben Simmons. Who's to say he won't do that to a player like Steph or Klay. But, therein lies the problem with the Raptors, and what benefits the Warriors. Kawhi can only stop one guy. Whoever he isn't on has the ability to go off, especially if they are a perimeter player. Look, I love that Kyle Lowry has played better in these playoffs, but either Steph or Klay will torch him. And who's to say that he won't regress in the Finals. I hope he doesn't, but that seems to be his move every year in the playoffs. He's also going to find it hard to score on Klay, who I imagine the Warriors will put on him. Draymond is the biggest X factor in this series. He has been wildly impressive during these playoffs, running the offense and playing exquisite defense. His scoring hasn't been there, but they haven't needed him to score. Does he guard Kawhi, or do the Warriors basically let Kawhi get his, and dare everyone else on Toronto to beat them? I'd say they let Kawhi go off because, outside of him, no one on Toronto has put together a solid stretch of games. Pascal Siakim has been better of late, but he has been very inconsistent, and this is, by far, the biggest stage he has ever played on. How he reacts to the big stage will say a lot about Toronto's hopes for pulling the upset. Serge Ibaka has been to a Finals before, but he has only gotten older and slower since then. He is also a mid range shooter now, and the Warriors will use their speed to get him off the floor. This is also the furthest that Marc Gasol has ever been in the playoffs. He has also been a reluctant shooter all playoffs. He will have a height and weight advantage on whoever plays center for Golden State, with the exception being Andrew Bogut, but he is well past his prime. But, I don't think that will matter. I don't think he will be able to keep up with the speed that Golden State has been playing with since KD went out.

Kawhi Leonard is great. He has reestablished himself as a top five player. He is going to make a ton of money this offseason, and this postseason from him has been a joy to watch. That will only be good enough for 1 game to me. I am picking the Warriors to win in 5 games. But, I think it will be 5 hotly contested games. I get the same feeling from this matchup as I did from the Blazers-Warriors West Finals. The Blazers are a good team, they just aren't at Golden State's level, even without KD. But, no team is as good as the Warriors are. They are a dynasty. They are the 21st century Bulls. And the fact that I don't even think they need KD to win their third straight finals should speak volumes as to how good I think they are.

The Warriors are the dominant NBA team, and they will win their third straight finals to really cement their status. I cannot wait for Thursday. Lets get back to some NBA playoff basketball.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet. 

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The Warriors are Fun Again

The Golden State Warriors advanced to their fifth straight finals after a thrilling overtime victory in Portland last night. That game was fun and close and I enjoyed every second of it. I will say, even when the lead ballooned to 17, I never thought the Warriors were out of it because they are never out of it. They have so many solid shooters and a very good, and underrated, defense. They can also catch fire at any moment.

So, instead of checking out, I stayed to watch all of the second half and overtime. And the Warriors pulled it out. What makes this so different was the fact they swept out a very, very good Trailblazers without KD. Also, they, and I hate that I am writing this, were an absolute joy to watch. They have been so much fun for the past 5 games in fact. Don't get it twisted, KD makes this team pretty much unstoppable. He is the best scorer in the league, he is an outstanding defender and rebounder and he is a matchup nightmare. He is one of the greats, a hall of famer and an MVP candidate every year. He is a beast. But, with him out, the Warriors remind me a bit of the team that won their first finals. They are swinging the ball all over the floor. Steph is putting in 30 plus points like it is nothing. Klay, while his shooting has been wildly inconsistent all playoffs, is locking it down on the defensive end. And, another thing I never thought I would say, or want to say, Draymond Green has been otherworldly. He is the straw that stirs this team's drink. He gets everything flowing. He runs the offense. He snatches rebounds. He is the best defender in the NBA, and it is not even close. And, his recent interview where he said that he used to do more crying than playing, made me respect the hell out of him. He has also dropped 20 pounds and looks like he can run all day. He has been the best all around Warrior for the past 2 series. Without his play, they don't beat Houston, and they certainly don't sweep Portland. Draymond has been absolutely outstanding. Hell, if he keeps this up, he may win Finals MVP over Steph, and it would be totally justified.

All of this is to say, I cannot believe I have found myself having fun watching the Warriors win lately. When KD signed there 3 years ago, they immediately became the villain. They soiled the NBA. The competition was moot and pointless. It was a done deal. And for 2 years, that very thing happened. But, when he went out late in the third quarter of game 5 of the Houston series, this team almost instantly became likable again. They started to whip the ball around. They started to share more. They ran more. They ran less iso basketball. Steph and Klay stopped deterring. Draymond pretty much completely took over as the lead guard on offense. They became, at least in their minds, the "underdogs" again. Hell, I picked Houston to beat them after KD got hurt. But, they showed us that they aren't a one man team. That, when given more shots, Steph is an MVP. Klay proved his worth. And Draymond is making himself a ton of money when his deal is up in a year.

In no way am I saying that this team is better off with KD out. That is insane. What I am saying is, this team is fun to watch without KD. They remind me of the Spurs when they had Tony Parker, Manu Ginobli and Tim Duncan. Draymond, Klay and Steph are the 21st century version of those guys. I have never met anyone that doesn't like those Spurs teams or players. Hell, I know I rooted for them to beat the Big Three Heat teams. I in fact have always liked the Spurs. And god help me, this is what this iteration of the Warriors remind me of right now. If they end up facing Milwaukee in the finals, I think they will need KD. But, if it is Toronto, I bet they could win without him, and they would be as much fun to watch as they are right now.

I guess this piece is all to say that, I cannot believe that I like this Warriors team. They are supposed to be the villain, the bad guys, the one team that made the most super of super teams. But dammit, I have really enjoyed watching them since game 6 of the Houston series. They play a beautiful game when they play like they have lately, and it is a joy to my eyeballs. We will see what happens in 9 days, what with KD's injury, and if Boogie Cousins comes back or not. But, for the time being, this version of the Warriors is fun, and they play exquisite basketball. It is truly basketball at its highest form.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet. 

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

Time to Get Pumped for the 2019 NBA All Star Weekend

This weekend is All Star weekend for the NBA. I enjoy All Star weekend. I used to love it, but now I just enjoy it. I like the skills competition, the three point and dunk contest, the rising stars game and the actual game. I think the only thing I don’t really care for is the celebrity all star game. Some people go way too hard, Winn Butler, some turn it into a showcase for themselves, Kevin Hart, and the rest just don’t seem to care. It’s dull.

Let’s look at the good events. The dunk contest used to be my absolute favorite part of the weekend. It used to be filled with actual stars, and it was awesome. I will always, always remember Vince Carter. It was amazing. The contest then started to really drop off when the contestants got endless chances. It dragged and the participants weren’t the upper echelon. The one that really upset me, the opposite of the Vince Carter one, was when Chris Andersen spent what seemed like 45 minutes to complete one dunk. But, I do have to say, it’s been better the past couple years. Dennis Smith Jr got robbed last year, but it was still fun. And 2 years ago, the show that Zach Lavine and Aaron Gordon put on, was tremendous. Go back and check that out. So I do have faith. The three point contest is great to see the pure shooting, with no defense. And the rising stars game has become much more fun because they went to US versus World and all the future stars of the league are there. The skills competition is neat too, especially when you have a guard up against a big man. The game itself, while totally devoid of defense and full effort, I find enjoyable. I want to see all the points. I want each team go score 200. I’d love to see a 60 or 70 point quarter. I am one of the very few that find the game slightly enjoyable.

With all this being said, I want to make a few predictions for the festivities this weekend. First off, I guarantee the National Anthem will be so much better than the mess that was Fergie last year. That one is easy. As far as the rising stars game, I have the US. Team World has some studs, namely Luka Doncic, big Team US has guys like Jayson Tatum, Trae Young and Jaren Jackson. I just feel like they’ll be able to build a solid lead and win the game. In the three point contest I have Steph. I’ve seen and heard a bunch of people say that Joe Harris will win? Why? Steph is the best shooter in the league, maybe the best of all time. He may not take it as seriously as the other contestants, but he doesn’t have to. He’s that good. Steph all the way. The skills competition is DeAron Fox’s to lose. He is, by far, the most skilled guy in it. He’s also super fast, but under control. Fox is about to become a big name in the NBA. As for the dunk contest, I have DSJ all the way. He got screwed last year, he’s just been traded and I feel like he has something to prove. I have a feeling he’s going to do something amazing. Also though, don’t sleep on Hamidou Diallo. That dude is super athletic and has amazing hops. As for the actual game, I think Team LeBron wins. They are stacked. He got the best scorers, passers, and if they try, defenders. I don’t buy that all the guys he took he’s going to recruit to LA like everyone keeps saying. I think Team Giannis will make it a game, but I just think Team LeBron is better. That being said, I think Giannis Antentekoumpo will win his first of 2 MVP’s this season. He’s been amazing all year. His team had the best record. He will go hard in the game because that’s what he does. And he’s pretty much unguardable. He is so good, and I think he will prove that tenfold in the All Star game.

I’m excited for the weekend. I love basketball, and to see the best of the best in one arena always amazes me. I hope you all watch too. I know I will. I really enjoy NBA All Star weekend.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet. 

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If LeBron Joins the Warriors there Will Be No Reason to Watch the NBA

Yesterday a report, coming from Stephen A Smith so take it with the biggest grain of salt you can find, came out that LeBron James will meet with the Warriors this offseason. If this happens, and I'm speaking of the meeting, I will be very, very pissed off. If it goes any further than a meeting, there will be absolutely no point to even watch the NBA next season, a sport I adore.

It is not new news that LeBron is a free agent when this season ends, probably tonight, and he is free to go anywhere. The speculation has been all over the map. At first, it was only the Lakers. He was seen spotted in LA looking at private schools, and he owns a very nice home there. But, doesn't every NBA player, or major NBA players, live in LA in the offseason? All the big time guys have outside interests, mostly in the entertainment industry, and LA is the best place to be to develop connections and make the most money you can. I take zero stock in the fact that he was looking at schools, and he has a home there. Since the middle of the season, the Lakers have kind of fallen off. There is a bit of a resurgence recently, but the Lakers seem unlikely.

After them, it was the Rockets. He was going to go play with his best friend in the league, Chris Paul, and they would finally be able to challenge the mighty Warriors. The three headed monster of LeBron, CP3 and Harden would be more than enough. But, they realized that they would have to get rid of some important people, mainly Clint Capela, and those talks have died down. I know that Vegas still thinks the Rockets have a good shot at getting him, but recent reports have said they will need a max deal to keep Paul, that shouldn't happen, and Capela is going to get paid by someone, and the Rockets better hope it is them because he is about to become a multiple All Star.

Recently it has been the Cavs and 76ers at the front of all the talks. In Cleveland he can do whatever he wants. He is Thanos, he is all powerful. He can snap his fingers and anyone he wants gone, they are gone. He can also bring in whoever he wants. He has carte blanche. He was instrumental in bringing in Kevin Love, Kyle Korver, JR Smith, and countless other veterans that he wants to have on his team. He is also the guy that runs everything on the floor. He controls the offense and he makes the decisions. He calls the timeouts and he picks when and where he wants to come out ad rest, or if he wants to play all 48 minutes. He controls the Cavs. As far as the 76ers goes, he could go to a young, but hyper talented team, and easily lead them to the finals every year. Me personally, I am not a fan of this, but if he wants that easy path to a shot at a title every year, the 76ers are in the East, they have the best young players in the league, and he could come in and be the super duper star that they need to push them over the top. Philadelphia, in theory, makes the most sense outside of him staying in Cleveland.

If all LeBron wants is an easy path, and to spend the rest of his career playing 28 minutes a game, and not having to worry about competition, then by all means, join the Warriors. This would be a brutal blow to the NBA. But, as I said, if LeBron doesn't want a challenge, and just wants to be one of the guys, not "the guy", then join the Warriors. If he were to do this, that Warriors team, even if they only had their 5 starters and 2 bench guys, could easily win 80 games, and sweep their way to a title. The starting five would be Steph, Klay. KD, LeBron and Draymond Green. All five All Star starters. They could throw RD and I on their bench and we would win the title. It would make for must see TV for about a week, but after that, watching games would be pointless. Would anyone really want to go see a midseason game between Golden State and say, I'll even pick a decent team, the Rockets? Not anyone outside those 2 cities. And I think even the Rockets fans might pass on that game. The great thing about sports is how dramatic it can be, but if LeBron were to join the Warriors, all that dram would be gone. The Warriors would easily win every game, even if they only gave 50 percent.

I also think it is terrible because LeBron is used to being the alpha. He is used to being the guy with the ball in his hands. He is used to getting every big shot. He is used to being catered by his teammates. That would destroy everything that Golden State has built these past three seasons. While I don't like the Warriors, I love their style of play. They are a newer, better and younger version of vintage Spurs. They play pure basketball, getting the ball to open shooters for the best possible shot. LeBron would halt all of that. He needs the ball in his hands to be as effective as he can be. Also, this is Steph's team. Sure, some may say that KD has taken over, but he hasn't. Steph is who the fans come to see. Steph is the one with the ball in his hands at the end of the game. More kids have Steph's jersey than any other player in the NBA. Then, second is KD. Then third is Klay. If LeBron signs there, he would be fighting with Draymond as the fourth most important player. Can he handle that? No freaking way.

This is a horrible idea on so many levels, and I really, truly hope it doesn't happen. I don't think it will, but I also didn't think that KD would join the Warriors 2 years ago. If the NBA gods have any sense, they won't let this happen.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on all the internet.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

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.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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Game One of the 2018 NBA Finals Was One for the History Books

Game one of the NBA Finals was great last night.

It surprised me very much. I did not see this effort coming from the Cavs. I figured LeBron would be great, as he has been his entire career, and especially in these playoffs, but I did not expect his supporting cast to play as well as they did. Larry Nance provided that spark that he is so good at doing. Kevin Love finally showed up. George Hill was solid. I mean, the players LeBron has surrounded himself stepped up, for the most part.

Before I really dig into the game, LeBron's performance last night was otherworldly. He was absolutely amazing. He was so efficient and played hard and did everything that he could do to push his team to a victory. My problem with LeBron last night, I hate that fake ass tough guy he tries to be when the game is over. He blocked a Steph layup attempt with less than a minute left in overtime, and proceeded to shit talk him. Steph came right back and him, and Klay joined in as well. What I loved is that Steph didn't back down, he held his own, and seeing Klay laugh in his face and shrug his shoulders at him was amazing. LeBron is a sore loser. I get it, I hate losing too, but that fake tough guy bull shit needs to stop. We all know you are the best player in the game right now, but stop it with the fake tough guy attitude. It is tiring and annoying and looks really bad, especially when you let a game slip away that you should have won. LeBron was great, amazing and dominated, but he is a very, very sore loser and fake tough.

The Warriors did last night what they have done all year. They dicked around for the entirety of the game, until it went into overtime. That was when they locked in, and they dominated. But, the first 4 quarters had to be so frustrating for all the Warriors fans out there. They just seem to go out there, disrespect the opponent and expect to win. KD was awful on offense last night. I know he had 28 or so, but it was not at all efficient, and he took way too many jumpers. Steph had a good scoring game, but he was throwing bad passes and dribbling way too much. He was also exposed time and time again on defense. Klay had a rough scoring night and he was hurt early on in the game. You'd never know because he is so even keeled, but he needs to score more. Draymond was probably the only Warrior that really showed up last night, and he had a very solid game, and kept his shit talking to a minimum. The rest of the team, Shaun Livingston, Kevon Looney, Nick Young and Patrick McCaw, were all non factors, as expected.

Now, we have to go to that final minute or so of play last night. First thing, the block/charge call. When I saw it in real time I thought it was a block. LeBron's feet looked to be shuffling over, and KD was not out of control on his drive. The refs initially called it a charge, and I thought, okay, he is a super star, and he has earned those calls. When they overturned it, I was shocked. I never, ever expected that, especially a call to go against LeBron in the Finals. It was very surprising. Even with that call going the Warriors way, the Cavs kept scoring and took a lead very late in the fourth, like under a minute left. Then, Steph hit a floater and was fouled, or maybe not, and made the free throw to grab the lead for the Warriors. I figured that was it, the Warriors were going to close it out in the fourth quarter up 1 point with about 25 seconds left. Well, George Hill made a fantastic cut, and while cutting he got fouled by Klay, and it was definitely a foul. So Hill, who is around an 80 percent free throw shooter went to the line for a chance to win the game with 4 seconds left. He easily sunk the first free throw, and then the second one happened. Hill left the shot very short, but JR Smith, somehow, got the rebound over KD, and instead of shooting or kicking it out to LeBron, he dribbled out the clock.

I have never, ever seen anything like that. It ranks right up there with Webber calling timeout in the title game when Michigan didn't have any timeouts. When pushed, Smith said he thought the Cavs were winning. If he thought that, why was LeBron yelling at him? Why didn't he check the clock or scoreboard? Why did he think everyone was yelling at him? Why would the Warriors not foul him? I have so many questions for JR Smith. This will be one of those infamous plays that will be showed on highlight shows for eternity. And even after the game, Smith tried to say that he knew the game was tied, but we all know that is some bull shit. He blew it.

After Smith's blunder, overtime started, and that was when the Warriors finally woke up. They dominated every second of overtime, scoring the first seven points and eventually winning the game by 8. But, it wasn't without drama. We had the fake tough LeBron show up. Tristan Thompson, who is a scumbag, also became fake tough. Draymond started to yap more. Steph and Klay laughed in LeBron's face. And KD was quiet as usual when it comes to this type of stuff.

For as well as the Cavs played last night, they really blew a golden opportunity, and they are more doomed now than I thought they were at the start of the Finals. The Cavs will not play any better than they did last night, and they still lost. LeBron may have another game or 2 like he had last night, but will Love show up again? Are they really going to count on Nance to give them spark minutes? How will JR Smith react to his horrible end of game blunder? Where was Kyle Korver last night? Are they going to give Clarkson another 20 minute game? Will Ty Lue ever outcoach Steve Kerr again?

My simple answer to all of these questions, no. Hell, the Warriors may still come out and dick around, but they are so, so, so much better than the Cavs, and I think they will want to brutalize them now. And for the Cavs fans blaming the refs today, take that heat and put it towards JR Smith or George Hill. They each had a chance to win that game, and they both blew it big time. Game one was awesome, but I do not think we will see another one like it. The Cavs don't have it in them to play like that once again.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on all the internet.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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How the Rockets are Beating the Warriors

Last night the Rockets took a 3-2 series lead on the Warriors in the Western Conference Finals.

I have to admit I was wrong first of all. After game one I wrote that the Warriors were locked in, and that should run away with the series now that they were actually trying. Well, the Rockets have muddied up the game, James Harden and Chris Paul, and the Rockets bench, are playing much better, and they have total control of the series. They can close it out on Saturday night, and it would not surprise me. I know that Chris Paul is officially out of game 6 with a hamstring pull, but I do not think it will matter much. I also realize that the game is in Oracle, but again, I don't think it will matter much.

The problem, after game one, the Warriors returned to how they have played this entire season. They have only really showed up when they need to, and they have played bored and careless almost all season. It is all coming back to haunt them now. After game one, they have only played one other game, game 3, where they have looked like the team that they are supposed to look like. In games 2, 4 and 5, the Warriors have looked helpless and lost. They are playing way too much isolation basketball. They are playing right into the Rockets hands. They are doing everything that the Rockets want them to do. The Warriors are letting the Rockets shoot threes. They are letting Harden get to the hoop unimpeaded. They are letting Clint Capela constantly burn them on pick and rolls. Their bench, or lack there of, is hurting them. Their old school centers are pretty much unplayable. And the Rockets are taking total advantage of all this, and more. Props to Mike D'Antoni for letting his team play like they have all year, and letting Harden run the show. Props to Harden for getting the playoff choking moniker off his back. Even if the Warriors wake up and win the series, Harden has been very solid. Props to Chris Paul for going out there, playing his game and not letting the moment get to him. I'm actually a little bummed that he is out of the next game because I want both of these teams at full strength. This series has gone the exact opposite of how I thought.

Maybe I should have seen this coming. As I said, the Warriors have lacked the killer attitude all year long. They do not seem to care, no matter how big the moment. Steph is playing better, but he is still getting exposed on defense. Every night there is a highlight of him getting shook by Harden or Paul. Klay Thompson is hurt, and has gone ice cold from the field. He cannot hit the ocean, and he is getting torched on defense. KD has been scoring a ton, but that is really it. He has a very small amount of assists. Besides game one, his defense has been mediocre at best. And he is playing far too much iso ball. Dare I say, he has become the Warriors version of Russell Westbrook. Draymond Green has been horrendous in this series. He cannot score, he is getting dunked on every night, and he keeps talking shit as if he is doing something. Even his own mom called him out on Twitter for his poor play.

The most egregious performance, at least to me, is Steve Kerr's coaching. He is being wildly outcoached by D'Antoni. His willingness to let his players play through big runs is shocking. His decision to not call timeouts has been Andy Reid bad. Then his attitude, for example his, "I feel like we are in a great situation" quote after last night's game, has shocked me. This team is on the brink, and he is acting as if it is game 30 of the regular season. And I say again, that has been the problem all year. They just do not seem to care. They look like they will be just fine going on vacation after tomorrow night's game, if they do not win. They just seem disinterested. And the Rockets are taking full advantage of it all.

Hopefully the Warriors find their mojo again, because I'd love this series to go 7. But, the way the Warriors have come out the last 2 games, I wouldn't be surprised at all if the Rockets end it tomorrow night. We will just have to wait and see.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on all the internet.

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A Few Thoughts on the NBA All Star Draft

I finally have come to a conclusion of the NBA All Star "draft" from last week.

First off, I am one of the very few people that have enjoyed the lack of defense played in the NBA All Star game in recent years. I love the scoring. I love the dunking. I love the highlights. I am all for it. I want both teams to score 200 plus points. I think that would be amazing. I know people that are opposed to the way the game has been played lately, but I am on the total opposite end. It is an exhibition. It is supposed to be a show for the fans. They don't have to go 100 percent. I don't want these star players to get hurt because they went too hard in the All Star game. This is a fun game that needs to be filled with scoring, scoring and then a little more scoring.

With that being said, I do like this "draft" that they did. I think this is a neat idea. It is a lot like playground basketball. I love getting rid of the conference affiliation, because, lets be honest, the West would have crushed the East this year. I'm also fully on board with the winning team players getting 100k towards the charity of their choice. I think all of these ideas were well thought out. I do wish they would have televised LeBron and Steph picking the teams. I wanted to know who went first overall, and who went last. I wanted to see Steph and LeBron's faces while figuring out who they were going to pick after the other guy picked. I wished they could have picked anyone too. I was not a fan of the whole pick the starters that were voted on first, then pick the reserves. It should have just been an all out "draft" if that is what they were going for.

When looking at the teams now, I do think it is kind of clear who was the first overall pick. LeBron had the number one choice due to the fact that he was the highest vote getter, and I think it is pretty clear that he picked Kevin Durant first. He was the clear cut number one overall player. I have heard some people slander LeBron for doing this, but I think it is borderline genius for many reasons. First off, he breaks up the Warriors two best players. Splitting up KD and Steph was the absolute right choice. Also, I'm not sure what the jerseys will say, but if they say "Team LeBron" and "Team Steph", I think it is so hilarious that KD has to wear a jersey with LeBron's name on it. It is almost as if he is saying, I'm still the best player in the league, look at the name on your jersey, and don't forget it. That is also why I love his pick of Kyrie Irving as well. He is rubbing salt in the wound. Kyrie wanted out of LeBron's shadow, and rightfully so, but now, if he has to wear a jersey with "Team LeBron" on it, hilarious. So while some are trashing LeBron for taking a Warrior and picking Kyrie, I think it was, not only a smart, but also a move to prove to these guys who still owns the league.

The rest of LeBron's team is solid. He had Boogie, but he is out now, unfortunately. He also has Anthony Davis, LaMarcus Aldridge, Bradley Beal, Kevin Love, Victor Oladipo, Kristaps Porzingis, John Wall and Russell Westbrook. We have the obvious Boogie injury and John Wall and Kevin Love are out now, but the rest of his team is great. The starters are LeBron, KD, Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving. I don't know who is fifth starter will be, it was supposed to be Boogie, so lets just say that it will now be LaMarcus Aldridge. That is a solid starting 5. LeBron is the best player in the world. KD is a top notch scorer who has suddenly started to defend. Anthony Davis is just a nightmare everywhere on the floor for opponents. Kyrie is a wizard with the ball. Oh, he can score too and LMA is just a solid NBA player and guy. The bench is good too. Beal is a lethal shooter, Porzingis is a unicorn, Oladipo is having his best year in the league and Russ is a bulldog who wants to win, no matter the stakes. LeBron had a very good draft.

Steph's team is good, but not as good as LeBron's, in my opinion. Steph has, himself, Giannis Antentekoumpo, DeMar DeRozan, Joel Embiid and James Harden as his starters. His bench has Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green, Al Horford, Damian Lillard, Kyle Lowry, Klay Thompson and Karl-Anthony Towns. Just comparing the names of the two teams, Team LeBron wins by a mile. Steph does have great scoring in the backcourt in his starting five with himself and Harden. Harden is on fire right now, he is the front runner for MVP and I think he will be out to prove something. Steph is Steph. He can score from anywhere on the floor. The problem, they don't play any defense whatsoever. If defense will be attempted, they will get roasted. DeRozan can shoot threes and fill it up, but again, no defense. Also, will he get the shots he needs to get in rhythm playing with Steph and Harden? Probably not. Joel Embiid is a great young player with a ton of potential, but he is not an All Star starter yet. People need to chill on the Embiid stuff. I love him as much as any young guy in the NBA right now, but he is still not fully healthy, and he may only be allowed to play 10 minutes in the All Star game. The wild card on Team Steph, Giannis. That dude is amazing. He is the best young player in the league, and the best unicorn by a mile. He is just a specimen and he could absolutely explode in this All Star game. He is Team Steph's version of Russell Westbrook. He will go hard and take this game seriously. Steph's bench is pretty ho hum. I love Jimmy Butler, and he has been incredible this season, but he isn't 100 percent. I'd be shocked if he plays double figure minutes. Draymond Green will not care about this game, and he shouldn't. He is too important to the Warriors quest to win back to back titles and the All Star game will be a weekend of rest for him. Is there a more boring All Star than Al Horford? I know he is a great team guy and a very good passer, but come on. He had to have been the last pick. It was either him or Love. Lillard will go hard and score, but he is another guy that eschews defense in the regular season and the playoffs. He will not play any in the All Star game. I love Lowry and Klay Thompson. Lowry is back from injury and I feel like he will go hard. Thompson will want to prove that he can score against the best of the best, especially when he is the only Warrior on the floor. Hell, he might even want to showcase his talents for a future team he may be playing for in the city that the All Star game is in. KAT is a beast down low, can extend people outside and rebound. But, his defense comes and goes. That is the running problem with Team Steph, they don't have any real lock down defenders. If they can catch fire they could win, but they won't be able to stop pretty much anyone on Team LeBron.

When I broke it down, as I have said once already, LeBron won this draft and he won it by a mile. I hope it will be a good game, but I think it will be a slaughter. I do enjoy this new format and I hope it sticks, but I also hope I get to see one of these teams go for 200 points. I am excited for All Star weekend and the game. Lets get to it.

Ty

The Warriors are Exactly Who We Thought They Were

To the surprise of no one, the Warriors won the NBA title last night. This game felt more like a formality than an actual competitive game. Sure, the Cavs had a lead at halftime, they led by 8 points at one time, the refs missed a big call on KD that could have upped the lead to 9, but did any of us really think that the Warriors, with KD and Draymond, were going to lose another game 5 at home? I don't even think LeBron James believed his team was going to win last night.

Credit due to the Cavs for coming out strong, but they made the same mistake they made all series, and that was trying to run with the Warriors. The Cavs are not built that way, and when you try and run with a historically great offense, you are going to get burned. This was a terrible decision by LeBron, or to people who have no clue and think he is the coach, Ty Lue. To think that you can outscore a great offense, that plays great defense as well, is insane. There was no way the Cavs were going to win more than one game playing like they did. Those guys are not in that type of basketball shape. Sure, LeBron, Kyrie, Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson, who was dreadful in the Finals, may have looked like they could keep pace for a half, but, by the second half, they all had their hands on their head or hips, they were huffing and puffing, tugging on their shorts and neglected to play defense, figuring they'd save their energy for offense.

LeBron looked so gassed, he basically treated defense as an option. This was the worst defense I have ever seen him play. Sure, he put up great offensive numbers, averaging a triple double, but he was getting torched all series long by KD, Steph and even Andre Iguodala. He looked James Harden bad on defense this series. But, did the announcers ever say anything bad about his effort? Of course not. They kept talking about how he was carrying the Cavs and how he "has the heart of a champion". That is so god damn ridiculous. I love LeBron. I think he is probably the second or third best player to ever play the game. He is like no one I have ever watched. But man did he looked just terrible on defense. And, every time he got beat by a back door cut or got beat by a jumper or got beat to the hoop, he never took the blame, instead, always glaring at teammates, or just straight up committing a foul. He was just as bad on defense as he was good on offense.

As for the other Cavs stars, Kyrie was electric in games 3 and 4, but last night he looked hobbled, slower than normal and just as bad as he always does on defense. He's a great ball handler and awesome at getting to the hoop, but he is a ball hog and his jumper is mediocre. Kyrie has a long way to go before he is considered an all timer. Kevin Love played okay, but not great, and last night, he stunk. He came and went throughout the Finals. He would rebound a lot one game, but shoot horribly. Then the next game, it was the other way around. He has become way too inconsistent. I would be surprised if he was still a Cav next year. Tristan Thompson was awful. JR Smith had a good game last night, but he was horrific on defense and a no show for the first three games. Iman Shumpert was dreadful everywhere. Kyle Korver couldn't hit the ocean, and was a total liability on defense. And then we have Deron Williams. Let us please have a moment of silence for Deron Williams, as it seems his career is now over. In fact, the only Cav that looked legitimately interested in winning was Richard Jefferson. That is not the guy you want to hang your hat on. The Cavs were outmatched.

The Warriors are a legit "super team". They got rid of Harrison Barnes, who they won a title with 2 years ago, and got KD in return. That is just not fair. I'm sure there are a thousand pieces today either condemning or congratulating the Warriors on what they did this offseason. I think it just waters down the game that much more. I was looking at Twitter after the game, and a lot of people were saying things that I have been thinking about all throughout these playoffs. These 2 teams, and more importantly, the Warriors, get to play teams like the Magic, 76ers, Lakers and Nets, among many others. Those teams do not belong in the same league as the Cavs, and definitely not the Warriors. It is fact. The Warriors have 3 of the best 5 shooters in the game right now. They have one of the best defenders in all of basketball. They have a great coach that has surrounded himself with other great coaches. They have it all.

The Warriors, at least to me, are what the Yankees were in the 90's. They bought this title. Sure, they earned it on the floor, and I know that 3 of their main guys they drafted, but they got KD. I have no problem with this either. I have sat and thought about it all year. I thought it was a cowards way to a title, and I still do, but he definitely earned that Finals MVP. He was awesome. I just wish he stuck it out in OKC one more year because I think he could have won with Russ. But, he wanted out, and he went to a team that won 73 games a year ago. Like I said, this is just like when the Yankees acquired Alex Rodriguez. They didn't need him, but they wanted him, and they got what they wanted because they had the means to do it. I know this may sound like sour grapes, but it is not meant that way. But, just as I HATED the Yankees, and still do, I do not like the Warriors. In fact, I'd venture to say that the majority of the country, outside of the Bay Area, actively roots against them now. They didn't need KD, but they got him, and they reaped those benefits last night, and all throughout the Finals. KD was awesome. I don't think the title is tainted, but I do not look at this like I did when the Spurs beat up on the Heat a few years ago, or when the Mavericks won, or even back when the Bulls were winning multiple titles in the 90's.

This Warriors title was a forgone conclusion on July 4th 2016. Yes, KD was great. So was Steph. Draymond was everywhere on the floor. Shaun Livingston and Patrick McCaw played great in their limited roles. David West brought a toughness this team needed. Klay's shot may have been off, but he played some of the best defense I have ever witnessed in the Finals. Javale McGee brought energy. In fact, the only liability for the Warriors that I saw was Zaza Pachulia. He was just awful. He is so bad at setting screens. He grabs and fouls on every play. People thought Steven Adams was dirty, but Zaza makes him look like a soft player. Zaza is terrible. The Warriors went out and bought this title in the offseason, and it all came to fruition last night.

The Finals, and the whole playoffs for that matter, left me with a hollow feeling. After the game last night all I thought was, "okay, 4 months until the Warriors start their repeat". That is how I, and a lot of other people, are going to feel for the next 4 or 5 seasons too, as long as the Warriors keep this nucleus in tact. They are all young and in their primes. I do not see anyone beating them.

I don't know who LeBron thinks he can go out and get to, lets face it, someone, Kevin Love, is going to be traded this offseason, try and help the Cavs return and compete with the Warriors. He may try Dwayne Wade or Carmelo Anthony or Boogie Cousins, but I do not see any of those three being able to play with the Warriors. Boogie, who I love, is too slow and more fit for a half court offense. Carmelo is old, his shot is worse and he plays no defense. And Dwayne Wade, see Carmelo Anthony, but shorter.

The NBA is going to be owned by the Warriors for a long time now, so get used to it. The regular seasons and the first 3 rounds of the playoffs will not matter anymore. The only thing that will matter is how many games it will take the Warriors to beat whatever East team LeBron is on. No one is going to challenge either of these teams, and that is the upsetting thing to me as a rabid NBA fan. There is no suspense, and suspense is what makes sports so great.

Well, I guess, congratulations Golden State. You signed a former MVP in his prime and beat an out of shape, careless defensive team to win your third title in 2 years. Hooray. (I'm being sarcastic if you can't tell by my tone) Maybe next season you guys will win 75 plus games and go undefeated in the playoffs. That would sure be a lot of fun. (Again, sarcasm) There is no parity in the NBA anymore. At least not for the next 4 or 5 years. Get used to the Warriors winning non Warriors fans. That's what's going to happen every year until Klay or KD or Steph retire or leave in free agency. That is the only way the Warriors dynasty will end.  

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet. 

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

The SeedSing 2017 NBA Finals Preview

Tomorrow we finally, mercifully, get a return to some real basketball. It will have been 9 full days before the NBA Finals finally tips off. I remember when I was younger, the Finals would have been over by now, but money talks, and I guess, even though the NBA is more popular than ever, they need to make as much as they can by spreading this out over an almost 3 month stretch. The NBA playoffs really needs a retooling because this is ridiculous. There are too many teams, games and time off in between these games. I cannot believe that they will not have played the first game of the Finals until June 1st. That is utterly ridiculous.

Anyway, I'm here to break down the Finals and give my prediction, as I do every year. We have a trilogy upon us. This is the matchup that pretty much everyone was expecting when KD signed with the Warriors almost a year ago. I know in my 2017 playoff preview I picked the Warriors to face the Wizards, and I was wrong. But every other time I did some kind of talk and a piece I wrote on the NBA, I said that it would inevitably be the Warriors and Cavs. We all knew it was coming down to this. They are clearly the 2 best teams in all of the NBA.

Combined the two teams have 7 guys that were All Stars this year. I saw a thing the other day that said, between the 2 teams, there are 11 guys that have been to at least one All Star game. We have the best player in the game right now, and probably the third or fourth best player ever in LeBron. We have the best pure shooter I have ever seen in Steph. KD, who is incredible offensively, has decided that defense is important, and he has become a force on both ends of the floor. Draymond Green is, far and away, the most versatile player in the NBA. Kyrie Irving can get ridiculously hot at any time, and he may have the best handles in the game. Kevin Love has found his niche with the Cavs, and it seems to be finally coming together for him. Tristan Thompson does all the dirty work for the Cavs, and he does it better than anyone else. But, what I think should be the scariest thing to the Cavs chances at a repeat is the fact that Klay hasn't really started to make his shots yet. It is going to happen soon, and that should frighten everyone involved with the Cleveland organization.

This is a very star studded Finals that, on paper, could be as competitive as last seasons championship series. I sure hope it is at least mildly competitive because, as I have stated before, these NBA playoffs have been incredibly mediocre. They have been filled with blowouts and stupid skirmishes and it has all just been one long and boring wait for the Warriors and Cavs to finally meet up. We got that, and it starts tomorrow night.

When looking at the rosters, I think the Warriors is much better than the Cavs. Yes, the Cavs have LeBron, and Kyrie Irving loves to play the Warriors, but that is about it. I have no faith in guys like Deron Williams, JR Smith, Tristan Thompson, Kyle Korver and anyone else that starts or plays meaningful minutes. In all seriousness, the Cavs defense is horrendous, and it is because they have a roster of super old vets that are only good offensive players, and Kyrie and Kevin Love are liabilities on the defensive end of the floor. They can score a whole of points, but they give up a whole lot of points as well. That is all well and good when you are playing the Raptors, Pacers and Celtics, but that won't work against the Warriors. With that being said, the Warriors do have flaws of their own. Steph and Klay have been virtually non existent in the last 2 Finals appearances for the Warriors. they have missed a ton of open shots. Draymond has played great, but he needs to keep his temper in check. If he gets suspended again, that could spell doom. LeBron owns KD on the court. I think, both with the Warriors and Thunder, KD has only won 5 games against him, and he will have to guard LeBron, and LeBron will guard him. Then we have guys like Patrick McCaw and James Michael McAdoo who have not been in very high pressure situations because they are young. Also, the Warriors front court is very mediocre. Zaza Pachulia and David West are fine players, but they are no match for Tristan Thompson. Thompson will crush them on the boards.

Then when I look at coaching, honestly, neither of these teams need a coach. First of all, LeBron is the coach of the Cavs. Ty Lue may have the title of coach, but he is just a figure head. LeBron calls every play, tells the front office who to sign and makes all the important decisions in important games. That is the truth. Steve Kerr is a very good coach, but he has some crazy illness, and he will not be able to coach in the Finals, according to recent reports. That leaves the Warriors with Mike Brown. Yes, he has been fired by three different times, and he has coached LeBron, but, while the Warriors do not have an alpha like LeBron, they have a great core group that feed off each other. It is pretty simple to draw up a play that gets Steph, Klay or KD an open three. Then, there is Draymond, who is just a bad matchup everywhere. So, while Lue was the coach of the Cavs last year when they won, I don't see him as giving Cleveland any advantage. And Mike Brown, well, Luke Walton won a ton of games when he stepped in for Kerr last year, and this is just more of the same. Kerr surrounds himself with smart basketball people, but again, he has 3 of the best 5 shooters in the game right now on his team.

With all this being said, I really, really want a good, hard fought, competitive series. I want this to go 7 games. I want these teams and their super stars to trade blows and make it fun. I want it to go long so I do have some basketball to watch while I'm on vacation next week. I want all these things, but I do not think it will happen. I think the Cavs are a bit too mouthy right now and a little too big for their britches. They are laughing off the fact that they're the underdog when they are unequivocally the underdog. Some anonymous player on the Cavs, who is clearly a coward, is saying that Javale McGee is not "smart enough to play in the Finals". LeBron's teammates, mainly Richard Jefferson, are making excuses for him as to why he played so poorly in game 3 of the East Finals. They are just popping off a bit too much. They almost have too much swagger. Where with the Warriors, I have not heard anything except Mike Brown commenting on what Ty Lue said about the fact that Celtics are harder to prepare for than the Warriors. Everyone involved with Golden State has been pretty quiet leading up to these Finals. Also, Steph seems to have his mojo back, KD is engaged at both ends of the floor and Draymond is being Draymond, without all the dick punching and whining. And, as I stated earlier, Klay is gong to break out of this slump at any time now, and this Warriors team will be unguardable then. As much as I'd personally love to see KD get denied a ring after choosing to join the Warriors, instead of trying to beat them, I just do not see any way that the Cavs can beat them. They're a horrendous defensive team. They are talking way too much shit. I don't think Kyrie will be able to replicate what he did last year. Kevin Love is a horrible defender, and he will be tasked with guarding one of the Warriors many shooters. It just doesn't seem to be in the cards for a Cavs repeat this year. In fact, I think the Warriors will finish this postseason off undefeated and sweep their way to a Finals victory. They have too many shooters on the floor, they play just as good defense as they do offense and they will crush the Cavs. The Cavs have LeBron, but I don't think it will matter this year. The Warriors have Steph, Klay, Draymond, and they basically traded Harrison Barnes for KD. They are just too good. If they do lose this Finals, I think it will be a bigger upset than blowing a 3-1 lead last year.

As far as Finals MVP, I think Steph and KD will cancel each other out, and if Klay finds his stroke, I think he will win it. If he doesn't find his shot, I think Draymond, with his all around play, will win it.

Anyway, the Finals will probably be just as rough as this whole playoffs has been, and I think the Warriors will sweep their way to a title. They look like a team on a mission right now.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet. 

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Lavar Ball, Terrible Sports Father, Needs to Shut the Hell Up

Please Lavar Bell, stop talking

I'm a basketball fan. You all know this by now. I'm also a coach/instructor as well. You all already know this too. So, what really gets me angry is a mom or dad who thinks that their child is so superior to someone else's child, and they are very vocal about it.

Look, I'm a dad and I want what is best for my kids and I think my kids are very athletic, but I'm not loud and brash about it. The same cannot be said for Lavar Ball though. Now, I'm not blaming the kids at all in my piece today. The three kids involved cannot be blamed for their father's words and actions. In fact, I think Lonzo Ball has proven that he is a fantastic basketball player. He has exploded for UCLA this year and has made them relevant again. He has awesome court vision, is a great set up shooter and loves the game. Lonzo Ball is awesome. But, for his father to come out and say that he is better, and will be better than Steph Curry, is ludicrous.

Steph Curry was great in college and is one of the three best players in the NBA. He is unequivocally the best shooter I have ever seen in my lifetime. He is a multiple MVP winner. He has an NBA title. I mean, Steph Curry is a once in a generation player. Now, that is not to say that Lonzo Ball cannot get to that level, I personally think he will be a very good pro, but I do not think he will even scratch the surface to being half as great as Steph Curry is. Curry is a Hall of Famer. I'll put that in writing right now. We do not yet know with Lonzo Ball.

Ball is a great college basketball player, but so was Adam Morrison, and that is who I think of when I watch Lonzo Ball now. Morrison was incredible in college. He was such a phenomenal scorer and producer for Gonzaga while he was there. He was the "guy". He was who the team looked to when they needed a big play. Then, after three flops in the tournament, Morrison was a top 3 pick. From there on out, he was a terrible pro. I mean, he was very, very bad. He never got up to speed in the NBA. He was always a step too slow. He lost his shot. Sure, he has a couple of titles, but it is because he was fortunate enough to be on the Lakers bench, as the 11th or 12th man, when they had Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and an engaged Andrew Bynum. I hope for Lonzo Ball's case he doesn't have the same fate. I hope he is a great pro and has a long and illustrious career. I genuinely enjoy watching him play basketball. I also really liked watching Adam Morrison when he was in college.

For Lavar Ball to say that his son is better than Steph puts so much undue pressure on his son, and it is incredibly unfair to him. I get that he is his kid and he pumps his child up, but in this day and age you have to watch what you say. This is just ridiculous. Like I said, I do not blame Lonzo Ball at all for this, this is all on his father for being a loud mouth, brash, arrogant and selfish stage dad. I thought he would have backed off after saying this nonsense, but he has only gotten worse from there.

Recently one of his sons, who is a sophomore, scored 90 plus points in a game. That's wonderful, but when they showed the highlights, the kid played no defense and just kept letting it fly. I have coached kids like this, that just want to shoot the ball and do nothing else, and for the most part, it is due to a parent yelling from the sidelines for their kid to do nothing but shoot. Basketball is more than just offense. Yes, you need to put the ball in the basket, but you also have to give effort on the other end. That is how guys like Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Bill Russell, Scottie Pippen, Klay Thompson and Kawhi Leonard have become great pros. They all worked extra hard on both ends. Putting up 30, 40, 50 and even 60 points sometimes doesn't matter if they gave minimal effort on defense, and their team loses. But, Lavar Ball made sure to let the world know that his 16 year old son scored 90 plus points in a game, and that he was the next big thing.

I have read and heard too many stories about kids that are going to be the next big thing that never pan out. I read the Lamelo Ball story, and I immediately thought of guys like Freddy Adu, Felipe Lopez and Darius Miles. They were going to be the next great stars. They were going to strike it rich and have long and fruitful careers. Well, Adu is playing soccer somewhere over seas I think, Felipe Lopez flamed out in college, and the last thing I heard about Darius Miles, he was detained at Lambert Airport in Saint Louis for possession of an illegal firearm. These stories are way more common than say a LeBron James or Bryce Harper story.

To make matters even worse, Lavar Ball recently said that he wants a one billion dollar shoe deal for all three of his sons. First off, he said billion, not million. Who does he think he is? This is asinine. No one has a one billion dollar shoe deal, except LeBron James, and that is a lifetime deal. Lavar Ball has one son that is a surefire NBA player, Lonzo, but what if Lamelo and LiAngelo don't make it? What if they can't cut it in college? Or, if they make it to the pros, what if they turn out to be like Austin Rivers, Jimmer Fredette or, the previously mentioned Adam Morrison. At least Rivers is still in the NBA, but no shoe company is clamoring for his endorsement. This is just flat out nuts to demand this type of money. I wouldn't go near this family with a ten foot pole if I were Nike, Under Armor, Adidas, Reebok or any other big time shoe company. These kids have no guarantee that they will be super stars. They are not LeBron or MJ or Barkley or anyone else that has/had a major shoe deal.

I must say this again, I wish nothing but the best for the kids. But, their father is out of line. What makes Lavar Ball the worst though was his most recent statement. He recently said that he would have "cooked" Michael Jordan in a game of one on one back in his day. This is the same Lavar Ball that played one year of division one basketball at Washington State and averaged 2 points a game. During that very same season, Jordan was averaging 30 plus points a game in the NBA for the Bulls. Ball said he would've "backed him down, called every foul and make Jordan shoot jumpers", and he would have beaten him. This is just flat out stupid. This would be like me saying that I could beat Lavar Ball in one on one in my heyday. I'm a pretty good rec league and pick up basketball player, but I did not play in college, barely played in high school and I am way out of shape. Lavar Ball would crush me in one on one. He was good enough to play college basketball. I was barely good enough to play high school basketball. So, for him to think he could, not just make it a game, but beat Michael Jordan one on one is just ridiculous. Not only would Jordan beat him, he would shut him out and clown him anyway that he pleased. He could toy with him, shoot jumpers if he wanted, then take him to the basket with ease. Jordan is so competitive too, that he wouldn't even make it fun for Lavar Ball. He would want to kill him, not just in the game, but emotionally as well. I love that Charles Barkley came out recently and challenged Lavar Ball to a game of one on one. This is the most egregious comment, of many, that Lavar Ball has made.

I'll say it one more time. I do not blame the kids for their father's words. He is a blowhard and a loud mouth. It would be best for him and his family to just be happy that his kids colleges are basically paid for, and that he may have one or more kids good enough to be in the NBA. But, I'm sure he will say something else very dumb during the tournament. He cannot seem to help himself.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He thinks parents that yell at their children during sports events must be the best parents ever. Why else would they make themselves the center of attention at a child's event? Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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