Ty Watches the 2024 NFL Draft

Round 1 of the NFL draft happened last night, and I have thoughts.

As you may remember, I did my preview on Wednesday with my five players I liked, five I was down on and two sleepers. Most of the ten players I mentioned on Wednesday were picked last night. The only ones who weren't were Cooper DeJean and my two Michigan "sleepers", Mike Sainristril and Junior Colson. So, of the twelve players I mentioned nine were picked in round 1. That is wild to me.

As for the draft, it was pretty wild, after the first five picks. We all knew that Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye were going to go 1, 2 and 3. I also feel like these three ended up with the best team's to fit their style of play. I feel as if these three dudes are happy and will have varying levels of success, but I think all will be relatively successful. Then we had the best prospect, Marvin Harrison Jr going to the Cardinals. This is perfect all around. MHJ is the instant number 1 wideout, Kyler Murray has a reliable target and the Cardinals have a cornerstone to build around. Then, as Jim Harbaugh is want to do, he took a big offensive tackle to shore up the o line. Then it got a little odd. Malik Nabers was the second wideout off the board to the Giants. I thought it would be Rome Odunze, but I was wrong. Then the Titans reached hard for JC Latham. No disrespect, but there are better o lineman available today to draft than Latham. He should be a fine starter, but not a world beater.

Then the Falcons went nuts and took Michael Penix Jr at 8th overall. I didn't believe my son when he told me the Falcons took Penix Jr. I think he is a very good QB, and I like him and want him to succeed, but why would the Falcons take him, and take him that high? They signed Kirk Cousins this offseason. They have a bunch of young talent that they haven't figured out how to use yet. They need help everywhere on defense. They hired a defensive minded coach. And they took a project QB who is already 24. This was stunning to me. I don't get it at all. These things are why I could never be a GM in the pros. This is a true head scratcher. This is akin to the Bears traded up from 3 to 2 a few years back to draft Mitch Trubisky. I was floored by this pick.

To wash the bad Trubisky taste out of their mouths, the Bears jumped up and took Rome Odunze to pair with Williams and Keenan Allen. It scares me what the Bears did last night being a Packers fan. They got two excellent players in the first nine picks last night. They were the opposite of the Falcons. They made smart picks that help their team. Then RD's Vikings took Michigan's JJ McCarthy. I have said that I have doubts about McCarthy as a pro, but this was his ideal place to be picked. He won't be under the microscope, he has Justin Jefferson to throw the ball too, has a great o line in front of him and he is going into a situation extremely suitable for a rookie QB who may be starting by mid season. It was chalk with the next pick, the Jets taking Olu Fashanu, they need line help.

And then the Broncos reached almost as hard as the Falcons and took Bo Nix. I do not like this pick one bit. Sean Payton is old school, Bo Nix seems soft, he is older than Penix Jr and not nearly as good. I'd be upset if I were a Broncos fan this morning.

Bowers to the Raiders is nothing special to me. They already have a tight end, but Bowers is younger. Then the Saints addressed issues with the o line and took Tailese Fuaga. Then it was three straight defensive picks, Laiatu Lati to the Colts, which helps their pass rush. Then Byron Murphy to the Seahawks and their defensive minded new head coach Mike McDonald. And Dallas Turner to the Vikings. That pick is more impactful to me than JJ McCarthy. Dallas Turner should help make a very bad defense a bit better. The Bengals got one of my favorite players in Amarius Mims. I don't know how Bengals fans feel about this pick, but I love it for them. He will be an all pro in a few years. The Rams took Jared Verse to help and replace Aaron Donald's retirement. They need defense, they need d lineman and they took one of the better ones in the draft. The Steelers took o lineman Troy Fantanu, who will start day one and is a good blocker. Chop Robinson went to the Dolphins next, and hopefully he can make up for some of the guys who left in free agency. The Eagles got the best defensive back in the draft in Quinyon Mitchell. This was the latest example of the Eagles lucking into a star talent in the draft. Brian Thomas Jr is going to the Jags to add depth in the wideout room. Terrion Arnold fits in perfectly in Detroit. The Packers took a big o lineman in Jordan Morgan, which I am stoked about. The Bucs took Graham Barton next, and he will be one of the best centers in the NFL in two years. The Cardinals, after taking MHJ at 4, got edge rusher Darius Robinson from Missouri. This kid is talented and will rack up tackles on the d line. The Chiefs took a big chance, which I think will pay off, drafting Xavier Worthy in round 1. He is fast as lightning, will get a chance from day one, and will be learning from Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes. This is a homerun pick. And the final four picks were relatively chalk. The Cowboys got o line depth with Tyler Guyton. The Ravens got more secondary help with Nate Wiggins. The 49ers took Ricky Pearsall, who I was very unaware of, at 31. And the first round ended with the Panther getting Bryce Young an outside threat in Xavier Legette. He is big and fast.

Wrapping this up, I thought, for a draft, that this was kind of wild. It started relatively normal, but then the Falcons decided they wanted to be the talk of the sporting news this morning. And it only got nuttier from there. I'll be watching to see where the rest of the Michigan guys I like go, and where some other players I've watched for four year end up playing. The draft is always an exciting time for fans, and this year has upped the ante. Hopefully we get some more crazy stuff happening. Time will tell. 

Ty

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

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Ty's 2024 NFL Draft Preview

The first round of the NFL draft starts tomorrow night. As I do every year, I will give you five prospects I like, five I'm not so high on and a few, let's say two, sleepers. I don't do mock drafts. I don't do draft day trades. I don't understand the whole salary cap stuff. I go off eye test. I watch a ton of college football, it is my favorite sport to watch. I know more about college football than any other sport I watch. So, while not a "expert", I think I know this stuff pretty well. Let's get to it.

I'll start with the players I like. This QB class is absolutely loaded. This may be the best crop of QB prospects in the last 10 years. And while Caleb Williams is awesome, and I have my doubts about JJ McCarthy, my favorite QB in this draft, by a long shot, is Jayden Daniels. He is an excellent thrower. He is a wonderful scrambler. He reminds me so much of Randall Cunningham. He is skinny. He needs to bulk up. But, he had the best statistical season of a Heisman QB winner ever. Stats aren't my favorite thing, but I could see how great he can be when I watched LSU this past season. Daniels is the best QB prospect for me. Whatever team picks him is getting a damn good QB. On the defensive side of the ball, I like Dallas Turner from Alabama. I did not see much of him until the Rose Bowl, and he impressed me. He is big, 6'4. He is strong, 250 plus pounds. And he is fast and mean. He can hit. He flies around the field. He played very well against Michigan's o line, which was one of the best in the country. Turner is a day one starter and should be very productive in the NFL. The wideout class in this draft is almost as stacked as the QB class. Therefore, I have two receivers in my personal top five. First we have Marvin Harrison Jr. He is the best overall prospect in this draft. He is the most surefire player. He looks like he is going to have a very long, very impressive career. I don't care about him not working out or going to combine at all. What he did on the football field during games was all I needed to see. Second, we have Rome Odunze. He was the one player that really terrified me going into the college playoff championship against Michigan. He is sure handed, he is big, he is an excellent route runner and he is very fast. He is built like a ready made NFL number 1 receiver. I would jump for joy if Green Bay was somehow able to grab him. Odunze is awesome. My last player that I like, Amarius Mims. He only played nine games his whole college career. He is big, yet hyper athletic. He is raw, but when he figures it out, watch the hell out. He is going to maul players on defense. He is going to become one of the better run blockers in all of football. What he did in his short college career would be so enticing to me. He needs time, but in the end, it will be worth it.

Now to the players I'm not so high on. First off, Bo nix. He is too old. He is not a scrambler. He stayed in college far too long. He was a product of a system. I don't see it, and if he gets picked in round one, that would be a waste of a pick. Then we have Olu Fashanu on the o line. This kid is solid. He is big and can maul people from time to time. But when he had to face a real defense, Michigan for one, he got eaten up by Braiden McGregor and Josiah Stewart. He couldn't keep up with the speed. He got eaten up all afternoon in that game. Fashanu is going to be a long time starter, but being a top 10 pick seems like a reach. On defense I'm not so big on Byron Murphy from Texas. I think there are better options in round one for teams in need of d line depth and production. Murphy seems to be higher on mocks than a guy like Jer'Zhon Newton from Illinois. Newton is a better prospect. I think Chop Robinson is a better pass rusher. And Murphy is nowhere close to Laiatu Latu. Murphy is going to be overdrafted if he goes round 1. I don't like the way Brock Bowers came back after his injury. He was a no doubt first rounder pre injury, but afterward, he just doesn't look the same. He seems slower. His blocking didn't improve far too much. He sat out a bowl game that could have upped his draft stock. I don't like the way his season ended. He will be over drafted. Finally, I think Cooper DeJean is wildly overrated. DeJean got hurt, and hurt bad this past season. He is not the best punt returner. He is just an okay corner. He is small and slow. I'm not a fan at all, which means the Packers will probably take him, and it will drive me nuts. DeJean may be my personal most overrated player in the entire draft.

As for my sleepers, I'm going full on homer here and taking two Michigan guys. First, give me Mike Sainristil all day. He switched positions and became one of the best nickel corners in the country. He did what was best for the team and for himself. He is a great tackler. He can guard slot guys one on one. He is incredibly smart. He can read offenses. And then you have his background as a wideout, which makes him an interception machine. I would reach hardcore for him, possibly in round one. Finally, I have Junior Colson. He is one of the best linebackers to ever come out of Michigan. He was consistent. He was a tackling machine. He can cover backs out of the backfield. He played with broken hands and still put up numbers. He led the best defense in the country last year. Colson is going to be an under the radar guy his whole career, which will probably last well over a decade and most likely end up in the hall of fame. I adore Junior Colson.

That is it for my draft preview. Get ready to see a bunch of QB's and wideouts go tomorrow night. And then when round two starts, that will be where we see some true future stars getting drafted. 

Ty

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

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Going to a UFL Game Isn't That Bad

I try to take my son to a professional sporting event every year. We usually go to a NBA game, but time got the best of us this year and we couldn't make it. But, here in Saint Louis we have a UFL team, the Battlehawks. I went and now I want to talk about it.

I have never seen a live XFL, USFL or UFL game. I have watched them on tv, but it was never really the same as an NFL game. I love going to college football games the most, and I fully believe that my dad and I are going to take my son to his first Michigan game this upcoming season. But, until then we have to settle for UFL football. So, I decided we were going to go to a Battlehawks game a few weeks back, and the time had arrived. The timing worked out well and the prices were pretty great. I got us a couple of tickets in the corner, about 12 rows up.

First things first, these seats were great. We could see the whole field if we were standing. We could see the Battlehawks bench. I saw trainers coming in to stretch players out, and we could see the teams when they were close to scoring on our end. I really loved these seats. My son said pretty much the same thing the moment we walked into the stadium. We were both pretty impressed. All the pageantry and little games they played and scoreboard contests were your typical fair. They hid a football in three helmets and you had to guess which one it was in. The cheerleaders threw t-shirts into the crowd. They had dance contests. They were putting people on the scoreboard a bunch. It was run of the mill with that stuff. The food was gross and overpriced. Eat before you go to the Dome at America's Center here in the STL. The toasted raviolis were chewy and the hot dog, according to my son, was oddly dry. And lunch cost us, mind you this is two hotdogs, two orders of t ravs and two drinks, was 58 dollars. Nuts.

The product on the field wasn't great football. These are the minor leagues. These are dudes that had a chance and got cut or guys just trying to make it. It's not great. But, the Battlehawks are actually pretty damn good. They are a heavy passing offense. AJ McCarron threw the ball well over 40 times. But, they can run a little bit too. Their offense is pretty solid. The defense, with former Michigan corner Lavert Hill, is pretty solid too. They group tackle, they play okay enough defense in the secondary and the d line got pressure all afternoon. Even if the football isn't great, at least the Battlehawks are one of the better teams in the UFL.

The fans were not the best. I hate to say it, but the Battlehawks fans are annoying and loud. They complain about some of the players as if they can do their job better. People stand in front of you the whole time. I feel like a lot of people just get wasted during the game. And it is so loud that I could barely hear my son when he would talk to me. As for the Dome, it is still a pile of garbage. It is way too big, way too vast and not the cleanest place in the world. Getting in and out is tough and you have to walk a lot, which I don't mind, but I know other people do.

But, to see how much fun my son was having, to see him be able to meet up with a friend at a pro football game, to see him tell me about these guys, it all made it worth the time. He seemed to be having a wonderful afternoon. He got to dictate most of the day, which makes him ecstatic. He was so happy to be out there watching pro athletes do their thing. His joy made the day so much fun for me. And it was great to spend some one on one time with him.

Would I go again? In a heartbeat, as long as my son was going to be there as well. He made it so fun for me. And I know he had a great time too. 

Ty

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

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The Texans Won the Stefon Diggs Lottery

Stefon Diggs was traded to the Texans this morning for draft compensation. Let’s discuss.

This is a pretty big deal. This says a whole lot to me about both teams. On one hand, this move shows that the Bills need to rid themselves of a good amount of money. It feels like they overspent the past couple years in pursuit of a championship. They got close, but never to the Super Bowl. They had their shots, but they couldn't get over the hump. They were either victims of their own issues or they ran into the Chiefs. The Chiefs seem to have their number. Now the Bills have no real threats on the outside. I know a couple other younger players had better than expected seasons last season. But, can they keep that up is the biggest question facing them. I also think that having Diggs on the opposite side helped those younger players get open a bit easier. This is not the first move the Bills have made this offseason. Diggs is gone. They let their two starting safeties go. They have cut some other guys. They need to save money. They are doing that, but these moves may end up costing them some wins. Josh Allen is still there, and that is good. James Cook is a good, young, solid running back. But it kind of stops there on offense. And the defense, while still fearsome, is only getting older. And they have to deal with the Dolphins becoming an explosive offense. The Bills have some players they need to go out and get to become a division winner again. They will have to rely on unknowns or rookies, and that can be a tough go from time to time.

On the other hand, the Texans are loading up for a nice little run. It feels like they were not content to only win one playoff game this past season. DeMeco Ryans has proven how excellent of a coach he is, and now he wants to win it all. He has control over the defense. That is his area of expertise, and the Texans defense looks to be pretty damn solid for years to come. Trading up to take Will Anderson Jr last season was a genius move and it more than paid off for Ryans, Anderson Jr and the Texans. They also signed Danielle Hunter this offseason to add to the pass rush. The linebackers are good and the secondary is very, very solid. Now, with the addition of Diggs, this offense is electric. CJ Stroud was the best rookie QB in a long, long time. He was ready, he delivered, he put up stats and he was never scared of the moment. He exceeded everyone's expectations. They went out and got Joe Mixon as their new running back. I know RD was bummed to see the Bengals let him go. That is now benefitting the Texans, helping them to wildly upgrade their backfield. Then we have the emergence of Tank Dell, until he got hurt, Nico Collins and now, Stefon Diggs. Dell is young and fast and should be fully healthy for the start of the next season. Collins blasted onto the scene this season. I knew he had it in him when he was at Michigan. Now everyone is seeing how awesome of a wideout he can be. He is big, fast and has great hands. Add Diggs to the receiver room, now they have a very productive veteran. Diggs has done some awesome things in the NFL and I think a change of teams will greatly benefit him. He was clearly upset at the situation in Buffalo. Now he gets to go play for a team led by a young coach, with a young QB and in a warm climate. This should all excite him and fans of the Texans.

This is a homerun move by Houston and they are going to be a very scary offense. This is a team on the rise. This was a good, easy decision by them. 

Ty

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

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Kirk Cousins, the Grifting Quarterback

I simply cannot figure out why teams continue to give Kirk Cousins ungodly amounts of guaranteed money on his contracts. I am going to say upfront today, I am being a hater because Cousins is a football player whom I despise. I have not liked him since he was a college football player. I don't like how religious he is and that he is always spouting his religious rhetoric.  I don't like his anti-vaccine rants. And I hate the way he has culturally appropriated grills and chains. It is disgusting, not funny and looks very bad. So yes, I am a true hater of him. I had to let it be known. But, what is very irksome is all the guaranteed money this mid level NFL starting QB has accumulated over his career.

With this recent contract that the Falcons gave him, 180 million over four years with 100 million guaranteed, he will have made over 400 million just from the contracts he has signed that his agent has procured for him. That is a fleecing of epic proportions. I cannot fathom why he keeps getting these insane contracts. No one else gets this type of money. Players that are far better at football than him don't see 1/3 of what the Vikings and Falcons have shelled out for this glorified game manager. The only reasonable conclusion I can come up with is that he and his agent have some Earth shattering dirt on these teams. I feel like they know something that, if it were to get out, lots of people would get canceled and be in big, big trouble. That is the only thing that makes a lick of sense to me.

What is even more worrying is, he keeps getting these deals but never produces anything of use in the NFL. The most yards he's thrown for in one season is 4,547. That is fine, but not 100 million dollars guaranteed fine. The most TD's he's had in one season, 35. That would rank him near the middle most seasons for starting QB's. His best record as a starter, 13-4 with the Vikings. Seems okay, but when you look at his overall record as a starter, he is 78-70. That is middling at best. His playoff record, what should be of utmost importance when paying someone gobs and gobs of money in the NFL, 1-4. That is horrendous. There are so many QB's that are younger and have as many or more playoff wins than him. Jordan Love has one win already. Baker Mayfield has more playoff wins. Brock Purdy, Jalen Hurts, Dak Prescott, Russell Wilson, Nick Foles, obviously Patrick Mahomes all have more playoff wins than Cousins. Jared Goff has been to a Super Bowl and two NFC title games. Joe Flacco has a Super Bowl. Ryan Tannehill has more playoff wins than Cousins. Guys like CJ Stroud, Trevor Lawrence, Daniel Jones and even Mitch Trubisky have as many playoff wins as good old Kirk Cousins. These are just modern players too. There are so many other former players I could list that have won much more than Kirk Cousins when it counted most, but they have never seemed to get the contracts he has gotten over time. That is criminal.

The final aspect that worries me about this deal for the Falcons, Cousins is coming off a major injury at the age of 35. That is a death knell for most athletes. And Cousins isn't the most athletic guy out there. He never has been. So, giving him all this money, when he has a well known history of clamming up when it matters the most, when he is at or near the end of his career, coming off a massive injury, it seems foolish and negligible. I know the Falcons have higher expectations, but tying those expectations to a 35 year old injured QB with a bad history in major moments seems foolish.

I don't think it will work out for the Falcons. RD is a Vikings fan and I hear a bunch about how it didn't work out for them and how happy he is that Cousins is now gone. I feel like Falcons fans are going to have that same energy this time next year. We will see. But this deal, with this amount of guaranteed money for a middling, back end of his career guy would be very off putting to me if I were a Falcons fan. I guess I'm glad I'm not. 

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 NFL Free Agency

NFL free agency opened yesterday morning and it has been wild. I do like to see some movement, and there has been plenty of it thus far. The fireworks usually happen on the first couple days, but it looks like they got a bunch of it done on day one. That makes it less stressful for the leftover free agents to pick their next destination, or to stay where they are now. I'm going to focus mainly on the running back position, but there has been big movement at other positions as well.

The Falcons gave Kirk Cousins 100 million guaranteed, and that blew me away. That dude has now fleeced every team he has played for to this point. Brian Burns was traded to the Giants and they now have a scary, on paper, d line. Michael Pittman Jr chose to stay in Indy and I think that is good for him and Anthony Richardson. And o lineman are finding new places to play left and right. Some QB's are going to have new protectors, most of which are solid players. The running back position has had the most movement by far. I expected that.

Running back is not the hot position it used to be. I feel like teams draft running backs, use them hardcore for three to four years and let them walk. That has shown its face big time during the first two days of free agency. Tony Pollard, who was a fantasy darling just two seasons ago, was shown the door by the Cowboys as soon as they could cut him. It didn't take long for him to find a new place, Tennessee. I think this benefits both parties because neither have any expectations. Pollard will get to play in obscurity as the number one back for the Titans, who are expected to be a bottom feeder. This move reminds me of Markelle Fultz going from Philly to Orlando. Antonio Gibson, who was the second back in Washington, has moved on to the Patriots. This is another rebuilding team that will give Gibson the first team reps until they decide to move on to a rookie. Devin Singletary is now with the Giants, replacing Saquon Barkley. This is a massive downgrade for the Giants. They may have a solid defense, but their offense looks to be woeful going into next season. Speaking of Saquon Barkley, he is joining the Eagles, and I love this move for him and the Eagles. The Eagles get a top tier back to go with a top five QB in the league and two of the better wideouts. This is going to make their offense even more lethal. Barkley is going to be great carrying the ball and getting receptions out of the backfield. The Eagles are clearly frustrated with how last season ended, so they are going to be making moves. Speaking of the Eagles, D'Andre Swift is now with the Bears. This is a good move for both, if the Bears keep Justin Fields. Swift probably knew that the Eagles were going to swing big, so he decided to sign with a team that has playoff aspirations and needed a good running back. Swift is coming off a career year and looks to be a nice addition for an up and coming Bears offense. Austin Ekeler is gone from the Chargers, heading to Washington. Ekeler is good, he can both run and catch, but he is on the back end of his career and a move seemed inevitable. I feel like Washington has been a place where players go to finish out the end of their careers unceremoniously. That is the vibe I get from Ekeler. Gus Edwards is heading to the Chargers to be the Ekeler replacement. This seems like a good fit for Jim Harbaugh. He likes to have two backs, one of which is a bruiser, and Edwards is just that. And the two biggest moves in my opinion are Derrick Henry to the Ravens and Josh Jacobs to the Packers. Derrick Henry to the Ravens is akin to Barkley to the Eagles. He is going to an already established team that needed a true three down running back. Derrick Henry has been the best back in the league for a few years now. He may be on the backend of his career, but he still has a bit left in the tank and he is going to love running behind the Ravens o line. This is a homerun signing. Then we have Josh Jacobs to my favorite team, the Packers. I love this move so, so much. As much as I adored Aaron Jones, and shouts out to the Vikings for snagging him almost immediately, he was often injured and couldn't be counted on for a full season anymore. And AJ Dillon has never been the back I hoped he would become. Jacobs is young. He is fast. He can break tackles. He can catch the ball out of the backfield. He is hungry to prove people wrong. And he is out of a situation where he was unhappy. I think he is going to thrive in Green Bay. He is the undoubted feature back. They have already given him a good payday. He is going to take a bunch of pressure off Jordan Love. He is going to help sustain drives. I'm thrilled with this signing. While it is not on the level of the Reggie White signing, this one makes me almost as happy. The Packers are taking a shot and I'm here for it. I cannot wait to watch him in the Packers uniform next season. This is a big, big deal to me as a fan.

Free agency has been pretty fun to this part. I'm sure it is going to get super quiet from here on out,but you cannot say that it was boring during the first day. Lots of movement and lots of money being shelled out makes for a fun and interesting offseason. Now I'm ready to watch these dudes on their new teams. I'm excited for a new NFL season for the first time in a long time. Let's get to it. 

Ty

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

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Nick Saban Needed to Retire

Nick Saban gave a pretty candid interview recently about his retirement from college football. He said a lot of stuff. He didn't like how his team reacted when Michigan beat them. He said he had been seriously considering retirement since 2022. He didn't like some players' attitude. He felt recruiting was becoming more difficult. You know, pretty much what I assumed he was going to say. But one thing stuck out to me from the interview. Let’s discuss.

When Saban was asked about NIL he told the journalist that kids came to him for their exit interview this year, and he claimed 70 to 80 percent either complained about playing time, or wanted more NIL money. He said that this is becoming too commonplace, and this was another push to retire from coaching. I read this and kind of brushed it off. But while I was out for a run I thought more about this NIL and playing time statement.

I am all for NIL. I think the players who are everywhere should be getting some kind of compensation. It only seems fair. I do agree with some people that it is totally out of hand, the transfer portal is like free agency and there is all kinds of tampering. But, this is the new era of college football, and I figure the new world of college football has maybe passed Nick Saban. Saban is an all time great. Hell, he is the GOAT college football coach. He was utterly dominant, prior to NIL. He got the best players, he got them to stay and he won. Then NIL and the transfer portal rules came into play and it became a little bit harder for Saban to get every player he wanted. Or, if he did get them to commit, that player would transfer out if they weren't playing. Take Tua Tagovailoa's little brother Talia. He committed to Alabama, was behind his brother and was expecting the start. When he wasn't named the starter, he went to Maryland, started for four straight years and set multiple records. I'm sure there are many other players that did the same. And now with NIL, these kids are getting massive deals before they even enter college football. They get big deals, they commit to one school, and if they don't play or their "brand" is not represented the way they want, they will transfer or ask for more. It is the new way in recruiting and dealing with modern college football players.

I don't think Saban liked that he couldn't fully control his players like he was used to doing. He had kids talking back, showing frustration or leaving if they were unhappy with playing time or their personal earnings. While that may be problematic and toxic, that is just how it is. And I think, while some may mourn Saban retiring, and those same people opining for the "good ole days' ', most will remember Saban's greatness, but we will also move on. There will be a new college football coach, that coaches modern players in the NIL era, that will be the next college football coaching GOAT. Think someone like Kirby Smart. Or maybe Dan Lanning. Hell, Saban's replacement Kalen DeBoer thrives in this era.

The other thing with Saban, he was in his 70's. He was going to retire earlier rather than later. And that is what we are seeing a lot with college football coaches. Saban retired. Jim Harbaugh, who is in his 60's, left for the NFL and Michigan replaced him with Sherrone Moore, who is in his late 30's. Mack Brown is still around, but he is not far from walking away again. Chip Kelly left for an offensive coordinator job and was replaced by a former UCLA player from the 2000's. Lincoln Riley isn't 40 yet. Marcus Freeman at Notre Dame is 37. Arizona State's head coach is only 33. Josh Heupel is in his early 40's. The game is skewing younger because these old guys are not into having full control. And these are not no name universities. These young coaches are getting a shot at major universities. And when you look at the older head coaches in college football, you have guys like Mack Brown, Kirk Ferentz, Don Brown, Jim Mora, Kyle Whittingham and Dabo Swinney. I already mentioned Mack Brown and him being near the end. Kirk Ferentz has a good squad on defense, but the offense is anemic. He still coaches his team like the Big 10 is stuck in the early 90's. Don Brown, who I like, has a mess of a team at UMASS. Jim Mora is dealing with the same at UCONN. Kyle Whittingham has a decent Utah team, but they are wildly inconsistent. And then there's the moron that is Dabo Swinney. I despise him. And he loathes the NIL and blames that for Clemson not being a title contender anymore. It is always someone else's fault.

College football is changing and most are changing with it. Some aren't, but they may not be long for coaching in college football much longer. Nick Saban is an absolute legend and will be a hall of famer, if he isn't one already. But to blame kids and their want for playing time and NIL money was a low blow and not needed. It seemed like a bit of sour grapes to me, an old man yelling at clouds. Times are changing and college football fans will find a new GOAT in the new era of college football coaches. It's only a matter of time. 

Ty

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

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R.I.P. Chris Mortensen

ESPN analyst Chris Mortensen passed away Sunday at the age of 72. This one hurts.

First off I'm one of the people that has been very critical of ESPN this past decade. I find the network stupid. They fire the wrong people. They keep loud talkers. They are a company that is solely based on hot takes. It is a mess in Bristol. But, Mortensen was one of the good ones at that network. He was an NFL savant. He knew the game inside and out. His commentary on the game was always on point. He didn't really say nonsensical things. He never really fought on air. He wasn't on the talking head shows when other colleagues jumped at the opportunity. He was respected by his coworkers and contemporaries. NFL players would openly talk with him. He was damn good at his job, and he will be missed.

I remember first seeing him in "Outside the Lines". This was a show I stayed away from as a little kid, but as I got older, I watched it more and more. The ending was my favorite thing because each commentator would have a monologue on a topic of their choosing. I always enjoyed Mortensen and Mitch Albom's takes. They had something important to say, and it held weight coming from those two. Mortensen always had thoughtful commentary on the current state of the NFL. He was always well researched and spoke openly, be it good or bad, on the topic he chose. He kept my attention as a younger person. I would stop what I was doing to listen to what he had to say. He was tremendous during those segments. I also watched him quite a bit on "NFL Countdown". He would come on to give updates on trades, injuries or possible coaching moves, and his reporting was always sound. He never said something just to say something. He did his work. He talked to his people. He got all the information and then gave that information to the viewer. He was a respected NFL journalist because he did his job as thoroughly as anyone in the business. His draft coverage was better than Mel Kiper Jr or Todd McShay could ever dream of doing. Again, Mortensen did his homework and studied. He was never a hot take guy. Even with the draft. He did the work, got the correct info and delivered it like a professional. He was head and shoulders above anyone else that ESPN had work the NFL draft.

Later on Mortensen was front and center for deflategate. I am a known critic of this whole "scandal". Deflategate was pure nonsense, and this was one of the only times I ever rolled my eyes at Mortensen doing his job. It was silly and pointless. But throughout it all, I still found myself tuning in whenever Mortensen would have some new information. I knew he had studied whatever he was going to report hard, so I had to hear what I was going to find crazy from Mortensen. No one else could have made me tune in if they were reporting on such a nothing "scandal".

He left ESPN last year after revealing a throat cancer diagnosis that started in 2016. This was a real bummer when I first heard. But, he was doing the work during his treatment, as I expected. This time though, tragedy struck. He was married to the same person forever, he had a son who played college football and is now a coach. He passed away surrounded by his family at his son's home. His journalism will be missed. He was one of the last of the good reporters at ESPN.

Rest in Peace Chris Mortensen. You will be missed. 

Ty

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

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Hail to the Chiefs, Again

The Chiefs are back to back Super Bowl champs. They did what was necessary to stay in the game, and eventually, as they have seemed to do the past six years, pulled the game out in the end.

I watched because, of course, I was going to watch. I am a football fan and the Super Bowl marks the end of the football season. My folks joined us, we had a good spread and it was a good time. But the game didn't really kick into gear for a long time. This was a very boring game for three and half quarters. Each team traded punts for a good while. The 49ers made it exciting for a second when they did a wideout pass for a td. That was a good, and much needed play in a very boring first half. Patrick Mahomes was playing tentatively. The 49ers would go on long drives and stall out. Both teams played relatively clean football. There weren't too many penalties. It was a slog. I think it was 10-3 at halftime, and I was getting vibes from the Rams-Patriots Super Bowl a few seasons back that ended with a score of 13-3. This was a defensive struggle.

The halftime show sounded good. I did the dishes and cleaned the kitchen, but my wife and son said it sounded pretty good. I also read that he had a pretty tight sounding guest appearance list. Anytime Ludacris is on tv rapping, I love that.

Then we got into the second half, which for the majority of the third quarter was playing out like the first half. There were punts galore. Then the Chiefs got a break. It was 10-6 and the Chiefs proceeded to go three and out for what seemed like the millionth time. They punted, but the ball hit a 49er, the returner tried to grab the ball but fumbled, and the Chiefs scooped it up. They scored on the very next play with a very, very well called play. The routes from the receivers were glorious to watch. The 49ers didn't quit. They went right down the field and scored. Jajuan Jennings was playing out of his mind. But the extra point got blocked. The Chiefs only needed a field goal. They drove and got it. The game was getting more exciting. Both teams may have been settling for field goals, but at least they were putting together drives and making this Super Bowl fun to watch. With a little less than two minutes left the 49ers had a three point lead and the Chiefs got the ball. This was a dope drive. Mahomes was finally making plays. He started to play with the energy he usually brings, and it was dope to see. They had it at the 10 with about ten seconds left and tried to get a td. They didn't get it, but Butker hit an easy field goal and we headed to overtime.

The fact that I read today that the 49ers were not aware of the new overtime rules makes this ending even more hilarious to me. The 49ers got the ball and drove it right down the field. It looked like they were going to easily punch it in. But the Chiefs finally pressured Brock Purdy and he showed his flaws. They settled for a field goal and then it was the Chiefs turn. And they took it right down the field. The Chiefs finally ran the offense that worked for them. Mahomes was getting the ball out quick and letting his wideouts do their thing. Isaiah Pachecho was running with power and speed. They got all the way inside the 10 with less than ten seconds left. And they played out the clock so well. That final play was icing on the cake. The way Mecole Hardman came out of his break, and was wide open, that was a thing of beauty. Mahomes easily put it on his numbers and that was that. The Chiefs had repeated.

It was dope. I had no rooting interest other than the fact that I have always been a hater of the 49ers. The Super Bowl may have taken a good long while to get good, but when it got good, it got pretty damn good. Both of these teams went back and forth and it was good to see them put it together near the end of the game. Patrick Mahomes got the MVP, which felt deserved with the way he finished the game. It was good to see and I immediately went to bed after the game was over. The better team won, the halftime show was good and the food was dynamite. All in all, it was a good way to spend the Super Bowl. On to next season. 

Ty

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

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Happy Retirement Teddy Bridgewater

It was announced this morning that Teddy Bridgewater retired from the NFL. I bet a lot of you don't know that name, or are saying to yourselves, I remember him.

Teddy Bridgewater never really got a true chance in the NFL due to injury and circumstance. But, he was one of the better high school and college players that we have ever witnessed. The high school he played for, where he is now head coach, named the field after him. As a sophomore he took over the team and led them to a 13-3 record. As a junior he set multiple records, including one game in which he had seven touchdowns. He was named an All American and led his team to a 10-2 record. As a senior he battled through injury, but still led his team to a runner up finish. In his limited play he still went over 2,600 yards and 22 tds. He was an Army All American and was the sixth best prospect in his class. He originally committed to Miami, but opted to play college football at Louisville. He started four games into his freshman season there and never really looked back. He went for over 2,100 yards and 14 tds as a true freshman. He was voted Big East rookie of the year and a second team freshman All American. As a sophomore, Louisville won the Big East, Bridgewater threw for 3,400 yards and 25 tds and Louisville went to a BCS bowl against Florida. He was named the Big East offensive player of the year and was 7th in the country in passer efficiency. Again, he did all of this as a true sophomore playing high level college football. Bridgewater would go on to torch Florida in the Sugar Bowl and win MVP of the game. As a junior he threw for nearly 4,000 yards. He had 31 td passes. He scorched Miami in the Russell Athletic Bowl to the tune of 447 passing yards and 3 tds. He was named MVP of that game as well.

Having nothing left to prove, he declared for the draft. He was one of the top prospects in his draft class, behind only Jadaveon Clowney. Many people thought he could be the first overall pick. He was not the first pick though, falling all the way to the end of the first round, being selected 32nd overall by the Minnesota Vikings. Some QBs taken ahead of him are guys like Blake Bortles and Johnny Manziel. I would much rather have had Teddy Bridgewater. Bridgewater ended up starting for the Vikings during his rookie season due to injuries to other QBs. He finished the season throwing for 2,900 plus yards. He was also the fan choice for offensive rookie of the year. Things were looking pretty solid for him. He struggled a bit to start his second NFL season, but eventually found his footing. He ended that season with 3200 yards passing and 14 tds. The Vikings won the division and he was named to the Pro Bowl. They made the playoffs. He was starting to figure it out it seemed.

Then, during a practice entering his third year he tore his ACL in a non contact drill. He also dislocated his knee. He was done for the year before it even started. His injury proved to be much worse than what was originally reported. He had to miss all of the 2017 season to recover. It took 19 months to recover from the catastrophic damage done to his knee. The Vikings declined his option and he was a free agent. Then it was just floating around and no real opportunities given to Bridgewater. In 2018 he spent time with the Jets and Saints. He appeared in garbage time and he started one game when the Saints had wrapped up the 1 seed. He was a full fledged backup at this point. He did start for a bit in 2019 due to injury, but he was never really the guy for the Saints. He was Brees' backup. In the offseason, Bridgewater left the Saints for the Carolina Panthers, getting a pretty good contract. The 2020 season was good for him. He got to play a bunch, he set personal records and looked to be somewhat back. But he was traded next season when the Panthers brought in Sam Darnold. That irked me as a person who wanted Bridgewater to succeed. The Panthers gave up on him for Sam Darnold. That is a true bummer. He caught on with the Broncos, but he was never really given command of the team while there. He got a concussion in week 15 and was done for the year. He then signed with the Dolphins, but they had just drafted Tua. He started later that season but broke his finger on his throwing hand and was done in Miami. He caught on this past season with Detroit and was more known for wearing number 53 during the preseason than anything he did on the field.

Bridgewater is walking away with 15,000 plus passing yards, 87 passing tds, 844 rush yards and 11 rushing tds in his career. He went to the playoffs as a starter only once, and his team was beaten. His career was solid, but not what it could have truly been in the long run. He had everything you could have wanted in a QB. He could make all the throws and run if needed. He was smart, nice and coachable. Injuries killed what could have been a much more memorable stay in the NFL. But he made it. He came back from injury. He stuck it out for almost ten seasons. He was a plug and play guy. I don't want his name to just fade away in the collective memory of football fans. Teddy Bridgewater was dominant in college and had the makings to be dominant in the NFL.

Enjoy retirement and enjoy coaching at your alma mater. You have earned all the good things in life Teddy Bridgewater. Football is going to miss you. 

Ty

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

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Michigan Football Fans Need to Calm Down

The Michigan football team has seen their head coach leave for the NFL, hired a new head coach, the best possible candidate, and has seen coaches depart to join Jim Harbaugh's staff in LA. This is how it goes when coaches leave. Harbaugh hired these guys, he worked closely with them, they won a national championship and he wants to continue to work with them and see how they do at the highest level. That is the way.

You see this all the time. Nick Saban had to hire new people all the time. Todd Monken left Georgia three years ago for the NFL. Dan Lanning took the Oregon job and brought some Georgia assistants with him. That is two times Kirby Smart had to get new coaches. Deion Sanders brought a bunch of his staff over from Jackson State when he took the Colorado job. This is the norm. But, when I go on Michigan fan pages lately it is going in two areas, the sky is falling or Harbaugh is "screwing the team over". There is no middle ground. There is no complacency. People are mad and frustrated and they are letting it out online.

I have always been a pessimist when it comes to Michigan. It was always the worst case scenario for me. I could not be satisfied with what they did. Until this past season. They won the national title 22 days ago. I am still living on that high. I have seen two national titles in my lifetime, but this most recent one is way, way more satisfying. They did everything I have always wanted them to do. They won all 15 games they played. Most of them weren't close. They were blowing most teams out weekly. It was a dream. This was the first season in forever where I could relax while watching almost every game. I have never been happier to be a Michigan fan. I feel like some people on these message boards have already forgotten this news. They are more obsessed with the transfer haul the university of Ohio State brought in. They want to fight with people online about the ongoing investigation. They want to yell and scream at Harbaugh. They aren't as happy as they should be with the Sherron Moore hire. It hasn't even been a month since they won it all, but if you read the message boards it sounds more like they just went through a rebuilding season. I don't get it.

Harbaugh and these players gave us fans anything and everything we ever wanted but it doesn't seem good enough for some. I fully understand not being satisfied with just one title these past two decades, but can we fans just celebrate a little longer before bitching about every little thing? As for the staffing stuff, Michigan kept the job in house. They hired Moore, who more than earned this job. The university promoted from within. And while losing Jesse Minter and Ben Herbert is tough, they have already replaced Herbert with his assistant, and they have people on staff that they can hire to be the new defensive coordinator. They can also look to an outside hire, possibly someone on the Ravens staff. I also do not believe Harbaugh is going to leave Moore in the cold. I don't think he will shut him out. I definitely think he will help him anyway he can, just like his brother helped him when he needed coordinators. Moore is also currently putting together a staff. We need to give Moore a chance. It seems like a bunch of so-called fans aren't prepared to do this. It is all doom and gloom. Fans are more worried about kids transferring and the coaches that are no longer on the staff. It is always tough when very good coaches leave, but that is a good thing. Coaches in demand means your team is doing something right. If they just stuck around forever I don't think they'd be happy. I don't believe that most coaches who reach the collegiate level want to be assistants forever. I think most want to be head coaches at some point.

I just want it to all calm down. I want people to remember what just happened. They won it all. They haven't done that since 1997. It has been a long, long time. Michigan is relevant again. They are a power. Moore should be given a chance to continue that with the people that he wants to work with. Just relax and enjoy the title and this team. They were incredibly elite. And Moore is going to do just fine. Go Blue. 

Ty

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

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I Guess I Will Do a Super Bowl Preview

The Super Bowl is set. We have the 49ers and the Chiefs.

Now, before I get into it, both of these teams earned their spot in this game. They beat the teams they were facing. The Chiefs went and won on the road and the 49ers came back from a 17 point halftime deficit. They have been two of the better teams in the NFL all year, they both have solid offenses and very good defense, even the Chiefs really played high level d this season. There are stars on both teams, both coaches have been to this game before and this is a rematch from a few years back of a pretty solid game.

Okay, got that all out.

I could not be more bored by this outcome. I'm sick of the Chiefs always being in the Super Bowl. This is like when the Warriors were constantly winning the NBA title, or when the Yankees were the dominant team in the MLB. I am bored of seeing the same team playing in the championship game every season. They won and earned this spot, but I just want some parity. I want change. I have always had a soft spot for the Ravens and I was rooting hard for them to get to the Super Bowl. I don't really care either way about Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's relationship, so that doesn't even draw me in as something to latch on to for this game. Mahomes is great, Andy Reid is a good coach and the d has stepped up, but I truly don't care about the Chiefs at all. I'm over their whole aura.

As for the 49ers, I've never been a fan. Even when I was a little kid I did not like the 49ers. I always liked watching Jerry Rice play, but there was no one else, maybe Charles Haley, that really spoke to me as a fan. I do not like this new version of the 49ers at all. I know they have plenty of fans, and I definitely sound like a hater, but I just do not like anyone on this team. Deebo Samuel is a good player, he's very versatile, but he is on social media too much. Brock Purdy is an average, at best, QB. I watched what he did last night, and I was not impressed. I mean, congrats to him for being a starting QB in the NFL, but he's not for me. The next two weeks are going to be relentless with him being the "leader" of this team as well. I'm sure ESPN already has multiple storylines about his "journey" to where he is now. I haven't seen any of it yet, but I'm already done with it. Christian McCaffrey is a very good running back, but he is boring as hell. He is the most milquetoast superstar the NFL has in the league right now. He's a dolt. The defense is full of big name guys that I just cannot get behind. I have so many personal issues with a bunch of different players that I just cannot get past. I cannot stand the coach either. He is a hipster doofus who dresses like he's a skater. We all know he is a mid 40's dad. The jig is up my man.

So when I look at this matchup and think about a preview, I am just overall bored. I could care less. I will be spending more time on Super Bowl Sunday air frying food and having snacks. If you all came here for a preview and prediction, this is about as short as it will get. I think the 49ers are going to win. They should have been beaten twice now, but they have found a way to win. The Chiefs will make it tough. They are playing their best football right now, but I see the 49ers putting it all together in the Super Bowl. The Chiefs haven't really exploded on offense, and while the defense is playing at a high level, they got the Dolphins in freezing cold temps, the Bills missed an easy field goal and the Ravens played like the playoff Ravens. They haven't had to face a multifaceted offense like the 49ers.

There you have it, the 49ers will win the Super Bowl 24-21. Then we will all get to hear about how "great" Brock Purdy is as a QB. Hooray. 

Ty

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

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So Long Coach Harbaugh and Thanks for the Title

It is official, Jim Harbaugh is leaving Michigan to become the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers. Let’s discuss.

I expected this to happen. I said as much after they won the national championship. He did everything he set out to do in his nine years at Michigan. When he took the job he said he wanted to restore Michigan to a national power. He did that. They won the championship. They have won three straight Big 10 titles. They have been to the playoff for three straight seasons. They have had Heisman finalists. They have had many, many players drafted to the NFL. They have been a winning program pretty much since he took over.

Harbaugh also said that he wanted to make the rivalries feel like actual rivalries again. He did that as well. Michigan went 5-4 versus Michigan State. Michigan has won the last three versus the university of Ohio State. They beat Minnesota on the regular. Iowa can be a thorn in their side, but they have gotten the best of them for the past couple years. They beat Penn State fairly regularly right now. He did that job, making the rivalry games an important thing for the players every year.

He really wanted to return Michigan to a winning program. Save for the 2020 season, he was above .500 every season, culminating with a 15-0 season this past year. That is the most wins in Michigan and in the history of the Big 10 for one year. He won 86 games in his nine years as head coach. That is an average of nine plus wins every season. He won 60 of those games in the Big 10. The Big House became a tough place for visitors to play. He restored the home field advantage Michigan has always loved. And he carved out a new niche as a coach, hiring younger guys with new ideas, and has turned a bunch of them into head coaches and future head coaches. Jesse Minter will be a head coach soon enough. Mike McDonald spent one year in Ann Arbor, and he is now leading the best defense in the NFL. Jedd Fisch just took over the Washington job. And many, many more are going to become head coaches soon, namely Sherrone Moore.

When I wrote about Harbaugh departing for the NFL last week, I said I want Michigan to hire Moore ASAP. All signs seem to be pointing towards Moore getting the job, and he has more than earned it. Coaches are supposed to mentor and help their assistants move on to bigger and better things. That is exactly what Harbaugh did in his time in Ann Arbor.

The thing I love most, outside of the national title of course, Harbaugh put the spotlight on the players. He didn't make himself the face of The University of Michigan football team. Every time there was a post game interview, Harbaugh would say one thing and then grab the player who played the best and have the interviewer interview them. He let his assistant coaches speak on games. He has been an advocate for giving players more power to control their own future. Most high profile coaches think it is all about them. And while that may be the case with Harbaugh behind closed doors, in the open he made sure the players and his coaches got the most shine. Even after they won it all, he let his dad and his players speak. I love that. Coaches may be the CEO and leader, but the players are the ones who perform, and the assistants are the ones calling the plays. They deserve more face time. Harbaugh made a concerted effort to give them their proper shine.

I am not mad or upset or hurt about Harbaugh returning to the NFL. He has an itch that he is going to try and scratch. He wants that Super Bowl ring. He has won the biggest award at every level except in the NFL. He has been to one Super Bowl, but it would not shock me to see him go a few more times. He is a very, very good football coach. He is a maniac as well, and I'm curious to see how that translates to the modern NFL. But Jim Harbaugh is a likeable guy that will bend over backwards for his players. He wants them to achieve. And he did that for Michigan. There is nothing but love from me to Coach Harbaugh. He returned this program to glory. I am stoked to let everyone know I'm a Michigan fan. This is the team I remember from my youth, and they were pretty dominant when I was a kid.

Thank you for everything Jim Harbaugh. Always and forever a Michigan man, and Go Blue.

Ty

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

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Who Should Be the Next Michigan Football Coach

It is looking more and more likely that Jim Harbaugh is going to make the leap to the NFL.

I don't blame him. He accomplished his goal at Michigan. He was hired nine years ago and he said he wanted to restore Michigan into a national power. They just won the national title ten days ago. They have also won the Big 10 three times in a row and beaten the university of Ohio State three times in a row. They have had multiple players drafted. Michigan is as back as any college football team can possibly be.

I was talking to my dad earlier today and we discussed his possible jump to the NFL. I feel like he is still itching to win a Super Bowl, and since he won a college football title, a Super Bowl ring would be the icing on the cake for him as a coach. I also think he is sick and tired of the NCAA. They seem to have a vendetta against Harbaugh, and he is a grown ass man. Why would he want to deal with this? He has been proven innocent at every turn, yet the NCAA will not stop pursuing so-called "incidents" against Harbaugh. I get that he may have grown tired of the constant watchful eye of the NCAA. It is just like Pete Carroll when he bolted USC, and his transgressions were much more severe than anything Harbaugh is being accused of doing. I have read a bunch today that the Chargers are preparing an offer, although they are interviewing other candidates, but I feel it is just a matter of time. Harbaugh is most likely going to get an offer, and I fully expect him to take it.

So that leaves Michigan with a head coaching vacancy. I've seen names floated out there. Names like Lance Leipold, Matt Campbell, Chris Kleiman, and the worst on these lists, Brian Kelly. I don't want any of those guys to become the head coach at Michigan. Kansas is a fun offense to watch, but Leipold has zero expectations in Lawrence, and when they win eight games, that is a massive success. I look at him like I did Brady Hoke. He seems like a much better coach when he doesn't have massive expectations. I could say the same for Matt Campbell. He has done some solid things for Iowa State, but the shine is off him as a big time head coach to me. Iowa State hasn't been great lately, he is hot tempered and I think he might crumble the moment something goes wrong if he were to take over for Michigan. Chris Kleiman is exactly like Leipold to me. No frills, not very fun and doesn't have the will to win at a big time university.

And then we have Brian Kelly. I would be so very upset if Michigan even interviewed this guy. He is a phony, not the best coach, is very bad tempered, rubs people the wrong way, players don't really seem to like him all that much and has never won big. He has made one national title game, where his team was crushed. And that whole deal with his fake accent when he took the job at LSU, that was the final nail in the coffin for me. From that day forward my hatefulness for him grew infinitely. Michigan should not waste their time for one second with this egomaniac. I'm out on those four immediately. I don't even think Michigan should call them unless it is a last resort. And they should never call Brian Kelly. That guy stinks.

So you may be asking, who should they hire then Ty? I'll tell you. They need to stay in house. What they have done the past three years, with this staff, has been very impressive. They recruit players that fit their system, they get quality transfer portal guys and they have very good camaraderie. There are three guys I'd talk to already on the staff. I'd talk to Mike Hart. Jesse Minter and Sherrone Moore. Hart was a Michigan legend as a player. He might be even better as a coach. The running back room since he took over has been the best skill unit this team has. And the backs love to play for him. Hart is the hometown guy you kind of need to keep on your staff no matter what. Minter is young, just coordinated one of the most dominant defenses in the history of college football and proved he didn't need signs to do his job at an elite level. Minter has a sophisticated, NFL level defensive unit and has gotten better and better the past two years. He is going to be a head coach soon, so why not give him an interview where he is currently employed. I will say, I do think he will go with Harbaugh if Harbaugh asks him to go to the NFL. I think those two may be linked for a while now. And finally we have Sherrone Moore. This is who I want them to hire if I'm being honest. Moore proved his worth this season. He basically got an on the field interview during the season. Harbaugh was suspended the last three games of the season, the most important games, and Moore shined. He dominated a high level Penn State defense. He didn't call a single pass after the eight minute mark in the second quarter, and it worked. He then had a possible trap game with Maryland, that he came out with a favorable outcome. He then outcoached Ryan Day in the biggest rivalry game of the season. Moore took chances, seemed more comfortable with his players and trusted the rest of the staff that day. He also won two of those three games as the road team. Moore has called a solid, tried and true offense for two years. He has coached the o line for three years, and that may be the best unit on the whole team. He also proved his worth to Michigan four times this past season, three of which were tough games for a head coach.

Michigan needs to stay within the staff they already have right now if Harbaugh does jump like I expect him to. And they have three excellent options already on the staff. Do the right thing Michigan. Give Moore this job. He has earned it and he deserves it. This is the best option by a million miles if/when Harbaugh leaves. It has always been, and should be, Sherrone Moore. 

Ty

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

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It Is a Good Day to Be a Green Bay Packers Fan

The Green Bay Packers went into Dallas yesterday and won. The Packers are the youngest team in the playoffs. They have guys that have little to no experience in high pressure games. I expected them to win no more than seven games at best. I thought they may be looking for a new head coach at this point. I was out, a bunch of other people were out and I was kind of ready for a rebuilding season.

They went the other way though. They eeked out nine wins and secured a playoff spot on the last day of the season. I was stoked that they scraped together some ugly wins and finagled their way into the playoffs. But I assumed it was over there. I was talking to a brother of mine earlier in the week saying that I thought they had a minor shot to beat the Cowboys, but the both of us concluded they were not going to win. They proved us both wrong.

This win was so gratifying for two main reasons to me personally. First, they beat the Cowboys. This is the self proclaimed "America's Team". They had all the momentum in the world. They had home field and they were on a winning streak. They got to face the Packers. And Green Bay went in there and scored 48 points. Against the supposed vaunted Cowboys defense. Sure, one of the scores was a pick 6, but that still means the Packers offense scored 41 points. That is amazing to me considering the players. Jordan Love far exceeded my expectations this season. He was more than capable. He never really floundered all season long. He kept a level head and managed to do some solid things as an NFL starting QB. Aaron Jones was seemingly hurt all year but has come out very strong in the past four games. He was especially great yesterday. He had three tds and looked like a man possessed. It was awesome to see him playing so well. The receivers, a young group with no star player, came on strong and have been pretty reliable. They have taken some chances in the later rounds of the draft, and it looks to be paying off. The defense, which has been a bit of a problem, came to play yesterday. The run defense was good. The run defense has been good all year, but they took it up a notch. The pass defense, the clear problem area, was pretty on point for the majority of the day. They gave up a few garbage, pointless tds yesterday, but when it mattered most, they were up to the task. This was satisfying. I love it because not a ton of people are talking about the win, but they are talking about what went wrong for the Cowboys. This is great being a Packers fan because they can still fly under the radar, but the Cowboys continue to get lambasted everywhere. It is gratifying.

Second, the win also makes me even happier that they moved on from that insane clown Aaron Rodgers. He was looked at as the only reason the Packers did anything for the past decade. He was the "glue guy" whenever the Packers had a good season. And when he asked out, and was traded, everyone, and I mean everyone, figured this was it for Green Bay. Hell, even I have said, many, many times, that the Packers were due for a rebuild, and this season would be the perfect time. But look where we are now. Aaron Rodgers gets hurt four plays into the regular season and has gone on to do insane things all year long. He has promoted his conspiracy theories and anti-vax nonsense any time he is on ESPN. He goes on wild rants about "woke culture" and "cancel culture". He vomits diarrhea from his mouth any chance he can, and almost everyone is starting to see how nuts he truly is. And what is Green Bay doing? They are winning playoff games behind a quiet, young good QB. They have a solid o line. The run game is stout. The defense is playing better. And Matt LaFluer is proving to everyone, myself included, that he is a good, viable NFL head coach. It makes me so, so happy that they moved on from that wacko and the results on the field are all the same.

Yesterday was a very good day to be a Packers fan. I hope it continues throughout the playoffs, but if it doesn't, and their season ends in a week, at least they beat the Cowboys in Dallas. And they did it with Jordan Love. What a great, great day. 

Ty

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

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An Ode to the Careers of Two Football College Legends

Two titans of the coaching world in football are moving on/retiring. Let’s discuss.

I first heard that Nick Saban was retiring when I was scrolling through Facebook last night. A friend of mine posted something about it, but I thought he was just screwing around. I went and tried to find something on a reputable website, but nothing came up right away. So I gave it about ten minutes and checked again. It was EVERYWHERE that Saban was walking away. I was stunned. He took the team he had this season to the playoff. He has won six titles since he took over as the head coach at Alabama. He won another title when he was the head coach at LSU. He had minimal success with the Dolphins before leaving like a coward when the Alabama job opened up. But, for me as a true college football fan, he has been the face of Alabama and their dominance since his second season. His team's have been wildly impressive since he took over. He coached guys like DJ Fluker, Julio Jones, Tua Tagovailoa, Jalen Hurts, Devonta Smith, Derrick Henry, Alex Leatherwood, Quinnen Williams, CJ Mosley, Dont'a Hightower, Minkah Fitzpatrick and Mark Barron, just to name a few. Oh, he recently just coached Heisman winner Bryce Young. Jalen Milroe is a stud. Jahmyr Gibbs transferred in and became a first round pick. Jaylen Waddle is a budding star. The list could go on and on. These are just some of the players he coached at Alabama mind you. He has had other stars at his other stops. But what made him so dominant at the college level was not only the talent, but his passion. Nick Saban is a maniac. This is the same dude that, after winning a national title, he complained that he had to start recruiting again. He was never satisfied with the product. Once he got a ring, he wanted more. It was that drive and grit that made him the greatest college football coach of time. I don't think there is a better one out there. He has played against all of the other greats, and gotten the best of all of them. Look at his coaching tree and all those guys he beat during his tenure. It took Kirby Smart a long while before he beat Saban. Jimbo Fisher only has a few wins against him. I don't know that Lane Kiffin has a win over him. Steve Sarkisian got his first this past season. Butch Jones had a melt down after taking the Tennessee job just trying to beat him. Billy Napier never got Florida over the hump. Jeremy Pruitt and Mel Tucker had to leave their head coaching jobs due to scandal. He has also produced pro coaches. Guys like Brian Daboll, Joe Judge and Bill O'Brien have all spent time under Nick Saban. What Saban did for the college football game and Alabama may never be matched. Alabama was always a threat. When Michigan drew them in the playoff this season I wasn't thrilled because of Alabama's past and potential. He struck fear in opponents. He had the best recruiting pitch. He hired the best coaches. And he always found ways to win. The NFL was never for Nick Saban. He was always destined to be a college football head coach and he became the best the game has seen to this point. It will be odd to not see him on the sideline next season, but congrats on a coaching career that may never be matched. Nick Saban is an all timer.

As for the NFL, well, Bill Belichek and the Patriots have "mutually" parted ways. This felt like a long time coming, but when this news hit this morning, I was still a little taken aback. Bill Belichek turned himself into one of the greatest head coaches the NFL has ever seen. The things he did with the Patriots starting in the early 2000's is the stuff of legend in the coaching world. The guy had an eye for talent when it came to players and assistant coaches. He had this odd sense that he could get the most of people that not many saw much potential. Drew Bledsoe, their star QB and former number one overall pick gets hurt and they turn to some 6th round backup named Tom Brady. We all know what happened then. It was a decade plus of dominance with that pairing as QB and coach. The Patriots always seemed to win and always seemed to be in the thick of the playoff race. Even the season Brady went down in week one, the Patriots still managed to win ten games with Matt Cassell as their starting QB. That has a lot to do with Belichek. This guy also took chances on players. He brought in Randy Moss and had that electric offense. The best years of Laurence Maroney's NFL career were in New England. Ty Law was an all pro under Belichek's tutelage. Lawyer Milloy became one of the best safeties in the league. Benjarvus Green Ellis had a career because of him. The same could be said for Wes Welker, Danny Amendola and Julian Edelman. Richard Seymour made a name for himself in the league because of Belichek. The guy had an eye for these "diamonds in the rough". He also knew how to hire good assistants that figured out how to work with him. Josh McDaniels isn't much of a head coach or person, but the dude can coach a Bill Belichek offense. Matt Patricia only got a head coaching job because he ran Belichek's defense to perfection. Joe Judge was a special teams coach under Belichek, after working for Saban, and that reputation of working with Belichek got him the head job with the Giants. Brian Flores is an amazing defensive coordinator and he more than deserves another shot at being a head coach. Romeo Crennel had a few good years with the Browns. Charlie Weiss parlayed his coordinating job into a few head coaching jobs, namely Notre Dame and Kansas. Hell, even Nick Saban spent time working under Belichek when he was the head coach of the Browns. While a good amount of these guys never reached the heights Belichek has, they had massive success working from, and learning from, Bill Belichek. I don't know what the future holds for him, but I would be a little stunned if he isn't hired by one of the seven teams with a current opening very soon.

As it stands on January 11th, both Bill Belichek and Nick Saban are no longer football coaches. That seems wild to say, but here we are. Crazy. 

Ty

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

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Go Blue

Michigan football did it. They won the national title last night.

The game was close until about seven minutes left. That was when Blake Corum ran it in, and then Mike Sainristil took a pick 81 yards to the redzone, and then Corum punched it in one more time to seal it, 34-13.

Michigan finished the season 15-0. That is the most wins in Big Ten history. That is tied for the most wins with four other teams. Jim Harbaugh revamped his coaching staff, got younger, adjusted and brought a national championship to his alma mater. He accomplished the goal he had when he took this job nine years ago. He has restored the Michigan football program back to being a perennial threat. This is their third playoff appearance in a row. The third time was the charm for this team. They exorcised all of their demons. The people who said Harbaugh couldn't win a big game were proven wrong. He beat Alabama in the Rose Bowl, and then went on to dominate Washington, the only other undefeated team in division 1, in the title game. He has also beaten the university of Ohio State three times in a row. Harbaugh has proven the doubters wrong. Blake Corum came back from a tough injury last year to lead this team, and become one of the best running backs in the history of Michigan football. JJ McCarthy took over as the starter last season and hasn't looked back. He is now 27-1 as the starting QB. The defense has become this boa constrictor. They just squeeze and squeeze and squeeze until their opponent can't take it anymore. Thank you to former Indiana coach Tom Allen for the boa constrictor comparison. The defense is also full of talent. There isn't one guy, this is a collection of super talented players that do what is best for the team. But what I love most about this team is the fact that they are just that, a team. They may have a few players that the media focuses on, but make no mistake, this is a team. They play for one another. Their individual success is the team's success. They don't care who the "star" player is, they just care about each other achieving the team goal of winning it all. Which is what they just did last night.

Of all the seasons to win it all, it is kind of perfect that it was this season. Michigan started with their head coach suspended for the first three games due to "burgergate". Apparently Jim Harbaugh bought some recruits hamburgers during the 2020 recruiting dead period, and also watched workouts during the same time. It is small fries compared to some other infractions, but he was still suspended. Michigan easily won those games as they were against inferior opponents. Then Harbaugh came back. Michigan continued to win, but during the Rutgers game, Greg Schiano made some odd comments. He seemed to allude that Michigan may have had some intel as to what signals Rutgers was using. It was of no mind the following week when Michigan traveled to Nebraska and absolutely smashed them in their first road game. They were 5-0 at this point and riding high. They proceeded to cruise over Minnesota in a nationally televised night game, and I was starting to believe in this team's potential. Then they proceeded to demolish Indiana, and this was when Tom Allen gave us the boa constrictor line. Then they had a bye week. Then all these stories came out, mainly from ESPN, that Michigan was involved in some kind of espionage sign stealing enterprise. It was the talk of every sports channel. I even saw some reputable news sources talking about it. The way it was reported, you would have thought Michigan was breaking some kind of law. They were the villains. Everyone, outside of their fanbase, painted them as cheaters. They were called despicable. Talking heads on sports shows said they wouldn't recognize them as champs if they won it all. People on message boards were saying hateful, awful things about their coach, the players and us fans. Michigan took this all in stride and came back from the bye week facing rival Michigan State, whose coach was fired for having an affair with a speaker, which everyone seemed to forget about, and beat them 49-0. I started to buy in even more. They had Purdue next, and Purdue's coach acted holier than thou, calling Jim Harbaugh a spade. Michigan beat them 41-13, and it wasn't even that close. Then the calls from Big 10 coaches came about suspending Harbaugh immediately for the sign stealing allegations. Remember that these have always been, and still are, allegations. The new Big 10 commissioner did something unprecedented and suspended Harbaugh immediately for the rest of the regular season. These were Michigan's three most important games. This was going to define their season. These games would determine if they would win the Big 10 again, and make the playoff again. Harbaugh and Michigan took the suspension and gave the interim head coaching job to offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Sherrone Moore. He proceeded to lead Michigan to a win over Penn State, in Happy Valley. And that game wasn't close. This was a gratifying win because Penn State's coach was acting all high and mighty all week leading up to the game. And Moore outcoached him, ran the ball down his defense's throat and won. They then beat Maryland in a game that was way too close for comfort. But I feel like every championship team needs one of these games to keep them honest. They then had the university of Ohio State. Ryan Day got everything he wanted in this game. Harbaugh was suspended, the media was on his side, the refs were on his side, all of his players were healthy and ready to go. And guess what, he still couldn't beat Michigan. Moore outcoached Day's punkass and led this team to a third straight win over their biggest rival and a shot at a third straight Big 10 title.  Harbaugh served his second suspension and came back. And you all know how this season ended. They throttled Iowa, then won a thriller over Alabama and closed it out with a runaway win in last night's title game. It was awesome.

As I said up top, it was a euphoric feeling at the end of the game last night. I remember when they won in 1997, but I was only 15. This time I'm an adult. I will remember this as long as I live. This team is going to go down as one of the best teams in the history of college football. If Harbaugh does leave for the NFL, I have no ill will. I think it is going to happen to be honest with you. If he does leave, I'd give the job to Moore without a second thought. And, along with Harbaugh, I want to thank Blake Corum, Donovan Edwards, the entire o and d line, all the wideouts, the tight ends, Will Johnson, Makari Page, Rod Moore, Junior Colson, all the other secondary and linebackers, and Jesse Minter and Sherrone Moore. As well as Jay Harbaugh, Mike Hart, Mike Elston and Stev Clinkscale. And every other player and coach I did not mention. This was a team's team and they accomplished the ultimate goal. They did it with tough interior play, elite tackling and one of the best college football defenses in history.

Thank you Michigan football. Thank you so much for this wonderful title. I am forever grateful and will never forget this as long as I live. I'm on cloud nine right now. This is one of the best things I've seen in sports in my life. This is euphoria. Always and forever, Go Blue. 

Ty

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

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Ty's 2024 NFL Playoff Predictions

The NFL playoffs are set. There are some surprise teams and some teams we all knew were going to be there from the start. I'll do my playoff predictions today and pick the MVP of the Super Bowl. The playoffs are here and this is when the fun begins.

I'll start with the AFC.

The Ravens earned the first round bye. They had an awesome season. The 2-7 matchup features the Bills and Steelers. The Bills won the division last night, eking out a close one over the Dolphins. The Bills are a good team that seems to find ways to come up short in the playoffs. The Steelers are here by pure luck, but they do have a solid team that has found ways to win games all year. That being said, I have the Bills finding a way to win a playoff game, finally, and advancing to the next round. The 3-6 game gives us the Dolphins facing the Chiefs. This one is tough for me. The Chiefs should win. They have homefield, they are a better team and have a much improved defense. The Dolphins have an explosive offense. They can score in bunches and bunches. They have speed everywhere and their offense is magnetic. Their defense is riddled with injuries and inconsistencies. I don't have a ton of faith, but I'm going with the Chiefs, strictly based on having home field advantage. The 4-5 gives us the Texans facing the Browns. This is offense versus defense. This is an up and coming team facing a team finally living up to their expectations. This is Joe Flacco versus CJ Stroud. Give me CJ Stroud. He has been on fire all season and that will continue in his first playoff game. I also think Demeco Ryans is a very, very good coach too. He will prove that this weekend.

So, that gives us the Ravens facing the Texans and the Bills facing the Chiefs. The Ravens are going to exorcise some demons this season. I feel it. They will win this game and win big. Lamar Jackson is going to prove how great he is, and how deserving he is of the MVP this year. The Chiefs and Bills game is tough. I have no faith in either team. The Bills have already beat the Chiefs once this season, and that was before the Bills went on a win streak. The Chiefs will have to travel, and that will be their final undoing to this inconsistent year for the Chiefs. Bills win.

That means I have the Ravens playing the Bills in the AFC title game. The Ravens will win in a walk. They are the better team and they will prove their worth in the playoffs this season. Ravens advance to the Super Bowl.

Now for the NFC.

The 49ers walked to the one seed, they have the best team in the NFL and they should be the heavy favorites to win it all this season. The 2-7 matchup features the Cowboys and Packers. The Cowboys have an elite defense, they have a great QB and pass game and they have home field. The Packers, inexplicably, are here. They beat the Bears yesterday to secure their spot. Jordan Love has played way above expectations, the run defense is solid and they can control the clock from time to time. But, the Packers secondary is mediocre and that will be their downfall. The Cowboys win. The 3-6 gives us the Lions and Rams. I have seen all the stuff about Matthew Stafford coming back to Detroit, that the Rams are primed for a playoff push, that Sean McVay is a playoff coach. I don't buy it. The Lions offense has been steady almost all season. The defense is bend, don't break to the nth degree. They have solid special teams. And they are playing at home. The Lions are going to win and give their fans even more time to celebrate a wonderful season. The 4-5 game features the Buccaneers and the Eagles. This is a toss up, which feels wild to say at this point. The Buccaneers won the division. They also only won nine games. Baker Mayfield is their QB. They do get to play at home, but does that even matter here? The Eagles are reigning NFC champs. But they have been bad over the whole last half of the season. The offense has stalled and the defense has been horrendous. This feels like it should be an easy Eagles win, but with the way they've been playing, I don't trust them at all. I'm going with the Eagles, but I have zero faith.

So that gives us the 49ers facing the Eagles and the Lions facing the Cowboys. The 49ers have trounced the Eagles once already this year, and it will happen again in this game. The 49ers will be able to stop the Eagles offense, and the 49ers offense will score all over the Eagles defense. This game could get ugly. The Cowboys and Lions will be a much better game. This should go down to the wire. They played very recently and that game was good, until the refs screwed the Lions over. That won't happen this time. I have a ton of faith in this Lions team. They are a good, young and hungry football team. I have the Lions advancing to face the 49ers in the NFC title game.

Here is where it ends for the Lions. The 49ers are prime to return to the Super Bowl after a year away. They are the most complete team in the NFL and they are on a mission. They win the NFC with relative ease.

That leaves us with the Ravens facing the 49ers in the Super Bowl. This is how it should be. They are the two best teams in the league and they should meet for a chance at a ring. They played once before, and while the Ravens won that one big, this game should be much closer. This game should go down to the wire. And to complete the season of reintroducing themselves, I have the Ravens winning it all. They have it all going their way right now and they just need to win their first playoff game to prove they can do it before they go on a streak and win it all. I also have Lamar Jackson doubling up at the regular season MVP by winning the Super Bowl MVP.

There you have it, my 2024 NFL playoff preview and predictions. As always, take it with a grain of salt. 

Ty

Why is There A Giant Pop Tart All Over the College Football Bowl Scene

During the college football bowl season, outside of the playoff, the bowl games are kind of useless. We have opt outs, the transfer portal opens before the games start, coaches take new job, players graduate, there are so many outside distractions, it makes these games nearly unwatchable.

Oklahoma played without Dillon Gabriel last night. Miami was down to their third string QB, who redshirted this season. Tulane had four or five key guys sit or transfer. Notre Dame is down to a third string QB today. Florida State had upwards of 20 players transfer or opt out. You see what I mean? But, what these bowl games tend to do well is market themselves. I know who wins the Duke's Mayo Bowl every year now because the coach gets doused in mayonnaise, which is gross. The Pinstripe Bowl really goes hard into the Yankees and playing at Yankee stadium angle. It seems to be the same thing with the bowl game at Fenway. The Sun Bowl has a big sun, with a smile on its face, as its mascot. A good amount of these games, or the sponsors of these games that is, have mascots. It is all in good fun. I get it. But the mascot that I am already done with, and ready for it to be retired is the pop tart from whatever bowl game Pop Tarts is the sponsor of this year.

Anytime I went to check scores of the games last night, that damn mascot was there. Anytime I read a story, that damn mascot was featured. Hell, even when I checked on stuff from the games today, the Pop Tarts mascot was front and center. I like pop tarts. I do think they are a viable, quick breakfast option. I know they don't offer much in the way of nutrition, but they taste good. They give you the boost you need to start the day. But putting actual pop tarts in the trophy, what the hell is that nonsense? Why do that? Is the whole team, of damn near 100 players, supposed to share two pop tarts? I know these are pointless questions, and I'm sure that the Pop Tart company gave the players and coaches some nice swag. But still, to make this a whole ass story, come on. I read today that the mascot was made of real Pop Tarts. That is nuts. That is stupid. That is gross. And again, who is supposed to eat this thing? I would guess the winning team is supposed to consume the mascot, but why? Also, I have to imagine the person inside the costume is sweaty and gross. I bet they have a protective layer on, hopefully covering up the pop tart, but still, sweat can leak through. I wear wicking undershirts when I run in the winter to keep me warm and protect the sweat from making me chafe. But guess what, it still finds its way through the layers. I still get sweat on my outer most layer. I would think that the same thing is happening within the mascot suit and the edible part of the mascot suit. That is vile. Also, a pop tart seems like the last thing an athlete would want to eat after playing a four hour football game. I don't know.

I know this is a stupid complaint, but it is a complaint nonetheless, and I have a platform to gripe about these half baked ideas. I get that you have to keep your bowl games, outside the New Years six and the CFP, but this is a bridge too far for me. 

Ty

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

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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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