The Biggest Snubs of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament

Yesterday I did my men’s NCAA 2019 tournament picks. Today, I want to talk about 4 teams I think got snubbed, and who I would have them replace in the tourney.

First things first, I’m not one of these weirdos that thinks Indiana and Texas should be in the tourney. Both are barely .500. In fact, Texas is exactly .500 at 16-16, and Indiana is only one game better, at 17-15. I don’t care how many “quad 1” wins they have, or what “ quality” losses they have. Those records are not even close to good enough for an at large bid. Smaller schools are left out without a blink, and they can have a record of 30-2. But, if they don’t win their conference tournament, they’re all but forgotten about. Just because Texas and Indiana are “blue bloods” doesn’t guarantee a spot in the big dance. Anyone who calls either of those schools a snub are insane. With that being said, I do have 4 teams, 3 from major conferences, that I think got absolutely overlooked.

I’ll start with my mid major. How UNC Greensboro got left out is beside me. My only logical guess is what I stated before about a smaller school. They finished the year at 28-6, Michigan and Duke and UNC all have the same or similar records. But, they didn’t win their conference tournament, and they’re left to play in the NIT. That’s unacceptable. For me there’s an easy replacement, and it has nothing to do with my hatred for this school. How the University of Ohio State got an at large bid with a 19-14 record and a first round exit from the Big Ten tournament is baffling. I saw them play a ton, and they’re not very good. Again, this has nothing to do with my dislike for them. I’m friends with fans of them, and they don’t think they belong in the big dance. They struggled all year. They have no stars. They have a no name coach. Yet they get an at large bid as an 11 seed. UNC Greensboro would have been a much better pick in that spot, and they would have given Iowa State a much tougher game.

Now for the big dogs. I’m a bit perturbed that Georgetown didn’t get in. I know the Big East isn’t what it used to be, but they deserve a spot over a team like Baylor. Both are 19-13, in major conferences, but Georgetown would bring way more viewers than Baylor. First of all, Baylor’s sport programs all should be under investigation for many different charges. Second, Georgetown has super dunker Matt McClung and NBA hall of famer Patrick Ewing at head coach. I’d much rather see them than Baylor. I feel like Baylor iss getting at large bids because they used to be relevant. They’re not anymore. Let’s get Georgetown back to being a perennial tourney team as long as Patrick Ewing is their head coach. It would also be dope as hell to see them face Syracuse, an old Big East foe, in the first round.

My third snub comes from ESPN’s favorite conference, the ACC. Clemson should be there. They did enough to earn an at large bid. They are a much better 19 win team than Florida. The fact that Florida is in based on one lucky win, a buzzer beater three over LSU in the SEC tournament, is laughable. Florida is not good. Clemson is a much tougher, better coached and more disciplined team than Florida. And even though they’re 19-13, they were a consistent tough out for all the big time ACC teams. They at least would put up a fight. I mean, Nevada is going to smash Florida. I think they’d also beat Clemson, but I think it would be a much closer game. Florida shouldn’t be there. They got Clemson’s spot, and they got it unfairly.

Finally, my last snub is TCU. I know they had a rough finish to the season, and I hoped they would have done better in the Big 12 tournament than they did. But, they’re a much more deserving 20-13 team than Louisville. After blowing they big lead against Duke, Louisville was never the same. They struggled. They finished the year poorly. They bowed out early in the ACC tourney. But, since they’re an ACC team, which the committee loves, they were chosen over TCU because they’re a Big 12 team. That’s dumb. Louisville might win their first game, Minnesota is also a questionable tourney team, but TCU would have easily beat them. Hell, they could’ve beaten both those teams. They should have been given Louisville’s spot.

UNC Greensboro, Georgetown, Clemson and TCU are my biggest snubs. I would have put them in for sure. Now, they have to settle for the NIT. That’s a bummer.

Ty

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

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The Seedsing 2019 Preview of the NCAA Men's College Basketball Tournament

My son is on spring break this week, and we are on a family vacation. But, I still wanted to do shorter blogs than I normally do for the week. Kind of my version of quick hit pop culture/sports for the week. Today I want to do my Final Four picks, and my title winner since the brackets came out yesterday.

I do want to say, the committee is clearly in love with the ACC, and they HATE the Big Ten. They made that abundantly clear. I loathe MSU, but they earned a one seed. And why does Wisconsin have to travel so far for a round one game? And if Michigan wins in round one, they most likely have to match up with Nevada, who was a preseason top 5 team, and are led by 2 great seniors. The ACC seemingly got an easy path to get at least 2 of their one seeds in the Final Four. It’s absurd. It’s like the SEC and football. ESPN has such a crush on that conference, and clearly the committee does too.

Anyway, with all that being said, in the East I have Duke. They’re hot right now, Zion Williamson is back, they get every single call, and the powers that be want, and need, them in the Final Four. Their toughest game will be MSU in the Elite Eight, but Duke is the better team, and MSU won’t have Big Ten officials helping them out. I do like LSU in the East as well. They could spoil.

In the West I have Texas Tech. Gonzaga should be the easy pick, but they’ve not lived up to the one seed the couple times they’ve earned it. They also lost an easy game to close the season to Saint Mary’s. Michigan is great. They play excellent defense. But, they have a match up with Nevada looming, and their offense has been wildly inconsistent all year. I love my team, but I don’t trust them. Murray State should make a Sweet Sixteen run. And Ja Morant Will finally be on a big stage. But Texas Tech is the most complete team. They do all the things needed to win games. They will come out of the West.

In the South I have Virginia, and I have them rolling there. They’re out to prove that last year was a fluke, and that they’re one of the best teams in the country. Sure, Tennessee could be trouble, maybe Purdue, maybe even Villanova. But, all those teams have flaws that Virginia can, and will, expose. As I said, they’re on a mission.

In the Midwest I’m taking my biggest risk. I despise their coach, and I’m sure they will be tapped in the FBI case, but Auburn might be the hottest team entering the tournament. They rolled Tennessee in the SEC tournament championship game. They pretty much rolled all the way through. I know they’re one of the dreaded 5 seed facing a 12, but one or 2 5’s win their first round game. I say they do, and they make a run to the Final Four. UNC, my preseason champ pick, looks vulnerable right now. KU is hurt and not very good and is going to get tapped in the FBI thing. Kentucky will find a way to blow an easy game because that is what John Calipari does. And Houston hasn’t really faced any real opponents this year. This is my dark horse region, and I have Auburn winning it.

So, that makes my Final Four Duke, Texas Tech, Virginia and Auburn. Virginia will crush Auburn, ending their magical run. And as much as everyone will want to see Duke face them a third time, I actually have Texas Tech beating them. As I said at the top, they’re the most complete team in the tourney.

That gives us a rock fight in the title, Virginia versus Texas Tech. I have Virginia, like I keep saying, rolling to a title. They’re on a mission, and I feel like they will do it with ease. This title will also lead to DeAndre Hunter being named Most Outstanding Player, and make his draft stock soar.

There you have it, my 2019 men’s NCAA tournament prediction. Now let’s bust some brackets.

Ty

Another view - I am all in on the Big 10. Michigan State, Michigan, and Purdue all make the final four. The one outsider will be North Carolina who will put it all together at the end of the year. UNC will beat Purdue, and Michigan will finally get by MSU. Unfortunately I have UNC winning the title and Michigan being the runner up once again.

I will not pick Duke.

RD

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet. RD is the Head Editor and hates Duke but loves Zion Williamson.

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The Utah Jazz Have a Fan Problem

What in the hell is happening in Utah.

In the past week the fans of the basketball team, that go to games, for them banned for life for racial epitaphs spewed in Russell Westbrook's direction. This is highly disturbing to me, and a whole lot of other people. I mean, I am a rabid fan of all things University of Michigan, but I have never wished harm or said unthinkable things to their rivals. I have never been driven to racism because of an outcome of a game. I have never acted so egregiously that I have had to remove myself, or been removed from a stadium, or even watching in the comfort of my own home. So, why do these 2 assholes in the recent news think it was okay to do what they did.

The first incident I heard about was all stemmed around Westbrook being filmed saying that he would mess up the dude and his wife. I was taken aback, but then I heard the whole story. All I knew at first was what Westbrook said, and the interview with this racist ass where he played the victim. Only after reading the full story did I know that this moron was hurling racial epitaphs and that he told Westbrook to "get on your knees like you're used to". That is appalling. That is unsettling. It is frightening to hear that some people think it is okay to say something like that. It is simply wrong. No one deserves to be talked to in that manner, especially in the 21st century. After reading this, then hearing it for myself, I was fully on Westbrook's side. I have zero problem with what he said to this man and his wife, or whoever that lady was with him. In fact, I wish he took it further. Had this turned into a "Malice at the Palace" type situation, I would have fully understood. Just because Westbrook is a pro, who's team happened to be handing it to the Jazz that night, that doesn't give you the right to say whatever pops into your tiny little head. To sit that close to the players is a privilege, and this jerk totally deserves his lifetime ban for what he said.

The NBA really needs to look into player safety a bit more. I say that because after this story came out, more reports came out of fans doing similar things, or putting their hands on players. That is not cool at all. That is dangerous. Players have come out in big time support of Westbrook since the incident, as expected. And they have all said pretty much the same thing I am saying today. They stand with Westbrook. They want more protection. They want the fans that sit courtside, right next to the opposition's bench, to follow some kind of rules or conduct code. Even Donovan Mitchell, a Jazz player, has come out and said how wrong this whole thing is, and how it doesn't, or at the very least, shouldn't, portray the entire fan base.

Well, I just saw today that another Jazz fan got a lifetime ban, calling Russell Westbrook "boy", in last year's  playoffs. Two things, why do they hate Westbrook so much, and maybe this is what the majority of Utah's fan base is. Maybe they are a bunch of racist assholes. Maybe they don't care at all about a human being's feelings, and they think they are entitled to say whatever they want because they have fancy seats. The fact that is has happened twice in the past calendar year is not a one time thing, it is a trend, and a trend that might have been started in the early 90's. And to aim it at Westbrook, I just don't get it. Sure, he can be a divisive player, but the dude plays with so much heart and grit and gives it all he can every night, I respect the hell out of him. While you may not like him, you should at least respect him. You shouldn't be yelling racist nonsense at him.

I was so high on the Jazz before the season started. But, after hearing all this stuff recently about their fans has made me happy that they aren't as good as I thought they might be. And I know that the players have nothing to do with the fans. I do not wish them ill will. I'm just happy that their punk ass fans are going to see their beloved team get beat in the first round of the playoffs. The asshole fans deserve this. They stink, and I hope more of these racist idiots get lifelong bans. This is disgusting and disturbing. I totally side with Westbrook on this. He is right, the Jazz fans are very, very wrong.

Ty

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

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Better Late than Never on Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

As most of you all know about me already, I am not much of a video game player. In fact, my son had to correct me and he said, and I quote, "you are not a gamer dad". I didn't know that the term "gamer" existed until he said that this morning. But, I do want to talk about one game I have really grown to like since my son purchased his Switch.

I have said on the site before that, when I do play video games, it is usually some kind of sports game. I love NBA Jam and NBA 2K and was an enormous fan of EA's NCAA Football game. I used to dominate RD in that one (ed note: With a cheat code). But, my son isn't too crazy about sports games. He thinks they are boring, and I get it. He is only 7 and the constant stopping and starting can be tiresome. It makes sense to me that he doesn't like them. Also, he only likes to play baseball, so NBA 2K and any football game are very boring to him. But, he loves games like Super Smash Brothers, he has a Pokémon fighting game he loves and anything and everything that involves Mario. He and my wife have both gotten 999 moons on Mario Odyssey. He and my wife consistently slaughter me, or the computer when they play Mario Party.

The game I want to single out today that I am growing to really like, I can now beat him in 9 times out of 10. That game is Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. I am really starting to dig this game. I have always marginally enjoyed racing games. I loved Excitebike for the Nintendo when I was his age. I remember when the original PlayStation came out and it came with a racing game, not entirely sure which one, but I liked that one a lot. When I find myself in an arcade that doesn't have a sports game, I gravitate towards the racing games. And in my kid's dentist office, she has a Nintendo 64 that has their version of Mario Kart. I dominate my son when we are there in the waiting room. But Mario Kart 8 for the Switch is on a whole other level.

The game play is easy, which I appreciate. If you start at the lowest speed, 50 cc I believe, it is a great way to teach you how to play the game. It goes at a speed that is perfect for beginners. When I started to play, I had to stay on 50 cc for awhile to figure it all out. But when I did, I started to get decent at it. It does need to be said, my wife destroys us all in the game, but I am getting better. When I moved up to 100 cc, I started to enjoy the game more. The course comes at you faster. The computer racers are more of a challenge because they are better. The gifts you get, or maybe they are called power ups, I live for those things. If you get a mushroom, it blast you way ahead. A red shell is great to knock some opponents out of the way. The green shell is neat because you actually have to aim to hit someone. Even the coins are a solid one because the more coins you get, the faster you go. My son also taught me that.

The moment I knew that I was really getting into it was when I started to get frustrated if I wasn't finishing in the top three. Or when I would get hit by multiple shells or squid ink or bombs by people behind me. I was getting legit frustrated and mouthing that frustration to everyone in my house. I was taking it seriously, and even my wife pointed out that that was when she noticed I was getting into it. It is such a fun, easy and quick game to play. You also have a plethora of Mario characters to choose from to be your racer. If I may give a suggestion, pick someone small. I am a big fan of Lakitu, and my wife loves Peach. The problem with the bigger characters, they are too slow. Sure, they recover quicker from a hit, but they can never get that speed to the top level like the smaller characters.

Anyway, I like this game, and I wanted to spend my time today giving it a shout out. I highly recommend Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for the Switch. It's a blast.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He has not seen true Mario Kart pain until he plays the head editor in a race around Excitebike Arena. No one can beat Daisy.

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The Odell Beckham Jr Trade is Truly a Game Changer

Well, Odell Beckham is now a member of the Cleveland Browns.

This is stunning to me. I was shocked when I read about the trade last night after I got home from dinner. I kept saying to my wife, what happened. I simply could not believe it. And, it has nothing to do with the fact that Beckham got traded. It has everything to due with the timing and the team. I mean, he just signed an extension with the Giants last year. They went out and drafted Saquon Barkley to pair with Beckham. They signed some O lineman to try and help out Eli. He is so washed by the way. Even Sterling Shepard was starting to step up as an okay number 2 option on that team. Oh, and they drafted that monster tight end from Mississippi State last year. I really thought they were starting to build around him. They were trying to get more weapons so he wouldn't be the only option. All they really needed, at least to be competitive, is a real QB. They could have drafted one this year, had they kept Beckham.

This is a real stunner. If I were guys like Shepard, and definitely Barkley, I would be so very frustrated today. They are going to have to pick up the slack, and then some. And they already are overusing Barkley. Think how much more work he is going to get next season. I just am baffled that they chose Eli over Beckham. Odell Beckham is younger, better and more fun to play the game with. As I said, Eli is washed, the playoff appearances are a thing of the past and he is slower than his older brother. What a dumb decision by the front office.

On the flip side, it looks like the Browns are going for it. At least on paper. I'm not a believer in Baker Mayfield. He reminds me far too much of Robert Griffin. Everyone thought after his rookie year he was going to usher in a new era of the NFL QB. Well, that didn't happen. I feel that Mayfield is now being looked at as the new hot QB in the NFL. But, when you have guys like David Njoku and Jarvis Landry and Nick Chubb, and now Beckham, he has far too many weapons to have a drop off like Griffin did. I feel like I could sling it around for 3,000 yards and hand it off 20-25 times a game and do well with these guys. The Browns also closed the 2018 season solid, and they are looking to build on that for this year. The offense, again, on paper, looks incredibly lethal. They could put up a ton of points. They should be the favorite in their division, and one of the favorites, right now, to knock off the Patriots in the AFC. I'm serious.

The Browns did have to give up a first and third rounder, and Jabrill Peppers, who seems like he is starting to figure out the NFL. I think he may be just as happy as Beckham, because he is back near his hometown. So the Browns did have to give up 2 early picks, and a starter. But, they got one of the best receivers in the game. Beckham is so good at taking slant routes 70 yards to the house. He also has exceptional hands. He is also a matchup nightmare. While he and Landry may be a bit undersized, they can still make plays.

The fact that this is what all the NFL shows and podcasts are leading off with today prove how crazy and spectacular this deal is. I mean. LeVeon Bell signed with the Jets, and I could care less. My Packers signed a ton of new starters, but all I can think about is this Beckham trade. Terrell Suggs is no longer a Raven, but that doesn't matter. This was a big time trade. This made waves. This changes the complexion of the entire AFC. And dare I say, this makes the Browns legit. I mean, WOW. What a move and what a deal.

This is stunning.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He can not think of any trade that would be more of stunner than this. I guess we could always see Jon Gruden trade away newly acquired Antonio Brown for some magic beans. It is a possibility.

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The "Aladdin" Trailer is Unsettling in Many Ways

The full trailer for the live action “Aladdin” came out earlier today. I watched it, and I’m not very excited with the direction. I was hoping I would feel the same way about this trailer as I do about the new “Lion King” movie. I’m pumped to see that. I have very, very little interest in this new “Aladdin” movie.

By now everyone has seen what Will Smith looks like as the genie. It’s creepy as hell. But, I’m a Will Smith fan. I generally like what he does. That being said, he’s made some odd choices lately. But that’s not to say he hasn’t done well in not do good movies. I loathe “Suicide Squad”, except for Margot Robbie and Smith. Smith is actually really solid in that movie. That Netflix movie he made would be unwatchable if he wasn’t in it. I’m not too happy they’re making another “Bad Boys”, probably Michael Bay’s only solid movie, but I bet Smith will be funny in it. But in this new “Aladdin” movie, I feel like his look is going to overshadow his acting prowess. He looks so goofy. His ponytail is absurd. The goatee is off putting. It just seems bizarre. And his singing, it’s as corny as he can be, and he’s quite corny. He was great when he and Jazzy Jeff were just a rap group. But, with stuff like “Welcome to Miami” and “Gettin Jiggy With It”, he turned full cheese. That’s what his version of “Never Had a Friend Like Me” sounds like in the preview. It’s rough.

I will say, the actors they got for Jasmine and Aladdin look like the cartoon characters. But, the acting and singing in the trailer leave a TON to be desired. It’s hackneyed and just not very good. I know it’s easy to make a cartoon character charismatic, but this live action Aladdin is so stale and monotone and just seems boring. I have a bit more faith in Jasmine, except the singing. When they bust into “A Whole New World” in the preview I audibly said, “Yeesh”. I’m no singer, but that classic song sounds like someone doing poor karaoke in a crappy bar. It’s not great.

The best thing about the trailer, the sets look ridiculously cool. Wherever they shot this movie, or if it’s a green screen, this they nailed. It looks like a dessert and a cave and the sky is beautiful. The movie does look amazing. But so did “Avatar”, and I despise that movie.

I guess what it all really boils down to for me, I’m scared they’re going to ruin one of my favorite movies from childhood. Besides “Lion King” and “Home Alone”, “Aladdin” was the movie I watched most. I would do the lines, sing along and talk to all my friends and family about how great the movie was. I fear they will crush that. I think this is going to be like the new “Jurassic Park” movies, which stink. They have made me rethink the original “Jurassic Park”. I don’t want to go through that with “Aladdin”. I wish they would’ve stopped at the animated movie. They don’t need to do this. And, when comparing it to the new “Lion King”, the cast for that movie is ten thousand times better, and it’s going to be live action with voices. They’re using real animals. It’s going to feel much more real than this new “Aladdin”.

I was already on the fence about this movie, and the new, full trailer did nothing to quell my fears. I really, truly hope I’m wrong because I love this story, but I think this is going to be really, really bad. Especially if they trailer is the best stuff they filmed.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is waiting for the reboot treatment of another one of his favorite childhood films, “Hoop Dreams”. Please no singing.

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The Why's of the Antonio Brown Trade

Antonio Brown has been traded. This was going to happen, and even when it seemed like it happened, the whole Buffalo thing, it only took 2 more days for it to actually happen. Brown was traded to the Oakland Raiders for a couple of later round draft picks. And as of a report today, he is going to get a decent raise. All of this leaves me with a good amount of questions.

I think Brown is great. I need to state that up front. He has good hands, gets yards, scores TD and is a matchup nightmare from time to time. But, he is 31 years old. He is now on a team that is being quarterbacked by Derek Carr. He is on a team that really has no other offensive threats. He is on a team coached by Jon Gruden. He is on a team that is about to move to Las Vegas. And he has had one of the weirdest and self inflating off seasons that I can remember. I haven't seen anything like this since Terrell Owens did a workout in his front yard for reporters when he wanted out of Philadelphia. How did that work out for him? Owens was once great, but that was the downfall. That signaled the end of his NFL career.

I simply cannot help but see almost the exact same thing happening for Brown, but on a much worse team. The Raiders were just downright awful last year. The best player they had was Marshawn Lynch, and they didn't feed him the ball enough, and then he got hurt. Also, their coach thought it would be a brilliant move to trade Khalil Mack before the season, then Amari Cooper during the season. Then, this offseason, they hired Mike Mayock, a TV analyst, as their new GM. They also have had a very hard time finding a place to play this upcoming season.

Also, I cannot overstate the fact that Derek Carr is their god damn QB. Look, I loathe Ben Roesthilberger as much as anyone can. He is a scumbag, a diva, a sexual predator, overrated, slow and super old. I want him to go away. But, he is better than Carr. Hell, Josh Allen, the Bills QB, has more potential than Carr. In fact, the other teams named, the 49ers and Packers, to the best of my knowledge, have way, way better QB's than Carr. Yet, after the trade, Brown seemed thrilled to be playing with Carr. He said, and I quote, "it is like love at first sight". What the hell is he talking about.

Now add on the fact that Jon Gruden is the coach. He still thinks it is the early 2000's, and you win with defense and ball control. Also, he's insane. How is Brown going to fit in with that team. And he doesn't really have much help on offense as well. I hope Lynch will be back, I adore him, but he is old too, and got hurt too much last year. Jordy Nelson is trash. Jared Cook is going to sign elsewhere. The O line is not great. And again, Derek freaking Carr is the QB. Sure, I have heard that they covet Kyler Murray, but is he really the answer. He is better than Carr, but he will be a rookie that would get thrown straight into the fire, and even the best QB's in NFL history struggled mightily in their rookie years. Murray is going to struggle too. Just like Sam Darnold and Josh Rosen and pretty much every other rookie QB in the history of the league.

Which brings me to my final point. Brown is 31 years old. While that is not old in real life, that is ancient in the NFL. The NFL is a cold and brutal business, and when you get too "old", they kick you to the curb without thinking twice. I fear, for Brown, this move to the Raiders is going to be his swam song into oblivion. Sure, it will be talked about a ton this offseason, and even when the season starts. But, when the Raiders start to play poorly, which should be week one by my calculations, Brown and Carr and whatever rookies they take and Gruden and Mayock will all be forgotten.

While this move is flashy now, I just see it being all for naught. Brown got what he wanted, but I just don't think it will be worth it in the long run. Oh well, lets see how this all plays out, but I have to say, I think it will be forgotten by week 10, at the very latest.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He wants to remind everyone once again that the Raiders are quarterbacked by Derek FREAKING Carr. Do you all understand now?

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Who is Really to Blame for the Lakers Mess?

The other night LeBron James passed Michael Jordan on the all time NBA scoring list. Good for him. This is a humongous achievement. James has earned it. He is one of the greats, no questions asked. But, when my watch and phone kept popping off about this, I naturally assumed that the Lakers had won their game against the Nuggets, and maybe they were actually going to make that push to get the 8th seed in the West.

That was not the case.

While all ESPN and Bleacher Report could talk about was LeBron's achievement, the Lakers were in the midst of losing by almost 20, and dropping their third straight game, and dropping 6 games below .500. They have been in a freefall since LeBron "activated playoff mode". They are very far out from the 8 seed now, with only 17 games left. They need so much help, and if they were to get the 8 seed, they would get swept out of the first round, and possibly cripple their chance to get AD this summer.

But, all of this preamble is just to say that there is a lot of blame to go around the whole Lakers organization for how poorly this season has played out. But, the most blame belongs to 4 people. We have LeBron, Magic Johnson, Rob Pelinka and Jeanie Buss. Jeanie Buss is trying to play it off like she had nothing to do with the players they signed, saying that management is to solely blame. Well, you are the owner. You hired these 2 guys to run the team. You gave them the keys to the car. You have to take some of the blame. Some of this falls in your lap. You cannot just get off scott free because you are only the owner. Some of the decisions you have made lately have hurt this franchise.

Now, lets look at why I think Pelinka and Johnson are to blame. These 2 had zero history in running a basketball team. They have never had this type of power. Magic is a hall of fame player, a bad coach and a horrible talk show host. What he did best was play basketball. That doesn't mean he can run a team. He proved that with his piss poor coaching, and now he is proving that with how he signs players. And all of the tampering, which I really don't care that much about, he has got to stop being so blatant about it. Don't go on talk shows and wink when talking about soon to be free agents. Don't go on ESPN and openly pine for AD. Just stop. With Pelinka, he was good at being a sub with the Fab Five at Michigan. He was even better as an agent. But, again with the picking of players, he has been atrocious. Why did he think it was cool to go out and sign all these odd vets to one year deals? Did he really think this would work? Did he think LeBron could literally drag a group of guys 20 and under, and washed up vets to the playoffs in the West? Come on man. That is preposterous. That is nonsense. I mean, Lance Stephenson, JaVale McGee, Michale Beaseley and Rajon Rondo were your answers to surround LeBron with? That is so stupid. They should have just kept Julius Randle and D'Angelo Russell. They would be so much better off with the young guys and LeBron. They would have been more fun.

Finally, we have LeBron. I think he deserves the least blame, but he still deserves some simply for the whole handling of the AD trade saga. He let his buddy Rich Paul try to force 2 teams hand, and it backfired in hilarious fashion. LeBron, who has always been a GM and player wherever he has played, also made it so widely known how much he yearned to play with AD. I'm positive he told Magic and Pelinka to offer the farm. He didn't want to have happen happen. He didn't want Rich Paul to fail. He didn't want to fail, and he wanted to get AD. Well, the Pelicans didn't flinch, and it all blew up in their face. Also, LeBron is still hurt, looks disengaged, doesn't try on defense and only seems to expend any effort on offense. He has packed it in. He has suffered the longest injury of his career, and he has let his effect his play. He also didn't get what he wanted at the deadline, and he has openly pouted. All of this has led to the team he is supposed to be leading having another bad year.

The Lakers are going to miss the playoffs. They are going to fire the head coach. They are going to lose a ton of young talent, and they are going to have to start all over again, letting 2 guys that have no idea what they are doing, an owner that doesn't want to take any heat and a 35 year old star player running the team. This will only get worse before it gets better. I don't even think AD will help much, if they get him this summer. I didn't like this move for LeBron from a basketball standpoint, and, at least this season, is making me look right.

While I enjoy seeing the Lakers struggle, I don't like seeing how bad they have been lately. They are a mess, and there is a good amount of blame to be spread out amongst the 4 people I mentioned. I'm very curious to see what they do this summer, and since they won't be making the playoffs, the summer will be here much sooner than LeBron is used to. That is weird.

Ty

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

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Ty Listens to Some New Black Keys Music

This morning I awoke to some wonderful music news. I checked my email, as I do every morning over breakfast, and I was pleasantly surprised to have an email from one of my favorite bands, The Black Keys.

As I opened the email I got even more excited. Today they released their first single since 2014. In 2014 they put out the excellent, and I think underrated album, “Turn Blue”. Since then, Dan Auerbach has done some solo stuff. He opened a studio, with the help of Patrick Carney. He gave some new people a chance to shine. I just learned that Carney had a child with former pop star Michelle Branch. Needless to say, they have both kept busy since “Turn Blue”. But, I was commiserating with my dad the other day that I wanted some new Black Keys music. I even brought up the fact that they may be done. That would have been a bummer, but knowing what I know now, I would’ve understood.

Today The Black Keys shocked me in a good way. After opening the email, I immediately downloaded the song, entitled “Lo Hi”. I could not love this song more. It had every blend of The Black Keys in it. It’s quick and to the point, clocking in at almost exactly 3 minutes. The guitar is fuzzy and distorted perfectly and loud and filled with reverb. The drums are punishingly good and loud too. It’s a groove that only Carney, in my opinion, excels at doing. And the singing, my goodness does it rule. Auerbach has grown leaps and bounds as a singer. I personally prefer the early singing, I like the gruffness, but like any perfectionist, Auerbach has taught himself to do wonderful things with his voice.

I have been listening to this song on repeat since this morning. I went for a run with my buddy, and on our way to the spot, he had to hear it twice himself, and hear me talk about my love for the band. I have shared the URL on my Facebook page and have really pushed for other fans to listen. I immediately told my father, another big fan, to check it out. I cannot get enough of it at the moment. I have also already played it for my daughter a few times, she gives it a thumbs up, and my son has heard it once, and asked to hear it again after school.

“Lo Hi” is a great appetizer to what I hope will be a full new record coming soon. It is classic Black Keys, but with the modern good stuff they’ve gotten into since they worked with Danger Mouse. I’m so stoked. I’m so happy they’re back. I cannot wait to hear more, and when they tour, you better believe I will see them. Go listen to “Lo Hi”, especially if you’re a fan, and I guarantee you will be as happy as I am now. This is awesome.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is still waiting for some new music from rap icon Snow. We need something to compliment the genius of “Informer”

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Drew Magary has Always Been Good. This Week He is Great.

Here is your medal Mr Magary

Today I want to throw some love to one of my personal favorite writers, Deadspin and GQ's Drew Magary. This past week, if fact in the past two days, I have read two of his articles that both speak so loudly to me, and both for totally different reasons. These pieces are truly unique to Magary's style, and I have not been able to stop thinking about either of them.

The first is one he wrote for The Takeout, where he calls out the "mayonnaise bullies". I am a person who doesn't like mayo, and I have never, ever heard the end of it. Everyone always tries to get me to try different kinds, mayo with added flavors, homemade mayo, pretty much any type of mayonnaise. Now, I am not opposed to eating tuna fish or potato salad, but I have my limits. But, I am a person that prefers a mustard or vinegar base. When it comes to things like coleslaw, give me vinegar. And when it comes to potato salad or tuna, I actually prefer a mustard base, preferably, a spicy mustard. Magary touches on the bullying in his piece so perfectly. He talks about people looking at him like he's an alien when he tells them he doesn't like any form of mayo. He talks about how he gets almost yelled at for his dislike. But he then goes into why he doesn't like it. He perfectly explains his distaste for thing, especially at a barbecue, that seem to need mayo. He talks about how restaurants are almost pushers with their need to put mayo on things. One certain aspect he brought up that made me scream, "YES", while reading, was the fact that some places don't even ask, they just put it on sandwiches and burgers. That is so mean and nasty. It is such an unexpected and unwanted surprise when getting something you don't expect to have mayo on it covered in mayo. I cannot get the Wendy's spicy chicken sandwich anymore because of the inordinate amount of mayo they put on it. Even when I ask for no mayo, there seems to be a light schmear of it regardless. It is infuriating. But, it is nice to know that Magary feels the same way I do, and he put it out there for a ton of people to read. I love it, and I agreed with pretty much everything he wrote in that piece.

The recent article Magary wrote for Deadspin spoke to me in a totally different way, but was my push to write about him today. Today he called out Barstool Sports. For the record, I have spent zero seconds on Barstool Sports, by choice, but from what I have gleaned since it was formed, it is a blog spot for the annoying Boston fan base. Oh, and they also like to steal material from people that actually worked hard to create it, only for it to be stolen by some hacks. I have also heard about their culture of cyber bullying, and how poorly they treat women. This is the same company that offered a lady a 50 dollar gift card after stealing her material. That is ridiculous. But, for Magary to go out and call them out, and fully expect to get blowback from their frat boy douche bag fan base, I applaud him. The fans of Barstool Sorts are meatheads on Rob Gronkowski's level. They are younger versions of Bill Simmons. They are the type of idiots that voted for this current government. They are mean and nasty and hide behind screen names. I loathe Barstool Sports. So does Magary. He called them out so perfectly. He talked about all their problems since they were formed. He talks about the cyber bullying, even citing certain incidents. He put up videos of the horrific Portnoy, the guy that started the site, basically shaming anyone for saying he was stealing from them. Barstool Sports is for morons, and Magary made that very clearly known. They don't know anything about sports, outside of Boston. They stink and they are rude. I liked this article so much because he really did put himself out there to be ridiculed, but he could care less, which will only further upset the morons that will say mean things to him. He wrote the piece with no fear, and again, I felt like applauding him after reading it. It is a truly great piece.

Drew Magary is a great writer, who isn't afraid to take chances and shake things up, and I respect the hell out of that. I, obviously, highly recommend these 2 pieces. But, beyond that, I recommend everything Magary writes. The dude rules and I cannot wait to read what he writes next.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He may hate mayo, but sriracha, Ty puts that stuff on everything. It is the bomb.

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Johnny Manziel is a Waste of Our Time

Not to be wasted

Johnny Manziel was recently released from his CFL team, the Montreal Alouttes. This should not be surprising to anyone reading this. This kid clearly peaked in college. And, while he peaked with a Heisman trophy, I was wondering aloud to my dad earlier today, has there been a bigger waste of supposed talent in the NFL? I know about guys like Jamarcus Russell, Ryan Leaf, Steve Etmann, Tony Mandarich, the list could go on and on. But, these guys never won the Heisman. Some played in major bowl games, but never won the title. Some played in other big games, but they were often bested.

Manziel on the other hand was a blur when he was a sophomore at Texas A&M. I mean, I never liked him, but the dude was a very good read option QB. He made plays. He beat Alabama, and he was the youngest Heisman winner ever. He then tumbled in the NFL draft, due to questions about his off field activities, and landed in Cleveland.

This was when it all started to go downhill. He struggled to start over career backups. His teammates didn't seem to care much for him. His coaches seemed to have little faith in him. And his demons, alcoholism and never being told no, really started to creep up. When he did play, he was highly ineffective. He was too small to see over the line. He threw too many errant passes, many resulting in interceptions. He wasn't faster than most D lineman. And he just didn't seem to care about the game. He didn't put in the hours. He would rather party than hone his skills and make himself a better player. Again, this goes to his never being told no, and always being told that he was the best. He never had to struggle, until it was too late. At one point it seemed like he was, at least on the surface, trying to get help. But, he had already been cut by the Browns, and no other NFL wanted to touch him, for good reason. He was damaged goods, had bad off field problems and his play was lackluster.

After failing to be signed by any other NFL team, he spiraled again. I felt absolutely no sympathy for him. This was his second chance, and he totally blew it because he would rather drink alcohol and go to clubs. He did this all to himself. He made himself an unsignable free agent. His family tried to help, but he didn't even listen to them. Manziel is a selfish punk who never really learned his lesson, and he was finally paying for it.

Yet another chance came his way,. A few years back, the CFL wanted to give him a shot, what seemed to be his last. And, just like his rookie season in the NFL, he was bad. I believe in his first CFL game he threw 4 picks. He completed less than 50 percent of his passes. He only saw the field in blowouts. Watching him in the CFL was almost sad. Almost. This just further proved that he was never really an NFL caliber player. He was now in the CFL getting beat out by guys that were never even a thought as a NFL draft pick. And then he went and did something, it has not been confirmed exactly what, that not only voided his contract with the Alouttes, but with the entire CFL. He cannot play for a single team in that league. I mean, this dude won a Heisman, and he threw it all away when the going got tough for him. He finally had to prove himself, and instead, he just did something else that made him get cut. He shot himself in the foot again. He couldn't handle the fact that he is not as good as he thought.

Now, he is reaching out to the AAF, a league I do not think is viable, just to try and get a workout. That is rough. He has fallen so hard, so fast and I couldn't care less. He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, never had to work hard until he was playing the game with guys better than him, and when that got too hard, he finds ways to get himself cut, but blame it on someone else.

Johnny Manziel is a waste of talent. He is a waste of a roster spot. And when he doesn't make an AAF team I will feel exactly nothing for him. Hell, I wouldn't even be surprised if he doesn't make it in the XFL. Johnny Manziel is now a footnote, and it is just going to get worse for him from here on out as long as he continues to screw up and try to play semi pro football. Johnny Manziel is a joke.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He used ot think of Johnny Clipboard being equivilant to a one hot wonder in music. Then he remembered that those musicians actually had a hit, and worked damn hard to get it.

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RIP Brody Stevens

Last week another comedian that I like took his own life. Brody Stevens died by suicide at age 47.

Stevens always seemed to be very upbeat, a force, when he performed. I remember the first time seeing him on TV was his Comedy Central show, "Enjoy It". This was basically a documentary style show, that showed Stevens life as a warmup comedian, and just stand up in general. This was also the first time I remember thinking that he may not be completely there mentally. He definitely showed a lot of his demons on the show. When he would talk about his career, in an open and honest way, you could see and hear the depression ringing from him. But, throughout the one season of "Enjoy It", I always left the episodes thinking, he has a great group of supportive friends, so I think he will be okay. Clearly, he wasn't.

Even after "Enjoy It", I found myself actively seeking out his stand up material. I would watch hours of his stuff on YouTube, and it was always great. I would go back and watch him in small roles in movies like "The Hangover" and "The Hangover 2". He famously would say during stand up sets, "I was in The Hangover 1 and 2, and I got cut out of "Funny People". It was a great way to take a swipe at himself, but also get a laugh from the crowd. I was also a big time fan of "The Meltdown with Jonah and Kumail". He did warmup for that show, and even did a phenomenal set one time. He just seemed like the stand up's stand up. Everyone seemed to love him.

After the news of Stevens death last week you couldn't go on Twitter or Facebook without any number of famous comedians or actors talking about what a great guy he was, and how greatly he will be missed. This is the ugly side of depression and mental instability. At any moment, it can turn you into a nightmare. This is clearly what happened to Stevens. As I said, he had a wide range of friends, all of which seemed more than willing to help him out. A big part of "Enjoy It" was how much Zack Galifinakis cared about him, and how much he was there for him. Sarah Silverman always seemed willing to lend a hand, or even an ear just to let him vent. The Sklar brothers were very clearly close to him, and they have just seemed shattered by the news. I mean, there is not one single comedian I have heard from that hasn't said anything but nice words about Brody Stevens, and this was even before he died. I was listening to "Doughboys" from last week, and Mike Mitchell, Nick Wiger and their engineer Emma told just wonderful stories about him. Jonah Ray keeps sharing a famous GIF of him and Stevens. Comedians from all walks have been sharing great stories about how awesome he truly was.

This is sad. This is right up there, at least for me, when Harris Wittles died over 4 years ago from a drug overdose. Why does this always seem to happen to comedians? Is the sad clown thing really this true? I just cannot imagine the pain he must have been dealing with to take his own life. Like I said, on his show he seemed like he was taking the right steps towards getting better. His stand up was always so positive and funny and riveting. He was always on when a camera was around. Go look at the pictures Steve Agee has been posting since his death. Stevens was always ready for a funny photo op.

Brody Stevens is very, very missed. This is one of the sadder things, involving someone I don't know, that has happened in awhile. I have not really been able to shake his death yet. My only regret, I once saw Stevens at the Denver Airport, about 5 years ago, and I was so star struck that I was too afraid to just go say hi and tell him I was a big fan. I'm sure he would have been totally cool and nice about it, but I was so in awe of him. He was larger than life, and just being a fan, I am really going to miss his comedy. For his friends, I feel so bad for them. This is rough. Seriously, if you are in a bad place mentally, just talk to someone, anyone. You will find at least one person that can help you out. I wish Brody Stevens had done that. He may still be around if he did. Rest in Peace you beautiful comic genius. You are missed.

Ty

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

Need Help? Call the National Suicide Prevention hotline 1-800-273-8255

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Why Bryce Harper? Why?

The Bryce Harper saga is finally over. He’s going to the Phillies for the richest contract in the history of sports, I believe. He’s getting 330 million dollars over 13 years, with no opt out clause for the entirety of the contract. That’s insane. All of what I just wrote is nuts. That’s so much money to play a game. That is such a long time, especially nowadays, to stay in one city. And the fact he has no opt out clause, he can only be traded if the Phillies decide they want to trade him. It’s all wild.

On a personal note, I don’t think Harper necessarily deserves this contract. He is a good baseball player. I’d even say he’s a star. But, for a guy that doesn’t watch a ton of baseball, I’d take guys like Mike Trout, Kris Bryant, Giancarlo Stanton and, most pitchers, before I’d give this contract to Harper. Yes, he’s won an MVP, and he has a cannon arm, but what else does he offer? He’s never been out of the first round of the playoffs. He gets injured a ton. He can be a headache. He’s been choked by a teammate. He held a few teams hostage during negotiations. It all seems a bit too much for him.

Then we have the Phillies. Why did they do this? Is he really their ticket back to contention? Is he the answer to all their problems? Is he really going to win over the fans instantly? I really don’t think so. Besides Jake Arrieta and now Harper, I can’t name a single player on their team. Also, isn’t their division about to be owned by Atlanta. I’ve heard they’re super young, and they were in the playoffs last year. I don’t see them going anywhere. I’m sure he will help their lineup a bit, but I don’t even think he’s a career .300 hitter. I know the potential is there, but he hasn’t lived up to it yet, and I’m counting his MVP year. I think the fans are happy now, but the moment he goes into a slump, or gets hurt, both are very likely, they will turn. I mean, the fans have thrown batteries at opposing players, and people dressed like Santa. They’re ruthless. He’s had it fairly easy in D.C. That will not be the same in Philadelphia. This whole thing is very confounding to me.

I feel like Harper had better options from better teams. I’ve read about the other offers, from the Giants, Dodgers and Nationals. All those teams, except the Nationals, have won or have been to the World Series recently. To me, Harper and his agent took this deal strictly based on money. Harper wanted to be the highest paid player. Scott Boras, his agent, wants a cut of that money. This was all about cash. This wasn’t going to a better team choice, it wasn’t about staying in the NL, it had nothing to do with being close to his hometown of Las Vegas. This was strictly due to money. And that’s fine. But, I don’t want Harper to say in his press conference that he’s there to win titles. He’s not.

To close this out, by the time his contract is up, my son will be 20 and in college. My daughter will be 16 and driving, and my wife and I will be one year away from being 50. This is bizarre and nuts in every possible way. It’s great he got all this money, I just don’t think it’s worth it for him or the Phillies. Especially in years 6-13. This is wild.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is holding SeedSing up on contract negotiations because he is waiting for more years from another blog. Do you hear that Michigan Football blogs, Ty is listening.

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Who is Really to Blame for the Boston Celtics Mess?

The Boston Celtics clearly have a problem right now. There is something going on with the chemistry. The guys on the team don't seem to really like one another. It seems as if Jayson Tatum is all but ready to be traded this summer. Kyrie Irving looks fed up. It just seems like a real mess. That being said, they are still in the thick of the playoff race, with, most likely, home court advantage in the first round. But, while all these other guys are taking heat, especially Irving, I want to pose a question.

That question, why is this all Kyrie's fault? What about Brad Stevens, and the Boston sports fan base's white hope, Gordon Hayward? Why do they never, ever seem to get any of the blame? The people that defend Hayward may say the typical stuff, he's coming off a gruesome injury, he needs time, and no one has come back the very next season after a brutal ankle injury like the one he suffered. I will give you all of that. But, he is taking away critical minutes from younger guys that are much better than him, and proved that in last season's playoffs. Jaylen Brown, Tatum, even a guy like Terry Rozier, played lights out during their run to the conference finals last year. This season though, their minutes have dipped because the coaching staff feels like they need to work Hayward back because they seem to think he will be integral to them in the playoffs. He won't. He is still hurt, and he is playing scared. He doesn't attack like he did before the injury. He isn't as good a shooter as he was in Utah. He doesn't take games over. He looks like he is playing scared. And even when he has a "good" game, it is nothing special. I didn't think he would be the "answer" they were looking for when they maxed him out 2 years ago, and that was before the injury. He just isn't the same guy, and he is not letting younger, stronger and better players get the minutes they rightfully earned last season. If I were Brown, Tatum and even a guy like Semi Ojeleye, I'd be pissed that Gordon Hayward was taking crucial playing time away from me. He isn't washed yet, but he is starting to look like he may never be the same player he was while in Utah. He, right now, is playing scared. I personally think it is hilarious because dumbass Boston fans were thinking they were getting the next Larry Bird. Hayward isn't even the 6th or 7th best guy on that team.

This leads me to Brad Stevens. Stevens up to this point has earned a pass. He coached this team up real well since he has been there. He got an influx of talent last year, lost guys to injuries and still made the conference finals. But this was supposed to be the year that he finally started to take over the East. LeBron is gone, Hayward was coming back from injury and Kyrie was back to full health. He also had all that young talent gain meaningful playing time because they were thrust into it last year, and they were the presumed top team in the East. Even after Toronto got Kawhi in a trade everyone said the Celtics were better. Even with Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons coming into the year at full health, the Celtics were considered the better team. Even with Milwaukee getting a new head coach, and the continued growth of Giannis, Boston was still considered the best team. All of that was due to what Stevens had done up to that point.

Well, and I believe I even questioned this going into the season, we have gotten to see how he coaches a team that have a super star, and a supposed super star. He has had it rough. His lineups are odd and kind of crazy. He doesn't seem to know how to stagger the minutes. He is trying way too hard to insert Hayward into the lineup. Terry Rozier is barely seeing the court. Marcus Smart was only recently put into the starting lineup, and he is one of the best perimeter defenders in the league. It shouldn't take a top tier coach that long to realize that. Jaylen Brown has regressed due to minutes being cut. And like I said at the top, Tatum seems all but ready to leave, and that kid is on his way to becoming a star. I attribute all of this to Brad Stevens. If he wants to be mentioned in the same breath as guys like Greg Poppovich or Steve Kerr or Mike Budeholzer or Nick Nurse or even Mike Malone, he needs to learn how to coach a team with multiple super stars. That is how you win in the modern NBA, and he is struggling mightily with that right now. Tatum wants out. Irving definitely wants out. And I wouldn't be surprised if guys like Al Horford and Jaylen Brown and Terry Rozier leave in the offseason.

Every sports journalist talks about, "what happens if one of the top 4 teams in the East loses in the first round, what happens to them then", and I can only think of that happening to the Celtics. It would bring me great joy to see them get bounced early, and then to see what happens. But, while Kyrie is taking the brunt of the criticism, I feel like that is a bit unfair to him. He has won a title, been to two other finals and hit one of, if not the, biggest shots in NBA history. Gordon Hayward has never been out of the second round, and Brad Stevens, while making one conference finals, has never been put under the microscope like he is getting right now.

The blame needs to be spread out around that whole team, and Hayward and Stevens should be seeing the most right now, in my opinion.

Ty

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

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Sour Patch Candy Cereal is an Abomination

no, no, no

In my home I do the grocery shopping. It is my duty as the at home parent, and quite frankly, I find it very relaxing. I like to go through the aisles. I like to find deals. I look at is as a bonding experience with my daughter, and son before he started school full time. I have written how opposed I am to the whole idea of getting groceries delivered, or ordering them and picking them up. I just genuinely enjoy the whole process of grocery shopping.

That being said, especially when I have my kids with me, I see and hear about some gross food. For example, my son loves Hot Pockets. I personally think they are gross. Both my kids love Gatorade. Not me. That stuff is so underwhelming. My kids pick out some of the weirdest and wildest candy that I have ever seen. Sometimes they get those enormous lollipops that takes days and days to eat. There is any number of just ridiculous or straight up gross things that my kids desperately want to try.

But, last week I think my son might have found the grossest thing ever. This is the equivalent of "Dr Pimple Popper" when it comes to food, in my opinion. When my son does come to the grocery store with me, which is not so often since I go on Monday, and he is in school, he likes to troll the cereal aisles. He loves to have cereal for breakfast, and I too, when I allow myself to eat it, enjoy a good bowl. My son loves really sugary cereal too. He and I both adore Cinnamon Toast Crunch. My daughter really likes it too. Both my kids love Fruity Pebbles and Fruit Loops. They don't like Cheerios, but they like the flavored Cheerios. Stuff like Honey Nut and whatever kind of sugary substance they add to it. They like Frosted Flakes as well. I usually let them pick one flavor each week for breakfast. This past Monday was my son's turn. This was the one and only time I overturned his choice. He told me, with a straight face, that he wanted Sour Patch Kids cereal.

First off, why is this a thing? Who decided that they wanted to take Sour Patch Kids, which are a fine movie snack, and nothing more, and turn it into a cereal? This is so foul. This is so gross. This is the nastiness of nasty. I truly do not get why this idea was green-lit. I asked my son why he would want something so upsetting, and he told me, and I quote, "it will be chewy like Sour Patch Kids, and then I get to drink the sour milk!". He said this with glee. I mean, sour milk is always looked at as a bad thing, and my son is asking for it. Then, how does this flavor combo even work? Like he said, "it will be chewy". I don't want my cereal to be chewy unless it has raisins in it. Raisin Bran is the only time that I will willingly eat a chewy item in my cereal. But raisins, while sweet, aren't sweet like Sour Patch Kids. They also aren't sour. I just don't get that part of the whole equation. The goal, at least according to their ad campaign, is for the candy to be sour, then sweet. How is that appealing in a bowl of cold milk. And for those of you that are going to come at me and say, "well gummy worms are good in frozen yogurt", first, no they are not. They get way too hard. Second, gummy worms don't have a sour element, unless you are specifically buying sour gummy worms. And then I definitely wouldn't want those in my frozen yogurt, and definitely not in my cereal.

The whole idea of Sour Patch Kids as a straight up candy is fine. But, when you put it in cereal form, it just gets completely lost on me. It is one of the foulest foods I could imagine. I would rather eat a bowl full of olives, and I despise olives, than a bowl of Sour Patch Kids cereal. I'm hopeful that this cereal will go the way of others that just didn't work because I do not like denying my kid food. But, in the case of Sour Patch Kids cereal, I will say no EVERY single time. That is gross.

Ty

TLC has Gone too Far with "Dr. Pimple Popper"

No, no, no

My wife and I watch a good amount of reality shows together. I never used to watch many, save for "The Real World", prior to meeting her. She has turned me onto these shows. They are trashy and goofy and ridiculous and I simply cannot find myself looking away. Hell, I even go as so far to pass judgement on the people that are on the shows. I have many opinions on other MTV reality shows like "Teen Mom" and "Teen Mom 2". I have let it be known how I feel about "16 and Pregnant". I enjoy a good cooking competition show. I also like stuff like "Trading Spaces". I truly think it is a very unique show.

Recently my wife has really gotten me into the plethora of reality shows that TLC has to offer. Now, TLC used to be good for teaching a lesson, or teaching me something new that I never knew before. But, much like MTV, TLC has totally changed their lineup. They are now focused on stuff like people getting married to people they met overseas on a show like "90 Day Fiance". I, no bull shit, enjoy the hell out of that show. It is insane and hilarious and wacky. The people are wild. The stuff they say is absurd, and I love every minute. I also enjoy all the off shoots they now have of "90 Day Fiance". Stuff like "Before the 90 Days", and "Happily Every After?" are just as much fun. I also find myself fascinated by shows like "Seeking Sister Wife". That show has me totally flabbergasted the whole hour, and I have so, so many questions when it is all over. I feel like that is their goal, and they nail it. Also, after reading books about the LDS church, and seeing a play like "Book of Mormon", I find that whole "religion" hilarious. So, to see these wackos talk about being in a plural marriage as "God's plan" makes me crack up every time.

Lately TLC is really staring to push the limit for what I can see before I get physically ill. One day I saw my wife watching a show on TLC called "Sex Sent me to the ER". While I thought it would be a laugh riot, it was more terrifying than I could have imagined. People getting stuff stuck in other stuff, or being attacked, or passing out or any manner of craziness that could happen, happened, and it was so scary.

Then, one night while eating dinner, I had to ask my wife to turn off a show on TLC called "My 600 Pound Life". This show is about people that weigh close to, or over 600 pounds, all due to their food cravings. I like food as much as the next person, but the way they showed these people get this heavy was upsetting. To see all the food they ate was outrageous. And to see them eat it all, that made me sick. I could not eat my dinner when she watched it. I told her that I thought I was going to get sick. She thought I was joking. I was not. This show made me ill. It was just so upsetting and gross, I couldn't handle it. I still cringe when she turns it on during the weekend.

But the other night I think she finally found the GROSSEST thing on basic cable. She had Monday off of work, and she couldn't fall asleep on Sunday night. So, she turned on TLC and a show called "Dr Pimple Popper" was on. Now, I had seen this lady on "Tosh.0" when I still watched that, and her little segment on that made me sick. But, what I saw, for maybe 5 minutes, made me really, really think I was going to throw up all the food I had eaten that day. This doctor has a gift of removing pus filled pockets that people have on their bodies. But, the way they show it getting done on the show is nuts. The poor people on this show too, I felt so bad for them. They have lived with these random pimples and pocks and just, again, pus filled sacks, usually on their faces. I saw Dr Pimple Popper pop some stuff on a lady, she had a bunch of bumps on her eyes, and it made me sick. I mean, just typing it is making me sick. So, after I saw that I told my wife I couldn't watch anymore. I rolled over in bed and just listened. And then the worst thing I could have imagined happened. Apparently a guy had a big boil on his forehead, and when Dr Pimple Popper popped it, she said, and I quote, "it looks like mashed potatoes that had too much water added to them". Oof magoof. That is DISGUSTING. Even my wife, who legit enjoys that stuff, said it was one of the most disgusting things she had ever seen. I feel like I have a pretty high tolerance for gross stuff. I have no problem with gore and horror stuff. I don't mind it. But "Dr. Pimple Popper" is a whole other level of nastiness. I honestly do not know who this show is for. I don't know who sits around and waits to watch this on Sunday nights. It is the grossest thing I have ever seen on TV, and I hope to never watch it again. I have no problem with what this doctor does, in fact, I applaud her for helping people. But, I do not ever want to see it on my television ever again. It is crazy.

I do not recommend “Dr Pimple Popper”, unless you want to be completely grossed out. It is nasty.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is all about learning about not knowing your pregnant, tiny houses, and any other of life’s important problems. Weird bodily fluids, that is not what Ty wants to learn about.

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Ty Does Not Watch the Oscars

As per usual for the last, I’d say 5 or 6 years, watched zero seconds of the Oscars. I have a computer and an iPhone, so I can check who won later that night, or the next day. I chose the next day this year, and I have to say, I was a bit shocked.

Now, I need to disclose up front that I have only seen 2 of the movies that were nominated, “BlackKlansman” and “Black Panther”. I much preferred “Black Panther”, but that’s neither here nor there. Also, I did see “Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse”, which definitely earned its Oscar, and I also saw the Pixar short, “Bao”, which was heartbreaking yet wonderful. Outside those, I saw nothing. But, I do read and hear things by public personalities and journalists that I enjoy. I heard all the lukewarm stuff towards “Bohemian Rhapsody”. I heard about the craziness that is “The Favourite”. I heard about the apparent snooze fest that was “Green Book”. I saw the, quite frankly, rough reviews of “Vice”. I’ve heard nothing but great things about “Roma”, and I have exactly zero interest in ever watching any iteration of “A Star is Born”.

My basic knowledge, and hope, was that “Black Panther” would win all the awards. Of course, it did not. That’s not to say it didn’t win anything. I’m pretty sure it won 4 statues, for stuff like costume design and whatnot. But, in my opinion, it should have won best picture, director, actor and all actresses awards. Since “Sorry to Bother You” got no nominations, and totally overlooked, “Black Panther” was my ride or die movie.

Since my favorites didn’t win any of the “major” awards, I was interested in who, and what, won. First off, I’ve never heard the song “Shallow”, but I already am sick of it. “All the Stars” should have won, or any one of the brand new Coup songs from the “STBY” soundtrack. But I digress. I’m totally done with “Shallow”. Secondly, when on earth is Spike Lee going to get his much deserved Oscar? I’m sure Alfonso Cuarno did a fine job with “Roma”, and I’m sure I’ll like it when I see it, but Lee is well overdue an Oscar, and while I thought “BlackKlansman” was just okay, Lee did a wonderful job directing it. By all accounts, best supporting actress was Regina King’s to lose. And, she won. That’s great. As far as Mahershala Ali going back to back for supporting actor, great. I’m just not so jazzed by the movie he won it for. I’m very stunned that Glenn Close didn’t win best actress. Everyone claimed that she was as much a shoe in as King. Well, Olivia Coleman won. And while I have every intention of seeing “The Favourite”, I like the weird stuff that director does, it was still a shock that Coleman won. This one seemed assured. I feel like this is when the show went off the rails. While I think Rami Malek is a fine actor, and will be for a long, long time, how did he win every big best actor award? I mean, “Bohemian Rhapsody” has so many problems, be it with the fudging of facts, the way they barely touch on Freddie Mercury’s sexuality and the scumbag of a director, this movie should have been doomed. Oh yeah, it also got crushed by critics. But Malek still won best actor. The crop was weak, maybe they should have put up LaKeith Stanfield and/or Chadwick Bosman or Michael B Jordan, but still, I cannot fathom how Malek won. The academy clearly just wants to keep giving the award to people that do impressions of famous people. That’s lazy.

But the biggest blunder of last night has to be “Green Book” winning best picture. Again, I was pulling for “Black Panther”, but I knew it wouldn’t win. Honestly, I thought “Roma” was the presumed winner. And if not “Roma”, I figured “The Favourite” would win. I never, ever thought “Green Book” would win. Like I said before, the movie seemed like a slog, Ali looked like the only good thing in it, the story is old and boring and the past stuff with the director and writer, lookup old tweets and flashing of genitalia, should have put the nail in its coffin. Or so I thought. Hell, even “Bohemian Rhapsody” might have been a better choice. This one is as puzzling as when “Crash” won. Maybe even more so. This is very, very confusing to me. I don’t know what the academy saw in “Green Book” to give it best picture, but they totally whiffed. This is a big time misfire.

Last night’s Oscars is why I’m glad I don’t waste three plus hours of my life watching these award shows. I mean, “Green Book” shouldn’t have even been a nominee, outside Ali. This is a baffling choice, and I’m sure this “win” will go down as one of the worst choices ever. This was bad, and the majority of the show, from what I’ve read, seemed like a mess. Oh well. I’m going to go watch some good movies now, like “STBY”, or “Teen Titans Go! To the Movies”, or “Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse”, or “Best F(r)iends”. Peace.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is aware that Spike Lee did win an Oscar for Adapted screenplay. He also does not think it makes up for the Oscars Spike did not win for “Do the Right Thing”, “Malcolm X”, “He Got Game”, “The 25th Hour” and any other film from the best director of his generation.

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The NBA has a Superstar Sensitivity Problem

Recently, while listening to all the NBA podcasts I do, I have found myself being a bit irritated at how sensitive some star players in the league have become over the past decade. Now, I have to say at the top, I have no ill will for these guys wanting to go win titles, get paid and have fun playing the game. While I may not like "super teams", and I think the money is absurdly high among all professional sports, again, I have no problem with these guys doing what they want to do. They're human and allowed to lead the lives they want to live. But, I also think they should know, or at the very least expect, that they are going to be in the spotlight, and that a good amount of people are going to root against them for doing such things, and then going to the media, or their front office, to complain or demand a trade.

This irritation for me it all started with the Kristaps Porzingis trade. When it happened I was flummoxed. I wrote about it. I trashed the Knicks. But, about a week after the trade stories started to come out that Porzingis went to the front office and griped about the direction of the team. He complained that he had no help. Okay, fine, but have you played all year Porzingis? In fact, I don't think you've played a game in almost 2 years. So, while you want to be on a competitive team, that needs to start with you actually playing. You can moan and groan all you want, but you aren't even playing. In fact, I'd like to see you go a full season without getting hurt just once. Then, if you do that,, and lead a team to a conference finals, go ahead and complain all you want. Until then, don't yearn for things when you haven't really proved anything yet.

Then the Anthony Davis trade demand came out. I have been highly critical of this. This was done all wrong. From Davis' demand while still under contract for the rest of this season and all of next season, to Rich Paul leaking it to Adrian Wojnaworski before Davis could tell the Pelicans front office, to the handling of the Lakers offer, it has been a cluster. This has been a disaster all around. A GM lost his job over this. Davis, who up until now was beloved, is almost becoming a villain. When he did come back from his "injury", the Pelicans fans booed him. Then he decided to leave a game after trying to block a shot, and left the building, with Rich Paul. Now, he is going to be on LeBron's show, "The Shop", and he is also talking about his love for all things LA. He is handling this awfully. He is going to get traded to some team not in LA, other teams can offer so much more for the Pelicans future, and I blame it partially on him. He is talking to media, but saying stuff like, "all 29 teams are on my list", or, "I just want to win". Sure, that may sound nice, but the "29 teams" thing is a slap in New Orleans face, and the winning is nonsense. He wants to be in LA, and he wants to play with LeBron. If he just came out and said that, I would respect him so much more. But no, he is trying to be coy.

Then we have KD's endless fight with the media and journalists. Prior to the All Star break he chided a journalist who simply asked him about his impending free agency and New York. A very simple, non threatening question, right? Well, KD took this way, way too seriously and painted a very broad brush basically saying that all journalists are out to get him. KD needs to calm the hell down. Ever since he left the Thunder to ride on the Warriors coattails, he has become a curmudgeon, and it doesn't fit him. He is a hell of a player, one of the greats, but his whole "heel" turn is off putting. I mean, the journalist was just doing his job. If anyone should understand that it should be a guy like KD. He has changed so much, for the worse, since he signed with Golden State.

Then we have the Kyrie Irving interview yesterday of him chastising another journalist that simply asked him about the video that leaked of him and KD talking in the tunnel during the All Star game. Now, I do think people are making far, far too much of a video of 2 buddies talking, but for Kyrie to say that "you guys are making the league not fun" is a little much. Again, this person is just doing their job. You'd think, just like in KD's case, he would understand that. But nope, he just went off and said some crazy stuff. He is a super star, and the media is going to ask him questions like this. That is how they get people to come to their websites and read their stuff. While you think you may be winning, and knocking that person down a peg, you are actually helping them by going off like that.

Then last night I read a headline that said that James Harden is upset that his peers are critical of the way he plays the game. Newsflash Harden, you are a bore to watch. Again, you are a magnificent scorer, one of the best ever, but the way you do it is a slog. You foul hunt. You slow the game down. You shoot too many free throws, and you gripe to the officials too much. It is so boring to watch. You are my least favorite player to watch, and I know for a fact that I am not alone. A lot of people do not like to watch you play, and that most definitely includes your peers. Get over it. You are great.

It is frustrating to hear these multi millionaire super star players gripe about people calling them out for their sometime childish behavior. I mean, do you think Jordan cared what his peers or journalists said? How about Charles Barkley? Or maybe Hakeem Olajuwon or Shaq? They didn't give a shit. They just went out and played. Hell, there are even current stars that could care less what the media or other pro players say. Look at Russell Westbrook. He could care less what anyone thinks of him. Or Jimmy Butler. I may not like the way he handled his exit from Minnesota, but he never chastised the media for the way they handled it. In fact he did an interview for ESPN and Rachel Nichols on exactly why he wanted out. Joel Embiid doesn't give one shit what the media or Russell Westbrook says about him. Kawhi Leonard just continues to not talk, and that may be the best way to handle all this. And then we have Giannis. Could this kid be any cooler? Could he be more loved? Could he be more fun? Giannis is the best for so many reasons. He loves to play the game, he is a great interview, his teammates and the front office love him, and when questions of his impending free agency in 2021 come up, he takes the Kawhi approach and is silent. These are the dudes I respect. These are the dudes that handle it correctly. 

That is the point of my old man ranting. Some of these young star are far too thin skinned. They need to get over it. We need less Kristaps or KD's and more Kawhi's and Giannis' in the league right now. They know how to deal with all this stuff so much better.

Ty

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

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It is Time for Zion Williamson to Retire from College Basketball

I, much like most of the country, tuned into the Duke-UNC game last night. I have no rooting interest in either team. In fact, I loathe Duke, and I can give or take UNC. I usually do not care less about this game.

But last night was different.

I tuned in to see Zion Williamson.

I have watched this kid here and there all season long, my longest look being the Virginia game a week or so ago. But last night, like I said, everyone was watching. They took a camera around the arena, and I saw people like Ken Griffey Jr, Spike Lee, and most notably, President Barack Obama. They were all there for the same reason I tuned in I suppose, Zion. This kid is the talk of college basketball. He is a highlight reel. He usually does something spectacular. He is going to be the first pick in the NBA draft when he leaves after this season. He was the reason that the ticket prices were rumored to be in the 5 figures last night. I know there were other 5 star players in this game, but none of them can hold a candle to the supernova that is Zion Williamson.

Then, 33 seconds into the game, he ripped through his shoe and sprained his knee. He did not see the floor after that.

And then Duke proceeded to get housed.

That game was rough for the Blue Devils from the start. They got beat in every single facet. The blowout even furthered my opinion that the Fab Five is a much better group of freshman because when one of them got injured, or in foul trouble, they rallied around each other. Zion being out 33 seconds in, and then Duke getting beat by 16 points, proves that this current Duke team is a one man team, and that man is Zion. They go as he goes, and when he is out, they struggle.

But, more to my point, the NCAA is a travesty, and the NBA needs to fix the whole "one and done" thing. I have despised "one and done" forever, making it very clear here at SeedSing. The NBA needs to do what the MLB does and let these kids get drafted right out of high school, and if they don't get picked, then they have the option to go to college for 2 years before getting back in the draft. As of right now, Zion has a "mild knee sprain", is the best case that Duke and the NBA could have hoped for. But still, he has a knee injury. That is rough, especially for a kid that is playing college basketball for free, while making his school, and his coach, millions upon millions of dollars.

I have heard a lot of people on podcasts and TV today give their take on what they would do if they were Zion Williamson, and I am no different. If I were him, I would not suit up for another game the rest of the season. This has nothing to do with my hatred for Duke, or the fact that I despise "one and done", this has to do with this kid's earning ability at the next level. As I said, he is a supernova, and he is in very, very high demand. He is going to make huge bank when he gets in the league. He is going to sign a major shoe deal. He is going to sell tons of jerseys and he will be a big time get for endorsement deals. But right now, all he is doing is possibly injuring himself and making zero dollars. I'm sure he enjoys playing college ball, and dominating. He is a beast. But now, after what happened last night, I personally think he should just shut it down.

I know it is hard to tell an athlete that they cannot play. But, the NCAA is a viciously flawed company, and the way they are taking advantage of this teenager is gross. Now I don't know if he is going to be a star. He could be the next Shawn Kemp or Charles Barkley, or he could be the next Sam Bowie. He is a very big dude, both in height and weight, and knee injuries are tough to get back from. So why risk further injury playing basketball for free. I talked to my dad and told him that I am sure Zion is being taken care of someway, but his big time, for real payday, is coming, and coming soon. I just don't want this kid to really hurt himself by playing in college. College was a waste for him. I heard Boogie Cousins talk today about his experience with college basketball, and he called it bull shit. I totally agree with him.

So Zion, think about your professional future and your earning potential. Shut this nonsense down. You do not need to play college basketball anymore. You have already proven yourself and then some. Shut it down and get ready for the pros. It is the best thing you could do.

Ty

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

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Ty Watches, and Loves, "Uncle Drew"

I finally saw the movie "Uncle Drew", and I absolutely loved it.

Now, before I get blasted for liking this movie so much I want to say that, I know it was not your traditional good movie. It was cheesy and hokey and crony and silly and a whole lot of fun. I read some reviews after I watched it, and for the writers saying it "lacked realism", or "was filled with non actors" or "clearly a kids movie", I have to say, shut the hell up. We all know that it wasn't real. I mean, the movie was based off a Pepsi commercial that first appeared like 5 years ago. It was all made as a joke. This was a vehicle for Kyrie Irving to dress up in old man makeup and school young basketball players on famous street ball courts.

As far as the kids movie thing, so what. A lot of great movies are "kid" movies. I had "Teen Titans Go! To the Movies" as one of my top movies of 2018. That is a kids movie. So are some classics like "Toys", "Wall-E", "The Mighty Ducks", "The Lion King", "Bambi", I could go on and on and on. But the difference, the critics all loved the childish nature of the other movies I just mentioned, yet they trash "Uncle Drew". It makes me so upset that this new age of movie critics, most of them are younger than me, have no imagination. Now I know that I have been called out for a lack of imagination because I don't like the TV show "PJ Masks", but that critique I wrote was in jest. I was just tired of watching that god damn show. I know my kids love it, and I know it is goofy, but it is also a cartoon. "Uncle Drew" is not a cartoon, so the younger critics feel like they need to knock it down a few pegs. What they really need to do is chill the hell out.

The thing that irked me the most was the whole, "there's no real actors in the movie". First off, Lil Rel Howery is a great comedic actor. I enjoyed every second of him in this movie. Tiffany Haddsih is also great, and she has become somewhat of a critical darling. Nick Kroll is funny as hell. But I think what the major critics were trying to do was call out Kyrie Irving, Chris Webber, Nate Robinson, Lisa Leslie, Reggie Miller, and to a lesser extent, Shaquille O'Neal. But my major blowback to the people that said "no real actors", no shit. These guys are former pros, or current pro basketball players, and now some of them do commentary. Like I said at the top, this whole movie was based around a commercial where Irving clowns other basketball players while dressed as an old man. "Uncle Drew" wasn't going to be awards bait. It wasn't made to teach a real lesson. It wasn't going to be a coming out party for anyone in it. It was made because it was fun. It was also made for people who truly love the game of basketball.

Take away the smaller stuff I really enjoyed about the movie, the preacher and church scene with Webber and Leslie is great, the stuff with Shaq was hilarious, as I said before, Lil Rel was excellent. But, the pure basketball, and the love for the game of basketball was front and center. I think that is why I love this movie so much. I feel like it was made specifically for someone like me. Someone that likes old school basketball mixed with new school. Someone that likes to hear actors say lines like, "that is why I still play, because I love the game", or, "you miss one hundred percent of the shots you don't take", or when Shaq calls Irving "KOBE" at one point because he won't pass the ball, or when Lisa Leslie destroys people with her inside game. It was so much fun to see the best of the best show their stuff. The basketball in this movie was pure. It was akin to the football in a movie like "Friday Night Lights", or the baseball in "Major League". It looked and felt real. I assume they really were playing, and I love that.

"Uncle Drew" is a fun movie that is pure joy for big time basketball fans. I applaud Irving and Webber and Reggie Miller and Nate Robinson and Shaq and Lisa Leslie for going 110 percent and totally buying into their roles. I love this movie so much. My hat is off to "Uncle Drew".

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. When it comes to movies about basketball, Ty will also defend “Eddie”, and “Like Mike”. He will not defend “Juwanna Man”. Ty does have some limits to the basketball movies he likes.

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