Tim Tebow is Still a Jackass

For a long time I was one of the people who thought a college scholarship was more than enough for student athletes. I figured, they get their school paid for, and they are campus legends, at least some of them.

That was when I was a stupid teenager, and didn’t understand, or turned a blind eye to, how universities treat these kids. The athletes, especially the top tier ones, are abundant money makers to the school they go to. I was devastated when Michigan and the Fab Five were sanctioned and had to give up all those wins and Final Four berths. But, with adult eyes, and hearing the Fab Five guys talk about their struggle, I don’t blame them. Michigan, my favorite college for those of you that may have forgotten, sold Chris Webber’s jersey and made millions off him and the rest of those kids. That’s wrong on so many levels. Hell, look at that Duke-UNC basketball game in Durham last year. Former president Barack Obama, god I miss him so much, was front row, tickets were going for upwards of 10,000 dollars it was reported. And while Duke, and Coach K, profited off that, the guy everyone was there to watch, Zion Williamson, got none of it. I’m sure he was taken care of, like Webber, but nothing near what that one game netted both those colleges.

This goes on everywhere. All universities, with big time athletics, takes advantage of the athletes while the coaches and schools rake in millions upon millions of dollars. So when this recent bill in California, to let players profit from their name and image, was brought up, and then passed, I was stoked. I thought, finally these kids will get what they deserve. Yes, a scholarship is nice, but as I said, the athletes make so much more than a scholarship provides.

But, for some unknown reason, I found myself watching “First Take” on ESPN this morning, and I watched Tim Tebow give some dumbass speech about how bad it is to pay student athletes. He went into some diatribe about playing for the “name on the front of the jersey”, and now, “it’s all about me, me, me”.

First of all, he should have profited off all the jersey sales of his Florida jersey, but that’s neither here nor there. This whole speech was the epitome of white privilege and “back in my day” mentality. I’ve made no bones about how I feel about Tebow. I don’t like him, I didn’t think he’d last in the NFL, and even though he made it much further that I thought, I figured the baseball thing was a way to keep his name in the news. But for him to give this speech on national TV, and chastise kids for wanting to profit from their name and image, was just asinine. Like I said, this was white privilege at its best. Tebow didn’t need money or anything when he was in college. I’m sure he came from money, and money has never been a problem for him. He’s seems like a silver spoon kid. Well Mr Tebow, 99 percent of the population isn’t as lucky as you are. Jalen Rose could’ve used some money in college. He had a very rough upbringing. Same for guys like Randy Moss and Jason Williams, the White Chocolate one, not the murderer. I’m sure there’s a good amount of Alabama players that just look at their time in college as an unnecessary stop until they get to the NFL. Why can’t they try and make money when, by NFL rules, they have to go to college? Former Michigan running back Karan Higdon had a daughter while in college. I know how expensive kids are, and I bet if he were able to profit off his jersey sales he would’ve jumped at that chance. I’ve heard countless stories about kids going to college as a way out of their rough neighborhood or upbringing. Why can’t they get some extra money when a school sells a jersey with their number on it?

I found Tim Tebow’s speech vulgar, disgusting and short sided. He’s never had to do anything real or tough. He’s never had a hard day in his life. So why does he think he gets to be the voice on an issue like this, I will never understand. He would’ve been better off working on his hitting than going on a TV show today to trash student athletes trying to profit from schools, and coaches, taking advantage of them.

Tim Tebow disgusts me, and if I hear him speak one more time on this issue, it will be one time too many. Tebow is a poser, I’m sure he voted for the current government and he is the epitome of white privilege. He just needs to go away, and never speak on this issue ever again. What a jackass.

Ty

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

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Daniel Johnson, An Original Like None Other

Yesterday I heard the news that Daniel Johnston had passed away.

This made me pretty sad. I became a fan of his about 10 years ago when my brother showed me the documentary "The Devil and Daniel Johnston". Seeing this movie intrigued me so very much because of how odd he was, yet how much I could not take my eyes off the screen when he was talking or performing. Daniel Johnston is most definitely an acquired taste, but I acquired it immediately.

After seeing the movie I dove deep into his music catalog. And it was as oddly intriguing as I was hoping it would be. Johnston, as stated in the movie, was a self taught musician, and it showed. While not super proficient on guitar, he could play enough to write a song, and man could he write. His lyrics were so profound and sad and emotional and relatable and weird and just flat out good, at least for me. His music was something I had never heard before, and his voice, and upon hearing it in the movie, I found myself very much into.

When listening to all of his music, I started to learn more and more about him and how influential he was to many musicians that I was listening to at the time, and that I still listen to today. I was a big time Conor Oberst and Bright Eyes fan, and Johnston was a big time influence on him. I have been known to listen to Wilco and Jeff Tweedy, although sometimes I feel like a punk when I do, and Johnston was humongous to them. Even a band like TV on the Radio, who I adore, appeared on a cover record of his, and claim him as someone that gave them the courage to go out and perform.

That was the main thing about Johnston. Any short comings other may have perceived him to have, he didn't care. He would go out and perform constantly. He didn't care what people said, he just went out and played. That takes courage. And, as I said, he was one of the first people from the Austin scene in the early 90's to go out and do his thing. He even got himself a spot on MTV, when they still showed music videos, and that was a big time boon to his career. With this success came problems, but I feel like he had these problems all his life. If you listen to his music, you can hear the pain and fear and schizophrenia that he fought his whole life. Sure, he spent time in a mental hospital, but after coming out, he made some of his best music. And that was the thing, he was always writing. He never stopped. He had so much to say, and when he found his platform, he used it to the best of his ability.

Daniel Johnston was a true original. He was one of a kind. He made so much music, and I am grateful that I have it to listen to for the rest of my life. The only thing that personally bums me out, I had a chance to see him on his last tour, but family stuff came up and I had to miss it. Now I will never have that chance again. I wish I could have gone, but family comes first. As for now, I will miss Johnston and his seemingly never ending writing and music. I have been listening to him ever since I heard the news, and I feel like I will be listening to it for a good long time. I will miss Daniel Johnston, and a lot of other people will too. The music world has lost a true original artist. RIP

Ty

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

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Should We Worry About Team USA Basketball?

It was bound to happen one way or another, and probably sooner rather than later, and this team felt like the one it would happen to, but Team USA got beat very early this morning by France, and they will not medal in the 2019 FIBA games.

This is the first time in a very long time that USA will not win gold, let alone any medal. I believe I heard that this was their first loss in 58 games. Even when they didn't have that good of a team, well, good but not cohesive, they got bronze. This team though, they won't even come home with that. They will get zero medals of any kind.

This is sad, but not all that surprising. I did think, even though every great American player decided to skip the FIBA games this year, that Team USA had more than enough talent to win out. I mean, Kemba Walker is an All Star. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have the potential to be stars in the league. Myles Turner is one of the better bigs in the modern NBA. Harrison Barnes has played in these games before. He has the experience. Joe Harris can shoot threes. Marcus Smart is one of the best defenders in the NBA. Derrick White had a great playoffs last year, and looks like he can become a viable starter in the league. I mean, the team was filled with NBA players, and they have some talent. But, when they had to go to overtime to beat Turkey, and Australia beat them in a scrimmage and they didn't really hammer teams like other USA squads did, this loss felt almost inevitable.

I thought, if anyone was going to beat them it was going to be Serbia. But, they blew their semifinal game a day earlier. Don't get me wrong, France has some good guys, guys that have legitimate NBA talent, but Team USA should have won. Yes, France has Nic Batum, Frank Nkilitina and Rudy Gobert, but not much else. I thought this game would have been close for a half, then the talent USA has would win out, but it didn't. They got beat, and they got beat pretty soundly. It didn't help that Kemba missed 2 big time free throws, and players were late on switches and France knows each other so much better. But still, USA should have won, and they should have won gold.

Again, I know that this was like the G squad. If this team had just one of LeBron, AD, KD, Kyrie, Damien Lillard, CJ McCollum, James Harden, Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul, DeAaron Fox, I could go on and on and on, they would have coasted. But they didn't, and they were scrambling just to keep guys on the final roster that they settled with. This was a poorly constructed team, but a lot of that is due to players dropping out. But you know what, I don't blame the super stars for pulling out. We are talking about FIBA. This isn't the Olympics, and when the 2020 games come around, I would be shocked if Team USA is in a similar bind trying to get guys to stay. LeBron will most likely play, I'd imagine, if healthy, KD would come aboard. I'm sure Kyrie will want to play. Same with James Harden. Team USA in the 2020 Olympics will look so much different, and better. But, this if definitely an upset, and should shock a lot of casual basketball fans.

Bottom line, with the caliber player they had, USA should have won, and should have won easily. But they didn't, and they won't win anything of note at the FIBA games. What 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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2019 NFL Quick Hits: Week 1

With week one of the NFL 2019 season officially in the books, I want to do some quick takes on what I saw yesterday and Sunday. Also, I am still pissed off at UVerse for getting rid of the RedZone Channel. What a crock.

Anyway, there were some surprises, but mostly, the first week went pretty much like I thought. We started off Thursday night in Chicago, with the Bears playing my Packers. The game was an ugly slugfest, featuring something like 13 punts, but Green Bay made Mitch Trubisky play QB, and that is how you beat the Bears. Trubisky showed zero signs of growth this offseason, and the revamped Packers defense made him pay. The Bears were also tremendous defensively, as expected, but Aaron Rodgers had one good drive, and that was more than enough for a solid opening night road win.

Then we were barraged with games on Sunday. I want to start with the thing that surprised me most, and that was the Browns getting absolutely crushed, at home. I wasn't as high on them as others are, but I did not expect them to make Marcus Mariota and the Titans look like world beaters. The Browns were undisciplined, 19 penalties I believe, unprepared and seemed to buy into the hype. I know it is only one game, but good god did they look bad, especially Baker Mayfield. He needs to stop talking and work on his game. He was atrocious. And props to Delani Walker for talking his shit. His team crushed the Browns, and he let them know it.

I was happily surprised by what I saw the Ravens do. Lamar Jackson was incredible, and he had the quote of the day saying, "not bad for a running back". For those that may not know, Jackson is a QB, and he had a day. He went for over 300 yards passing, and threw 5 TD's. I know it was against the Dolphins, and they have a whole slew of problems, but still, those are impressive stats. The Ravens had 42 at halftime.

Carolina and the LA Rams had a fun, close game. The Rams looked good, as they should, but so did Carolina. After a slow-ish start, Cam Newton turned it on, and Christian McCaffery is the real deal at running back. I know the Panthers got beat, but after the way they started, I am impressed by how they finished. Also, Todd Gurley might still be a bit banged up.

RD's Vikings put the clamps on the Falcons. I think it helped that their d was up to task, that Dalvin Cook was the focal point of the offense and that Kirk Cousins only had to throw 10 times. They mashed the Falcons, and if the Vikings play like this all year, I would feel very good with my pick for them to win the division. They need to lean on Cook and that defense.

The Chiefs looked as good as they did last year. It took Patrick Mahomes all of three passes before he had his first TD of the year. They were cruising so much that he even tried his no look pass. He missed badly, but who cares when you already have the game in hand. I do feel bad for the Jaguars because they seemingly lost Nick Foles for the year on a beautiful TD pass. He broke his collarbone, and that probably ends any hope of them getting back to the playoffs.

The Eagles started off very sluggish, but they were playing Washington, so it didn't matter. I do want to give props to Vernon Davis for his incredible catch and run for his first TD of the year. But after that, Philly took over. It was nice to see Desean Jackson play so well also. He's always been one of my favorites.

The Bills and Jets played a meaningless, and as boring game as the Packers and Bears did, and Adam Gase did what he does, and blew an opportunity for an easy win. Nice comeback by Buffalo, but it was against the Jets. Who cares.

The late afternoon games weren't much different. The Chargers and Colts had an exciting game, and that Malik Hooker one handed interception was amazing. The way the Colts played in that game makes me think they could still push for the playoff. And the Chargers didn't look like they missed Melvin Gordon all that much.

I was pulling for RD's other team, the Bengals, but they just couldn't eek out that win over the Seahawks. Seattle was also not very good in that game. They still have no run game, and their receiver talent is lacking. Clowney looked good though.

The Cowboys hammered the Giants, and I really hate to say this, look like they could be a real threat if this offense plays like they did on Sunday. Also, Saquon Barkley deserves so much better than being on the Giants. That dude is awesome.

I had forgotten the 49ers and Buccaneers played each other. I think that says all I need to say about that game.

We had our first tie of the season in the Detroit-Arizona game. That game featured 3 hellish quarters for Kyler Murray, and then a spectacular fourth and overtime. He looked great at the end. I also want to apologize to my family members that are Lions fans. You guys shouldn't have to watch a team that is so poorly coached. The Lions should have had this game in the bag, but Matt Patricia and crew really blew it late.

The Sunday night game was a rout, but I expected that. Pittsburgh got worse this offseason. Say what you will about Antonio Brown and LeVeon Bell, but they were the best guys the Steelers had, and without them, they showed how rough this year could be. Also, I guess I should revise my Super Bowl pick because the Patriots decimated the Steelers, and they also added Antonio Brown after the Raiders released him. They are the Golden State Warriors of the NFL.

The 2 Monday night games were fine. Well, the Saints and Texans was super fun actually. That game was back and forth, and if the Texans had a real head coach, they would have won. Deshaun Watson and Deandre Hopkins are amazing, and so much fun to watch. But, if you give Drew Brees, Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara a sliver of hope, they will take it and crush you.

The final game of the night was Oakland and Denver. Talk about 2 teams going nowhere fast. Sure, the Raiders won, but so what. Denver has an amazing defense that will be wasted by their horrific offense. And the Raiders, congrats on getting a win. Also, Josh Jacobs looked like the real deal. He did that to a legit NFL defense.

Those are my thoughts on week one. We shall see how the season will play out from here, but if I were a betting man, I would put a good deal of money on the Patriots repeating. God that was painful to watch, and realize.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He doesn’t understand Bengals football like the head editor. A one point loss is the highlight of the entire season here in Cincinnati.

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What the Hell Happened to Michigan Football?

I'm going to save my NFL week one takes for tomorrow because we still have 2 Monday night games to be played tonight. I want every team to play before I give some very early, very quick takes.

That being said, just real quick, I do not understand why AT&T UVerse decided to get rid of the NFL Network and the RedZone Channel. I do not like to watch single NFL games, and the RedZone Channel was totally commercial less. This is crazy, and makes me not want to watch any games, except the Packers. This is a dumb move, and this whole streaming wave is taking away good channels from us poor schmucks that still pay for cable. Just needed to say that. It was a very frustrating realization yesterday when I tried to turn on the channel.

Now that that is out of the way, I want to get to my topic for the day.

I am a big time Michigan fan. You all know this. I have lived and died with this football team as long as I can remember. And, as you all know, I was very, very high on this particular team coming into this season. I liked their defense, even though they lost 4 key starters, and I was very hyped for their new offense, and offensive coordinator. And while some people were disappointed in their week one win over Middle Tennessee, I found reasons to be happy. They made a ton of mistakes, but they still scored 40 points, looked faster and won that game going away. In fact, 2 of MTSU's touch downs came on very short fields due to fumbles by the QB and punt returner. It was easy for me to overlook that performance.

This past Saturday felt different though. Now, I am not going to go all doom and gloom like a ton of people I saw doing on Facebook and Twitter after their win, yes they did win. But, I do have some questions and concerns after needing double overtime to beat Army this past Saturday. I watched this game very nervously. I even stated on our football preview pod that this game would show me a lot about this team. Army is a good football team. Don't get that twisted at all. They went 11-2 last year, took Oklahoma to overtime, and crushed pretty much every other team in their way. Just take a look at their bowl game last year. I don't remember who they played, but I believe they scored close to 70 points and absolutely dominated that game. Army is solid and disciplined. I even pointed them out as a non power 5 team to watch this season. So I do not want to take anything away from them. They run the triple option to near perfection, they play sound defense and they play all the way to whistle, and sometimes even after it. They're good. I could see them easily winning double digit games again this season. But, Michigan shouldn't have struggled like they did on Saturday.

First and foremost, and this could become a very, very big problem, they are not securing the football. Patterson waited a little bit longer this week to fumble, but he still fumbled on Michigan's first offensive possession, and that led to Army's first TD of the day. He has been way too loose and uncharacteristically flippant with the ball. He is holding it like a loaf of bread and he is getting striped with ease. He should spend the entire bye week working on ball security. He also seemed a bit off with his throws all afternoon. He was either a little to high, or way too hard with the ball. He looked good on slants, but that was it. He missed open receivers deep and checked it down far too often. I don't think they need to change QB's like a lot of other people are saying, but Patterson needs to be better. He is a senior, they are running an offense that suits his skills and he needs to be the leader that this team has not had since Chad Henne was their QB. I loved Denard Robinson, but Henne was their last real, reliable QB.

I really liked what I saw from freshman back Zach Charbonnet. He had 33 carries, ran for 100 yards and scored 3 TD's. Yes, he did fumble too, but he is a teenager, and he was playing in his first real test of a football game. He was the rock for this team, and they needed him because they were so sloppy. But, the fact that it took him 33 carries to get 100 yards has me rethinking the o line, which I thought was a strength. The o line looked sloppy, missed blocks and never really opened up any big time holes for any of the backs. They need to gel much better. People can point out the Andrew Steuber injury, but he was the only new starter, and the backups should be ready no matter what. The o line has got to get better. Hell, I will heap praise on Charbonnet again because he was the best pass blocker they had on Saturday. Army blitzed a ton, but every time Charbonnet was in their, he picked up his man.

I thought the receivers and tight ends were solid, they just didn't get enough chances. Michigan threw the ball over 20 times, but with the way the pass game was working, it should have been closer to 30 or even 40 times. Their wee big gaps in the zone defense, and when Patterson had time, he was hitting Nico Collins and Nick Eubanks and Ronnie Bell with ease. Bell was great by the way. Next to Charbonnet, he was the best player the Wolverines had on the field Saturday.

When I look at their offensive performance overall, it was sloppy and a poorly called game. They shouldn't have scored anymore than 7 points with the calls they called all afternoon. I know, and I really want to believe, that Harbaugh was not going to be involved with the play calling. I want to believe that Josh Gattis is getting his much deserved shot to run this offense on his own. But Saturday felt a lot like the end of last season, and when John O'Korn, Brandon Peters and Wilton Speight were running the offense. This felt like Jim Harbaugh was overriding some calls, and trying to force the run game. Again, Charbonnet had 33 carries. Not since Mike Hart in 2007 had one running back had so many carries. And some of those run calls on fourth and short, out of shotgun mind you, were baffling. I like what Harbaugh has done in his 4 plus years, but the one thing that irks me is how stubborn he is with his offensive play calling. This just felt like Harbaugh wanted to push the ground game, no matter what they consequence, and how poorly it was, or wasn't, working. The Wolverine offense looked very sloppy, predictable and stubbornly called. It was very frustrating to watch this team, with all the speed and weapons they have, seemingly try to hammer the run game no matter what.

The defense, at least in my opinion, did really well. They held Army to one of its lowest total yards in a good long time. They forced some fumbles. Levert Hill had a critical interception late in the third quarter that really helped Michigan in the long run. They only got gashed on an outside run once, and that resulted in 0 points for Army. The d line did a solid job of making the fullback work. My biggest frustration with the D on Saturday was their inability to put Army in third and fourth and long situations. With the caliber player Michigan recruits, and plays on the field, they should have been able to slow Army down even more than they did. This game was going to be close, but the defense could have given their offense more chances if they were able to play a little more disciplined on some of Army's very long drives. But, I will say that the defense bailed Michigan's offense out. Without their performance, Michigan would have been beaten soundly.

Moving forward from here I have a couple thoughts about the rest of the season. One, Army is good. I have stated that plenty. I also think Michigan, especially being a top 10 team, is not as good as myself, and others, thought they would be. They are not going to be able to be this loose with the ball, or try to force the run game, when they play Wisconsin in 2 weeks, or when they go to Penn State, or when MSU comes to Ann Arbor or when the University of Ohio State comes to Ann Arbor as well. Michigan has a very tough schedule, and it is only going to get tougher and tougher as the season goes on. There are no more gimmes on the schedule, if there were any to start with. This team needs to clean up the messes, and start to play with some urgency and intensity if they want to be taken seriously. And Josh Gattis needs to have full control of this offense, and if he does, he needs to open up the playbook. I haven't seen the whole "speed in space" that was promised in the offseason. Start utilizing the skills of the skill players, pepper in Charbonnet here and there. Give him 16-22 carries a game, not 33. And the o line needs to step it the hell up. Also, the defense needs to tackle better.

Michigan is 2-0, and ranked 10th in the country, but right now, that feels very hollow. They need to clean this up, and they need to clean it up in a hurry. The season is going to get more and more real for them in the coming weeks. Time to see if they are really ready to play modern college football offense, and keep having a top 10 nationally ranked defense. It is clearly put up or shut up time in Ann Arbor.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. The Head Editor is imploring Michigan to get their stuff together. It is early September and Ty does not need this heartburn all season.

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Popeye's Has Won the 2019 Chicken Sandwich Wars

I was able to get myself a chicken sandwich from Popeyes this afternoon.

I pulled up to the restaurant around noon, there was a line in the drive thru, I waited it out and ordered my spicy chicken sandwich. I felt like I got a golden ticket when the employee gave me my bag. As stated, I got the spicy one because I prefer spice to no spice. Also, I had a choice of plain mayo, or spicy mayo. I opted for spicy. I was so excited to eat the sandwich that I texted RD, told him I would call him shortly to record the pod because I wanted to eat it in the car on the way home. I pulled out of the drive thru and got stopped at a red light.

This is where I opened the sandwich, and it was like angels singing. It looked as good as I thought. It also looked very simple, as expected. It had that beautifully buttered bun that I was hoping for. The spicy mayo was simply slicked on the top part of the bun. There were 3 pickles, all perfectly sized. And the chicken had that golden crust and looked amazing. It was also piping hot, which is another feather in its cap.

The first bite was nearly euphoric, at least from a food standpoint. It was everything I was hoping for, and so, so much more. It was a perfect bite. I was able to get every piece of food on the sandwich in the first bite. And it ruled. The bun was great. It was totally worth the carbs. The pickles were crunchy. The spicy mayo had the kick I wanted. And the chicken, my goodness was in masterful. The crust that Popeye’s has on that chicken is wonderful. It had that great spice rub that I love so much, seemingly, on every nook and cranny. It crunched when I bit into it as well. The inside was so juicy and so tasty. I kid you not, it looked like water was running off of it because it was so juicy. From the first bite to the last, all of which took me less than 5 minutes to eat, it was tremendous. The crust, which I do like, wasn't overly coated on the chicken. It was a light breading, and being that I am a low carb eater, I appreciated that fact. It put the chicken forward, and the chicken was great. Not only was it juicy, but it was flavorful. It had that perfect bite to it, and I loved it. The pickles, even being on a hot sandwich, still had that crisp that I look for. They weren't sad and droopy like you see from other fast food restaurants. It was a pickle chip, and it tasted like it was straight out of the jar. The spicy mayo was such an added extra kick of spice that I really enjoy. It gave the sandwich even more zip, and it was so good. It was a very nice compliment to the sandwich. And that bun, man was it buttery and delicious. While it wasn't as good as their biscuits, it is the next best thing. It was perfect.

I had high expectations going in, and Popeye’s not only met them, they exceeded them. This is now, without a doubt, the best fast food chicken sandwich out there. Hell, it may just be the best chicken sandwich I have ever had. Popeye’s is always good, and this sandwich is another much deserved feather in its cap. If you can get one, and it is very hard to do so, I highly recommend it. I don't know that anything will come close to this sandwich in the fast food world. I loved Popeye’s before, and now I love them so much more.

What a great, great sandwich.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Now that Popeye’s has perfected the chicken sandwich, Ty is looking for the perfect wing sauce. Buffalo Wild Wings is leading in the clubhouse with a sauce new to Ty but old to the rest of the world.

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"The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild" is Overrated and Boring

So I kind of have what some may see as a hot take today. Well, at least for people that play video games, today's topic will be a hot take.

I have stated many times on the site and pod that I am not much of a gamer. I loved the NCAA Football games, Madden is okay, NBA2K is fun, but super hard, and Crash Bandicoot was very fun, to me. Other than that, I didn't really play much of anything on a consistent basis. Sure, I play NBA Jam from time to time, Super Mario on the original NES is cool and Sonic, the original game, is way fun. But my knowledge stops there. I find video games to become boring very quickly and, if it is too hard for me, I just stop playing almost immediately.

My wife and son on the other hand love video games. They play together and they figure stuff out and it is a great bonding experience for the both of them. My wife is also very patient and very good at video games. She understands that some of the games she plays takes time and effort and she is willing to put that time in when she can. She has beaten Mario Odyssey. She plays Mario Kart, which I find pretty fun too. She plays older games on an old GameCube that we have in our basement. She was so awesome at Guitar Hero that, after I bought it and then got crushed by her, I gave it away because I knew she was instantly better than me.

Recently her and my son have been playing The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild on the Nintendo Switch. This is where my hot take comes in video game fans. I think that Breath of the Wild is the most boring video game that has ever existed. Now I need to say, I have not even tried to play the game. But, that goes into why I think this game is so god damn boring. I do want to heap a little praise before I go in on the game though. First off, it is beautiful. It might be the most interesting looking games I have ever seen. It looks incredible. It also seems like a smart person's game. It looks like you need to have some certain level of intelligence that I just don't have to play this game. And my wife loves to play it, while my son loves to watch, and try and help. That is all the praise I have.

Now to the hate. I find this game so incredibly boring. My wife will play, and I will desperately try and find something, anything to do so I don't have to watch. It is not that I don't want to spend time with her, there is no one I would rather be with, it is just that watching her play the game is the equivalent of watching paint dry. She will go around the crazy villages in the game and talk to a bunch of randos and nothing will ever happen. I'll ask what she is doing, and she will say she is gathering information for missions. That is like a foreign language to me. I don't get it. Another problem I have with the game is how long it can go on. We got the game as a gift, or my son did, fro his uncle about a month ago. Since then my son has played, if I had to guess, about 10 hours total. My wife has, and this is a liberal guess, played over 24 hours total. She will sit down and say she is going to play for an hour or so, and that will turn into an hour and a half, or sometimes 2 hours. She will say she has to find a save spot, and that can take upwards of 20-30 minutes. Even she will get to a point, when she can't find a save area, where she says she has to "call it". She always asks me to hang out and watch her play, but I simply cannot do it anymore.

I don't know if I have made this clear enough, but I simply do not get the appeal of this game. I do not understand why everyone loves it, and why it is so beloved. Am I wrong? Am I a hater? I really don't know because I don't get it. I know that I am getting old, but I don't feel like I am a curmudgeon when it comes to video games. At least not yet. And I know that my wife will sit around while my dad and I watch football, and I really appreciate that, but it is not the same commitment as a video game like Breath of the Wild entails. College football lasts about 3 months.

For all I know, my wife and son could be playing this game well into 2020. Time will tell. But all in all, I have little to no love for this game. None at all.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is wrong about this one. Breath of the Wild is awesome. The Head Editor has already played through it once and going through again with the added DLC. Link gets a motorcycle. What the hell is wrong with you Ty.

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Thoughts on the Chicken Sandwich Wars of 2019

So, I feel like I need to weigh in on this whole chicken sandwich boom that is going on right now.

There are few foods in life that I enjoy more than a fried chicken sandwich. First off, I love fried chicken, especially when it is boneless, and cooked properly. You need that crispy skin and juicy chicken to make it work as well as it does. But I also like the bun. I like that it is buttered, that it has pickles on it, and for a non mayo person such as myself, I like just a touch of it on a fried chicken sandwich. I have had many of these sandwiches at many different spots. I've eaten them at nice restaurants, at joints, at dives and at fast food places. Hell, I have even had them homemade by friends and family.

What I want to focus on mainly today are the big three chains duking it out right now. I do need to say, right off the bat, I have not had the Popeye's Chicken one yet, but I fully intend on having it, if they are still selling them. Side note, I saw a local commercial that said they still have them, so I still have a chance, albeit slight. First though, I want to talk about Chik Fil A.

For many reasons, all of them personal, I do not eat at Chik Fil A. I despise what they stand for. I loathe that they have been so outspoken with their asinine religious beliefs. I don't care how good the service may be, I do not want to go to a place that has said the things that the people that work within Chik Fil A have said in the past. They live in the stone ages, and the fact that they don't see love as love is nuts. Chik Fil A has so many outside problems that I, and a big portion of my inner circle, will not go there anymore. But, I have had the chicken sandwich, when I did buy food from there. And, it is tasty. They have the bun that I mentioned, the pickles and the chicken is solid. But, they put way too much mayo on the sandwich. Also, I think Chik Fil A is overrated. I think people have such low expectations that they come out happy if they get their order right. It is no better than McDonald's or Burger King. Also, McDonald's and Burger King don't come with the homophobia that Chik Fil A does. So while the sandwich is fine, it is not even near the top of my list. It is no better than what McDonald's does honestly.

Now the Wendy's spicy chicken sandwich is out of this world. It is one of my absolute favorite fast food meals on the planet. I think if I let myself binge eat one day, I could take down 4 or 5 of them no problem. What I like so much about Wendy's sandwich is how spicy it is. This thing burns, in a good way. They have a great spice rub that takes this sandwich to the next level. I also appreciate the fact that they not only give you pickles, but they also have lettuce and tomato as well. They do put an inordinate amount of mayo on their sandwich, but it is easily scrapable. Also, it helps to quell the spiciness a little bit. Wendy's has absolutely nailed it as far as the spicy fried chicken sandwich goes, in my opinion. Right now they are number one, for me, and it isn't even close. No other fast food chain can touch Wendy's in this department.

Which leads me to Popeye's. I feel like the moment I eat their version of the spicy fried chicken I will have a new number one for a few reasons. One, I adore Popeye's. I will take their fried chicken, and sides, over any other fast food place that specializes in chicken. They have the best spice blend, and their chicken is, by far, the juiciest I have ever eaten. Two, I like the practices of Popeye's. They seem to be on the level, they can compete with the big guys, and their commercials are fun as hell. Third, I appreciate the gumption to go out and make one to challenge other places that thought they cornered the market. Like I said, they have the best fast food chicken, so why not make a rival sandwich. Finally, the sandwich looks simple, yet perfect. All the pictures, and commercials I have seen, show a very simple, very solid sandwich. They have the buttery golden bun. They have the pickles. They have an option of regular or spicy mayo. And they have that beautifully fried piece of chicken. The commercials make my mouth water. The pictures look tasty as hell. I don't just want, I need, to try one of these sandwiches. I fully intend on having one this week, and believe me, I will write a follow up.

I just felt like I needed to chime in on this new food debate because it is such a hot topic right now. And I literally cannot wait to try Popeye's version. I hope they still have it when I go this week.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He, along with occasional contributor Tina S, have already talked about the Burger Wars. Ty has his thoughts, and so does Tina.

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What in the Hell are the Texans Thinking?

This past Labor Day weekend featured one of the more wild trades I have seen go down in the NFL in my lifetime. While it doesn't have the name recognition that the Khalil Mack trade had last year, it was still pretty nuts.

And no, I am not completely talking about the Jadeveon Clowney trade to Seattle. But, I do want to touch on that real quick. This was a very lopsided trade, in favor of the Seahawks. I cannot believe all they had to trade was a few guys that they were going to cut and a third round pick for Clowney. Clowney is a top notch defensive end, and that is such a light return. Clowney is going to make Seattle a solid defense again, and may even make them a possible contender. He doesn't do as much as Mack to the Bears did, but still, the Seahawks got a top tier defensive lineman for next to nothing.

I want to talk about what the Texans did the very next day. This will stick with me for a good while because of how insane a deal they pulled off, in not such a great way. The Texans, one day after trading Clowney for peanuts, gave Miami what seems like a million first round picks for Laremy Tunsil and Kenny Stills. The amount of picks the Dolphins got for these 2 guys is akin to what the Thunder got this offseason for all the trades they pulled off. I have zero doubt in my mind who won this trade, and it is the Dolphins by a good long mile. Look, Tunsil and Stills are solid players, but they are not worth that amount of picks.

The Texans essentially mortgaged their future because they think they have a window for a title now. They don't. I think the Texans are good, and I like that they got a solid tackle to help protect Deshaun Watson, and another receiving weapon in Stills. These 2 guys will help the Texans do exactly what they did last year. They will win 10 or 11 games, the AFC South, and most likely, have an early-ish exit from the playoffs. The Texans, even with these moves, are still not on the same level as the AFC's top teams. The Patriots are still better. The Chiefs are much, much, much better. I still think the Colts can contend with the Texans in their own division because they have a good, young defense. I think the Ravens are just as good, if not better, than the Texans. And, if they somehow beat the Patriots or Chiefs, and make the Super Bowl, the NFC has so many teams better than them right now. The Rams, Saints, Bears, Vikings, Seahawks and maybe even the Packers, in my opinion, are all better than the current roster the Texans have. I get that they most likely heard the talk last year about how they could not protect Watson, and that Clowney wanted out and wouldn't sign the franchise tender. But these were some poor decisions made by the front office, and Bill O'Brien. This should prove to anyone who may still think that he is a solid coach and evaluator of talent that maybe, they were wrong. Bill O'Brien has not done anything of note really in the NFL, and yet he is given carte blanche by this franchise to make these horrible decisions. Why? What has he shown to them that they trust him so much with the future of this team? I want them to be good because I really like Watson and Deandre Hopkins. But, a guy like O'Brien is just there to seemingly blow it up.

Like I said, I think the Texans will be fine, but not of note now, or in the near future of the NFL. These trades were odd and kind of dumb, but that is Bill O'Brien for you. Oh well.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Ty usually thinks that NFL trades are some of the most boring and pointless sports things ever. Except for that one time.

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SeedSing Classic: It is Time to Repeal and Replace Capitalism

Every Labor Day we revisit the failure of capitalism. Now more than ever the destructive narrative of capitalism is on display with the criminal greed being seen in our corporations and government. 

The post originally appeared on September 7th, 2015.

What do we really celebrate on Labor Day? History says that the day started as a reaction to the Haymarket Massacre in 1886. The deaths in Chicago that day brought to light the struggles of workers nationwide. Demonstrators at Haymarket Square that day were rallying for an eight hour work day. When we go back and look at how the heads of capitalism treated their workers, who were US citizens, it is frightening. The labor movement needed to strike, rally, and demonstrate just so the capital owners would treat the workers like real humans. We celebrate Labor Day because workers needed to demand, and risk their safety, for a humanity that the capital owners were not willing to provide.

Capitalism is anti humanity and it is not allowing us to socially evolve, it is time for a new economic system. The people at the very top of our capitalistic society are large carnivores that get rewarded for anything that they can consume. There is no humanity to the capital owners. We celebrate record stock markets, and forget we have such a small volume of people participating in the market. We complain about welfare queens, without accepting that some of our richest CEOs get their salaries enhanced by government subsidies. The devourers at the top of the economic food chain have made the people below fearful and reverent at the same time. Capitalism is not allowing us to grow as humans, it is keeping us in cages like the animals that the capital owners need to control.

The way capitalism is sold to the general public is through use of code words like freedom and opportunity. In the world of today there is very little opportunity or freedom for the people not at the top of the capitalism food chain. The use of freedom and opportunity have their roots in trying to keep people non-empowered. If you want to go out and start your own business, you do have that freedom. If you have a great idea that can change the world, you have the opportunity to pursue that dream. Our modern capitalistic system does throw up every hurdle imaginable so the current capital owners have a say over your success. The system allows for the commoditization of people who can steal and exploit other people's work. The defenders of capitalism use opportunity and freedom as defenses for these patent trolls. Capitalism does not create ideas, it creates ways to steal great ideas and give them to the carnivores at the top.

The idea of commoditization has reached a truly dangerous level in our society. We have used capitalism to justify putting a price on the our most important human needs. Healthcare is one of our largest, and wealthiest, industries. We all accept that doctors should be well paid because of their skill and necessity. Our ability to get healthcare, through insurance, is directly related to our income. That is insane. Medical care is a necessity for everyone in the world, why should it be a commodity? Why do we not question this? Most doctors are not builders and creators, they are administrators. When you go to the doctor, it is for maintenance or to discuss something out side of the norm. Your income level rarely dictates the maintenance you require. Your income level can directly relate to the need for a doctor when there is something outside of norm. Lower income people have more severe, treatable, medical issues because of how capitalism financially elevates doctors. Basic human needs like healthcare are not a commodity. Capitalism has set a value to our lives, that is anti-humanity.

The ability to communicate has been the greatest tool for social evolution. The printing press created a new world filled with scientific and social advances. The internet is just getting its legs, and changing the entire world for the better. Many of the innovations related to communication were not done in pursuit of economic riches. The internet was created by the government, and nurtured by the social system, to become the tool we use today. The engineers of the world create things that not only maintain society, but allow it to grow. The Wright Brothers looked to the government for support before they looked to the capital owners. Roads, rails, and bridges are designed and built by engineers with government support, not private business support. Why is it that the government has allowed business to commoditize basic needs like communication? The rise of the telecom deregulation was another sacrifice at the idol of capitalism. We have been told that private business can handle our communication better than the government funded engineers who built the network. Our reward is one of the worst communication networks in the developed world. The telecom companies get their money, the CEOs get their large paydays, and the citizens get a subpar product thanks to the tenets of capitalism. The telecom companies do not have any concern for our ability to communicate, their concern is only to gain money. Our government, and our cultural programming, have allowed for basic communication to be another commodity to be bought and sold. Due to capitalism the more wealth you have, the better communication available.

Capitalism is a wall that stops innovation. The ability to create a commodity out of basic social needs is a large problem. Your health is not something that should be paid for. Your voice and ideas are not things that should be granted by a company with no creators. Capitalism exists to give freedom and opportunity to those already established, and make sure the non established have very nearly no options to compete. We deserve the right pursue our dreams, and not be hampered by our inability to pay for health or communication. Everyone deserves freedom and opportunity.

Capitalism is one of the most destructive forces in history. We need to have a discussion on how to replace this carnivorous ideology with one that rewards innovation and creates an evolving society. In the future we will continue to discuss the pitfalls of capitalism, and start to formulate an ideology that will bring about a brighter future. We encourage your dissent and contribution. Your ideas are not a commodity. Come share them with us.

Happy Labor day. Enjoy this day of rest and remember that protesters died for the right to have a reasonable work schedule. Let us use this Labor Day to start a new movement. The old capitalistic ways need to be repealed, the replacement will produce true opportunity. We can find this new way forward together. The only thing we will lose are the cages the capitalists keep society in.

RD Kulik

RD is the creator and Head Editor for SeedSing. 

Carmelo Anthony on the Nets is a Really Bad Idea

Reading the news, and then watching sports last night, I saw that KD and Kyrie want the Nets to sign Carmelo Anthony.

I mean, come on with this nonsense man.

Yes, Carmelo won't be the distraction that Dwight Howard will be in LA, and he can still shoot the ball fairly well , and he is better than a lot of dudes currently in the NBA, but his time is done. While he won't be a distraction, we have seen the past 2 years how he has acted, and played, when he isn't the first option. He was a dud in OKC. He never put it together, and when asked if he would come off the bench, to be instant offense, which is what the Thunder needed at the time, he scoffed and said he "wasn't a bench player". And in Houston last year he was a total disaster. He did not shoot the three well, something he has never really been that good at, he was horrific defensively, even worse than usual for him, and he was released from the team, I think, less than 20 games into the season.

Carmelo would not opt to be a bench guy, or the third, fourth or fifth option on Brooklyn this year, and KD isn't even playing this year. Guys like Kyrie and Caris Levert and Jarrett Allen, and hell, even Joe Harris, I'd want them all to shoot before Carmelo would. And next season, they have KD coming back. He would have to opt for the bench, and if you listen to former players, guys I really respect like Chauncey Billups, Carmelo won't go for that because he has a "I need to get mine" mentality. He would rather score 30 and lose than come off the bench, play 15 minutes, score 10-12 points and win, and possibly even compete for a title. He wants to get buckets first and foremost, and the Nets already have enough established guys, and young up and coming guys, that can do that better than he can right now.

This isn't to say that he can't still shoot though. I have watched so many offseason videos of NBA players playing pickup basketball games, and Carmelo has been heavily featured in said videos. And he is putting the ball in the basket, and even dunking with relative ease. What I don't see him doing much in these very loose games, shooting the three. He has always been a great mid range shooter. Hell, he is one of the better mid range shooters the league has ever had. But that is such a non entity in the modern NBA. Other teams will let him shoot all the mid range jumpers he wants, and then they will come down, find the man he is guarding, give him the ball, and that guy will shoot a pull up three on him, or take him to the basket with ease. What the people watching these offseason work out videos, myself included, don't fully realize is, there is little to no defense being played. Like at all. I play rec basketball, and I play a ton of pickup basketball, and those games are strictly exercise for some, and a chance to shoot a ton of open jumpers for others. There is no real emphasis put into playing defense. Just look at what Devin Booker said when a few guys tried to double team him in one of his pickup games. So Carmelo is facing pretty much zero defense. These videos are ostensibly a highlight reel. They are made to make him look good. When, or if, the Nets sign him, he will have to try and do this stuff against real NBA players, playing real defense. We saw how that went in OKC and Houston.

Finally, he is better, or has been better, than a good amount of players in the NBA right now. If I had to choose, I'd rather have Carmelo over guys like Dwight Howard, Luke Kennard, Reggie Jackson, Kyle Singler, Richaun Holmes, Tyus Jones, Quinn Cook, Nik Stauskas(is he still in the league?), JJ Barea or Markelle Fultz, to name a few. But, all those guys are busts, or on their way out. Instead of going after Carmelo, I'd look in the G League or overseas for a younger, and more willing to play a bench role, player.

Carmelo was once great. In Denver, he was awesome, and his first few years as a Knick were solid. But, he totally fell off a cliff, and now, he just isn't what he used to be. Also, the Nets have this great young core, and they just added KD, Kyrie and Deandre Jordan. I don't want them to bring in Carmelo because he is buddies with Kyrie and KD and have him take away valuable playing time from the younger guys that played really well last year, and will continue to get better with more playing time. It's not fair to them. Also, the Nets have a younger, and better defensively, version of Carmelo already in Spencer Dinwiddie.

I hope the Nets don't sign him, and if I really look at it rationally, I don't think they will. If they do, it will be a headache for them. I say one more time, just ask OKC and Houston. I'm sorry Carmelo, you used to be one of my favorite players to watch, but you are washed now. That's the truth.

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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Cloves and Fedoras: Ramona Shelburne Tells a Tale Worthy of Hollywood with "The Sterling Affairs" Podcast

Cloves and Fedoras is Seed Sings reviews for little known pieces of pop culture. Feel free to contact us with your own submissions of undiscovered gems that must be known.

Zach Lowe finally returned from his annual summer vacation the other day, and released the latest "Lowe Post" podcast. I'm a big time fan of that show, I usually listen to it before I listen to anything else, and I like it so much that even when he has Brian Windhorst on, who I cannot stand, I still listen because Lowe is such a great basketball writer.

Yesterday I was thrilled when I saw that Ramona Shelburne was the guest. She is right up there with Lowe, for me, as far as the best writers in basketball today. I have a very short list, Lowe, Shelburne, Jackie McMullan, hell, that might be it. So, whenever Shelburne is on the pod, it becomes even more of a must listen to for me. She was on to promote her new "30 For 30" podcast called "The Sterling Affairs". Pretty much every, if not all, NBA fans know the story of him being forced to sell the Clippers. Sterling is a total scumbag, racist asshole who deserves all the horrible things in life to happen to him. And that is very straight forward on this 5 part podcast series. But what Shelburne does with this, how deep she dives into his past and present, is truly wonderful. Also, not only do we see how awful Sterling is, but we see that his wife Shelly is not much better. And how V Stiviano was the only person who was willing to put him on blast, but how it had to be an absolute last ditch effort type thing. We also get to hear from lawyers, former players and coaches, announcers and TV personalities. It is so cool, and kind of sad and creepy.

I am three and a half episodes in, I had to clean my house while my kids were at school, the perfect time for me to binge podcasts, and I am totally invested and riveted and disgusted and blown away at what I am hearing. I cannot recommend this enough. Only 3 episodes in, and I find myself yelling at my phone and gasping and being completely shocked, but not surprised at all the goings on from Sterling's early life to when the tapes that Stiviano was recording for almost 2 years released. Sterling has always, and will always, be a racist asshole who only surrounds himself with yes men and women. He is a womanizer as well, a curmudgeon and a cheap skate. Hearing from former players, guys like Olden Poliyence, Ryan Hollins and Blake Griffin, at how uncomfortable and how he treated his players like property is appalling and revealing. The stories of the infamous "white parties" that the Sterling's would throw before the season sound so awful and uncomfortable and sad. Hearing Doc Rivers, who played and coached under Sterling, talk about how awful he was behind the scenes was eye opening. Listening to his wife, who is still with him, makes me angry at her and feel zero sympathy. She tries to come off as all innocent and clueless, but she is complicit in everything he did, does and will do. She is just as bad. Like I said earlier, Stiviano was the one who really brought his horrible behavior to light, but she is not a great person either. She was a star chaser and would be with anyone if they had money. Listening to Matt Barnes talk about her was hilarious because he truly hates her. Apparently she really tried to insert herself into the players lives, and they weren't having it.

What I think I like most about it though is how this story has everything that a big time Hollywood movie would want. It has many bad guys that take advantage of people, guys who were too afraid to tell the main villain to stop, intrigue, disgusting affairs and the main bad guy, finally, getting what he deserves. I cannot wait to finish the last episode and a half. I'm going to workout later, and I will most definitely finish it then.

This is a real homerun. I know that I am super hard on ESPN, but every once in awhile, they do something like this, and it totally works. Check this 5 part podcast series out. It is very well done, and it is a great, yet horrifying story. Know going into it that there is some truly awful language, and some horrible, horrible things are said. But man is this so, so good. I cannot wait to finish listening. Check it out.

Ty

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Ty never thought much about the Clippers until this whole Sterling thing blew up. Now the team cleaned up their ownership nicely, yet they make Ty take notice of the team a but more.

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Let's Revisit the Underrated Black Keys Album "Attack and Release"

In preparations for The Black Keys show I’m going to in less than a month, I have been listening to their older records to reacquaint myself with some songs I used to love. “Thickfreakness” still rules, “The Big Come Up” is a great debut and “Rubber Factory” shows real growth.

Today I listened to “Attack and Release”, and I have to say, I think this is their most underrated record. I remember liking it a good deal when it came out. Listening to it this morning, I love it. This was when The Black Keys started to try something a little different. I love that they were just a guitar and drums duo at first, and when I heard that they were going to work with Danger Mouse, who I adore, and add bass and keys, I was skeptical. Well, I was dead wrong. That really rang true to me today. Their sound on “Attack and Release” is so full, yet still theirs and theirs alone. They still have that raw duo feeling, just spruced up a bit. I also should have never doubted Danger Mouse. He’s worked with tons of different artists, and pretty much everything he touches is great. The same can be said for “Attack and Release”. His influence is right there at the very beginning. The first track, “All You Ever Wanted” features him on the keys, and Dan Auerbach singing like he hadn’t to that point. It’s a beautiful song, and instantly took away any worry I may have had. They then follow it up with “I Got Mine” which is beautifully typical Black Keys. It was also one of the first songs I learned on guitar. It rocks and rolls and Auerbach growls the lyrics and Carney hammers away at his kit. From there on out, the rest of the record is filled with classic Black Keys and them trying out new stuff. They do the same song, “Remember When”, but it’s 2 different styles. The first is slow and filled with instruments they never used before. It’s great. They then play it as a straight up rock song, and it hits like a rock. It’s so cool. After “I Got Mine”, they follow that with the single, “Strange Times”, and that is a great, classic Black Keys song. The next song though, “Psychotic Girl”, has a banjo and Auerbach trying a new singing style and kick ass guitar solos. I love this song. “Lies” is a great peek into the future. It has that slower, soulful sound. It’s a quality song. “Same Old Thing” takes you back to grimy garage rock. “Oceans and Streams” is an interesting, in a good way, amalgamation of their old and new sound. And the final track, “Things Ain’t Like They Used to Be”, is another slower, and sad song. It also introduced me to Jessica Lea Mayfield, and she is an amazing singer.

What makes this record so good is how transitional it is for The Black Keys. It marks their first step towards change and growth, yet gives you their usual sound. It’s great. It’s a sneak peek for what future records would sound like. Without “Attack and Release”, and working with Danger Mouse, I don’t know if they would’ve grown as much as they have as a band. This record is now in my top three of their records, and I’d put it in my top 25 all time. It’s that good. I’m glad I revisited it today. It made me so happy that I follow this band and consume all of their music.

Seriously, if you’re a Black Keys fan, give “Attack and Release” a listen today, and think of how it has influenced their current sound. This record was the jump off point, and I hope they play some tunes off it when I see them live. What a great, unheralded record.

Ty

I am on Atkins and This is Where I Like to Go Out and Eat

This is what I eat at home

Today I am going to go out of my box a little bit and talk abut something new I have noticed in the world of food lately.

I am an Atkins person. I started the diet when my son was about one as a way to lose weight, and lose weight I did. I went from 340 pounds to 240 pounds within about 4 years. I have since leveled off, and I stand right around 265-270, which is a good weight for me. But, at first I really struggled with the diet. It was tough for me to give up bread and pasta and full sugar soda and ice cream and candy, namely licorice. I loved all those foods, and I ate way too much of them. After the first year though, I kind of got used to not having them anymore. It was something I stopped pining for over time. Since the weight loss I found going to restaurants as kind of a hassle. Yes, there are endless meat and cheese and veggie options, but after awhile I get sick of eating a salad or having just meat and a veggie. I found myself wanting more. So for awhile I slipped back into old habits. I would get a meat dish, but I would have a carb heavy side. I would get fries or a potato, or have bread before the meal came. I realized this was messing up my stomach, both internally and externally, so about a couple months back I decided to go back to being more conscious of what I was, and am, eating. I got up around 285, but since I got back on the diet, I am back down to 275, and I feel good.

This all brings me to my point today. Yes, I still go to restaurants and have salads and meat dishes, but some places have made it a bit easier, and more carb conscious friendly for people like me to have a taste of what I am missing so much. For instance, yesterday I took my kids to lunch at Qdoba. We had a crazy storm in Saint Louis, and my son had school called off due to flooding. So I took them to the local library to play for awhile, and my son asked if we could have Qdoba since it is close by. I said sure, and pretty much decided I would have my usual burrito bowl. But when we walked in, they had a newer menu with some specials on it, one of them what they called a Keto bowl. I was intrigued since the Keto diet is pretty much the same as Atkins. I ordered it, and it was awesome. It had a bit of lettuce on the bottom, some cheese and pico de gallo. They also filled it to the brim with their brisket and guacamole. I mean, it was piled on there. I added a little hot sauce and I devoured that thing. I was satiated, and felt full. That doesn't usually happen for me at a place like Qdoba, but it did yesterday. I was super impressed, and I appreciate that Qdoba is now catering to carb conscious people.

Another place that is trying to help out the Atkins community is Blaze Pizza. I know RD has these all over his hometown, but it is relatively new to Saint Louis. I was out with my dad and daughter last week, and he suggested we got to Blaze to try out their Keto crust. Again, I was intrigued. We went, they still had some left, apparently it sells out quick, and we each got our own pizza on the Keto crust, and it was delicious. It was the first time in a long time that I felt like I was eating real pizza. Sure, the crust is a little different, but it still tasted like pizza. I got pepperoni, sausage and green peppers on mine, and it was great. It was pizza. It was giving me that feeling that I was missing. My dad had a meat lovers pizza on the crust, I tried his, and it was great too. The entire pizza, all 6 slices, has a grand total of 6 carbs. It is wonderful. I'm sure some other places are doing this now, I know you can get burgers lettuce wrapped at big time chains, and I am so grateful that this is a viable option now.

I just wanted to say that I really appreciate this, and I hope more and more places will continue to follow this trend. There are a lot of Atkins people out there, and we will pay money to eat the things we miss while on our diet. This is great.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Ty used to work at St. Louis Bread Company. Back in those days he would eat same number of carbs in one day that he now eats in one year. Those were the days

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Good for You Andrew Luck

I was watching college football on Saturday night, and during the game I saw the news scrawl that said Andrew Luck had informed the Colts that he was retiring from football.

I was stunned.

My first instinct was that this wasn't a real thing. I assumed that someone had gotten their news and sources wrong. I simply didn't believe it. I legitimately thought it was a mistake. But, I saw that Adam Schefter was the source, and he is the Woj of the NFL for ESPN. He is right pretty much every single time with these things. My wife then entered the living room, I told her, and since she plays fantasy football, she was stunned as well.

This is a big deal. I cannot state that enough. A player of his caliber, with his pedigree, with a possible Super Bowl contending team coming back, to walk away is absolutely stunning. Now, I need to say, this is only a shock to the football world. This is only a shock for on field stuff. This is only surprising because he is so young, and like I said, had a great supporting cast around him. Outside of the football field, I commend what Luck is doing. He has more money than he knows what to do with. He has had a solid career. He went to the playoffs. He came back from injuries to be great last year. He was the QB of one of the most epic playoff comebacks ever. He was a number one overall pick. He had a great college career. Pretty much the only things he didn't do was win an MVP or a Super Bowl. Other than that, he did it all. So he can walk away with his head held high.

That's another thing, Luck leaves with his brain still pretty much fully intact. He might not have to suffer some of the horrible side effects that happen to NFL players after they have stayed in the league too long. He is still all there. He still knows what's up. He gets it. That is incredible. And to walk away so young, with such a good team, I think that is brave as hell. No one would ever condemn any regular person if they were able to retire at 29. They would applaud that person.

The idiots are not applauding Luck, they are booing him during a preseason game, or calling him soft like Doug Gotlieb, or saying anything negative about this decision, you are all wrong. The people calling him soft, I'd love to see them take the beating he did for 9 years and come out okay. They don't stand a chance. Doug Gotlieb is a moron, so anyone that listens to him is a moron too, and he is just out there trying to keep his name in social media. He was a subpar college basketball player, and he is an even worse commentator. He is like a lesser Skip Bayless, and that is not a compliment, at all. And the fans booing him, how classless do you have to be? He didn't have the heart or the will to give it his all anymore. You really want him to risk his life so you can get drunk and yell at him when he throws a pick or gets sacked? I wish I knew who was booing him so I could go straight up to their faces and boo them mercilessly.

All in all I am still a little stunned by the news, but I get it. After thinking about it, and watching his press conference and hearing other players talk about it, he is doing what is best for him and his family, and that is all that matters. Football is a game, and he doesn't have to do it anymore if he doesn't want to. That takes courage and bravery to walk away when your heart isn't fully into it. I will miss watching him play, but at least he has his health, his brain, and he can do whatever in the hell he pleases now.

Good for you Andrew Luck. I will look back at your football career fondly. Enjoy your retirement.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Ty remembers the hurtful words and tweets directed towards him after he walked away from his professional career. Ty had done all he wanted to as a dental lab tech by 31, there was nothing left to accomplish.

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A Few Quick Thoughts on the Awesomeness of "Moana"

I have a young daughter, and I don’t know why it took me so long, but I just recently watched “Moana” with her, and that movie rules.

I have stated that, as a father of a girl, I want her to see strong female leads. “Moana” has that tenfold. Of course we have Moana herself, and I feel like she’s a great role model. She strong, curious, independent, a rule breaker and a fighter. She stands up for herself too. She’s a very strong willed, and well meaning person. I love how much my daughter loves her. She’s wearing a dress with her on it as I type this. Alongside Moana there is her grandma. She’s the one that pushes Moana to be her true self. She tells her that the sea needs her, and that she needs to be the one to get their island back to where it used to be, when it was thriving. The villain is a girl too, but I found myself thinking what she was doing was not so bad, and when Moana does win, the villain immediately turns back to the good side. But she is strong as hell.

Outside of all the great female characters in the movie, The Rock is great as Maui. He’s full of himself, he can sing and he does, eventually, do the right thing. I also like Jermaine Clement as the Crab. His one scene, and song “Shiny”, makes for one of my favorite moments of the movie. The music is wonderful as well. The songs are beautiful and moving. I believe Lin Manuel Miranda wrote a good amount of them, and he’s a hell of a writer. The song about the old tribe in particular is glorious. I get goosebumps every time I hear it. And the girl that voices Moana can really sing. The animation is as colorful as a rainbow.

“Moana” is good in pretty much every aspect. I really enjoyed it. I recommend it to everyone, but especially dads with daughters. It’s really good.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Now that Ty has a daughter he is trying to ehance his knowledge of Prince with some knowledge of Princesses. Have fun Ty

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Ty Listens to "IGOR"

In anticipation of seeing him live in a few months, I have been devouring Tyler the Creator's most recent album "IGOR", and I have to say, I really, really like it.

I was a bit on the fence at first because it is such a departure from what I am used to from him. On his other records he has some, how do I say this, nasty or, at times, scary things he talks about. Don't get me wrong, I am a fan of all his stuff, but when he was with Odd Future, and when he first went off on his own, he had some shocking lyrics. That was how he made his name as a solo artist. Then, a few years ago, he released “Boy Fuck Girl", which I like, but it showed a little growth from him. It was still akin to his older style, but he did have a few songs that kind of ventured out of his norm. On "IGOR", it is all different, and I love it.

When I first heard the album, I was stunned. I didn't expect it. In fact, my first thought was, why? But, as I listened to it more and more, I started to like it more and more. Now, I feel like I listen to it front to back once a day. I listen to it in the car, on runs, while mowing my grass, pretty much anytime I am driving, or exercising, I find myself picking "IGOR" as my choice.

First of all, I love the opener, which is pretty much all instrumental. There are a few lyrics here and there, but for the most part, it is like a pump up song. It gets you ready for what you will be listening to from there on out. The very next song, "EARFQUAKE" shows how much of a difference Tyler the Creator is making on this album. This song is, by far, his most accessible. It has a great hook, a nice beat and there is a few verses from Tyler himself that are excellent. The video for the song is awesome too. Check it out. But in "EARFQUAKE" Tyler even sings, and I have to say, he pulls it off.

From there on out, the record shows a total and tonal change from him. The album is, in essence, a love record. It seems like he has someone, or had someone, in his life that gave him the influence to put this type of record out. The music is softer and nicer and different in a very good way. And don't get me wrong, this is still a rap record, it is just different from what Tyler the Creator has done before. For example, "NEW MAGIC WAND" is a straight up rap song, but it doesn't have any shock lyrics, or stuff that makes me take a step back. He crushes the song, but it is just different. I also appreciate that he recorded himself saying some pretty deep stuff in between songs. I like that he kept it on the record too. It's great.

So while it took me a few listens to get into it, I now have a newfound love for this album. I have stated many times that I like when artists take chances, and Tyler the Creator is taking a big chance, and nailing it, on "IGOR". The newfound love also has me very hype to see him do this record live. I cannot wait to see what the show is like, and to hear these songs live. I have never seen him live either, and I feel like this is a great entrance into a live Tyler the Creator show. If you are a fan, you will love this record because Tyler the Creator is awesome. But I feel like people that may not listen to him would enjoy this record too. It really is for music fans of all kinds. There is still cursing on it, so maybe don't listen to it with the kids, although I still do listen with my kids. But, other than that, "IGOR" rules.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is glad to find some new exciting music. All the Weird Al has not been getting Ty pumped to mow the grass.

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Better Late than Never on "The Favourite"

As I do around this time of year, I try to catch up on some award winning movies from the previous year. Most premium channels are now showing them, and the other day HBO was playing “The Favourite”. I recorded it, and I literally just finished it about 10 minutes ago. Needless to say, I have some thoughts.

First off, I wanted to see this movie because I really enjoyed the director’s previous movie, “The Lobster”. I wanted to see what he would do next. Now I have to say up top, I enjoyed “The Favourite”, but I also have about a million questions that I don’t know will ever get answered, but that’s okay. I like when a movie makes me think about it for a few days after I watch it. That is the sign of a good movie to me. That shows that the director, writers and actors all did their jobs, and did them well. That being said, it’s a super weird movie. It is even wilder, to me, than “The Lobster”.

“The Favourite” just kind of starts, and moves along from there. You get the idea that it’s about a queen, but it takes awhile to get to the real story of the movie. It did start a little slow for my taste, but when it picks up, it really picks up. The movie is about a sickly and petulant queen who basically chooses between 2 women to be her second in command. Olivia Colman is wonderful as the queen. She is petulant and moody and whiny and childish and paranoid. Colman nails this. She is really good in this role, especially when the story starts to pick up.

Now, I don’t want to take anything away from Colman, as I said, I thought she was great, but Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz are far superior in their performances, for me. This is a total departure from what Stone usually does, and man is she wonderful. She is manipulative and willing to do anything to climb the social ladder and only cares about herself, no matter who gets hurt. I’m used to seeing Stone, who I really like as an actor, play the good person, the hero. She is very far from that in this movie, and she nails it. I was blown away by her performance. It makes me like her even more. I don’t know if she was nominated for this or not, but she definitely deserved to be either way. She is so good in this movie. But Rachel Weisz, to me, was the absolute star of this movie. She is so, so, so good. She is strong and powerful and commanding and righteous. She is the queen’s right hand person so much so that she essentially runs the country for me. She is a total badass too. She doesn’t take any crap from anyone, and she’s a fighter. At first I didn’t like her character, but as the movie went on, I grew to love her, and root for her. I couldn’t figure out who to root for for a bit. Then Weisz has this tremendous turn, and I totally bought in. Not only should she have been nominated for sure, she should have won many awards for this role. She was amazing.

There were some other smaller performances from some solid actors, but this was really a story about these 3 women, and it was very well told. The movie is haunting, yet beautiful to look at. The music is absolutely incredible. I found myself, saying aloud to no one, that the music in this movie rules. I would totally listen to this score just for fun. And the three main actors totally nailed their performances.

As I said, I still have a ton of questions, but “The Favourite” is a good movie, and it deserves all the accolades it got. I like the movie, and I recommend it. Just know that it is very strange, and will leave you scratching your head, in a good way.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Ty dislikes the Oscars so much he never pays attention to them. If he had, Ty would know that both Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz lost their shots at a second Oscar when Regina King won her goddamned deserved first Oscar.

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Ty Watches "The Righteous Gemstones" Series Premier

Last night my wife and I watched the new Danny McBride show "The Righteous Gemstones" on HBO. I have been anticipating this show, as I stated on a previous podcast, and boy did the pilot, for me, live up to the hype.

This show has all the elements that I have come to expect from McBride, Jody Hill and David Gordon Green, but amped up by ten. No show of theirs will live up to "Eastbound and Down", that was lightening in a bottle, but "Vice Principals", and now "The Righteous Gemstones" are excellent. What i really enjoyed about "Vice Principals", and I have written about this before, was how comedic, yet dark, it was. That show was excellent, and it had a great run. What I found in the pilot of "TRG" was that, while still funny, this show may be their darkest yet. There was some wild stuff that went on in the pilot episode. I am not going to spoil anything, but man did stuff gets nuts at the end.

What I want to focus on more today is the plot and the actors. I love the plot of this show. I am a non religious person, not at all, so to see a show that sends up the whole Evangelical TV minister, and makes them sinister and evil and only interested in making more money than any person could ever need. We have all seen how awful some of these TV ministers, Joel Osteen comes to mind first, are really are behind the scenes. That is what this show shows us. The three main characters, John Goodman as the patriarch and main minister Eli, Danny McBride as the screw up, yet thinks he is more important than he really is Jesse Gemstone and the gullible and wet behind the ears youngest son, Adam Devine as Kelvin Gemstone, are all great in their own ways. Goodman is menacing and in a deep state of depression. His wife has died and his family is constantly fighting each other. Add on the fact that he is trying to be the only game in town, he is a bad dude. Goodman is perfect for this role. McBride is perfect in the role of an asshole who is way in over his head. He seems good on the surface, but he has some demons that he is fighting, and he refuses to go it alone. He wants to drag all kinds of people into his own mess. And Devine, in a very different role for him, is so innocent and maybe has some kind of soul and just wants to help people. They are all great. The third child of the family, Edi Patterson as Judy Gemstone, is definitely the smartest one of the family, but she doesn't get her due because she is a female. Patterson was a revelation on "Vice Principals", and now, in a much bigger role, I feel like she is going to shine.

Outside of the Gemstone family, the supporting actors so far are really good. Tim Baltz is Patterson's soon to be husband, and he is a pushover and hilarious. Dermot Mulroney, as a rival minister, is kind of badass, and I actually found myself rooting for him in the episode. Casidy Freeman as Amber Gemstone, McBride's wife, is so good and menacing herself. She had the line of the episode to me when Baltz's character said that the family is backwards and they never give women a chance, Freeman speaks up, but before going into her rant, she asks McBride if she can speak. Even a guy in a super small role, Tony Cavalero as Keefe, the former Satan worshiper who is now working for the church and has found God, I found him absolutely hilarious. Everyone, so far, has been wonderful, and I cannot wait to see where they take the characters from here on out. I have also seen that Walton Goggins, one of my very favorite actors, is going to show up in upcoming episodes, and I'm sure that will rule. It is not only the characters that I cannot wait to see where they go, it is the story too. Like I said, no spoilers, but the way the pilot unfolded, things are going to get wild in this first season. It should be dark and hilarious.

Look, I am a McBride fan. I am predisposed to like what he does, and a show like "The Righteous Gemstones" is perfect for his sense of humor, and what he wants to do on a show. I have a feeling this will be one of my favorites from 2019, and I cannot wait to see how the next 8 weeks pan out. I highly, highly recommend this show. It is really good.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Ok people, one spoiler. Never in your life will you see the efficiency of a Land Rover running over not one, but two people. It was shockingly awesome

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I So Want to See the Lakers Fail With Dwight Howard

Last week I wrote about Boogie Cousins injury, and how much it upset me.

Well, the Lakers might be doing the unthinkable now, because they are considering bringing back Dwight Howard, and not the Dwight Howard they brought in when they also signed Steve Nash. This is the Dwight Howard that can’t stay healthy, has been on, and then traded from, I think 4 teams since then, has become an even bigger distraction and, by all accounts, wears out his welcome very, very fast. Also, I don't think the dude can really play that well anymore.

He was great once, especially in Orlando, but since he left there, it has been a real shit show for Howard. I will admit that he had moments in Houston, and maybe even a good game or 2 while in Charlotte, but nothing close to what he was when he was a star in the league. He quickly become too much of a headache for the Rockets to deal with, and they offloaded him, the emergence of Clint Capela was a big help too, for next to nothing. He then signed with Charlotte, but like I said, he didn't do too much, and he only spent a season there. He then went to Washington, and I think he played, maybe, 20 games last season. Since then he was dealt to Memphis, again for nothing, and was expected to be released. And now we have this story with his possibility of a reunion with the Lakers.

The hater part of me, the one that loathes the Lakers, wants to see them sign him because it would be a disaster on and off the court. Howard is at a point in his career where he doesn't really offer much of anything in a solid role player. He isn't the defender or rebounder he once was, he can’t shoot from anywhere outside of 3 feet, he gets hurt far too often and he whines and complains when he doesn't get touches. On a team with LeBron, AD and Kyle Kuzma, how many touches would he, or should he, get? Very little I would say. Add on the fact that he is well past his prime, and the Lakers already have too much of that as the roster is currently constructed.

After missing out on Kawhi, the Lakers cobbled together your typical LeBron roster, bringing in vets that used to be good, but now aren't so hot. I like Danny Green, but he is a shell of himself. At times last season, Avery Bradley was one of the worst professional basketball players. Alex Caruso is a scrub, and he is the Lakers new Matthew Dellavedova. Javale McGee has turned into a much better rim runner, but he still can’t shoot, and he gets into foul trouble far too often. Now add Dwight Howard to that mix, and I think it could be catastrophic. LeBron and AD are enough to make a playoff push. I don't think the Lakers are going to win 59 games and be the 2 seed like Bleacher Report says. I don't think they are title contender like The Ringer says. I don't even think they are the best team in their own city. So why would they add Howard? It is mind boggling. LeBron already has 2 big men, one in AD who, when healthy, is a top 3 player in the league. Why do they need to add a guy that will give them absolutely nothing whatsoever? They would be better off, I can't believe I am saying this, using that money on Carmelo Anthony. At least he is still a threat from outside.

If the Lakers were to add Howard I would laugh and laugh and laugh. Everyone seems to think they are instantly a contender because of LeBron and AD, but just think of what Howard would do to them, and that locker room. It would be exactly like his first run with them. Remember, when they barely finished over .500, and got smoked in the playoffs. That was rough, and that was over 5 years ago. Howard is only older, slower and cannot do the things that modern bigs need to do to be helpful in the NBA today.

Please, for my hater side, sign Dwight Howard because that would be hilarious. But, if you wan to be taken seriously, as a real threat in the West, stay far, far away from him. It hasn't worked once, and it surely will not work this time.

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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