Ty Watches "The Unauthorized Bash Brothers Experience"

Last night I was finally able to watch the new Lonely Island visual poem “The Unauthorized Bash Brothers Experience”.

It is a wonder people.

This visual poem was one of the most unique and coolest things I’ve ever seen. It was made as a faux art project, I assume, and the Lonely Island absolutely nailed the absurdity of these visual art pieces. Add on the fact that it is basically a new rap album from them, this was bound to hit me in all the right spots. Then, add on the other news that Andy Samberg played Jose Canseco and Akiva Schaefer played Mark McGwire, I mean, it’s just absolutely perfect in every possible way. All the new songs they did, I’m already a fan, are peak Lonely Island. They’re goofy and hilarious, but the beats are top notch, and these dudes can rap. If they decided to go the Donald Glover route, and take it seriously, they could be this generation’s Beastie Boys. They’re that good. Add on guest appearances from people like Maya Rudolph, Jenny Slate, Hannah Simone, Stephanie Beatriz and Sterling K Brown as Sia, you read that right, take this from great to classic. I was absolutely blown away by this visual poem. It was so perfect in every way. It hit my funny bone perfectly. The Lonely Island are in that territory for me where they can do no wrong. Everything they’ve touched lately has been gold. This was a great follow up to “Pop Star”. I cannot recommend this enough. It’s weird and funny and absurd in all the right ways. I’ve already watched it twice and listened to the album 3 times.

Watch this visual poem, it rules.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He now challenges The Lonely Island to chronicle the rise and fall of Shawn Kemp. There could be a song called Fat Off Cocaine.

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I am Excited for the Juwan Howard Era at Michigan

After about 10 days, the University of Michigan men's basketball has found their new head coach, and I am cautiously optimistic.

The Wolverines hired the first of the "Fab Five" players to sign back in the day, Juwan Howard. I loved Howard when he was a player on the team. His game was so admirable, and impressionable, to me as a young player. He fought hard on the block. He worked the low post. He was an excellent rebounder. He could run the floor. He played defense and he put in work every game. He was the hardest worker on the team, and he also happened to be tremendously skilled. He was also the most mature guy on the team, even when he was a freshman. Chris Webber was the best player, Jalen Rose had the swagger, Jimmy King was an explosive athlete and Ray Jackson had that dog in him. Juwan Howard was the glue that kept them together. He was a great, great Wolverine.

Howard then went on to have a very solid NBA career, playing more than a decade, I'm sure he made at least one all star team, won a couple of titles and became a solid assistant coach for the Miami Heat. When the Michigan job opened, unexpectedly, I didn't even think of Howard until Jalen Rose said something about it on his show. Then Chris Webber said something during an NBA playoff broadcast. Reggie Miller echoed his statement that night. Then Jimmy King came out and said something. When all these people, who I respect, started to talk about him for the job, I became intrigued. I found out that he has been working with the bigs on the Heat, and that he has also been picking the brain of head coach Erik Spoelstra, who I adore, and Pat Riley. If you are going to learn coaching from any 2 guys in the NBA, I would think that Spoelstra and Riley are at, or near, the top.

By the time all this news came out, and after I did my personal research, I was on board. Then, Billy Donovan pulled his name, and I started to stump for Howard. I told my dad at my son's baseball game this past Sunday, I hope Juwan Howard gets named the new head coach no later than Wednesday. Well, that was exactly when it happened. But, as I stated at the top, I have good and not so good feelings on this hire.

Lets get the bad out of the way first. Howard has zero head coaching experience. Now, that isn't that bad, he has been an assistant in the NBA for going on 5 years now. But, he is taking over a team that was in the title game 2 years ago and started out last season with 17 straight wins. Michigan also played a very complex offense that was hard for opposing teams to figure out. Michigan will, most likely, lose many of the assistants that worked under John Beilein, mainly Luke Yaklich. He turned them into the stellar defensive team they were last year. Michigan is also losing 3 starters from last season, and their top recruit decommited when Beilein left for the Cavs job. These are my only concerns.

As far as what I am hyped about, what I love about this hire. They got a big name. While Juwan Howard may not have been a hot coaching candidate at the current moment, his time was coming. He was clearly working his way to becoming a head coach. He was putting in the grunt work. Michigan is also getting one of their greatest basketball players ever to come back and coach the team he played for. That sense of pride and want and will to win at your alma mater is humongous. He can recruit. I know he hasn't done it yet, but when he was 17, he was the one that convinced the "Fab Five" to get together. He was the first to sign his letter, and after that, he was in the ear of the other 4 guys pretty much instantly. He got them to come there even before they were given money while at the school. Everywhere Howard has been, for the most part, he has been on a winning team. I'm sure he will want that to continue. I have faith that, even if Yaklich does leave, Saddi Washington will stay, and he is a key assistant. I also think Howard will be able to lure good to great assistant coaches.

Back to the recruiting for a second. He played and coached guys like LeBron James and Dwayne Wade. They both adore him, they pushed for him to get this job and they have 2 young sons that will be college basketball players very soon. I'm sure they will want their kids to play for a coach that they know and like. Also, there are a bunch of other kids out there with parents like me who were big time fans of the "Fab Five", and they may nudge their kids to, at least, consider Michigan because of Howard's presence.

What makes me most confident in the hire, he already has a very good team in place. The transition to this next season should be smooth-ish. He has a floor general in Zaiver Simpson. He has his modern big in Jon Teske. David DeJulius was a top level recruit last year. Brandon Johns was Mr. Michigan basketball. Colin Castleton got quality time. And they have a solid class coming in, even if Jalen Wilson doesn't go back.

I'm letting myself get excited by the Juwan Howard hiring. In fact, I like this hire more than when they hired Jim Harbaugh as head football coach 5 years ago. Don't get me wrong, I liked that too, I just have a different, more excited feel for the Juwan Howard hiring. He was a great choice and I hope he has a tremendous amount of success, obviously. This has been an odd, and sometimes rough, offseason for Michigan basketball. But, the hiring if Juwan Howard eases a good amount of that fear. Now lets see how he does.

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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Ground Sausage Patties are the King of the Breakfast Meats

yum

Today I am going to come at you all with one of my hottest takes ever.

So, before I met my wife, I was not a big breakfast person. I didn't feel like eating when I got up. If I was hungry I'd always eat something that was filled with empty calories and tons of sugar, like brown sugar cinnamon Pop Tarts, or Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Don't get me wrong, I love those still, but honestly, they are absolutely horrible for you, and to eat them for breakfast, you are just asking for a bad day. I usually would just wait until lunch time to eat my first meal, and that was also a mistake because I ate far too much lunch, and did the same at dinner, and I would snack until midnight.

When I started to date my wife, and especially when we moved in together, she was pretty staunch about eating breakfast. I started to make sure that I was getting something in my body before I would head off to work. At first it was more of the same sugary nonsense. Then, I started to have breakfast shakes or smoothies. When the allure of that wore off, I started to navigate more towards savory foods for breakfast. Back when I was working a full time job, it was hard to get up and make eggs or something along those lines. I would opt for microwavable breakfasts then. I would get those scrambles or frozen breakfast meat or a bagel. Basically something I could eat on the road. Then, when I became a stay at home dad, I was able to make a proper breakfast for myself and my son, and then my daughter. When I was first at home, with just my son, he and I would eat oatmeal and some kind of breakfast meat. It was great to have a nice hearty breakfast with him.

Then, I went on my diet pretty soon after I started staying home, and I cut out the oatmeal and started to make eggs with whatever meat we had. My son loved it too, especially after his egg allergy wore off. Even now, with my son in school full time, my daughter and I have some kind of meat with our breakfast, and she will have cereal or oatmeal or pop tarts, and I will have eggs. I have also completely adapted to being a coffee drinker.

What I want to say today, to finally get to my hot, hot take, I think that ground sausage patties are, by far, the best breakfast meat in the world.

It is not even close for me.

Look, I have tried pretty much every variance of breakfast meat there is. I love steak, so I have had steak and eggs. Ground sausage patties are better. Bacon is a homerun with pretty much everything, especially eggs. Ground sausage is better. Canadian bacon and ham are excellent bacon substitutes. Ground sausage is better. And sausage links, be they ground or frozen, are okay, there just isn't enough. The great thing about ground breakfast sausage for me, I feel like I am eating a bun less burger for breakfast. I mean, how dope is that. I put a little American cheese on my sausage right near the end of the cook, and it melts so perfectly over the top. It is divine. I also love having it on the side of my 2 scrambled eggs because I can cut tiny individual pieces and combine the 2 for a perfect bite. I also like the ground, raw sausage because when you cook it, if you do it right, you get that great, almost burnt crust on top of the meat. It is like biting into a hot dog casing, which I also think is great. I also appreciate how salty the patty is as opposed to the link. There is more surface area for the spices to all blend together to give you a great salty and spicy bite. Links are fine, but they don't give you that perfect bite every time like a patty does.

I'm the only one in my family that prefers the ground patty to the frozen link. My wife likes the ease of the link. My son likes the fact that he can put away 3 or 4 links to 1 or 2 patties. My daughter likes how much easier they are to eat. But me, I'm perfectly happy waiting for the patty to be properly cooked so I can enjoy the deliciousness it brings. As I said, I have tried pretty much every breakfast meat, or meat substitute, or veggie option, but the ground sausage patty is, hands down for me, the absolute peak breakfast meat.

I know this my be divisive. I know people may think I'm weirder than they already do. I know I may get some heat for this. I don't care. This is my platform, and I am here to drop truth bombs on you all. Ground breakfast sausage is the best breakfast meat in the world.

There, I said it.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Ty has not had the one true king of the breakfast meats. Come on down to Cincinnati and get yourself a plate full of goetta.

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The Warriors are Fun Again

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

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

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

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

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

Ty

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

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Internet Idiots Could Not Ruin "Game of Thrones" for Me

Maybe Internet idiots need to discover this device

I, along with millions of other people, watched the series finale for "Game of Thrones" last night.

I liked it. I thought it was a solid way to send the show off. I felt like everything that happened was for good cause. I do not want to spoil anything, so I'm not going to go into too serious of detail. I understand that people don't get to watch everything they want to in real time. I'm sure there are a few people that haven't seen the finale yet, so I don't want to ruin it for them.

I do want to say, I thought Peter Dinklage was tremendous last night. His monologues were perfection. I also, like I said before, thought that everyone ended up pretty much exactly where I thought they should have. Sure, it was slower at the start, but things picked up, and the finale wrapped a nice bow on a show that I binged watched for the last year. It was good, the performances were good and I was entertained by all of "GOT".

What I really want to focus on today are the mean spirited internet bullies who have attacked this final season. Look, I have been there. On this very site, in the early stages, I trashed shows like "Mad Men" and "The Walking Dead". I was rude and angry and I let my frustration show. For that, I am a little embarrassed in myself. But, I have tried in the past year to be less cynical about things like movies and TV shows and music. Hell, I have even tried a bit with sports. I understand that all this stuff is here for my entertainment, and I should be thrilled that I have so many options available to me. "Mad Men" was a great show that just lost steam to me. I shouldn't have been that hard on it. As for "The Walking Dead", it just went too far off the rails for me. I know a lot of people still like the show, and the fact that it is still running proves it has solid staying power. The only show, of which I tried to defend at first, that I feel I was right to go after was whatever in the hell Bill Simmons tried to do with "Any Given Tuesday", or whatever in the hell it was called. That was a bad show. I feel no remorse for trashing that. But, I do feel bad for going so hard at the other shows after what I have seen people do to "GOT" now.

Fans have been way, way too hard on this show that has entertained them for nearly a decade. The creators and writers and directors and actors owe us, the viewers, nothing. I know I've mentioned it before, and I am sure I will again, but I always go to the Poochie episode of "The Simpsons" where Comic Book Guy complains that he is "owed" something from the writers. Bart calmly tells him that that show has givens him hours of free entertainment, and if anything, he owes them something. That is exactly how I feel about this season, and for that matter, all seasons, of "GOT". This show has captivating millions upon millions of people. This has to be the most talked about, and I wouldn't be shocked, most watched show of all time. Hell, my wife just had a work party solely based on the show. We had my dad come over every Sunday to watch with us. I have talked to friends and family about it for the past year. It ranks right up there for me with shows like "The Simpsons", "Breaking Bad" and "The Wire". It is that good to me.

So, for the phonies and nerds that hide behind screen names and start dumbass petitions and live in their parents basement, it was never going to live up to their astronomical expectations. I'm sure these deweebs put such a high premium on this show, that no matter what happened, they would have made up something to complain about. And that is just the thing for me. No one can just be happy with a TV show or movie or music anymore. There is always going to be someone who takes it way too seriously and feels they are owed something from people that they will most likely never meet. There is always going to be a group of people that find something to groan about. As I said, I did this just as early as 2 years ago. And now, you have myriads of unqualified people starting a petition to redo the final season. What qualifications do they have? How many TV shows have they worked on before? How much writing have they done? Do they even know the first thing about getting a TV show put on the air? I'd venture to say no to all of these questions.

People need to chill the hell out. We are extremely lucky to have shows that entertain us for years. And to those of you that are saying you are going to cancel your subscription to HBO, or that you were "bored" by this final episode, or that you have "wasted 10 years of your life" on this show, that is just sad to me. "GOT" is a fantasy show about dragons and magic and people coming back from the dead and zombie armies and people who can have visions. It is fake. It is here purely for entertainment, and it entertained the hell out of me. I'm so weary of these bullies that have to hide behind a screen and gripe about one of the best TV shows to ever be on TV.

Anyway, I just needed to touch on that, and say that I really enjoyed this season, and all the previous seasons of "GOT". It was beautiful to look at, well acted, left me speechless at times and kept my interest all the way through. This show was a true achievement. Well done.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Ty was a big fan of “Game of Thrones” well before he saw an episode, and he has hated internet idiots for a while now.

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Ty Watches "John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum"

I was going to do a thing on “Game of Thrones” today, but I need to save that for Monday. I need to save it because I went to see “John Wick: Chapter 3 Parabellum” with my dad this morning, and I need to talk about it.

I have been a big time fan from the start of this franchise. I’m so much more in on “John Wick” than I am on other series of movies. I’ll take “John Wick” over any “Fast and Furious” movie, I’ll watch it over “Star Wars”, I’d spend my time with it over “Jurassic Park”, I’ll even take it over the “Raid” movies. This is my new favorite franchise in movies. It is so perfect. “John Wick” knows what it is, and they absolutely go for it all the time. “Parabellum” was no different.

This movie picks up exactly where the second movie ended. Wick is on the run in downtown NYC. He has pretty much every assassin in the city after him. He has a multi million dollar bounty for his head. He is no longer safe. And from there on out, for the next 130 minutes, it’s pretty much all action. The fight scenes in this movie are astonishing. I read someone earlier this week call it a “gory ballet”, and they were 100 percent correct. I was taken aback at how well done and brilliant these scenes were. The movie was also filled with them. Sure, there’s a story attached, and they spend a little time telling it. But, for every minute or 2 of dialogue, there’s a 4 or 5 minute action scene that follows. It was exquisite. I have loved how the writers and directors have upped the ante with each movie. They have the budget now to go absolutely wild. It’s awesome.

As far as the acting, it’s perfect for this style movie. Keanu Reeves is Wick, and he barely has to say anything, which is perfect for him. He says a few things here and there, but he’s mostly there to whoop bad guys. Angelica Houston was chewing so much scenery in the best possible way in this movie. She was excellent. Laurence Fishburne knows what kind of movie this is, and he does his role magnificently. Ian McShane and Lance Reddick are dapper and badass. Halle Berry tried a little too hard, taking it a bit too seriously, but her action scenes, and dogs, ruled. Asia Kate Dillon was a menacing villain. I knew she was crushing it when I hoped she would be taken down by Wick at some point in the movie. Mark Dacascos, you may know him as the chairmen from “Iron Chef America”, was a great bad guy, and he was pretty funny. Jason Mantzoukas had one or 2 lines, but they were memorable, and his expressions were wonderful. Even actors in very small roles, be it Jerome Flynn or Said Taghmaoui, did a really campy, really good job.

“Parabellum” is the third of a very, very solid action franchise. I love that these movies come out every other summer because I get so hyped to see them on opening day in late May. This movie rules, and I hope they will continue to keep making them as long as they keep having fun. Go see this movie, it will most likely be the best action movie you will see all summer long. What a great movie. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Much like the character of John Wick, Ty’s true passion is restoring old books.

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Ty Watches "Detective Pikachu"

As RD and I talked about on a recent podcast, I did take my kids, mostly because my son begged me, to see "Detective Pikachu". I talked on that pod how I was kind of reluctant to see the movie. I am a Pokémon novice. More correctly, I know next to nothing about Pokémon. I do know who Pikachu is. I know some other names of some other Pokémon. I knew that Ryan Reynolds was the voice of Pikachu. But, other than that, I was lost. My kids uncle did come with us, and thankfully, he knew a ton about Pokémon. He was able to talk to my son about everyone in the movie. He knew just as much, if not more, than he did, so it was nice for my son to have someone who he could converse with about the deep characters in the movie.

All of this leads me to my personal review of the movie. "Detective Pikachu", from a true outsider's perspective, was an odd, but fun movie. I do need to say, the look and feel of the movie was pretty cool. This movie took a real shot, and I think they hit a double. No homerun, not even a triple, but they accomplished a little something that made it memorable for me, and it has nothing to do with the story. The story, if there was one, was absurd, but I expect that from a Pokémon movie. That is my one very nitpicky thing about the movie. From an adult, and a parent's perspective, going to this movie, don't expect a cohesive story. The movie jumps and changes at the drop of the hat. Yes, there is a bad guy, a fake out and something that seems like a thru line, but outside of that, it kind of goes off the rails. But, when I really look into it, especially through my son's eyes, that doesn't matter. The movie was very nice looking. The way they shot it, they really made the world of Pokémon pop. And that is another thing, about shooting this movie, they did it on 35 millimeter film. That is wild. That is taking a chance. That was a baller move. I respect that. This is, for all intents and purposes, a kid's movie, yet they shot it on real film. That took some guts. I also appreciated the fact that they tried to make this a noir movie for kids. It also resembled old school detective movies. Hell, it is called "Detective Pikachu". I am a big fam of noir and thriller movies. It is one of my favorite genres. So, for a kids movie to attempt the noir, again, I respect the effort. I really enjoyed the thought that went into this choice, the lingo they used with the characters and the "dark" tones to try and set up a noir feel. It was fun.

All in all I'd give "Detective Pikachu" a solid B-, maybe a C+. It isn't the best movie in the world, but I have seen a lot worse kids movie. I was never bored for the 90 plus minutes run time. I liked the look. I enjoyed the feel. I had no idea what was going on, but my son absolutely loved it, and that was why I went to see this movie. It achieved its goal for me. My son has not stopped talking about it since we saw it last Saturday. He and his friends are all talking about it too. This movie knows its targeted audience, and they won all those people over. And, for a non Pokémon fan, it kept my attention. It was an okay movie, and fans of Pokémon, I'm sure, will love it.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He feels cheated because they never made any big budget movies about his favorite toys. Where is Ty’s Pogs movie?

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Some Thoughts on the NBA Draft Lottery and the New Lakers Coach

Before I get into movies and TV the next 2 days, I’ve got 2 more basketball things I want to touch on today.

First, I want to talk about the NBA lottery last night.

The NBA won last night. More clearly, the commissioner, and the new flat odds rule won last night. The Knicks, Cavs and Suns tanked all year. The Lakers, when they realized their season was over, tried to tank. The Hawks, while fun to watch, didn’t win too many games. Despite all this, the Pelicans got the first pick, and Memphis got the second pick. The Knicks and Lakers finished out the top 4, but neither got the pick they were hoping for. The Pelicans now hold every single advantage in the whole AD thing now. They can ask for a kings ransom to any team trying to get AD, or a team that may want presumed number one pick, Zion Williamson. This was the absolute best thing that could’ve happened to New Orleans, David Griffin and Alvin Gentry. They don’t have to tear it all down now. They can get a tremendous package now, stay relevant and get back in the playoff picture ASAP. Also, I don’t think this was rigged at all. If it was rigged, the Knicks or Lakers would’ve gotten the number one pick. The fact that neither is in the top 2, of a seemingly 2 player draft, speaks volumes to the possibility of this lottery being rigged. I think it’s hilarious that some think it was fixed. I don’t think the NBA was begging for Zion to go to New Orleans. That’s nonsense. Anyway, congrats New Orleans. You not only won the draft lottery, you regained, and added, a ton of power in the AD saga. Hilarious.

Secondly, I want to talk about this whole Frank Vogel being named the new head coach of the Lakers. I mean, what the hell? This is absolutely absurd. This is a consolation “prize”, after Monty Williams took the Phoenix job and Ty Lue walked away. Frank Vogel was an okay coach when he was in Indiana, but basketball was much different back then. Roy Hibbert was an all star and a guy you needed on the floor. He’d be unplayable in the modern NBA. After getting fired from Indiana he took the Orlando job, and boy oh boy was their team not very good. He didn’t work well with the young talent, and they let him go after only three years. And when you look at the Pacers and Magic now, they’re both better off. They’re both playoff teams. Hell, the Pacers fought for homecourt in the first round until Victor Oladipo got hurt. Frank Vogel is an okay coach, but not worthy of coaching a team LeBron is on.

Which brings me to my next point. The fact that Jason Kidd is the lead assistant is very prophetic for who will be the head coach by Christmas Day. This is almost exactly what happened in Cleveland when LeBron came back. David Blatt was hired before he decided to come back, took them to the Finals, then the next season Ty Lue was named lead assistant, and 20 games into the year, he was the new head coach. LeBron may not be saying anything about this hire right now, but a few months into the year, if the Lakers are still struggling, LeBron will say some stuff to the media, and within a week Kidd will be the new head coach. It’s so easy to see this in the tea leaves. Vogel is a scapegoat. He’s a figurehead. Since James signed with LA, Jason Kidd’s name has come up for head coach a bunch. It is clear that he, Maverick Carter and Klutch Sports are running this Lakers team. That’s what LeBron does. Teams that sign him should know that the moment they sign him, he’s in control. Much like the lottery, the Frank Vogel hire is hilarious to me. He’ll last one full season if he’s lucky. Honestly though, I think he’s gone before Christmas, and Kidd is introduced as the head coach. And I think both LeBron and the Lakers will seriously regret it in about 2 years.

This has been a wild few days in the NBA. But, it’s also been fun to watch since I have no rooting interest in most of the teams I mentioned today. Gosh, the NBA is so much fun. 

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

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Ty's NBA Conference Finals Preview

Tonight is the start of the Eastern and Western Conference Finals in the NBA. I was going to talk about the Lakers, but that can wait until tomorrow. I want to touch on each final, give my prediction, and give you a few things that could happen that may shock some people.

I want to start with the East first. Milwaukee coasted to the East Finals. They ran rough shed over the Pistons, who just laid out and let the Bucks walk all over them. They then had a bad start to the next round, losing game one by double figures to the Celtics. A bunch of people said that the "Celtics were coming together", and "they figured it out", and "Kyrie was finally playing team ball". Well, the Bucks then proceeded to absolutely dismantle the Celtics. They destroyed the Celtics in the next four games. Giannis shed whatever "rust" he may have had and looked like the MVP in those four straight wins. He was unstoppable, and the Celtics looked terrible on and off the court.

The Raptors had a much tougher road to the East Finals. They lost game one to the Magic in round one, but coasted from there. Where it became rough was against Philadelphia. That series was hard fought, a slug fest, a rock fight, whatever cliché you want to say about a physical series. Each team took, and gave, tons of punches. Game 7 was epic too. It was back and forth, at one point Toronto looked in control, but then Philadelphia would make a run. Then we had that Kawhi shot. That was one of the most incredible, and lucky shots I have ever seen. It hit every inch of that rim, and somehow went in. That is a heartbreaking way for the 76ers to go out. But, Kawhi did exactly what the Raptors hoped he would do when they traded for him.

So we now have Milwaukee-Toronto. I think Milwaukee may come out flat in game one, the whole rust over rest theory, but I feel like they will coast from there. Milwaukee is deeper, they have the best player in the series, and they have home court advantage. I think Toronto will win 2 games, but I think Milwaukee wins in 6. I also think Giannis will further his case for MVP, and top three player in the NBA.

In the West we have Golden State-Portland. I love this matchup. Golden State was the presumed team from the start of the season. They have it all. They have one of the best starting fives I've ever seen, and they are the 2 time defending champs. They let the Clippers get 2 games from them, but easily won from there. Then we had the big showdown with Houston. After taking the first 2 games, Houston rallied back for 2 very impressive wins to tie the series. In game 5 it looked like the Warriors were going to run away, but Houston came all the way back to take the lead. Then KD hit a shot to go ahead, and his non contact injury that I touched on happened. I, much like almost everyone else, assumed that the Rockets would take advantage of this. They did not. They choked it away like they always do. They couldn't get a lead in the first half of game 5, even with no KD and Steph scoring zero points and picking up three fouls. Then Steph got hot, Klay started playing incredible defense, Draymond ran the offense exquisitely, and the Warriors bench got a chance to shine. And, the Rockets blew it. I will say, Harden did his part scoring 12 in the quarter. But, he also had 4 turnovers. Also, Chris Paul was a ghost, PJ Tucker got no looks, Gerald Green play an inexplicable amount of minutes in the game, Austin Rivers was awful and Clint Capela was neutralized. This is what the Rockets do, and I don't know why I thought this year was different. Golden State pulled away late and closed the series out in 6 games.

Portland took a much more dramatic path to the West Finals. Yes, they beat OKC in 5, but those games were all close. If not for Lillard going supernova, and hitting shots from the logo, I think that series might have went 7. But, it didn't. Portland closed it out. They then had to deal with Denver. Both teams traded blows. Both teams took a game from each at their home court. And it looked like Denver was going to close it out early in game 7, building a 17 point lead. But, with Lillard looking exhausted, CJ McCollum absolutely took over. He was amazing, and it made me rethink trading him this offseason. He was awesome. He hit all the big shots. He was the man that lead the full comeback to get Portland back to the West Finals for the first time since 2000.

All that is gravy for Portland. Unfortunately for them, as soon as KD gets back, I think the games will be fun, but the Warriors will end up winning the series, most likely in 5 games. I think the series will be a delight for lovers of offense, and the scores will be high, but the Warriors are a better team. They have so much more talent. They also have multiple guys that they can throw at CJ and Dame. If they thought Denver was tough, just wait for what the Warriors will bring at them. Game one is going to show me how prepared and ready Portland is, but I think the Warriors are too good. They might not have KD for the first 2 games, but I don't think it matters. Portland will get one at home, but that is it. The Warriors are just too good.

I'm very excited for the games to start tonight. These are the 4 most deserving teams left. I'm glad it worked out this way. Lets get to it.

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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Why John Beilein, Why

A lot of stuff happened over the weekend in sports and movies and TV. But the story I awoke to this morning takes precedence over all the other stuff I want to write about.

I was resting in my bed, my son was playing video games, my daughter was sleeping and my wife left for work when the news buzzed across my phone. John Beilein, the head basketball coach at Michigan for the last 12 years, was leaving to become the head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

I didn't believe it at first. I thought it might have been a joke, or a wrongly reported story. I thought maybe the people got the name wrong. After he flirted with the Pistons last year, I assumed that he was going to stick in college for the rest of his career. But, after doing a good amount of research, I found out that it was true. Whenever you see Woj has reported the story, when it comes to NBA news, you know it's true. Beilein then went on Twitter to confirm the news himself.

I was stunned. I took this a lot harder than I thought I was going to. I think it hit me so hard because I did not see this coming, at all. Every year I have to hear about how overrated a football coach Jim Harbaugh is, but that this NFL team or that NFL team was going to lure him away from Michigan. Harbaugh has been there for five years now, and after every season, he is mentioned in open NFL head coaching jobs. It is something I have come to expect. But John Beilein has been a staple.

Beilein came to this team 12 years ago, when they were in the toilet, and he has built them up to a perennial Big Ten power. He has led them to tons of Sweet Sixteen's. He has been to 2 Final Fours and 2 title games. He has gone to the NCAA tourney in 9 of his 12 years. He turned guys like Trey Burke, Nik Stauskas, Mo Wagner and Mitch McGary into first round NBA picks. He helped Glenn Robinson III to the NBA. He has been able to replace top notch point guards year after year. He has added great assistants every year. He has adjusted his teams to fit their strengths. They were all offense when he first got there, then they had super athletes, then they became a deadly three point shooting team, then he made his big men become stretch 5's, and this past season, he helped turn them into a defensive powerhouse. And they looked to be pretty solid heading into the 2019-20 season.

And then this news appeared this morning.

As I said, I have read a ton of stuff since hearing the news, and I still am a bit shook. I heard that he is leaving because he doesn't like the state of college basketball recruiting. He is not a fan of the "one and done" culture. I get that. I mean, Iggy Brazdeikes is good, but he is not NBA ready. But, he has decided to test the waters. He is also losing Jordan Poole because Poole had a few good games and some GM's said he could be a pick. I love Jordan Poole, but I do not think he is even close to being ready for the NBA. And even earlier in his career, guys like Nik Stauskas and Mitch McGary and Glenn Robinson III and Daruis Morris all left much earlier than they should have. This is a problem with college basketball. I get that. But, he is going to have to deal with guys that make much more money than him, and if he doesn't produce soon, he will be gone.

Which leads me to another thing I read. He chose the Cavs because he will be able to rebuild. Sure, that sounds nice, but like I just said, how patient will that fan base be if they don't get the number one pick this year, and win 20 games over the next three years? That will not be fun. The 76ers fired a ton of coaches during the process era. The Lakers are on their third coach in 5 years because that fan base is hungry for wins. The Knicks have gone through a ton of coaches because they can't, or aren't willing to try, to win games. This could very well happen to Beilein. Cleveland is not a good team. They have one solid player in Colin Sexton, and nothing much else. I know Kevin Love is there, but he is only getting older, and he is always injured. I also think they are going to trade him. I like Cedi Osman, but he is still a work in progress. Tristan Thompson is a bum. Matthew Dellavedova is a scrub. I mean, this roster is rough. And if they don't get Zion Williamson, they will be probably take someone like RJ Barrett or Cam Reddish. Those guys are the definition of a project. I don't know if Beilein wants to take on that task.

The one thing I heard that has me not questioning his move was Beilein wants to try at the highest level. That actually makes sense. He is 66 years old, making him the third oldest coach in the NBA now. If he was going to try, now is the best, and possibly only, chance he has. When this contract is up, if he makes it all the way through, he will be 71, and, I'd assume, ready to retire. This is the only reason I, right now, will accept as to why he took this job.

I'm still stunned. I am upset because I adored him as the Michigan basketball coach. He made them a power again. He restored this team. They have been far superior to the football team for some time now. They have won big games. They have played on big stages. They did everything, minus a national title, that any fan would want to see. And now he is leaving to coach the Cavs. I just cannot wrap my head around that. I get the lure of the NBA, but if he really wanted to go, why not take the Pistons or Magic job that he interviewed for last year? They were both playoff teams with solid rosters this year. I just do not get the choice to take the Cavs job. He could've stayed at Michigan and been poised for another deep tourney run this year. He had some good recruits coming in. He had a great core returning. Now he gets to coach the remains of a team LeBron left in shambles a year ago.

I really do wish John Beilein nothing but the best, I always want to see former Wolverines shine at the highest level. I'm trying to not be so skeptical and cynical. But, this move is bizarre. This team is bad and he, if he doesn't show improvement very soon, will not finish out this contract. I've watched enough NBA to know that the Cavs front office is volatile, and while they like you today, they may hate you in a month, especially if you don't win games. I'm upset and bummed, but I hope John Beilein succeeds. I don't think he will, but I'm rooting for him.

What a bummer of a day to be a Michigan basketball fan. I'm curious to see who they hire next because it will set the tone for awhile. They don't necessarily need to make a "splash" hire. But, they need to make a very, very solid hire. I want to keep believing in this team like I did when Beilein was hired, and after what he has done for 12 seasons.

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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This Kevin Durant Injury Sucks

Game 6 of Warriors-Rockets is on at 8pm my time tonight (we call it central, not Ty time). I have been watching this series most intently during the NBA playoffs. It’s been intense, well played, physical and fun to watch. I don’t like either team, but I despise the Rockets, so I have found myself oddly rooting for the Warriors.

I’m also a big KD fan. I loved him when he was with the Thunder. He was my favorite player on my favorite team. I was then upset when he joined the Death Star Warriors. They didn’t need him, but they got him, and they then became the enemy. Everyone outside of California rooted against them. They became the Yankees. They were the Patriots. They were the front runners. But, as I stated earlier, I’ve found myself wanting them to beat the Rockets. And KD was doing everything in his power to make that happen. He has been, by a wide margin, come at me James Harden fans, the best player in this series. He carried the Warriors to wins in games 1 and 2. He led the bear comebacks in games 3 and 4. And when they squandered their 20 point lead the other night, KD was the guy to make the big shot.

That’s why Durant’s calf strain is such a bummer. When I watch the playoffs I want to see the best battle the best. We were getting that from Harden and KD. They were going at it offensively. KD was abusing Harden when he would get switched on him. I thought it was a great move by Steve Kerr, or maybe it was Mike Brown, to put KD on Harden on defense. His length has clearly bugged him. KD was proving how great of a playoff player he is. Then this stupid non contact injury occurred. He was running up the court and grabbed at his leg like someone slapped him. I thought he tore his ACL. So did the guys calling the game.

This totally changes everything in this series. KD was doing it all for the Warriors at the highest of levels. Steph has been off all series. Klay has come and gone and his defense has been rough. Boogie is out. The only other guy who’s even close to matching KD is Draymond. But Draymond can’t score like KD can. The Warriors need him if they want to beat the Rockets. And I know Rockets fans will say that they didn’t have CP3 last year, and if he was healthy they would have won. I agree. I wish he didn’t get hurt either, but he gets hurt all the time.

This is the first crushing injury of KD’s career. I know he missed a good chunk of a season while in OKC, but that didn’t happen in a great playoff series. This is such a bummer. Without KD, I don’t think the Warriors can beat the Rockets. This is their best, and possibly only chance to win a title. This is their window. This is their opportunity. And it all comes from a non contact injury. That stinks. This dampens What is going to be the best series of the entire 2019 NBA playoffs. I wish both teams could get through an entire series without a star getting hurt.

This is cruel to NBA fans. I’m bummed by this, and I say again, I don’t like either of these teams. But, I love good basketball, and with KD out, and how the other Warriors have looked, I think we will be robbed of 2 more good to great 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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SeedSing Listens to Vampire Weekend's "Father of the Bride"

Let me say at the very beginning that I am a huge fan of Vampire Weekend.

Let me have it. Hipster, pretentious, whiny white boy rock lover, I have heard it all. Recently one of my favorite writers flat out crushed the band and all of their fans. The comments in the article are even more cutting.

The hipster act of criticizing other hipsters is in full force with Vampire Weekend. I lived through it with Beck, Radiohead, and Arcade Fire. I am ready to live through it when my family, friends, and readers, want to tweak me about my love for a band called Vampire Weekend and their 21st century version of whiny white boy rock. I will not apologize. I loved their first three albums, I am sure their fourth one will be just as good.

Here is the thing, I predictably really like “Father of the Bride”. As long as the band keeps putting out songs like “Oxford Comma”, “M79”, “Giving Up the Gun”, and everything on “Modern Vampires of the City” I was going to like “Father of the Bride”. Not only do I like it, I love it. I may be so bold and say that this is Vampire Weekend’s masterpiece.

The album starts of with a strange little song called “Hold You Know”. It is odd, but it has grown on me, and yes it does have a sample of children’s choir singing from the movie “The Thin Red Line”. The next song, “Harmony Hall” has been out for a while now and I believe this is the song that will define Vampire Weekend. It is their “Thunder Road”. From there on the record gets better. The B side of the vinyl, yes I bought “Father of the Bride” on vinyl, is flawless. The unfortunately named “Unbearable White” is a jazzy tune that I love, and I hate jazz. The final song on the B side, “Married in a Gold Rush” is in my opinion the best song on a killer record. It is awesome.

The second record/disc is more experimental, yet still incredible. Songs like “My Mistake” and “2021” feel like the tunes of a different band with a Vampire Weekend flavor. The record ends with the melancholy “Jerusalem, New York, Berlin” a fitting cool down to a great run of music.

I, like many Vampire Weekend fans, was a little concerned that founding member Rostam Batmanglij had left before “Father of the Bride was recorded. Rostam released his solo record “Half-Light” in late 2017 and he was not not going to record any new music with his old band for the time being. He is still listed as a writer and producer on a few songs, so his influence is not completely gone.

I do want to highlight Danielle Haim from the band HAIM. She is featured on a couple of great tracks on “Father of the Bride”. Her duets with front man Ezra Koenig are incredible. She is the number one reason that the opening track is worth listening to, and Haim and Koenig on the aforementioned “Married in a Gold Rush” plus the D side track “We Belong Together” propels the record from good to great.

I was pretty sure I was going to like “Father of the Bride” before I heard the first note. I was also pretty sure the hipster on hipster hate was going to follow the release of the album. I was ready for all of it. Yet being biased towards one of my favorite bands, I was not expecting to like “Father of the Bride” as much as I have. Months ago I downloaded “Harmony Hall”, and I figured that would be the key track. I love that song, and the all of the rest that surround it on the latest from Vampire Weekend.

Final word is that if you love Vampire Weekend, you will love “Father of the Bride”. If you are new to Vampire Weekend, this record will make you a convert. Unless you support hipster on hipster fighting.

RD

RD Kulik is the Head Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. 

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Let the Kyrie Irving Speculation Begin

NBA free agency is still about a month and a half away. But, it officially started for Kyrie Irving last night. The Celtics and Irving laid down and let the Bucks walk over them on their way to the East Finals. This was pretty much written in stone after game 4. The Bucks ripped the Celtics apart and all but sewed up the series. Last night was simply needed to get the clinching win for Milwaukee.

And man was Irving bad, on both ends of the floor, after game 1 of this series. He was a zero on defense. It didn’t look like he was even trying. As far as offense, he took a lot of shots, said he should take more, but missed most of them. He was not good when he needed to be his best. He reverted to how he played in Cleveland before LeBron came back.

I do put a good amount of blame on Irving, because he’s the star player and number one option, but he’s not alone. Gordon Hayward was an absolute zero in this series. He played scared. Al Horford is starting to show his age. Giannis bullies him. Terry Rozier didn’t get enough playing time. Jayson Tatum regressed all year. The only guy that looked engaged, and played well, was Jaylen Brown. He looked good.

We also need to re-evaluate Brad Stevens. He may not be the boy wonder some thought. This was, by far, his best roster, and they choked harder than ever. Stevens deserves as much blame as credit he got when the Celtics overachieved. He allowed all of this to happen. He also proved he cannot handle big stars. That was the biggest take away I got from his coaching this year.

But, back to their big time free agent. I know Horford is a free agent, and he’s very important to this team. But, he’s not Irving. Some team is going to go after Irving, and go after him hard. He is a wizard with the ball. He can create with the best of them. He is a solid passer. When engaged, he plays okay enough defense. But, the way he played in these last 4 games, or the whole year, and how he’s treated his teammates and the media, I’d be a little hesitant to back up the truck for him. He is such an enticing player, and he’s still relatively young. But his attitude, the stuff he says, the way he acts towards teammates, his willingness to leave when it doesn’t go his way, all of that makes me pause. All of that would make me think twice. Two years ago, after demanding his trade from Cleveland, when he landed in Boston, he seemed so happy. He seemed like he was going to be there for awhile. He was finally back to being “the guy”. Two years later, he’s already ready to leave. In October he wanted to stay, then a month later he said “I don’t owe Boston shit”. Look, I’m stoked when any team from Boston gets bounced early from the playoffs. But, he say two totally opposite things only a month apart, that’s childish. This is why I’d be so hesitant to sign him long term.

Say Irving and KD, who I will write about his injury tomorrow, but man is that a bummer, go to the Knicks. How quick until he’s upset that he’s second fiddle again? KD is a far superior player. I don’t think Irving would be too happy after one season. Let’s say he joins LeBron again in LA. How long until he trashes the youth on that team? Or, how upset would he be if he were the third option behind LeBron and Anthony Davis if they get him? If he signs with the Lakers, they would be disastrous. Say he goes to the Nets. How is that any different than his situation right now in Boston? He’d be done there in one season.

The only team that I think makes a bit of sense is Phoenix. The young core would buckle to his whims. He could help pick a coach. He would be the alpha, no disrespect to Devin Booker, but Irving is better. And he could kind of hide away there. He wouldn’t be all in the media for the first time in his career, which I think would be great for him. He could stay away from social media and simply focus on basketball. That is truly the only team I think he would stay and help.

We will have to wait to see until July 1, and I cannot wait. But, Irving did not help himself at all thus post season. If anything, he only hurt his stock and I’d think twice before offering him a max this offseason. 

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 NBA Coaching Carousel is Starting Up

I'm going to talk about the NBA today, but I want to wait until we are fully set with the East and West Finals before I talk about the playoffs. What I want to touch on is some recent head coaching news.

First, I think the Suns, who seem to be a real mess right now, which is a bummer for me since I pledged my fandom to them earlier this year, made a solid head coaching hire in Monty Williams. If he is given the extent of his contract, which I believe is 5 years, I think he can turn them into a playoff team. They have 2 young guys that have a shot to be all stars, Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton. They just need to fill the team out with solid role players, and they seem to have some on the roster right now. Josh Jackson may never live up to the hyper coming out of college, but he has shown flashes. Mikail Bridges is the prototypical NBA role player. Kelly Oubre looks like he is ready to take the next step into full time, reliable starter. TJ Warren is a solid NBA player. And I really like their rookie from last year, Elie Okobo. They kept him in the G League for most of the year, a very smart move, and now, I think he is ready for the NBA. The Suns have some pieces, and I feel like Williams can succeed if given a real chance.

But, the main head coach rumor I want to talk about is Ty Lue possibly to the Lakers. I have mixed feelings on this move. For one, I am very conflicted because I think, from a player standpoint, this is a good move. Lue has shown that he doesn't back down to LeBron. He challenged him when they were in Cleveland together. He didn't put up with all of his demands. He, along with Erik Spoelstra, may be the only coaches that actually have LeBron;s respect. I also think it would be good for them to bring over a former player, a former champion at that, that wasn't a super star. This isn't like hiring Magic. Lue isn't Byron Scott. He is so much better than Kurt Rambis. What those guys had was star power as players, and I think the Lakers brass thought they could bring that over to coaching. What Lue has is coaching prowess, titles as a player and coach, but he was a role guy. He knew what he needed to do, did it and won. I think that is a smart choice as far as head coach.

The problem I keep having with the possibility of the Lakers hiring him is the roster construct of this iteration of the team. Lue is a solid coach that knows how to deal with a big time star like LeBron. But, while in Cleveland he also had other stars like Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving. The rest of that roster had vets. They had guys that had been around for awhile in the NBA, had playoff experience and knew how to live the NBA life. Outside of LeBron, and a very few others, the Lakers do not have that. They are filled with young talent. They are filled with players that haven't fully grown into their NBA bodies yet. They are filled with a bunch of young guys that don't trust the front office after the whole Anthony Davis thing last year. It is a roster filled with the unknown, and I don't know how, or if, Lue can handle that. How is he going to deal with his three young guys that they were supposed to build this team around before LeBron signed there? Will Brandon Ingram be okay with becoming a very rich man's JR Smith? I think that is what LeBron and Lue want, but Ingram is so much better creating that just waiting for open shots. Lonzo Ball, while a much better defender, is no Kyrie Irving on offense. He is also hurt constantly. How is he going to perform when Lue completely turns the offense over to LeBron? He has a broken jumper, he doesn't get to the line and he is a much, much better passer than shooter. He needs to run the offense to be as effective as he can be. That won't happen when Lue is coach and he defers to LeBron. Kyle Kuzma, while being a very streaky shooter, is not Kevin Love or even, I mention him again, JR Smith. Kuzma can score, sometimes at will. But, he can be ice cold as well. He also doesn't rebound or outlet pass like Love does. He also isn't a great spot up shooter like Smith. Say what you will about JR Smith, but he was good at finding open spots while playing with LeBron, and hitting shots when he needed to. Kuzma isn't there yet, but I think Lue and LeBron will expect that now.

Outside of those three guys, and whoever they get in the late lottery, they don't have much in the way of solid veterans. JaVale McGee completely regressed last year. Lance Stephenson is washed. Mike Muscala is very blah. Josh Hart is okay, but he stumbled at the end of the year. Moe Wagner is nearly unplayable because he is a horrendous defender. I mean, they don't really have the guys, especially in the West, to compete. That is where I stop and really question if Lue is the guy to turn this Lakers team around. I will say that the roster could be vastly different after July 1. But for now I have to go with what they have. And what they have doesn't fit a LeBron led team coached by Ty Lue. They are not the 2016 and 17 Cavs. That was a roster built by LeBron for Lue to coach. This Lakers roster was totally messed up by what Magic and Rob Pelinka did this past offseason, and it isn't one that I put a lot of faith in with a 35 year old LeBron and Ty Lue. I think they are a playoff team, but no more than a 5 or 6 seed, at best, in the West. It is a whole different game in that conference.

All this hire truly shows me is that LeBorn and Klutch Sports are now in full control of the Lakers. While that may have been great 3 or 4 years ago, it doesn't hold the weight it once did. LeBron is old, and the AD thing really showed me a lot about Klutch when they don't get their way. Ty Lue is a solid, championship winning NBA head coach. I just don't think he is a good fit with this Lakers team the way it is constructed as of today. We will have to wait and see.

Ty

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

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My War with the Moles and Chipmunks in My Yard

ARRRGHHH

My topic is a little odd today, but as RD and I have many times, we have a platform for venting about weird stuff sometimes. So today I want to talk about my total disdain for moles and chipmunks.

I never really had much of a yard before we moved into the house I currently live in. I grew up in a townhouse, spent the first part of dating/married life in a townhouse and, at our first house, our lawn was the size of a very, very small park. Think about the "Littlest Park" episode of "Parks and Rec", double that, that was the size of our front and backyard. But now, I have a pretty decent sized backyard. The front isn't humongous, but it isn't too terribly small either.

Anyway, last year I decided that I was going to take pride in my yard. We have a veggie garden now, and instead of just letting grass and weeds and dandelions and whatever else destroy the yard, I was going to do it all. It also helps that my mother in law is a master gardener. She gave a lot of advice, and the tools, to keep my yard looking fresh. So I did the weeding. I made sure to mow whenever the grass needed it, sometimes when it even could have waited a bit. I tended to the veggie garden. I mulched the entire front and back. I did whatever I was instructed to do so my yard would look solid. And for awhile, boy did it loom good. I was proud of what I had accomplished. Everything seemed to be going great.

About a few months into the fall, right around when the leaves started to fall, my wife and I noticed odd little hills popping up in our backyard hill. We have a flat backyard, but at the end, we have a decent hill. This is where the little hills started to show. I went outside, investigated and decided that stomping the ground back in would do the trick. Nope, I would wake up the next day to the same hills, plus a few extras here and there. We looked up what may cause this and found out it could be moles. I called a local exterminator to rid our yard of these monsters, and at first, I thought they did. They kept telling us they were weeding out and that our yard would look like old anytime soon.

That did not happen. I kept seeing newer hills popping up. One day it would seem fine, the next, it was like the moles had an underground party. I contacted the exterminator, and they wouldn't come back out because I canceled my business after they said they eradicated the problem. I was hot. So, I decided to take matters into my own hand. I bought poison worms and supersonic sound machines. I planted devices in the yard to trap them. I even thought about getting a BB gun.

None of this worked.

These moles, and chipmunks, continued to find a way. I figured with how cold it was this past winter, it would freeze them out. And it seemed like it had. But, when it started to warm up recently, I noticed that the hills in the backyard where mostly gone, but the front, not so much. Mole hills have popped up everywhere in the front. It looks like our backyard did last fall. They are all over the mulch, by my hoop, near the sidewalk, everywhere. I even see a bunch in our neighbors yards. It is out of control. It feels like they dug deeper in the frigid cold, stored up all their energy, and are now taking it out on mine, and my neighbors, lawns. It is insane.

I don't get it. I don't know what else to do. I keep stamping the ground with tools. I put some newer, seemingly more effective grub and worm killer in my yard. I have laid a ton of new grass seed. I even bought more powerful supersonic sound wave machines. Yet, the moles and chipmunks seem to be getting stronger.

I hope that this problem will go away. I'm sick and tired of seeing new tunnels and bumps every morning. I'm getting past frustration to, dare I say, acceptance that the moles have taken over. This has only gotten worse. If any of you have any advice out there, please let me know because I am so sick and tired of these damn things. I'm going to continue to tend to my yard and veggie garden, but I would be lying if I said that this whole mole/chipmunk thing hasn't made me reconsider my ways of yard work. Should I go back to not caring about my yard? Will this get rid of the moles/chipmunks? I hope I don't have to try that again, but with how much stronger this has become since winter, that may be my last resort.

Gosh do I despise these varmint. Big time.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. If you see Ty with a gun and a crazy look in his eye, no worries. He is just getting ready to escalate his war with the varmints.

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Ty Watches "Avengers: Endgame"

I was finally able to see "Endgame" yesterday. My parents took our kids overnight, and my wife and I went to the movie early in the day so we could get home at a decent hour. I have been rather hesitant about this movie, I voiced as much on a recent podcast. I wasn't crazy about the running time, I was bored by "Infinity War", I feel a bit overwhelmed by all the superheroes in the movie and I said it felt like "homework" having to see this movie. But, I had to see it. My OCD wouldn't allow me to skip it.

Now, before I go into my review, I need to say that this is going to be spoiler free. I know the movie has been out for 2 weeks, and people are starting to spoil stuff online. But, I also know that there are people like me out there, or people that cannot go immediately to see movies anymore. I want those people to be as surprised by this movie as I was. Now lets get into it.

I want to say right off the bat, I LOVED this movie. It was immediately better, to me, than "Infinity War". What I disliked about "Infinity War", all the backstory and each and every hero getting some kind of grand intro, "Endgame" didn't do that. It didn't have to do that. There was such a short amount of time between the 2 movies, the viewer didn't need to get everyone's backstory. I will say, if you haven't seen all, or most, of the MCU movies, "Endgame" may be confusing at first, but after an hour, you get the gist. And even for those that said the first hour may be boring, or a slog, I did not find it that way at all. They gave you the pertinent info, let you know who was still around and went from there. From there, it was so awesome. I mean, it had everything in it that I wanted "Infinity War" to have. And the last 2 to 2 and a half hours were, pretty much, all action or fighting. This is what I crave when it comes to comic book or super hero movies. It was straight up action and adventure. There was some wild and baller fights.

I do have to say, I enjoyed the story that was written for "Endgame". It was so much more cohesive and just better written than "Infinity War". I also liked some of the character choices. Thor's "arc" was amazing, and hilarious. The stuff with Cap actually made me kind of, sort of, like him. Again, this movie made me appreciate Hawkeye. Hulk was great. Captain Marvel is a true badass. She is the best hero of them all, by far. My Wakandan folk ruled as always. Black Widow got a poor rap, but she was great. All of them were just great. But the one that stood out most to me, and it was like this in the beginning, was Ironman. He was tremendous, and man oh man did his story make me weep. I was legit sobbing. I cried so hard that the child next to me asked me if I was okay. I did not expect this movie to move me the way it did. But that is just another feather in its cap.

Finally, what made "Endgame" so good, was the finality of it. This felt like an ending to something humongous. I know they won't ever stop making super hero movies, it is a goldmine, but for some, this was clearly the end. And that was awesome. It was a great sendoff, for most, to some awesome heroes that we have grown to adore.

"Endgame" is more than worth your time. It may be over three hours long, but it never felt that way. I didn't even get up to use the restroom because I didn't want to miss a thing. This washed a bad taste out of my mouth, and made me realize how, and why, I love/loved these movies. It was a total delight.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is a bit disappointed that Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman did not make an appearance. He feels like those characters deserve a good team up movie and not the crap they have been doing these last few years.

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The Greatest American Music: Lizzo's "Soulmate"

Last week I raved over Lizzo's new record, "Cuz I Love You", and today I want to talk about one specific song on there that I think will have a long lasting impact, especially as a wedding song. As I stated in my review, I am obsessed with this new record. I love the message, her voice, the lyrics and how catchy every single song is. I have been listening to it at least once a day since last Monday. I love every track on the record. My favorite is "Better in Color", because of the blending of old and new sounds.

But, the more I listen to the record the more the song "Soulmate" really, really stands out. This song, at least to me, ranks right up there for single people as Beyoncé's "All the Single Lady's". I mean, the message behind each song is to be independent and love yourself. But Lizzo takes it one step further. Where Beyoncé says stuff like, "if you liked it than you should have put a ring on it", Lizzo talks about how she doesn't need anyone, but herself, to be as happy as she can be. When listening, and then looking at the lyrics, this couldn't be more true. There are certain parts of this song that make "All the Single Lady's" seem timid and not nearly as empowering. Lizzo starts out with a bang. The opening verse has her saying, "they used to say get a man you had to know how to look/they used to say to keep a man you had to know how to cook/but I'm solo in Soho, sippin Soju in Malibu/It's a me, myself kinda attitude". That is some epic stuff right there. She rehashes what people may have told her her whole life, but then says she doesn’t need that stuff, and in fact, she is so much happier chilling at the beach and drinking by herself. She doesn't need to cook to get a dude. She doesn't need to do herself up just to get a guy. That is awesome.

The chorus is what really took me by storm when I actually looked at the lyrics. "All the Single Lady's" does have that catchy as hell chorus, but "Soulmate" is so much more profound. It goes, "Cause I'm my own soulmate/I know how to love me/I know that's always going to hold me down/yeah I'm my own soulmate/No, I'm never lonely/I know I'm a queen but I don't need no crown/Look up in the mirror like damn she's the one". Again, that is such a perfect chorus for all single people, not just ladies, to scream sing on the dance floor, especially at weddings. I mean, it doesn't get much more self empowering than that. She calls herself her own soulmate. She says she will never be letdown. She knows she is a queen, and doesn't need anyone to tell her this, or buy her nonsense. And the whole look in the mirror is just a baller ass line. It is amazing. I can picture, if I flashback to my own wedding, all of mine and my wife's single friends at the time, rocking this song. It would have been epic. Hell, I went to some weddings awhile back where "ATSL" was playing, and "Soulmate", had it been out, would have blown that song out of the water. There is another verse that I adore in the song. Lizzo says, "and she never tells me to exercise/we always get extra fries/and you know the sex is fire/and I gotta testify/I get flowers every Sunday/I'mma marry me one day". Again, perfection. In that one little verse she covers her disdain for exercise, how she eats what she wants, how she is the only one that can please herself and that she's just going to marry herself. Awesome.

Even near the end, when Lizzo talks about how you can find true love when you are by yourself, I love it. Before meeting my wife, I was by myself, and by myself a lot. I started to just be myself the more I stayed by myself. All of that led to me meeting my wife. She liked how calm and, dare I say, cool I was/am. I decided that I was fine by myself, and then I met the love of my life. I kind of think that is the message Lizzo is trying to get across. I think, I in my mind, she is saying you need to love yourself before you love someone else, and that someone else needs to love you for who you really are. I think that is just great.

"Soulmate" rules, just like every other song on this record. But, what "Soulmate" has that some of the other songs might not is the ability to become a big smash hit that resonates with all different kinds of people. I'm happily married, been with my wife for almost 13 years, 10 of which we have been husband and wife, and I yell sing this song in my car. I have other friends that listen to Lizzo, that are single, and this is far and away their favorite song on the record. I have friends that are dating that play this loudly in their home. This song truly runs the gammet. Even my three year old sings along to the chorus. It is a perfect song, and will be for the rest of time. Seriously people, start listening to Lizzo because she absolutely rules.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is all about loving yourself before you can love someone else. Maybe the incel community could learn something from Ty and Lizzo.

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Ty Watches "90 Day Fiance" Season Premier

A show that I’m pretty certain I’ve talked about on the site before came back this past Sunday night, and boy oh boy did they up the ante.

I have said many times that my wife has gotten into the whole reality TV craze, and one of our favorites, “90 Day Fiancé What Now?”, is back. This show is great because it’s so bad. It’s so poorly acted, and yes, these people are trying to be actors. I know it’s “reality” TV, but we all know now that it’s all scripted. “90 Day Fiancé What Now?” is “The Room” of reality TV. It started out as a look inside the K-1 Visa process, but now it’s blossomed into an insane portrait of couples that should not be together.

When the show first came out, it wasn’t as wild as it is now, and this newest season, they got some of the craziest and unstable people that they’ve ever had on the show. They took the worst of the bunch, making it the most gripping, I use that term very, very lightly, and engaging season so far. I mean, the couple that live in Vegas with the man’s mom, they’re nuts, in all the best reality TV ways. Since we last saw them, the wife may get deported, she flushed her wedding ring down the toilet, they got a new cat, the guy is even creepier than before and the mom is even more stressed out. We have the couple where the guy got a Tinder account only days after he was married to his girlfriend, who broke off 2 previous engagements because of infidelity. When these 2 are on screen, it’s so cringeworthy. It’s all fighting, the young guy trying to justify his scumbag decision, and the wife leaving him to walk home on the side of the road. We get the couple with the husband that legit looks like The Penguin, and is subjecting his wife to living in a storage unit, with no stove. Every time they interview her, I swear she wants to scream out, “help!, I’m a prisoner”. She looks so unhappy and uncomfortable. She’s also so bored, she’s taking an ESL class taught by her husband. The most “normal” couple is the one that lives in North Carolina, but we find out very soon that they aren’t together anymore, and then they flash back to 3 months prior. The husband is terrified to move, and the wife wants to become an actress and thinks Chicago is the best place to achieve this goal. She is also 20 and very much acts that way. The husband also gives off a real peaked in high school vibe.

But the best, at least so far, is the couple that lives in Atlanta. They’re a real mess. The wife’s family wants to hire a PI to investigate the husband. The husband started a huge fight with the wife’s family that he won’t own up to. They constantly bicker and fight. They can’t seem to agree on anything. The wife’s family is super duper crazy. The husband seems like he could be running a scam. It makes for great reality TV.

After the episode was over, we got a coming up on thing, and they’re going to bring back some classics for viewers of this ridiculous dumb, but addicting show. I cannot wait. Also, the premiere episode was 2 hours long, followed by a “where are they now” hour long show. That’s great. TLC knows what they have in this show, and they’re capitalizing on its popularity right now.

I literally cannot wait to see the next episode, and the whole season for that matter. I know it’s bad she dumb and pointless and predictable, but damn do I love “90 Day Fiancé What Now”. Check it out if you just want a hilarious escape for a few hours every week. It’s a delight.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is waiting for TLC to do a show about thoughtful people who get married. It can be called 900 Day Fiance.

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Ty Listens to Comedy Bang Bang's 10th Anniversary Podcast

The “Comedy Bang! Bang!” podcast is celebrating its 10th anniversary, and to honor this achievement, Scott Aukerman decided he was going to do a 10 hour long episode bringing back as many famous guests as possible. So far I’m about 5 and a half hours in, and it is a treat. I’ve loved every single second of this record long podcast. It’s like hearing a ten of Best Of episodes of the show. It is awesome.

The guest list, so far, has been absolutely incredible. Jon Hamm was on for a bit because he’s been on the show from the start. Jon Gabrus as Geno the Intern has made his always funny appearance. Thomas Lennon and Rob Heubel, the first guests on the first show, returned. Lennon also brought back a very old, and hilarious character. Jason Mantzoukas was the first guest of the episode, and he and Aukerman were great as usual. Andy Daly showed up during their interview and played both Dalton Wilcox and Hot Dog, two of his best characters. We’ve been visited by Entre Penure, Bone Queaf and Chief. Those three were absolutely hilarious. I think, so far, I laughed hardest when they were on. Chief, played by Carl Tart, also performed as Sugarloaf, a rapper from the 80’s who just woke up from a coma recently. It was awesome. I just heard from Chelsea Perreti and Adam Scott. When they did the famous “Farts and Procreation” episodes, I’d cry with laughter. Unfortunately Harris Wittles has since passed. But, Scott and Perreti still brought the humor. They’re so funny when they get together. Nick Kroll brought back a famous character. Thomas Middleditch played one of his absurd characters. Seth Morris came on as Bob Ducca. I could go on and on. It’s been truly amazing.

This is such a tremendous collection of super talented comedians and actors. I love how much they love, and appreciate all that “Comedy Bang! Bang!” has done for them and their fans. I first heard of a lot of these people because of this podcast. Jon Gabrus, Nick Kroll, Lauren Lapkus, Seth Morris and Jason Mantzoukas are just a few that I was introduced to by “CBB”.

I highly, highly recommend people check this out. This was such a great idea, and it has given me so much pleasure as a fan. I have been laughing and reminiscing since I started to listen to it on Monday. You do have to be a fan to truly appreciate all the characters, but I’d even go as far as to say that fans of comedy podcast should check this out because it’s a tour de force. I’m so happy with this, and I cannot wait to hear all the characters I will get to hear in the last 4 and a half hours.

Happy 10th anniversary “CBB”, and congrats Scott Aukerman. I really appreciate all the comedy you’ve provided for the past ten years. Here’s to many, many more. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is gearing up for the X Millennial Man 4 hour 4 year anniversary podcast. He is going to sit back with RD and do nothing but Simpsons references for four hours. Stay tuned.

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Is Urban Meyer Looking for a New Miracle Cure at USC?

Here we go again

I had another piece I wanted to write about today, another sports piece, but that will have to wait because of a text I got from my dad this morning.

I was driving my son to school, and my dad sent me a story from 247 Sports with the title, "Former Stars will Recruit Meyer to USC". I immediately started to crack up. I have written and said, to anyone that will listen to me, or read my stuff, that Urban Meyer's "health issues" are all very, very phony. I have also stated that, since he left The University of Ohio State, if USC didn't get back to being a title contender, he would find his way to becoming their head coach. It's not that far fetched, he has done it before.

Remember when he left Florida because of "heart concerns"? He left Florida with an "illness", but was that really the real reason? I mean, Florida football is just now getting back to being a perennial top 15 team. They had to go through a couple guys before finally getting Dan Mullen to come back. But, I feel like Meyer was starting to see the writing on the wall. Alabama was coming for him. Georgia was getting better. Auburn had solid teams. Even Arkansas, back then, was an eight or nine win team. And let us not forget about the recruiting violations and sanctions that were about to come to light. Also, he vouched for a guy like Aaron Hernandez. All the major journalist forgave him because he coached Tim Tebow, who is so awful on TV by the way. But, I'm pretty sure everyone knew that, not only was Florida not the cream of the crop in the SEC anymore, but their program, and Meyer himself, were doing some shady stuff.

So, he made up some health excuse, ESPN bought it, and he was able to walk away unscathed. ESPN bought his "health" issue so hard in fact, they hired him to call games that same season he stepped away. He was not very good at this, but the whole Jim Tressel and tattoo stuff, and years upon years of cheating, opened up the University of Ohio State job. Meyer openly talked about how he still had "health" issues, but this was his dream job. He is from Ohio, so he would love to finish his coaching career in Columbus. Of course he was cleared by doctors to coach, after only taking a year off because of his "heart" condition, and he accepted the job only one short year after leaving Florida.

After one down year, and only minor sanctions from the Jim Tressel era, the University of Ohio State went undefeated in Meyer's first year. They then went on to win a title, win the Big Ten a few times, win most of their bowl games and beat my team, Michigan. But, this most recent season, Meyer started to complain about "terrible headaches". I wrote about how insane the coverage of all this stuff was during games. It is also very fitting that these "headaches" started to come right after it was found out that Meyer had been lying to cover up for a former coach that physically abused his ex wife and did cocaine in the White House. After all of that was released, Meyer started to suffer "headaches". He would clutch his head on the sidelines of close games. The cameras would zoom in on his face to show him in "excruciating pain". The announcers would cover for him and call him "courageous". It was all so ridiculous. Meyer then announced, after missing out on the playoff, that he would be stepping away again because the "headaches" were too much, and he needed to get healthy for his family. Again, I think he saw the writing on the wall. The University of Ohio State was losing a ton of players to the draft. The stories and whispers of him covering up for this former coach got louder. Some journalists said he should have been fired. Some people didn't believe his headaches. It was all eerily similar to his departure form Florida.

Now, not even 4 months into his "retirement", former USC players, guys like Reggie Bush, according to this 247 Sports story, are saying they will "recruit" Meyer to USC if they don't improve this season. This was absurdly predictable. Their were only 2 jobs that I thought he would take after taking a year off, Notre Dame or USC. And surprise surprise, USC is struggling, and their former famous alumni are aching for a big name coach. I wouldn't be shocked either, if/when he gets the job, if he says that USC is his "dream job". Meyer is a compulsive liar that constantly looks for sympathy from the major media. When things start to get tough for him, he makes up an excuse so it is easier for him to quit. He is also a sanction just waiting to happen. Utah dealt with it, Florida dealt with it and I'm sure the University of Ohio State will get some kind of violations notice.

I hope USC makes the mistake of hiring him because that would be fitting. They did the same thing with Pete Carroll, and he left that program in shambles. Meyer will leave it in even worse shape when he gets some other "ailment" in 6 or 7 years. This is so stupid. I wish colleges and alumni would learn some kind of lesson. But, all some colleges care about is winning football games, and that is the most disturbing thing. Urban Meyer is a liar and a coward. We will have to see how all this plays out.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He has to deal with an “Urban Meyer” headache everytime he listens to the sports media cover for the guy. It is quite debilitating.

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