Sweet Chili Pistachios are My New Road Trip Staple

I’m currently on a road trip with my dad for the weekend. We are going to Ann Arbor to watch a football game. We have stopped once for gas and to use the restroom and get snacks. I’m here today to talk about the delicious snack I just finished.

I try and eat as low carb as possible in the car. I don’t need to stuff my face with candy, chips, cookies, any of that stuff. I like jerky, diet soda and peanuts. You could even throw in the occasional sunflower seed. I enjoy a good ranch sunflower seed. But, when on the road, I do like to splurge on my low carb treat. Sometimes I’ll get fancy jerky or a nice bag of almonds. Today, I decided I wanted some pistachios.

Pistachios are my favorite nut. They are a little sweet, and it’s almost, almost like I’m getting something close to candy. I prefer the Wonderful brand of pistachios as well. They have come as close as any to perfecting the amount of salt to put on the shell and nut. I was going to go with the original with the shell on, as I thought this was the only flavor they made. Much to my surprise, they had a new flavor, sweet chili. I’ve been known to like my heat with a little sweet. That’s how I order my Chinese food. I like doing a hot bbq sometimes when I get wings. My favorite chips have some kind of heat and sweet to them. I was intrigued by these sweet chili pistachios.

I bought them, and I have to tell you, they are magnificent. They have that perfect amount of heat and sweet. My lips are still tingling, but in a good way. They’re also addicting. I got the 4 ounce bag, the bigger one, thinking I’d only eat half. I ate the whole thing. In about 20 minutes. I even got my dad to try one, and he said before trying it “I don’t like to work for my food”. Well, even he said he thought they were tasty. He liked the heat. He had a few more after trying one.

Whatever the people at Wonderful are doing, they’re nailing it. They pretty much own the snack game when it comes to nuts. I will most definitely be purchasing these again, and not just on road trips. This will become a home snack as well, I can tell. These pistachios were great, and I just had to tell everyone about them. If you like pistachios and spice, try these out. You won’t regret it.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He, unlike his father, is not afraid to work for his food. On the next road trip he will be on the lookout for gas station whole lobster and crab legs.

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The Sad End of Carmelo Anthony's NBA Days

This really looks like the end of Carmelo Anthony. Rumors are swirling that he is going to be cut from the Rockets any day now. He has not been good this year, last year, or really, the past 5 or 6 years. He is too slow on defense. He is not a good three point shooter. He isn't really that good of a mid range shooter. He can't get to the rim. He doesn't like to pass the ball. He needs space to create his shot, and right now, he cannot get that space.

I used to love Carmelo Anthony. I was a big time fan of his when he was in Denver. His game was so fluid and fun. He still wasn't a great three point shooter, or a defender, he's never been a good defender, not even in college, but his offense offset all that. He was lethal from mid range. He could get to the rim, thus get to the free throw line. He still wasn't much of a passer, but when he did, it was nearly pin point. Even when Carmelo pushed his way out of Denver, he was still a very legitimate threat his first couple of years as a Knick. Hell, the last time the Knicks were good was one of his first couple seasons there. They won 50 plus games and made, I believe, the second round of the playoffs.

But then he did an interview with ESPN The Magazine, and it was all about his brand and how much more money he has made since he left Denver for New York. I read this cover story, and what stood out most to me was how little he cared about winning. He talked mostly about himself, or his brand. He talked about how much he was going to get paid very soon. He talked about how he has big plans after basketball. No mention of winning a title, or making deep playoff runs. No mention of being an MVP and surrounding himself with talented players that could have helped him. No mention of the kind of coach he wanted to play for that could put the Knicks, his team, over the top. The story was I, I, I and money, money, money.

That is when it all flipped for me, and I think it flipped for him too. He became a lesser player. He started to get more vocal with teammates. He hated Tim Hardaway Jr after the Knicks drafted him. He basically insisted they trade him, and they did. He didn't like many other teammates he had in New York.

This caused the start of the mess that the Knicks are in now. The Knicks then went out and hired Phil Jackson as the GM, and we all watched that disaster unfold. The start of that disaster, giving Carmelo a max deal. They could not get any other players of clout because they gave all their money to Carmelo. The Knicks started to tumble. They drafted Kristaps Porzingis, and the 2 people who disliked that move most, Phil Jackson and Carmelo Anthony. Jackson called him soft, Carmelo was worried he was losing the team, even though he already lost it a few seasons prior.

The Knicks eventually fired Jackson and got rid of Carmelo. He went to the Thunder last summer, after they stunningly got Paul George, and we all thought this was going to be great. I was fully on board with this at the time. The best Carmelo has been Olympic Carmelo, and I thought that was what the Thunder would get. But, when asked in the offseason if he would be willing to take a bench role, he scoffed and demanded he start. That was the crack for me. I instantly lost all good will I had. He was washed about 5 years ago in my opinion, but he still viewed himself as a star, a first option. Russell Westbrook and Paul George are so much better than he is at basketball, but he didn't see it that way. He struggled mightily last year too. He wasn't that lock down three point shooter. He wasn't hitting mid range shots. He complained that he wasn't getting the ball enough. He was even worse on defense. It was a mess. But, due to George and Westbrook, the Thunder still made the playoffs. Then they crapped the bed. All three of their stars played bad, but Carmelo was the worst. He might as well have not even showed up, that was how unimportant he was in that first round series last year.

The buyout eventually came, as we all expected, and he signed with the Rockets, as we all expected. What made me laugh most was hearing the Rockets fans talk about how they were going to get the best out of him. That was the same thing the Thunder fans said. I was skeptical of this move from the start. They were replacing defensive guys like Trevor Ariza with Carmelo Anthony. Those 2 guys are the same player. In fact, I think, where we stand right now, Trevor Ariza is much, much better, especially on defense. Carmelo has been downright dreadful this year. He is not the player he was expected to be. He is not the shooter that can help the Rockets compete with the Warriors, or Bucks or Raptors or Celtics or even the Trailblazers. He had one good game, against the Nets early in the season, and it shocked me. That is how far he has fallen. What was once expected is now a shock. And after that Nets game, he somehow got worse from the field. Then the stories started to come out that the Rockets were going to "reevaluate" his spot on the team. Then some Rockets players said they were going to start preparing for him to be cut. The GM came out and said they hadn't made a decision yet, but that is a kiss of death. He also didn't play the other night with an "illness".

Carmelo is cashed out. I agree with Tracy McGrady, that he should retire. He is of no use to a contender anymore. Those teams are all set. Also, if he still thinks he is a starter, when or if he gets cut by the Rockets, he is going to have to go to a bottom dweller. He can go to Atlanta or Cleveland or, hell, I don't know any other bottom feeder that would want him. I have heard that the 76ers and Lakers have expressed interest of he is cut. I hope the 76ers don't do that, especially after trading for Jimmy Butler. They don't need those 2 head cases in their locker room. And the Lakers, that would just be hilarious. Yeah, sign Carmelo so guys like Brandon Ingram and Josh Hart and Kyle Kuzma lose valuable playing time so LeBron's buddy can put up pointless shots that he will most likely miss.

I once loved Carmelo's game, but now, it is sad to watch him play basketball. He is not the same guy. The game has passed him by. He is a shell of his former self. I feel bad for him. Let it go.

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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Le'Veon Bell Lost

Before the season started I wrote about how I agreed with LeVeon Bell’s holdout. I felt like he was doing the right thing, and the best thing for his life after football. I’m all for athletes, but especially professional football players, getting their money while they can. There is such a short amount of time, and I feel like they need to seize that chance when /if they can. The career span in football is so short too, so get yours.

With the news that he didn’t sign yesterday, Bell is now ineligible to play for the rest of this season. I don’t think a decision like this has blown up more in anyone else’s face like it has to Bell. As I said, I fully supported him, but it is painfully clear that the Steelers do not need him to be a threat.

Who could have seen this coming from James Connor? I’ve liked this kid since I saw him in college at Pitt, and I felt like he’d be a great back up running back and perfect for third down. He seemed like the perfect back to bring in behind Bell. Well, he has been every bit as good, in some statistical categories better, than Bell has been his whole career. Connor averages as many yards per carry as Bell did. He goes for 100 yards seemingly at will. I know he didn’t eclipse it last week, but he still went for 60 plus and a TD before leaving a blow out win with a concussion. He is just as good a pass catcher as Bell. He gets the ball and goes. He catches pretty much everything that comes his way, and he usually turns those into big gains or TD’s. He is also a great team player. Everyone loves this kid, and it’s not just that he beat cancer and still plays. He beat cancer and has made Steelers fan comfortable with him taking over the running back role. I picked him up in fantasy football the moment I knew Bell was going to sit, and he’s one of my most efficient and effective players. He’s so perfect for fantasy football. He does it all.

Now, Bell has to realize that he may not be as important to the Steelers as he thought. I mean, how can he not. Connor is going to get award mentions at the end of the year. The Steelers are going to give him what he’s worth, which is less than Bell. He’s younger, which is just another notch in his belt. As for Bell, he’s going to be a free agent, which he wanted, but I don’t think he will get the money he could have gotten had he played this year. Also, he just wasted a year of his prime to try and prove a point, and it magnificently backfired.

What title contender is going to sign him to the huge deal he wants? The Patriots just drafted a running back who’s pretty solid. The Packers have found their guy in Aaron Jones. The Panthers have Christian McCaffery. The Saints have Alvin Kamara. The Rams, Todd Gurley. The Chiefs have 2 young and solid backs. The Vikings have Dalvin Cook. The Bears have Tarik Cohen. All these guys are younger and more important to their teams than Bell could ever be. He’s going to have to settle for a team like the Raiders or Jets or Dolphins or Lions. He destined to play for a mediocre team that will sign him so they can sell tickets. He won’t be a mainstay in the playoffs anymore. He won’t be the threat he once was. He will just become another guy.

This should upset Bell. He should have signed yesterday if only to get his money. He shouldn’t have wasted a year. He should have done what Earl Thomas did. I know Thomas got hurt, but the fact that he played will get him paid next year. This was a misstep and I’d be scared if I were Bell. He is just going to be another name. All because he wanted to prove a point. What a bummer for him. And good for James Connor. Way to secure your spot when you got your chance.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is afraid to hold out because the head editor may get the the DJ 3000 to replace Ty on the podcast. It worked on Bill and Marty.

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A Few Thoughts on the Jimmy Butler Trade

Jimmy Butler finally got what he wanted. He is no longer on the Timberwolves. He got out. All his whining and griping and bitching and moaning and poor attitude and disgusting behavior paid off. He is not on the team that he seemed like he would finish his career with after leaving the Bulls. Now, he has destroyed 2 locker rooms and he is on to his third.

First things first, I do not think Jimmy Butler is the type of player that can act like this. While I do think he is one of the better 2 way players in the league, he is not the type of player that can yell and demean his teammates and demand a trade and expect a big time contract. He is 29. I know that is not old, but in basketball years, with the amount of time he plays in games, and the playoff games he has been too, that is pretty old. He also has a history of lower body injuries. He seems to get hurt quite a bit. He also complains when teammates don't play or practice to his "level". He is also a mediocre shooter. Yes, he can create shots and get to the rim, but as a floor spacer, I don't buy it.

Second, the way he has conducted himself for the past 2 years is loathsome. As I said, while he is a great player, he is not as good as he thinks. He is not LeBron James, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, James Harden, Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, Anthony Davis or Giannis Antentokoumpo, just to name a few. Those guys are upper echelon players. Those dudes can come to a team and easily make them a contender. Those guys can demand trades and find a way out if they see that the current team they are on is not going anywhere. Jimmy Butler, to me, lands more in the Blake Griffin, Carmelo Anthony, Andrew Wiggins, Rajon Rondo category. While great, he isn't a top tier player, although he acts like it. Jimmy Butler, as a basketball player, I like. That's it, just like. As a person, I cannot stand what he has become. He is entitled. He thinks too highly of himself. He is more about money than titles. It is obvious.

Now, for how I see this as simply a basketball trade, I am not convinced. I liked the young core the 76ers had. I actually thought that "The Process" was working out. They seemed ahead of schedule. With this trade, they got to keep the important components, but they traded away 2 great locker room guys. Everyone seemed to like Robert Covington's work ethic and his fit on the team. From what I have heard, Dario Saric was the funniest guy on the team and he cheered everyone up when he showed up to practice. The other 2 guys in the trade, Jerryd Bayless and a 2022 second round pick are of no consequence to me. The 76ers got a young big man, Justin Patton and, of course, Jimmy Butler. Patton won't play much. Butler is going to be a starter. He is going to be a focal point of that offense and the go to defensive guy. He will guard the other team's best player every night he plays. He will also be the creator on the offense for the team. He does make the 76ers a top 3 team in the East right away. But, does this trade make the 76ers better than the Bucks, Raptors or Celtics? Maybe just the Celtics. The Raptors have a much better version of Jimmy Butler in Kawhi and the Bucks have Giannis.

As far as being a teammate, this is going to be a disaster for a 76ers franchise that was on the come up. Jimmy Butler will think he runs the team, but this is Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid's team. That is not even up for debate. I'd go so far as to say that this is Embiid's team, and Simmons is the second most important player. They are the 76ers. They have built this team around those 2 guys strengths. They have added the players they deem best to suit Embiid and Simmons games. Guys like JJ Redick give them the shooting they need. He is the only shooter they have, but he is a solid shooter and a bad defender. They have some young talent, specifically Landry Shamet, that will grow into his role as the future point guard of the team. TJ McConnell is the energy guy they need. And then we have Markelle Fultz. This trade is going to destroy Fultz's already shaky game. He has been an absolute disaster as a NBA player. While I had hope that he could get out of this funk, he has seemingly gotten worse. Take his free throw shot from last night, where he pumped faked. I fully, fully believe that he was thinking about Jimmy Butler during that shot. He knows that Butler is going to give him the business if he shoots like that in practice. We have all seen what Butler is capable of doing when he is mad at players on his current team. He will demean and yell at them, and then make it public knowledge. He will make sure he dominates them as well. Fultz is not going to be able to handle this. Guys like Simmons and Embiid will be able to, not only take his shit, they will be able to give it back ten fold, especially Embiid. Redick won't stand for his nonsense, he is a veteran, and he has played with Chris Paul and Blake Griffin. Shamet has his head on straight, and anything Butler says will just roll off of him. But Fultz is going to crack. He looks so out of sorts, the last thing he needs is a guy like Butler publicly calling him out in practice and games. It would be in his and the 76ers best intentions to trade him immediately, but I don't think anyone else wants him. Again, look at his free throw attempt from the other night. This dude has issues, and Jimmy Butler will only make it worse for him.

While this trade makes the 76ers better right now, I am not a fan of it. And just when I was started to get into this team they do this. The Timberwolves, the other team in this trade, if they fire Tom Thibodeau, this may benefit them. Wiggins and KAT don't have to worry about Butler's bull shit. The guards will get to play freely. Saric and Covington are solid NBA players that can play. And Josh Okogie looks like a real point guard. When/if they get a new coach, the Timberwolves could be the West's version of the Pacers.

In the end Jimmy Butler got his wish, but it comes at a big time cost. For the 76ers case, I hope they win or are able to resign him. Also, I hope they trade Fultz for his case. I'm not a fan of this trade because I do not think Jimmy Butler is top notch, build your team around style player. The 76ers should have stuck with what they were doing. That is my take.

Ty

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

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Ty Watches "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" Season 13 Finale

So, I have had about 3 days to digest the season 13 finale of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" and I am finally ready to talk about it.

It was, hands down, one of the best episodes of television that I have ever watched. It was incredible.

It started like any other "IASIP" episode, but it only grew from there. The episode is called, "Mac Finds his Pride". I have been excited to watch this since I saw the name of it about 3 episodes into this season. I have been a fan of this show from the start, and to see that as a title, I figured it would be filled with their odd, sometimes vulgar humor, and it is, for the first 15 minutes. The episode centers around Frank trying to get Mac to come on their Gay Pride Parade float. They need their, as they say on the show, "token gay guy to dance around". And Frank is as crass and mean and vulgar and homophobic as you'd expect, at first. He takes him to an underground S&M club. That scene is hilarious for the buffet alone. He takes him to a drag show, and that is funny. But, at both these places, Mac keeps telling him that the way they live their lives is fine, it is not for him. He is really struggling to find his identity as a gay man. Frank decides he needs to tell his dad that he is gay, to get it out to the scariest person they know.

Boy oh boy is Mac's dad terrifying in this episode. When they try to tell him the first time, Mac's dad, and Frank has told him this earlier, that he "doesn't get him". But, Mac's dad takes the news they have to tell him that he is going to be a grandpa, that his son got a girl pregnant. And what he tells him to do if it isn't a boy was horrifying. Mac then decides that he cannot tell his dad that he is gay, so he tells him that the news is he is going to be a grandpa. He then retreats to his home and he seems even more despondent.

Oh, by the way, at the very beginning of this episode, Frank smashes his nose on Mac's door, and he is constantly trying to plug up the cut to no avail. It just keeps bleeding, and his face continues to balloon.

After Frank informs the rest of the gang that Mac won't be on the float, they get Cricket to do it in bondage. It was scary and hilarious. Mac keeps telling Frank about this dream he is having where he dances with a female God, and this God lets him tell the world how he feels, personally, as a gay man.

Frank, finally coming to his senses tells Mac he needs to let it out. He needs to tell his dad in his way. He gets the prison to put on a show so Mac can show his dad, and Frank, how he feels. Franks has also let his nose bleed go, telling Mac, "you cannot keep that shit plugged up forever or you are going to live in agony. Don't live in agony anymore" he tells him.

Mac then takes the stage, tells his dad that he needs to let him know that he is gay, and this is how he feels. He then proceeds to put on a modern dance show for 5 minutes. It was masterful. It was a thing of beauty. I don't know much about modern dance, or interpretive dance, but this made sense to me. Mac is tortured. Mac is struggling to find his place. He needs people to accept him for who he is. He needs his friends to stop antagonizing him. The lady that danced with him was delightful and sad all at once. When Mac's dad leaves, I was so sad I almost cried, at an episode of "Always Sunny". It was unlike anything that I have seen before. It was beautiful, sad, modern and cool. I could not take my eyes off the screen. I could have watched this for another 20 minutes. And what made it even better was, Frank says, after watching the dance, "I get it now". I feel like we do to as the audience. And, it just ended there. There was no funny button at the end like with their other musical episodes. It just ended with Mac crumpled into the woman's arms and Frank saying his beautifully eloquent words.

This was tremendous.

"Always Sunny" took a big swing, and they knocked it out of the park. I cannot wait to see how they use this in the upcoming season. This was a masterpiece and I am so glad that I watched it multiple times. I cannot recommend this episode enough. It is perfect on so many levels. I am still in awe almost a week later.

Again, this was tremendous. I loved it.

Ty

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

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Ty Listens to Charles Bradley's "Black Velvet"

Today Charles Bradley, or his estate, or his record label, I’m not quite sure, released his final record, “Black Velvet”. This record is a great send off to an under appreciated star of the soul music scene.

I’ve loved Bradley since I first heard his entire life story about 5 years ago. If you don’t know about him, check it out, it’s amazing. He didn’t get his first record deal until he was 62. From there on out, he released many records, all of them great. He also was touring constantly and putting on some great, great shows. Unfortunately I never got to see him live, but from what I’ve seen on the internet, and heard from people who saw him, they all said the same. He was a flash of lightening and we now have his music for the rest of our lives.

Charles Bradley died about a year ago from stomach cancer. When diagnosed, he hammered out as much music as he could, until he couldn’t anymore. Today we got to hear some of his last songs, and they’re wonderful.

From what I’ve read, the songs on “Black Velvet” were from recording sessions from his last record, and some covers he wanted to do. The covers are wonderful. He does “Heart Of Gold”, a Neil Young song, and he does it great justice. It’s beautiful. He also does Nirvana’s “Slip Away”, and it’s so different, but so awesome. He takes a Nirvana song and makes it a soul song. It is a truly remarkable feat.

The 8 other songs are just as good. There’s an electric version of “Victim of Love”, from one of his earlier records, and I love it. The 2 singles, “I Feel a Change” and “Stay Away” are classic Bradley. “I Feel a Change” is so heart felt and sung beautifully. “ Stay Away” is a funky, rock and roll esque soul song. It’s my favorite on the record so far. “Luv Jones” is a cool old school song where Bradley lets his band do some singing, then he comes in and crushes it, as usual. The title track is an instrumental, and it feels like the band made it as an an ode to him. It’s their gift to Bradley. The opening track, “Can’t Fight the Feeling” is a great way to kick it all off. It really gets you wanting to hear more and more. These are the standouts to me.

This is a record I’m going to be listening to a lot for the next couple weeks. I was saddened when I heard that Bradley passed, but at least now I have “Black Velvet” to listen to and remember him. I adore this album. I cannot recommend it enough.

Charles Bradley was a star and he will be greatly missed. Do yourselves a favor and listen to his music, and enjoy how great he was. “Black Velvet” is a triumph.

Ty

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

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Cloves and Fedoras: "The Flagrant Ones" is a Podcast for Lovers of Comedy and Basketball

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.

I'm always on the lookout for new podcasts, and my cousin in law set me up with something great. As you all know, I love comedy and sports. When those 2 worlds collide, it is a match made in heaven for me. My cousin knows that I love basketball, especially the NBA, and he has been pounding the ground for me to listen to "Hollywood Handbook". While I haven't gotten around to "Hollywood Handbook", I am familiar with the hosts, Hayes Davenport and Sean Clements. They are big in the comedy writing area, and I listened to their first podcast, "The Reality Show Show", which was so great, and came and went with little notice.

Well, my cousin informed me that they both are big time NBA fans. He brought this to my attention when he asked me about the NBA. He has decided that he wants to get into basketball now, and I was so excited, and I had many questions as to why, now, he wanted to get into basketball. He told me a lot of reasons, but the main one seemed to be this podcast he kept mentioning called "The Flagrant Ones". He told me that Clements, Davenport and the extremely funny Carl Tart, who has been on "Comedy Bang! Bang!" a bunch, most notably as Chief Queaf, host this podcast all about their love of the NBA. He set me up with the Patreon, and since then, a little less than a month ago, I have become obsessed with the show.

“The Flagrant Ones” is so, so funny. But, all three of them are incredibly knowledgeable on the game. I thought I knew a good amount about the NBA, and I do, but they put me to shame with their knowledge. They can name stats of random players that I have only ever heard of once, if at all. They do all this while making it hilarious mind you. Again, I haven't gotten around to "Hollywood Handbook", but I have heard nothing but good things from my friends that listen to podcast. I loved, as I stated before, "The Reality Show Show". I'm a big fan of "Comedy Bang! Bang!", and when I see Carl Tart's name on the list of guests, it jumps to the top of my listen to first list. So, the fact that "The Flagrant Ones" is so funny is not surprising. But, the knowledge they have blew me away.

In the first episode I listened to, they each picked a new favorite team and player. The way they went through why they were picking each for each other was perfect. They knew so much, like deep dive stuff, about the teams and players they picked. When Clements was informed that he was now a Dallas Mavericks fan, and that Damontas Sabonis was his new favorite player, you could hear the resignation in his voice. Since then, he has been trying to find a way to get behind these 2, but it is tough. Davenport was saddled with the Charlotte Hornets and Kris Dunn. He couldn't have gotten a more boring team, as he points out, and Dunn has been out since the second or third game of the year. Carl Tart was given the Orlando Magic and Buddy Hield. Every week, they each say their names, their new favorite team and player at the top of the episode, he is always positive about the Magic, and has a new nickname for Hield, it is glorious.

Since that first episode they have drafted their own teams, the Baltimore Pinchy Crabs, Clements and the Austin Rivers, Carl Tart. They have played a game that I know play with my wife where they name a player, and they have to name the team he plays for. On today's episode, which was their most basketball centric one to date, they talked about half the team and if they are better or worse than they thought. And I have hung on every word of every episode. Tart and Clements do a new theme song for every episode. Tart's are so much better, he is a better singer and writer, but Clements always gives it a shot. On today's episode, he tries really hard and screws up twice, but it is so funny. Davenport always says he is going to do one, but it is clearly never going to happen. Davenport is more so the orator of the podcast, the main host if you will, and he is a perfect fit for that. Tart has 2 great bits. He needs to know every week about the upcoming episode of "Family Guy", a show he claims to be a big time fan of. He also claims to have a "friend" that is in the NBA. I believed him so hard that I Googled the name, and it was nowhere to be found. But, he is sticking to it, and it makes me laugh every time.

I adore this podcast. It is a perfect marriage of my 2 favorite things to listen to when I listen to podcasts. The three guys, Davenport, Clements and Tart work so well together. Their knowledge is top notch, and their humor is of the highest quality. I cannot thank my cousin in law for introducing me to this, and I highly recommend that any fan of comedy or basketball, or if you are like me, both, go out and listen to "The Flagrant Ones" immediately. It rules.

Check out “The Flagrant Ones” podcast here.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is considering doing a special podcast about a basketball lover who talks about soccer. He gave up on the idea because soccer is boring.

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Duke is Really, Really, Good

To keep my mind off the election stuff last night I decided to watch basketball. The college season tipped off officially last night and it was a very good distraction.

I watched the KU-Michigan State game. That was fine. KU looks pretty good, but MSU kept it closer than I thought. I watched Michigan play. It was their opener, they looked very sloppy and sluggish on offense, but that defense was as stifling as it was last year, and that was more than enough to beat an overmatched Norfolk State team. I checked in on a few other college games, watched a little NBA, but the game I wanted to watch most, even over Michigan, was the Duke-Kentucky game.

This was, by far, the best matchup of the night. It was supposed to be a close, tight game. There were as many as 7 potential first round picks playing in this game. It was Coach K versus Coach Cal, the two biggest "one and done" guys. It had all the build up. Then, the game happened.

Look, I loathe Duke. I despise Duke. I cannot stand Coach K, and everything he gets away with that other coaches get hammered for. I have never, ever liked this school. But holy shit do they look like they are going to be really, really, really good.

Duke didn't just beat Kentucky last night, they embarrassed them. I turned on the game a little late, Michigan was finishing up their win, and Duke was already up double figures. I was interested in all these freshman playing, but I had to see Zion Williamson. I also wanted to see Cam Reddish and RJ Barrett. These are 3 of the top 5 players in last year's recruiting pass. As I stated in my preseason preview, I have not seen a freshman class this good since the Fab Five at Michigan. They also have Tre Jones, who is, quietly, a great point guard. These kids all lived up to the hype, and then some. I know, this is one game, but it was against the preseason number 2 team, at a neutral site with players that were ranked just as high. And Duke won by 34 points. I mean, holy cow. Zion Williamson, at least last night, was as advertised. He is humongous, but extremely agile and moves pretty smooth on the floor. He also hammers the hell out of the rim. He finished with 28 points. Cam Reddish looked great. He scored the quietest 22 points, on only 14 shots. He also D'ed up very well. RJ Barrett scored 33, a freshman record at Duke. He seemingly could not miss. He is as pure a scorer as I have seen in college basketball. Tre Jones is the leader at point guard that this team needs. I know he is a freshman, but he seems wise beyond his years on the court. These 4 played so well it cancelled out anything the super freshman that Kentucky had. I don't remember a thing about them last night. This is the number 2 team in the nation. And Duke just destroyed them.

I know it's just one game, the first game, and there is a lot of season left and maybe Duke was just super gassed up, and the ACC is very tough. But, this team looked as impressive a college team that I have seen in quite some time. This is a whole thing of, I despise this team, I hope they get beat every time they step on the floor, I will constantly root against them, but they look nearly unbeatable. They are so talented and look like they can win anyway they please. If one of these kids has an off night, they have 3 others that can step up. They also have depth. I believe that I picked them to finish second in the ACC, but that changes immediately after last night. They should win the ACC. They should win it with ease. UNC may challenge them, but I do not think they can beat them one time, let alone 3 times.

After the amount of games that I saw bits and pieces of last night, Duke is clearly the best team. KU is the only other team that I think has a fleeting shot at giving them a game. I hope they get sanctioned to shit, but for right now, after last night, Duke is scarily good. They look like the Alabama, or New England Patriots or Golden State Warriors of college basketball. Unfortunately the hype seems to be legit.

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 Voted

Today is a very important, very big day for the future of our country. But, I am not going to sit here and tell you who you should vote for, or why you should vote for that person or that proposition. We have all been, properly, inundated with reasons why. Instead, I am going to tell you why I voted the way that I voted. Why this all means so very much to me, my wife and the future of our children. Why I want to see change for the better, and why I think the people I voted for will bring about said change. Why all the people who thought that not voting 2 years ago were so very wrong. That is what I want to put out there today.

I voted because, like the majority of people, the last 2 years have been hell on Earth. I cannot go a single day without the idiots in DC doing something stupid, illegal, immoral, wrong and despicable. It is so disheartening to wake up every single god damn day and see that everything is more screwed up than it was the day before. The people that currently reside in DC, when they aren't playing golf or hanging at their tacky ass club, which seems to be about 99 percent of the time, are morons with no political training. They have bent over backwards to try and push us back to a time in American history that is wrought with tension. I didn't grow up in the 50's, but I have read enough and heard enough to know that is was pretty awful back then, especially for minorities and women.

I feel like the people I voted for, all Democrats, can get us back, in some shape and form, to how we were 3 years ago. I am talking about when Obama was in the White House and things were smooth. There wasn't a day, for the entire 8 years that Obama was president, when I was worried. Now, I am worried every single day. This has spread to my kids, and even though she won't admit it, my wife. I am terrified for my son everyday he goes into his school. There have been so many shootings at so many different places, and schools are one of the main spots, since this group of buffoons took over. They are so much more worried about lining their pockets and getting money from organizations, like the terrorist group NRA, than the safety of children. So, every morning when I drop my son off, I get antsy. I tense up. It isn't until 4 pm my time, when I see his face, do I feel better. I feel like there are people on ballots now that can change that for me. My wife works in a male and conservative dominated industry. I fear that if they knew that her husband was such a liberal, they would give her the stink eye. They would look at her in a different light. My father worked in a field filled with conservatives, and even though he did get sideways looks, he never deviated. My wife is the same, but still, I don't want her to be judged because of me while she is working. My daughter will be starting school soon too, so my worries will double. Also, she is a female, and women have had a very, very rough go of it for the past 2 years. This current "government" looks down on them. That is so wrong on so many levels. My daughter will not be told she is lesser than, and she will not be raised that way. I voted for some people today so my daughter can see that women can be in charge and can be powerful. That she doesn't have to take crap from a guy, just because he is a guy. She is going to be a strong, independent woman, and I want her to see other strong, independent women in positions of power.

As far as the people who decided that they didn't need to vote, or didn't want to vote 2 years ago, what a waste. I hope these past 2 years have been just as brutal for you as they've been for me. This whole situation, what is going on in the US right now, directly involves you. To all the "Bernie Bros", who I was once affiliated with, and the people who thought it would be funny to have the current "president" that is there right now and the people who claimed, "their vote didn't matter", that was all nonsense. Your displeasure with Hilary, or inability to get over yourself, or your flat out stupidity has helped put us where we are today. Your non vote was a vote for this current group of assholes. As I said, I loved Bernie Sanders, but he wouldn't have won, and Hilary Clinton was a much better option. Now is the time to get over it.

Today I have hope, but I also have many, many doubts. I have read good news, but I also read good news 2 years, and look what happened. We need change in this country. We need to get out there and let our voices be heard. We need to show the bullies that we are not afraid of them. We need to let these monsters know that they work for us, we don't work for them. We need to let terrorist groups like the NRA know that they can't just buy our vote. We need to stand up, exercise our right and vote these assholes out. I'm done with thoughts and prayers. I'm done being scared. I'm done reading bad news constantly. That can all change.

Please, if you haven't already, go out there and let your voice be heard. Go out there and vote like our lives, our kids lives, our kid's kids lives and their kid's kids lives depend on it, because it does.

Ty

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

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The Cleveland Cavaliers are a Dumpster Fire

I usually like to wait until I do my mid season redo of the sports I wrote about until it is near, or past mid season of said sport. But today, I have to eat a ton of crow because the Cleveland Cavaliers are one of the worst basketball teams that I have watched this year.

For those that may have forgotten already, I picked them to finish 8th in the East and make the playoffs. That, most certainly, is not going to happen. They stink. They look like a group of people that hate playing the game of basketball together.

I purchased NBA League Pass a week ago and have made it a point to watch as much NBA as possible. I have tried to watch all 30 teams, if only for a few minutes. So far, I think I have seen about 20-22 of the teams play. The other day I happened upon a Cavs game. This was when Ty Lue was still their coach, and Kevin Love's health status was in question. People thought he may come back, others knew it was going to be awhile. So, I decided that I was going to watch this team that I picked to make the playoffs. Yes, they lost LeBron James, and that was a brutal blow, but they still had the majority of guys that played in the NBA Finals last year.

Well, this team, the way it is currently constructed, is abysmal. They stink. They do not know how to do the simplest things on a basketball court. They are ruining their young talent. They have already fired Ty Lue, who, good for him for getting out of that toxic place. The game that I watched, for about 5 minutes, was a mess. They looked discombobulated. As I said, they couldn't run the easiest of plays.

I have watched them one more time since, after Lue was let go, and it hasn't gotten better. And now, they have all these vets asking to be traded or let go. JR Smith was the first. He openly said he doesn't like playing there. He pulled an Eric Bledsoe, but did it in person, speaking from his own mouth. Now Kyle Korver is asking out. He doesn't want to be there anymore. Kevin Love is going to miss up to 6 weeks with his injury. The vets on this team are trashing their lottery pick, Collin Sexton, claiming he "doesn't know how to play at this level". Tristan Thompson, who is a scumbag, is not nearly the defender or rebounder he was a couple years ago. He has become a major liability on the offensive end of the court. Cedi Osmann plays hard, but he is not the dual threat the team thought he could be. Sam Dekker stinks. The team is in shambles.

This is what happens when LeBron leaves Cleveland. Notice that this didn't happen in Miami. That is because Erik Spoelstra is a hell of a good coach. The coaches before in Cleveland thrived with LeBron, but the moment he left, the team died. This team though, at least to me, wasn't supposed to die this easily. I legitimately thought they could put a playoff team, from the East, on the court. I didn't expect Kevin Love to get hurt immediately and miss so much time. He is well past his prime now. It is kind of sad how far he has fallen since he was traded to Cleveland. Sure, he has been an All Star as recent as last year, but he us not the guy he was in Minnesota. That is blatantly clear. JR Smith is cashed. He might be, might, able to help out a contending team with instant offense off the bench, but probably not. I'd rather have Jamal Crawford than him. Kyle Korver was cashed 2 years ago. I remember watching him in the Finals last year, and his shots were so short and he was so outmatched on defense it was sad. He should retire. Tristan Thompson is DONE too. He is an old school big man who would have been torched in the old school. I'm sure the Cavs regret that contract they gave him. Sam Dekker is a bust. Cedi Osmann is, at best, an 8th or 9th man off the bench on any NBA team.

And then there is Collin Sexton. I have made no bones about how much I like this kid, but I hate him being on this team. These vets, who aren't shit for real, are talking openly about him not being an NBA level point guard. That is insane. Sexton is a good basketball player, I will go to my grave believing this. He is in the exact wrong situation for him as an NBA player. This team is toxic. This front office is horrific. He is not going to get the chance he needs to play because of the vets and the front office. Playing in Cleveland will only stunt his growth as an NBA player. He will not be able to work through the kinks and the struggles that come to almost every rookie. And it is because the Cavs and Dan Gilbert and Tristan Thompson and Kyle Korver all stink and are horrible teammates and owners and GM's. He is the only good thing they have and they are on the path to making him hate basketball.

I'm sorry that I thought this team could win 35-40 games. I'm sorry that I picked them to make the playoffs. I'm sorry for Collin Sexton. This is a messed up situation, and it is only going to get worse. This team is awful. They have made horrible front office decisions. Their GM is atrocious.

The Cavs stink, and I would be shocked if they won 20 games this year. They are that bad. I will fully eat my crow for counting on this team. They're the worst team in the NBA. And it isn't even close.

Ty

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

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Netflix is Cancelling All of Our Favorite Shows

I don't know what it going on at Netflix right now, in so many different ways. They have some crazy, inexplicable things going on right now. Some are good, but most are bad.

The thing that confuses me most is the massive cancellation of shows. I know that most of these shows have been cancelled due to bad reviews, low viewership and who actually owns the rights. For example, "Iron Fist" is a Marvel/Disney owned show, so I get it. It was also supposedly not very good. I didn't watch, but I saw some of the bad reviews. Same goes for "Luke Cage", except it got good reviews. It got cancelled because it is a Marvel/Disney owned show. I loved the first season of the show, and I started the second season, but didn't finish it. I feel like we are over saturated with super hero stuff right now, be it movies, comic books or TV shows. I did like "Luke Cage" though, and so did the critics. But, like I said, I get why they cancelled those.

I'm not so sure why they cancelled a show like "Sense 8", or "The Get Down". Both of those shows scored high with fans and critics. Both shows had massive amounts of fans that showed their displeasure at the cancellation with petitions and letters sent to Netflix. I even believe that "Sense 8" got a final season after cancellation.

The news that they cancelled "American Vandal" was the only one that made me have a visceral response. I was upset. I yelled into my phone screen when I saw the news. I was complaining to my wife about it the night it was announced. I have complained to friends who haven't even watched it yet. I am upset at this news. I'm hopeful that some other network will pick it up, but Netflix had a gold mine in this show. I mean, it won a god damn Peabody award. It was, and I am not just saying this because I love it so much, the best show they had on their service. Nothing has held my attention as much as "American Vandal". I have not clamored for a new season more since I first started watching "The Simpsons". "American Vandal" perfectly skewered our new fascination with these true crime stories. I watch "Making A Murderer", I know people who have watched "The Jinx", my dad watches, and I have watched with him, other true crime shows on cable and none of them compare to the greatness that is "American Vandal". I mean, after the first episode of season one, I ran through the rest because I needed to know "who drew the dicks". Then, in season 2, I had to know who the "turd burglar" was. And the way they slowly, and perfectly, revealed the culprits was exquisite. The writing on this show was top notch. The actors were tremendous. Even though the crimes were fake, they felt real because of the way the show was shot and released. The way each episode unfolded just made me crave more and more.

"American Vandal" was the perfect show in my opinion. It deserved so much more than a Peabody Award, but dammit, a Peabody is prestigious. I don't think Netflix has another original show that will reach that status. Shows like "Orange is the New Black" or "The Ranch" or, even other stuff I watch and like, like "Big Mouth", will achieve that level of status. I will greatly miss this show.

Netflix is making a big time mistake. I don't know the full details, as to why they cancelled it, or if they were forced to cancel it, or if they couldn't afford to keep it. But, they should have done all they could to keep it. This is a real bummer as far a TV shows go. "American Vandal" was unique, funny, smart and just overall brilliant. This bums me out. This makes me upset with Netflix. Everything that is going on over there right now seems really messed up. As I stated earlier, I hope a network like Hulu or Funny or Die or some premium cable channel, be it HBO or Showtime or Cinemax, or whatever, picks it up. That would be nice. But, for the time being, this stinks and makes me mad at Netflix.

Hey Netflix, you guys just cancelled your best, most unique and funniest show since your inception. That should bum you out too.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is willing to let season three of “American Vandal” find a new home at SeedSing. They will have to bring the cameras, actors, writers, editing equipment, and give us the power to stream out episodes. Bring all that and SeedSing will be happy to have you.

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Ty's Mid-Season NFL Redo

I've been teasing it for 2 days, and now I am ready to do my 2018 NFL mid season redo. Unlike my NCAA college football mid season redo, the NFL is actually in the middle of their season. Each of the 32 teams have played 8 of their 16 regular season games. I do need to say, right off the bat, I was very, very wrong about my Super Bowl pick for this season, which I will touch on when I get to them. I will re pick the divisions, the Super Bowl, but I will stick with my MVP. I will also talk about some of the new additions each team has made since the trade deadline, which was wild.

Okay, lets get to it.

I will start wit the AFC. The AFC East was in question for, maybe, one week, when the Dolphins were 3-0. Now, things are back to normal. The Patriots own this division. They are by far the best team, and will continue to be for some time. The Dolphins have crashed back down to Earth, the Bills are a mess offensively, but they do play solid defense and the Jets are mediocre at best, although I do like Sam Darnold. The Patriots are easily the winner of the East. Hell, they may wrap it up by week 10.

The AFC North is a different story. The Steelers started off horribly, seemingly unaware that they had to play defense. They have shored things up as of late, and they look solid, even without LeVeon Bell. The Ravens looked great to start off the year, especially their defense, but they fallen flat the past 2 weeks. They pass too much on offense, and the defense is getting no rest, thus causing them to struggle. The Bengals looked like a possible 10 win team, but they just got throttled by the Chiefs this past Sunday. The defense cannot hang with upper level teams, and Marvin Lewis is back to his choking ways. And the Browns, well, they have played better defense, but the offense is so far behind, they have rookies everywhere, and they just fired their head coach, deserved, and their offensive coordinator, also deserved. But, to promote Greg Williams, that is insane. The Browns are still a mess, and not a very good football team. I'm going to go with the Steelers still because I just don't trust the Bengals or Ravens.

The AFC South was the division I thought would be best. It is not. The Titans stink. They are not a viable NFL team. The Colts play very hard, but they don't have the talent. The Texans are starting to look better, and they just added Demaryius Thomas, but they cannot protect Deshaun Watson. And the Jags, my preseason pick for the Super Bowl, are an absolute, Browns level mess right now. Blake Bortles is awful. They have no run game with Fournette hurt. And the defense, which was my main reason for picking them, has been getting gashed and gutted week after week. The Jags are a tire fire, and I do not think they will get up from it. I'm going with the Texans because of Watson, but this division is nearly unwatchable again.

The AFC West is a 2 team race, but really, the Chiefs are the cream of the crop. Patrick Mahomes has been wonderful. He has been so much better than I ever imagined. So has the rest of the offense. I thought they'd be good, but they are great. The Chargers are their only "threat", but I don't see it with them. Sure, they are fine offensively, and they have an okay defense, but I wouldn't trust them in the playoffs. The Broncos are going full rebuild mode, trading Thomas and sticking with Keenum was wrong. They are wasting a great defense. And the Raiders, oof. The Raiders are absolutely awful. They are horrid. They got rid of any good player they had, and they have won 1 game. Hope you guys enjoy this as long as Jon Gruden is your head coach. The Chiefs are going to run away with this division.

So, my playoff teams are as follows, the Patriots, Chiefs, Texans and Steelers. My wild card teams are the Chargers and, oh I don't know, lets say the Ravens. In the AFC title game I will go with the Chiefs playing the Patriots, and the Chiefs getting their revenge. The Chiefs will represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. God damn you Jags. You really made me look like a fool.

Now, the NFC.

The NFC East is a joke of a division. Washington is the "best" team, and their defense got better with the addition of Ha Ha Clinton Dix. They play all slug fest games, and they will find a way to win 10 of those. The Cowboys are as inconsistent as any team in the NFL. They also stink on defense. They also have no real receivers. I don't buy Amari Cooper as a number one. They have 8-8 written all over them. The Eagles, my other Super Bowl pick, have been almost as inconsistent as the Cowboys. They lost Jay Ajayi, their best running back, to an ACL injury. They did get Golden Tate, and that should help. And Carson Wentz is still not one hundred percent yet. And the defense has been underwhelming so far. The Giants are atrocious. This is one team I was totally right on in my preseason preview. Eli Manning is trash. They cannot run the ball. Odell Beckham is being wasted. And their defense is a sieve. They might be worse than the Raiders. Washington will win this division.

The NFC North has provided the NFL with some of the ugliest football all year. My team, the Packers, have been wildly frustrating to watch. They still cannot run the ball, they still cannot stop opposing offenses and Mike McCarthy is wasting Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams' best years. They seem to have thrown in the towel with the Clinton-Dix trade too. I don't know what to do with this team. The Vikings have looked better as of late, but let us not forget what happened when they played the Bills and Rams in consecutive weeks. The Bills destroyed them in Minnesota. It was as shocking a loss as I can remember. They then got ramshackled by the Rams on a Thursday night. As I said, they have played better as of late, but time will tell. Also, I think they will soon regret the contract they gave the highly overrated Kirk Cousins. The Lions are odd. They just got rid of Golden Tate, Stafford best receiver, they don't give the ball to Kerryon Johnson enough, and they have a bad defense. Matt Patricia is not the greatest head coach either. And the Bears, while they have a stout, top 5 NFL defense, they have the wrong QB. Guys like Tarik Cohen, Jordan Howard and a healthy Kevin White have to deal with Blake Bortles 2.0 in Mitch Trubisky. He is not a good QB. He should be a back up. But, this defense, especially Khalil Mack, can take this team to 8,9 or even 10 wins. I'm going to go with Minnesota, but I wouldn't be shocked if the Bears won the division. God damn you Green Bay.

The NFC South is competitive, but it is only 2 teams, not the three I thought it could be at the start of the season. The Panthers look a little bit like their 2015 team. They aren't as explosive, but Cam is getting into a groove, Christian McCaffery is being used properly, and Devin Funchess has turned into a solid wideout. The defense isn't great, but they get the job done. The Saints are great. They are so threatening on offense. They can seemingly do anything they want at any time. They are awesome. Their defense has also gotten better as the year has gone on. The Falcons are a mess. They lost their best defensive players to season ending injuries, and they just cannot stop anyone. The offense has been pretty good, but when you need to score 40 points just to stay in a game, that is a problem. And the Buccaneers aren't even worth my time. I'm going with the Saints, they are so good, but this division will get 2 playoff teams.

The NFC West is all about the Rams. No other team has any shot at this division. The Rams are so much further ahead of every team, and they just added Dante Fowler to their already stout defense. They also have Todd Gurley, who is amazing. The Seahawks have played better than I thought, but they are still not a real threat. They could sneak into the playoffs, but I doubt it. And then there is the Cardinals and 49ers. I mean, both these teams stink. They have no playoff aspirations. The 49ers lost their QB early in the year. The Cardinals waited too long to play Josh Rosen. These teams are dreadful. These teams are playing for next year. The Rams, who are still undefeated, are going to roll with this division.

So, as far as the playoffs go, the division winners are as follows, the Rams, Saints, Vikings and Washington. And my wild card teams are the Panthers and, I am going to stick with the Eagles here. Sorry Bears fans. Sorry Packers fans, me included. I just think the addition of Golden Tate will help the Eagles get to 10 wins. Carson Wentz is also starting to play better. In the NFC title I have the Rams and Saints, mainly because I want to see them play twice this year.(They play each other this weekend) I'm going to go with the Rams. They remind me so much of the 2015 Panthers, but with a better defense.

So, that means I have the Chiefs and Rams in the Super Bowl. And, I'm picking the Rams. They are devastatingly good. I also think the Saints will be a tougher matchup than the Chiefs. This would also be a fun Super Bowl.

As far as award winners, coach of the year should be Sean McVay. Offensive rookie of the year will be one of these QB's, lets say..... Sam Darnold. Defensive rookie of the year will be Jaire Alexander. Defensive player of the year will be, and damn well better be, Aaron Donald. Offensive player of the year, and MVP will be, and should be, Todd Gurley. I know that what Mahomes is doing is unheard of, but so is what Gurley is doing. Look at his numbers. They are comparable, and he is the best player on the best team.

There you have it, my NFL season redo. I was clearly wrong in the preseason, but I feel like my redo is much closer to what will happen. I'm still pissed at the Packers. 

Ty

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

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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"Werewolf Bar Mitzvah" Belongs on Your Halloween Playlist

I know that I said that I was going to do my NFL midseason redo today, but when I woke up I realized that today is October 31st, AKA Halloween. Every year for Halloween, since the inception of this website, I have tried to write something about Halloween. Sometimes it is positive, like writing about the great, great song, "The Monster Mash" last year. Sometimes it is what I dislike about the holiday, like costumes, clowns and puns. So, to keep up with my tradition, I am going to do something Halloween specific today.

About a month ago my wife and I finally decided that we should get Hulu. A bunch of the shows we watched on Netflix, more on those buttheads later this week, were gone. We didn't want to watch them on You Tube either because the quality was always suspect. So, we had heard all the good things about Hulu. We found the shows that Netflix got rid of on Hulu. We heard the quality was top notch. We have heard all the great things about their original programming. And, for a few extra bucks, we don't have to watch commercials or ads. Hulu is great.

One of the best things about Hulu, they have all of  "30 Rock". "30 Rock" is one of the greatest TV shows that has ever existed. I have a bunch of stuff I will be writing about the many, many things I adore about that show. One of the things I was going to save fits in almost too perfectly for Halloween.

In the first season there is a cut away scene involving Tracy Jordan(the exquisite Tracy Morgan), and you can hear someone saying that he wanted to record a holiday song that would combine 2 holidays, and keep him paid for years to come. The song is called, "Werewolf Bar Mitzvah".

It is a real gem.

“Werewolf Bar Mitzvah” is one of the funniest 8 seconds of TV that I have watched in my lifetime. I have been walking around since seeing the scene, about a month ago, singing the chorus. I have gone to Spotify and listened to the entirety of the "30 Rock" soundtrack they have, and I love it. What I love most about it though, they have the full version of "Werewolf Bar Mitzvah". It is kind of wild recently as well because, after rediscovering this 8 second bit, and singing it, and my wife and I doing tons of call backs, there have been multiple articles written about the history of the song and the clip.

It is wild. It seems like my wife and I are not the only ones that have fallen back in love with this clip. It is awesome. What I adore and appreciate most about "Werewolf Bar Mitzvah" is how ridiculous and absurd all of it is. As I have said, it is only 8 seconds long, but they pack so much into it. I mean, Morgan dresses up like a werewolf from the "Thriller" video, and he sings the chorus, "werewolf Bar Mitzvah/spooky, scary/boys becoming men/men becoming wolves". It is some of the funniest shit I have ever heard. To see Morgan perform it as a werewolf just adds to the hilarity. The show also makes several callbacks to the clip, which makes it that much better. It is an earworm in the best possible way.

The song reminds me so much of "The Monster Mash" because both are bizarre. What separates "Werewolf Bar Mitzvah" from "the Monster Mash" is the fact that it can be used year round. Yes, it is a Halloween song, and the video has Halloween themes, but there is also the Bar Mitzvah element. I hope when my son or daughter go to a friend's bar or bat mitzvah, this song is playing, no matter the time of year. If that happens, the parents will immediately become friends of mine. That is why this song rules so much.

Also, like I stated earlier, there is a full version out there, and guess who wrote it?! Donald freaking Glover! I mean, that dude has, and always will be, a super duper talent. Reading the oral history's of the song, I have found out that he pretty much does the verses in Tracy Morgan's voice. He has always been able to do a spot on impression of Morgan, and while Morgan had no problem doing the chorus, he didn't want to do a full song. So, the writers of the show asked Glover to do it, doing his impression of Morgan while performing, and he didn't hesitate. It is truly remarkable how much it sounds like Morgan.

I love "30 Rock". I adore Tina Fey and Robert Carlock. They are top of the line comedy writers. Tracy Morgan is, most likely, my favorite actor of all time. And you all know how I feel about Glover. So, the fact that they all came together to make a perfect Halloween and bar mitzvah song is glorious. Do yourself a favor and go watch the 8 second clip, and then listen to the full song. The chorus will be stuck in you head for days, in a good way, and I guarantee you will love the song, especially if you love, or just like, "30 Rock". "Werewolf Bar Mitzvah" is a real gem.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Happy Halloween people, and we hope you are not trick or treating up in Minnesota. Charlie Brown taught us that the real monsters are the parents in a small Minnesota neighborhood who like to bully the awkward kid.

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The Red Sox Won a Sport I Do Not Really Care About Anymore

Many of you that come to SeedSing to read my sports writing might be wondering why I haven't touched on the Red Sox winning the World Series. Well, I didn't even realize it was going on, or that it was over, until this morning when my son told me that one of his friends was very happy that the Red Sox beat the Dodgers. It only dawned on me then that the World Series, and the MLB season for that matter, were over.

I hadn't even thought about baseball for a myriad of reasons. I only pay attention to baseball when my son plays, and his fall ball season ended in late September. The Cardinals didn't even make the playoffs, so that was another thing that made me tune out. College football is in full swing right now. We are in the thick of conference play. The NFL is at its halfway point, I will have my mid season redo of that tomorrow by the way. And, most exciting for me, the NBA started, and college basketball is right around the corner. Baseball took a big, big time step back from all of that.

Also, why would I care about a title between a team from Boston or LA? I don't like any team in any major pro sport from either of those cities. Also, aren't these big market teams always involved? Maybe if the Brewers had made it in I might have paid attention for may Dad's sake. That is the team of his youth.

The realization this morning, again, coming from my 6 year old, made me really look back at how far baseball has fallen off the map for me. As I child I lived and breathed baseball. That was all I wanted to do. That was the only sport, and thing, that I truly cared about. Baseball was life. Then I started to get older and started to get into basketball. I immediately fell in love with that sport. Baseball was still first, but basketball was beginning to take over. Then, when I was finally allowed to play football in high school, that immediately jumped to the top for me. It supplanted both baseball and basketball. But, I still loved, and played, both those sports too, along with football. As I have gotten older though, baseball has just fallen off.

I really stopped caring about baseball my senior year of high school. I was on the team, I enjoyed hanging out with my friends, but it started to become boring to me. I was a relief pitcher too, so I spent a lot of time just sitting and watching. That made it worse. This was when basketball started to jump ahead of baseball. I loved playing. I was on my high school team, and while I saw little playing time in games, I loved practices, and when I did get to play, it was so much more fun than baseball. Football was the same. I played a bit more, I got to tackle people, and the vast majority of my close friends were on the football team. Then, after high school and college, I just started to forget abut baseball completely. I stopped playing, so I stopped paying attention.

Football was now more in the forefront, and my love for the Wolverines started to get very, very important. Then I fell back in love with basketball, mainly the NBA. Baseball was just an after thought. If the Cardinals were in the playoffs or World Series, I would peek in and out here and there, but a random Thursday night NBA game, or any Michigan basketball or football game took top priority, especially Michigan football. And now that I am a husband and father, the only baseball that matters to me is when my son plays. That is the only time I care about baseball. I still play pick up basketball and watch the NBA constantly. In fact, I just got League Pass, and that may be better than the Red Zone Network. And, as all of you know, I am fully obsessed with Michigan Wolverines sports, most notably basketball and football. Baseball just doesn't matter. I don't really care.

I am stoked for Red Sox fans, and I'm sure the parade and party will be fun, but I have totally checked out. It is kind of sad, but also seemed inevitable. Baseball isn't a sport you can just play pick up like basketball. You need, at least, 6-10 people to even play some form of baseball. Basketball can be played with 2 people. Hell, you can work on the game solo if you want. And football, even though it can be plodding, and there are so many things in and outside of the game that are disconcerting, is still much, much more enjoyable to watch than baseball. I have been to one college football game this year, and I am going to a second soon. I am going to go to an NBA game here very soon in either Memphis or Chicago. You know how many baseball games I went to this season, one of 2 pro sports teams we have in Saint Louis? One. And we didn't even stay for the first pitch. My son's team got to walk on the field before hand, we asked him if he wanted to stay, and he said no. That was my one MLB game this season. I wish I could say that I miss it, but I really don't. I just find the game very, very boring now.

Once again, nice job Red Sox. Now I do not have to worry about baseball until the head editor makes me write a season preview in March. See you baseball fans then.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. We asked Ty to name the last ten World Series winners. He mentioned the Red Sox, Cubs, Cardinals, and the Warriors. Ty really does not watch much baseball anymore.

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Ty's Mid-Season NCAA College Football Redo

I know that I am about a week or so late, but I need to do my mid season college football check up. Boy, was I very off on 2 of my four playoff teams. I was also wrong about a few teams, both good and bad, from the power 5 conferences. I'll go through each conference with a short little redo, and then I will pick my new winners, most should be the same, and my new playoff teams. I will also pick a new Heisman winner.

Okay, lets get to it.

First off, lets go to the ACC. I mean, does any other team matter in this conference besides Clemson? They are so far ahead of every other team. They are like the Warriors of the ACC. I thought Miami could give them a fight, but they have stumbled as of late. They can't find a QB and their defense, while still very good, cannot win all the games they play. FSU is a total mess. They looked to be getting back to normal, but then Clemson came to town and everything came crashing down again. UNC is mediocre. So is Pitt. Virginia Tech has stumbled big time since Old Dominion beat them. NC State has lost their last 2 after starting 6-0. Louisville, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest and Virginia are all at, or around .500. Duke is okay. But, Syracuse might be Clemson's biggest "threat". Clemson owns the ACC, and they will continue to for many years to come it seems.

The Pac 12 is a lot like the ACC, except they don't have a dominant team. At one point this season it looked like Oregon, Stanford or Washington could fight for a playoff spot. Oregon just got smashed by a 4-5 Arizona squad, Stanford, who is again making me look foolish, just cannot get it together, most recently losing to Washington State. And Washington might be one of the most disappointing teams in all of college football. They just got beat by Cal, and only scored 10 points in that game. USC is in a tail spin. Colorado just blew a 28 point lead to Oregon State, who is awful. Arizona State has some okay wins, but they are very blah. UCLA is STRUGGLING in Chip Kelly's first year. The only 2 teams that are kind of consistent are Washington State and Utah. Utah is solid in all three phases,  but they don't blow anyone away. Washington State throws and throws and throws the ball, and they have the best record, at 7-1, but their defense will doom them. I was made a fool again by Stanford, and they have no shot at the playoff or the Pac 12 title. So, I guess that I am going to go with WSU, but I have zero confidence in their defense. I wouldn't be shocked if Utah does find a way to win the conference.

Up next I want to go to the Big 12. The Big 12 is solid, but the Big 12 does not play defense. Oklahoma, even with the lone loss to Texas, is still the best team to me. They have a great, great offense. They play zero defense, but when you score upwards of 50 a game, that doesn't really matter. Texas was the darling of the conference for a minute, but they got beat by Oklahoma State, and Tom Hermann made an ass of himself in the process. Oklahoma State is okay, but they are no real threat to Oklahoma. West Virginia has a great QB in Will Grier, and they can run, but their defense is suspect. TCU has fallen off a cliff. Iowa State is still a tough out, but they are no better than a 7 or 8 win team. Kansas has won 3 games, which matches their total from the last three years, which says all I need to about their program. Kansas State is having a very down year. Baylor should not be allowed to field a team. And Texas Tech is the same every year. They can air it out and they can't stop anyone. Oklahoma has the best player and the game against Texas feels like an aberration to me. They will win the Big 12.

The SEC is all about Alabama. Sure, Georgia is a top 10 team, but they have their own problems. Florida is much, much better under Dan Mullen, but they are not at Alabama or Georgia's level. Texas A&M is better under Fisher, but they still have a long way to go. Kentucky is a top 15 team, but they needed a timeless down to beat Missouri. LSU has been very, very solid all year. Their offense isn't great, but they have signature wins and a tremendous defense. Tennessee is still trying t get back to relevance. Missouri has a very good QB, but a horrendous defense. Vanderbilt stinks. Arkansas is worse. Auburn is right there with Washington as a disappointment. South Carolina is average. So is Ole Miss, who should be sanctioned to hell soon. And Mississippi State has been wildly inconsistent. Alabama is Alabama. They seem unbeatable. They are top notch everywhere on the field. Tua Tigaviola is one of the best college QB's I have ever seen. They got Jalen Hurts to stay. They have threats all over the field. Their defense is amazing. Alabama is the Death Star of college football. LSU has the best "shot" to beat them, but they won't. Alabama is going to roll the rest of the season, especially through the SEC.

The final power 5 conference, is my conference, the Big 10. The Big 10 has been wild, disappointing and surprising this year. Nebraska is not very good. Sure, they have won 2 straight, but against real teams, they have been dominated. I think Scott Frost will turn it around, but it will take time. Minnesota is struggling to find an identity under PJ Fleck. They started 3-0, and are now 4-4, just barely beating Indiana last week after blowing a 4 score lead. Rutgers is a tire fire, but they did show signs of life 2 weeks ago against Northwestern. Indiana has a better defense than normal, but they cannot put together a full game. Maryland is about to go through the ringer with the NCAA, as they should, and they are mediocre. Illinois is bad. Lovie Smith looks like he now hates coaching football. I wouldn't be shocked if he steps down at the end of this year. Purdue started 0-3, then won 4 straight, one of which was a thrashing over the University of Ohio State. But, they just let Michigan State manhandle them. Michigan State, who also shouldn't be able to field a team with the offseason stuff, is average at best. They do have a good defense though. Penn State is all about their QB. They go as he goes, and luckily for them, he is usually pretty good. Wisconsin doesn't have a good enough QB, their O line isn't as stout as it was last year and their defense is a mess. They just got manhandled by Northwestern. Speaking of Northwestern, that team has just found ways to win their last couple of games, 2 over once ranked teams. They aren't the best, but they are currently in first in the Big 10 West. and I didn't forget about Iowa. Iowa should have beaten Penn State, but they didn't, and that may haunt them. They are a bit more fun on offense though. The University of Ohio State had an atrocious game their last time out. Apparently they have some inner turmoil with the staff. Urban Meyer is a liar and a phony. And the team is very average on defense. Their offense however is explosive. They are a very, very light version of Oklahoma. And then there is my team, the Michigan Wolverines, winners of 7 straight. First off, I still have my doubts about this team. It took them forever to pull away from MSU. I know that is a rivalry game, and it was on the road, but they were the much more talented team. I also watched them struggle mightily to beat Northwestern in person. They also didn't really blow out SMU like they should have. It took them until the third quarter to pull away from Wisconsin. They start off too slow. If that happens this Saturday, at home against PSU, that could be a problem. Now for the good. They are much better on offense this year. Shea Patterson has shown that he is easily the best QB in the short Jim Harbaugh era. They can run the ball. I love Karan Higdon. The receivers are big and strong, and Tarik Black could be back this weekend. The O line has been better. The defense, in their last game, absolutely shut down MSU. Since week one, the defense has been solid. They have the pieces in place to actually make a run. They have a tough game this weekend, they then have to travel to Rutgers, and road games are tough, then they get Indiana at home, but for the past 6 or 7 years it seems, Indiana plays them very tough, and they finish out the season in Columbus. Where we sit today the Wolverines are in complete control of their side of the Big 10. I am very curious to see how they play now that they are expected to win. That hasn't been the case sine Peppers was a Heisman finalist, and they stumbled to finish that season. Saturday will show me a lot about this team. That game will determine how they finish. They are now the team with the bulls eye on their back. Lets see which team shows up. Right now though, and I do not like doing this because I am a pessimist when it comes to anything Michigan related, I am going to go with the Wolverines to win the Big 10. They should.

As far as teams outside the power 5, Notre Dame is going to get in the playoff as long as they win out. They have the win over Michigan to open the year. They went to Blacksburg and won. And even with struggles against Ball State and Pitt, they still found a way to win. UCF still hasn't lost in a game in almost 2 years. They may not have a tough schedule, but you play who you play, and they have beaten all comers. Mackenzie Milton is awesome too. Houston is really good, and they have the best defensive player in football in Ed Oliver. And Utah State and Fresno State are having a flash back to the early 2010's, finding their way into the top 25.

As far as the Heisman, I had Bryce Love to start the year. I was very, very wrong. He, of course, has been perpetually hurt all year. Tua is going to win. He is putting up monster numbers on the best team in college football. Tua is the best QB Alabama has had under Saban as well. He is an amazing talent.

The playoff, this was tough for me. The first official rankings come out tomorrow, and while that will most definitely change, I know 2 of the teams that will be there will be in my final four. Going from 1-4 I have, Alabama, Clemson, Notre Dame, and number 4, the toughest one for me to pick, I am going to go with Oklahoma. Michigan will be the team left out. Oklahoma has the great, probably Heisman runner up QB, Kyler Murray. They also have an easier end of season schedule than Michigan. Oklahoma should run the table the rest of the way. Michigan could too, but they could also lose a couple of those games. Like I said, the last time they had expectations, they stumbled. Oklahoma is going to be able to outscore every team left on their schedule and in the Big 12 title game. They then get the unfortunate task of playing a rested Alabama team. Alabama is so much better than EVERY team in college football. They win with ease. So does Clemson in the 2-3 game. Notre Dame has not, and will not, face a team as talented as Clemson the rest of the year. Clemson will dominate that game. So, we would get, for the third time in the four year history of the college football playoff, a Clemson-Alabama game. And, Alabama will cruise. They are so, so great. They have stars all over the field. You know how I said that Clemson is the Warriors of the ACC? Alabama is the Warriors of all of college football. They are so dominant.

Now, with only 5 weeks of regular season games left, I think a lot of this could change. But, where we are now, at this point in the year, this is my redo. These are my changes. Lets see how these picks pan out.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. The Wolverines could every game the rest of the year, including the National Championship, and Ty would still not be optimistic on Michigan’s chances this year. The terrible life of a superfan.

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"Grandma's Boy" is One of the Greatest Underrated Movies of All Time

At the beginning of this month my wife had to go out of town for work. This meant that I had free reign to watch whatever I wanted after I put my kids to bed. I watched a lot of sports, but I also watched some movies that I hadn't seen in quite awhile that I used to love. One such movie that I revisited was "Grandma's Boy".

I am an unabashed fan of this movie. I saw it in the theaters. I feel like I was one of the, maybe, 100 people who did that. I then proceeded to buy it on DVD the day it came out, and then tried my best to spread the word about it. My brother Seth bought in. He loves the movie. A few of my friends, the ones who movies preferences I appreciate, loved it. My wife, then my girlfriend, thought it was hilarious.

Unfortunately “Grandma’s Boy” does not have the best of reputations. I read all the reviews and talked to some people who hadn't seen it, and it got trashed. I was very confused by this. I thought, and after a rewatch, that "Grandma's Boy" is one the best stoner comedies ever made.

Come at me.

During this rewatch, I found myself laughing as hard as I did the first time. This movie flows seamlessly from scene to scene. They don't hold on any jokes too long. The pace is perfect for this style movie. The acting is great. Yes, I said great. It is a perfect movie to just sit down, if you have about 80 minutes to spare, and laugh your ass off. The most famous person, in my opinion, from the movie is Linda Cardellini, and much to her credit, she goes for it.

The movie has a very simple story. An older gentlemen works at a video game company, he loses his house, can't find a place to live, has to move in with his grandma and her roommates, creates a game, has a conflict and wins and gets the girl. Simple. But, like the aforementioned Cardellini, all the actors go for it, and they all nail it. Cardellini plays a higher up at a big video game firm and she is brought in to help fix the company's new game. She is funny, smart and great in this role. She is so unassuming, and the scene where she sings "Push It" by Salt N Pepa is amazing. But, like I said, everyone else is hilarious.

This movie is a Happy Madison movie, Adam Sandler's company, but he doesn't flood it with his famous friends. There is no Kevin James or Chris Rock, and I like Chris Rock. Rob Schiender is in one scene, but that is it. In "Grandma's Boy", Sandler lets his less famous friends shine. Allen Covert plays the lead, Alex. He is the old man stoner that works at the video game company. He is hilarious. He has great lines and I totally buy him as a leading man in a movie like this. Nick Swardson, in one of his first movie roles, plays Alex's friend, Jeff. Jeff still lives at home, is a total momma's boy and has some great scenes opposite Shirley Jones. Speaking of Shirley Jones, she is wonderfully hilarious in the movie. She plays one of Alex's grandma's roommates. Alex's grandma is played by Doris Roberts. We all know her from "Everybody Loves Raymond". But in this movie, she is so sweet and nice. There is also a scene when she drinks pot that is wonderful. Jonah Hill shows up in this movie. This is the first movie I ever saw him in, and he is hilarious. Kevin Nealon plays the owner of the video game company who is also into yoga and getting high. He is great. Another one of Sandler's buddy's, who shows up in all of his other movies in small roles, Peter Dante plays a weed dealer named Dante. Do yourself a favor and go listen to a famous Swardson bit about working on this movie with him. Lets just say, instead of smoking fake weed, he smokes real weed. The bit is tremendous. And everyone else is perfect for this movie.

Like I said, "Grandma's Boy" is a movie that I expected to tune in, but tune out by playing on my phone. I did not do that because I found myself laughing so hard. The movie still held as much weight with me as it did my first go round. It could have been, had they made multiple sequels, my generation's "Cheech and Chong". But, I am glad they didn't make any sequels. This movie didn't need any. They got it right on the first try and they wrapped it up nicely.

Also, don't always believe what the critics say. Sometimes they go in inclined to dislike a movie because it doesn't have a super star or a big name director or they don't like the company that made it. They have preconceived notions that they will not let themselves get past.

My opinion. "Grandma's Boy" is well worth your time, especially if you like stoner comedies. This movie rules, and the fact that I am now defending it, 12 years later, should prove how funny it is, and that it still holds up. I love this movie.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Other than “Grandma’s Boy” what other bad movies are actually really good. Check out our podcast where we discuss that very topic.

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The Mall of Our Youth is No More

Picture taken in the middle of the day

My piece today is very Saint Louis, and even more so, West County specific. If you are from Saint Louis, or the West County, or spent a good amount of time here, you will most definitely get what I'm going to talk about today. And even if you are not, I still think it will resonate, especially with people my age.

So, my daughter likes to go to malls and walk around for a bit, and finish off the day by playing at the indoor playgrounds. This activity is perfect for getting her out of the house, get her moving around and helps her to meet and play with kids her age. She loves it, and I love watching her play. She also likes to go into shops with me and shoe gaze. We never really buy anything, but we like to look at stuff and point out how cool the stuff is. It is a nice little bonding date for the 2 of us. We do this, especially now that it is getting colder outside, 1 or 2 times a week.

My daughter wanted to do that today. I said great. I asked her if she wanted to go to our regular mall, West County Mall, or as it is better known around here, "The Dove Mall", but she said no. We were just there 2 days ago, so I wasn't surprised. I asked her which mall she wanted to go to, and she said the one by our house with the movie theater.

Perfect I thought. The mall by us with the theater is called Chesterfield Mall. This was my mall as a kid. This was the place to be when I was in middle school. This was our hang out. I went on some of my very first "dates" at this mall. I got in trouble with my folks for not meeting them at certain spots in this mall when they asked me to. I used to go school clothes shopping at this mall. When I was a much younger kid Chesterfield Mall used to have a pet store in it. I spent most of my time there between the ages of 6-8 whenever we would go as a family. Even in high school I used to go there. It was a fun spot. Then, even after college, meeting my wife and getting married, moving out of West County, I would still go shopping there. I have many fond memories. Hell, even as little as 5 years ago, when my son was about a year and a half old, and I was a new stay at home dad, we would go there and do lots of Christmas and birthday shopping. I can remember when they built an American Girl Doll store there and my son and I had to buy something for my niece. I have never been so out of my element and overwhelmed. Then, when they built the movie theater, I thought this mall was never going to die. I saw "The Simpsons Movie" there twice. I took my dad to lots of movies there. And, it was the first place my son had seen a movie, "Big Hero 6". Again, I have many good memories of this place.

In the past couple of years, everything has kind of turned, and it is for the worst. It wasn't too noticeable at first. We would still go there, especially after moving back to West County about 4 years ago. My folks still liked to go there because the clothing store Dillard's always had deals. They had the kids play area. They had some cool toy shops. They had some decent CD and DVD stores that I frequented. But, businesses just started to vanish. We would eat at Houlihan's almost every time we went there. One day, after shopping, we decided to eat dinner there, and it was gone. No signs, no tables, no chairs. Just a big empty room. There was no warning, it was just gone. I was stunned.

The disappearance of stores started to happen more and more. Random, smaller shops and restaurants started to juts vanish. There was no warning. We'd go there one week, shop at a store like Crazy 8's, a kids clothing store, and the next week it would either be gone, or have a sign that said "Store Closing. Everything 50-80% off".

Then there was the 2015 Christmas time flood. My mom, ever the Dillard's shopper, called one night when we were supposed to go shopping there, and told us that she heard there was a flood . Apparently the entire Dillard's store was under water. It wasn't too deep, but it was deep enough to shut down the whole store. The Dillard's in Chesterfield Mall was enormous too. It took up three floors and about an entire quarter of the mall. They had to close down the whole mall for awhile. When we were finally able to go back, the whole Dillard's was closed off, but there were notes everywhere saying that it would reopen. It never did. It fell by the wayside much like Houlihan's and Crazy 8's.

That seemed to open the gates. A bunch of other stores started to close or go out of business. The Bread Company (Panera to all you out of towners) was gone within a week. The candy store was next. The sports apparel stores followed. The random weird gift shops vanished. And then the music stores fell down. The food court and the random little off shoot food places, for snacks, started to go. Auntie Anne's Pretzel's, one of my favorite spots, was gone. California Pizza Kitchen, my son's favorite place to eat there closed. Then Cheeburger Cheeburger, a burger place where I got my picture on the wall, closed. The food court started to lose the rest of it’s business. Panda Express, Subway, Dairy Queen, basically any random food court place closed down. The American Girl Doll store moved out. It was a ghost town in the mall.

So, when we went today, I was curious to see what was still standing. I haven't been there in awhile because it is kind of upsetting, to be honest. When my daughter and I walked in we went through the main entrance and the new 2 story used book, DVD and music and video game store was still open. It's called V-Stock, and it feels like they crammed all the toy stores, arcades, book stores, music shops and video game stores into one. It is 2 stories, but it feels tight. There was one sports shop, but it is a hyper expensive, personally owned shop that has no affiliation with Chesterfield Mall. They had a few off shoot clothing stores, like Hot Topic and Journey's that were still running, but they look like they might get the ax next. There were a lot of sales going on in these stores, which should be cause for concern. They have 2 sports apparel shops, Foot Locker and Hibbett Sports, but NO ONE was in either. The food court only has a Philly Cheesesteak's left. The only restaurant left is Cheesecake Factory. It just feels like a creepy abandoned place. They have a the old shops there with signs that say you can have a meeting, or work outing or group hangout there. That's a bummer. I did see a sign that said to look forward to something new in 2019, and I hope that is true, but now, I just don't really buy into it.

The fact that Chesterfield Mall is a shell of what it used to be is really sad to me. Going there today was very eye opening. I know malls are a thing of the past, but we still have a good amount here in Saint Louis that are thriving, including "The Dove Mall" that I mentioned before. I will keep those good memories I have from childhood and adulthood from Chesterfield Mall, but today was sad. It really bummed me out. This mall is just not the same. It feels different. I don't feel like they are taking good care of it anymore. And while the kids area was fine, other malls are much, much better in Saint Louis. I will miss Chesterfield Mall, even if it somehow gets a rebirth. It will not be the same. RIP to the mall of my youth.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Back in the day Ty would check out the latest video games at Babbages, look at the birthday cards with grannies giving the finger at Spencers, and end the night with a nice sandwich at Kent’s Deli. The only thing the past leaves us is our memories.

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Ty Watches "Big Mouth: Season 2"

Last week I finished up season 2 of "Big Mouth". This show is, by far, the best representation of going through puberty that I have ever watched on TV.

Now, I can only speak from a male point of view, but the way they portray the horribleness that is puberty, it is truly perfect. They have all the awkwardness and weird feelings and shame and just all around awful, awful things that happen when you are a teenager going through this time. I will say too, from the few ladies I know that watch the show, they say it is pretty on point from a female perspective.

What Nick Kroll and Gil Ozeri have done, with Netflix giving them a long, long leash, is pure perfection. First off, to make it an animated show, was the exact right way to give their message. With animation they can do things like a Hormone Monster and Hormone Monstress. This season they added a Shame Wizard, voiced by David Thewlis, and it was so real I had flash backs to all the shame I felt while I was going through puberty. The way they talk about how teens go through this at all different times was great. I was a slower developer, so I could relate with Nick. But, I had friends that were more like Andrew(John Mulaney), who were just frustrated and angry and growing faster than I was.

There was an episode this season, the premiere, when one of the girls developed faster than any other female student, and that brought me back. That was gut wrenching and hilarious to watch. There was a through line this season, it happened at the end of the first season, so it isn't a spoiler, where one of the kid's parents are going through a divorce, and we get to see her act out, like so many of my friends who had divorced parents did. It was perfect. All the stuff with her and the Hormone Monstress, be it yelling at her mom or stealing from a convenience store, I watched these friends of mine going through that do the same.

I also liked another episode where 2 of the kids try edibles for the first time and we see their journey. One handles it very well, taking it all in with glee and the other kid freaks the hell out, just like I would have had I done something like that as a 13 year old. All the stuff with the other families, like Nick's parents being overbearingly loving, or Josh's folks being loud and arguing with each other, but still deeply in love, or Jay's(Jason Mantzoukas) parents, who despise one another, but are so despicable they deserve one another is just excellent. Jay is another standout character as the crazed horned up lunatic friend that we all had in middle school. I also really like Miss(Jenny Slate), who has hippy parents, is a total nerd and is also dealing with puberty in all its awfulness. The show is simply perfection in every single way. From the writing to the voice acting to the way each kid deals with puberty it is all so well done. I can also tell how much I enjoy a show when I think about it all the time and it both, makes me laugh and cringe. That is exactly what "Big Mouth" does for me.

This show is a homerun for Netflix. It further proves that Nick Kroll makes great comedic TV. It also proves that more and more people need, and should, know who Gil Ozeri is because he is a comedic genius. I have loved both seasons of the show. I cannot wait to see where they go with season 3. "Big Mouth" is the best show ever made about puberty and I will fight anyone that says otherwise. Go watch it and tell me why it isn't. I bet you cannot find one show, or reason, why I'm wrong. "Big Mouth" is a triumph.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Watching “Big Mouth” may bring back some memories for Ty, but it also brings nightmares. Ty does have two kids that will one day enjoy the journey.

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Ty Watches "Best F(r)iends: Part 1"

Getting caught up on some other pop culture stuff that I haven't yet written about, due to sports stuff that took priority, I did watch part one of the new Tommy Wiseau and Greg Sestero movie, "Best F(R) iends", and I have some thoughts.

First off, as I said, I have only seen part one. That's right, they shot enough footage to make their new movie 2 parts. The reason I haven't seen part 2 yet you ask, it hasn't been released via On Demand yet. In fact, it will not be out for me to see until June of next year. So my write up of the second part won't be for another 8 months. But, I did watch the first part. My wife was out of town on a business trip and I decided that I needed to watch this new movie.

As you all know by now, I love the cult of Tommy Wiseau and Greg Sestero. I'm a big, big time fan of "The Room". That movie is a national treasure for how bad it is. It is a total mess of a movie, and I have seen it at least a dozen times, and I like it more and more each time for how truly, truly awful it is. I love the book that Sestero wrote about his experience on the movie, "The Disaster Artist". It was a nice look inside all the madness and how insane the making of that movie was. Sure, we only got Sestero's side of the story, but he told it very well. The book led to one of my favorite movies of last year, "The Disaster Artist". James Franco got the go ahead from Sestero, got the help of his brother and friends and made something truly remarkable. Franco became Wiseau. Dave Franco was great as Sestero. Seth Rogen and Paul Scheer were awesome in their roles, as script supervisor and a stage hand. Nathan Fielder was hilarious. So was Zac Efron. The actress that played Lisa was wonderful. Alison Brie was great as Sestero's girlfriend. Everything about that movie was perfect to me. So, when I heard that Wiseau and Sestero were teaming up to make another movie, I was intrigued. I am at a part in my life where I will find time to watch anything the 2 of them work on, fully knowing that it may be, most likely, terrible. I don't care, I want them to keep doing stuff together. They need to continue to capitalize on the massive momentum they have right now. Hell, I even truly liked the two of them recreating the famous interrogation scene from "The Dark Knight". I wrote a whole blog on how great I thought it was. Seeing "Best F(R) iends" was something I felt I needed to do. It also helped that the reviews on it, while not great, weren't awful.

So, I rented it and watched it 2 times in the 24 hours I had it on my TV. It needs to be said right up front, "Best F(R) iends" isn't great, but it is not awful. It was, for the most part, kind of forgettable for me, which was a bit of a bummer. But, I still found myself glued to the screen on my 2 viewings. And, I was drawn to the TV especially whenever Wiseau was on screen. The movie has a very basic story. Apparently, according to the internet, so who knows if it is really true, Wiseau wrote this movie about a time in his life when he thought Sestero might be out to kill him. I'm not bull shitting you, according to the trivia on IMdb, that is what it said. The story of "Best F(R) iends", real quick, Sestero plays a drifter who comes to meet Wiseau, who plays a mortician, in a perfectly cast role for him, and they start to work together. Sestero's character sees that Wiseau's mortician keeps fillings from the deceased, and he decides that he needs to sell them for money. He then gets Wiseau involved, and as one would expect, they start to fight one another, they stab each other in the back and hi-jinks ensue. Like I said, it wasn't great, but it was fine. You can tell that the 2 of them have taken advice from people on their acting. Sestero barely speaks in the movie, which is perfect for him. He is a lesser Keanu Reeves. When he does talk, it is short and to the point. Wiseau goes for it, as he always does, and I think he nails it. He is so creepy but funny. He is so weird, but I found myself rooting for him. When he and Sestero play basketball together outside the morgue, it was some of the funniest shit I have veer seen in what is supposed to be a "serious" movie. And while there are other actors in the movie, some who feel like they come from the pornography world, and then a dude like Paul Scheer shows up, don't really matter much to the plot. This movie is Sestero and Wiseau's vehicle. They are the stars and they are full front in the movie. Sestero did fine, but Wiseau blew him out of the water. He was a charm to watch.

The reason I am excited for part 2 is to see what he does. The way part one ended was so bizarre, no spoilers, and it was all due to Wiseau's performance at the very end. Look, I'm pretty sure that Wiseau and Sestero did not think they were going to make an Oscar level movie. Hell, I'm sure they didn't even think that they are making another cult hit. But, you can see that they've grown. You can see that they are both trying. You can see that they've learned from past mistakes, and they kind of make up for it in "Best F(R) iends Part 1". I appreciate that they are striking while the iron is hot. Like I said before, they are taking their chance and they are rolling with it. All kinds of props to them for doing that.

I recommend this movie, with a caveat. Don't watch this if you have never experienced "The Room", "The Disaster Artist", or know little to nothing about either Wiseau or Sestero. You will hate it. But, if you are like me and you know the lore and you've seen a midnight screening of "The Room" and you've watched "The Room" more than half a dozen times and you know the book and the movie made about the book, I think you will enjoy "Best F(R) iends". You have to have some familiarity with the 2 stars of the movie. You have to know a good amount of their back story to appreciate what they are doing now. So, while I feel like part 1 was a bit forgettable, that has not swayed me from wanting to see part 2, and wanting to see what Wiseau does next. Check this movie out if you know their story and then get prepared to see part 2 next year. I know I am.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Ty is game for a cameo in any film Wiseau and Sestero make. Need a pick-up basketball guy to ball in the background? Ty is your man.

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Teen Mom Has Jumped a Palin Sized Shark

Get the Palin’s off my television already

I've been talking about sports a lot the past couple of weeks. And, I still have a good amount of sports stuff in the hopper, but I'm going to take a bit of a break from it for a minute. Today I want to talk about a show that I have talked about a few times on this website.

So, I have written a few things about the show "Teen Mom". My wife loves it, I have grown to like it, I have watched it from the start, I have watched the spin offs and other iterations of it, and I have even given it some praise. I do appreciate that, at first, MTV showed how un glamorous life can get when you have a baby, and you are a teenager. They did that really well in the beginning.

Then, as the show grew bigger and bigger, and the kids became more "famous", I started to kind of get annoyed. I have vocalized as much to my wife. A good group of the teens, who are now in their 20's, act like they are important and, as I said before, "famous". Most of them have even started their own businesses, the majority of them, and this is just insane to me. Just because you are on TV does not mean that you will be able to sell children's clothes, or clothes for grown ups or food or treats. Starting a business is hard, hard work, but I feel as if these kids feel entitled to this. I feel like they think they can do no wrong now just because they are on TV. Some have even taken the "acting"/podcasting route. Basically, these kids are trying to do anything and everything they can to stay in the public eye. To stay "famous" if you will. 

It got so bad, one of the original girls, Farrah Abraham, did some adult movies. After these "movies" blew up, she started to act like she was the most famous of all the famous people. Now, Farrah Abraham is not famous. Not at all. She is as far away from it as I am. But, when you saw her on the show in the last season, by the way she carried herself and talked about herself, you would have thought she was a star. It got so bad that MTV fired her. She said she was going to continue to make adult movies and they said they didn't want to be in business with her. They went their separate ways and I thought that might be the end of the original "Teen Mom".

I was wrong.

This is where we get to my main point of my blog today. My wife told me, maybe around 6 months ago, that the show was coming back, and that they were adding 2 new moms. I was a little stunned by this news. Then, I wanted to know who the new moms were. She told me that one of them was a person that was on some other MTV show, and the other was Bristol Palin.

This news was upsetting. The show was already starting to go down hill, and I thought that the firing of Abraham was a good way to end the first run. Well, I guess MTV and I had a different idea. I feel like they thought adding someone like Bristol Palin would re energize the show.

They were so, so wrong.

Yes, my wife and I still watch the show, maybe we are gluttons for punishment, but this new season has been really, really bad. It has been boring too. First off, they are still calling the show "Teen Mom O.G.". The "O.G." stands for "Original Girls". This is a smack in the face to what O.G. really stands for, original gangster. The title was off from the jump, and it has always bothered me. But, now it doesn't make any sense. Sure, they still have 3 of the 4 moms when the show started, but now there are 2 new moms. The whole "original girls" is simply not true anymore.

And, before I shred Bristol Palin, I do not mind the other new mom. Her name is Cheyenne, and she seems fun and I like her, her baby and her baby's father, who is from multiple other MTV shows. And for the "original mom's" still on the show, they are just dull now. Their stories are either super depressing or, I just don't care about them anymore. Maci is the most stable, but I'm bored with the stuff with her first son's father, Ryan. Ryan needs to get real help and not constantly have his name dragged through the mud by MTV. He has a serious drug problem, but MTV just seems to keep showing it because it is the most "interesting" thing about Maci's life now. She has also started some kind of business, and anytime her, her husband or any of their friends are on TV, they all have to wear a shirt with the company logo on it. It is the lowest level of product placement. Amber is just flat out boring now too. I feel like she is trying to drum up her past anxiety stuff just to stay relevant. The stuff with her new son, and his dad, is very blah. Gary and his family are just a normal family. His story is played out. I tune out completely whenever she is on screen. And Catelynn and Tyler need to get real help too, just like Ryan. Unlike Ryan, they don't have a drug problem, they have a relationship problem. Their marriage seems to be on very thin ice, and instead of MTV trying to really help them, I feel like they are pushing the problems for ratings. Their story, when it started, was the best, but now, it is just depressing and rough to watch. They are the only couple that I "feel" for, and I just feel horrible for both of them.

Then there is Bristol Palin. Why does anyone anywhere still care about her, or her family? Didn't the Palin's stop being relevant around a decade ago? You know, when her mother made an ass of herself on national TV over and over and over and over again. I had forgotten about them, and did not remember, at all, that Bristol was once a teen mom. Then she shows up on MTV. That was a real kick in the teeth. In the season premier she was at some kind of pre wedding party, or some kind of nonsense, and I heard her mother's grating voice. I then heard Bristol's whiny voice. It was ridiculous. It made me mad. I was so disappointed in a MTV show that I actually used to like. The addition of Palin to "Teen Mom" really feels like a nail in the coffin. She, like much of the cast, is boring. She makes shit up just to seem interesting. She is always fighting with her now ex husband, who is clearly suffering from horrific PTSD that MTV uses for ratings, as opposed to getting him the real help he needs. Her fits and complaints and whining to the producers is so stupid and seems acted. I don't really think that she is as upset as she portrays herself. I don't think she is as good a mother as she thinks she is. There was one scene where she is basically pimping her son out to be on a dancing competition show just so she can stay in the limelight. The scene made her seem like a stage mom. And I do not like the way she talks to her kids and her ex husband. She acts like she is so much more important than all of them. She has this air of superiority that is so off putting. Bristol Palin was a horrible, stupid and far reaching choice to try and stay relevant from MTV.

"Teen Mom O.G." is bad, and it is getting worse. Even my wife, who LOVES shows like this, has bounced around the idea of us stopping the show. She is getting fed up. This was a bad addition, and it should be the final thing needed to cancel this show. MTV is no longer trying to help these kids. They are no longer trying to show how hard it is to raise kids. They are using these kids. They have given these kids an air of entitlement that they have not even come close to deserving. "Teen Mom" is just bad now. It is not even fun bad, like "The Room", it is just bad. Bristol Palin has made this show bad. And MTV has not tried to change it at all. They had lightening in a bottle, but the time has passed. They need to rid themselves of this mess. It is rough.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Once again MTV, Ty is up for a mid thirties mom show. He has a great opportunity right in the middle of the country.

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