Better Late Than Never on "Easy Rider"

I’m going on vacation next week, and since tomorrow is a holiday, this will be my last blog until I get back. What I want to leave you all with is my first experience seeing “Easy Rider”.

This movie has always been on my list of things to see, I have just never gotten around to it. Last night, at The Arkadin, they had Strange Brew, which is a very cool idea wherein the first of each month they show a cult movie. I fully understand “Easy Rider” is not a cult movie but with the 4th of July being tomorrow and how messed up the US currently is, “Easy Rider” felt like a perfect choice. I have heard a lot about this movie from my folks and my brothers. I’ve heard famous critics sing its praises. I have seen all kinds of memes and spoofs as well. Basically I know this movie without having seen it. Until last night.

First of all, this is considered a classic for good reason. This movie is incredible. From the acting to the directing to some of the things they did in the editing room, it was the first of its kind. There are so many movies since then into today that take from “Easy Rider”. From dissolve shots to lens flare to the color used in certain shots, “Easy Rider” was one of the first movies to ever do it.

“Easy Rider” is also the best, by a wide margin, of the bevy of motorcycle movies that came out in the mid to late 60’s. It has a real story that says something important and is pulled off beautifully. Peter Fonda was transcendent in his role. He had a quiet confidence about him. He knew the mission and stuck to the plan. He knew when and when not to have fun. He carried himself with an air of importance, but was never mean or cocky about it. This is one of my first experiences with Fonda as a leading man, and it was so easy to see why he was so successful for so long. Dennis Hopper pulled double duty, costarring and directing this movie. He was your typical hippy, but he was the first to play this type. He had issues with drugs and alcohol. He was mean. He was loud. He started stuff with almost everyone. But there were times that I felt for him and wanted him to be okay. He was out there just trying to live life as a free person away from the monotony of everyday life. Jack Nicholson was far and away my favorite character in the movie, and I thought it was his best performance. He’s only onscreen for about 15 minutes, but damn are those the best 15 minutes of the whole movie. I was liking the movie before he showed up, but when he got onscreen, that like flipped up love real quick. He brought humor and levity to the movie. His character, who also had issues with alcohol, had chosen a righteous path in his life’s work. He was fighting for things not many did back then. He was siesta smiling, always trying to ease the tension and knew right from wrong. What happened to him was so tragic, and when his character was killed, the movie took an even darker turn. The other actors did a fine enough job, but this movie was about these three and their mission to make it to New Orleans for Mardi Gras.

As for the story, it’s a road trip movie centered on bikes and hippies. The hippies, Fonda and Hopper, and to a lesser extent, Nicholson, are living life as free men, but some people don’t like that and they take out their anger in horrifying ways. The three try to stop and eat at a diner and leave when it gets scary. Hopper and Fonda aren’t allowed to rent hotel or motel rooms. The three men get brutally beaten, fatally in Nicholson’s case, by the patrons at the diner who forced them out. Hopper and Fonda are just simply driving their bikes back to LA, and two southern hillbillies decide to kill them because they have long hair and look like hippies. This is what is happening in our country today. People are being judged simply by looks. Only people with empathy want to get to know these guys, and the same is true today.

The host for last night said the movie might be better off being called “Hard Rider” because of the heavy tone, and I agree. It’s also disturbing how relevant it remains today. “Easy Rider” really needs to be seen by everyone for a myriad of reasons. I’m glad I can finally say that I’ve seen it and I love it. I highly recommend the movie.

Ty

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

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LeBron Doesn't Owe Anyone Anything

NBA free agency has come and been wild. It is usually wild, but it feels a little wilder this offseason. There's been a ton of player movement. Some teams have gotten better and others are shedding salaries and starting their rebuilds. One particular player that has been in the conversation as of late is the great LeBron James.

James owes this league and the Lakers nothing at all. He has done so, so much for the NBA in his 20 plus year career. He is an all timer. He is, in my opinion, the second greatest player to ever do it. He should get to pick and choose whatever he wants for the twilight of his career. So, when I turned on "The Zach Lowe Show" the other day, imagine my surprise when Lowe and his guest were outright hating on him. I was absolutely shocked when I heard the things the two of them were saying about LeBron. And the sheer fact that they were trying to tamp down what they said by adding a compliment at the end of their takedown, that just made me laugh. They were basically demeaning James' decision to opt into the final year of his contract with the Lakers. They kept saying things about how he is old and this isn't his team anymore. Lowe's guest sarcastically called James "48 years old". Lowe never once said anything nice about James until he was done putting him down.

This was racking my mind all evening and into today, which is definitely my fault. But I have heard all the hate James has received his entire career, sometimes from myself, and this segment of Lowe's most recent episode just hit me weirdly. After much thought, I think I have landed on why Lowe and guest were so tough on James. It is Luka Doncic. Lowe has always, and I mean always, stumped for white foreign NBA players. He is married to a Bosnian woman and, even during his tenure with ESPN, he has never once said anything really poorly at all when talking about NBA players from there, all of whom are white. And when Doncic ascended to the level he is currently at, Lowe has become his number one supporter. He will go to bat for him all the time. Since the trade to the Lakers, Lowe has made it his mission to demean and drag down Nico Harrison and the Mavericks. He claims to never listen to interviews anymore, but he is consistent with his mockery anytime Harrison is on a mic. He begrudges people who trash Doncic for his lack of defense and ability to stay in shape. He won't hear it. And this all should have clicked yesterday when I heard him mention the age gap between Doncic and James. I should have known then that, at least in Lowe's mind, the Lakers are no longer LeBron's team, they are Luka's team and Lowe is rolling with that, dissenters be damned. So, it makes sense to me now why he, after years of defending LeBron, is now coming down on him so hard. He mocked his age. He said that the Lakers don't need to build around him anymore. He said that he thinks LeBron isn't in it for titles anymore. He basically dragged his name through the mud for about an hour and I was floored. Like I said at the top, LeBron doesn't owe anybody anything. He has put in the time, effort and work to make it where he is today. He has made billions of dollars for the NBA, the Cavs, the Heat and the Lakers. He has given people like Zach Lowe a place to throw his dumbass opinions out there willy nilly. Luka will never achieve what LeBron has achieved, Nikola Jokic will never be the player LeBron has been for 23 years. These guys don't have what it takes, they don't have the will or the want to do the things LeBron has done.

Zach Lowe should never, ever slander a player of LeBron James' caliber especially because he has never done a single thing at the level LeBron has with basketball. I was excited for Lowe to come back to the podcasting world, but since he has become a member of The Ringer, he seems to be just another Barstool hot take moron who doesn't think before he speaks, and that bums me out. I'm still going to listen to his pod, but maybe I won't for much longer if this is going to be his attitude moving forward. 

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.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

The Earth Is My Treadmill: A Personal Approach to Mindful Running

I don’t use meditation apps. I haven’t taken any formal mindfulness courses. I’ve never been to a retreat or followed a guru. But I run. And when I’m out there, something shifts.

Most of the time I’m alone, just me and my dog, Goat. No headphones. No phone. Just the sound of my breath and the rhythm of our footsteps on the trail.

Somewhere along the way, I started doing this thing. It wasn’t intentional. It just happened. I’d be running, probably lost in some thought about work or parenting or whatever else was chewing on my brain, and then I’d catch myself. In that moment, I’d flip my perspective.

Instead of thinking about myself running forward, I’d imagine the earth rotating beneath my feet. Like I was stationary, and the planet was carrying me along for the ride.

That little shift changes everything. For a moment, I feel completely present. The usual noise in my head quiets down. My body feels aligned with the ground. I stop resisting the motion and let it happen. I stop trying to get somewhere and just exist with what is.

It might sound strange, but it works. At least for me.

I didn’t learn this from a book. No one taught me how to do it. It came from spending enough time moving through the world to notice how much of that movement is mental. Sometimes the trick isn’t to push harder. Sometimes it’s just to look at things differently.

That shift doesn't last forever. Sometimes it only lasts a minute. Sometimes I forget to do it altogether. And sometimes it’s just a regular run, with sweat, sore legs, and Goat diving headfirst into something he shouldn’t. But when I do remember to shift, the whole run feels different. I feel different.

I’m not saying this is mindfulness in the textbook sense. I don’t really care what it’s called. What matters is that it brings me into the moment. Not in a performative way, not to impress anyone, but in a way that feels quiet and real.

Maybe it’s a trick of the mind. Or maybe it’s a way of remembering that we are not separate from the world. We are part of it. Moving and being moved. Running and being carried.

For me, that’s enough.

Kirk Aug

Kirk is a writer, beekeeper and a fellow traveller on spaceship Earth. Follow Kirk on instagram @kirkaug

An Ode to "Lord of the Flies"

I enjoy reading books, but I'm a slow reader. Most books take me a good amount of time to finish. My mind tends to wander, sometimes I don't find the time to sit down and read and there are moments when, even though I try not to, I just want to goof around on my phone. But there is one book that I do enjoy reading and going back to time and again. That book is "Lord of the Flies".

I remember reading “Lord of the Flies” for the first time when I was in 9th grade and it has stuck with me ever since. I instantly connected to the story. I liked the whole idea of how these students would try and survive if they were stranded on an island. I like stories that focus around learning to live in very tough surroundings. I don't know why either, but I do. After reading it for the first time I found myself wanting to go back to it. That never really happened before. Usually I read a book once and then I'm done with it. In fact, I think "Lord of the Flies" may be the only book I have read more than once. There was a good period of time where I would check it out of the library pretty much every year to reread it. I finally bought my own copy recently and I'm almost done reading it for what has to be somewhere in the 20's. I keep going back because the story is so fascinating and because the book is so well written. It's not too long, maybe 240 pages. The story moves. I never feel bored. Even when I know what is about to happen, I still get a little shocked with each new read. I relate to different characters each time. I try to put myself in the situation they're in in the book and think how I would react. I envision a world where a show or movie got this story right. The first season of "Yellowjackets" has come closest for me, but that show, in my opinion, has fallen off a cliff.

I know they made two movies, but they both have issues that I would change. That being said, the one from the 60's is a decent watch for me. But the reason they cannot get it right, in my mind, is because the book is an absolute classic. William Golding was in his bag when he wrote this book. He had an idea and ran with it and made such a wonderful and harrowing story. I was reading a chapter recently and found myself sympathizing with Simon for the first time I remember. There are times when I think Jack has a very good point, he just goes about it the wrong way. I tend to fall on the side of Ralph and Piggy, like most do, but they could've done stuff differently too. That is what makes this book so fantastic. These are kids forced into a horrific situation, and try as they might to handle it maturly, they still cry and whimper and get home sick and make rash decisions. That's what kids always do. I was talking to my children about the book, they are very much city mouse type of kids, and they will ask why the kids just didn't get along. I try to put them in the same or similar situation, and they end up relented and saying they would do what the other kids do. And that is because they're children who don't have fully functioning and intuitive brains just yet.

The thing that stands out most to me is how timeless this book has become for me. I first read it when I was 14. I'm now 42 reading for whatever number it is now and I continue to find new and interesting ways to look at the story.

I highly recommend reading "Lord of the Flies" if you haven't yet, or going back and rereading it if you read it as a teen and are now an adult. The book is amazing and the story is just as good as the first time. 

Ty

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

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Thoughts on the NBA Draft

The NBA draft is now over and I have some takes I want to put out in the world today, both good and bad.

First, the bad.

I am kind of stunned at what the Pelicans did. They gave up an unprotected 2026 pick to draft Derik Queen. I love Derik Queen, go look at my draft preview, but they could have gotten him without having to give up what many seem to believe will be a high lottery pick. They also got rid of CJ McCollum in a trade for Jordan Poole. Poole will forever be a legend to me for his shot in the tourney while playing at Michigan. But, save for two seasons, Poole cannot stay in one place too long, he is a ball stopper and he is a zero on defense. I am a little shook by what the Pelicans are doing, but Joe Dumars has built up other franchises before, so maybe he deserves the benefit of the doubt.

The Celtics got rid of Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday and brought in Anfernee Simons. They also drafted three dudes I have never heard of. Simons is a good scorer and not much else. Hugo Gonzalez, who they took late in the first round, might be a stash pick. And they will be without their best player, Jayson Tatum, for the next season, maybe more. Maybe they are just using this upcoming season as a bridge year, but I don't get trading Holiday for Simons, other than a salary thing. And Porzingis seemed to be coming into his own when he did play. Much like Dumars, Brad Stevens knows what he is doing, but still, this has been a puzzling offseason to me.

The Nets had a ton of picks, used them all and took some wild, wild shots. The Nets are not going to contend for a while, but you'd think they would try to build in the draft. They took Egor Denim about ten picks too soon. He has upside, but not of the 8th overall pick. Danny Wolf is a big point guard, but he is turnover prone and an iffy outside shooter. Nolan Traore and Drake Powell don't seem like they'll get a ton of early minutes. And I don't know a single thing about Ben Saraf, other than he was the pick before Wolf. The Nets took some swings, hoping that at least one or two of these guys would hit. The problem will be finding real minutes for them during the regular season. Maybe they will trade a ton of their veterans and really go for that first pick next season.

And my team, the Grizzlies, confused me to no end. They need to find a replacement for Desmond Bane and they are going to try that with Cedric Coward. I don't know much about him, but counting on him to be a big contributor as a rookie is asking a lot. Javon Small has potential, but he is small. And I feel like they only took Jahmai Mashack because he is a local kid. I don't really know what they are doing, but I do know that I'm not a big fan of the moves so far.

On to the good.

I mentioned the Pelicans first, the team that benefited from that deal is the Hawks. They recouped more picks, they got Kristaps Porzingis in the deal with the Celtics and they drafted Asa Newell in round one. Newell had lottery potential and the Hawks were able to snag him at 23. He will get to play alongside guys close to his age and a good point guard in Trae Young.

The Mavericks, after a season of making poor decision after poor decision, drafted Cooper Flagg. He is as can't miss as they come in this draft. He has an NBA body, he is ready for the spotlight and he has good teammates when they are healthy. The Mavs need to stay as injury free as they can, but when they won the lottery we all just hoped they would draft Flagg. They did and that was the best choice to make in this draft. This pick could ease the frustration of the trade they made last season.

The Thunder, coming off a title, took two guys that they can slowly develop and who can help replace other players when they sign elsewhere for more money. Thomas Sorber is a force defensively, the Thunder's calling card, and is a shockingly good passer. He is also only 19. And Brooks Barnhizer will get ample time to develop in the G League before coming to the league to provide sparse, but important bench minutes in the future.

The 76ers, who have made horrible decisions as of late, took VJ Edgecombe and plan on keeping him. He is hyper athletic, can make himself fit into a system and seems to love basketball. They were also able to sang Johni Broome in round two, and he will fit right in with the veterans on this team.

Finally, the The Spurs just added more talent that is on the same timeline as Victor Webanyama. Wemby and Dylan Harper are going to be a fun, fun pick and roll combo. And Harper gets to play in the back court with DeAaron Fox, who will be free to use his speed at his leisure now. And Carter Bryant is your prototypical 3 and D guy that every team needs now. The Spurs are coming, as long as they stay injury free.

That's it for the draft. I cannot wait until next season starts. 

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.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Better Late Than Never on "The Matrix"

I know that it took me far too long, but I finally saw "The Matrix". And I'm talking about the original, the first one that came out a long time ago. I have had people yell at me about not seeing it for a long, long time. It was all in good fun, but still, I just never got around to watching the movie. And as time passed, I kind of forgot to watch it. That is until an in law of mine wanted me and my son to see it. We agreed on a time, and that time came last weekend.

I loved this movie. Everything about it worked for me. Even the graphics, which were very premature, worked for me. The CGI never really felt out of place or looked all that bad. When you think back to how bad some of the early CGI looked in other movies, it is an accomplishment how well the original "Matrix" was able to use it in its infancy. I also loved the story too. I like the whole idea of deciding if you want to know what is real or what is fake. I like the idea of all of us living in a matrix created by some other entity. I like how things bend and change in and out of the matrix. The whole scene where Keanu Reeves fell off the building and the ground turned to foam, that ruled. The fight scenes in the movie were off the charts as well. I could watch them over and over and over again. It was good for me to see early Keanu fight scenes since I'm such a big fan of the "John Wick" franchise. "The Matrix" showed me that he could pull it off that early in his career. From karate to all out gun and helicopter fight scenes, they were all nailed. I loved the injection of onomatopoeia sounds while they were doing karate. It made the scenes work even more, and gave it a little humor.

What really made this movie work so well was the cast and direction. This was before the Wachoski Brothers became sisters, but that doesn't matter when talking about this movie. They know how to direct sci-fi and action with the best of them. I may not have seen "The Matrix" until now, but I have seen their version of "Speed Racer" and I truly enjoy "Cloud Atlas". So, going into this movie, I had an idea of how they directed, but this has to be their best work. And that cast, man did they crush this movie. Keanu was at his best because he had little to say. When he is given little dialogue and gets to focus on the action, that is when he shines the most. And when he did have to deliver dialogue, he did great. Laurence Fishburne was dynamic in this role. I followed him every time he was on screen. I loved how he delivered his lines, and the action scenes, he absolutely crushed. I was blown away by his performance. Carrie Anne Moss was equally as great. She could've played the whole damsel in distress thing that was big at that time, but she owned it and was totally badass. I loved when she yelled at Keanu and her action scenes were the best. She was so awesome. Joey Pantaleon was smarmy and slimy as always and he does that better than most. And Hugo Weaving was simply the best in the whole movie. I loved how stone faced and mean he was, until he wasn't anymore. I found his villainous role to be one of the best I have ever seen in a movie. There were times where I actually agreed with what he was saying after his crew had kidnapped Fishburne's character. This is a role that sits above others in its greatness.

Look, I know it was my fault for not seeing this movie sooner, but I saw it. And I loved it. "The Matrix" is a classic for a reason and now I fully understand its greatness. 

Ty

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

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Thoughts on the Kevin Durant Trade

The NBA offseason is off and running. There has already been a plethora of trades the past couple of days. Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday are no longer on the Celtics. Jordan Poole has a new home. I'm sure many more names will be moved the next couple of days, especially tonight because it is night one of the draft. But the one trade I want to talk about today is Kevin Durant to the Rockets.

KD is on another new team again, and he is saying all the typical stuff he has before. I wrote, maybe a week ago, how much I have loved watching KD play basketball, but how tiresome this part of his career has become. He gets unhappy, asks out of wherever he is playing, says he's happy and within six months, he wants to be moved again. I have to believe that he is frustrated how it all played out in Golden State. I have heard he doesn't feel like he got his due credit for helping that team win two rings. Fact of the matter is, KD joined a ready made champion coming off a 73 win season. All he did was make them unbeatable. That team will always be Steph Curry's team, no matter how much KD and his people wanted it to be his team. After he got bored in Golden State he went to the Nets. That obviously didn't work the way they envisioned it would. Then he forced his hand to Phoenix and that blew up in everyone involved faces there. Now he is a member of the Houston Rockets.

The Rockets did have to part with young talent and picks. They let Jalen Green go. I have liked Jalen Green his whole career to this point. Sure, he hasn't developed into the star they thought, but he is still young and hyper athletic. He can also score in bunches. His defense comes and goes, and he needs to work on that. He also let in to the moment during this past playoffs, but he should have many more chances to prove himself. The Rockets also let Dillon Brooks go. I'm not a Dillon Brooks guy, but he is a very good defender. He also knows how to annoy the hell out of opponents. But his act grows thin very quickly and it is not a surprise to me that he is on his third team in four years. The picks are a nice recoup for the Suns, but they only got one first rounder, number 10 in this year's draft. They also got four second round picks.

When I look at this trade from a whole, I do think it has benefits for both teams, but I also think it speaks volumes to KD's value as he continues to age and continues to get more and more grumpy. Even last season I bet the Suns could've gotten much more for him. But here we are. KD is going to be 37. He misses twenty plus games every year now. He is too busy fighting with regular ass people on the internet. The whole act is becoming boring and lame. But, he can still put the ball in the hoop, and that is what the Rockets need. With him, Alpernen Sengun and Amen Thompson, they have three guys that can bring it every night. Jabari Smith Jr should develop even more with all the open space he would find now. And Fred VanVleet is a smart, team playing lead guard and that is what every team wants and needs. As for the Suns, I don't know if they will hang on to either Green or Brooks. If I was those two I'd want to go play where the games actually mean something. The picks are the big deal for the Suns. They need to go into full rebuild mode and not waste time trying to give the team to Jalen Green and let Dillon Brooks be a menace and only win 30-35 games a year. As for the Rockets, this is an okay deal for one season. But, they will have to be ready for KD to flip at a moment's notice. If one thing isn't to his liking, he will become irritated and ask to move yet again, while asking for a big contract extension. The Rockets have to walk a fine, thin line with KD. He also happens to be old and aging out of the league.

Time will tell with this move, but I'm not fully on board with it from the Rockets' end, especially if it doesn't go the way they planned. We shall see. 

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Ty's NBA Draft Preview

The first and second round of the NBA draft starts tomorrow. I don't understand why they are breaking it up over two days, but whatever. I'm going to do my usual "draft preview" today. I'm going to give you five prospects I like, three I'm not so high on and two "sleepers". Props to all these players for making it to this point. They are about to achieve the highest level they can in their profession, and that takes a ton of hard work to do. Now, onto the "preview".

First I'm going to give you my five favorite prospects, starting with Cooper Flagg. Flagg is as can't miss as they come. He can score from outside, drive to the hoop and create offense. He puts forth a ton of effort on defense. He has been in the spotlight for a long time so tv and interviews will not bother him. He is ready for this moment and, even though he went to Duke, I'm excited to watch him play in the NBA. Flagg is going to be awesome. My next prospect I like is Dylan Harper. This kid is going to be an important player his entire career. He is a very good point guard that can also shoot the ball. I know Rutgers wasn't very good last season, but that was not due to Harper's play in the least. He was totally productive. When he missed time, Rutgers struggled big time. Harper can play a little defense as well. Wherever he goes, and it's looking like San Antonio, he is going to be a day 1 starter and contributor. Harper is legit. My next prospect is Derik Queen. Queen is a modern big who can play like an old school big. He single handedly won games for Maryland last season. He was always grabbing boards and initiating offense. He plays with a swagger that most kids his age don't possess. He has the feel of being a 20 point per game scorer from day one. Queen is my favorite prospect in this draft. Next I have Liam McNeely. I know he isn't the "biggest" name, and UConn wasn't the dominant force they have been in the past, but McNeely put in work. He is long and lean. He can shoot and defend. He is a good rebounder and I think, given the right situation, he could be a key player for a decade in the NBA. He does need to bulk up, but he has all the tools to succeed. And my final good prospect is VJ Edgecombe. He is a freak athlete. He can jump out of the gym. His perimeter game is getting better and better. And he is a very good defender at such a young age. He needs to work on ball handling, but that will come with time. He reminds me, in athleticism, of a fitter, younger Zion Williamson, and that is not hyperbole. The dude is one hell of an athlete.

Now to the not so good prospects. First I have Kon Knueppel. I don't understand this rise up the draft boards. He is a fine player, but I do not see lottery pick in him. He has a motor that doesn't stop, but so does everyone else in the NBA. When I look at Knueppel I see a role player as his ceiling. I wouldn't take him as my franchise player. It also helped that he was playing next to Cooper Flagg and Khaman Malauch. He isn't going to find it as easy in the NBA. My next meh prospect is Danny Wolf. Look, I loved every single thing he did at Michigan last season. He really led that team in Dusty May's first season and it was rad to see them make the Sweet Sixteen. But Wolf also frustrated me to no end. He was a turnover machine. He would disappear during games from time to time. His shot never fully developed. I hope I'm wrong here, but I think Wolf would have benefited from one more season at Michigan. My final meh prospect is Ace Bailey. I don't know what's going on with him and his team, but not working out is always a bad sign to me. Add in the fact that he isn't even talking to teams, something funky is going on. While being a great scorer, he is rail thin and almost a zero on defense. Watching him play, he is dynamic, but this silence has been wild. I have heard he wants to start right away, which is fine. But, to essentially ghost these teams is wild to me. And it makes me skeptical of his overall talent.

Finally I have my two "sleeper" prospects. First I have Johni Broome. Sure he is old. Sure he had an odd vertical leap at the combine. Sure he is going to be a late second round pick. But all the kid does is win. He is an incredibly smart and adept basketball player. He knows what he can and cannot do. And I would want a kid like him on my team any day of the week. My other "sleeper" prospect is Walter Clayton Jr. Again, he is another older player, but he was the hub of the team that won it all last year. He is a solid point guard, who can really shoot the three. He also gives it a go on defense, he doesn't take plays off and he, much like Broome, is a proven winner. I would so much rather have him on my team than Knueppel or Bailey. I know exactly what I'm getting if I draft Clayton Jr. And that makes me feel better.

There you have it, my 2025 NBA draft "preview". Take it with a grain of salt and enjoy the draft. 

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.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Congrats Oklahoma City Thunder

The Thunder are the 2025-26 NBA champs. They were taken the distance by the Pacers last night, but in the end they pulled away and have their franchise's first ever title. They were the best team in the NBA all season long, they won 68 games, they have the MVP on their team for a long time now and they have the complimentary pieces to compete for a long time going forward. The Thunder are here to stay and look to be dominant.

I was wired in for game 7 last night. We haven't had a championship go the distance in the NBA since 2016. I was all in for the Pacers because my son is a fan and I wanted him to be a happy camper. And they came out and looked more than ready to make it a game, and a game that could have won. They were fast and explosive from the start. They were hitting their shots. They were playing solid defense. Every time the Thunder made a push, the Pacers were right there. And Tyrese Haliburton was cooking. He made three of his first four shots, all of them threes. He looked as locked in as he has ever been.

And then he tore his achilles. He went to drive the ball, fell like a heap and it looked bad from every single angle. You could tell that something was off. I was shocked and scared for the Pacers and Haliburton. When they showed the injury in slow motion, you could see his achilles shake. It reminded me so much of when KD got hurt in the Finals when he was on the Warriors. While Haliburton wasn't as intense, it still looked very, very bad. Haliburton is most likely going to miss all of next season, and that stinks.

When he went down I figured the Pacers were going to crumble. I assumed the Thunder would hit then with a barrage of shots and they would wither under the weight of the Thunder's dominance and the absence of their star point guard who is the hub that their entire offense runs through. To my surprise, the Pacers kept fighting. They wouldn't go away. In the first half, Pascal Siakim stepped up on both ends of the floor. He was going to the hoop and either hitting the shot or getting fouled and shooting free throws. He was also swatting shots on defense and snagging rebounds left and right. Andrew Nembhard also hit big shots and played suffocating defense on SGA. The Pacers even held a one point lead going into halftime. And even after the Thunder barrage of threes game, they built their lead to 9, the Pacers stayed in it due to TJ McConnell and Ben Mathurin. McConnell seemingly couldn't miss. Mathurin kept attacking the rim and grabbing rebounds. The Pacers fought with every bit of energy they had left. But the Thunder would not be denied. SGA, while his shot was off, got to the line and made pinpoint pass after pinpoint pass. It was the best I've seen him pass all year. Jalen Williams woke up in the second half and started hitting his threes, which opened up his lethal drive to the left. Chet Holmgren was an absolute menace blocking almost every shot at the rim he faced. He looked legit for the first time in his NBA career to me. Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein did a great job playing their parts. Cason Wallace plays with the confidence of a veteran. He looked great at times last night. Aaron Wiggins, while missing his few shots, played solid defense in his limited minutes. Even when the Thunder got bogged down, and did way too much dribbling in the fourth quarter, where they saw their lead of 22 dwindle to 10, it never felt like they were being threatened. They seemed in control. Even when the refs decided to get way too involved, the Thunder never swayed. They played within themselves, won with defense and forced Indiana to foul them in the end and turn the game into a free throw shooting contest.

I do want to say that the last four minutes of the game were very hard to watch for me. It was everything I have grown to dislike of the game. There was too much one on one. Guards dribbled so much that neither team could get into any real kind of offense. The refs got way too involved. Too many early threes in the shot clock were taken and bricked. I found myself frustrated and annoyed at the end, but that's on me. Other than that, this game was great until it wasn't. The Pacers hung in there the best they could with Haliburton going out so early.

I do wonder how, if at all, the game would've played out differently if Haliburton was able to go the whole game, but that is a fool's errand. What happened happened, and I can't change that, no matter how much I may want to. But, I do think the right team won. The Thunder were built for this and they showed that they're a great team that isn't going anywhere anytime soon. Congrats to OKC, Chet, J Dub and SGA. They more than earned this championship. 

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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I'm Psyched for Game Seven

I was almost certain the NBA Finals were going to be done last night. The Thunder got a key victory in game five, Jalen Williams exploded and announced himself to the world and SGA was playing at as high a rate as he had all season long. The defense was locked in and Tyrese Haliburton seemed more hurt than anyone was letting on.

Well, the Pacers decided they weren't finished. They came out like a house of fire last night and pretty much led from wire to wire. It was a dominant victory. It was the best I thought they had looked all season long. Haliburton looked a little hampered, but nothing too alarming. The bench guys played their part. Pascal Siakim was dunking all over everyone. James Johnson got a little burn and shoved a dude before getting ejected. This is what the Pacers have done all playoffs long. Just when you think they're about to be cooked, they rise from the dead and put a hammering on their opponent.

I have seen some people saying that the Thunder didn't play well, but I'm giving all the credit to the Pacers here. They were ready, they were fired up and they came out and showed their metal. I haven't been prouder of a team I do not root for ever in my life. It was awesome to see. And when the lead kept growing in the second half, I felt confident enough to turn the game off and go watch tv with my wife in our room. I did check the score occasionally, but the Pacers never wavered. I love it.

And with that victory this means we get a game seven in the NBA Finals. I love love love that we are getting a second game. I, like many other writers, picked the Thunder in five. I thought this series was going to be quick and easy. I have to apologize to the Pacers for that. They have looked every bit the part of a Finals team. They have had an answer for everything the Thunder have thrown at them. And, as we all know, anything can happen in game seven. This is where players like Lu Dort or Aaron Wiggins can go off for the Thunder. Or, TJ McConnell or Ben Mathurin can do the same for the Pacers. Maybe Ben Sheppard plays a pivotal role. Or maybe Isaiah Joe will be brushed off the shelf and fill up the stat sheet. Both teams need things like this to happen to win game seven. But they also need the stars to step up. Thinking back to a moment I saw in the game last night. Tyrese Haliburton had his defender on the move and pulled up for a three. It looked too high and long to me, but that bad boy ripped right through the net. The Pacers were off from there. They need that and then some from him tomorrow night. SGA and Jalen Williams have been playing their part all series long, but they need to go to another level. The Thunder also need Chet Holmgren to break out of his slump. They'll also need Jaylin Williams to do something of note. Lu Dort needs to make threes. Alex Caruso needs to make mid range shots. As for the Pacers, Haliburton, as I said, needs to play the game of his life. Pascal Siakim needs to keep doing what he is doing. Myles Turner needs to hit some shots. So does Andrew Nembhard. Each team needs everyone who plays any minutes to make those minutes count like they've never counted before. And the role players will be the difference here. I'm going to stick with the Thunder to win this game, it is in OKC afterall. But the Pacers winning it all would not surprise me one bit and I want that to happen for my son because he was on the Haliburton train over two years ago when we took him to a Pacers game. He was the only one in our group even rooting for them. He is a true fan.

So, while I do think the Thunder will pull out a very, very close game, I'll be rooting for the Pacers right next to my kid. I love basketball so much. 

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 Wants to Watch "Eddington"

Summer movies are going to be coming out every single weekend, and I'm here for it. This is the time I allow myself to watch trailers. In fact I seek them out this time of year. I want to know what is coming out and when. I also try to find indie movies because those tend to be more my style. But lately I have been going back and watching the trailer for Ari Aster's new movie "Eddington" a bunch.

Ari Aster isn't for everyone, but his work makes me think a ton. I still think about "Beau is Afraid" and "Midsommar" a lot. Those movies were incredibly challenging and long, but I cannot seem to shake them. That, for me, is a good sign. I like that his movies sit with you and, for lack of a better word, haunt my thoughts. There is some stuff in both "Midsommar" and "Beau is Afraid" that still scare me to this day when it pops into my brain. But there is just something about this new trailer for his new movie that makes me really, really want to see it.

I think, at least right now, "Eddington" is my most anticipated summer movie. Everything about it screams what I like in movies. The cast is incredible. We've got Joaquin Phoenix, Emma Stone, Austin Butler and Pedro Pascal, among others. Phoenix is a mad man, but his work has always been a pleasant surprise for me. Even in movies I may not like, if Phoenix is in it, I'll watch. I despise "Joker", but his performance is a good one. Stone continues to do kick ass work. I love that she is taking on challenging material time and time again. I loved "Poor Things". "Kinds of Kindness" was bizarre, but she was great. Now she is doing an Aster movie. Keep these coming from her. I have not seen "Elvis", and probably never will. But, Butler was kickass in "Dune: Part 2" and he has some new movie with Matt Smith coming out that looks rad. He is having a moment and I'm here for it. And Pedro Pascal is just awesome on and off screen. He is such a cool dude, seems like a good person and I really enjoy his tv and movie acting. He is the driving force in the trailer that makes me want to watch this movie. And then we have what I can glean of the plot in the trailer. This is clearly a movie set in early COVID times. It looks like there's political stuff going on. I have to imagine social media and influencers are going to play a big, big part. And it all seems to delve into some kind of mental break for the main character/characters. I'm all in on this movie. I am sure I will be pounding the pavement for others to see it after I see it. I believe it comes out July 18th and I'm going to do whatever I can to see it in the theaters on opening day.

Ari Aster keeps pushing limits and trying new things. With "Eddington" it looks like he is going to do that in a more mainstream movie, and that is awesome to me. And anytime I can watch a harrowing drama that takes place in the modern day, I don't know why but I find myself enthralled by that type of story and material. I can't wait to see this movie. 

Ty

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

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Why is This AI Judging My Music Taste?

I'm coming to you all with another one of my "champagne problems". Maybe that could be the title of a series moving forward. Time will tell.

Anyway, a lot of us have devices that we use to listen to music in our cars. From what I know, a CD player, tape decks and eight tracks have gone the way of the dodo. These don't seem to exist in any model of a car made after 2020. I have heard people talk about the lack of this, but we have moved into this bluetooth hookup world while we drive now. That's all well and good with me. I prefer to have the least amount of stuff I can carry when I'm driving around my neighborhood anyway. The less I have to bring the better. So, if all I need is keys, my wallet and a phone, I'm here for it.

The issue I keep running into lately while listening to music in my car, all streaming from Spotify on my phone, is the attitude I tend to get from my AI generated DJ's, or commercial after commercial after commercial. I used to use Pandora and Jango for music, but have since moved on from those. The reason why, I was sick of having a skip limit, or after skipping two or three songs in a row, I'd get what seemed like a five minute ad break. This frustrated me. I'm fickle when it comes to music. I've actually gotten a little more fickle the older I've gotten. I like the music I like and I go through phases of wanting to hear certain songs time and time again. So, when Pandora or Jango would play something different, I was quick to skip. But then the commercials happened. I almost felt like I was being punished for not wanting to listen to what they were recommending, or playing a very deep cut from an artist I had shown affection for at the time. I don't need to be criticized by computers for not liking what they suggest. In fact, a lot of the stuff they suggest is not for me. I'm not into whatever the hippest new pop song is at the moment. I don't like modern country music. I don't want to hear mumble rap. So, if I go on a binge of listening to Ben Kweller or Johnny Cash or NAS, I don't want to hear what Pandora or Jango's bots think I'll like. They have a very, very low success rate.

Moving on from those services was easy because my wife got us all subscriptions to Spotify awhile back. That was cool. I could hear similar stuff as much as I wanted, and check out new records from the artists I like without having to buy a physical copy. That being said, I have been thinking a lot about getting a record player and getting into vinyl, but that is a different story for another day. And when Spotify introduced this AI generated DJ, I thought it was a good idea. I know this may sound contradictory to what I'm saying today, but I've never been much of a playlist person. As I said before, I tire of the songs and move on to a different artist in a different genre. I also feel obligated to listen to a full playlist at any given moment, but that's due to OCD. Playlists just aren't my thing. But this AI DJ intrigued me. So, I use it and I use it a lot. I like how it starts out by playing artists that I'm currently listening to at that time. And when they go into their second part, they play music from different eras that I tend to check out. The problem for me is when they play stuff they think I'll like. Sometimes it works. I've found a few artists that I genuinely listen to now based on the DJ's suggestions. But, when I find artists I don't like, or heaven forbid I skip a few songs in a row, the DJ chastises me. I was doing this very thing the other day and the DJ came on and gave me the third degree. They told me that I could just skip right away or press some button on my phone to immediately get to what I want to hear. Look, I'm all for trying to find new music, but if the picks by the AI DJ aren't working, don't yell at me about it. They messed up. They gave me poor recommendations. I don't need to be yelled at by a robot, of which I'm paying monthly subscription to by the way. That seems like a bit too much. I just want to freely skip songs that I may not want to hear at that time and I don't appreciate being judged for it.

I know it may sound silly to some, me complaining about this, but hey, it happened the other day and it has been a thorn in my side. I just want the streaming services to allow me to consume music how I want. Is that so much to ask? 

Ty

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

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Ty Watches "Friendship"

I was finally able to get out and see "Friendship" over the weekend. I had heard mixed reviews on the movie, so I decided this was one that I wanted to go to on my own. I wanted to make my own decision without anyone else telling me what they thought. Selfish? Probably. But I prefer to do it this way with a movie like this.

From the start I knew I was going to like this movie. This was all about Tim Robinson and his style of comedy. Yes, Kate Mara is in the movie and plays a pivotal role. And the same can be said with Paul Rudd, who is clearly the biggest star here. But it was clear from the jump that the people involved wanted Tim Robinson to showcase his talent. And he absolutely delivered.

The whole idea of this movie, from my viewing, is what it is like to make a friend when you're an adult. It is hard and it can be uncomfortable. This movie excels because it lets us dwell in these moments. There is a scene early on when Rudd invites Robinson over to meet him and have a conversation. Robinson ends up looking at an artifact and gets a bloody nose. And we the audience get to watch Robinson yell and scream obscenities while Rudd offers to get him a new shirt and go on an "adventure". This happens early on in the movie. And we get more and more of these throughout the whole movie. Robinson and Rudd hang out in the woods looking for mushrooms and Robinson starts to sink in quicksand. It's loud and hilarious and uncomfortable. When Robinson meets the rest of Rudd's friends, we have to sit through a very uncomfortable hang out that ends with Robinson punching Rudd in the face and then putting soap in his mouth. Every interaction between Robinson and Mara is rife with cringey moments. Robinson invites some of his buddies to be in the movie and they all have issues with his character. Whitmer Thomas' character clearly despises Robinson. Connor O'Malley and Robinson have a very heated argument where they yell at each other very loudly and it is wonderfully hilarious. Carmen Christopher has one scene, where he only has one line, yet it is memorable for how uncomfortable it makes you feel as you watch. That is how this whole movie plays out, and it is done purposefully.

When I went into the movie I just wanted to see what Robinson could do with a movie role. He didn't disappoint. And I think it is because the guy who wrote and directed it just let him do what he does best. I found myself squirming in my seat, which was the point. The crowd and I laughed heartily at every joke in the movie. I wanted to watch more and more of the movie. I was pleasantly surprised at how game Rudd was to do this type of movie.

I would recommend this movie to fans of Robinson or fans of his previous work, mainly "I Think You Should Leave". "Friendship" is like a 90 minute long "ITYSL" sketch, in all the best ways, with a bit of a darker tone. I fully feel like this movie will become a cult classic in a few years and I'm stoked I got to see it in the theaters. 

Ty

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

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Thoughts On the Desmond Bane Trade

The Grizzlies and the Magic were involved in a pretty big trade yesterday. My Father's Day morning consisted of my son yelling the trade to me from my bedroom. Let’s discuss.

At first glance, I figured the Grizz were going to shed some salary and get off some guys that they didn't need anymore. I figured Santi Aldama or Luke Kennard were going out the door. Maybe they were trading future picks for immediate help. I didn't really know what to think, but I figured they weren't going to give up on their core guys. I was very, very wrong and have found myself more and more upset as the hours pass and the trade is finalized.

The Grizz traded Desmond Bane away. I don't like it. They need his outside shooting and his overall scoring. He held that team afloat two years ago when Ja Morant missed a ton of time. He was the diamond in the rough in that draft and he was doing good things for Memphis. He was also a fan favorite and I truly adored his game and what he brought to the Grizzlies. And now he is gone and he is going to become an instant fan favorite and a key cog to an up and coming Magic team in the East. The Magic got a guy who can shoot from deep, who can create and who is a gamer. Bane will come in and be a great fit next to Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero. When they aren't hitting shots, or when they get to the rim and they're tripled teamed, they'll be able to kick the ball to him in the corner and he will make a ton of shots. He is also a good defender who buys in on that end of the floor. And defense is the Magic's calling card. Bane can slide into the 2 guard spot next to Anthony Black. Those two in the backcourt and Banchero, Wagner and Wendell Carter Jr are a pretty formidable starting five, especially in the East. They have a solid bench unit and they can do more damage than they already have to this point. And Bane tends to stay healthy. He missed very few games with the Grizzlies.

In my eyes this is a homerun trade on the Magic's end. They did have to give up Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony and four first round picks. That may sound like a lot, but let me break down why I'm not so thrilled on my end, being a Grizzlies fan. I really like KCP's defense and shot making, when it is working. He had a rough season last year. I get it, he wanted to get paid and wanted a bigger role and the Magic were more than happy to oblige. But he wasn't getting the open looks and his defense suffered due to more usage on offense. He is older too. I like his presence on the Grizz, but he may be on the back end of his career. I have liked Cole Anthony since his one year at UNC, but he is what he is going to be in the NBA. At best, he is a role playing bench guy. I don't see much of a difference from him when comparing him to Kennard, without the outside shooting but better defense. Anthony can get to the rim, but he isn't an outside shooter. He tries hard on defense, but he gets beat up by bigger guards. He plays with reckless abandon, which I do like, but I don't see him contributing more than energy for this team. The four first round picks look great on paper. Anytime you can get that many picks you almost have to take it. But the Magic are on an upswing. They're a perennial play-in/playoff team at this point. They aren't the Magic of the mid 2010's anymore. They are a good basketball team that will win more than expected because they play in the East. So, while the picks seem nice, they will most likely be late first round picks unless someone key gets hurt for the Magic, and I don't wish that on any team. The Grizz can draft better than a lot of teams, but late first round picks don't always turn out like Desmond Bane. That is going to be hard to recreate.

Looking at all this with a more cynical eye, I feel like the Grizz aren't done yet, and that bums me out even more. I don't think Morant or Jaren Jackson Jr will be on the team next season. If I had to bet, I'd say they let JJJ go. If they do, they better get an absolute haul. I have read rumors about Trae Young, and I want an even bigger fish. And, Young and Morant would be a total zero on defense. If the Grizz are truly moving on from this core, and it seems likely, they need to do it right. I don't want them to fully bottom out. I don't want them to start over. I still have faith in Morant's on court ability, but they need to go about this all very carefully in the front office. I'm not thrilled about them letting Bane go and I'm curious to see what will happen next. I will be watching their offseason even closer now. As for the Magic, they did a good job addressing a need and not having to give up anything super important. 

Ty

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

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The Pacers are Bringing Back Team Basketball

I am as surprised as anyone that the Pacers are not only ahead in the Finals, but look like the better team at the moment. I was pretty certain, as were most commentators, that the Thunder would walk to a title. I picked them to win in five games. I figured if it went six games, that would be a triumph for the Pacers. But, as we head into game four tonight, the Pacers are up 2-1 in the series, and they look like they are more than legit.

I love it. But, I have seen some discourse online in regards to the Pacers and how they ended up here. The most common comment or statement is, "I don't understand why this Pacers team is this good". That seems to be the running sentiment, especially when it comes to younger NBA fans. Some of the responses I have seen, from people mostly my age, are easy for me to agree with.

The reason why the Pacers are this good, and why younger kids maybe don't get it, they're a team. The Pacers are not led by a supernova superstar of a player. And I mean no disrespect to any guy on that team. Tyrese Haliburton is a great point guard who barely turns the ball over and he is about as clutch as it gets. Myles Turner is a very good defensive minded big who rebounds well and can stretch the floor. Pascal Siakim is the key to their defense and, when needed, he can fill up the stat sheet. TJ McConnell and Benedict Mathurin are spark plugs off the bench. Andrew Nembhard is a wonderful 3 and d asset that every team wants in their starting five. Aaron Nesmith found himself, and a bunch of playing time, after being acquired by the Pacers. Obi Toppin provides athleticism off the bench. And Rick Carlisle is one of the better coaches the NBA has ever seen. Going up and down this roster, this is about as good a job of team building that you can get.

This Pacers team reminds me of a much more athletic and offensive inclined version of the Pistons teams that won titles with Richard Hamilton, Ben Wallace and Rasheed Wallace. No one on that team was ever the face of the league or a perennial all star player. They were a well coached team that let their players do what they did best. No one is asked to do too much. Not one single player has to be the star every night. They can get help from all varieties of anyone on the roster. I have even seen Thomas Bryant and Ben Sheppard have big moments during this run. It is great to see. And that is why, at least for me, the Pacers are here. They play the best version of team basketball that we currently have in the NBA. The fact that they don't have to rely on one single guy is a plus for them. The fact that they can expect to get solid contributions from everyone that plays is a plus for them. The fact that they have a genius of a head coach is a plus for them. The fact that they have someone as cold blooded in late game situations as Halliburton is a plus for them. That's why the Pacers are here and the sheer fact that the team is above any one individual makes me even happier that they're here.

I like the Thunder too, and I do think they will still win the title, but they do have that one superstar that they rely on in every big moment. And if Shai Gilgeous Alexander is having an off night on offense, they're toast. The Pacers don't have to worry about that. Back when Miami had the Big 3, they had three guys that could do it for them, but in the end, if LeBron was having a bad night, they had a bad night. The same could be said of the current version of the Nuggets. If Jokic is off the floor, the Nuggets are cooked. I think we will see the Celtics take a step back without Jayson Tatum all of next season. The Pacers don't have to worry about that at all because they're not a star driven team. And that is why they are here and that is why they have a lead in the NBA Finals.

I love team basketball and the Pacers are making me love it even more. 

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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What Does the Media Think of Shadeur Sanders Today?

Before starting my piece today I need to give credit to my dad. Him and I were chatting via text yesterday about the very idea that will be the point of my blog this afternoon. Thank you for the idea you gave me, and if you end up reading this, I hope you find it well done. The idea is, why did the narrative shift so many times on Shadeur Sanders during his last season at Colorado, during the lead up to the draft and now that teams are in OTA's. With each different scenario, the media changed their tune on the kid as if they had whiplash.

I do want to say, from my own perspective, I think Sanders has the tools to be a solid NFL QB. Would I have taken him first overall? Nope. Cam Ward is a superior prospect. But I fully thought he was going to be the second QB taken in the last draft. I didn't know if he was going to a late first or early second round pick. And for him to fall to the fifth round, and have guys like Tyler Shough, Jaxson Dart and Dillon Gabriel all taken before him, that is crazy. He needs to check his ego a bit, but as far as the intangibles go, Sanders has the tools to make a career for himself in the NFL.

Going into his last season at Colorado, the pundits seemed to agree. He was always talked about as a first round prospect. Before the season started, he and Ward were the two guys. But Ward really separated himself pretty quickly into the year. Sanders kept putting up numbers and Colorado played better than expected. But when the lights were brightest, their bowl game and a few big games against ranked opponents, he struggled. The bowl game was about as bad as I had seen him play. Sure, he had no real help from his o line, but still, that game was tough. His stock took a hit, but not as bad as some thought. After that bowl game, the media kind of placed him as the 3rd or 4th best QB prospect. That isn't bad, but a first round guarantee was almost out the door.

The process leading up to the draft is where the media turned. He was labeled arrogant. According to reports he showed up late or uninterested to team meetings. He had this air about him during interviews. He didn't perform at the combine. All these little things that mean so much to the front office, Sanders seemed to think he was too big for them. The media was out for blood at this point. He disappeared from first round mock drafts. The headlines on him were always negative. People started to buy into the fact that maybe they had to "teach him a lesson" come draft day.

When draft day came, boy oh boy did the powers that be try to send a message. When he fell out of the first round, I was surprised, but not shocked. Everything that led to this day that he needed to show strengths, he had shown weakness. But when he kept tumbling down and down and down, I did become stunned. But, outside of Mel Kiper, the people covering the draft seemed to relish this. They didn't talk about his teammate, Heisman winning corner/receiver Travis Hunter being the number 2 overall pick. They let it slide how much better of a prospect Cam Ward was, unless it meant they could show video of the two of them working out that painted Sanders in a bad light. They let it go that other stud players were going to situations perfect for them. The coverage only seemed to focus on the draft slide of Shadeur Sanders, and what it meant to him and his dad. This kid was unfairly ripped to shreds by the media all because the NFL didn't like the way he handled himself in the pre draft process. And even after he was picked, in the fifth round, it became apparent that he was sent to the NFL equivalent of hell, the Cleveland Browns, because that was what he "deserved".

Now with OTA's going on, the narrative has shifted once again. I see headlines about how he could start. I see videos of him making really good throws in practice. Media people say he is the first to show up and the last to leave. Apparently he stays and signs a ton of autographs for fans. The other QBs on the Browns roster don't get this coverage. Dillon Gabriel is already considered a career backup. Kenny Pickett blew his one shot he had in Pittsburgh. And Joe Flacco is just keeping the seat warm until Sanders is ready. The whole idea that surrounded Sanders before the draft, that came from many of the same people covering him now has completely taken a 180.

I'm not here to say people cannot change. I love it when someone turns it around for the better. But the same media people who viciously attacked him the draft, the same people who relished his poor play in the bowl game, the same people that loved his draft slide, now all they can do is talk about how great a fifth round pick who hasn't taken on NFL snap looks in OTA's. It's baffling to me. Shadeur Sanders is getting the same coverage that superstars get. And while he can be great, he has to prove it first before he is the talk of every website on the planet. And to me, this constant shift in narrative is indicative of the ADHD society we live in now. Everyone wants to drag someone down when they are down, and build them back up when they show their worth. They hang onto that until they get tired of it, and then they drag them down again.

I'm sure the second downfall will come soon for Sanders from the media. He will have a rough showing in the preseason and the same people will be ready to write him off until he shows his skills during a different preseason game. It's tough, and it has to be even tougher for these kids to be constantly picked apart by the media. Unfortunately that is the day and age we live in. 

Ty

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

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Is Kevin Durant Worth the Headache?

Kevin Durant is at the front of trade talks yet again. This seems to be the new normal in the latest offseason/NBA Finals NBA news, with the exception being when KD was with the Warriors and they were playing in the Finals. Let’s discuss.

My issue, this is becoming old for me. I love Kevin Durant. KD is one of my all time favorite players. He is one of the most efficient and excellent scorers the game has ever seen. I've been riding with him since he was drafted by the SuperSonics. He is a solid rebounder. He is a good enough defender when willing. He is long and uses that length exceptionally well. He is a surefire first ballot hall of fame player. But, since his second title with the Warriors, he has become this curmudgeon who doesn't seem happy with wherever he is playing basketball. He looked downright miserable when the Warriors won their second title after he signed with them. I have to assume he didn't care for the talk that the Warriors are Steph Curry's team. The bummer for him, that will always be true. Steph is going to go down as the greatest Warrior to play in the NBA when he hangs it up. He more than proved his worth when the Warriors won the title in 2022. Steph is a legend. KD isn't on his level in those regards. When he left Golden State he ended up in Brooklyn, as a perceived packaged deal with Kyrie Irving. Well, we all saw how that unfolded. When they played together they were an offensive juggernaut. And when they added James Harden, man oh man were they fun to watch. But, the pandemic happened and Irving wouldn't get vaccinated, KD was never really healthy and James Harden didn't like carrying the load of the team. Kyrie was traded, then Harden was traded. KD asked out, and when Brooklyn refused at first, KD went scorched Earth. He wanted the head coach and the GM gone. He wanted to make decisions for the team on his own. The Nets eventually relented, firing Steve Nash and then trading KD to Phoenix, his preferred destination. And it has not worked out there at all. The Suns have all but mortgaged their future, owning no real picks or young players for a long time, to build around KD and Devin Booker. They let Mikail Bridges and Cam Johnson go. They traded so many picks to acquire the likes of Bradley Beal. They let a young Deandre Ayton go in exchange for Jusuf Nurkic, who seems washed. The Suns are a mess, and I have to believe a lot of that is due to acquiring KD. But, since the Suns are a bad basketball team at the moment, as is his want and will, KD wants out again.

When looking at potential teams that could get him, I don't think I'd risk my team's future for an oft injured, very often angry 37 year old Kevin Durant. As malleable as he is, he is old, isn't on the court as much as he maybe should be and if he isn't the focal point of a team, I do not think he will be happy. The teams mentioned today that I saw were the Spurs, Rockets, Timberwolves and, apparently now the Pistons are trying to get involved. I would never trade for him if I were the Spurs. They need to build around Wemby and De'Aaron Fox. That is the future of that team, especially Wemby. They don't need touches taken away because KD wants to pour in 30 on any given night. And they'd have to give up too many good young players. No way I team him up with Anthony Edwards in Minnesota. He is firmly the alpha there. That is his team through and through. He is the face of the T'Wolves and there is no reason to rock the boat there at all. They'd also have to give up defense first guys, and that is their identity, with AE being a supernova on offense. The Rockets are building something fun and cool with their young core. Jalen Green, Alpernen Sengun, Amen Thompson and Jabari Smith Jr are the reason to watch that team. And they already have solid vets in Dillon Brooks and Fred VanVleet. They have no reason to part with the young guys unless they want to shed future money. But why would they do that when they earned the two seed in the West last year? That would be foolish. And the Pistons getting in on this makes the least sense to me. They are young, they play rough, they had their best season in two decades and they seem to be up and coming. There is no reason whatsoever to break up that core and take the ball out of Cade Cunningham's hands. That would be a very bad decision by their front office.

I think, as unfortunate as it may be for KD, he is going to have to stay in Phoenix or take a big, big step back in his usage if they trade. I also do not think Phoenix will get the haul they might expect if they do trade him. KD is 37. He is hurt a lot. He gets angry way too fast and speaks his mind. As much as I like him, and will always love his game, he is on the wrong end of his prime and the time to walk away is going to be here much sooner than any of us think. I'm interested to see how this all plays out though. I'll be watching closely. 

Ty

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

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R.I.P. Sly Stone

After what appeared to be a long battle with COPD, Sly Stone passed away yesterday.

This is not a shock, but a bummer to me. I recently wrote about the fantastic documentary "Sly Lives", and it seemed like his music was getting a big bump on streaming after the release. But, I do want to point out that in the coda of that movie, they got some recent interviews with Stone and he looked not so great. But, whenever a legend like this leaves this plane, it bums me out.

Sly Stone's music has been a big part of my life. Ever since I started to kind of form my own musical tastes, Sly and the Family Stone was a big jumping off point for me. I was instantly into the music. It was groovy and funky, then it could switch to dancy and then close out with some very introspective and important lyrical stuff. Sly and the Family Stone never really allowed themselves to ever be put into one genre of music, and this made their reach go to many, many different people. For me, a white kid from the suburbs, I instantly connected with the more funky stuff.

When I first learned of the band I was pretty heavily into Parliament Funkadelic and solo George Clinto stuff. A friend of mine mentioned Sly and the Family Stone, and I remembered my dad used to listen to them. I was familiar with the name, but not the music. Again, from the jump the music was perfect for me. I decided to listen at the perfect time in my life, and they have stuck with me all the way through to now. In fact, when I said something to my wife about Stone's passing, my son, who's 13, said that he knew who he was too. I asked him how, and he said that he has heard me listen to his stuff over and over in my car. I guess I'm doing what my dad did for me without even realizing it. And I'm very much okay with this. I like that my son knows of his music because he is a hip hop fan, and a bunch of hip hop artists either sight Sly Stone or have sampled a bunch of his stuff in their music. It is great for the both of us because we can relate to each other while listening to the music we like.

Outside of his band, and his many issues with drugs and alcohol, Stone was a wonderful radio DJ and producer. He was one of the best songwriters in the world in his heyday. Even after the band broke up, and he struggled with his solo stuff, I still find things I like about that era. Sly Stone could have, and would have made it in any era. With his talent and work ethic, he was destined to do something memorable and boy was his career and music memorable. I also appreciate that he was able to reunite with his family and kids later in his life. I have to imagine that helped him last longer than maybe he would have if he didn't reconcile with everyone.

This one stings. While it isn't on the level with Prince passing and RD's fandom, Sly Stone was my version of Prince. I listened to him before diving into Prince's catalog. Rest in Peace Sly Stone. I hope that wherever you are right now you are laying down some funky riffs and writing some extraterrestrial lyrics. 

Ty

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

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Olivia Rodrigo and David Byrne Team Up to Bring Some Light Into the World

With all the craziness that is happening in our world, and it seems to get worse every single day, I have been trying to find stuff, when I go online, that makes me smile. Last night, after reading about the terror happening in LA, I found myself watching concert videos on Instagram. Music makes me happy, especially live music. Throughout my thirty or so minutes of viewing, I happened upon the Governors Ball shows going on right now.

This is a big time festival type thing, with all of the most popular artists in music, past to present. I watched a good chunk of Tyler, the Creator's performance and loved it. And then I happened to stumble upon Olivia Rodrigo. I am a fan of hers. It is a joke in our house that I tell my wife I'm on Team Olivia because she enjoys Sabrina Carpenter more. She likes both artists, she just tends to listen to Carpenter more. I do genuinely prefer Rodrigo. I like her writing more and her music is a bit heavier and more guitar driven, which hits my ears best.

While watching her perform, and she was doing a great show it seemed, I happened to notice her band playing a tune very familiar to me. It sounded like "Burning Down the House". A few more seconds in, that was the song she was about to perform for sure. Then this older gentleman walked on stage with red overalls on. I thought that person looked a whole lot like David Bryne. I let my mind wander even more, thinking that it would be rad if she invited him to do this classic song with her and her band.  Sure enough, it was David Bryne and he was about to sing and dance on the same stage as Olivia Rodrigo. And it was awesome.

I must have rewatched that performance three or four times last night. It was so good. I loved hearing these two sing, with wildly different voices, singing one of the better songs that have ever been released. And, to give Bryne credit, he kind of held his own dancing alongside Rodrigo. It made my heart sing watching these two titans of their industry having a good time sharing the stage and giving one hell of a live performance.

After I watched it for the last time last night, I went to bed. Then I found myself thinking about it this morning, finally deciding that I wanted to write about it. I've already told you all why I liked the performance, but there is another thing I want to point out. I absolutely adore it when young pop/rock stars pay homage to the greats that came before them. What Rodrigo did last night, or whenever this show was, introduced a whole new generation to Talking Heads. There had to be young kids who had zero idea who David Bryne is, and now they have searched his music and are probably listening to his stuff right now. I love it that Talking Heads and Bryne's solo stuff is going to see a big, big bump in streaming and record sales simply because Rodrigo is a, most likely, big fan and had an opportunity to perform with Bryne. I think it is so cool that there are some younger kids who are professional musicians that understand the importance of a person like David Bryne. She is given him another moment to shine and show younger generations that their folks listen to some cool music. My kids are not the biggest fans of Talking Heads, but I bet if an artist they like used one of their songs or performed live with them they'd be more willing to take a second look.

I didn't really need a reason to like Olivia Rodrigo any more than I currently do, and then she invited a living legend to perform live on stage with her. This is so cool and I wish more and more current music stars would do more of the same. 

Ty

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

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The Steelers Signed the Wrong Quarterback

The Pittsburgh Steelers must have a death wish or something. I figured they would have kept one of Justin Fields or Russell Wilson, I would have kept Fields, but they let them both walk. And then they didn't draft a QB until the later rounds, and I would have been stunned if that dude started anyway. But now they have the unfortunate addition of Aaron Rodgers.

I don't get why teams keep giving this weirdo a chance. He is 40 now. He is coming off an achilles injury two years ago. He wasn't that good last season. He couldn't even make it work with Davante Adams. Yet the Steelers let the whole offseason drag on and on, with no real choice as the next starting QB, and let Aaron Rodgers dictate when he was going to sign with them.

Mike Tomlin is smarter than this. The front office should be smarter than this. The fans cannot be happy with this choice. I don't understand what people need to see from Rodgers, on and off to the field, to realize this dude is totally washed. He was washed in 2021 if you want my opinion. But nope, the Steelers seem to think he has one more run in him. I even saw a Bleacher Report article that had Rodgers and DK Metcalf next to one another and it said something to the tune of "how explosive will this offense be in 2025"? I couldn't help but laugh when I saw it. And, even though I don't usually read comments, the comment section did not disappoint. There were some solid ones on there, but the best was the most used, which read, "they will definitely have a top 32 offense". For those that don't know, there are 32 teams in the NFL. I love the simplicity of those comments.

Taking an even longer look at this signing, and how I think it plays out for Pittsburgh, Rodgers is going to get murdered behind their mediocre line in their division. The Bengals, while not the best defense, have guys that can rush the passer. The Ravens will not only be able to easily rush the passer, but the secondary will also be picking off passes left and right. And the Browns, while having a horrendous offense, do have a semi competent defense, and Myles Garrett should feast on the d line. Rodgers is going to be running for his life. Oh, that's right, he cannot run anymore. He is about as immobile as they come at the QB position. He can't really move too much behind the line anymore. That was a decent part of his game until 2020.

All the football stuff aside, Rodgers is going to be playing for another blue blood franchise with a heralded head coach. His diva stuff isn't going to fly in Pittsburgh. Russell Wilson had that image, yet we heard nothing about it last season, and Wilson kind of revamped himself a bit. Fields never really figured it out at his first stop, but he did a solid job of filling in for Wilson and turned it into a good deal with the Jets this offseason. The problem with Rodgers, he is so narcissistic and so egomaniacal. He only cares about himself. Everyone who does him wrong he considers an "enemy". He is a liar, a drug addict and has no one around him that isn't a yes man. Mike Tomlin is not going to have a good time dealing with Rodgers nonsense. Tomlin is not a yes man. He shouldn't have to deal with Aaron Rodgers bs. Tomlin is bigger and better than that. If I were him, I'd leave right now. He has done everything he can for Pittsburgh and he has earned the right to leave when he wants. And with this front office giving in to Rodgers and his cronies should be more than enough for Tomlin to hang it up.

I don't like this for Pittsburgh and I wish Aaron Rodgers would hang his cleats up. He is a diva and a nuisance now. He offers nothing in the way of making his team a true competitor. His career is as washed as his conspiracy theories. This is a bad, bad look for a defining NFL franchise. 

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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