2025 College Football Preview

I know I promised a college football preview last Friday, but I had to talk about the Michigan case and its resolution. So, to make up for that, I'm going to do my college football preview today. I'll do what I normally do each year. I'll go over the four big conferences and name a few group of 5 teams that intrigue me. I'll then finish it off by picking my 12 playoff teams, my national champion and who I think will win the Heisman. Let's get to it.

I'll start with the ACC. We are in an era of college football that is super conference heavy. The ACC has 17 teams. Notre Dame is, for some weird reason, considered an ACC team. They made the national title game last season. They do need a new QB and to replace some important defensive starters. Marcus Freeman is a good coach and I don't think they'll fall off too much. But, I do think they will have a bit of a fall off. Clemson has one of the better QBs in all of college football back. Cade Klubnik is solid. Their defense seems to be back to its normal levels. Clemson should probably win this conference. Louisville has gotten better each season since they hired a new coach and they look to be trending up yet again. Bill Belichek has taken over UNC and it should be very interesting to see how he deals with the college game. Florida State took a major step back last season, and I feel like Mike Norvel is coaching for his job this season. Syracuse had a nice year last year, and they recently got a big win on the recruiting trail. But they have to replace a ton of productivity from last season. Cal's stud QB transferred, as did Boston College's. Pittsburgh seems stuck in mediocrity and maybe SMU is finally getting out of the mud. And then we have Miami. They are constantly hyped in the preseason, but then they come out and stumble. They played better last season, but that was due to Cam Ward being their QB. They need to figure out who is going to be their guy going forward before I truly take them as a serious threat. Mario Cristobal has got to be consistent as the head coach. I'm going to stick with Clemson to win the ACC, but Dabo Swinney could always find a way to screw it up.

Onto the Big 12, which has 16 teams. The Big 12 used to have classic teams, but now Houston, UCF and Utah are considered to be Big 12 teams. Whatever. Arizona had a good year two years back, but they struggled last season. They do have a good QB, and if he stays healthy, they could make some noise. Arizona State has some studs at wideout and they had a few nice playoff moments last season. They do need to find a running back to replace their star from last season, but ASU should still be a playoff threat. Baylor has issues, mainly on defense. BYU seems to fluctuate between seasons, and last year was a good one. Colorado has to replace their starting QB and Heisman winner Travis Hunter. They will most likely fall back to Earth this year. Cinci, Houston and Kansas all have potential, but have yet to reach it. Iowa State is the Miami of the Big 12. Oklahoma State and TCU have assholes as head coaches. And West Virginia can't get out of its own way. I'm going to stick with Arizona State to win the Big 12. They have a good amount of returning players and, even though they need to find a new running back, they should be able to make a possible return to the playoffs.

Now the SEC. It's a new world in the SEC. Alabama is not the power of old. Kalen DeBoer is a good head coach, but he has work to do. Lucky for him he has Ryan Smith to make an easy push on offense. Georgia should be right back in the thick of things this year. And their defense is going to be nasty. Tennessee has to find a new QB, but if they find anyone that can throw a football, that dude is going to put up numbers. They also, finally, have some solid dudes on defense. Texas A&M exceeded my expectations in Mike Elko's first season, and I think they should do even better this season. Texas is the preseason number 1 team, and they look like they could be lethal on both sides of the ball. Oklahoma got the best QB in the portal last year, and if the defense can catch up, the Sooners could be back as a threat. LSU has an electric offense, but the defense is suspect. South Carolina has Lanoris Sellers, who may be the best QB in college football, and he will help them win more games than expected. Ole Miss should be electric on offense. Missouri got some solid dudes in the portal to help with a new image for this team. Florida seems to be making a bounce back to relevance. And Auburn and Kentucky are always good for some upsets that no one sees coming. This is the first year in a while that the SEC is hard for me to predict. I'm going to go with Georgia, but Texas is probably the better option.

Finally, for the big conferences, we have the Big 10, which now has 18 teams. Yeesh. The Big 10 has won the last two national titles and does not look to be slowing down. Illinois has their highest preseason ranking in a long time. They have a ton of returning talent and this looks like their best roster in a decade. Iowa still has a stingy defense, and they may have found a QB that can throw a forward pass. Minnesota is mediocre, but PJ Fleck seems to squeeze every ounce of talent out of each of his players. Michigan State enters year two of their new head coach, and that usually means an upgrade. And they have a pretty solid QB coming back. Indiana is coming off an improbable playoff run, and they got one of the best portal QBs to hopefully help to keep the good times rolling. Northwestern needs time, but they play most teams tougher than expected. Nebraska enters a critical year under Matt Rhule, and lucky for him, he has Dylan Railoa entering his second full year as a starter. Penn State is absolutely stacked with talent everywhere on the field. Oregon is in replace, not rebuild at this point. USC is looking to right the ship this season under Lincoln Riley, and they looked poised to bounce back. Washington is in a transition period, but they have a good QB that can run and throw very well. UCLA still needs time and Purdue has a new head coach. Then we have the university of Ohio State and Michigan. The University of Ohio State enters this season as the reigning champs. They have a ton to replace, but this team recruits with the best of them, so they have no lack of talent. Jeremiah Smith is also the best player, offensively, in all of college football. Michigan has a bunch of new starters on both sides of the ball. And they seem to have found a QB that will make their offense multi faceted. I'm stoked for the Bryce Young experience, whenever that may be. I'd start him from day one. They have an excellent backfield duo in Jordan Marshall and Justice Haynes. They have a solid O line that improved every week last season. And even though they have to replace some first round talent on defense, they have guys that are ready. Michigan should be back to being for real this season. As for the winner of the Big 10, I'm going with Penn State. They have the best overall roster in college football. The only thing that would worry me is their coaching staff.

As for some "sleeper" teams, I like Boise State looks back to being a threat. They do have to replace Ashton Jeanty, and while that will be very tough, they have a bunch of other studs all over the field. Tulane should have an explosive offense and they can outscore teams this year. UNLV should continue to roll even after their coach left. And Memphis will field a fun team to watch, especially if you like offense. That's how these "sleeper" teams win, they all seem to have very fast, very fun and very efficient offenses. Will any of these teams make the playoffs, probably just one. But they will be in the conversation all season long.

Speaking of the playoffs, time for my predictions on that. I'm going to go from 1 to 12 in order. Starting off, give me Texas as the number 1 overall seed in this season's playoffs. The next three teams, the first round bye teams, will be Penn State, the University of Ohio State and Clemson. Then from 5 to 12 I have Georgia, LSU, Notre Dame, Oregon, South Carolina, Michigan, Arizona State and Tulane rounding out the 12 team playoff. So, Texas, Penn State, the university of Ohio State and Clemson will all have first round byes. The 5-12 game will feature Georgia and Tulane. Georgia will win with ease. The 6-11 game has LSU playing Arizona State. ASU will make it fun for a half, but then LSU will lock in and finish them off early in the fourth quarter. The 7-10 game will be a throwback, Notre Dame and Michigan. Give me my Wolverines to get a hard fought W due to their run game and D line. And the 8-9 game will be Oregon and South Carolina. I'll go with South Carolina, with Lanoris Sellers doing something amazing to pull out a win. So, Texas would face South Carolina here. Texas will have familiarity with the Gamecocks, and they should beat them pretty handily. Penn State will face Michigan, and Penn State will be too much for Michigan to handle in the end, and I'll be crushed if this happens. The University of Ohio State will play LSU and they will most likely smack LSU due to their better, but not even close to great defense. Finally we will see Georgia playing Clemson. Give me Georgia because they have the athletes that can slow down Cade Klubnik. So, our final four games will be Texas-Georgia and the University of Ohio Sate facing Penn State. Texas and Penn State are on a collision course. Both games will be very hard fought and exciting, but these two teams are the two best teams in college football this season. And Texas will prevail in the end. This is where Penn State's coaching staff will fumble all the talent they have. And Texas is also nearly as loaded, and Arch Manning is probably a better QB than Drew Allar. Texas will be 2025-26 College Football champs.

As for the Heisman, I'm going to go with Lanoris Sellers from South Carolina. He is so awesome, so electric and so fun to watch play football. He will have more than his fair share of "Heisman moments" on the way to hoisting the trophy in December.

There you have it, my 2025 college football preview and predictions. Enjoy the season everyone. Football will be here before we know it. 

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 Michigan Football's "Punishment"

The penalties for this dumbass sign stealing investigation were levied this morning by the NCAA. Michigan has to pay a hefty fine, they have a few recruiting restrictions, Connor Stalions and Jim Harbaugh got massive show cause fines and Sherrone Moore is going to serve a three game suspension, opposed to the two game suspension that Michigan already levied on him. It was what I thought would happen.

I do find it hilarious that the NCAA is giving Harbaugh a 10 year show cause because that dude is never coming back to coach college football. This is akin to expelling a student from high school after they've already graduated. All in all I'm happy this is all done and settled. No one can question the national title from 2023. I'm sure some fanbases will still say stupid things about it being "tainted", but that means absolutely nothing. Those same fanbases are the ones that insisted on this investigation and their beloved NCAA came to the conclusion that no titles would be taken away and no wins would be vacated. I'm so ready to put this to bed and focus on football.

I was as done with this two years ago as I was with the whole Johnny Manziel stuff. I don't care that he took money from Texas A&M and never showed up to class. I applaud Cam Newton's family for getting as much as they could from Auburn while he was there. The whole tattoo and memorabilia thing at the university of Ohio State was as dumb as sign stealing. I could care less that John Mateer is gambling on games that have nothing to do with his team. I wish SMU never got the death penalty for paying Eric Dickerson among others. All these so-called "scandals" have nothing to do with what happens on the field. Every team steals signs, Michigan just had the best guy at doing that job. Johnny Manziel was only at TAMU to play football, so get paid and skip class, who cares. Cam Newton won a title and sold Auburn merchandise hand over foot and made millions for that school based on his name. I hate that players at the university of Ohio State had to resort to selling memorabilia just to get tattoos. They should have gotten free tattoos everywhere they went. As long as John Mateer doesn't affect the outcome of games he plays, gamble away kid. And SMU was just doing NIL before everyone else. You cannot come out holier than thou when every school has players, coaches, administration and alumni that find anyway they can to bend the rules to help their team.

College football is the wild wild west now and anyone that claims they're playing by the letter of the law is lying. There is something that anyone can find when reading the rule book of a rule being broken that is so miniscule and unimportant. No school is playing by the letter. So stop with all the "death penalty" and "worst scandal is sports history" stuff. It's over and done. This should never be brought up again. No one, outside of East Lansing and Columbus, seem to care about this anymore. There was an investigation and it came to a conclusion. That's it. It's done. I feel like this has been talked about so much that people seem to forget what happened at Penn State under Joe Paterno and what happened at Michigan State with their training staff. These are the real issues. We are talking about sexual abuse, not tattoos or signs. Those issues should be what the main sports media is talking about, but it is a way bigger bummer than some signs and attacking Jim Harbaugh, who the main sports media seems to hate. All the stuff I mentioned before, sign stealing, tattoos, "illegally" paying players and gambling, these all pale in comparison to sexual assault and abuse. Maybe the time has come to focus on the real issues at universities and not some trivial nonsense. And, as far as sign stealing and Michigan getting the "hammer", that is done.

Time to move on. 

Ty

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

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2025 NFL Season Preview: Postseason and Awards Predictions

Wrapping up my preseason 2025 NFL countdown, today I'm going to do postseason and awards predictions. Tomorrow will end my two weeks of football coverage with my College Football preview and predictions. I'll pick the division winners, the wild cards and do a tournament setting with that, leading up to my Super Bowl winner. And then I'll do awards. Let's get to it.

I'll start with the AFC. The Bills will glide through the AFC East. They could have this division wrapped up by week 10. The Patriots seem to be their main competition, but they're still too young. The Dolphins seem to be in flux and the Jets can't win that much with no real offensive threats. The Bills will cruise. The AFC South could be the weakest division in the AFC. The Texans should win this one with ease. They have the best offense, defense and coaching staff. I do think Jacksonville will be more of a threat than some are ready to say. The Colts don't have a true number 1 QB at the moment and the Titans are breaking in a rookie at the same position. I adore Cam Ward, but the Titans don't have the guys to make a real statement just yet. The Texans, much like the Bills, win this division with ease. The AFC West will be rough and tumble. Three teams are vying for the conference this season, the Chiefs, Chargers and Broncos. The Raiders are the other team, and even though I like the Pete Carrol hire and the signing of Geno Smith, they are not at these teams' level just yet. The Chargers have the best D in this conference. The Broncos are young and looking to take a bigger leap. And the Chiefs are the old standby. Give me the Chargers because I love Jim Harbaugh and think defense wins divisions. The AFC North may be the best division in all of football. The Steelers have a headache in Aaron Rodgers, but they also have Mike Tomlin, who is one hell of a football coach. The Bengals have an amazing, record setting offense and a horrendous defense. The Ravens have the best QB and running back in the league, but they haven't won much on the big stage. And the Browns seem to be a total mess outside of Myles Garrett. I'm going with the Ravens to win this division. Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry are a force to be reckoned with.

That means I have the Ravens, Chargers, Texans and Bills as automatic playoff teams. My three wild card teams are the Bengals, Chiefs and Broncos. The Bills will get a bye as the 1 seed in the AFC. So, that means I have the 3rd seeded Chargers facing the 6th seeded Bengals, the 4th seeded Texans facing the fifth seeded Broncos and the 2nd seeded Ravens facing the 7th seeded Chiefs. I'll take the Chargers over the Bengals, the Texans over the Broncos and the Ravens over the Chiefs. Now we have the Bills playing the Texans and the Chargers playing the Ravens. I fully believe we will get a Bills-Ravens AFC title game, with the Bills representing the AFC in the Super Bowl.

Onto the NFC. The NFC East will come down to the Eagles and Commanders. The Cowboys will do some Cowboys stuff where they start 5-0 and finish 7-10. And the Giants are a bad, bad football team. I implore them to let Jameis Winston start so Malik Nabers can put up insane numbers. The Eagles are the defending champs and have everyone important back. The Commanders were the surprise team in the NFL last year, and I think they're hungry for more. Give me the Eagles. They have the experience and overall better roster. The NFC South is not so good. The Bucs are the far and away best team here, but I still have weird trust issues with Baker Mayfield. The Falcons have picked Michael Penix to be their starter and Bijan Robinson and Drake London are awesome counterparts. The defense is what worries me here, but Raheem Morris can shape that up. I think the Panthers will be better than most expect. And the Saints are a very bad football team who needs to trade vets for picks. I'm going to stick with the Bucs here, but I wouldn't be shocked if Raheem Morris fixes the defense in Atlanta and they make a run. The NFC West race should be a fun one this season. The Seahawks have some dudes on both sides of the ball. I can never quit the Cardinals or Kyler Murray. The Rams have all kinds of experience and one of the best coaches in all of football. And the 49ers have made their bed with Brock Purdy and they have to lay in it now, for better or worse. I'm going to go with the Rams strictly based on Sean McVay's coaching ability and acumen. And then we have the NFC North. Every team in this division can be over .500 this year. The Bears addressed some much needed areas to improve their offense. The Packers got a hyper quick wideout and should have a dominating run game. The Vikings have a new QB to break in, but Kevin O'Connell knows how to coach QBs, and they still have Justin Jefferson. And the Lions have the best O line in all of football and they get a healthy Aidan Hutchinson back this season. I'd like to pick my team, the Packers, but I'm going to go with the Lions simply based on how last season ended, they have to get that taste out of their mouths, and the return of Hutchinson.

That means the Lions, Rams, Bucs and Eagles are my four division winners. For my three NFC wild card teams, give me the Commanders, Packers and Falcons. In the first round I'll have the 3rd seeded Lions facing off with the 6th seeded Falcons, the 4th seeded Bucs facing the 5th seeded Commanders and the 2nd seeded Rams going after the 7th seeded Packers. That means the Eagles get the number 1 seed in the NFC. In the first round give me the Lions over the Falcons, the Commanders over the Bucs and the Packers getting the upset over the Rams. So, that gives me the Packers facing the Eagles and the Commanders and Lions having a rematch. The Eagles will dispose of the Packers easily and the Lions get their revenge over the Commanders. The Eagles will then dispose of the Lions and make a return trip to the Super Bowl.

So, in the 2026 Super Bowl I have the Bills facing the Eagles, and I'm going to go with the Bills. It is so hard to repeat in the NFL and the Bills will get over every hump they need to this season. This win will culminate in Josh Allen getting Super Bowl MVP.

Onto my awards predictions. While Josh Allen will win Super Bowl MVP, he will not be the regular season's MVP. I'm going to go with Lamar Jackson winning another one. The Offensive Player of the Year will be Saquon Barkley. The Defensive Player of the Year will be Aidan Hutchinson. He will also win Comeback Player of the Year. Cam Ward will be the Offensive Rookie of the Year. And give me Michigan man Will Johnson for Defensive Rookie of the Year. Coach of the Year will be Sean Payton.

There you have it, my NFL postseason and awards predictions for 2025. As always, take this with a big grain of salt and come back tomorrow for my College Football preview and predictions. 

Ty

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

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2025 NFL Season Preview: Chiefs, Ravens, Bills, Eagles

Welcome to the final day of my preseason 2025 NFL countdown.

At number 4 I have the Kansas City Chiefs. This really feels like the end of their run. They have had a good run, but they looked like they had fallen off, for them, during last season. I fully realize they made the Super Bowl, but they were crushed in that game by a younger, hungrier and better team. Patrick Mahomes is still one of the best QB's the NFL has ever seen. He is a wizard with the football and can hit the open guy when they don't seem open. But he is a little slower and more susceptible to hits now. Isiah Pacheco runs mean and runs angry. He is tough to take down and if he hits the open field he can go all the way. But he does still get hurt a little too often. Xavier Worthy seemed like the only player who was ready for the Super Bowl. I expect him to take a big leap and become Mahomes number one guy at wideout. Rashee Rice will most likely miss some time when the season starts and Hollywood Brown, while super fast, has not been able to stay on the field for more than eight games a season. And we have Travis Kelce. Look, I adore the person he is and I'm all here for him enjoying the moments, but he is old. And he doesn't seem to be able to do some of the things he used to. The O line here gets away with whatever they want, so does it really matter if they are good or not. They can hold and start before the defense at their will. The defense has improved every year during this run. George Karlaftis, Chris Jones and Mike Danna are as formidable as they get on the D line. Nick Bolton is a tackling machine. Trent McDuffie is a very good cover corner. They have invested in defense in the draft and it seems to be paying off. The Chiefs are more of a defensive stalwart than they have been in the past. But, no more than 11 wins seems likely and maybe they won't make a run to the Super Bowl this season.

At number 3 I have the Baltimore Ravens. Lamar Jackson is the best QB in the league. He is so much fun to watch play this game and he has only gotten better every year. He runs when necessary and can hit receivers at every level. Derrick Henry was the best free agent signing last season and he only made the Ravens that much better. He adds another running element to this team and that is scary. Rashod Bateman made a little leap last year and Deandre Hopkins may still have something left in the tank. Mark Andrews had a tough playoff game last year, and maybe that has some lingering effects. Lucky for the Ravens, they have Isaiah Likely to take his spot when ready. The O line is awesome and ranks right up there with the Lions. The Ravens defense is still good too. The D line may not have the names, but they still get after the QB. Roquan Smith is one of the better linebackers in the league, and Kyle Van Noy still produces. Kyle Hamilton is one of the best safeties in the league and Marlon Humphrey has his moments. They also signed Jaire Alexander, and he will only help their secondary. The Ravens are awesome, but they need to win playoff games. They are similar to the Lions in that regard. But I can see them winning 12 games with ease.

At number 2 I have the Buffalo Bills. Now is as good a time as ever to finally take care of the Chiefs in the playoffs. Josh Allen is great. I was totally wrong about his ability in his draft class. He is an MVP caliber QB every season. They need to find a way to sign James Cook because they need that dude. He is a good running back who can also catch the ball out of the backfield. Khalil Shakir made a big leap last year and he is a viable number one option on this team. Keon Coleman has potential and Joshua Palmer can still become reliable. Dalton Kincaid is a very solid tight end. And the O line is great. The Bills defense is really good too. Greg Rousseau and Ed Oliver are amazing. Screw Joey Bosa. Tre'Davious White is a very good cover guy. Damar Hamlin is doing some good stuff. Taylor Rapp is a good secondary guy and Dorian Williams is a very good tackler. The Bills are really, really good and could win 14 games this season.

And finally, at number 1 I have the Philadelphia Eagles. They're the defending Super Bowl champs and they have everyone important back. Jalen Hurts is the perfect QB to run this system. He knows the offense inside and out. He is also very good at getting first downs by any means necessary. Saquon Barkley's signing ranks right up there with Derrick Henry. He helped unlock a lethal run game, and he is great catching passes out of the backfield. AJ Brown and Devonta Smith are incredible wideouts and they find the open spot all over the field. And the O line ranks behind the Lions, but that's it. They're awesome. The defense is stacked as well. Jordan Davis, Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith Jr are O line eaters. They make it so easy for the linebackers. Nakobe Dean and crew feast on QB's and wideouts. And the secondary is full of awesome dudes. Cooper DeJean is great. Quinyon Mitchell may be even better. And Adoree Jackson is very fast and likes to hit. The Eagles are stacked. They may have the best roster in football and I could see them easily returning to the Super Bowl this year. And hell, they may win 15 games in the regular season.

That does it for my 2025 preseason NFL countdown. Tomorrow will be my NFL postseason predictions and awards predictions. 

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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2025 NFL Season Preview: Lions, Commanders, Chargers, Packers

Welcome to day seven of my preseason 2025 NFL countdown.

At number 8 I have the Detroit Lions. It's now or never for real with this team. They had a great regular season last year and totally blew it in the first round of the playoffs. They looked suspect in that game and maybe this is just the team they are going to be moving forward. I hope not because I think it would be cool to see Detroit win some big games, and I have tons of family that are Lions fans. Jared Goff is a game manager. He may be the best game manager QB in the NFL, but he is a game manager. And there's nothing wrong with that. He helps move the ball down the field. Jahmyr Gibbs is awesome. He is so fast and so quick and can explode when he finds open field. And David Montgomery is as good as a second option at running back as there can be. Amon-Ra St Brown has proven his worth time and again. He does any and everything asked of him. Jameson Williams is a nice deep threat option. Sam LaPorta took a mild step back last year and he was still solid. The Lions also have the best O line in all of football. The defense should be whole again with Aidan Hutchinson back. He was on his way to DPOY last season until he got hurt. If he has any of that special ability left in him, of which I believe he has it all, the Lions D line will be superior. Marcus Davenport is a great complimentary piece at the other end. Jack Campbell and Alex Anzalone are dependable linebackers. Brian Branch and Terrion Arnold are a solid secondary duo. The Lions are good. They've proven that the past three seasons. Now, they have to prove it in the playoffs, where the lights shine brightest. I hope they do, but it is getting to a point where I don't expect them to make a deep playoff run. That being said, they are still a 12 win team.

At number 7 I have the Washington Commanders. Was last year a fluke, or more of what is to come? This season will let us know, but I think it is more of what is to come. Jayden Daniels is exceptional. He can run and throw. He made the right choice seemingly every time last year and I think he will be even better this year. Brian Robinson Jr is a great back to have next to Daniels in the backfield. He can do a bit of everything and that's perfect. Terry McLauirn may want out, but he might be better served sticking around and being the number 1 option at wideout on this team. Deebo Samuel should like playing here. I think the offense is a bit more fun and he will be more involved. And Zack Ertz is still producing at a solid level. The O line here is pretty good. The D line is pretty good, and Javon Kinlaw is good. Von Miller and Bobby Wagner may be old, but they are still big names and they still put up very good numbers. Marshon Lattimore wasn't great in New Orleans, so maybe a uniform change will do him good. And Mike Sainristil is a star in the making. He wildly exceeded expectations last season. The Commanders feel like they're going to be a contender for some time now, or as long as they have Jayden Daniels. I could see them winning 11 or 12 games this season.

At number 6 I have the Los Angeles Chargers. The Chargers have a great coaching staff, and that paid dividends last season. Jim Harbaugh squeezes every ounce of ability out of his players. Justin Herbert finally seemed content with the offense last year and he had one of his better overall seasons. JK Dobbins is gone, but they replaced him with Najee Harris and they have Hassan Haskins. They also drafted Omarion Hampton who looks like he can be a stud. They re-signed Keenan Allen after a season away, and I think both parties will love this reunion. Quentin Johnson was better and Ladd McConkey looks like another, less refined version of Julian Edelman. The O line, which is Harbaugh's forte, was loads better last season. Jesse Minter knows defense and the Chargers defense was much improved last season. Tuli Tuipulotu anchors a solid D line. Denzel Perryman and Khalil Mack are still here and still productive. And they have Bud Dupree and Junior Colson as good options at backup. And Derwin James Jr is incredible and still putting up big time numbers. This defense may be one of the best in the league. The Chargers look like they will be much improved and ready to really make a big leap. I could see them easily winning 12 games this season.

The final team for today, at number 5 I have the Green Bay Packers. This is my team and they need to really make a deep run in the playoffs soon. Jordan Love has the tools to be effective. He has put up really good numbers the past two years. I hope he stays healthy enough to be MVP caliber QB this season. I adore Josh Jacobs. I wasn't mad when they let Aaron Jones walk because they had Josh Jacobs and Jacobs was very productive last season. The wideout corps is odd. I don't really trust any of them, but I like them. Romeo Doubs is fast and gets good separation. Jayden Reed is small, but he finds open spots. Christian Watson is big and nimble but he cannot stay on the field. And they drafted Matthew Golden, who is incredibly fast, but he is also very tiny in NFL terms. The O line, as usual, is very good. The defense looked to be kind of improved last season, but they need more out of that side of the ball. Rashan Gary is great. He is an exceptional edge rusher, he just needs to stay healthy. Lukas Van Ness has moments, but he is too inconsistent. Quay Walker and Edgerrin Cooper are very good on run defense, but susceptible to the pass. And they are breaking in some new secondary guys, who will hopefully be able to stop third and long plays. The Packers are a good team with a solid staff in place. They need to do better on defense and Love needs to find ways to get the ball to open receivers. They will do that enough to win 13 games this season, and hopefully make a solid playoff run. That's it for today.

Come back tomorrow for my top four teams.

 Ty

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

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2025 NFL Season Preview: Rams, Buccaneer's, Steelers, Bengals

Hope you all enjoyed your weekend and welcome back to my 2025 preseason NFL countdown. The preseason has started, but that never really tells us much.

At number 12 I have the Los Angeles Rams. This ranking depends a lot on Matthew Stafford's health. I know he has had some off field injuries creep us as of late, but I attribute that to age more than anything. Stafford has proven that he will put up numbers when he is on the field. Kyren Williams is a good back that can make both in the run and pass game out of the backfield. Blake Corum seems primed to make himself known as well this season. Davante Adams comes in to pretty much replace Cooper Kuup. I'd rather have Adams for a myriad of reasons, mainly health. And he puts up great numbers. Puka Nacua has had two good seasons in a row, and I don't see that stopping anytime soon. Tyler Higbee is as reliable as they come at tight end. And the O line is pretty darn good. The defense used to be filled with names, but now they have lesser known guys that can play. Jared Verse is still really good as well. The D line should be improved and more experienced. The secondary is going to have to replace guys, but the new guys coming in are younger and hungrier to make a name for themselves. What it all really boils down to with this team is Sean McVay. He's a great head coach. He has been to two Super Bowls, winning one. He got this team back to the playoffs last season. This team goes as he goes and he is one of the best doing it right now. I say the Rams could easily win 12 games.

At number 11 I have the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Baker Mayfield has proven himself. While not on the level of a superstar number one overall pick, he has found his footing in Tampa and he seems like a good QB to lead this team for the next couple years. Bucky Irving was a shockingly good player last year. My son picked him up and in fantasy and he produced pretty much every week for him. Mike Evans might be the most underrated number 1 wideout in the league. He is big, fast and catches pretty much everything. He also got paid. Chris Godwin is solid. I hated watching Emeka Egbuka in college, and that was because he was productive. That was a great pick by them. And the O line is serviceable. The defense still has Vita Vea, Antoine Winfield Jr and Lavonte David. All three of those dudes are awesome. Haason Reddick had a decent year last year. And the coaching staff excels on the defensive side of the ball. The Bucs are kind of back. They should easily win their division with 10 or 11 wins this season.

At number 10 I have the Pittsburgh Steelers. They are the team that decided it would be a good idea to sign Aaron Rodgers. He is over 40 now, insane and doesn't come close to producing like he did 10 years ago. He is a malcontent and an egomaniac. Jaylen Warren is the number 1 back now. Najee Harris is gone and it is Warren's job, and I think he is ready for the promotion. The Steelers were able to trade for DK Metcalf. Metcalf is big, strong and fast. He has been productive since he entered the NFL. But he too can be a little crazy from time to time. Roman Wilson should be able to do a bit more after missing most of last season due to injury. He was good in college and should be able to do some stuff in the pros. The O line is as good as usual. They always seem to have a good set of dudes on the O line. The defense is this team's calling card. Mike Tomlin has made his career on defense. TJ Watt got paid and is the anchor of the D line. They go as he goes and he usually goes pretty good. Patrick Queen and Alex Highsmith are great linebackers. Jalen Ramsey is here for a ride. And Joey Porter Jr gets better and better every season. I loathe Aaron Rodgers and don't want anything good to happen to him. Unfortunately for me he has his best coach ever in Mike Tomlin and all that dude does is win. The Steelers will once again be a 10 plus win team and find their way into the playoffs.

The final team for the day, at number 9 I have the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals offense is incredible. Joe Burrow is one of the five or six best QB's in the league. He has more than proven himself and he should have been in the MVP conversation last season. Joe Mixon was let go last year and Chase Brown easily slid into his spot. He brings running and receiving out of the backfield for this team. Ja'Marr Chase is the best wideout in football. He is open even if he is covered. He is faster than linebackers and much bigger than defensive backs. Chase is awesome. I may take him first overall if I get the number one pick in my fantasy league. Tee Higgins is a wonderful second receiver and a perfect complimentary piece to Ja'Marr Chase. The O line has gotten better ever since their Super Bowl run and I see more of the same this year. The defense is the problem. They should pay Trey Hendrickson. He's their best D lineman and one of the better edge rushers in football. I loved DJ Turner and Dax Hill in college, but I know very little about their NFL careers to this point. And the linebacker unit is not one of the better ones in the league. I feel like we got a glimpse of what this team will look like all season in their first preseason game. The offense easily went up and down the field and the defense did them no favors letting the opponent do just the same. But, Burrow and Chase are so good that I can see this team winning double digit games this year, right at 10.

That's it for today. Come back tomorrow for the next four teams.

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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2025 NFL Season Preview: Cardinals, Vikings, Texans, Broncos

Day five of my preseason 2025 NFL countdown starts with my number 16 team, the Arizona Cardinals.

The Cardinals looked somewhat competent last season. I was pretty off last year. I do feel like Kyler Murray has to do something big this year to instill confidence in the staff. The guy has all the tools, and I don't buy into the nonchalant stuff others say about him. But, he has fallen off a bit every season since his second year. He needs to bounce back. James Conner has proven to be a consistent back. He can rush for decent yardage and he has developed a pass catching game out of the backfield. Some are already jumping off the Marvin Harrison Jr bandwagon. Not me. He is too talented, too big and strong and too good at football. He should be light years ahead of where he was last season. I like Zay Jones. Trey McBride was a clutch fantasy pickup for me last season. And the O line is capable. The defense should be good too. Calais Campbell is still very productive. Josh Sweat is good. I love the second round selection of Will Johnson. He should be great and start right away. Zaven Collins is pretty good. And I love Budda Baker. The Cardinals looked to have a down season last year, and mildly exceeded expectations. I think they make another small leap and vault themselves into playoff contention. Ten wins seems very doable.

At number 15 I have the Minnesota Vikings. They're breaking in a new QB in JJ McCarthy. I had my issues with him while he was at Michigan, but he didn't have to really win games for them. They were a running team. But, when he had to make big plays in the passing game, he usually delivered. And he has won at every level so far, so maybe I shouldn't doubt him this much. Aaron Jones proved that age doesn't matter with him. I didn't miss him much, because Green Bay signed Josh Jacobs, but Jones was still productive and didn't miss too much time. Jordan Addison is suspended to start the year, so that's a bummer. But, they have Justin Jefferson. He or Ja'Marr Chase is the best wideout in the league. Jefferson will make most QB's look better than they might be, TJ Hockenson is one of the better tight ends in the league and the O line can block. The defense isn't the dominant unit of the past, but they are still pretty good. Joshua Mettulus just got a much deserved raise and Harrison Smith is one of the better safeties in the league. The D line has some unproven guys and the linebacking corps should be just fine. My only issue with the Vikings, they got exposed in round one of the playoffs last season, and now they have a new QB. They should still win ten or eleven games this year though.

At number 14 I have the Houston Texans. CJ Stroud is a very good NFL QB, but he wasn't as productive last season as he was in his rookie year. I don't think it will be the same thing this season, but I would still be mildly concerned if I was a fan of this team. Still, he has all the tools to be a top QB in this league. Joe Mixon was left out to dry by the Bengals and he looked just fine in Houston. He put up nice numbers as the number 1 back. Nico Collins is awesome. He proved his worth when he was out and the offense sputtered. Collins is Stroud's number one option and Collins seems to get better and better every season. Christian Kirk is a fast and nice number 2 wideout option. Dalton Schultz is a decent tight end and the O line is pretty good. The defense has gotten better every season under Demeco Ryans, which just so happens to be his forte. Will Anderson Jr is every bit worth the hype he had coming out of college. He is awesome. Danielle Hunter is a backfield wrecker. Henry To'oTo'o is an elite linebacker. Derek Stingley Jr is a great corner. Kamari Lasseter has proven himself and CJ Garnder-Johnson can do some good stuff. The Texans are good and should easily win their division. Eleven wins seems easy to predict.

The final team for the day, and the week for that matter, coming in at number 13 I have the Denver Broncos. I was dead wrong about this team and Bo Nix last season. I was certain he was going to bust and the Broncos would regret taking him in the top 12. My mistake. Nix showed out and looked like the Broncos QB of the future. He should be even better this season. I'm not so high on the run game with JK Dobbins and RJ Harvey. Dobbins had a nice bounce back last season, but I don't think he will get the needed touches in Denver. And I know zero about Harvey. Courtland Sutton was better than advertised. Marvin Mims Jr is intriguing to me. And Evan Engram had a good season last year. The O line, as per usual in Denver, is good. The big names on the defense are gone, but they do still have Patrick Surtain who is legit. Nik Bonito is a good linebacker. I like Johnathon Cooper on the D line. This is a well constructed roster with a good head coach and a solid QB. The Broncos are back and they may surpass the Chiefs in that division as early as this season. I think they will win eleven, maybe twelve games.

That does it for today and this week. Come back Monday for my next four teams. 

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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2025 NFL Season Preview: Cowboys, 49ers, Jaguars, Bears

As we enter day four of my preseason 2025 NFL countdown, we are now in the top 20. These teams should all compete, at some point, for a playoff spot.

At number 20 I have the Dallas Cowboys. They need to resolve this Micah Parsons trade request, because they need that guy if they want their defense to make any noise. He is too good and too important to that scheme to not have him in the building. It would be a big mistake to not retain him and to not pay him. The guy is worth big time money. I feel like this is Dak Prescott's last ride. He has had a ton of chances, is a solid QB, but cannot seem to perform when it matters most. They're thin at running back. Javonte Williams is the starter, and I couldn't tell you one thing about him. And the backups are no different. CeeDee Lamb is awesome. He's fast, has great hands and runs wonderful routes. He just needs the ball. The O line was the best part of this offense until a few years ago. Now they look like a work in progress. I already mentioned Parsons' importance to this defense. Without him it could be rough. Mazi Smith has potential, he just has to stay healthy. Trevon Diggs had a moment two seasons ago, but last year felt more like the norm for him. Kenneth Murray Jr looked awesome in college, but he has yet to figure out the NFL. Parsons is the engine that runs this defense, and if he is gone, that would be bad news. This feels like a last ride for this version of the Cowboys. They feel like a ten win team if the roster doesn't change.

At number 19 I have the San Francisco 49ers. Well, they paid Brock Purdy, which I think was a bad move. It reminds me of the time the Giants picked Daniel Jones as the face of their team. Purdy played well because of the guys around him. And a good portion of those guys are gone. Christian McCaffery is still around, but his legs are seemingly always injured. I simply do not trust him to stay on the field for more than five games any season now. Deebo Samuel got out of there, and Brandon Aiyuk, who I think is the number 1 wideout there, seems to want out as well. And if it isn't him that wants out, it has to be number 2 wideout Jajuan Jennings. That's not a good thing. George Kittle seems to care more about smelling salts than wins at this point in his career. Trent Williams is a star offensive lineman, but the rest of the O line is unknown to me. The defense is supposed to be the calling card of this team, but it is not the elite unit it was a few seasons ago. I despise everything about Nick Bosa, so I won't say anything about him at all besides that. Fred Warner is still good, but he is getting older. And the secondary doesn't seem to have the names that it used to. I think this team will regret paying Purdy and Aiyuk so much money. And that will result in a eight or nine win team this season.

At number 18 I have the Jacksonville Jaguars. Trevor Lawrence got paid last year, and then missed a ton of time. He needs to put it together. He has not lived up to the hype, but he is a solid QB. Travis Etienne Jr proved he can be an every down back in the NFL. He is good. Brian Thomas Jr showed out last year and I see more of that this year. Travis Hunter has a chance to play both ways and win both offensive and defensive rookie of the year. He is going to be electric to watch in the NFL. The O line is just fine. The defense could be decent this season too. Arik Armstead can still get to the QB. Travon Walker was a former number one overall pick and he showed signs of growth last year. Jourdan Lewis was a decent pickup at corner. And Travis Hunter should see snaps in the secondary as well. The Jags have the guys to win double digit games. Last season should be an anomaly. I believe they should win ten games.

The final team for the day, coming in at number 17 I have the Chicago Bears. This team addressed some serious needs this offseason and in the draft. I still believe Caleb Williams can do great things. He had no time last year and he was a rookie. There was always going to be a learning curve. I think he will be much better this season. D'Andre Swift is a solid running back and can catch the ball out of the backfield. DJ Moore and Rome Odunze looked good last year, and I love that they took both Colston Loveland and Luther Burden to shore up the receiving group. I like what they are building there. And they brought in a few solid O lineman to help give Williams more time in the pocket. Montez Sweat played great after being traded there. Tremaine Edmunds is a very good linebacker. Kyler Gordon and Kevin Byard make for a solid duo in the secondary. The Bears are coming and will be good very soon. Maybe even this season. The only problem for them is that the division is still really good too. But, I could see this team winning ten games and becoming a legit playoff contender this season.

That's it for today. Come back tomorrow for the next four teams. 

 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.

2025 NFL Season Preview: Raiders, Falcons, Patriots, Seahawks

Welcome back to my preseason 2025 NFL countdown.

Coming in at number 24 I have the Las Vegas Raiders. That is still hard for me to remember. I was about to type in Oakland. Anyway, this team may change cities, but they are still pretty mediocre. I think they missed the boat when they decided to not go with their special teams coach to be the head guy four years ago. Since then they have been very middle of the road. I wonder if Pete Carroll will make much of a difference. The dude is a football genius, but he is old. I wonder if maybe the game has passed him by. I do like that they went out and got Geno Smith. Smith is not a legendary QB, but the guy is consistent. He will put up solid numbers. I adore Ashton Jeanty. The guy was amazing as the lone option at Boise State. But it does take highly drafted rookie running backs more time than most teams like. The wideout group is not much to take delight in. And while Brock Bowers is a good player, he is a douche and a bro and I despise his off field nonsense. The O line isn't great either. Maxx Crosby is another good player, but stinks as an off field person. no matter how much money he gives to his alma mater. Jeremy Chinn may end up being a solid pickup in the secondary. But it is pretty dire for that defense besides the two names I mentioned. But, Pete Carroll knows defense and can get extra out of unexpected names. His magic may work here, but he is, as I mentioned before, very old and getting older everyday like the rest of us. The Raiders made a few good offseason moves, but it won't be enough to surpass the Chiefs or Broncos. This is an eight win team at the very best.

At number 23 I have the Atlanta Falcons. Maybe they should be higher some might say, but this feels right to me. They finally gave up on Kirk Cousins and moved on to a much better option in Michael Penix. He has a better arm and can move in and out of the pocket. Bijan Robinson had a solid second year in the league, and maybe that growth continues. And Drake London has solidified himself as a top 15 wideout in the league. But Kyle Pitts has never been able to put it together. Maybe he is the player he will always be at this point. Darnell Moody cannot stay healthy. Ray-Ray McCloud is a speedster and nothing more. And the O line isn't top tier. The defense has guys. I like Leonard Floyd at linebacker. James Pearce Jr was a good late first round pick for them. Jessie Bates III is awesome. But this defense needs to put it together. I think hiring Raheem Morris was perfect for that, he is just going to need more out of his offense. I could see the Falcons pushing for the playoffs, their division isn't great. But anymore than nine wins seems like a stretch to me.

At number 22 I have the New England Patriots. First off, they did Jerrod Mayo dirty. I don't know what they expected from him last season, but he deserved a shot to work it out with this somewhat rebuilt roster. Drake Maye looks decent. He came along slowly last year, which was the right thing to do. And near the end of the season he showed some flashes. The kid has an arm and he's mobile. Rhamondre Stevenson is an okay back, but he tends to fumble more than you'd like. He also doesn't score a ton of td's. Stefon Diggs is starting to seemingly play for a new team every season, but the dude puts up numbers. Hunter Henry is a reliable tight end. And the O line, on paper, looks to be better. The defense is an interesting mix. Jabrill Peppers and Christian Gonzalez are very middle of the road, but solid enough to have to game plan around. The D line looks to be coming together and looks kind of stout. The linebacking corps is blah, but if they can tackle they should be okay. The Patriots feel like a team on the rise. They have been building a solid team for the past couple of years. And with the Jets and Dolphins looking to take a step back, maybe the Patriots win nine or ten games this season, but I see eight as the more likely outcome.

My final team for the day, coming in at number 21 I have the Seattle Seahawks. They are the team that paid Sam Darnold. You knew he was going to get a decent deal from someone and the Seahawks were that team. I don't know that he will be as successful with this team, but he does have confidence now and that can help him to play good football. Kenneth Walker III has proven to be a good three down running back, if he can stay on the field. I also love Zach Charbonnet as his backup. He is great. Jaxson Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kuup are going to drive defenses nuts with their ability to get open and find the open spaces to turn short passes into big gains. The O line is much improved as well. Defense is why this team hired Mike Macdonald, and they were pretty good last year. Devon Witherspoon is a star. He is one of the best cover guys in the league. Leonard Williams and Demarcus Lawrence can wreck a backfield. Coby Bryant has shown flashes. And the linebacker group will make plays. The Seahawks are better. They have some pieces in place. A lot of their success this season will rely on the new guys they got on offense. I think those guys can push this team to ten wins and a good shot at the playoffs.

That's it for today. Come back tomorrow for the next four teams.

 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.

2025 NFL Season Preview: Giants, Jets, Panthers, Dolphins

Welcome to day two of my preseason 2025 NFL countdown.

Coming in at number 28 I have the New York Giants. I mean, this team just continues to stay stuck in the mud. I do like that they went out and signed Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston. For all the flaws those two may have, they can both still sling it. Wilson came on strong at the end of last season and looked solid. He helped guide the Steelers back to the playoffs. Winston is a true wild card, but the dude is confident. He may throw 30 picks, but he will also throw 30 tds. Jaxson Dart shouldn't see the field unless something bad happens. They truly whiffed when they picked Daniel Jones over Saquon Barkley. Barkley is a key cog in a Super Bowl champ now. The Giants are now relying on Tyrone Tracy Jr as their lead back. He is fine, but he is nowhere close to Saquon's world. Malik Nabers is a true number 1 wideout. He has every tool you want in a star receiver. He's awesome. It's pretty rough after that. They have no other threats on the outside and the O line is mediocre. The defense does have two studs in Kayvon Thibodeaux and rookie Abdul Carter. Those dudes have the ability to wreck backfields. And Brian Burns is still very productive. Then it is a list of unknowns for me. The defense should be the best unit on this team, but they are going to struggle to keep them in games. And the offense is still kind of a mystery outside of Malik Nabers. The Giants are the epitome of mediocre. They are a six win team, even with the new QB's, at the very best.

At number 27 I have the other New York team, the Jets. They are rid of Aaron Rodgers, thank goodness. And I do think Justin Fields is an upgrade because he is a threat to pass and run. Breece Hall is a very good running back 1, and Brealon Allen is one of the better backups in the league. Garrett Wilson hasn't popped just yet and Allen Lazard is old. The O line can't block, so Fields legs will come in handy. The defense is what keeps this team in games. Sauce Gardner is the best corner in the league. He is getting up to Darelle Revis levels for me. He takes away one side of the field. Quinnen Williams is a solid interior D lineman. Byron Cowart is a nice lineman eater right next to Williams. The linebacker corps can tackle. The issue for this defense, they are constantly on the field. They get next to no rest. That has to be tough for them. This defense deserves better. They are so good that they deserve an offense that can win them games and keep them off the field for a bit longer than usual for them. Maybe Fields and Hall will help, but maybe not. And that's the problem. The Jets may win seven games, but I feel like they're more likely to win five games, all of which are close.

At number 26 I have the Carolina Panthers. I think benching Bryce Young for a few games last season may be the best thing that has ever happened to him for his long term career. When he was reinserted into the starting role he looked good. He looked ready to lead and he looked every bit like the number one overall pick. Chuba Hubbard had some up and down moments last season, but maybe he has more up than down this year. I love that they took Tet McMillan at number nine. He has the makings of a top wideout in the league in a few years. Xavier Lagette will hopefully become more than a sound bite machine. Adam Thielen is washed. He is old now. The O line is worrisome, and I think they need to take some blame for how poorly Young played during his rookie year. The defense is very bland. I feel like every good defensive guy they get is now gone. They still have Jaycee Horn, but not much else. They are breaking in a whole bunch of new dudes and some also rans. The defense will be a work in progress in more ways than one. But, I do think the Panthers can look relevant this season. They have some weapons and they played well to finish off last year. I think seven wins would be a big deal for them this year.

The final team for today, at number 25 I have the Miami Dolphins. Things seem to be messy and worrisome in Miami right now. It feels like a bunch of players don't like the coaching staff and their system. Maybe that will change, but it is never a good sign when this stuff starts to get leaked. I like Tua Tagovailoa. He is a good QB with a strong arm. But he has had far too many concussions and maybe he needs to step away from the game. But that would leave them with Zach Wilson. Yikes. De'Von Achane is fast as lightning, but he also gets hurt constantly. Tyreek Hill is awesome, but he seems incredibly unhappy with this team. Jaylen Waddle is legit. And Darren Waller unretired to play for this team. The O line is not great. The defense is very suspect. I adore and will always root for Kenneth Grant, but he is a rookie and he is still pretty raw. He needs a little time to develop. Minkah Fitzpatrick was traded here, and while he is good, he is older. I love the name Storm Duck, who is on this team, but I couldn't tell you one thing about him and his game. And Bradley Chubb has never recreated his one great season. The Dolphins struggle to win games away from Miami. They also struggle to keep key players healthy and they cannot win a playoff game. This feels like a make or break season for this roster and coaching staff. Maybe eight wins will be enough to give them another chance with the team as currently constructed, but I don't see them winning any more games than that.

That's it for today. Come back tomorrow for my next four teams. 

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.

Follow Ty on instagram.

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

2025 NFL Season Preview: Browns, Saints, Colts, Titans

Strap in everyone, the next two weeks is going to be all football related content from me on the site. The NFL and college football seasons are right around the corner, and as I do every year, I'm going to do a comprehensive countdown. I'm going to start off ranking the NFL teams from 32-1. I will then do a postseason and awards prediction for the NFL. And then I will dedicate the final day to everything college football. This is my favorite sports time of the year and I cannot wait. Now, onto the NFL countdown.

Starting at number 32 I have the Cleveland Browns. This is a moribound franchise. They can't seem to do much right. I kind of hoped for Myles Garrett's sake that he would be elsewhere, but he signed a massive new contract and got paid. Outside of that, this team is bad. No one knows who will start at QB. The range is Joe Flacco to Dillon Gabriel, with Shadeur Sanders and Kenny Pickett in the middle. Flacco is old, but I bet he will start. Pickett is not very good, Sanders is currently nursing a sore arm and from what I've read, Gabriel has looked rough in camp so far. The running game has Jerome Ford, who, and Quinshon Judkins, who was recently arrested. Jerry Jeudy is a good wideout, but with no legit QB, that won't amount to much. David Njoku is also a solid tight end, but again, no real QB. And the O line is very, very bad. They may be the worst in the league. The defense, outside of Garrett, is not great either. I love Mason Graham, but he is a rookie and there will be growing pains. Denzel Ward got hurt recently. Grant Delpit hasn't broken out yet. And the linebacker corps is full of unknowns. The Browns may need to shoot for the number 1 pick, and with this roster that may happen easier than we currently think. I don't see the Browns winning anymore than three games, and I hope we get to watch Shadeur Sanders run this offense because he is, by far, the best option they have at QB.

Coming in at number 31 I have the New Orleans Saints. It feels weird ranking the Saints so low. They have been a relatively competitive team for the past decade. But now it seems like they are in some dire straits. Hell, they are letting Tyler Shough take first team reps at practice at QB. If you don't know who that is, go watch his combine. It is a true joke. I'd go with Spencer Rattler to be honest. They do still have Alvin Kamara, but he is old and seems unhappy in New Orleans. Chris Olave hasn't had that breakout just yet and Brandin Cooks is on what feels like his third team in three years. Juwan Johnson seems to get hurt a bunch. And the O line is mediocre. The defense is old or full of retreads. Cam Jordan was great about 6 years ago. Chase Young never lived up to the massive hype. Kool-Aid McKinstry is still young. And they don't have a ton of depth. The fans of the Saints deserve better than Tyler Shough as their starting QB and an unhappy Alvin Kamara. But, the current roster is mediocre at best. They may win four games, but no more than that.

At number 30 I have the Indianapolis Colts. What happened to this team? They always seemed to be in the playoff hunt, but now they are more likely to get the first overall pick than make the playoffs. I love the idea of Anthony Richardson at QB, but it hasn't panned out just yet. He has all the tools and the look of a star QB, but he is inconsistent and gets hurt a ton. He takes way too many hits. And his backup is Daniel Jones. Yikes. Johnathan Taylor is a very good back, but like most all pro running backs, he looks to be on the back end of his prime. Michael Pittman is a fine wideout, but he too gets hurt far too often. Tyler Warren was a solid pick at tight end, but he won't be playing college players anymore. His act may wear thin quickly. The O line is okay, but not great. The defense can be hit or miss. Kwity Paye has been very up and down. I adore Cam McGrone, but this is his first chance to start in the NFL. The secondary is full of players I have never heard of. The roster is full of doubts. They look good on paper, but the game is not played on paper and that is unfortunate for the Colts. If this team could stay healthy they'd be higher. But, since health is not guaranteed, this looks like a six win team at best.

The final team for the day, coming in at number 29, I have the Tennessee Titans. I love Cam Ward. He is going to be awesome. The Titans lucked out and grabbed the best player first overall in the last draft. But, he is a rookie and rookies notoriously struggle in year one in the NFL. And Ward will have his ups and downs. Tony Pollard kind of fell back to Earth being the number 1 running back on this roster. He can still be solid, but he won't put up great numbers. Calvin Ridley and Tyler Lockett make for a fast duo at wideout, but they are also very small. And the O line will be breaking in some new guys and a rookie. The defense is weird. Jeffery Simmons is great, but the guys surrounding him are no names. Arden Key is the only linebacker I know, and my memories of him are vague. The secondary is also very unproven. The Titans are in a full on rebuild and they did the best thing taking Ward number 1 overall. They now have a building block. But this will take time. The Titans are going to have a rough go of it for a couple of years. But if they stick it out, this team could be legit in three or four years. This year, they may win five games.

That's it for today. Come back tomorrow for my next four teams. 

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.

Thoughts on Bradley Beal and the Clippers

Bradley Beal has been bought out by the Suns and is now a member of the LA Clippers. Let’s discuss.

This has been in the makings for over a week now. I saw the signing, and at first blush I thought it was okay. It didn't really move me one way or the other. Beal is a better scorer than Norm Powell, but he isn't as reliable. Beal misses more games than Powell, or so it seems to me. He also adds another ball handler to a team in desperate need of someone besides James Harden who can control and start the offense. But, Beal is old and he is coming to a team filled with vets.

Looking at the Clippers starting five, at least who I think should start, we have Harden at point guard, Beal at the 2, Kawhi Leonard at the 3, John Collins at the 4 and Ivica Zubac at the 5. Coming off the bench we have Brook Lopez, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Nic Batum, Kris Dunn, Ben Simmons and Derrick Jones Jr amongst others. That is a bunch of well traveled veterans. As far as "young" guys they have on their roster, they all seem unproven. Kobe Brown has never been given a real chance. Patrick Baldwin Jr is on his third team already. I don't know a thing about guys like Kobe Sanders, Trentyn Flowers or Yanic Konan Niederhauser. These guys won't see the floor unless it is a true blowout or a bunch of guys have gotten injured.

When I look at this roster from a pure talent point, they have the guys to be a relatively deep regular season team. Bogdanovic is a step or two slower now, but he can still shoot. Brook Lopez could potentially start next to Zubac and push Collins to the bench. This would space the floor much better and give the Clippers two rim protectors. Nic Batum seems to be a guy that his teammates adore. And when he gets it going he can hit four or five straight threes in crucial moments. Kris Dunn is a zero on offense, but he is a hellish defender. He is one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA. Ben Simmons' story is simply becoming dull and boring. And Derrick Jones Jr can jump out of the gym. That's just the bench guys. The starters look pretty good too. Harden is still putting up very good scoring and assist numbers. Bradley Beal can still put the ball in the hoop and create open space from time to time. Kawhi Leonard is one of the better mid range scorers and he can still get to the rim. He draws a ton of contact and gets to the line as well. John Collins is a good rim runner for Harden and his shot is a little better. And if Lopez starts here instead of Collins, he can shoot the three, especially from the corner, and he is still an upper tier rim protector. And Zubac has gotten slower but surely gotten better each and every year he has been in the NBA. Last season he seemed to kind of put it all together.

Again, on paper, this team can get right back where they were last season, and maybe win a round or two this time around. But, and this is the big, big but in my piece today, this team will simply not be healthy enough to be a true contender. I saw a headline that showed Kawhi, Beal and Harden and it said, "who is stooping this team?". The response couldn't have been more perfect. It read, "doubtful, questionable and playoffs". That is exactly what happens every year, especially with these three guys, and why should we expect anything different now. Kawhi Leonard is one of my all time favorite players but he cannot stay healthy. He played over 40 games last season and we were all shocked. He can do so many things so wonderfully on a basketball court, he just isn't out there nearly enough to leave a true or lasting impact. Beal will miss anywhere from 20 to 30 games a year without a second guess. He will have a tweak or twinge that will sideline him for enough time that has an overall impact on the season on the wrong side and when he comes back he will need ample time to ramp up. And we all know playoff James Harden. There just seems to be something about the bright lights and big stage that makes him shrink. He is such an incredible scorer and an incredible creator, until we get to the playoffs. Then he passes up on open shots or passes too many times or never touches the ball. It is what it is at this stage in his career.

I have always had a soft spot for the Clippers and I want to see them do well. I mentioned my love for Kawhi. I also really like Ty Lue, Brook Lopez, Brad Beal and Nic Batum. Those guys will always have a place in my basketball heart. But, the injuries and mishaps in the playoffs are just brutal to watch year after year after year. I'd love for them to prove me wrong. Time will tell and I hope they exceed my expectations. With the addition of Beal I think they will look similar to last season, and that means another first round playoff exit. We will 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.

Thoughts on the Kevin Durant Trade

While I was gone last week Kevin Durant was traded to the Rockets. Let’s discuss.

We all saw this coming from a million miles away. I am glad he didn't end up in San Antonio, and Houston seemed like the most likely and his preferred destination. There were seven teams and a bunch of players involved in this trade, but the Rockets and Suns were the two main players. The Rockets acquired Kevin Durant and the Suns got Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks and the 10th pick in the draft and some second round picks. The Suns ended up selecting Khaman Maluach with the 10th pick, and the seconds moved around on draft night.

Pulling back and looking at this trade for these two teams, I feel like both teams got what they wanted in the deal. I'll start with the Suns. The Suns need to rebuild something fierce. They were in a terrible place when they traded for Bradley Beal last season. When that didn't work, the Suns didn't even make the play-in, I think the front office realized they needed to fully start over. I think they are currently in that process, and trading KD was the first step. Now they have to get rid of Bradly Beal, either buy him out or trade him, and they can really go into full rebuild. This will be a bummer for Devin Booker, but he must be happy in Phoenix because he just signed a humongous extension to stick around for a lot longer. The Suns did get two solid players in Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks. Green has shown flashes. He has up and down moments, but he proved he can score on a big stage in the playoffs last year. He also played poorly too. That cannot be overlooked. But now he is going to a place where he doesn't have to be the lone creator. He gets to play next to Devin Booker, who is better than Fred VanVleet and the other guards the Rockets have. That's no disrespect to them either. Booker is clearly a better player. Like or loathe Dillon Brooks all you want, but the dude is a menace on defense. He is a good, mean defensive player. He can also occasionally hit shots. But, much like the case with Green, Brooks won't have to worry about being on every single night. The Suns are not going to be good, and maybe the coaching staff will see what they have with Brooks at this stage in his career. I like the rookie Maluach here. He will get a ton of chances, and while he is raw, he was the second best player on Duke's team last season. He is also long which can lead to more blocked shots than others may think. The Suns, as I mentioned before, will not be very good, especially in the West, but they may be a fun League Pass team. I think Booker and Green can fill up the stat sheet, and I'm pretty high on Maluach in the long run.

The Rockets just jumped into the upper echelon of the West by adding KD. He has to be engaged and ready to play and give up some of the playmaking he may be used to, and I think he will be fine with that. He is old and oft injured, but he won't have to create nearly as much with this version of the Rockets. Fred VanVleet will find him for open shots. Alpernen Sengun will not clog the lane and can find him with some good passes. Amen Thompson will take a load off of him on defense. Steven Adams will protect him and has familiarity with him. Jabari Smith Jr is a solid big to put next to him. Dorian Finney-Smith is still a good enough three and D guy. And he and Jeff Green have been friends since KD was drafted by the Sonics. The Rockets have added a bonafide superstar scorer. They've also added a guy that knows how to win on the biggest stage. He can be a headcase, and if things go sideways quickly, it could be bad. But, if the Rockets meet expectations, this trade will look really good for one or two seasons.

I feel like everyone wins in this trade. Each team got what they wanted out of it and everyone seems happy. 

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.

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

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.

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.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram.