December 13th, 1997. Best Birthday Ever

Today is my birthday. I am now 35 years old. I want to do something a little bit different for my piece today. I was thinking about all the birthday party's that I have had, and I want to single out one specific birthday party that I feel like was the cream of the crop when I was a pre teen and a teenager. There were a lot of tough choices that needed to be made. I remember being a pre teen and having a party at the bowling alley and getting a real bowling pin and the VHS copy of "Wayne's World". That birthday was great, but not as great as the one I am going to focus on today. I also had to get rid of a good amount of the sleepover party's that were always fun as a kid. There have been concerts and comedy shows that I have seen on my birthday that have been great that had to be pushed out. Hell, I saw "The Disaster Artist" this past Saturday for my birthday, and while that date ruled, it gets a very close second place.

For me, the pinnacle birthday that I had was when I turned 15 in 1997. First off, I was one year away from getting my drivers license. That was great because I knew that I only had one more year until I could drive anywhere that I wanted. I was a freshman in high school too, so this was one of the first birthday party's that I had where it was just me and my friends. I love sports, and basketball is in full swing, both college and the NBA, in mid December. Also, the Heisman Trophy is always given out right around my birthday every year.

So, you might be asking, why is this birthday your "best birthday"? Many, many reasons everyone. As I mentioned, I was in high school, so I invited a few of my closest friends over and we all went to Old Country Buffet. Now imagine the delight that a bunch of football and basketball players, in their early teens, going to an all you can eat buffet. My folks drove us there, but they stayed because my mom and dad rule, and my friends have always gotten along really well with my parents. My friends and I absolutely threw down. I ate so much mac and cheese, pizza, wings, roast beef, ice cream and cake. It was awesome. I literally ate all that I could eat. So did my friends. We then proceeded to head to my parents house because I wanted to watch the Heisman ceremony and Michigan basketball was facing the number one ranked Duke Blue Devils that night.

The basketball game was on first, so we all sat down and watched, while my father joined us. This was right before Michigan got hammered by sanctions, and they had a pretty decent team. They weren't ranked, but they could play. Guys like Louis Bullock and Robert "Tractor" Traylor were their stars. I did not think Michigan would win, but I thought they would give them a game. Well, the game unfolded and Traylor could not be stopped. He was so god damn dominant. Watching him that night was a revelation for me. I've always been a little chubby, but I consider myself a decent basketball player. Charles Barkley was my first role model, but "Tractor" Traylor was the first rotund big guy that made me think that I could be a real player. He just could not be stopped that evening. Michigan ended up winning the game. They controlled the tempo from start to finish and they knocked off the number one Duke Blue Devils.

My birthday could not get any better as far as sports went, or so I thought. Still off the high that Michigan beat Duke in basketball, my friends, my father and I then watched the Heisman ceremony because Charles Woodson was a finalist. Again, I was happy that a Michigan guy was there, but I was certain that either Peyton Manning or Randy Moss would take home the trophy that night. How about those three guys as Heisman finalists? That is a hell of a lineup. Manning and Moss were the glamour guys that year, that is why I figured one of them would win. But, again, a Michigan win shocked me, Charles Woodson, my all time favorite football player ever, took home the Heisman. He is still the only primarily defensive player to win the award. I know that Manti Teo and Jabrill Peppers have gone to New York for the ceremony, but Woodson won the award. I was beside myself.

Michigan had 2 great wins that night. When I didn't think it could get any better, coming off the basketball win, Woodson took home the biggest award in college football that night. Michigan would go on to win the National Title that year too.(I do not agree with the people who gave them a split with Nebraska. Michigan played a much tougher schedule, won every game, and didn't need help from refs, look up Nebraska-Missouri that year, to win the Rose Bowl. They are the outright champs) After the Heisman ceremony my dad retired to bed, and my friends had to listen to me talk about Michigan sports the rest of the night. They were all good sports.

For all the reasons that I laid out above, my 15th birthday just stands out as the one I remember most. It was a great night all around. The food, the friends, my parents and all the Michigan stuff made for a perfect birthday. This is the best birthday party that I have had. I will always remember that day until I am no longer on Earth. It was truly an amazing night.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. It is his birthday today. Even at 35, he is still the baby brother of the Head Editor. Happy birthday bro.

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Some Conflicted Feelings about Quarterback Shea Patterson Transferring to Michigan

Yesterday Michigan football got a pretty big name transfer to commit to their school. Shea Patterson, after a very short courtship, announced his decision to finish his college football career with the Wolverines.

I have a lot of conflicting feelings about this decision. I did not know anything about this kid until this past weekend. I don't pay attention to college recruiting stuff, and this kid was at Ole Miss, and since I do not watch the SEC, I never thought to pay any attention to him. After all the sanctions that were handed down on Ole Miss, due to their former coach Hugh Freeze, a bunch of players have decided to transfer. Much to my surprise, the big time college football pundits that I read and listen to were talking not only about this Patterson kid, but some other Ole Miss players that were coming to visit Ann Arbor. I'm all for having the best players competing for playing time at my favorite school. This makes everyone better. Why do you think Alabama and Clemson are always good? It is because they have just as good players on their bench as they do that see the field as starters.

So from a competition stand point, I couldn't be happier about this kid coming to Michigan. He is going to push Dylan McCaffery, Brandon Peters and any freshman coming to the school this season. But, I'm conflicted because I kind of liked what I saw from Peters at the end of this season. He went 3-1 as a starter. I legitimately believe that had he started the University of Ohio State game, the Wolverines would have won. I know his three wins came against Rutgers, Minnesota and Maryland, but he won those games. He also looked pretty good at Wisconsin until he got his head driven into the ground by a Wisconsin linebacker. I was kind of excited to see how he progressed during the bowl practices, and over the summer. I also read recently that Peters was given a scholarship offer over Patterson in 2016. The Michigan staff must have seen something in him that they liked a bit more over Patterson.

Which leads me to my next conflicted feeling. I know that Peters got the offer, but this Patterson kid, from what I have read, was the top QB prospect in 2016. He, according to all the recruiting websites, was the number one pro style QB. He played his high school football in Louisiana and Florida, but he was born in Toledo, and grew up a Michigan fan. Even with all that, they didn't offer him, but teams like Notre Dame, Alabama, Tennessee, Oklahoma, basically every other major program was on this kid. He chose Ole Miss, I'm sure because Freeze promised his family something crazy, and proceeded to play pretty well. I read that as a freshman he went for 2,200 plus yards and 17 TD's to 9 picks. In his sophomore season, prior to getting hurt very early on, he still threw for around 800 yards and 7 TD's. He is also very mobile, which Michigan hasn't had since Denard Robinson, and that was his best trait by far. This kid seems like a mobile guy, but he can also throw the ball all over the field. Maybe the hype is legit.

But yet again, another conflicting feeling. I'm not super stoked about all the transfer QB's that Harbaugh has brought in so far. I was not happy about Jake Rudock but he turned out okay. He was a very good game manager, and when he needed to throw for a ton of yards, he did. I was very high on John O'Korn, but man was I wrong on him. I never thought in my life that I would opine for Wilton Speight, but that is what O'Korn did to me. With 2 already established Michigan QB's on the roster, I don't know that they necessarily need Patterson. He has played in big time games, and played well, but so has Brandon Peters. Also, Dylan McCaffery was a big time recruit. Hopefully they all push each other to play the best they can.

Another odd feeling that comes to mind. This kid may not be able to play this coming season. He has to get a hardship waiver, which he has applied for, and while it seems like he will be granted it, what if he doesn't get it? How will all the bandwagon fans react to that news? Will it be another, "we have to wait until next season?" again scenario. I don't necessarily think so. I think Peters or McCaffery will be just fine. What Michigan needs to do is lean on that run game and get some better play from the offensive line. They already have a very good defense, and if the offense can average right near 28 points a game next year, they should be just fine.

But this all leads me to another conflicting feeling. What if this Patterson kid is as good as advertised, and they plug him in at QB and he thrives. I would love to have, not only a stout defense, but a very exciting offense. There were too many games this past season where Michigan let teams stick around way too long. If this Patterson kid is as good as advertised, and can play right away, it would be nice to see them score 28 in a half, and have the game well in hand by the middle of the third quarter. That would be awesome.

I don't know how all this is going to play out. If you listen to the pundits, they love it. They say this will solve all of Michigan's offensive woes. Hell, even Paul Finebaum said that this transfer turns Michigan into an immediate title contender. But, I was looking forward to a roster filled with Harbaugh recruits. I wanted to see how the kids he personally picked for his offense performed. We will have to wait and see, but I just don't know how to totally feel about this news yet. I bounce between good and bad every other day. I guess we will just have to wait and see what happens next year, and this, in no way, tampers my expectations for next season. Michigan should be much better, no matter who starts at QB for them in 2018.  

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is willing to play QB at Michigan if need be. The Wolverinbes could make hostory by starting a 35 year old freshman next season. Sounds like a good movie to us.

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If Willie Taggart Wants to Be a Great Coach, He Needs to Learn to Stay at a Job for Awhile

Around a year ago I wrote about how much I liked Oregon hiring Willie Taggart as their head coach. He succeeded at Western Kentucky. He turned South Florida into a viable football program. So, I thought this was more than enough for him to earn a big time job like the head football coach at Oregon. Don’t get it twisted either. I know Oregon only won 7 games this year, and only 4 the year before, but under Chip Kelly and Mark Helfrich, Oregon had become a power football school. They are also located in Eugene, which happens to be where Phil Knight, Mr Nike, presides. They had anything and everything Nike had to offer at their disposal. That’s why Oregon had a million different uniforms and could pull in all kinds of recruits from all over the country. How cool stuff looks now is a big deal with recruits. I know it sounds vain and stupid, but it’s the truth. These kids want to wear cool stuff, and for awhile, Oregon had the coolest stuff.

In a shock to me, other writers, and players on the Oregon football team, Taggart bolted for the vacant Florida State job. First off, I get why he did it, but I don’t agree with how he did it. I’ll touch on why I think he did it first. It’s easier to get to the playoff in the ACC. Clemson is the big dog in that conference, but now that the committee has no problem taking 2 teams from a conference, who’s to say that FSU won’t rejoin Clemson as a perennial power. The Pac 12 is tougher. USC, Washington, Stanford and to a lesser extent, UCLA and Washington State are always competitive. Oregon has a tougher road to the playoff. Taggart will also get great recruits right in his backyard. He’s familiar with Florida, and convincing kids to go to FSU will be easier than what he had to do at USF. He is also making a great amount of money now. FSU is also a historical program. Oregon has recent success, but FSU has been great since the early 90’s. For these reasons I get why he took the job.

The things Taggart said before taking the job, and how he handled his exit was just terrible. It was the absolute wrong way to leave a school. He said, only a day or 2 before bolting, that he wasn’t going anywhere. He told the media and his players as much. He went into recruits homes and told the players and their parents that he was going to be the coach at Oregon next season. These players have taken to social media to say as much. You cannot, in this day and age of coddled players and recruits, tell them lies. They will go to Instagram, Twitter or Facebook and crush you with their words. The whole world is a platform, and these kids know this. They are not dumb.

It seems like now the truth about Willie Taggart is coming out. There is no denying that he is a great coach. He has won pretty big everywhere he has coached. I think, had he stayed at Oregon, they could’ve returned to the top 15 next season and been a real threat in the Pac 12. But, he bolted for what many deemed a “better” job. This seems to be his move. He is like Jim Harbaugh. People rail on Harbaugh for leaving every place he has coached after 3 or 4 years. In Taggart‘s case, he seems to only give you 2 seasons at most before he takes off. An even better comparison, and I’m totally taking this from Tony Kornheiser, how is he any different from Lane Kiffin? Isn’t this Kiffin’s move? He coached the Raiders for a year, realized he was in over his head and left for the vacant University of Tennessee job. Then, when the USC job opened up the very next year, he left for that. After he failed there he took a job as a coordinator at Alabama. Then, when things got tough with Saban, he took off for the Florida Atlantic job. And now, he’s looking for a bigger head coaching gig.

Basically, and I wrote about this a week or so ago, these big time places have no continuity with their coaching staffs. I hope Taggart succeeds because I like him. He’s a no nonsense coach that doesn’t coddle his players, no matter how many stars they had in high school. But, this trend of his to bolt is definitely a stain that he is going to have to live with. Recruits are going to look at him different now too. They may not give him their full trust. We will see what happens, and FSU is not the type of place a coach just leaves after a year or 2, but in the case of Willie Taggart, you never know. I still hold him in high regard, but, after what has happened this week, I might not think of him as highly as I once did. Here’s wishing him luck, but also, he needs to learn how to handle these transitions better when the next one comes.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is looking forward to the day that Oregon and Nike have a new uniform for every quarter of the game. Hell , why not every play?

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A Few Thoughts on the Winners, and Whiners, of the College Football Playoff

The College Football Playoff is set. From 1 to 4 the teams are Clemson, Oklahoma, Georgia and Alabama.

Now, before I get into my predictions, let us first talk about Alabama getting in over the University of Ohio State and USC. I'll touch on USC first. USC made a late season push. They proved that they are the best team in the Pac 12 by winning the title game, and closing the season pretty strong. Sam Darnold looks the part that many hoped he would when the season started, they have a tremendous run game and their defense has been pretty solid. But, early season losses to Washington State, and a blowout loss to Notre Dame doomed them. They also struggled with Texas earlier this year, in California. But, they smashed Stanford early on, and then beat them again in the Pac 12 title game. They also beat UCLA, albeit in a close game, and smashed a bunch of teams people thought would give them a game. But, in the end, the damage early in the year was too much to overcome. They had a great season, and they play in a pretty good bowl game, but they just couldn't sneak into the playoff.

As for the University of Ohio State debate. Before I get into this, I'm not going to trash them because I'm a Michigan fan. I'm going to trash them because of their ignorance and complaining. Last season the University of Ohio State got into the playoff, even though they lost at Penn State on a blocked field goal return for a TD. They did not play in the Big Ten title game, but they claimed that a conference championship game didn't matter. They finished the year 11-1. and they felt they had a better resume than Penn State, who beat them and won the conference title game. I HATE Penn State as well, so I am not making excuses for them. But, when the University of Ohio State plays in a conference title game this year, win it, but don't make the playoff and complain, you should see why I have a problem with their whining. They are hypocrites. They only want stuff good to happen for them when it benefits them. Look, they got crushed, at home, early in the season against Oklahoma, a playoff team. Oklahoma went to Columbus and trashed them. Then, later on in the year they went to Iowa and lost by 31 points. They gave up 55 points to that "dynamic" Iowa offense. This is exactly what happened to Penn State last year. They lost an early season game at Pitt, and then got smashed the very next week at Michigan. The committee has stated that big losses, no matter when they occur, matter in the end. I've read all the social media heat. People are pissed that a conference champ from a power 5 conference didn't get in. But, the same exact thing happened last year, and no one batted an eye when the University of Ohio State got in over Penn State. So, for all you University of Ohio State fans, it doesn't feel good to be on the opposite end of some bull shit, does it? But, do not bitch and moan, you guys got in last year on the same merit that Alabama got in on this year.

Alabama getting in over Ohio State and USC, I'd have no problem with it, but Nick Saban went on ESPN Saturday night and cried and whined his way into the playoff. Based on their last 2 games, they are not a playoff team. Now, give me a neutral site, and have Alabama play either school, I'd probably pick Alabama. But, it is not as clear cut as it was earlier in the season. Also, Alabama's best win is probably over LSU, but they are not the LSU of old. I know that the FSU game on the opening weekend was a big time matchup at the time, but it has looked worse and worse every week. And Saban's complaints about injuries and the like, shut up with that nonsense. Every team suffers injuries. Michigan played 3 different QB's this year. Auburn's star running back is currently hurt. Wisconsin lost their best linebacker before the year started. The University of Ohio State had to go to a backup QB in the Michigan game. Stanford dealt with Bryce Love injuries all year. Miami lost their best running back early in the season. FSU lost their star QB in the first game. Every team has to deal with injuries. Injuries are not why Auburn beat Alabama. Auburn was a much better coached and more physical team that day. That is why they beat you.

But, Alabama whined your way into a first round matchup with the clear cut number one team in the nation. Which, is my segue into my playoff predictions. So, the 1-4 matchup is Clemson-Alabama. This is part three of the series. The first 2 matchups have been great, and I think the same thing will happen in this game. Clemson is the best overall team in the country. Their defense is ferocious. They can attack you from so many different angles. Brent Venables may be the best defensive coordinator in the country. Their offense may not be as good as last year, but losing a Deshaun Watson type player would do that to any team. That being said, Kelly Bryant is legit. Clemson has a great running game. They have solid receivers. They have a pretty decent offensive line. They are just an overall solid team. Alabama has a great defense that will get some of those injured players Saban was whining about on ESPN the other night. They have a great defensive line, pretty good linebackers and a solid secondary. Where Alabama gets tripped up is their offense. They are predictable, which is fine when you face FSU or Mercer or Tennessee. But, Clemson will shut them down. Alabama thrives on their run game, but Clemson will stop that and force them to pass. And, as long as Clemson can limit Calvin Ridley, they should win the game. Jalen Hurts has proven he cannot beat you through the air. Clemson is a better team, and they should win by at least a touchdown. I think getting the line backers back at Alabama will make this game closer than it should be, but I have Clemson in a relatively low scoring game.

The other match-up of Oklahoma and Georgia, the 2-3 game, these  teams couldn't be more different. Oklahoma is very mediocre on defense, but they have the best offense, by far, in all of college football. They want to get in a track meet. They can run the ball and they can sure as hell throw the ball. Baker Mayfield, much credit to RD here, is going to win the Heisman, and that dude can sling the ball. I may not like him as a person, he is way too arrogant, but that dude is a great college football player. Oklahoma wants the ball and they want to score and score and score as much as possible. Georgia is an old fashioned team. They want to run the ball, kill clock and throw 5 yard outs to their tight ends. They are not an explosive offensive team, but they have the best backfield in all of college football. Sony Michel and Nick Chubb are amazing. They also have some stud freshman that steps in from time to time. Jake Fromm is not an all world QB yet, but he can manage a game. Georgia is stout on defense. They have shut down every team, with the first Auburn game being the lone exception. They are legit. This game is going to go one of two ways. Either Oklahoma gets the track meet they want and blows Georgia away late, or Georgia is able to stop one aspect of the Oklahoma offense and win an ugly, low scoring slugfest. I think it will be the track meet. I think Oklahoma's offense is way too good to stop. And say Georgia does somehow stop the passing offense, Oklahoma can run the ball extremely effectively as well. I say Oklahoma wins this game with a late 4th quarter run by about 2 scores.

That gives us 1 versus 2 in the title game. I am going to take Clemson to repeat. They will stop Oklahoma. Oklahoma will play in this game like they did the second half of the Iowa State game. Clemson is so fast, disciplined and awesome on defense. Kelly Bryant will also catapult himself as the 2018 Heisman front runner in this game because Oklahoma will not be able to stop him. I have Clemson winning this game fairly comfortably. They are the better, more seasoned team and their coaching staff has been here before. It is going to be a repeat and get used to Clemson being in the playoff. Maybe they are the new Alabama.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. No talk of UCF Ty? He is not interested in seeing another overrated feel good college football story get beat by 40 points by a real team. The truth hurts.

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Jimbo Fisher Going to Texas A&M is a Real Head-Scratcher

I was going to write about a movie today, but more pressing news has surfaced, and no, I'm not talking about Flynn pleading guilty, I'll let RD handle that. The news that I speak of is about another coaching move. I know that I have been talking about sports and coaches a lot lately, but this is a big, big deal. And no, I'm not going to write about the possibility of Mike Leach to Tennessee. I'll save that for next week, or whenever it happens. The news that I speak of was just reported by multiple sports sites, and that is that Jimbo Fisher has resigned from Florida State and is expected to take the head coaching job at Texas A&M.

I have a bunch of mixed feelings about this move. First, and foremost, I think that A&M did Kevin Sumlin dirty. That dude took this team to places that they haven't been since the 1960's and 70's. He was 26 games over .500 as a head coach there. He had a winning record in the SEC. He coached a Heisman winner. He won bowl games. Kevin Sumlin should have never been fired in the first place. But, they let him go, and seemingly, they got their man. They are going to give him an enormous deal, something like 8 or 9 million a year over 9 or 10 seasons. That is a TON of money. I get him leaving FSU for the money, and there is no state tax in Texas. But, the money shouldn't have been the major selling point for Fisher. Fisher has plenty of money already. The dude got paid the moment he took over for Bobby Bowden. He didn't need the money. So no, the money wasn't why he left FSU, at least not in my opinion.

There could have been many other reasons why he chose to leave now. This season has been a disaster since week one. I picked FSU to win the title, then Alabama crushed them and their star QB. They went on to lose 5 of their next 9 games. Where we sit today they are 5-6, needing to win their last game, which is a make up due to the hurricanes, just to make a very low level bowl. Maybe how rough this year has been was a reason for him to want to leave. Maybe he doesn't see it getting any better than this. Maybe FSU is going to be a 7-5 or 8-4 team for the next couple of years, and Fisher probably didn't want to deal with that.

But, Texas A&M is no world beater. Sumlin didn't deserve to get fired because that team won 8 games this year. A&M is considered decent with 8-4 records. The SEC is much, much harder than the ACC. Had he stayed at FSU, he could have turned it around and been in the national title picture as soon as next year. Now, he has to face teams like Alabama, Auburn, LSU and Mississippi State on a regular basis. I do think the SEC is overrated, but I'd much rather be a head coach in the ACC. The best teams in the ACC, outside of FSU, are Miami and Clemson. That is it. I do not like him taking this job if he is looking to be a constant title contender. As long as Nick Saban is still coaching Alabama, every single coach in the SEC will be ranked behind him, no matter what. If he thought FSU was tough, just wait until he starts going 4-4 or 5-3 in the SEC. It is going to be brutal.

Fisher is also a guy that doesn't care for fans confronting him. A fan this year yelled at him after an early season loss, and he yelled back. That shit is going to happen weekly at A&M if he doesn't beat teams like LSU and Auburn on a yearly basis.

Maybe he left FSU because he did all that he could there. He won a title. He won multiple BCS bowls. He won a New Year's 6 bowl. He too coached a Heisman winner. Maybe he wants a new challenge. I get that, and I think it may be the best reason why he would leave FSU. Maybe he wants to see a new college town. Maybe he is as obsessed with football as most people are in Texas. Maybe he wants to see how fertile the recruiting grounds are in Texas as compared to Florida. These are all reasonable excuses as to why he wanted to take the A&M job. This is the one reason that I will accept.

The more I think about this move, the more confused I get. I'm not confused from an A&M standpoint. They got exactly what they wanted when they wrongly fired Sumlin. They had one guy in mind, they threw as much money as possible at him and they got him to leave a great situation to come coach their team. The AD and the boosters and whoever else was involved did everything to get the guy they wanted. I am confused by why Fisher would want this job. I'm confused for all the reasons I laid out up top. I'm confused because he seemed to have carte blanche at a college football powerhouse. I'm confused because he was already making a ton of money. I'm confused because he had a good team set in place for next year. I'm confused why he wants to leave a less competitive conference, where the path to the playoff is much easier, to go to a tougher conference.

We will see how this all shakes out as the next couple of years go on. I am sure a bunch of key contributors to A&M this past season will transfer because Fisher is going to bring in a whole new staff and system. I'm also curious to see who FSU goes after now because that is a good job, and that team has some good players, including Deondre Francois and Cam Akers. This is all very bizarre, not Tennessee bizarre, but still bizarre. I just don't get it, but hey, Jimbo Fisher can do whatever the hell he wants to do, whether I agree with it or not.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is still not available to coach at Tennessee, but Florida State? Give him a call and find out.

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It is Now Time for Some Thunder Panic in Oklahoma City

Usually I am not one to worry about a NBA team only 20 games into a season. I said as much a couple weeks ago in a piece detailing the "hot" starts of teams like the Magic, Bucks and Clippers. I also said that people shouldn't be worried about some teams off to a "slow" start, like the Jazz, Grizzlies and Spurs. And, while some of those teams have fallen into place, the Clippers are trash and the Spurs are righting the ship, still without Kawhi Leonard, I do have to say that, if I am/was a Thunder fan, I'd be worried.

The Thunder have not seemed to figure it out, and they have 3 of the top 30 players in the NBA on their team. Where we stand today they are 8-12, and they could be much, much worse than that. I was extremely high on this team going into the season. I figured they could challenge for the second or third seed in the West. I was willing to put them in the Western Conference Finals. I assumed Russell Westbrook was only going to get better coming off an MVP season. Adding Paul George and Carmelo Anthony were both home run moves by the front office. Getting Westbrook to sign that massive extension was icing on the cake. But, a quarter of the way into the season, they have not even come close to playing how I envisioned them playing.

What is wrong in Oklahoma City? They play great defense. That all comes with Paul George. That dude is a solid defender. Probably one of the top defenders in the league. But, their offense is very lackluster, and they cannot close out games. Every time I check their box score on my phone, they seem to hold a decent lead going into the second half, and when I check it later to see the final score, they are always on the wrong end. I think their "big three" are having trouble meshing right now.

Right off the bat I have to say that I do not think this is all on Westbrook. I know that he is an easy target, and a lot of other writers seem to like to attack the way he plays. But, he is not the sole reason this team cannot close games out. He isn't playing the way he played last year, but he isn't playing like trash either. He is second in the league in assists. He is still scoring 20 plus points a game. And, he has put in effort on defense this year. So no, I will not put full blame on him because that is way too easy, and kind of hacky if you ask me. I will say about Westbrook though, he is not being as explosive as he should/can be. He is deferring to his new teammates to a fault. He is trying to hard at times to get Anthony, George and Steven Adams involved. He is the alpha on this team, and late in games, he needs to take over.

I think Paul George has fit in okay, but he is struggling with his shot right now. I've heard some people say that the Thunder are just stashing him in a corner and letting Westbrook dictate what to do, but I do not buy that. George isn't the type of player that would just be happy with sitting back and waiting for open shots. He is a rim attacker, and that allows his jumper to become open. Like I said, the problem with him is that his shot is not dropping right now. That is something that can be fixed, but it needs to happen now. They cannot get much further back in the standings before it becomes a devastating blow to their playoff hopes.

I don't know what in the hell Carmelo Anthony is doing. He is shooting nearly as much as he did in New York. He is not making many of those shots though. I have not seen him pass the ball once whenever I tune into a Thunder game. And his defense, well it is Carmelo Anthony, so defense is not really an option. I wanted him so badly to be Olympic Carmelo. He is the player of the "big three" that should be standing in the corner waiting for the pass for the open three. He is so deadly when he has time to set and shoot. He can also be hidden on defense on this team. He is literally there just to make open shots. He is not the first or second option anymore, and until he realizes that, the Thunder will continue to struggle.

The rest of the team, I think, is still trying it adjust to having these 2 new all stars. Steven Adams has not really lived up to the hype from a few years back when he looked like one of the best up and coming centers. He still gets rebounds and throws down some alley oops, but they need more from him. Alex Abrines is too young and too green for the NBA right now. Patrick Paterson, another free agent signing, is hurt. The rookie Terrance Ferguson, he is playing like a rookie. Their best bench player is Ray Felton, and that stinks. I like Felton, but he cannot be your best guy off the bench. That hasn't worked for any other team that has tried to do that.

What also irks me about their very slow start is some of the losses they have taken. If they were 8-12 with losses to the likes of the Rockets, Warriors, Spurs and Cavs, that would kind of be justified. But, they have losses to the Kings, Mavericks and just last night, the Magic. That should not happen with three players as talented as Anthony, George and Westbrook. That makes absolutely no sense to me.

I'm already preparing to eat crow for thinking this team would be great. Billy Donovan has proven to be a very low rent pro coach. He has been handed some of the best players in the world, yet he can't seem to draw up anything of value late in games. Westbrook needs to be more alpha dog and less, let me get the new guys involved. George, while killing it on defense, needs to start hitting his shots and being way more aggressive. And Anthony, he needs to be that lethal outside threat that this team lacked last year. They still have time, we are only 20 game in, but the Thunder have absolutely been the biggest bust of the first quarter of the season. Lets se if they can turn it around.

Ty

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

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The Memphis Grizzlies Made a Bad Move Firing a Good David Fizdale

Much to mine, and many others surprise, the Memphis Grizzlies fired head coach David Fizdale yesterday. I was taken aback by this news. Fizdale, at least on the surface, seemed to be a pretty good NBA coach. The Grizzlies made the playoffs last year with guys like Andrew Harrison, Zach Randolph and Vince Carter playing crucial minutes. Yes, he had Mike Conley and Marc Gasol, but the rest of that team was made up of super old veterans and guys just trying to stay in the league. Fizdale also had one of the best post game rants of all time last year, with the whole, "take that for data" rant. It was epic.

This year the Grizzlies started out rather hot. They won, I think, their first 5 games, and 7 of their first 10. Then Conley went down with an injury. This was brutal for this team. They need Conley out there to run that offense. He is one of the best point guards in the league, and for the Grizzlies, he is the perfect point guard and team leader. They survived a Conley injury last year, but not this year. Since Conley has gone out, they have lost 8 straight games.

It was getting so bad that Fizdale benched Marc Gasol for the entire fourth quarter the other night to just try something different to get a win. Gasol was miffed by this, and let the media know. He said, in not so many words, that they would have never done this to Mike, meaning Mike Conley, and that the benching made him feel unwanted. The remarks seemed a little rough, but nothing out of the ordinary in pro sports. Coaches and players argue all the time at every level of sports. Jordan and Phil Jackson fought all the time. Same with Kobe, Shaq and Jackson. I'm sure Isiah Thomas and Chuck Daly squabbled from time to time. LeBron James has fought with every coach he has ever had. Kevin Durant openly did not like Billy Donovan. So a coach and a star player arguing is nothing new.

But, maybe 12-14 hours after Gasol let his feelings known, the Grizzlies fired Fizdale. As I said before, I could not believe it. I know things are rough right now for the Grizzlies, but I did not think this team was going to even be a playoff contender this year. They have 2 stars, Conley and Gasol, but nothing more. The rest of the roster is filled with names like Jaymychal Green, Mario Chalmers, Chandler Parsons, Andrew Harrison, Tyreke Evans and Ben McLemore. That is not a playoff team, especially in the West. The West, while down right now because they are beating up on each other, is a very, very good and competitive conference. The top teams in the West are great, and the middle of the road teams are pretty good. I had the Grizzlies as a step below the middle of the road teams in my preseason countdown. When they started off on fire I was amazed, and I gave a lot of credit internally to Fizdale. I thought that he was a perfect guy to usher in a new era of Memphis Grizzlies basketball. Then the injury and the losing streak and the Gasol comments and now, he is out of a job. To give up on him, less than 20 games into a season, with an injury to one of their 2 best players, is nuts to me. Who does Memphis' front office think they can get to come in and win with this roster right now? What coaches are available that want to come to a team with an injured point guard and a disgruntled power forward/center? Who is going to have the fire and passion that Fizdale brought to that locker room? These are questions that I cannot answer right now.

To fire a coach this early in the regular season is such a bad idea to me too. They have to change on the fly. If you let a guy go in the offseason you get all that time to let them instill their game plan. Now, whoever may take over, has to try and implement their stuff during the season without a point guard. That is next to impossible. I would like to think that they would just give an assistant the job, but firing Fizdale may mean cleaning house. They could get rid of everyone that was on his staff. But, I do not know who they would bring in that could get them back to a playoff competing team. This firing could also mean that the front office has decided to blow it up, which also means trying to trade Gasol and Conley, but who knows. And again, wait to do that until the season is over.

David Fizdale should have been given a chance to right the ship. He proved last year that he is a decent NBA head coach, and letting him go because of one bad stretch stinks to me. He will find a job elsewhere, and I think the Grizzlies are going to regret this decision.

Ty

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

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The Disaster at Tennessee is the Biggest Question of the NCAA Coaching Carousel

The NCAA football coaches firing and hiring has begun. Last week I touched on 2 schools, Florida and Tennessee, that were in need of a new coach. Before I get into the meat of my story today I need to touch on something else involving college football coaches real quick.

First off, I am so very annoyed at all the Jim Harbaugh to the NFL rumors. Every offseason this has happened for the three years he has been at Michigan. It is great to have a coach that is this high in demand, but I'd like him to either commit or leave. I'm so sick of this happening every time at this time of year. After year one at Michigan it was the Colts. After year 2, it was the Rams. Now, about a month before their bowl game, it is the Bears. If he leaves after just 3 short years, when he gets to do whatever he wants, and is the most important person at the University of Michigan, whether you'd like to admit it or not, before beating Ohio State, or any highly ranked team, and before he gets to fully realize the potential of the kids he recruited, that would be a shame. I didn't want Harbaugh at Michigan in the first place because I knew this was going to be a yearly thing, the rumors, but now that he is there, and has been a damn good coach for this team, I do not want him to leave. I truly hope he stays, but you never know with coaches nowadays.

Also, Texas A&M did a stupid, stupid thing in letting Kevin Sumlin go. That guy had 56 wins over 6 years, was constantly in bowl games, coached a Heisman winner and got A&M up to number one in the country one year. If they don't get Jimbo Fisher, they are screwed. Sumlin did more than enough to keep that job, and A&M gave him the shaft. I hope Fisher passes on the job and they have to scramble to get a coach.

Other jobs opened since last week, Arkansas, Mississippi State, Nebraska, and I'm sure they will all vet out some decent candidates. But, all this turnover is why no team, or teams can stay relevant for long. As stated, Texas A&M was number one a few short years ago. Now, after winning 8 games this year, they fire Sumlin. The reason that teams like the University of Ohio State, Alabama, Auburn and Oklahoma are always relevant is because they have a consistent coaching staff, or head coach. Urban Meyer has turnover with coordinators every year, but he is still the head coach. That never changes. Same with Alabama. While the coordinators leave for other jobs, Nick Saban is the constant. Auburn, after a failed experiment with a coach I cannot even remember, hired back Gus Malzahn, who was their offensive coordinator when they won the title, and they are a big time contender once again. The reason why, recruits and players are familiar with Malzahn and Auburn. And even with the whole weird Bob Stoops offseason, Oklahoma kept Lincoln Riley, the offensive coordinator, and they are playing like Stoops never left. With consistency comes winning and competing every year. I wish more colleges, and some coaches, understood that.

Now that all of that is out of the way, lets get to what I wanted to really talk about today. As I wrote last week, Florida and Tennessee were searching for new coaches. As I was hanging lights outside my house yesterday, my phone buzzed and told me that Florida was finalizing a deal with Dan Mullen, and Tennessee was doing the same with Greg Schiano. Florida got it right was my first thought. They got a guy familiar with the team, and had major success at Mississippi State. It is truly a homerun hire. But, the Schiano news shocked me. It felt like Tennessee was grasping at straws. I knew they were never going to get Jon Gruden, but Greg Schiano? What the hell, I thought. Then more and  more stories started to come out yesterday about how bad a hire this was.

Schiano is currently the defensive coordinator the University of Ohio State. Their defense is okay, but not great. He was also a failed NFL head coach, and had a "whopping" 68-67 record as the head coach at Rutgers many years ago. All of these stats came out yesterday after the announcement, but my bewildered mind just couldn't grasp the hire. I mean, it is Tennessee, they can get someone better. People were calling this one of the top ten worst hires in any level of sports of all time. People pointed out his subpar record as a head coach. People also talked about the job he had done this year. Then some people brought up the fact that he may or may not have been involved with the Penn State scandal. This brought up a whole new set of terrible circumstances. It got so bad, the local government was threatening to get involved.

So, after about half a day worth of getting the shit kicked out of them, Tennessee pulled the offer. It was one of the most bizarre things I have ever witnessed. First off, this make Greg Schiano look like an awful football coach and person. Not many teams, at least power 5 teams, will ever look at him the same again. This whole debacle will make him an assistant coach for life. Or, if he wants any shot at being a head coach, it is going to have to be low level division one, or maybe, division 1-AA.

Second, and most importantly, this makes Tennessee look like a tire fire that will comply to whatever boosters and fans say. If I were a major D-1 coach looking to move up in the college football coaching world, I would stay very, very far away from Tennessee. This is a terrible, awful look for them. After their pipe dream of Gruden fell through, it seemed like they just threw a dart and picked the first person they landed on. Then, when that choice backfired, they pulled the plug. It is a real mess in Knoxville. It got so bad that someone said that their best option may be Lane Kiffin now. They already danced that dance and it was dreadful. Hell, I don't even think Kiffin, or Derek Dooley for that matter, would want that job now. Hell, their best, and maybe only option at this point, could be interim coach Brady Hoke. Yikes. I went through that Volunteer fans, and I promise you, you want no part of that. Tennessee has a real problem on their hands, and I do not know how they bounce back from this. And Greg Schiano comes off almost as bad.

This was just a wreck from the moment it was announced yesterday. Who will Tennessee go after now, I don't know. I mentioned Hoke. But, the guys I mentioned last week, Justin Fuente, Memphis' current head coach, a lower level assistant at a major program, those type of coaches are more than likely off the table. Tennessee is going to have to dig very deep in the trash pile of coaches looking to get back in the college game. Maybe they will go after Bret Bielama now that he is available, but I don't think even he would take that job now.

I would end this by saying good luck, but after yesterday, Tennessee needs a miracle to get any kind of prominent coach. My good luck does them no good at all. They are in a bad, bad place right now, and it is going to be a long while before they get up. Hell, maybe they should have kept Butch Jones around after all.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He has been waiting for his shot at a head football coaching job for years. He will keep waiting if Tennessee comes calling.

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Happy Thanksgiving

Eat me

Today is Thanksgiving, and I want to tell everyone what I’m thankful for in a short and sweet post.

First though, what I’m unthankful for. I’m unthankful for the “government”. It’s filled with racist, fascist, money grubbing, sexual harassers. I HATE what is going on in our nation’s capitol right now, and I hope with all my heart that these monsters get what they deserve. Got that out of the way. Now, what I’m thankful for.

Of course I’m thankful for my family. My wife has a job and is kicking corporate ass. My son is rocking the house in kindergarten and loves it. My daughter is getting a mind of her own and I get to spend everyday with her being the at home parent. I’m thankful for my coaching job. We are in full swing and things are looking great. The basketball program is tremendous and we are crushing it right now. I’m thankful for my folks. They have both retired within the last year and seem to be loving it. I saw them a bunch when they both worked, but now I get to see them even more and I love it. I’m thankful for my brothers. I still get to talk music and sports with Ross, and we joke around a ton. I’m thankful for Cub for giving me a platform to spout my thoughts on any and everything pop culture. I’m thankful that Seth still lets me go to shows with him and see some of the best live music I’ve seen in my life. I’m thankful for my nieces and nephew. Even though they still think I’m nerdy, my nieces tell me I’m the least nerdy of their uncles. I love joking around with my nephew and making him laugh. His laugh is contagious. Outside this horrid government, my life has been pretty good. I have a great and solid family. Michigan isn’t great at football this year, but I love watching them every Saturday. The NFL has been rough, but I love the protests. And my favorite sport, basketball, has been a blast so far. The NBA is a treat.

Have a great Thanksgiving everyone. Don’t eat too much turkey.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He forgot to mention the great food he is looking forward to for Thanksgiving. Things like Brussels Sprouts, Dehydrated Foods, and Whataburger. Make sure to stay away from Hostess Pies and Arby's venison sandwiches. Trust us.

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Where are Florida and Tennesse Going to Find Their Next Football Coach?

With Rivalry Week ahead of us, it means 2 things. First, there will be some good games to watch. But, the thing I want to focus on today, coaches are getting fired, and rumors are swirling everywhere about who will coach at the big schools next year. I know that places like Oregon State, UCLA, most likely Texas A&M, most likely Arkansas, and maybe, just maybe, Washington State will be open at season's end. But, the 2 schools I want to talk about today are Tennessee and Florida.

Both these jobs are open. Tennessee fired Butch Jones 2 weeks ago. Florida let Jim McElwain go after the ridiculous death threats rumors, and the overall poor play of the Gators. These are 2 big, big time jobs. Yes, both schools have fallen on hard times, but, these jobs are still marquee in the world of college football.

For the record, both these guys deserved to be let go. Tennessee was horrendous under Butch Jones. Every year Jones was there the preseason pundits said that, "this was the year that Tennessee football was back". That never happened. His best season was probably last year, and that team was a heart attack to watch every week. And, I think they only ended up winning 8 or 9 games. Butch Jones also always said something stupid. I remember him calling his team, "champions of life". That is so dumb. He was also a bad football coach, as far as X's and O's go. Tennessee always looked unprepared and outmatched, especially this year. They have been utterly dreadful this year. It came to a head at Missouri, and I know they have won 5 straight, but Tennessee got absolutely smashed by a team that they should have at least been in the game with. Missouri scored 50 on them, while only giving up 17. This is the same Missouri team that gave up 40 plus points to Missouri State. In reality, the Volunteers quit on Jones, but Jones also quit on them. I had to go through Rich Rodriguez and Brady Hoke, so I understand the relief that Volunteers fans have now that Jones is gone.

McElwain enjoyed minimal success at Florida. He had a better tenure there than Jones had at Tennessee. He went to 2 straight SEC title games. Yes, Florida got smashed both times by Alabama. But, they did enough in the SEC East to make it to the title game. McElwain also won double digit games his first year. He won, I think, 9 games last year. By all accounts, coming into this season, they looked like they would contend in the SEC East again. Then their first game happened. I watched it because they played Michigan. Michigan absolutely smothered them. I know Florida had 17 points, but 14 of those were on 2 pick sixes. Florida's offense looked worse than it had ever looked under McElwain. I then found out that Doug Nussmeier was their offensive coordinator, and it all made sense to me. He coordinated one of Michigan's worst offenses ever. After that game it seemed Florida could only win miraculously. They needed 2 Hail Mary's to win 2 early games. Any solid team destroyed Florida. Then the whole death threats thing. That was a total cry for help, and a way to try and keep his job. But, when pressed on it, he was caught in a lie and Florida had no other choice but to let him go. To lie about death threats is disturbing and insulting to that team and his players. Florida pretty much immediately fired him after that.

Since these 2 guys got fired there have been a million rumors about who will be their next head coach. I've heard tons and tons of random names taking over these big time jobs. The big one, and, for right now, the only name being mentioned in Knoxville is Jon Gruden. I do not want to burst your bubble Volunteers fans, but Jon Gruden will not be your next head coach. He may coach next year, but he is going to be an NFL coach if he decides to go back. I personally do not think he will return to coaching at any level next year. He has a cherry gig right now, and I think he is more than happy to call games and spout nonsense on ESPN. It is more likely to me that the Volunteers are going to go out and get not such a big name, but a good coach. Memphis' head coach could be considered. He has turned Memphis into a really explosive offensive team. Fuente at Virginia Tech would be a good fit if they want to go the defense and toughness route. David Cutcliffe has turned Duke into a decent team, and he has ties to Tennessee. I'm sure there are some good, young coordinators that should be on their radar. Look at what Kirby Smart has done at Georgia. Unfortunately the Jon Gruden stuff will, most likely, not happen. I think Tennessee will have to pick a "smaller" name head coach, but it will benefit them in the long run.

As far as Florida goes, I do not think they will get Chip Kelly, especially now that UCLA has let Jim Mora go. I know they have had multiple talks with Kelly, but why would he go to a place like Florida, where if he doesn't win right away they will be mad, when he can go to UCLA and build a team. He will have carte blanche at UCLA, a la what Jim Harbaugh gets at Michigan. UCLA will give him time to recruit and build, and I think he could turn them into a powerhouse in 2-4 years. Florida would be great for recruiting for Kelly, but everything else around that job would be rough. As I said, they would expect him to install his offense with the current players, and expect it to work right away. Florida has the speed to run that offense, but not the talent. Felipe Franks could be a good QB, but running a spread option up tempo offense doesn't fit his style. Florida does have a decent defense, but Kelly doesn't care about that side of the ball. He would probably be able to get a big name, but his lack of concern on that side of the ball would infuriate Florida fans from day one. Also, I think Kelly would prefer to go back to a conference he is familiar with, the Pac 12, as opposed to coaching in the SEC. He can already game plan for all the teams in the Pac 12. In the SEC, he would have to prepare for the Alabama's, Auburn's and Georgia's of the college football world. While I think the SEC is very overrated, I'd much rather get ready to face the Arizona's, Stanford's, USC's and Oregon's of the college football world. Chip Kelly seems like a guy that wants a cushy job, and Florida is not a cushy job at all. Florida is going to have to do the same thing that Tennessee will have to do. They need to get an up and comer or poach a good coach from another power 5 school. They should look at Willie Taggart. He has experience coaching and recruiting in Florida, and he is a hard nosed,  but offensive minded coach. Maybe they look at Memphis' coach. Again, he is an offensive mastermind. I think they need to go after an offensive coach that has experience dealing with defense.

So while all the Gruden and Kelly stuff sounds nice, I do not think it will happen for either of these schools. They will have to make what many will consider "uninspired" hires, but that could benefit them both in the long run. I'm excited to see what happens as far as who they hire though. These schools choices at head coach this offseason will shape the future of these storied programs. Hopefully neither of them will pick Lane Kiffin too. Stay far, far away from him. Especially you Tennessee.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He really needs to be careful with his Lane Kiffin criticism. What would Ty do if Jim Harbaugh left Michigan for the NFL, and the Wolverines brought Kiffin in as their next head coach? See, things could be much worse.

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My Life as an I9 Sports Instructor

Required Atheletic Equipment for Adults teaching kids

As most of you know, I am a coach/instructor for a company called i9 Sports here in Saint Louis. With today being the eve before our basketball season starts, I wanted to take my time today to talk about how much fun I have doing this job, and why this is a great program for young kids that want to learn how to play a sport.

I took a job as an instructor for i9 Sports about 2 and a half years ago. I was a coach first for my son's tee ball team, and doing some internet searching, I saw that they were looking for instructors. I thought this was something I would really love to do. I applied, and by the start of the fall season that year, I was an employee. From the start, I loved what I was doing. I got to play sports with kids, and I got paid for it. Also, the hours were awesome, especially for a stay at home dad. I work on the weekends, when my wife is home, so it was great. I usually only have to work 5, sometimes 6 hours on Saturday's and Sunday's. With the start of basketball season tomorrow, I will be working 8 hours, but I couldn't be happier, because I get to play basketball all day. At the start of my time as an official employee I was hooked. I was hired to be a soccer instructor, and not knowing much about the game, I studied up on it quite a bit. Also, my boss is a soccer expert, and he helped me out a lot. My main thing was just to be very energetic with the kids, especially our first group. 

What i9 does, they start the day with the youngest age group, ages 3 and 4, and get older as the day goes on. This was also perfect for me, since I have 2 young kids of my own. This made the transition to soccer instructor easier for me. Like I said, I used my energy, and the kids fed off that. They were very much into all the games and drills we did, and so was I. I found myself enjoying a sport that I had never played before. I also enjoyed learning about the game as well. And seeing the kids progress with soccer, from the first week to the last week, it was amazing. I had kids that didn't want to play, that picked grass, that needed to stay near their folks in week one, that, by week 7, they were running all over the field, kicking the ball to their teammates, and some of them were putting it into the goal with ease. Our seasons last around 7 weeks, and to see the progression was amazing. As I said, kids that wouldn't play in week one, or didn't know how to play in week one, they had the game figured out by week 5, and in week 7, they had it down pat. It was incredible.

As that first fall season progressed, I got to do some tee ball instructing too. I was thrilled, since this is one of the three sports that I have played since I was 3 years old. I had a ton of fun instructing tee ball. I found out that I love to teach kids how to play a sport, as opposed to getting involved in hyper competitive leagues where it is all about whether you lose the game or win the game. That is probably my favorite thing about the culture of i9 Sports. We want to teach the kids how to play as opposed to just throwing them out there in a competitive environment. This is why tee ball was such a blast for me. I got to teach kids that may have never held a bat before how to hit a ball. I showed them how to throw and catch. I taught them how to field grounders and throw the ball to first base. And, just like soccer, the progression from the first week to the last was exceptional. I had some 3 and 4 year olds, by week 5, they wanted me to soft toss pitch to them. They felt confident enough to get rid of the tee and let me pitch the ball. I also had kids that finally understood how important playing the field is in a sport like baseball. At first, all the kids want to do is hit because it is fun. But, you instill in them how important defense is, but also make it fun, and they grow to like playing in the field almost as much as hitting. Tee ball is still one of my favorite sports to instruct.

When my son turned 4 he told my wife and I that he wanted to try out flag football. I then got to do some football instructing. This was just as fun, if not more so, than tee ball. Teaching young kids that want to learn the fundamentals of an intricate sport like football may sound tough, but when the kids want to learn, it is a blast. The kids listened to me and the other instructors. They didn't come in with an air of superiority to us. They knew we were their teachers, and they listened intently. I loved watching the youngest group learn how to take handoffs, pull on the opponents flag and, some of them, learn how to run routes and catch passes. As the age groups got older in football, it was even more fun. We could teach them plays. They already had some knowledge of the game. And some kids, we let them run the show. Some of the best football games I have seen have been on an i9 field in the spring and fall. These kids really love the game, were eager to learn and showed what they had learned on the field.

Finally, I was asked to be a basketball instructor after my first season with i9. One of the parent coaches had asked me if I was going to do basketball because his son wanted me to be his instructor. That is one of the best compliments that I have ever gotten. When a kid says something you know they are being genuine because they have no filter. I of course said yes to basketball because it is my favorite sport. Basketball at i9 is so awesome. The practice, the drills, the games, everything about the program is perfect. We have dribbling, shooting and passing stations for practice, and we teach the kids how to play zone defense. It is the best. Then they take what they have learned in that first 30 minutes, and apply it to game action. And when you see a kid make their first basket or throw that perfect pass or grab the rebound or steal the ball, it is a thing of wonder. The smiles on their faces are priceless. The same thing goes for basketball as it does for football. With the young kids it is pretty much all about the instruction. As the kids get older, we kind of take the reins off and teach them to play, but also let them play. And like I have said with all the other sports, the progression from start to finish is amazing. I'm very excited to start our basketball season tomorrow.

For parents contemplating getting their kids into sports, I think i9 is a great program for all ages. We start at age 3 and go all the way up to 11, sometimes 12. So, if you have a 3,4, 5 or 6 year old that just wants to learn the game, i9 is the best jumping off point. We spend most of our time as instructors, teaching. For the 7-11 year olds, it is more about the fundamentals and the smaller parts of the game that may get lost, we teach that to the kids. Every sport is coed as well. Our sessions are 1 hour long for most age groups. So, it is one day, on the weekends, for one hour. We do about a 30 minute practice, followed by a 30 minute game for ages up to 7. For the older kids, they get an extra 15 minutes. The commitment isn't too much.

I love this company. I'm so glad to be a part of something so cool and fun. I know that there are i9 franchises all over the US too. I work for the Saint Louis i9, but I know of leagues in Florida, Colorado, Ohio and Arizona. i9 Sports is awesome and I think it is the best way to get kids involved in sports.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. In addition to being a good sports coach for your kid, he can also teach them how to bet the point spreads in college football. Ty is a well rounded role model.

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Don't Believe the Ball Hype. Simmons, Embiid, and the 76'ers are the Future of the NBA

Last night I stayed up to watch some basketball. The college season is in full swing, and so is the NBA. I watched the end of the Cavs-Hornets game on ESPN while also checking in on some Big Ten basketball and some other games I could find on cable.

The real reason I stayed up because I wanted to see the 76ers play. I haven't gotten to see Ben Simmons play yet, and I was curious. I have heard so many good things about him, but I wanted to see for myself. Unfortunately they were playing the Lakers, and all the talk on ESPN was about the "big" rookie matchup between Simmons and Lonzo Ball. ESPN seemed to solely focus on Ball, with a few mentions here and there of Simmons. The love for the Ball family has got to stop from ESPN. It is becoming disturbing how much they cover this kid, his father and brothers, I'm sick of it.

To make matters worse for the Ball family, and ESPN as well, Ball continued his awful play so far this year last night. Sure, he has had 2 good games, both against Phoenix, and we are only about 15 games in, but he has STRUGGLED mightily so far. When he gets pressured he gets rid of the ball in a flash. He cannot play defense, and his shooting has been atrocious. I'm sure he will get this all figured out, he is a good basketball player. But, when he isn't even the best rookie on his team, that goes to Kyle Kuzma, the hype needs to stop, at least for now.

The best rookie, and probably second best player on the floor last night, was Ben Simmons. He is as advertised. He is a 6'10 point guard, that sometimes plays power forward. He, like Ball, cannot shoot outside, and his free throw shooting is pretty bad too, but he controls the game in other ways. He can get to the basket with relative ease. I found it hilarious that the Lakers thought they could put Ball on him on defense to start the game. Every time down the floor, Simmons either backed him down and kicked it out to a wide open shooter, or he slashed to the basket for an easy dunk. It was obvious who was the better "first" year player from the opening tap. Besides getting to the hoop, Simmons just seemed to carry himself in a way that Ball hasn't, and may never, get to. Simmons was out there to win the game by any means necessary. He knows his role on the 76ers, and he is determined to show that he can ball out on any given night. Ball seemed a little lost, or maybe disinterested is the right word. Any time Simmons put pressure on him, he got rid of the ball immediately. Any time he had a look at a jumper he passed. He only took shots when he was wide open, and those clanked off the rim. Hell, even when Simmons switched to the 4, and TJ McConnell played the point, Ball couldn't handle him on either end of the floor. McConnell would drive by him for easy layups, and force Ball to either pass it too early, or turn it over. Simmons looked confident too. Like I said, he doesn't have a jumper, but that didn't stop him from attacking, or shooting a hook shot, which he is quite adept at already. He knows his limitations, and he knows what he does really well already. He had no problem setting up teammates, grabbing rebounds or playing defense. He is a Swiss Army knife player at only 20 years old.

Both of these guys paled in comparison to the night that Joel Embiid had. My god was he dominant. He ended the night with 46 points, 15 rebound and 7 blocks. That's some Hakeen Olajuwon type shit right there. I know it was only against the lowly and hapless Lakers, but damn, what a stat line. Embiid is so much fun to watch. I wanted to go to bed, but I just couldn't look away when he was on the floor. If he can stay healthy, which may be the biggest if in all of professional sports, this guy could very well be on his way to the Hall of Fame. He is so big, but graceful. He is dominant, but has a soft touch. He kills you in he post, but he can take you out to the three point line. I beg the NBA gods to not let this kid get hurt. He is the next big time star. He is who the league should look to make the new face of when LeBron James retires. He oozes star quality. And, he is on the same team with the heavy, heavy favorite for Rookie of the Year, Ben Simmons.

I still think it will take at least another year before the 76ers are a playoff team, and these 2 have got to show me that they can play, at the very least, 60 games in the regular season. But damn, Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid can play some great basketball. I have adopted the Timberwolves and Spurs as my 2 new favorite teams, but I very much enjoyed watching the 76ers play last night. I did not think I would be saying that for some time, due to the tanking, but it's true. Do yourselves a favor and watch this team, but more importantly, watch Embiid and Simmons. They could very well be the future of this league.

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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Note to all the Podcasting Fanboys, The NBA Season is a Long Way from Being Over

I listen to a ton of podcasts, and most of those podcasts are sports related. I do love comedy podcasts, but other than that, it is either college football or the NFL, NCAA basketball and the NBA. Since the NBA started about 3 weeks ago, I have pretty much exclusively listened to NBA podcasts now. And 3 weeks into this season, these hosts of the podcasts I listen to need to chill the hell out. People are already, only after most teams have played, at most, 11 games, making outrageous claims.

I was listening to the Ringer NBA Show this morning, and one of the co hosts said that he thinks the Knicks will make the playoffs. After 9 god damn games. That is nuts. First off, it is only 9 games. They still have 73 games left to play. They have only won 5 of those 9 games. Yes, Kristaps Porzingis has been great so far, but I say again, it is 9 games. Also, who else do the Knicks have on that roster that can propel them to the playoffs, even in the East? Tim Hardaway Jr? Frank Ntilikina? Jarrett Jack? Enes Kanter? None of those guys, and I like Hardaway Jr and Kanter, are that great. So, no, I do not think the Knicks will push for a playoff spot. They are only 5-4, and I'd be shocked if they win more than 32-35 games this year.

Also, these same guys that are all over the Knicks, they crap all over the Pistons, who are off to a much better start, and more equipped for a playoff run, especially in the East. They say all the things about the Pistons that I say about the Knicks. They say it is just a fast start and that they will level out. They say they don't have any stars. They do not like the coach. They do not like the roster. That is everything I say about the Knicks. But, I like the Pistons much, much more. The Pistons do not have a Porzingis, but they have a pretty decent roster construct. I am a big Andre Drummond fan. He is a classic throwback big, and he is actually making free throws now. I don't like Reggie Jackson, but he is playing some good basketball right now. Avery Bradley has been an exceptional addition to the team. I do think they will be right around .500 when the year ends, but they are so much better than the Knicks, yet they do not get the same love.

Orlando is another team that people are saying can push for the playoffs. What? How? Who do they have? Frank Vogel is a good coach, but this team is not even close to playoff ready. Aaron Gordon is a blast to watch dunk, but isn't he just a poor man's Blake Griffin, without the jump shot? Elfrid Payton has not lived up to the expectations. He has been very subpar as a pro. Johnathan Issac is long and athletic, but he is still a rookie, and we will have to wait and see if his rail thin body can hold up for 82 games. The best thing about the Magic though, Johnathan Simmons. He has been a revelation since signing there this offseason. But he is not enough to make the Magic a playoff team.

These podcast hosts are already trashing the Cavs because of their "slow start". The Cavs are 5-6 right now, and they do look bad on defense. But, they have LeBron, and they will be just fine when it matters. In fact, if you look at the wins they have, they are good wins. Sure, losing to the Pelicans and Hawks isn't great. But, they have wins over the Celtics, Wizards and Bucks, all playoff teams. The Cavs roster is very poorly put together, but they have LeBron, and he is the best player in the game right now. He can turn it on when needed, and I am done being one of the people saying that this is the year that the Cavs take a slide. Hell, they only won 51 games last year and still made the Finals.

Same can be said for the Warriors. The Rockets beat them on opening night, and then they lost 2 more games after that. Since then, I believe they have won every single game that they have played. The Warriors are so god damn good that when they get beat it is jarring, but they will be just fine.

The Thunder are off to a "slow" start, sitting at 4-6. But, I said in my preseason preview that it would take a month or 2 for Carmelo, Paul George and Russell Westbrook to figure out how to play together. They are going to be just fine. In fact, I am pleasantly surprised at how much Russell Westbrook has been passing the ball. George and Carmelo are cold right now, but they will start to make shots, and this team will start to put together stretches of 5 wins in 7 games or 9 wins in 11 games. They are going to be a 50 plus win team by season's end.

The Spurs have started okay, but Kawhi Leonard has yet to see the floor. Same thing for Tony Parker. LaMarcus Aldridge has been playing very well, but he needs Kawhi and Parker. And when those guys come back, the Spurs will 50 plus games again.

I've heard a ton about this rookie class so far on these podcasts too. And while I think this class will go down as one of the greatest, people again need to chill the hell out. Markelle Fultz is hurt. People are already calling him a bust, but he is hurt. Something is wrong with his shoulder. Also, isn't this the way of the 76ers? Don't they always sit their top draft picks for, at least, one year? I think Fultz will be just fine. I believe he is going to be a decent NBA player with a 10 plus year career. Lonzo Ball seems to be on TV every night, and from what I have seen, the dude can pass, but he cannot shoot, dribble or play defense. He also looks very disengaged during games, especially when someone puts pressure on him when he has the ball. He can learn how to dribble and play defense, but that shot is trash. His form is straight garbage. He needs to work on that. He will be a quality player, but he is no franchise savior, and the ESPN's of the world need to stop putting the Lakers on TV all the time. They are not a good team. There are some other rookies that have been playing well so far, but time will tell. Donovan Mitchell seems to be putting it together. Lauri Markannen has completely surprised me with his scoring. DeAron Fox is so fast and such a good distributor. Dennis Smith Jr seems to have a highlight play every night. These guys are good, but lets give it a bit more time before we put these guys in the Hall of Fame, with the exception being Ben Simmons. He has been absolutely amazing. He is as advertised, and if he ever gets a jump shot, he will be great.

My final thought of the first 3 weeks in the NBA, Bill Simmons needs to chill the hell out on the Celtics. Yes, they are 10-2. Yes, Kyrie Irving looks very good. Yes, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum have been very, very good. Yes, Brad Stevens can coach. And yes, they have recovered quite nicely from Gordon Hayward's horrific injury on opening night. But, it is 12 games. They lost their first 2 games, and they have won every game since. But, what decent teams have they beaten? I know for a fact that they struggled a bit with the Lakers last night, before finally pulling away late. But again, it is 12 games. If you look at Bill Simmons Twitter feed, you'd think that they are getting ready to hang a banner already. They have the best record after 12 games, but I scream, IT IS ONLY 12 GAMES! They need to do it all year long before I buy in. This is the first time Jaylen Brown has been a priority player since high school. Jayson Tatum is a rookie who missed a ton of time his lone season in college. I don't trust Aron Baynes as far as I could throw him, and that isn't that far. The Morris twin is fine, but he is losing minutes to younger guys. And Kyrie, while he is distributing now, will he do that in critical games? I don't know. I watched him jack up an awful three in game 3 of the Finals last year, when he could have pushed for a 2 for 1 opportunity, or get the ball to an open shooter. Kyrie wants to be the guy to shoot the ball at the end of the game, for better or worse. Calm down Bill Simmons, and the entire Ringer staff for that matter, pertaining to the Celtics hot start. It is only 3 weeks into the year, and if I were asked who would win a 7 game series right now between Boston and Cleveland, I'd take Cleveland in 5 or 6 games. Just remember, the Lakers started 10-10 last year, and people thought they might push for the playoffs, and I think they won something like 15 games the rest of the year.

So while some of these teams are hot, and some are starting slow, it is an 82 game season, and nothing is decided after 3 weeks. Nothing at all. Chill out everyone, the NBA is a long, long season, and the Warriors will still be the champions at the end of the year.  

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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RIP Roy Halladay

Yesterday Roy Halladay died in a plane crash.

I was shocked when I heard the news. I thought he was still playing professionally to be quite honest, when in fact, he retired 4 years ago. I do not know much, if anything, about him personally. He seemed to be the kind of guy that kept his personal life a secret. After yesterday, to see what former teammates and opponents said about him though, he sounded like a good guy.

What I will remember most about Roy Halladay is how great of a power pitcher he was when he was in the majors. He used to mow batters down. He was dominant. There aren’t too many pitchers like him out there anymore. When Halladay played, that was when I still kind of watched baseball. And he was a must watch when he was in the zone. He spent the first 12 years of his career in Toronto, and he was one of, if not the, best pitcher in the AL. He won a Cy Young. He regularly won 20 games. He seemed to always strike out 200 plus batters every year. He was great. He was the ace in Toronto. He was feared by some of the best hitters in baseball at the time. He was awesome.

Halladay left Toronto and joined the Phillies in the NL. He only got more dominate after joining the Phillies. He seemed to get stronger, throw harder and added some more pitches to his arsenal. He won another Cy Young, this time in the NL. I vividly remember watching him pitch against Chris Carpenter in the playoffs, both at their peaks, and Halladay coming out on top. I was upset, I’m a Cardinals fan, but I respected the hell out of his performance. I also remember him throwing a no hitter in the playoffs. That is amazing. These were the best of the best players at the time, and he no hit a team in the brightest possible spotlight. Incredible.

So that’s what I choose to remember about him, his dominance. As I said, I can’t think of a modern pitcher that was as good or as hard throwing as Halladay was. He was tremendous. The fact that he is now gone, at 40, is tragic. The fact that it was a plane crash, of which he was piloting, is even worse. Roy Halladay will be greatly missed. He leaves behind a wife and 2 children I believe. That is upsetting. He will assuredly be a Hall of Famer, it will just be so sad that he won’t be there at his induction. RIP Roy Halladay.

Ty

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

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There is Some Good, and Some Bad, in the Eric Bledsoe Trade

Eric Bledsoe seems to be getting his wish. It was reported earlier today that a trade was being finalized that would send him to the Bucks for Greg Monroe and a first round pick. This trade is both good and bad in my opinion.

Let’s go with the good first. The Bucks are floundering a bit now. It’s only 8 or 9 games, but they are currently below .500. I’m sure they’ll put it all together, I mean, they have Giannis, and he is amazing. What they are lacking though is a true point guard. That is Eric Bledsoe. This dude gets after it when he has something to play for. He is a bull dog on defense. He’s great at setting teammates up, and if you need him to score, he’ll go out and get you 20. He is easily the best point guard they have now. They’ve tried Matthew Dellavedova. He stinks. I’ve never been a fan of his, and since leaving Cleveland, he’s done nothing. They tried Michael Carter Williams, and he’s not even on the team anymore. They’ve tried Malcolm Brogdon, and he is so much better at the 2. Hell, they’ve even put Giannis at point guard, but that led to overuse. Bledsoe comes in and there is no question as to who the point is now. I also think he stabilizes this team. Giannis won’t have to do so much. He’ll be able to get to his spots now, and Bledsoe can set him up. This also opens things up for Brogdon. He can be the true spot up shooter and ball hawk defender. When Jabari Parker gets back from injury, he will be able to get multiple open looks. I can see Thon Maker being a great pick and roll guy with Bledsoe. Overall, this really helps out a Bucks team that needs it. Bledsoe will come in determined to prove Phoenix wrong, and that could help the Bucks push to a 4, possibly even 3, seed in the East. I think this trade puts the Bucks up there with the Wizards and Raptors in the East.

Now, the bad. I do think Bledsoe will be motivated, but what if the Bucks swoon continues? Will he want out, just like he did in Phoenix? Will he tweet, “I don’t want to be here anymore”, and claim it’s from a salon in Milwaukee? He’s done this before on a bad team. Who’s to say he won’t do it again. Bledsoe also needs to know going in that this is Giannis’ team. Guys like Brogdon, Maker and Parker have bought in. Bledsoe was “the guy” in Phoenix until all the complaining. Will he accept his second banana role? Time will tell. I think he will though. He also needs to learn the plays. This is an easy thing to do, but it takes time. The Bucks might not start winning right away, but eventually, they should right the ship. While the East isn’t filled with great teams, there are some great point guards that Bledsoe will have to face. He’ll match up with Kyrie, John Wall, Kyle Lowry and even guys like Ben Simmons, who looks incredible right now. That’s a tall order.

But my final “bad” news thing, I wish he had gone to the Nuggets. I love what the Nuggets are doing, but they need a true point guard to be any kind of threat. I would have loved to see him paired up with Kenneth Faried, Nikola Jokic, Paul Milsap and Jamal Murray. That would’ve been a hyper athletic, smooth passing and well run machine of an offense. He would have fit in so perfectly in Denver. I suppose the Bucks offer was better, but man it would have been fun to see him in a Nuggets uniform.

All in all though, this was a good trade. The Suns dumped an extremely unhappy guy to a playoff ready team with the best young player in the league. And they got a decent big, Greg Monroe, to group with their young talent, and a first round pick. The Bucks got a true point guard that can defend, and is out to prove another organization wrong. I’m excited to see him play his first game with the Bucks. I’ve always been a fan of a fully engaged Eric Bledsoe.

Ty

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

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The NFL has Some Pleasant Surprise Teams, and Some Unpleasant Quarterback Play

Yesterday was the first Sunday I have had off from coaching in awhile. So, I chose to watch the NFL all day. I usually only get to see the late afternoon games, which I watch, but yesterday, it was all day. Starting at noon until 7pm, I did not turn off the "Red Zone Network". I would get up and do things here and there, but it was NFL all day. There were some big things that I noticed while watching.

First off, the Rams and the Jaguars are good. I said it, and I do not feel weird about it. The Rams hammered the Giants. They put up 51 points. Their offense is very good. Their defense is just as good too. I'm shocked at how much better they are after firing Jeff Fisher. Good on you Sean McVay. While the Jaguars aren't as good as the Rams, their defense is amazing. They get after it. They were all over the Bengals yesterday. I know the Bengals aren't very good, but the Jaguars completely shut them down, especially after AJ Green let his frustrations boil over and started a fight with Jalen Ramsey. They could both win their divisions.

As much as I hate to admit it, the Cowboys looked very good too. They ran and passed and totally shut down the Chiefs. I do not know when Elliot is going to get suspended, if at all, but with him in there, they are dangerous. Also, Dak Prescott has proven that he is not a one year fluke. He has complete control of that offense and is a perfect fit. Their defense is playing way above their potential too. The only team better than them is in their division, the Eagles. They looked awesome yesterday. Carson Wentz is a legit MVP front runner. With Ajayi now, and Blount and Smallwood and Clement, they have probably the best backfield in the league. Alshon Jeffrey has been great all year. And their defense, they can shut a team down.

The Saints also looked very solid. Drew Brees had his typical 250 plus pass yards and a few TD's. But, he now has a running game. Mark Ingram has really settled into his role. Alvin Kamara is so good. That is frightening. This run game, added to Brees' ability to run that offense, they will be a tough out in the playoffs.

As far as some teams that did not impress me, first off, the Bengals. I already mentioned them in regards to the Jaguars. Andy Dalton is horrid. They cannot run the ball. And even without Leonard Fournette, the Bengals couldn't even stop Blake Bortles. This has to be the end of Dalton and Marvin Lewis.

The Giants stink. Eli Manning is toast. They have no receivers except for Evan Ingram. They do not have a run game. Their defense stinks. Their coach is a lame duck, and he is bad.

The Buccaneers are done as well. They looked so bad against the Saints. They could not do anything except start fights. They are so bad on both sides of the ball, and I'm embarrassed that I let them pull me in. I thought they were going to be decent this year.

The Ravens are really bad, especially Joe Flacco. I mean, he looks totally disengaged. It seems like he could care less what happens on Sundays. They can't really do much of anything on offense. Their defense is still kind of solid, but the offense seems to go three and out way too often.

I think a lot of people, myself included, may have overrated the Chiefs. They looked lost against the Cowboys yesterday. Save for that ridiculous check down hail mary that resulted in a score for Tyreek Hill, they couldn't muster much of any offense. They have dropped their last 3 of 4, and when they have to play good teams, they seem to get shut down pretty easily.

I know the Cardinals won, but I did not think they looked very good. Everyone was jumping on the Adrian Peterson bandwagon, and he went for 90 some odd yards, but it was tough for him against a very bad 49ers team. They have no one, outside of Larry Fitzgerald, that is any threat on offense. And I know Drew Stanton threw 2 TD's yesterday, but he is not very good, at all.

My main take away from yesterday was how horrible the overall QB play is. You all know that I am a big time fan of Colin Kaepernick. He belongs in the NFL. More importantly, he belongs on the Texans. After Deshaun Watson went down, I thought they'd sign him for sure. He has the same skill set, and he has been to the playoffs multiple times, and has been to a Super Bowl. But no, they went back to Tom freaking Savage. He went a "blistering" 16 of 35 for under 200 yards and one TD. Their defense scored their other TD. Oh, did I forget to mention the Texans opponent? It was the Indianapolis Colts. You know that juggernaut, right? I mean, that is embarrassing. Tom Savage is horrific. So is TJ Yates. If they bring in Kaepernick, this team still has a shot at the playoffs. If they stick with Savage, or any other QB currently on their roster, good luck winning 7 games. They looked so bad on offense yesterday. Like, really bad. Like, Browns bad.

All day long, for the most part, the QB's that are currently starting for some teams is a joke. There are exceptions. Dak Prescott, Alex Smith, Jared Goff, Drew Brees, hell even Blake Bortles and Jacoby Brissett, had good days. But, I also had to watch guys like CJ Beathard, Andy Dalton, Jay Cutler, Brock Osweiler, Drew Stanton, Eli Manning and Joe Flacco. All of these guys are really, really bad. Some of it is youth, some of it is age, but they do not belong on any team as a starting QB. The most glaring 2 though, Manning and Flacco. I already ran down the problems with Flacco. The Ravens need to move on from him. He is only hurting that team. But Eli Manning, what happened? He was never great, at least in my opinion. He was never the reason the Giants won 2 Super Bowls, he just happened to be the QB. He has always been a very inconsistent QB. But yesterday, and this whole season for that matter, he has looked atrocious. The Giants clearly need to blow it up. They are 1-7. They have no run game. Odell Beckham is out. Their defense is awful. But, the biggest problem, outside their coaching staff, is Eli Manning. He is done. He doesn't have it anymore. He looks worse than his brother did in his last year. He cannot hack it anymore. The Rams exposed every single flaw that he has. He needs to be benched, or even better, cut, and let the Giants start all over. He is so bad.

That was my biggest takeaway from a day filled with watching the NFL. Eli is done, so is Flacco, and if the Texans want any chance to make the playoffs, they need to go out and sign Colin Kaepernick.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. The last time he saw quarterback play that was this bad is when he and the head editor last played NCAA Football on the X-Box. The head editor was picked off 8 times.

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Bad Pizza Maker Papa John also Happens to be a Bad Person

This pizza does not look good, and we would still eat it before anything from Papa John's

Papa John is an idiot.

I have never liked his pizza for one. It is gross and just kind of sad. Any other big time chain, the Dominoes, Pizza Huts, Little Caesar's, all the chain places, they are much, much better than Papa John's pizza. Awhile back I also found out some personal things about Papa John, and that made me dislike him even more. He is an ultra conservative. He donated money to this current "administration". He is cruel to his employees. He only cares about his pockets and his shareholders pockets. Basically, he is a garbage human being. Also, his commercials are stupid. The people in them try way, way too hard. I am one of the few people who do not care for Peyton Manning, the actor. I didn't care for him as a football player either, and he is also a garbage person supposedly. But, I do not find him funny or charming or anything that he does behind or on camera. He is boring. He's not as boring as Eli, but he is boring. I also do not think JJ Watt is much of an actor. He needs to stick to football and raising money for hurricane relief. These are the 2 guys I saw most in Papa John's commercials.

Papa John is also totally in bed with the NFL owners. There are many pictures of him sidling up to douchebags like Jerry Jones and Robert Kraft. And these monsters even look a bit uncomfortable taking pictures with him. Papa John is a guy that got lucky and made mass produced pizza that some people like.

But, people haven't been buying his pizza much lately. I know that we stopped buying Papa John's over a year ago. I won't eat it due to his politics, and my wife doesn't really like the taste. Even my kids, who have no discernible taste buds at all, think the pizza there is not very good. When we get massed produced pizza, we go for Dominoes. Also, we have places here in Saint Louis like Imo's and Cecil Whittakers. They make the best Saint Louis style pizza.

In an attempt to make himself an even worse human being, Papa John said that his pizza sales are down due to the NFL protests. What an asshole. How dare he claim that guys protesting a social injustice is the cause of his shitty pizza not selling. He claims that people aren't watching the NFL because of the protests, and that has affected sales of pizza on Sunday's.

Time for some real talk. The NFL ratings have been steadily dropping for about 3 years now. With the invention of the "Red Zone Network", people do not have to watch only one game. There is also multiple NFL packages that people can buy where they can watch the only team/teams they want to watch. And some people would rather just be out doing things on a Sunday afternoon now.

Also, who orders pizza for lunch on a Sunday from Papa John's? Not anyone that I want to associate with, I'll tell you that much. That is way too heavy a lunch. And as I keep saying, the pizza is horrible. Also, if I am watching the Sunday night game, I do not want pizza. My wife likes to make a big meal for the whole family, so that is what we eat on Sunday nights. I'm sure there are a lot of other families that do the exact same thing. So no, the protests have nothing to do with your sales tanking Papa John. You make a bad product. People have found cheaper, better, and sometimes, healthier options than your trash pizza. Like I said before, if we go massive chain, noting is better than Dominoes in my house. Sales of frozen pizzas have probably spiked too. I know I buy a few each week so we have them in our house.

This claim by Papa John was just a way to keep his garbage name in the news. He just wants the attention. He is a puppet for the GOP. He thinks his words hold more weight than they actually do. Nobody cares what you say Papa John. I loved all the backlash your punk ass got after making this asinine comment. Even Digornio Pizza owned you on Twitter. Little Caesar's crushed you. Pizza Hut came out and said their sales are just fine. Dominoes didn't even bother with a response.

Face the facts Papa John, no one likes you or your pizza. You are a heartless, soulless puppet. You are a shill. You are no better than a used car salesman. You are loathsome. I hope your sales continue to drop and that you continue to lose more and more money because you did not come by it honestly. Shut your mouth and try and make a better product. Don't blame pro athletes that have a conscience.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He knows the Papa John has a last name. We think it rymes with shit-head, we refused to even look it up. 

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The NFL Trade Deadline was Actually Interesting This Year

The NFL trade deadline came and went yesterday, and boy did we have some big time names change teams. I was kind of shocked at the trades that kept scrolling on my phone yesterday. The contenders got better, and the not contenders got some picks. I want to break down the big trades and how I see this shaping up for the second half of the season today.

First off, we have the Jimmy Garropolo trade to the 49ers for a second round pick. This was surprising to me. I wasn't shocked that the Patriots moved Garropolo, I was confused by what they got in return. I thought that they would get a pick, but I also thought they would try and get a defensive player to help them out. All the 49ers had to give up was an early second round pick. Now, the Patriots could still make some offseason moves with this pick, but to get no defensive help, that was baffling. They could have gotten someone from the 49ers unit to help them out. They should have asked for a linebacker to replace Donta Hightower, or a D lineman to add depth, or a corner that can actually cover. They got none of those. And today, since they had no backup QB, they went and signed Brian Hoyer. Why not Kaepernick?! Why in the hell do teams keep giving Brian Hoyer a god damn job?! He is dreadful. Looking at this trade from the 49ers side, they finally have a solid QB. The 2 games that Garropolo started last year, he looked pretty competent. We will see how he does away from the Patriots, but Kyle Shanahan has proven to be a very good QB coach, and I think he has someone that can become an upper tier QB. But, for this season, I do not see Garropolo leading this team to anymore than 2, maybe 3 wins. They really have no threats running or catching the ball. Also, I do not know how the O line will hold up. This is a good start in rebuilding a team, but it will be of no consequence for the second half of this season. I also like this deal because it totally screws over the highly overrated Kirk Cousins. But that is a personal thing for me.

I was absolutely stunned when I saw that Jay Ajayi was traded. I was even more stunned by what the Dolphins got in return, only a 4th round pick. I know that Ajayi was unhappy with his lack of touches, and he was becoming a problem in the locker room, and he may or may not have knee issues, but only a fourth rounder in return? Wow. Ajayi is now joining a very solid running team, with a very good O line. He will bring speed and explosion to the Eagles. Legarette Blount is the big bruiser, and I think he will be fine sharing carries. Wendell Smallwood has been a surprise, and he is pretty solid, but I'd rather have Ajayi if pressed. He, if healthy, brings an entire new dimension to a team that sits atop the NFL right now. While they may not be highly explosive passing the ball, even though Alshon Jeffrey has been great, having this three headed monster in the backfield will be a headache for opposing defenses. Also, they will be able to chew up the clock. I love this move for the Eagles. I do not know what in the hell the Dolphins are doing. But hey, this was the team that went out and signed Jay Cutler this offseason. They cannot be trusted to make good decisions anymore. This feels like a throw in the towel move by them.

The Seahawks went out and finally tried to shore up one side of their offensive line and traded Jeremy Lane for Duane Brown. Duane Brown is a very, very solid left tackle. He can block, and when engaged, he can be great. He has only played one game this season, he was holding out for a contract, so that may slow him down a bit. But, once he gets going, he will be the one and only O lineman that will protect Russell Wilson. That is the down side for the Seahawks in this deal. Duane Brown is only one guy. The offensive line is composed of 5 guys. I still do not trust the other four, but the left tackle spot is on lock now. The Texans got a pretty good safety in return. Jeremy Lane is probably the only guy in the Seahawks secondary that they didn't mind parting ways with. With that being said, he is pretty solid. He can cover and he can hit. He will bring the Texans a toughness that they are lacking in their secondary. This is a very good trade for both teams. I do think it moves the needle a bit more for the Seahawks, but the this could help the Texans push for the title in their god awful division, or a wild card spot. Their offense is set, and adding Lane will help their defense.

When I thought all the madness was done, the Panthers astonished me by trading Kelvin Benjamin to the Bills for a 3rd and 7th round pick. I was floored by this. Benjamin seemed to be finally figuring it out. He was becoming the big time red zone threat that most thought he would be when he came into the league. He is 6'6, his destiny is to be a serious red zone target. Now, the Panthers let that go for 2 picks, none of which are a first, or even a second rounder. That is ridiculous. I think Benjamin will help out the Bills, and more importantly, Tyrod Taylor, a ton. Taylor doesn't have any big time pass catcher, and now, I think he does. The Bills already have a great run game and solid defense, but now they have a big time target at receiver. They are 5-2, and already a tough out for all their opponents. Now, with Benjamin, opposing coaches have to game plan not only for their run game, but also their pass game. This is a solid, solid move for them. The Panthers, I look at this trade like I do with Ajayi to the Eagles. What in the world are the Panthers doing?! They are still in position to compete for a division title and a playoff spot, and they are going to let one of their top receivers go? That is crazy to me. I know they have Devin Funchess, and some rumors are swirling that this trade will push Christian McCaffery to being a full time wide out, but I'd rather have Funchess and Benjamin than Funchess and McCaffery. At least Benjamin, when healthy, put up solid numbers.

The best, and fairest trade was Brown for Lane. All the other trades, Garropolo, Ajayi and Benjamin, they make no sense to me. I may be wrong on the Garropolo trade because the Patriots will most likely do something with that pick. But, the other 2 trades, the Dolphins and Panthers seem to have no idea what they are doing. The Ajayi trade is another death knell in this season for the Dolphins. And, the Benjamin trade to Buffalo makes the Bills better, and really, really hurts the Panthers. I'm excited to see these guys play for their new squads, and for some, it could change their season drastically. This was one of the most fun NFL trade deadlines that I can ever remember. The NFL needed something like this, because it has been a pretty rough year from many different angles. Now someone just needs to sign Colin Kaepernick.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He was going to talk about the AJ McCarron non-trade, but why point out the ineptness of the Bengals and Browns once again.

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The SeedSing 2017 NFL Midseason Redo

Just like I did with the mid point of the NCAA football season last week, this week, after tonight we will be at the mid point, I'm going to do a checkup and redo of my preseason NFL picks. I'll do the division winners and wild card teams, the MVP, rookie of the year on offense and defense, coach of the year and my Super Bowl matchup and champs. I've got a TON to change due to injuries and some surprises. Some stuff I got right, but some stuff I got very, very wrong.

Okay, lets start with the AFC. First off, I do not know who is the best team in the AFC. One week I think it is the Patriots, then the Steelers, hell, I have even considered the Bills as one of the best teams in this conference. It is so out of whack. Anyway, the AFC East is all about the Patriots and the Bills. The Dolphins stink. They are 4-3, better than I thought, but none of that has to do with Cutler, who is out with an injury of course, and they just got their asses whooped by the Ravens last Thursday night. I believe the final score was 40-0. The Dolphins are horrendous. The Jets are much, much, much better than I thought they'd be. I was one of the people that considered picking them to go 0-16. This was when I thought Christian Hackenberg was going to be their starting QB, but they went to Josh McCown, and he has been surprisingly decent. The Jets are still pretty awful, but they are 3-5, and surpassed my expectations of their entire win total in 8 games. Todd Bowles has proven to be a very competent, and good, NFL head coach, given the roster he had to work with coming into this year. The Patriots are a very shaky 6-2 team right now. The offense is fine, but they may be losing Chris Hogan, and they already lost Julian Edelman. They do have a stable of running backs, and they will find some fine receivers and they have Tom Brady and a solid O line. The Patriots problem lies within their defense. Their defense is horrid. Yeah, they stopped Matt Ryan, but every QB prior to that was shredding them. They also have a bad run defense. They are bad on that side of the ball. Maybe they will get some new bodies, but right now, they are bad on defense. The Bills are one of my biggest surprises. I did not think they would be good, but they play incredibly sound defense, and they know their limitations on offense. Tyrod Taylor has been great. LeSean McCoy has been great. Their O line is very good. And their defense is stout. If their offense gives them 20 points, they will win. The Bills are 5-2, and I could see them winning 10 or 11 games. But, I am still going to go with the Patriots to win this division, but barely.

The Chiefs will win the AFC West unless they absolutely blow it. They have cooled off since their 5-0 start, but the rest of the division is not that good. Also, the Chiefs are playing better offense and their defense is very good, even without Eric Berry. The Raiders stink. They were my, along with a ton of people, pick to take a big leap. They have not. Derek Carr is playing timid. Amari Cooper is dropping the ball all the time. They have no run game. And their defense stinks. They'll be lucky to win 7 games. The Broncos are atrocious on offense. Trevor Siemian is not a starting QB. Neither is Paxton Lynch and anyone else they may have on their roster. They could go out and sign Colin Kaepernick, which would be an ideal fit, but they won't, unfortunately. The Broncos defense is really good, as always, and Von Miller is so good, but the defense is wasted by their horrid offense. As stated, Siemian stinks. He cannot get the ball to Thomas or Sanders in stride. They can't really run either because everyone is stacking the box and daring them to throw. 8-8 seems like their destiny. The Chargers have played better since beating the Giants, but they are no better than 7-9 to me. Phil Rivers is too old, they have no go to receiver and they do not give Melvin Gordon the ball enough. They have a good, young defense, which I do like. The Chargers need to retool their offense, but their defense is set. The Chiefs should easily win the West.

The AFC North is an absolute joke outside of the Steelers. The Steelers look to be finally figuring it out, and that should scare teams. They have Brown, Smith-Schuster and LeVeon Bell. As long as they lean on those guys, and not Ben Roesthilberger, the Steelers will be just fine. Their defense has been great too. The Ravens are so bad on offense, and I know they just had 2 pick sixes, but their defense is not what it once was. Joe Flacco is going to probably miss some time and Ryan Mallett is their backup. Yikes. The Bengals stink. Andy Dalton is bad. AJ Green is not getting enough targets. Their three running backs are not that good. Their defense is old, but still dirty. Maybe this is the year the front office finally gives up on Marvin Lewis and Andy Dalton. And then we have the Browns. The Browns are an absolute mess. That is all that needs to be said. Steelers are the easy pick for this division.

The AFC South is very close, but the teams all have big time flaws. The Jaguars have a very good defense. A top notch defense. They've had 2 games where they have sacked the opposing QB 10 times. That is amazing. Their problem, Blake Bortles. He is awful. They have Fournette, and when he isn't hurt, he carries that offense. But, when they have to rely on Bortles, it is a disaster. The Texans have Deshaun Watson and he is amazing. They also have DeAndre Hopkins and he is amazing. They have a very explosive offense. They lost JJ Watt and Whitney Mercilus on defense, but they still have Jadaveon Clowney, but not much more. They also have Bill O'Brien and their horribly racist owner, which is their downfall. The Titans are the most inconsistent team in the NFL. They are not grinding games out like they should, but no one is blowing them out either. They just cannot put together a complete game. That will be their downfall. Then we have the Colts. The Colts stink. The Colts are almost as big a mess as the Browns. They should shelve Luck for the rest of the year and try and get a high draft pick. That is their best case scenario. If I had to pick a division winner right now, I guess I'd take the Jaguars, but I have zero confidence in that pick.

So the AFC playoff teams would be the Patriots, Steelers, Chiefs and Jaguars as the division winners, and my 2 wild card, the Bills and, I guess, the Broncos. I'll take the Patriots and Steelers in the AFC title game, and give me the Steelers to outscore the Patriots and make the Super Bowl.

Now for the NFC. Lets start with the NFC East because they have the best team, record wise, in the NFL right now. The Eagles have a strangle hold on this division. They are 3 games up with 8 left to play. Carson Wentz has looked great. They have a solid run game. Alshon Jeffrey has been a great addition. They have a very solid defense. They should coast to the title. The Cowboys are playing better as of late, but the last 2 wins came at San Francisco, and a depleted Washington team. Ezekial Elliot will probably not serve any of his suspension this season, so that helps them. Dak Prescott has been very solid flowing up a very impressive rookie year. Dez Bryant has been fine as their number one wide out. Jason Witten is showing wear and tear finally. Their O line is still very good. Their defense is suspect to me. They have not really faced a tough opponent, outside of Green Bay when Rodgers was healthy, so I want to see this defense stop a quality team. All 4 of the Cowboys wins have come against teams at or below .500. I do not buy them yet. Washington is very poorly coached. Jay Gruden looks so lost out there. Kirk Cousins hasn't been All Pro caliber this year either. They do not have a run game. Their receivers are very average. And while I love Vernon Davis, he is pretty old now. Their defense is very good, but they spend so much time on the field due to their lackluster offense. That hurts teams. The Giants are so, so, so bad. They are bad on every level. I picked this team to win this division, but I was clearly wrong. Their O line is awful. Eli Manning is terrible. They have no run game. and now that Beckham is done for the year, they have no on to catch the ball. The Giants may not win another game all year. The Eagles will coast.

The NFC West is surprisingly decent. Well, I should say, the Seahawks are very good, but so are the Rams. I do not think anyone saw this coming from the Rams. They play very sound defense, which keeps them in games all the time. But their offense has been a big time surprise. I knew Todd Gurley was good, and he is finally showing that again this year. But, who saw this upgrade from Jared Goff, Sammy Watkins and Cooper Kupp? No one. And if you say you did, you are  a god damn liar. Good for Sean McVay, and maybe this team will push for a playoff spot. The Seahawks are good, as always. Their defense is still top notch. They did get roasted by a rookie yesterday, but other than that game, they have put the clamps on pretty much every opponent. Oh, and Sheldon Richardson is starting to wreak havoc. That's scary. The offense goes as Russell Wilson goes. Their run game and O line might be the worst in the NFL though. But, they have deep threats all over the field, and Jimmy Graham looks pretty good again. The O line and lack of a running game may doom this team though. The 49ers are in full rebuild mode, and after playing very hard the first 5 games, they have been destroyed the last three. This is looking like 2-3 years before this team is even close to being .500 and competent. They need pretty much everything. The Arizona Cardinals, my dark horse, has been bad, and now filled with injuries. David Johnson went out week one. Carson Palmer week 6. They traded for Adrian Peterson, but he is well past his prime. Their defense has not looked good, and I'm just waiting for the inevitable Tyrann Mathieu injury. Larry Fitzgerald deserves better than this. I know he wants to stay with one team his whole career, but now is the time to trade him to a real contender so he has one last shot at winning a ring. The Cardinals need to start thinking about a full rebuild. I have the Seahawks winning this division, but the Rams will fight.

The NFC North is now the Vikings to lose after Aaron Rodgers was lost for the year due to a broken collarbone. I know that the Packers say he could be back, but do not rush him back. Save him for next year. I also know that I picked the Packers to win the Super Bowl this year. Well, that will not happen now. Brett Hundley is not being given a fair shot. McCarthy is way too scared to open up the playbook for him. I still think they should go after Kaepernick too. Randall Cobb, Jordy Nelson, Davante Adams, they are all great, but only with Rodgers at QB. They will not see the kind of passes they usually see until next year. Ty Montgomery has been okay as a full time running back, but he gets hurt way too much. I do really like this Aaron Jones kid though. He has been a revelation. Martellus Bennett hasn't lived up to my expectations, but he is still a quality tight end. The defense is not where I thought it would be right now either. They still give up way too many chunk plays, and they have a hard time getting opposing teams off the field on third down. This is a lost year for Green Bay. The Vikings have one of the best defenses in all of football. That will easily carry them to 10 wins. What has been surprising is how decent their offense has been. They extend drives, they run the ball well, and Case Keenum has looked average, which is good for him, this year. The Vikings are good. The Bears have a really good defense, shockingly, and 2 great running backs. What they don't have is a confident QB and they have no receivers. Trubisky has looked very, very below average since he became the starter. And the receiving corps, I cannot name one guy off the top of my head. I also do not think John Foxx wants to be there. The Bears defense will keep them in games, but they are no more than a 5 or 6 win team. The Lions are exactly what I thought they were going into this year. They have some explosive plays on offense, but they can never seem to finish off drives. They also don't have any real solid running backs. It is not like they like to run anyway. They have okay receivers, but no one that scares any corner like Calvin Johnson did. They will be a tough win for teams, but they look like a 7-9 team. The Vikings will run away with the North.

The NFC South is bad, and I thought it was going to be the best division in the NFL. The Saints are the leaders right now, and I do not think they have looked as great as some others do. They finally have a run though. Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara have been so good for them. Getting rid of Adrian Peterson was also a great move. But, Drew Brees and this group of receivers are not putting up the numbers that I thought they would. Some of that is due to their much improved run game, some due to old age. The Saints also have a very opportunistic defense now, which they have never really had. They are much better than I thought they would be. The rest of the South is a mess. The Panthers look so bad on offense. Cam Newton looks off. They are trying way too hard to get McCaffery the ball. Kelvin Benjamin and Devin Funchess are fine, but not world beaters. Their defense is very average too. Luke Keuchly got another concussion. They can stop the run, but struggle at stopping the pass. What hurts them most though is self inflicted wounds. Just look at their recent game against the Bears. Two pick sixes, and they got beat by a team that threw the ball 7 times. The Panthers are going nowhere fast. The Falcons seem to have major Super Bowl hangover. They are not nearly as explosive on offense as last year. They do not run the ball enough. Matt Ryan is reverting back to being a mid tier QB. Julio Jones cannot get enough touches. They are basic on offense. Their defense is okay, but not elite. They just do not look like the same team I watched last year. And then there is the Buccaneers. I loved this team going into this year. I thought they had the goods on both sides of the ball to take a big leap. Well, their offense is bad. Jameis Winston seems to have regressed, and he is hurt. Doug Martin a middle of the road running back. Mike Evans can't get open. Desean Jackson is not being used correctly. Same with OJ Howard. The defense is incredibly mediocre. They don't do anything that wows anyone or jumps off the page. They are 2-5, and with no bye week, they will be lucky to finish with 6 wins. The Saints will win this division because they are the only team in it that plays competent football.

So my NFC playoff teams are, the Eagles, Seahawks, Vikings and Saints as the division winners, and my 2 wild card teams are the Rams and, I guess the Cowboys. The NFC title game will be the Seahawks and the Eagles, and I am going with the Eagles to go to the Super Bowl.

I cannot tell you how much I would loathe watching the Super Bowl I picked. I despise both the Steelers and the Eagles. My Super Bowl winner will have to be the Steelers. They have the talent and experience. Ugh, I feel gross now.

As far as award winners, my MVP, Carson Wentz. I'd love to go Deshaun Watson, but they won't give it to a rookie. My offensive rookie of the year is Deshaun Watson though. He is also my offensive player of the year. My defensive rookie of the year, I guess TJ Watt because the voters do love the Watt family for some reason. My defensive player of the year, and I am going to go out on a limb here, but anyone from the Jaguars D line. They have 2 games with 10 sacks like is said earlier! That's amazing! Coach of the year will be Doug Pederson because he will get to the Super Bowl in the super watered down NFC.

Okay, there's my midseason NFL redo. Hopefully Carson Wentz doesn't get hurt like David Johnson did. And lets also hope that the second half of the NFL is much better than the first half of the year. And also, can Colin Kaepernick please get signed already. Enough is enough.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He literally vomited in his own mouth when he wrote down the Super Bowl Pick. All Pennsalvania is not what he wanted.

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Let Me Calmly Explain Why Bob McNair is a Terrible Person

Keep on taking a knee

Screw you Bob McNair. Screw you you racist asshole. Screw you you fascist pig. Screw you you pile of human garbage. Screw you.

For those of you that do not know who Bob McNair is, he is the owner of the Houston Texans. Yesterday he said, talking about the flag protests in the NFL, "the inmates are running the prison". Think about that for a minute. A rich, white business man, who I am pretty sure supports the current people in our "government", called the players he has had a part in drafting and signing "inmates". I mean, what the hell! This is flat out insane and incredibly racist and horribly rude and just wrong on so many levels. Anyone, and I mean ANYONE that thinks this is okay, you are the problem in this country.

This is abhorrent.

This is wrong.

This is terrifying.

I mean, it is 2017, and a rich white guy thinks that it is okay to call professional football players "inmates". The majority of NFL players have degrees. They went to 4, sometimes 5 years of college. A ton of them provide community service and visit hospitals, government buildings, police stations, anywhere and everywhere they are asked to go. Young children look up to these guys. A lot of kids emulate these professional football players because they want to be like them when they grow up. But, to someone like Bob McNair, they are "inmates". This is troubling. He said this because he believes this. This is not one of those situations where he misspoke. He said exactly the quote I mentioned. There is no way of saying the media spun this, he said it, and he knows it. Today he made some half assed apology, but I do not buy it, and I'm positive he doesn't either. Bob McNair is a racist, plain and simple.

Bob McNair is like the vast majority of NFL owners. He is right up there with Jerry Jones and the owner of the Carolina Panthers and Robert Kraft. They do not look at the players as people, they look at them as property. This is not the 19th century. These players are people with functioning brains that think for themselves. These owners do not own the players, they own the team. This is just ludicrous. The fact that he thinks guys like Deshaun Watson, Lamar Miller, Whitney Mercilus, DeAndre Hopkins, JJ Watt, Jadaveon Clowney, all of whom have participated in a protest, and basically every player on the team, is an "inmate" is appalling. Look at all the great things that these guys have done for Houston, especially after the hurricane. JJ Watt raised over 37 million dollars for hurricane relief, but to Bob McNair, he is an "inmate". Deshaun Watson gave his first game check to employees at the stadium that had their homes effected by the hurricanes, but to Bob McNair, he is an "inmate". DeAndre Hopkins has played his heart out and stuck with this team through thick and thin, never complaining once to the front office, but to Bob McNair, he is an "inmate". Lamar Miller came to this team for a second chance, has used the most of it, been a consummate professional, but to Bob McNair, he is an "inmate". Whitney Mercilus was an All Big Ten player and for academics, has been an excellent D lineman and plays hard all the time, but to Bob McNair, he is an "inmate". Jadeveon Clowney has fought through harsh criticism from the outside media, fought through injuries, but the last season and a half has been an absolute terror on the field, that has only gotten better every year, but to Bob McNair, he is an "inmate". I mean, I could go on and on and on with this Texans roster that is filled with mostly decent human beings, but Bob McNair thinks they are all "inmates". Absolutely ridiculous.

Also, these players that protest are more American than their cowardly asshole of an owner. I'm sure he was a draft dodger. I'm sure he only cares about himself and his bank account. I'm sure he hates himself. I'm sure he is a total dickhead to be around. I'm sure he is the worst, and his only "friends" are these other racist and fascist owners in the NFL. I just read that DeAndre Hopkins skipped practice today after hearing the quote, and I hope many, many more players follow his lead. These players are people too. I cannot stress that enough.

So for some dickhead owner that knows nothing about football to call the players "inmates", I say one final time, as loudly as I can, SCREW YOU YOU RACIST ASSHOLE! I hope, although I do not think it will happen, that Bob McNair gets reprimanded and black balled from the league for these horrific comments. He should be fined and banned from any and all NFL activities for, at least, the rest of this season. I hope he is forced to sell the team, because if I were a Texans player right now, I would not want anything to do with this stupid and mean and racist owner. Bob McNair is a pig and I hope he gets all the bad things coming his way that he deserves. He is the problem, not his players. The fact that he thought it was okay to say what he said is so troubling and so upsetting. This is a very, very bad look for the Texans and the NFL. Now lets see how Roger Goodell handles it. Hopefully he does the right thing.

Ty

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

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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