The SeedSing NFL Playoff Preview

I've had an entire week now to pour over the upcoming NFL playoffs. First off, this "bombshell" story that ESPN dropped this morning about the Patriots, while very juicy and filled with schadenfraud for me, has no effect on how I think they will play in the playoffs. Apparently this stuff has been going on all year and they still finished 13-3. Also, why is it so crazy to now know that Tom Brady is nuts? I thought this was widely known stuff around the league. The dude has been crazy since he was playing QB at Michigan. This story was not as eye opening as was promised yesterday. It is a big no deal. Nothing new was revealed. I think anyone that has watched football for the past decade could see that something like this was coming. There are far too many egos at every important position in that organization. Nice try ESPN, but this story is tired and boring and pointless. Okay, got that out of the way, now lets get to my playoff preview.

I'll start with the AFC because every team in the playoffs not named the Steelers or Patriots are going nowhere. The AFC is as easy to predict as the NBA Finals. Lets start with the Wild Card games.

In the 4-5 matchup we have Tennessee and Kansas City. Tennessee stinks. How they made the playoffs I will never know, and I picked them at the start of the season. What is even worse for them, DeMarco Murray has been ruled out. Derrick Henry is good, but not as good as Murray. Marcus Mariota has struggled with consistency and injuries all year. The receivers are mediocre at best. Their defense is okay, but not good enough to carry this team. Mike Mularkey is a wildly average coach. Kansas City looked like early season darlings. Then they faltered, and now they seem to have righted the ship. They are giving Kareem Hunt the ball more, which is good, and Alex Smith has looked better as of late. They do have the X Factor, and that is tight end Travis Kelce. He is one of the better tight ends in the league. They have some okay wideouts too. Their defense, while not great since Eric Berry went down week one, has played much better as of late. If the Chiefs don't blow this Titans team out I would be shocked. The Chiefs will win with ease.

The other Wild Card matchup features Buffalo and Jacksonville. Buffalo unexpectedly and amazingly made the playoffs for the first time since 1999. That is great for them. Now they have to play the game, and possibly without LeSean McCoy. If McCoy doesn't play this team has zero shot. He is, by far, their only option on offense. Tyrod Taylor is an okay QB, but he won't win playoff games. They have no real outside threat. Their defense is okay, but not there yet. Jacksonville has a very mediocre offense, especially with an injury to Leonard Fournette, and Blake Bortles at QB. They have okay receivers, but again, Bortles is throwing them the ball. What Jacksonville does have is an awesome defense. They are legit top 3 in the league. They will harass Taylor all day, and if Fournette plays, it will be tough sledding. This game will be ugly, but I have Jacksonville pulling away in the third to advance to the second round.

So that would pit New England against Kansas City, a week one rematch and Pittsburgh versus Jacksonville, another rematch. New England is the best team in the playoffs, and I think they want blood for week one. The game is in Foxborough too, which will prove to be far too much for KC to overcome. While I will be rooting for the Chiefs, the Patriots will most likely blow the doors off of them. Pittsburgh-Jacksonville is a bit of a better matchup. I still like the Steelers, depending on the health of Antonio Brown. The Jags have the 2 best cover corners in the league, but the Steelers have 3 really solid receivers. They also have LeVeon Bell. They also have a defense that can get stops. It will be closer than some think, but I have the Steelers winning by a TD.

That gives us the inevitable Patriots-Steelers matchup in the AFC title game. Pittsburgh got screwed out of a win earlier this year against the Patriots, but this is a new game, and it is in Foxborough. Again, people will be talking about "distractions" from the ESPN story, and Pittsburgh can score a ton against this Patriots defense, but I just think the Patriots will end up winning. They own the Steelers. So that means the Patriots will be returning to the Super Bowl.

Now, the NFC. This conference is so much more up in the air. The teams are better, there are key injuries and it is going to be an absolute bloodbath to get through. We will start with the Wild Card matchups again.

In the 2 Wild Card games we have Atlanta-Los Angeles Rams and Carolina-New Orleans. Atlanta is back in the playoffs, but barely. They have been incredibly inconsistent all year. One week they look great, the next, terrible. Los Angeles is extremely explosive on offense, but they haven't been to the playoffs in a long time. This team is very young too. But, with that being said, I like the youth and inexperience in this game. They won't know what to expect, but that can be an advantage sometimes. They will come out and pour it on if they can. The game is in LA too, which is a big time benefit for this team. Their defense will shut down Atlanta's offense as well. The Rams will move on.

We have an inter divisional game in the other Wild Card game. Which Carolina team will show up? Will it be the competent one, where Cam Newton looks like a former MVP, or will it be the one we saw last week score 10 points in Atlanta? Therein lies the problem with Carolina. New Orleans gets to play this game at home, and they look to be fully healthy. This is also a totally different Saints teams from the past. They control clock and play solid defense. The Saint should, and probably will, win this game with relative ease.

That puts the second round matchups at Philadelphia-LA and Minnesota-New Orleans. The Eagles would have been an easy pick here, but not Carson Wentz is out, and Nick Foles has look dreadful in his place. They have great running backs that can keep the Rams offense off the filed, but it will be tough against that Rams front 7. It will be very cold in Philadelphia, which benefits the Eagles. But, Nick Foles is so bad at QB, and that will be their undoing. I think the Rams will do just enough to push their way to the NFC title game. Todd Gurley is going to be very big in this game.

Minnesota should, and will, win because this game is outdoors, and it will be violently cold. Also, their defense will shut down Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram, and Drew Brees has always struggled in cold weather games. The Vikings will win with defense and ball control. It will be a snooze of a game, but that is how the Vikings win. 

That gives us a Minnesota-LA NFC title game. This is way, way off from my preseason pick. The Vikings will dominate the Rams once again. They controlled the game they played earlier in the year, and I see it happening again. The extreme cold will play a factor, and the Vikings defense will come up big.  You are welcome RD, or maybe I should say, you better hope I'm right because my predictions haven't been so great this year. But, I see the Vikings representing the NFC in the Super Bowl, that just happens to be in Minnesota this year.

While the game is in Minnesota, and as painful as it will be to root for the Vikings, I think the stinking Patriots will repeat as NFL champs. They are used to the cold. They are better coached. They have an offense that can move the ball on the Vikings defense. They will find a way to win again.

So there you have it. I have the Patriots beating the Vikings in the Super Bowl. I think the final score will be close, something like 20-14, but the Patriots will find a way. Alright, I am now ready for the NFL playoffs. Bring it on.

Ty

Editor's picks - Let me say that I think the Buffalo/Jacksonville game is the best story of the NFL season. Both of these teams have been terrible for a very long time, no one thought they would be playoff teams, and now they are pitted against each other. One of those teams will win a playoff game. That is awesome.

Who will win the game. Jacksonville will, they are a better team. The other AFC game should be Kansas City, it should be, but Andy Reid is known to blow playoff games. I am going to very reluctantly pick the Chiefs to overcome their head coach and beat the Titans.

The NFC wild card games are more up in the air. Atlanta was in the Super Bowl a year ago, and I know they have been inconsistent this year, but they will beat LA. The Rams are too young in my opinion. Flip a coin on Carolina and New Orleans. I think New Orleans will win a close game.

The Divisional round will have Pittsburgh hosting Kansas City and Jacksonville going to New England. The host teams will win both games.

The NFC will have Atlanta going to Minnesota to play in the Viking's indoor stadium (sorry Ty, their new stadium is indoors, the outdoor University of Minnesota stadium hosted the Vikings last playoff game.) I hate this matchup so much. Matt Ryan is a former MVP, Case Keenum is a game manager. Julio Jones plays for the Falcons, Minnesota does not have the corners to stop him. Atlanta will win this game, and I will be pissed. The other game pits a resurgent Saints team against a Philadelphia team who lost their best player a few weeks ago. The Eagles have not recovered from Wentz injury, the Saints will win.

The championship games will have predictable Steelers v Patriots in the AFC. The Patriots will easily win this home game. The NFC has the surprising Falcons v surprising Saints in New Orleans. That will be a great game, and the Saints will come away with the victory.

The Super Bowl will feature the heavily favored New England Patriots against the no one gives them a chance Saints. Drew Brees will have an incredible game, the Saints will win the game, Brees and Tom Brady both retire. Drew goes to the broadcast booth, Tom goes to write for Goop. The End.

RD

Ty and RD are internet masterminds. They also have a soon to be award winning podcast called The X Millennial Man.

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Rich Rod was a College Football Innovator. Today He is an Unemployed Creep.

Again, my other topics for the week are getting pushed back due to another sports story that broke last night.

I was watching a show with my wife and my phone buzzed with a Bleacher Report notice. I opened the notice and saw that the University of Arizona had fired their head football coach Rich Rodriguez for "the football program and the university going in different directions". I saw this, assumed it was due to his subpar record as a head coach there and kind of left it at that.

My phone kept buzzing with more and more news coming out as to why Arizona really fired him. Like I said, he had a subpar record, but it is Arizona football. Arizona is a basketball school, so I just assumed that 8-5 and 7-6 seasons were considered successful. Arizona also has a legit Heisman candidate at QB with Khalil Tate. I assumed they'd give him one more shot simply because of Tate. But, as I said, more and more stories started to pop up. I am now always interested in Rich Rodriguez stories because he is the guy that destroyed Michigan football for 3 years. When his name is mentioned I cringe, but I also read the story to see what the writer is talking about. I do the same thing with Brady Hoke. Basically anyone that was attached to Michigan football, I read stories written about them.

Well, the Rich Rod stories were quite terrifying. More and more people were saying he was being let go because of harassment allegations. More specifically, sexual harassment allegations. I do not know who brought up the allegations, but this is some serious stuff. Women are becoming more open, which is awesome, and they aren't taking this stuff from gross guys anymore. According to the few reports I read, Rich Rod had "multiple" reports of harassment since he took the head coaching job at Arizona. He, of course, vehemently denies all of this. But, I tend to believe the women now. There are too many instances of men in power thinking they can take advantage of them, and women have had enough. They are fed up. They are sticking up for themselves, and I love it.

I will say though, these allegations made me think, did he do this while at West Virginia or Michigan, his 2 previous stops as head coach? He was big time while at West Virginia. He had that team constantly in the top 15, playing in major bowl games and was considered an innovator with his spread offense. Since he was so popular at WVU, was he harassing women, but the university kept it quiet because the team was successful? If so, that is a big time shame. That is appalling. That is scary. That is some Penn State type shit. Then, after leaving WVU for the Michigan job, was he doing the same stuff there? Was he harassing women there? His teams were trash, so he didn't have the success to be his "excuse". Michigan has also been extremely compliant with the NCAA to a fault. Their football program is one of the cleaner programs in all of D-1. That is not just fan boy me saying this either. It has been proven that they have run a clean program since Bo Schembechler took over in 1969. But, was he being this disgusting while at Michigan? I don't know. I'm sure with these new allegations that more women will come forward, so we will see.

This also brings me to my final point of the day. Has there been a coach that has had this hard a fall from grace over the past decade? This ranks right up there with the Bobby Petrino stuff. This is just as bad as everything that Rick Pitino was doing at Kentucky and Louisville. This is some Hugh Freeze level stuff. Sexual harassment is no joke, and if this is proven true, Rich Rodriguez will never ever coach again, and he shouldn't be able to. This is all very odd, but surprisingly unsurprising to me. He always has had an air of superiority, and I would not be shocked at all if he did everything that was reported yesterday. This is a true fall from grace to a guy that was considered a "offensive genius" and an "innovator" at one point in his career.

Rich Rod is a creep, and stuff like this needs to stop right now.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He has recovered from his late 2017 illness. Unfortunately, Michigan Football made Ty start 2018 by throwing up all over the place. 

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The Outback Bowl Showed Us Who Michigan Was this Year. It was Not Good

I have some stuff I want to write about this week, but it all takes a backseat to the abysmal performance I watched from my beloved Wolverines yesterday. Now, before I go on, I'm going to shit on them, but not for the whole piece. You'll see what I'm talking about when I get there. But, I will be shitting on them, their coaching staff, their execution and their overall play this past season for the brunt of my piece.

Here we go.

The Wolverines were matched up against South Carolina in the Outback Bowl yesterday. I went on our podcast, I told my friends and family, basically anyone that would let me talk about the game, how much better Michigan was at every single level compared to South Carolina. They have better players, better athletes, better coaches. This game should have been a cinch. I figured, as far as the Big Ten was concerned at least, this was their lone homerun. They had the Outback Bowl in the bag before the game was played. 

For 2 and a half quarters, that looked to be the case. Now, do not get me wrong, Michigan looked absolutely horrendous on offense all game long. They couldn't block. When they did block, the running backs were missing holes and getting taken down by the first tackler. The receivers got ZERO separation. But, the biggest problem, and this plagued Michigan all year long, was the horrendous play out of the quarterback. I like Brandon Peters, but he was AWFUL yesterday. The week leading up to this game, all the talk from people at Michigan was that Peters was super confident going into the game. Everyone asked him about the Shea Patterson transfer, and he said things like, "I don't care", "This is my job", "I feel like people don't even think I have a chance to start next year", all the typical stuff you'd expect a 19-20 year old QB to say.

Well, if yesterday was an open audition for him to grab hold of the job for next season, he failed miserably. He was not on target at all throughout the entirety of the game. He missed open receivers consistently. He stared down the guy he wanted to throw to repeatedly. He took far too many sacks. He held onto the ball way, way too long. He even struggled with the exchange to the running backs. It was as bad as you could play when you are basically playing for your job. He completed 20 of 44 passes for under 200 yards, 2 crucial interceptions and 0 touchdowns. That is a rough stat line. I know Harbaugh and his offensive coaching staff took the brunt of the blame, but there has to be a point where the player is held accountable. Yes, Harbaugh and Tim Drevno came up with a predictable, and awful game plan. But, Peters still needs to take the blame for those missed guys and dumb sacks he took. I mean, even John O'Korn took the blame after his atrocious play in the final regular season game. I haven't read much, I'm still very frustrated, but from what I've read, Peters just keeps saying he is looking forward to next year.

What really makes me angriest about the game, as I stated earlier, Michigan was in full control of this game midway through the third quarter. They had a 19-3 lead and were driving to go ahead by, at the very least, 19 points. I'm pretty sure that would have buried South Carolina. But Karan Higdon fumbled on the five yard line going in for a score. Everything changed after that, and the defense began to crumble. They had not really crumbled all year, save for the Penn State game. They were the unit that I could count on. They came up big almost all the time. After the Higdon fumble I thought, okay, the defense will stop them, get the ball back and just grind it out. Well, USC scored 3 touchdowns in their next 7 plays. Not drives, PLAYS. The defense was missing assignments all over the secondary. South Carolina started to look like one of the top offenses in the country all of the sudden. Michigan's defense had zero containment to the outside. They kept blitzing, which I love, but the players that were supposed to be outside, they were not there. They were lost. They missed assignments. They made the mistakes. It was a nightmare to watch.

Seeing those three scores in 7 plays was a microcosm of this team this year. They could never, ever put anyone away. They struggled with teams like Cincinnati, Air Force and, for a quarter at least, Rutgers. They never stepped on a team's throat when they had a lead. They had that chance yesterday, and they blew it. Sure, there were the 4 turnovers in the second half, but they should have still won that game easily.

While I have heaped a good amount of blame on the players, the coaches deserve it too. I already slammed Drevno's offensive strategy going into the game. He was so god damn predictable all year, so I don't know why I thought that would change yesterday. It was always a run up the middle or a 4 yard out pattern to a receiver. I love Don Brown's attacking style, but his lack of adjustment after South Carolina scored that first TD was appalling to me. He is usually so good at telling his guys what to do, but not yesterday. And Jim Harbaugh. This was as bad as I have seen him coach a game. I honestly don't think he took South Carolina seriously. I think it is fine for a fan like me to think that, but he is the head coach and he should never look beyond an opponent. Hell, he preaches that very mantra. The fact that he is coveted by so many pro teams is truly baffling to me after watching his porous decision making in the game. His disregard for adjustments, the players he chose to put out there, the players he stuck with, the fourth down stuff, the lack of having his players ready, the dumb penalties, that all falls on him. Harbaugh and his staff got outcoached by Will Muschamp yesterday. Let that sink in.

Now, with all this being said, I still am optimistic about next year. I heard that a reporter asked Harbaugh after the game if he had coached his last game at Michigan, and he said "No" immediately. Hopefully this stops all the dumbass talk of him to the NFL. He now has his kids in this program. He has his players. He has a very, very good, and very fast defense, where he only loses 2, maybe 3 starters. He has the makings of a good offense next year, if Patterson is as good as people say he is. QB is what this team lacks, and maybe this Patterson kid is the answer. Maybe Dylan McCaffery will shine in spring ball. Hell, maybe even Brandon Peters will get his shit together and figure it out, he is only 20 after all. Also, this team was incredibly young this year, and they gained a ton of very quality in game experience. Their defensive line is going to be ferocious next year. They have some solid linebackers. Keep your eyes out for Khaleke Hudson. He is so good. On offense, if they get a QB, guys like Nico Collins, Donovan Peoples Jones, Zack Gentry and Tarik Black are all back next year with a season under their belts, save for Black(injury). They have a stable of running backs too. Karan Higdon, Chris Evans, maybe Kareem Walker, some recruits that they snagged, they have a good amount of guys that can carry the ball. The offensive line should be much improved too. They damn well better be.

So, while I was/still am very pissed off about this team and this past season, yesterday was a perfect shit end to a perfect shit year. But, it was everything that plagued them all year. Hopefully they got it out of their system is what I'm trying to say. I do have faith that the players that come back and Harbaugh and his staff will be so pissed off about all the noise and nonsense that they hear this entire offseason that they will want to come out and prove that this past season was an aberration. I hope they come out with their heads on fire ready to destroy anyone in their way. They have a great opportunity to re announce themselves to the college football world when they open at Notre Dame September 1st. 2018 will be the deciding year for Harbaugh at Michigan. This will be the make or break season for him. If this team underachieves, then he deserves all the criticism he will undoubtedly get. I don't think he wants to deal with that crap, and I think he wants his alma mater to matter again in football. Lets hope the latter is what happens next year.

While I'm frustrated now, I still have hope because this is my team and I believe that Jim Harbaugh has too much pride to let this team go 8-5 again. Now I have to wait until September to see how this team comes out. They damn well better come out strong and fired up. That is what I expect.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He has recovered from his late 2017 illness. Unfortunately, Michigan Football made Ty start 2018 by throwing up all over the place. 

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

The Best of Everything in 2017

Welcome to the final day of 2017. The year has featured a lot of good stuff, and a whole lot of stuff we want to forget, COUGH Trump COUGH. In order to celebrate we are going to focus mostly on the good stuff. Check out all of our best of the year articles, and enjoy the X Millennial Man 2017 Year in Review podcast. 

Oh, and have a Happy New Year.

The Best Films

The Best Television

The Best Music

The Best Podcasts

The Best Sports Moments

The X Millennial Man Year in Review

The Staff at SeedSing

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The Fanboy Crybabies Need to Get Over Giancarlo Stanton Joining the Yankees

Every time Boston does not get their way, a small violein plays while Bill Simmons whines

I know that I am a little behind with today's topic, but it is the holiday season, and life has been crazy. But, as you all know by now, Giancarlo Stanton is now a member of the New York Yankees. Derek Jeter and the crew that bought the Marlins have been gutting the roster, which they said they were going to do. So far they have traded 3 big time players, with Stanton being the biggest. From the moment that the new owners took over it was very evident that Stanton was going to be moved. I was excited for awhile because the Cardinals, my team, were heavily in the mix all the way to the end. But in the end, the Yankees got him because that is what the Yankees do. They have always been able to pull off the big move ever since I was a kid. As soon as the Yankees came to the forefront, it was a foregone conclusion to me that he would join the team. And when it happened, I was not shocked.

What irks me about this is the same thing that irked me about KD joining the Warriors last offseason. People say that the Yankees have had a few "down" years, yet they were one game away from making the World Series this past season. They also have a roster filled with young, very good players. I mean, just Aaron Judge alone, who I do not think is as good as everyone else does, won rookie of the year. They have great hitters all over their roster. Their pitching leaves a bit to be desired, but it is serviceable. Now with Stanton, they have to be the odds on favorites to make the World Series next year. I'd love to see them go down, but they just look way too good on paper to be beaten by anyone in the AL next year.

The trade is not the point of my piece today. I am an avid listener of "The Bill Simmons" podcast. Lately it has become more of a hate listen because Simmons is becoming more cocky and insufferable with every episode. He seems to think the sun rises and sets based on his opinions. But, I do like the guests, especially when they do basketball stuff. And with basketball stuff, since he and KD have become buddies lately, he has been fully on board with KD joining the Warriors. He always says that he wants the best players to play together because he loves the game in its purest form. He praises KD non stop for leaving OKC, all the while trashing Russell Westbrook any chance he gets. He has never, ever said one bad thing about KD joining a team that didn't need him, and that beat him head to head. Like I said, he praises KD's decision. In fact, he has made it his personal mission to defend KD. If anyone comes on his show and bad mouths it, he roasts them, and then tries to ham fist a Thunder jab in there somehow. He has become what he claims to have hated about ESPN, a star lover. He has made friends with one of the biggest NBA stars, and he doesn't want to rock the boat.

On a podcast recently, Simmons had one of his old college buddies on who happens to be a lifelong Yankees fan. This person, whos name escapes me right now, has been on from time to time. He isn't on as much as Joe House, who I really like, but he is on enough that I kind of know who he is. He had this buddy on after the Stanton trade was completed, and he trashed the MLB for allowing this to happen. First off, if you do not know by now, Simmons is a big time Red Sox fan, and he is from Boston. So, anything that doesn't go his way for his city, he is a big time crybaby about. This Stanton trade fits into that category. He acted like such a baby about this. He made stupid, hackney jokes about the Yankees front office. Like I said above, he trashed the MLB because Stanton used his no trade clause, which he got in his contract, to veto trades to the Cardinals and Giants. It was basically just an hour long whine fest while Simmons buddy laughed at him the whole time.

What I don't get about his whining though, how is Stanton joining the Yankees any different from KD joining the Warriors? This is exactly what he advocated for with the KD move, with one exception. The Yankees didn't beat the Marlins in a big time playoff series. Stanton didn't go to a team that was in 2 straight world champion series. Stanton didn't join a team that was an odds on favorite to not only win the title, but coast to it. As I talked about earlier, Stanton joined a team that some "experts" considered "down". So in actuality, what Stanton did wasn't nearly as weak as what KD did. KD was/is a title chaser. He couldn't beat the Warriors, so he joined them. The only similarity between the 2 players is that they won MVP's on different teams from their current team. So for Simmons to attack Stanton and the MLB and his buddy is off putting and makes him look like an idiot and a front runner himself. He only likes big time moves when it benefits him.

Look, I am not on board with either of these moves, but I have made no mistake about that. I hated when KD joined the Warriors, and I do not like that Stanton joined the Yankees. It waters down the game. It takes the drama out of sports. It makes it way easier to make predictions. That is where Simmons and I differ. I can separate myself from players and teams and be non biased. Maybe it is easier for me because I don't have a personal relationship with these guys and the people around them, but Simmons is a professional. His job as a journalist is to be non biased. But, he may be the most biased sports writer in the industry. I'm not going to stop listening to his show, but the more I do listen, the less respect I have for him and his opinions.

Get over yourself Bill Simmons. Boston sports are doing just fine. So what if the Yankees will be better than the Red Sox for awhile. You still have the Patriots and Celtics. But stop contradicting yourself based on friendships. It makes you look like a real asshole.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is still sore about the almost trade of AJ McCarron going to the Cleveland Browns. That would have been the making of a one or two win super team.

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

The Best Sports Moments of 2017

Day 4 of my best of 2017 countdown finds us with my favorite topic, sports. There were a lot of big sports moments in 2017. I have to say, Clemson’s win in the NCAA football playoff last season is not on the list. I know it technically happened in 2017, but it feels too much like 2016. Same thing goes with the Patriots coming back from 25 points down in the third quarter to beat the Falcons in the Super Bowl. Again, it happened in 2017, but everyday we edge closer to the playoffs, and it doesn’t feel relevant enough to me. I’m sure I’ll leave out other things that happened in early 2017, but the 5 topics I picked hold the most weight with me. Let’s get into it.

At number 5 I have the UConn women’s basketball team getting beat in the NCAA tournament. This was a HUGE deal. The UConn women’s team was riding a 100 plus game win streak. They looked like the most unbeatable team in all of team sports. They didn’t just beat teams, they destroyed them. They always seemed to win by at least 20 points. But, you could see some “cracks”. This was an almost entirely new team from the previous 4 national champs. And, Mississippi State happened to play the perfect game and catch them at the exact right time. They slowed the game down to a trudge. They worked the shot clock. They made UConn work the shot clock. They muddied the game up. Even when it looked like UConn was going to pull away, MSU would find a way to stay in it. I turned the game on when it went to overtime. I knew this was a big deal when my wife joined me to watch. We were literally watching sports history. And when that final horn sounded and MSU had the win, I was in awe. The best college team ever, men or women, had just been beaten. It was amazing and so unbelievable. This is why sports is so great. No one saw this coming, and it happened. It was incredible.

At number 4 I have the crazy NBA offseason. Never in my life have I seen so much player movement. And not just players, star players. It all kind of kicked off when Gordon Hayward left Utah for Boston. This was a forgone conclusion, but still a shock to read. Then, players just started to switch teams. Derrick Rose left the Knicks for the Cavs. Dwayne Wade was bought out and joined the Cavs. Chris Paul was traded to the Rockets, and that was truly surprising. Rudy Gay joined the Spurs. George Hill, Vince Carter and Zach Randolph all left their teams and joined the Kings. Paul George got traded to the Thunder for Victor Oladipo and Damontas Sabonis. Carmelo Anthony also got traded to the Thunder. But, all of these moves, and the many I didn’t mention, pale to the Kyrie Irving trade. He demanded a trade, stating he wanted to be the star of a team, and the Cavs gave him his wish. They traded him to the Celtics for Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder and the Nets pick in 2018. This trade had it all. A star going to a contender. A player that a town had fallen in love with, Thomas and Boston, being shipped without a second thought and a good role player and prized pick headed to LeBron James’ team. This trade surprised me as much as KD signing with Golden State last year. It was a true shocker. All the movement was nuts, but it has made the NBA that much more fun to watch this year. It’s been a blast.

At number 3, and for the rest of my list it will be sports with a political lean, I have the Warriors and UNC’s men’s basketball teams refusing to go to the White House after winning the title. I loved this so very much. These players, coaches, AD’s, GM’s and owners decided it was better to not go to what is a total disaster now in DC. They don’t want to give that narcissist that presides there currently the time of day. You know that has to really grate at him, and I love it. The fact that he tried to “rescind the invite” is so hilarious to me. They decided pretty much immediately that they weren’t going to go. They said as much before a formal invite was even given. Athletes are starting to use their platforms to speak out against the evil we have in our “government” right now. I love that Steph, KD, Klay, Draymond, Kerr and Roy Williams outright said they wouldn’t go on the visit. Kids listen to these players and coaches, and their refusal to go to the White House speaks volumes to them. They now know they can stand up to bullies.

This leads me to my number 2, which were the massive protests among the professional leagues, mainly the NFL, after the “president” called them “sons of bitches”, and demanded they get fired for protesting the anthem. Pro athletes are not property, they are people, and their freedom of speech led to massive anthem protests. I loved that the Steelers wouldn’t even come out on the field for the anthem. I loved all the players kneeling, locking arms or just sitting down for a stupid song. It was amazing to see players decide they were going to stand up and fight our fascist “government”. I don’t buy any of the owners lame attempts to connect with the players. These protests were started by the players, and they were for the players. Again, little kids look up to these athletes, and now they know they can speak their minds and fight for what is right. They can fight social injustice.

And for my number one sports moment, I actually just have a person. A person who didn’t play any sport in 2017, but he was a great big part of the sports world in 2017. My number one sports moment/person is Colin Kaepernick. He has started a revolution. I’m not hot taking that statement either, he started a movement. He was the first to protest the anthem due to corrupt police. His choice to kneel has become the face of all the players protesting the anthem now. He is the one that every player points to that gave them the courage to stand up and fight. Kaepernick not only protested, but he also put his money where his mouth is. He has given suits to people outside of court rooms that can’t afford one. He has donated tons of funny to many charities. He has won multiple man of the year awards. He has stayed away from interviews, which makes me respect him even more. He never did this for the attention. He saw something he felt was wrong and protested in his own, non violent way. During this he was called names, chastised and lost his job. Instead of moaning and groaning he kept at it. He never stopped his protests or the help that he gives. He one hundred percent deserves to be on an NFL team, but he has let people like me say that stuff. The fact that he’s trying to buy a stake in the Panthers now makes me so happy. If it works out, Roger Goodell and his cronies cannot collude against him to keep him out of the league. Colin Kaepernick will go down as a visionary and a trend setter many years from now. When my kids are older and ask me about sports in 2017, the first name out of my mouth will be Kaepernick’s. I respect that man so much and I salute him in his quest for justice. Thank you for all you’ve done Mr Kaepernick. You’re a true American hero.

That’s it for today. Come back tomorrow for my last top 5 list of 2017, podcasts.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He almost put the University of Michigan OT victory over the Indiana Hoosiers on his list, because he was there live. But then he remembered that it was Michigan against Indiana, it was more of an embaressment. 

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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. 

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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