Thoughts on Hunter Dickinson Declaring for the NBA Draft

Yesterday, as a little bit of a shock to me, Hunter Dickinson, Michigan's true freshman big man, who was a second team all American, declared for the NBA draft. He did leave the door open to returning to Michigan, and I do like that rule, but still I was a bit stunned.

I sat on the news for a little bit, and I realized how ridiculous it was of me to be "shocked" by this. He had a very good season for a very good team. Michigan was a one seed, they won the regular season Big Ten, they were ranked as high as number two during the year and Dickinson was the one who kind of got them rolling. This decision of his shouldn't be looked at as a shock, but as a right of passage. He led the team in scoring and rebounding. When he finally started, that was when they really took off. I would watch their games and be marveled at how well he played in the interior as a true freshman. I looked to him to get this team going behind only Isaiah Livers, who was a senior. And even when Livers got hurt, and people said that was it for this team, I had faith enough to pick them to make the Final Four, which they did not, they made the Elite Eight, due to the play of Dickinson all year. He should declare. He should see what teams have to say about him. He should get a draft grade. He should stay in the draft if some team guarantees that they will take him in the first round. He earned that. I don't know why us Michigan fans think he shouldn't do this.

The fact is that freshman at every other school do this every year. Kentucky constantly has kids leave after one season and no one bats an eye. The same thing happens at Duke now. Georgia had this same deal with Anthony Edwards. Washington too, with Markelle Fultz. This is the new era of college basketball. Until the NCAA does the right thing, and I will not hold my breath waiting for that, these kids will go pro ASAP, and they should. But, one of the very things the NCAA has done right in recent years is allowing these kids to test the waters as they say while still retaining college eligibility. There are "NCAA agents" that these kids can "hire" to help them gather intel and set up private workouts. These players that declare early can also go to the combine if they get invited. But they have a set time to decide if they are going to stay in the draft or return. I think that is exactly what Dickinson is doing. I think he wants to see if some team will take him in round one. I also think he wants to know what he has to work on to get in better position to be a lock first round pick, or even a lottery pick.

If you were to ask me point blank right now what I think he will do, I think he is a near lock to return. He just wants the info, he wants to get better and he wants to see how he stacks up against elite NBA talent. Dickinson is great, but he does have flaws in his game, as any true freshman would. He is not a great outside shooter, and he didn't show a willingness to do that when presented with the opportunity last season. He took four total threes, missed them all, and very few jumpers. He also gets winded pretty quickly. There would be times he would work real hard on one end of the floor, but then he would be slow to get to the other end. It also takes him a while, and a good amount of touches, to get comfortable. In their game against UCLA in the tournament, he didn't really go hard until the second half, but when he did, he looked dominant. But then he got very tired and started to make typical freshman mistakes. He has a good amount of stuff to work on, and I personally think another season working with Juwan Howard and the Michigan staff will do him wonders. He also isn't listed on any mock drafts, and he isn't inside that golden goose that is the ESPN Top 100 prospect list. Look, guys do this all the time, hell Isaiah Livers did it after his junior year. But they can come back. And I think Dickinson will. But if he doesn't, if he gets a great grade, or has a phenomenal work out, he should stay in the draft. As he said in his letter, that is his dream. Right now, at this very moment, I just do not see it. He isn't up there with players like Cade Cunningham, Jalen Green, Jalen Johnson, any one of Kentucky's freshmen that have already declared, Kofi Cockburn, Makur Maker and even his own teammate Franz Wagner. Those players are ready. They have the pedigree and the talent right now. They are NBA ready.

Hunter Dickinson is really, really good, but I do not think he is ready for the NBA. Not yet at least.

Ty

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

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Ty Watches the Opening Weekend of the 2021 NBA Playoffs

The NBA playoffs got off to an absolute awesome start this weekend. It was so nice to see the teams playing, playing hard, in front of fans and going all out. I watched so much basketball this weekend, and I was never bored. Not once. I am so amped for the rest of the playoffs, and I hope the majority of the games will be like these openers.

With that said, I do have some thoughts about each team we watched. The weekend started for me watching the Heat and the Bucks. Man oh man was this an opener to end all openers. This game was back and forth, was up and down, gritty and grimy and just how I envision this whole series to be. And the game was won on a near buzzer beater from Khris Middleton in overtime. The Bucks got a much needed win that will help boost their confidence going forward. That being said, the Heat did not play great, and they still had a chance at the end. Jimmy Butler came up big when they needed him too, but they just could not pull out the game. But this series is going to be tough, and one hell of a fun watch for fans of old school NBA.

The Mavericks and Clippers followed, and this game was the polar opposite. The Mavericks came out on fire, and for as much flak as I give Luka Doncic, and I do still think he is overrated, he led this team to a road win. The Mavs hit the three, they made free throws, they got clutch points, they did what they needed to win. The Clippers look disinterested, outside of Kawhi, they could not stop Luka, they took some of the worst fouls late in the shot clock, and they had better wake up if they want to recover from their collapse last season. They did not look good at all, and if Luka and the rest of the Mavs keep this up, they will oust the Clippers pretty easily. This is who the Clippers wanted, but man did they look so tired and bored during that game. Time to start playing defense LA.

Then we got to see the Big 3 of the Nets perform to the top of their abilities. KD was hitting mid range shots, Harden was drawing fouls, getting to the hoop and making nice floating alley oop passes and Kyrie, I mean look no further than what he did to Evan Fournier when he dropped him on a crossover. If the Nets top guys play like this, it is a wrap. The Celtics did hold a lead for two and a half quarters, Jayson Tatum did make some shots, Marcus Smart was all over the floor, but they just do not have enough to stop this Nets team. They are too loaded.

Saturday night ended with Damian Lillard doing his thing, quietly as always, and leading the Blazers to a big game one win at Denver. Portland let Nikola Jokic eat, but they did their best to shut everyone else down, and it worked. Jokic was great, but the rest of the Nuggets just could not keep up. Dame was awesome, Jusuf Nurkic and Enes Kanter kept bodying Jokic, Aaron Gordon had a rough game one and CJ McCollum did his thing. I feel like, after this game, that I am one of the many people that are constantly sleeping on Portland. I'm fully on board with them now, and what else can be said about Dame. He is amazing. Portland may very well win this series going away.

I did not think Sunday was going to be as fun. I was wrong. We got the day started off with the 76ers and Wizards, and the Wizards clearly came to play. They were running up and down the floor, they held a lead, Russ and Beal were doing great, then Joel Embiid just took over. Sure, Tobias Harris had a great, great game, and when Ben Simmons needed to play lockdown defense he totally did. But when this team needed to be sparked, after Beal openly mocked Embiid, he came alive. He could not be stopped. He is the MVP. He is unstoppable.

The Suns then beat the Lakers, and they looked like the better team. I will not buy into the Suns being the favorites in this series now because the Lakers lost two game 1's last season, then went on to win four in a row. But this Suns team is much better than last year's Trailblazers and Rockets. They are more complete. Devin Booker is coming of age in the league. Deandre Ayton played like a legit big man. And Chris Paul was classic Chris Paul. Maybe, just maybe, the Suns are going to make this a real series. The Lakers just looked very blah. LeBron had a not great game, and his flopping has got to stop. It is getting out of hand. Anthony Davis was even worse. Maybe he really is hurt because he looks so bad right now. And when Alex Caruso is your most reliable scorer, that is when you have real problems. I am not jumping to any conclusions because the Lakers have two of the best players in the league, but man did they bad. They looked worse than the Clippers, and the Suns took advantage.

I turned on the Knicks-Hawks game in the middle of the fourth quarter, and that game was amazing. Buckets were exchanged. Leads were changed constantly. The crowd, the biggest indoor crowd since the pandemic started, was heavily involved. And Trae Young made sure we all will take him seriously now. This was the game of the weekend. This was what makes the NBA playoffs the best. This was awesome. I know New York fans are upset right now, but come on, this was an amazing game. I hope the rest of the series plays like this. As for Atlanta, what an offensive performance. They looked so ready for the moment and ready for the playoffs. They may not get much further in this series or playoffs, but they are now here to stay. They are a perennial playoff team as currently constructed.

Sunday night ended with my Memphis Grizzlies getting a big time road win over the top seeded Jazz. Dillon Brooks was tremendous on both ends of the floor. Ja did his thing. The bench and other role players were perfect. I am sure this is still some adrenaline from the final play in game, but I also think this team is not afraid of the moment. They may be young, but they appear ready. And hell yes I would take Ja over all the other players in his draft, and some in other drafts. He is that dude. The Jazz did not have Donovan Mitchell, and they crushed them. The pick and roll wasn't there. Joe Ingles, Bogdanovic and Jordan Clarkson were not making shots. Rudy Gobert fouled out. Everything went right for the Grizzlies, and everything went wrong for Utah. I hope this trend continues. I hope RD was some kind of oracle when he said they may make a run. I am not going to get ahead of myself as a fan, but damn was it fun to see them get this win. They are ready.

The NBA playoffs are here, and they are incredible. I hope this opening weekend was just a sign of things to come. This is what I love about the NBA. The playoffs are back, and they are amazing.

Ty

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

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Ty's 2021 NBA Playoff Preview

After tonight's final play in game the NBA will have its 16 teams set for the playoffs.

The play in has been a success by the way. The East's games were blow outs, but I enjoyed watching Tatum put in 50, and the Pacers light up the Hornets and then the Wizards putting that same hurt on Indiana. The West's games have been much more competitive and fun. The Lakers got a great knock down shot from LeBron, the Grizzlies held on to beat the Spurs after building a 20 point lead and Steph was being Steph, and will probably be Steph tonight. I do think, as much as it upsets me, that the Warriors will beat the Grizzlies tonight and claim that 8th seed. Then the playoffs will be set. So let's just imagine that the Warriors claim that spot, and I will go on with my playoff preview.

I will start in the East as I always do.

The 1-8 matchup is the 76ers and the Wizards. The 76ers should roll in this series. They are bigger, stronger, longer, deeper and have played like the best team in the East all season. Simmons is as lock down as they come, Embiid is a MVP finalist and the rest of the roster plays their role. Brad Beal and Russell Westbrook will make it fun and exciting, but outside of those two, the Wizards do not have much else. The 76ers should, and will, sweep.

The 2-7 matchup is Brooklyn and Boston. Boston was supposed to be a top team. They were supposed to take the leap. They have all these great young players, but it just did not come together this season. And now that Jaylen Brown is out, they are toast. The Nets have the best three headed monster the NBA has seen in quite some time. They also have excellent role players. They may not play much defense, but they cannot be stopped when they are at full health, which they are right now. The Nets will sweep.

The 3-6 matchup features Milwaukee and Miami. This may be the best first round matchup in either conference. This is exactly what Milwaukee did not want, but here we are. Miami matches up great and they are finally healthy. Milwaukee has been quietly solid all year, and Giannis is still Giannis. Jrue Holiday is also a major upgrade over Eric Bledsoe and the PJ Tucker addition is great. This will be hard fought, gritty and old school. I do have Milwaukee winning, but it will take 7 games and it will be brutal.

The 4-5 is the RD special. We have the Knicks and the Hawks. This is like going back to the 90's. I love this. And, for RD, I have the Knicks winning, and winning it relatively easy. I think it will only take five games. Atlanta is fun, Trae Young is great, but they do not play a lick of defense. The Knicks do, and they have a very solid offense as well.

That would leave us with second round matchups of 76ers-Knicks and Bucks-Nets. The 76ers will end the fun Knicks story. They are just a better team. The Bucks will unfortunately leave the playoffs too early according to their fans because they do not have enough defense to slow down the Nets if they stay healthy. I actually think both series will be no more than six games.

So that leaves us with a 76ers and Nets East Finals. This is, according to the seeding, how it should play out. And while the 76ers are one of the best defensive teams in the NBA, they simply do not have enough to stop the Nets. The Nets are absolutely loaded offensively. They will be able to outscore everyone. I think Embiid will feast, but he will be the only 76er that strikes fear offensively in the Nets. The Nets will win in six and be the East representative in the Finals.

Now the West.

As I stated, the 1-8 will most likely be the Jazz and Warriors. The Warriors have Steph, and he is amazing. He may very well win the MVP. Every time he shoots I think it is going in. They also have Draymond who is a defensive genius. He is so so so good on that end of the floor. Outside them we are looking at guys like Andrew Wiggins, Jordan Poole, Kevon Looney and Kent Bazemore. Not exactly a murderers row. The Jazz, with a healthy Donovan Mitchell, are a much better team. Mitchell and Conley are shot creators and makers. They can go and get buckets in a myriad of ways. Rudy Gobert is the best defender in the league and a great rim runner and pick and roll partner. Joe Ingles, Bojan Bojanovic and Jordan Clarkson are better than streak shooters. They make tons of shots. The Jazz look like the team we all thought they would be last season. The Jazz will win this series. Steph will have a game or two where he scores 40 or 50 plus, but it will not be enough.

The 2-7 are Phoenix and the LA Lakers. This is a bummer for Phoenix. They had such a great season, a breakthrough season, and their reward is the Lakers in the first round. Pardon me, a healthy Lakers. This is exactly what they wanted and what the Suns did not. This should be a good series, and I hope Phoenix proves me wrong. But they just do not have the dudes yet. Chris Paul is one of those dudes, but this is Devin Booker and DeAndre Ayton and Mikail Bridges and pretty much everyone else on this roster's first time in the playoffs. This stinks for them, but they will be back. The Lakers will win in 7.

The 3-6 is pretty awesome with Denver and Portland. It would be way better if Jamal Murray were not injured, but he is, and here we are. I do love how the Nuggets have played since he went out, but they really need him for the playoffs. He was a revelation in the bubble. Portland is really great offensively, especially Dame, but they are horrendous defensively. Like worst in the league. Dame and CJ McCollum will pour in buckets and get the Trailblazers two wins, but that is it. Denver, even without Murray, will win this series in six.

The 4-5 here is pretty awesome. We have Dallas and the LA Clippers. This was a fun first round last season. Luka Doncic, who I am not a fan of, was great. He has been every bit as advertised, warts and all, since he got into the NBA. I do not like him, but the dude is good. Tim Hardaway Jr is also having his best NBA season. He has been really good. But Kristaps Porzingis is not great, Maxi Kleeber is hurt. Josh Richardson hasn't been that great. This feels like it will all fall on Doncic. The Clippers have the best roster in the league, on paper. They also upgraded their head coach in the offseason. Kawhi seems like he is going to turn it on. PG has had a really good year. Patrick Beverly is still one of the better point guard defenders in the league. Playoff Rondo is back. But they did choke last season. They melted the hell down. I wonder if that will happen again. I do not think so. I think they will be more locked in. I think they want to prove the doubters wrong. And I do think they will beat the Mavericks in round one, and I think it will be easier than last season. They are going to load up on Doncic and make everyone else beat them. I think they learned their lesson last season, and I think Kawhi wants to get back to the top of the NBA mountain.

So that gives us a second round of Utah and the Clippers and Denver and the Lakers. The Clippers will carry over their round one dominance to the second round. I feel like Beverly and Kawhi will shut down Conley and Mitchell. That will leave the offense to Gobert, which isn't a bad thing, but he is not the guy you want as your leading scorer. The Clippers should win in six.

The other matchup would be so much better if Murray wasn't hurt. I know I keep harping on that, but that injury stinks. It is brutal. That being said, I do think the Nuggets will be way more competitive than last season. Jokic is playing on a whole other level, and Aaron Gordon is a really good, really underrated defender. I do think the Lakers will win, they have LeBron and AD, and they are two of the top 4 or 5 players in the league. They also won the title last year, and they are way more seasoned. This will be a good series, but the Lakers will pull this one out in 7 also, setting us up for the battle in LA in the West Finals.

This is what we all wanted last season, but we will finally get it. I also think this is where the Lakers will run out of gas. I think the play in, the 2 7 round series before and the "injuries" to star players will finally take its toll. I think the Clippers will win and they will win in six.

That means I have the Clippers, yet again, as the West representative in the Finals. This means it is Brooklyn and the Clippers playing for the title. And I have the Nets outscoring everyone on their way to a title. They have too much. Harden, Kyrie and KD are too good. They can score 90 points between the three of them every night. The Clippers are the best matchup for them, but even they do not have enough defense to stop the Nets. This feels inevitable. The moment they got Harden I felt like it was a foregone conclusion, especially when I saw them play, and saw that Harden was finally trying again. They are just too loaded and too good. The Nets will win in six and KD will take home the MVP. He will be the best player on the floor in every game. He is incredible.

There you have it, my NBA playoff preview. I'm so excited to watch. Let's get to it.

Ty

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

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Ty's 2021 NBA Play in Games Preview

The NBA regular season is over. It feels weird typing that. Usually, in the before times, we would be knee deep in the playoffs right now. But due to the pandemic, then the bubble, this most recent season had a very fast turnaround. These are strange days indeed.

The season was awesome, in my opinion. I loved watching the games, I found them competitive and I was interested in how all the teams dealt with COVID in many different ways. But I am ready for playoff basketball. Playoff basketball is my absolute favorite sport to watch. It is the best drama on TV. The players step up their game and it is very exciting. I am going to do a full playoff preview, but that will not come until after the play in games are all done. You all will have to wait for that until Thursday. But today I am going to do a play in preview.

First off, I love love love the play in. I like the addition of two more teams, I find it has made the end of the last two seasons a bit more meaningful and competitive and anytime I can get extra playoff basketball, that is a treat. I also like the eight teams we have in the play in. They all have very different skill sets. Some are older veteran laden teams and some, like my Memphis Grizzlies, are very young and on the come up. I also really enjoy the single elimination feel we get from this, and that every team in the play in will have to bring it in order to make the playoffs. This is an absolute home run idea.

I will start with the East, or the JV as I call it. The 7-8 matchup could have been incredible if not for Jaylen Brown being out and Bradley Beal not at 100 percent. But, both Russell Westbrook and Jayson Tatum are playing really good basketball right now. Russ is getting triple doubles on the regular and Tatum just had 60 in a game, and followed it up with a bunch of 30 point outings. He is on fire. As for who I think will win, this is a total toss up to me. The Celtics are deeper and younger, but not having Jaylen Brown is brutal. The Wizards might be the hottest team in the NBA right now, Russ is doing all the little things and they are getting other guys to contribute. But they are five games below .500. They just started playing well now. For that reason only, I am picking the Wizards. They will continue on their current streak, and the Celtics will have to win two games just to get the 8th seed. Their season has been a total disappointment.

The 9-10 matchup is a tale of two very different teams. The Hornets are young and exciting and LaMelo Ball has been awesome, but they are not a true playoff team yet. The Pacers have vets, they have playoff experience, but they have not been very good all year, and their coach may get fired after his lone season. I really want to pick Charlotte here because I think it would be awesome to see Ball go up against Boston for the 8th seed, but I am going with the experience and picking Indiana.

I also have Indiana beating the Celtics simply because Brown is out, and Boston never really got their footing all year. They are a mess. So that means I have the Wizards as the 7 and the Pacers as the 8.

Now for the Varsity, the West. The 7-8 matchup is going to rule. The NBA and the TV people could not have asked for a better play in game. We get the Lakers and the Warriors. Steph and LeBron. AD versus a platoon of big men waiting to hurt him. Draymond playing defense on multiple guys. The Lakers throwing the kitchen sink to stop Steph. This is going to be fun. In the long run though, I think the Lakers will win. I'm sure both AD and LeBron were hurt, but they also know they can turn this into a "redemption" story. They both missed a ton of games, the Lakers fell to this spot, they need AD and LeBron, and here they come to save the day. This is almost too perfect of a script, and the NBA, AD, LeBron and the Lakers all know this.

Then we have the 9-10, with Memphis facing San Antonio. This is eerily similar to the East's 9-10 matchup with style of play, but both these teams are much better. Memphis is young and hyper athletic. When the shooters are on, they are on. But they have had tons of injuries. I think Jaren Jackson Jr has only played something like 10 games. Ja missed a ton of time earlier this season from an ankle injury. Dillon Brooks has been in and out of the lineup. They also have had trouble finishing games lately. The Spurs got really fat on an easy early schedule, but they had a murderers row to close the season. They won some of the games, but that schedule pushed them where they are now. The Spurs are a typical Gregg Poppovich team, they pass well, play great defense and don't take dumb shots, but this is a rebuild for them. They are so young and so inexperienced outside of DeMar DeRozan. I am picking Memphis, and I will watch every single second of this game. Memphis is better and deeper, but can they finish? That is the big question for me.

So with the Lakers at 7, we would have Memphis and Golden State playing for 8, and we just witnessed this game yesterday. Memphis just couldn't get out of their own way, and they let Steph go off. I feel like the same thing is going to happen. It will be close and tough, but Steph will do what he does, and the Grizzlies will be knocked out of the playoffs yet again. That means I have the Lakers at 7 and Warriors at 8. The NBA will be thrilled at the first play in game, and then having both those teams make the playoffs still. I cannot wait for these games to start tomorrow night.

This is going to be a blast. I love playoff basketball.

Ty

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

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Ty's Paused Adventures in Running

Yesterday I wrote in my preamble how I suffered an injury that is preventing me from running my first marathon ever tomorrow. Today I am going to talk about said injury, and how I have been feeling about it all week.

First things first, this could've been much worse. I do have a stress fracture in my left knee, but it is a minor fracture. I actually talked to my orthopedist this afternoon and he said that it is much closer to a stress reaction. I didn't know what that meant, so I asked. A stress reaction is the beginning of a fracture. It is what sets it all off. So the fact that they found this very early, that I had enough pain in my knee to go see a doctor on Monday, was a good thing. This means the recovery time is way less than it could have been had I left this untreated. Instead of 6 to 8 weeks, the doctor told me that an injury like this is more of a 2-4 week recovery period. That was some mild relief. But, I cannot run for two weeks, I cannot play basketball for two weeks, I cannot play softball, and while I can still coach my kids in their sports, I have to be braced and move as little, and slowly, as possible. That is going to be the hardest part for me. I like to be active. I get bored sitting still. I don't like not having things to do. It is just who I am. So no running for two weeks, when the weather is perfect for running, is going to be brutal. Luckily I have house stuff and my kids sports to keep me occupied, but it is still not going to be fun. Running is my getaway. It is my alone time. It is when I am doing what I want to do for myself. It is therapy. It is one of my absolute favorite things to do.

Then throw in the fact that I cannot run my race, a race I have been training really hard for for three months, I broke down when the doctor told me. I actually cursed really loud in his office. It was loud enough that I had to apologize for my outburst. I have been crushed since I officially found out on Wednesday that I could not run the race. I have gone through many emotions in the last three days. I have felt that my training was all for nothing. I have had worrisome moments where I think that I will never run again. I asked for multiple opinions before finally, mercifully, opting out of the race. This is my athletic life now. I do have rec league basketball and softball, but those don't measure up to running anymore. I first ran to lose weight, but I have fallen madly, deeply in love with the sport. I have gone from barely being able to finish a mile to running 25 miles in a six hour period. I run five times a week. I need it in my life. It is an addiction, but I feel like it is a good addiction. So to have it taken away from me for any amount of time, yeah, it really bums me out. I am not going to lie and say stuff about silver linings or getting my head right. I'm frustrated and mad. I was sad, but now it is just anger.

I do know that I will get back to running, but this really stinks. This is the worst case scenario for me. This was what I have been able to avoid for seven years. I knew this would happen at some point, but to have it happen a week before my first marathon, that is a hard pill for me to swallow. So I will do the rehab, I will do the resting, but I am not going to be happy about it.

This is a setback, but it will not stop me from getting back out there in four weeks, or whenever my doctor gives me the go ahead. I am bummed now, but hopefully it will only be temporary. Hell, I know it will only be temporary. I will run a marathon before 2021 is over. You can count on that.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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It is Time to Give Russell Westbrook the Respect He Deserves

Sorry for no blog yesterday. I got some upsetting medical news, stress fracture in my knee, and our house addition was finally finished, so I had a busy/bummer of a day. But I’m back and I’m here to lavish praise on Russel Westbrook.

I’m a big, big fan of Westbrook’s. I’ve made no bones about it. He more than deserved his MVP. He is one of the most athletic players I’ve ever seen. He’s unfairly criticized by some lame publications and bad sports writers. He plays hard every night. He’s a good dude. And he’s an exceptional basketball player. The other night he made history. He surpassed Oscar Robertson’s triple double record, and he’s going to average another triple double for the fourth time in five seasons. I mean, that’s amazing. We are watching a once in a generation talent. There are not many people that have been as productive and plays as well as Russ has done his whole career.

Westbrook, along with Bradley Beal, have the Wizards in the play in. I thought the Wizards were going to be bad too. I put a nail in their coffin. I assumed they were going to be a lottery team. I liked the Westbrook trade, but I just assumed the rest of the roster was going to drag them down. And while they’re not even a .500 team, they still have won way more games than I thought, and a lot of that is due to Westbrook’s play as of late. He is putting up insane, video game esque numbers. The other night he had a triple double that included 24 assists and 21 rebounds. There are only two players that have ever done that. It’s Russ and Wilt Chamberlain. That’s it, that’s the list. To be in the same company as Wilt is incredible. And Russ has followed that up with a few more triple doubles, and has led the Wizards to some crucial wins while Beal has been out with an injury. Russ has been the dude. He’s willing this team to win. This is akin to his MVP season with OKC. Right now, without Beal, Russ is carrying a team with a bunch of random dudes. He’s crushing it too. He’s so good.

Yet we still have some of these hot take dummies saying it’s “hollow”, or calling him a “selfish star hunting player”. Most of it comes from the staff at The Ringer. First off the writers and podcasters there, for the most part, are Bill Simmons clones, and that makes for bad business. If it isn’t Boston, or an athlete they’ve befriended, they feel the need to trash them. That’s bad journalism. Also, I bet Bill Simmons would kill to have Russ on the Celtics, but he’d never admit it. We also have a writer like Kirk Goldsberry, who I believe works for ESPN, writing an article about Russ that only talked about his poor mid range shooting. He found a way to downgrade Russ’ awesomeness by writing a nonsense article about mid range jumpers. Who cares. There’s also someone I really respect, Zach Lowe, who barely talks about Russ because he’s too busy gassing up Luka Doncic. I just want to know when these “reputable” writers and podcasters, are going to realize and recognize Russ’ greatness. It needs to happen soon. I feel like Russ will continue to be chastised while he plays and then loved when he leaves. There is a lot of Allen Iverson in Westbrook. They’re so similar, and I feel like their careers, both during age after, are going to be the same. But I don’t want that for Russ, just like I didn’t want that for AI. Iverson is one of my all time favorite players, and it blows my mind that he didn’t get his much due respect until he retired. We need to bask in the greatness that is Russel Westbrook while he’s still playing and still doing exceptionally athletic things on a basketball court. I know I have his whole career and will continue to while he’s still playing and when he retires.

Russ is great. He’s a hall of famer. He’s one of the best guards to ever play the game. He might be the most explosive guard to ever play. He’s super human and he’s doing super human things on the floor. Russ rules and he will forever be one of my favorite players to watch. Stop slandering this men and recognize his greatness. He’s more than earned all the accolades he should be getting. Russ is awesome. He’s an timer. He is great.

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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Urban Meyer is an Idiot

Urban Meyer is at it again, First he hired a coach that was fired for abusing players at Iowa. Second he goes out and complains that "free agency is too hard" in the NFL. And now he has made the dumbest move as far as player personnel goes that I can ever remember.

For those that have been living under a rock, or do not follow the NFL, the Jaguars and Urban Meyer just went out and signed Tim Tebow, as a tight end, to a one year deal. Now, he has to make the team, which I think is a very, very, very, very long shot. But still, to waste a contract on a guy that hasn't played football in a decade, while having him change positions is such an epic failure as a coach, a GM, a front office and a team can make. I understand that these two have a close relationship, and that Tebow won a Heisman when Meyer was his coach at Florida, but we are talking about things that happened over a decade ago, and the NFL has changed drastically since then.

This is such a puzzling and, quite frankly, stupid move. Everyone who signed on for this, who gave it the go ahead, I have one question, what in the hell are you all thinking? Why would you allow Meyer to talk you into signing Tin Tebow? What can he possibly bring to this team? How does he help as a player or a locker room guy? How does this help Trevor Lawrence at all? What about the other, more qualified tight ends already on the roster? Why on Earth would you do this? Is it simply a PR move? Will he make the team just because he is a buddy of the new coach? This is just asinine. If I were Tyler Davis, Ben Ellefson, Luke Farrell, Chris Manhertz or James O'Shaughnessy I'd ask to be released or traded immediately. This is a spit in all of their faces. These guys are all actual tight ends that made the NFL as a tight end. And then Meyer brings in Tim Tebow to compete for playing time with them. Come on man. That is ridiculous. He doesn't have the talent to play in the NFL. That has been established. And for the very few people that want to bring up his one playoff win, which was a miracle, get the hell out of here with that nonsense. I like to look at his whole career prior to that one moment. He was an absolute mess as a starter. He was an embarrassment. Then he became a gimmick. Then he couldn't even make the Patriots as strictly a gimmick player. Then he was out of the league. And after that, he stole someone else's job in the MLB when he decided he was going to be a baseball player. That is what Tim Tebow is to me, a thief of more deserving players' jobs. He gets fans to come out and watch, but it is like going to a circus. People want to see the freak show that is Tim Tebow. They don't want to see him succeed because he hasn't succeeded in any level of professional sports.

This move is strictly because Meyer thinks he can build a good team by getting his former college players on his team. That is a method that is going to hilariously blow up in his face. First he signs Carlos Hyde, who was toast five years ago, and now he is bringing in Tim Tebow. Who is next, Chris Leak? Alex Smith? This madness he is working on this offseason is going to explode, and I will be laughing the whole way. And for websites like Bleacher Report to talk about what a great move this is, how it will help the locker room and to call Tebow a "weapon", just stop right now. You are embarrassing yourself with that nonsense.

What pisses me off most about all of this is the fact that a guy like Tim Tebow can get a job in the NFL, can take a spot away from someone much more deserving and be praised by major media outlets, it just goes to show that the NFL has clearly blackballed Colin Kaepernick. If it wasn't wildly apparent before, this should hammer it home for anyone who is smart and doesn't think Kaepernick is being blacklisted. This move by Jacksonville makes that fact abundantly clear.

The Jaguars signing Tim Tebow isn't just a joke, it is an embarrassment to the NFL, and it is really showing their true colors. I cannot wait to watch this fail spectacularly because that is what is going to happen. What a bunch of nonsense.

Ty

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

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Ty Listens to "Death at the Wing"

As I am always on the prowl for new podcasts, I was pretty delighted to get a text from RD a few weeks back about one I might like. You all know my love for basketball, and especially the NBA. I am really into the history of the NBA as well, specifically the late 80's and early 90's history. So when RD told me that director and writer Adam McKay had a new podcast about that era, and the players that were lost that could have been great, I was pumped. I immediately subscribed to "Death at the Wheel", and to this day I have listened to every episode, some of them more than once.

This podcast is about some players that could have been great, were great and lost it, or never had a chance. All the people he talks about died or had the game taken away from them over political affiliations or religious beliefs. It is really a fascinating listen. Each episode focuses on one or two guys, usually just one, and McKay talks about them and how they lost the game or their lives. He also talks about the politics that were going on during that era, and how that played into the NBA trying to grow its game and image. I am forever intrigued by the politics since I am so green in that era. I will say it is very eye opening, and it makes my dislike for Ronald Reagan even more than I ever imagined. He was an absolute puppet and a real monster. McKay portrays that perfectly.

The most important stories are the ones about the players, and how they ended up where they ended up. Some of the players I know about, or at least have heard of. We all know what happened to Len Bias. That was such a surprise, and it was something that didn't have to happen. Unfortunately it did happen, and now we are all left to wonder what could have been. The way McKay tells the story makes it even more intriguing. He is so good at weaving the story and telling all sides of it. I could say the same thing about the Benji Wilson and Drazan Petrovic episodes. Benji Wilson could have been a super duper star, but young kids make mistakes. Unfortunately for Wilson it was a horrific, life altering mistake. But what made this episode so interesting was the fact that McKay was able to talk to the man who shot and killed Wilson. He is a completely rehabilitated person, who knows the error of his ways and now he works to help stop gun violence. Petrovic's story was something that also could have been avoided, but it was a terrible accident. Again though, I learned so many things about Petrovic and Yugoslavia and so much more than I ever thought I could know about the basketball played overseas back then, and why Petrovic was so great. Then we have the players I do not know about or never heard of. I had no idea who Terry Furlow was, but Magic Johnson sure as hell did. He was an all time great in college at Michigan State. Magic looked up to him. He was a walking bucket, a player before his time. He died because of the opulence of cocaine in the 80's in the NBA and driving a car erratically. It is a wild, ABA esque story. We also have the story of Ricky Berry. Berry clearly was a person that suffered from depression, but back when he played, you didn't talk about that stuff openly. This was a guy that had everything going his way, seemed like he was going to take over the league, and then the next day he is dead because of a self inflicted gunshot wound. If he could have spoken openly and honestly, he may still be alive today. Hearing Jerry West talk about him, and West's own problems, was very eye opening. Then we have the most recent episode which talks about Craig Hodges and Mahmoud Abdul Raouf. These gentlemen are not dead, but the way they expressed themselves pushed them out of the league. Hodges was an advocate to stop police brutality after seeing the Rodney King outcome. He was another person, a peaceful protestor before his time, that was blackballed because he questioned the super stars of the game back then, the Larry Bird's and Magic Jonhson's and Michael Jordan's, on why they weren't more outspoken This guy was a knockdown shooter, but after going after these players, no one wanted him. That's very unfair. With Rauof. He was just a man who converted to Islam and decided to not put his hand on his heart and look at the flag during the anthem. He was Colin Kaepernick before Kaepernick. But the league all but ousted him after hearing why he didn't want to acknowledge the song, and this guy was an all NBA player and an all star. This was clearly a politically charged move by the NBA. These men were unfairly pushed out of the league.

I cannot wait for another episode. I look forward to the new one every week. This podcast is perfect for a basketball nerd such as myself. I love everything about it and I cannot recommend it enough. I owe a huge thanks to RD for letting me know about it too. "Death at the Wing" is awesome. It is one of the best podcasts out right now.

Ty

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

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It's Time for Green Bay to Trade Aaron Rodgers

Before the NFL draft last night a bunch of rumors started to swirl that Aaron Rodgers wanted out of Green Bay.

I am a Packers fan, as you all know, but I am not an Aaron Rodgers fan. My dad, who is also not a fan, can vouch for this. Hell, RD can vouch for this. Just ask him about our conversation the day the Packers drafted him, I was not too happy and neither was my dad. But, he has been great. He won a Super Bowl, and should have gone to more. The Packers have pretty much dominated the NFC North ever since he took over as the starter. He always keeps them in games. He has single handedly won big regular season and playoff games. He is a multiple MVP winner. He is one of the best QB's in the league. I was wrong and RD was right.

The fact is that Rodgers is older, he is becoming more of a head case, he has outside interests that are Hollywood centric and the Packers have gotten the best he has to offer in my opinion. I say trade him for a king's ransom, or just let him waste a year not playing if he is going to demand a trade. I'm all for player empowerment too. Players should have some kind of say in where they play, but not one year after they sign an extension. I feel the same way about the James Harden trade. He gave up on Houston, and no matter how good he has been in Brooklyn, the way he exited Houston will always stay with me. And this isn't like Paul George asking for a trade to the Clippers. He worked with Oklahoma City's front office to make the trade work out for both teams. Aaron Rodgers and James Harden did not, or are not, willing to do that. They both just want out because things aren't the way they want it to be with their teams.

I do agree that the Packers have not made the best choices with Rodgers as the face of their franchise. They drafted a cornerback last night when plenty of wideouts were available. I like the Jordan Love pick last year, but they did that without talking to him. They have no real solid number two receiver behind Davante Adams. And the Matt LaFluer hire is still puzzling to me. But he could have just said no to the extension that they offered last season. He agreed to it and put pen to paper, and now he is unhappy, going so far as to tell some of his teammates he wants out.

This is childish. This is one of the many reasons why I did not want Green Bay to draft him so long ago. Everything has to be about him. He only cares about himself. He wants to be the star. He wants to be the only player that people talk about when they mention the Packers. Basically, Aaron Rodgers is selfish. So, like I said, either trade him to a team of the GM's choice, the team that makes the best offer, or let him waste the rest of his contract stewing about still being in Green Bay. I know he has his "wish list" of teams, but I do not think any of those teams can make a solid offer. Denver has already said they are out. The Raiders have nothing of real value except for a plethora of future picks. And the 49ers, I want nothing to do with Jimmy Garroppollo, and they do not have the picks to make this trade work. Hell, I would go the route that the Spurs did with Kawhi Leonard. Kawhi wanted out and he wanted to go to LA. But the Spurs didn't like either offer from both LA teams. It didn't meet their criteria. Then Toronto came calling, offering DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl and a solid amount of picks. The Spurs also got to keep all their young talent. Kawhi went to Toronto, won a title and then got to go where he wanted as a free agent. The Spurs, while not the dominant team they were in the early 2000's, are still a headache to play, and they are going to be really good again really soon. That's because they dictated the trade. Green Bay needs to go that route.

Personally, I'd trade him for a goldmine of picks and a really good second receiver. I would also try to land a young defensive stud. I'd go after someone like Devin Bush or Khalil Mack or Aaron Donald or Jamal Adams. Shoot for the stars. See who is willing to give up an emerging star on the defensive side of the ball. Why not? Apparently the 49ers were willing to give up a ton, so why wouldn't some other team. Rodgers is better than Ben Roethlisberger, so wouldn't the Steelers give up Bush and a bunch of future picks for him. The Bears just drafted a QB, but Fields could sit for a year or two behind Rodgers and the Packers could get the best linebacker in football. I know the Rams just traded for Matt Stafford, but Rodgers owns him. So why wouldn't the Rams give up Donald to get an upgrade at QB. And I know the Seahawks current QB isn't happy there, so why not swap QB's and then add on Jamal Adams? That would be ideal in my opinion.

In the end I say let Rodgers go. Go out and get as much as possible for a beleaguered malcontent. Now is their best opportunity. Or just let him sit out and be grumpy. Who cares. Green Bay doesn't owe him a damn thing, and they should treat it that way. No matter what choice they make, I say move him. Bring on the Jordan Love era. Let's do it.

Ty

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

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Ty's Not Mock NFL Draft

The NFL draft is tomorrow night. I know, I was as surprised as many were when I found out earlier this week. As I normally do I will pick a few prospects that I think are going to be great, a few that might not be so good and a few sleepers. This is much more fun than doing a mock draft. I have also already read a ton of those anyway. And, I do watch a ton of college football, so I feel like I know the "top" prospects pretty well in this upcoming draft. I even watched all of last season, even though I didn't feel very good about watching. With that being said, let's get to it.

This draft is filled with QB prospects. I would not be surprised if the first four picks are QB's. There are so many draft eligible QB's. It is almost too much. At the very top of that list, and one of the prospects that I think will be a good to great NFL player is Trevor Lawrence. His college career played out pretty much as great as we all thought, and I see no reason why the Jags wouldn't take him first overall tomorrow night. He is tall, fast, smart, has a great arm and has been getting himself ready as soon as he took over the starting job at Clemson. He is as sure a bet as Andrew Luck or Cam Newton. They were bonafide stars the moment they were taken first overall, and I do not see that being any different for Lawrence. The only downside is the fact that he will be playing in Jacksonville. They do not offer too much help for him when he steps into the starting role. He also has a first year head coach that I do not think will have much success in the NFL. But Lawrence is as solid a QB prospect as there is in this draft. He is worth the hype.

Going outside the QB class, this wide receiver class is stacked too. And there are two kids that I think will have very bright futures in the NFL. The first is JaMarr Chase. He did opt out of last season, but his year before was one of the best I have ever witnessed. He had so many catches, so many TD's, and he separated himself from every other wideout in college football in 2019. His two playoff games were absolutely dominant. And if the Bengals end up taking him, as they should, having him and a healthy Joe Burrow could make for one hell of a duo. They could be the future in Cincinnati.

The other receiver I love, who is actually my favorite player in the draft, is Devonta Smith. His measurables may not be eye popping, but just look at what he did on the field last season. He was incredible. He was so good he won every major award, including the Heisman. He was unstoppable. That first half in the title game was magnetic. I was so very impressed with what I saw. My dream would be that he falls to Green Bay and they team him up with Davante Adams. That would rule. Smith is awesome and he will be a very, very, very good pro.

As far as the O line goes, Penei Sewell is going to be a first day starter wherever he gets picked. He is big, physical, hyper intelligent and saved his body by opting out last season. He is going to be a Jake Long esque player. He won't make any crazy noise as a player, but he will be dominant, and his QB and coaches will love him.

Looking at the defensive players, I think Patrick Surtain is the top of the class. He is already a shutdown corner, he is big and fast and physical and he will be a Charles Woodson type corner in the league. He will help any team, no matter who, that drafts him. I also think Jaycee Horn has some Jaire Alexander in him. He is a very good corner that will excel against better competition. I also like Micah Parsons. I know his stock has tumbled, and the exact same thing happened to Montez Sweat and he is a top notch d lineman. Parsons was excellent two years ago and I think he will only get better when he gets to the NFL. And of course I love Kwity Paye from Michigan. Three years ago at a game my dad pointed him out as a legit sack master, and he just got better and better. He is explosive, big and super fast. He is going to terrorize NFL backfields for ten years. He is going to be a day one starter.

For all the love I have given these kids, there are some I am not as high on as others. I do not think Zach Wilson is going to be the answer for the Jets at QB. He is the epitome of a one year wonder that played inferior competition. He is not a Russell Wilson clone. That is an insult to Wilson's incredible talent. The Jets will be trading him in two years just like they did with Sam Darnold. I also do not think Mac Jones is going to be much of a pro. He is a system QB to a T. He is like every other Texas Tech QB not named Patrick Mahomes. He is also very slow footed and not very accurate in my opinion. At receiver I just do not trust Jaylen Waddle's ankle injury. I do not know that it is fully healed, I do not know what it will do to his speed and route running and he was not the best wideout on his own team. I feel like the hype around Kyle Pitts has been totally overblown so much so that I think it will affect his career. I mean, he is good, but he isn't Tony Gonzalez or Antonio Gates. That's another thing, there are going to be better tight ends that can be drafted in later rounds. The hype is too much. Jalen Mayfield has taken a rightful tumble down draft boards. He seemed disengaged at times, he wasn't as dominant as he could've been and he missed most of last season with an injury. I feel the same about Landon Dickerson from Alabama. He just isn't the dominant force that Sewell or Rashawn Slater will be in the NFL. He also looks very slow.

As far as some "overrated" defensive players, one for sure in my opinion is Zaven Collins from Tulsa. He is the defensive version of Zach Wilson. Poor competition led to a fantastic year, but this rise up draft boards is baffling to me. I also think all the stuff that has happened with Caleb Farley lately has been a blow to any type of success he was going to have in the NFL. He was a top player, then he opted out, then he got hurt and now he has COVID. All of that is a rough start to an NFL career that hasn't even started yet. And I do not think Benjamin St Juste is going to be more than a special teams player in the NFL. He got beat like a drum in college, and that will just continue in the NFL.

As far as sleepers, there are some for sure. I love Nico Collins. He is a great deep threat, he is physical and he is very tall. He will be a proper third of fourth receiver on a good team. Elijah Moore is another really solid receiver that will go way later in the first round than he should. This is another guy that I would love to fall to Green Bay. I also really like Rondale Moore. He is shifty, fast and will help on offense and in the return game. I know that Justin Fields is a projected top five pick, but people have been on his case for some stupid reasons. I watched this kid carve up the Big Ten for two years, and then do the same thing twice to Clemson. He is going to be a very good pro.

I have two deep sleepers. I really like Chubba Hubbard from Oklahoma State. He is going to be a late round pick because running back isn't a huge priority anymore, but boy is he going to be a steal. He is an excellent runner and a very good pass catcher. He can also block. This kid is going to be a pro bowler, and I wouldn't be shocked if he starts as a rookie. I kind of expect it. And finally we have Najee Harris. Maybe you don't see him as a deep sleeper, but no one is talking about him as a first round talent. He is the prototype modern NFL running back. He is built like Leonard Fournette, but he is not nearly as injury prone. He can catch like a modern day Marshall Faulk and rack up yards after. He can run with the best of the best currently in the NFL. He can block like a fullback. When I watched him in the title game the only player that I thought that was better than him on that field was Devonta Smith. If a team like Miami can get him, and reunite him with Tua, that would be great. Or if he lands with an ascending team that is a running back away, like Seattle or Baltimore, he is going to be the answer they need. I really like Najee Harris.

Okay there you have it, my NFL draft primer. Now let's see how things turn out Thursday night.

Ty

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

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Ty's Continuing Adventures in Running

For the past couple months I have been training for two long races. I have been running five days a week at different mileage each day. It has been pretty good, I have enjoyed my training and so far, no injuries. All is good.

I had my first of two races this past Saturday. I drove to Columbia to run in the Lion's Den Race. This was a timed race. There was a 24 hour, 12 hour or 6 hour portion. I opted for the 6 hours. I figured this was more than enough time since the furthest, and longest I have gone is 17 miles in three and a half hours. Race day came and I was nervous. But when I got to the course, met by a friend, I eased up a bit. He told me how it was going to be fun, it was a looped course so I would get used to it easily and how to properly eat and drink for that amount of time. When our time had come to start I felt pretty ready. And then we were off.

I felt good for a while. I ran one of my fastest 10k's. I ran my fastest half marathon. The sun was coming out and it was drying the course. Things were looking up. I was going pretty well for the first 13 miles. Then I kind of hit a wall. My buddy said he was going to keep going, and I let him know that I was going to be slowing down, walking from time to time. I was feeling it pretty hard around mile 15. Honestly, I wanted to stop right there. I even told myself that I was going to bow out. I felt done. Then I started to think about the other people there. The racers who had been there since 6am and the ones that started the day before at 6pm. Most of them were still out there. They went through a night of on and off rain. It was cold and dreary, and they were still out there going at it, and seemingly having a good time. I gained some kind of relief/acceptance that, if they could do it for as long as they have been doing it, I could go for the next three hours. That was nothing compared to what the other people were doing. I was also able to speak to some of the people that were doing the 24 and 12 hour times, and they gave me even more confidence that I could keep going. That I just needed to push through the pain. They were right. When I pushed past the 15 mile mark, I drank some fluid, ate some peanut butter pretzels and some gummy bears and felt like I had a second wind. This was a great feeling. Sure I was going slower, and the minimal hills became a much needed walking rest, but I was still moving. I pushed through to the 20 mile mark, and I slowed down even more, but I didn't stop. I would only run the downhills and the straights. The hills were a non starter. I was going to walk those the rest of the day. That was the plan. When I got to my last loop, the tenth lap, I walked almost the entire thing, and I was totally fine with that. It felt right. So I walked nearly all of that last lap. I got to the point where there was about half a mile left, and it was all flat or downhill. I decided I was going to run this part of it. Well, it was more of a very slow jog, but still, I was not walking. As I got to the finish line I was first met by a photographer. That was good because I wasn't fake running anymore.

As I got closer I heard people yelling my name. I was confused because the only other person I knew was my buddy, and he was going on to finish his 12th lap that day. When I took my headphones off and looked up I saw my oldest brother, sister in law, two nieces and my son. They came to cheer me on. It was a much needed surprise. I loved that they came out to see me do this. To see me accomplish this feat. Having my son see me do something that I have never done before was humongous. Having my sister in law, who got me into running in the first place, was awesome. My oldest brother, who is the most athletic of all of us, having him there was the epitome of support. Then having my two teenage nieces seeing me do this, they knew me when I was much heavier, that was the icing on the cake.

When I crossed the line, signaling that I was done, I gave my son a big hug. My brother and his wife made sure I was done, made sure I didn't want to do more. I needed that. My nieces were so nice and so sweet. It made me so happy. When I calmed down, drank some more water, ate a banana and took my shoes and socks off, I saw that I had run 25.78 miles. By far the longest I have ever done. It was pretty amazing, even though I was beyond exhausted. Then my buddy finished, and he ran 31.3 miles. I was stoked for him. As for some of the longer timed runners, the 24 and 12 hour people, I saw numbers in the upper 60's and 70's. Hell, a few people went over 100, with one guy going 120 miles. That was amazing.

This was definitely an experience that I will never forget. I'm so glad I did it, and it has me feeling more and more prepared for the full marathon I am running in less than three weeks. I am still tired, I was sore, I hurt all day yesterday, but I am so glad that I went out and ran for nearly six hours on Saturday. I loved it, and I am very happy to have running in my life. It is truly the best.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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The Knicks are Not Actually Bad Right Now

RD may not want to hear this, hell a lot of resident New Yorkers might not want to hear this, but the Knicks look like a solid team. They are currently on a six game win streak, they are fifth in the East, Julius Randle is finally living up to the hype and they are playing really solid basketball at the exact right time.

I agree with LeBron when he said the NBA is better when the Knicks are good. It makes sense. I am not a Lakers, Celtics or Knicks fan, but when they are all good teams, playoff teams, the NBA is better. Those are some of the biggest market teams, and if Chicago would get their act together, this could be like the NBA of the 90's, which is the NBA I watched and fell in love with.

Now, not to temper things down for Knicks fans that are excited, they are currently fifth in the East, and they would get destroyed by the 76ers, Bucks or Celtics. Hell, I'd even take the Heat or Raptors, teams far behind them, to win a seven game series over them. The Knicks are a nice story. That is what this whole season will be for them. But they are not ready to compete with the upper echelon of the East. If you all will remember, Tom Thibodeau went to Minnesota a few years back and turned them into a playoff team in year two. Then they totally went down the drain and he was gone well before his contract was done. He was not only the coach in Minnesota, but also the GM. He made all the player personnel decisions. He chose who they drafted, who they traded for and who they signed as free agents. He signed all the guys he likes and only played them, with few exceptions, and the Timberwolves fell back into obscurity.

What the Knicks have going for them is Thibodeau is just the head coach. He excels in the regular season as just the head coach. He won in Minnesota for a few years, and he had some really good teams in Chicago. But he overworks his players and he is sometimes unwilling to play younger players. So far that has not been the case in New York. Julius Randle is a vet, but this is his first real time being "the guy" for an offense, and Thibodeau has made it work. He is being forced to play RJ Barrett, and he is looking more and more like the player some GM's and scouts envisioned when he left Duke after one year. He is hitting shots and getting to the rim. Obi Toppin isn't getting a ton of playing time, but when he gets in, he is a good defender and good rebounder. Immanuel Quickley was kind of forced into the lineup, but he has been a revelation. He has more than earned his spot in the rotation. Derrick Rose is becoming the super sub for them. That is a perfect role for where he is in his career right now, and he is doing great. I think with the roster construct before he got there, he doesn't have a choice but to play the young kids, and it is working.

We will see what happens from here, how they finish out the year. But right now, Thibodeau has no other choice but to roll the best players out there, and a lot of them are younger guys. The Knicks are going to make the playoffs this season. Where we sit right now they are 32-27, firmly in the fifth spot in the East. They only have 13 more games left in the regular season, I think they will hold on to that 5 seed, meaning they will not have to play in the play in tourney, and I wouldn't be surprised if they win a round. As it stands today they would face the Hawks in the first round. I could see them winning that series in six games. But then they would get one of the buzzsaw teams. One of the three teams at the top that will destroy them. But, as if right now, the Knicks should be proud of what they have done this year. I had no faith in them, and I know a ton of other writers were right there with me. They have proved all of us wrong, and I have loved seeing Julius Randle, who I am a big fan of, turn into this force, especially on the offensive end.

This has been a nice season so far for New York, and they could make it more fun by winning in the playoffs.

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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Happy Retirement LaMarcus Aldridge

LaMarcus Aldridge retired from the NBA last week. I feel like I’m still processing this news. He looked to be finding his groove in Brooklyn. He was going to be a contributor, probably a starter, on one of the favorites from the East. He was putting up solid numbers. And he finally seemed to be healthy. Then, out of the blue, he retired due to an irregular heartbeat.

I read Aldridge’s statement after hearing the news, still in disbelief, and it was profound and perfect. The way he talked about teams giving him a chance, Portland drafting a skinny guy from Texas and letting him flourish, to San Antonio signing him when he was a prized free agent and letting him be him, to Brooklyn who was happy to have him, and very much needed him, it was so nice and so correct. When he talked about how he’s dedicated his life to basketball, putting things on the back burner to get better at honing his skills, to constantly working on his game, to now realizing what is important, his family and his health, that part made me tear up. And when he simply ended it with a very warm and gentle thank you, it was so true to the person he is, and was as a basketball player.

I did some digging and found out that he had a rough night a few nights back with his irregular heartbeat. He then felt better I guess, enough to play, but then it came back. That scared him. That would scare me. And then to come to this decision, to walk away with a chance at a ring, I respect the hell out of him for that. He chose family and health over fame. He wants to see his kids grow up. He wants to be with his partner. He wants to experience things all of us non professional athletes take for advantage. I’ve had the great pleasure seeing both my kids take their first steps, lose their teeth, scrape their knees and find out their limitations. LaMarcus Aldridge may have missed out on some, or all of those things. I can’t imagine missing that stuff. Now though, he doesn’t have to. I would love to say that I’d do the same, but I don’t know. Knowing LMA, his situation must have been very, very scary. He must’ve been worried for his life, to walk away. Again though, I respect it.

As for his career, I think he will go down as an underrated star. In Portland he grew as a young rookie into a reliable scoring threat from the high and low post. His jumper from the corner of the high post was one of the most reliable shots in the NBA. Every time he rose up to shoot I assumed it was going in. He parlayed that into a nice duo with Damian Lillard. Lillard and Aldridge formed a solid duo that helped Portland get back to respectability. They became a perennial playoff team. They were always a threat. They beat some good teams in early playoffs rounds. Then, at the height of his career, he was the free agent everyone wanted. He took meetings with any team he chose. He was the guy that teams thought could put them over the edge. As sad as I was to see him leave Portland and Dame, I was pleasantly surprised when he signed with the Spurs. He could’ve signed with either LA team, or joined a burgeoning super team, but he picked San Antonio. I think it was part Greg Poppovich, part the similarities in his game to Tim Duncan. And while he didn’t have the same success Duncan had, the Spurs stayed relevant and kept making the playoffs. Aldridge ushered in the post Tim Duncan era. He was a solid replacement for Duncan. He wasn’t Duncan, no one is, but Aldridge was serviceable. The past two seasons he slowed down a bit, but he was in the league for 15 years. He was an older vet, plain and simple. Then he asked out of San Antonio, as expected, they’re going super young, finally, and he signed with Brooklyn for the minimum. I was kind of surprised, but understood why. He was nearing the end of his career, and he saw an opportunity for a ring, but he wouldn’t have to compromise the player he was. And seeing him play in Brooklyn, he was fitting in just nice. He was getting starts, playing solid minutes and draining that corner jumper of his regularly. He looked to be another offensive weapon. Then the irregular heartbeat came up, and his career was over.

I do not want us to put LMA in some weird category. He doesn’t have a ring or an MVP or any of that, but LMA is an all time great big man. He was a great mold of old school and new school basketball. He was great in the post, but could also pull rim protectors out of the post with his jumper. He was a solid rebounder. And he played serviceable defense. To me his career is really no different than another player’s that was cut very short due to an unforeseen health issue, Chris Bosh. It’s a shame both of them didn’t get a full run in the NBA. But what they gave us was pretty memorable. I do think LMA is a hall of fame basketball player, and I agree with Dame that Portland should retire his number.

Enjoy retirement LaMarcus Aldridge, and stay healthy. You had a great NBA career, but now you get to be with your family and witness everything you’ve been wanting to see. You more than deserve it. Congrats on a wonderful career.

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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Stop It With This Julian Edelman Hall of Fame Nonsense

Julian Edelman retired from the NFL this week after he was waived by the Patriots. I think most of us saw this coming. And then Gronk had to be the stupid frat boy he is and gave some dumbass nonsense comment about him joining the Bucaneers, which would not surprise me at all. But, if he stays retired, no I do not think he is a hall of fame player.

This question has been floating around sports media since he announced his retirement. Every time I see it I try and find a way to fit him in the hall of fame, but I just cannot bring myself to do it. And this has nothing to do with my distaste for the Patriots. I just think Edelman was on the right team at the right time and is reaping the benefits of being in the perfect situation. No one would even bring him up for the hall of fame if he were on the Rams or Saints or Broncos or Colts and put up the exact same numbers. But since he was on a dynastic team that won a lot, he has wormed his way into the conversation. And he was really only highly effective in one of the Patriots Super Bowl wins. I believe he won one Super Bowl MVP. Every other big game, he was just kind of there. He'd get five to six catches for 60 or 70 yards and maybe a score. He was a slot receiver. Nothing more, nothing less.

People may say he was Tom Brady's security blanket as a reason he should be in the hall, and that is wrong. Just because Tom Brady liked him that does not make him a hall of fame player. I believe Brady has found a new "security blanket" almost every single season he has played. Since Chris Godwin became his security blanket in Tampa are people going to say he is a hall of fame player now? I don't necessarily think so unless he starts to put up amazing stats. No one ever had any of the other Patriots "security blankets" as hall of fame players. People would laugh in your face if you mentioned Danny Amendola as a hall of fame player, but he was a key cog on some of those Patriots teams. Laurence Maroney had two great seasons, opening up the passing game for the Patriots, but no one is putting him in the hall. The O line was a humongous reason why those teams were so good, but no one is calling out those guys for the hall. All of these players had as many, if not more, important moments for the Patriots during their time there.

Then we have other players that are not in the hall of fame that deserve it far more than Julian Edelman. Sterling Sharpe has a ring and much better stats, and he is not in the hall of fame. Mark Duper was the much superior "security blanket" for Dan Marino, yet he remains out of the hall of fame. Torry Holt was, in my opinion, the best receiver of the Rams "Greatest Show on Turf" era but he has not been inducted. Jimmy Smith helped the Jacksonville Jaguars become relevant for the first time ever in the NFL, but he has not made the hall of fame. Henry Ellard was like a fine wine, getting better every year in the NFL, but he is not in the hall. Those are just some of the receivers that had far, far better careers than Edelman, yet they remain to be inducted. When you look at some of the rest of the talent that hasn't made it yet, it is laughable to suggest Edelman get in before some of these guys. Drew Bledsoe is not in the hall of fame. People seem to forget how awesome he was before he got hurt. Randall Cunningham is not in the hall of fame. That is absolutely criminal. London Fletcher was the key cog on the "Greatest Show on Turf '' Rams defense, putting up ridiculous tackling numbers, but he has not made the hall. Edgerrin James was a top flight running back for a good long time, but he isn't in the hall of fame. Ty Law was a shutdown corner, yet no hall for him. Andre Johnson is a receiver from essentially the same time as Edelman, but he was on a mediocre Texans team, and he isn't in the hall of fame conversation, which is stupid. Julius Peppers may be one of the best defensive lineman to ever play, and he is not a hall of famer. Troy Polamalu is one of the most fun and hardest hitting safeties ever, no hall of fame. Champ Bailey was as lockdown as they come, but he is still waiting to get in.

There are a ton more players that I didn't even mention today that are far more deserving. And I am not taking anything away from Julian Edelman. He had an okay career and he has a ton of rings. But, with all of the people I have listed today, and the many more I forgot, no Julian Edelman does not belong in the hall of fame. Not at all. Solid career, but not worthy of the hall.

Ty

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

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Baylor Showed Up and Dominated, That is Why They are the Champs

Yesterday I touted how great the Gonzaga-UCLA game was on Saturday, and it was a classic, and I was hoping that the title game was going to be half as good last night.

Well, it was not.

The basketball was good, and Baylor came more than prepared, but Gonzaga was bad. Real bad. Baylor came out like their heads were on fire, they were everywhere defensively and it seemed like they could not miss any shots. They came into the game with a great plan and executed it to absolute perfection. This was one of the best, and most dominant performances I have ever seen. When they pushed their lead at the beginning to 9-0, I already started to see Gonzaga looking like they realized they had no chance in the game. Gonzaga came out slow and stiff. They played scared. They played to not lose. They didn’t have the giddy up, the oomph they’ve shown all season. They got beat like a drum defensively. They turned the ball over far too many times. They got into very early foul trouble. They couldn’t hit the three. They couldn’t regularly get the ball in the post. It was bad.

I don’t think it was the Bulldogs poor performance that gave Baylor the win. I think Baylor dictated every aspect of the game. Baylor controlled tempo. They forced the turnovers. They made shots. When Gonzaga switched to a zone, Baylor attacked the middle and outside with abundant success. Baylor hounded the ball handlers all night. Even when Gonzaga cut the lead to 9 early in the second half, Baylor didn’t clam up. They went on a 7-0 run to push their lead back up to 16. It was so much of a blowout that Gonzaga players did something I am not a fan of. Some of their players, stars like Timme and Suggs, started to move around like they were hurt. Timme was getting his hip worked on in the middle of the second half. During that time, Baylor kept hitting shots and forcing turnovers. They needed him on the floor, but he was “injured”. I just think he was tired. This was as big a blowout as I have witnessed between two teams that seemed evenly matched. These were the two best teams all year, but Baylor made very quick, and easy work of Gonzaga. Baylor owned this game. They were ready to play and Gonzaga was scared.

My hat goes off to Baylor. I was so very wrong about them in this tournament. I thought their late season COVID pause was going to crush them. It did not. At all. Baylor deserved to win this game too. They took the refs out of it, they took Gonzaga’s stars out of it and everyone on Baylor played their role to a T. I was very impressed with their overall performance last night. They are a much deserving champion.

I was so happy to have the tournament back. There were some great games and great individual performances. There were some humongous upsets and the correct team, the best team, won it all. Congrats Baylor. You deserve it.

Ty

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

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Ty Watches the 2021 Men's Final Four

Saturday night I watched the Final Four like I assume most sports fans did. I missed it last year, and this year I think we had three of the four best teams in the country, and the hottest team in the tourney, and I wanted to watch Gonzaga, who I have not seen an entire game of all year.

The first game was a blowout, and I did not see it coming. I figured Baylor would win. They have looked really good this whole tournament, and clearly I underestimated them. Houston has been great defensively, and they have done just enough on offense to get by. But they played all double digit seeds up to that point, they had blown large leads late only to pull away at the end, and they just seemed overmatched going into the Baylor game. That was all true. Baylor came out like gangbusters, they hit way more threes than they had all tourney, they locked down Houston's best offensive player right off the bat and rolled. The closest they got was 12, I believe. Baylor dominated, proved why they were a top two team all year and more than deserve to be in the title game.

The UCLA-Gonzaga game, at least I thought going into it, was going to be the same. I was very, very wrong. UCLA proved me very, very wrong in this game. They hung in the whole time. They probably should have won that game. They played the best they have offensively maybe all year. They slowed down two of the three stars Gonzaga has on their team. They never let Gonzaga pull away. They held the lead for most of the game. They looked like they more than belonged. This was one of the best college games I have ever seen, all time for me. This is how the final four games should be. This is what I look for during March Madness. I want these games to be back and forth. I like feeling invested even when I do not care who wins. This, this type of game, is what I missed so much last season when they rightfully canceled the tournament. It was back and forth. UCLA would build their lead, then Gonzaga would go on a run and take a lead of their own. And vice versa. When the best players on both teams needed to step up, they most certainly did. Johnny Juzang and Tyger Capmbell played amazingly. Jaime Jaquez was a key cog. UCLA let its stars shine their brightest, and they played up to the Zags level. And while Jalen Suggs, more on him in a minute, and Corey Kispert didn't have a great game, Drew Timme absolutely dominated in the low post. That kid has some of the best footwork in the post that I have ever seen. He looked like a mix of Tim Duncan and a slower Hakeem Olajuwon. He is going to have a long, productive NBA career based solely on his footwork. And he did everything he needed to for the Zags, which was almost everything. And as much as I dislike the charge/blocking call in every level of basketball, he took that charge near the end of the game, and it was rightfully called. He was outstanding.

The regulation 40 minutes wasn't enough, so this epic game got to go into overtime. Overtime was classic. Timme scored 6 quick points, but UCLA kept answering. Juzang was pulling up from everywhere, and it seemed to fall almost every single time. I even threw my hands up at one moment and asked my dad if he had missed at all during the game. Neither of us knew. Gonzaga led by 2 with 30 seconds left and UCLA had the ball. Everyone knew Juzang was going to shoot it. He got the ball, dribbled the clock down to about 12 seconds and drove. He took a contested floater, a shot I did not like at all, and he did miss it. But, Gonzaga didn't block out and he got his own rebound, extremely sound basketball, and made an uncontested layup to tie it with 3 seconds left. I assumed Gonzaga would call a timeout, try to heave a pass and we would go to double overtime. They didn't, and the rest is history. Timme took it out before UCLA could get ready and passed it in to Suggs. Suggs raced up past half court and put up what looked like a decent three. It was in Dame and Steph's range. And that ball banked in and Gonzaga won. I jumped off my parents couch, my dad was aghast, even my wife was pretty amazed by what just happened. I applaud Gonzaga for just going with the ball instead of slowing anything down. That was their best option all game, and when they needed it most, they used it and it worked. That shot by Suggs looked so pure and looked good the moment it left his hands. I believed Mark Few when he said he wasn't surprised when it went in because apparently Suggs does that in practice all the time. It was truly a once in a lifetime shot. It will be on replays and classic game showings for the rest of time. This was just an amazing ending to, by far, the best game of the tournament. This game truly had it all.

When that game ended, we were left with the title game, which is tonight, between Baylor and Gonzaga. This is the way it should be. They were the two best teams all year, their earlier game this season was wiped out due to COVID and now one of these schools will win their first ever college basketball title. I still think Gonzaga will win, but I wouldn't be surprised if Baylor finds a way to pull it out. In the end though, I hope it is half as good as what UCLA and Gonzaga gave us two nights ago.

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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Happy Retirement Coach Williams, One of the All Time Greats

I wanted to wait until today before I wrote about Roy Williams, in case it was some wild April's Fools joke, a "holiday" which I despise, especially with two young kids who are way too into pranks. But it was confirmed after his press conference he had last night, assuring everyone that this was real.

I am still kind of in shock. Williams just seemed like a guy who was going to be coaching college basketball forever. He has been around, and relevant, since I was a little kid. I remember watching him as the KU head coach. I remember being upset when he left for UNC because, outside of Michigan, I used to like KU basketball as well. Georgetown has now taken that spot. I remember when I realized why he left KU for UNC and finally getting it. I remember him winning titles and being a force almost every year while at KU and UNC. I remember the scandals, which looking at what is going on elsewhere now, seem so tame. And I remember his painful white boy dancing, that he did unapologetically. All in all though, the thing I remember most is the winning.

In Williams two stops as a head coach, the guy won. He has won three national titles. He has been to nine final fours. He won the ACC regular season title nine times, and the tournament three times. At KU he won four Big 12 regular season titles and three tournament titles. He won the Big 8 five times. He's a two time national coach of the year winner, a two time ACC coach of the year winner, a three time Big 12 coach of the year winner and a four time Big 8 coach of the year. And he has been inducted in both the college and pro basketball hall of fame. That is one hell of a resume. I think anyone would happily take that as their record. He's one of a very few college coaches that have won over 900 games. He has a career winning percentage of .774. His tournament record is astonishing as well. He is 79-27 in the tourney. That means deep runs most years his teams made it.

Roy Williams is a Mount Rushmore college coach. He is just as successful and important to the game as Coach K or John Calipari or John Chaney. There are very few coaches I would have ahead of him. Hell, it may be just a few of the classics, guys like John Wooden and John Thompson. But Williams is, for the modern day, an important and famous coach. He has coached a TON of guys that have had solid NBA careers. At KU he coached Nick Collison, Kirk Hinrich, Drew Gooden, Jacque Vaughn and Paul Pierce, among others. Those guys all had solid careers, and are now all somehow involved in the game. At UNC he got some more big time players. Guys like Harrison Barnes, Reggie Bullock, Ray Felton, Wayne Ellington, Danny Green, Tyler Hansborough, Justin Jackson, Cam Johnson, Ty Lawson, Nassir Little, Coby White, Cole Anthony and Marvin Williams. That list has current players, former champs and guys that are still giving back to the game. The fact that he has been around so many stellar basketball players is amazing. Add on that he got the best out of them, that is one hell of an accomplishment. I watched a video from last NBA season where Coby White was being interviewed, and to hear the way he talked about Williams, it just showed the love and the respect he has as a head coach. Roy Williams is respected in every basketball corner of the world.

As I sit on the news of his retirement, and what went into his decision, I think of kind of get it. UNC is still a very good school, just not like they used to be. The whole ACC has been down the past couple of years, and UNC is not immune. The college game has changed drastically too. I think more change is needed, and hopefully we are headed in that direction, but for a guy like Roy Williams, I can kind of see why he walked away now. One and done is the way of the game. The G League has created a team that will pay the top high school players, so a lot of kids will choose that route now, rightfully so. And overseas is yet another option for some of the top talent. Then you take into account the new transfer rules, I am sure Roy Williams was just fed up. UNC was coming off a year where they were okay. They made the tourney as a 9 seed and got blown out by Wisconsin in round one. Then his best freshman, a kid that played a ton of basketball for them, decided to transfer, citing "better competition". I mean, that is kind of crazy to me. Again, I do not fault these kids for going out and getting theirs, especially when coaches do it all the time and are praised for such moves. But this was not some kid who rode the bench all year. He played and played big minutes for them. I just think he did not like the fit, and nowadays that is more than enough for kids to make a move. Apparently this was the last straw for Williams. And I kind of get it from his point of view. That has to be frustrating for an old school guy like him, and a guy that likes to develop talent rather than just put all 5 star players on the floor.

Roy Williams has earned the myriad of accolades he achieved over his long coaching career, and I think he will take to retirement quite well. He had earned it. I just want to say congrats to him on a wonderful and memorable coaching run at two college basketball powerhouses. Roy Williams is an all time great.

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 SeedSing 2021 MLB Preview

I was out on a hike this morning with a buddy of mine, and he informed me that today was opening day in the MLB. I had no idea. I really do not follow baseball anymore, and with the pandemic, I follow it even less. I am so much more involved with my son's team. We started practice the other week, we have a tournament coming up and I am focused on teaching him the game because he seems to be enjoying himself. I didn't even remember that the Cardinals traded for Nolan Arenado, or that Tatis and a few other guys got 300 million dollar contracts. I was reminded of all of this after my buddy told me that it was opening day.

As I do every season, I have my version of a preview. This year, and I say this every year but it holds so much more weight now, please take my picks with the biggest grain of salt you can find. I truly do not know too terribly much anymore. Hell, I didn't realize how old Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina are now. I assumed they were still in their prime. Anyway, I do have some picks, so let's get to it.

I'll start with the American League. When I looked at the teams to get an idea, the only two that really popped out to me were the Yankees and Twins. I'm sure other teams are good, but I at least know of some guys on both these teams. In the AL East, I have to pick the Yankees. I know the Rays have been a solid team, I believe they even made the playoffs in the shortened season last year (ed note: They made the World Series and won a couple of games), so I am sure they will be some kind of threat. And the Blue Jays do have Vlad Guerrero Jr, and that kid rules. But they are the new disappointment team every year. As for Boston and Baltimore, they were both bad, especially Baltimore, and I do not think they did anything to change that this offseason. I think the Yankees will roll.

The Twins should roll in the AL Central. They are the best team. They are the AL version of Atlanta. They are up and coming, but their time is now. The Indians will be okay because they always are, but they have some off field stuff they need to deal with first. The Royals are bad, and so are the Tigers. Those teams will be lucky to win 70 games. The White Sox are kind of a wild card, but I know they lost a key hitter to injury. We will see. But the Twins are the cream of the crop here.

The AL West seems like a real dumpster fire. The Rangers are allowing their stadium to be at full capacity, so they will most definitely have a COVID stop that will crush them. The Mariners seemingly are never going to get over the hump. The Angels are wasting Mike Trout's best years. And the Astros are a bunch of cheaters. I guess this means I am going with Oakland, but Oakland always bows out early in the playoffs. They will win the division, and then get swept in the first round by a team that might not be as good as them.

As for the AL champ, I am going with the Yankees strictly because they have the most guys that I still know, and if those guys are healthy, they are going to hit a ton of homers.

Now for the National League.

The NL East is off to a bad start already with the Mets and Nationals postponing their opening game due to COVID. That being said, I think I am going with the Mets to win this division. They have one of those 300 million dollar guys, and they made a ton of offseason moves that look helpful. The Nationals do have a good amount of pitching, but I think their window is closed. The Marlins were better than I thought in the shortened season, but they are still so very young. They're not ready yet. The Phillies have Bryce Harper, but I think both parties are regretting that deal. And the Braves are very, very good. I think they will be a playoff team, but I think it will be a wild card. Hell, they may win it all. But the Mets made those moves, and they want to win. That is why I am picking them.

The Dodgers are going to roll yet again in the NL West. They are absolutely loaded everywhere. They are the new Yankees. They are the Warriors and Bulls of the MLB. They are the Patriots. They are Alabama. They are unstoppable. The Padres will fight and claw and win some games, and Tatis Jr is awesome, but they are not the Dodgers. And the rest of this division is very mediocre. The Giants are in a swoon period, the Diamondbacks have spent money, but they have traded away great assets and the Rockies are .500 at best. The Dodgers are the cream of the crop.

The NL Central features my hometown team, and they have a very good lineup now, but they do not have the best pitching. That being said, I think they will win the Central this year. The Cubs are very good, but they seem like a team that is going to blow things up soon. They are not going to be able to keep everyone. RD's team, the Reds, have Joey Votto, and not really anything else. They have let good players walk for nothing. I think RD would agree with me (ed note: yup). The Pirates are as bad as Baltimore. And the Brewers are very good, but last year may have been a one time thing. I am going with my heart here and picking the Cardinals.

As for the NL champ, it is the Dodgers. Duh. They are too damn good to get beat. I also have them winning another World Series. They are the best team in baseball. Hell, they may go through the playoffs undefeated. They should win well over 100 games. The Dodgers are the dominant team in baseball. Full stop.

Ty

Another View

Ty is right about almost everything here. The Reds will stink again, along with three quarters of the American League. The Dodgers look loaded, but it has never been easy for them, and something seems to happen to the team in a more semi normal season. The Padres, Braves, and Cardinals could take down the Dodgers in a playoff series. The Cardinals are old, the Padres are young, and the Braves are just right to make that midseason trade and win the NL Pennant.

In the American League it is the Yankees and everyone else. Unfortunately for New York, their big guys either under produce or they get hurt. This leaves an opening for an upcoming team, a team like the Chicago White Sox.

Atlanta will beat Chicago in six games to win the second COVID World Series.

RD

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

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Ty Talks 2021 Final Four

The Final Four is set, in both the men's and women's tournament. I have not watched the women's tournament, but I saw UCONN won, with a little controversy, but when they get this far, I just assume that they are going to win. That is my pick in the women's tournament. As for the men's tourney, I have watched a good amount of it. I have been really involved. I like that some players are speaking out against the NCAA, but that has not stopped me from watching this tournament endlessly. So, I have some takes going into the two games this weekend, and who I think will win it all.

I'm going to start with my team, Michigan. They blew it last night. They went ice cold at the absolute worst time. Mike Smith, who I love, was not even playable at moments. Franz Wagner picked a terrible time to have his worst game as a Wolverine. Hunter Dickinson did not wake up until early in the second half, and they needed him fully engaged all game. Eli Brooks didn't get enough touches. I wish Chaundee Brown played more. But I have to give UCLA a ton of credit. They locked Michigan down. They swarmed all night. They may be smaller, but that did not matter in the grand scheme of things. And that Johnny Juzang kid was the only player that could hit a shot. He played lights out, and he did it when they needed someone to. Even after he rolled his ankle, he came back and Michigan still could not stop him. Michigan blew it. They had multiple chances, ten to be exact, and they missed every single one of those shots. This was a rock fight, save for Juzang, it was a messy and sloppy and gross game to watch and the deserving team won last night. The Big 10 fell on its face, they couldn't get it done and this season will go down as a wash. Maybe the Big 10 is overrated. But again, kudos to UCLA for what they did last night, and for this run that they have been on since making the tournament.

The Bruins reward for winning last night, they now get to face Gonzaga. Gonzaga has looked absolutely dominant. They have looked amazing on both ends of the floor. No game has been that close. They have come out and steamrolled their way to the Final Four. When Oklahoma got an early lead on them in round two, I thought here is where they choke. That did not happen. They easily turned that deficit into a double digit win with ease. Then I thought USC was going to give them a real problem last night. They have length and size everywhere. They have players that looked like they could lock down some of Gonzaga's stars. That did not happen. Gonzaga did not trail for one second of that game. They won 85-66, and it was not that close. They are such a good team. Maybe this is the year where they finally live up to the hype.

The other two elite eight games were pretty solid. Baylor raced out to a big lead over Arkansas, but Arkansas cut it to single digits before the half. They looked like they may have figured Baylor out. Then Baylor realized how athletic they are, and how great defensively they are, and took control back with ease. The game felt kind of back and forth, but Baylor was never not in control. They won by 9, but some of Arkansas' points came at the end. They were hollow. It was like when a football team wins a game 24-14, but they led 24-7 up until there were three minutes left in the game and they put in their backups. Baylor has proven me dead wrong in this tourney. I thought their COVID pause was going to hurt them. It has not.

As for Houston and Oregon State, that game ended up being much closer than it should have. Houston led by 19 in the middle of the second half, but then Oregon State started to hit some shots. They came all the way back and tied the game at 55. Then Houston woke back up, locked Oregon State down, made some free throws and walked away with, I believe, an 8 point win. Houston is really, really good on defense, they just have these little lapses that could kill them in the Final Four.

On Saturday we will get the two Final Four games, with Houston facing Baylor first, and the night cap will be Gonzaga and UCLA. I think Baylor is way too good to let Houston's defense, as elite as it is, slow them down. Baylor is playing with swag, they look loose and free, they play almost equally as good defense as Hosuton, and they just seemed destined to be in the title game. There is a reason they were the number two team for most of the year. Baylor should beat Houston.

As for UCLA and Gonzaga, the Zags should cruise. They should score upwards of 90 points, if they want. They should be able to easily stop UCLA. UCLA wants to slow the game down to a grind, but I do not think that matters to Gonzaga. Gonzaga is loaded everywhere on the floor. They are the better team. They are the best team in college basketball this year. I think at this point the only thing that can stop Gonzaga is if someone on their team gets COVID and they have to forfeit. They should cruise by UCLA.

That means I have Gonzaga and Baylor in the title game. And surprise, surprise, I am picking Gonzaga. Baylor will be the best team they will face all year, but Gonzaga is a different breed this year. They are too loaded, too good, too fast, can play any pace, can beat any team. Gonzaga is the best team and they should easily win the title. We now will have to wait a week to see.

Ty

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

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Urban Meyer is Not Ready for the NFL

I was recently checking some NFL news, it has been a free agent bonanza lately, and I came across quite the interesting story for me. I felt like the people writing this particular piece had me in mind when doing it.

What’s the story?

Free agency had just ended, and it appeared that the new Jacksonville Jaguars coach, a man who I despise, who I think is a liar and a cheater, who makes excuses constantly and continues, even now, to make poor choices, Urban Meyer, does not like how the NFL does their free agency. He complained that you do not get to talk face to face with the players, that everything is done through their agents. He claimed that "in the old days" it was more important to have a dinner with the player, to get to know them, before deciding if he wanted to sign them. But now he guessed that it has just changed. That the players kind of pass the buck to their agents, and let them do the work.

Well Urban, this has been going on forever. Even me, just a fan of football, knows that this is the case. This is not college football anymore. You do not have to convince a kid to come and play at your school. These guys are established pros, guys who have made copious amounts of money, guys that want to go to a place where they will either get more playing time or compete for a ring. They do not need to be sold by anyone, especially a coach who will be, most likely, making less money than them. Professional football players do not want some show. They do not need to see their number in the stands, or have some PA announcer say some nonsense about how they are going to be the greatest to ever play for a certain team.

When the Clippers did this for Blake Griffin I cringed. And now look at where Griffin is in his career. The Clippers traded him less than a year into that contract, he struggled mightily in Detroit, and while I like his fit with Brooklyn, he still looks out of shape. All of that happened because the NBA is a business. This might have worked at Oklahoma, when he played there, but in LA, when he was no longer an asset, they let him go. The same can be said for the NFL, except the NFL is so much more cut throat. I remember when running backs were the hot commodity. Now, they will be cut or released two to three years into their career. People are already crushing the Cowboys for paying Ezekial Elliot so much money. Leonard Fournette has become a spot back making far less than when he was a rookie. Doug Martin is out of the league. They didn't produce like some teams thought, and they cut them. That is how it goes.

For Meyer to say what he said, to whine like this, to be this, quite frankly, stupid about how free agency works, it makes me think he is not going to be the success himself and Jacksonville thought when they hired him. I did not like the move because I thought something like this was going to happen. It is just like Chip Kelly and Steve Spurrier's offense getting figured out so quickly. It reminds me of all the awful decisions the Washington Football Team has made trying to lure big time free agents. It is akin to what Dallas has done the past couple years. Teams, mainly the GM's, have to be shrewd. That is why New England and Green Bay, and even Kansas City, who just restructured Patrick Mahomes humongous deal are so good. They know how to do free agency because they do not have college guys running their system. Meyer was a great college coach. It hurts my soul to write that, but it is true. He also was an ace recruiter, and I am sure he did most of it underhanded. I'm sure he skirted some rules to constantly get the best kids. I think every major school does it. Even Michigan. But in the pros, and I know I have said it a ton, these guys do not need the money. They have plenty of it. Most players have people that work for them who help them invest and save because they have too much money. Meyer needs to realize that very, very soon. He is going to have to rely on young, inexperienced players to win. He will have a rookie QB starting for him. He is going to have to learn to build a team through the draft because free agents are not going to want to play for one of the worst franchises in the NFL. All of their good players have left for greener pastures and better teams. If Meyer is frustrated by free agency, just wait until he has to face a very good NFL defense that isn't going to be intimidated by a hurry up spread offense. Those guys won't be fooled. They will be ready to rip some heads off.

The Urban Meyer era has started off very rocky in Jacksonville, do not forget he hired that former Iowa coach with a racist past and a penchant to undermine players and then gave some BS apology after he was forced to resign. Add on this free agency thing now. And they haven't even had a practice or played a game yet. I still think he has a small chance to succeed in the NFL, but that window gets smaller and smaller for me everyday whenever another story like this comes out. Times could continue to be rough in Jacksonville unless they get their coach to realize this is a business, that this isn't college anymore. If they don't, they will be looking for another new coach much sooner than they hoped.

Ty

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

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