RIP Ryan Mallett

While riding yesterday I pulled up my sports app to see if there was any news. Unfortunately I saw that former NFL player Ryan Mallett had passed away.

I was stunned. I knew he was young, and now coaching. I remembered watching him at Michigan, and then at Arkansas. When he arrived to play QB at Michigan I was stoked. He was going to replace Chad Henne, who was a senior. He got some early action in a blowout and when I watched him play, I got even more excited. He had a rocket arm. He seemed fearless. He wanted to sling it around the field. It seemed like a great match. He saw a bit more time in other games and it looked like he was ready to step in. Then Lloyd Carr retired and Michigan hired Rich Rodriguez. The system didn’t fit the QB. Mallett, as expected, transferred. He ended up at Arkansas, which made sense since he was from there. He was pretty solid during his tenure. He said some issues with the law, public intoxication, but the guy produced on the field. He threw for over 3,000 yards twice. He put up 30 plus touchdowns each season. He was an all SEC player. He went to the draft and was a third round pick by the Patriots, backing up Tom Brady. The NFL never really worked for him, but he made it. He even started a few games here and there. Once he retired he went into coaching. This was an excellent fit for him. He knew the ins and outs and could help kids make it to the next level. But to read this news yesterday, to see he had drowned when he was getting into a job he was well equipped to excel at, that’s tragic. He was five years younger than I am right now. That is far too short of a life. I don’t know if he was married, or if he had any kids, but he leaves a hole in the heart of Michigan, Arkansas and NFL fans everywhere. People rooted for this guy. They wanted him to succeed. So to see his life cut painfully short is as tragic as it gets.

Rest in Peace Ryan Mallett. You will be very missed.

Ty

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

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Thoughts on the Big NBA Trades

The draft came and went with little trades here and there. Nothing too big. Some picks moved, some draft rights moved, but no superstar was traded. Dame is still in Portland. Zion, still in NOLA. Paul George is still a Clipper. But, there were a good amount of big trades prior to the draft and I want to zero in on two of them today.

The first is CP3 to the Warriors. I thought this was a bit when it was announced. The hatred that the Warriors have for Paul, and he loathes them just as much, made this seem not real. But, after some research, it was found to be true. It happened. After the shock settled in me, I kind of took a hard look at this and I am not a fan on the Warriors side. CP3 is an all timer. He is one of the best point guards the game has ever seen. He is smart, a problem solver, a shit disturber, a mid range killer, a dirty and solid defender and an excellent floor general. Paul has it all. But he is not the best point guard on his new team. The Warriors still have Steph Curry. He is a superior guard to Paul. He is a much better shooter. He is a much, much better teammate. He has become a solid defender. He is one of the best cutters in the league. He makes soft wild passes, but he also makes smart passes. After Steph, the Warriors still have Draymond, their secondary ball handler. I expect him to stay with the team, and I do not expect him to give up any ball handling duties. He is also the engine. He runs the show. He is the motor that keeps them going. The Warriors also still have Klay Thompson and Gary Payton Jr. They also drafted a 2 guard. They have a glut, and now they are adding CP3 to the mix. CP3 is an adult and a great vet, so I am sure he will try to fit in, but the fit is odd. I heard people say that he may run the second unit. Will he really? Is he going to accept that? I also heard they may only give him 20 minutes a game. Will he be cool with that? This guy has done what he wanted since he stepped foot in the league, as he earned. Why would he take a diminished role now? Then we also have the hatred between Paul and this franchise. I don't think the fans will accept him. I don't think he will want to listen to Steve Kerr. I think Steph will get fed up with him quickly. I wouldn't be shocked if Draymond punches him this offseason. There is just too much what if and injury and age concern. I get that this is a win now trade, but this is going to be a tough sell for everyone involved. That being said, I do think Jordan Poole is going to go off in Washington. They won't win a lot of games, he will be wildly inefficient and he will play no defense, but that dude is going to have the ball in his hands and an all time green light. He could average 25-28 points a game next season.

The other trade is the Kristaps Porzingis to the Celtics, Tyus Jones to the Wizards and Marcus Smart to the Grizzlies. Porzingis is a blah trade to me. Tyus Jones could be traded to a contender or be the point guard of this new era of Wizards basketball. But Smart to the Grizzlies has me hyped as a Grizzlies fan. At first blush I didn't think much of it. I saw Smart in a Grizzlies uniform and I thought, cool. But as I dug into this one I have become more and more excited by his addition. I know that Smart was upset to leave Boston. He wanted to retire there. But him coming to Memphis feels like this team has a true blue vet and a grown up on this team. Smart is a Defensive Player of the Year. He has been on a team that continuously has deep playoff runs. He is an okay shooter. He is a tough as nails defender. He is an excellent passer. And he is a grown up. Memphis is a solid team. They have a ton of talent. They have been the 2 seed two years in a row in the West. But they are immature. They talk too much for a team that hasn't won anything. Their talk took them out in the first round last season. Dillon Brooks became a problem. Desmond Bane wouldn't stop chirping at Rui Hachimura. Steven Adams got hurt. So did Brandon Clarke. And Ja Morant clearly has some identity issues. This team needed a grown up. This team needed a guy who knows what it takes to win deep in the playoffs. This team needs a guy who can come in and knock all the nonsense off in the locker room. Marcus Smart won't stand for that mess unless they start to win real playoff games. And this team needed a solid point guard for the first 25 games due to Morant's suspension. I adore this move. The Grizzlies needed to do something exactly like this. I didn't think they were going to do it because they never do, but they finally did and I applaud it. I know Smart may not help the half court offense, but he brings so much more that this team needs. I love that they will have his presence in the locker room. I think he will love playing defense next to Jaren Jackson Jr and Steven Adams, if he remains with the team. He can stay a starter when Morant gets back from suspension. He is a solid running mate next to Morant.

As much as I dislike the CP3 trade, I like this Smart trade. This was a good deal for the Grizz, and I cannot wait to watch Smart play with them next season. 

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 Not Mock 2023 NBA Draft

The 2023 NBA draft is tonight. I used to watch the draft very closely. I wanted to see where these college and high school and overseas players were going to start their pro careers. I don't watch it now, but my son does. He loves it. He is excited. He has to record the first part, but he has a plan and he is ready to implement it as soon as we get home.

As I have done for the past couple years, I will point out some prospects I like, some I'm not so high on, a few sleepers and discuss the Michigan guys in the draft. This is not a mock draft, more so my opinion on some prospects. Here goes.

It is no secret that this is a three player draft. There are other solid prospects, but the top three guys are the best. They could each be the first overall pick. They are that talented. And I fully believe in all three players' abilities on the court. Victor Webanyama is 7'4. He can handle the ball. He can shoot. He is an excellent defender. He is a solid rebounder. He will put some weight on as he continues in his career. The expectations are expected and he will most likely exceed them. He is a generational talent and he is going to the best run franchise in the NBA. The Spurs and Webanyama are a perfect match. This kid is going to be great. Brandon Miller has some off court stuff, but that seems to have been taken care of. On the court this kid is a great scorer. He can create and spot up on the floor. He can rebound. He needs to get a little better on the defensive end, but that can be coached. This kid reminds me a lot of Banchero from last year. He should be an 18-20 point scorer the moment he walks on an NBA floor. Scoot Henderson may be the most pro ready prospect in this draft. He is built like a tank. He can handle the ball. He is an okay defender. He is ready to run a team. He played in the G League, and when the lights were bright, he showed out. Henderson is my favorite prospect in the draft. If he falls to 3, the Trailblazers should draft him instantly.

Outside those three guys I also like Amen Thompson and Jordan Hawkins. Amen is the better of the Thompson twins. He had excellent workouts and interviews. He has all the tools and the skill. This kid is going to make some GM outside of the top three very happy. Hawkins burst onto the scene this past college season at UConn. He was the best player on the best team. He is a do it all scorer and good perimeter defender. He is going to land in the late lottery most likely and whatever team gets him will be getting a Buddy Hield type player, except a better defender.

As for the prospects I'm not so crazy about, let's start with Cam Whittemore. I kept seeing his name pop up in the early lottery and I didn't know who he was. I also did not know where he played this past season. I'm sure he is a solid basketball player, but I had never heard of him up until about a week ago. Some stories are being floated that his medicals are concerning too. That is not ideal for a kid that is going to be a lottery pick. Time will tell, but this is not a good start. Gradey Dick is not Christian Braun. Not by a long shot. He isn't the shooter, cutter or defender. Just because he played the same position at KU does not mean he is going to be the same player. I feel like a team is going to reach a little too early and he is going to end up like Jimmer Fredette or Nik Stauskas. Finally, I'm also out on Dereck Lively from Duke. He is big, and that is nice, but he was something like the fifth option on an okay Duke team last season. He never did anything amazing. He never stood out. He wasn't the first, second or third option on his college team. That is not a player I would spend a lottery pick on.

Now for the Michigan players. Jett Howard can shoot. He was probably the only reliable and dependable scorer on that team at all last season. He is also an okay enough rebounder. But he is not much of a defender. He is also kind of a non creator. He is great at spot up shooting, hell, even catch and shooting. But he has a way to go as a defender and scorer. I have faith that he can stick in the league, but he may not be more than a role bench player. Kobe Bufkin has only gotten better since he got to Michigan. He showed major flashes in his freshman season in his limited playing time. When he got out on the court, I would be stunned watching him play. I was scared he may transfer, but he stuck it out and became the only reliable player on the team all year. He was the only guy I wasn't worried about on the team. His jumper improved. His defense was, hands down, the best on the team. He was the only creator. When he had the ball in his hands, good things happened. Bufkin is going to make for a very good pro. I think the late lottery is perfect for him. I would love to see him go to OKC or Toronto. That would be ideal.

There you have it, my draft preview. Can't wait to see how all these guys end up doing in their careers. 

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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Things are Not Looking Good for a New College Football Video Game

I'm not much for video games, but I do love NCAA Football. That was the only game I would ever tell people I was any good at when playing. I knew my stuff. I love college football, so a game fully dedicated to it was right up my alley. You can ask RD. I've talked about it on the pod and this website. I was legit in that game. I knew what worked, what didn't and how to slow down my opponent. When it went away I was bummed. The old iterations of it were still available to purchase on the Xbox up until about two years ago. That bummed me out too. I tried other versions of college football games, but none were the same. Nothing compared to the EA original.

When NIL became real, and college athletes were starting to get paid for their likeness, it felt like the game may come back. Then they announced the return. And then they started to show little bits of gameplay. It all began to feel real, like it was actually going to happen. I was, and still am, stoked that this game may be back. I heard that 2024 was the expected release year, and that March was a rumored month. I let myself get excited. But now I am starting to get a little antsy. Stories have been coming out that are not so good for the release of this game. I am worried that they will have a hard time getting it to the public and that we may never see another EA NCAA Football game ever again.

First some players put out a statement saying they were offered a very minimal sum of money to appear in the game. I get that it is trife and looks bad, but imagine if your face was on something and you got nothing, or next to nothing for that. They just put it out there, didn't tell or ask you and it was there for all to see. You'd expect something, right? So when the rumored small amount of money for the likeness came out, I read 50 dollars, I thought the athletes were right to put up a stink. This game is going to make more than enough money to pay these athletes. They should get, at minimum, 500 dollars. That was what I thought the going rate was going to be for some not as noticeable college football players. I figured the more noticeable would get upwards of a grand. But EA is being stingy and trying to withhold money. That is wrong. And this afternoon I saw some other company, the Brandr Group, is suing EA for not being included in negotiations for NIL deals being offered to athletes. This is now another avoidable obstacle that this game is facing. It feels like the people at EA thought they would be able to release the game with no questions asked. I think they thought that the public wants it so bad that no questions would be asked. But college athletes are smart. They have loads of people watching out for them now. They have lawyers and agents on retainer trying to get them as paid as they can before going pro or getting hurt. They understand the current landscape of the NIL and they will not be taken for granted. I applaud them for that.

This game feels like it is teetering on the edge right now. It feels like one more lawsuit may strike it down and that will be the last we ever hear or see of this game. I hope they figure it out, but that seems like a longshot at this moment. EA needs to wake up and do the right thing. These athletes deserve proper compensation. It is the fair, and right thing to do. 

Ty

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

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Bradley Beal Going to the Suns Doesn't Move the Needle Much

Bradley Beal and the Wizards are finalizing a trade to the Suns for Chris Paul, Landry Shamet and three second round picks and pick swaps. The Wizards will also send a few other players to the Suns, but Beal and Paul are the big names here. I already wrote about where I think CP3 should go next. Today I want to talk about Beal's fit with the Suns.

On paper it appears that the Suns have a coveted "big three". Beal will soon be teamed up with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. Deandre Ayton is still a Sun for now. Josh Okogie will fill out the starting five. But, on paper, this looks like a very good, very high octane offense. The Suns now have a ton of firepower. They could score in bunches. Those three will be hard to defend. Booker and KD are solid defensively. Ayton, when engaged, is a very good pick and pop guy and an okay rebounder. Okogie is, probably, the best guard rebounder in the NBA. And Frank Vogel can coach up some defense.

The accolades stop there for me on this trade. The Suns now have three ball dominant scorers. KD has proven he can play off the ball and spot up if need be, but he is best with the ball in his hands. Booker has learned how to be a true scoring guard playing next to CP3 the past couple seasons. But when Paul went out in the playoffs last season and they let Booker run the show, he got a taste of being the main guy with the ball in his hands. And he seemed to enjoy it. He was the only Suns player who really showed up against the Nuggets, and he played well running the show. And Beal, ever since John Wall got hurt and then traded, has not had to share with anyone on the Wizards. Kristaps Porzingis didn't need to handle the ball. Kyle Kuzma is best suited as a spot up shooter. Johnny Davis couldn't get on the court. Deni Avjida was much more of a defender than anything else. Beal got to do what he wanted when he wanted in Washington. And he produced points, a lot of them, but not too many wins. The Wizards were a purgatory type team, but Beal was getting stats. Now he is going to a team that wants to win. In fact, I think the Suns need to win. This is a team that has title aspirations and they don't want to flame out in the postseason again. But how well will these three guys share the ball remains to be seen. Also, Ayton will be looking for touches too. I also do not like the injury history. Beal would play a decent amount of games for the Wizards, but any time any little thing would flare up, he'd sit. KD cannot stay healthy. He always seems to get hurt and miss 20 plus games now. Booker is coming off two seasons that have been cut down due to injury. And Ayton is soft as they come. The Suns will also have to scrounge for a bench. They only have five guys under contract. Those five players are KD, Booker, Ayton, Cam Payne and Bradley Beal. And they all make a good chunk of money. The Suns are going to have to settle for mid level guys, vets looking to ring chase and G League guys. And if the big stars get hurt, those types of dudes are going to have to play real minutes against the best the NBA has to offer. Just ask the Clippers how that worked out for them last season. Injury risk should be of very high concern in Phoenix.

All in all the trade was going to be made. The Wizards got a solid guy in Shamet, I'm sure they will waive CP3 and picks. But compared to a trade like Rudy Gobert last season, the Wizards didn't get nearly as much. They are clearly going to rebuilding mode and it makes sense for them to get off this contract. The Suns, they might be stuck. They might not get the reward they are searching for with this trade. They may have to settle for 4 or 5 seeds for the foreseeable future. I'm not as jazzed for this deal as I thought I was going to be when Beal eventually did get traded. But the Suns will be fun to watch when all these guys play together. They just might not be that dominant. 

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 NBA Went Easy on Ja Morant

The NBA has suspended Ja Morant for the first 25 games of next season. While this is a large punishment, I figured it was going to be much larger. I also felt it deserved to be much larger.

What Morant did, twice this season, was wrong. He shouldn't be acting the way he is acting on Instagram. That is foul and out of pocket. There is no reason he should be brandishing weapons, real or fake, on Instagram live. When will he learn his lesson? He got in trouble for this once this season, missed some games, went to some fake therapy and still did it again.

I don't get the appeal of owning guns. I'm terrified of them. They are much too powerful. I have never held one and never plan on holding one. I think they are dangerous and useless. In Morant's case, being as famous as he is, I guess he has them for protection. But the way he is just showing them to everyone on the internet is foul. He should have a security team if he is scared enough to buy multiple guns. He should surround himself with people who make him feel safe. He should have the right protocols in place to not have the need to ever use a gun. But he has some weird fetish with them, and that is how I see all this. I guess he thinks they make me feel powerful and strong.

This is the wrong message to put out to his fans, the Grizzlies, his teammates and the NBA. This is wrong on so many levels. I wish he was going about this smarter and in more control. The fact that he went out and did this a second time on Instagram was so wrong. And you could see him and whoever was filming realizing what they did because they tried to hide it real quick. But the damage was done. I feel like having to have a constant presence on the internet is only making it that much harder on him. People do not have to be constantly showing what they are doing every minute of everyday to their fans and followers. That is narcissistic. Most people's personal lives are boring anyway. So why do you have to be showing it over and over again on the internet? That is as scary as owning a gun.

But, the NBA decided 25 games was enough. The Grizz have played without him much longer just a few seasons ago, and they did just fine. I don't feel like 25 games is enough for what he did, then lied, and did it again. I was thinking he was going to get a minimum of 41 games. I was preparing myself for a full season. I felt like the NBA was going to send a strong message. I thought they were going to lay the hammer down on him. They gave him a pretty severe suspension, but in hindsight, others got worse. Jermaine O'Neal, Stephen Jackson and Metta World Peace got much more for defending themselves. I don't blame them fully for the Malice in the Palace. Gilbert Arenas got a hefty suspension for bringing guns in the locker room, but no one looks at him like most do with Morant. There are plenty of other players who did far less and dealt with a firmer suspension.

Ja Morant needs to seek out real therapy. He needs to talk to a very good doctor about this because it is a real problem that could evolve into something much more horrifying. Time will tell if he truly finds some kind of healing process from all this, but who knows. I hope he gets better, I hope he seeks treatment and I hope he realizes how foolish and childish all this has become. He needs a real wakeup call. Maybe 25 games will do that, but I am not so sure. 

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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Is This the Start of a Nuggets Dynasty

The Denver Nuggets won their first title in the history of the franchise last night. The game was ugly at times, and even with the Heat up double figures after the first quarter, it felt inevitable that the Nuggets were going to bring it home on their home floor. They did enough to pull it out last night and the celebration was on. RD was traveling and he was still able to text me from an airport to let me know he saw the end of the game.

This Nuggets team felt kind of underrated all year if you listen to the way some sports analysts, all the white nerds at ESPN. But if you look at it, really dig deep, this team has been building and were one of the best teams in the league all season long. They had the fourth best overall record in the league. They were the best team in the West by a good margin. They have a two time MVP in Jokic. Jamal Murray was a lottery pick. Michael Porter Jr was a late lottery pick. They picked up Kentavious Caldwell Pope last season. That dude is a champ. They went out and got Bruce Brown who may be the best role player in the NBA. They traded for Aaron Gordon a few years back, and that was a homerun trade. Jeff Green is a tremendous vet. And Christian Braun is coming off an NCAA title.

This is not a team of slouches. This is not some underdog story. This is not the bad news Bears. This isn't some Cinderella. The Nuggets are a real team and they look to be a possible dynasty. This team is here to stay. They are not underrated. They are not a flash in the pan. This team is here to stay. Don't buy into ESPN stories about this team being "underdogs". Just because they are in a small market, the ESPN's of the world are going to try and make this some feel good story. This team is legit and they earned this title. They were the best team in the playoffs. They easily dispatched the Wolves in five. That series went about as expected. The Suns, who were supposed to be the true "contender" after they got KD, looked lost against the Nuggets in games 5 and 6. They smoked them in game 6 in Phoenix to head to the West Finals. They swept the Lakers, who were somehow being considered the top title threat at the time. And they disposed of the Heat in 5 games. This team went 16-4 in the playoffs and not many of the games were all that close. Jokic was spectacular. Murray was up and down, but when he was up he was dominant. Aaron Gordon may be the best on ball defender in the league. Bruce Brown came up clutch time after time. KCP was good enough while playing with a hurt wrist.

Again, this team was, and will be for a while, very dominant. They are the rightful champs. They did it the right way and they more than deserve this. The Heat were the real underdogs here, and they put up a fight until running into the Nuggets buzzsaw. They smoked my title pick, the Bucks, in five very easy games. Jimmy Butler was magnificent in that series. They let the Knicks get two games, but there was never a doubt in my mind they were going to win that series. They were the better team. They beat the Celtics in seven games. I figured the Celtics were going to destroy them, but Miami showed up and the Celtics didn't until it was too late. It was great to see the Heat win that series in game seven in Boston. But the Heat were tired and they were no match for the Nuggets. They tried a bunch of stuff and it never worked. The Nuggets were ready for it all and they responded to everything thrown their way. The Heat may be the greatest 8 seed ever, but the Nuggets were too good of a team for them to beat. It was a great playoff run for Miami, but the better team won. That was evident last night.

My hat is off to the Nuggets. They did it and they did it convincingly. Congratulations. Now it is time to celebrate.

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 2023 NBA Finals Preview

The Miami Heat closed out the Boston Celtics last night to advance to the NBA Finals. They are the second 8 seed and the first play in team to make it this far. They looked a little wobbly in the last three games, but they ran past the Celtics in the first quarter and never looked back. I heard all the excuses, Tatum rolled his ankle, one of their players was sick, they were tired from coming back to tie the series. All of that is nonsense.

The better team won last night. The Heat wanted it more, the Celtics looked scared by the moment and Erik Spoelstra is one of the best coaches the league has ever seen. The Celtics got beat. There is no viable excuse or excuses. They were beat and they were beat soundly. My hat is off to Miami. They were ready to go, the moment never got too big, they weren't frightened when the Celtics started to win and they kept plugging away. Jimmy Butler was the star of the series. He rightfully won the ECF MVP. He was amazing the whole time. He has carried this team thus far. But when he had a few clunkers, and boy he had a few, other guys stepped up. Caleb Martin was awesome. He made so many shots, played good defense and rose to the occasion. Kyle Lowry looked like the old Kyle Lowry. He played with pace and hit shots. Duncan Robinson hit some big threes. Bam Adebayo played some stout defense and laid some bone crushing picks. Gabe Vincent did a bunch of little things. Max Strus set the tone at the start of the game last night for all the role players. The Heat played as a team, and a team that wanted to win this game and keep on playing.

I am stoked for these finals. The two best teams in the playoffs are where they rightfully belong. Each team has had a gauntlet and they met and exceeded expectations. I know these aren't glamour city teams, but who cares. I don't need to see an LA team or a Boston team or a Philly team. I just want good basketball. And that is exactly what we are going to get. The Nuggets have been very good all year. They are consistent and they know who they are. Jokic is a beast and the offense runs through him. Jamal Murray is healthy and looks as good, if not better, than he did in the bubble. Michael Porter Jr is actually playing defense and he is impossible to guard from the outside because he is so big. KCP is a proven winner and does all the little things. Bruce Brown is an excellent cutter and finisher at the rim. The Nuggets do have it all. Their coach is great as well, he isn't at Spoelstra's level, but he is one of the better coaches in the league.

I already went through all the Heat have, and who knows what he will look like if he comes back, but Tyler Herro is going to try and play. At the very least he adds some outside shooting.

This should be a basketball nerds dream series. This series is big time analytics and shooting. I'm just happy we have new teams. Well, the Heat have been here a ton recently, but they don't have the "stars", although Jimmy Butler is highly underrated. The Nuggets, this is their first go round here. I love how they play like a team. I like all the movement and such. This is a big moment for the players and the franchise. I cannot wait to watch.

As for a prediction, I will go Nuggets in six. I will be rooting extra hard for the Heat but I just think they are too tired and too spent. The Nuggets have rested, they are on a mission and I do believe they will win it all. I want Jimmy Butler to get that ring, but this is not his time. Maybe next year, but who knows. Anyway, Thursday cannot come fast enough. I can't wait. 

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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The A's Will Always Be in Oakland for Me

I read recently that the Oakland A’s are on their way to Las Vegas. This bums me out.

I’m not the baseball guy on this site, but the MLB was a big part of my childhood and the A’s happened to be very good back then. They were a World Series threat every year. I remember watching players like Dennis Eckersley, Dave Stewart, Mark McGwire, Jose Canseco and Rickey Henderson, among many others. I used to watch Dave Stewart a ton when I became a pitcher. He was my guy for a minute. I LOVED Rickey Henderson. He was so fast and so powerful. I remember watching them play in the World Series when an earthquake hit. That was nuts. I was at a friends house. I remember it so vividly. I remember when Henderson broke the stolen base record. Seeing him pickup the base in triumph was dope. The Canseco and McGwire bash bro era, while riddled with steroids, was fun. I remember Kirk Gibson hitting the homer on one leg against Eckersley and thinking that Tony La Russa may be an idiot for putting his dominant team in that bad situation. I went out at this time and bought myself an A’s fitted cap with my allowance. This team was one that was never my favorite, but I rooted for them from time to time. Even during the whole “money ball” era I found them fun. They were a great regular season team, but then they’d face the Yankees in the playoffs and get smoked. But they were still decent and watchable.

The past few seasons have been terrible though. They’re not a competitive team. Every time they get a good player it seems they are eager to trade them. This is making attendance go down. I heard someone say they had a crowd last season of under 2500 people. That’s bad, especially considering how big the Coliseum is and how many fans it can hold. And the stadium is old and needs work. All of the recent issues is what is making this move to Vegas more likely with every passing day.

This is what frustrates me. They can update the stadium. Every team has. The Cardinals have a fully new ish Busch Stadium. I’m sure Wrigley has had some upgrades. Fenway Park is historic. The Yankees have a state of the art stadium. Even the Twins got a new stadium. The A’s are more historic than the Twins and they’ve had similar trajectories as franchises.

I don’t want to see this team move to Vegas. This is like the movie “Major League” come to life. The city can’t just give up on this team. What else will Oakland have? The Warriors moved out. So did the Raiders. What’s left if the A’s leave? They can get back to the good old days if they keep some young talent. They could even get back to the perennial post season threat if they play their cards right. Fans will come back and they could print money. I hope something changes and the A’s stay. But it seems like they’re as good as gone. That’s not cool.

Ty

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

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I'm Coming Around on Nikola Jokic

I'm here to eat crow today. I am not a Nikola Jokic fan. I find his brand of basketball slow, plodding and boring. He pokes and prods and moves like he is a lumberjack. I fully believe he only deserved one of his MVP awards. I still fully believe Joel Embiid should be a two time MVP. I like a bunch of other players much more than Nikola Jokic. I find the love from the media, mainly ESPN, to be very racially biased towards Jokic. But dammit, that dude has been an absolute killer during this Nuggets playoff run. Let’s discuss.

I am a Lakers hater. I have never, ever liked them. I do not root for any big market team. But, I found it hard to root for the Nuggets going into this series due to my distaste for Jokic. That feeling went away quickly. Watching Jokic and Jamal Murray and Kentavious Caldwell Pope rip the heart out of the Lakers, it was soon very easy for me to root for Denver in the West Finals. I also found it quite easy to root for Jokic. In fact, when the Suns owner decided to do that unnecessary flop was when I kind of started to flip to Jokic's side.

This dude should not be as good as he is at basketball. He is big, but that is about it. He looks out of shape when you compare him to other guys who play his same position. His jumper is wonky. He is a solid passer, but not at Draymond Green's level for a front court guy. He doesn't look the part, but he has found a way to make it work. He makes the right passes. He shoots when he needs to. He doesn't give up stupid fouls anymore. He doesn't gripe as much as other guys, Luka Doncic I'm talking about you here. He just plays the game and everyone around him seems to love playing basketball with him. Jamal Murray is as good a shooter as there is in the league, and he is usually pretty wide open due to defenses sucking in on Jokic. He is also the perfect pick and roll guy with Jokic. Aaron Gordon fits like a glove with this squad and he brings that defensive intensity they were missing. KCP is a proven vet and winner. He is a knock down shooter and he plays very good defense. Bruce Brown has proven to be an exceptional low salary signing. Michael Porter Jr is actually playing defense and hustling even with his shot not falling. But all of this doesn't work if these guys do not like playing with the face of the team, Nikola Jokic. They all want to win, they have all bought in, Michael Malone has done a phenomenal job getting everyone, including his star player. to totally buy into their respective roles.

I am endlessly fascinated at how quickly I have turned out to not hate this team, and Jokic, as much as I did only one short year ago. He made some amazing shots last night to close out that series. He was the best player on the floor for all four games. This is a floor that included guys like Anthony Davis, Jamal Murray and LeBron James. James had an incredible game last night, but Jokic was better overall. Murray had a great game two, but Jokic did it all series and all playoffs for that matter. AD had 40 in game one, Jokic nearly matched him, and the Nuggets got the win. Aaron Gordon is allowed to rove on offense and throw down oops. Jokic threw a pass last night that looked like it was to no one, and here comes Gordon to throw it down. Even the Lakers looked shocked. But Jokic and Gordon knew what they were doing. It was pretty astounding.

I will most likely be rooting for the Heat in the Finals, if they eventually close out the Celtics. But if the Celtics make some wild comeback and win the East Finals, it won't be so hard for me to root for Jokic and the Nuggets yet again. It shouldn't work. Jokic should not be this dominant. But here we are. And the Nuggets are a fun team to watch. I will not wear their gear or even root for them next season. But I found it easy in the West Finals, and if the Celtics somehow do the impossible, it would be even easier for me to root for this Nuggets team. I'm sorry for bashing this team and this player so much. I was wrong. 

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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R.I.P. Jim Brown

Jim Brown passed away last week. I would have written about it then, but I had already written other stuff. Today I need to talk about this tragic passing.

Brown was an all time great football player. He was one of the greatest college players to ever do it. He was amazing at Syracuse. He was an All American twice. His number is retired by the school. He is on the CFB150 list. He's in the college football hall of fame. He also played basketball and did track and field. He was an amazing collegiate athlete. His pro career was even better. He had 12,000 plus rushing yards. He averaged 5.2 yards a carry. Read that again. That is incredible. He had 106 rushing touchdowns. He is a pro football hall of famer. He averaged 100 yards a game for his entire career. He's been named to every NFL Anniversary team that has ever existed. His number is retired by the Cleveland Browns. He may be the greatest running back of all time.

Jim Brown was much more than just a football player. After football Brown became an actor, and a damn good one at that. He has been in many shows and movies. Stuff like "The Dirty Dozen", the lead role in "100 Rifles", "Three the Hard Way", "CHiPS", "Knight Rider", "TJ Hooker", "The A-Team", "I'm Gonna Git You Sucka", "Mars Attacks", my personal favorite, "He Got Game", "Any Given Sunday", "She Hate Me"and "Draft Day", among many others. He was considered by many as "black Superman" or "black John Wayne". That was how much gravitas he held as an actor. Again, he did all of this after his record setting football career. He was also a massive Civil Rights Activist. In the 50's he was upfront and personal with his thoughts on racial issues. He was part of the Cleveland Summit that also included Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Bill Russell and Carl Stokes. They all stood with Muhammed Ali and supported his decision to not enter the Vietnam War draft. Brown founded the Black Economic Union which helped to promote economic opportunities for minority owned businesses. Brown also helped fuel the Amer-I-Can Foundation. This foundation sought to divert gang members and prisoners from violence by teaching them life skills.  He was able to establish the Watts truce through this foundation. Brown let the world know how he felt about the dislike towards minorities. He put his money to good work and put in hard work. He didn't just talk the talk, he walked it too. He spoke up and acted on what he was saying. He backed it all up.

Outside the acting and civil rights activism, Brown found the time to be a color analyst for CBS in the late 70's. He was the first black televised boxing announcer in 1965. He co-wrote a book. He was a color commentator for UFC. He was an executive advisor to the Browns from 2008 until his passing. This was a person  who loved a full life. He did have issues in his life, assault charges, divorce, meeting with certain former "presidents", but all in all Brown was an amazing football player who lived his true life. He was his true self. He talked and acted. He didn't hide. He was a person of action. When I saw he passed I was kind of in shock. I mean, 87 is a good long life, but I expected Brown to be around for a very long time. I will always go back to the Finals game he attended in Cleveland and see LeBron James bow to him. That was the biggest sign of respect one incredible athlete can give to another.

Rest in Peace Jim Brown. You will be missed. 

Ty

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

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Victor Webanyama Won the Draft Lottery

The San Antonio Spurs won the draft lottery last night and will most likely take French phenom Victor Webanyama in the upcoming draft.

I love this so much. The last two times the Spurs had the first pick they took David Robinson and Tim Duncan. Those are some lofty career goals, but if anyone can do it, it is Webanyama. This kid has all the tools to be a legit superstar. He is 7'5. He can handle and shoot. He is a good rebounder. He is an excellent shot blocker. He is a nightmare mismatch on defense. He is skinny, but not Chet Holmgren skinny. He has been crushing in France's highest pro league. He led his team in points, rebounds and blocks. He is an amazing basketball player, and now he is going to go into a situation that will give him all of the best tools to succeed.

This couldn't have gone any better for him. I didn't think the Spurs had a shot, but I am so stoked that they got the pick and that this kid will get to play under Greg Poppovich. With all that is going on in Memphis right now maybe the Spurs will become my second team to root for. My dad has always liked them, as have I, but I have never actively rooted for them. That may change.

The truth is that this is good for the league and for Webanyama. If he had ended up in Houston that would have stunted his growth. That team is full of ball hogs and they have no interest in winning right now. Even if they add Harden I still have little faith in them being a true contender. The Trailblazers would have been fun. Pairing him with Dame would be dope, but that could still happen. Maybe Dame will want to go and play for the Spurs and he could team up with Webanyama and Pop. That would be awesome. I'd love to see that actually. No disrespect to the Blazers, but the Spurs are a much better situation to be in as a young rookie. The Hornets are a mess and who knows what they would do with a talent like this. LaMelo Ball is great, but he is always hurt and kind of a ball and glory hog. If they bring back Miles Bridges I will be done with any rooting interest in that team. They would also put so much on Webanyama's plate and expect him to be the face of the franchise instantly. That may be the case in San Antonio, but, again, a much better run team. The Pistons tanked their way hardcore to the best odds, but they didn't deserve this pick. They had the number one pick a few years ago, and instead of working with him, they made him sit pretty much all season and made him waste a full year. They also openly discussed trading other young players before the draft lottery even happened. That is foul to those players. The Magic don't need Webanyama, they are building something different. The Pacers already have Myles Turner. The Wizards are in NBA purgatory and will be there for quite some time. The Jazz played too well to get close to the number 1 pick. And the Mavericks don't deserve anything of consequence after the way they ended this past season. That was some blatant nonsense they did. I wish they had to give this pick to the Knicks. They don't deserve to be anywhere near the top 10 picks. And while I'm sure all of these other teams in the top 10 could use, and want Webanyama, it is fitting that the Spurs have won the rights to draft him.

This is perfect for the future of the NBA. All of the people who would chastise the Spurs for being "boring" when Duncan was the face of the team will have to deal with another decade plus of very good, very balanced basketball. Webanyama is going to learn from the best and that is only fitting. His talents belong in an organization this well run with the best coach to ever coach in the NBA. I love this and cannot wait to watch him and the Spurs play next season. What an excellent draft lottery. 

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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Ja Morant Needs Some Help

While checking sports stories on the internet the other day I came across a Ja Morant video. Now, all of you know about the incident that happened earlier this season. He had a gun, flashed it on Instagram Live and was suspended. The Grizzlies stumbled from there. They finished the year with a whimper and they lost in six games to the Lakers in round 1. After the season Ja Morant gave an interview. During this interview he said that he was a distraction, that his actions hurt the team, that he was going to get help and get better. I believed him. I think a lot of us did. I figured he had learned his lesson and he was going to try as hard as he could to make some changes. He also missed out on nearly 40 million dollars by missing out on making an All NBA team, which his Instagram Live caused.

He clearly hasn't learned his lesson. The video that I saw on Instagram this time was him listening to music with some friends and he appeared to show a gun, yet again. He was dancing and singing along and got caught up in the moment and flashed a gun. It looked like the people he was with, and himself, realized what he was doing and tried to stop it right away. But the damage had been done. The picture had been captured and shared around the world. I saw it on Bleacher Report that afternoon. By the evening it was the headlining story on most sports networks, it was all over social media and it was a total mess. The whole thing had blown up so much that the Grizzlies suspended him indefinitely.

This has got to stop. There needs to be a lesson in all of this. Something has to change and the team, and the NBA, need to come down very hard on him. I don't care if it was a fake gun, some people are positing this as a theory which I don't believe at all. Fake or not, Ja needs to feel this suspension in his pockets and on the floor. I usually do not agree with anything Chandler Parsons says, but I do agree that Morant should be suspended for all of next season. That should be the least of his worries. Not only should he be suspended, there needs to be a heavy, heavy fine. I'd go with a good portion of his salary left unpaid during the suspension. The NBA also needs to look in on his inner circle of friends and see what the hell is going on with them. I do not want to see his dad at any more games. The league and the Grizzlies need to come down extremely hard on him. This cannot keep happening. It is clear that he meant none of what he said at his end of the season interview. He was just saying cliche things and hoping people would forget. That frustrates me so much. He also needs to get the hell off of Instagram. I know getting off all social media is not viable in this day and age, but he needs to have limits on what content he posts. He also needs to have a person control all of that. He also needs to rid himself of weapons. He clearly does not know how to use and store them. I do not like guns, and do not own any. One of the main reasons, they are too powerful and can hurt others very badly. The way Morant is out here brandishing his guns, that is so unsafe. He also needs therapy. He is clearly out here being a poser. He is not this person that he is portraying on social media. He is not a criminal. He is not some gun toting bad guy. He is a good kid making some terrible choices and hanging out with people who do not have his best interest at hand. He needs to fix a whole lot of things, but none of that will happen unless he realizes he has a problem.

I want him to get better. I want him to figure out what is going on mentally. I want him to surround himself with good people. But none of that will happen until he admits he has a problem and gets a proper punishment. The hammer needs to come down and he needs to get help. I hope he does. 

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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The Grizzlies Do Not Need Dillon Brooks

The Grizzlies supposedly told Dillon Brooks that he will not be back next season "under any circumstance". Who knows how true that statement is, but it is coming from Shams Charnia, who is a very reliable source, so I tend to believe it.

I am all on board with this move. He may have thought his talking during the first round of the playoffs was motivating the team, but it had the opposite effect. His talk crept into an already crumbling locker room and made all the other problems this team, my favorite team in the NBA, had going on all season. Adding Brooks' talking with Ja Morant's whole situation, injuries to Brandon Clarke and Steven Adams and a team that was fading at the end of the year spelled trouble for the team. But Brooks was doing this all season. He was constantly talking. He never stopped. He claimed to "poke bears" all year long and look where it got the Grizzlies. They were dispatched, fairly easily I might add, by the 7 seeded Lakers. The Lakers are a good team, but the Grizz were the 2 seed and they couldn't even get to a game seven at home. That is the most frustrating part.

I appreciate Ja coming out at the end of the season and talking about his personal problems affecting the team. That takes maturity and shows that he, hopefully, is getting some help. Clarke and Adams have to take time to recover. Adams should be back soon, but Clarke's injury is going to take some time. He tore an ACL. He is going to need a lot of rehab for that injury. That could bleed into next season. But Brooks never showed growth or maturity. The Grizzlies would win a game and he talked and talked and talked. But then they'd get beat and he wouldn't even speak to the media. I heard a podcast where someone explained how Brooks was trying out a new character for his future in the NBA and it never worked. This person said he was trying to be like Draymond Green, but without any of the accolades. I think that is a very apt comparison, except Green is a much, much better player than Brooks could ever dream to be.

When the news was released that the Grizz were moving on yesterday I felt a sense of relief. It made me feel even better after another story came out saying that the Grizz tried to re-sign him during the season, but he wouldn't sign. That means he thought he could hold out for more, to get a better deal. But now everyone has gotten to see that he is all bark and no bite. He added some solid defense to the team, but what else did he really do? He is a poor shooter. He was being left wide open constantly and he couldn't hit the ocean. He never seemed to find the open guy while running the floor or in their half court offense. Sure he would pass, but it wouldn't lead to much until other players touched the ball. There was no rebounding or anything else of substance. And while the defense was okay, he could not guard the star players. LeBron abused him whenever he wanted. He cannot stay in front of guys like Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown or Steph Curry. He was no match. It was almost like star players would hunt for him on offense just to beat him.

Now that the Grizz are moving on there is a sense of relief for me as a fan, and I bet the team feels it as well. They can move on. Sure they won't get anything for him, but this could be addition by subtraction. They can replace him with a younger guy in the lineup. A player like David Roddy could fill that role. I'd love to see Kenny Lofton Jr because I am a big fan of his. They could go small and play three guards with Jaren Jackson Jr and Steven Adams when he comes back. They could possibly go out and find some solid veteran help. They have a good enough team to continue to win without Brooks. They may be able to find a player that fits their timeline a little better.

I don't know where Brooks will end up, but I know that he will not be on my favorite team anymore and that makes me feel better. I am happy they are cutting the cord and moving on. The time has come. This is a good move by the Grizzlies. Now let's just hope the Grizz continue to win. Time will tell.

Ty 

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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Jimmy Butler is a Playoff God

As all the NBA fans who read my blog have seen, I picked the Bucks to win the title this season. I thought they were the best team. They have the best player in the league. They had all their guys back pretty much fully healthy. They were the overall number 1 seed. They had home court throughout the playoffs. They were getting a seemingly disinterested Heat team. It all seemed in their favor. They even have the experience.

It didn't work out for Milwaukee. Giannis got hurt in game 1, missed two games and was not the same when he came back. Khris Middleton didn't look like himself. Jrue Holiday and Brook Lopez looked tired. The bench didn't help at all. And the Heat saw this and took advantage. They jumped all over the Bucks. They played swarming defense. They made shots. Guy who barely played all year came in and did their job. This "bad news bears" esque squad came out, did what they do best and destroyed the Bucks. It only took them five games. They jumped out and got a stranglehold as soon as they could. It was jarring, but also kind of fun to watch.

Sure, I like the Bucks, Giannis is one of my favorite players, but this Heat team is fun when they are on. Kyle Lowry looked great in this series. He looked like the old Lowry. Kevin Love was tremendous off the bench. He looks like the missing ingredient. Duncan Robinson was one of the guys who barely saw the floor during the regular season, but due to injury, he was thrust in and did his job very well. Gabe Vincent was awesome. Max Struss looked good again. Erik Spoelstra was using every trick he had. And it all worked.

Yet the real killer in this series, the guy who always shows up when the lights are brightest, one of the most underrated players of all time, was Jimmy Butler. His series was amazing. This is some of the best basketball I have ever had the pleasure to watch. Butler was incredible and he did it all for the Heat. In the last two games he had 56 points and 46 points. He had decent assist numbers. He was rebounding the ball at a very high level. He was getting to the free throw line a bunch. He was making threes. He was guarding every star the Bucks have. Hell, he was insisting on it. He was making some of the wildest shots I've ever seen. This was a masterful performance by a guy that never gets mentioned when people talk about the best players in the league at this time. No one ever brings up Jimmy Butler. He is a better player right now than guys like Anthony Davis, Jamal Murray, Ja Morant, Chris Paul, Devin Booker, Jaylen Brown and James Harden. He is also a far, far superior playoff player still playing not named LeBron James. Butler is the heart and soul of this team. And when he is on, they are one of the best teams in the league. To watch what I just watched from him, I'm in awe. He was not going to let this team get beat. As soon as the Heat got a series lead, he smelled blood. And that is when Butler is at his best. I go back to his 56 point game as a point of reference. The Bucks seemed to be in control that whole game. I turned it back on near the end and the Bucks were up 10. They answered every shot. They never let it get too close, until Jimmy Butler decided it was time to take over. He made two big threes. He was getting to his spots. He hit every free throw he shot in the fourth quarter. He made plays in defense. And the Heat kept chipping away until they took the lead and eventually won. That would have been enough to cement him as an all time playoff great. But then he came out in game five, a closeout situation for them, and scored 46, looking every bit as good as he did in the previous game. Again, I was in awe. I couldn't believe my eyes. Jimmy Butler is amazing. He needs more shine.

Butler may rub some people the wrong way, but that dude shows up best when it matters most. Look at all the teams that let him go because they didn't like his "attitude". They are not as good as they were with him. Even the 76ers. Butler needs his shine and I will gladly drive this bandwagon. I may not be a fan of the Heat, but I am a superfan of Jimmy Butler. What a performance. 

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 2023 NFL Draft Not Mock Draft

The first round of the NFL draft is tonight. This afternoon I'm going to do my version of a draft preview. I'm going to give you five prospects I really like, five I'm not so high on, and like a fanboy, I'm going to give you my favorite Michigan player and the one I think will have the best NFL career. This is not a mock draft or anything like that. This is my preview, what I see and where I would pick these players, or not pick. I'll get to the Miami Heat tomorrow, I promise.

This class is stacked with QB prospects. They are up and down the board. I have seen so many QB's being mocked in round 1, especially in the top 10. I like most of them, except who I will name in my second half today, but CJ Stroud is the best. I think he has all the intangibles that one could want. He is big, has a great arm, can run and looks the part. I don't buy into any of these "questions" surrounding him right now. All the Wonderlic stuff, and the test taking stuff doesn't matter to me. I watched him play a lot of football the past two years, and as much as it hurts the Michigan fan in, this dude is legit. He is the QB I would want most of all.

On the defensive side of the ball I am enamored with Will Anderson Jr from Alabama. He is this year's Aidan Hutchinson. He is an instant wrecker in the backfield. He is the most pro ready prospect. He is so big and so fast and so dominant. He may, and should, be the front runner for Defensive Rookie of the Year before even stepping on the field.

Devon Witherspoon is as legit a corner prospect as I have seen in awhile. I didn't know much about him until Illinois played Michigan this year, but I came away impressed with what I saw. He was shut down. Michigan stopped throwing his way. He was on an island because of the blitzing nature of their defense, but he more than lived up to the task. If the Lions somehow get him, their defense is going to be elite. This kid is awesome and any team inside the top 10 would be lucky to have him on their team.

I fully believe that Jordan Addison is the best wideout in this draft. He put up numbers at Pitt and USC. He won the Biletnikoff two seasons ago. He was the number one option for Caleb Williams last season. He is fast and sure handed. He reminds me of Devonta Smith. This kid can ball.

Finally, Jalen Carter is going to wreck stuff in the NFL. He is humongous. It will take two dudes to block him in his rookie year. He was massive for Georgia last season. He kept that defense dominant. He dominated the SEC for two straight years. This kid can really play and he is the second best d lineman behind only Anderson Jr in this draft.

Now for the guys I'm not so high on.

I mentioned all the QB's, Will Levis is not that dude. He is wildly overrated. I remember reading about another Kentucky QB who was going to save the NFL. That QB was Tim Couch. I get those vibes from Levis big time. He also puts mayo in his coffee. Gross.

I am not sold on Jaxson Smith Njigba. He was awesome in college, but he missed a ton of time last year and it didn't look like he was missed all that much. He is also very undersized. He also didn't really show out in prime time games. I don't know what it is with him, but I get a feeling he will not be much of an NFL player.

Zay Flowers is too little and played in a crap conference. I know smaller guys are getting more of a shot at wideout, especially in the slot, but Flowers is so, so small. He is only six inches taller than my 11 year old son. He is fast, and has good hands, but how will he react when he is exploded on by a defensive back with a head of steam? I hope he learns how to catch and fall, but 5'9 is 5'9. I'd love to be proven wrong, like how Barry Sanders proved everyone wrong, but the NFL is different now. That is so small.

Michael Mayer is too slow. I would see him run routes and blow up college defenses. But that was college, against ACC teams. He will be getting covered by the best linebackers and safeties in the world. And they will cut him down at the knees the moment he catches the ball. He won't be able to stay on the field in the NFL.

And then we have Lukas Van Ness. I mean, how many other Iowa defensive ends are we going to trust? They have one decent college season, get overdrafted and then are out of the league. How is Van Ness any different? He is not Micah Parsons, he is not Aidan Hutchinson or Travon Walker. He doesn't have that motor. I wouldn't touch him with a ten foot pole.

Back to good talk. As for my Michigan guy I like, it is Ronnie Bell. Bell was a guy who recovered from a very public drop to win a game four years ago to have his best season. He came back from a torn ACL and was the most productive receiver on the team last season. He was the veteran voice they needed in that locker room. He was an excellent and reliable punt returner. He was also the consummate team player. He did what was asked when it was asked and never complained. He is a Michigan legend in my eyes and I think he is going to have a long and fruitful NFL career. Wherever he gets drafted, that team is going to love him. He will probably start on special teams and continually work his way up to be his team's best slot receiver. I fully believe that.

Enjoy the draft and good luck to all the kids that will be picked over these next four days.

Ty

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

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Aaron Rodgers is Finally Out of Green Bay

The Packers finally, mercifully, traded Aaron Rodgers. This was going to happen. We all knew it. Let’s discuss.

I wrote a few weeks back that the Packers should hold out for the best possible offer. But no matter what this was going down. I thought it may stretch into draft night, but that didn't happen. The Packers got a ton of picks, the Jets got the QB they wanted and kept a first round pick this year and everyone can wash their hands of this now. It happened, it is over, Jets fans are excited and Packers fans can move on.

As for the Jets, I think they may be a bit ahead of themselves right now. Rodgers is better than what they have, that is for sure. But he is 40. He is weird. He is a headcase. He thinks he runs the franchise he plays for. He complains about everything and everyone. It is never his fault, it is always on someone else. But he is still a solid QB, the Jets have a decent run game and their defense is elite. But they also play in the same division as the Dolphins and Bills. They are also in the same conference with the Chiefs, Bengals, Ravens and the aforementioned Bills. It is going to be tough. I am not even sure they are a playoff team. They will be better, but the fans may also get sick of Rodgers and his nonsense very, very fast. Also, I cannot wait for his dumbass to say something wild and watch the media in New York roast him. His response will be hilarious and interesting.

The Packers can finally go with Jordan Love. I have been saying they should do that for the past couple of years. I have been ready to move on for a while. I have been saying that I was ready for this team to see what they have with Love and figure out if they need to do something else or move on.

I am also happy to say to people that I am a Packers fan again. It felt dirty the past couple of years. When Rodgers showed his true colors I was turned off. He was being lionized by some in the media and that bummed me out too. I cannot stand Pat McAfee, and everytime Rodgers was on his show he would say something wild. And because I follow the Packers I would see headlines about it. I don't have to deal with that anymore. The Jets fans can have that. Look, it got bad enough with Rodgers the past couple of years that I contemplated rooting for a new team. I was thinking of going inter divisional and rooting for the Lions. I was also thinking about skipping out on the NFL all together until playoff time and just being even more focused on college football. I don't have to worry about that stuff anymore. I am oddly excited to see how they look with Jordan Love. I want to see if AJ Dillon and Aaron Jones become a more dynamic backfield. That rookie wideout they had last season who played really well, I like that he is still there. I could see them going with a wideout in the first round this year and building with youth. I'd love that. I also think they could get a QB in the later rounds this year to stash and learn. I also think that Green Bay is a desirable spot because of its history in the league.

This is the first time in a long time that I am pumped to watch the NFL and the Packers. I know, deep down, that they are going to be truly bad, but who cares. Every team goes through a phase like this. The Lions were very moribound. They look very good now. The Vikings won the division last year, but I could see a dip from them. And the Bears have been very bad, but they were a perennial playoff team just a few years ago, and I think they may be on the come up. It is now the Packers turn to have a down year. And who knows, maybe Love is legit and they stay relevant. That would be icing on the cake.

Anyway I'm glad it is over and we can all move on. Rodgers is a dummy and he is now the Jets problem. And Green Bay can really see what they have with Jordan Love. All the teams and fans win. Hooray. 

Ty

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

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The League was Wrong to Suspend Draymond Green

The Warriors had a must win game last night and they did just that. They won the game. They won by a lot. And they made this series with the Kings look a whole lot different.

Things could've been much worse for the kings. Draymond Green was suspended for this game. I'm sure you all have seen or heard why he was suspended. He "stomped" on Domantas Sabonis, the league decided they needed to set an example and Green was the perfect person to do this with. He has a past. He has been suspended for big playoff games before. He is a noted agitator. Go ask Steven Adams or LeBron James. They will tell you exactly what you want to know about him. Green is a dirty player who makes no excuses for his dirty play. I am not a fan of his at all. One, he is a Michigan State grad. Two, he is a dickhead. Three, he has been uplifted by the perfect situation for his style of play and been surrounded by great players. But he has earned the right to be talked about as a hall of fame player. I think he belongs. I think he is a very important part of this Warriors dynasty. He is the modern unicorn and one of the best defensive players to ever play the game. He is also one of the smartest players to play the game. So the Warriors got lucky, they got the win with him out and they kept this series interesting. But I don't think he should have been suspended.

I think this was the wrong move by the NBA. I think they reacted too swiftly and didn't really think about all that went into the suspension. I think they saw the "stomp", they saw it was Draymond and they went from there. Hell, they said as much in their press release. But go back and watch the play. At first glance I thought Draymond was in the wrong and I believed he should have been ejected from that game. That would have been the best punishment the league could have given him and we all could have moved on from there. But when you go back and watch the play, Sabonis is clearly grabbing his leg. Draymond is trying to get back on defense, the Kings have been running the whole time so far, but his forward momentum was being impeded upon. Sabonis grabbed him and wouldn't let go. The "stomp" was a bit much, but put yourself in that situation. Sit back and think back to a rec game that you may have played in your lifetime. What would you do if someone was grabbing you? You'd find a way to get out of that hold I assume. I know I would wiggle my leg until I got free, and if that didn't work, I might resort to a "stomp". Again, what Draymond did to get free was dirty, and he was ejected, but how can you see this and not think that Sabonis had something to do with it? Sabonis is a dirty player himself. He throws elbows all the time. He whips the ball in people's faces and, as the Warriors stated, uses it as a weapon. He is always grabbing a kicking and trying to bait other guys into technical fouls. And it worked with Draymond the other night, but the suspension was uncalled for. Sabonis wasn't hurt. I know the team said he had "sternum contusions", but I don't buy that for a second. Draymond didn't "stomp" him that hard. And if they suspended Draymond why didn't they do anything to Sabonis? Why wasn't he suspended? Where is his fine? He didn't get a flagrant called on him. It is unfair.

The Warriors had every right to be upset. Draymond, again, a guy I personally do not enjoy, did not deserve this. Why make an example of him now? What good does that do? This was a bogus suspension and the NBA should be grateful it didn't mess up this fun series so far. Had the Warriors gone down 3-0 this would have a different tone today.

All in all the league needs to chill on this. The fact that Draymond got suspended for his "stomp", but neither Embiid nor Harden got suspended for what they did last night is a joke. This league, while great in most aspects, and is the best professional sports league by a wide margin, messed up here. They need to own up to this mistake and be better the next time. This was an unwarranted and unfair decision they ended up with. Luckily for them the Warriors won last night. 

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 Grizzlies Have a Dillon Brooks Problem

I am a Grizzlies fan. I adore that team. They have had their issues this year, and I have touched on them as have many other reputable websites and publications. They still fought their way to the 2 seed and beat the Lakers last night to even their round one series. They looked good without Ja, but make no mistake, they need need need Ja to win this series. But, Dillon Brooks needs to knock it the hell off. Let’s discuss.

If Brooks were on any other team I would loathe him. He talks nonstop. He is a good defender, but the way he talks you'd think he was the perennial DPOY. He is not. His teammate is the DPOY in fact. And the talking, outside of his defense, is not warranted. He is not a good offensive player. He cannot shoot the three with any consistency. He is a subpar passer. He takes worse half court shots than Russell Westbrook. When he rises up to shoot a three I find myself saying "bad shot" more often than not. I get why he starts, it makes sense within the construct of this roster. But the shit talking has got to slow down a bit.

I fully understand basketball is a game of talking. I have played it my whole life and I have shit talked a ton. That is part of the game. But this stuff with Brooks is becoming too much. He thinks he is Draymond Green, more on him tomorrow. But he is not. Draymond is a former DPOY. He is considered one of the greatest defensive players of all time. He has been an extremely integral part of a dynasty in Golden State. Draymond has earned the right to talk. Dillon Brooks has not. And watching him talk to LeBron during the game last night, and the interview afterward, it made me frustrated. LeBron doesn't need motivation. The dude has lived his whole career off of negative talk and motivation. LeBron has earned all he has gotten in the league. Say what you will about him joining a "super team", LeBron is the second greatest player of all time. So for Brooks to stare him down after a jump shot in the third quarter, stop. To clap in his face after LeBron called him a bum, that needs to stop. To constantly chirp at him during the game, that needs to stop. For him to say he likes "poking bears", and to say "he hasn't dropped 40 on me", just stop.

This is the stuff that drives me nuts. I like confidence, but this is cockiness from a guy that is not even close to deserving it at all. Brooks has not earned this place. He is trying to be villainous. My 11 year old son called him a "try hard" last night. I guess that means he is a poser. And I agree with him one hundred percent. LeBron is about to drop 40 on his ass. I wouldn't be shocked if he did it in game 3. LeBron is going to come into that game possesed. And the whole "poking bears" thing, that worries me the most. LeBron will use it. Anthony Davis will use it. D'Angelo Russell will use it. Austin Reaves will use it. Dennis Schroeder will use it. The whole team will use that quote as bulletin board material. And Brooks just won't shut the hell up. Desmond Bane talked some about Rui Hachumura after game one. Hachumura came out and did it again and Bane was quiet. Ja and JJJ and Steven Adams and the rest of the Grizzlies are being quiet, but Brooks is still running his trap.

I have no problem with him being on the team the rest of this year, but it is time to move on. I didn't want the team to trade him at the start of this season, but I'm all for it now. He is the type of trash talker that needs others to back him up. I don't want that type of player on my favorite team. Hopefully he proves me wrong and his talking works in this series. But I do not see that happening. He has poked the wrong bear. LeBron thrives in moments like this. I just hope Brooks trash talking doesn't ruin the Grizzlies postseason. My fingers are crossed. 

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 Predicts the 2023 NBA Playoffs

I fully understand the NBA playoffs started this past weekend, but today I have my preview and predictions. The first game of the series does play the ground work, but these series are all just getting started. Seven games is a lot, and a ton can still happen. Some things went as expected and others did not. But the first round of the playoffs is always fun and I enjoyed watching games all weekend. With all that, let's get to the predictions.

I will start with the East.

The 1-8 has Milwaukee facing Miami. This series will be tougher than it looks on paper, especially now with Giannis having a bruise. His x rays were clear, but a bone bruise is still very painful. And Khris Middleton is still recovering from injury. But Tyler Herro got hurt yesterday. He is out for the full first round. Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo are more than capable of making this a tough series. But in the end I see the Bucks winning in six games. Giannis will play and he will dominate. The Bucks are too good.

The 2-7 matchup features Boston and Atlanta. I was kind of stunned when the Hawks beat the Heat in the play-in, but their reward is the Celtics. If game 1 is any indication, the Hawks will be on vacation pretty soon. Boston is too good, too long, too athletic and can shoot the rock. The Hawks have Trae Young and Dejounte Murray, but they haven't clicked all season. The Celtics are going to walk. I'll give the Hawks one game, at home. Celtics will win in five.

The 3-6 matchup is Philly and Brooklyn. Brooklyn made it by having a big cushion before they traded everyone. Mikail Bridges has been great. Cam Johnson is solid. But the Nets do not have a single person that can guard Joel Embiid. The 76ers have him, James Harden and Tobias Harris. They are also playing with a chip on their shoulders. They have a ton to prove. The 76ers need to show that they are for real. I think they will win the series in a sweep.

The 4-5 matchup pits the Knicks and Cavs. This is the best first round series. These two teams are a perfect match. Game 1 was awesome. I have a feeling the full series will be this way. I love that these 2 teams are relevant with their current rosters. This series is going the full seven games and I'm going with the Cavs. I cannot wait to watch more of this series.

This means I have the Bucks facing the Cavs and the Celtics facing the 76ers in the semis. The Bucks should be full by this time. They should have everyone they need. The Cavs will too, but they will most likely be worn down. I think they can get a game, hell, probably two. But the Bucks are too good and have been all year long. I got the Bucks in six.

The 76ers-Celtics series is going to be masterful. I cannot wait to watch. This is going to be epic. Both teams have a ton to prove. As much as I'd like to pick the 76ers, and I will be rooting for them, the Celtics are too damn good. And deep. And they are hitting shots. I have the Celtics in seven games.

That leaves me with the Celtics and Bucks in the East Finals. The 1 and 2 seeds. The two best teams in the NBA all season long. I like that they will match up to go to the Finals. I have the Bucks winning in seven. They have beaten the Celtics most when it mattered this season, and they have a ton to prove from last season. The Bucks will represent the East in the NBA Finals.

Now to the West.

The 1-8 features Denver and Minnesota. Denver kind of slumped to the end the year. Jokic is not the MVP. Jamal Murray is still kind of hurt and has never looked like himself all year. Michael Porter Jr is not the super duper star they thought. But the Wolves are even worse off. They have never gotten it together. They are hurt. They are missing Jaden McDaniels. Rudy Gobert is punching teammates. They are a total mess. The Nuggets are going to cruise. They will sweep the Wolves.

The 2-7 has my Memphis Grizz facing the Lakers. This is going to be a tough, fun series. Both teams match up pretty well. They each do things that will frustrate each other. This will be fun. Game 1 was good, until the very end, and I think that will be the case throughout. Although the Lakers are playing really well right now, I have the Grizzlies winning in seven. Sure, Ja may be hurt right now, but the Grizz have won a lot without him. The Lakers need LeBron James and AD fully healthy to make a real run. I wouldn't bet on that.

The 3-6 has Sacramento facing Golden State. The Warriors have been weird all year. They can't win on the road and can't be beat at home. There has been infighting and injuries. They have a full team. The Kings have been very good and solid all year. They may be the most solid team in the West. But they haven't been here in forever and the Warriors are the defending champs. This is going to be a fun series, but the Warriors will find a way to win one road game and win the series in seven.

The 4-5 is the best in the West. The Suns and Clippers are, on paper, the best teams in the conference. Game 1 was awesome too. It felt like a battle of the best. Kawhi and KD were trading buckets. Devin Booker and Russell Westbrook were going at one another. It was great. I think this will go seven games as well, and even though I picked the Clippers at the start of the season, I'm going with the Suns here. KD is whole and he is too damn good to not get his team out of round one.

That means the West Semis will feature Denver playing Phoenix and Memphis facing Golden State. These are great matchups. Much like the East, the four best teams in the West will be here. The Nuggets will not be able to guard the Suns. The Suns destroyed them last season with a myriad of mid range jumpers and Deander Ayton is more than capable of guarding Jokic. I have the Suns in five.

Memphis is going to finally beat the Warriors. They will finally do it. This series is going to feature a ton of trash talk and a ton of scoring. In the end, the Grizz have home court advantage and they will use that to win game seven in Memphis.

This leaves me with Memphis and Phoenix in the West Finals. The Grizz luck will run out here. As thrilling as it would be to see them get to the Finals, the Suns are too good and the Grizz will not be able to guard everyone. The Suns pulled the trigger on that KD trade at the deadline and that will propel them to the Finals.

So we have a rematch of the 2021 Finals, with the Bucks facing the Suns. And I see it playing out the same way. Giannis is going to eat. He will dominate this series. Jrue Holiday will not have to guard Chris Paul, so he will be able to focus on Devin Booker. The Bucks will throw a ton of dudes at KD. The Bucks are a better team than Phoenix and they will win the title in six games.

As for the MVP, who else would it be besides Giannis. He is the best player in the world and he will prove that tenfold.

There it is my 2023 NBA playoffs preview and prediction. Now enjoy the rest of 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.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.