The NCAA is a Joke

The NCAA finally laid the proverbial "hammer" on former Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh. Obviously I'm close to this story and I have been following it since it broke last season. But, the "hammer" that was levied on Harbaugh stems from his improper recruiting during the COVID dead period in 2020-21. Let’s discuss.

If you don't remember what Harbaugh did, let me take you through his horrid crimes according to the NCAA. He bought a recruit and his family a burger. He did some other minimal things that any other college football coach would do. In fact, most college football coaches would take it further than Harbaugh and his former staffers took this whole thing. We live in a new era of recruiting. With NIL and the fact that recruits can make millions before even stepping on a college campus, it is the wild west now. There are no morals or "doing it the right way". Every division college football team is trying to find a leg up on the opposition. If you can match what a top recruit is looking for, you better go a little higher to get that kid to commit. And if they eventually sign a letter of intent, who's to say they won't transfer if they aren't getting the playing time they think they deserve. This is the nature of the beast. You have to either adapt or get left behind. This is going to be an almost certain death knell for the NCAA, but while they are still in business, they are damn determined to make an example out of Harbaugh. And maybe they did with this ruling.

Harbaugh has a four year show clause if he returns to college, and if he does, he is suspended for one year, that is if he returns within the four year suspension. The whole problem here, Jim Harbaugh is an NFL coach now with no eyes to return to college. He did all that he could possibly do while at Michigan. He revived that program. They were not great when he took over. Now, they are the defending National Champs. No one will be able to take that from them. They won each and every game they played last season, en route to a 21 point win in the title game.

While coaches like Bret Bielima and James Franklin and, most notably, Ryan Day may want more punishment, this seems to be truly it for Michigan and Harbaugh. I don't think anything is going to come from the nonsensical sign stealing "scandal" from last year. A bunch of teams had the opportunity to prove that Michigan was only good because of one low level staffer, and they couldn't. Ryan Day had every single advantage one coach could want coming into the Michigan game last year, and Sherrone Moore and Michigan still beat his ass. Day is the biggest whiner of this whole thing. Well, him and the NCAA.

Back to the NCAA for a minute. For the NCAA to lay this punishment down on a guy that doesn't even coach in college anymore is the most farcical thing that has come out of this whole story. Harbaugh is gone from college. He is not coming back. He has bigger fish to fry. But I think the NCAA is puffing their chest out and saying that they really crushed Harbaugh. That is hilarious. Harbaugh's attorney said it best. This is like a kid in college who gets suspended by his high school for not signing the yearbook on their way out. The NCAA is the jaded lover here, and Harbaugh doesn't even think about them anymore. Whatever Harbaugh may or may not have done while at Michigan, I love that he is not backing down and not admitting to anything.

All of these other fanbases acting holier than thou right now, it would be very interesting to me to see some of their skeletons come out. I'd love to see how some of these programs are acting behind closed doors. Under Jeremy Pruitt, Tennessee was literally handing kids money, prior to NIL, in McDonald's bags. How on Earth did Alabama always have the top classes in the country every recruiting cycle? I'm sure it wasn't all above board. Georgia had some players involved in horrific car wrecks that may or may not have involved alcohol, but ESPN never goes hard on that. Nope, ESPN thinks buying a meal and having a low level staffer watch games to be the biggest cheat in NCAA football history. I think what it all really boils down to is the fact that Harbaugh was one of the first coaches to actively talk about paying players. He wants the players to have more freedom and more chances to make money off themselves while they can. He would scream it from the rafters. He wasn't about himself while coaching at Michigan. Just look at any post game interview from last season, he would have his players speak for themselves. Harbaugh was a thorn in the side of the NCAA, they got mad, Ryan Day cried, the Big 10 leveled dumb ass suspensions and Michigan and Harbaugh still came out on top. ESPN can say what they want, but they look foolish. Fans of other Big 10 teams that think they run clean programs, look in the mirror. And the NCAA, well, you will be nonexistent before this punishment for Harbaugh is even done.

This is a joke and for anyone to think this is a black mark on Harbaugh or Michigan, this sanction or punishment or whatever made me laugh out loud when it was levied yesterday. This is a joke and not nearly as bad as some other may think. 

Ty

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

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Russell Westbrook Playing in Denver is Not a Good Idea

Russell Westbrook's time in LA has come to an end. About an hour ago he was traded to the Jazz, where he will be waived and he will eventually sign with the Nuggets. This was his endgame all along. He said a few weeks back that he wanted to go play in Denver. He knew he was done with the Clippers, he still wants to play and he wants to go to the Nuggets. He is getting his wish. But, I don't know if it is going to be as fun and entertaining as he may hope.

I adore Russell Westbrook. He is one of my all time favorite players. I have gone to bat for him on this very website. I banged the drum loud and hard for him to win his MVP the season he won it. A lot of people didn't think he was the rightful MVP, but I did. He did remarkable things and kept the Thunder relevant after Kevin Durant left for the Warriors. And I liked him before. I was a Thunder fan for a while. While rooting for them, KD was my guy, but Russ was a very close second. I loved the enthusiasm and energy he played with. He was going 100 percent at all times. It didn't matter if he was playing a random game in the middle of the season or a high intensity playoff game, he was always going full bore. He attacked the rim, he made good passes, he is one of the best rebounding guards ever and he talked a great game. I was all in. And even when he left, for Houston and both LA teams, I would still tune in to watch him play. Hell, I watched his lone season in Washington. He still seemed to have something to contribute. And while I saw his rough first round playoff performance last season, I was still rooting hard. But, you can see that his game is just not what it used to be.

Westbrook doesn't hit the elbow/free throw line jumper like he used to. He has never been a good 3 point shooter and it has only fallen off more. He isn't a starter anymore. He has become a role player that you never know what you are going to get from him on any given night. He is older and can't do the things he used to be able to do. That is the end game for all of us. As we get older we can't do those things as well anymore. And when it happens to pro athletes, it is very clear. Russ has been on this path for a few years now. You could see it with the Clips. And as more of their guys got hurt, and Russ was asked to do more, he just couldn't bring it all together.

Going to Denver is not going to be good for Westbrook. Some, Zach Lowe, like to say that Nikola Jokic is the "best player in the world". I disagree. He doesn't play a lick of defense. And he is apathetic. I think those two things are going to frustrate Russ, which will frustrate Jokic. Jamal Murray has never really been able to stay fully healthy his whole career. If he is the point guard, like he has been, Russ is going to be his backup, and when Murray gets hurt, that will thrust Westbrook into a bigger role he is not suitable for anymore. He and Reggie Jackson have already played together and it did not end well. Jackson couldn't wait to get out of OKC after a few years playing with Russ. That was a dumb move on Jackson's behalf I thought at the time, and still think is true. Michael Porter Jr is a zero on defense and follows some weird conspiracy theories. These are some of the core dudes that Russ is going to have to learn to play and practice with everyday. Russ is older now too. He should be ring chasing, which maybe that is what he is trying to do. But this fit in Denver is odd. The other spots made sense. In Houston he got to play with CP3. In Washington he played with a young Bradley Beal. In regards to both LA teams, that is his hometown. This move to Denver, for me, makes zero sense. I don't think he fits in with the team. He is almost assured to be a bench guy, but I don't know where the meaningful minutes are going to come and how he is going to really contribute. I don't want to see his career end like a bunch of these guys, where he just fades into obscurity and becomes a "oh yeah, I remember him" type of guy. But that is what I fear may happen in Denver.

All this being said, I am still going to be rooting for him because he is an important basketball player in my fandom and I want the best for him. I just don't like this fit at all. 

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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Watch out for Team France at the Olympics

The men's Team USA basketball team won their first scrimmage last night against Team Canada. Let’s discuss.

Team USA looked a little discombobulated at times, but they also looked good. Anthony Edwards played a solid game. LeBron and Steph seemed to have nice chemistry. All the bigs, with Joel Embiid being the exception, played okay. Embiid had a rough go, but I feel like he will figure it out.

This is a good group of pros for this team, and I do feel like they should be the favorites heading into the summer olympics. This will not be an easy go though. I understand we didn't have our absolute best at the FIBA Championships last summer, but they did not medal. That was worrisome. Germany is good. Spain is solid. Brazil has some decent players. Canada is loaded. But, I think the biggest obstacle, the hardest country to play is going to be France.

France is stacked. They have current and former NBA players up and down their roster. They have youth and they have size. They have chemistry. They play loose and have fun. They are not the favorites going into these games, so they are playing with house money. I had to look up their roster just to see how well put together it actually is. This is a solid group of players. Rudy Gobert, Victor Webanyama, Evan Fournier, Nicolas Batum and Bilal Coulibaly are all currently on NBA rosters. Gobert, for all of his warts, is a very, very, very good defender. He has multiple DPOY's. He is one of the better rim protectors currently in the game. He can rebound and he can run a pick and roll. Wemby is the best young prospect in the NBA. He is the unicorn of unicorns. He is my favorite player to watch. He literally does it all. He is already as good a defender as Gobert. He is an excellent rebounder. He can shoot the three and attack the glass. He is an amazing player to watch and will be for a long, long time. Fournier and Batum's best days are behind them, but they always up their game in the Olympics. They can both shoot, and Batum plays solid defense. Coulibaly is coming off an okay rookie season, but he is playing with his home country and teaming up once again with Wemby. They have wonderful chemistry and they made the Metropolitan 96ers a team to watch last season. The rest of their roster is full of overseas pro players. The overseas players play on some of the best pro teams overseas and are integral parts of those teams. This France roster is almost as well constructed as Team USA. The French roster has much better chemistry than the US. These dudes use their offseasons playing together. They get together and work on their team building. They know how to play off one another. They have set plays that have worked time and time again. There is something to all of that. It is useful to have that kind of camaraderie and knowing your teammates abilities.

Team USA has some time to get a bit of chemistry, but it is not like the years that all of these other countries have played together. The US is going in as the betting favorite, but it is going to be an absolute bloodbath. They are going to play at their peak night in and night out. And even if they do that, France is going to come to play. I would not be shocked at all if these two meetup in the gold medal game and France won. That is how much respect I have for their roster. The US cannot go into a matchup with France and expect to win. They need to be ready for everything the French will throw at them. And I cannot wait to watch. 

Ty

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

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I'm Not Happy With My VO2 Number

Four years ago I got one of the greatest gifts ever for the holiday. I'm a runner, as you all know, and my folks bought me a Garmin Fenix 5x watch. I had pined for one of these watches. As I got deeper and deeper into the running community, all of the people I knew would tell me about the greatness that is Garmin. I heard how they are the perfect watch for runners, they have a great GPS system obviously and they are durable as hell. They also have a pretty long lasting battery life.

So, when I opened that gift on Christmas morning in 2020, I was stoked. It gave me excitement in a very tough pandemic riddled world. All of the things I heard and read about the watch rang true, and still does to this day. I run five times a week, but I only have to charge the watch every 9-10 days. If I get confused about where I am on a trail, I use my map. I have dropped the watch, swam with the watch, fallen down with the watch on my wrist and there is no damage done. I'm all in on Garmin.

As I grew more accustomed to the watch, I started to add more fitness items on the app on my phone for the watch. One such item was my Vo2. I am still up in the air on what Vo2 fully means, but I do understand that it calculates your breathing as you exercise. The harder you go, the better your Vo2 max can get. I am usually right around a 43 or 44. I feel like that is pretty good for a runner my size.

This summer the Vo2 max and I have been fighting. I am trying a new thing with my running this summer. It has been very nice here in Saint Louis lately. But, that isn't always the case and it is about to get hot and humid again. So, this summer I am slowing down my pace. I'm taking my time a bit more. I'm not over exerting myself. I have recently started using an inhaler, so my doctor told me to slow down a bit when I run if I feel out of breath. So, I have been doing just that. My pace on the road has gone from 10 minute miles to 11. On the trail I'm at about 13 as opposed to 11 or 12, depending on the trail. It is only a minute, or just a little over a minute in some cases, but if you were to look at my training status and my Vo2 max on my Garmin app, you'd think I was hurt or slacking. I am still at a 43, but it is teetering on the edge of a 42. My fitness age is usually in the low 20's, but that is now averaging about 31. And it is really getting to me. It is making me legitimately angry. I will finish a run, like I did this morning, where I went slow but I feel good, and then get mad when I see my fitness age go up and my training status says "unproductive".

I know I shouldn't let this bother me. I understand that things like this happen when the weather changes. I get that I shouldn't be so invested in an app that is on my phone. I know how I feel after a run. I can tell from home my body feels. But I am really letting this whole Vo2 max thing get to me this summer. It is really pissing me off. I need to listen to the sound advice my sister in law gave me when I first started running. She has been one of my biggest supporters all along this running journey, and early on she told me not to take the numbers on a watch or phone app so seriously. She told me to focus on how I feel, not what an app says. And she is totally right. I ran six miles this morning. That is something I could have never done over ten years ago. And this was a smaller training run for me now. But I cannot help but be annoyed by that damn number on my app. It makes me angry. I get mad that I didn't do enough. I sit there and think about what I can do differently the next time I go out. But in actuality, I should be happy that I did anything this morning. I chose to get up and go run after taking my kids to camp. I could have gone home and sat on my ass, but I didn't do that. I got exercise. I burned almost 1200 calories. I am more prepared for my trail half that I am running in a few months than I was the day before. But, with all those positives, I'm still over here obsessing about that damn number.

Maybe I need to delete that portion from my app. I won't, but it is nice to have that option. I should be content with going out and getting exercise, and that is what I'm going to try to do moving forward. But to say that I won't think about that damn Vo2 max would be untrue. It is going to frustrate me until I decide to let it go. 

Ty

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

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Is Bronny James a Nepo Baby? Who Cares

Before the NBA draft I wrote a piece about Bronny James. I talked about his possible future in the NBA, why I hoped he was going to be drafted and why I was rooting for him from now on. None of that has changed.

Well, I guess he was drafted, but otherwise, I'm still unsure of his future and I am still rooting for him. I watched his first summer league game and it was fine. He didn't score a lot, but he was present and tough on defense, he played his role and he had some instances that made me think he has a future as a decent bench player in the NBA. Then he missed the second game and I fell off. I stopped with summer league all together. I check on the Grizzlies, but I'm out otherwise. Today I was out with my son and dad to lunch and my dad brought up a very good question. It is the question I am going to try and answer on this very blog today. He asked me if I think Bronny James is a nepo baby.

Nepo babies were all the rage a few months back. People were pointing out a bunch of actors who have famous parents. Some were outraged, others didn't seem to care. The whole idea of a nepo baby doesn't really sway me either way. If someone is talented enough to be paid to do a job, who cares who their parents may or may not be. If they used their parents to get into a door that others might not be able to, good for them. Your parents are supposed to help you out. I don't care if they used that advantage. That is smart. But, the whole idea of a nepo baby seemed to be relegated to Hollywood. I only ever heard it used when referring to actors. But there seem to be nepo babies everywhere. Parents have never stopped helping their kids get jobs. I know of plenty of people who were hired based upon a parental recommendation. And it doesn't bother me.

In the sports world, the whole idea of a nepo baby is going to be coming up more and more. A bunch of people who played, or play pro sports are having kids. These kids are growing up and they seem to have a natural ability to play the game their parents play or played. Carmelo Anthony's son is committed to Syracuse to play basketball right now. That is Carmelo's alma mater, and I'm certain he helped him in his decision to play there. Does that make Kiyan Anthony a nepo baby? Sure. Do people seem to care about it? Nope. Carmelo Anthony is retired, so Kiyan is going to go as far as he can on his own merit. Ken Griffey Jr played with his dad, who was on the Mariners when he was a rookie. Does that make him a nepo baby? Sure. Do I care? Absolutely not. Ken Griffey Jr is one of the greatest baseball players to ever live. He was already better than his dad when he got to the pros and he had a better career. There are a good amount of college athletes whose parents were college and pro athletes, and no one cares or focuses on them being nepo babies. But when it comes to Bronny James, people seem to ask this question more than they should, in my opinion.

Is Bronny James a nepo baby? Most definitely. But, I feel like he has to do a bunch more to prove his worth than any other nepo sports babies. There are a few reasons. First off, Bronny probably shouldn't have been drafted. Even with him going in the second round as the 55th pick, that seemed too high. He missed a bunch of the college season because of a heart defect. When he recovered, thankfully, he did not do much to prove he was a legit prospect. USC was bad and he was average. But, people could see his skill set and see a possible NBA future, if he went back to school. He did not. He went to the combine and had a solid, yet sometimes shaky showing. He did enough, I thought, that he could get a shot as a two way player. But, the pool of prospects at the combine was very, very watered down. This past NBA draft was one of the weaker classes in a long time, so the top players sat out. They knew, or had an idea of where they would go. Bronny had to go, and he did okay. But, I still do not think it was enough to be drafted. After staying in the draft, Rich Paul hovered over him and told him where and where not to work out. Bronny only worked out for two teams, the Suns and Lakers. Other teams, it was reported, were told not to schedule a workout because Bronny was informed by Rich Paul to not work out for them. Then the draft came. Bronny was not a first round pick, rightfully so. But, as day two dragged on, it was looking more and more likely that he was going to be available late in the second round. Rich Paul decided to get involved again, and told teams that if anyone other than the Lakers or Suns drafted Bronny, he would not play for them. I read that he would go overseas.

So, take all of this and smush it together, it reeks of nepotism. The Lakers were all but told to draft Bronny no matter what. Rich Paul and LeBron James wanted it, and they run the Lakers for all intents and purposes. There is no other way to look at this other than nepotism. But, who cares? Honestly. Bronny clearly has skills to be a pro basketball player at some level. He was a division 1 college basketball athlete. He was invited to the combine. He had scheduled workouts. Teams were interested. But his biggest draw is the fact that he is LeBron James' son. I truly don't know if there is any more known nepo baby than Bronny James. So, while he is, for sure, a nepo baby, that does not change the fact that I am still rooting for him to make a name for himself in the NBA. I don't care if his dad is one of the greatest to ever play the game, Bronny can carve out his own niche and stick around if he plays his way. I believe he can do that.

I'm still a Bronny James fan, nepo baby or not. His family gives me zero pause as to his ability. 

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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NBA Free Agency Gives Me the Chaos I Seek

The first day and a half of NBA free agency has been what I was expecting the draft would be. There have been moves a plenty so far. Some bigger than others, I'll get to those in a minute. Players have changed teams, others are still waiting and the market has dried for some big names. I understand that all the big stuff happens this fast, so we won’t get too many other star moves. But, for the time being, there has been a flurry of movement, and I want to talk about it today.

Right when all of this started, smaller named players re-signed with their current teams. The Pacers retained both Obi Toppin and Pascal Siakim. The Celtics and Lakers kept a few bench guys. Kevin Love is sticking around the Heat. And Kelly Oubre Jr made the correct choice to stay with the 76ers.

Then, as yesterday wore on a bit, some other names started to sign with new teams. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was the first "big name" to move. He went from Denver to Orlando. The move was a surprise to me, but all that dude does is win, the Magic are up and coming and he will fit in nicely in Orlando. It feels like a good move all around. Eric Gordon left the Suns and is signing with the 76ers. If he can find his shot again, he adds some depth and bench scoring to a team that needs both. The Suns signed Mason Plumlee, and what he lacks in offense, he will bring some depth and anger to the Suns front court. Naji Marshall quietly signed with the Mavericks. This is a solid move for both. He brings defense and the Mavs clearly need help on that end of the floor. The Mavs were not able to re-sign Derrick Jones Jr though. That will hurt. I know he was not very good in the Finals, but he is a good defender, a world class leaper and he seemed to figure it out last year. The Clippers got him at a steal. I don't understand what Jonas Valanciunas is doing. He left a solid New Orleans team to go play for the Wizards. I get that NOLA wasn't going to offer him much of a deal, but he had other, better suitors. I know the Lakers wanted him. I would have liked the Grizzlies giving him another, smaller deal. He could've gone to the Suns. I guess he wants to put up numbers and get big minutes. That is the only reason I believe he signed with Washington. Andre Drummond is returning to Philly. This is a wonderful move. He will back up Embiid. He is still an excellent rebounder. He can score a bit in the post. And he gives the 76ers a buffer for when Embiid inevitably misses games in the middle of the season.

All these moves were very little compared to what happened after James Harden reupped with the Clippers. We all knew that would happen, I am sure he will be asking for another trade in the middle of next season, but the Clippers offered him 35 million a year. He'd be crazy to pass that up. The next big move after that was the Warriors waiving Chris Paul and then him almost immediately agreeing to a deal with the Spurs. I know CP3 is old and not nearly as good as he used to be, but he is better than every other guard currently on the Spurs roster. He should fit in great with Pop. I am almost certain that Victor Webanyama will adore him. Jeremy Sochan can go back to his natural position. Tre Jones will be much better as a reserve. This is a good move to put together Pop, CP3 and Wemby. I am a big fan of this signing.

The biggest move of the night came as no surprise, and came in the middle of the night, just like his last move. The moment that the Clippers released a statement saying that Paul George would be signing elsewhere, it was certain he was going to the 76ers. I know he had a "meeting" planned with Orlando, but that was never going to happen. The 76ers had the money, Joel Embiid wanted this, Daryl Morey is a star chaser and Paul George wanted four years. The 76ers gave it all to him. He has a four year max deal now worth close to 220 million dollars. He is teaming up with Embiid. The 76ers just gave Tyrese Maxey a big deal, so he is sticking around. They let Tobias Harris walk, and as I told my son, I'd much rather have George than Harris. They got Oubre Jr to come back. Eric Gordon and Andre Drummond are along for the ride now. I would be stunned if Kyle Lowry left. The 76ers are finally building something that looks legit, if everyone can stay healthy, and that is a big, big IF. Embiid and George are rarely healthy for a full season. But, if they can win enough, which they for sure can in the East, the 76ers can rest those guys periodically, to try and minimize injuries. I'd be willing to put the new three stars in Philly up against almost any team in the NBA. The Celtics have the most to say in regards to this, with Tatum, Brown and Derrick White. But, none of those guys can guard Embiid. The Nuggets may say they can throw Jokic at Embiid, but they can't guard George and Maxey, and when Embiid faces up against Jokic, he eats Jokic lunch. The Mavs have no one that can guard those three dudes. Giannis can take on Embiid, but who do the Bucks have to guard the other two guys? Middleton isn't as up to the task as he used to be. The Knicks have a core four to throw at those guys, but Embiid, who had bell's palsy and was coming off a knee injury, still put up big time numbers against them in round one last season. The Pacers don't play defense, so they are a second thought. 

This is a big time move and a big time get for the 76ers. This is who they wanted all along. They got their guy and I cannot wait to see them play next season. Free agency has been fun so far, and we still have a few moves left to be made. But Paul George was the big name, and he is now on a new team. I love 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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Thoughts on the Zach Edey Going to the Memphis Grizzlies

Much to my chagrin, not too much really happened during the first round of the NBA draft. No big names were moved. Some prospects got traded, as did some picks, but that always happens. I think I am getting a little too ahead of myself because free agency starts this Saturday, so that is when the real moves will get started. But, I had this hope that there would be something, anything that would have made the draft a little more exciting.

That being said, I do want to talk about one of the early picks that surprised me in a good way. The Grizzlies did not trade up, like I hoped, so they were stuck picking at nine. The guys I thought they may go with were all gone by this point as well. Donovan Clingan, Ron Holland, Rob Dillingham, they had all been taken before number nine. The Grizzlies need a center, so I have to assume they went with the best available guy on their board, and they ended up drafting Zach Edey from Purdue.

This was a shock at first. I have seen him jump in some recent mock drafts, but no higher than 14. Hell, during the college basketball season, I had written a blog about him going to the Spurs in the second round and how good I thought that would be. But last night he was a top 10 pick. He was drafted before dudes that all the mock draft nerds fell in love with this offseason. He is coming off two consecutive men's player of the year awards. He was the only real Boilermaker that showed up in the title game against UConn. He has dominated the Big 10 for three straight years. Zach Edey is a good throwback basketball player. And now the team I root for in the NBA took him in the lottery last night.

After the initial shock wore off, I kept thinking about his fit. I then listened to some other basketball writers talk about the pick, and I have to say, I'm pumped now. I understand he is older than most rookies, and he hasn't played a single second in the NBA yet, but damn I am excited about the potential. The Grizzlies are going to come into this season whole. Everyone is back, and everyone is healthy. Ja is going to come back and be better and stronger than ever. Jaren Jackson Jr is going to bounce back from a less than stellar season last year. Desmond Bane will have help. He won't be asked to do it all himself. GG Jackson is coming off a heater of a rookie year. Luke Kennard can shoot. Ziaire Williams has potential, but he can also be used as a trade asset. Marcus Smart is a solid guard to have next to Morant. The Grizzlies were the 2 seed in the West two years ago. This is a good team. Now, trading Steven Adams was brutal, but with the pick of Edey last night, I feel like they have his replacement in house. I definitely think Edey should be penciled in as the Grizzlies starting center right now. He is their best option. He is humongous. He is 7'5. The Grizzlies have never had this type of size. Edey hustles constantly. He does not take plays off. He will get in good enough shape to run with Ja Morant and Desmond Bane. He is going to set some bone rattling screens. Shooters are going to be open in the corners more than they have ever been in their career. He is going to get opponents bigs in early foul trouble. Teams will not be able to put smaller guys on him in the post. He will bury them. He won't have to be the anchor on defense. They have Jaren Jackson Jr to protect the rim and Marcus Smart to take care of the backcourt. Desmond Bane can defend too. Edey has the potential to be a very important player on this team. He fits like a glove. He should buy into his role right away. He is going to get a ton of minutes.

I am on board with this selection. The shock is gone and now I cannot wait to see how they implement Edey into their offense. I trust the coaching staff to do right by him, and the Grizzlies should be right back where they were a short two years ago. I am extra pumped for the next NBA season. I cannot 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.

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What I Want to Happen at the NBA Draft

The first round of the NBA draft happens this evening. Let’s discuss.

As I get older, I find myself realizing I don't know who many of the players are that will be first round picks. I know the bigger stars, I can point out the college players I like, but all in all, this is a mystery to me. I will say that, by most accounts, this is not the best crop of players in the world right now. There is no Victor Webanyama or LeBron James. No one in this draft tonight may have the ability to turn around a franchise. I do believe that this is not like the draft that Anthony Bennett went first overall either. I think some teams may take swings, but much like there are no surefire superstars, I do believe that there is no player that can tank an entire team. This is a very middle of the road draft. Some of these guys may turn into all star caliber players, hell some may even one day be a franchise player. But, to me, it is more likely that most of the players drafted tonight will have uneventful, but long-ish careers in the NBA. There are role players abound that will be picked tonight. And, while I do know that guys like Alexandre Sarr and Zaccharie Risacher are more than likely to go one and two, and I understand that Donovan Clingan and Stephon Castle will go early, I am not going to do this like a normal draft preview. Instead of pointing out good, maybe not so good and sleeper players, I want to spend my time today talking about what I hope happens over the next couple of nights.

There is going to be a ton of movement. I have that feel going into the draft tonight. The Knicks already made a big move, acquiring Mikal Bridges for Bojan Bogdonavic and a bunch of picks. I love this move for the Knicks. They are Villanova 2.0 now. Bridges adds another defender and a solid shooter to an already very good team. The Knicks finally did something, it was smart and it will benefit them in the long run. This is the type of stuff I want to see tonight. I don't think the Hawks will move that first pick, but it would be rad if they did. I'd love to see them trade Dejounte Murray back to the Spurs. They could offload him for one of the Spurs younger guys and picks four and eight tonight. That way the Spurs get Risacher to team up with Wemby, and the Hawks can go full rebuild.

Which leads me to the next thing, I'd love to see the Hawks fully blow it up and trade Trae Young as well. If they offload both guards for younger dudes, maybe the Pistons would be interested in trading away Jaden Ivey or Jalen Duren for Young, then they could truly start the rebuild. I want to see what the 76ers are going to do with all of their cap space. It sounds like Paul George is off the table for them, so where do they pivot now? Tobias Harris is all but gone. But, they have all this excess money that they are going to have to spend. Maybe they go after one or Murray or Young. Maybe they move up to take a player like Stephon Castle. Maybe they add a bunch of vets to shore up their roster. The possibilities are endless with the 76ers. I want to see what the Suns do. Apparently the Rockets are trying to get Kevin Durant now. Maybe the Suns trade him for the number three pick and some youth from the Rockets. That would be wild and out of nowhere. It would also make this mediocre draft class look a whole hell of a lot better. And if the Suns do take Bronny James in round one, what does that do to the Lakers and LeBron? I'm sure he will stick in LA, but crazier things have happened. I'm of course interested in what the Grizzlies are going to do. Everyone should be back and healthy on a team that was the 2 seed in the West only two years ago. I would be ecstatic if they traded up and took Donovan Clingan. I'm not opposed to them picking Zack Edey at nine if they cannot trade up. I'm very intrigued with Ron Holland or Rob Dillingham. But if they could add one more vet, someone who brings toughness and height, that would be a coup for me as a fan.

I mentioned him a second ago. but I want to see where Bronny James ends up. I'm rooting for him to make it in this league, but that is all going to depend on where, and by who he is drafted. There is no middle with him. He is either going to flourish or he is going to end up a lifetime G League player. I also mentioned Paul George, and if he finally makes a decision, there would be no better night than tonight to let it be known. The 76ers chances of getting him are slim. But, the Warriors are apparently willing to give him a four year deal. The Clippers could sign and trade him. He could simply end up back on the Clippers. Or he may shock us all and go somewhere totally unexpected. And when George finally makes his decision, that is when everything is going to start going real quick. Player movement would be very, very high if/when George makes up his mind. And I hope it happens tonight.

So, while there are few players that really intrigue me in this draft, there is stuff on the outside that could make this a very notable night in the NBA. We will only have to wait a few more hours to see if it really starts popping off. Hopefully it 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.

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R.I.P. Willie Mays

Another legendary athlete just passed away. Last night, after returning home from some child related activity, I read the news that Wille Mays had passed.

This one hurts even more than Bill Walton or Jerry West. Willie Mays was the first person, obviously on videotape, that I saw make the game of baseball fun. Mays was an all around athlete who happened to excel most at baseball. He also had this unbridled joy with which he played the game. Mays, on the videos I used to watch obsessively as a kid, always had a smile on his face. He would walk up to bat grinning ear to ear. He would swing the bat and smile as he ran the bases. He would track down fly balls and make incredible over the shoulder catches, and that smile never left. He would hurl in some of the most incredible throws I had seen, and after the out was recorded, he would laugh and that smile was ever present. Mays loved what he did, he seemed to understand it was a game and he looked thrilled to be on the baseball field doing some of the most unthinkable things at that time in the MLB.

Mays also happened to be very, very good at the game of baseball. He is a hall of famer, obviously. He hit .301 for his career. He tallied over 3,200 hits during his time. He hit 660 home runs. He drove in almost 2,000 runs and, to top it all off, he stole 339 bases. Willie Mays was Barry Bonds before Barry Bonds. Mays had this combination of speed and power. But, he could also hit for average. He was a threat anytime he came up to hit a homerun. And, if he didn't hit one out, he was going to get on base, and then he'd turn a single into a double or triple by swiping a few bases when the next hitter came up. He was the first player that I knew of who could do all of these things. Mays was this threat to every pitcher and opponent the moment he stepped into the batter's box. Not to be outdone, Mays also happened to be one of the best outfielders to ever lace them up. His speed gave him the ability to track down long fly balls. The plays that ended up on "Sportscenter" when I was a kid, had that show been around when Mays played, he would have had his own personal top 10 plays. He had to be an influence on other outfielders like Jim Edmonds and Ken Griffey Jr. He also had a rocket for an arm. He would track these long flys down, and then not to be outdone, he would rifle the ball back into the infield, trying to double someone up if possible. He was, more than assured, an influence on a player like Vlad Guerrero, who is one of my all time favorites. The skills were so great that he was acknowledged time and again with accolades. He has a ring. He was a 24 time all star. He was a two time MVP and a 12 time Gold Glove winner. He was the NL home run leader four times. He was a one time batting champ. His number 24 is retired by both the Mets and Giants. And he was on the MLB All Century team and the MLB all time team. Mays is, rightfully so, considered one of the best to ever play baseball.

Mays was beloved by many because he was such a nice guy. He would play stickball with kids anytime he visited Harlem. He never seemed to ruffle any feathers. And most players have nothing but nice things to say about him. Mays stuck around and was a hitting coach a bit after he retired from the game. He then went on to meet with several presidents, culminating in Barack Obama, the greatest president ever, given him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009. The MLB would later rename the World Series MVP trophy the Willie Mays World Series trophy in 2017. Mays showed up in movies and tv shows periodically. He was married a few times and has some kids. He is also Barry Bonds' godfather. Mays is an icon when it comes to baseball. He showed up ready to play and ready to dazzle the fans. This is as big a deal to baseball as Walton and West are to the NBA. Hell, this is a bigger deal. Mays was a much bigger star and more important to the game.

Rest In Peace Willie Mays. Grab an over the shoulder fly ball wherever you may be 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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Thoughts on the Celtics 18th NBA Title

The Celtics won their 18th championship last night. They did it relatively easily, disposing of the Mavericks in five games. Jaylen Brown was the rightful Finals MVP, Al Horford got his first ring and local guy Jayson Tatum shut his doubters up in the process, delivering a pretty great close out game. Let’s discuss.

I know the media will want to try and place this team in the annals of history today, and find excuses for Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving and start moving on to next season. I want to look back at these finals and give my impression.

Before the series started I picked the Celtics to win in six games, only a game off, and said I would not be watching much of it at all, I logged about two and a half quarters worth of tv time on these finals. I made it no secret that I do not like either of these teams. I have never been a Celtics fan and the mere presence of Luka Doncic's face makes me annoyed and angry. But, the basketball I did watch, I gained some respect for this version of the Celtics. They have two bonafide superstars currently on their roster. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are legit. They are both in the top 20, maybe 15, of the league right now. Brown was an absolute beast this whole series. He was consistent on both ends of the floor. He wanted this ring more than anybody, or that was how I saw it. He put in the necessary work, stayed healthy and became the best overall player on the Celtics when they needed him most. Tatum showed the viewing public another side of his game. He couldn't score as easily as he does, so he decided to become a ferocious driver and made the right pass time after time. Tatum knew what would work against the Mavs defense and he did it over and over and over again. The Mavs had no answer for this version of Tatum and he used that to his team's advantage. Derrick White was a hound on defense and he made big shots seemingly all the time. Al Horford stepped up and played a great role on both ends of the floor. And Jrue Holiday more than proved his worth each and every night. He may be the most underrated player in the entire NBA. The dude just wins. The Celtics bench stepped up when they needed them to. They rebounded well. They made the right play on offense. They survived their mental lapses. And they played suffocating defense. Their defense in this series was a thing of beauty. They were everywhere. They switched everything. They didn't care who had the ball, they were guarding one on one. It was a breath of fresh air for me to watch. They shoot way too many threes for my taste, but their defensive prowess more than made up for their offense to me.

As for the Mavs, they were overmatched from the jump. Doncic moaned and groaned all the way to fouling out during a crucial moment in game three. He spent too much time focusing on the refs. He got exposed on defense. Anyone that called him the "best player" in this series should be eating their words this morning. Sure, he scored, but he was bad in these finals, very bad. Kyrie Irving was worse. He never made an impact on either end. He had one game where he scored okay, but it didn't matter. He did not bring the same energy on defense that he had in the previous series. He couldn't hit the broad side of a barn. He struggled mightily. The bigs the Mavs had couldn't do much of anything. Derrick Lively Jr started slow, but did finish strong. He is also a young rookie, so hiccups were expected. Daniel Gafford was played off the floor. PJ Washington was irrelevant. Maxi Kleber was bad. Tim Hardaway Jr never got consistent minutes. The Mavericks bought into the media hype and they were exposed. And Jason Kidd got wildly outcoached by Joe Mazzula. Mazzula had a plan, it worked and he wavered only when he had to. Kidd's plan was to let Luka Doncic do whatever he wanted to do and hope for the best. Jason Kidd is incredibly knowledgeable on the game of basketball, but I do think he is wildly overrated as an NBA head coach. A 35 year old treated him like he was the young guy trying to figure it out in the finals. Joe Mazzula was masterful.

All in all, this was not a very good finals. But, the better team won. The Celtics are just that too, a team. They don't need the 1 star surrounded by role players. Brown and Tatum are upper echelon talents, but they understand the importance of playing team basketball on offense and defense. The Mavericks are not at that level, and I fear they may not get there with this roster and coaching staff. Congrats to the Celtics. They are in sole possession of the most titles in NBA history, and this could be the start of more to come. 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.

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R.I.P. Jerry West

I returned home from a run this morning and read that Jerry West had passed away at 86 years old.

This is a true bummer. West is an all timer. He was nicknamed "The Logo" because that is him in the logo for the NBA. Everytime we see that image, it is Jerry West. That is as high an honor as most in professional sports. When I look at other logos, MLB, NFL, College Football, none of those have a silhouette. The NBA does and it is of an actual player. That is truly mind blowing to me.

I vividly remember when I found this information out as a kid. That put me on a path to figuring out as much as I could about Jerry West when he was a player. He was damn good as a player. He is the only player to win Finals MVP for a team that did not win the finals. He went to many finals, but only won one. He was incredible in every finals appearance. He was the type of player who literally left it all on the floor. He was a 14 time all star. He was the 1969 MVP. He was the second overall pick in the 1960 draft. He played his college basketball at West Virginia, where he was a two time All American, two time SoCon POTY, the Final Four MOP in 1959 and had his number retired. To go along with his ring and MVP, he was on the All NBA First Team 10 times, the all defensive team 6 times, the scoring champ in 1970, the assists leader in 1972 and had his number retired by the Lakers. He is a hall of fame player who left the league scoring over 25,000 points, grabbing over 5,300 rebounds and dishing out over 6,200 assists. He was also on the NBA 75th Anniversary Team. He did it all as a player.

West also happened to be a top notch executive. He is an 8 time champ as an exec, and he won executive of the year twice. Some notable moves he made as an exec include, trading for Kobe Bryant, signing Shaquille O'Neal, drafting Paul Gasol in Memphis and hiring Hubie Brown, drafting Draymond Green, Steph Curry and Klay Thompson in Golden State and bringing in Kevin Durant. He was also the driving force that brought Paul George and Kawhi Leonard to the Clippers. The dude not only knew how to play, but he could build some damn good teams, especially in the modern NBA. He did coach for a bit, but realized he was much more suited to doing the work behind the scenes. That speaks volumes to me. I know that he wasn't a fan of his depiction on "Winning Time", but I do think he had to be a little crazy to accomplish all he did. Most super intelligent people are a little nuts. And when it comes to basketball, Jerry West was a genius.

What I think I latched onto most with West was his personality. He seemed to be, by all accounts, an introvert and dealt with anxiety. I too have the same things going on in my life. I'd rather blend into a crowd or just go home to my people. I feel like Jerry West was the same. And the older he got, the more open he was with his personal issues. I appreciate that. He came out and said it and I like to think that a lot of others found the courage to do the same after West.

All in all, West was one of the best the NBA has ever given the fans. He was a relentless player and executive when he was in the league. He drove himself to be great. He dealt with things that could not have been easy back in the 60's and 70's, but he came out of it a better and stronger person. He is beloved by players old and new. The outpouring has been amazing to watch. The first two people I saw say something were LeBron and Michael Jordan. The two greatest to ever do it, and they instantly show their love and support. That is a beautiful thing.

Rest in Peace Jerry West. Go get some buckets wherever you may be now. 

Ty

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

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The SeedSing NHL Stanley Cup Finals Prediction

Welcome to the first ever, and probably last, SeedSing NHL Stanley Cup Finals prediction. We here at the website are not big hockey fans, but I thought with Ty out of town I would give the sports prediction blog a try.

Let me start with what I know about the two teams playing for the Stanley Cup. I know that the Florida Panthers play in Miami. This is their third straight trip to the finals (they lost last year to Vegas). The Panthers have a player by the name of Matthew Tkachuk, who is the son of Keith Tkachuk who played for the St. Louis Blues the last time I really paid attention to hockey.

As for the Edmonton Oilers I know they were really good when I was a kid. Edmonton is in Canada and a team from our friendly neighbors to the north have not won a cup in a really long time. That’s all I know.

With all my knowledge and borrowing the sports predicting skills from Ty I am going to say the Florida Panthers will win their first cup in a nice six game series. Why I am picking the Panthers you ask? They are from the United States and Edmonton is in Canada, and like I said a Canadian team has not won the Stanley Cup in forever. USA, USA, USA.

In all seriousness enjoy the Stanley Cup hockey fans. The NHL has the coolest trophy in all of sports and hockey is a pretty cool sport to watch. My fourteen year old is getting more into hockey and has been watching the playoffs and he’s been playing NHL 24 for the last month. He is the one that told me Florida would win. When I asked why he told me that Florida has more recent playoff experience, they won more games, and a team from Canada has not won in forever.

RD

RD Kulik is the founder and Head Editor for SeedSing.com

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Is this the End of Sports?

Currently the French Open is on going, tomorrow night is the NBA Finals and then the Stanley Cup Finals begin on Thursday. Both leagues and international professional tennis did not get the most optimal matchups and the sports media will not shut up about it. “Ratings will be down” they say, “the gambling community is not happy” they cry. I personal believe the last point the sports media cries about, gambling, is why clean competitive sports is coming to an end. Let me explain.

In the NHL and NBA both playoffs saw a strong team from New York not make the finals, in the NBA the Knicks missed the conference finals when they were upset by the Indiana Pacers. The Dallas Mavericks did not have to play the defending champion Nuggets to advance, they got to face the young upstart Minnesota Timberwolves. In the NHL the defending champion Las Vegas Golden Knights were bounced in the first round by a big market Dallas Stars team, then Dallas was knocked out by the lower seeded Edmonton Oilers. Over in the east the little thought about Florida Panthers advanced to their second straight cup final over the massively loved New York Rangers. The biggest market to have their team playing for a championship is Dallas or Miami, and Dallas is a football town and most of you readers probably did not know the Florida Panthers played in Miami. For ratings and gambling, these matchups are not the best. Also the French Open, Novak Djokovic, the man everyone wants to watch, withdrew today with a knee injury. This is all not according to plan.

I listen to a lot of sports radio and I follow these sports personalities on social media. I hear each and ever “expert” complain about the matchups and then do an ad read for a gambling website. The studio show for the French Open is sponsored by Fanduel, the hockey and basketball arenas are covered with gambling adverts and every other commercial is telling you to bet. It is annoying and it is getting a little scary because if gambling means this much to the leagues, then getting optimal matchups, with the most popular teams and players, it means more money.

Before I go on I want to make it clear that I am not calling for a ban on sports gambling. I do not gamble myself, but is not for addiction or moral reasons, I just don’t like to spend my money that way. What I am afraid of is that all of our sports leagues/governing bodies have prioritized revenue more than competition. That is why in the span of less than five years we have gone from zero gambling to non-stop advertisement. I have no faith that the NFL, NBA, MLB, ATP, the Grand Slams, NASCAR, the NCAA, the IOC, FIFA, MLS, LIV Golf, or any other letter salad sports organization would take an opportunity to fix an income to drive more revenue towards their sport. I have no proof, but I think it is already happening. (When I have proof I’ll write about it here).

I am ranting here today because the last few days has been non-stop complaining from the sports media on the state of competion in our current professional leagues. The sports media is their for the management of these leagues, so anything they say can be directly tied to management. Seeing how greedy billionaires have become, and it is billionaires that run these leagues, I have little faith that competion will be important in sports moving forward. Only money will matter and getting rid of competition so management can make another couple of million dollars will win out.

When the French Open ends, the NHL Stanley Cup is hoisted, and a new NBA champ is crowned, the media people will complain on behalf of the league and the gamblers. The narrative will be set. The owners will discuss how to increase revenue, and competitive sports will be killed. I hop I’m wrong, but I am truly afraid the process has already started.

RD

RD Kulik is the founder and Head Editor for SeedSing.com

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Ty Predicts the NBA FInals

The NBA Finals are set, and it is two teams that I openly loathe. If you read my piece yesterday, you know why I despise this current Mavericks team. As for the Celtics, I've never been a fan. Let’s discuss.

As a kid I loved the Supersonics. The Sonics and Celtics weren't rivals, but I still rooted against the Celtics. It was also easy to hate on the Celtics as a kid because they weren't very good when I was younger. They had Rick Pitino as head coach for a bit, and those teams were horrendous. They would roll out guys like Ron Mercer, old Dominique Wilkins, Xavier McDaniel, Dee Brown and Dino Radja, to name a few. These were bad teams and I rooted against them throughout my childhood. But now they are good. Their best player is from Saint Louis. Jaylen Brown is a ferocious defender and dunker and he can shoot the rock. Derrick White was a perfect trade for them. Al Horford is consistent as hell. Kristaps Porzingis, when healthy, provides what they need from the center position in the modern NBA. The Celtics are legit. The Mavs are good as well, but this feels like found money for them. They are on a real heater. They are getting more free throws than their opponents. They are getting away with fouls constantly. They are setting illegal screens and getting away with it. They are the darlings of the league and it makes me sick to my stomach. But we are now here.

The Mavs and Celtics are playing for a title. One of the brighter young stars, Luka Doncic or Jayson Tatum, will get their first ring. Mark Cuban will go out a champ, or Brad Stevens will prove his move to the front office was the correct choice. And I will hardly watch any of it. I am wildly disinterested in this matchup. I truly do not care who wins. I'd love to see the Celtics lockdown both Doncic and Irving, but I really don't think I'll tune in for more than a half an hour total in this series. I don't like these teams. I think I have made that abundantly clear. I despise the two stars on the Mavs. I only root for Tatum because he is from my hometown, and I don't root for him all that often. But, I know the readers of my sports stuff want me to break it down, so I'll give it a go.

The Mavs have a better backcourt on offense. Doncic and Irving are better than Derrick White and Jrue Holiday on that end. But the Celtics backcourt is far more superior on defense. Holiday is one of the best perimeter defenders currently in the NBA. White is a nuisance. They are going to make it really tough for Doncic and Irving. But those dudes will get theirs on offense. And Holiday has been a non factor on offense. White is fine, but streaky. The Mavs have the backcourt advantage, As for the frontcourt, the Celtics are light years ahead. Tatum is a bonafide star. All these people saying he is "having a rough playoffs" are clearly not paying attention. He is excellent, he just doesn't run his mouth. He is a boring superstar, and I applaud him for that. Jaylen Brown is a force. That dude can play the game of basketball. He is very good, very intense and understands this game maybe better than anyone playing right now. And be it Horford or Porzingis, they can both shoot and rebound the ball. Horford is a better defender, but they are both pretty interchangeable. I'd happily take those three over Daniel Gafford, Derrick Lively and Derrick Jones Jr. Tatum is way, way, way better than Jones Jr. Brown is far, far superior to any 4 or any 5 on the Mavs that may guard him. And while Lively is very good and hyper athletic, he is a rookie and this is, by far, the biggest stage he has ever played on in his life. That is a lot to ask of a rookie. The frontcourt is clearly in favor of the Celtics. Both of these teams' benches are very plain. The Mavs bring PJ Washington or Daniel Gafford off the bench. They also have Tim Hardaway Jr, Dante Exum, Josh Green and Maxi Kleber. No one truly stands out to me. As for the Celtics, they are bringing Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser, Luke Kornet and Oshae Brisset off their bench. Again, none are world beaters. Then we have the coaches. Jason Kidd has proven his worth. He is getting the most out of this team. He has made the defense better than I ever imagined they could be. Joe Mazzula has the better team, has a better defense and the Celtics were the best team in the NBA all season long. They have hiccups here and there that they need to clean up. For the most part though, this is about as solid a team as the NBA has seen in a long, long time.

If I am looking over everything and trying to pick a winner, I have to go back to defense. The Celtics are a much, much better defense, and I think they will find a way to make guys other than Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving beat them. They will try to make Derrick Jones Jr hit shots. They won't allow the Mavs guards to throw alley oops with ease. They will make life tough, and when it gets tough for Doncic, he decides to whine instead of just playing through it. For defense alone I'm going Celtics in 6. 

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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I am Not Looking Forward to the Luka Doncic Lovefest in the NBA Finals

While watching game 4 of the West Finals the other night, I found myself turning it off. It looked like the Timberwolves were going to get beat, thus ending the series, and I just couldn't watch the end of the game. Luckily, the Timberwolves won, forcing a game five tonight. But, in all likelihood, this series is all but over and we will have a Celtics-Mavericks finals.

This was the worst case scenario for me. These are the two teams in the entire NBA I like the least. I have never rooted for the Celtics, and since Luka Doncic has come into the league, my hatred for the Mavericks has reemerged and remained high. I do want to say, if this ends up being the finals matchup, I will be rooting hard for the Celitcs. I cannot believe I just wrote that, but it is very true. I want to see Saint Louis' own Jayson Tatum get a ring. But, I will also be pulling for the Celtics because I have a deep, deep hatred of Luka Doncic. That is why we are here today.

Right off the bat, if he wasn't a good enough basketball to root against, I wouldn't write anything about him. He would be an afterthought. But, he is good. At least on the offensive end. So he is easy to root for, or, in my case, truly despise. I have never really liked him since he joined the NBA. At first it wasn't his fault though. It was the writers over at ESPN, namely Zach Lowe. I have written about Lowe's eroticism towards Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic. Since Jokic won it all last season, Lowe had more than enough ammo to shout his love for him from the hills. Now that the Nuggets are out, Lowe has his other white European player to heap endless praise upon while dumping on other players he deems less worthy. This has been happening since day one. Lowe will never, ever say a bad thing about Luka Doncic. And since I listen to Lowe's podcast, I have had to hear about it for a long while now. I will say, the more recent episodes that have some kind of love letter to Luka Doncic in the description, I have been able to easily erase and never listen to. But, it wasn't just Lowe. I got sick of hearing talking heads on tv expunge on his so-called greatness. He is some kind of wizard passing the ball according to them. I'll take Magic Johnson over him all damn day. They give him endless praise for his ability to score in tight spaces and to create said space. I'll happily take Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan for that any day. And, he is less than zero on the defensive end, which none of these fanboys seem to even care about anymore. They will sit there and spout off statistics until the cows come home, and when pressed about his horrendous defensive play, they try to move the conversation back to saying how great of an offensive player he is. It has gotten so bad that these talking heads will find the smallest effort he gives on defense and talk about his "improvement" on that end. It is akin to getting a participation trophy the way they glaze his attempts to play defense. And lately these memes of him shit talking opponents, that these same talking heads will gripe about when Anthony Edwards does it, they all love. They talk about his competitive spirit. They praise him for ripping out his opponents' hearts. They want him to continue to talk and talk and talk because that gives them the ammo they think they need to somehow prove his greatness. These are the same people that chastised Randy Moss when he fake mooned the crowd at Lambeau.  Being a Packer fan, I found it hilarious. They don't like the way Jim Harbaugh pressed the NCAA, but they love what Nick Saban and Luka Doncic do.. They feel entitled to say that Anthony Edwards should not have waved at the crowd in Denver when the Wolves closed out the Nuggets. They called that classless. But when they can watch their white savior stare down Devin Booker or SGA or AE, they love it. They beam with pride. And that disgusts me.

I wish I could remember which one of my friends posted this on Facebook, but they said that Doncic is incredibly sports hateable, and not a truer statement has been made in a long time. I also heard Carl Tart, I'm a big fan, say that anyone outside of Dallas who roots for Luka Doncic was probably storming the capitol. I couldn't agree more. This whole love affair with Doncic is coded racism from the nerds who work at ESPN. They have been waiting and waiting for someone, anyone to come along that doesn't look like Jordan or Steph or LeBron, and they have it now in Jokic and Doncic. And that bums me the hell out.

So, I guess I will end this by saying, if the Mavs do advance to face the Celtics, I hope Tatum and Jaylen Brown and Derrick White make life miserable for that prick Luka Doncic. Nothing will excite me more than to see that punk get his ass whipped. That doesn't mean ESPN will stop fellating him. But, it will restore my faith in basketball and the NBA. 

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. Bill Walton

Hello all, and welcome back after my day off. I've got stuff to write about this week, namely my viewing of "Furiosa", but those other pieces will have to be pushed a day or so.

Yesterday, while swimming with family and friends, one of my family members informed me that Bill Walotn had passed away. I was shocked. I didn't truly believe him when he told me. We are both "CBB" listeners, and Bill Walton is a character that comes up on that show a lot, so I thought he was saying that the character of Bill Walton was going away. I was wrong, and he was right. The real Bill Walton, the actual person, has passed away at 71 years old.

Again, I was floored when I found out on my own time. He was only 71 years old. That, in today's world, is still relatively young. He always seemed so full of life and vibrant during games he was calling. There was, to me, no sign of poor health. I figured we were going to get 5-10 more years of his crazy stories he would tell while calling Pac 12 basketball games. Hell, I even loved it when he would go and call NBA games. He was insightful and hilarious. His nonsensical stories cracked me up. He was always quick with a joke. He would go on these wild tangents that were a true delight if you liked his longer stories. I would get excited when I would see him on a game that I had planned to watch. I know not everyone liked his play by play stuff. I did. It was a true joy for me. I think I liked it so much because he never took it too seriously. He understood that it was a game. Sports are not life and death. It is not the end all be all. I need to understand that even more. I need to be more like Bill Walton was when he was still alive.

He also happened to be an excellent basketball player. He was a dominant high school player. He was even better in college. He was on those UCLA teams that were damn near unbeatable. He was on the undefeated team. He was on the team that had a very long win streak. He learned from Kareem Abdul Jabbar, and kept things rolling at UCLA, winning national titles. Then he came into the pros as one of the better big men in the league. He was everything the Trailblazers could have wanted when they drafted him. He took them to places the team had never been before. He was an all NBa player. And while he never won a title with the Trailblazers, he made them a legit contender. He did get his ring with the Celtics, where he became a bench guy. He was ahead of his time as a player. He played free and loose. When he was dealt injuries, he took on a lesser role, doing what was best for the team. When he wasn't making shots, he became a ferocious rebounder. He did things to help the team.

Walton was incredibly outspoken off the floor. He was not afraid to challenge people. He would call out injustices. He would fight to help people anyway he could. He would say what was on his mind. He didn't care about his persona. And boy oh boy did he love the Grateful Dead and the whole hippy culture. He was one of the first dudes I saw that wore a headband. He had long, flowing blonde hair poking out of said headband. He was all about his tie dye shirts. I have to assume he engaged in smoking pot and other hallucinogens. He was all about, and I was here for it. I say, good for him for always being himself, no matter what the situation may have been.

This is a pretty sad one to lose. Bill Walton was truly one of a kind. He was about as famous as one can get, but it never seemed to really go to his head. The outpouring of condolences yesterday proves how important he was to a lot of people. Rest in Peace Bill Walton. Throw one down wherever you may be at this very moment. 

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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JJ Redick is Not What the Lakers Need Right Now

I find it fascinating and incredibly frustrating that the Lakers are seriously considering hiring JJ Redick as their next head coach. Let’s discuss.

This is the Lakers we are talking about here. They are the most storied franchise in the history of the NBA. They have had greats as their head coach. From Pat Riley to Phil Jackson to Magic Johnson to Paul Westhead. These are geniuses, Magic being a genius on the court, he was an awful head coach. But Paul Westhead, he revolutionized the game in the 70's. Pat Riley took over and won titles. Phil Jackson got Kobe and Shaq to work it out and win titles. These are some possible Mt Rushmore guys we are talking about here. And they are now in long, extended interviews with JJ Redick, who to the best of my knowledge, has not coached on any level.

Redick was a fine, run of the mill role player. He could shoot the three and hustle. That was what kept him around for so long. But he never won a title as a player. He was never an all star. He was never close to being all NBA. He was not a guy that you built a team around. And as an analyst, he is your typical hot take guy. He is like Pat McAfee, maybe just a little less annoying. He goes on shows and talks about "when he was a player" in reference to co-hosts who never played basketball professionally. He also has a podcasting empire, where he has a show that he and LeBron James host together. I tried listening to it because I like to hear LeBron talk basketball. And while they are both knowledgeable, it is boring as hell. And just because JJ Redick can sit there and shoot the shit with LeBron about some film they are both looking at, that doesn't make him a good coach.

Coaches are needed for different things now. This is a player empowerment era, which I am totally here for. But coaches kind of have to fit players. There are few coaches that can come in and run the team the way they envision. Frank Vogel, who was the coach of the Lakers in 2020, won a title and was just let go by the Suns after only one season. Darvin Ham, who led the Lakers to the West Finals last season, was fired after this season, and people were thrilled. The Bucks let go of their coach midway through the season, and they were 20 games above .500. Coaches have to know how to work for, not with, superstar players. You need a guy like Phil Jackson or Greg Poppovich. Mike Brown had to go through being an assistant again before he was able to get hired as a head coach, by the Kings. There is a lot more than just X's and O's that go into being a head coach now.

If the Lakers do hire JJ Redick, how is it going to be any different than when the Nets hired Steve Nash? That was who KD, Kyrie and Harden wanted. They got rid of a coach that took a Bad News Bears type of roster to the playoffs because he didn't vibe with the new stars. As for Nash, he never won a ring, seemed confused at times and was let go before he finished his second year. Who's to say that won't happen with Redick if he gets the job and the Lakers start next season 8-12 after 20 games. The West is only getting harder and harder, and LeBron is only getting older, and AD is one injury away from missing half the year. The Lakers don't have money or picks to get more stars. I keep saying that they can trade for Donovan Mitchell or Dejounte Murray. I ask, why would the Hawks or Cavs trade them away for future picks and league minimum players? They both have playoff aspirations, and you don't have to trade with the Lakers just because they are the Lakers. That is not how the NBA works anymore.

I don't think it would be in LeBron's or the Lakers front office best interest to hire JJ Redick. Just because he is friends with LeBron, and can talk shit on tv, doesn't make him a good head coach. That doesn't mean he can build the right staff around him. I would like to give the Lakers the benefit of the doubt and say they will hire someone else. But with each passing day, the Lakers naming JJ Redick their next coach seem likier and likier. And that feels off. 

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 Trailer for "EA Sports College Football 25"

I think I have watched the trailer for the new college football team about a dozen times now. I am so very, very excited for this to come out in the world. I had my doubts. You can go back and read about said doubts. I had heard rumors for years and years, to no avail. And there was hiccup after hiccup when the game was officially announced. I didn't know if the players would give approval. When they did I thought the universities might have some issues. Then I thought EA was going to try and pull something.

But it is really real. It is coming. They have a trailer. The cover athletes have been announced, the cover has come out, the players have talked about it and we have live footage of the actual game play. And the trailer makes this game look as amazing as I have always remembered it being.

This looks like an actual football game. It does not have the video game stuff that I have grown accustomed to. I'm sure that once I play it some stuff will come up, but I don't even care at this point. They have the team entrances down pat. They have the rivalry trophies. They have the players' names on the back of their jerseys. They have the uniforms looking as clean as ever. Chris Fowler's voice is doing the voiceover for the trailer. They play some Guns N Roses to get you all pumped up. Hell, even when they show Wyoming kicking the ball off, I got major goosebumps. I did go on the Playstation website to do a possible pre order, but they only do it digitally. I'm so hype for this game, I want the physical copy. I want to see the players on the cover. I want to hold the actual game in my hands. I want the disc that lets you play the game. I want to see the inside of the game. I want the paper that comes with the physical copy. I am even contemplating buying a new Michigan themed controller. It has the design of the helmet on the controller. I know that is opulent, but at this point, all of that goes out the window when I am thinking about playing this video game.

July 19th cannot come quick enough. I am not going to wait in a line or anything, that is not me, but I plan on playing this game on that date. I will go to multiple stores if I have to. I will find this game. I am not a video game guy, but college football is another animal. This is the only video game I have ever truly cared about in my life. It is the only one that I have ever been good at in my life. I cannot wait to create a player. I'm going to build a dynasty out of Michigan in franchise mode. I will recruit and use NIL with the best of them. I will challenge my son to games. My wife used to play a bunch, and she has mentioned playing around with the game here and there.

This trailer is the best trailer to come out in a long, long time. It has me super excited, as well as millions of other people. So, we just need the 19th of July to come. Until then, I will be watching this trailer a million more times. 

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 a Bronny James Fan

The NBA combine came and went these past couple of days. A bunch of the top prospects opted out of most of the drills and scrimmages, but some kids were still there trying to up their draft stock. One such prospect is Bronny James. You may know who his father is, LeBron James.

Bronny has been living in his father's shadow since he showed a proclivity for basketball. I remember hearing about Bronny being a decent prospect coming out of high school in regards to playing division 1 college basketball. He moved high schools, played at a prestigious basketball high school and got some D-1 offers. I was hoping Michigan would go after him. He eventually ended up at USC, close to home, and they brought in a monster class. Bronny then had a scary cardiac arrest situation and that sidelined him for a while. He missed the start of the season. He was eventually cleared to play mid-season and he did.

He was fine. He did not set the world on fire. He played in Isaiah Collier's shadow. Collier is one of the top prospects in this upcoming draft. But, Bronny never really set the college basketball world on fire. He plays the game correctly, but that doesn't add up to eye popping stats or highlight plays. USC also played well below their preseason status. They were below .500. They didn't make the NCAA or NIT tournament. And they were easily bounced from the Pac 12 tournament in round 2. The Bronny NBA stock was relatively low.

Then he entered the draft and the transfer portal. He was maintaining his college eligibility, but he was also going to see what his NBA stock looked like. He had a damn good combine. His vertical is big. He had good form and shooting touch. He made a bunch of threes. And he participated in the scrimmages. He looked a little timid in the first scrimmage, but in the second one, he balled out. He looked to score. He was quick to make a move to get to the basket. He played solid defense. He made the correct pass. He showed he has a chance to be drafted. And

I'm here for it. There are people out there that are degrading him. They are saying he is not an NBA prospect. They don't want him to succeed. They are mad at him for no reason, other than the fact that he is LeBron James' kid. The hate he is getting online is brutal. I feel pretty bad for him. These keyboard warriors are calling him all kinds of things, and I am certain they wouldn't score a point against him in a game of 1 on 1. It is easy to shit talk behind a screen name. But these people hold no control over Bronny's NBA future. But because of these keyboard nitwits, I am becoming a big time Bronny fan. I want this kid to make it and have staying power. He is already an above average defender. He showed in the scrimmages that he can hit floaters. He can also spot up for the corner three. He makes the correct decision in a half court offense. He runs the break really well. This kid has the skills to make it in the NBA for a good long while. And he should make it based on his own skill and merit. There is clearly something there. He has the goods. Some team may take a shot on drafting him. Or if he doesn't get drafted, he will most certainly be on a G League team. This isn't the Ball family we are talking about here. Bronny is so much more skilled than LiAngelo Ball. He seems to be much healthier than LaMelo or Lonzo. He has been medically cleared by the NBA.

I'm on Bronny's side. I am rooting hard for him. When/if he gets into the league, I'll be excited to see him play either with or against his dad. 

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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I Think I am Chargers Fan Now

Football cannot come soon enough. I enjoy basketball, and the playoffs are good and fun, but my team is not in it this year. I am not a baseball fan at all. I am so bored by the games. I only like watching my son play, and I also coach that team, so I'm heavily involved. I am not a hockey guy. I don't watch car racing. I will goof around on Sunday's and watch "The Ocho" whenever ESPN puts it on for the day. Hell, I miss football so much, I have found myself watching UFL games with my kid because he is heavily invested in our local team.

I have found myself playing a good amount of "Madden" lately, in preparation for the college football video game release. As I progress in the game, I like to be different teams than just the Packers. The Packers are my NFL team. I have rooted for them my whole life. They are the team I want to see win it all. While not on the level of Michigan football, the Packers are very high on my rooting interest list. But, when playing "Madden", there has been one team I have been picking a bunch lately. That team is the LA Chargers.

This is probably an easy pick for people who know me. Jim Harbaugh is the new head coach there. They drafted Cornelius Johnson and my favorite player from the Michigan defense last season, Junior Colson. The coaching staff is made up of a bunch of former Michigan coaches. Harbaugh took those guys over with him when he took the job. I know some Michigan fans were bummed about this, but I understand why they went. It is the NFL. That is as high as it gets in football coaching circles. It was an obvious move. So, while playing the video game, and reading about their staff, and seeing who they drafted, the Chargers are now the second team I root for.

It has been decided. I am, along with the Packers, a Chargers fan. The Packers will be my priority. If the Packers and Chargers are playing each other I will root for the Packers. But, in any other scenario, the Chargers now have my fandom. I'm sure they are thrilled. But, this is where I stand now. Not only do I like the staff and some of the new rookies, I like their uniforms. I enjoy their color scheme. I love the lightning bolts they have on the helmets. Now that they have accepted that the powder blue is their primary color, they have hit an absolute home run. When they wear their 70's throwbacks, the color scheme is very similar to Michigan. It may as well be navy and maize. I think it is supposed to be navy and gold, but I like to imagine it's navy and maize. Along with the new rookies, I like Justin Herbert quite a bit. I have been a Khalil Mack fan ever since he was drafted by the Raiders. I wish Keenan Allen was still there, but hey, I will find some new wideouts to root for in LA. I am not crazy about a center d end and center on their team, but there is nothing I can do about that. And seeing all the offseason stuff with Harbaugh, him living in an RV, him getting his Michigan tattoo, him singing "Hail to the Victors" after drafting Michigan guys, I'm all in.

I think it will take a few seasons, the Chargers have talent, but not a ton of talent, so it is going to be a bit of a rebuild. But, I don't care about that. The Packers are in a good spot, and for the time being, I will enjoy my time cheering for the Chargers as well. Welcome to the fandom Chargers. I'm here and ready to root for you all. 

Ty

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

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