The Greatest American Band Debate: Soundgarden

For the greatest American band debate today I'm going to take my first, but definitely not last, plunge into grunge music. There is a lot of influential grunge bands out there and the first one I want to highlight is Soundgarden.

Now, let's get this right out of the way at the start, I did not listen to Soundgarden until much, much later in my life. I mean, they had been broken up, reunited and broken up again before I came to their music. When they first hit the music scene, they were not anywhere near my radar. I was listening to more hip hop and comedy records when Soundgarden made their first appearance. But, as I got older, in my late 20's, I "rediscovered" Soundgardean and, my god were they incredible.

The stuff I heard sounded like grunge mixed with psychedelic music. It was intense and weird, but it was also really good and very interesting. I obviously remember "Black Hole Sun", but to be quite frank, that video scared the hell out of me. All those weird, melting faces with permanent smiles, it was terrifying. But, listening to the song as an adult, it is incredible. I love that a song like that got so much airplay and so much face time on MTV and popular radio stations. That is a dark and depressing song, but it sounds catchy, so the people at those radio stations and at MTV deemed it okay enough to be played. The song is basically about an apocalypse of sorts. Lyrics like, "black hole sun, won't you come and wash away the rain", I mean, that is some depressing stuff. Or, you get stuff like "boiling heat, summer stench, beneath the black the sky looks dead" and that is immediately followed by, "call my name through the cream and I'll hear you scream again". Those are some of the darkest lyrics I had ever heard on pop radio and MTV. This song is about death and decay, but it's got Chris Cornell's unique voice and the band wailing away on their instruments to perfection, and it sounded oddly upbeat. This was a great way to get airplay back in the 90's. You could write dark and depressing stuff, but if it sounded nice, filled with major chords and a kick ass guitar solo, you got airplay. And Soundgarden did it all so well on "Black Hole Sun". Now, in my 30's, not only do I really like the song, but I also LOVE the video. It is so weird and bizarre, but it is perfect for what that song is about.

Soundgarden isn't just about "Black Hole Sun" and Chris Cornell, not by a long shot. First of all, the band behind Cornell is dynamite. Matt Cameron is a very good drummer. They've had five or six different bass players that are all very good, Cornell, while being lead vocalist, also played guitar, but then there is Kim Thayil on lead guitar. Thayil is a master guitar player. The way he used effects and distortion and reverb was quintessential 90's grunge and he was damn good too. He was a joy to watch play. He would whip his incredibly long hair while thrashing away on his guitar. Some of his solos are some of the best that I have ever heard. Thayil was, and still is, one of the greatest rock guitar players of all time. In fact, I personally think Thayil is a much better guitar player than a guy like Slash, but he doesn't get the acclaim. That's a shame. Go back and only listen to Thayil and be amazed at how wonderful and unique and awesome his work is on guitar. Thayil is a legend. Chris Cornell has his place, but I think he is a bit overrated as a singer and guitar player. He got very lucky to be in a band with Thayil. But, without his unique vocals, Soundgarden may have never hit the big time. Cornell has gone on to do other things, but nothing comes close to comparing his work in Soundgarden. The band that he and the members of Rage Against the Machine, minus Zack De La Rocha, started, Audioslave, is a joke. Don't listen to Audioslave. Listen to Rage or Soundgarden. They are both far superior. 

Then there is the actual music. I have mentioned and talked about "Black Hole Sun", but that whole album, "Superunknown" is awesome. It was their fourth album, but it is the one that put them on the map and it is the only one of their albums that really needs to be mentioned. "Superunknown" is incredible. It perfectly melded grunge with rock and had elements of psychedelic music as well. We have the aforementioned "Black Hole Sun", but there is also some great songs like, "Spoonman", "The Day I Tried to Live", "My Wave" and "Fell on Black Days". All these songs are dark and depressing and beautiful. The musicianship is incredible. These guys know how to play and play very well together. I know I said before that I'm not a big fan of Cornell's, but his vocals are perfect on this album for this genre of music. As I said before, I came to this band very late in my life, but this album one hundred percent holds up. They made some records before, and even 2 after "Superunknown", but we don't even need to touch on those because "Superunknown" is so great and such a perfect representation of grunge and 90's popular music. I'm serious, go back and listen to that record and you will be transported to wherever you where in that time of your life. I hear it now and I think back to hearing it for the first time and not understanding it and being scared by it. I was too young to get it when it first came out in 1994. But, 22 years later, I understand and recognize how truly great that record is. That album gave the whole world Soundgarden. Before then, the only people who knew of them where people that lived in Seattle and big time grunge nerds that needed to listen to every grunge band. "Superunkown" unleashed this incredible band for everyone to hear. It is truly one album that allows me to put this band in this conversation. Most of the other bands I have written about have multiple albums that makes it easier to put in the debate, but Soundgarden, while having 6 full EP's, only really needs just this one, and it's more than enough to put them up for greatest American band.

I'm a pretty big Soundgarden fan now. They have tried to make it work recently, but they will never be as good as they were in 1994. They came along at the exact right time for them and they grabbed their chance and ran with it. I really enjoy Soundgarden, especially Thayil, and you really only need to hear "Superunknown" and I think you will agree with me.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Have you missed any of our previous Greatest American Bands? You can find them all right here. Ty has a twitter, go follow him @tykulik.

The Core of the LA Clippers is not the Core of a Champion

This here has the core of a champion

I have heard multiple reports lately that Doc Rivers wants to keep the core of the LA Clippers together for one more year to give his team one more shot at a title. He says his "core", but he really means Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan. The only other players that are even decent on that team anymore are JJ Redick and Jamal Crawford, but they don't really make up the "core" that Rivers is talking about. I think he should keep them together too because I think it will be another catastrophic failure by the Clippers. They will not get out of the second round, hell they'd be hard pressed to even make the playoffs, if he keeps this group together.

Being the Clippers hater that I am, that's why I think he should keep it together. Let's break it down even further as to why a hater like me would love this, but a Clippers fan might not be so happy. First off, there is Chris Paul. Chris Paul is a great point guard, perhaps one of the greatest of all time. Now, I still think he is incredibly dirty and very whiny, but he is a damn good basketball player. But, he will also be turning 32 next season and he has been in the league for over a decade now. He has gotten very lucky with injuries, up until this last playoff run, and has logged a ton of minutes. He continues to play at a very high level, but father time is undefeated. The problem with a point guard, I heard and totally agree with Howard Beck who said this, that they don't slowly break down, they just all of the sudden break down. Look at a guy like Ty Lawson. Two years ago he was the hottest commodity on the free market. Everybody wanted him. Then, he went to Houston and completely fell off a cliff. He was dumped by the Rockets, signed with Indiana and barely played. He was one of the top players just two short years ago, now, he'll be lucky if he gets signed by any NBA team this offseason. I could see something very similar happen to Chris Paul. I don't think his fall off will be as big as Lawson's was, but I still see him falling out of the top players in the NBA. He will still be a good point guard, but he won't be as dominant as he has been. He is getting older and the older he gets, the more whiny and the more dirty he becomes. He's also a HUGE headache as a teammate. I don't think anyone on the Clippers legitimately likes playing basketball with Chris Paul. It's never his fault and no one plays to his personal expectations. His time is quickly coming to an end.

Then, we have Blake Griffin. You remember him right? He's the guy that repeatedly punched a staff member until he broke his hand. He also has a very bad quad problem that he is dealing with. He also seems to have lost some of his explosiveness. He doesn't seem to trust the Clippers training staff. He, much like the majority of the roster, doesn't seem to enjoy playing basketball with Chris Paul. He also cannot be on the court in crucial moments with DeAndre Jordan, they don't coexist well at all. He's also extremely overrated. Every analyst or writer I hear or read seems to think he is a top five player in the NBA and that he is some sort of superior play maker. I don't see it. He's an okay passer, but he is the definition of a "ball stopper" on offense. He gets it in the high or low post and he only looks for his shot, unless he can make a pass that will make the ESPN top ten highlight that night. He is a ball hog that no one talks about. His mid range jumper is also very mediocre and looks so gross. Griffin is not the great player that people make him out to be. He's good, but he is losing a step and he is a terrible teammate. I know I'd hate to play with him and I think a lot of other players feel the same. He is also a deranged man child for what he did to that staff member. Let us not forget how horrendous and heinous that whole situation was. He punched someone so much, in the face, that he broke his own hand. That is insane and wrong on so many levels. I truly do not like Blake Griffin the person or the player. I hope his personal hype train is over.

Then we have DeAndre Jordan. This is the same guy that welched on a deal with Dallas because he wanted to return to the Clippers. He had the chance to be the man in Dallas, I know they still have Dirk and Dirk is still great, but it was going to be Jordan's team. They were going to build around him. But, after this first round of the playoffs, I'd be breathing a sigh of relief if I were Dallas that we didn't sign him. Chris Paul and Blake Griffin both went down with playoff ending injuries, so the team was Jordan's. They didn't win another game in the series. The Clippers, with Jordan being the focal point, looked as bad as the Grizzlies. They didn't know where to go, what plays to run or, if they ran a play, they couldn't finish it off. DeAndre Jordan may be one of the most over hyped and over paid players in the league. I also don't buy the whole defensive stopper and rebounding machine thing. He is very mediocre on defense, barely getting one block a game, and yes, he has high rebounding numbers, but it's all long rebounds and nothing really on the offensive boards. I much rather have a guy like Hassan Whiteside or Bismarck Biyombo than DeAndre Jordan. Those guys play formidable defense and they are ferocious rebounders. I don't care about all the alley oops, it doesn't matter when you get bounced in the first or second round of the playoffs every year how great the oops look, you are still a sub par franchise. DeAndre Jordan got his chance to shut people like me up, the non believers, when Griffin and Paul went down, but he did the opposite. He gave up and looked disinterested in the last two games against the Trailblazers. Mason Plumlee and Moe Harkless and Ed Davis looked so much better than Deandre Jordan did.

Doc Rivers also wants to keep the bench players I mentioned, they are not that great. Sure, JJ Redick is a good shooter, but when he has to guard a good player, he gets eaten alive. I also feel like he'd rather get more tattoos and style his hair real nice than work on his game. He's also old in basketball terms. Jamal Crawford is only good for instant offense off the bench. He is a liability on defense and he is not a good ball handler. Austin Rivers is a joke of an NBA player. Cole Aldrich is inexplicably still under contract and still plays decent minutes and he is garbage. Paul Pierce needs to retire. I like Pierce a lot, but he has lost way more than just one step and he cannot score like he used to. His time has most assuredly passed. Jeff Green is so inconsistent and he has been that way his whole career. I don't think anything is going to change by now, he is the player he is going to be for the rest of his NBA career. Besides these guys, who cares who else is on the roster.

This team needs to be blown up, but the Clipper hater in me would love to see Doc Rivers try and make it work for one more year. They won't beat the Warriors, the Spurs or the Thunder, if Durant resigns. They will, at best, be the fourth seed once again in the West with this same team. For my sake, do it Rivers, bring this team back so I can watch and laugh as you fail to get out of the second round. But, for the NBA's sake and the sake of my non hater side, blow it up and start over. The Clippers have gone as far as they can with this team. They are not, and never will be, championship caliber with this roster.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. His love of the game is stronger than the will to watch the Clippers fail, again. Follow Ty on twitter @tykulik.

Laremy Tunsil and the Clown Show at ESPN

Artist rendering of draft meeting at ESPN

So, I had the weekend to think about it and I'm now going to give my take on the Laremy Tunsil slide in last week's draft. As you may know by now, Tunsil was the only player in this draft that I had any expectations for. I figured that he was the most ready and best prepared to be a pro football player. The whole bong gas mask and text message debacle between him and his coach have not changed my view on Tunsil, the player. I still think that he is going to be an all pro caliber offensive lineman that will be a quality to great starter for many years in the pros. He is a humongous road grater, and smoking weed and getting 300 bucks from a coach does not deter my views on that.

Do you know some other players that slid in the draft because of off field weed issues, Warren Sapp and Randy Moss. Sapp had a much similar slide to Tunsil. Sapp was projected as a top five pick, but then some people said he was a weed smoker and he failed a drug test prior to the draft. So, instead of being picked very early, he slid to the middle of the first round, 13 if I remember correctly, same as Tunsil. I think both Sapp and the Buccaneers were extremely thrilled and couldn't have cared less about him smoking pot. Sapp was an all time great defensive lineman, who put in work, and is now a hall of famer. Randy Moss had an even bigger tumble after a failed drug test, and many people letting the NFL know that he liked to get high. Moss slid all the way out of the top ten, teens and ended up in the 20's, 22 if I remember correctly, to the Vikings. Remember his rookie year? Remember his time in New England? Remember his career? Sure, he could be a headache, but he too put in work and he was dominate. Moss may be the best deep ball threat the NFL has ever had. Moss made Daunte Culpepper a pro bowl QB. Moss revived Randall Cunningham's career. Moss was part of the last decent Oakland Raiders team. Moss and Tom Brady were one of the most lethal threats of all time. So, yeah, I don't think Randy Moss' affection to marijuana really made him any less great at football. He too, if he isn't already, is a hall of famer.

So, if I were a betting man, I'd say that Tunsil will have a career that will be at least comparable to a long time starter in the NFL, with Warren Sapp on offense being his best case scenario. I don't care at all about the video that surfaced and the text thread that surfaced, it was the timing and the way the "experts" at ESPN and the NFL Network handled the whole situation. The NFL Network did a "better" job, kind of burying the story and not making it out to be a humongous deal. But, ESPN took the exact opposite direction. They talked this story to death. They showed the video over and over and over again. They constantly put the text thread on TV for all to see. They continually questioned Tunsil's maturity with how he handled the situation. And, do you know who they blamed? They put it all on Laremy Tunsil. They didn't say one bad thing about Ole Miss, or any of the adults that were involved in this whole thing. Yes, Tunsil is now a professional, but I feel like he handled this whole thing as well as one could imagine. He didn't deny or confirm anything. He didn't blame anyone but himself. He owned up to his mistakes. Yes, he said he took money from a coach at Ole Miss, but I didn't read that as him passing the blame, I read it as him telling what he believed to be the truth.

ESPN did not see it that way. This further makes me so sure about the demise of this network that I wrote about last week. They had their "experts" bad mouthing Tunsil left and right. Chris Berman called him out as being immature. Trent Dilfer, who is reportedly leaving ESPN, said he didn't seem ready for professional life. Jon Gruden, who if you aren't a QB, he doesn't care about you, said that he wouldn't have picked him at all, which is insane. But, the most repulsive and sorry excuse for a reporter was that dip shit Todd McShay. McShay basically said that, since he told the truth, he clearly wasn't ready to be a pro. He said that his people didn't have him well enough prepared to handle a press conference of this magnitude. He called him immature. All of this because Tunsil told the truth. McShay seems to think that, if you come out and tell the truth, you are unprepared to be a pro football player. He'd rather Tunsil lied than said anything at all. This is absolutely terrible "reporting" and "journalism" from a guy that is clearly an amateur, AKA, the future of ESPN. This makes McShay look like the complete and udder moron that is most definitely is.

Naturally, Roger Goodell had to give his two cents. He said, and I quote, "this is what makes the draft so exciting. It's unpredictable". What a god damn idiot. I'm sure that Tunsil was thrilled and excited that every time he got passed on, he lost another million dollars. I'm sure he was so happy with the "unpredictableness" that cost him over 6 million dollars. I'm sure his family loved it as well, seeing one of their loved ones suffering and having a panic attack. God, Roger Goodell is such an idiot. Why is he not fired yet?

I don't understand the personal attack on Tunsil from ESPN basically. He's a kid. I know he's a pro, and stuff like this shouldn't happen, but they spent a thousand more minutes on this than they did on D'Angelo Russell secretly filming a teammate. They have not once talked about all the Peyton Manning allegations. They spend little to no time on the fact that last years number one pick, Jameis Winston, had many, many more criminal charges before last years draft. They barely, if ever, blame that piece of garbage Johnny Manziel for all the crazy stuff he does everyday. Basically, ESPN will only talk about Tunsil's "immaturity" and "deflategate".

ESPN sucks.

Really quick, why is no one going after Ole Miss? They have clearly done something wrong and possibly illegal, according to the NCAA. The bong gas mask thing isn't their fault, that's just a dumb kid making a very dumb decision and letting someone film it. Also, why was there a confederate flag in the background during that video? That's terrifying. And no one is talking about that either. But, clearly Ole Miss was giving a player money, and that is against the rules. That is not allowed, but apparently, they were giving Tunsil's family money every year that he was playing football there. Also, they got really good, really fast. And it was all of the sudden. One day Ole miss was an also ran, the next, they were pulling in five stars and competing in the hyper competitive SEC. Ole Miss has clearly broken several rules, but don't go to ESPN for any coverage of that because they feel the need to scold Laremy Tunsil some more. This is a joke.

So, I think, after all of this, Tunsil is still going to be a very good to great pro player. I think he has handled this whole thing the best way he knew how and he did a decent job. I'm not too worried about his love for pot because I think he will put in the necessary work to be a good pro, much like Sapp and Moss. ESPN and their panel of "experts" are the bad guys here. They are terrible "journalists" and "reporters". They clearly have no clue what they are doing and they are a mess. Just remember how ESPN, Mel Kiper, Jon Gruden, Trent Dilfer, Chris Berman, Todd McShay and Roger Goodell treated Tunsil when we look at him in five years. Tunsil will be an all pro and all the stooges at ESPN will either be fired, the network will be gone, or they will all have moved on to some lower level of the sports journalism world. I guarantee it.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He remembers the golden years of ESPN, back when Chris Berman stuck out as being the lone idiot in the crowd. Now Berman blends in with the rest. Ty is on twitter and you should follow him @tykulik.

May Day - International Workers Day, the Celebration of Spring, and SeedSing's birthday

May is the time to blossom

And so it began.

May 1st will always represent the launch of SeedSing as a website. I wanted to use the internationally recognized Workers Holiday as the marking point for what we are trying to accomplish here at the website. May 1st is also widely associated with the celebration of spring. Festivals dating back to the Roman Republic era have been celebrated on the 1st day of this fifth month. SeedSing exists to give voice to the worker and to celebrate the blossoming of new ideas. We are happy to celebrate this May Day with you, and we want to celebrate our own first year of existence.

Having spent the last year working on SeedSing, I have learned a lot. There are the practical skills I have picked up; things like editing an article, which I still have a lot to learn about, creating a podcast, again still a lot to learn, and the overall joys of the day to day work making sure people's ideas are presented in an informative and entertaining fashion. Contributors like Tina S, Kirk Aug, and especially Ty have made this endeavour exciting and fulfilling at the same time. SeedSing would not exist without their ideas, and I can not thank them enough for everything they have contributed to this project. The guest contributors, some known and some unknown, have also been an incredibly valuable addition to the conversation we are having. With one year down, we are excited to keep the ball rolling.

So what is the purpose of SeedSing? We live in a world where ideas are being monopolized by the wealthy and connected elite. Ideas are not commodities, they are the only thing we collectively share. Here at SeedSing we want to let the people take back their rights to having thoughts. We want to give you a voice. The global community is in trouble. The top capital owners have used the media and government to solidify their power. SeedSing is the people's fortress where we can speak freely, and start to fix the world being destroyed by the top 1%. That is the purpose of SeedSing.

Fixing the world through our ideas does not have to be gloomy. Our culture and entertainment is where are voices can be strongest. The writing here at SeedSing concerning pop culture has been our most popular content. We do not discuss the same old baby boomer culture that seems to always overshadow whatever new and exciting is happening. Topics such as who is the Greatest American Band, or what new unknown entertainment you should enjoy, is where SeedSing is leading the way to reclaim pop culture from the baby boomers. Add your voice and let our culture flourish, not decay under the old ways.

The X Millennial Man Podcast has been another avenue where our seeds have been allowed to sing. Most of our discussions have revolved around the pop culture of our respective generations but there have been times that the X Millennial Man has tackled issues outside of the entertainment world. Kirk and Ty discussed their experiences as stay at home dads, Tina S interviewed her mother (a baby boomer) and Tina's friend (Generation X) on their experiences as immigrants to the United States, and RD used the handwritten notes of his deceased grandfather to learn about where RD's family originated from. These are the stories we do not hear in the regular media. Podcasting has been the common persons greatest weapon against a professional media who exists to solidify the status quo. SeedSing and the X Millennial Man will continue to be the voice of people.

Where do we go in our second year?  We continue moving forward. SeedSing is growing, but we need your help. This is a project funded by the money and efforts of a very small group of people. Your help is always appreciated. How can you help? We want your voice. Tell us your thoughts. If you want to write, we want to publish your ideas. If you have an idea, but are not comfortable with writing, tell us your thoughts and one of our regular contributors will put together a piece. If you are not a writer, but still want to support SeedSing - financial support is always a nice thing. Other ways to help us out is to follow SeedSing on twitter, @seedsing.rdk, and to like us on Facebook. We are excited about are second year, and we are even more excited about your continued support of SeedSing.

Happy May Day, International Workers Day, and happy 1st birthday SeedSing. Come on in and join us. Allow your seed to sing and take root. You only have your ideas to set free.

RD

RD Kulik is the Head Editor for SeedSing and the host of the X Millennial Man Podcast

The Final Days of ESPN

ESPN headquarters circa 2020

I think I need to take a moment today to talk about the mass exodus that is happening at ESPN right now.

I've been known to bash on ESPN on this site, but that's because they are an incompetent network that hires stupid people. They also act like they are the biggest and best thing since sliced bread. That was true about 25 years ago, but times have changed and ESPN refuses to keep up with that. They have barely changed anything about themselves since the internet has basically taken over the world. The only big difference that I have noticed, yes I still watch, but it's an anger watch, is the new set. They also have people hosting their own versions of "SportsCenter", but it's still pretty much the same. The higher ups at the company are either oblivious, or they just don't care, about the changing culture.

Nowadays, almost everything is done on the internet. I wouldn't be able to write if it weren't for the internet. In fact, a lot of people wouldn't have made it without the internet. But, ESPN doesn't seem to care. I wonder if they think it is a fad, or something that will just disappear. Sorry to break the news, but being the millennial writer and podcaster on this site, the internet is no fad and it will only continue to get bigger and bigger. I can't even fathom what it will be like when my kids are my age.

That's another thing, ESPN refuses to get with the times, what with live streaming now. Hell, if I want to watch a Michigan football, basketball or even a baseball game, I can see it in real time on the BTN2Go app. ESPN claims to have a live stream, but you have to pay for the stream, or they just have the "live" stream that is just some random person writing down what happens on each play, waiting what seems like an hour to write it, and the game is so far behind when they finally give you the info. For example, after my daughter was born, I had to watch a Michigan-Northwestern football game on my phone and I started with the ESPN "live stream". It was incredibly bad. I was getting zero updates. I couldn't find out which team had the ball or what they were doing. My dad asked me how the game was going and I could not give him a proper answer. After dealing with this nonsense for almost a half an hour, my older brother told me to go to the BTN2Go app. I downloaded it, searched the game, found it immediately, and was even able to watch it on my iPhone in a hospital room. Side note, Michigan thumped Northwestern that day. When I finally got to see the game, the first quarter was just about over and they were up 21-0. So, why does a channel, BTN, that has only been around for about 15 years have a better app and better internet capabilities that a company, ESPN, that's been around for 35 plus years? That is absolutely insane.

I think the "talent" at ESPN is starting to realize that the company will not get with the times and they have no chance of advancing any further than they already have. Sure, they fired Bill Simmons after he deservedly crushed Roger Goodell, but I guarantee that, had HBO came in and made an offer before he was let go, he would have left in a heart beat. Simmons outgrew that place, so instead of letting him leave on his own terms, they decided they would save face and fire him. That completely backfired on ESPN. Simmons has throngs of fans, me included, that will follow him to whatever network he goes to. They also decided, after letting Simmons go, it was time to shut down Grantland. Another huge mistake from ESPN. They lost a ton of great writers after doing this. Most of those writers are back with Simmons now. Grantland was huge for ESPN, but they wanted to rid themselves of everything Bill Simmons, and that was idiotic. Simmons and his staff write for the younger generation and, as I've said, we will follow him and his writers anywhere. I'm pumped for his show on HBO, I'm an avid listener of his podcast and I have subscribed to and follow The Ringer, his new site, on Twitter. 

Then, there was the news that Mike Tirico was leaving to go to NBC. This is a huge problem for ESPN. While Mike Tirico may not be the nicest, most pleasant person to be around, he was a crucial member of their staff. He was the co anchor on "Monday Night Football". He called big time college football games. He called NBA games. He was huge in college basketball. I mean, the guy is a jack of all trades. And the people at ESPN just lost him. I was legitimately shocked when I read that he was leaving. I don't know who they will replace him with, but I will bet it will someone who is incredibly under qualified.

Hell, they are even losing "journalist" that are not even mediocre, they are terrible. Last year they lost the racist piece of human garbage, Colin Cowherd. And now, the most moronic, nonsensical, I think I'm right because I'm the loudest, idiot Skip Bayless is leaving to join Cowherd at Fox Sports. This gives me a newfound hatred for Fox Sports, but damn, they can't even keep terrible people over at ESPN. Skip Bayless is a flat out dummy. The guy says some of the dumbest things I've ever heard on TV. Some, wait, everything he says is filled with stupidity and an arrogance that he should never, ever have. He is so dumb and so out of his mind. This is a guy that has said that Tim Tebow is an all time great QB, if you need a reference at how truly moronic he is. But, he too is leaving ESPN. I cannot believe they couldn't keep him on board. I wouldn't be shocked if the equally stupid and equally loud Stephen A Smith is the next to go. Yeah, they let Lou Holtz go, but he is about a million years old, so not a very big deal. Sure, they let Mark May go a year ago, but he is so much better off where he is now. They let Robert Smith go, but he was pretty good on TV and I'm sure he will find a job soon. And, after repeated racial slurs and racially insensitive things he put on the internet, they finally let Curt Schilling go.

Therein lies a huge problem for ESPN. If you bad mouth the NFL, a la Bill Simmons calling out Goodell, you get fired immediately. But, it took Schilling being incredibly racist, homophobic and mysoginistic many times before they actually fired him. Bill Simmons says one bad thing about the NFL, boom, he's gone. But, it's not until Schilling takes the side of the backwards ass people in North Carolina, he agreed with them that transgender people shouldn't be able to use the bathroom with the gender they now identify with, to fire him. Schilling is a horrible excuse for a human being. It's a travesty that it took ESPN that long to fire him. And what a crock from people that claim to be forward thinking.

It's just a matter of time now before everyone leaves ESPN, or they just shut down because they refuse to keep up with the change in the world. ESPN is an inept network and that ineptness will soon catch up to them.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He does not remember the early days of ESPN, but he sure remembers the last days. The network ended in 2006 if he recalls correctly. Ty is on the internet, follow him on twitter @tykulik.

The Arcs are Currently Touring, and You Need to See Them Live.

There was a lot more going on than a guitar and drums.

Last night my brother and I went to see the Arcs at the Pageant here in Saint Louis, and it was a very good show. The Arcs is Black Keys front man and lead guitarist Dan Auerbach's side project. I've written about them a couple of times on the site before, but last night was the first time I had seen them live. They were very good.

The band was very tight and you could tell that they enjoy playing music with one another. Auerbach seemed a bit more relaxed on stage as well. Not that he isn't relaxed with the Black Keys, he just exerts so much energy when performing live with the Black Keys because they are a two piece band. The Arcs, on the other hand, they had Auerbach on lead vocals and lead guitar, they had a bass player, a piano/saxophone player, a guy that doubled as a drummer and rhythm guitar player and Richard Swift playing drums as well as keyboards and a beat machine. They also had their openers, an all female mariachi band, come on and do background vocals and play some instruments on a few songs. This was a full band. I absolutely adore the sound and the show that is the Black Keys, I love two piece bands, but it's nice to see Auerbach venture out with a full band, and it sounds good. He also didn't look extremely exhausted at the end of the show last night, much like he does after a Black Keys show.

The Arcs are a very good band and they proved that last night with this show. They opened with "Velvet Ditch", which is a slower burning, almost psychedelic rock song and they crushed it. I knew I was in for a good 90 minutes after they opened the show so well. they went on to play 14 more songs, but not everything was off their album, which was nice. The majority of the show was from "Yours Dreamily", but they also did a new song, a few covers and they played the excellent "Lake Superior".

"Lake Superior" was written after they saw the Netflix show "Making A Murderer", and it's about the unjust way these people were treated and later convicted of a crime they may not have done. The song is eerie, but the melody and the music is upbeat in a weird way. I was very happy to hear them play this song live. I loved it when it came out, I listen to it on my iPod all the time, so it was great to get to hear it live.

The covers were old timey tunes. They played the Temptations "Smiling Faces Sometimes", The Blue Rondos "Little Baby" and they closed the night with Gary "U.S" Bonds "I Wanna Holler". Each song was great and they put their sound on each one. "Smiling Faces Sometimes" was slowed a bit and made a little more psychedelic, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Auerbach's solo's were clutch on this song. "Little Baby" was played just like the old time tune it is and I loved that. They played the sped up time signature, they sang it like the original band and the female mariachi backing band sounded really good on this song. Closing the show with a cover is always a little suspect to me, but they did and excellent job with "I Wanna Holler". It was a good choice by the band to play a song that is similar to their sound already and they did a great job covering it.

They played a newer song that they recently wrote called "Maybe I'm the Only One For Me". It was a very good, slow song. I liked the lyrics and the music. There was some great reverb from the guitar, the drums were slowed down to an excellent groove and Auerbach's vocals were awesome. They played a couple of other tunes that I'm not too familiar with. Right after "Velvet Ditch", they played "Bad Girl". This was a good, slower song, that had Auerbach using his newfound falsetto voice. It was trippy, but good. Right after that they played "Keep On Dreamin", which I think might be on the album, but I'm not 100 percent sure. It was good too though. Very good guitar and very good drums on the song. I liked it a lot. Their other encore song was a song called "Eyez". I think the Arcs were trying out a lot of newer material and that makes me happy. I like that they are giving the crowds at these shows a chance to hear stuff they've been working on. I liked this song too. It had a 50's sound to it, but spliced with their sound meaning, distorted guitars and loud drums. It was pretty good. 

The rest of the show featured songs off their record. They played, "Put a Flower In Your Pocket", "Pistol Made of Bones", "Stay In My Corner", "Chains of Love", "The Arc", "Cold Companion" and "Outta My Mind". I'm already a huge fan of "Put A Flower in Your Pocket", so to hear it live was a delight. They played it excellently and they even had the weird, choppy effect that starts on the song on the record while they played it live. Auerbach's vocals really shine on that song as well. "Pistol Made of Bones" is my sons favorite song and I got to say, they played it really well. Once again, great vocals and guitar from Auerbach, but the drums, with the loud splash when they sing, "I was shot!", was fantastic. "Stay in My Corner" was sweet and pretty and the solo was very well played. They even had a nice floral arrangement as their lights for this song. It was beautiful visually and sonically. "Chains of Love" was where the female mariachi band got their moment to shine. They got to sing the chorus and the added lines and they sounded great. Really excellent guitar on this one as well. "The Arc" and "Cold Companion" both sounded very similar, but very good. They sound alike on the record and the live show wasn't very different. Don't get me wrong, I loved hearing them both, they just sounded kind of the same. And "Outta My Mind" was great. It's a good song to begin with, but hearing it live and seeing the weird clips they added in the background made it that much better. It was done very well.

I knew going in that I was going to enjoy myself last night. I'm an unapologetic Black Keys fan, so anything that Dan Auerbach or Patrick Carney do outside of that, I'm probably going to enjoy and the Arcs, well I enjoy them quite a bit. It was a fun, fast in a good way and well done show. I liked it being in a smaller venue with a smaller crowd too, more intimate that way. The Arcs are a great band and they deliver when it comes to a live show. If they are coming close to your town, I highly recommend checking them out because you will have a good time. It was a very, very good show last night.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He would love to talk about your show in St. Louis. If you are a musician, comedian, or something in between, let us know and Ty will come to your show. Also make sure you follow Ty on twitter @tykulik.

The Greatest American Band Debate: N.W.A.

Getting back to the greatest American band debate for me today, I'm going to dip back in the world of rap and nominate N.W.A.

N.W.A. are one of the most influential bands of all time. Their members were creators of an all new genre of rap music. They, for all intents and purposes, created listenable gangster rap. Their music wasn't just for the people from Compton, it was for everyone everywhere in the US. They made gangster rap accessible. Sure, people that lived in the suburbs of Missouri, Michigan and Tennessee didn't want to visit Compton, but N.W.A painted such a clear picture through their words, you knew what they were talking about, or you at least had your own idea.

What makes N.W.A. even better, they did all of this on one album. The group only released one full length record, but that record is so influential. Sure, they released other albums under the name N.W.A, but nothing compares to the magnitude of "Straight Outta Compton". That album is an absolute masterpiece. As I said, it gave the entire world a view of the gangster lifestyle and how tough it was to be a young, black man in the ghetto. I have not spent one single second in a ghetto, but this album gives me a vision of a horrible, scary and ruthless place. They do such a great job of portraying this. The album is also full of all time hits. Songs like "Straight Outta Compton", "Boyz in the Hood", "F&^k tha Police" and "Express Yourself" are absolutely phenomenal. When you open the album with "Straight Outta Compton", it lets you know and hear how great the members of this group truly were. Ice Cube explodes on the record, rapping with a vicious and ferocious rhyme scheme and it is awesome. He rips apart the lyrics and just crushes his verses throughout the whole song. When you hear the first lyrics, I get goosebumps and I'm ready to hear one of the greatest rap songs of all time. Dr. Dre kills it on the production and scratching of this song. He was/is truly a musical genius. He was pretty much the catalyst for this group to get started and you can hear his influence on this track. Eazy E is incredible, as he is on all of their songs. He has that high pitched, almost whiny cadence, but damn, it is infectious and he is a master on the mic. I really like his voice and I still haven't heard anyone like him to this day. "Straight Outta Compton" is the most perfect gateway song to the world of N.W.A. It tells you almost everything you need to know about this band.

Right after "Straight Outta Compton", we get what may be their most popular and most recognizable song, "F&*K tha Police". This track is a masterpiece. This song came from all the abuse that the members took from the police in Compton and, once again, they paint a very real picture that almost everyone can imagine, but not relate to. I've been harassed by the police before, in my teen years I had dreads and listened to a ton of Bob Marley, but I never experienced anything they rap about on the song. Once again, Ice Cube is at the forefront of this track and, once again, he is truly killing it. Ice Cube, who is very famous, and I will touch on that in a bit, but he is the most underrated person in N.W.A. He is just as important as Dr. Dre and Eazy E, but not everyone talks about him the same way they do about the others. On "F&*k tha Police", he comes out and calls the police racist and points out that, since they have authority, they choose to only go after minorities. His words and his lyricism are timeless and incredible. This song is so true and so bleak and so heart breaking, but it is so good. I, much like every fan of N.W.A, love this song.

"Express Yourself" is Dr. Dre at his best. He didn't rap a whole lot when he was in N.W.A, but his producing and beat making are top notch and this track is a primary example of his genius. He samples an old funk/rock song, that goes by the same name, and puts the emcees, Eazy E, Ice Cube and MC Ren, on full display. "Express Yourself" has one of the best beats in all of rap music and it is 100 percent due to Dr. Dre. It is a really, really good song.

Then, there's Eazy E's introduction to the world on "Boyz in the Hood". This song introduced us to the tiny, whiny, but super infectious cadence of Eazy E. When he starts rapping on "Boyz in the Hood", I can't help but rap along with him. When he starts out, "rolling down the street in my 6 4", I know that I'm in for a great time, accompanied by Eazy E's super unique style of rapping. This song is so great and Eazy E is so great. I love that he was a dope dealer, was friends with Dr. Dre and Ice Cube, and they just threw him on a track, and he absolutely killed it. I love that song.

N.W.A is one of the greatest rap groups of all time. Hell, they are one of the greatest groups of all time. They gave us gangster rap. They made it accessible for everyone. They painted a real picture of how tough it is to be young and black in the ghetto. They are pioneers and they did it on one record. Imagine what they would have become had Eazy E not gotten sick with AIDS. Eazy E was a great rapper, but he needed those other guys with him. He was the guy that bank rolled the group in their early years, but he became a star while recording with N.W.A. MC Ren was a very good rapper and was a perfect fit in N.W.A. He had a hard edge to his voice and was a great counter to the style of Eazy E. He has done some other stuff, like creating his own label, but he is most famous for his work in N.W.A. DJ Yella was a great DJ, but he pales in comparison to Dr. Dre. He's done other stuff, most notably with the group the Wrecking Crew, with Dr. Dre, but he will also be best known for his work in N.W.A.

Dr. Dre is ultra famous. I think we all know that. He was the driving force behind N.W.A and he was easily one of the harder workers and that shows in his later work. After leaving N.W.A, he and Suge Knight founded Death Row Records. In doing this, he discovered and helped some of the best talent to ever rap. He introduced the world to Snoop Dog on "Nuthin But a G Thang" on his classic record "The Chronic". Snoop was a very little known rapper until he met Dr. Dre and then he absolutely blew up. Dr. Dre also worked a ton with Tupac while both were on Death Row Records. They recorded some of the best rap songs of all time, most notably, "California Love". After leaving Death Row, he started his own label, Aftermath, and he has achieved great success. He discovered guys like Eminem and 50 Cent, just to name a few. Dr. Dre also created his own line of headphones, Beats by Dre, that have taken over the world. His hard work has paid off, and then some.

Then, there's Ice Cube. He left N.W.A after recording "Straight Outta Compton", due to not getting what he deserved, and went on to have an incredible solo career. He released many great solo records that went platinum a bunch of times. He solidified himself as a great rapper, but more so, a great lyricist and writer. He had a knack and a way with words that was incredible. He is a genius. He also has expanded into the world of acting with great success. He had a star making turn in "Boys in the Hood". He wrote and starred in every version of "Friday". Two of the three of those are very good, especially the first one. He has done some not so great stuff, but he usually delivers in the movies he has bit parts in. Just reference his small role in both "Jump Street" movies. He is hilarious and does a great job. So, yeah I'll deal with an "Are We There Yet" or a "Ride Along" if I can get a "Friday" or a "21 Jump Street". He has become a major, major ultra famous star in music, television and movies.

N.W.A. was incredible and they belong in the conversation. Side note, the movie "Straight Outta Compton", that came out last year, is so good and a great representation of what this group went through and how they dealt with their problems. It's a really good movie. I love N.W.A and I know a lot of people do too. They were great.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He thinks N.W.A. is 1000 times more deserving to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame than KISS. Gene Simmons has no idea what real rock music is. Follow Ty on twitter @tykulik.

Roger Goodell Should be Suspended Forever because of "Deflategate"

Please no. Not this story again.

I cannot believe that I have to talk about this again, but a grand jury re suspended Tom Brady for god damn "deflategate" the first four games of next season.

Now, before I get into the meat of this blog, I do not think he will miss any games once again, just like last year. But Jesus Christ, why will this stupid ass story not die? I mean, it's some under inflated footballs. Who in the hell cares about this besides the Ravens, Colts and Satan, AKA Roger Goodell? Why is this such a big deal that they have dragged it out for two years now? Why are they trying to have Brady miss four games for something that is so inconsequential? I know it seems like I'm a Patriots defender, but I could care les about them. I just think this is the most asinine thing that the NFL cannot let go. 

I have talked about deflategate many times before on this site, the NFL has much, much bigger fish to fry than some under inflated footballs 2 years ago. Sure, they suspended Adrian Peterson for a whole year, after he ruthlessly whipped his four year old child with a switch and then showed zero sympathy for what he did, but reinstated him last season and he was praised for his effort. He was looked at as a victim after he brutally whipped a four year old. That's appalling. Yeah, Richie Incognito missed a whole season after bullying someone to the point where they contemplated suicide, but he was let back in the league last year and now, he is going to keep a huge contract. He was also a pro bowler and no one has said anything bad about the terrible, awful thing he did to his former teammate. Oh, he is still a huge asshole too. That still hasn't changed, but don't tell that to Roger Goodell, he just wants to praise his return to the league. Greg Hardy is still in the NFL. He beats his girlfriends, fights his teammates, lies on TV about beating women, but he only had to miss 6 games last year, and I bet someone will sign him this offseason. And Roger Goodell will not blink an eye. Ray Rice is still out of the league, but it's not because there is video evidence of him knocking his soon to be wife unconscious, it's because he is, in NFL terms, over the hill. He is past his prime. I'm sure Goodell wants him back in the league so he can praise his "comeback", a la Peterson. The NFL also has young players, still to hit their prime, retiring from the league. They have a huge problem with their concussion protocol and players are dropping like flies, but that doesn't faze Goodell.

In fact, none of the stuff I have just laid out for you guys matters nearly as much as some under inflated footballs. That is the worst possible thing that any football player could do, if you ask Goodell. Who cares if players beat children or girlfriends or their wives, who cares if there is a big bullying problem going on with each team, who cares about players fighting each other on and off the field, who cares that there is a big steroid problem going on that no one is talking about. None of this compares to a player gaining a home field advantage. Yes, I've said it before and I'll say it again, under inflating footballs is unethical, but it's no worse than watering base paths in baseball. Every player and every team will try to gain a home field advantage any way possible. I'd much rather have a player on my team that wants some footballs slightly under inflated than a player that physically abuses women and children. I'd rather have the under inflaters than a bully. I'd rather have under inflaters than a steroid user. Basically, I'd rather have a player looking to gain a home filed advantage other than a player that physically or emotionally or verbally abuses other people.

This whole story is so ridiculous. I just don't understand why Roger Goodell won't let this go. He lost this case once, and I can almost guarantee that he will lose again and he will look like a total jack ass once again. He is really up a creek because he will not let "deflategate" go. He is so eager and so willing to put everything else aside so he can make the "golden boy" QB of the most dominating franchise in the 21st century in the NFL miss four games of a 16 game season. He is willing to allow abusers and bullies to miss zero time, or cut their suspensions in half so he can attack Tom Brady and the Patriots. And, much like most of the Patriot's opponents, Goodell is probably going to lose. This is almost an un winnable battle because it is such a dumb thing to take to court.

That's another thing, why is this subject being brought to the supreme court? Don't they have way bigger and way more important things to deal with? You know, things like murder, robbery, money laundering, etc. that are much more important than some under inflated footballs. And why did they uphold a suspension that got dismissed over a year ago? What kind of legitimate judge gives two shits about "deflategate"? This is such a non story, that if I were a judge, I would laugh in the face of Goodell and his cronies if they presented this to me and I would kick them out of my office.

Therein lies the main problem with this whole thing, Roger Goodell is an idiot, a sore loser, a person that is unable to let it go when he is wrong and he is trying to kill the US' most popular sport. He clearly doesn't realize that he has bigger problems to deal with. Either that, or he is so oblivious and blinded by his hatred for Tom Brady that he doesn't care about the other problems, and that makes him an even bigger idiot than I previously thought. He is a sore loser. The fact that he is still bringing this thing up and still trying to get Brady suspended means he cannot handle the fact that he was told he was wrong and his proposed suspension was thrown out over a year ago. Most people move on from things, but not a sore loser like Roger Goodell. He is as bad as Donald Trump. When they are told no or that they are wrong, they filter that out and only hear what they want to hear.

Then there is Goodell's quest to take down the NFL. I don't understand why the commissioner of the most popular sport in the US is so hell bent on corrupting and corroding the product. The NFL is so popular and watched by millions, but Goodell's quest to suspend Brady and ignore the abuse, bullying, concussions and every other problem with the NFL is turning a lot of people sour on the NFL. Less and less parents are letting kids play football because they see a commissioner more concerned with suspending a guy that may or may not have had some footballs under inflated and doesn't care about the concussion and abuse problems in the league. Goodell is killing this league and until they fire that incompetent ass, the NFL will continue to suffer.

Scientists have also proven that "deflategate" is pretty much impossible. The balls would have deflated because of the drastic change in temperature and the air in Massachusetts that day. As I stated at the top, the only people that still care about this are the Colts, Ravens and, of course, Roger Goodell.

This story needs to die, but until those three, and mainly Goodell, continue to bring it up, it will, unfortunately, never go away. This is stupid, pointless and ridiculous. I HATE you Roger Goodell and I cannot wait for your dumbass to be fired. The NFL would be so much better off without you trying to ruin the game. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He once tried to underinflate some baseballs, but the only result was a bunch of broken basketball pump needles. Help Ty inflate his twitter following by following him @tykulik.

Better Late Than Never to Catch Up and Enjoy the Great "Orphan Black"

Dolly would have loved the show about other clones

My wife and I just recently got caught up on the television show "Orphan Black". The show is absolutely phenomenal. They do action, suspense, drama and even a little comedy to perfection. There is some of the best action sequences I've ever seen on TV on the show. Car chases, shootouts, fights, every action thing you could want, they deliver. The show is also very quiet in their suspense. That's how I like my suspense. Quiet moments that build and deliver. It's perfect. Even the few moments of comedy are gold. Every time they throw a joke in there, or even a whole scene based on comedy, it works.

Fans already know how good of a show "Orphan Black" is. It's currently airing it's fourth season on BBC America, they're only two episodes in, with the third coming this Thursday. But, my blog today will focus on how great of an actress and the many, many roles that Tatiana Maslany plays and portrays on "Orphan Black". Everyone on the show is wonderful, but Maslany does all the heavy lifting, and then some. She is a powerhouse, and she should be so much more well known than she actually is. In fact, I only knew her as the doctor that played Tom Haverford's girlfriend for a couple of episodes on "Parks and Rec" before I started watching "Orphan Black". She is incredible on the show.

So, as most of you know, if you watch the show, it's all about clones. There's a lot of science talk and romance talk and all the stuff I mentioned before, but the bare bones of the show deals with all these clones. And they are all played by Maslany. In the very first episode, we meet Sarah Manning. She is kind of a street punk that steals from people. She's basically a petty thief. Then, one night she sees a lady step in front of a train and take her own life. This is all shocking to her, but what is more shocking, after she takes her wallet, the lady who just committed suicide looks exactly like her. We go down a rabbit hole from here for the next three seasons. We meet so many other clones throughout the course of each season. There's Sarah Manning, the aforementioned petty thief and mom. Clones are not supposed to be able to bear children, but she did. She is an anomaly in the world this show has created. It's pretty cool that she is the "indestructible" one. She is also the most simple, but in a good way, looking one. She is what Maslany would be, if she were English, minus the stealing. Manning is my favorite clone. But, we also get a housewife in Canada named Alison. She is bored and tired and fed up with her husband and suburban lifestyle, until she finds out that she is a clone. She also looks like a housewife. She has very sharp bangs and dresses like a mom. Lots of sweaters and pleated pants. But, Alison also has a drinking problem and she is a pill dealer. Alison comes on strong at first, but you grow to really like her in the middle of season two. Alison is my wife's favorite. Then there's the dread head, glasses wearing scientist, Cosima. She is the most down to Earth one. She is cool and hip and very well read and incredibly smart. She helps all her "sisters" understand what is going on and why they are clones. She is also very sick and needs to find help anyway possible. Cosima is the clone that I would hang out with and want to be friends with. She is very, very cool. And then there's Helena. She is the Russian bad ass of the crew. She is a stone cold murderer, but she might be the most sympathetic character of all the clones. She had a miserable childhood. She has brutally murdered hundreds of people. Sarah, spoiler alert, tried to kill her in season one. She gets caught up in a weird religion that's a mix of Mormon and Catholic. She gets thrown in a war prison. I mean, Helena has it rough. But, she is a fighter and she fights for the ones she truly loves. She grows to love her "sestras" and she becomes a huge part of the show and a pretty big deal in seasons two and three. Helena has seen and been through some pretty gruesome things, but she is an excellent character. Sarah is my favorite, but Helena is the best clone, and it's not even close. There have been some other clones as well. There's the leader of DYAD, the science company that controls the clones, Rachel. She is pretty mean, but she also has to deal with some rough stuff. There's another German/Russian clone that gets shot when she and Sarah are trying to escape. There's a ditsy spa worker named Crystal they introduced in season three. And I'm sure there's many more to come.

Sarah, Cosima, Alison and Helena are the main ones, with a decent amount of Rachel thrown in there. And, they are all played by Maslany. I cannot imagine how tough that must be. She has to know different dialects. She has to walk and carry herself differently with each character. She has to give each clone their own persona. She has to memorize the most lines. She has to spend more time in make up than anyone else on the show. She has to spend the most time filming. And she is absolutely fantastic at doing all of this. She is just an absolute treasure and this show lets her showcase her incredible talent. It is no surprise that I enjoy strong female leads and "Orphan Black" is right up there with Furiosa in "Mad Max: Fury Road". Maslany, much like Theron, is the driving force and everything revolves around her. I love it. One of the best things about all the clones she plays, they all look similar, but they are all extremely different. That's a testament to how well Maslany does all of these roles.

I love "Orphan Black" and I love Maslany's acting on the show. Like I said before, everyone on the show is great, but they all pale in comparison to the absolute top notch work from Tatiana Maslany. It's a powerhouse role. Everyone should watch "Orphan Black" and be amazed at the great work Maslany and everyone involved does.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. His love of female action heroes started when his three older brothers forced him to watch Aliens on repeat for days. Follow Ty on twitter @tykulik.

Greatest American Band Debate: Any Band that Prince Was In Part I - The Revolution

SeedSing is filled with music lovers. We can not agree on who is the best band from the States. The Greatest American Band Debate will be a regular feature where we discuss and compare bands who started in the good old USA. If you have any suggestions of bands we should debate Contact us seedsing.rdk@gmail.com

Dig if you will Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, sitting alone playing the piano. He is working through the construction of his groundbreaking opera The Magic Flute. Later in the week he invites friends over to his home, and Mozart plays through the entirety of his masterpiece, just the man and his piano. The assembled guest would probably have been blown away. The master, his music, and his piano. Once the last key has been struck, Mozart would tell the guests that his music can only truly be appreciated with a variety of people playing various music instruments together. There needs to be a variety of vocals to complement the complex score. Mozart is a genius, but his genius can best be experienced with a band working in concert with the creator. Every great artist has become transcendent with their often forgotten bands who elevate the music to its true greatness.

The death of Prince has rekindled an intense interest in the artist's incredible music. With a catalog that starts in the late 1970's and ends late last year, Prince left a musically legacy that has very few peers. This legacy began in Minneapolis Minnesota when a very young Prince was gathering friends together to perform music that had never been heard in human history. The loose group of friends, later known as The Revolution, would play clubs in the twin cities creating what would be known as the Minneapolis Sound. Hit songs like  Controversy, 1999, and Little Red Corvette were not directly credited to the Revolution, yet the band members were instrumental in crafting these hits. It would be a few more years until the general public was fully aware of The Revolution.

In 1984 the film and album Purple Rain hit America. The music on Purple Rain is some of the most famous pop music to have ever been made. Songs like When Doves Cry, Lets Go Crazy, I Would Die for U, and Purple Rain have more than stood the test of time. The members of the Revolution not only contributed to the album, but they also played fictional versions of themselves in the film. Wendy Melvoin on guitar and vocals, Brown Mark on bass guitar and vocals, Lisa Coleman on keyboards, piano, and vocals, Matt "Doctor: Fink on keyboards and vocals, and Bobby Z. on drums - this was the most famous, and prolific, version of the Revolution. Coleman, Fink, Mark, and Z were with the band at the beginning, but the addition Wendy Melvoin catapulted the Revolution's sound.

After the success of Purple Rain, Prince would continue to expand the Revolution with members from other bands. Morris Day's band The Time and Sheila E's The Counter-Revolution would add members to the Revolution's line up. The albums Around the World in a Day and  Parade added more hits with songs like Raspberry Beret and Kiss. The band also released a live album in 1985 simply titled Prince and the Revolution: Live. 

Each new hit single also brought a new music video to the young, and still music video playing, MTV. The Revolution was becoming instantly recognizable outside of their iconic leader. Everyone started to know why Matt Fink was called Doctor Fink. Former band mate Dez Dickerson face and voice was instantly recognizable because of 1999. The many videos for the hits off of Purple Rain heavily featured the band with scenes from the movie. Prince, along with his band, had conquered everything music had to offer.

In 1986 Prince and the Revolution started to plan out and record the double LP Dream Factory. The band was having a lot of trouble getting along. Many members were frustrated with how big the Revolution was becoming due to all the new additions. Lisa Coleman and Wendy Melvoin quit due to not be able to get along with Prince. The duo has had an extremely successful career post Revolution. Brown Mark left after one of the bands tours and went on to become a producer. Bobby Z was replaced by Sheila E on drums and went on to release a solo album in 1989. Matt Fink stayed with the band until it's eventual dissolution 1991 and has gone on to make music for video games and work at K-Tel Records. The final Revolution album Dream Factory was never released. 

In the early to mid 1980's no body was making music as innovative and exciting as the Revolution. Many people to this day credit these hits solely to Prince. The artist that Prince was has no equal. His genius left an unmatched mark on music. Like Mozart that genius needed input, and talent, of others who were singularly talented. The Revolution could match Prince's genius and create incredible music. Dearly beloved. we are gathered together to celebrate The Revolution. When you listen to their contribution to Prince's genius, you will go crazy.

RD

RD Kulik is the Head Editor for SeedSing and the host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is nowhere near done with highlighting the greatness of Prince. Next up - The New Power Generation. Do you have a Prince band, or any other band, to praise? Come write for SeedSing. 

"Hell's Kitchen" is Still Trashy, and Still Awesome

I have seen this donkey make a better risotto than the "Hell's Kitchen" chefs

I watch a lot of cooking shows. I've blogged about some, Ina Garten's and "Top Chef" to name a few. But, my wife and I have recently been watching the trashiest, sleaziest and downright most hilarious cooking competition show I think has ever been created. We have been watching "Hell's Kitchen" on demand.

We have caught up on all our regular shows, so when we eat dinner we like to watch something light. We found "Hell's Kitchen" on Fox on demand, and we have fallen back in love with the show. We used to watch it when it was first on TV, maybe 7 or 8 years ago, but we didn't enjoy or understand the campiness of it back then. Now, we cannot get enough of the camp. Gordon Ramsey, who is a world renowned chef and restaurant owner has to be in on the joke that this show is. I love Gordon Ramsey. He is a very loud and boisterous guy, but even he has to know how ridiculous "Hell's Kitchen" truly is. I've ragged on "Top Chef" before, and I don't usually care for cooking competition shows, but at least most of the chefs on other shows are James Beard winners or nominees, or they have their own restaurants, or they're executive chefs, basically, they are well established.

What makes "Hell's Kitchen" so great is the contestants are competing to become a head chef at one of Ramsey's throw away restaurants in Las Vegas. They don't win money or a spread in a cooking magazine, they just get to go work long, tedious hours at a new, fancier restaurant than they worked at before, and it's in Las Vegas. That's so hilarious to me. What puts "Hell's Kitchen" over the top is the contestants. They are the most ignorant, grossest, shady, back stabbing, ugly in personality people that the executives at Fox could find. They are all line cooks for the most part. Now, I'm not denigrating line cooks, I tried it and I failed tremendously, but line cook is just one step above dishwasher in the restaurant industry. I know "Top Chef" is pompous and pretentious, but they wouldn't take a line cook if that was the last chef available. Hell, most cooking competition shows on the Food Network or the Cooking Channel would never take a line cook. They all want well established chefs that know what in the hell they are doing and chefs that can create new, exciting dishes.

That's another thing that I think is funny about "Hell's Kitchen", they still have the exact same menu as when my wife and I first watched it almost a decade ago. We turned it on the other night and I said, "I wonder if they are still making beef wellington", and wouldn't you know it, Chef Ramsey was yelling at someone for under cooking a beef wellington! I was cracking up! This caused my wife to say, "well, I bet they don't do snapper or risotto anymore, I'm sure they've gotten better fish and newer appetizers". Nope. The chefs are still under cooking risotto and burning the skin on snapper. The only thing they have really mixed up or done differently is the challenges. Sometimes, with the newer challenges, the chefs get to be a tad creative, but these chefs are so green, they never stray to far, and they end up doing something safe and easy.

The "chefs" are the absolute best. As I stated before, they are gross, both inside and out, but mainly on the inside. Even the "nice" people are total assholes. There is one nice guy, I think his name is Jarrad, and he just totally screwed over his only friend in the competition recently. The things these people say, on national television mind you, is appalling. They are constantly cursing each other out, constantly back stabbing one another, constantly blaming one another and never taking blame when they are clearly at fault. It's a whole show of people saying, "I did this because so and so was screwing up on something else, so I only messed up because this other person messed up. It's not my fault Chef Ramsey". A bunch of spineless competitors. The men on this show are the worst representation of meat heads that I've seen on TV. There was one guy in this particular season, his name is Frank, who always bad mouthed and talked down to any female competitor. He said, on way more than one occasion, "this is why you can't have women in the kitchen. They're terrible listeners and impossible to work with". I mean, how crazy and how sexist is that?! And Fox put in on the air! WTF! The women are not much better though, They talk behind each others backs. I've seen two girls get into a fist fight on the show. I've seen girls spit into another girls face. It's just all around gross, from both the men and the women.

This show is entertaining as hell. You know why it's entertaining? It's not the chefs and it's not the competition and it's not the back stabbing and double crossing, it's Chef Ramsey. He is so god damn good on the show. He knows that these chefs are the bottom of the barrel and he treats them that way. But, he also gives the winners of the challenges, and the whole thing, some very great gifts. Stuff I would love to have, he hands over with a smile. But, he also yells and berates and screams and calls people failures and tells them he's ready for them to quit at the drop of the hat. You under cook a wellington, Chef Ramsey will call you a donkey. You don't have his veggies ready in time, he calls you an imbecile. You burn his fish, he will curse you out. He has no patience for slacking chefs, yet he takes on a dozen of them each season of this show. I don't know that any winner of "Hell's Kitchen" has gone on to be a famous chef or restaurant owner. I haven't dug that deep. But, I know Chef Ramsey will keep doing this show because it's easy money for him.

I'm glad my wife and I rediscovered this ridiculous cooking show. It's fun to watch and make fun of and I don't have to take it seriously. Go watch "Hell's Kitchen" if you like trashy reality show, because it's one of the best.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He never heard of Beef Weelington until "Hell's Kitchen". Ty is not interested in food that fance people ate 100 years ago. Ty is on twitter, go follow him @tykulik.

Prince is Immortal

Prince dead at 57

I was doing some research for an article this afternoon and happened upon the Huffington Post. The top headline, with a breaking news alarm, was that musical legend Prince had died. I thought the story was fake. Immediately I went out to search for the truth. I found the truth, and then my heart sank.

I love Prince. He and I were both born in the Twin Cities of Minnesota. When the movie Purple Rain was released on VHS, my older brother and I rented it and watched it eight consecutive times. When I got a CD player, the Hits 1 and 2 were some of the first pieces of music I purchased from Columbia House. In college my friends and I held numerous viewings of Purple Rain followed by a party set to the music of Prince. One of the greatest concerts I have ever seen was Prince rocking for hours. The usually horrible Super Bowl halftime show was absolutely owned by Prince.  His music is always playing in my world. The song "Purple Rain" is the greatest song ever. Working out, anything from the Revolution Days is in my ears. Relaxing, I love the music he has released in the 21st century. Late night in bed, tunes from the New Power Generation and symbol years always gets me in the mood. I really, really love Prince.

Today Prince left us. When Elvis and John Lennon died, the baby boomers lost an icon. Today the greatest artist of Generation X was taken too soon. Prince may have been part of the baby boomer generation, but he belonged to Generation X. He did not look or act like the artist of our parents generation. He was a musical and performance genius. His look and sound were unlike anything else. Once he became famous, Prince railed against an old and corrupt music business. He was the voice of ownership for any artist who creates. Prince made an impact on the world by not being like everyone else before him. He was a creator, not a follower.

Most people mourning Prince keep talking about his hit music from the 1980's. That is because this was the music that made Generation X love music. Prince's lyrics moved an entire age group into puberty. His performances inspired awe and imagination. His persona gave us a living avatar of sexiness. Now Prince is gone.

As I personally reflected on how Prince influenced myself and all of Generation X, I started to realize how selfish I was acting. Prince's greatness is not just for me and my fellow generation, Prince is timeless. Justin Timberlake said that Prince is not once in a lifetime, he is a once in forever (I am paraphrasing). I read those words and came to the realization that Prince is not gone. Prince will live forever.

Any artist will have their work outlive them, but Prince as a person is still alive. His music will never know a time or generation. His performances will spark imagination until the end of time. His fight for artist ownership rights will assure us that new and innovative music will always be with us. Prince did not just leave us a catalog of incredible music, he assured us a legacy of creation. This legacy named Prince will outlive us.

The news of Prince's passing has made me incredibly sad. I will not get any new music from my favorite artist. I will not be able to watch live one of the greatest guitar players rock out for hours. Yet I am strangely happy. What Prince did with his 57 years, and incredible talent, is make sure that the next Prince has a chance. He made sure that the next genius can be defined on his or her own terms. Prince is forever.

RD

RD Kulik is the Head Editor for SeedSing and the host of the X Millennial Man Podcast

The Browns and Titans have Already made their Teams Better

The future looks bright in Cleveland and Nashville. Time to break out the shades.

The NFL draft starts next week. There has been a lot of movement in the two weeks prior to this years draft, a lot more than usual.

Last week the Titans traded the number one overall pick to the LA Rams (one more time I want to say SCREW YOU STAN KROENKE). They moved back in the first round and they also acquired a ton of other picks in this year and future drafts. I thought this was unusual, but the Rams just moved back to LA and they want to make a splash. It still doesn't make a lot of sense to me, and Tennessee got a much better deal out of it, but, sometimes weird stuff like this happens prior to the draft.

Then, just a couple of days ago, the Cleveland Browns traded the number two overall pick to the Eagles, again for a bunch of later and future draft picks. This really piqued my interest. Cleveland has been a gutter team ever since returning to the NFL in the early 90's. They have had about a million different players start at QB, and since they've blown every QB draft choice, they haven't really panned out so well with other position draft picks. Guys like Trent Richardson, Joe Thomas and Josh Gordon have not been that good since they entered the league. So, I assumed, like everyone else, they would stick with this pick and draft another QB. I know they signed Robert Griffin, but he simply cannot stay healthy. I also heard a lot about how there were three QB's in the upcoming draft that could be franchise players. So, Cleveland keeping the second pick just made sense to me.  Why would they trade this pick? Do they not like the QB's as much as other teams do? Do they think they can get someone later and have them sit behind Griffin for a couple of years? I have a million more questions, but these three will have to suffice for now.

Question one, why trade the pick? I think they like the idea of having multiple choices and not having to reach for a QB so early in the draft. This is actually a pretty smart idea by a front office that has seemed incompetent at times. Stockpile picks and draft players in the later rounds. Players picked in the later rounds seem to be more successful in the future than a lot of the first rounders. So, good, savvy move by the Browns.

Question two, do they not like the QB's available in round one as much as other teams do? I don't think its' just the QB's, I think this whole draft is pretty weak. This is actually, the main point of the blog today. After these two trades occurred, I did some of my own research about the draft because I think both Mel Kiper Jr and Todd McShay are morons. They're glorified, wannabe head coaches that have nothing but free time and they sit around and watch game film as if they are involved with an actual NFL franchise. Both of those guys are absolute jokes and they work for ESPN. It's a double whammy of idiocy. So, since I am just as qualified as both McShay and Kiper Jr, I looked into the draft class, and as I said before, it is not great. Sure, there's some good, quality guys that could be starters and even pro bowlers, but there is no franchise changing player out there. There's not one player that makes me think that they can turn one of the teams picking early in to immediate contenders. In fact, there hasn't been many transformative players since Cam Newton was picked first overall four years ago. But this draft class, oof, it's mediocre.

The QB's that every "expert" are high on, I don't see all that much from. Jared Goff is tall and has a good arm, but he's skinny, played in an offense that allowed him to throw a lot and he was still average and he did not lead Cal to more than 8 victories while he was there. He's about as good as Jay Cutler. Carson Wentz, the hottest name in the draft right now, played 1-AA college football, so he wasn't playing the toughest competition and he is a bit undersized. He did win a bunch in college, but so did Joe Flacco. Yeah, Flacco was the QB of a Super Bowl winning team, but that team won with defense, not because of Flacco. Wentz's name and stock will never be higher, but I'm not as impressed as others seem to be. The other notable first round QB is Paxton Lynch. Yeah, he started really strong and yeah, Memphis beat Ole Miss early in the year, but when that team needed him to lead the most, they folded. I would not draft him until the third or fourth round.

It's not just the QB's that don't impress me, it's most of the class. There's Ezekiel Elliot, who was great in college, but so was Melvin Gordon and he looked not so great his rookie year. I think Elliot is a lot like Gordon. It will be tough sledding for the first few years. On the defensive side of the ball, there's guys like Jalen Ramsey, Joey Bosa, Myles Jack, Vernan Hargreaves and Shaq Lawson. None of these guys really jump out as stars to me. Jalen Ramsey is big and fast, but he also gets beat deep sometimes. Bosa is tough to block, but he'd rather get high that work on his game. Myles Jack was injured all of last year and he kind of comes off as a spoiled brat. Hargreaves was torched by Michigan and Jake Rudock in the Citrus Bowl. That should scare a lot of teams away. Shaq Lawson is fast, but he is very undersized. None of these guys project as a Charles Woodson or a Bruce Smith. They all seem more like situational type players that will look good at times, but will also look mediocre most times. Even the offensive line players, usually the easiest ones to predict future success, look suspect with one exception. That exception is Laremy Tunsil. He is going to be a very, very good offensive lineman in the NFL. He has the size, strength, footwork and ability to put it all together. Everyone else in this draft is very ho hum to me. I don't see any great players, except for Tunsil. This is the biggest reason I think the Browns and Titans traded out of the top two spots. There's no pressure from the fan base to take a QB that early. The Titans already have a good, young QB in Marcus Mariota and the Browns, they have time to put a team together. Robert Griffin is not going to turn that team around.

Which brings us to my third question for the Browns, are they willing to draft a QB in the later rounds and let him sit behind Griffin for a couple of years? Absolutely. They have nothing but time. They can wait because that team is a total pile of garbage. The fans have no expectations for this team to be any good for awhile now. They can take someone and stash him on the bench and let him learn the system. They got rid of Johnny Manziel, who is a locker room cancer and just an all around garbage person, so the young QB they draft will not have to listen to his whining and complaining. And the Titans, they can draft a ton of other weapons with all the picks they stockpiled to help out Mariota in a year or two.

I can't believe I'm going to say this, but the Titans and the Browns front offices both did a very good job, getting these deals done. The Eagles and the Rams on the other hand, they made very poor choices. I'm sure the Rams will take Goff and I'm sure they'll go 6-10 or 7-9 like they do every year and their offense will be inept. Poor Todd Gurley. He has to deal with this shotty offense. He is the only real playmaker and Goff will not make any team fear the pass. Everyone will load the box against the Rams. And I'm sure the Eagles will take Wentz, which will piss off Sam Bradford, but the inevitable moment he gets injured, Wentz will be thrown into the fire. That's not how you want to bring a young QB along in the NFL. This draft is crummy and I don't get all the hype surrounding the QB's and the two big trades.

On a more serious not, I just want to say Rest In Peace to Prince. I heard the news that he died at the age of 57 today. I don't know too much about Prince, other than the fact that he is an exceptional guitar player and that he has written some of the best pop songs of all time. He voice just wasn't for me. But, I know our head editor, RD, is a huge fan of his and I know he will put together a much better, much more touching piece than I could ever write for you guys. You will be missed Prince and the cool people in the world need to quit dying.

Also, Rest In Peace to Pearl Washington. Many of you may not know who he was, but he is one of the all time great college basketball players. He played for Syracuse during the time when the Big East was the best and most competitive conference in the sport and Pearl Washington was the best player. He combined street ball with college ball and shined. He was an all time great. We lost two great people this week and that stinks. Rest In Peace Pearl Washington and Prince. You both will be missed by a lot of people.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Follow him on twitter @tykulik.

Tom Thibodeau Took the Wrong Head Coaching Job

The sign Tom Thibodeau should have heeded in Minneapolis 

The Minnesota Timberwolves announced earlier today that they are finalizing a deal to hire Tom Thibodeau as the coach and the president of basketball operations. Now, I think Thibodeau is a good, possibly even a great head coach, but I don't like him taking over this team and I don't like that they made him the president. Sure, it seems nice on paper, and I'm sure Timberwolves fans will be jumping for joy, but he puts players to work. He grinds every last ounce he can get out of his players, but with a roster this young, I don't know how that will work.

Thibodeau achieved pretty good success with the Bulls, even taking them to a conference finals once, but those teams, by that time of year, were spent. Thibs worked them, maybe, a bit too hard. These guys are pro athletes and they should be used to a heavy workload, but Thibs can push a bit too far. Derrick Rose was great when the Bulls hired Thibs. He won an MVP one year, but his body has completely broken down on him. I'm not saying that it's all Thibodeau's fault, but if he let him rest a bit more and gave him a few off days, maybe he wouldn't be as frail as he is now. Joakim Noah was a beast defensively and on the boards during Thibodeau's first year. He was even being mentioned as a possible MVP candidate himself, but his body has worn down too. He barely played last year or this year. Jimmy Butler is a star in the making, but Thibs never let him run the show, and he too has started to get injured. All of this simply cannot be a coincidence. Yes, the Bulls letting him go was one of the dumber decisions last offseason, I mean look at how bad they played this year, but Thibodeau seems like a coach that will wear out his welcome in three or four years. The Bulls also had a roster of veterans when Thibodeau came in. They knew what it took to be NBA players. They knew the dedication and work it took when he was hired.

This Minnesota team is very talented, but they are also very, very young. Rick Rubio is considered the veteran and he is in his mid twenties. The players on this team, guys like Andrew Wiggins, Karl Anthony-Towns and Zach Lavine, among others, look like they may have what it takes to succeed, but I worry about the amount of pressure that Thibodeau will put on them. Don't get it twisted, I don't want these players to be treated with kid gloves, but they also shouldn't be treated like freshman on a JV or varsity team in high school. Coaches make so much less than players in the pros, so if Thibodeau comes in and punishes some of these young guys, they can walk after their contract is up. That would be a disaster for Minnesota. I really, really like this Timberwolves team. As I already said, they are loaded with young talent. Wiggins looks to be a perennial all star. Towns can be the next Anthony Davis. Lavine can sky out of the gym and Rubio is very crafty with the ball. But, what if Thibodeau rears his ugly head and over works these guys? That would be dreadful.

In today's NBA, guys leave when they don't like their current situation or they get a coach fired. That's what happened to Thibodeau when Chicago let him go. That's what happened to David Blatt when the Cavs fired him. That's what happened to Scott Brooks in OKC. It happens all the time now. Chicago grew tired of a very stressful workload. LeBron didn't want Blatt to be the coach anymore. Scott Brooks couldn't utilize two of the five best players in the NBA properly. Coaches today get let go for miniscule details.

Another question, why would Thibodeau want this particular job? He clearly had choices. He was the hottest commodity in the coaching market by far. He could have went anywhere with a vacant head coaching job that he wanted. Hell, I bet some teams with a head coach would have fired their current coach and taken him. I'm looking at you Memphis. But, he has chosen the Timberwolves. That is puzzling to me. Thibodeau seems like the type that wants to win right away. That's how it was when he took the Chicago job and that's how it was when he was an assistant on Doc Rivers staff in Boston. Those teams where built to compete and win right away. This Timberwolves team though, they seem content to be mediocre for the next couple of years and then try to make a free agency splash. I don't think that will work for Thibodeau's demeanor. Like I said, I love watching this team, but they are not ready to compete for anything, especially in the West, for at least two years. How is that going to make Thibodeau feel? What is he going to be thinking when he is in year three of his five year deal and the Timberwolves are at home during the playoffs for the 13 or 14th straight year? He seems like the kind of guy where something like that would drive him insane. It just doesn't make sense to me at all.

I feel like there were two better options for Thibodeau to take over as head coach. I already mentioned one, and that's Memphis. They are staggering right now. Yes, they have lost a ton of players to injury and yes, they look absolutely dreadful in the playoffs right now, but their roster, when fully healthy, is pretty good. They also have the look and feel of a Thibs team. I know they have a coach, Dave Joeger, but they are looking for any reason to get rid of him. Had they had a shot at Thibodeau, I bet they would have taken it. The roster is good, as I said above, too. They have Mike Conley Jr, who is a free agent, but hiring Thibodeau would keep him in Memphis I bet, and he is a good, gritty point guard. They have Marc Gasol, who is a younger, better version of his brother, whom Thibodeau coached for one year in Chicago. They have some decent vets that play gritty defense and get good shots at the wing. Guys like Matt Barnes and Tony Allen, who Thibodeau coached while at Boston. The Memphis roster just seems like a Thibodeau roster and I think, had they tried, they could have hired him.

The one team with a head coaching vacancy that would be perfect for Thibodeau is the Washington Wizards. This is clearly a veteran laden team in need of a defensive minded coach. Two years ago they were on their way to a conference finals until John Wall broke his hand. This year, they forgot how to play defense and where terribly coached and stunk it up. Tom Thibodeau could have done wonders with the Wizards. They have all the pieces, they just need a good, hard nosed coach. That's Tom Thibodeau. He could have done for John Wall what he did for Derrick Rose. He could have turned Bradley Beal into a poor man's Jimmy Butler. His bigs, Marcin Gortat and Nene, I feel like they would thrive with a coach like him. Otto Porter Jr is already better than Mike Dunleavy Jr. And, all these guys are multi year vets. They wouldn't mind being whipped into shape by a tougher coach. The Wizards made the most sense to me of any team. But, he has apparently chosen a reclamation project in the West. I think it will be very tough sledding for him, and I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't last his entire reported contract.

I know a lot of basketball people will disagree with me, but I think, both Thibodeau and the Timberwolves, have made a not so good decision. Hopefully they prove me wrong because I like Thibodeau and I love this Timberwolves team, but I don't think that will happen.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is thinking all about coaches while the useless first round of the NBA playoffs commence. That is the type of guy he is. It is your destiny to follow Ty on twitter @tykulik.

Luke Walton Needs to Stay Far, Far Away from the Knicks

If you approach the Knicks, you will get burned

It has come up in sports news lately that the New York Knicks are going to try to hire Golden State assistant coach Luke Walton as their new head coach. I've actually heard that it's down to Walton and Kurt Rambis.

First off, Kurt Rambis should never, ever, ever be a head coach in the NBA. He's shown, with the multiple chances he's had, that he is not a competent head coach. He makes one baffling decision after another. He's incompetent. He was a good player, but he is a terrible coach. Luke Walton proved that he can take an already established, great roster of players and win a ton of games. It happened at the beginning of this season when Steve Kerr had such bad back problems he couldn't coach the team. They gave that duty over to Walton and he shined. Sure, he looked good, even great at times as the "head coach", but I think I could do pretty well with guys like Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and on and on. That roster is absolutely loaded. It wouldn't be that tough to take the plays and pointers that Kerr already has in place and tell the players to continue to do that. It worked so well last year that they won a title. So yeah, the Warriors won their first 27 games and started out incredibly hot with Walton as the head coach, but I think any of those assistants would have been equally as successful.

Now, that's not to say that Walton won't be a good head coach in the future, but I don't think the Knicks is where he should get his feet wet. That team is a dumpster fire being run by an incompetent front office and a GM, Phil Jackson, that clearly doesn't want to be there. They also have a pretty bare cupboard when it comes to future draft picks and young players on their roster. Yeah, Porzingis looks to be pretty good, and I am a fan, but who do they have, that's young and ready to compete and keep that team stable for the next couple of years? They do have Robin Lopez, but big men break down quick in the NBA. Just look at Roy Hibbert. Jerian Grant is young and an explosive athlete, but he is wildly inconsistent. Other than those guys, the roster is old and ready to break down and filled with mid level role players at best. Guys like Tony Wroten, Jose Calderon, Aaron Affalo, Derrick Williams, Sasha Vujacic, Kyle O'Quinn and Langston Galloway are not near the players, nor will they ever be, the caliber of the role players on the Warriors bench.

There is one huge problem with the Knicks roster. The star player is a 31 year old, broken down ball hog that's more interested in his brand that winning titles, Carmelo Anthony. I loved Anthony when he was playing in Denver. He was a great scorer, a competent defender and a decent teammate, for the most part. But, since joining the Knicks, he seems to only want to gripe about the team, the coaches and the surrounding players. He openly opines to play with stars. He had that chance this offseason when he could have signed with the Bulls, but he chose the money and resigned a max deal with the Knicks. His contract is almost as bad as the one Kobe Bryant signed two years ago with the Lakers. Now, Anthony just complains and misses way too many games to injury. His prime is most likely over.

So, I ask, why would Walton want to start his head coaching career with the Knicks? Sure, it's a humongous market, I think LA is the only other city that rivals New York, but that means expectations are through the roof, no matter how poorly constructed the team is. The roster leaves so much to be desired. And even if he is given three years, that team is still five or six years away, even in the East, from being a legit playoff contender. I just don't think it would be a good fit for Walton. He does know the triangle from his days of playing for Phil Jackson in LA, but the roster in LA back then was so much better than this Knicks roster. The current roster has proven the past two years that they cannot properly run the triangle. It doesn't work for this team. The triangle is also a pretty ancient offense in the new NBA. Everybody wants to run and gun, but the triangle is built on slowing the game down and using your big men. I like the triangle, but it's not good for the current state of the NBA. It's too complicated and too slow. It also kind of stinks that their only decent young player is still getting his feet wet and did hit the rookie wall near the end of the season. Porzingis is good, but he still has a ways to go before he is a multi all star. I keep saying it, but the roster is not good and I think it would be a bad decision by Walton to take the job.

I also don't think that he will take the Knicks job. I think he will stick around Golden State a couple more years and wait for the perfect opportunity and good enough roster, much like Steve Kerr did. Kerr could have taken the Knicks job two years ago, but he weighed all of his options, realized that the Knicks job and team was a dumpster fire and told his former coach thanks but no thanks and took the Warriors job. The Warriors were a better team that played great defense. They just needed an offensive minded coach, and that's Kerr's forte. Mark Jackson did a very good job turning that team around, but he couldn't get them over the hump on offense. Kerr came in, realized how great Curry was, and gave him the greenlight and Curry's star was born. He won the title last year with the Warriors, as I said earlier, if you forgot. Had he taken the Knicks job, he would have been lucky to be a .500 team and the Warriors may not have turned into the juggernaut that they are now. But, Kerr waited and picked properly. He didn't just take an open job in a big market, he went somewhere he knew he could win and win now.

I hope Walton does the same thing and, as I said before, I think he will. If he takes the Knicks job, he will be looking for a new job in 3 years. But, if he waits and finds the right team, maybe the Pelicans or the Timberwolves or the Bulls in a couple of years, when the younger players get older and better and those teams bring in good free agents, he can take one of those jobs. That's what his mentor Kerr did and I think that's what Walton should and will do.

Don't take the Knicks job Luke Walton, you will be miserable. As the old saying goes, "good things come to those who wait".

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is available, and willing, to coach the Knicks if they run out of options. The best way to find Ty is to follow him on twitter @tykulik.

You and Your Kids Should watch "Wally Kazaam"

No invaders, no dragons, no trolls. No I'm serious, those things terrify me

I've noticed recently that my blog I did on the children's show "PJ Masks" has been getting read a lot and there has even been some comments. There's one good one, but for the most part, people seem to think that I don't have an imagination. While that may be true when it comes to "PJ Masks", I mean, why are there no parents involved anywhere, It's insane, but, I do like a couple of shows that my four year old watches. I loved "Yo Gabba Gabba". I thought that show was super weird and really cool. I loved the lessons it taught and I thoroughly enjoyed all the musicians and bands that would make guest appearances. I also like older kids shows like "Sesame Street". Basically, I like shows that teach children some kind of practical skill that they will need when they start school. All "PJ Masks" teaches is to not go against your friends wishes. It's a veiled, and very poor attempt at lesson learning if you ask me. That show is lazy.

There is one children's show that I want to point out, that my four year old still watches and loves, that I too love, "Wally Kazaam". "Wally Kazaam" has about one thousand times more imagination than any episode of "PJ Masks", and they teach your children how to sound out letters and, eventually, how to spell. From watching "Wally Kazaam", my son knows the sound to every letter in the alphabet and he is even in the very early stages of spelling. He can spell his name, and with a little help, he can spell easy words like cat and dog. Some of that has come from my wife and I helping him and some has come from school, but a lot of it has come from "Wally Kazaam". My son gets amped when he hears the theme song for the show, and I do to. I know that both him and I are going to enjoy ourselves for the next 25 minutes, much more so than an episode of "PJ Masks". Where my son likes the colors and the animation and the goofy way the characters talk, I enjoy the joke writing and the story telling on the show.

First of all, we know we are in a fantasy world the moment the show opens on a troll finding a magical stick that helps him spell. "Wally Kazaam" doesn't try to hide that it's a possible real world situation, the kids are supposed to be real kids on "PJ Masks", they are openly letting you know that this is a cartoon. The main character is Wally Trollman, the troll with the magic stick that helps them spell and get out of sticky situations. But, we also get some great tertiary characters. Characters like Norvel, Wally's pet dinosaur. There's also Gina Giant, Wally's friend that is literally a giant, and she is the nicest person in the fake universe they've created. There's Ogre Doug, a big, but very friendly ogre that helps out the crew. There's a little singing fairy named Libby Lightsprite that is adorable. There's Stan, the old swamp creature that dislikes anything that's clean. He will only take mud baths to give you some perspective.

There are a lot of great characters on "Wally Kazaam, but the best character not named Wally is the wonderful Bob Goblin. Bob Goblin is the troublemaker, but he is also a good guy. He will get the crew in trouble, or try to get things from them, but in the end, he just wants to be part of the group, and like the good trolls and ogres and fairies and giants that they are, they always find a place for Bob Goblin. Bob Goblin is also always the best character in the episodes that feature him. There's been one when he wants to be in a rock band, but Libby Lightsprite loses her singing voice, due to something Bob goblin did, so they have to go through all these loopholes that Bob Goblin has setup, to get her voice back. They get through everything, with the help of Bob Goblin, and at the end of the episode, Bob Goblin gets a great drum solo. I love it. My favorite Bob Goblin episode is when he takes over the castle that Wally made out of magic for Norvel. He kind of walks in, plays with everything, then claims the castle as his own. It's so funny and so well animated and so well written. The episode centers around sharing and the way they talk about it, it's magnificent. The lessons learned and the spelling that goes along with the episode is great. But, the highlight is the song that Bob Goblin and Wally sing about the castle. It's so catchy, so imaginative and so well sung by the voice actors. To this day, I still walk around the house singing the song. My wife does too. So does my son. We all adore the song. I believe it's called "My Friend the King", and it's supposed to be about Norvel, but Bob Goblin turns it into his song. Wally sings about building the castle, loading it with pillows and toys for Norvel and letting Norvel stay there. But, after Bob Goblin takes over, he turns every chorus into his song. Wally will sing, then Bob Goblin will come in with the best line in a children's song, "no invaders, no dragons, no trolls". He doesn't want Gina Giant, the invader, Norvel, the dragon and Wally, the troll to get in. The end of the song even has Bob Goblin saying "and no cakes", because Wally thought he could trick him by giving him sweets, but Bob Goblin does not fall for it. As with most kids shows, they resolve the conflict and everyone gets to play and live in the castle.

Basically, "Wally Kazaam" is, by far, the best, most innovative and most imaginative children's show since "Yo Gabba Gabba". It's also the best written. It's so much better than "Paw Patrol", "Blaze and the Monster Machines" and, of course, "PJ Masks". So no, I'm not some curmudgeon with no sense of imagination or whimsy or wonder, I have all of that ten fold. I just prefer kids shows that don't talk down to the adults watching with their children and "Wally Kazaam" does not do that. The creators and writers of that show speak to both children and adults alike. I will take "Wally Kazaam" any day before I watch another episode of "PJ Masks".

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Does Ty lack imagination, you ask? Find out for yourself by following him on twitter @tykulik.

The Days After: I Give Up

In the beginning I had a plan to look at every single Presidential primary / caucus result and try to use my education and work experience to give the good people out there on the internet my own personal views of what the results meant. Things were going well for a while, and then the mid-March primaries made me lose interest in the whole process. Why? Because it is an incredibly undemocratic, hateful, and pointless exercise. So today I decided that the primaries do not deserve any more of my attention, because they do not respect the will of the people. Recapping the days after countless show elections, I give up. 

Elections are incredibly important. When people do not show up to vote, the results can be disastrous. No matter how toxic the process has become, we must get out and vote. Your town council decides how safe, clean, and valuable your neighborhood is. Many neighborhoods do not even offer recycling because their local officials would rather not deal with the expense and hassle of trying to clean up the planet. Your school board is directly responsible for determining how your children, and all of their friends, will be educated. Science teachers around the country are being forced to give lip service to non-science because of uninformed religious zealots being elected to the school board. Most of our judges are elected and not appointed. These judges are being swayed by private interest to send more people to jail. These jails are constantly being sold off to private companies because the governors we elect need to plug gaps in their respective state budgets. Access to good healthcare is being dictated by members of your state legislature. Most of these state lawmakers have more extreme views than anyone we see on the Sunday morning political shows. What I am saying is that elections are extremely important. You should always get out and vote.

The highest voter turnout is always during the US Presidential election. I have personally never thought the election of the President of the United States is that big of a deal. My ambivalence to the Presidency is probably directly related to the men who have held the office in my lifetime. Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George Bush I, Bill Clinton, George Bush II, and Barack Obama - that is a pretty mediocre run of Presidents. Ford pardoned Nixon and told America that the President is above the law. Carter was listless and allowed his opposition to weaken his Presidency, Reagan destroyed the economy, bankrupted social security, ignored the AIDS crisis, and represented only the rich and religious interests in the country. Bush I started the destabilization of the Middle East. Clinton embraced republican economic ideals and weakened the social safety net for our most vulnerable citizens. Bush II was one of the top five worst presidents in US history represented by his disastrous foreign and economic policy decisions. Obama has been filled with empty promises and policies that only go half way in addressing our true problems. This run of Presidents is comparable to the weak, ineffectual, and political hacks that occupied the White House during Reconstruction (without looking it up on the internet, try and name three Presidents in order between Abraham Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt, not a memorable group). Why should I care about who is the President, when ever single man who has been in office the last forty years has been there to represent a very small group of rich political donors. Every four years I vote for the President, and it is the least important vote I cast.

The 2016 election has already been one for the history books. We may have the first woman to sit on top of the ticket for one of the two major political parties (we will). The first candidate of Hispanic descent could be the nominee for the Republican party. The first Jewish presidential nominee. The first brokered convention in generations. There is a lot of history being made, too bad the people making the history are uninspiring and self serving. The modern media, and the two major political parties, have given the American people the most deplorable slate of Presidential candidates.

The Republican Party has little to no chance to ever win another national election with the current state of their party. Decades after Richard Nixon's southern strategy, the Republican Party has enhanced their platform of fear and hatred. Anytime there is a push to suppress voter turnout, it is the Republicans. Any effort to redraw congressional district lines into a gerrymandered atrocity, it is always the republicans. Blame the poor or a minority group for all of America's problems, you better believe the Republican Party is creating the talking points. The modern Republican Party has been built to not grow voters, and to make sure that voting is as undemocratic as possible. The nation has taken notice of how unamerican the Republican Party has been when it comes to elections.

The three remaining Republican Presidential candidates perfectly represent a party of feudal lords. Ohio Governor John Kasich, the moderate according to the national press, embraces all the bad ideas of the GOP. Under his leadership Ohio has added a lot of low paying jobs, and lost a whole lot of jobs with good pay and benefits. The religious right, with the help of Kasich, has put Ohio near the bottom of the country when it comes to women's health. The public education system is being gutted by "moderate" Kasich so his charter school donors can get rich off of the taxpayers. Bad businessman Donald Trump is filled with hate and has no meaningful ideas to actually make America great again. His campaign has been an embarrassment to the entire country. The press keeps egging Trump on because they care about money and have killed the concept of journalism. Texas Senator Ted Cruz is a crazy person, surrounded by crazy people, and has some very antiquated crazy ideas. People like Glenn Beck paint Cruz as some kind of religious savior, and Cruz plays the part. The Texas Senator is so ineffectual and unpopular that a large majority of his own colleagues refuse to endorse Cruz for the Republican nomination. All three of these bozos can not win a national election, no matter how bad the Democratic nominee is.

Speaking of how bad the Democratic nominee will be, Senator Sanders and former Secretary of State Clinton have their own laundry basket full of issues. Bernie Sanders has captured a lot of the millennial imagination, but that really doesn't matter when half of the millennials will not even vote in the election. What really bothers me about Sanders is that the Vermont Senator is not even a member of the Democratic Party. It seems to me that Sanders is using the infrastructure of the Democratic Party for his own personal gain. With Hillary Clinton, the Democratic National Committee has thrown all of their resources behind a candidate who has economic values equal to those in the Republican Party. Under a President Clinton, Wall Street will continue to run unregulated. When the big banks sink the economy again, Hillary Clinton will make sure that US taxpayers bail out the 1% again. It continues to trouble me that scandal and bad PR follows the Clinton's everywhere they go. Benghazi may be a show trial, but it never ends. Hillary's hubris keeps it around. Former President Bill Clinton whitesplaining his administrations horrible record on race and crime, that is another unfortunate event that seems to keep happening.  A Hillary Clinton Presidency would be a whole lot of the same we have seen the last 25 years. Endless war in the Middle East, Wall Street giveaways, and weakening of the social safety net. That sure looks like Democratic Party values.

In my eyes we have five self absorbed, power hungry rich people fighting with each other to win the pageant called the US Presidency. Like a beauty pageant, the US election is not be decided by the American people, it is being decided by a select group of judges. On the Democratic Party side we have the super delegates. Hillary Clinton only needs to win a few states, not even half, and the super delegates will giver her the Democratic Party nomination over Bernie Sanders. In Wyoming, Senator Sanders won over 50% of the popular vote and still only took under 40% of the states delegates. DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz has altered the rules constantly to only favor Clinton. The Democratic Party does not care at all about the voice of the people, they only care about the rich and connected. 

Somehow the Republican Party is a bigger undemocratic mess than the Democrats. Donald Trump is a horrible choice for President, but so is the rest of the field. RNC chairman Reince Priebus and the Tea Party created this fractured hateful Republican Party to win local races, and now their hate is on full display for the nation. By making your base feel like they are always under attack from terrorists, minorities, the poor, social justice warriors, children, martians, whoever, then your base will flock to biggest strongman. Kasich is not filled with enough pure hate, Cruz is a creepy fellow with very few friends, someone had to lead the angry white man. Trump is a master of marketing, and he knew that his hate filled rhetoric would inspire the very vocal persons who believe in white christian male victimhood. These people demand someone pay for their insecurities, Donald Trump has promised them restitution. No wonder they are so upset that the RNC has tried to remove Donald Trump from the Republican field. The Republican Party has been advocating Trumps positions on immigration and women's health for decades, they just soften the hate with terms like conservative principles. The base has rejected these code words and wants action. Trump promises action, and the establishment is now trying to silence the voice of the people. Trump is the reflection in the mirror of the modern Republican Party, and the party does not like what they see.

The candidates all stink. None of them care about actually fixing anything. Sanders may want to deregulate the big banks, but he still believes guns deserve more protection than people. Clinton could break the gender barrier, but she will bend over backwards to protect the richest Americans. Kasich may not seem crazy, but embraces all the same backward ideas of his colleagues. Trump may be a true outsider, but he wants to make sure we are a country of hate and fear. Cruz is, well there really is not anything nice I can say about Ted Cruz. His children are adorable, there I said something nice. The brokered Republican Convention may bring a new, or old, face to the race. It doesn't matter, the next President will be another in a long line of political hacks who care very little for the problems facing our nation.

So I give up. The Republican and Democratic Parties refuse to let the people have a say. The fact that we keep talking about super delegates and brokered conventions means that the primary elections of 2016 mean nothing to the political party elites. The election of our next President does not need the will of the people. Why should I care what the RNC and DNC think, they do not care about me. No more primary updates, it has been over a month since the last one. I have nothing more to say on a process that deserves no more words. We will continue to talk politics here at SeedSing. Our goal is to give the non wealthy and connected a voice. I am not going to waste time on the primary dog and pony show. I give up. We will talk about this electoral mess when the mud clears, or when the mud consumes us all. 

Please do not forget to vote. Our voices will only gain meaning, and the political parties will lose their power, if we ALL vote in EVERY election. Get out and vote.

RD Kulik

RD  is the Head editor at SeedSing and the host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He may think the US President is pointless, but every other race needs your attention. Donate to the National Campaign Training Committee today and support your local candidates.

Cloves and Fedoras: Har Mar Superstar's "Best Summer Ever" Belongs on Your Playlist

Cloves and Fedoras is Seed Sings reviews for little known pieces of pop culture.  Feel free to contact us with your own submissions of undiscovered gems that must be known.

Today an album came out that I have been waiting for over a year now. Har Mar Superstar released his newest album this morning, "Best Summer Ever", and it is weird and great and different and awesome and like nothing and everything of his that I own.

I own all his albums as Har Mar. He's gone by other names and been in different bands, Calvin Crime is probably the best known, but for me, I love his Har Mar persona the best. The music he makes as Har Mar is, by far, my favorite. His early stuff was more poppy, but he put his slant on it. It was goofy, but catchy as hell. He has some great, funny early records. Songs like "Even Gangsters Want To Cuddle Me", "DUI" and "EZ Pass" are wonderfully delightful pop songs. They're upbeat, catchy, funny and Har Mar has a very good voice for pop music. Even his cover of "Alone Again, Naturally", on one of his first albums, is great. He does a very good service to the song.

Then, a little over a year ago, he released one of the best records I had ever heard, "Bye Bye 17". That album is absolutely phenomenal. Every song on it is great. That was the album that introduced me to Har Mar. I first knew of him through his old podcast, "Nocturnal Emotions", and through that was how I found out he was a singer, songwriter and musician. I should have known because the theme song for the podcast was awesome and it was him singing it. Then, during an ad read on his podcast, he mentioned he had a new album coming out, that was "Bye Bye 17", and he would play a snippet of the single, "Lady, You Shot Me". That song is a classic throwback R&B song, and Har Mar nailed it. The rest of that album is much of the same. It's very old school R&B sung by a chubby, balding white dude that looks like Ron Jeremy, and it is so awesome. He portrayed himself as a sex symbol, and me being a bit overweight and chunky, I loved his confidence. Even my wife, who when I showed her his picture was dumbfounded, said she likes the confidence with which he carries himself and she too loves his voice. "Bye Bye 17" was a revelation and it opened the door to me to get all his old records.

As I stated, the early stuff is poppy and "Bye Bye17" is R&B, so I was on pins and needles when I found out he was recording a new record. I didn't know what to expect. So, when I woke up this morning, the first thing I did, after feeding my children, was buy "Best Summer Ever". As I sat down to breakfast I turned the album on. When myself and my kids are eating breakfast, we tend to listen to music in the morning as opposed to watching TV or just sitting in silence. My 4 year old loves to have dance parties in the morning and my 6 month old likes the sound of music, it calms her body. So, I decided we would listen to Har Mar's new record. I put it on and was immediately intrigued by how different it sounded from any of his old records. The opening track, "I Hope", is a short, new wave rock song. It sounded like something Duran Duran or The Cars would have released during the beginning of the new wave phenomenon. I was shook at how good and how weird it sounded. Har Mar's voice was deeper and different from before. It almost seems like he is taking music seriously, not that he didn't before, but this album is devoid of funny lyrics, it's a straight up new wave album, and I love it. After "I Hope", there was one great song after another. I particularly enjoy songs like "Anybody's Game", "Haircut" and "It Was Only Dancing(Sex)". They all have that new wave sound. You know what I'm talking about. There's a synthesizer, muffled, reverberated vocals and gruff guitars. The band sounds so tight on this album and these three songs really show it. To hear Har Mar sing with different vocal stylings is so awesome. He nailed the pop and R&B, and now he nails the new wave sound. His voice is so great on this whole record. He does do some R&B type songs on this record. The one that instantly comes to mind is the albums closer, "Confidence". It's actually a mix of new wave, R&B and 50's style love song. It's so good. He also does a one minute long acoustic tune that's dynamite called "My Radiator". It's a totally different change of pace from the rest of the album, but it totally works. He even has a punkish song called "Famous Last Words" on this album. He plays power chords and yell sings the lyrics, and much like the rest of the album, the song is wonderful.

Obviously, I really, really enjoy this album. It's so different from what I'm used to, but that is a sign of an artist growing and experimenting, and we all know that I like when the bands and musicians I listen to try new stuff. Going back to the dance parties my four year old likes to have for a minute. He got up from his seat at the breakfast table this morning and told me he needed to dance because "this music is really neat". That's a great endorsement if you ask me.

Har Mar did it once again. He made yet another great album. I don't understand why he isn't more well known, but hey, I'll gladly continue to pay 12 bucks to see him in smaller clubs. That's how I like my live music and that's exactly what I will be doing in less than a month now when he comes to play the Firebird here in Saint Louis. I cannot wait to see him play these new songs live.

If you're a fan of Har Mar's, buy "Best Summer Ever" because its' great and it shows growth. It's a really good album and hopefully it will start to get him the recognition he deserves. I highly recommend it.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Are you an artist who will be performing in St. Louis this year? Contact Ty and he will review your show. The best place to find Ty is on twitter @tykulik.

"Boys Among Men" is a Must Read for Any NBA Fan

With the Season over, it is time to download and read about the NBA

Before I get started with my blog today, I need to touch on Kobe's last game last night. Yes, he scored 60 points and yes, the Lakers won, but stop with the love. First of all, he had to take 50 shots to get there! Let me repeat that, 50 SHOTS! That is way, way too many shots. He also shot 22 of 50, which looks nice at 44%, but still, 50 shots, come on. Also, the Warriors broke the single regular season record for wins last night, but you wouldn't know that if you turned on any TV sports show today because they are all only talking about Bryant. The Warriors won 73 games! My god, that's wildly impressive, but no one is talking about it. Good for you Kobe, you scored 60 points in your finale, but it took you 50 shots and your team won 17 games all year. Bravo. Now go away and never return. Okay, that's out of the way.

I just recently finished one of the best books that I have ever read. I'm not much of a reader, so for me to buy and finish a book in less than 2 weeks is a big deal. This book is absolutely phenomenal and it has a great subject matter. The book is called "Boys Among Men" and it's about the prep to pro generation that took over the NBA from 1995-2005.

This was such a fascinating read. I'm a huge NBA fan and I became a huge NBA fan right around this wave of high schoolers forgoing college and declaring for the draft at 18. One of the best things about this book was the fact that the author, former Grantland contributor and all around awesome NBA writer, Jonathan Abrams, not only focused on the successful ones that did it, but he dedicated equal time to some that barely, or never, spent any time in the NBA.

I knew that I was going to like this book from the very first page because the book opened on Kevin Garnett and his ascension to the top of the high school basketball player rankings. Abrams did talk about Moses Malone, Daryl Dawkins and a relative unknown prep to pro player from the 70's, Bill Willoughby, but the first chapter was pretty much all about Garnett. I'm a huge Kevin Garnett fan. I've been a fan of his his entire career and I respect the hell out of him. This book did not make my fandom waver one bit. He was a down on his luck, quiet kid that just wanted to blend in. He ran into academic and, unlawfully accused, police action, so his decision was pretty much assumed the moment he moved to Chicago to finish his high school career. He was going to go pro, it was just a matter of where he would be drafted and how he would be brought along. I loved the stories that were told about the back and forth between Kevin McHale, the Timberwolves coach at the time, and Flip Saunders, the GM, about whether to take Garnett or not. It was fascinating. As I said, I was immediately on board. It didn't even matter that the next chapter was solely focused on Kobe Bryant.

I've made it very well known about how I feel about him, and this book did not change my mind either. Her has been, and will always be, a dick. This book told that story very well. But, when the first two players since Moses Malone to go straight from high school to the pros are Bryant and Garnett, it seems like everyone is going to be a star, but that is not quite the case. Sure, Abrams talks about guys who had pretty decent, long lasting, even multi all star appearances NBA careers like, Jermaine O'Neal and Tracy McGrady, but he also brings up the guys that weren't ready and needed college, or just proper role models in their life. Guys like Korleone Young, Robert Swift, Jonathan Bender, Lenny Cooke, Jeremy Tyler and Leon Smith. Some of the stories from these guys are downright depressing and riddled with one bad decision after another. Some you will feel sorry for, others, you will think, they were too young and made dumb decisions, because every 18 year old makes dumb decisions. The stories about Lenny Cooke and Leon Smith are so sad because you can easily predict what will happen, and what happens is very depressing. Abrams even focuses on guys that had decent careers after starting out very tough. We get great stories on Kwame Brown, Eddy Curry, Tyson Chandler and Monta Ellis. Sure, they had a very tough start to their careers, but they kept with it, got better, made millions of dollars and carved out a niche for themselves to make it in the league. Some of their stories are downright uplifting.

The book closes with Leon Smith's story, but prior to that, we get the LeBron James story, and you may not believe it now, but at one point in his high school career, he wasn't looked at as the best high school player in the country. It's pretty cool to read about a very young LeBron James. Abrams also touches on Sonny Vacaro and the shoe industry that he helped build and also talks about how shady some of the things that Vacaro, Reebok, Adidas and Nike did to these young kids after some got some shine and fame.

"Boys Among Men" is a great book and a must read for every hard core NBA fan out there. Hell, I think even bandwagon NBA fans would enjoy this book. This was a fascinating time in the NBA and it lasted for one full decade and Abrams captures that exceptionally. I highly recommend you check out "Boys Among Men".

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He went out last night in his rec league basketball game and dropped 100 points on 100 shots, so his percentage is still better than Kobe's. Follow Ty on twitter @tykulik. 

Thank God the Kobe Era is Over

Tomorrow the Sun will rise on a better NBA

Ed Note: Check out Ty's initial reaction when Kobe announced he was going to retire.

Tonight marks the final game in the 18 year career of Kobe Bryant. Now, I'm not going to shower him with praise and talk about how great of a player he was, I'm going to do quite the opposite in fact. You may or may not have heard me already bash him on the mini podcast this morning, but in this blog, I'm going to really roast him.

Let's get the very few nice things I have to say about him out of the way first. Yes, he was a great scorer, top five all time perhaps. Sure, he won 5 championships. Yes, he was a multi all star and all NBA performer. And yes, he stuck with one team his entire career.

Now, thankfully that's all out of the way. I feel kind of dirty for saying anything nice at all, but it beared noting.

Time for the very long list of things I dislike about him and why I think he is one of the most overrated super stars of my generation. Let's start at the beginning. He declared for the draft straight out of high school the year after Kevin Garnett. First of all, I think he was mad that someone got to do that before him, but Garnett is one year older, so there was nothing he could do about that. But, it was the way he declared that has me dislike him right from the start. Bryant is only 4 years older than me, so when he declared, I was 14. The arrogance and cockiness with which he announced his decision was downright absurd. He acted like he was the best thing since sliced bread. Wearing sunglasses in doors and smiling like an asshole the whole time. What a douchebag. When Garnett declared, he seemed humble and happy at the opportunity. Not Bryant, he was cocky from the beginning.

Then, to have his agent tell teams he wouldn't work out for them, I mean, who in the hell does he think he is? He was an 18 year old that hadn't really done anything of note against any real competition. There is no way I would have drafted him based on that alone, but I would never draft a teenager, that's just me.

Then, the shadiness that went into him being drafted by Charlotte, then traded to the Lakers was beyond belief. If this kid was so good, how come 12 teams passed on him in the draft? The people who think that the draft lottery is fixed should definitely look at this moment as one of the catalysts.

Then, he gets in the league and is immediately upset at his lack of playing time on a perennial playoff contending LA Lakers team. I ask again, who in the hell did he think he was at 18? Veterans are going to get the minutes over a teenager on a good team. That's the way it has always been.

Then, when he did get his chance, he was a ball hog and a very porous shooter. He never looked for the open man, he only looked for his shot. He didn't care how the play was drawn up, he only cared if he got the shot. So, he was a terrible teammate from the moment he was drafted into the NBA.

Then, he did put in work to become a good scorer, but he didn't really focus on much else. I don't care what anyone at ESPN, Bleacher Report or Sports Illustrated says, he was not the leader and not the reason those Laker teams won titles. Had they not went out and acquired Shaq, and let Kobe be the leader, they would have been lucky to be a playoff team. Shaq made them a dominant force. But, was that good enough for Kobe, to be a multiple title winner? Of course not, because he was not the focal point of that team. The offense ran through Shaq and Kobe hated that. How selfish do you have to be, that you feud with, probably, the best center to ever play basketball? Why not just be happy to be the number two option on a perennial title contender? Kobe got dealt the best hand he could have ever imagined when the Lakers signed Shaq, but instead of being happy, he decided he wanted to feud. Kobe could never get along with Shaq, and that's a shame. As I stated, he was mad that Shaq was the man, but he also couldn't deal with the fact that everyone liked and knew that Shaq was a better player and teammate. This also drove him nuts, which, in turn, drove me nuts. He would openly complain about Shaq and Phil Jackson to the media. He would drag their names through the mud at any and every opportunity he got. What a childish act. Even when Bryant was accused of sexual assault, which I will touch on in a bit, he tried to turn the tables and say that Shaq fooled around too. Basically, he was DeAngelo Russell in the early 21st century. I mean, what a jerkoff.

Then, the front office gave in to their bratty, whiny star and traded Shaq away. Now, Kobe was the focal point of the team and guess what, the Lakers were mediocre at best. Sure, they'd win 43 or 44 games, but they never seemed to get out of the first round. Bryant proved he could not lead a team, no matter how many shots he took. But, some people will say, he won a title after Shaq left, but I will say, he didn't win until he got Pau Gasol, another top tier center. Bryant himself cannot lead a team to titles, he needs at least one other superstar. You know who never needed another star player to win titles, Michael Jordan. And, don't give me that whole Scottie Pippen is an all time great bull shit. Pippen, in the lone season where he was the main man on the Bulls, he sat out crucial moments in critical playoff games and the Bulls were very mediocre. Pippen may be the luckiest player to ever play in the NBA. Jordan was, and will always be, the GOAT. Kobe Bryant isn't a tenth of the player that Jordan was. Hell, I'd take Jordan right now before I'd take Kobe.

Then, after fracturing another relationship with another all star, Gasol left and the Lakers returned to mediocrity.

Then, the injuries started to pile up.

Then, the tanking began.

Then instead of taking a back seat to the new, younger nucleus, Bryant decided he needed to sign a two year extension that paid him 20 million a year. How did he expect to get this money and to get back to the playoffs, I will never know. He single handily crippled the Lakers franchise with this abomination of a contract. The Lakers couldn't go out and get the high profile player that Bryant needed if they wanted to compete again because Bryant's contract ate up all the extra cap space they might have had. They could get meetings, but they couldn't sign anyone worth noting. Yeah, they got Steve Nash, who was on the very back end of his career and rarely played, and yeah they got Dwight Howard, but he and Bryant feuded because Bryant seems to hate big men, but those teams were never very good.

Then, after Nash retired and Howard signed with the Rockets, the Lakers went into full tank mode, but they were still being led by Bryant. They tried to win again by drafting young talent, and boy has that planned completely backfired. Julius Randle broke his leg during his very first game as a rookie. We all know what's going on with DeAngelo Russell now. And who are they going to take this year? Either Ben Simmons, who may or may not be a head case, no one seems to know, or Brandon Ingram, who is good, but needs to gain weight and put in a lot of time to get used to the long NBA season. This team is a dumpster fire and it's because of Kobe Bryant. He is also, according to stats, which I don't usually care about, the worst shooter in the entire NBA this, his final season. And oh yeah, the Lakers are 16-65 at the moment. Tell me the last team led by Jordan that was under .500? None.

I cannot wait for tonight's game to be over so I can stop hearing about "Kobe's Farewell Tour". He stinks now and his team is historically bad. They are irrelevant. In a season where the Warriors should be the one and only story, Kobe Bryant has found a way to take that from them. He is selfish in every aspect of his life. The Warriors should be the top story on every sports news station, but when I turned on ESPN this morning, they were talking about Kobe's last game. They felt that a 16-65 Lakers team playing a 40-41 Utah Jazz team was a bigger story than the Warriors going for 73 wins tonight. What a crock of shit.

Bryant's terribleness goes beyond the court into his real life as well. As I said earlier, he was accused of sexual assault. First off, what kind of monster physically forces themselves on an unwilling person? The scum of the Earth only does stuff like that. Then, he admitted to having relations with this woman, but assured the media that it was consensual. Even if it was consensual, he was married at the time. So, that makes him a double scum bag. He allegedly forces himself on this woman and he is cheating on his wife at the same time. He is a real piece of human garbage. I know people will say stuff like, that's the past and he's made up for that, but you know who will never forget that day? The lady he may have forced himself on. She will always remember that, and that will always haunt her. He is also a terrible role model for his young teammates and young kids in general. He doesn't lead a team so much as he berates people who won't do things his way. He is, and always will be, selfish. He thinks his way is right, even though his way is ball hogging and yelling. I don't know of many athletes that get better or try harder when they get berated. That's not a quality teaching method.

Plus I cannot stand this whole "Kobe's Farewell Tour" and the #ThanksKobe bull shit. This farewell tour has been a giant jerk off session for his massive ego. He goes into visiting arenas, shoots 3 for 30, and visiting players shower praise on him. What a crock. He is way past his prime and he should have retired 5 years ago. Great players like Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, LeBron James, they are all stroking his ego even more, telling him what a role model he's been to them. Bull shit. You guys would have been just fine had he been a run of the mill NBA player. Don't give in and tell him he is great, that's what he wants to hear. I also don't buy that he is some kind of nice person now either. He always has been and always will be a selfish asshole that only worries about how he looks. I guarantee if it were LeBron James and not Kobe Bryant retiring, Bryant wouldn't say one nice thing about James. He would not even open his mouth.

So, instead of lavishing him with praise like most other publications and websites will be, I'm going to say screw you Kobe Bryant. You have always been an ass, and you will always be an ass. You're an ungrateful piss ant that has never been satisfied with having the finest things in your life. You're a curmudgeon. You're a whiner. You're way past your prime. And you are no role model to me or my family. I'm glad I won't have to hear from you anymore after tonight. Good riddance and I hope you never resurface on a basketball court or an arena or on a television broadcast of any kind. I don't want to see your face or your overbite anymore. Goodbye forever.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Do you have passion like Ty? Come write for us. Also make sure you follow Ty on twitter @tykulik.