Ty Tells You How each NBA Team can Win the Title: Pistons, Grizzlies, and Pacers

We are on day 8 of my NBA countdown. We are on the final 9 teams. These teams are all pretty good, each of them coming off a decent season last year. These teams will make noise, especially in the playoffs. One thing before I continue my countdown, I know that Michael Carter Williams and Tony Snell got traded for each other. After some thought, I still like where I have the Bulls and Bucks. I don't see this trade causing any kind of shift for either team, either positive or negative. Anyway, on with the countdown.

At number 9, I have the Detroit Pistons. Now, I am fully aware that Reggie Jackson got hurt, and will miss extended time, but I am not as worried about this injury as some other people are. I watched Reggie Jackson squander chance after chance while he was in OKC, and last year, that dreadful air ball to end the Pistons season in round one, shows me what kind of player he really is. He is a very good guard, but he is often selfish, clashes with coaches and teammates and thinks he is the best player on the court. He is not. He's a good starter, but he will never be an all star, and until he realizes that he has better players around him and starts to distribute more than shoot, I will always look at him as an overrated player. On the other hand, I love Andre Drummond. The dude can do everything, except shoot free throws. He is a TERRIBLE free throw shooter, but he is a world class rebounder, he's an incredibly good rim protector, and he is basically unstoppable in the low post. Drummond has gotten better every year he's been in the league, and I see that continuing for most of his career. The dude is awesome. Brandon Jennings is gone, which is kind of a bummer, but they do have Reggie Jackson, but until he gets back, the point guard duties will be in the hands of Ish Smith. This may be disconcerting. Smith is not a good scorer, so hopefully he will be a good distributor, which Jackson is not. Stanley Johnson is on his way to becoming a very good small forward. He has the confidence, calling out LeBron in their first round series last year, now he just needs the game to be at the same level. He is getting better, and that should scare the NBA. He is a tank, he is getting a better jumper, and he is a pretty good, young defensive player. Kentavious Caldwell Pope should be a much better shooter, but he hasn't been able to put it all together in the NBA. Tobias Harris is a good swiss army guy for this team. He does almost everything pretty well. He isn't dominant on one single thing, but he can give you some scoring, play a little defense and get the team going when need be. Marcus Morris is a good inside out forward, and he is not a head case like his brother. Win win. Aron Baynes is a fine back up center. He will mix it up with opponents. They signed Boban away from the Spurs, and I think, with some playing time, he could actually be a pretty good bench guy. This Pistons team should take the next step this year. I know Jackson is out, but that doesn't worry me. They will win about 46 or 47 games and be firmly in the playoffs.

So Ty, how will the Pistons win the title? The Pistons will win the title if Drummond becomes as dominant as Shaq. That isn't happening yet, but it could happen in the next few seasons. Also, they need Stanley Johnson to become a major offensive threat. Detroit is still a few seasons away from being a legitimate contender.

At number 8, I have the Memphis Grizzlies. This is a team where health, above all else, will determine how they finish. I think they will stay relatively healthy, so that is why I have them this high. Mike Conley is a very good point guard. He knows exactly how to run this team. He gets his big guys the ball when they need it. He feeds the wings at the right time and he gets his when he knows the team needs him to. He just needs to stay healthy. Z Bo and Marc Gasol are 2 great big men. Z Bo may be getting older, but he has figured out a way for his game to work every year he has been in the league. He may not be a good jumper at all, but he has a good shot, he gets crucial rebounds and he plays aggressively every night. He is the epitome of this team's toughness. Gasol, coming off a major injury, is one of the better big men in the league. He is a great inside out player, he ruffles opponents when it's needed, he is a good rebounder and a serviceable defender. He, much like Conley, just needs to stay healthy. Tony Allen may be the best defensive guard in the league. He guards the best player every night, and those players will say that he gives them the toughest times. He's a tough dude. He's not much on offense, but he more than makes up for it on the defense. Giving Chandler Parsons a max deal was kind of a head scratcher, but if he can stay healthy, which is a big if, he is exactly what this team needs. He's a good slasher, can shoot the three, plays good defense and knows his role. Jaymychael Green is a good back up center. He was asked to play too much last year because of injury, but in the right circumstance, he is a serviceable guy. Vince Carter is still plugging away. He doesn't leap like he used to, but he has found a jump shot, and can still score 20 on any given night. The rest of the team is very ho hum. This team needs their main guys to stay healthy. They will be a very good team, perhaps even a 50 win team if their core plays most of the 82 game season. I think Gasol and Conley are all stars and Z Bo and Allen do the best things they can do for this team.

So Ty, how will the Grizzlies win the title? The Grizzlies best chance at a title is to make every game a slug fest. The NBA has become a bit soft, but not the Grizzlies. They remind me of a not as good version of the "Bad Boy" Pistons teams. They will beat some dudes up, and that may be the only way they win a championship.

At number 7, I have the Indiana Pacers. I think the Pacers might be one of the most overlooked teams going into this season. Sure, they fired Frank Vogel, a good coach, but I think Nate McMillan will do just fine with this roster. Paul George is back. He was back last year. He looked like he never had that gruesome injury from two years ago. He was flying around the court on offense and defense. He was filling up stat sheets. He looked great at the Olympics. George is one of the top 10 players, easily, in the league right now. On any given night, he is the best player on the floor. They did lose George Hill, but they got Jeff Teague. Teague and George will make for a deadly back court. Teague is quick, can make shots and find the open man. He is going to thrive in Indiana. Monta Ellis is another guy that can score a ton of points. He is not the best defender, and he sometimes takes too many shots, but the older he has gotten, the better of a teammate he has become. And, as I just said, he is capable of going for 50 any night. Myles Turner is going to be a handful for opposing teams. He got so much better as his rookie season carried on, and I see no signs of his improvement slowing down. He is a great big man. They also went out and got Al Jefferson this offseason. Hardly anyone has talked about this, and that is crazy to me. Jefferson is a very good, dependable NBA player. He is great in the low post, and he can score a ton, if need be. Aaron brooks coming over is going to be a good deal for the Pacers too. He is instant offense off the bench, and you could pair him with any of the other guards on this team and not miss a beat. Thad Young is also a very athletic, yet inconsistent player. I really like this Pacers team, even with the signing of Ty Lawson. They will score a lot of points, but unlike the Rockets, they will also play some good defense. The Pacers are the first team on my list that I truly think will win 50 plus games. They are really good.

So Ty, how will the Pacers win the title? The Pacers can win the title if George can lock down LeBron for a full series. I know I haven't gotten to the Cavs yet, but they are a shoe in for the East Finals, spoiler alert, and if the Pacers have any shot at a title, they need George to shut him down. They will score and score and score, but they will need to beat a few teams that a tad better than them. The Pacers could do it though. They are the first team on my list where it wouldn't shock me if they made the finals.

That's it for today, come back tomorrow for the next three teams.

Ty 

Ty is the Pop Culture Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He loves to talk about basketball, his favorite sport. The one where they dribble the ball up and down the court. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are not Equally Terrible

Politics is all about bad math

Have you been checking out your Facebook feed lately? There is a lot of insightful political talk going on? Too many people use their social networks not to try and gain support for their given political candidate, but they want to trash the other side. With every new hiccup coming from their chosen political campaign, people rush to the internet and let the world know that the other side is filled with brain eating monsters. This behavior is not just living in the world of amateur want to be political minds of social media, the national press engages in the same tactics. If one candidate does something terrible, the press balances it with an attack on the other candidate. Even worse, the opinion shows go all in and defend their chosen candidate, no matter what their talking heads have been preaching for years. It does not matter what a candidate does, it only matters that the other one is equally as bad. Democracy in action.

The latest round of memes making there way around the world wide web concerns the fact that no one likes the binary choice of Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and Republican nominee Donald Trump. Yes there are other candidates, but let's be grownups and understand that only Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have a real, not imaginary, chance of winning the presidency. The political discourse has devolved into the engaged internet political pundits wanting a do over. They do not like Trump, and they really do not like Clinton. The latest infection of not so clever memes has come up after the Trump "Grab them by the pussy" tapes and all the new allegations of sexual abuse being levied towards the Republican nominee. Fox News has predictably used their most un-American pundits, people like Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly, the Fox and Friends jamokes, to go all out and attack the alleged history of corruption and sexual assault from Bill and Hillary Clinton. The supposed news anchors of Fox News just try to set up an equivalency of terribleness between Hillary and Donald. If Trump says / does something bad, the Clinton campaign has also done something not similar but still really bad. Other media outlets like the network news, Sunday political shows, and cable follow the Fox News ratings grab formula and report on the same equivalency of terribleness. The message is clear, if Donald Trump is bad, Hillary Clinton must be at least as terrible.

Hillary Clinton has a long, rocky, history in the public arena. There are many scandals she is either directly, or indirectly, been a part of for nearly thirty years. Things like Bill Clinton's history of sexual indiscretions, Whitewater, the private email server used during Hillary's tenure as Secretary of State, have been gleefully investigated again and again by Republicans in congress. These defenders of fiscal restraint have no problem using millions of taxpayers dollars to litigate the same issue again and again. Their lack of concern for saving the taxpayers is equal only to their abuse of power in going after the Clintons. We can thank the GOP for thirty years of pointless, and wasteful, investigations that have produced nothing but failure. Hillary's scandals have been kept alive due to Republican impotence.

Then we have the crackpot conspiracy theories that the GOP refuses to give up on. Since the Clinton's famous 60 minutes interview that aired immediately after the 1992 Super Bowl, Republican opinion leaders (i.e. Rush Limbaugh) have been going after Hillary Clinton about every trivial thing. She is ugly, she is a bitch, she is a lesbian, she is a woman who does not respect her place in society, all of these hateful, and non-important, character traits have been used against Hillary by the fringes and mainstream media. The are still being used today. Embarrassingly, the details surrounding the suicide of Hillary's former law partner Vince Foster are still being discussed all over the internet. The fact that the Clinton's took furniture and other items from the White House after President Bill Clinton's Presidency is still treated like one of the worst things any former first family has ever done. Most people still do not the truth about what happened. Many of the self righteous media types slamming the Clinton's conveniently forget about all the freebies that Ronald and Nancy Reagan received while at the White House. What the Clinton's did was wrong, just as wrong as what the Reagan's did. In the petty act of using the White House as a gift giving apparatus, the Clinton's and Reagan's are equally terrible.

This leads us to Donald Trump. With all the Clinton problems, the public wants to equate the Trump problems as part of the same culture. Just recently Donald Trump was hit with the damning off record tape of he and Billy Bush casually talking about sexual assault. That was excused as boy's locker room talk. Since then, and for decades before, women have come out to accuse Trump of sexual assault. This is excused as being no worse than what was alleged about Bill Clinton. Trump has used a tax code that favors the rich to fail upwards whenever another one of business ventures fails. This is excused by saying that Trump is a great business man. Trump's long, proven, history of infidelity and ugly divorces has been part of the Donald's story since his separation from first wife Ivana Trump. This is excused by his acolytes by saying it is all ok because Donald Trump is now a good christian man and should be forgiven. Trump uses cheap, unregulated, overseas labor for many of his projects, and regularly does not pay his contracts to american workers. This is excused again by saying that Trump is a smart business man. There is also the racism, hate, and hints of wanting violence on display in Donald Trump's rallies. This is excused by saying Trump is just speaking for a "silent" majority who have no voice. Cracked.com has even more, true and proven, terrible things that Donald Trump has done. Donald Trump is responsible for things we would not let a candidate for school board to get away with, much less a major party candidate for President.

With the two candidates history, how in the world can one say that Clinton and Trump are equally terrible? What Hillary Clinton has been accused of, and litigated by the court of public opinion, is what we can connect to any politician who is been in power for a long time. That does not make it right, but that is the current reality of American politics. We treat these elected officials like royalty, so they act like royalty. Did Hillary Clinton knowingly hide things from the American people? Probably. Has she used public service to increase her families wealth? Definitely. Does she say one thing to her donors in private and something contradictory to the voters. Absolutely, that is how are political system works today.

Do you know who else has done what Hillary Clinton does? Every single person elected to public office. Tea party heroes like Jim Jordan still forces  the government to buy tanks the US Army says are a waste of taxpayer money. He does it because of powerful political donors who make the tanks. President George W Bush and Attorney General Alberto Gonzales deliberately did not turn over millions of emails subpoenaed by the US Congress  because the emails were on a private server run by the RNC. The Chief of Staff to sitting Vice President Dick Cheney was convicted of outing a CIA agent because the agent's husband was a political enemy. Scooter Libby made America weaker and spent time in prison. President George W Bush pardoned Libby as a political favor. Did the press feel the need to balance Hillary Clinton's history with these cases of political greed and pettiness?

Donald Trump's terrible ideas, and business struggles, are not part of a broken political culture. His terribleness is born in the fact that Donald Trump only cares about his own personal well being. There is nothing in his history that shows a man who is trying to help anyone out. He inherited a fortune and used an economic system built to protect the wealthy to protect his failures. He used his money to acquire, and eventually discard, women. He used his celebrity to take what he wants, forgetting that there are people he is actively hurting. Trump does not care about any of this, and many people cheer him on for this. Donald Trump is not trying to appease a political constituency. He is not trying to push a public agenda. Donald Trump is actively trying to keep a world alive where Donald Trump is the most important person. Trump is correct when he says that he is not a politician. Politicians have to care about others in order to win elected office. Trump does not cater to anyone, unless that person is Donald Trump.

That is what makes Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump different. Clinton has been trying to serve other people, and in the process has been part of a broken and corrupt political system. Hillary Clinton is no different than any other politician in the swamp of Washington D.C.. Trump is corrupt due to his own narcissism. He has no will to help anyone who is not Donald Trump. The system did not make Trump bad, he has been exhibiting this terrible behavior as long as the press has been covering him.

Many people use Clinton's scandals to dismiss her because she is the Democratic Party nominee. Voters who identify as Republicans do not want the Democrat to win, so her scandals are brought to the forefront like any other opposition candidate's scandals would be. You do not want the Democrat to win, then you need justification on why they are unworthy. The apprehension to Donald Trump has little to do with the fact of him being the Republican nominee. His terribleness is wholly his own and not part of a larger political culture. His scandals are not part of a D.C. culture. Donald Trump has personally created his own political struggles through his greed and immorality. Clinton is a politician, Trump is dangerously selfish. That is not different sides of the same terrible coins.

Stop with the equivalence of terribleness between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. They may both have things we do not like, but it is not even close to equal. If you do not like Hillary Clinton, don't vote for her. What you can not do is claim that both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are equally flawed. Clinton is part of a system that has enlarged elected officials for a very long time. The system needs to be reformed. Donald Trump is part of a system that is anti-american and anti-progress. The system that helps Donald Trump to succeed needs to be discarded. There is no equivalence.

RD 

RD Kulik is the Head Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Listen to RD and Ty discuss the history of Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton on the newest X Millennial Man Podcast. What do you think of the current state of American politics? Tell us all about it. 

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Ty Tells You How each NBA Team Can Win the Title: Rockets, Trailblazers, and the Jazz

Day 7 of my NBA countdown has us finally getting to the top 10. It will be team number 10, but we are on our way to the elite. The best of the best. What separates the teams from being elite today are any number of things. Some don't think defense is important. Others are a bit too young, and don't have the necessary experience to go any further than round 2. Some are just one or two players away from being truly competitive. These teams are good, and may make some noise, but none will go any further than round 2 of the playoffs this year. Here we go.

At number 12, I have the Houston Rockets. Man, did this team underachieve last year. They were a year removed from the West finals, and they went out of the playoffs last year with barely a whimper. They did finally get rid of Dwight Howard, but I don't think he was the sole problem. This team does not care about defense at all, and it all starts with their star player, James Harden. Harden is one of the best scorers in the league right now. He can make shots from anywhere. He is deadly from down town. He gets to the free throw line regularly and he will always have the ball in his hands. The problem, he simply thinks that defense is optional. Harden is a horrendous defender. He doesn't even try, which makes it worse. Sure, he can go for 30 any given night, but the guy he is guarding is just as capable of putting up 30. The hiring of Mike Dantoni won't help out his, or the team's defense for that matter. Dantoni is an offensive wizard, but he, much like Harden, thinks defense is optional. This team will score a ton, but they will give up a ton of points too. There are some other decent pieces on this roster. Patrick Beverly is a pesky defender and okay point guard. He may be the only guy on this team that tries on the defensive end. But, when you have Harden as your point guard, having Beverly is kind of pointless. He won't do all that much for the Rockets this year, except annoy their opponents. The Donatas Montejunas hype is over. He is never healthy. He can't score like projected, and he, like most of the roster, could care less about stopping his man. Montejunas is kind of a waste. They signed Ryan Anderson and Eric Gordon this offseason. Both are good offensive players. Anderson is a great shooter, but he is just as bad on defense as Harden is. Gordon, when healthy, is a very good, all star caliber player, but he can't stay healthy, and he too thinks defense is optional. They signed Nene, who will bring some toughness to this team, but he looked a step slow in the Olympics. Montrez Harrell will try and take the Nene slack, but he is very inconsistent. Trevor Ariza is a good shooter, but he has lost a step or two, and he doesn't attack like the rim like he used to. He also plays no defense. Clint Capela is the new big man, with Howard gone, but I don't think he is ready to be a starter in the NBA just yet. This team is going to score a ton of points. They may average between 115 and 120 points per game. But, they will give up 110 to 115 points a game. That will net them 43 or 44 wins, but no more. Unfortunately for the Rockets, defense is a very important thing in the NBA.

So Ty, how will the Rockets win the title? The Rockets could win the title if they average about 140 points per game. The only way they can win is if they outscore every other team. That will not happen.

At number 11, I have the Portland Trailblazers. This team surprised everyone last year, including me. They were supposed to be rebuilding, yet they made the second round last year. Damien Lillard is one of the 10 best players in the league. He is clutch, can score from anywhere and is the man on this team. He could be a little better on defense, but man oh man is he elite on offense. CJ McCollum is about to become a perennial all star. He is a great, clutch shooter as well. He also has a very calming demeanor. He is never flustered and plays well within his limitations. This is one of the better backcourts in all the NBA. Allen Crabbe proved to be a decent shooter and a good defender last year. Who knew. Meyers Leonard has been a waste. He is too big and talented to be this mediocre, but he is just average. He also gets hurt way too often. I did not like the Evan Turner signing, but I don't think it will hurt them. He is an okay player, but when you have Lillard and McCollum, I see no reason for Turner. Al Faroq-Aminnu has proven that he is a good enough scorer and defender. He stretches the floor and plays heady defense. Maurice Harkless seemingly came out of nowhere to be a pretty reliable player last year. He doesn't do one thing exceptional, but he seems to do everything pretty well. He's a good basketball player. Mason Plumlee is an average big man, They have a big discrepancy when it comes to big men. Noah Vonleh has also been relegated to bench duties. The lack of a true big will hurt them. This team is so much better than anyone thought they would be. They will continue to win between 44 and 47 games because they have an excellent back court. I love Damien Lillard and CJ McCollum.

So Ty, how will the Blazers win the title? The Blazers will win the title if, much like their first round series last year, every team they run into in the playoffs has a star player get injured. They won't get lucky like that again, but this team is good. Don't sleep on the Trailblazers.

At number 10, I have the Utah Jazz. I know that I have them in my top ten, but I'm not as high as some other people are on them. I think they will be good, but they will go no further than the first round this year. But, they do play some incredibly good defense. I love teams that play good defense. Gordon Hayward is a good NBA player, but I don't think he is as good as others. Some people seem to think he is all star caliber, I don't. I think he is a fine NBA player. He can get you 16 points a night, and he will play some good defense. I do however love Rudy Gobert. He is an excellent big man. His offensive game is coming along quite nicely and he is already a great rim protector and rebounder. Gobert is an all star caliber player. I also really like Derrick Favors. He doesn't jump off the page, but he is consistent and reliable. He is a good low post player. Getting George Hill will be huge for this team. He is a solid point guard and he does everything the right way. This was a great pick up. I also like the addition of Boris Diaw. Sure, he is older and looks a bit out of shape, but he will make open shots and he will find the open man. He is an excellent passer. Joe Johnson was a fine addition too. He doesn't play much defense, but he will be instant offense for a team that needs some instant offense. Alec Burks is a good young player, he is just a but inconsistent. He can fix that. Trey Lyles seems to be coming along just fine. He is a big that can go inside and out. He needs some more time, he is very young, but he looks like he will be a solid NBA player. Rodney Hood has gotten better every year, and I think now is his chance to break through. He's a good shooter and a good defender. This Jazz team is good, and they are on their way back to being a regular in the playoffs. They will win 46 or 47 games this year, about good enough for the 5 or 6 seed.

So Ty, how will the Jazz win the title? The Jazz can win the title if they, much like the Blazers, strike injury luck with their opponents and a star gets hurt on every team they face. They also need Hayward to be more assertive and Gobert's offensive game to drastically improve. They aren't there yet, but they are going to be good for awhile if they all stick together.

That's it for today, come back next week when it is all elite teams that all have a legitimate shot at the title.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. The Head Editor can not get behind the Jazz and Quinn Snyder's pass the ball thirty times and miss a three type of offense. Hey, Ty knows more about these things. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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Ty Tells You How each NBA Team Can Win the Title: Hornets, Thunder, and Hawks

We are on day 6 of my NBA countdown. From here on out, it's all playoff caliber teams. These teams have the players to, at the very least, make the playoffs. We got started yesterday with the Wizards, now, it's all playoff teams, all the time. On with the countdown.

At number 15, I have the Charlotte Hornets. Two really quick things before I get into meat of what I like and dislike about this team. First, I love that they are called the Hornets again. I know this started last season, but it just feels right. Second, I don't know why some people think they will take a step back because Jeremy Lin is gone. Lin is a good offensive player, but I do not think he will missed all that much. If he was that important, I think the Hornets would have tried harder to keep him. Anyway, let's take a look at this roster. I love Kemba Walker. The dude just has guts and plays with a passion that is nearly unparalleled. He has always been told he was undersized, too slow, wouldn't be able to adapt to the pro game, basically he's been told he wouldn't make it, but he has been a pretty good pro, especially last year. He has become a legitimate threat on offense and his defense has stepped up. I think Kemba Walker has the potential to be an all star. Marvin Williams finally played like he was supposed to last season. It was impossible for him to live up to where he was picked when he was drafted, and he was on the wrong team. The Hawks, back then, needed him to be the star. He is so much better fitted to be the fourth or fifth option on a team. He is an incredible athlete, and he uses that to his advantage when playing defense and getting rebounds. He needs to work on his jumper, but he looked really good last year. I see that continuing. If Michael Kidd-Gilchrist could stay healthy at all, I think he would be a good bench player for this team. He's not a great shooter by any means necessary, but he can attack the basket and he plays decent defense, which is what this team is built around. Nic Batum got a big contract, and he did look good in the Olympics, at times, but he needs to stay focused all season. He is a good player, but he doesn't seem to have that killer instinct. They do not have any great big men, so that could pose a problem. When you are relying on Jason Maxiel, Tyler Hansborough and Roy Hibbert to be your guys, that won't work out all that well for you. Those guys don't have any really good, specific skills, they are just big. The bench is fine, with guys like Marco Bellinelli, a great three point shooter, Frank Kaminsky, seems too slow, but can take big guys outside and Jeremy Lamb, he hasn't figured it out yet and I don't see him figuring the NBA out. The bench is just okay. I love Kemba Walker and Marvin Williams though, those guys are really good. The Hornets bench and lack of a true rim protector will be their downfall, but they will win between 42 and 45 games and be in the playoffs.

So Ty, how will the Hornets win the title? The Hornets can win the title if they get a true big man and play the most suffocating defense in the history of the NBA. It would be ugly, but that would be their only chance at a championship, to completely slow the game down to a halt.

At number 14, I have the OKC Thunder. KD is gone, and that is a huge, huge blow to this team. Had he resigned, I think I would have picked them to win it all this year. But, they do have Russell Westbrook back, and when he plays angry, he will not be stopped. That is a good and a bad thing. He will play with reckless abandon and put up huge numbers, but will that translate to wins? They do have a much better roster than two years ago when Durant was out and Westbrook was the man, so I don't think they will be that bad. Steven Adams is on his way to being one of the better true centers in the NBA, He doesn't have an offensive game like Boogie, but I think he is the best defensive true center in the league. He is also a beast on the boards and he is world class trash talker. Andre Roberson is non existent on offense, but he is an incredible defender. He always guards the oppositions best player, and more times than not, he slows them down. Victor Oladipo was a great pick up for them. He is a great slasher, has a sembalance of a jump shot, and he, much like Roberson, is a lock down defender. They did lose Serge Ibaka, but I don't think he will be terribly missed. Enes Kanter is a great offensive big, but he is a horrific defender. He barely played at the end of the Western Finals last year because his defense was so bad. Anthony Morrow is a great spot up shooter, but he brings nothing else to this team. And with KD gone, he will not find himself as wide open as usual. Cameron Payne is a fine young point guard, but he is Westbrook's back up, so he barely sees the floor. Mitch McGary seems like he'd rather get high than work on his game, so he will be relegated to bench duty as soon as his suspension is done. Kyle Singler is trash and Nick Collison is about a million years old and way past his "prime". But, with guys like Westbrook, Oladipo, Adams, Kanter's offense and Roberson's defense, I still see the Thunder as a playoff team, getting about 42 or 43 wins. It may be the eight seed in the West, but still, a playoff team. And Westbrook is going to be on an absolute mission this season.

So Ty, how will the Thunder win the title? The Thunder can win the title if Westbrook goes for a triple double every night, and the numbers have to be huge, I'm talking about 30 ppg, 15 rbg and 15 apg and Adams offensive game takes a huge step and the rest of the roster scores a ton of points. The Thunder would have been so much higher if KD was still there, but he is not, oh well.

At number 13, I have the Atlanta Hawks. Some may say this is too high, but I feel it is just right. I don't think they will regress as much just because they don't have Al Horford anymore. They still have Paul Millsap, who may be the most underrated player in the NBA. Millsap is an all star, a double double machine and a great teammate. He is an excellent basketball player, Some will say, well they don't have Jeff Teague either. I say, I like Dennis Schroder more. He plays with a cockiness that he needs to play with. He thinks he is the best point guard in the NBA. That's not true, but when he is on, he's on. He just needs to stay that way more often. He plays a little too out of control, but he can learn to slow his game down. Kyle Korver is getting way too old to be any threat anywhere on a basketball court, except the three point line. He is still a deadly three point shooter. Kent Bazemore has gotten better the more he's played, and he is becoming a really good NBA player. He is a great slasher, and his jumper is coming along. He also plays very good defense. Thabo Sefolosha is a world class defender, and he can hit the open shot. Other bench guys like Kirk Hinrich, Tim Hardaway Jr, Mike Scott, Kris Humphries and Jarret Jack are all very ho hum. Hinrich's and Jack's best days are way behind them. I'd be shocked if either plays more than 10 minutes a game. Hardaway Jr could be good, but his confidence was wrecked by playing with Carmelo Anthony, and he doesn't see the floor that often for the Hawks. Kris Humphries, when you take away the Kardashian thing, is a pretty decent basketball player. He isn't a world beater, but he isn't a liability either. Mike Scott is their best bench player. He plays hard and smart. And, I cannot forget to talk about their signing of Dwight Howard. I don't know what Dwight Howard they are getting. Will it be the Laker, end of Rockets tenure? Or will it be the Magic, beginning of Rockets tenure? I think they'd like something in the middle. He is not dominant like he was early in his career, but if he engages and plays like he cares, he can be a very big spark for this team. He is still relatively young and can still play, he just has to want to. The Hawks will be in the playoffs again, and they will probably go out with a whimper, like they always do. I see them winning anywhere from 44-47 games this year.

So Ty, how will the Hawks win the title? The Hawks can win the title if Millsap becomes the league MVP, Korver hits 65 percent of his threes, Schroder becomes a team first player, Bazemore becomes an all star and Dwight Howard plays like he did in Orlando, at the beginning. That's asking way too much. Millsap is the only one that may/could play like that.

That's it for today, come back tomorrow for the next three teams.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He would really love the Hornets if they also brought Grandmama back. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of generous donors. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Ty Tells You How each NBA Team Can Win the Title: Heat, Timberwolves, and Wizards

Day 5 of my NBA countdown, and we will finally get our first playoff team. Finally, I'll get to write about one team that will be playing some meaningful basketball. Tomorrow is when I start with all good teams, but today, we finally get our first playoff spot. On with the countdown.

At number 18, I have the Miami Heat. Oh how the mighty have fallen. This team played in four straight finals, and were a few Dwayne Wade jumps shots form being in the East Finals last season. But, LeBron is gone, Wade is gone, and now, after some news I read today, they are going to let Chris Bosh go. I feel so bad for Chris Bosh. He has taken so much heat from the media, but the dude is a perennial all star, played big time minutes for the Heat when they had their "big three", grabbed huge rebounds and made some big time shots. He was such an underrated, great NBA player. Totally under appreciated as well. I hope his blood clot problems clears up so he can play again, but he needs to make sure he is fully healthy before he tries to play pro basketball again. So, that leaves this team in the hands of Hassan Whiteside, Justise Winslow and Goran Dragic. While those guys are good, I would not want them to be the core of my team. Dragic can be a wizard with the ball, but he plays a bit out of control at times and he is not a great jump shooter. He also seems to get weary of being on the same team for more than 3 years. Justise Winslow is a very good defender, but he does not shoot the ball like he did his one year in college. I think that he relied a bit too much on Wade being his mentor, so he didn't work on his jumper as much as he should have his rookie year. He is going to become an elite defender, but he needs to get some kind of offensive game going to be a starter in the NBA. Then we have Hassan Whiteside. This dude is a beast. He dunks on everyone. He blocks shots and rebounds at an elite level. He is a very good low post guy. But, he has terrible attitude problems and he can flip at the switch of a hat. He has a worse temper than Boogie Cousins, and that's saying something. I don't think I would have given him a max contract because I don't think that he is a franchise player. He's good, but he can be a headache. The rest of the roster shakes out like this, Udonis Haslem, who is way, way past his prime and frankly, I can't believe he is still in the league, Tyler Johnson, who they massively overpaid, and should probably be a good bench guy, but will start on this team, Wayne Ellington, who has been nothing but inconsistent his whole career, Josh McRoberts, who cares more about his look than his game, and has also had a decline in minutes every year that he has been in the NBA and Jason Richardson, who does some nice things, but I don't think he is ready to fill Wade's shoes. The Heat should be in rebuild mode. They can lure top free agents, so maybe they won't be so good this year, but they can get some top guys next year. I see them winning about 32 games this year.

So Ty, how will the Heat win the title? They could win the title if Whiteside stops being childish. Dragic scores at will and Winslow starts to hit the three like in college. That is not happening, but don't be dour Heat fans, they will be good again in a year or 2.

At number 17, I have my new favorite team, the Minnesota Timberwolves. I am still a little shocked by the Thibodeau hire, but hey, maybe he is the best fit for the job. I love their roster, but I think it is still a year away from being in the playoff picture in the hyper competitive Western Conference. Karl Anthony Towns is an incredible basketball payer. While he may not be as good as Anthony Davis yet, he is damn close. He is unstoppable in the post, he plays good defense, he is a good rebounder and a great teammate. Towns is on his way to super stardom. Andrew Wiggins is hyper athletic. He moves so seamlessly and effortlessly on the court. He is a joy to watch, and he is one of the best young defenders in the league. He needs to work on his jumper and focus a bit more, but man, he is super athletic. Zach Lavine is a better version of Aaron Gordon. Lavine has incredible leaping ability, but he has worked to make his jumper better and worked on his handles as well. He is doing what a pro should do. Ricky Rubio is a wizard dribbling and passing, but he is horrendous on offense. It may not matter, because the T'wolves drafted Kris Dunn, who is great, and they may trade Rubio so Dunn can take over the point guard duties. Kris Dunn was my second favorite player, behind Buddy Hield, in last year's draft. Dunn is going to be good. Shabazz Muhammed has surprisingly stayed out of trouble and stayed in shape, and is a great bench scorer for this team. The additions of Jordan Hill, Cole Aldrich and Brandon Rush, while it may not sound glamorous, will be huge for this team's depth. The NBA needs to watch out for the Timberwolves because they are coming and they look like a team that will be good for awhile. I don't think they are a playoff team yet, but they will win 42-44 games.

So Ty, how will the Timberwolves win the title? The T'Wolves can win the title if Towns takes that next step to super stardom, Wiggins unleashes hell on the league, Dunn becomes an elite point guard and the bench helps out immensely. I love this team, but they are a year or two away from being a legitimate threat.

At number 16, aka my first playoff team, I have the Washington Wizards. They have fallen on hard times, but John Wall is too talented to let this team miss out on the playoffs again this year. And, as frustrating as it was to watch a Scotty Brooks coached team in OKC, he is definitely a step up from the disaster that was Randy Whitman. John Wall is awesome. He is one of the best point guards in the league. I love how fast, yet controlled he plays the game of basketball. He is great, and he is definitely one of my personal favorite players. Bradley Beal, on the other hand, has proven time and time again that he can't stay healthy. I do not understand the contract they gave him, and if I were John Wall, I'd be upset that the Wizards seem to value Beal more than him. When in there though, Beal is a great shooter. He doesn't play a whole lot of defense, but man can he score. Marcin Gortat is still there, but no more Nene. I think they will miss Nene's toughness, but Gortat is a better offensive player and a better fit to run the pick and roll with Wall. Otto Porter is in now or never mode. He looked really good two years ago, but last year was a bit of a step back. I think he is a good player, but he needs to show it. He can score and defend pretty well, but he needs to put it all together for a full season. This may be his last chance to do that with the Wizards. Kelly Oubre is still incredibly young and needs work, but he could be a very good bench player. They traded for Trey Burke, but he just hasn't been able to translate his college game to the pros. He is a bit too short, and bigger defenders completely shut him down. Markieff Morris is still there, and while being a good player, he is a total head case. They also signed Ian Mahinmi, but that was a pretty blah signing. This team is playoff good, especially in the East. They won 40 games last year, and I don't see how they don't up that to 44 or 45, especially if Wall stays healthy for most of the year. I like them to be the 8 seed in the East.

So Ty, how will the Wizards win the title? The Wizards can win the title if they have a miraculous run through the playoffs and beat everyone as the underdog. That won't happen because Brooks could not do that with a really good team in OKC. I love John Wall, but his team is destined to be a first round out for a long time in the playoffs if they keep giving guys like Bradley Beal max money.

That's it for today. Come back tomorrow for the next three teams.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He knows it is fall not by the leaves changing color, but by the reemergence of Colin Cowherd's inexplicable racism towards John Wall. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of generous donors. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Ty Watches Bar Rescue: Schaffer's Bar Edition

"Bar Rescue" this past weekend had some stuff on it that I had never seen before.

Taffer and crew traveled to "Schaeffer's Bar" in some small town in Washington state. This bar was the talk of the town when it first opened. According to the first owner, they were making upwards of one million dollars a year. He said that he couldn't count his money fast enough. After the third year of making a lot of money, 2 outside buyers came in and bought the bar from the first owner. They paid a hefty sum for it too. For some inexplicable reason, they asked the first owner to stay on as a manager. I've never heard about anything like this ever. I just assumed that when you sell, you leave it to the new owners, but that was not the case. The guy stayed on, but he had clearly mailed in his effort after selling. The bar started to tank with the two new owners too. Neither had any real experience being owners, so they had little to no idea how to run a bar. They also believed that the original owner was sabotaging their bar so he could buy it back at a much lower price.

When Taffer came with the experts, he sent them in the bar and had one of the new owners come and watch from his car. He wanted her to see how poorly the bar was being run. First thing they both saw, the bartenders had to look up how to make drinks. They had no idea how to make the simplest of drinks. Entry level stuff was foreign to them. The next thing they saw was the kitchen staff being highly disgusting. They weren't spitting in food or anything, but they were touching uncooked meat with bare hands, then touching other stuff. There was cross contamination everywhere. Then, they both saw how long ticket times were. The two experts ordered a medium temperature steak and a medium rare burger, and it took over 45 minutes for both to come out. That should have been 15 minutes tops. The food was also a total mess. The burger was well done, the steak was undercooked and the nachos were gross. The whole bar was a mess. At one point, one of the bartenders got so upset at the drink orders from the experts, she quit. The owner that was in the car with Taffer rushed to try and stop her, but to no avail. To quit a job because of this is ridiculous.

Finally, after all the nonsense, Taffer came in and laid down the law. He crushed the bartenders and the owners. He slammed the kitchen staff for their poor work and the uncleanliness of the kitchen, it was disgusting. He also attacked the former owner and said he agreed with the new owners that he may be sabotaging them. It was classic Taffer stuff.

When they finally cleaned everything up and got ready fro stress test, this was another time I saw a first for me on "Bar Rescue". The stress test was going as usual, terrible, and one of the new owners shut down the bar before Taffer could. She told everyone that they were done for the night, and that the bar was closed. Taffer was shocked, as was I.

The next day Taffer talked about how that had never happened before, and that it showed weakness. This kind of woke up both the new owners. They now seemed on board with Taffer and his plans. They even amicably parted ways with the former owner. It was nice to see that for a change. No one was forced to fire anyone, they both mutually agreed that it would be for the best.

We then got the big reveal of the new bar. The name was changed from "Schaeffer's" to "R.Lee's". I don't get the name, but it had something to do with the names of the new owners. Whatever. Everyone seemed to like all the changes, but one of the owners was not happy. She wanted to keep the sports bar esthetic, but Taffer went a different way. She was visible upset at what Taffer and crew had done. She let it be known that she was upset as well. Taffer left after this, thinking all was good. The bar, during reopen, seemed to be doing well, and they looked like they could be profitable.

When they went to do the 6 week checkup, we came to find out that they changed the name back to "Schaeffer's", and the new owners refused to talk on camera. They even tried to get the old owner back because they didn't seem to think they could handle doing all the work by themselves. The old owner did the right thing and refused to come back, and we may never know what happened at "Schaeffer's". These people thought they wanted change, but they just clearly wanted to be on TV.

This was a waste of Taffer, his experts and Spike TV's time. I do not like when bar owners do this type of stuff. It is tacky and pointless. I do not know when the next episode is on, but I know that I will be here to review it for you.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He hates restaurant name changes, like St. Louis Bread Company being called Panera. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of generous donors. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Ty Tells You How each NBA Team Can Win the Title: Pelicans, Mavericks, and the Bulls

Day 4 of my NBA countdown features teams 21, 20 and 19. These teams are good, but they could be better, or it is just a weird collection of players that I don't think will work out that well, or they are way too old to be highly competitive anymore.

Coming in at number 21, I have the New Orleans Pelicans. This team should be so much better than what they put out there on the floor. I know they had a ton of injuries last year, but that doesn't excuse their horrendous start, and the total lack of defense they "played". I really like their coach, Alvin Gentry, but I think he is better fitted to be an assistant as opposed to the head coach. He did great things while in Phoenix, but that was another team that he was the head man for, and they never reached their full potential. The roster has some great players, but they either get hurt too much, play hero ball or just haven't figured it out yet. Look, I'm about as big an Anthony Davis fan as there is. He is the new wave of centers. He can score in the post, rebound, block shots, run the floor, shoot the three and guard multiple positions. But, he has not been able to stay healthy for one full season since he has been in the league. I think he is a legitimate MVP candidate, if he can stay healthy. Unfortunately, that is a big if. He has all the tools, he just needs to not get injured. I really like their pick of Buddy Hield. As you all know by now, I would have taken Hield over any of the "one and done" players in this most recent draft. I love his game, he can score at will, and he will learn to play defense. He and Anthony Davis should make a fine pair. But, as I look at the rest of the roster, I don't see much. Omer Asik is done. He is garbage now. He can't score, he can't rebound and he doesn't defend like he used to. He and Davis were supposed to be the ultimate rim protectors, but Asik has not lived up to it. Tyreke Evans is not that good either. Sure, he can go for 30 one night, but the next night, he will go for 5 or 6 points on 2 of 15 shooting. He is exactly like Jeff Green. Has all the tools, but can never put it all together for a full season. Jrue Holiday is a very good point guard, but he too, much like Davis, just can't stay healthy. Kendrick Perkins was washed up in OKC, Solomon Hill is, at best, a tenth man off the bench, Norris Cole is a waste of a roster spot, Langston Galloway shouldn't even be in the NBA and they signed Lance Stephenson. Why on Earth would anyone want him on their team? He is a team killer. Their other pick in the most recent draft, Cheick Diallo, barely played in college, so who knows what he brings to the table. This team has one super star, one rookie that should be good, and nothing after that. The Pelicans will hover around 35 wins, depending on health.

So Ty, how will the Pelicans win the title? The only way they win the title is if Davis stays healthy and is the MVP, not impossible, Holiday stays healthy and continues to be lightening quick and the rest of the roster plays the best basketball of their lives, impossible. I feel sorry for Anthony Davis because he is a great player stuck on a mediocre team. Maybe Buddy Hield will be the guy they need to be Davis' sidekick.

At number 20 I have the Dallas Mavericks. This team would be much lower, like near the 76ers and Lakers, if Rick Carlisle wasn't the coach. He is one NBA coach that is near Poppovich's level. The Mavs still have Dirk, but isn't he like a trillion years old? How much game does he really have left? I know he is a great shooter, but he is a total liability on defense, he can't rebound and his legs are going to give out on him soon. Wes Matthews played pretty well last year, coming off a torn ACL, but he may be the new first option for the Mavs. Can he handle that? I don't think so. He is a good spot up shooter and a good slasher, but to be the main guy, that doesn't suit his game. They did end up with Harrison Barnes and Andrew Bogut, after the whole KD signing, but does that even matter? Barnes looked atrocious in the finals. He couldn't make anything, and he was wide open. He also got abused on defense, but the Mavs gave him a max deal. Maybe he needs a change of scenery, but I just can't shake how bad he was in the finals. Bogut is a fine rim protector, but he is always injured, he cannot run anymore and his offense is non existent. He brings nothing to this team. Seth Curry, not Steph, signed with the Mavs, but he is, at best, your tenth or eleventh guy off the bench. The Mavs will look for more out of him, and I don't think he can do it. Deron Williams is still there, and while he played okay last year at times, his career was over while he was in Brooklyn. The rest of the roster has guys like Charlie Villanueva, Jose Barea, Justin Anderson, Devin Harris and Dwight Powell. Anderson and Powell are young, but not really all that good, and the rest of those guys, they are dinosaurs when it comes to NBA age. The Mavs will step back to about 30-35 wins, at best, this year.

So Ty, how will the Mavericks win the title? They can win the title if they find a fountain of youth, everyone drinks from it, returns to their primes and Harrison Barnes plays like a completely different player than what we saw in the finals. It's too far fetched.

At number 19, just missing out on the playoffs, I have the Chicago Bulls. This team is so much like the Knicks, with one major difference, it is scary. First off, I loved when they moved Derrick Rose to New York for Robin Lopez. I thought that was one of the best offseason decisions, but everything after that, total chaos. To go out and sign Dwayne Wade and Rajon Rando made absolutely no sense at all. First off, those two guys hate each other. Go back and watch some old Boston-Miami games, they despise one another. Second, they are both ball dominant players. Spoiler alert, there is only one ball, so only one guy can have it at a time. Third, Wade is only good for about 41 games of full effort now and Rando, he couldn't hit the ocean with a pebble. This may end up being a disaster. The only reason they aren't as low as the Knicks is Jimmy Butler. He is a much, much, much better all around player than Carmelo Anthony ever was/is/will be. Butler is a great defender, a great scorer, a great slasher and an awesome teammate. I would take him one hundred times out of one hundred to be on my team over Carmelo. He is the one reason the Bulls aren't as low as the Knicks. But, how will he fare playing alongside Rando and Wade? Will he get the touches he has earned? Who knows, but Jimmy Butler deserves better. He is an awesome basketball player. From there you have guys like Doug McDermott, average shooter, horrible defender, Nikola Mirotic, great shooter, even worse defender than McDermott, Taj Gibson, good glue guy, but not great at any single thing, Robin Lopez, good big man, but not even the best Lopez brother and Bobby Portis and Tony Snell, neither has had a real chance to play all that much. Not a loaded roster. I think Denzel Valentine could be good for them, but I don't know how often he will see the floor, considering all the three point shooters they seem to think they already have. He is a much better defender right now than both Mirotic and McDermott though. The Bulls could be the first team to crack 40 wins, or they could totally implode with this odd roster and only win 25 games. I'll go with the 40 wins because I think Jimmy Butler is that good.

So Ty, how will the Bulls win the title? The Bulls could win the title if all these weird pieces find a way to coexist and play team basketball, and the Cavs or Celtics or Raptors suffer catastrophic injuries to their star players. I just think teaming up Rondo and Wade, while you already have a great, young star, is going to blow up in their faces. What an odd offseason the Bulls had.

That does it for today. come back tomorrow for the next three teams. We are finally at the playoff eligible teams. Woo hoo!

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. What a difference a year makes. Both New Orleans and Chicago were in his top ten teams last year. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of generous donors. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Green Cars: Is it Enough?

Electric vehicles have grown up quite a bit.

SeedSing is proud to offer voices from all over the globe. Today we present a guest post from professional mechanic Giles Kirkland. Get your ideas heard by writing for SeedSing

Electric vehicles are, without a doubt, one of the greenest options drivers have when it comes to their choice of car. These vehicles - known as EVs for short - don’t emit any emissions, helping to reduce your carbon output. Yet there is much more to the automotive industry than just fuel emissions, so are today’s green cars enough?

Adoption Rates

First of all, it’s worth noting that, no matter how good EVs may be, the benefits are somewhat diminished if the adoption rate is so slow. No matter where you are, a quick glance at the road will reveal more petrol or diesel based vehicles compared to electric options. As such, there’s clearly some barrier to entry that needs to be readdressed.

One of the more obvious problems is the cost. EVs are relatively new cars, with upcoming models like the Tesla 3 costing around $35,000. Compared to a second hand, petrol based car, there’s a big margin in affordability.

In time, this will go down as the technology becomes more widely available and a second hand market emerges. Even now, however, it's estimated that hybrid cars have a higher cost - up to 20% more - compared to fully petrol based vehicles. That’s still a big margin, especially for budget buyers.

Energy Sources

While cutting on a reliance of fossil fuels is certainly green, the energy used to charge a car from is also just as vital. If such an electric car is powered via coal-generated electricity, can it truly be green? For any car to be environmentally friendly with electricity, owners must ensure they only use renewable power.

It’s also worth noting that some drivers have the option to use a greener fuel source without upgrading their car. Many diesel vehicles are able to use biodiesels, which is much more sustainable. You can even make biofuel at home and it is legal in many countries across the world, including America and the United Kingdom. Just make sure your diesel particulate filter is in the exhaust system cylinder, rather than the exhaust pipe.

Construction Materials

Furthermore, while the likes of Tesla are busy creating lithium-ion powered vehicles and driverless cars, there’s little talk about the actual materials used in their construction. These vehicles still use metal and other natural elements, which may or may not be acquired through sustainable means.

Of course, many manufacturers (although not all) are actively recycling materials where possible. Car bodies, for instance, are typically made from aluminium or steel. Ford alone recycles enough aluminium to produce 30,000 trucks per month, which is certainly a very green effort.

Similarly, more and more car parts can be recycled, provided owners dispose of them responsibly. Glass, of course, can be melted down and re-made, while car tyres can be recycled for their rubber.

Yet this need to recycle is more important in the very green areas. Catalyst converters use three rare earth metals - platinum, rhodium and palladium - while even EVs use lithium-ion for their batteries. This battery source doesn’t have an indefinite lifetime, so recycling efforts will be needed to curb lithium mining as much as possible.

Other Forms Of Transport

As good as green cars can be, they are not the only forms of transport available. When it comes to adopting sustainable travel, there are many more obstacles to be tackled. While electric trains and buses have been in production for some time now, there’s a much greater difficulty in getting the power requirements to replace aircraft and ships.

Even when it comes to electric cars, there are numerous gaps in the market. 4x4 cars, vans and trucks all have big markets - contributing significant emissions in their own rights - yet have little in the way of green alternatives.

Cultural Perceptions

Finally, there are still many people out there who are afraid or unsure of EVs. Part of this is down to a fear of new things, as studies have shown people greatly come around to the idea after being inside an electric vehicle.

Similarly, one can also look at automotive media for a prime example. Motor shows, magazines and other media prioritise the power and performance of combustion engines, rather than the efficiency of EVs. Even when it comes to power, there are a number of plug-in hypercars in production, showcasing the capabilities of EV, but these seldom get mentioned.

Ultimately, it is up to drivers, as people and as consumers, to encourage a greener driving reality. An increased uptake in EVs, certainly, will encourage a wider availability. Yet even people without this financial option can undertake more eco-friendly methods. Whether that’s using biofuels or adopting green driving methods, such as a better fuel economy or car pooling, there are many areas where people could do more, but often don’t.

So, are green cars enough? While they are good, they don’t achieve everything that a truly sustainable, green option should. That being said, they are a large step in the right direction and this should not be underestimated.

Giles Kirkland

Giles Kirkland is a professional mechanic with a passion for greener living and sustainable developments. Have an idea? Tell SeedSing all about it.

Ty Tells You How each NBA Team Can Win the Title: Knicks, Kings, Bucks

Welcome back to my NBA countdown. Today, we will get teams 24, 23 and 22. We are still in the bad teams, and I think some of my teams today will surprise some readers. Anyway, on with the countdown.

At number 24 I have the New York Knicks. Some people, some respected people (ed note: Like me), actually seem to think that this team could be a threat in the East. I do not see that at all. I do not think this team will be any better than last year, and they stunk last year. I don't understand why respected journalists (ed note: Like me) think that signing Joakim Noah and Derrick Rose and Courtney Lee make them a threat. Noah hasn't been healthy for 2 plus years, and his shot is garbage. He is only good for defense and rebounding, and he is still not fully healthy. He will not return to his form from 3 years ago when he was a legit MVP candidate. Noah's attitude may be a great fit for New York, but his game is gone. Courtney Lee is not as good as others think he is. I saw him play live last year, and I did not come away impressed. He's an average shooter and defender. He is by no means a world beater. Then we have Derrick Rose. He hasn't been healthy in about 3 years as well. He doesn't go at the rim with the reckless abandon that he used to. His jump shot is trash and he is a terrible defender. He is also currently on trial for rape, which he all but admitted, by saying that every time he was intimate with his ex, he considered it consent, to doing. Then we have Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis. Porzingis will prove this season if he is good, or just a one year wonder. I think he will be good, but not great. Carmelo is a ball stopper, and he proved during the Olympics that he is slower and still not a good defender. He looked pretty bad, save for one game, during the Olympics, when he was the unofficial team leader. The rest of the roster is very blah to me. Guys like Kyle O'Quinn, Guillermo Hernangomez, Brandon Jennings and Lance Thomas, among others just don't; strike me as legit threats off the bench. Derrick Rose was out of his mind when he called them a "super team". The Knicks are not good, and they will be lucky to win 35 games this year. I have no faith in this team at all. I may be the only one, but I think they are going to be pretty bad.

So Ty, how will the Knicks win the title? The only way they win the title is if Noah becomes a MVP, Rose's knees don't betray him and he gets off this case, Porzingis takes a major leap and Anthony plays like he is 20 again. That is not happening. Sorry Knicks fans, this team is not good.

At number 23 I have the Sacramento Kings. The Kings have a semi talented roster, with the best true center in the NBA right now, but they just can't figure it out. They have good players, but they are all individual players, not team players. Boogie Cousins is great, but he has become uncoachable. He just hasn't figured it out. He is incredibly talented, but until he takes some real coaching, he will continue to lose games, and his cool. I'm a huge fan of his, but he is just a big stats on a bad team guy. Rudy Gay wants out of there so bad, I wouldn't be shocked if he got traded any day now. He is also past his prime. Aaron Afflalo's time in the sun is over. He's not as good a defender or shooter as he was 3 years ago. Darren Collison is an abuser. The fact that he only got an 8 game suspension for domestic violence is a travesty. Matt Barnes is more concerned with fighting former players than working on his game. He is still a decent defender, but he is also a huge malcontent and whiner. Willie Cauley Stein has no offensive game. Good defender, but terrible offensive player. Ben Mclemore still hasn't figured out the speed of the game, and he has no jumper. Ty Lawson is on this team, and last year proved he was done in the NBA. And in the draft, they took another big. This guy is from Greece, and he got owned in summer league. The other picks, Skal Labiessere and Malachi Richardson are too skinny, young and will not be ready to contribute any time soon in the NBA. The Kings are a mess, and have been for about a decade now. They will find their way to 30 wins, they do have talent, but that is about it.

So Ty, how will the Kings win the title? The Kings can win the title if these guys on the roster completely change the way they have played their whole careers, buy into being team and leave their egos at the door. No way that happens with this roster. Hopefully Boogie gets traded. That would be best for him and the Kings.

At number 22, I have the Milwaukee Bucks. This team should be so much better. They were in the playoffs two years ago, and they completely imploded last season. They have some great talent, but I just don't see them putting it all together. I love Giannis Antetokounmpo, and he just got paid, but does he have any real help. Michael Carter Williams cannot score and his defense hasn't gotten better. Greg Monroe was an absolute bust last season, and I bet he gets traded this year. Jabari Parker cannot stay healthy and cannot play defense or rebound. Khris Middleton should be so much better than he plays. He's good for a game winner here and there, but he misses way more big shots than he makes. John Henson just doesn't have it anymore. Their two big offseason moves were bringing in Matthew Dellavedova and Michael Beasley. Matthew Dellavedova stinks. He is a worthless, way below average guard. The Bucks should have buyers remorse immediately. Michael Beasley was so good in college and in China. You know where he hasn't been that good? The NBA. I don't understand why teams still give him a chance. The bucks also drafted Thon Maker at number 10. That was crazy. No one knows how old he is, and these comparisons to KD need to stop now. He hasn't played a single second in the NBA, and he is rail thin. This team's offseason additions make absolutely no sense at all. The Bucks should be better, but they will continue to hover around 33-36 wins.

So Ty, how will the Bucks win the title? The Bucks can win the title if Antetokoumpo becomes the league's MVP, Jabari Parker starts to go for 25 PPG, MCW finds a jump shot and starts to play defense, Khris Middleton becomes a real threat and Greg Monroe starts to play with a vengeance. I just don't see that happening. Sorry Milwaukee, but stop making stupid offseason pick ups that make no sense. until they figure that out, they will continue to be average.

Come back tomorrow for the next 3 teams.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. The Head Editor is confused why the Knicks, a super team, are so low in his rankings. Who is the basketball expert here? Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of generous donors. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Ty Watches the "Eric Andre Show" Season 4 Episode 9

This past Friday, "The Eric Andre Show" was as great, and as weird, as ever. The show started the same. Andre ransacked the stage. He did his usual destruction of the set. He crushed his drummer and his drummers kit. He absolutely destroyed his desk. He, at one point, was in a fight with a kung fu master, and when he went to hit the kung fu guy, it turned out that he was in a hall of mirrors, a la "Enter the Dragon". Andre loves doing this destruction, and I love to watch it as well.

Hannibal Buress didn't have any fancy entrance this time around, he just walked to stage and sat down. When they were both sitting, Andre asked Buress what to do next, and Buress told him to do the monologue. Andre walked up to the microphone, but when he started to speak, he started to see visions, some weird music played, and Andre fell into a black hole. It was bizarre. When he finally came to, Andre was freaking out, yelling nonsense and looked terrified. When the camera panned over to Buress, he stated, "knock it off with this Burning Man shit!", and the screen cut to the freeze frame "we'll be right back".

They then cut to a pre taped segment featuring the Ranch Dude. Andre's outfit was ridiculous. He had on a Madonna cone bra, a Dr. Seuss hat, some big boots, wild sunglasses and a bikini bottom that looked like a beaver. The back of the bikini was not keeping anything secret. Andre was fully exposed from behind, as usual. The Ranch dude then went on to ask people if they wanted a hit off his ranch bong, he played a fake double guitar and claimed some random guy on the street as his dad. He continued to walk around downtown New York saying completely random things to random strangers. This bit is always funny.

The next part of the show had their first guest. Haley Joel Osment. He came out on stage and looked immediately put off. I don't know if the people that come on realize that this is all a joke, Flavor Flav, I'm taking to you, but Andre is trying to make people uncomfortable. Osment was definitely uncomfortable. Andre was saying random things about how there are no rules on his show. He ripped a piece of paper with the word rules on it, he threw that same piece of paper through a fake window, he then broke a piece of glass with the word rules on it. He did it all. Osment jumped when Andre broke the glass. Then, Andre said they were cutting to a clip from Osment's new movie, but it was a clip of a cow giving birth. Osment was totally put off. Both Andre and Buress made fun of Shamalayn movies. It was a great Eric Andre interview.

Once Osment left the stage, there was another pre taped skit that had Andre walking around a park, dressed like a park ranger. He also had a massive head wound. He was stumbling around telling people that he needed to give a speech, but first, he had to find his falcon. People were legitimately trying to help him, so Andre tried to make them uncomfortable, as he is want to do. He started to tell people that he was a Subway spokesman, and he wanted them to make the bread out of used yoga mats. He kept saying namaste to everyone. At one point, he also peed fake blood. This turned people off right away.

After the park ranger bit, we got our next guest, Dennis Rodman. Man oh man, Dennis Rodman is in tough shape. He was immediately sweating when he got on stage. His words were unintelligible. He kept patting away makeup because of the sweat. He kept deflecting questions about his friendship with Kim Jong Un. At one point, Andre started to have a "dance contest", and instead of getting involved, Rodman started to beat box on the table and egg on Andre. Andre kept going while Buress stood still. Rodman was completely incoherent and either drunk, stoned or both. He looks really, really bad. Near the end of the "dance contest", Buress finally started to dance vigorously. This led to another freeze frame "we'll be right back" screen.

This led us to our final pre taped sketch, and I swear it made me feel like I was on drugs. Andre was dressed like an octopus, but the 8 arms were filled with 8 little people. Andre had some weird voice, and the little people kept talking over him when they entered a fancy restaurant. It was loud, trippy, weird and bizarre. The restaurants patrons were terrified. Andre and crew got kicked out pretty quick. This was the weirdest bit I have ever seen on the show.

When they went back to the set, their final guest was David Alan Thicke. It was Alan Thicke and David Alan Grier dressed in an oversized shirt and singing some nonsense song. Andre and Buress were, at first, looking at this like it was stupid, but they quickly got into it. The end of the show was like an "SNL" ending with rolling credits and everyone smiling and hanging on stage.

This was a very odd, but still, very funny episode. Come back next week for the next review.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is friends with a Kim, and a Jong, but no Un. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of generous donors. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Is Soylent the Food For People? 30 Days In

I have officially lived with a diet consisting of mostly Soylent for 30 days. Actually, I’m a little late in getting this to SeedSing, so it is actually 32 days now. I do not have much to add from my previous observations, so this will start as more of a recap.

I started out with the following goals and expectations of my use of the product:

• Increased consciousness of nutritional value of food intake

• Increased feelings of wellness related to dietary consumption both physically and mentally

• Less hungry between meal times, therefore less snacking

In the first few days I noted that the taste was neutral, but not displeasing. I said that I felt different due mostly to the change in diet and that I was disinterested in snacking for the most part.

In the days that followed I noticed an increase in energy. I also noticed a reduction in weight due to my attention to calories. I had stated that I felt a greater sense of physical and mental wellness. I had also mentioned experiencing cravings of some of the less healthy foods that I usually eat when I am around others who are eating them.

Upon my subsequent review I noticed that I did not have as much of a dependence on coffee. I could use it for the pure joy of drinking coffee rather than force myself to make coffee to give me energy. I was still noticing a strong craving for solid food around others eating it. I pointed out the increased enjoyment I had with eating food when I did eat it. I sensed richer flavors and textures than I was before. As far as my digestive system goes, gas was less prevalent which might be welcome to those around me.

What now?

Now that I have done this experiment for 30 days, what am I going to do? If I put these observations into a list of pros and cons I am not really seeing much on the cons side. One might argue that the cravings for solid food could be a con. Maybe. But remember that what I am trying to gain will come with that no matter how I do it. Also, when I think about how I feel after giving into those cravings, the cravings themselves and my ability to look at them and consciously analyze why they are there (mostly because I want to taste something rather than actual hunger) the experience looks a lot more like a pro to me.

When looking at my experiences versus the goals and expectations that I set forth I think that they are more than satisfied. There is certainly an increased consciousness of the nutritional value of what goes into my body. Mentally I feel that I am sharper and more focused. Physically, rather than feeling drag as I had been, I feel energized to the point where coffee is a drink I enjoy instead of depend on. The less hunger between meal times is absolutely awesome. I rarely find myself distracted by hunger and that focus feeds into my mental wellness as well. I have also been losing weight and feeling lighter and more energetic as a result since I have been tracking calories. I plan to continue to track calories either way, but I also want to track nutrition since, as I have mentioned before, a person can still be quite unhealthy while tracking calories.

As I said, this writing comes 32 days into my Soylent usage. Guess what? I am still drinking Soylent for over half of my calories.  I am enjoying it. I like the simplicity of doing it for two of my three meals, but I still have the experience (now with increased enjoyment) of cooking and/or eating meals once a day. I like the increase awareness of nutrition. I like the increased overall mental focus. I am sold.

Kirk Aug

Kirk is interested, and sometimes weary, of what the future holds. Like drones. Follow Kirk on instagram @kirkaug and twitter @kirkaug.

Drones: The Good, the Bad, and the Unsettling

Your newest delivery man

A few evenings ago, as the library was closing, I was sitting in my car in the parking lot catching up on some things on my phone. Suddenly I heard a tap at the window. There was a woman outside and she was pointing toward the sky. I got out to find out what she was so excited about.

There were some red and green blinky lights hovering in the air above the street a half of a block away from where we were standing. It was too dark to be sure what the lights might have been attached to. “What do you think that is?” she asked. I told her that it seemed like it might be a drone. Once it started moving I was certain it was a drone. I saw a light occasionally come on which I think must have been to facilitate a camera controlled remotely somewhere.

Her theory was that it might be a UFO. I stopped myself from explaining that since UFO stands for “unidentified flying object” and we have not definitively identified the flying object it technically was a UFO. Nonetheless, I could tell that she was very creeped out by what was happening. I reassured her that, since it hovers like a drone and moves like a drone, it was most likely a drone and not a visitor from somewhere else in the universe. We parted ways and I started thinking about the future.

We are not too many years away from wide scale drone delivery. Last year Amazon, the country’s largest online retailer, sent a letter to the FAA regarding the development of their Amazon Prime Air service. When I first heard about this I was pretty excited. Same day delivery via drone sounds pretty nice. But the applications go far beyond my consumer fancy of same day toilet paper or flying fast food. I started thinking about natural disasters and getting medical supplies out to where they are needed much faster than we can now.

Currently there are not that many drones which have the kind of range required to master drone delivery, but you can be sure that there are many companies working on perfecting it. Of course technology companies like Amazon and Google are working on it. But so are parcel delivery services such as FedEx and UPS. The first FAA approved drone delivery has actually already taken place. Although aided by an airplane modified by NASA to work remotely like a drone, this pioneer delivery dispatched medical supplies. Domino’s and a company called Tacocopter are already delivering food now as well.

These delivery applications are all very provocative, but what about those creeper drones that I started with? Even more scary, to me, are the drones being used by our military to attack unsuspecting weddings. Well, those things are already here. It is true that a peeping tom could use a drone to look into your window and there is nothing that you can do about it. In fact, because that it is considered an aircraft, it is a felony to shoot it down. As far as this scenario goes though, I think that the legal situation will change and that drones that are hovering within a certain height on private property will start to face some sort of legal consequence if it has not been invited.

As far as military use of drones goes, I guess the question to ask is whether our technology has outpaced our sense of compassion for humanity. I would argue that perhaps it has, but it certainly is not just because we use drones. For that matter it is not even remotely recent. Ever since humans have been making tools, there were always some made or used as weapons. This is just a modern version of that human foible.

What do you think? Are drones appealing or chilling? Let me know your views in the comments.

Kirk Aug

Kirk is the technology trend watcher at SeedSing. He is always looking to the sky in order to help fellow citizens identify the UFOs. Follow Kirk on twitter @kirkaug.

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Ty Tells You How each NBA Team Can Win the Title: Suns, Magic, and Nuggets

Before I continue with my NBA countdown today, I want to wish my beautiful little baby girl a very happy first birthday. I can't believe that she is already one. Happy birthday princess, I love you.

Now, back to the countdown.

Coming in at number 27, the Phoenix Suns. First off, I heard some story yesterday that they are utilizing the "high five" because it will grow strength between teammates and make for a better work environment. They did a study on this. That statement alone should show you how far behind most of the league the Suns really are. Studying the good things about high fives. Yeesh. This was a team that just a few years ago barely missed out on the playoffs in the hyper competitive Western Conference. But now, that roster has been ravaged and there are only few holdovers. This was also the same team that went all in on LaMarcus Aldridge when no one thought they had a chance to sign him. Guess what, he signed elsewhere. The back court is the strength, but it is filled with untapped potential. Brandon Knight and Eric Bledsoe cannot stay healthy, and their style of play seem to clash when they are on the court at the same time. Devin Booker is a great, great shooter, but until he gets some more help, it will be for moot. But man, is he a great shooter. The rest of the roster is very mediocre and old. Tyson Chandler peaked about 4 years ago. I love Chandler, but he is done in the NBA. Jared Dudley, while being a good dude, he doesn't really have it anymore. PJ Tucker can't stay out of trouble on and off the court. Alex Len is a bust. And Archie Goodwin doesn't seem to have what it takes to make it in the NBA. They drafted Tyler Ullis and Dragan Bender. Ullis is lightning fast, but he is so tiny, and he couldn't really score that much in college. Bender may or may not be good, but this preseason, he has seemed more interested in his hair looking good as opposed to his jumper looking good. He also got owned by undrafted opponents in the summer league. The Suns are in the midst of a massive rebuild. They are pretty terrible, not as bad as the three teams from yesterday, but still pretty bad. They will win between 20-25 games.

So Ty, how will the Suns win the title? The Suns only shot at the title is if Bledsoe and Knight find a way to blend their skills and become all NBA caliber and the rest of the roster plays the best basketball of their lives. That isn't happening.

At number 26, I have the Orlando Magic. I thought that they may be on the up, but not so much after this offseason. Sure, they added Serge Ibaka, but is he a real threat anymore? Was he ever a threat? Now, he is the first option on this team. Yikes. Scott Skiles also quit on this team after one year. I think that speaks volumes on both ends. Skiles couldn't handle the new NBA, and the Magic didn't like his old school approach. They also traded away Victor Oladipo. While not great, he was still a double digit scorer and a very good defender. The Thunder won that trade. Aaron Gordon is a very good leaper, but he doesn't do much else. He needs to develop a jumper and play better defense. Elfrid Payton is just not living up to the hype. the game seems to fast for him. Nikola Vucivic is a stat stuffer, but that doesn't make him great. He fills the stat sheet, but it doesn't really matter. Evan Fournier is garbage. Mario Hezjona hasn't really had a real shot to prove himself. Jeff Green is a total anomaly, and one of the more frustrating players in the NBA. DJ Augustin is a career back up, and after that, all no names. I do like the Frank Vogel hiring, the dude is a good coach, but this team is a few years away from truly competing. 25-30 wins seems to be their ceiling. 

So Ty, how will the Magic win the title? The Magic can win the title if Ibaka returns to his old dominant self on defense, and stops settling for jumpers, and the rest of the team plays much, much better than they have since they've been in the league. The Magic are a team filled with players that have not lived up to their hype and draft position. Vogel will make a difference, but it will be in a year or two.

At number 25, I have the Denver Nuggets. I really, really like Kenneth Faried and Emmanuel Mudiay. The problem is with the rest of their roster, it is junk. Danilo Gallinari has never lived up to his expectations, and he is always hurt. Their first round pick, Jamal Murray, barely scored in college. I don't care that he made a bunch of un guarded jumpers in his workouts, what I saw in his short college career, he had a tough time scoring. Wilson Chandler is on the back end of his career, and the front end wasn't all that great to begin with. Mike Miller is one million years old. Why doesn't he just retire? Gary Harris is now getting into trouble left and right off the court. Jameer Nelson's career was over 3 or 4 years ago. And Darrell Arthur is a very below average NBA player. I like Faried and Mudiay, but my like for them is completely outweighed by my dislike for the rest of the roster. Mike Malone is a good coach, but I don't think even Gregg Poppovich could win with this roster. They may win 28 or 29 games, but that is it.

So Ty, how will the Nuggets win the title? The Nuggets could win the title if Faried develops a deadly offensive game, and Mudiay gets a legit jumper. Oh, and that dumpster fire of a roster actually plays good basketball. That is not happening.

That's it for today. Come back next week for my next 3 teams.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the X Millennial Man Podcast. His daughter is a prodigy since she is able to read at the age of one. Why else would Ty write a happy birthday message. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of generous donors. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Ty Tells You How each NBA Team Can Win the Title: Nets, 76ers, and Lakers

In what will become a yearly tradition, I will count down all 30 NBA teams, from worst to best, prior to the start of the season. The regular season kicks off on October 25th, so I figured there was no better time than 2 weeks before to give you guys and girls my rankings and predictions. This will span the next 10 days, but I will sprinkle in some of my other stuff, i.e. "Ty Watches", and other pop culture things, but the NBA will be my main focus for the rest of this week, and most of next week.

Okay, enough foreplay, let's get to it.

Coming in at number 30, the worst team in the NBA in the 2016-17 season will be...the Brooklyn Nets. You thought I would pick the 76ers, they'll be on this list very soon, but I think the Nets will be slightly worse. The Nets are a dumpster fire. They have a few quality players, well, maybe only Brook Lopez, but other than him, this team is either too young, too overrated, or just plain bad. But wait you say, they signed Jeremy Lin and Luis Scola this offseason. I say, so what. Why Jeremy Lin worked in Charlotte was because he wasn't the first option. He was instant offense off the bench. In Brooklyn, he will be the guy, and that does not bode well for the Nets. Scola is old, slow, can't score anymore and is a liability on defense. Brook Lopez is a very good throwback center, but he is oft injured, but he will do his thing, but it won't matter because he has little to no help. He will probably miss some games too, as he always does. The fact that he didn't miss a game last year was a total outlier. That won't happen again. The rest of the roster is filled with guys like Randy Foye, Bojan Bogdanovic, Anthony Bennett and Grevies Vasquez. Does that sound like any kind of good NBA team? I didn't think so. The rookies they picked are so so. Caris Levert, who I root for because he played at Michigan, cannot stay healthy. Yogi Ferrell is smart, but slow and small. The NBA is going to be a grind for him. The Nets will be lucky to win 20 games this year. Bill Simmons should be thrilled because the Celtics are going to be picking in the lottery once again, the Nets owe their pick to them, because the Nets stink. This team is a mess and they will be a mess all year. I feel bad for Brook Lopez because he is legitimately good, he just has no help.

So Ty, how will the Nets win the title? The only way the Nets will win the title is if every other team decides to tank, and that is still a total longshot.

Coming in at number 29, the Philadelphia 76ers. I have been harder on the 76ers than most, but they finally rid themselves of the mess that was Sam Hinkie and "trusting the process". That was a complete waste of 4 years, the 76ers became a joke and I felt that I could play for that team. They are still a terrible team, but they have the look of a team that may, at the very least, try to win some games this year. I mean, they only won 10 all of last year, so there is nowhere to go but up. I know that their first pick, and the top overall pick in the draft, Ben Simmons, is out with a foot injury, but they should still be slightly better than 10 wins. The bummer with the Simmons injury, if you are a 76ers fan, that kid needs to play NBA games. He has no jumper and looks a tad slow right now. He needs that game experience because he is the type of player that will get better when he plays top level competition. But, the 76ers do get to finally see Joel Embiid, after 2 lost years. He has played in a preseason game, so I'm going to assume he will be playing when the season starts. He looked good during the preseason game too. He has great feet and is a decent low post scorer. He could be a decent defender too. Time will tell, but I'd be optimistic that Embiid could be a good NBA player. Nerlens Noel, who is forever on the trading block, is a very good defender and rebounder, but he has no offensive game whatsoever. He is a skinny version of DeAndre Jordan, but I think Noel is a better defender. He will probably be traded though. Jahlil Okafor is a good scorer, but he is an average rebounder and a terrible defender. He is also a hothead, so who knows how many games he'll play. Dario Saric is supposed to finally come over to the NBA, and he looks pretty good. He is a lot like Simmons, just 4 inches shorter. A lot of people have been waiting to see this guy play, me included, and he is supposed to be pretty good. But, who knows. Other than these guys, the 76ers roster stinks. Elton Brand is a million years old. Nik Stauskas is a bust. Jerami Grant cannot slow himself down and is always out of control. Jerryd Bayless is a poor three point shooter, which is his "specialty". This team is lousy. I do like the young guys, but they have too many big men, and Simmons is going to miss a lot of time. They 76ers will win more than 10 games, but they won't get to 20. They are, as I said before, only marginally better than the Nets, but both teams stink.

So Ty, how will the 76ers win the title? The same goes with the 76ers title chances as goes with the Nets title chances. They need every other team to have massive injuries and they still won't win anything close to a title.

Coming in at number 28, I have the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers finally got the Kobe Bryant problem off their books with his retirement. He was the main reason this historic franchise has been a gutter team for the past 4 years. I'm thrilled that he is done in the NBA. This roster is young, and could be good in about 3 or 4 years, but they do not have the players to compete right now. I do like the hiring of Luke Walton, but only for the Lakers. I thought Walton could have gotten a better job, but I'm sure he wanted to go back to the franchise that he played for. I get it, I just think it was a poor choice from Walton. Like I said, they have a good young nucleus, they just aren't ready to compete for anything important. Julius Randle is a very good low post scorer, and he could turn into a decent defender. Brandon Ingram was one of the few young guys I liked in the draft, but he needs to gain weight and start to look like he cares about basketball. He is a little too lax looking when he is on the court, and veterans will exploit that. Jordan Clarkson is a star in the making and he will thrive now that Bryant is gone. He can score anywhere on the court, and he can be a good defender, if he commits himself. The jury is still out on D'Angelo Russell. Will he learn from mistakes last year, or will he continue to be a locker room pariah? Can he score at an elite level? Can he defend the better point guards in the league? Can he play a whole season? Can he become a leader? These are all questions that have no answers right now. Russell will show this season if he is going to be worth the number 2 pick, or if he is going to be a bust. Then, their free agent class is a joke. Loul Deng, old and slow, Timofey Mozgov, couldn't see the court after the all star break for the Cavs last season, Yi Jianlian, who hasn't been in the NBA for years and was crushed by NBA players in the Olympics and Metta World Peace, didn't he retire a few years ago, just terrible. This team is going to be at the bottom of the league until the young players develop. The Lakers have proven to not be a free agent destiny in the past few years for star free agents, so they have had to build via the draft. They may be the first team to crack 20 wins, but that is it, 20 wins. The Lakers stink, and they will continue to stink until they land a big time free agent, or the young players develop.

So Ty, how will the Lakers win the title? The only chance the Lakers have to win the title is if they trade for Russell Westbrook, just re upped with OKC, Kevin Love, is he even elite anymore and one more big time player, and that is not happening.

That's it for day one. come back tomorrow for numbers 27, 26 and 25.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He was on the draft board for the 76ers, they just wanted him to sit for 15 years first. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of generous donors. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Ty Watches Bar Rescue: Russell City Bar and Grill Edition

This past Sunday, Jon Taffer and crew visited the bar "Russell City Bar and Grill", with plans to rescue it. Right off the bat, you could see the problems.

The episode started out with the bartending staff and the owner yelling over one another and arguing about nonsense. We come to find out that none of the employees respect the owner. They walk all over him. They drink behind the bar. They try and make fights happen on a regular basis. They fight with each other in front of the customers. The staff is a mess. It doesn't help that the owner is, as I have said, a total pushover. He seems like a meek man, and he definitely lets his staff tell him what to do. To make matters worse, he seems to check out at times. He lets the crazies run the asylum basically.

The owner has a friend of his, "Church" that he hangs out with at the bar every night. The two are old friends, and Church is there every night. Church gives nothing to the bar, except frustration. He walks behind the bar and pours his own drinks. He takes money when he wants. He yells at the bartenders. And, in this episode, he started a fistfight with one of the bartenders, and it was violent. The bartender asked him nicely, twice, to leave from behind the bar, but Church ignored him. After a third time, the bartender, who was totally in the right in my opinion, started to throw punches. Church refused to listen, and he acted as if he was an owner. The bartender beat the hell out of him, and I loved it.

Once the fight was finally broken up, Taffer and crew walked in to assess all the damage. This was a shit show from the start. First off, the bartender that beat up Church quit, and walked out on the spot. He just vanished. Then, instead of telling Church to leave, the owner blamed his bartenders for the bad behavior. Taffer was completely baffled. He could not believe what was happening.

The next day, the experts came in to try and train the people, after a long night of cleaning. The bar and the kitchen were an absolute mess. the bar top looked like it hadn't been cleaned in months, and the kitchen was ten times worse. There were grease traps filled everywhere. The kitchen was an absolute fire hazard.

So, after they cleaned, the experts came in to do work. The mixologist trained the current staff on some simple drinks for stress test. The chef expert changed the menu to some easier, more cost effective menu items. During stress test, it was a nightmare. Food and drinks were being made okay, but they were going to the wrong people, they were late and they were bad. The main problem was the owner. The bartenders actually did a very good job of trying to keep up. They were making drinks as fast and as well as they could. The kitchen staff was even stepping up, but the food was not going to the correct place, or if it was delivered to the right place, it was late and cold. This all fell on the owner, as he was the runner that night. Instead of owning up to his mistakes, he blamed his staff and told them that they were "making him look bad". This guy was a piece of work. Ranging from not kicking Church out of his bar, falling asleep during training, asking his parents for more money even though he was almost 300,000 dollars in debt, basically everything he did, it blew up in his face. But, he took no ownership.

When Taffer and the experts laid into him, he actually seemed to start to figure it out. He took accountability. He professed to paying his parents back and to be stronger as an owner. He legitimately made a 180 on his personality. It was astounding.

As Taffer and crew were fixing up the bar, we got the first ever cut away to a black screen with writing that I have ever seen. The owner and his crew were talking about the new changes, and the owner said that they were going to be splitting tips from now on. This is pretty customary stuff at any type of service industry job. But, the staff freaked out on him. They yelled and called him names. They were furious. The owner pushed back, but he was totally valid. He explained how much better this would be, and he was right. But, the whole crew, except the kitchen staff and one bartender, quit on him one day before reopen. He hired a new staff, and it was for the best. The new staff worked very hard at relaunch, and they seemed to be much more even keeled. I didn't think that they would save the bar, but they pulled it off at the last minute.

Taffer changed the name to "Fogline", another dumb name, and gave them a bunch of new POS systems, all typical "Bar Rescue" stuff. After the new bar opened, sales were up and things seemed on the up and up. This was a crazy episode filled with yelling from everyone, except for Taffer. Taffer actually kept his cool, shockingly.

Come back next week for the next review, and watch "Bar Rescue", it's been so great this season.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. His advice on saving a bar is do not open the bar to begin with. We have enough crappy ones already. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of generous donors. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

"Westworld" is the Apple Pencil of Television Shows

Still better than the high tech version.

HBO premiered the long in production "Westworld" television show last Sunday (October 2nd), and the internet has gone nuts. The AV Club, IO9, EW, Time, all the usual suspects who love any HBO show predictably gave "Westworld" high marks. These are the same critics that loved "Vinyl", "John from Cincinnati", and "The Newsroom", so take their advice with caution. Critics at Vox, the Washington Post, and the New York Times were not as praiseworthy, but still found round about ways to find value in watching week to week. Similar to when Apple announces a new product, the zealots overtly praise and everyone else highlight what is good while trying to explain away what is bad. HBO is the Apple of television, and "Westworld" is its Apple Pencil.

Here at SeedSing, we did not receive the first four episodes of "Westworld" like the outlets mentioned. We can only review the show based on the pilot episode "The Original". The first fifteen minutes were amazing. In this introduction we are introduced to James Marsden Teddy Flood. Flood is waking up on a train completing its journey to the old west theme park of the future. As the audience, we know that Flood s heading to a theme park, so no explanation is needed. The false vistas of the old west and the town of Sweetwater look incredible. "Westworld" has the best set design and cinematographers in television. Flood passes a few archetypes of the American old west, the potential of a mid town dual, the sheriff's posse assembling to take out the outlaw, the prostitutes offering their special services. Teddy Flood has no interest in any of these things, he is here to meet back up with a girl. 

The girl is Dolores Abernathy, played expertly by Evan Rachel Wood. It is quite obvious that Dolores is one of the androids, or "hosts" as they are called by the staff. Teddy seems to be playing out a romantic story line with Dolores, and "Westworld" kicks off with a little bit of hope.

That hope does not last long once we get back to the Abernathy ranch. Outlaws have killed Dolores's mother and father. The outlaws drink milk, like all creepy people do. Teddy draws his pistol and guns down the outlaws, playing out the story to be the hero. Then we get a glimpse of the unnamed, dressed in all black, Ed Harris character. Harris is not a good man, and Teddy Flood has his weapon ready to take the evil man down. Here the story takes a turn, Harris is seemingly a guest and Teddy Flood is revealed to be a host. Hosts cannot kill the guests. The Westworld park exists to allow people to live out their fantasies, no matter how depraved, with the hosts as the guests tools. Harris kills Teddy and takes Dolores to barn so he can rape her. "Westworld" had our attention after this great opening.

Once we get an inside look at the behind the scenes brains behind the park, "Westworld" goes off the rails. Jeffery Wright's Bernard Lowe and Luke Hemsworth's Stubbs was ok, and the brief scenes with Anthony Hopkins's Dr. Robert Ford were pretty good, but the scenes with Sidse Babett Knudsen and Simon Quaterman were downright terrible. They may be good actors, but every time Knudsen and Quaterman were on screen, I almost turned off the television. Their dialogue was awful, and their delivery was even worse. No amount of pretty scenery can make up for cringe inducing moments "Westworld" devoted to Knudsens's corporate stooge Theresa Cullen and Quaterman's  guest experience writer Lee Sizemore.

"Westworld" gives us these terrible performances because it is trying so damn hard to be an edgy HBO show. Gratuitous lesbian kiss with no meaning, check. Copious amounts of violence and unnecessary nudity, well of course they have it. Liberal use of the "f" word, hey it's HBO. We are by no means against these things, when there is a point. Outside of the violence, none of these other HBO show staples had any purpose other than to be shocking. "Game of Thrones" did not win multiple Emmy's because of nudity, but the creators behind "Westworld" seem to think that is part of the recipe. It was distracting and took away from the show when one has to question why someone is nude, and how many times can Quarterman say the "f" word until it is a noun, verb, adjective, and adverb? The promising beginning of "Westworld" was completely undone by the distracting need for the show to be an "HBO show".

The bad performances and distracting edginess is not even the worse part of "The Original". The music of the show will make you miss key plot points. Many other writers have praised "Westworld" for using modern tunes like "Black Hole Sun" and "Paint it Black" rearranged as being played on an old 19th century player piano, but it was a bad choice. The music is recognizable enough to make the audience have to play name that tune while the show is trying to move the story forward. It is once again a directorial choice that was made to be edgy, and it turned out being bad.

The entire pretension of "Westworld" is also fairly weak. With the great opening scene, and the awfulness that followed, it is obvious that the show wants you to side with the hosts. Every single guest that was shown in "The Original" is a terrible human being who only wants to do terrible things. We are led to believe that the Westworld park is meant to be like a modern open world video game. It seems that the creators spent ten minutes on Xbox live and learned that anyone who plays a video game is a monster. "Westworld" gives inner life to the random NPCs (non player characters) and wants you to care about their dreams. It is an intriguing idea, but when the humans are just blank evil archetypes, the metaphor gets a little lost. Again a great idea ruined by terrible execution.

Many of the other reviews for "Westworld" urge the audience to wait the show out until the fourth episode. That is not the deal television makes with its audience. A great show should have a pilot episode that asks the audience to come back. We talked about some of these great pilots that captured our minds, for better or worse. The new "Battlestar Galactica" , another show based off of an old cheesy seventies piece of entertainment, started with a miniseries to gauge the audience's interest. If we needed four hours of "Westworld" to get involved, then producers JJ Abrams, Jonathan Nolan, and Lisa Joy Nolan should have made a miniseries first. A bad pilot can turn may people away from the next few episodes that will explain things. At least the miniseries would give people some closure after the first terrible hour.

Every year Apple unveils the newest and greatest thing mankind has ever known. Supposed tech journalist sites like The Verge, CNET, Ars Technica, and many others will give non-stop praise to anything Apple in hopes of clicks and recognition that never comes from Cupertino. In reality, many times Apple will release a new adequate piece of equipment, and sometimes they hit a huge home run. Every once in a while Apple will release something just flat out dumb. The Apple Pencil is such an item. There was no need for it. It was poorly executed, in that what good is it when Apple has been telling how great your fingers are for doing things. It was a copy of things done better before. It looked pretty, but had nothing to make it essential. The zealots fell for it, everyone else quickly forgot. "Westworld" is the Apple Pencil of television.

RD

RD Kulik is the Head Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He talks a big game but may end up giving "Westworld" a few more episodes. It is really pretty like his Apple Pencil.

SeedSing is funded by a group of generous donors. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Ty Watches the "Eric Andre Show" Season 4 Episode 8

Man oh man, what a weird, wild and hilarious episode of "The Eric Andre Show" this past Friday. This episode was full on crazy, in a good way. I loved how absolutely nuts the whole thing was.

The show opened as usual. Andre destroyed the set. He beat up the drummer and his kit. Some weird stuff happened between Andre and the "Hannibal 9000" robot. Instead of breaking the metal shelf this time, Andre used it as a jumping off point and crushed his desk. It was the usual insanity that I have grown to enjoy with every open. After all this, Hannibal Buress was introduced, and he showed up on stage on a "magic carpet". It looked pretty ragged, and there were a few times that I thought Buress was going to fall off. After Buress took his seat, Andre said something to him, it was so quiet, I couldn't understand, and he approached the microphone to do his monologue. Once again, instead of a traditional monologue, Andre berated Buress. He was saying mean and hurtful stuff to try and get under Buress' skin. Throughout the whole monologue, Buress said nothing. This made Andre angry, so he pushed even further. Buress finally responded, but he was saying inspirational stuff, and he said he wouldn't let Andre take him down. Then, at the very end of the monologue, after being so upbeat, Buress finally stooped to Andre's level, and insulted him right back. We then got the freeze frame, "we'll be right back" screen.

Next, they jumped to a pre taped segment, introducing the character that wants to be the Sprite spokesman. This bit started out with a focus group debating the Android and iPhone, then all of the sudden, Andre crashed through the roof, with a parachute that didn't fully work. He got up and started to stumble around, asking everyone if this was the Sprite building. This bit is bizarre, but also hilarious. The people in the focus group were terrified, and then they were pushed to anger. One guy was psychically trying to remove Andre from the room. The whole time, Andre just kept saying that he just wants to be the spokesman for Sprite. Then, at the very end, his head popped off, and a bunch of Sprite was shooting from his neck.

Cut to the main stage and they introduced their first guest, Chris Jericho. Jericho literally said 4 words before this interview went off the rails. He walked to his seat, heard the fake audience, and spoke his 4 words, "where is the audience?". Then, Andre went into the interview, and asked his first question. The question was just Andre screaming in the air. He was saying nothing. During this, Buress was eating a sandwich, very sloppily, and making weird noises the whole time, and Jericho looked legitimately confused. He stood up, and walked off the set. That was the shortest, and most bizarre interview I have ever seen on the show.

They cut to another pre taped segment called "Judge Eric" after that. Andre was dressed like a judge, and he walked into a sandwich shop and ordered a sandwich, but used judge terms while ordering. He also had a gavel with him. After finishing his order, Andre started to smash the glass in the shop with his gavel. The patrons were all freaked out by this, and a police officer showed up. But, the police officer was an actor friend of Andre's, and while he was bringing order back to the shop, he pulled out his "member". This freaked out the patrons more than before. Instead of being worried himself, Andre walked out with the "police officer", and said that he ruled that he did not want the sandwich anymore. The look of horror on the other people's faces as they walked out was priceless.

We then got out next guest, Roy Hibbert. Hibbert is an NBA player, and Andre asked him some nonsense questions about being a basketball player. Hibbert tried to answer, but was immediately thrown off when Andre stripped fully nude. Hibbert told him that he wouldn't answer anymore questions until he put clothes on, but Andre wouldn't listen. He kept pushing and pushing, and Buress was doing some virtual reality stuff, and the "Hannibal 9000" even showed up for a minute. Hibbert grabbed a bat and was using it to shoo away Andre. Hibbert was as freaked out as Jericho was earlier. Needless to say, he walked, more so ran, off the stage.

After this interview, they cut to a new segment that had Andre walking around downtown New York, holding a mattress with the words "BED BUGS!" written in permanent marker on it. He kept asking people if they would take the matress from him, and basically throwing it at random strangers on the subway or in the streets. I loved this.

We got our last guest after this bit. The final guest was Flavor Flav. This may be a first, but Flav was more bizarre and less coherent than Andre has ever been on the show. He was talking all nonsense. He was making no sense. So, Andre decided to strip nude again, and Flav became enraged by this. He told everyone on set that he was going to beat them up. He kept running away from Andre. At one point, they cut to Buress kicking a doll version of Flav in the face.

After all this insanity, we got to the final segment, and instead of having a guest, Flavor Flav and a guy dressed in a green screen, skin tight suit having a dance off. This, again all from Flav, was so weird. Flav was dancing and moving around, as was the other person, but it was so bizarre.

This episode was incredibly nuts, but one of the best of the show that I have ever seen. It was bizarre and weird and disgusting and hilarious in all the right ways. This was excellent. Go watch Flavor Flav because he has clearly lost his mind, and it was very prevelent during this most recent episode of "The Eric Andre Show". Man, what a great episode.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Before he lost a lot of weight, Ty would go to the supermarket in a skin tight green suit. Being thin does not make it quite as funny. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of generous donors. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Get All of Your Winners in Ty's Second Annual MLB Playoff Preview

Check out Ty's MLB season preview and judge for yourself how well he did.

In what I'm sure will become a yearly tradition with SeedSing, I will do my own MLB playoff prediction to go up against RD's playoff picks. Last year I was way off, I think I had the Blue Jays winning it all, and David Price being the MVP. So hopefully this year, I do better. Now, right off the bat, I do not know as much about baseball as RD does. I know a whole lot, but RD puts more time and effort than anyone I know that watches baseball. I'd much rather be playing baseball than watching it. The games are too long and boring. The playoffs up the ante, but I don't find myself that excited until the World Series. This is also the first time the Cardinals have not been in the postseason since 2010, so I may be even more checked out. But, I want to make my picks anyway.

Lets get started.

First off, we have the 2 wild card games. In the NL, we have the San Francisco Giants going up against the New York Mets. I did not think that these would be the 2 wild card teams from the NL. It's an even year, so I figured the Giants would coast to a division and World Series title, but they have struggled mightily since the All Star break. The Mets were in the World Series last year, and they had everyone back. They looked prime to be, at the very least, a near lock for the NLCS. But, injuries and players not playing up to the task put them in the position they sit in now. I think this game will be a great pitchers duel. That is the main thing that both of these teams have going for them. I'm sure San Francisco will throw Madison Bumgarner and the Mets will put Noah Syndergaard on the mound. This will be a very good match up, and whichever pitcher makes one mistake, I say Syndergaard, the other team will capitalize. I have the Giants winning the NL wild card game in a very close and low scoring affair.

In the AL wild card game we have the Toronto Blue Jays and the Baltimore Orioles. I was very big on the Blue Jays this year. I thought they had the best lineup in baseball, and they'd cruise to a division title. But, they proved that pitching is important, and that you can't just outscore everyone. The Orioles kind of surprised me. I thought that they would be, at best, a .500 team, but they put together a pretty good year. They have a pretty good lineup, and decent pitching. They have one of the best closers in the game as well. This match up is a total toss up for me. I could see either team winning. I do know that it will be higher scoring than the NL wild card game, and I'm going to go with the Orioles. I think that guys like Manny Machado and Chris Davis will carry this team to a victory, with the score being something very high like 8-6 or 9-7.

With the Giants and Orioles advancing, now we get to the real playoffs. I will do the AL first and finish off with the NL. After Baltimore beats Toronto, that means they will face the number one team in the AL in the Texas Rangers. Now, if you go back and listen to the midseason mini X Millennial Man podcast that RD and I did, I said I loved all the moves the Rangers made at the trade deadline, and thought that Prince Fielder going down was a blessing in disguise. I legitimately think that they are the team to beat in the AL. They already have guys like Adrian Beltre and Nelson Cruz. Then, they added Carlos Beltran and Johnathan Lucroy to that lineup. They also have Cole Hamels and Yu Darvish in their starting rotation. I love the Rangers, and Baltimore won't be able to hang with them. I see the Rangers sweeping them out in 3 non competitive games.

In the other matchup we have Cleveland and Boston. Oh, how I love the fact that Terry Francona gets to face the Red Sox. I also think the Red Sox, and their fans, are a little too cocky going into this series. I have loved what David Ortiz has done in his final season, and they have a very good lineup, but Cleveland is no slouch. They play excellent small ball baseball, and they have a very good rotation. Boston is good at scoring a lot of runs, but keep them in close games, and they aren't so great. I think that will doom them in this series against Cleveland. Cleveland is very comfortable with close games and Boston is not. I also love the fact that Terry Francona will have a chance to beat Boston, the team that cast him off. I have Cleveland winning in 5.

That means we will have a Cleveland-Texas ALCS. Strength against strength. Great pitching versus great hitting. This series will be good, but Texas is so loaded. They have a lethal lineup, and their pitching staff is just as good, if not better, than Cleveland's. As I said, I really like the Rangers right now, and I think they will beat the Indians in 6 games to advance to the World Series.

In the NL, the Giants "prize" for beating the Mets will be a showdown with the Cubs. The Cubs are far and away the best team in baseball. They are loaded absolutely everywhere. I know that some people have gotten on me for being hard on the Cubs, but you can go back and read anything I have written about baseball this year and see that I have picked the Cubs to be the champs. The same can be said for listening to any baseball related podcast. I may despise the Cubs, but they are so very talented. The Giants may make this series closer than it should be, but the Cubs should win it in 4 games. They have great, dependable and reliable hitters 1 through 8, and their pitching staff is amazing. This is the year where the Giants winning the World Series in even numbered years will end.

The other NL matchup pits the Los Angeles Dodgers against the Washington Nationals. The Dodgers have a good, but very old lineup. They also have a good pitching staff, led by Clayton Kershaw, but he does not show up in the playoffs. The Nationals, on the other hand, they have a loaded lineup, third only to the Cubs and the Rangers, and a great pitching staff. The Nationals may blow a game or 2, but not even Dusty Baker will blow this first round matchup. I have the Nationals winning in 4, and I think this is where Bryce Harper will bust out of his slump, in a big way.

That leaves us with the Cubs and Nationals in the NLCS. This is a great matchup, but I just don't see how the Cubs don't win, and win convincingly. Their lineup is better. Their coach is better. Their pitching staff 1-5 is better. They have a better home field advantage. Everything is in the Cubs favor. I don't even think this series will go 6 games, even though it should be a 7 game series easily. Dusty Baker chokes in the playoffs, and the Cubs are just too good this year. I have the Cubs winning in 5, because Max Scherzer will get one win for the Nationals.

So, that means the 2016 World Series, in my opinion, will be Texas and Chicago. This is the best matchup that we could have. They were both the top seed in their league. They both had the best record in their league. They both have good coaches that know what they are doing. They both have home run hitters and on base guys. They both have very good pitching staffs. It's a great matchup. This series should, and probably will, go 7 games. The one advantage the Cubs have over the Rangers is the depth with their pitching staff, and that will be the difference. I, and this is very hard to write, see the Cubs breaking the curse and winning the World Series in 7 games. They are just too good, and they should be the odds on favorites. They were the best team in the regular season, and I don't see that stopping now. Cubs fans cannot use the "we're cursed, so I don't want to get my hopes up", or the "just wait and see, I don't to get my hopes up" excuses anymore. This team was bought to win right now. Not next year, or the year after, but right now. The Chicago Cubs are out of excuses. They have the best team, far and away, in baseball, and I think they finally break through and win this year. And, as much as I'd like to see someone like Jason Heyward or  Dexter Fowler or Ben Zobrist win the World Series MVP, it will inevitably be either Kris Bryant or Anthony Rizzo because the MLB likes lily white rich boys to be the face of their game.

But anyway, as much as it stinks to say, the Cubs will win, and I will not watch "Sportscenter", if they begin to talk about the Cubs, for the next year. It will be so insane and fanboyish, I will have to turn it off.

It is going to be terrible.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He needs to take a rest because the last two paragraphs were the hardest things he has ever written. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

The SeedSing 2016 MLB Playoff Preview

The briskness of October is upon us, time for some Major League Baseball playoffs.

Full disclosure here. We were way wrong about the Boston Red Sox, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Pittsburgh Pirates. The Red Sox were solid all year and pulled away in September from Baltimore and Toronto to win the AL East. We did not think Boston had the offense to compete, and boy were we wrong. Led by retiring David Ortiz, the Red Sox were an offensive juggernaut and a scary force entering the playoffs. The Diamondbacks and Pirates were both big underachievers this year, especially Arizona. Both teams could never get going and both were sellers at the trade deadline. Arizona and Pittsburgh are too talented to be sub .500 teams and should be competitive next year. 

Now onto the actual playoffs. In the AL "Play in Game" the Toronto Blue Jays will host the Baltimore Orioles. Both of these teams have the talent to win this game and make it all the way to the World Series. Each team is a good balance of pitching and offense. Toronto seemed to underachieve a bit this year, but Orioles Manager Buck Showalter does what he always does, he got the most out of his players. In a go anyway game, Toronto will use their better talent, and home field advantage, to win the one game playoff.

The NL game will have every other year champion the San Francisco Giants visiting last year's NL pennant winner the New York Mets. The Giants have great pitching, and in one game that is all you need. The Mets are hot, and did add some much needed offense at the trade deadline, but San Francisco has the advantage with their pitchers. Plus, it is an even numbered year and that works for the Giants.

With the one game playoff out of the way, the Division series will kick off with the Red Sox visiting the Cleveland Indians. As stated before, the Red Sox have an incredible offense led by MVP candidate David Ortiz. The Indians have been one of the most consistent teams in the MLB, and they have the best manager in all of baseball with Terry Francona. Boston will steal a game, but Cleveland will advance to the League Championship series in four.

The other American League series will feature the Blue Jays facing off against the loaded Texas Rangers. Texas made some big acquisitions at the trade deadline this year, and they are in World Series or bust mode. The Blue Jays will have their one game playoff win, but Texas may very well sweep them in the division series.

The National League division series will kick off with LA Dodgers going across country to meet up with the Washington Nationals. The Nationals were great during the season, even with reigning MVP Bryce Harper having a sub par (for him) season. The issue once again is manager Dusty Baker. He is incredible during the regular season, but tends to get out managed in the playoffs. The Dodgers have their stars healthy. Clayton Kershaw will exorcise some playoff demons, and the retired Vin Scully will be able to enjoy a few more games when LA beats Washington in a great five game series.

The Cubs will continue their magically season when the Giants come to town. Chicago has been as good as everyone thought they would be. The Cubs have it all, and added more at the trade deadline. It may be an even year, but the Cubs are way to good to not beat the Giants in four games.

The American League Championship Series will pit the Ranger's talent against the genius of Terry Francona. The Indians are another long suffering franchise, but Cleveland is on the up when it comes to sports championships. When things get tight, LeBron James will come into the Indians locker room and remind the players that Cleveland is a city of champions. It may be irrational, but it seems destiny to put the Cleveland Indians down as American League Pennant winners. It will take seven glorious games, but the tribe will return to the series for the first time in over twenty years.

Scully's Dodgers will roll into the northside of Chicago to take on the Cubs in the National League Championship. Kershaw, off of a great Division series, will steal a game at Wrigley. Unfortunately that will be the last Dodger win of the 2016 season. The Cubs are just way to good. It will only take five games for the 2016 Cubs to rightfully claim the  NL Pennant.

The 2016 World Series will pit the long suffering Cleveland Indians against the longer suffering Chicago Cubs. One fan base will be able to erase generations worth of heartbreak. It will be the Redemption World Series. The two best managers in all of baseball will challenge each other in a one for the ages seven game clash. Joe Maddon and Terry Francona will have their respective teams tasting the title. Late in game seven, lets say top of the 13th inning, LeBron James will appear in the center field bleachers, and Cleveland will remember that they are the city of champions. Home run, and three straight strikeouts in the bottom of the inning. The Cleveland Indians will be the 2016 Major League Baseball World Series Champions.

Better luck next year Cubbies.

RD 

RD is the Head Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He just cannot put the Cubs down as champions, not now, not ever. Tell RD why he is so misguided by writing for SeedSing.

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