Do Yourself a Favor. Start Listening to Little Richard

Cue up the Little Richard, and be happy.

Earlier today I was driving in my car and listening to some Little Richard. I need something upbeat to keep my mind off the horrors that occur everyday now. I've always been a Little Richard fan. I like his voice, his piano playing, his style, everything about him I find very entertaining. I don't think this falls in the greatest American band debate because he is just one man, but I wanted to point out the greatness that is Little Richard, and why I think he is one of the most underrated musicians of all time.

First off, his showmanship is second to none. I have gone on record saying that Freddie Mercury is the best front man of all time in rock music, but Little Richard is a very close second. Going back and watching some old footage of Little Richard is amazing. He absolutely owns the crowd. He is truly one of a kind when it comes to flash and stage presence. He was a hurricane when he performed. The old stuff on You Tube, or anywhere else you see it, is truly amazing. He would have been a stadium performer had he come around now.

Second, his singing is excellent. He rode the line between rock and R&B like no one else I have ever listened to. He had such a soulful voice, but when he needed and felt like he had to rock, he was awesome. Take his most famous song, "Tutti Fruiti". His vocals are so god damn amazing. When he is yell singing the chorus, I want to get up and dance. In actuality, you could say that about the majority of his songs. He hits the R&B when he needs to, but he is so much more of a rock and roller than I think people ever gave him credit for. His voice is legendary and will never be duplicated.

His piano playing was top notch too. He is just as good, better than in my opinion, than Jerry Lee Lewis, but he doesn't get the same recognition. I think it has to do with the fact that he wasn't on Sun Records, but that should not matter. The way he would thrash those keys and how loud, yet sophisticated it sounded was incredible. He could play Beethoven level stuff, but make it a rock and roll song that we could all sing and dance to. I mean, that is astounding. When he would go off on his little solos and hit high notes incredibly fast, my god that was magical.

Little Richard was flashy, he was a great singer, he dressed very stylishly and he owned a stage. So, why do more people not talk abut him being an enormous influence? I mean, without Little Richard, we may have never gotten James Brown. The legend goes, James Brown needed to be convinced to go on stage to perform, and the guy doing the convincing, a young dishwasher/part time musician by the name of Little Richard gave him the confidence he needed to get on a stage. He told him he was special and he gave James Brown that final push he needed. Stevie Wonder owes a great deal of his success to Little Richard. Wonder is definitely more of an R&B guy, but a guy like Little Richard paved the way for a piano player that could rock and play soulful R&B to become ultra famous. Little Richard was the first, then came Stevie Wonder, and I love Stevie wonder. The Beatles owe a ton of their influence from American music to Little Richard. They even tried to do covers of his songs. They did okay, but when the Beatles aren't as good, that is the sign of a true legend. I'm a Beatles fan through and through, but I'd much rather turn on Little Richard when I hear the Beatles attempt to do one of his songs. I know what I will get with Little Richard.

I also happen to think that front men like Freddie Mercury, Steven Tyler, Robert Plant and Mick Jagger owe a ton of debt to Little Richard. They saw him and they saw that they could dress as loudly as they wanted, wear what they wanted and be as free as they wanted on stage because, they saw Little Richard do it long before they became the faces of rock and roll. He was doing it all 10 to 20 years before they even attempted to act like him on stage.

Little Richard is not talked about nearly enough when it comes to legends of, not only R&B, but rock and roll as well. He was more of a rock and roller than a lot of people that are considered legends of rock. I'd take Little Richard any day over people like Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley, Steven Tyler, basically almost any of his contemporaries. I also think a lot of younger musicians, people like Adam Levine, Leon Bridges, Raphael Saadiq, I know he isn't young, but he still plays like Little Richard, Nathan Rateliffe, among many, many others, would not be doing what they do today if not for someone like Little Richard.

Little Richard is an all time great. I'm sure he is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He is recognized by people in the business and industry, but when it comes to fans of older R&B and rock and roll, I think he gets left out of the conversation, and that is unfair. I'm so glad that I have a father and brothers and sister in laws that all introduced me to him when I got heavily into older R&B and rock and roll. Little Richard is one of the most underrated legends of all time. He is truly a master of his craft and he deserves and garners respect from everyone that loves music. As I stated already, we would not have a lot of the people we have today if not for Little Richard.

Do yourself a favor and, to get away from the madness, nightmare hell scape that is our country right now, listen to some Little Richard. He will make you smile and make you want to dance. I know that I am a Millennial, but I am one of the biggest Little Richard fans there are, and I will sing his praises until the cows come home. You are truly a one of a kind legend Little Richard. Thank you for all you have done for music.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He now knows that Little Richard was part of the very first class inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

The Greatest Television Ever: "Workaholics" is Going Out as One of the Best Comedies Ever

Comedy Central is currently airing its final season of "Workaholics". I've been a fan of this show since day one. I was a fan of these guys when they were known as Mail Order Comedy and only did videos for YouTube. So, when they got a show on Comedy Central, needless to say, I was thrilled. And, the fact that the show turned out to be just as funny as I hoped was icing on the cake.

"Workaholics" has had many, many memorable episodes. Front yard wrestling was a gem. Having the weightlifters that were lifting weights for Jesus coming to live with them, hilarious. Any episode that heavily featured Karl, tremendous. When they found a new weed dealer, excellent. When they made their "burrweedos", another classic. I could go on and on and on. I love this show.

When it was announced that the seventh season would be their last, I was sad, but it felt right. There wasn't much else these guys could do, and Comedy Central has some great, newer shows like "Broad City", "Review", "Detrioters" and "Jeff and Some Aliens" that fit right into that late night schedule with relative ease. They have good shows already in place to fill the void that "Workaholics" might have left.

With that being said, "Workaholics" is going out with a bang. Every single episode so far has been great. Every one has been a home run. Every one has been hilarious. Every one has surprised me with how hilarious it has been. The show has always been funny, but each episode for its final season, so far, has been tremendous. Whether it features Karl and Anders talking about who is the "top" in their business relationship, only to find out that Alice's dad, played excellently by Dennis Quaid, is the true "top". That episode also features great side stories with Adam and Alice acting like a couple and Blake selling weed over the phone as opposed to the fire whistle Alice's dad created which they are supposed to be selling. That is when Karl comes in and takes that episode from good to great.

Or, take the season premiere that featured Blake, Ders and Adam having to train new employees, who are just younger versions of themselves. This episode had the three main characters realizing that they are getting older and they may not be able to handle the pranking that the younger generation does nowadays. It also features a great scene involving Ders, Adam and Blake also hiring an older gentleman because he is 69 years old. The humor is as childish as you can imagine, and I loved every second of it. The three younger actors they got for this episode were awesome as well.

The third episode of the season found the boys going to the TeleAmeriCorp's corporate condo for a weekend, and of course they got into some shenanigans. First off, they weren't even supposed to be there, Adam stole the keys. But, Blake is hell bent on playing volleyball and seeing the sunset, Ders wants to get a hickey and Adam wants to film a video that will make him go viral. There is some great scenes of them playing volleyball, a al "Top Gun", but it pans out to reveal that they are beating children in the game. They also meet some ladies that they take a liking to, but they have bully esque boyfriends, like an 80's movie, and those scenes make for some great comedy. Ders constantly trying to find someone to give him a hickey is sad, but hilarious. Adam's attempts at going viral are all for naught, and he constantly hurts himself. The episode culminates with them being locked out of the condo while some townies have a big party without them.

Then, last nights episode was really cool and really different. This time they focused on the character of Bill, a sad sack loner that works with them, but they put him in a thriller type of movie style episode. It turns out it is all a dream, and the whole office is playing a prank on him, spoiler alert. The episode was dark, violent, but above all else, very funny. The ending is a riot. Watch it, you will not be disappointed.

"Workaholics" has only 6 episodes left, and you better believe that I will be writing about the series finale. But, I'm so glad that these guys got there shot and they ran with it and hit on something big. This show has given all three of these guys an extended career in show business as well. Adam Devine is becoming a bona fide movie star, Anders Holm has had some great bit parts in movies, "Top Five" comes to mind immediately for me, and so has Blake Anderson, "Dope" comes to mind. I will miss "Workaholics", but I have been extremely impressed with how they have come out of the gates so far, and I cannot wait to see what they do with their final episodes. I'm sure whatever they do, it will work and it will be funny. That has how the whole series has been.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He loves to look into this fantasy world of places people go to work. He works wherever he wakes. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Charles Barkley is Right about LeBron James

It is time for Barkley and LeBron to grill up their beef

By now all NBA fans know of the spat between LeBron James and Charles Barkley. Today, I'm going to give my take on what's going on. I said on our mini podcast that I side with Charles Barkley, and while I still do, I am going to give points as to why both are right and wrong.

So, first off, LeBron has done nothing but gripe about his teammates, the lack of another playmaker, the fact that the front office has "done nothing" and so on and so forth. To all this I say, stop it LeBron. The Cavs and the front office and the GM have answered your every beck and call. When you came back 2 years ago, they traded away Andrew Wiggins to get Kevin Love. I know Love is figuring out his role with the Cavs now, but he is hurt, and I'd honestly much rather have Andrew Wiggins. He is a playmaker, a much better defender and young. Then, after getting beat by the Warriors in the finals 2 years ago, in the middle of the next season, with the best record in the East, they fired David Blatt and hired your buddy, Ty Lue. It turned out to be the right move, the Cavs went on to win the title, but still, you wanted Blatt out, and you got your wish. Then, this offseason, you wanted Mike Dunleavy on the team, the Cavs signed him and it did not work out. So, they traded Dunleavy away and got Kyle Korver for you. That has not worked out yet. I know the roster is thin, but the people who make the decisions have done everything you have wanted them to do. That is why people call you the GM and the coach, as well as the player.

Lebron is far and away the best player in the NBA, there is no question. But, this constant complaining at this point in the season, needs to stop. It seems like LeBron does this every year. He did this last year, when he took 2 weeks off, which was well deserved, but he had many complaints about the team during his mid season vacation. It just seems like that when LeBron isn't the most talked about player in basketball, he finds some way to get his name out there so everyone, me included, will talk about him.

I agree with Barkley that this makes him a whiner. In fact, I was fully on Barkley's side after LeBron came out with all his comments. I do think that LeBron whines way too much. I do think that he wants to have all the best players on his team so he doesn't have to give his full effort. I do think that he, and most NBA players, are way too friendly nowadays. I do think he blames everyone but himself, and that comes off as childish at times.

Where I disagree with Barkley, LeBron has a legitimate complaint about his playing time. He is playing way, way too many minutes. He is in fact leading the league in minutes played. That is a lot to ask from a guy that has been to 7 straight finals, played in multiple Olympics and goes extra hard in the playoffs. But, that is not Charles Barkley's fault, that is the fault of his handpicked coach and his handpicked roster. See, even when I try and find a way to agree with LeBron, I still find reasons why I think his comments were out of line. Barkley is not making him play all those minutes. That is his coach, as I already said.

And sure, LeBron pointed out that Barkley was friendly with some of his rivals, but all of that was off the court. He may have cracked one or two jokes during a game here and there, but when they were playing, Barkley wanted to crush the team and players in front of him. There was no hugging or high fiving Jordan before games from Barkley. But, when Dwayne Wade and LeBron meet in a game in the middle of the season, they embrace like family, which is just fine, just do not try and claim that Barkley did the same stuff. He did not. I watched him obsessively because he is my all time favorite NBA player.

Also, to call him out for the whole I'm not a role model thing, that was ridiculous. That was a marketing campaign from Nike, and it was so much more memorable than any commercial you will do with the same company. I also liked the message of the I'm not a role model thing. He was flat out telling parents and fans that he is simply a basketball player, and that the parents and people in kids lives should be their role models, not an NBA player. While I may have modeled my game after Barkley's, he was never my role model. My father is my role model. So, if James thinks it is on him to be a role model, that is his deal. He doesn't need to drag Barkley into his personal decisions. And the whole spitting on a kid thing, come on with that nonsense. If he did spit on a kid, I'm sure it was on accident, and to bring it up now, that makes you sound more like a "hater" than Barkley.

All of this is just nonsense. LeBron James is above all of this. He does not need to fight with former NBA players. He is never going to change their minds, just like they are never going to change his mind. This is childish, and I feel like LeBron is starting to realize that his name isn't the biggest in the NBA anymore. He is still the best player in the world, but more people that watch and talk about the NBA want to talk about the Warriors, Russell Westbrook, Giannis Antentekoumpo, James Harden, Joel Embiid and some of the newer generation of players. This was clearly, in my opinion, just a way for LeBron to keep his name as the top story for a day or 2 on sports radio, TV and blogs. This will all be forgotten about in about a week, thankfully. But, I just need to let everyone know that I am fully on Barkley's side with this "beef".

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Hear his thoughts on all things sports by downloading the newest edition of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Midseason NCAA Men's Basketball Checkup

As I did with the NBA last week, today I will look at where men's college basketball is at the half way, or more so the 3/4 mark of the season. I know I trash men's college basketball, and while I still think it is very low quality, this season has been a bit better. At least the good teams are playing each other during the regular season as opposed to only facing off during the tournament. With that being said, my conference, the Big Ten, has been an absolute shit show. The Big Ten is, by a wide margin, the worst major conference in all of men's college basketball. But, I will talk about that conference more a little later. Let's take a look at the season so far.

I am going to start with the Pac 12. The Pac 12 is very top heavy. Oregon, UCLA and Arizona are far and away the three top teams. Arizona just beat up on UCLA, and while it was a throwback to see UCLA at number 2 in the polls a few weeks ago, they are kind of crashing back down to Earth, and it all started with Arizona beating them up. Lonzo Ball is one freshman worth watching, but UCLA is a run and gun team that does not play much defense. They may make it to the second day, or even the Sweet Sixteen, but anything beyond that would surprise me. Oregon, my preseason guess to win the title, started off very poorly, won 17 in a row, then just recently got beat by Colorado. They are a very inconsistent team. I still would not be surprised if they won the whole thing, but it would not surprise me if they got beat in the first round of the tournament as well. Also, Dillon Brooks has the flop of the century. Go check it out, it is a thing of beautiful hilarity. Arizona, now at full strength, is the team to beat in the Pac 12. They looked really good against UCLA, and if they can keep it up, they are a real threat to go to the final four. They have a very, very good team. One other player from the Pac 12 I want to point out is Markelle Fultz from Washington. Washington is terrible, but Fultz is really, really good. He is a better version of Ben Simmons, in my personal opinion. If you happen upon a Washington game, do not watch for the Huskies, but watch for Fultz, he is incredible.

Now lets look at the ACC. This was supposed to be Duke's year. They had the best returning players and the best class. Things have not gone that way though. Look, I have written so much about what is wrong with Duke, but they still have a loaded team, and if they ever figure it out, they could win. But, they have way, way too many problems and I just do not see them doing much damage. They are not as great as some thought they would be. Florida State on the other hand, I know they have lost 2 straight, looks really good. Their mini losing streak is a fluke and happens to every good team. FSU has a great coach and they look like a legit threat to make a long tournament run. They also have one of those really good freshman as well. They also have the biggest basketball player I have ever seen. I do not know his first name, but his last name is Ojo, and not only is he big, but he is tremendous around the rim. UNC has a really good team, but they are not the same team as last year, and who knows what they will look like come NCAA tournament time. They could make a push, or they could go out on opening weekend. I do like that they have a bunch of upperclassmen though. After these teams, it is kind of a jumble. Notre Dame, Virginia, NC State and Louisville are all good, but I do not know what they bring to the table as a real threat. The only team on that short list that I think could unseat one of the three teams I mentioned is Louisville, but their offense is very mediocre. NC State has a great freshman, Dennis Smith Jr, but that's it. Notre Dame is just average everywhere, and so is Virginia. I think, at this moment in time, that FSU will win the ACC.

Next, the Big 12. Baylor, Kansas and West Virginia are the only teams worth mentioning. Baylor is a ton of fun to watch, but when they run into a team with similar athleticism, they just cannot keep up. They are currently the number 2 team in the country, but I do not see that lasting too long. While a ton of fun visually, I just do not see them as a real threat. WVU runs that suffocating press, but where does the scoring come from? sure, they just beat KU for the third straight year, but when they play in Allen Fieldhouse later this season, I'm sure KU will demolish them. This team is also coached by Bobby Huggins, so they are bound for an early tournament exit. KU is KU. This KU team feels a bit different to me though. Sure, they have super freshman Josh Jackson, but Frank Mason is the engine that runs this team, and Frank Mason is so damn good at basketball. The Jayhawks also have a swagger that some older KU teams did not have. KU is typically a heart-breaker in the tournament, but this team kind of reminds me of the team with Mario Chalmers that won the title a long time ago. I really like this KU team, especially after they beat Kentucky in Rupp Arena. Look for KU to be the Big 12 champ for the 13th straight year.

The predictable SEC is Kentucky and everyone else. People may say, well Florida and South Carolina are top 25 teams, I say, who cares. Kentucky is so much better than any team in the SEC, it is not fair. I don't think, nor they should, Kentucky fears any team in their conference. They will destroy those teams at will. Malik Monk and D'Aaron Fox and Bam Adebayo are great, great basketball players that play beyond their years. They all know their roles perfectly and they play them very well. Kentucky's kryptonite is teams like KU, Louisville and UNC. Those teams have upperclassmen that are not fazed by player rankings ad have been around for awhile. These are the types of teams that can beat Kentucky. Kentucky will win the SEC with ease though.

Now, lets tackle the awful Big 10. I had high hopes coming into this season for the Big Ten. I thought it would highly competitive. Unfortunately, it has been an absolute bore and a showcase for how not to play high level college basketball. Wisconsin is the "best" team in the Big Ten, but they have had recent struggles against both Rutgers and Michigan. Wisconsin is slow and shoots way too many threes and they don't utilize their best player, Nigel Hayes, nearly enough. After that, you have teams like Purdue and Northwestern that are top 25 teams. Purdue has a glut of supposed good big men, but they have not really shown out this year. Purdue's guard play has been suspect as well. They are a first round out in the tournament for sure. Northwestern is ranked! Good for you guys. You may even make your first tournament ever. That's right, they have never, not once, been in the NCAA tournament. I'm sure they'll make it this year and I'm sure they'll get bounced in the first round. But yeah, you guys are ranked. After that, the rest of the Big Ten is just bad. Michigan State has been an absolute disappointment. Michigan plays no defense and hasn't been making the three like they thought they would. Ohio State has played well below their expected level and people now want Thad Matta fired. Nebraska has been abysmal after an okay start. Maryland is ranked, but who have they played, and they look like they are struggling at all times, even when they are winning. After that, who cares. Wisconsin will probably win, but so what. The Big Ten is bad and not one team will get to the Sweet Sixteen, mark it down.

The Big East is still a conference, but the only teams worth mentioning are Villanova and Creighton. Xavier was once ranked highly too, but they have fallen off a cliff as of late.  Villanova is exactly who I thought they would be, a well disciplined, three point shooting machine. Josh Hart is awesome and they have replaced the players they lost from last years title team with ease. Maybe this is the new normal for Villanova. Creighton is okay. They beat the teams they should and get beaten by the teams they should. They are a first round out for sure. I miss the days of Georgetown being good, but things are cyclical and they will be good once again. But, for now, it is Villanova's conference to lose.

Outside of these conferences, the only other teams worth mentioning are St. Mary's and Gonzaga. St. Mary's is okay, they may win a game or 2 in the tournament, but that is about it. Then we have Gonzaga. They are undefeated and crushing each opponent with ease. With that being said, they do not have a tough schedule. So, they are doing what they're supposed to be doing, but they are not playing many tough teams. Some of that is their fault, some is other top teams not willing to play them. I think this will hurt them come tournament time, but I do think they will enter the tournament undefeated. They are this generation's St. Joe's.

As far as my final four picks, I'll go with KU, Arizona, Villanova and, what the hell, Gonzaga. The title will be KU and, what the hell again, Gonzaga, and I am picking KU to win, in a landslide. My player of the year is Frank Mason. He is the best player on the best team.

That is my midseason men's college basketball update. Take it with a grain of salt.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man. He works really hard on these college basketball articles. The pieces usually start with "College basketball sucks" and ends with "screw Flanders". Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

What the Hell is Pro Bowler Kirk Cousins Thinking?

Really, what the hell Kirk

Last night was the Pro Bowl. I do not watch the Pro Bowl. It is the sorriest excuse for an "all star" game. The fact that it is the week before the Super Bowl speaks volumes to how dumb this "game" really is. Sure, the players are "all stars", but when you have 2 teams filled with 53 players each that do not have one single player playing in that game, you do not have the best of the best. Last night there was no Julio Jones, Tom Brady, Matt Ryan, Donta Hightower, Adrian Clayborne, none of those guys. Those guys are all preparing for the biggest game of the year. Without these players, the Pro Bowl has to add players like Phillip Rivers, Travis Kelce and Kirk Cousins. For as good as those guys are, or were, they are not even in the top three of their position in the NFL. The game is a joke.

One of the players I just mentioned I want to talk about today. As I already stated, I did not watch the game, but I do check Bleacher Report and ESPN.com in the morning, and I saw Kirk Cousins going full on Pete Rose while tackling and stripping the ball from Aqib Talib after an interception. I watched the full tape, and if I did not know better, I'd think that Cousins was playing in a very important late season game, or in the playoffs. He was going all out. When asked why he hustled so hard and went for the strip, Cousins said, "I wanted to win the game".

That is preposterous. This is not a "game". I cannot stress that enough. The players, with Cousins being the exception, go maybe 25 to 50 percent. There is no pass rushing allowed. You cannot try and block kicks. A fan ran on the field, and instead of being escorted off, he and Ezekial Elliot had a race. I mean, this game is pointless, but not to Kirk Cousins apparently.

I have so many questions as to why Cousins was trying this hard in the Pro Bowl. First of all, just why? Why put all that effort into a pointless, shameful excuse for an all star game? I get wanting to be competitive, I want to win when I play pick up basketball all the time, but even I have my limits. I know, when my team is down 10-2, we play to 11 by 1's and 2's, and the other team hasn't missed a shot, I save myself for the next game. I'll go about 65 to 70 percent, but I'm not going all out like Kirk Cousins.

Second, why do this when you are about to become a free agent and about to come into a lot of money? I know that these players have a real chance at getting hurt anytime they step on a filed or a practice field, but the Pro Bowl has always seemed like the one field where no one takes it seriously because of their big contracts. Kirk Cousins, while I think he is marginal at best, is going to get paid by someone. He will probably get franchised once again, but I think he still will get somewhere in the neighborhood of 18 million again this year, but then next year, if he stays healthy, he is going to get a major contract. So, why all the effort in the Pro Bowl? What if you broke your arm going for the strip? What if you fractured a finger on your throwing hand and you couldn't grip the ball? What if you separated your shoulder? There was so much more risk than reward going all out like that after throwing a meaningless interception. Who cares that you got picked off in the Pro Bowl? I would have let Talib walk into the end zone. I think Talib expected the same thing, but Kirk Cousins took this as seriously as he does any game. I have already said, I get being competitive and wanting to win, but you have to know your limits and the situation. This was such a pointless waste of time, but Cousins took it way, way too seriously.

Some people may like this, I just thought it was stupid. No one in any other all star game takes it this seriously, not even Russell Westbrook in the NBA all star game, and he is way better at his profession, more competitive too, than Cousins will ever be at football. Cousins is lucky that he didn't seriously hurt himself, and if I were a GM considering signing him, seeing this last night would definitely make me hesitate to give him any kind of long term deal. This was a mistake by Cousins, and he is so lucky that he didn't seriously hurt himself.

Finally, it was a very nice pick by Aqib Talib. It was awesome.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man. He remembered the Pro Bowl was on tv when he woke up this morning and heard something about pro football. Maybe next year he can set his DVR to miss it again. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

President Trump's War with American Exceptionalism

It says give me your huddled masses yearning to breathe free. Moron

The first days of the Donald J Trump Presidency have not gone very well. The immediate top priorities for the Trump White House was to whine, cry, and lie about the most mundane things. His goal to repeal and replace Obamacare has been met with confusion and apprehension from Congressional Republicans. The reaction of Trump and his media surrogates towards the successful Women's March on Washington was a predictable temper tantrum from a bunch of rich white men. His border wall with Mexico has been one idiotic embarrassing tweet after another. Most recently, his recent action to ban Muslims from a few countries has been met with disgust and anger from Americans of all political persuasions. In these early days of the Donald J Trump era, it seems the new President's only goal is to be the man who ends the successful legacy of American exceptionalism.

Anything that has been done by President Trump should not be a surprise. Many Republicans, including then Indiana Governor Mike Pence, were loudly denouncing candidate Trump when he was calling for a Muslim ban. The looming disaster of the Obamacare repeal could be seen with every wasteful show vote from the US Congress. Trump's thin skinned nature, and his absolute goal of popularity, has been present in the Donald Trump world since he first entered the public consciousness in the 1980's. The early failure, and embarrassment, surrounding President Trump's US - Mexico border was predicted by almost everyone over a year ago. All of these early executive orders from President Trump’s desk have been known since the Republican Primary. These very ideals is why Democratic Presidential nominee beat President Trump by three million votes. The majority of Americans knew that Donald Trump did not represent their views of what makes America great.

The pathetic actions of the Trump White House to continue the lies around the attendance at the inauguration, the fact that Trump lost the popular vote, by three million votes, and the success of the Women’s March on Washington, are a little sad and a lot scary. When the Press Secretary knowingly lies to the White House Press Corps, and the American people, it disrespects all Americans. The great citizens of the United States are not stupid. We all saw the vote totals, we saw the pictures of inauguration day, and we saw the massive number of Americans who came out for the Women’s March. We know that President Trump, and his surrogates, are lying. We know that they are lying to protect a President who must have extremely low self-esteem. Many have laughed at the childlessness of the new President, but it is not a joke to have a leader who is so thin skinned. What will Trump do to gain acceptance from those people he thinks matter? His actions show that he does not care about the approval of the American people. It is scary to think that the President’s need to be accepted by others will be more important than keeping America a great country.

Candidate Trump rallied the minority of American voters with his promise of a wall on the US-Mexico border, and that the Mexican government would pay for this wall. It was never made very clear why the Mexican government would pay for such a pointless project. Now that Donald Trump sits in the Oval Office, he needs to back up his ridiculous promises. His supporters, who are the minority of voters, have demanded this fairy tale wall. Good to his word, President Trump signed an executive order to build the wall, and to make Mexico pay for it. The government of the sovereign nation of Mexico quickly rebuked the new President’s wishes. In response, The Trump White House threw another tantrum and pledged to place a very large import tax on Mexican goods. Almost the entire business community, many congressional Republicans, and lovers of tequila everywhere quickly questioned the new President’s judgement. Many people laughed, most people just shook their heads, at this moronic idea. The negative reaction to President Trump’s grand plan was so quick, that the people who have already lied for Trump were quick to walk back their boss' bad thoughts. The greatness of America taught the new President a harsh lesson on the payment of the border wall.

During the Republican Presidential Primary, Donald Trump was unapologetic in his thoughts of banning refugees, mainly Muslims, from entering the United States. This naked xenophobia turned off even the most right wing of Republican Presidential candidates. Many, many, many people would call out Donald Trump for his racism, and misunderstanding of what has always made America great.

Now that Donald J Trump is the President, he does not seem to care about the terribleness of banning a religious group from coming to the United States. What again should not be a surprise to anyone, Donald Trump used an Executive order to ban immigration from Muslim countries where his personal business empire does not currently operate in. Green card holders, business professionals, an Oscar nominated director, children, and many others were denied entry into the United States. This inhumane act by President Trump was roundly condemned. The once, and still, great American people showed with their voices that the majority of citizens do not believe in hate.

Within a few weeks, President Trump has shown that his administration does not believe in the proud tradition of American exceptionalism. His lies insult America, his narcissism embarrasses America, and his racism hurt America. No amount of Fox News misdirection can hide the fact that the Trump White House has no idea what they are doing. The incompetence of the Trump Presidency has given America good comedy, and sleepless nights. Trump’s early days has shown that his Presidency is not going to be great for America. It is a good thing that what makes America great is the fact that we can suffer through the failures of a bad President.

The greatness of America does have to face some harsh truths. Is it possible that everything that President Donald Trump has done has been done with a purpose? It is obvious that the President is most interested in protecting the Trump business, and being a leader for all Americans does not matter to him in the least. Maybe the weakening of America is good for Trump and his inner circle of political advisors. Maybe the greatness of America is holding back some grand plan for the people who currently work in the White House. It is clear that President Trump has no idea on how to make America great again. America is already great. The new President’s actions are working directly against American exceptionalism. Americans make America great. Do not forget that. Do not let President Trump take that away.

RD

RD is the Head Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast? Help us keep track of, and call out, the lies of President Trump. Write for us.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing 

Playing Ten Questions with a New Five Year Old

Nothing is off the record here

My son turned 5 yesterday, and I decided that I wanted to interview him. I wanted to know how he sees the world. I wanted the insight of a 5 year old because, honestly, I do not remember much, if anything, from when I was 5. I asked him 10 very simple, easy questions. He answered them all as truthfully as he could, and then he asked me the same 10 questions. I thought this was an interesting idea, so I'm going to go through each question, his answer, why he answered the way he answered and my response when he interviewed me. Here we go.

Question one: Who is your favorite superhero? As you all know by now, my son loves superheroes. His answer was, very quickly, Captain America. When asked why, he simply said because he has a shield. Nothing else, just that he has a shield. Short and sweet. My answer to this question, Wolverine. When asked why, I told my son that I liked his powers and his claws. Both of us needed little to no time to answer this question.

Question two: What is your favorite movie? Miles thought about this one and finally settled on "Captain America: Civil War". See the running theme so far? When asked why it was his favorite, he said because of the battle scene in the airport. Now, full disclosure, that is the only scene of the movie he has ever watched. He hasn't seen anything else in the movie. I thought it was an interesting choice. My pick, "Napoleon Dynamite". When asked why, I told him that it was silly and goofy and I've seen it over 40 times. He was unimpressed.

Question three: What is your favorite TV show? He quickly answered "PJ Masks". You all know how I feel about this show. But, my son loves it because of the "superhero" theme. Simple and plain. When I was asked, I of course said "The Simpsons". It's the best show ever and I will not hear of anyone not agreeing with me.

Question four: What is your favorite book? His answered spoke so much to his age and the time we live in now. Without hesitation, Miles said, "Captain America: An Origin Story", on his Kindle Fire. He reads books off a tablet now. I still read paperbacks, but this generation of kids, everything is digital. When I asked him why this was his favorite, he said because it tells him everything about his favorite superhero. When he asked me, I said "Lord of the Flies". He asked me what is was about, I told him, and he said he wants to read it someday. This was a very proud moment for me.

Question five: What is your favorite sport? Miles said baseball, baseball, baseball. When I asked why, he said it is easy, he likes to hit and throw and play first base. It was a very child like answer, and I loved it. I was the same when I was his age. I told him that, but when he asked me the same question, I told him basketball. It is my favorite to play and watch. He thought I was going to say football, which I love, but I surprised him with basketball.

Question six: What do you like about school? He told me he likes his teachers, the stuff they teach him and playing with his friends. I thought this was a perfect response from a 5 year old in Pre K. That is exactly what I'd expect most 5 year olds to say. When he asked me what I liked about school, I told him recess. He was confused because recess is so short, but I told him I looked forward to it everyday.

Question seven: Who is your favorite family member, grandparents and cousins included? This may sound like an odd question, but he's 5, and he said he loves everyone! I was floored. He was being completely honest too! Anyone that knows Miles knows that he loves everyone and everything. I know I'm biased, but he's a damn good kid. When he asked me, I said besides Mom(my wife), I told him my brothers. I've been through it all with my brothers and they have all made me a better person. Thanks guys.

Question eight: Who is your best friend? Now, this may have been an answer based on who was around, but I think this is true for most 5 year old boys, he said Mom(my wife). When I asked him why, he said she is the nicest and sweetest person he knows and he loves her so much. It was very nice. When he asked me, I did not have as quick an answer. I have lost touch with a lot of people I used to consider my best friend, but when it comes down to it, my father is my best friend. We go to shows, games, movies and just talk about everything. He has always been there for me and he's always kept me level headed. Not only is he my dad, he is undoubtedly my best friend.

Question 9: What is your favorite food? He answered just as I thought, saying mac and cheese. This kid would eat it everyday if I let him. He said he loves it because it is gooey and cheesy and that his Grammy, my mother in law, makes the best. I told him my favorite food was steak. When asked why, I told him that I love meat. That is it and that is all.

Final question: What is your favorite restaurant? He said Chuck E Cheese. I think this place is gross, Miles loves it. This is the most 5 year old answer imaginable. That place is made for young kids. He even likes the food, where I find it inedible. My answer, The Block. It's a local Saint Louis butcher block that has the best meat I've ever had in my life. It is really great. If any readers not from Saint Louis come to town, check The Block out. It's incredible.

So, that is the life through the eyes of the newly minted 5 year old son, Miles Kulik. I loved this idea and I'm glad my wife suggested it. I had a lot of fun doing the interview and even more fun writing it. This was great. I hope you all enjoy this as much as I enjoyed doing it.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man. The other great thing about having a new five your old in the house. The dad can spend the weekend playing at an indoor water park. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Better Late than Never on the Strange, and Wonderful, "Swiss Army Man"

As I said last week when I reviewed "The Nice Guys", I'm catching up on movies from the past year that I did not get out to the theaters to see. Yesterday I watched one of these movies, and I cannot stop thinking about it. That movie was "Swiss Army Man".

I heard so much about this movie prior to seeing it. All the stuff that I heard though failed to tell me how great this movie is. I heard about the farting, boners, being alone in the woods, but, no one told me how heart warming and moving this movie was. I'm not kidding, this is one of the sweetest movies about friendship and survival that I have ever seen.

Both Paul Dano and Daniel Radcliffe are absolutely incredible in their roles. Paul Dano usually plays a troubled or disturbed person in most movies he's in, but in "Swiss Army Man", he is a guy lost at sea that is about to give up until he seems the corpse of Daniel Radcliffe's character Manny. This gives him hope that maybe he can survive. He is, for a Paul Dano character, a decent guy. When he meets Manny, he quickly finds out he's dead, but weird stuff starts to happen just when he is about to give up again. This is where the farting and boners come into play, but I love the way the the writers and directors used what could have been childish humor. It's first used as a joke,  but, the further we get into the story, the noises and movement in the groin region are used so excellently. With the farting, Dano realizes that Manny can do many things to help him get off the island he's stranded on. The farts propel him as if he is a jet ski that Dano can ride. It also helps him light fires and makes his arms and legs very strong. The boners are his "compass" home. Whenever Manny gets "aroused", his member points them in the direction towards home.

I know this sounds crazy, but this movie is really incredible. Some very uplifting and touching moments are peppered throughout the movie. Manny begins to live again by making this new friend, Hank(Paul Dano, obviously). Hank teaches Manny how to talk, to feel, to love, to react, to walk, to fear, all things we teach our children before they are fully functioning adults. The "montage" scenes in the movie are so well done I don't mind that we get multiples.

"Swiss Army Man" is, by far, the most unique movie I have seen in some time. But, it's not just unique, it is great. Dano and Radcliffe are really good actors and they take these roles that could have been a disastrous high school joke and make them heartfelt and have you rooting for their friendship. I highly recommend this movie. It has to be seen to truly appreciate its wonderfulness.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man. He is relaizes that he wrote about a heartwarming moving where farts and boners play a key role. It is really that good. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Defending the "Star Wars" Prequels Doesn't Mean You are a Nerd. It Means You have Bad Taste in Movies

If we could only throw the prequels into lava and rebuild them to be more badass

Recently I have heard from some friends, and comedians, that they did not like "The Force Awakens". I thought, that's weird because they like most of the other "Star Wars" movies, and I personally thought that "The Force Awakens" was incredible. When I asked my friends, or heard the random comedians on their podcast explain why they disliked the movie, I thought that their points were rather weak. They claimed that JJ Abrams ruined what the original trilogy did, they said that it was too similar to the original trilogy, some did not like the new characters and so on and so forth. I disagree. 

First off, JJ Abrams revived "Star Wars" after the disastrous prequels. That is a fact with no alternative version. 

Second, with all the "remakes" or "updated versions" or "prequels" being made now, I applaud the fact that "The Force Awakens" hearkened back to the greatness that was "Star Wars", "The Empire Strikes Back" and "Return of the Jedi". Those were great movies, as is "The Force Awakens". Again, there is no alternative telling of this fact.

Third, all the new characters are great. Finn, Rey, Poe, BB-8, Kylo Ren, all of them are perfect for the "Star Wars" universe. Anyone's alternative view of this fact is just plain lying. 

What this all leads me too, I think the whole "nerd culture", that has become not only acceptable, but extremely popular, has made these people that were once picked on, but are now revered and looked upon as a popular group of people, resent the fact that they are not unique anymore. So, to combat this newfound popularity, they have tried to find ways to try and return to being a "nerd", when "nerd" was uncool.

Now, I am not popular by any means, but I do not consider myself a "nerd" either. Also, I do not care if you identify as a "nerd", but the people that are condemning "The Force Awakens" and now saying that the prequels are better, stop it with that nonsense. The prequels are an unmitigated disaster. Those movies are absolute garbage, and anyone with functioning eyes, ears and taste can accept how bad those movies are. The narratives in all three are stupid. The action scenes, which may be the only good thing in those movies, are trite and pointless. When Anakin falls into that lava pit and becomes Darth Vader, I could not roll my eyes enough at how stupid that scene was. The new characters in the prequels, save for Jango Fett, are terrible. The prequels gave us quite possibly the most racist character in movie history since the crows in "Song of the South", in Jar Jar Binks. That was such a slap in the face of whatever the hell race and culture that George Lucas and company were trying to emulate. I know that Anakin became Darth, but he was a new character, and all he did was whine and complain. He was a brat. Padme, who could have been as badass as Princess Leia was instead, a "damsel in distress". It was disrespectful. Watto was just stupid and clearly a "lets see how far we can take CGI" excuse for a character. The only cool new character was Mace Windu, which they barely used and then killed in the third prequel. The prequels are trash.

This leads me to the main point today. The people that are condemning "The Force Awakens", and defending the prequels are contradicting themselves, and just trying to regain their "nerd" status. As I have said, if you talk to anyone that does not care about their status, or how "nerdy" they can truly be, they will tell you all the same stuff I have just written, and then some. I am no "Star Wars" expert, but I do know what a good and a bad movie looks like, and "The Force Awakens" is good, and the prequels, they are a flaming pile of trash. There is plenty of other stuff that the people that want to act like "nerd" culture isn't cool anymore can glomb onto. They do not need to bash "The Force Awakens" and defend the prequels.

To help the nerds so desperate to be different, I have some things for you to consider. How about comic books? Who really reads those anymore? That could make you feel "nerdy" again, if that is what you want so badly. Or, you can memorize who is on your favorite college football team. I can name every player on Michigan's football team, their coaches and their AD. Doesn't that sound super "nerdy"? I also know as much as there is to know about the mid 90's NBA. I know this stuff is sports, but I have put in as much effort and time as "Star Wars" "nerds" have put into knowing these minute, stupid, non essential things. Doesn't that make me just as much a "nerd" as die hard "Star Wars" fans.

What it all really boils down to, you can still like "The Force Awakens" and be a "nerd". So what if the movie is widely acclaimed and loved. So were the 3 original "Star Wars" movies. You do not need to defend the prequels. I do not think defending the prequels makes you more of a "nerd", it just shows me that you have shitty choice in movies and I need to stay away from you whenever you suggest a movie you'd think I'd like. I'm sure "Star Wars" fans will come at me, but the prequels are truly awful, and there is no argument to be had otherwise. Just accept that "nerd" culture is now cool, and no matter how far away you try to get from being a "nerd", you are now the popular kids that a lot of other kids want to be like. This is a good thing. But, defending the prequels is a bad and stupid thing. Those movies are dreadful and thank goodness for "The Force Awakens". It is a great movie, and you don't have to be a "nerd" to like it.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He thinks the idea of using "alternative facts" to paint bad movies as good ones is the most dangerous lie we have going in America. Nothing else is more damaging. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Midseason NBA Checkup

We have reached, actually passed by number of games, the middle of the NBA season. Most teams have played between 41 and 44 games. As I will do every year with each sport I do a preview of, I am going to do my midseason update for the NBA. Instead of going through all 30 teams individually, I have it sectioned off into 4 different groups. This makes it easier for me and an easier read for you. Alright, enough talk, lets get into it.

My first section is titled, "Team That Are Right Where They Are Supposed To Be". This section has teams like the Nuggets, Bucks, Bulls, Raptors, Celtics, Hornets, Magic, Clippers, Thunder, Lakers and Suns. Lets dive a little bit deeper into why I think these teams are right where they are supposed to be. Teams like the Bucks, Bulls, Hornets and Thunder are all right around, or just above .500. I did not expect these teams to be much better than that. Sure, some are fighting for playoff spots, but will they do any real damage? I don't think so. The Thunder are the one team I could see doing some things, they do have Russell Westbrook who is having an incredible year, but he cannot lead this team to a title, especially in the West. The Clippers are the Clippers and now Chris Paul is hurt. They will be lucky to get to the second round of the playoffs. The Bucks are okay. Giannis Antentekoumpo is a full fledged star and one of the most exciting players, and Jabari Parker seems to be figuring the game out, but outside of those 2, the Bucks are average, and their record shows that. But, Antentekoumpo has become must watch TV, and I love the fact that he is starting the All Star game. The Celtics are really good, Isaiah Thomas is an awesome scorer, but I do not expect them to push the top teams in the East. The Bulls started hot but have cooled off as of late. They just have too many old guys, and for some reason are unwilling to give the team over to their best player, Jimmy Butler. Until they do that, they will be a middling Eastern Conference team. The Hornets either can't stay heathy, or they are what they are, a .500 team that gets bounced in the first round of the playoffs every year. I'm going to go with the latter. Kemba Walker is great, but this team will not make the conference finals with him as their "go to guy". It is not happening. They'll get to the playoffs and they will exit early, that is their destiny.

The Magic, Lakers and Suns are very below average NBA teams, and that is no surpirse. Sure, the Nuggets are fighting for the 8th seed in the West, but they are 8 games below .500, have no premier scorer or defender and they, while fun to watch, are very ho hum. The Magic are much of the same. Serge Ibaka has brought nothing to that team, Elfrid Payton still hasn't figured it out, Jeff Green is doing Jeff Green things. The Magic are destined to be below .500 until they get another super star via the draft. The Lakers, after starting "strong" at 10-10, have lost 23 of their last 28 games. They are still too young, do not play much defense and they still need a few years before they get it together. The Suns stink, but they are doing that on purpose. Devin Booker is an incredible basketball player, but he is surrounded by guys like Alex Len, Dragan Bender and the corpse of the once great Tyson Chandler. The Suns are bad, but that is what everyone expected. They are in full tank mode. Good or bad, these teams are doing what I expected. 

My second section is titled, "Surprises". In this section, I have the Wizards, Kings, Heat, 76ers and Hawks. Let us first look at my bad "surprises". I thought the Kings were going to be much better this year. I did not think they would be like the 4th or 5th best team in the West, but I thought they would compete. Sure, they are in the race for the 8th seed in the West, but whatever team wins that is going to get smoked by the Warriors. I liked Mike Malone as the head coach and I thought Boogie Cousins was going to set the NBA on fire. Cousins is doing his part, but he is still a headache. Mike Malone has been less than superior as the head coach. The rest of the team is just awkward parts that do not fit. The Kings stink. I figured the Heat were going to be bad, but not this bad. They are truly awful. It doesn't help that Justice Winslow is pretty much done for the year with an injury, but everyone else on that roster is garbage, except for Hassan Whiteside. Whiteside is putting up All Star caliber numbers, but he has no help. Goran Dragic wants out of there, Tyler Johnson is incredibly overpaid and the rest of the Heat is just bad. I'm literally shocked at how bad they really are.

Now, the teams that are playing better. The Hawks, after dumping Kyle Korver, I assumed they were going to have a fire sale, but they have stayed pat, and they have looked really good. Milsap is playing great basketball. Dennis Schroder is leading the team. Dwight Howard is being quiet and averaging a double double. Tim Hardaway Jr has been very impressive lately. The Hawks are playing well, and I just assumed they were going to throw in the towel after trading Korver, but they have gone a whole different direction, and it is working for them right now. The Wizards started off terribly, but since John Wall has become unstoppable, and become an enforcer, they have played much better. They have been blowing opponents out lately too. Wall looks incredible and the rest of the team is following his lead, as they should. This is the Wizards team I expected to see from the start of the season. The final "surprise" for me is the 76ers. I have been very hard on this franchise, but when Joel Embiid plays, they look like a real NBA team. Joel Embiid is a legit up and coming star in the NBA. He is so, so good. When he doesn't play, they look like the 76ers, but since his minutes have been upped, and the fact he gets to play more games, they have looked decent. Hell, they went on a win streak recently. The 76ers are still really bad, but with Embiid continuing to get better everyday, they could return to being a playoff contender sooner rather than later.

Section 3 for my mid season update is titled, "Teams I Was Wrong About". This list has teams like the Trailblazers, Grizzlies, Pelicans, Timberwolves, Rockets, Pistons and the Pacers. The Trailblazers have been an absolute mess and I thought that they were going to take the next step after their success last season. Lillard and McCollum are a great offensive backcourt, but they play no defense. The Blazers also have no front court threats and they gave Evan Tuner way too much money. This team is going nowhere fast, and I thought that they would be firmly in the playoff race at this point. The Grizzlies have played very well despite injuries and the age of this roster. I thought that they would be a middle of pack West team, but they are fighting for that 3rd or 4th spot. Mike Conley, Marc Gasol, Tony Allen and Vince Carter are leading the way, and if I was one of the upper tier West teams, the Grizzlies would scare me a bit with their tempo and how well they play team basketball. The Pelicans have been an enigma all year. Anthony Davis started out on fire, but they weren't winning. Then, he cooled off a bit and Jrue Holiday came back and they started to play very good basketball. They dug themselves into a deep hole early on, but they are climbing their way out of it. I thought that they'd be a playoff team, which they still have a shot at, but they have such a steep hill to climb to get there. The Timberwolves, on the other hand, I thought were a year away from the playoffs, but I thought that they'd be a .500 team, at the very least. Well, they can score, but they cannot play defense, and that has killed this team. They have looked better as of late, but they still look like they are a year or two away from truly competing. The Pistons are just downright stinky on offense. I figured they would take the next step and become the 4th or 5th team in the East, but they have no offense. Reggie Jackson has been throwing up bricks since he came back from injury, Tobias Harris isn't scoring, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has not gotten better, Andre Drummond barely sees the ball in the post, this team is a mess. 

The Rockets, and the Pacers, were probably the teams I was most wrong about. I thought they were going to implode, just like they did last season, but they have been great. They are the 2nd or 3rd best team in the West, and maybe the 3rd best team in the league. James Harden at point guard has been a revelation, and they are playing this "space and pace" offense to perfection. They still think defense is optional, and I think that will doom them in the postseason, but man are they great right now. The Pacers I was wrong about, but for a different reason. I thought the Pacers had a great offseason, and that would turn into a great regular season. I picked them as the number 2 team in the East, but they have not looked good. They are in the playoffs right now, but they would be a 6th seed I think, and they have had infighting, complaints from Paul George and they just do not seem to mesh well on the court. The Rockets, for good, and the Pacers, for not so good, have made me look like an idiot.

My final section is title, "Teams I Was Right About" This list includes the Warriors, Cavs, Spurs, Jazz, Knicks and Nets. Lets get the Knicks and Nets out of the way first. The Nets are garbage. I picked them as the worst team in my preseason countdown, and they are living up to that "lofty" pick right now. They have not cracked double digit wins yet and they look like a D League team that just happens to be in the NBA. The Nets stink. A lot of people were high on the Knicks after their offseason, but I was not. I did not think bringing in oft injured old guys that were good 5 years ago was going to work, and surprise surprise, the Knicks are mediocre. Derrick Rose cannot stay healthy and just leaves the team when he feels like it. Joakim Noah has become a shell of himself. His air ball free throw last night is the best representation of where he is now and how bad the Knicks are. Carmelo wants out, but who wants a 32 year old "star" that only wants to play offense? Not a contender and I'd wager on that. The Knicks are still a long way away from competing. The Jazz are playing very good basketball like myself, and many others predicted they would. They play great team basketball, and they have a swarming defense. If this team stays together, they could be good for awhile. The Spurs are the Spurs. They play the best team basketball of any team in the NBA and they play suffocating defense. Gregg Poppovich is the best coach in the NBA, and as long as he is on the sideline, the Spurs will continue to be great. Having Kawhi Leonard is a big help too, and LaMarcus Aldridge has been great so far this season. The Cavs, while in a bit of a slump as of late, are still the Cavs. They still have LeBron, Kyrie and Kevin Love and they will breeze their way to a third straight Finals appearance. And they get JR Smith back soon. The Cavs will be just fine.

Then we have the Warriors. They are the best team in basketball, and they are just now figuring out how to play with one another. They are deadly everywhere on the floor and they play the best defense in the league. The Warriors are great and if they do not win the title this year, I'd be more shocked than Clemson beating Alabama in the College Football Playoff this year.

As far as a Finals prediction, it is going to be Cavs-Warriors part 3, and I still have the Warriors winning in 5 games. My preseason MVP was Kawhi Leonard, but it is clearly a two man race between Russell Westbrook and James Harden, and right now, I'll go with Westbrook. He is averaging a triple double after all. Defensive Player of the Year is Draymond Green, no ifs ands or buts about it. He is a Swiss army knife and plays incredible defense. Rookie of the Year is Joel Embiid, and I will hear no other arguments. He is incredible. Coach of the year has got to be Gregg Popovich. He lost Duncan, and the Spurs are still the 2nd best team, according to record, and he is the reason why.

So there you have it, my mid season update on the NBA. I'll come back when the playoffs are set, but as of right now, this is how the season has looked to me, so far.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He should not feel that bad, Houston and Indianapolis have been making people fell stupid for a variety of reasons. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

The Two Best Teams in the NFL Will Make for a Great Super Bowl

We hope the game day nachos live up to the great match-up

Yesterday's NFC and AFC title games were a waste of time. Both games were blowouts. The Patriots and the Falcons were clearly the 2 best teams in their respective conferences. I'm not going to do a Super Bowl preview, I already picked the Patriots to win when I did my full preview and yesterday did not change my mind. I still have the Patriots winning a close game.

What I do want to talk about today, the 2 correct teams are playing for the Super Bowl in 2 weeks. As I have already stated, the Falcons and the Patriots are the 2 best teams in the NFL this year. I'm sure some people, Roger Goodell I'm talking to your punk ass, wanted to see the Steelers beat the Patriots, but lets be real, the Patriots are a far superior team. Sure, the Steelers were riding a big win streak, and they looked great, but who did they really play to end the season or in their first 2 playoff games? I believe they ended the regular season with match-ups in the final 2 weeks against the Bengals and Browns. The Bengals were tremendous underachievers this season, it's probably due the fact they did not change their team name to the Harambe's, and they kept their games close. The Browns were the joke of the NFL this year and the Steelers needed a comeback to beat them in week 17.

In the playoffs, the Steelers got the Dolphins in round one, with a backup QB. The Steelers did what they were supposed to do to an undermanned opponent. The Dolphins, due to both injury and coaching, are not as good as the Steelers. The fact that they blew them out was a foregone conclusion. Then, against a Chiefs team, they did not even score a touchdown and they won. To this I say, they got to play playoff Andy Reid, and playoff Andy Reid is atrocious. He makes terrible decisions and outcoaches himself. Also, the Chiefs offense leaves a ton to be desired. They have no real threats on offense and the Steelers knew that, and they controlled the game. The other playoff teams in the AFC were the Texans and the Raiders. The Texans are terrible and they did not deserve a playoff spot. The Raiders starting QB broke his leg in week 16, and they played a third stringer in their playoff game. The Steelers would have easily beaten either of those teams handily.

Unfortunately for the Steelers they had to go to Foxboro and play the Patriots, who were coming off an 18 point win where people, myself included, said they looked bad. Well, last night, they looked like the Patriots. Tom Brady was whipping the ball around on a very young secondary and exploited every weakness in that young secondary. Then, when the pass game loosened up the rush, Legarette Blount, Dion Lewis and James White took over running the ball. The game was close for a half, then the Patriots seized control and never let up. Hell, with a 27 point lead, Brady was still throwing the ball. The Patriots did exactly what most should have expected. I could not believe how many "experts" thought the Steelers were going to win that game. It was a laugher from the third quarter on. The best team in the AFC is representing their conference, as they should be. 

Now lets get to my team and the ass whooping they took yesterday. If the Patriots-Steelers game was done by the third quarter, the Falcons-Packers game was done after the first drive. The Falcons went right up the field, scored a touchdown with ease and never looked back. Green Bay proceeded to miss field goals, fumble the ball, get sacked, throw picks, basically anything and everything they could to lose the game. They looked god awful yesterday and the Falcons took full advantage, as they should have.

But, looking at the teams in the NFC, who was better than Atlanta? Some may say that is was the Cowboys. I say no way. The Cowboys were paper tigers. They had a great regular season, but when they needed a playoff win, their defense and coaching reared its ugly head. Is Jason Garrett not the Andy Reid of the NFC? He puts together decent regular seasons, then always craps out in the playoffs. Jason Garrett is a bad NFL head coach.

Yesterday we saw what Atlanta can do to a terribly prepared, coached and injury riddled defense like Green Bay's yesterday. They smashed the Seahawks the previous week. They crushed Russell Wilson all game and Matt Ryan, Julio Jones and the best duo in the backfield in the game right now, Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman, ran rough shot over them. The other 2 NFC playoff teams were the Lions and the Giants. The Lions lost 4 in a row going into the playoffs and Matt Stafford was hurt. They were doomed the moment they walked into Seattle, so just think of what that Falcons offense would have done to them. The Giants have a very good defense, but they still have Eli Manning. I do not care how good your receiving corps is when you have Eli Manning throwing the ball. The Falcons would have crushed the Giants, much like the Packers did. The Falcons were clearly the best team in the NFC.

So, while Fox may not like the matchup because it only has one "marquee" team or while Roger Goodell may be terrified of what will happen if he has to hand the Lombardi Trophy over to the Patriots or Vegas can't pick good odds or whatever other crap people may complain about, the Falcons and the Patriots are far and away the 2 best NFL teams and this is going to be a good Super Bowl. The Patriots are the Patriots, but not a lot of people know that they have the number one scoring defense in the NFL. The Patriots have a very good, very underrated defense. And the Falcons, well, they have Julio Jones and the number one scoring offense in the NFL. It is strength on strength for the Super Bowl. I love this matchup, and since I have no rooting interest, I cannot wait to watch and see what happens. I think the Patriots will win, but it would be pretty sweet if someone like Julio Jones has an epic game and somehow gets the win for the Falcons. I'm hyped for Super Bowl 51, and I think everyone else should be too.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He was glad that Green Bay was out of the game so early, that freed him up to other more productive things through the night. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Accepting, and Defending, President Trump's Lies is unAmerican

My America is great when we embrace the truth

It is mere days into the Presidency of Donald Trump, and history has already been made. The good kind of history is not being made. It is more of a predictable terrible history coming from the new White House. The 45th President has already taken time off from work, after he constantly complained about President Obama leaving work for any time off. He has not moved on any meaningful legislation, after he promised to get to work on day one. He has not released his tax returns, even though he promised to release them once in office. But the most disturbing thing coming out of the new Trump White House is the need for the President, and his supporters, to lie about anything they feel like is not in their favor.

The fact is that not as many people attended the inauguration of Donald Trump as those that attended the inauguration of Barack Obama. That is not in dispute. We can speculate on why President Obama was a bigger draw than President Trump. It could be that Barack Obama won the popular vote by a very large margin, and Donald Trump lost the popular vote by a huge number. It could be that the majority of the country was excited about the hope, and positivity, that surrounded the ascension of Obama. Trump’s campaign was filled with racism, misogyny and constant whining from the candidate. We know that the weather was not a factor. President Trump may have had a warm rainy day, but that is child’s play compared to the historically cold temperatures in Washington DC for President Obama’s inauguration. No matter what we speculate, the fact is that Donald Trump had a whole lot less people watching his inauguration than those that experienced President Obama’s swearing in.

Yet our new President decided to throw a temper tantrum at the CIA and claim that the press is lying about his poor showing. The so-called leader of the free world is so thin skinned that he has to show his smallness to the entire world while he addresses the nation’s intelligence community. He thinks his delusions are worthy of the CIA, the American people, and the world at large. This all happened in the first hours of the Trump Presidency.

Just like the 2016 campaign, Trump’s surrogates came out and defended their boss. Remember these people are now employed by the American people to act in the best interest of all Americans. New Press Secretary Sean Spicer used his very first official press conference to mimic his boss and complain about the media. Spicer went even further and flat out lied when he claimed that the inauguration was the most watched event of its kind ever. The spokesperson for the President was not called out for his obvious lying because he refused to take any questions. Quite the man of the people.

But Spicer was not going to be outdone with his blatant lies. White House adviser Kellyanne Conway was on “Meet the Press” and explained that the President and the Press Secretary were using alternative facts when talking about the inauguration. Host Chuck Todd was rightfully flummoxed by the idea of alternative facts. Conway though was resolute, and continued to whine about the media. At one point she even insinuated that President Trump would start to cut access off to the media that does not accept the administrations alternative facts. Conway had no shame, like Spicer and the President, in protecting an obvious lie.

The press, and the public on the internet, have laughed at President Trump and his team for their need to lie about the inauguration. This is not funny. These people occupy a White House that many Americans look at as a castle for the king of America. The Trump administration could act without the consent of Congress and many Americans would not blink an eye. Hacks like Speaker of the House Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will use the weak will of President Trump to pass legislation that will hurt most of America. Trump’s lies were not taken seriously during the campaign, they sure as hell need to be taken seriously now that he is President of the United States.

The thing that should scare every single citizen of the United States is that the President of the United States is so weak that the fact of a small crowd at his inauguration has become the most important issue for his young term. The majority of Americans are not stupid, we all saw the pictures. It was a good, and cathartic, laugh to see the ratings starved Trump not pull the big numbers. But the laughter stopped when the President of the United States lied to us, and his staff protected his lie instead of respecting the citizens of the country they serve. The President’s ego is more important than having a leader who respects the intelligence of all Americans. Having a self-serving narcissist as leader of a nation has never ended well for anyone.

President Donald Trump took an oath to serve the American people. He works for us. When he is blatantly lying to protect his own feelings, he is not serving the citizens of the United States. In the first days of his Presidency, Donald Trump has already shown himself to be unfit for the office he was elected to with a minority of the votes. The people tasked with working in the Trump White House also have an oath to the American people. When they perpetuate the President’s lies, they too are acting against the citizens of the United States. The Americans who want to protect Trump’s lies are also acting in an unconstitutional way. Protecting lies will only damage the nation.

Wanting to protect an obvious lie does not make America great, it makes it much worse. We can only hope that the terrible, dangerous, and unpatriotic actions of the President and his staff will wake up the American people. If a low rating on inauguration is worth the fight, what more important actions will the President lie about? What if it is something serious? Do not let the Trump’s lies destroy America. Be patriots.

RD

RD is the Head Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast? Help us keep track of, and call out, the lies of President Trump. Write for us.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing 

The Voters are Idiots. Thomas and Westbrook Deserve to be NBA All Star Game Starters

Ty is tired of the voters ruining our goven... basketball.

I had a whole mid season NBA update I was going to write today, but instead, I have to talk about the complete snubs that both Isaiah Thomas and Russell Westbrook got by being not voted as All Star starters. The mid season update will have to wait until Monday.

Let us first talk about Isaiah Thomas. No one, in the entire NBA, scores as many points as he does in the fourth quarter. If I'm correct, I believe that he is averaging 10 points per game in the fourth quarter alone. That is amazing. He gets critical points at the most crucial times in games. Some say that the Celtics don't have a go to scorer or someone they can rely on in key moments, but I beg to differ. Not only does Thomas average the 10 points per fourth quarter, he averages 28 points per game, as a 5'9 shooting guard, and 5'9 is generous. He is probably closer to 5'7 or 5'8. And he gets his points in the paint. You may see his size and expect he is a jump shooter, but he is more an attacker than a shooter. He can shoot, don't get me wrong, but he is so much more lethal going to the rim. He goes in among 6'8, 6'9, 6'10 and 7 footers and gets buckets. His first step is deadly. He has a great step back jumper that is almost as un guardable as Kareem's sky hook. The other night I watched him play the Hawks and I was blown away at how, not only efficient, but how good he was at offense. He is having an incredible year. The counter point to this, people say he doesn't play defense, but neither does Kyrie Irving, James Harden or Steph Curry, but they were voted as starters this year because of their offense. Why can't Thomas be on the same list as those guys. It's not like this is his first year as a legit scorer, he has been doing this since he was in Sacramento. Isaiah Thomas will get on the team as a reserve, but he definitely deserves to start over Kyrie Irving, and I think Irving is great, just not as good, or as important to his team, as Thomas is to the Celtics. Isaiah Thomas is the reason the Celtics have gotten better every year since Thomas was traded there, and he is now a perennial All Star, but he should have been a starter this year. It is really a shame that he is not because there is almost no one more deserving than him this year.

The reason I say almost is because of Russell Westbrook.

HOW ON EARTH IS HE NOT A STARTER ON THE WEST TEAM THIS YEAR?! HE IS AVERAGING A TRIPLE DOUBLE! HE IS CARRYING THE THUNDER BY HIMSELF! THEY LOST KD AND THEY ARE STILL A DECENT TEAM!

Sorry, I just had to yell type that.

Seriously, what else does Westbrook have to do? I get James Harden being one of the starters, he is having a tremendous year, much to mine, and a lot of other people's surprise. But, to have Steph Curry, who is a tremendous basketball player, as the other starter, that is a bad look. Steph is great. Steph is an All Star. Steph is the 2 time MVP. He has a title. But, is he the first option on his team anymore? I already mentioned that he thinks defense is optional, although he has played better this year. His numbers, for him, are down. Steph, second only to LeBron, is probably one of the most beloved NBA players, but Westbrook is unequivocally having a better season than Steph or Harden or Irving or DeRozan or Lowry or any other guard you can think of in the NBA right now. I say again, he is averaging a triple double. The last guy to do that, Oscar Robertson in the 60's. He is carrying the Thunder on his back, and then some. Who else does he have since KD left town this offseason? Victor Oladipo, Steven Adams, Enes Kanter and Andre Roberson are fine, but they are not the threats that these other guys have on their teams. Steph has Klay, KD and Draymond Green. Harden has bombers like Ryan Anderson and Eric Gordon and also a very good, young big man, Clint Capela. Kyrie Iving has Kevin Love and LeBron. DeRozan and Lowry have each other. I mean, all those guys have much, much better teammates than Westbrook yet, the Thunder are still 7 games above .500, and they are in the thick of the playoff race in the West. I thought they would make the playoffs, but due to Westbrook's tremendous play, they are playing very decent basketball. The fact that he is not a starter is so ridiculous. I know the All Star game does not really matter, but this is supposed to be the best of the best, at least the starters, and the fact that the guy that is averaging a triple double is not a starter, that is an absolute joke. The fan vote needs to be thrown out. Clearly, we the fan, cannot get it right if the fans that voted did not vote Westbrook a starter. I totally agree with Kevin Garnett when he said that this is the biggest snub in the history of the All Star game.

Both these guys got screwed over by the fan, and I just had to get this off my chest today. Both Isaiah Thomas and Russell Westbrook will be All Stars, but they deserve, and should be, starters. No question about it.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. These snubs are the worst thing that happened in America this week. Yes, nothing else terrible went down today. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

The Legacy of Barack Obama

Legacy demands a great building

Late into the night on Tuesday November 4th, 2008 history was made. For the first time in over two-hundred years of Presidential contests, the American people elected the first non-white man to be President of the United States. The election of 2008 had it’s moments of racism and sexism, but they were mild. The candidates who fought it out to gain their parties nominations played politics in a manner that Americans had become accustomed to. There were the typical smear campaigns, but most of America did not care. The Republican Vice Presidential nominee, Governor Sarah Palin, was downright civilized compared to the person she would become. The GOP’s Presidential candidate, John McCain, was out on the campaign trail corrected voters who believed that Barack Obama was a secret Muslim trying to usurp our nation. It was a different era. The feeling was that America had matured beyond the damage of things like the Swift Boats and the Southern Strategy. Barrack Obama won the 2008 election, by a large margin, because American voters believed in his vision of hope for the nation. The first non-white man to win the Presidency happened because Americans believed that we could all do better, and Barrack Obama was the leader who was going to bring the best out of us.

Within minutes of Obama being inaugurated as the 44th President of the United States, the Republican thought leaders worked to make the new Executive’s job a living hell. Glenn Beck would go out of his way to paint Obama as a dangerous communist, and a racist. The half-wits at Fox News went into their old “Bill Clinton” mode and amplified any minor story out there that would embarrass the White House. The fringes of the Republican party constantly questioned the President's place of birth, and therefore his legitimacy to be President. The morons who pushed the birther issue were given more news coverage than the people trying to restore hope back to America. From the very beginning, President Obama faced a temper tantrum throwing right wing media, and a ratings starved mainstream media, who refused to let his vision of hope to take hold.

While the network news, and the jv squad that is cable news, were incompetent and unamerican in their activities, the Republicans in the US Congress were historic in their dealings with President Obama. Then Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Minority Leader John Boehner would use every arcane rule in the history of the United States Congress to stop President Obama’s agenda. When McConnell and Boehner would not get their way, the two would run to the media and complain about the President trying to do his job. There was little hope to found on Capitol Hill.

Once the Republicans took over the House, and eventually the Senate, the Republican obstructionism went from outrageous to downright dangerous. McConnell proudly declared that his number one job was to make Obama a one term President. The Republican leader failed miserably at this number one job since Barack Obama was easily reelected in 2012. Since McConnell could not accomplish any tasks, he worked to make sure the President could not govern. The “highlight” of Mitch McConnell’s tenure has to be the Un-Constitutional act to not allow the President’s Supreme Court nominee to have a hearing or vote. Never in the history of the United States has a politician spit on the ideals set forth by the US Constitution like Mitch McConnell has.

Eventual Speaker of the House John Boehner, and his replacement Paul Ryan, used their power to tie up the legislative authority of the US House of Representatives with meaningless show votes, and expensive politically motivated subcommittee hearings. The endless votes to repeal the Affordable Care Act were taking up time that should have been devoted to combat the rise in gun violence, and the price gouging being conducted by unscrupulous pharmaceutical companies. Elementary kids being killed with legal guns, and other kids being denied lifesaving medicines because of personal greed, was of no importance to John Boehner’s caucus. Along with Mitch McConnell, John Boehner and Paul Ryan assured their place in history as the most ineffective, and immoral, Congress in the history of the United States.

How did President Barrack Obama deal with a historically terrible Congress and a media that was ineffectual? With little choice, President Obama seemed to present his vision through the pulpit of the White House, and not get in the way when history started to move forward. The President is an incredible communicator, and was be artful in presenting his message. On the campaign trail in 2012, Obama was able to dull the right wing noise, and make people believe in hope again. Once the next group of people were killed by a bad man with a bad gun, the President would share the heartbreak of the American people. With historic movements in rights for the LGBTQ community, the President communicated his joy and compassion towards all Americans. When the GOP Congress would spout off Tea Party talking points, the President would counter them head on, and present a better view of the nation. President Barack Obama will go down as one of the greatest communicators who has ever occupied the Oval Office.

Much like Ronald Reagan before him, Barrack Obama has been given credit for many things that happened because he was in the White House when history happened. In the 2008 campaign, then Senator Obama was not fully onboard with gay rights. In fact, no major viable political candidate was embracing basic human rights for the LGBTQ community. Generations of hard work by people on the ground led to the landmark decisions made by the courts to give all Americans equal rights. Obama did not create this culture, but he did not impede it either.

The death of al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden is also listed as a high point in the Obama Presidency. Many people give credit to Ronald Reagan for the release of hostages from the Iranian government, not thinking about how the Carter government really did all of the work. The killing of Bin Laden happened because President Obama gave the order, but any person in his position would have done the same. Like it or not, the George W Bush administration created much of the ground work to finding Bin Laden We were going to find the al-Qaeda leader no matter what, it was just a matter of time.

When it comes to actually policy, the Obama legacy is a little thin. The last eight years have not been as impactful as what Lyndon Johnson, Theodore or Franklin Roosevelt accomplished. Some things like the Lilly Ledbetter act should have been done decades ago. The stimulus was a necessary program started under Republican President George W Bush. The booming stock market has been great for very few. The growth in the economy has been slow, but has moved in the right direction after the disaster of the previous administration. All of these actions occurred mainly because President Obama did not get in the way and allowed them to happen on their own.

The one signature law championed by the President and passed by Congress is the Affordable Care Act. Once again the do-nothing Republicans, assisted by the media, painted the law as something extremely terrible. The fact is the Affordable Care Act is not that great. It has been responsible for the rise in healthcare costs, mainly because there is no incentive for the self serving health care companies to lower costs. The bill was loaded with so many corporate handouts not just because of Republicans, but also because of Democratic leaders like Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid. The congressional democrats wanted to make sure their corporate donors were rewarded in this massive government program. In a place where President Obama could have led, he instead stayed out of the way as the Pelosi/Reid Congress passed a flawed law. Even the President’s incredible communication skills could not hide the problems behind the Affordable Care Act.

The Obama Presidency should also be judged by the state of his political party. The Democratic Party is currently in the worst condition it has been in for over a generation. Under Obama, the Democratic Party has lost a massive amount of elections at all levels of government. Terrible Governors like Chris Christie in New Jersey, Sam Brownback in Kansas, Bobby Jindal in New Orleans, Rick Scott in Florida, Rick Snyder in Michigan, and many many more have won reelection after awful first terms. They win because the Democratic Party spends no resources to launch any meaningful campaign against these terrible leaders. If the party spends no resources on Governor races, that means they spend no time working to get people elected to any levels of government.

This lack of resources is directly related to Barack Obama and his campaign machine. In 2008, and again in 2012, the Obama campaign would take all of the resources out of competitive states and leave nothing for the local candidates (what we like to call The Ohio Problem). When the President does not care about the down ticket races, the down ticket loses badly. This strategy extended to the Hillary Clinton campaign, and 2016 saw even more losses for the Democratic Party. Couple this with the fact that President Obama would defend ineffectual leaders like Debbie Wasserman Schultz at the Democratic National Committee, President Obama staying out of the way, and not intervening in down ticket races, has been detrimental to the majority of the country who support the ideals of the Democratic Party.

Does President Barack Obama leave with a historic legacy? Will his Presidency be notable, or just another one of insignificance? It is easy to look back at the end of one man’s Presidency and think about what has been, and what could have been. Anytime a new President takes office, we are filled with angst. Barack Obama’s legacy will not be truly known for many years. In the meantime we can have our immediate reactions dictate what impact the man has had on the nation, and the world. Will his great communication skills be studied? Will his laissez faire approach to the moment of history be admired by future leaders?

The fact remains that Obama’s election was a moment of great historical significance. He will be one of the most recognizable Presidents of students in the far future. The question is will he be remembered like the Roosevelts for being figures of profound change, or will he be remembered like John Quincy Adams for being someone of trivial curiosity.

RD

RD is the Head Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Do have thoughts on legacy? Tell us all about it.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing 

Better Late than Never on the Awesome Movie "The Nice Guys"

Nothing like a new movie with an old look on a new yet old media device

It is harder for me to get out to the theaters now, unless it is a children's movie, so a lot of things I wanted to see in the theaters, I have to wait until they come out on DVD and rent them. One such movie that I was kind of cool on, but still wanted to see, was "The Nice Guys". I'm a big Ryan Gosling fan and I think Russell Crowe, given the right role, script and director, is a very good actor. I saw the previews and thought the movie looked like it might be decent, so I decided that I wanted to see it. I could not find time to see it in the theaters, but I put it in my Netflix queue and it showed up at my house a week or so ago. It sat on top of my DVD player, and yesterday, I decided that I was going to finally watch.  

I put my kids in their rooms and turned the movie on, and I have to tell you, I loved this movie. Like I said, I was cool on it at first, heard some good things about it, got a bit warmer on it, then when I watched it, it is such a great movie. Had I watched it a month ago, it would have had a great shot at making my "Best Of 2016" lists that I did last month. I like Shane Black. I think he is a decent director. I thought that "Iron Man 3" was kind of boring, but it had its moments. It was also much better than "Iron Man 2". On the other hand, I love the movie "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang". That was a great, very underrated movie. Shane Black did a tremendous job with that movie, and kind of partially revived Val Kilmer's career for a minute. The thing that Shane Black may be best known for was the fact that he wrote the first "Lethal Weapon" movie. That is an all time great action/comedy movie. It still holds up and it is timeless, even though Mel Gibson is a terrible, terrible person.

In another great move, Shane Black brings something interesting and cool to "The Nice Guys". First of all, the movie took place in the late 70's, and the set pieces and shots that they got were exquisite. The movie looked like it was filmed in the 70's. It looked a lot like "Boogie Nights", and it definitely has to do with the fact that this movie has the pornography industry as a big player. "The Nice Guys" is not about the porn industry like "Boogie Nights", but the main plot has Crowe and Gosling looking for 2 female actresses that have dabbled in the industry.

The plot is beside the point, the 2 main characters are what make this movie. Russell Crowe plays Jackson Healy, a rough and tumble ex New Yorker that is muscle for hire. He goes out and beats up guys that may or may not be doing something wrong. For the most part, the people he beats up are bad dudes, but sometimes he gets it wrong. One time he does get it wrong was when he meets up with Ryan Gosling's character, Holland March. Healy goes to beat him up after he is hired by a lady that says he is "stalking" her, but March is actually a detective and he is doing his job. March, and Gosling's performance for that matter, is the best thing in the movie. He is a single father who lost his wife in a fire. He is a drunk and a low life. The detective life has really soured him on real life, and add on the death of his wife, he just does not like living, unless he is with his daughter. Gosling is absolutely hilarious in this movie. I know that I am a built in fan, but I am not over selling how god damn funny he is in this movie. He is the comedic element, and he nails it. He has so many great one liners and facial expressions that made me crack up while watching this movie. He is incredible in this movie.

When the 2 of them team up to work together, that is when this movie goes from good to great. It also takes a bit of a darker tone when they team up. This is when the whole porn industry comes into play. There is also a ton of gun fighting and fist fighting that happens. But, I love it all. I think it is perfectly spliced in with all the early comedy and the early tone of the movie. When it gets darker and more violent, there is still some great comedy. I also love the whole private investigator and detective teaming up type of "spy" or "thriller" movie. I'm always in for that type of movie.

The other actors in the movie are great too. Gosling's daughter, Holly(Angourie Rice), is really good. She is the perfect daughter of a drunk that has given up on life. She tells him like it is and makes sure he knows that he has a reason to live. She is also a total badass, and I think that is great. Kim Basinger, in a very small role, is really quite evil. I do not want to spoil anything, but she is a bad person, and she does a great job. Keith David, you may know him from season 6 of "Community" or as Mary's step dad in "There's Something About Mary" is another bad dude, and he is really good in the villain role. I could go on and on, the whole cast is great because this movie is great, but these are the five characters that really stuck out to me. Most importantly though, Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling are the reasons to watch this movie. Shane Black does a great job with these 2 super stars, and they really shine.

I am so glad that I finally watched this movie, and I cannot recommend it enough. Go check out "The Nice Guys", I think you will enjoy it as much as I did.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man. Is one of the last people standing when it comes to getting Netflix in the mail. The early 2000's are alive and well in his house. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Taron Egerton is the Next Great Movie Star

Taron Egerton is worth making out to the cinemaplex

My wife and I took our kids to see the movie "Sing" this past weekend. I'm not going to review the movie because I only saw half of it, my one year old was throwing a fit, so I had to walk around the hallways of the theater with her after the first 40 minutes of the movie. But, from what I did see, the movie looked cute, it seemed fun and the voice acting and singing was really decent. Reese Witherspoon was good, Tori Kelly was exceptional, Seth Mcfarlane was very good, Scarlett Johansson was good and Matthew Mccounaghy was pretty funny.

The person that struck me the most in the movie was Taron Egerton. He played Johnny, the English gorilla, and he was dynamite. I did not know that he could sing like that, but man does that dude have some pipes. This got me thinking, and I realized that everything I have seen Taron Egerton in, I have really enjoyed the movie, but more importantly, his performances in these movies. That is what I will be writing about today, the awesomeness that is Taron Egerton.

Taron Egerton is a young actor, 27, so hopefully we get a lot more from him, which I'm sure we will, but his short list of performances is pretty incredible. As I have already said, from what I saw in "Sing", he was the standout. He played the teenage gorilla that did not want to be a criminal, but rather a performer, really well. I bought his voice acting. I believed that he wanted to leave his life of crime behind and become a singer and a stage performer. He was really good. His cover over of the excellent Sam Smith song, "Stay With Me", was really, really good. Even when his character hit the wrong notes on the piano, Egerton's singing was on point. He was great.

So, this performance got me thinking about some of the other movies I have seen him in, and how much I liked those performances. He played the titular Eddie in last year's "Eddie and the Eagle". This movie looked like schmaltzy garbage when I saw the preview, but it was on cable a month or so ago and I watched the last half of it, and Egerton was great. He played this odd kid that wanted to be an Olympic skier. He was really excellent as Eddie. Hugh Jackman was listed as the star, or first billed, in the movie, but it was really Egerton, playing the lead role, that was the star of the movie. He took this sweet story of a kid trying to make it in a sport that he had no business being involved with and he made it believable. Yes, the movie has cliché scenes of making it, then not making it, a coach believing, then not believing, all the typical stuff in a movie like this, but Egerton played it with no fluff or schmaltz, and I loved that. He made this movie not only watchable, but very enjoyable. I would have never seen it had Egerton not been in it, and if it was not on cable, but I'm glad I watched the last half because it was pretty good.

Another movie that I recently saw, and have talked about on the podcast before, "Legend", gives us a very good performance from Egerton. It is a smaller role, but it is very memorable. "Legend" is an okay movie. Tom Hardy plays twin gangsters in 1960's London, and the movie is ripe with gangster clichés, but Hardy's performance and Egerton's small performance make this movie. Hardy plays the brothers, one of which is a suave and sleek go getter and the other is a gay, ass kicking, mean son of a bitch. Hardy is great at these dual roles. Egerton plays one of the ass kicking brothers friends/boyfriends in this movie. He is the one person that the ass kicking brother actually listens to and takes his words to heart. Egerton is really good in this role, which is pretty different from anything he has done so far. He is very flamboyant, but he is a tough guy too. He laughs and joins in anytime the ass kicking brother beats the hell out of someone for taking money, not paying debts or anything that sets the brother off. There is a great scene near the end where you can see legitimate worry on Egerton's face because he realizes that he loves this man, but he cannot do anything for him, because he is mentally unstable, and he realizes that he fed into his mental illness by joining in on everything that he wanted him to do. It is heartbreaking, and Egerton pulls it off. Like I said, "Legend" isn't great, but it isn't bad either and that is due to Hardy and Egerton's performances. The fact that he can trade acting blows with Tom Hardy should speak volumes to his acting prowess.

The movie that introduced me to the greatness that is Taron Egerton was "Kingsman: The Secret Service". I have written about this movie on the site already, but I didn't point out enough how awesome Egerton is in the movie. He is incredible. He is the star. He is hardcore in "Kingsman". He plays a punk turned spy so incredibly. His transformation that happens during "Kingsman" is so great. He becomes the spy that Colin Firth wanted him to become. He is so badass in the movie. The one scene where he punches the glass door so he and all the other recruits can survive a surprise test is super cool. The final fight scene between Egerton, the woman with blades as legs and Samuel L Jackson is one of the most incredible things I have seen in a movie in a long time. If you want to see a primo Egerton performance, watch "Kingsman". That is the cream of the crop, and the best thing he has done so far. There is a sequel coming out for "Kingsman", and I cannot wait to see it, mainly to see how great Taron Egerton is in it.

He has done a few other things that I have not seen yet, but I'm sure he is great in those as he has been great in everything I have seen him in. He has a few other things he is working on right now as well. I think that we need to start looking at Taron Egerton as a guy that is on the verge of stardom. He has been great in all the movies and television he has been in so far, and I only see him trending upward. This dude is a great actor, and I just wanted to point that out today. Taron Egerton is going to be a star.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He likes great movies and great football. Listen to his thoughts about the year in football on the latest X Millennial Man Podcast. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

The Republicans are Draining the Swamp by Making it More Toxic

Draining the Swamp has made Capitol Hill look even worse

There may be only a few days left in Barack Obama's presidency. but the new empowered Republican controlled congress has been governing for a few weeks. We have learned a lot about the newly installed 115th Congress in these few short weeks. People who do not believe in government are now in charge. Speaker Paul Ryan and Majority Leader Mitch McConnell have spent their entire careers obstructing anything and everything. They have crafted a dream ideology of no oversight, and the will of the individual. Now they have a blank check and can actually govern. How have the done in these few short weeks?

The first issue the Republican government attempted to “fix” was to eliminate ethical rules for members of Congress. This was the GOP’s very first step in draining the swamp, less ethical oversight. Many of the typical Republican defenders, Brit Hume and the brainless ones at Fox News, tried to defend the House Republicans by saying the ethics office under fire was not necessary. Maybe Brit is right, but it does not really matter. The news media, rightfully so, pointed out that the first action of the House Republicans was to create less ethical oversight. These idiots spent the summer railing against how unethical the Democratic Party Presidential nominee is, and their first concern is to make oversight weaker. Good job republicans, you exposed your hypocrisy in the first minutes of the new congress.

The next step for Speaker Ryan, and Leader McConnell was to “advise and consent” on President Elect Donald Trump’s cabinet selections. There’s Secretary of State nominee Rex Tillerson, recently the CEO of a company who relies on fossil fuel and makes money by taking valuable resources from despotic governments and polluting the planet. We also have a person who was denied a judgeship because of his racism being vetted as the Attorney General. People like Ben Carson and Rick Perry, who have no experience or curiosity in their given departments, are being given a free pass by the morons on Capitol Hill. Somehow none of these jamokes hold a candle to the farce that is Secretary of Education pick Betsy DeVos.

The pick of Michigan activist Betsy DeVos to Secretary of Education is proves that the GOP has no plans to help the middle and lower economic classes of America. The fact that Congressional Republicans have no problem rushing her confirmation hearing, even if all of her ethics background checks have yet to be completed, shows that people like Speaker Ryan and Leader McConnell have no idea how to govern. DeVos is anti-public education, how in the hell is she qualified to run the Department of Education? Betsy DeVos does not want to fix the education system, she wants to take all the federal money and move it into school choice, aka public funded religious schools. The concept of school choice has been a disaster everywhere, but the so called fiscal conservatives have no problem using tax dollars to prop up this failure of an idea. Betsy DeVos is a school choice champion, and Speaker Ryan and Leader McConnell are excited to use tax dollars to push her broken ideals. There is no concern for accountability, just pure political opportunism. I heard Speaker Ryan and Leader McConnell rail against the Democratic Party’s Presidential nominee over her political opportunism. It is nice to see with the DeVos hearings they accept being the hypocrites we always knew they were.

The next big agenda item for the GOP congress is to weaken the rules on endangered species. The original Endangered Species Act was passed unanimously in the 1970’s, but the current GOP fell like it needs to be repealed. This is one of the most important items facing our new government in the feeble minds of Speaker Ryan and Leader McConnell. The needs of a few rich businessmen is more important than the future of America.

The last big thing that Congressional Republicans feel the need to attack is the Affordable Care Act, also known as the devil named Obamacare. With numerous show votes to eliminate the Affordable Care Act, and wasting millions of tax payer dollars, the GOP has revealed itself as a petulant child who has no idea what they really want. The Affordable Care Act helped people get insurance, and at the same time made sure the insurance companies were well compensated. The actions of Congressional Republicans prove GOP only cares about giving federal dollars to private insurance executives. The repeal process has secured these federal subsidies, but has made sure to move the neediest of American citizens off the protected list. The inhumanity of the GOP has been on full display in just a few short weeks.

This week will mark the beginning of the Donald Trump Presidency. Even though the incoming President lost the popular vote by nearly three million people, Speaker Ryan and Leader McConnell believe they have a mandate to govern as they choose. President Elect Trump has shown no vision to help the supposed middle America white voters who launched him to victory, and the GOP Congress is working to make these angry voters lives even worse. To the Republicans, ethics, education, and the environment are the true demons haunting the American dream.

Donald Trump promised to drain the swamp, but all we have gotten in return is a cuckhold Speaker Ryan and Leader McConnell to make the President Elect and his buddies even more wealthy and disconnected. In a few short weeks, the Congressional Republicans have moved fast to protect the coastal business elites, and leave the middle of America behind. There is no corruption to awful for this group of hypocrites Good thing we did not elect a career civil servant who was bad at e-mail.

RD

RD Kulik is the Head Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is camping out waiting for the next Benghazi hearing. The Republicans do care more about American lives than political showmanship, right? 

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing

Ty Watches "The Simpsons": A New Classic with "The Great Phatsby"

This past Sunday was one of the best "Simpsons" episodes I have ever seen. I'm not one of these fly by night hipster "Simpsons" fans either that say, " it was so much better 10 years ago". Screw those people. "The Simpsons" has been, and always will be the greatest show ever.

Having said that, every once in awhile, an episode like Sunday night comes along and just grabs you. I knew I'd be on board when I saw commercials for the episode leading up to it. I'm an enormous hip hop fan, as you all know very well by now, and the fact that this episode was based around hip hop had me from the start. I also really liked the fact that they based the entire episode around "The Great Gatsby", calling this episode, "The Great Phatsby". That is some tremendous wordplay. The beginning, middle and end were all wonderful. I loved Homer being the narrator for the whole episode.

The B story, with Smithers going to Canada to get a particular kind of ice was very funny. I loved that they kept cutting back to it as well. It seemed that every time I forgot about Smithers, they'd cut to a scene of him going through a horrific incident to bring this fancy ice back to Mr Burns.

The A story was tremendous. Mr Burns tries to throw a fancy party to get back to feeling good about himself. The party is a disaster because he staged in like a 1920's party. Mr Burns and Homer then take his boat out for a ride and they stumble upon a very uproarious and fun party. They both get off the boat and meander their way through the party, trying to find out who is throwing this excellent shindig. Everyone they run into say this is a mystery person, but they do get to meet the man because he is a big, big Monty Burns fan.

The gentleman's name is Jay G, and he is the biggest producer in current rap music. He tells Mr Burns that he owes everything to him and his book on business. They become fast friends, and Homer is there for the ride. Jay G gives Mr Burns the confidence to live lavishly, and Mr Burns does just that, all the way to bankrupting himself.

We soon learn that this was Jay G's plan all along. He followed Mr Burns book to a T. He even wrote a dis rap to sully Burns' name. The video for that song is hilarious. After this, Bart tells Mr Burns that he needs to write a dis rap back, because that is how you win in today's world of rap music. They go to Springfield's rap aficionado, Milhouse, to get all the advice they need. Another great scene.

There is also a C story going on during this where Marge and Lisa open their own store, and it drives both of them crazy. It is very funny and not to be missed. Anyway, back to the A story.

When Bart, Homer and Mr Burns get together to record their song, the voice guest list is second to none. The RZA comes in and does a verse, Snoop Dogg does a verse, Common does a verse and Keegan Michael Key does a verse, and they all sound great. When Burns is ready to release the single, a hologrammed Jay G shows up and says he bought his single and bought out everyone that rapped on the song. When Burns is at his lowest, he steals Jay G's prize goose and threatens to eat it. That doesn't happen, but there is a fight scene between the two of them and they end up on a broken chandelier that is about to crash to the ground. When Jay G tells him why he did what he did, Burns finally understands. Smithers saves them by sledding in on a pallet filled with snow. Mr Burns then tells him he wanted ice, not snow. It was very funny. Mr Burns and Jay G then make an agreement and Burns gets his nuclear plant back. He decides to add music everyday, but after one time, he decides it will only last the one time.

This episode was so good. There was a whole "Empire" tone to the episode as well, with Taraji P Henson playing a character named Praileine. It was awesome. This was one of the better "Simpsons" I've seen in awhile. This is an episode I will think about and watch a lot when it comes on FXX or reruns on Fox. I loved that it was an hour long and all the spoofs and actors and rappers they got to be in this episode was second to none. This was an instant classic in my opinion.

"The Simpsons" is the best show ever, and "The Great Phatsby" proved that tenfold. It was a dynamite hour of television. Go watch it as soon as possible. You won't be disappointed.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He thinks the "The SImpsons" peaked in 2196. It was all downhill from there. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

We Sure as Hell Could Use Martin Luther King Today

Not pictured, President Elect Trump not showing any damn respect

Today is Martin Luther King Jr Day. MLK Day has always been a big deal to me.

As a kid, it was fun because I did not have school, but the older I got, the more I came to realize how great of a man Martin Luther King Jr truly was. He was one hundred percent a man that took charge and was for the people. He fought the good fight no matter what he had to deal with. He fought harsh racism, corrupt policemen and politicians, people not believing in his cause, the constant threat of death and he took it all in stride. He was a man with a plan, and he would be damned if he let anyone step in his way. He needed to get his voice out there, and the people back then needed it, and we need it now as well.

MLK would have staunchly fought the new government, and I would love to have seen him do it. This new crew of "politicians" that will be taking office on Friday are some of the most corrupt and racist since MLK was still alive. I know I said I was done with politics, but I cannot in good conscious of one of my idols, sit by and not say anything on this day that we dedicate to him. MLK would have fought tooth and nail with what is coming upon us. Just look at what the great John Lewis is doing right now. Multiply that by 100, and that is what MLK would have done. He would have gathered up so many protests and fought this "establishment" with everything that he could have. And I would have done everything I could to help him out.

I idolized MLK as a child, teenager and now an adult, so if he was still with us, you are god damn right that I would have stood by his side. Like I said, people like John Lewis and Bernie Sanders are doing what they can, but man oh man, if we still had MLK, just imagine the phenomenal speeches, protests and anti government things he would have been able to accomplish. MLK was a singular person in this fight.

Many people stood by King's side in the 60's when he was fighting injustice, but he was the one that stood out. He was charismatic, an exceptional speaker, a great organizer and a natural born leader. I encourage everyone that feels disillusioned and saddened by what has happened since November 8th to go watch one of MLK's old speeches. I have watched three different speeches of his, and damn it, I want to start a revolution. Hearing what he had to say in the 60's holds so much weight right now with what we have coming to us in 4 short days. I was moved to tears a few times because MLK was such a great, great man, and these speeches were just one of the many exceptional things he did in his short life. He spoke with such eloquence, but also urgency to get up and stand up for what you believe in.

King was also a non violent protester, another thing I loved about him. He was never there to start any fights. Most protests that he organized had him and the people with him locking arms and walking slowly. Go look at pictures of Selma and tell me that isn't one of the most breathtaking and strongest things you have ever seen. And it was a non violent protest that corrupt police turned violent, not MLK.

I have three idols in my life, my dad, Jackie Robinson and MLK. Unfortunately for the other 2, they don't have days dedicated to them, but at least MLK does. And I celebrate this day. I celebrate the man that MLK was. I was grocery shopping earlier this morning, and I was telling my 4 year old all about what made MLK such a great man, and he listened to every word. Every time I log on to Facebook or Twitter and see all the great words people are saying about him, or using his quotes, I am filled with joy. The only thing that makes me sad, we need him now more than ever. He would have been a great leader for people that have sense.

For those of us, 56 percent, the majority of us, that did not vote for this incoming administration, he would have been the best person to speak for those of us that cannot, or do not, have the platform. Bernie Sanders and John Lewis are awesome, and I commend and appreciate everything that they are doing right now, but MLK would have done so, so much more.

And by the way, any conservative that sits back and tries to say nicethings about MLK, stop it. You are the monsters that wanted this administration, and MLK would have HATED each and every one of you morons. The people involved with the incoming "government", and anyone that voted for this monstrosity clearly does not stand for, or believe that what MLK did was of any importance. That is sad and disgusting.

MLK was a great, great man that shaped many of my political and social beliefs. I love you and I miss you. You were a revolutionary Mr. King. Enjoy and celebrate this day that we dedicate to this marvelous man. You were truly one of a kind Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. There will be no one else like you ever.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Grayson Allen and Derrick Rose Represent the Dark Side of Basketball

Allen and Rose are the clouds over some bright and sunny basketball

I was going to write 2 separate pieces about 2 basketball players, but I feel like I can lump them into one piece. Each has been a headache for their teams and fans all season long. Each were once the darlings of their fan base as well, but now, they have lost a lot from the ones who once loved them. One plays college basketball, and the other was a former MVP, All Star and seemed like an all around good guy, until this season happened. I'll start with the college player first because men's college basketball is not the NBA. The NBA is more important.

We have 2 more incidents since Grayson Allen's "suspension" was ended after one game of him acting like a jackass. I know that I have ragged on this kid before, but he is such a shit head, I just can't help myself. I have to hate on this kid. So, last season, he trips the FSU player as his team is getting beat, and he is playing poorly. One time, maybe it was just a mistake. But, coming into this year, you just had the feeling that this punk was the newest Duke player to hate. He started the year as a consensus All American, and many picked him to be player of the year. Well, the season did not start as he expected, and he has let his frustrations boil over. Against Elon earlier this year, he purposefully tripped a player that beat him off the dribble, then threw a tantrum, like a spoiled rotten child, on the bench.

The ever douchey Coach K did not suspend, or even reprimand Allen on the spot, I guess he thinks he only has to reprimand kids on other teams when he gets beat in the tournament, but instead said that they will "take care of it internally". Then, when he gets pushed on the subject of this kids poor sportsmanship and behavior, he defends him, and says that at Duke, they do things their own way. What a bunch of shit. Allen was finally "indefinitely" suspended and had his captaincy taken away from him. I thought this way too little, way too late. It took all major media outlets calling this kid out before Coach K finally suspended him. I think the decision was made easier when Coach K had to announce that he was having back surgery.

Allen finally gets suspended, and surprise surprise, Duke loses their next game to Virginia Tech. With one game left before his leave of absence, Coach K lifted Allen's "indefinite" suspension, and reinserts him in the starting lineup for the very next game against Boston College. What a crock. This game was a big blowout, in Duke's favor, but Allen wasn't lighting it up like he sometimes does. He had a very mediocre game, like he has had all year. Amidst the blowout, while fighting through a screen, Allen contorted his body and stuck his right leg behind him and appeared to trip a Boston College player. Of course it was the talk of sports radio and TV the next day, but no one did anything about it. Coach K did not suspend him, the ACC said there wasn't enough evidence to suspend him, Allen just got a free pass.

Then, while getting hammered by FSU the other night, Allen was chasing a loose ball and in his attempt to save it, he physically shoved a FSU assistant coach. Many people said that this was a "hustle" play. I have played basketball for almost 30 years now, and when I have "hustle" plays, I have never shoved another player, let alone an opposing coach. This was blatant and it seems to be Allen's calling card. When things aren't going his way, he reverts to being the spoiled brat that he is, and shoves and trips the opposition. Look at all the crap that Draymond Green has to deal with, what with the constant kicking of testicles, and he is looked at as the biggest villain ever. But, I'd have to say that Allen is worse. He is not as good a basketball player, and he gives me even more reason to hate on Duke. This kid is a punk, a spoiled rich white kid that never faces consequences for his rude actions and he should not be allowed on a basketball court if he continues this nonsense. Grayson Allen is a joke.

Now, lets get to the NBA player. I think we all can agree that Derrick Rose's best days are behind him. He is not the slasher and penetrator that he was 6 years ago. He does not play the game with reckless abandon like he used to. He doesn't attack like he used to. Sure, he has flashes, but he just isn't the same player, 2 Achilles injuries will do that to anyone. He is also a very suspect jump shooter and defender, but he was always mediocre in those 2 areas. He was able to make up for it early in his career with his athleticism, but now, he is just a wasted high contract player.

Rose recently has become a bit of headache for coaches, GM's and teammates as well. His time in Chicago, at the end, was rough. I don't think he liked that the coaches and players wanted to hand the team over to Jimmy Butler, who is much better than Rose. He didn't like being marginalized, and all but forced his way out this past summer. He got traded to New York, and since the trade happened, he has flown off the rails. He called the Knicks a "super team". He showed up to his press conference dressed like I dress, and I have zero fashion sense. He openly talked about wanting big money in his next deal, and didn't seem to care if it was with the Knicks. His first impression was a disaster.

Then, when he got on the floor, the chemistry just didn't work. I know some people were high on the Knicks (ed note: I was), I was not, but he and Carmelo Anthony cannot coexist as teammates. They are both ball hogs that play no defense, but at least Carmelo can hit an 18 footer. Rose also seems to ignore big men, instead trying to go to the basket himself. When Rose is on the floor, players like Kristaps Porzingis and Kyle O'Quinn barely see the ball. Those guys need to get the ball to get engaged in the game, but Rose will not give it to them. Hell, even Carmelo has tried to get the post players involved recently. But, Rose does not. He has become a ball hog when he does show up for games.

Rose has missed some time this year due to nagging injuries, but what he did the other day was bizarre. He just disappeared before a game. No call, no show. He wasn't answering his phone, or returning text messages. It was like he vanished. Eventually it surfaced that he wasn't available due to a "family emergency". Look, I hope everything is okay, but that is the type of excuse I would use when I did not want to go to one of my shifts at the various sandwich shops I worked in. Also, if I no called no showed at those menial jobs, I would have been fired. What did the Knicks do you ask? They started him the next night. Just like with Allen, Rose faced no consequence for his childish actions.

Rose said while he was away that he was contemplated retiring from the NBA. But, the very next night, he brought up his upcoming free agency and said the he wants a contract that will pay him 150 million dollars. IS HE INSANE! NO ONE IS PAYING YOU THAT AMOUNT OF MONEY DERRICK ROSE! NOT EVEN THE 76ERS! I cannot believe the foolishness coming from him right now. I do not know what happened to Derrick Rose. When he was at Memphis, and then his first couple of years in the NBA, I genuinely enjoyed watching him play. But, after the injuries, fall out in Chicago and this whole ridiculous half season in New York, I just do not care for Derrick Rose the basketball player. He appears selfish and single minded, just like Grayson Allen.

These 2 are peas in a pod, in a bad way. They are selfish assholes that think they are bigger than the game. Well, I have news for you too, you are both irrelevant and not that many people, if any, really care about you as basketball players anymore. Your time is up Derrick Rose, and Grayson Allen, you're a never was that never will be.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He urges the developers of a new NBA Jam to include a Derrick Rose / Grayson Allen team. They can trip others, throw tantrums, and disappear during points. Just like real life. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.