The Falcons Continue to Make Bad Decisions with the Steve Sarkisian Hire.

Steve Sarkisian was just named Kyle Shanahan's replacement as offensive coordinator of the Atlanta Falcons. You read that right. The Falcons, who were just in the Super Bowl, replaced their offensive coordinator who left to be the head coach for the 49ers with Steve Sarkisian.

I think this is absolute waste of a hire. They could have went out and got somebody who is much, much more experienced and already a professional coach. Besides one year as the Raiders QB coach in 2004, everything Sarkisian has done has been at the college level, and he was not that great when coaching college players. Now, he is taking over a Falcons offense that has the MVP, Matt Ryan, 2 great, young running backs in Tevin Coleman and Devonta Freeman, and probably the best receiver in the NFL right now in Julio Jones.

I ask, what makes Sarkisian the better, and more qualified, person to take this job over some available coaches? Like I said, he had very minimal success at the college level. He was part of Pete Carroll's staff at USC, first as the QB coach in 2005-06, then as the assistant head coach/QB coach/offensive coordinator from 2007 to 2008. That was where he found his most success, but looking back, I think I could have coached those 5 star athletes just as well as he did. With talent like that, it is not that hard to tell them to go out and play hard.

Then, for some inexplicable reason, the University of Washington gave him the head coaching job after the 2008 season. Washington was supposed to be the up and coming program, and Sarkisian was going to be the guy to return them to their glory days of the early 90's. Well, that did not happen. Washington was very mediocre during his tenure. They were always just on the cusp, and people always said that, "this was going to be the year for the Huskies", but they never panned out. Sarkisian was the same guy that brought a live tiger, in a cage, to a practice to prepare for an early season game against LSU. I guess he thought it would fire up his guys, but they got absolutely destroyed by LSU on that particular Saturday. It was embarrassing. In fact, besides a couple of wins against top tier opponents in his first season, in which Washington finished 5-7, his best record in the four seasons he coached there was 7-6. Not that great.

But, in what was a great fail upwards, after the Lane Kiffin debacle at USC, the Trojans decided to hire Sarkisian away from Washington in 2013. I was puzzled by this hire at the time. I figured they were getting an almost identical coach, but they claimed they were trying to get away from Lane Kiffin. Kiffin and Sarkisian are 2 great examples of guys that continue to fail up somehow. But, Sakisian was retuning home, and he was going to make USC relevant again. USC was in a rut since Pete Carroll bolted for the NFL, and I guess the higher ups figured Sarkisian would return them to glory. Well, that did not happen. He was a total disaster while the head man at USC. His life fell apart coaching there. They had the whole Josh Shaw incident, look it up, and the whole Stanford game where officials may or mat not have been contacted prior to a game to make some calls that would give USC an advantage. Then, I was actually watching this game, he was accused of being intoxicated during a game against Arizona State. I remember vividly watching and thinking to myself, he does not seem right on the sideline. He looked like, at any moment, he was going to barf all over the field, then the next second, he looked to be slurring words when speaking to his players. It was a mess. It was revealed later that he was going to take a leave of absence right after the ASU game, and check himself into rehab for alcohol abuse. During this time, Clay Helton was named interim head coach. Sarkisian was quickly fired after players and assistant coaches said that they could smell alcohol on his breath during practices.

I thought this was going to be the nail in the coffin as far as Sarkisian being a coach for any big time school, but after only one year away, Alabama hired him as an analyst for their football team. Saban was stocking his coaching staff with big names basically. Recruits love this, and Saban is no dummy. Sarkisian was basically an assistant offensive coordinator for the majority of the 2016 season. Kiffin called the plays, yes he was the offensive coordinator at Alabama, and Sarkisian gave his input. Then, as only someone like Lane Kiffin could do, he got fired after already accepting a job at Florida Atlantic, and Sarkisian was called on to be the new offensive coordinator for the national title game. I wrote about that game and how stagnant Alabama seemed on offense, and Sarkisian was the play caller. It was assumed that he would slide into Kiffin's spot, but surprisingly to me, and I bet a lot of other people, when the Falcons offensive coordinator job opened, they wasted little time hiring Sarkisian to the same position.

I do not get this hire, as I have stated throughout. I do not know what they saw in him that made them think he could lead the number one offense in football. His play calling in the title game was predictable and dreadful. How will that translate to the NFL? Not well, in my opinion. I feel like the Falcons are going to waste at least one year of 4 great offensive players in their prime. The only "sense" I can make of them picking Sarkisian to be the new offensive coordinator is that the head coach, Dan Quinn, was also a Pete Carroll guy at Seattle, and maybe they have a relationship since they both worked for him. I personally think Sarkisian is going to be very, very bad as the head play caller for the Falcons. I already thought that the Falcons would take a tiny step back after blowing the Super Bowl, but now that they hired Sarkisian, I think they will be lucky to got 9-7 next year. I mean, Julio Jones is incredible, and I love the running backs, but I think Matt Ryan played the best he will ever play, and with Sarkisian calling the plays, I think his inevitable fall back to Earth will be a fiery crash back to Earth now. This puzzled me, and I think it will, in the long run, end up hurting the Falcons.

Steve Sarkisian is not the man for this job. He would not have even been in my top 25 of candidates, but I guess he was the Falcons first, and only, choice to take over for Shanahan. I think it is going to be a nightmare.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He has a bad feeling that the ghost of Bobby Petrino will not be good for Steve Sarkisian in the ATL. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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The Knicks Need to Move on from the Terrible Tenure of Phil Jackson

The Knicks in the Phil Jackson Era

Phil Jackson needs to be fired.

Plain and simple, he has been an absolute disaster in his job with the Knicks. He has only made one good decision since taking the job, and he openly questioned that decision when it was made. Of course, I'm talking about drafting Kristaps Porzingis. So far, a year and a half in the league, Porzingis has been everything people hoped he would be, but he has been so much more. He attacks the offensive and defensive glass for rebounds. He has nice footwork in the post and he canstep out and hit the three. If he keeps this up, he will be in the league for a long time. But, Phil Jackson openly mocked the pick. He said that he did not think the kid would be able to cut it in the NBA. He said he was too skinny and wouldn't be able to handle the pounding. Well, a year and a half in, Porzingis is far and away the best player on that team. I mean, it is not even close.

Then, this offseason, Phil Jackson went out and traded for Derrick rose and signed Joakim Noah to a 4 year 72 million dollar contract. Lets look at the Rose trade first. Jackson traded Robin Lopez and some other young players to the Bulls for Derick Rose. I wrote at the time that I thought it was a great trade for the Bulls and a terrible trade for the Knicks. Fifty plus games into the season, I have not changed my mind. Sure, the Bulls are treading water, but the Knicks have been terrible. Derrick Rose has proven to be a ball stopper. He cannot hit jumpers, he ices out open teammates and he comes and goes as he pleases. He also makes wild claims that this is a "super team" and that he wants a 150 million dollar contract this offseason. I really liked Derrick Rose when he was first in the league, he was a wonder to watch flying to the rim, but since his last year in Chicago and this season in New York, I have been turned off by him as a player and a person. But, Phil Jackson never says a bad word about Derrick Rose.

Then, Jackson gives Jo Noah 18 million a year, and he just cannot stay on the floor. This signing was extremely puzzling to me at the time. Had it happened 5 years ago, it would have been great, Noah was a legit MVP candidate, but he has not been able to stay on the court since then, and his game has deteriorated. He does not see the floor like he used to. He is not the force on defense that he was a few years ago in Chicago. His shot it absolutely awful, see his air balled free throw a few weeks ago. He can't rebound like he used to. But, the main problem, he just cannot stay healthy. I do not have the numbers in front of me, but if I had to guess, I'd say he has played in less than 30 games this year. This signing has been terrible, and they still have 3 plus years left to pay him. But, again, Phil Jackson says nothing bad about his decision to sign Noah, and he will not openly criticize Noah.

Those ill advised signings are nothing compared to the way Jackson treats his "star" player, Carmelo Anthony. Look, I'm a big Carmelo critic, I do not think he cares about defense, I think he is a ball stopper, I think he is a ball hog, I think he takes bad shots and I do not think he can be the best player on a title contender. But, the one thing that no one can criticize about Carmelo, he is an excellent offensive player. More so, he is an elite scorer, no doubt. But, since signing him to a max deal, Phil Jackson has done nothing but openly critique and constantly try and trade Carmelo. He, it seems, is always saying something to the press about Carmelo's lack of passion and ability to lead. It is not the 90's anymore Phil Jackson, and these players today will not take that kind of shit. But, Phil Jackson cannot seem to help himself. Recently he said some nonsense about not being able to change the stripes on a leopard, or some bull shit, which was clearly a shot at Carmelo. He has also come out and constantly stated that he is doing anything and everything to trade Carmelo. It has gotten so bad, Carmelo is frustrated with the Knicks home crowd, and they have been booing him relentlessly. It is, dare I say, unfair to Carmelo Anthony. He does not deserve to be booed by his home crowd. If anything, the Knicks fans should be booing Phil Jackson for all the stupid decisions he has made since taking the job there.

Also, Phil Jackson seems to think he can get whatever he wants in a trade for Carmelo. I'm sorry, but no championship level team is going to trade a starter or key reserve for Carmelo Anthony. The Cavs aren't going to trade Kevin Love for him. The Clippers will not trade any of their three main guys for him. The Celtics aren't going to give up any of the Nets picks they have, or any young player they drafted. The Wizards aren't trading John Wall or Brad Beal for him. The list can go on and on. The Knicks are not going to get a kings ransom, the one that Phil Jackson expects, for an aging ball stopper that plays no defense. It is not happening. But, Phil Jackson is so aloof to this, he thinks he can float out big named players and people will believe him.

Well, I do not believe one single word that comes out of his mouth. Jackson has made his bed, and now he has to lay in it. Every decision, save for the one he complained about, that he has made has been terrible. He has crippled this once proud franchise. The Knicks are a joke, and that makes me, a rabid NBA fan, sad. The league is better when the Knicks are good. But, with Jackson making all the decisions on the players, they will continue to be a doormat. Do the right thing James Dolan, for once in your god damn life, and fire Phil Jackson. He tactics are old and tired and he has been a disaster. Keep Carmelo, and fire Phil Jackson. It should be the easiest decision in your NBA life.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. His only memory of Phil Jackson in New York is one of failure. The glory days are long gone for Phil Jackson in MSG. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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Happy Birthday Bob Marley

Before I get into what I am going to talk about today, I want to praise Martellus Bennett. He is a true patriot by refusing to go to the White House to take a picture with the current "president". He is standing by his beliefs, I fully agree and support his decision, his team should too, and I hope this leads to many, many other pro athletes refusing to go to the White House. I know that a second Patriots player has already said that he will not go as well. This makes me very happy that pro athletes, who make millions upon millions of dollars, can see the injustice and stand up for what they believe in. This is just the start, and I know more athletes and coaches, and maybe, just maybe, owners will stand by their players and protest this terrible, awful, racist "government", and not go to these photo ops. Nothing would upset that puppet and child more than pro athletes refusing to come say hi and take a picture. Thank you for starting the revolution Martellus Bennett, and hopefully the majority of pro athletes that win championships will also refuse to go to the White House for the next 4 years.

Okay, now for my main point of today. Yesterday would have been Bob Marley's 72nd birthday. I was going to write about him yesterday, but I had to touch on the Super Bowl. Bob Marley is, and always will be, an idol of mine. He was my introduction to "real" music. Before Bob Marley, I did not listen to music with instruments and decent singers. I was busy listening to pop and crappy rap music. I still listen to some pop music, and my taste in rap has gotten much, much better. But, Bob Marley was my guide. He was my intro to good music. My father and brother sat me down and they played me a bunch of music that they thought I'd like. I heard Cream, Bob Dylan, Run DMC, Ben Harper, Public Enemy, among many others, and while I was blown away by them all, Bob Marley was the one that I kept going back to. I could not get enough of his voice. I could not get enough of his band. 

At the time, I did not understand his message, but as I got older and devoured his entire catalog, I began to not only understand, but also agree with pretty much everything he was singing about. Bob Marley was an activist in a very volatile time in his homeland of Jamaica. He stood up for the downtrodden and did everything he could to help. We could really use a person like him today, that is for sure. But, he always gave back to his people. He always went back home to see his people and help out anyway he could.

Bob Marley was also heavily involved in his religion, Rastafarianism. He was a very close personal friend of Hailee Saliasse, when they were both still alive. Bob Marley was a man that not only talked the talk, he walked the walk. He was a true power to the people person. It is a bummer that he died so young. His religion forbade him from surgery, which could have removed the cancer that started in his toe and spread through his entire body, but he still lived all 36 of his years on Earth to the fullest.

We know Bob Marley for his music, and it is absolutely timeless. I can put on any record of his, and it feels relevant no matter the time. From ages 16-22, Bob Marley was all I listened to. As I said earlier, I devoured his music. I devoured his life story. I was, and I do not think I'm exaggerating, probably the biggest Bob Marley fan in the state of Missouri. His music was literally all I listened to for 6 years. I did everything I could to be like, and act like Bob Marley. I even had dreadlocks for a time, when I had hair. I always proclaim that Robert Johnson was my gateway to playing guitar, and he is, but Bob Marley was my gateway to good music. Through Marley, I learned that music played with instruments could be great. I loved the reggae sound. I loved the heartbeat rhythm to the music. I always feel relaxed when I listen to Bob Marley. His voice in undeniably unique as well. Marley has the greatest voice in the history of reggae music, and one of the greatest voices in music ever. It is so damn great. I even try to mimic his tone when I am singing along in my car, which can be very embarrassing for my wife and kids, but Marley's music moves me like that. I wanted to have a Jamaican accent when I was a high schooler because of Bob Marley.

I just wanted to wish one of my all time favorite musicians a belated happy birthday. I wish he were still alive, god we could really, really use him right now, and I miss him every time I hear his records. If you want some suggestions, go listen to records like "Exodus", "Catch a Fire", "Talkin Blues", his 4 disc box set of all his music, his early ska/reggae stuff, or my personal favorite record, "Burnin and Lootin". It is all great, and given the corrupt nature of the world right now, the music is incredibly poignant. I wish you were still alive, but at least I have your music to listen to for the rest of my life, and that is a great gift you left us. Happy belated birthday Bob Marley, and Rest in Peace.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is a strong believer in getting up, and standing up, for your rights. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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Another View of the Super Bowl

Let me get something out of the way. Ty is the best sports writer on all the internet, and any views I have on the Super Bowl are a distant second to his thoughts. I also totally agree that the game was one half of good team vs garbage team and another half of good team vs even bigger garbage team. I am also not happy that an obnoxious front runner like President Trump was able to hear about his favorite team winning the game. There were so many things to hate about another Patriots Super Bowl victory, but Ty has already covered it all.Having said that, I feel like there are two other big stories that almost no one is talking about, and this is what Super Bowl 51 should be remembered for.

First ugly fact that no one wants to accept, the Patriots won their fifth championship because of a coin toss. The outcome of Super Bowl LI was determined by a flip of chance. Never before has the biggest game of the year gone to overtime, and that was a good thing. The overtime rules of the NFL are a joke. The fact that after four quarters of play, the NFL thinks it is good competition to let one big play end the game. In the regular season, that fact is annoying. In the Super Bowl, it makes a mockery of the entire competition. Maybe the Falcons would not have scored, their offense was pretty average in the second half, but not even getting a chance to compete is idiotic. A few years back the NFL tried to fix their overtime rules, but those fixes did not work in the biggest game of the year. New England's comeback was incredible, but they won the game because their captains made the correct guess in a 50-50 game of chance. The sports press does not want to point out that the NFL let their championship get decided by a coin flip, but that is what happened. Why play any games if the Lombardi Trophy gets rewarded to the team who makes a lucky guess. I guarantee you that the NFL will have college like overtime rules within the next few years. When that day comes, everyone will recognize that the Patriots fifth title was decided on the head of a commemorative coin.

The other story no one in the sports press will talk about, but every single fan knows, is that the Patriots are known, and admitted, cheaters. The fact that the NFL has been dominated by an organization who openly cheats has not been good for the league. Many people will defend the Patriots by saying that everyone cheats. My response is that no one else gets caught as often as the Patriots do. The sports media wants to protect their cash cow that is the NFL, but the public has made up their mind. The Patriots are cheaters, and most fans of football dislike this. Boston fans are reason enough to hate any team, but the cheating in New England is the real reason everyone hates the Patriots

I personally think the Patriots cheating culture, and the sports media's willful ignorance, is not the biggest problem facing the NFL. I was rooting for the Patriots because they are unapologetic about their cheating. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has kept the Patriots cheating in the front of all league news, while he ignores the real problems in the NFL. Time after time he casually dismisses cases of domestic violence, he ignores the mental health of the players in an incredibly inhumane way, and he has no problem blaming the fans for the owners shortsightedness and greed. I dismiss the Patriots cheating, because Roger Goodell thinks it is important. Whatever Roger Goodell is fighting must be worth defending. Goodell defends domestic abusers, incompetent medical professionals, and greedy owners. Those are the things I choose to fight.

That is my view of Super Bowl LI. A game of two bad halves that came down to a damn coin toss in the end. The Falcons choked, yes. The Patriots won a record fifth title, yes. Those are instant reaction stories from the sports media. I was happy to see Roger Goodell look very uncomfortable handing the trophy over the Patriots, but if my only interest is an embarrassed buffoon, is the NFL really even worth watching? Maybe all the games can be decided on a coin toss next year, and save everyone a lot of time. I still think the Patriots will win a record sixth title. They will find a way to weight the coin on the heads side. They cheat, that is the Patriots way, and Roger Goodell is powerless before their awesomeness.

RD

RD is the Head Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast? If you think Roger Goodell is doing a good job? Are the Patriots not cheaters? Are you Sean Spicer? I want everyone to know your thoughts . Write for us.

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A Non-Classic Super Bowl Won by the Wrong Team

Evil prevailed last night in the Super Bowl.

I know that I picked the Patriots to win, but when the Falcon went up 28-3, I was very, very happy. They had dominated that whole game up to that point. They could not be stopped on offense, going short burst drive after short burst drive, and their defense was more than up to the task of shutting down the Patriots offense. Hell, they pick sixed Tom Brady, which barely ever happens, especially in a Super Bowl. Julio Jones ended up with only 4 catches, but they were four of the greatest catches I had ever seen. Devonta Freeman and, up until he got hurt, Tevin Coleman were gashing the Patriots defense for 5 or 6 yards a carry. I mean, how on Earth could they lose, I, and I bet almost everyone else watching thought.

Then, the Falcons went into a prevent on defense. I do not know if this is from being worn out, the Patriots ran 93 plays to the Falcons 46, or the Patriots just figured it out. The Falcons also decided that they needed to keep throwing the ball instead of utilizing their extremely effective run game. This was one of the biggest brain farts in the history of pro sports that I have ever witnessed. Dan Quinn, who is a defensive guy, who had his defense playing man all game and getting pressure routinely in the first half, decided with a 25 point lead that he had to go to a prevent. This was a fine idea at the time it seemed, but when the Patriots scored a TD and a field goal to cut it to a 16 point lead, I would have applied the pressure again. But, he stuck with the prevent, much to his dismay. I was baffled why he did not go back to putting the pressure on. That is how you beat the Patriots. But, he decided that he needed to back off and play the pass. I just don't get it.

On the other side of the ball, I know that you have the MVP, Matt Ryan, and maybe the best receiver in the game in Julio Jones, but why not lean on that running game up 25 points. It had worked for them all game, but they came out and passed like they were in a shootout. The Patriots defense clamped down in the second half, but I think it would have been moot had Atlanta stuck with the run game. I only saw a few carries that went for 0 or negative yards. But Atlanta Offensive Coordinator Kyle Shanahan, the 49ers about to be named new coach decided that he needed his MVP quarterback to throw the ball a bit more. All this passing led to the biggest momentum turnaround I have ever seen in a Super Bowl in my lifetime. The Patriots, down 16, blitzed a linebacker on 3rd and 1, the Falcons inexplicably put Ryan in shotgun and called a long pass play. The linebacker got through the O line with ease and strip sacked Matt Ryan, to set his team up with great field position with about 6 and a half minutes left. The Patriots turned it into a quick TD, converted the 2 point play and then we had a game.

Down 8, I was pretty sure the Falcons could still salt away the game, but they went back to throwing the ball and making stupid mistakes. First off, on that last drive of the Falcons entire season, Julio Jones made one of the greatest catches on the sideline in Super Bowl history to set his team up at the 23 yard line with less than 4 minutes left and a field goal would ice the game for them. But, the Falcons proceeded to get sacked, called for a holding penalty, never mind the fact that the refs missed a blatant face mask on the Patriots, and they were all the way back near mid field, way out of field goal range. They had to punt the ball, and they gave the Patriots a chance with over 3 minutes left. The Patriots proceeded to drive the ball 91 yards for the game tying TD and 2 point conversion. During this drive, Julian Edelman made one of the best Super Bowl catches ever, for those keeping track at home, that is 2 classic catches in one game, Tom Brady scrambled for 19 yards, which he never does, and the Falcons just could not get a break and they gave up that TD with relative ease.

With the 2 point play being so easy for them I knew then that the Patriots were gong to win, if they won the coin toss in overtime. They, of course, won the toss and Brady and James White drove that team down the field and White scored the game winning TD in overtime. The Falcons offense never got another shot with the ball. I do not know if they would have done anything with it, but they never had a chance, which makes the NFL's overtime a travesty.

Lots of people are saying that this was one of the greatest Super Bowl's ever, but I do not know if I agree. As our head editor and owner of the site told me on a call earlier today, this was a game where one team was hot in one half, and the other was hot in the second half. I totally agree with him. It was exciting, but frustrating as well. I could not believe what the Patriots were doing in the first half, and I could not believe what the Falcons did late in the second half. It was an exciting game, but I do not know if I will remember it like I remember the Broncos beating the Packers, Malcom Butler's interception 2 years ago, the 49ers crushing the Chargers, the Rams beating the Titans, the Patriots beating the Rams, all those games seem, at the moment, more important and better, in my opinion. Yes, this game cements Tom Brady as the greatest QB ever, but he was really awful in the first half. Do not forget that. He was really, really bad in that first half.

Also, do not forget that the Falcons blew this game. This is, quite possibly, the worst loss in the history of pro sports ever. The Patriots did not win, the Falcons lost. I feel real bad for my friends that are Falcons fans today. I also feel for anyone that is not a Patriots fan, which is about 95 percent of the country. This is just another sign that, sometimes, evil prevails. We got evil being dethroned when Clemson beat Alabama, but the Patriots comeback restored the Goliath in sports. I almost always root for the underdog, and the underdog looked great for 40 minutes last night, but Goliath only needed 20 minutes to comeback and win.

I guess, congrats Patriots, but I wish that the Falcons had pulled out that win. They blew it, and I felt gross after watching all the post game stuff. I felt like the wrong team won last night, but hey, that is the way it goes. But I do not think by any means that this was a "classic" game. I thought it was a game where the wrong team ended up winning.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He did thoughourly enjoy seeing Tom Brady, Robert Kraft, and and Bill Belichick having a good time while NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell looked like the odd man out. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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The Shuttle Challenger and Confronting My Mortality

We will return

Ed Note: Today is the 31st Anniversary of the Shuttle Challenger disaster. This article originally appeared on January 28th, 2016.

Thirty years ago today was the first time I had to confront my own eventual death. I was only ten at the time, and I was on my way to the hospital. There was something going on with my health, and not a single doctor had been able to figure out the problem. My legs were feeling heavy and tired, there was blood in my urine, and in addition to the physical symptoms there were visible red dots showing up on my legs. Every day I would get a few new red dots, and my parents would take me to see a new specialist. Having doctors not know what was happening to my body started me on path to thinking I was going to die, soon. On January 28th, 1986 I was visiting a dermatologist in order to see if the red dots had any explanation. The doctor quickly diagnosed me with having a little known, at the time, illness called Henoch-Scholein purpura. I was immediately sent to the hospital and spent the next few months being released and readmitted as they treated the illness. I was going to be ok, I did not die.

January 28th, 1986 marked the launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger. This launch was going to be extra special because a civilian, a school teacher, was going to be on the ship. The Challenger was the work horse of the U.S. space program, and this launch was going to reignite the public excitement for manned space missions. Christa McAuliffe's journey to being an astronaut was presented to the entire nation. Many school aged children, myself included, were given lesson plans revolving around the civilian school teacher turned astronaut. McAuliffe's journey into space was going to be the first step to regular civilian space travel. I was convinced that getting off planet earth was going to be as routine and safe as it was to get from my house to school. Seventy-three seconds after the launch of mission STS-51-L the entire planet was reminded of the extreme danger space exploration holds.

The Challenger disaster was the harsh beginning to the end of serious US space exploration. We would not send another person into space for nearly two years. Politicians would use the disaster to dry up most of NASA's federal funding. The public quickly lost interest in all things related to exploration beyond our planet. The country was relating to Christa McAuliffe because she was going to be the first non-astronaut to go into space. The truth is that Christa McAuliffe was put through an immense training and safety program to make her competent to go on the shuttle, she was not like one of us. When the Challenger broke apart over the Atlantic Ocean, the regular persons dream of going into space ended. The thought of death was greater than our willingness to take the risk.

What happened off the coast of Florida on that chilly January morning was not a mere random accident.  Politicians, news people, and businessmen demanded the launch of the Challenger, although many people in the scientific community warned of a looming catastrophe.  NASA administrators were being pressured by people in Washington DC to make the launch date. Many of the engineers at NASA, and around the world, knew that the cold weather could cause issues with vital parts of the shuttle. A failure would definitely lead to disaster. Anti-science hubris caused the death of those seven astronauts, and crippled the US Space program. Many in the scientific community tried to speak out. Mechanical engineer Roger Boisjoly tried to get the launch scrapped in the days leading up to the disaster. Mr Boisjoly was not listened to, was not commended for his ethics, he was shunned by people in his own company and had to resign. Speaking out for astronaut safety was damaging to his career. By letting people who are good at politics make safety judgement calls over the advice of the scientific community was going to eventual lead to disaster. January 28th, 1986 saw that disaster.

When I got settled into my hospital room that night, my mother turned on the news so she could see what had happened in Florida that morning. We had heard from people in the emergency room about the disaster. It was heartbreaking to watch. I felt personally guilty because I was so worried about my own mortality, and just that very morning seven of our best citizens were killed by political hubris. I was still very afraid for my own well being, but I was sad for the families of the Challenger astronauts. They had to deal with unexpected death that day. In the weeks that followed, my ten year old mind was consumed with all the news surrounding the Challenger disaster. I was a child surrounded by sick people, and I was constantly thinking about those seven astronauts. I was constantly thinking about death.

The last thirty years have not quenched my thirst for knowledge concerning the Challenger disaster. As an adult I visit the Challenger memorial every time I make it out to Arlington National Cemetery. I am married to a mechanical engineer who learned scientific ethics from Roger Boisjoly. I work every single day to expose the arrogance and folly of those in the government who care more about fundraising than they do for the safety of their own constituents. Janurary 28th, 1986 was the first day I had to deal with death. It was also the first day that I decided to do something about it. One day I hope to go into outer space.

Rest in piece Gregory Jarvis, Judith A. Resnik, Francis (Dick) Scobee, Ronald McNair, Mike Smith, Ellison Onizuka, and Christa McAuliffe.

RD Kulik

RD is the Head Editor for 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.

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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.

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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