The Disaster at Tennessee is the Biggest Question of the NCAA Coaching Carousel

The NCAA football coaches firing and hiring has begun. Last week I touched on 2 schools, Florida and Tennessee, that were in need of a new coach. Before I get into the meat of my story today I need to touch on something else involving college football coaches real quick.

First off, I am so very annoyed at all the Jim Harbaugh to the NFL rumors. Every offseason this has happened for the three years he has been at Michigan. It is great to have a coach that is this high in demand, but I'd like him to either commit or leave. I'm so sick of this happening every time at this time of year. After year one at Michigan it was the Colts. After year 2, it was the Rams. Now, about a month before their bowl game, it is the Bears. If he leaves after just 3 short years, when he gets to do whatever he wants, and is the most important person at the University of Michigan, whether you'd like to admit it or not, before beating Ohio State, or any highly ranked team, and before he gets to fully realize the potential of the kids he recruited, that would be a shame. I didn't want Harbaugh at Michigan in the first place because I knew this was going to be a yearly thing, the rumors, but now that he is there, and has been a damn good coach for this team, I do not want him to leave. I truly hope he stays, but you never know with coaches nowadays.

Also, Texas A&M did a stupid, stupid thing in letting Kevin Sumlin go. That guy had 56 wins over 6 years, was constantly in bowl games, coached a Heisman winner and got A&M up to number one in the country one year. If they don't get Jimbo Fisher, they are screwed. Sumlin did more than enough to keep that job, and A&M gave him the shaft. I hope Fisher passes on the job and they have to scramble to get a coach.

Other jobs opened since last week, Arkansas, Mississippi State, Nebraska, and I'm sure they will all vet out some decent candidates. But, all this turnover is why no team, or teams can stay relevant for long. As stated, Texas A&M was number one a few short years ago. Now, after winning 8 games this year, they fire Sumlin. The reason that teams like the University of Ohio State, Alabama, Auburn and Oklahoma are always relevant is because they have a consistent coaching staff, or head coach. Urban Meyer has turnover with coordinators every year, but he is still the head coach. That never changes. Same with Alabama. While the coordinators leave for other jobs, Nick Saban is the constant. Auburn, after a failed experiment with a coach I cannot even remember, hired back Gus Malzahn, who was their offensive coordinator when they won the title, and they are a big time contender once again. The reason why, recruits and players are familiar with Malzahn and Auburn. And even with the whole weird Bob Stoops offseason, Oklahoma kept Lincoln Riley, the offensive coordinator, and they are playing like Stoops never left. With consistency comes winning and competing every year. I wish more colleges, and some coaches, understood that.

Now that all of that is out of the way, lets get to what I wanted to really talk about today. As I wrote last week, Florida and Tennessee were searching for new coaches. As I was hanging lights outside my house yesterday, my phone buzzed and told me that Florida was finalizing a deal with Dan Mullen, and Tennessee was doing the same with Greg Schiano. Florida got it right was my first thought. They got a guy familiar with the team, and had major success at Mississippi State. It is truly a homerun hire. But, the Schiano news shocked me. It felt like Tennessee was grasping at straws. I knew they were never going to get Jon Gruden, but Greg Schiano? What the hell, I thought. Then more and  more stories started to come out yesterday about how bad a hire this was.

Schiano is currently the defensive coordinator the University of Ohio State. Their defense is okay, but not great. He was also a failed NFL head coach, and had a "whopping" 68-67 record as the head coach at Rutgers many years ago. All of these stats came out yesterday after the announcement, but my bewildered mind just couldn't grasp the hire. I mean, it is Tennessee, they can get someone better. People were calling this one of the top ten worst hires in any level of sports of all time. People pointed out his subpar record as a head coach. People also talked about the job he had done this year. Then some people brought up the fact that he may or may not have been involved with the Penn State scandal. This brought up a whole new set of terrible circumstances. It got so bad, the local government was threatening to get involved.

So, after about half a day worth of getting the shit kicked out of them, Tennessee pulled the offer. It was one of the most bizarre things I have ever witnessed. First off, this make Greg Schiano look like an awful football coach and person. Not many teams, at least power 5 teams, will ever look at him the same again. This whole debacle will make him an assistant coach for life. Or, if he wants any shot at being a head coach, it is going to have to be low level division one, or maybe, division 1-AA.

Second, and most importantly, this makes Tennessee look like a tire fire that will comply to whatever boosters and fans say. If I were a major D-1 coach looking to move up in the college football coaching world, I would stay very, very far away from Tennessee. This is a terrible, awful look for them. After their pipe dream of Gruden fell through, it seemed like they just threw a dart and picked the first person they landed on. Then, when that choice backfired, they pulled the plug. It is a real mess in Knoxville. It got so bad that someone said that their best option may be Lane Kiffin now. They already danced that dance and it was dreadful. Hell, I don't even think Kiffin, or Derek Dooley for that matter, would want that job now. Hell, their best, and maybe only option at this point, could be interim coach Brady Hoke. Yikes. I went through that Volunteer fans, and I promise you, you want no part of that. Tennessee has a real problem on their hands, and I do not know how they bounce back from this. And Greg Schiano comes off almost as bad.

This was just a wreck from the moment it was announced yesterday. Who will Tennessee go after now, I don't know. I mentioned Hoke. But, the guys I mentioned last week, Justin Fuente, Memphis' current head coach, a lower level assistant at a major program, those type of coaches are more than likely off the table. Tennessee is going to have to dig very deep in the trash pile of coaches looking to get back in the college game. Maybe they will go after Bret Bielama now that he is available, but I don't think even he would take that job now.

I would end this by saying good luck, but after yesterday, Tennessee needs a miracle to get any kind of prominent coach. My good luck does them no good at all. They are in a bad, bad place right now, and it is going to be a long while before they get up. Hell, maybe they should have kept Butch Jones around after all.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He has been waiting for his shot at a head football coaching job for years. He will keep waiting if Tennessee comes calling.

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Let Me Tell You About this Awesome Movie "Coco"

I took my kids to see Coco this morning. That movie is incredible. It needs to be talked about more than it currently is being talked about. I know it just came out, and it’s currently sitting at 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, but I mentioned to a few people that I took my kids to see Coco, and their response was, “what’s that?”. That’s a shame to me. This movie was vibrant, colorful, funny, moving, action packed and wonderfully written and perfectly voice acted. There was never a moment I felt bored or wanted the movie to pick up the pace. Did I mention that it is great.

"Coco" focuses on a young boy named Miguel who happens to be an excellent guitar player. The only problem, his entire extended family has forbade music since their great grandma’s dad walked out on them to pursue a career in music. Miguel yearns to play, but anytime he gets a chance in the town center, someone from his family finds him and stops him in his tracks. When Miguel does have a chance to play, it’s in secret. He has a secret room where he strums along with his hero, Ernesto. Ernesto is said to be the most famous musician this small town in Mexico has ever produced. I don’t want to spoil anything, but I will say, Ernesto may not be as great as he seems.

On Dia De Los Muertos, there is a big time talent competition. Miguel decides he is going to join, and he doesn’t care what his family says. His family catches him trying to get to the competition, and his grandma smashes his guitar. Miguel is so upset and runs away to do the show. He cannot join the competition because he doesn’t have a guitar. But, he decides he is going to go into Ernesto’s shrine and take his guitar. When he grabs it, he strums it, and the leaves laid out for the dead light up. Miguel feels odd, but proceeds to the show. Some townspeople see that Ernesto’s guitar is gone, and they come in to search. Miguel thinks he caught, but we come to realize he has crossed over to the land of the dead.

This is where the movie shifts from good to great. Pretty much from here on out we are with the dead. The animation is beautiful. The colors are amazing. The people we meet, including Miguel’s extended family members that have passed, are all great. They want Miguel to go back home, but he wants to know why they do not want him to play music.

All of the stuff with his deceased family was tremendous. I loved that family was the important, central theme of the movie. I am extremely close to my family, so this was easy to relate to for me. I also loved how this movie embraced its heritage.

This movie was also all about Spanish family and Spanish people. That’s pretty rare for a kids movie, but kudos to the people that made this for sticking to the heritage.

The music was excellent as well. I bought the soundtrack right after the movie.

"Coco" is a must see for everyone. Pixar once again hit it out of the park. This movie ranks right up there with Wall E for me. I like it more already than any Toy Story movie, and I love the Toy Story movies. Go see this movie if you can, and take your kids. Also, try to see it in the theaters. It is worth it for the colors alone. Coco is a beautiful movie with beautiful,  vibrant colors, and wonderful music. Check it out.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He loves guitar, and even has a favorite ax to shred on.

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Happy Thanksgiving

Eat me

Today is Thanksgiving, and I want to tell everyone what I’m thankful for in a short and sweet post.

First though, what I’m unthankful for. I’m unthankful for the “government”. It’s filled with racist, fascist, money grubbing, sexual harassers. I HATE what is going on in our nation’s capitol right now, and I hope with all my heart that these monsters get what they deserve. Got that out of the way. Now, what I’m thankful for.

Of course I’m thankful for my family. My wife has a job and is kicking corporate ass. My son is rocking the house in kindergarten and loves it. My daughter is getting a mind of her own and I get to spend everyday with her being the at home parent. I’m thankful for my coaching job. We are in full swing and things are looking great. The basketball program is tremendous and we are crushing it right now. I’m thankful for my folks. They have both retired within the last year and seem to be loving it. I saw them a bunch when they both worked, but now I get to see them even more and I love it. I’m thankful for my brothers. I still get to talk music and sports with Ross, and we joke around a ton. I’m thankful for Cub for giving me a platform to spout my thoughts on any and everything pop culture. I’m thankful that Seth still lets me go to shows with him and see some of the best live music I’ve seen in my life. I’m thankful for my nieces and nephew. Even though they still think I’m nerdy, my nieces tell me I’m the least nerdy of their uncles. I love joking around with my nephew and making him laugh. His laugh is contagious. Outside this horrid government, my life has been pretty good. I have a great and solid family. Michigan isn’t great at football this year, but I love watching them every Saturday. The NFL has been rough, but I love the protests. And my favorite sport, basketball, has been a blast so far. The NBA is a treat.

Have a great Thanksgiving everyone. Don’t eat too much turkey.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He forgot to mention the great food he is looking forward to for Thanksgiving. Things like Brussels Sprouts, Dehydrated Foods, and Whataburger. Make sure to stay away from Hostess Pies and Arby's venison sandwiches. Trust us.

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Where are Florida and Tennesse Going to Find Their Next Football Coach?

With Rivalry Week ahead of us, it means 2 things. First, there will be some good games to watch. But, the thing I want to focus on today, coaches are getting fired, and rumors are swirling everywhere about who will coach at the big schools next year. I know that places like Oregon State, UCLA, most likely Texas A&M, most likely Arkansas, and maybe, just maybe, Washington State will be open at season's end. But, the 2 schools I want to talk about today are Tennessee and Florida.

Both these jobs are open. Tennessee fired Butch Jones 2 weeks ago. Florida let Jim McElwain go after the ridiculous death threats rumors, and the overall poor play of the Gators. These are 2 big, big time jobs. Yes, both schools have fallen on hard times, but, these jobs are still marquee in the world of college football.

For the record, both these guys deserved to be let go. Tennessee was horrendous under Butch Jones. Every year Jones was there the preseason pundits said that, "this was the year that Tennessee football was back". That never happened. His best season was probably last year, and that team was a heart attack to watch every week. And, I think they only ended up winning 8 or 9 games. Butch Jones also always said something stupid. I remember him calling his team, "champions of life". That is so dumb. He was also a bad football coach, as far as X's and O's go. Tennessee always looked unprepared and outmatched, especially this year. They have been utterly dreadful this year. It came to a head at Missouri, and I know they have won 5 straight, but Tennessee got absolutely smashed by a team that they should have at least been in the game with. Missouri scored 50 on them, while only giving up 17. This is the same Missouri team that gave up 40 plus points to Missouri State. In reality, the Volunteers quit on Jones, but Jones also quit on them. I had to go through Rich Rodriguez and Brady Hoke, so I understand the relief that Volunteers fans have now that Jones is gone.

McElwain enjoyed minimal success at Florida. He had a better tenure there than Jones had at Tennessee. He went to 2 straight SEC title games. Yes, Florida got smashed both times by Alabama. But, they did enough in the SEC East to make it to the title game. McElwain also won double digit games his first year. He won, I think, 9 games last year. By all accounts, coming into this season, they looked like they would contend in the SEC East again. Then their first game happened. I watched it because they played Michigan. Michigan absolutely smothered them. I know Florida had 17 points, but 14 of those were on 2 pick sixes. Florida's offense looked worse than it had ever looked under McElwain. I then found out that Doug Nussmeier was their offensive coordinator, and it all made sense to me. He coordinated one of Michigan's worst offenses ever. After that game it seemed Florida could only win miraculously. They needed 2 Hail Mary's to win 2 early games. Any solid team destroyed Florida. Then the whole death threats thing. That was a total cry for help, and a way to try and keep his job. But, when pressed on it, he was caught in a lie and Florida had no other choice but to let him go. To lie about death threats is disturbing and insulting to that team and his players. Florida pretty much immediately fired him after that.

Since these 2 guys got fired there have been a million rumors about who will be their next head coach. I've heard tons and tons of random names taking over these big time jobs. The big one, and, for right now, the only name being mentioned in Knoxville is Jon Gruden. I do not want to burst your bubble Volunteers fans, but Jon Gruden will not be your next head coach. He may coach next year, but he is going to be an NFL coach if he decides to go back. I personally do not think he will return to coaching at any level next year. He has a cherry gig right now, and I think he is more than happy to call games and spout nonsense on ESPN. It is more likely to me that the Volunteers are going to go out and get not such a big name, but a good coach. Memphis' head coach could be considered. He has turned Memphis into a really explosive offensive team. Fuente at Virginia Tech would be a good fit if they want to go the defense and toughness route. David Cutcliffe has turned Duke into a decent team, and he has ties to Tennessee. I'm sure there are some good, young coordinators that should be on their radar. Look at what Kirby Smart has done at Georgia. Unfortunately the Jon Gruden stuff will, most likely, not happen. I think Tennessee will have to pick a "smaller" name head coach, but it will benefit them in the long run.

As far as Florida goes, I do not think they will get Chip Kelly, especially now that UCLA has let Jim Mora go. I know they have had multiple talks with Kelly, but why would he go to a place like Florida, where if he doesn't win right away they will be mad, when he can go to UCLA and build a team. He will have carte blanche at UCLA, a la what Jim Harbaugh gets at Michigan. UCLA will give him time to recruit and build, and I think he could turn them into a powerhouse in 2-4 years. Florida would be great for recruiting for Kelly, but everything else around that job would be rough. As I said, they would expect him to install his offense with the current players, and expect it to work right away. Florida has the speed to run that offense, but not the talent. Felipe Franks could be a good QB, but running a spread option up tempo offense doesn't fit his style. Florida does have a decent defense, but Kelly doesn't care about that side of the ball. He would probably be able to get a big name, but his lack of concern on that side of the ball would infuriate Florida fans from day one. Also, I think Kelly would prefer to go back to a conference he is familiar with, the Pac 12, as opposed to coaching in the SEC. He can already game plan for all the teams in the Pac 12. In the SEC, he would have to prepare for the Alabama's, Auburn's and Georgia's of the college football world. While I think the SEC is very overrated, I'd much rather get ready to face the Arizona's, Stanford's, USC's and Oregon's of the college football world. Chip Kelly seems like a guy that wants a cushy job, and Florida is not a cushy job at all. Florida is going to have to do the same thing that Tennessee will have to do. They need to get an up and comer or poach a good coach from another power 5 school. They should look at Willie Taggart. He has experience coaching and recruiting in Florida, and he is a hard nosed,  but offensive minded coach. Maybe they look at Memphis' coach. Again, he is an offensive mastermind. I think they need to go after an offensive coach that has experience dealing with defense.

So while all the Gruden and Kelly stuff sounds nice, I do not think it will happen for either of these schools. They will have to make what many will consider "uninspired" hires, but that could benefit them both in the long run. I'm excited to see what happens as far as who they hire though. These schools choices at head coach this offseason will shape the future of these storied programs. Hopefully neither of them will pick Lane Kiffin too. Stay far, far away from him. Especially you Tennessee.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He really needs to be careful with his Lane Kiffin criticism. What would Ty do if Jim Harbaugh left Michigan for the NFL, and the Wolverines brought Kiffin in as their next head coach? See, things could be much worse.

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There are No Small Parts, Just Great Side Characters Like Teddy on "Bob's Burgers"

Craft Services is a tempting vice to fall into

Piggybacking on what I wrote about yesterday, I want to point out another side character on a show that I love. The character, Teddy, the show, Bob’s Burgers.

Teddy has become my second favorite character, only behind Bob Belcher. Teddy is the handyman that sits at the counter and eats burgers all day. He was barely used in the first season, but the longer the show has been on, his story line has grown exponentially. It came to a great head on an episode entitled Uncle Teddy. Bob and Linda go out of town and Teddy steps up when they need a babysitter. Teddy is almost too eager to prove himself to Bob and Linda and the kids. He wants the kids to think he’s fun and cool, so he kind of gives them free reign. He trusts them so much so, Tina thinks it’s okay to have a party in the restaurant. This of course backfired, and in a moment of brilliant writing, when a teenage boy makes fun of his weight, Teddy screams at him about his cholesterol levels. I still laugh to this day when I watch that episode and that line comes up.

There is so much more Teddy now. We have found out that he was a young stud that acted as an extra in movies. We also found out that the movie set was his downfall. That’s when he started to, “hit craft services pretty hard”. We also see that he helps Louise when she wants to prove that Thomas Edison wasn’t maybe the great man that some think. The Topsy episode is great for many reasons, Teddy being one of them. He also helps Bob hide from his in laws when he gets “stuck” in the wall of the restaurant. And most recently, we found out that he is a hoarder that had a pretty rough childhood.

The most recent Thanksgiving episode was phenomenal because it was mainly based on Teddy and his family. Jay Johnston has brought about a humility, yet hilariousness to Teddy. He has made this not very important character nearly essential to this great show. In fact,

I like Teddy more than Clegg, and I love Clegg. I hope they continue to make him an essential person on the show. Every time he is a main character in an episode I’m thrilled. Let’s keep it that way. Here’s to Teddy.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He used to work in the entertainment business, and his downfall came when he started to hit the floss sugar pretty hard. We are all glad Ty got over that traumatic part of his life.

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There are No Small Parts, Just Great Side Characters like Clegg in "Eastbound and Down"

We all could use a good wingman like Clegg

After finishing up "Vice Principals" last week, I decided I wanted to revisit "Eastbound and Down". In the past week I have gotten through the first season, and the show definitely holds up. But, this piece is not about another great Danny McBride and Jody Hill show. It is about a character that I feel like is incredibly underrated in the first season.

Obviously Kenny Powers, Rachel, Cutler and Stevie are the best, but why do more people not talk about how awesome the character of Clegg, played by Ben Best, is? He is a star in the first season. I'm not bull shitting you either. I am a big time Clegg fan. For those that may not remember, Clegg is either the owner, or more likely, just a bartender, of the local bar,  Sha Boom's. He shows up in the first episode when the local lady of the town starts to hit on Kenny. He has one of the best lines when he kicks her out, telling her, "you need a shit ton of Valtrax". It made me laugh just as hard when I saw it the other day as it did the first time I saw it. Clegg then motions to Kenny that they should go do some cocaine. So, we find out immediately that he has some kind of job at the local bar, and he is the town drug dealer.

From there on out in the first season, Clegg is looked at as the guy to get Kenny whatever kind of drugs he needs. In actuality, the more I think about it, he is just as pathetic and needy as Stevie, he just doesn't show it as much. I love when he and Kenny are getting high in their first scene together, and Clegg explains how he left college to follow around Widespread Panic. He, in between snorts of drugs, tells Kenny that he will burn him some of their stuff, but, "only the choice cuts". I cannot tell you how many times I heard those exact words when I was at the many, many Widespread Panic shows that I used to go to. It is oddly familiar, but also a true glimpse into how much Clegg wanted this washed up baseball "star" to like him. He is willing to anything that Kenny asks of him from that point on. Kenny needs drugs, Clegg gets them for him. Kenny needs a chauffer to Ashley Schaffer's BMW for his "celebrity" appearance, Clegg is the man for the job. Kenny needs steroids, Clegg finds a guy. Even when Clegg ditches Kenny at the BMW store, after huffing glue, or maybe paint, with the local homeless people, to have an encounter with one of the female homeless people, he blames himself. Kenny takes him out on his jet ski, acts like everything is cool, then slides him off and reprimands him for leaving him at the dealership. Instead of calling Kenny an asshole, and telling him he is selfish, he apologizes. He takes all the blame. He then makes it his mission to get Kenny the steroids that he now feels he owes him for leaving him high and dry. So, while Stevie is way more forthcoming with his desires to do whatever Kenny wants him to do, Clegg is the same. He just doesn't come off as bad, or pathetic, as Stevie. Even when Kenny goes back to the dealership to have a showdown with the guy that ended his MLB career, Clegg shows up with the wrong drugs for Kenny, but he still shows up with something that Kenny wants, takes and doesn't pay for. Kenny wants steroids, but Clegg couldn't get some in time, but he still brings him oxycotin. And, as I said, Kenny keeps it, and never pays for it. In the first season's finale, Clegg even mentions something about Kenny paying him for all the stuff he has given him, and Kenny just kind of blows him off and changes the subject. And, Clegg seems to just forget about it anyway.

I love this character. I believe, as I said at the top, that he is the most underrated character in the first season. He is so funny and riddled with drugs and is another in a small line of 2 people that want Kenny Powers affection. Go back and watch season one of this show and try and tell me that Clegg isn't awesome, but also, just as lowly as Stevie. Ben Best did so awesome with this person they had him play, and the further I get into my re watching of this wonderful series, the more I hope he still shows up from time to time. Here's to Clegg.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He doesn't know the drugs, but he definitely knows the choicest cuts of Widespread. He will burn you a copy if you like.

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My Life as an I9 Sports Instructor

Required Atheletic Equipment for Adults teaching kids

As most of you know, I am a coach/instructor for a company called i9 Sports here in Saint Louis. With today being the eve before our basketball season starts, I wanted to take my time today to talk about how much fun I have doing this job, and why this is a great program for young kids that want to learn how to play a sport.

I took a job as an instructor for i9 Sports about 2 and a half years ago. I was a coach first for my son's tee ball team, and doing some internet searching, I saw that they were looking for instructors. I thought this was something I would really love to do. I applied, and by the start of the fall season that year, I was an employee. From the start, I loved what I was doing. I got to play sports with kids, and I got paid for it. Also, the hours were awesome, especially for a stay at home dad. I work on the weekends, when my wife is home, so it was great. I usually only have to work 5, sometimes 6 hours on Saturday's and Sunday's. With the start of basketball season tomorrow, I will be working 8 hours, but I couldn't be happier, because I get to play basketball all day. At the start of my time as an official employee I was hooked. I was hired to be a soccer instructor, and not knowing much about the game, I studied up on it quite a bit. Also, my boss is a soccer expert, and he helped me out a lot. My main thing was just to be very energetic with the kids, especially our first group. 

What i9 does, they start the day with the youngest age group, ages 3 and 4, and get older as the day goes on. This was also perfect for me, since I have 2 young kids of my own. This made the transition to soccer instructor easier for me. Like I said, I used my energy, and the kids fed off that. They were very much into all the games and drills we did, and so was I. I found myself enjoying a sport that I had never played before. I also enjoyed learning about the game as well. And seeing the kids progress with soccer, from the first week to the last week, it was amazing. I had kids that didn't want to play, that picked grass, that needed to stay near their folks in week one, that, by week 7, they were running all over the field, kicking the ball to their teammates, and some of them were putting it into the goal with ease. Our seasons last around 7 weeks, and to see the progression was amazing. As I said, kids that wouldn't play in week one, or didn't know how to play in week one, they had the game figured out by week 5, and in week 7, they had it down pat. It was incredible.

As that first fall season progressed, I got to do some tee ball instructing too. I was thrilled, since this is one of the three sports that I have played since I was 3 years old. I had a ton of fun instructing tee ball. I found out that I love to teach kids how to play a sport, as opposed to getting involved in hyper competitive leagues where it is all about whether you lose the game or win the game. That is probably my favorite thing about the culture of i9 Sports. We want to teach the kids how to play as opposed to just throwing them out there in a competitive environment. This is why tee ball was such a blast for me. I got to teach kids that may have never held a bat before how to hit a ball. I showed them how to throw and catch. I taught them how to field grounders and throw the ball to first base. And, just like soccer, the progression from the first week to the last was exceptional. I had some 3 and 4 year olds, by week 5, they wanted me to soft toss pitch to them. They felt confident enough to get rid of the tee and let me pitch the ball. I also had kids that finally understood how important playing the field is in a sport like baseball. At first, all the kids want to do is hit because it is fun. But, you instill in them how important defense is, but also make it fun, and they grow to like playing in the field almost as much as hitting. Tee ball is still one of my favorite sports to instruct.

When my son turned 4 he told my wife and I that he wanted to try out flag football. I then got to do some football instructing. This was just as fun, if not more so, than tee ball. Teaching young kids that want to learn the fundamentals of an intricate sport like football may sound tough, but when the kids want to learn, it is a blast. The kids listened to me and the other instructors. They didn't come in with an air of superiority to us. They knew we were their teachers, and they listened intently. I loved watching the youngest group learn how to take handoffs, pull on the opponents flag and, some of them, learn how to run routes and catch passes. As the age groups got older in football, it was even more fun. We could teach them plays. They already had some knowledge of the game. And some kids, we let them run the show. Some of the best football games I have seen have been on an i9 field in the spring and fall. These kids really love the game, were eager to learn and showed what they had learned on the field.

Finally, I was asked to be a basketball instructor after my first season with i9. One of the parent coaches had asked me if I was going to do basketball because his son wanted me to be his instructor. That is one of the best compliments that I have ever gotten. When a kid says something you know they are being genuine because they have no filter. I of course said yes to basketball because it is my favorite sport. Basketball at i9 is so awesome. The practice, the drills, the games, everything about the program is perfect. We have dribbling, shooting and passing stations for practice, and we teach the kids how to play zone defense. It is the best. Then they take what they have learned in that first 30 minutes, and apply it to game action. And when you see a kid make their first basket or throw that perfect pass or grab the rebound or steal the ball, it is a thing of wonder. The smiles on their faces are priceless. The same thing goes for basketball as it does for football. With the young kids it is pretty much all about the instruction. As the kids get older, we kind of take the reins off and teach them to play, but also let them play. And like I have said with all the other sports, the progression from start to finish is amazing. I'm very excited to start our basketball season tomorrow.

For parents contemplating getting their kids into sports, I think i9 is a great program for all ages. We start at age 3 and go all the way up to 11, sometimes 12. So, if you have a 3,4, 5 or 6 year old that just wants to learn the game, i9 is the best jumping off point. We spend most of our time as instructors, teaching. For the 7-11 year olds, it is more about the fundamentals and the smaller parts of the game that may get lost, we teach that to the kids. Every sport is coed as well. Our sessions are 1 hour long for most age groups. So, it is one day, on the weekends, for one hour. We do about a 30 minute practice, followed by a 30 minute game for ages up to 7. For the older kids, they get an extra 15 minutes. The commitment isn't too much.

I love this company. I'm so glad to be a part of something so cool and fun. I know that there are i9 franchises all over the US too. I work for the Saint Louis i9, but I know of leagues in Florida, Colorado, Ohio and Arizona. i9 Sports is awesome and I think it is the best way to get kids involved in sports.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. In addition to being a good sports coach for your kid, he can also teach them how to bet the point spreads in college football. Ty is a well rounded role model.

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Don't Believe the Ball Hype. Simmons, Embiid, and the 76'ers are the Future of the NBA

Last night I stayed up to watch some basketball. The college season is in full swing, and so is the NBA. I watched the end of the Cavs-Hornets game on ESPN while also checking in on some Big Ten basketball and some other games I could find on cable.

The real reason I stayed up because I wanted to see the 76ers play. I haven't gotten to see Ben Simmons play yet, and I was curious. I have heard so many good things about him, but I wanted to see for myself. Unfortunately they were playing the Lakers, and all the talk on ESPN was about the "big" rookie matchup between Simmons and Lonzo Ball. ESPN seemed to solely focus on Ball, with a few mentions here and there of Simmons. The love for the Ball family has got to stop from ESPN. It is becoming disturbing how much they cover this kid, his father and brothers, I'm sick of it.

To make matters worse for the Ball family, and ESPN as well, Ball continued his awful play so far this year last night. Sure, he has had 2 good games, both against Phoenix, and we are only about 15 games in, but he has STRUGGLED mightily so far. When he gets pressured he gets rid of the ball in a flash. He cannot play defense, and his shooting has been atrocious. I'm sure he will get this all figured out, he is a good basketball player. But, when he isn't even the best rookie on his team, that goes to Kyle Kuzma, the hype needs to stop, at least for now.

The best rookie, and probably second best player on the floor last night, was Ben Simmons. He is as advertised. He is a 6'10 point guard, that sometimes plays power forward. He, like Ball, cannot shoot outside, and his free throw shooting is pretty bad too, but he controls the game in other ways. He can get to the basket with relative ease. I found it hilarious that the Lakers thought they could put Ball on him on defense to start the game. Every time down the floor, Simmons either backed him down and kicked it out to a wide open shooter, or he slashed to the basket for an easy dunk. It was obvious who was the better "first" year player from the opening tap. Besides getting to the hoop, Simmons just seemed to carry himself in a way that Ball hasn't, and may never, get to. Simmons was out there to win the game by any means necessary. He knows his role on the 76ers, and he is determined to show that he can ball out on any given night. Ball seemed a little lost, or maybe disinterested is the right word. Any time Simmons put pressure on him, he got rid of the ball immediately. Any time he had a look at a jumper he passed. He only took shots when he was wide open, and those clanked off the rim. Hell, even when Simmons switched to the 4, and TJ McConnell played the point, Ball couldn't handle him on either end of the floor. McConnell would drive by him for easy layups, and force Ball to either pass it too early, or turn it over. Simmons looked confident too. Like I said, he doesn't have a jumper, but that didn't stop him from attacking, or shooting a hook shot, which he is quite adept at already. He knows his limitations, and he knows what he does really well already. He had no problem setting up teammates, grabbing rebounds or playing defense. He is a Swiss Army knife player at only 20 years old.

Both of these guys paled in comparison to the night that Joel Embiid had. My god was he dominant. He ended the night with 46 points, 15 rebound and 7 blocks. That's some Hakeen Olajuwon type shit right there. I know it was only against the lowly and hapless Lakers, but damn, what a stat line. Embiid is so much fun to watch. I wanted to go to bed, but I just couldn't look away when he was on the floor. If he can stay healthy, which may be the biggest if in all of professional sports, this guy could very well be on his way to the Hall of Fame. He is so big, but graceful. He is dominant, but has a soft touch. He kills you in he post, but he can take you out to the three point line. I beg the NBA gods to not let this kid get hurt. He is the next big time star. He is who the league should look to make the new face of when LeBron James retires. He oozes star quality. And, he is on the same team with the heavy, heavy favorite for Rookie of the Year, Ben Simmons.

I still think it will take at least another year before the 76ers are a playoff team, and these 2 have got to show me that they can play, at the very least, 60 games in the regular season. But damn, Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid can play some great basketball. I have adopted the Timberwolves and Spurs as my 2 new favorite teams, but I very much enjoyed watching the 76ers play last night. I did not think I would be saying that for some time, due to the tanking, but it's true. Do yourselves a favor and watch this team, but more importantly, watch Embiid and Simmons. They could very well be the future of this league.

Ty

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

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Ty Watches "Vice Principals" Series Finale

This past Sunday was the series finale of "Vice Principals". I've been a fan of this show from day one. I have even said, and RD disagrees with me, that I think it is a better show than "Eastbound and Down". Don't get me wrong, I adore both shows, but I like the darkness and the seediness of "Vice Principals". That is not to say that "Eastbound and Down" wasn't dark at times, but it was always filled with some comedic element. When "Vice Principals" got dark, it stayed dark.

The series finale was a prime example of how far they could go with this show. I felt that the finale was a perfect ending to the show. I know that Danny McBride and Jody Hill and David Gordon Green had always said that it was only supposed to last 2 seasons, and the way they ended it was stupendous. They do not need to do anything else. They closed up every story line perfectly. I was so pleased with what I watched. After I finished the finale, I watched it yesterday, I felt a sense of completeness.

Everyone involved with this show, be it acting, writing, producing or directing, did a wonderful job. Danny McBride was awesome as Neal Gamby. He could have settled into a Kenny Powers esque character, but he went the opposite direction. His character had a soul. He had a conscience. He did some bad things, but his heart was, for the most part, in the right place. He is the hero. Walton Goggins deserves a god damn Emmy for his role. He was the absolute best thing about this show. He was conniving. He was a bad, bad man. He had a troubled past. He constantly lied and cheated to get what he wanted. He was just flat out evil. But, in the end, he came through for his buddy, that is a minor spoiler alert. All the bad stuff he did, he finally, kind of, redeemed himself. Goggins and McBride were the stars, and who the show was based around, and it was a perfect pairing. I did not know how they would fit, but they had tremendous chemistry on screen. I fully bought into their journey and friendship.

Outside of the main guys, pretty much every supporting actor was great too. Georgia King as Amanda Snodgrass, the sometimes love interest of Neal Gamby, was so good. She was tough, no nonsense and didn't put up with Gamby's bull shit. Her arc, especially when she started to date Fisher Stevens, an excellent addition, as a YA novelist, was so good. The fact that she took pride in Gamby's love for her book, which by all accounts sounded pretty bad, showed how naïve, yet faithful she was to Gamby. Kimberly Hebert Gregory as Dr. Belinda Brown, the ire of Gamby and Russell in season 1, was just as good in her much reduced role in season 2. She found a new school, but she popped up here and there to debunk some theories and curse out Russell when he came to her for help. She was so good in season 1, and I did not know how they would incorporate her in season 2, but they found a nice fit for her to come back. Edi Patterson as Ms. Abbot, had a much expanded role in season 2, and she owned it. She was nutso. She was crazy. She had all kinds of ulterior motives, and Patterson crushed in this role. Sheaun McKinney had a bigger role as Dayshawn in season 2, and he was great. He was always there with a joke, but also good advice for Gamby. I loved him in this show. I could go on and on. Dale Dickey was a great addition this season. Busy Phillips and Shea Whigham were just as good this season as they were in the first. All the other teachers at the school, excellent. The cast was one of the best parts of the show, and everyone involved really leaned into their roles.

What truly made this a great show was the writing. As earlier stated, it was dark, but it was also funny, sometimes moving and had a nice mystery involved in the second and final season. I love this show so much. The finale has one of the best guest appearance that I have seen. RD texted me and told me this before I watched it, and he was one hundred percent correct. The finale is crazy. All the stuff they pack into about 34 minutes is nuts, but it works. I loved the whole series, but the finale was exceptional.

I will miss "Vice Principals", but it is going out on top. It ended perfectly. You can always watch it on HBO Go or On Demand, or anywhere you may watch TV. I'm glad that I watched it in real time. It was a show that I looked forward to every week. As I said, I'm sad it is done, but I will remember it as one of the best shows I have ever watch. Watch this show. When Danny McBride, Jody Hill and David Gordon Green get together, they usually knock it out of the park, and with "Vice Principals", they hit a grand slam. What an excellent, phenomenal show.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. The Head Editor agrees that "Vice Principals" is one of the greatest shows ever, but the first ten minutes of "Eastbound and Down". that belongs in the Louvre.

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Ty Watches "Big Mouth"

Last week I finally got around to watching "Big Mouth" on Netflix. I was waiting until I caught up on other shows to watch, and when I finally sat down and binged the show, and I was very happy with what I saw. I was pretty sure I was going to like it when I saw Nick Kroll was the co creator. I'm a big Nick Kroll fan. Then I saw some of the other people involved, and I was on board. Nick Kroll, John Mulaney, Jessi Klein, Jason Mantzoukas, Seth Morris, Kristen Bell, Maya Rudolph, Fred Armisen, Richard Kind, I could go on and on with the people I am a fan of on this show.

At its core, "Big Mouth" is about teenagers going through puberty. "Big Mouth" hits all the important moments, both male and female, that make puberty such a drag. We get zits, wet dreams, periods, awkwardness with the opposite sex, weird feelings that go through your body, getting hair where there was no hair before, hormones, virtually everything that makes this such a tough time in young people's lives. After watching the first episode I told my wife that this was, by far, the best representation of going through puberty, at least from a male perspective. Puberty stinks. It is the worst. It is so awkward and challenging and there is so much change and new things that do not make sense. And "Big Mouth" captures that perfectly.

Andrew, voiced by John Mulaney, is one of the main characters, and we see a lot of the bad sides of going through puberty through his eyes. He even has a hormone monster that is always at his side telling him the wrong thing to do because, as we all know, our hormones are way out of whack when we are teenagers. We see the wet dreams, the constant urges, the will to fight when told something he didn't like, the yelling at parents, the horribly awkward encounter of asking a girl to be your girlfriend at 13. It is all there, and Mulaney, and the writers, completely nail it. Nick Kroll is his buddy that is a bit behind, as far as growing up goes, but he is just as good. You see the jealousy, the fighting, the wanting to be involved, trying to get girls himself, even drinking at his sister's high school party. Kroll's character also wants the hormone monster to get him, but he is not ready. In fact, that is a very good through line for the first season. Jessi Klein represents the female lead, and as far as I can tell, she is great at showing how rough this time of life can be for girls. She has a bad experience with white shorts, her mom and dad are always fighting and she has crushes on 3 of her different friends that happen to be boys. Klein is great. Jason Mantzoukas is cast perfectly as the crazed 13 year old that cannot control his urges. He also has a crazy home life, and he loves magic. The relationship between him and his pillow, voiced by Kristen Bell, is gold. Nick Kroll and Maya Rudolph play the voices of the male and female hormone monsters, and they are my favorite parts of the show. The hormone monsters tell these kids to give into their urges, and they also have a very odd relationship with each other. But, their lines always made me laugh, and also reflect on how true that situation was at age 13. Richard Kind is great as Andrew's dad, who has a big problem with scallops, and also constantly complains. Rudolph and Fred Armisen play Nick Kroll's folks, and they are almost too loving and caring. They are always eager to give advice that their kids may not want to hear. There is a great few scenes in an episode where Nick doesn't want to be babied anymore, so his mom starts to take care of Jay(Jason Mantzoukas), who is hard pressed for the love of a mom.

I have nothing but good things to say about "Big Mouth". It is perfect in every way. It gets across its message so well, and I am so pumped to see what they do with season 2. The only warning I will give, the show is animated, but it is not a kid's show. My son walked in one day while I was watching it, and I had to turn it off immediately. It is filled with curse words. Anyway, I highly recommend "Big Mouth" for anyone and everyone that went through puberty. There is no show that better represents that time in your life.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He still waiting for the hormone monster to get him. Being a bald prepubescent boy is one of strangest things ever. Something only Charlie Brown knows about.

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Ty Watches the Incredible "Nathan for You" Finale "Finding Frances"

I think I may have witnessed the greatest 2 hours of television ever last Thursday. The season 4 finale of "Nathan For You" was simply perfect in every possible way.

The episode was entitled "Finding Frances", and Nathan Fielder made it his personal mission to help a guy that impersonates Bill Gates, he was in earlier seasons of "Nathan For You", find his long lost love from 50 years ago. This episode was so well put together. From start to finish I was totally in. The episode played more like a movie than a show. The people involved with putting this all together nailed it. I had heard Fielder, while doing the podcast circuit, say that the finale was going to be 2 hours, and it was very different from what his show is usually about, and I was intrigued. The whole season was great, but "Finding Frances" was stupendous. It almost felt like a series finale, and while that would make me sad, what a way to go out.

As I said, the episode was all about this man, Bill Heath, a Bill Gates "impersonator", trying to track down his high school sweet heart. The episode started with Fielder explaining that Heath had started to come around his office more after he had asked him to do some DVD commentary for the show. All the while, the cameras were rolling, as they always are. What Fielder and crew showed was Heath constantly losing focus and bringing up a former girlfriend names Frances. He became so obsessed, that when they found out where she used to live, Bill convinced Fielder to go back to his home state of Arkansas and track her down. This is where the show changed from TV to a movie. It played out like a missing person mystery, but with Fielder's excellent dry wit sprinkled in.

When they arrived in Arkansas, Fielder pulled out all his tricks to try and track Frances down. They tried to go to the high school and find her, but they were turned away. Not to be outdone, Fielder and Heath pretended that they were filming a sequel to the movie "Mud" that was shot in Dumas, Arkansas. They even made "Mud 2" hats, and had an extra from "Mud" come in and audition for a role. After hearing that they were making a sequel, the people of Dumas were more than willing to let Fielder and Heath go through old stuff in the library and all over the school. They eventually found what they were looking for, a 1957 yearbook with Frances in it. They got the picture, and Fielder flew a man out who has been on his show before that can make a picture of what people will look like when they age. He took the picture of Frances, and did the best he could. Bill Heath seemed to think this was a great. They took the picture and posted it all over Dumas with hopes that someone would call. One kid did, thinking it may be his great grandma, but after meeting her, it was not who they were looking for.

Heath decided after awhile that he was going to stay with his niece. This is when some revelations started to come out. We found out that Bill wasn't always a Bill Gates impersonator. We found out that he may have cheated on Frances. We found out that he tended to over exaggerate things that he may have remembered. We got to hear a bunch of letters that Frances had written to him many years ago, with each one getting worse and worse for Bill's "reputation". It was so awesome.

After finding out that Bill acts differently around women, Fielder decided he was going to set him up with an escort, but only for flirting. When he tells Bill his plan, Bill says, "I don't mean to be crass, but you have to know where you are sticking it". This was disgusting and hilarious. It is also the only time I have ever seen Nathan Fielder crack. He laughed and said, "Jesus Bill". It was so good, my wife and I watched it three times in a row. But, having already paid the escort, Fielder decided to hang out with her himself. From the moment he saw her, he was in love. He may have been faking it for the show, very likely, but he showed real interest in Maci. In fact, he kept hanging out with Maci throughout the entire episode. Every time they met, it got more and more awkward. Fielder just wanted the attention, and Maci kept pushing to try and get more money from him. The scene with them making out was so uncomfortably awkward and perfect. It was only something Nathan Fielder could pull off.

We eventually got back to the plan of finding Frances. They found her on Facebook after an extensive search, which included a Dumas High School 57 year reunion, which had Bill singing and dancing. It was so god damn funny. What they found on Facebook was not great for Bill. Frances was on her second marriage, and she now lived in Michigan. Bill, somehow, convinced Fielder and crew to fly him out there, and they could come along too. Before they left, Fielder wanted Bill to practice what he would say to Frances when he saw her, and how he would react to her husband. They hired the actor from "Mud" as the husband, and Fielder flew in an actress from LA to portray Frances. The scene that followed next was so awesome and weird and uncomfortable and perfect. His interactions with the actress, like hugging, kissing and rubbing her leg, was so far across the line. The stuff with the guy playing the husband was filled with yelling and pushing. Finally Fielder made Bill wear a wig and act as Frances, and this seemed to open his eyes that maybe he shouldn't come on so strong.

Once they got this all figured out, they took off for Michigan. Mind you, they had been gone from LA for over a month now. When they got there, they stayed one night in hotel and headed to Frances' house in the morning. While driving, they barely spoke a word. When they got to Frances' home, Bill got cold feet all of the sudden. He decided that he wanted Fielder and the crew to come along, but Fielder squashed that pretty quick. Bill finally decided he would call her first. They spoke on the phone for about 15 minutes. The first couple were Bill creepily asking Frances if she knew who she was talking to. She did not know, for the record. After Bill revealed himself, they spoke about the past and present. Frances seemed happy, and this upset Bill so much that he decided he did not want to go to her home anymore. They both decided then and there to go back home.

When home, Fielder talked about how lost and upset he felt about the whole thing. He kept speaking about lost love and how he couldn't rekindle a past romance. Bill showed up one day at the office to give Fielder a present, a serving dish. But, we come to find out that he is there to ask Fielder to set him up with the woman that played Frances in their practice session. He did, and they met up. But, the episode ended with Fielder talking about love and everything involved, and we came to find out that he was sending a letter to Maci, the escort. Fielder flew back to Arkansas, this time by himself, to meet up with Maci, They held hands and talked, and a drone shot ended the episode by flying away as the 2 of them spoke.

"Finding Frances" was perfect. It gave us a delusional old man trying to rekindle a failed romance. It gave us the best type of uncomfortable moments that this show thrives on. It gave us the best Fielder moment ever, him breaking and laughing. This was just perfect, perfect TV. I highly recommend everyone watch this episode. It is the best thing that has been on television in quite some time. "Finding Frances" may very well be Nathan Fielder's masterpiece. It is wonderful.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He once went to find the lost love the head editor. All they had to do was look in a mirror, and the person the head editor had always loved was right in front of them.

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I am Done with Gross Creep Louis CK

Enjoy this picture of a puppy before you read. You will need it.

I had some other things I wanted to write about today, but Louis CK is a god damn creep.

I had heard the rumors about what he did backstage about a year ago, but I was such a big fan, I brushed them off. I figured that it was all untrue. He has 2 younger daughters, so why would he do something so repulsive I would tell myself and my friends in conversation. He had big time hit shows, he was creating unique and new material, he was always working, so I just assumed that he had no time to do the stuff that he was being accused of. And for awhile, that seemed true.

Yesterday that all changed. I read early in the day that he was pulling the premiere of his new movie, that was supposed to open that day in New York, due to a "damaging" report that was going to come out. This made me go back and rethink everything I had originally thought about these allegations. Maybe he really did do these horrible, awful and disgusting acts. Why else would he, and the studio, pull his movie. And sure enough, the story came out and 5 women said that he did lewd things in front of them backstage at comedy clubs. I was so angry.

Louis CK is the first person that I have been a big time fan of to be accused of doing something this awful and grotesque. The Kevin Spacey stuff is horrific, but it was not a shock to me. The "president" is a god damn creep, so I believe every single woman that has come out and said that he has done truly awful things to them behind closed doors. All these senators that are perverts, of course I believe that. I read some stuff about Matthew Weiner being accused of harassment. Again, that doesn't surprise me. Same thing for Jeremy Piven and Brett Ratner. Both those dudes are creeps. But, the Louis CK stuff really shook me to my core. As stated, I have defended him for a year. I have gone on the podcast and the site and claimed he is the best standup ever. I have heaped praise on all of the things he puts his name on. I was an undying true super fan of his.

Then this bull shit comes out. I'm so disgusted that I said all these nice things about such an awful and disgusting human being. Anyone that does/did the things he did/does to women are truly awful people. Why would any women ever want any guy to do the disgusting stuff that Louis CK did in front of them? Why is this something that he thought would be okay? Why did he think he could get away with it? How stupid do you have to be? And again, he has 2 youngish daughters. How would he feel if a man did what he did/does to women behind closed doors to his daughters. If anyone did anything close to what CK did in front of my daughter, the police would be contacted immediately, and I would make it my point to ruin that person's life. This is so wrong and so disgusting. It makes me sick because I used to, as little as a few weeks ago, defend him. How could I be so naïve? It is truly upsetting.

Oh, and his response today, to say it is all true, screw you man. That doesn't make it okay that you are owning up to it. You are as creepy as Spacey, the "president", all the senators, Matt Weiner, Brett Ratner, Jeremy Piven, any guy that thinks that they can do whatever they want to do in front of women. You disgust me Louis CK. I will never, ever look at you the same way ever again. There is no coming back from this, at least from my perspective. Any time I see your face or name attached to anything, all I will think of is how gross and mean and disgusting and what a  bully you are. And for the women coming out and sharing their horrifying stories, you deserve a medal. You are putting your life on the line, and you are outing these despicable men that think of you as objects and not people. This disgusts me to no end. The fact that a guy gets some fame and thinks he can do what he wants to grown women is truly disturbing. I don't buy CK's excuse that he "has problems" and that he owned up to it today. None of that matters because you already treated these women as less than you, and you scarred them for life. That is the problem. These women couldn't lead normal lives because of what you did to them. And again, you are a father to 2 young girls. How god damn stupid and depraved do you have to be.

I'm done with Louis CK forever. Once I was his biggest fan, but now, after all of this, I will never respect him. I will not watch his stuff and I will never listen to his standup again. I hope this gives you as much pain as you gave those women that you did these lewd and disturbing things in front of. You are a creep Louis CK, and I will never look at you the same way again.

Ty

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

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Note to all the Podcasting Fanboys, The NBA Season is a Long Way from Being Over

I listen to a ton of podcasts, and most of those podcasts are sports related. I do love comedy podcasts, but other than that, it is either college football or the NFL, NCAA basketball and the NBA. Since the NBA started about 3 weeks ago, I have pretty much exclusively listened to NBA podcasts now. And 3 weeks into this season, these hosts of the podcasts I listen to need to chill the hell out. People are already, only after most teams have played, at most, 11 games, making outrageous claims.

I was listening to the Ringer NBA Show this morning, and one of the co hosts said that he thinks the Knicks will make the playoffs. After 9 god damn games. That is nuts. First off, it is only 9 games. They still have 73 games left to play. They have only won 5 of those 9 games. Yes, Kristaps Porzingis has been great so far, but I say again, it is 9 games. Also, who else do the Knicks have on that roster that can propel them to the playoffs, even in the East? Tim Hardaway Jr? Frank Ntilikina? Jarrett Jack? Enes Kanter? None of those guys, and I like Hardaway Jr and Kanter, are that great. So, no, I do not think the Knicks will push for a playoff spot. They are only 5-4, and I'd be shocked if they win more than 32-35 games this year.

Also, these same guys that are all over the Knicks, they crap all over the Pistons, who are off to a much better start, and more equipped for a playoff run, especially in the East. They say all the things about the Pistons that I say about the Knicks. They say it is just a fast start and that they will level out. They say they don't have any stars. They do not like the coach. They do not like the roster. That is everything I say about the Knicks. But, I like the Pistons much, much more. The Pistons do not have a Porzingis, but they have a pretty decent roster construct. I am a big Andre Drummond fan. He is a classic throwback big, and he is actually making free throws now. I don't like Reggie Jackson, but he is playing some good basketball right now. Avery Bradley has been an exceptional addition to the team. I do think they will be right around .500 when the year ends, but they are so much better than the Knicks, yet they do not get the same love.

Orlando is another team that people are saying can push for the playoffs. What? How? Who do they have? Frank Vogel is a good coach, but this team is not even close to playoff ready. Aaron Gordon is a blast to watch dunk, but isn't he just a poor man's Blake Griffin, without the jump shot? Elfrid Payton has not lived up to the expectations. He has been very subpar as a pro. Johnathan Issac is long and athletic, but he is still a rookie, and we will have to wait and see if his rail thin body can hold up for 82 games. The best thing about the Magic though, Johnathan Simmons. He has been a revelation since signing there this offseason. But he is not enough to make the Magic a playoff team.

These podcast hosts are already trashing the Cavs because of their "slow start". The Cavs are 5-6 right now, and they do look bad on defense. But, they have LeBron, and they will be just fine when it matters. In fact, if you look at the wins they have, they are good wins. Sure, losing to the Pelicans and Hawks isn't great. But, they have wins over the Celtics, Wizards and Bucks, all playoff teams. The Cavs roster is very poorly put together, but they have LeBron, and he is the best player in the game right now. He can turn it on when needed, and I am done being one of the people saying that this is the year that the Cavs take a slide. Hell, they only won 51 games last year and still made the Finals.

Same can be said for the Warriors. The Rockets beat them on opening night, and then they lost 2 more games after that. Since then, I believe they have won every single game that they have played. The Warriors are so god damn good that when they get beat it is jarring, but they will be just fine.

The Thunder are off to a "slow" start, sitting at 4-6. But, I said in my preseason preview that it would take a month or 2 for Carmelo, Paul George and Russell Westbrook to figure out how to play together. They are going to be just fine. In fact, I am pleasantly surprised at how much Russell Westbrook has been passing the ball. George and Carmelo are cold right now, but they will start to make shots, and this team will start to put together stretches of 5 wins in 7 games or 9 wins in 11 games. They are going to be a 50 plus win team by season's end.

The Spurs have started okay, but Kawhi Leonard has yet to see the floor. Same thing for Tony Parker. LaMarcus Aldridge has been playing very well, but he needs Kawhi and Parker. And when those guys come back, the Spurs will 50 plus games again.

I've heard a ton about this rookie class so far on these podcasts too. And while I think this class will go down as one of the greatest, people again need to chill the hell out. Markelle Fultz is hurt. People are already calling him a bust, but he is hurt. Something is wrong with his shoulder. Also, isn't this the way of the 76ers? Don't they always sit their top draft picks for, at least, one year? I think Fultz will be just fine. I believe he is going to be a decent NBA player with a 10 plus year career. Lonzo Ball seems to be on TV every night, and from what I have seen, the dude can pass, but he cannot shoot, dribble or play defense. He also looks very disengaged during games, especially when someone puts pressure on him when he has the ball. He can learn how to dribble and play defense, but that shot is trash. His form is straight garbage. He needs to work on that. He will be a quality player, but he is no franchise savior, and the ESPN's of the world need to stop putting the Lakers on TV all the time. They are not a good team. There are some other rookies that have been playing well so far, but time will tell. Donovan Mitchell seems to be putting it together. Lauri Markannen has completely surprised me with his scoring. DeAron Fox is so fast and such a good distributor. Dennis Smith Jr seems to have a highlight play every night. These guys are good, but lets give it a bit more time before we put these guys in the Hall of Fame, with the exception being Ben Simmons. He has been absolutely amazing. He is as advertised, and if he ever gets a jump shot, he will be great.

My final thought of the first 3 weeks in the NBA, Bill Simmons needs to chill the hell out on the Celtics. Yes, they are 10-2. Yes, Kyrie Irving looks very good. Yes, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum have been very, very good. Yes, Brad Stevens can coach. And yes, they have recovered quite nicely from Gordon Hayward's horrific injury on opening night. But, it is 12 games. They lost their first 2 games, and they have won every game since. But, what decent teams have they beaten? I know for a fact that they struggled a bit with the Lakers last night, before finally pulling away late. But again, it is 12 games. If you look at Bill Simmons Twitter feed, you'd think that they are getting ready to hang a banner already. They have the best record after 12 games, but I scream, IT IS ONLY 12 GAMES! They need to do it all year long before I buy in. This is the first time Jaylen Brown has been a priority player since high school. Jayson Tatum is a rookie who missed a ton of time his lone season in college. I don't trust Aron Baynes as far as I could throw him, and that isn't that far. The Morris twin is fine, but he is losing minutes to younger guys. And Kyrie, while he is distributing now, will he do that in critical games? I don't know. I watched him jack up an awful three in game 3 of the Finals last year, when he could have pushed for a 2 for 1 opportunity, or get the ball to an open shooter. Kyrie wants to be the guy to shoot the ball at the end of the game, for better or worse. Calm down Bill Simmons, and the entire Ringer staff for that matter, pertaining to the Celtics hot start. It is only 3 weeks into the year, and if I were asked who would win a 7 game series right now between Boston and Cleveland, I'd take Cleveland in 5 or 6 games. Just remember, the Lakers started 10-10 last year, and people thought they might push for the playoffs, and I think they won something like 15 games the rest of the year.

So while some of these teams are hot, and some are starting slow, it is an 82 game season, and nothing is decided after 3 weeks. Nothing at all. Chill out everyone, the NBA is a long, long season, and the Warriors will still be the champions at the end of the year.  

Ty

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

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RIP Roy Halladay

Yesterday Roy Halladay died in a plane crash.

I was shocked when I heard the news. I thought he was still playing professionally to be quite honest, when in fact, he retired 4 years ago. I do not know much, if anything, about him personally. He seemed to be the kind of guy that kept his personal life a secret. After yesterday, to see what former teammates and opponents said about him though, he sounded like a good guy.

What I will remember most about Roy Halladay is how great of a power pitcher he was when he was in the majors. He used to mow batters down. He was dominant. There aren’t too many pitchers like him out there anymore. When Halladay played, that was when I still kind of watched baseball. And he was a must watch when he was in the zone. He spent the first 12 years of his career in Toronto, and he was one of, if not the, best pitcher in the AL. He won a Cy Young. He regularly won 20 games. He seemed to always strike out 200 plus batters every year. He was great. He was the ace in Toronto. He was feared by some of the best hitters in baseball at the time. He was awesome.

Halladay left Toronto and joined the Phillies in the NL. He only got more dominate after joining the Phillies. He seemed to get stronger, throw harder and added some more pitches to his arsenal. He won another Cy Young, this time in the NL. I vividly remember watching him pitch against Chris Carpenter in the playoffs, both at their peaks, and Halladay coming out on top. I was upset, I’m a Cardinals fan, but I respected the hell out of his performance. I also remember him throwing a no hitter in the playoffs. That is amazing. These were the best of the best players at the time, and he no hit a team in the brightest possible spotlight. Incredible.

So that’s what I choose to remember about him, his dominance. As I said, I can’t think of a modern pitcher that was as good or as hard throwing as Halladay was. He was tremendous. The fact that he is now gone, at 40, is tragic. The fact that it was a plane crash, of which he was piloting, is even worse. Roy Halladay will be greatly missed. He leaves behind a wife and 2 children I believe. That is upsetting. He will assuredly be a Hall of Famer, it will just be so sad that he won’t be there at his induction. RIP Roy Halladay.

Ty

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

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There is Some Good, and Some Bad, in the Eric Bledsoe Trade

Eric Bledsoe seems to be getting his wish. It was reported earlier today that a trade was being finalized that would send him to the Bucks for Greg Monroe and a first round pick. This trade is both good and bad in my opinion.

Let’s go with the good first. The Bucks are floundering a bit now. It’s only 8 or 9 games, but they are currently below .500. I’m sure they’ll put it all together, I mean, they have Giannis, and he is amazing. What they are lacking though is a true point guard. That is Eric Bledsoe. This dude gets after it when he has something to play for. He is a bull dog on defense. He’s great at setting teammates up, and if you need him to score, he’ll go out and get you 20. He is easily the best point guard they have now. They’ve tried Matthew Dellavedova. He stinks. I’ve never been a fan of his, and since leaving Cleveland, he’s done nothing. They tried Michael Carter Williams, and he’s not even on the team anymore. They’ve tried Malcolm Brogdon, and he is so much better at the 2. Hell, they’ve even put Giannis at point guard, but that led to overuse. Bledsoe comes in and there is no question as to who the point is now. I also think he stabilizes this team. Giannis won’t have to do so much. He’ll be able to get to his spots now, and Bledsoe can set him up. This also opens things up for Brogdon. He can be the true spot up shooter and ball hawk defender. When Jabari Parker gets back from injury, he will be able to get multiple open looks. I can see Thon Maker being a great pick and roll guy with Bledsoe. Overall, this really helps out a Bucks team that needs it. Bledsoe will come in determined to prove Phoenix wrong, and that could help the Bucks push to a 4, possibly even 3, seed in the East. I think this trade puts the Bucks up there with the Wizards and Raptors in the East.

Now, the bad. I do think Bledsoe will be motivated, but what if the Bucks swoon continues? Will he want out, just like he did in Phoenix? Will he tweet, “I don’t want to be here anymore”, and claim it’s from a salon in Milwaukee? He’s done this before on a bad team. Who’s to say he won’t do it again. Bledsoe also needs to know going in that this is Giannis’ team. Guys like Brogdon, Maker and Parker have bought in. Bledsoe was “the guy” in Phoenix until all the complaining. Will he accept his second banana role? Time will tell. I think he will though. He also needs to learn the plays. This is an easy thing to do, but it takes time. The Bucks might not start winning right away, but eventually, they should right the ship. While the East isn’t filled with great teams, there are some great point guards that Bledsoe will have to face. He’ll match up with Kyrie, John Wall, Kyle Lowry and even guys like Ben Simmons, who looks incredible right now. That’s a tall order.

But my final “bad” news thing, I wish he had gone to the Nuggets. I love what the Nuggets are doing, but they need a true point guard to be any kind of threat. I would have loved to see him paired up with Kenneth Faried, Nikola Jokic, Paul Milsap and Jamal Murray. That would’ve been a hyper athletic, smooth passing and well run machine of an offense. He would have fit in so perfectly in Denver. I suppose the Bucks offer was better, but man it would have been fun to see him in a Nuggets uniform.

All in all though, this was a good trade. The Suns dumped an extremely unhappy guy to a playoff ready team with the best young player in the league. And they got a decent big, Greg Monroe, to group with their young talent, and a first round pick. The Bucks got a true point guard that can defend, and is out to prove another organization wrong. I’m excited to see him play his first game with the Bucks. I’ve always been a fan of a fully engaged Eric Bledsoe.

Ty

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

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The NFL has Some Pleasant Surprise Teams, and Some Unpleasant Quarterback Play

Yesterday was the first Sunday I have had off from coaching in awhile. So, I chose to watch the NFL all day. I usually only get to see the late afternoon games, which I watch, but yesterday, it was all day. Starting at noon until 7pm, I did not turn off the "Red Zone Network". I would get up and do things here and there, but it was NFL all day. There were some big things that I noticed while watching.

First off, the Rams and the Jaguars are good. I said it, and I do not feel weird about it. The Rams hammered the Giants. They put up 51 points. Their offense is very good. Their defense is just as good too. I'm shocked at how much better they are after firing Jeff Fisher. Good on you Sean McVay. While the Jaguars aren't as good as the Rams, their defense is amazing. They get after it. They were all over the Bengals yesterday. I know the Bengals aren't very good, but the Jaguars completely shut them down, especially after AJ Green let his frustrations boil over and started a fight with Jalen Ramsey. They could both win their divisions.

As much as I hate to admit it, the Cowboys looked very good too. They ran and passed and totally shut down the Chiefs. I do not know when Elliot is going to get suspended, if at all, but with him in there, they are dangerous. Also, Dak Prescott has proven that he is not a one year fluke. He has complete control of that offense and is a perfect fit. Their defense is playing way above their potential too. The only team better than them is in their division, the Eagles. They looked awesome yesterday. Carson Wentz is a legit MVP front runner. With Ajayi now, and Blount and Smallwood and Clement, they have probably the best backfield in the league. Alshon Jeffrey has been great all year. And their defense, they can shut a team down.

The Saints also looked very solid. Drew Brees had his typical 250 plus pass yards and a few TD's. But, he now has a running game. Mark Ingram has really settled into his role. Alvin Kamara is so good. That is frightening. This run game, added to Brees' ability to run that offense, they will be a tough out in the playoffs.

As far as some teams that did not impress me, first off, the Bengals. I already mentioned them in regards to the Jaguars. Andy Dalton is horrid. They cannot run the ball. And even without Leonard Fournette, the Bengals couldn't even stop Blake Bortles. This has to be the end of Dalton and Marvin Lewis.

The Giants stink. Eli Manning is toast. They have no receivers except for Evan Ingram. They do not have a run game. Their defense stinks. Their coach is a lame duck, and he is bad.

The Buccaneers are done as well. They looked so bad against the Saints. They could not do anything except start fights. They are so bad on both sides of the ball, and I'm embarrassed that I let them pull me in. I thought they were going to be decent this year.

The Ravens are really bad, especially Joe Flacco. I mean, he looks totally disengaged. It seems like he could care less what happens on Sundays. They can't really do much of anything on offense. Their defense is still kind of solid, but the offense seems to go three and out way too often.

I think a lot of people, myself included, may have overrated the Chiefs. They looked lost against the Cowboys yesterday. Save for that ridiculous check down hail mary that resulted in a score for Tyreek Hill, they couldn't muster much of any offense. They have dropped their last 3 of 4, and when they have to play good teams, they seem to get shut down pretty easily.

I know the Cardinals won, but I did not think they looked very good. Everyone was jumping on the Adrian Peterson bandwagon, and he went for 90 some odd yards, but it was tough for him against a very bad 49ers team. They have no one, outside of Larry Fitzgerald, that is any threat on offense. And I know Drew Stanton threw 2 TD's yesterday, but he is not very good, at all.

My main take away from yesterday was how horrible the overall QB play is. You all know that I am a big time fan of Colin Kaepernick. He belongs in the NFL. More importantly, he belongs on the Texans. After Deshaun Watson went down, I thought they'd sign him for sure. He has the same skill set, and he has been to the playoffs multiple times, and has been to a Super Bowl. But no, they went back to Tom freaking Savage. He went a "blistering" 16 of 35 for under 200 yards and one TD. Their defense scored their other TD. Oh, did I forget to mention the Texans opponent? It was the Indianapolis Colts. You know that juggernaut, right? I mean, that is embarrassing. Tom Savage is horrific. So is TJ Yates. If they bring in Kaepernick, this team still has a shot at the playoffs. If they stick with Savage, or any other QB currently on their roster, good luck winning 7 games. They looked so bad on offense yesterday. Like, really bad. Like, Browns bad.

All day long, for the most part, the QB's that are currently starting for some teams is a joke. There are exceptions. Dak Prescott, Alex Smith, Jared Goff, Drew Brees, hell even Blake Bortles and Jacoby Brissett, had good days. But, I also had to watch guys like CJ Beathard, Andy Dalton, Jay Cutler, Brock Osweiler, Drew Stanton, Eli Manning and Joe Flacco. All of these guys are really, really bad. Some of it is youth, some of it is age, but they do not belong on any team as a starting QB. The most glaring 2 though, Manning and Flacco. I already ran down the problems with Flacco. The Ravens need to move on from him. He is only hurting that team. But Eli Manning, what happened? He was never great, at least in my opinion. He was never the reason the Giants won 2 Super Bowls, he just happened to be the QB. He has always been a very inconsistent QB. But yesterday, and this whole season for that matter, he has looked atrocious. The Giants clearly need to blow it up. They are 1-7. They have no run game. Odell Beckham is out. Their defense is awful. But, the biggest problem, outside their coaching staff, is Eli Manning. He is done. He doesn't have it anymore. He looks worse than his brother did in his last year. He cannot hack it anymore. The Rams exposed every single flaw that he has. He needs to be benched, or even better, cut, and let the Giants start all over. He is so bad.

That was my biggest takeaway from a day filled with watching the NFL. Eli is done, so is Flacco, and if the Texans want any chance to make the playoffs, they need to go out and sign Colin Kaepernick.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. The last time he saw quarterback play that was this bad is when he and the head editor last played NCAA Football on the X-Box. The head editor was picked off 8 times.

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Bad Pizza Maker Papa John also Happens to be a Bad Person

This pizza does not look good, and we would still eat it before anything from Papa John's

Papa John is an idiot.

I have never liked his pizza for one. It is gross and just kind of sad. Any other big time chain, the Dominoes, Pizza Huts, Little Caesar's, all the chain places, they are much, much better than Papa John's pizza. Awhile back I also found out some personal things about Papa John, and that made me dislike him even more. He is an ultra conservative. He donated money to this current "administration". He is cruel to his employees. He only cares about his pockets and his shareholders pockets. Basically, he is a garbage human being. Also, his commercials are stupid. The people in them try way, way too hard. I am one of the few people who do not care for Peyton Manning, the actor. I didn't care for him as a football player either, and he is also a garbage person supposedly. But, I do not find him funny or charming or anything that he does behind or on camera. He is boring. He's not as boring as Eli, but he is boring. I also do not think JJ Watt is much of an actor. He needs to stick to football and raising money for hurricane relief. These are the 2 guys I saw most in Papa John's commercials.

Papa John is also totally in bed with the NFL owners. There are many pictures of him sidling up to douchebags like Jerry Jones and Robert Kraft. And these monsters even look a bit uncomfortable taking pictures with him. Papa John is a guy that got lucky and made mass produced pizza that some people like.

But, people haven't been buying his pizza much lately. I know that we stopped buying Papa John's over a year ago. I won't eat it due to his politics, and my wife doesn't really like the taste. Even my kids, who have no discernible taste buds at all, think the pizza there is not very good. When we get massed produced pizza, we go for Dominoes. Also, we have places here in Saint Louis like Imo's and Cecil Whittakers. They make the best Saint Louis style pizza.

In an attempt to make himself an even worse human being, Papa John said that his pizza sales are down due to the NFL protests. What an asshole. How dare he claim that guys protesting a social injustice is the cause of his shitty pizza not selling. He claims that people aren't watching the NFL because of the protests, and that has affected sales of pizza on Sunday's.

Time for some real talk. The NFL ratings have been steadily dropping for about 3 years now. With the invention of the "Red Zone Network", people do not have to watch only one game. There is also multiple NFL packages that people can buy where they can watch the only team/teams they want to watch. And some people would rather just be out doing things on a Sunday afternoon now.

Also, who orders pizza for lunch on a Sunday from Papa John's? Not anyone that I want to associate with, I'll tell you that much. That is way too heavy a lunch. And as I keep saying, the pizza is horrible. Also, if I am watching the Sunday night game, I do not want pizza. My wife likes to make a big meal for the whole family, so that is what we eat on Sunday nights. I'm sure there are a lot of other families that do the exact same thing. So no, the protests have nothing to do with your sales tanking Papa John. You make a bad product. People have found cheaper, better, and sometimes, healthier options than your trash pizza. Like I said before, if we go massive chain, noting is better than Dominoes in my house. Sales of frozen pizzas have probably spiked too. I know I buy a few each week so we have them in our house.

This claim by Papa John was just a way to keep his garbage name in the news. He just wants the attention. He is a puppet for the GOP. He thinks his words hold more weight than they actually do. Nobody cares what you say Papa John. I loved all the backlash your punk ass got after making this asinine comment. Even Digornio Pizza owned you on Twitter. Little Caesar's crushed you. Pizza Hut came out and said their sales are just fine. Dominoes didn't even bother with a response.

Face the facts Papa John, no one likes you or your pizza. You are a heartless, soulless puppet. You are a shill. You are no better than a used car salesman. You are loathsome. I hope your sales continue to drop and that you continue to lose more and more money because you did not come by it honestly. Shut your mouth and try and make a better product. Don't blame pro athletes that have a conscience.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He knows the Papa John has a last name. We think it rymes with shit-head, we refused to even look it up. 

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An Adult Person Should Stay Far Away from Hostess Fried Pies

This pie here, it is good for all ages

I was driving home from one of my rec league basketball games the other night and I needed to stop for gas. After my games I am usually pretty hungry, even if I have already had dinner. So, when I have an opportunity to get a snack at a gas station, I take it. I do not indulge myself so much since I lost a good amount of weight about 3 and a half years ago, and have been able to keep most of it off. So, when I have an opportunity to eat something that is trash for me, I take it. I had just played a game, and I was running around all day, I figured I had earned something disgustingly unhealthy.

As I roamed the aisles after filling up my car, I came across Hostess fried pies. I used to love these things. I ate them all the time as a kid, and when I got a bit older, I would eat 3 or 4 a month. I only liked 2 flavors, chocolate and lemon. These were the best because they had no real fruit in them. Hostess made other flavors of these fried pies, but they were fruit flavored pies with, what one might assume, actual fruit. The apple pie had apples in it, the cherry had cherries, and so on and so forth. I do not like real pies with fruit in them, so naturally, I went for the fried ones that had zero fruit in them.

The first time I had a Hostess fried pie I had the lemon. It was amazing. It was so sugary and sweet, and that crust, man did I love it. The crust was soft, but it was also covered in a sugar glaze. I could not wait to eat the end pieces. I saved those for last because they were my favorite. After having this lemon fried pie I did not think there was a better snack out there. I used to devour them. I'd get them at the store, buy them at school, and anytime I was at a 7-11, I'd opt for the pie over a Slurpee. There was so much sugar and so many additives and so much fake stuff in this snack. That was what made it so god damn delicious. I remember my mouth puckering when I'd eat it, and after I finished it, I remember all the grit from all that sugar. That was all the Hostess lemon fried pie was. It was essentially 1 pound of straight sugar.

Then, one magical day, I saw that they had a chocolate fried pie. I was over the moon. Just when I didn't think they could outdo themselves, Hostess replaced the lemon filling with chocolate. It was a miracle. And when I had my first chocolate fried pie, it was like eating a gourmet meal. This was even better than the lemon because it wasn't as tart. This was like eating a jelly filled donut except the crust was better, and instead of jelly, it was chocolate pudding. It was the absolute best. I ate the chocolate pies much more than the lemon pies. It got to the point where I was bummed out if my only option was lemon.

Getting back to the other night, I saw these magical pies once again. At first glance all I saw was apple and cherry. But, as I dug a little deeper, there it was, a Hostess chocolate fried pie. I grabbed it and might as well have ran up to the counter to pay for it. I was so excited about eating it I started to unwrap it before I even got back to my car.

As I took the first bite all the great memories I just laid out for everyone started to flood back. It was so good. Nothing had changed. But, as I ate more of the fried chocolate pie, I started to feel sick. I couldn't even finish half of it. It was way, way too sweet. The chocolate filling coated my entire mouth, but not in a good way. The crust was ridiculously sweet. It actually made my skin tingle and I swear my hands were shaking. I had to stop eating this thing immediately for fear that I may be getting diabetes. I did not remember this treat being so sweet, but damn, was it ever sweet. I was pretty upset. How could something I loved so much as a kid, and even a teenager, be so bad now?

Then, once I actually thought about it for awhile, I remembered that I am an adult man. Grown people aren't supposed to eat this garbage. This is a snack no one should eat, except for maybe young kids with incredible metabolism. Young kids can burn this off in a few hours. People my age, it takes days, possibly, a full week. I felt sick the rest of the night. I never came close to throwing up, I just felt off all night. I hoped a good night's sleep would cure what ailed me, but that wasn't the case. I kept getting up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, and I just couldn't sleep solidly. And the next day, I still felt off. I felt sluggish, tired and just flat out lazy. I didn't want to eat any other food either. It was so upsetting.

The moral of the story, now I know that Hostess fried pies aren't for me. Maybe my son or daughter will like them. They are only 5 and 2, so they are still young enough that it shouldn't make them sick. But I urge anyone who is in their mid 30's, stay far, far away from the fried pies. They will only make you regret your decision to try them again. I know because I just went through that pain.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He does not realize that the McDonald's in Hawaii still serves fried apple pies. Those are great fro any age.

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The NFL Trade Deadline was Actually Interesting This Year

The NFL trade deadline came and went yesterday, and boy did we have some big time names change teams. I was kind of shocked at the trades that kept scrolling on my phone yesterday. The contenders got better, and the not contenders got some picks. I want to break down the big trades and how I see this shaping up for the second half of the season today.

First off, we have the Jimmy Garropolo trade to the 49ers for a second round pick. This was surprising to me. I wasn't shocked that the Patriots moved Garropolo, I was confused by what they got in return. I thought that they would get a pick, but I also thought they would try and get a defensive player to help them out. All the 49ers had to give up was an early second round pick. Now, the Patriots could still make some offseason moves with this pick, but to get no defensive help, that was baffling. They could have gotten someone from the 49ers unit to help them out. They should have asked for a linebacker to replace Donta Hightower, or a D lineman to add depth, or a corner that can actually cover. They got none of those. And today, since they had no backup QB, they went and signed Brian Hoyer. Why not Kaepernick?! Why in the hell do teams keep giving Brian Hoyer a god damn job?! He is dreadful. Looking at this trade from the 49ers side, they finally have a solid QB. The 2 games that Garropolo started last year, he looked pretty competent. We will see how he does away from the Patriots, but Kyle Shanahan has proven to be a very good QB coach, and I think he has someone that can become an upper tier QB. But, for this season, I do not see Garropolo leading this team to anymore than 2, maybe 3 wins. They really have no threats running or catching the ball. Also, I do not know how the O line will hold up. This is a good start in rebuilding a team, but it will be of no consequence for the second half of this season. I also like this deal because it totally screws over the highly overrated Kirk Cousins. But that is a personal thing for me.

I was absolutely stunned when I saw that Jay Ajayi was traded. I was even more stunned by what the Dolphins got in return, only a 4th round pick. I know that Ajayi was unhappy with his lack of touches, and he was becoming a problem in the locker room, and he may or may not have knee issues, but only a fourth rounder in return? Wow. Ajayi is now joining a very solid running team, with a very good O line. He will bring speed and explosion to the Eagles. Legarette Blount is the big bruiser, and I think he will be fine sharing carries. Wendell Smallwood has been a surprise, and he is pretty solid, but I'd rather have Ajayi if pressed. He, if healthy, brings an entire new dimension to a team that sits atop the NFL right now. While they may not be highly explosive passing the ball, even though Alshon Jeffrey has been great, having this three headed monster in the backfield will be a headache for opposing defenses. Also, they will be able to chew up the clock. I love this move for the Eagles. I do not know what in the hell the Dolphins are doing. But hey, this was the team that went out and signed Jay Cutler this offseason. They cannot be trusted to make good decisions anymore. This feels like a throw in the towel move by them.

The Seahawks went out and finally tried to shore up one side of their offensive line and traded Jeremy Lane for Duane Brown. Duane Brown is a very, very solid left tackle. He can block, and when engaged, he can be great. He has only played one game this season, he was holding out for a contract, so that may slow him down a bit. But, once he gets going, he will be the one and only O lineman that will protect Russell Wilson. That is the down side for the Seahawks in this deal. Duane Brown is only one guy. The offensive line is composed of 5 guys. I still do not trust the other four, but the left tackle spot is on lock now. The Texans got a pretty good safety in return. Jeremy Lane is probably the only guy in the Seahawks secondary that they didn't mind parting ways with. With that being said, he is pretty solid. He can cover and he can hit. He will bring the Texans a toughness that they are lacking in their secondary. This is a very good trade for both teams. I do think it moves the needle a bit more for the Seahawks, but the this could help the Texans push for the title in their god awful division, or a wild card spot. Their offense is set, and adding Lane will help their defense.

When I thought all the madness was done, the Panthers astonished me by trading Kelvin Benjamin to the Bills for a 3rd and 7th round pick. I was floored by this. Benjamin seemed to be finally figuring it out. He was becoming the big time red zone threat that most thought he would be when he came into the league. He is 6'6, his destiny is to be a serious red zone target. Now, the Panthers let that go for 2 picks, none of which are a first, or even a second rounder. That is ridiculous. I think Benjamin will help out the Bills, and more importantly, Tyrod Taylor, a ton. Taylor doesn't have any big time pass catcher, and now, I think he does. The Bills already have a great run game and solid defense, but now they have a big time target at receiver. They are 5-2, and already a tough out for all their opponents. Now, with Benjamin, opposing coaches have to game plan not only for their run game, but also their pass game. This is a solid, solid move for them. The Panthers, I look at this trade like I do with Ajayi to the Eagles. What in the world are the Panthers doing?! They are still in position to compete for a division title and a playoff spot, and they are going to let one of their top receivers go? That is crazy to me. I know they have Devin Funchess, and some rumors are swirling that this trade will push Christian McCaffery to being a full time wide out, but I'd rather have Funchess and Benjamin than Funchess and McCaffery. At least Benjamin, when healthy, put up solid numbers.

The best, and fairest trade was Brown for Lane. All the other trades, Garropolo, Ajayi and Benjamin, they make no sense to me. I may be wrong on the Garropolo trade because the Patriots will most likely do something with that pick. But, the other 2 trades, the Dolphins and Panthers seem to have no idea what they are doing. The Ajayi trade is another death knell in this season for the Dolphins. And, the Benjamin trade to Buffalo makes the Bills better, and really, really hurts the Panthers. I'm excited to see these guys play for their new squads, and for some, it could change their season drastically. This was one of the most fun NFL trade deadlines that I can ever remember. The NFL needed something like this, because it has been a pretty rough year from many different angles. Now someone just needs to sign Colin Kaepernick.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He was going to talk about the AJ McCarron non-trade, but why point out the ineptness of the Bengals and Browns once again.

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"Get Out" and "The Cabin in the Woods" Should be on Your Halloween Movie Watching List

I am not a fan of Halloween as you all know by now. I don't like being scared, I don't like dressing up, I eat too much candy, I grew tired of trick or treating by the time I was 10, I just don't enjoy the day. I also loathe the puns, as I stated on a podcast last year, and still complain about it to this day. Stop with the "spooktacular" bull shit. That's not a word. Every holiday does this, but for some reason, Halloween puns really bug me.

With all this being said, I do love movies and TV shows. Just listen to our recent podcast about great Halloween TV shows. These are fun shows for me, especially when they are of the comedy variety. So, for today, since it is Halloween, and we didn't touch on movies in our recent podcast, I'm going to give you 2 movies that I think are perfect Halloween movies to watch tonight.

The first movie I just saw recently. By recently, I mean a week ago. My wife and I just watched "Get Out", and that movie is incredible. What makes it a great Halloween movie you ask? Well, for one, it is horrifying. It is scary, but not "The Shining" scary. "Get Out" is a slow burn. There are very few shock scares too. You know what shock scares are. It is when something jumps into frame and loud music plays. "Get Out" has one, maybe 2 moments like this. "Get Out" doesn't have to go for cheap scares. The movie's premise is scary enough. I mean, white people taking the brains out of hip, young black people, spoiler alert, that is frightening. But, "Get Out" has comedic moments, it has action, it is very well written, incredibly acted and perfectly directed by Jordan Peele. It isn't just a straight up horror movie. Lil Rel Howery plays the main character's best friend, and the scenes of him figuring out what is going on with his buddy's girlfriend and family, it is very funny. Also, the scene where he shows up at the police station to tell the cops what is going on, and they all laugh at him, just perfect comedy. The final scene, where Daniel Kaluuya escapes the house and fights off the whole family, it has as much action as "Die Hard" does. It is awesome, and exciting. "Get Out" has it all. It is not only a great Halloween movie, it is a great any day, any time movie. I'm mad at myself that I waited so long to see it, but now that I have, I'm so happy. This movie stayed with me for days too. I kept thinking about it over a week after I had watched it. That is the sign of a quality movie.

The other movie is a bit older, not too much, but so awesome and so off the beaten path. Everyone needs to see this movie. The movie is "The Cabin in the Woods". Funny thing about the 2 movies I mentioned today, Bradley Whitford is in both of them. That dude is a good actor. Anyway, "The Cabin in the Woods" is very scary, but it is also hilarious. This movie takes on the trope of 5 friends going on a trip to a creepy cabin. It is in the same vain as an "Evil Dead", if you will. But, "The Cabin in the Woods" had a lot more money put into it than "Evil Dead". I only saw "TCITW" after hearing a ton of people talk about it on podcasts, and in general conversation with friends. I also heard that Chris Hemsworth was in it, and I am a fan of his. I avoided it because I thought it was a straight forward horror movie, but was assured that I would enjoy it, and that it was like nothing I had ever seen. Those people were right. "TCITW" is very different from a classical horror movie. The movie has scares and it very gory, but I would consider this more a comedy with horror elements. I personally think it is funnier than "Evil Dead", or any other horror movie that tries to go full comedy. The kids in the movie are hilarious. The stuff they go through is crazy, wacky, bizarre, but above all else, funny. The way that some of the characters meet their fate is downright laugh out loud funny, especially Hemsworth's character. Then you have the people who put these kids in this situation. I already mentioned Bradley Whitford, but there is also Sigourney Weaver, in one of her most underrated roles, and Richard Jenkins, who is an amazing actor. They are so god damn good, and very funny in this movie. As I said, "TCITW" is unlike anything you will ever see. It is so different and bizarre and scary, but most of all, funny. 

So, while I may not be a fan of actual Halloween, I do enjoy movies and TV shows, and "Get Out" and "The Cabin in the Woods" are 2 incredibly solid choices if you are looking for great movies, that also may up your heart rate a bit. Go check both of these movies out. I think you will really like them, especially during Halloween.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He also recommends watching "Young Sheldon" if you need a good scare. The fact that the show exists is one of the most frightening things ever.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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