Ty Watches "The Disaster Artist"

I had the great pleasure of seeing “The Disaster Artist” this past Saturday. I’ve been very much looking forward to this movie since I heard they were going to make it over a year ago. I’m a big fan of “The Room”, and when I saw they were going to make a movie about making that movie and Tommy Wiseau and Greg Sestero’s friendship, I couldn’t wait. Then, I saw the cast and I knew I had to see this movie on opening weekend. “The Disaster Artist” was a hit at every festival, and the early reviews were pretty much all positive. This only built my anticipation. My wife bought us tickets about a week ago, and we finally got to see it on Saturday.

I was absolutely blown away. First of all, the theater we saw the movie in was sold out. I was stunned, but in a good way. I never thought a niche movie like this would appeal to a mass audience. Boy was I wrong. After the previews the movie started and it had my full attention for every single second of its 105 minute run time. This was such a perfect way to tell this story.

The first third of the movie was all about Tommy and Greg’s friendship. “The Room” doesn’t come into the story until about 40 minutes in. We see a “young” Tommy and a young Greg meet in an acting class in San Francisco. We see their friendship grow from scene partners to roommates to collaborators. I must say, all the buzz that James Franco is getting is well deserved. He embodies Tommy Wiseau. It’s not just the accent either. He looks like him. He has his same gestures. He laughs like him. He became Tommy. He was amazing. He better damn well get an Oscar nomination. Dave Franco was just as good as Greg. He embodied the faith and trust that Greg inexplicably has for Tommy to this day. His devotion is at times charming, but also sad. The younger Franco was so good. I imagine this had to have been so much fun for them to do as well. To the best of my knowledge this is the first time they’ve acted together. They crushed it.

Outside of the Francos, everyone else in this movie was awesome. Ari Graynor as the actress that played the infamous Lisa showed us the naive and ultimately disgusted young actress. Seth Rogen and Paul Scheer as 2 key workers on the movie were hilarious. Rogen was a delight, as usual. Scheer crushes his performance. He was great. Josh Hutcherson as Denny, phenomenal. His haircut was worth the admission alone. Zac Efron as Chris R, wonderfully absurd and hilarious. Nathan Fielder as the psychologist, perfect. Jason Mantzoukas and Hannibal Buress as the guys that sell Tommy the equipment for the movie, perfect. There are so many cameos, and they are all amazing. Too many to list. Just know, JJ Abrams shows up in the very first scene.

When we do get to the making of “The Room”, “The Disaster Artist” effortlessly bounces between comedy and drama. This was where James Franco truly shines. The stuff he says and does on the set are so crazy, but it’s all true. Only an actor like James Franco could’ve pulled this off. I do not want to spoil anything for anyone. I will say though, you don’t have to see “The Room” to like “The Disaster Artist”, but if you’ve seen “The Room”, you’ll understand the movie more, and I think you’ll love it like I did.

I cannot recommend this movie enough. It is a true masterpiece. Due yourself a favor and go see “The Disaster Artist”. It has definitely been the best movie I’ve seen in 2017.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He and his brother have worked together on an entertainment product. I wonder what that could be?

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

 

The Advent Calendar of Good, and Bad, Holiday Eats: Day 10 - Icebox Cookies

The pre-Christmas Day season of Advent is upon us. Here at SeedSing we love the chocolaty goodness of getting a piece of candy once a day until we get to open our presents. As our gift to you we will present a treat associated with the holiday season. Many will be awesome, some will be terrible. Enjoy.

Opened doors: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine

Day 10: Icebox cookies

Cookies are the best. Ones filled with chocolate chips, ones acting as the bread in a frosting sandwich, even ones made of oatmeal, good cookies have almost no equal sitting on the top of the desert hierarchy. Cookies are not owned by a season, yet Christmas has some of the best cookie traditions.

Icebox cookies are one of the basic recipes out there. Flour, sugar, egg, and butter (lots of butter) are the main parts in any icebox cookie concoction. The holiday spin on icebox cookies comes with the cutouts. Snowflakes, trees, and any other winter holiday shape is what makes icebox cookies special to Christmas. Once the raw dough is cut into its festive shape, it is cooked, ,and then decorated with a generous helping of red and/or green sprinkles/frosting. Once completed, a simple and delicious treat is available for all holiday revelers. God bless us everyone.

December is far and away the best month for sweet treats. Many of these treats are not unique to the month, but the holiday adds some enhancements to our indulgences. Icebox cookies are welcome anytime of the year. When those cookies are in the shapes of pine trees, snowflakes, and menorahs (I have that one) and the same cookies are covered in red green sugar connections, we have a holiday treat worthy of the best of the year. Plus, if the cookies come out too overdone, you can always put some string through them and hang the ruined treat on the tree. One will never lose with a holiday icebox cookie.

RD

RD is the Head Editor for SeedSing. One should always enjoy their snowflake shaped cookie with a great interpretation of "A Christmas Carol". We recommend a more modern take on Dickens' tale like a Dr. Who interpretation.

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

The Advent Calendar of Good, and Bad, Holiday Eats: Day 9 - Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale

The pre-Christmas Day season of Advent is upon us. Here at SeedSing we love the chocolaty goodness of getting a piece of candy once a day until we get to open our presents. As our gift to you we will present a treat associated with the holiday season. Many will be awesome, some will be terrible. Enjoy.

Opened doors: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight

Day 9: Celebration Ale

The craft beer revolution is fairly new. Many attribute the beginning if the beer revolution to the 1970's. Way back in the olden days, President Jimmy Carter (i.e. History's Greatest Monster) signed the law that allowed for small independent breweries. These new freedom lover breweries decided to create a seasonal schedule. Americans were subjected to a beer for each equinox and solstice. The highlight of the year seemed to be reserved for the winter holidays.

The Sierra Nevada Brewing Company was one of the trailblazers in the micro brew revolution. They were also on the forefront of creating seasonal brews. The highlight of the year, and every year after, was the winter offering Celebration Ale. Starting in 1981, Celebration Ale has been an American IPA brewed with the freshest of hops. It was (probably) great in 1981, and it is still great today. Celebration Ale is also vital to getting through the grind of the holiday season for anyone who loves a good beer.

December brings us a wide variety of great new beer flavors. All the micro, and local breweries, have decide to throw their lots into the holiday game. Celebration Ale was one of the first commercially available holiday beers for the greater public to try. It started revolution. And nearly thirty years later, Celebration Ale is a must have for all beer lovers of every Christmas season. 

RD

RD is the Head Editor for SeedSing. SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing. Holiday hijinks spare no one. Check in on the mushroom kingdom to see how Mario and Luigi handle holiday mayhem. 

The Advent Calendar of Good, and Bad, Holiday Eats: Day 8 - Roast Beast

The pre-Christmas Day season of Advent is upon us. Here at SeedSing we love the chocolaty goodness of getting a piece of candy once a day until we get to open our presents. As our gift to you we will present a treat associated with the holiday season. Many will be awesome, some will be terrible. Enjoy.

Opened doors: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven

Day 8: Roast Beast

Every community has their own way to celebrate the winter holiday feast. It is not a religious, or cultural thing, it is usually something that relates to the community itself. Some communities focus on the cooked goose, some focus on glazed ham, and many more focus on takeout Chinese food for the holiday season. A very special group of people at the foot of Mount Crumpet, they love to indulge in roast beast as the highlight of their Christmas morning.

Roast beast is assumed to be the classic dish roast beef. You can search the internets for a good roast beast recipe, and a few non cooking related sites will give you a "recipe", but to be honest we all know it is roast beef. Roast beef is awesome. The ceremony of having it carved. The au jus. The horseradish sauce. It is all magnificent. 

No matter who is in our community, and no matter what we call the special dish, our culinary traditions are sacred during the holiday season. Roast beast is sacred to the Who's, and it is delicious to boot. The only thing more sacred than roast beast for Christmas dinner is the one who gets to carve it. Only a creature who's heart can grow two sizes is worthy of carving the sacred roast beast. Are you that worthy?

RD

RD is the Head Editor for SeedSing. A great dish like roast beast deserves one of the greatest holiday episodes of the greatest show ever. This season, let your heart grow two sizes while you watch "The Simpsons - Gift of the Magi"

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

 

If Willie Taggart Wants to Be a Great Coach, He Needs to Learn to Stay at a Job for Awhile

Around a year ago I wrote about how much I liked Oregon hiring Willie Taggart as their head coach. He succeeded at Western Kentucky. He turned South Florida into a viable football program. So, I thought this was more than enough for him to earn a big time job like the head football coach at Oregon. Don’t get it twisted either. I know Oregon only won 7 games this year, and only 4 the year before, but under Chip Kelly and Mark Helfrich, Oregon had become a power football school. They are also located in Eugene, which happens to be where Phil Knight, Mr Nike, presides. They had anything and everything Nike had to offer at their disposal. That’s why Oregon had a million different uniforms and could pull in all kinds of recruits from all over the country. How cool stuff looks now is a big deal with recruits. I know it sounds vain and stupid, but it’s the truth. These kids want to wear cool stuff, and for awhile, Oregon had the coolest stuff.

In a shock to me, other writers, and players on the Oregon football team, Taggart bolted for the vacant Florida State job. First off, I get why he did it, but I don’t agree with how he did it. I’ll touch on why I think he did it first. It’s easier to get to the playoff in the ACC. Clemson is the big dog in that conference, but now that the committee has no problem taking 2 teams from a conference, who’s to say that FSU won’t rejoin Clemson as a perennial power. The Pac 12 is tougher. USC, Washington, Stanford and to a lesser extent, UCLA and Washington State are always competitive. Oregon has a tougher road to the playoff. Taggart will also get great recruits right in his backyard. He’s familiar with Florida, and convincing kids to go to FSU will be easier than what he had to do at USF. He is also making a great amount of money now. FSU is also a historical program. Oregon has recent success, but FSU has been great since the early 90’s. For these reasons I get why he took the job.

The things Taggart said before taking the job, and how he handled his exit was just terrible. It was the absolute wrong way to leave a school. He said, only a day or 2 before bolting, that he wasn’t going anywhere. He told the media and his players as much. He went into recruits homes and told the players and their parents that he was going to be the coach at Oregon next season. These players have taken to social media to say as much. You cannot, in this day and age of coddled players and recruits, tell them lies. They will go to Instagram, Twitter or Facebook and crush you with their words. The whole world is a platform, and these kids know this. They are not dumb.

It seems like now the truth about Willie Taggart is coming out. There is no denying that he is a great coach. He has won pretty big everywhere he has coached. I think, had he stayed at Oregon, they could’ve returned to the top 15 next season and been a real threat in the Pac 12. But, he bolted for what many deemed a “better” job. This seems to be his move. He is like Jim Harbaugh. People rail on Harbaugh for leaving every place he has coached after 3 or 4 years. In Taggart‘s case, he seems to only give you 2 seasons at most before he takes off. An even better comparison, and I’m totally taking this from Tony Kornheiser, how is he any different from Lane Kiffin? Isn’t this Kiffin’s move? He coached the Raiders for a year, realized he was in over his head and left for the vacant University of Tennessee job. Then, when the USC job opened up the very next year, he left for that. After he failed there he took a job as a coordinator at Alabama. Then, when things got tough with Saban, he took off for the Florida Atlantic job. And now, he’s looking for a bigger head coaching gig.

Basically, and I wrote about this a week or so ago, these big time places have no continuity with their coaching staffs. I hope Taggart succeeds because I like him. He’s a no nonsense coach that doesn’t coddle his players, no matter how many stars they had in high school. But, this trend of his to bolt is definitely a stain that he is going to have to live with. Recruits are going to look at him different now too. They may not give him their full trust. We will see what happens, and FSU is not the type of place a coach just leaves after a year or 2, but in the case of Willie Taggart, you never know. I still hold him in high regard, but, after what has happened this week, I might not think of him as highly as I once did. Here’s wishing him luck, but also, he needs to learn how to handle these transitions better when the next one comes.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is looking forward to the day that Oregon and Nike have a new uniform for every quarter of the game. Hell , why not every play?

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

The Advent Calendar of Good, and Bad, Holiday Eats: Day 7 - Brussels Sprouts

The pre-Christmas Day season of Advent is upon us. Here at SeedSing we love the chocolaty goodness of getting a piece of candy once a day until we get to open our presents. As our gift to you we will present a treat associated with the holiday season. Many will be awesome, some will be terrible. Enjoy.

Opened doors: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six

Day 7: Brussels Sprouts

The holiday season is filled with a bunch of sweet treats. Fatty foods, delicious candy, and tons of cookies are indulged on throughout the entire month of December. Oh, and pies, tons and tons of pies. It should be no surprise that so many of us have weight loss as a New Years resolution. The least we can do is try to eat something healthy, something green, this holiday season. There is no better healthy food for our holiday season than that of the brussels sprout.

Brussels sprouts are those little heads of cabbage that confuse every non-knowledgeable eater of food. Those tiny cabbage heads, along with their brothers and sisters on the stalk, are always receptive to some fine flavors. I can never do right about brussels sprouts with out the incomparable Ty to tell you how awesome they are. Read about it here. That should tell you why they are awesome, especially this holiday season.

We need to remember that the holidays may be filled with sweets and indulgence, but we need to balance all off that with something healthy. If you do not do it for yourself, at least set an example for your kids. Brussels sprouts are a nice green way to be healthy. It is even a bit nicer if we add some butter, cheese, and bacon to our grown up little indulgence. 

RD

RD is the Head Editor for SeedSing. During the early days of December, we must honor the sacrifice of the brave men who don the Santa suit.

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

Cloves and Fedoras: If You Love 90's Television, Check Out the Podcast "Raised By TV"

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

As you all know I am always on the hunt for new podcasts to listen to. I mostly do sports podcasts, but I am also always looking for new comedy podcasts. I also like podcasts that are hosted by people that I enjoy on other podcasts that I listen to.

When it was announced that Jon Gabrus and Lauren Lapkus were going to do a podcast together, I was fully on board. I love them both on their many podcast appearances. The funny thing is, I don't listen to either of their own podcasts. I used to listen to "High and Mighty", Jon Gabrus' show on Feral, but I just couldn't get into it. I have not tried "With Special Guest" yet, but maybe I will one day in the future. But, when they appear on, most notably for me, "Comedy Bang! Bang!", it is always a must listen. Lauren Lapkus plays a bevy of characters on that show, and all of them are great. She is absolutely hilarious, and one of the best improvisors in all of comedy. My favorite characters she plays are Traci Readon, one of Scott Sukerman's many interns, and Ho Ho the Naughty Elf. I am also a fan of Todd, Scott's nephew. She does these people so well and I always have a big smile on my face when I see she is going to be a guest on "CBB". Jon Gabrus only plays one character on "CBB", but Gino the Intern is a god damn delight. He is another one of Scott's interns. Gabrus is so god damn funny as Gino. His blue comedy, his interruptions, his running the soundboard, basically everything he does is comedy gold. Of all of Scott's interns, Gino is, by far, the best. I wish he was on "CBB" every week. But, alas he is not.

Like I was saying earlier, about a month or so ago it was announced that Lapkus and Gabrus were going to be teaming up to do a new show on the Earwolf Network. I was rapped with anticipation. I was telling pretty much everyone I know how much I was looking forward to these 2 comedy giants doing a show together. We got a little preview a little over a month ago, and while that was great, it made me want more. Now, for the past 5 Tuesday's, we have gotten 5 new episodes of their show, "Raised By TV".

The premise of the show is that these 2 adults, in their early 30's, will sit down and talk about any type of TV that they watched as kids. This is so perfect for someone like me because, while I wasn't raised by TV, I do have some great memories of shows that I watched in the 90's. I'm also roughly the same age as the 2 of them, so the references are easily noticeable to me. In the premiere of "Raised By TV", Lapkus and Gabrus sat down and just discussed the outline of the podcast. There would be no characters. It was just going to be the 2 of them reminiscing about the TV they remember from childhood. They decided in the first episode that they were going to do theme episodes. And, true to form, that is what the next 4 episodes have been. They have done commercials, game shows, cartoons, and most recently, TGIF. All four episodes have been truly wonderful. They have brought up stuff that I had forgotten, and now, floods my memory with some great stuff.

For example, the commercials episode made me remember Mr Bucket and Crossfire. These were 2 commercials that were always on Nickelodeon when I was a kid. They also mentioned Bubble Tape commercials, and of course I remembered that it was "6 feet of bubble gum for you, not them". During game shows they talked about everything that I watched on Nickelodeon when I was a kid. "Double Dare", "Legends of the Hidden Temple" and "Guts" were main themes. I vividly remember those 3 shows. I also remember how much I wanted to be on those shows, just like them. When they talked cartoons, I wasn't as hip to some of the stuff because I only ever really watch "The Simpsons". But, they did bring up "Rugrats" and "Ren and Stimpy", both of which I am very familiar with. They have done some deep, deep dives on shows that I can't recall, but someone like my wife, who watched a ton of TV, remembers fondly.

During their episode this week, "TGIF", I was taken aback at how much I had forgotten about that lineup. And what a lineup it was. They mentioned "Family Matters", "Step By Step" and "Perfect Strangers". I watched all three of those shows religiously on Friday nights as a kid, especially "Family Matters". They talked about that show with as much regard as I would like to remember it being.

They end every episode with a reading from the "very special" episodes of some famous 90's shows. They have tackled Jesse Spano's pill addiction, a death on "Growing Pains" and when Will, from "Fresh Prince" gets abandoned by his dad one last time. These are always very funny, and it may be my favorite part of every episode so far.

"Raised By TV" is a homerun. I'm so happy that Lauren Lapkus and Jon Gabrus are doing a podcast together. I'm also very happy that it is about a subject I am very familiar with. They've only done 4 episodes so far, and each is under an hour, so it is easy to catch up on. I cannot wait to see where they go from here. I'm so excited for the future of this great new podcast. Go give it a listen, especially if you are a child of the 90's.

Check out "Raised By TV" 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Want to hear Ty reminisce about his childhood? Check out his look at all things 1996, 1999, and 2008.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

The Advent Calendar of Good, and Bad, Holiday Eats: Day 6 - Brandy

The pre-Christmas Day season of Advent is upon us. Here at SeedSing we love the chocolaty goodness of getting a piece of candy once a day until we get to open our presents. As our gift to you we will present a treat associated with the holiday season. Many will be awesome, some will be terrible. Enjoy.

Opened doors: One, Two, Three, Four, Five

Day 6: Brandy

The month of December consists of two main ingredients, cold weather and family gatherings. Each of these elements usually require a person to find a way to get warm and to find courage to deal with seasonal family and friends. Blankets and isolation are the usually go to for avoiding these calamities. The more social acceptable way to deal with weather and family is liquor. Lots and lots of liquor.

The grape is an incredible fruit that brings the world great joy. One of the best uses of the grape is fermentation to make wine, or distillation to make brandy. Brandy has become the go to liquor of the Christmas season. Get a good one to sip, and the taste is divine. Get an average one to mix with, and our company becomes tolerable. Get a cheap one to do shots with, our holiday nights will be fun. Brandy is a versatile holiday potion for any of our escapes. 

On it's own, brandy is a vital part of anyone's holiday season. We need a liquor that is classic, and classy, to mask our unpleasant fears of Christmas. Hell, if Brandy is good enough for St. Bernard's to save a life, it should be good enough to save our Christmas. Drink up, and Happy Holidays.

RD

RD is the Head Editor for SeedSing. A cheap bottle of brandy may be a lame gift, but will it be lamer than Kevin Arnold's gift?

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

 

 

Ty Watches "Search Party" Season 2

Last year around this time I wrote about a show I really liked called "Search Party". Well, "Search Party" is currently in its second season, and I have got to say, this season has been great so far. I'm so fully on board with the direction that they have taken this show in.

The first season centered around a group of stuck up, snobby, shitty and self righteous millennials. Alia Shawkat plays Dory, the main character, John Reynolds plays Drew, Dory's ex boyfriend, John Early plays Elliott and Meredith Hagner plays Portia. These are the stuck up trust fund babies. In season one Dory sees a missing person sign up in New York for a girl named Chantal(Clare McNulty) that they all went to college with. Since Dory doesn't have too much going on in her life, she doesn't really like Drew, she is basically a nanny for an over medicated adult and just seems bored, decides she is going to find Chantal. The first season takes you on twists and turns and is funny and kind of crazy. I really enjoyed everything that happened.

Now, and this is a big time spoiler alert for those that haven't watched any of the show yet, the finale of season one leaves us with Dory and her friends finding Chantal, but Dory and Drew have also killed someone. That someone is a private investigator that Dory gets involved with named Keith(Ron Livingston). Keith and Dory go on missions looking for Chantal, and they start to forge a bit of a romance. Drew finds out about this, and he, along with Portia and Elliott travel up to Canada to find Dory. When they get to where Dory is, Drew sees Dory fighting with someone, he goes to help her and he bludgeons Keith with an award nearby. Keith immediately falls to the ground. Drew and Dory put him in a closet and tell Elliott what happened, and the first season ends on a close up of Dory's face, with blood spattered on it, and she is crying.

That is how season 2 opens. We have a close shot of Dory's face, and we see a flash back to the incident and then Dory throws up in the bathroom sink. From then on it in the season 2 premiere, we see Drew, Dory and Elliott trying to figure out what to do with the body. I have to say, and this is going to sound very dark, but the way they handle the situation at first is kind of comical. They are in over their heads. They clearly have no idea what they are doing. Dory cannot seem to wrap her head around what just happened. Elliott trying to be the voice of reason is great. Drew is so far gone, he just wants to move on and move out of the country. Meanwhile, Portia has no idea what is going on because she is trying to hook up with some guy she met in Montreal. She does see the body when she forces her way into the kitchen to get a glass of water. She doesn't like what she sees, obviously, but she decides to help because these people are her friends. They go to bury the body in a shallow grave, and then they take Chantal home.

From there on out this second season has been nuts, but also spectacular. You get to see the toll that this awful event has taken on these kids that have never really had to worry about anything before in their lives, or really work for anything in their lives. Dory is a mess, but she keeps trying to cover her tracks. She runs into Keith's ex wife at one point, and decides to write her an email from Keith's computer. Bad idea. She cannot sit in a room by herself without having a panic attack. She sees Keith everywhere she goes. Her friends are starting to shun her. Portia is sad and lonely and trying to work on this play with a director that is clearly into her. She wants the attention and love, but she cannot shake the image of what she saw in that kitchen. She is very much out of her element, and that is causing her to not really trust anyone, especially Dory anymore. Drew shacks up with Chantal to get back at Dory, he buries the murder weapon after Chantal sees it at his place and he is trying to get a promotion that would send him to China. And he refuses to speak with Dory at all. And poor Elliott, side note, if John Early doesn't at the very least get some Emmy consideration for his role this season it would be a god damn shame, is unraveling at the seams. On the surface he seems fine, but inside he is losing it. His hair is falling out, he can't control his bowels in public, he is screaming the name Keith in his sleep and he is covered in a horrible rash. He is also writing a book, but he is writing it on paper towels and it is all nonsense. Where we just left off with him is in rehab. He is a mess.

This second season of "Search Party" has been everything I wanted it to be, but so much more. It is very, very dark at times. The humor is still there, which I love. You see the breaking apart of these friends that are all pretty bad people. These pretty bad people now have some really heavy stuff, that they caused, that they have to deal with, and watching all four of them separately deal with it has been wonderful. 

"Search Party" has upped its game in season two and I am so excited to see where they go with the last 4 episodes. I hope they make more, but I wouldn't be surprised if they ended it after this season. I highly recommend people seek this show out and watch it. It is so good. It is so well written and acted and the four main actors are doing something very special right now. Go watch "Search Party".

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He has never been Canada, and he has never accidentally killed someone. He plans on doing the first part and not the second.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

The Advent Calendar of Good, and Bad, Holiday Eats: Day 5 - Candy Canes

The pre-Christmas Day season of Advent is upon us. Here at SeedSing we love the chocolaty goodness of getting a piece of candy once a day until we get to open our presents. As our gift to you we will present a treat associated with the holiday season. Many will be awesome, some will be terrible. Enjoy.

Opened doors: One, Two, Three, Four

Day 5: Candy Canes

Sometimes there is no logical explanation of why we like something. Maybe it is part of our tradition, maybe we have a weird fetish, or maybe what we like is sneaky good. There are a variety of senses that can be appeased in our secret desire. Touch, smell, and taste can make something mundane seem divine. Candy canes are one of my holiday fetishes.

Candy canes have no right to be good. They are cheap, in price and quality, they are messy, and they are delicious. The tight plastic wrapping is never easy to peel, but it is worth it. The mess a candy cane makes as your spit coats the treat is sticky and gross, but it is worth it. The weird chewiness of the candy is unnatural, but is again, totally worth it. Grabbing a candy cane from the tree, from a visit to Santa, or from a 20 pack for a dollar, will give any holiday reveler a few minutes of sticky holiday joy.

The basic red and white candy cane is a holiday staple that deserves a spot in the pantheon of great treats. Yes, there are other flavors, but the basic is still the best. When someone hands you a candy cane, do not think about how cheap the person is being, think about the joy you will feel over the next three - five minutes. Just make sure you wash your hands good before you touch anything else in the house. 

RD

RD is the Head Editor for SeedSing. It is still early in December, but we are at the time where I wish Christmas was closer. Check out a great tune about wanting to have Christmas right now, like today.

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

Ty Watches "Goon: Last of the Enforcers"

I am not a fan of hockey as a sport. I find it very boring and, quite frankly, stupid. This could be because I cannot skate, I never played it as a kid, I never watched it as a kid, there are so many reasons. I just flat out dislike hockey. But, for some odd reason, I do enjoy movies about hockey. I think it is because the movies only show the "exciting" parts of the game. I don't have to deal with any of the other nonsense, and I get to just see the goals and fights. That is all I want to see anyway. I can sit down and watch "Mighty Ducks", or "D2" anytime it is on cable. I have seen "Slap Shot" a handful of times. "Happy Gilmore" has hockey moments in it, and that is one of my all time favorite movies.

But, all of these hockey movies pale in comparison to the wonderful "Goon". That movie is amazing. I saw it on Netflix when it was recommended to me by many people and I was blown away. "Goon" was funny, bloody, raunchy and even a bit moving. Sean William Scott was absolutely perfect as Doug "The Thug" Blatt. This is one of his best roles. In fact, I think he has totally redeemed himself and made himself a great actor and gotten out of the shadow of Stifler. He should be talked about as much as Channing Tatum. I feel like they have both had a great second life as actors.

So, when a sequel to "Goon" was announced, and that Jay Baruchel was going to direct, I was on board. Baruchel co wrote "Goon", so I figured with him directing we would get much of the same. I couldn't get out to the theaters to see it, but I just recently rented and watched "Goon: Last of the Enforcers". And, the movie was okay. It was not even close to the greatness that "Goon" was, but that was an impossible achievement. Everyone is back from the first movie. The hippy goalie, the Russian brothers, Stevenson, La Flamme, the coaches, Alison Pil, Liev Shrieber, Jay Baruchel and Sean William Scott. This time around they added Elisha Cuthbert, in a totally off form role for her, which she was great at, and Wyatt Russell, as the villain.

"Goon: Last of the Enforcers" starts out with the NHL on strike, so this semi pro league that Blatt's team plays in is, for better or worse, the main attraction. This is what everyone in Canada watches. We see the team being give their jerseys and Blatt is named a team captain. Blatt is still the same type player, an enforcer. He is out there to protect his teammates and get into fights. In their first game they face a team that the owners son plays on, this is Wyatt Russell's character. He is a younger, faster and better overall hockey player than Blatt has ever been. They get into a fight in the game, and Russell destroys him. It was a great fight scene. This is when "GLOTE" really shines. The fight scenes are the best moments of the movie. They are just as gory and brutal as they were in "Goon".

Blatt gets his shoulder all messed up, and he has to turn away from hockey. His wife, Pil, is also pregnant with their kid. Blatt goes into insurance, but he hates it. He starts to get the itch to play again when he watches his old team, who has now traded for Russell, and they are miserable. Russell is a great hockey player, but he is also very selfish and crazy. To get himself back into playing shape, Blatt tracks down Schreiber, his nemesis from the first movie. Schreiber is fighting in brawl type competitions because he cannot pull himself away from the game he loves. He helps Blatt learn how to fight with his off hand. The scenes of them working together are pretty good too.

Blatt eventually gets back on the team, but Pil doesn't want him to fight. She needs him around for their kid. He heeds her demands at first. But, in the final regular season game, after the team releases Russell and he is back on his original team, he has to fight him again. Russell knocks out Schreiber, so Blatt goes out to defend his friends honor. He does beat up Russell, but ruins his shoulder in the process. He will never play hockey again.

I mean, "GLOTE" was a fine movie, but it was very color by the numbers. You could tell beat for beat what was going to happen as it happened. That doesn't mean it was a bad movie, I just feel like it may have been a bit unnecessary. "Goon" was classic. I feel like they should have stopped there. But, I get why they made a sequel. No one expected "Goon" to be as great as it was, so why not do it again. Look, everyone was good in this movie. Sean William Scott was great. Jay Baruchel was hilarious. Alison Pil was good. Elisha Cuthbert was just as funny as Baruchel. Schreiber was fine. Even Russell was a decent villain. I just feel like they didn't have to make this movie.

"GLOTE" is fine to have on when you just want to zone out and watch a sports movie. But, when comparing it to the original, it is not even close. I'm glad I watched it, but I will take "Goon" any day over "GLOTE". It was a fine movie, but it was unnecessary.

Ty

The Advent Calendar of Good, and Bad, Holidaty Eats: Day 4 - Spice Drops

The pre-Christmas Day season of Advent is upon us. Here at SeedSing we love the chocolaty goodness of getting a piece of candy once a day until we get to open our presents. As our gift to you we will present a treat associated with the holiday season. Many will be awesome, some will be terrible. Enjoy.

Opened doors: One, Two, Three

Day 4: Spice Drops

The dark side of tradition is that we are forced to endure through some of the terrible things that were a fond part of our ancestors past. The very concept of  tradition is to not allow anything new to replace that of which is old. Some holiday traditions have great merit. Gift giving, throwing parties, be nice to our fellow person, these are good things handed down from the past. Spice drops, that is a holiday tradition that needs to die.

Spice drops are terrible candies that also lie to you. They are red and green gumdrops that do not have the nice sweet fake fruit flavors of gumdrops one gets during the other eleven months of the year. Spice drops replaces the good stuff with things like cloves, allspice, anise, and spearmint. Those are all traditional holiday flavors that work in many things, they do not work in gumdrops. The tradition of eating spice drops is one that disappoints kids and adults alike, and the bags of red and green terribleness will haunt the grocery store clearance aisle well into the new year.

Tradition is a good thing. It is something we should learn from and adapt for each new generation. We should not take a wonderful season like Christmas and hang a dark cloud of red and green terribleness. Keep tradition alive by killing off the spice drops. It will make for many happy holidays in the future.

RD

RD is the Head Editor for SeedSing. Sometimes the best way to wash out the bad taste of spice drops is to have a good cry with a famous holiday television episode. Might we recommend the heartbreaking "MASH" episode "Death Takes a Holiday".

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A Few Thoughts on the Winners, and Whiners, of the College Football Playoff

The College Football Playoff is set. From 1 to 4 the teams are Clemson, Oklahoma, Georgia and Alabama.

Now, before I get into my predictions, let us first talk about Alabama getting in over the University of Ohio State and USC. I'll touch on USC first. USC made a late season push. They proved that they are the best team in the Pac 12 by winning the title game, and closing the season pretty strong. Sam Darnold looks the part that many hoped he would when the season started, they have a tremendous run game and their defense has been pretty solid. But, early season losses to Washington State, and a blowout loss to Notre Dame doomed them. They also struggled with Texas earlier this year, in California. But, they smashed Stanford early on, and then beat them again in the Pac 12 title game. They also beat UCLA, albeit in a close game, and smashed a bunch of teams people thought would give them a game. But, in the end, the damage early in the year was too much to overcome. They had a great season, and they play in a pretty good bowl game, but they just couldn't sneak into the playoff.

As for the University of Ohio State debate. Before I get into this, I'm not going to trash them because I'm a Michigan fan. I'm going to trash them because of their ignorance and complaining. Last season the University of Ohio State got into the playoff, even though they lost at Penn State on a blocked field goal return for a TD. They did not play in the Big Ten title game, but they claimed that a conference championship game didn't matter. They finished the year 11-1. and they felt they had a better resume than Penn State, who beat them and won the conference title game. I HATE Penn State as well, so I am not making excuses for them. But, when the University of Ohio State plays in a conference title game this year, win it, but don't make the playoff and complain, you should see why I have a problem with their whining. They are hypocrites. They only want stuff good to happen for them when it benefits them. Look, they got crushed, at home, early in the season against Oklahoma, a playoff team. Oklahoma went to Columbus and trashed them. Then, later on in the year they went to Iowa and lost by 31 points. They gave up 55 points to that "dynamic" Iowa offense. This is exactly what happened to Penn State last year. They lost an early season game at Pitt, and then got smashed the very next week at Michigan. The committee has stated that big losses, no matter when they occur, matter in the end. I've read all the social media heat. People are pissed that a conference champ from a power 5 conference didn't get in. But, the same exact thing happened last year, and no one batted an eye when the University of Ohio State got in over Penn State. So, for all you University of Ohio State fans, it doesn't feel good to be on the opposite end of some bull shit, does it? But, do not bitch and moan, you guys got in last year on the same merit that Alabama got in on this year.

Alabama getting in over Ohio State and USC, I'd have no problem with it, but Nick Saban went on ESPN Saturday night and cried and whined his way into the playoff. Based on their last 2 games, they are not a playoff team. Now, give me a neutral site, and have Alabama play either school, I'd probably pick Alabama. But, it is not as clear cut as it was earlier in the season. Also, Alabama's best win is probably over LSU, but they are not the LSU of old. I know that the FSU game on the opening weekend was a big time matchup at the time, but it has looked worse and worse every week. And Saban's complaints about injuries and the like, shut up with that nonsense. Every team suffers injuries. Michigan played 3 different QB's this year. Auburn's star running back is currently hurt. Wisconsin lost their best linebacker before the year started. The University of Ohio State had to go to a backup QB in the Michigan game. Stanford dealt with Bryce Love injuries all year. Miami lost their best running back early in the season. FSU lost their star QB in the first game. Every team has to deal with injuries. Injuries are not why Auburn beat Alabama. Auburn was a much better coached and more physical team that day. That is why they beat you.

But, Alabama whined your way into a first round matchup with the clear cut number one team in the nation. Which, is my segue into my playoff predictions. So, the 1-4 matchup is Clemson-Alabama. This is part three of the series. The first 2 matchups have been great, and I think the same thing will happen in this game. Clemson is the best overall team in the country. Their defense is ferocious. They can attack you from so many different angles. Brent Venables may be the best defensive coordinator in the country. Their offense may not be as good as last year, but losing a Deshaun Watson type player would do that to any team. That being said, Kelly Bryant is legit. Clemson has a great running game. They have solid receivers. They have a pretty decent offensive line. They are just an overall solid team. Alabama has a great defense that will get some of those injured players Saban was whining about on ESPN the other night. They have a great defensive line, pretty good linebackers and a solid secondary. Where Alabama gets tripped up is their offense. They are predictable, which is fine when you face FSU or Mercer or Tennessee. But, Clemson will shut them down. Alabama thrives on their run game, but Clemson will stop that and force them to pass. And, as long as Clemson can limit Calvin Ridley, they should win the game. Jalen Hurts has proven he cannot beat you through the air. Clemson is a better team, and they should win by at least a touchdown. I think getting the line backers back at Alabama will make this game closer than it should be, but I have Clemson in a relatively low scoring game.

The other match-up of Oklahoma and Georgia, the 2-3 game, these  teams couldn't be more different. Oklahoma is very mediocre on defense, but they have the best offense, by far, in all of college football. They want to get in a track meet. They can run the ball and they can sure as hell throw the ball. Baker Mayfield, much credit to RD here, is going to win the Heisman, and that dude can sling the ball. I may not like him as a person, he is way too arrogant, but that dude is a great college football player. Oklahoma wants the ball and they want to score and score and score as much as possible. Georgia is an old fashioned team. They want to run the ball, kill clock and throw 5 yard outs to their tight ends. They are not an explosive offensive team, but they have the best backfield in all of college football. Sony Michel and Nick Chubb are amazing. They also have some stud freshman that steps in from time to time. Jake Fromm is not an all world QB yet, but he can manage a game. Georgia is stout on defense. They have shut down every team, with the first Auburn game being the lone exception. They are legit. This game is going to go one of two ways. Either Oklahoma gets the track meet they want and blows Georgia away late, or Georgia is able to stop one aspect of the Oklahoma offense and win an ugly, low scoring slugfest. I think it will be the track meet. I think Oklahoma's offense is way too good to stop. And say Georgia does somehow stop the passing offense, Oklahoma can run the ball extremely effectively as well. I say Oklahoma wins this game with a late 4th quarter run by about 2 scores.

That gives us 1 versus 2 in the title game. I am going to take Clemson to repeat. They will stop Oklahoma. Oklahoma will play in this game like they did the second half of the Iowa State game. Clemson is so fast, disciplined and awesome on defense. Kelly Bryant will also catapult himself as the 2018 Heisman front runner in this game because Oklahoma will not be able to stop him. I have Clemson winning this game fairly comfortably. They are the better, more seasoned team and their coaching staff has been here before. It is going to be a repeat and get used to Clemson being in the playoff. Maybe they are the new Alabama.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. No talk of UCF Ty? He is not interested in seeing another overrated feel good college football story get beat by 40 points by a real team. The truth hurts.

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The Advent Calendar of Good, and Bad, Holiday Eats: Day 3 - Mulled Apple Cider

The pre-Christmas Day season of Advent is upon us. Here at SeedSing we love the chocolaty goodness of getting a piece of candy once a day until we get to open our presents. As our gift to you we will present a treat associated with the holiday season. Many will be awesome, some will be terrible. Enjoy.

Opened doors: One, Two

Day 3: Mulled Apple Cider

December tends to be pretty cold for most of the world that likes to celebrate the Advent season. The southern parts of the US and Europe may get a balmy holiday season, but the large majority of Christmastime revelers live in a climate that moves the temperature needle below 50 Fahrenheit.  The cold temperatures des not stop the festive among us to spend a crazy amount of time outside looking at light displays, singing carols, or letting our live nativity curiosity take over. The best way to combat the cold outside air is to drink down a nice hot holiday drink.

Mulled apple cider can usually be found at any of the stock outdoor Christmas events. Take a bunch of spices (cloves, allspice, nutmeg) add some orange slices, pour in the apple cider, then let it sit over heat. In just a few short moments, your house will smell of the holidays, and you will have one of the most iconic drinks for a cold winter night. With the power of mulled apple cider, any mere mortal can take on the cold night and enjoy their chosen holiday extravaganza.

Is mulled apple cider a worthy holiday treat? The way the connection smells while cooking is definitely worth it. If you hate apple cider, make mulled cider for the aroma. Cold mulled cider is not worthy of one's worst enemies. But, on a cold night of looking at lights, a nice hot cup of spiced juice from an apple, you could do a lot worse. You could be drinking packaged cocoa made in a cup of microwaved water. 

RD

RD is the Head Editor for SeedSing. On those cold nights, out among family and friends, you could warm up by thinking about Last Christmas.

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The Advent Calendar of Good, and Bad, Holiday Eats: Day 2 - McDonald's Holiday Pie

The pre-Christmas Day season of Advent is upon us. Here at SeedSing we love the chocolaty goodness of getting a piece of candy once a day until we get to open our presents. As our gift to you we will present a treat associated with the holiday season. Many will be awesome, some will be terrible. Enjoy.

Opened doors: One

Day 2: McDonald's Holiday Pies

Every season brings out a few unique treats from our local eateries. Special salads come out in the summer months, a new beer style seems to arrive each month, and September brings the legion of items flavored with pumpkin spice. The Christmas season brings on the biggest onslaught of seasonal treats. Peppermint, nutmeg, and clove usually take a starring role in December goodies. Except for a mom and pop shop called McDonald's, they like to take our holiday eats to a whole new level.

Once the Thanksgiving holiday is in the rear view mirror, McDonald's starts to offer the Holiday Pie as an alternative to the year round apple option. The Holiday Pie is said to be custard in a sugar coated crust, and it is as awesome as it sounds. The crust is not only coated in sugar, it has festive red and green sprinkles to add holiday joy. The custard, extra devine when piping hot, is way better than anything one expects to get at McDonald's. Considering that the Holiday Pie follows the Pumpkin Crème pie of the fall, McDonald's is bringing a pastry A game to the last quarter of the year.

McDonald's is the number one restaurant around the world because one can get cheap, and predictable food at anytime. Variety is not good for their business. The Holiday Pie is part of the predictable pattern, and it is a great one. It can be argued that the Holiday Pie is the greatest thing McDonald's offers during the year. it can be argued, but it is wrong. The Holiday Pie still sits behind the greatness of the Shamrock Shake. There is nothing unpredictable about that.

RD

RD is the Head Editor for SeedSing. One should enjoy their Holiday Pie with a classic Christmas television program. We recommend the great GI Joe cartoon episode 'Cobra Claws are Coming to Town".

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The Advent Calendar of Good, and Bad, Holiday Eats: Day 1 - Chocolate Advent Calendars

The pre-Christmas Day season of Advent is upon us. Here at SeedSing we love the chocolaty goodness of getting a piece of candy once a day until we get to open our presents. As our gift to you we will present a treat associated with the holiday season. Many will be awesome, some will be terrible. Enjoy.

Day 1: Chocolate Advent Calendar

December 1st marks the beginning of the Advent season. There are religious reasons for Advent, but many of us have forgotten and just really do not care. December 1st marks the official countdown to Christmas. Twenty five glorious days until the most wonderful time of the year. Makes a person hungry.

The Advent Calendar is a tradition in many homes. The most famous, and most inexpensive, of these calendars are the paper ones holding chocolate behind numbered windows. Each day brings a new treat for the faithful, and non faithful, alike to enjoy. A piece of chocolate a day makes December a highlight in any home.

The chocolate Advent Calendar can be bought in nearly any store for under two bucks. The twenty five pieces of chocolate is usually two bucks worth of quality. It is not transcendent, but it is still chocolate. There are more expensive and extravagant chocolate Advent Calendars. Many of these have things like fancy liqueurs or other high quality ingredients. Leave those to the William Sonama crowd, the real folks partake in the cheap advent calendars. Good or bad, it is still a piece of chocolate a day, and it cost less than a few bucks.

The chocolate Advent Calendar is a tradition, and one that is well deserved. If you have a couple hundred bucks burning a hole in your pocket, splurge on the good stuff. If you are part of the other 99%, spend your two dollars and enjoy a small adequate piece of chocolate each day until Christmas. It is a reason for the season.

RD

RD is the Head Editor for SeedSing. Start your Advent out with a great holiday song. We recommend the classic "Linus and Lucy" Tell us all about your favorite holiday treat - write for SeedSing.

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Jimbo Fisher Going to Texas A&M is a Real Head-Scratcher

I was going to write about a movie today, but more pressing news has surfaced, and no, I'm not talking about Flynn pleading guilty, I'll let RD handle that. The news that I speak of is about another coaching move. I know that I have been talking about sports and coaches a lot lately, but this is a big, big deal. And no, I'm not going to write about the possibility of Mike Leach to Tennessee. I'll save that for next week, or whenever it happens. The news that I speak of was just reported by multiple sports sites, and that is that Jimbo Fisher has resigned from Florida State and is expected to take the head coaching job at Texas A&M.

I have a bunch of mixed feelings about this move. First, and foremost, I think that A&M did Kevin Sumlin dirty. That dude took this team to places that they haven't been since the 1960's and 70's. He was 26 games over .500 as a head coach there. He had a winning record in the SEC. He coached a Heisman winner. He won bowl games. Kevin Sumlin should have never been fired in the first place. But, they let him go, and seemingly, they got their man. They are going to give him an enormous deal, something like 8 or 9 million a year over 9 or 10 seasons. That is a TON of money. I get him leaving FSU for the money, and there is no state tax in Texas. But, the money shouldn't have been the major selling point for Fisher. Fisher has plenty of money already. The dude got paid the moment he took over for Bobby Bowden. He didn't need the money. So no, the money wasn't why he left FSU, at least not in my opinion.

There could have been many other reasons why he chose to leave now. This season has been a disaster since week one. I picked FSU to win the title, then Alabama crushed them and their star QB. They went on to lose 5 of their next 9 games. Where we sit today they are 5-6, needing to win their last game, which is a make up due to the hurricanes, just to make a very low level bowl. Maybe how rough this year has been was a reason for him to want to leave. Maybe he doesn't see it getting any better than this. Maybe FSU is going to be a 7-5 or 8-4 team for the next couple of years, and Fisher probably didn't want to deal with that.

But, Texas A&M is no world beater. Sumlin didn't deserve to get fired because that team won 8 games this year. A&M is considered decent with 8-4 records. The SEC is much, much harder than the ACC. Had he stayed at FSU, he could have turned it around and been in the national title picture as soon as next year. Now, he has to face teams like Alabama, Auburn, LSU and Mississippi State on a regular basis. I do think the SEC is overrated, but I'd much rather be a head coach in the ACC. The best teams in the ACC, outside of FSU, are Miami and Clemson. That is it. I do not like him taking this job if he is looking to be a constant title contender. As long as Nick Saban is still coaching Alabama, every single coach in the SEC will be ranked behind him, no matter what. If he thought FSU was tough, just wait until he starts going 4-4 or 5-3 in the SEC. It is going to be brutal.

Fisher is also a guy that doesn't care for fans confronting him. A fan this year yelled at him after an early season loss, and he yelled back. That shit is going to happen weekly at A&M if he doesn't beat teams like LSU and Auburn on a yearly basis.

Maybe he left FSU because he did all that he could there. He won a title. He won multiple BCS bowls. He won a New Year's 6 bowl. He too coached a Heisman winner. Maybe he wants a new challenge. I get that, and I think it may be the best reason why he would leave FSU. Maybe he wants to see a new college town. Maybe he is as obsessed with football as most people are in Texas. Maybe he wants to see how fertile the recruiting grounds are in Texas as compared to Florida. These are all reasonable excuses as to why he wanted to take the A&M job. This is the one reason that I will accept.

The more I think about this move, the more confused I get. I'm not confused from an A&M standpoint. They got exactly what they wanted when they wrongly fired Sumlin. They had one guy in mind, they threw as much money as possible at him and they got him to leave a great situation to come coach their team. The AD and the boosters and whoever else was involved did everything to get the guy they wanted. I am confused by why Fisher would want this job. I'm confused for all the reasons I laid out up top. I'm confused because he seemed to have carte blanche at a college football powerhouse. I'm confused because he was already making a ton of money. I'm confused because he had a good team set in place for next year. I'm confused why he wants to leave a less competitive conference, where the path to the playoff is much easier, to go to a tougher conference.

We will see how this all shakes out as the next couple of years go on. I am sure a bunch of key contributors to A&M this past season will transfer because Fisher is going to bring in a whole new staff and system. I'm also curious to see who FSU goes after now because that is a good job, and that team has some good players, including Deondre Francois and Cam Akers. This is all very bizarre, not Tennessee bizarre, but still bizarre. I just don't get it, but hey, Jimbo Fisher can do whatever the hell he wants to do, whether I agree with it or not.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is still not available to coach at Tennessee, but Florida State? Give him a call and find out.

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It is Now Time for Some Thunder Panic in Oklahoma City

Usually I am not one to worry about a NBA team only 20 games into a season. I said as much a couple weeks ago in a piece detailing the "hot" starts of teams like the Magic, Bucks and Clippers. I also said that people shouldn't be worried about some teams off to a "slow" start, like the Jazz, Grizzlies and Spurs. And, while some of those teams have fallen into place, the Clippers are trash and the Spurs are righting the ship, still without Kawhi Leonard, I do have to say that, if I am/was a Thunder fan, I'd be worried.

The Thunder have not seemed to figure it out, and they have 3 of the top 30 players in the NBA on their team. Where we stand today they are 8-12, and they could be much, much worse than that. I was extremely high on this team going into the season. I figured they could challenge for the second or third seed in the West. I was willing to put them in the Western Conference Finals. I assumed Russell Westbrook was only going to get better coming off an MVP season. Adding Paul George and Carmelo Anthony were both home run moves by the front office. Getting Westbrook to sign that massive extension was icing on the cake. But, a quarter of the way into the season, they have not even come close to playing how I envisioned them playing.

What is wrong in Oklahoma City? They play great defense. That all comes with Paul George. That dude is a solid defender. Probably one of the top defenders in the league. But, their offense is very lackluster, and they cannot close out games. Every time I check their box score on my phone, they seem to hold a decent lead going into the second half, and when I check it later to see the final score, they are always on the wrong end. I think their "big three" are having trouble meshing right now.

Right off the bat I have to say that I do not think this is all on Westbrook. I know that he is an easy target, and a lot of other writers seem to like to attack the way he plays. But, he is not the sole reason this team cannot close games out. He isn't playing the way he played last year, but he isn't playing like trash either. He is second in the league in assists. He is still scoring 20 plus points a game. And, he has put in effort on defense this year. So no, I will not put full blame on him because that is way too easy, and kind of hacky if you ask me. I will say about Westbrook though, he is not being as explosive as he should/can be. He is deferring to his new teammates to a fault. He is trying to hard at times to get Anthony, George and Steven Adams involved. He is the alpha on this team, and late in games, he needs to take over.

I think Paul George has fit in okay, but he is struggling with his shot right now. I've heard some people say that the Thunder are just stashing him in a corner and letting Westbrook dictate what to do, but I do not buy that. George isn't the type of player that would just be happy with sitting back and waiting for open shots. He is a rim attacker, and that allows his jumper to become open. Like I said, the problem with him is that his shot is not dropping right now. That is something that can be fixed, but it needs to happen now. They cannot get much further back in the standings before it becomes a devastating blow to their playoff hopes.

I don't know what in the hell Carmelo Anthony is doing. He is shooting nearly as much as he did in New York. He is not making many of those shots though. I have not seen him pass the ball once whenever I tune into a Thunder game. And his defense, well it is Carmelo Anthony, so defense is not really an option. I wanted him so badly to be Olympic Carmelo. He is the player of the "big three" that should be standing in the corner waiting for the pass for the open three. He is so deadly when he has time to set and shoot. He can also be hidden on defense on this team. He is literally there just to make open shots. He is not the first or second option anymore, and until he realizes that, the Thunder will continue to struggle.

The rest of the team, I think, is still trying it adjust to having these 2 new all stars. Steven Adams has not really lived up to the hype from a few years back when he looked like one of the best up and coming centers. He still gets rebounds and throws down some alley oops, but they need more from him. Alex Abrines is too young and too green for the NBA right now. Patrick Paterson, another free agent signing, is hurt. The rookie Terrance Ferguson, he is playing like a rookie. Their best bench player is Ray Felton, and that stinks. I like Felton, but he cannot be your best guy off the bench. That hasn't worked for any other team that has tried to do that.

What also irks me about their very slow start is some of the losses they have taken. If they were 8-12 with losses to the likes of the Rockets, Warriors, Spurs and Cavs, that would kind of be justified. But, they have losses to the Kings, Mavericks and just last night, the Magic. That should not happen with three players as talented as Anthony, George and Westbrook. That makes absolutely no sense to me.

I'm already preparing to eat crow for thinking this team would be great. Billy Donovan has proven to be a very low rent pro coach. He has been handed some of the best players in the world, yet he can't seem to draw up anything of value late in games. Westbrook needs to be more alpha dog and less, let me get the new guys involved. George, while killing it on defense, needs to start hitting his shots and being way more aggressive. And Anthony, he needs to be that lethal outside threat that this team lacked last year. They still have time, we are only 20 game in, but the Thunder have absolutely been the biggest bust of the first quarter of the season. Lets se if they can turn it around.

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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Please Arby's, Do Not Screw Up Buffalo Wild Wings

Arby's has some new meats

In some terrible recent news, Arby's has bought Buffalo Wild Wings.

You all know how I feel about Arby's. And for those that don't, I cannot stand that place. It is an affront to fast food, and food, for that matter. They make disgusting trash food that is too expensive for what you get. Contrary to what they say, they do not have the meats, at least not quality meats. They do not slow cook any of the BBQ they claim to in commercials. Their pork belly, I have to imagine is the kind of bacon that you can buy pre cooked at the grocery store, and then they mash multiple pieces of that together to give the image of low rent pork belly. Basically everything that Arby's does, I am against. I do not trust that place and I absolutely do not trust their food.

The problem for me, I truly, unabashedly love Buffalo Wild Wings. I go there a ton. I would say that I eat there about a dozen times a month. No bull shit. I am a big time fan of their wings. They are decent sized, they come out hot and the sauces are pretty good. When they introduced the dry rub, I grew to love BWW even more. I love all of the dry rubs, especially the salt and vinegar. That is what I order 90 percent of the time when I go there. Outside of wings, BWW does have an okay menu. I'm on the Atkins diet for 5 days a week, and when I go there on one of the rare occasions when I don't get the dry rub wings, I will order their naked chicken tenders. It is pretty much just sliced chicken breast, but they add a sauce on the side, and give me a side salad with that, I'm good. They, in fact, have a lot of Atkins options outside of wings. They have the naked tenders I just mentioned, pretty good salads, other naked chicken options, they have a lot. The rest of the menu is pretty good too. When not dieting, I am a big fan of the buffalitos, which is French fries shaped like chips. I like their nachos. They have a great hummus and veggie tray as an appetizer. They have solid boneless wings. They have good tacos. Hell, even their non chicken stuff is good. My mom loves the burgers. My kids love the corn dogs and the mac and cheese. If I had to gripe about one thing when it comes to BWW, it's the fact that they are a Pepsi establishment. Pepsi is gross. Give me Coke products any day.

But, that is my only problem, until now. I do not know what this means for BWW. How will this purchase change things? Will they start to add some kind of disgusting Arby's roast beef options to the menu? Will they use that nasty ass cheese sauce for their nachos now instead of nacho cheese? Will they try and make their "pork belly sandwich" there? Will they start to push their gross horsey sauce? I have so many questions that I fear will either, come to fruition, or never be answered.

This is a real blow to me, as far as dining out goes. I'm not a picky eater, but when I dislike a place, it is on my shit list for the rest of my life. I stated in my Arby's blog about their "venison" sandwich that Arby's made me sick a couple of times, and since the second time, I have never gone back. It helps that I have Lion's Choice here in Saint Louis too. But, you screw me over once or twice, I'm done. Is this going to happen with BWW? Are the people that used to own that franchise just going to give the keys to the people that run Arby's? If they do, that could spell doom for me. When I go to BWW after the purchase is finalized, and I will still patronize BWW, what happens if I get sick from the food? I mean, I won't deviate from what I normally order, but my order has nothing to do with the people making the food and purchasing the inventory to make said food. If it is the people from Arby's, I would almost guarantee that I will get sick and it will ruin BWW for me forever. I don't want that to happen.

As I stated above, I genuinely enjoy BWW. But this whole Arby's purchase is really going to throw a wrench in my subsequent visits. If Arby's slowly starts to take over the menu, my dozen trips a month will continue to slowly dwindle until I never go there again. I can guarantee that much. I don't like, but much worse, don't trust Arby's. They have burned me before in the past. I will be super upset if the same thing happens at BWW. This is disheartening news to say the least. I wish it weren't true, but after much research, it unfortunately is. I hope things stay the same, but I'm only about 50 percent sure that it will. Arby's bought BWW for a reason, and that reason will spell nothing but doom. This is very upsetting.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is mistaken on one thing about Arby's. Those curly fries are the bomb.

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The Memphis Grizzlies Made a Bad Move Firing a Good David Fizdale

Much to mine, and many others surprise, the Memphis Grizzlies fired head coach David Fizdale yesterday. I was taken aback by this news. Fizdale, at least on the surface, seemed to be a pretty good NBA coach. The Grizzlies made the playoffs last year with guys like Andrew Harrison, Zach Randolph and Vince Carter playing crucial minutes. Yes, he had Mike Conley and Marc Gasol, but the rest of that team was made up of super old veterans and guys just trying to stay in the league. Fizdale also had one of the best post game rants of all time last year, with the whole, "take that for data" rant. It was epic.

This year the Grizzlies started out rather hot. They won, I think, their first 5 games, and 7 of their first 10. Then Conley went down with an injury. This was brutal for this team. They need Conley out there to run that offense. He is one of the best point guards in the league, and for the Grizzlies, he is the perfect point guard and team leader. They survived a Conley injury last year, but not this year. Since Conley has gone out, they have lost 8 straight games.

It was getting so bad that Fizdale benched Marc Gasol for the entire fourth quarter the other night to just try something different to get a win. Gasol was miffed by this, and let the media know. He said, in not so many words, that they would have never done this to Mike, meaning Mike Conley, and that the benching made him feel unwanted. The remarks seemed a little rough, but nothing out of the ordinary in pro sports. Coaches and players argue all the time at every level of sports. Jordan and Phil Jackson fought all the time. Same with Kobe, Shaq and Jackson. I'm sure Isiah Thomas and Chuck Daly squabbled from time to time. LeBron James has fought with every coach he has ever had. Kevin Durant openly did not like Billy Donovan. So a coach and a star player arguing is nothing new.

But, maybe 12-14 hours after Gasol let his feelings known, the Grizzlies fired Fizdale. As I said before, I could not believe it. I know things are rough right now for the Grizzlies, but I did not think this team was going to even be a playoff contender this year. They have 2 stars, Conley and Gasol, but nothing more. The rest of the roster is filled with names like Jaymychal Green, Mario Chalmers, Chandler Parsons, Andrew Harrison, Tyreke Evans and Ben McLemore. That is not a playoff team, especially in the West. The West, while down right now because they are beating up on each other, is a very, very good and competitive conference. The top teams in the West are great, and the middle of the road teams are pretty good. I had the Grizzlies as a step below the middle of the road teams in my preseason countdown. When they started off on fire I was amazed, and I gave a lot of credit internally to Fizdale. I thought that he was a perfect guy to usher in a new era of Memphis Grizzlies basketball. Then the injury and the losing streak and the Gasol comments and now, he is out of a job. To give up on him, less than 20 games into a season, with an injury to one of their 2 best players, is nuts to me. Who does Memphis' front office think they can get to come in and win with this roster right now? What coaches are available that want to come to a team with an injured point guard and a disgruntled power forward/center? Who is going to have the fire and passion that Fizdale brought to that locker room? These are questions that I cannot answer right now.

To fire a coach this early in the regular season is such a bad idea to me too. They have to change on the fly. If you let a guy go in the offseason you get all that time to let them instill their game plan. Now, whoever may take over, has to try and implement their stuff during the season without a point guard. That is next to impossible. I would like to think that they would just give an assistant the job, but firing Fizdale may mean cleaning house. They could get rid of everyone that was on his staff. But, I do not know who they would bring in that could get them back to a playoff competing team. This firing could also mean that the front office has decided to blow it up, which also means trying to trade Gasol and Conley, but who knows. And again, wait to do that until the season is over.

David Fizdale should have been given a chance to right the ship. He proved last year that he is a decent NBA head coach, and letting him go because of one bad stretch stinks to me. He will find a job elsewhere, and I think the Grizzlies are going to regret this decision.

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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