" Silicon Valley" is Thriving Without TJ Miller.

Two episodes into "Silicon Valley" season 4, and I have got to say, the show does not miss TJ Miller one bit.

I have gone to bat for Miller on this website, but due to recent allegations, and his recent actions, I have lost a ton of respect for him. He was accused of harassment, and his choice to attack the lady that accused him was so bizarre and distasteful. Then, I have read story after story about how hard he was to work with during the last season of "Silicon Valley". He comes off as holier than thou, like a diva and someone that was just brutal to be round while filming. So, with all this, I was not sad to see him leave the show. Also, most of the stuff he has chosen to do since announcing his departure from "Silicon Valley" has been pretty rough (cough "The Emoji Movie cough). But, I was very curious to see how the show went on without his character, Ehrlich. He was one of the main guys after all. I'd say he was probably second in line to only Thomas Middleditch on the show. He was also very, very funny on the show. I enjoyed his portrayal of Ehrlich. I'm sure he was just being himself, a real asshole, but he was good at doing that.

Well, spoiler alert people, when Gavin Belson left him in that opium den at the end of the third season, I did not know how they would handle it this season. And, like I said at the top, 2 episodes in, they have done it very well. Jian Yang, the young Asian gentleman that lived in his house, the incubator they call it, has taken over control of the place. He hated Ehrlich, for many, many good reasons, and now, he is a younger, more heartless version. He has stopped at nothing so far to take over the house. He wants the place, and he wants it badly. His story line has been, quite possibly, my favorite part of this season so far. He has gone so far as to cremate an enormous pig just to prove that Ehrlich Bachmann is dead. His choice to continue to try and destroy him at the end of the second episode was epic. Changing the locks on the guys that used to live there at the end was cold blooded and awesome. Jian Yang has been amazing so far on the show.

As for the other characters, and their story lines, it has been seamless. Richard is still trying to create his new internet. He is solely focused on that and nothing else. Not seeing Midleditch and Miller in scenes together hasn't been nearly as weird as I thought it would be. Hendrix has his own things to do, and watching him code this past Sunday was pretty awesome. As far as Gilfoyle and Dinesh, Martin Starr and Kumail Nanjiani, go, they never really needed Ehrlich around. There whole thing since this show started was one upping each other, yet remaining friends. They are clearly best friends that just happen to hate one another. The chemistry between Nanjiani and Starr is pretty awesome. They work off one another so well and, next to Jian Yang, they are the absolute best part of this awesome show. Zach Woods is still all twitchy and weird and will stop at nothing to help Richard get Pied Piper, their company, off the ground and running. Woods' transformation as someone that worked for the bad guys first, Hooli, which is essentially Google, to where he is now just proves how great of a comic actor and improviser he is. He is just as good as every other main character on this show. Even the expanded role of Belson is totally worth not having TJ Miller on the show anymore. He has gone through tons of changes, is still super competitive and evil, and I cannot wait to see him and Richard come to the inevitable blows that this season is leading to. In last Sunday's episode, when Belson fires Banksy, that was comedic gold.

What this all boils down to is the genius of Mike Judge. To lose such an important character and not miss a beat speaks volumes to his talent as a writer and director. Some may have ended the show if they lost such an important piece, but Judge realized he still had a ton of talent, and now he is working in newer, younger talent that is probably not such a headache. I was more intrigued than skeptical how they approach the loss of Miller. But, they have handled it perfect and I still look forward to watching this show every week.

Losing TJ Miller has not made "Silicon Valley" worse. Quite the opposite has happened. New actors are getting more time to shine, and guys like Thomas Middleditch, Kumail Nanjiani, Zach Woods and Martin Starr are still crushing it. Everyone should still be watching "Silicon Valley" because it is so great. Well done Mr. Judge.

Ty

Ty Watches the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship Game

The college basketball season came to an end last night.

I watched because the Wolverines were playing. I have been in and out of this particular tournament, but I have watched all of Michigan's games, either on TV or my phone. I had to watch the entire game last night because it was the title game. I never thought, in my wildest dreams, that this particular Michigan team would make it this far when the season started. I thought they could push for a tournament bid, but to be in the title game, I was kind of in shock. And, even after the spread of 6.5 points, which is a ton in basketball, was released, I still thought that maybe, just maybe, Michigan could find a way to win a title. I bought into the talk that their defense would be able to, not shut down, but slow down Villanova's three point shooting prowess. They came off a pretty impressive second half against Loyola Chicago, the darlings of the tournament, so I also thought that they had momentum going into the title game.

What I failed to realize was how dominant Villanova had been this entire tourney. They pretty much destroyed every team in their way. Hell, two nights before the title game, they throttled a very solid KU team. They made 18 three pointers and they pretty much shut down a pretty solid KU offense. The closest any team had played Villanova was Texas Tech, and Villanova won that game pretty easily, pulling away to a 12 point victory. I looked past all of that and thought that my team could do the unthinkable. No one, and I mean NO ONE, was picking Michigan. I like when that happens because then they can play with a chip on their shoulder.

When the game started, my belief that they could pull off the upset only got stronger. They came out of the gates with their heads on fire. Mo Wagner was killing it down low. Muhammed Ali Abdur Rahkman was finally hitting jump shots. Charles Matthews was attacking the rim and had a great chase down block early. They were doing it all for the first half of the first half.

Then, Villanova calmed down and just took over. As soon as they brought in that red headed Italian dude, it was done. That kid came in the game with Michigan leading 21-14. From that point on, Villanova outscored Michigan the rest of the game 68-41, and it wasn't even that close. Villanova started to hit threes. Villanova made life miserable for Wagner and Matthews. Jalen Brunson was abusing both Zavier Simpson and Abdur Rahkman down low. Mikail Bridges started to assert himself. Villanova's young big men started to destroy Wagner and Jon Teske down low. Basically, Villanova did whatever they wanted whenever they wanted down the stretch of the first half, and the entirety of the second half. Michigan was only down 9 at halftime, but it felt like so much more to me. And, Villanova came out, after giving up an easy 2 to Wagner to start the half, and scored what seemed like the next 11 points to balloon their lead to 15. Then it was 18, then it was 19, and finally, it got as high as 22 points.

I did not give up because anything can happen in a college basketball game, but I'd be lying if I said that I truly thought they could come back. First off, Michigan is not built to make big time comebacks like that. They used to be, because of their three point shooting prowess, but this team was built to dribble drive, play defense and make an occasional three here and there. When Villanova started to hit shots, I kind of knew it was over for them. Also, Villanova's defense, while I felt they got away with a ton of contact, played exceptional last night. They crowded the guards. They forced tough threes from Duncan Robinson. They slowed Wagner down after his hot start. Matthews disappeared in the second half due the defense. They were toast. I also feel like they did not pace themselves properly last night. As I said, they came out on fire, but after that first 10 minutes, they were tired, they had heavy legs and they just couldn't keep up.

The better team won last night. Villanova was clearly, not only last night, the best team in college basketball this year. Last night only further hammered that point home. Watching them for the first time last night, I was blown away at how good they are. They do everything that a winning team should do, and they do it exceptionally. They looked so good last night. I'm sure that is how it was all year. I mean they sat Jalen Brunson, the player of the year, for a good 10 minutes due to foul trouble, and they didn't skip a beat. In fact, their lead grew. This team is a very good team, and they will continue to be a very good team as long as Jay Wright sticks around. They will lose Brunson and Bridges most likely, but every other kid that played important minutes last night will be back. That is scary. Michigan will most likely lose Wagner to the draft, and Abdur Rahkman and Robinson are graduating, but they will return a lot of guys from last night too. They should be good again, but no one is going to be beating this Villanova team any time soon. They have won 2 titles in the last 3 years, and they are only getting better. I have to give props to how good this team is. Villanova is on the verge of being a college basketball dynasty, if they aren't already.

While last night was a very painful watch for me, I am proud of what this Michigan team accomplished this year. I do not believe in moral victories, and last night stunk. That being said, this team won 34 games, won the Big Ten tournament, made the Final Four and made the title game. That is quite impressive for a team that I very little deep postseason hope for coming into the year. John Beilein is doing great work there, and I am now excited to see where this team goes next year. They have a lot of young talent, they will only lose 2-3 guys, and I love the youth that got experience this year.

I will say again, last night was brutal, but I'm excited for next season. Congrats to Villanova though. They  deserved to win, and they showed it.

Ty

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

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Tracking the Decline of Mankind: "I Love Money" Edition

We are back watching trash

Another day, another old school reality show that I love to talk about. So, after finishing up all of "Flavor of Love" this past weekend, my wife and I were looking for another VH1 "celebreality" show to watch. We decided to pick "I Love Money".

Now, this was more so my pick because I used to LOVE this show. What I love so much about "I Love Money" is how little it takes itself seriously. I mean for starters, the show is called "I Love Money". The contestants are there simply to win 250,000 dollars. Isn't that what being on reality TV is all about? These people want fame and fortune. "I Love Money" is not guaranteeing them fame, but it is giving them a small fortune. I mean, 250k is not a whole lot, but it is nothing to sniff at. That is a quarter of a million dollars. And, when you take away taxes and what not, the winner still took home well over 6 figures. I would gladly take that amount of money any day.

As far as the contestants, they are all former cast members of one of the many "celebreality" shows that VH1 used to offer. We have people from "Flavor of Love", "Rock of Love", "I Love New York", and so on and so forth. It is a real mishmash of the trashy people that peppered these old reality dating shows. And, they have not changed their ways at all. They are all conniving, backstabbing, plotting and forming and breaking alliances. It is truly wonderful, in all of its trashiness. I was saying to my wife the other night while watching that these contestants clearly watched stuff like "Survivor", and really tried to roll with the whole alliance thing. The problem with that, these people are not as smart as some of the former "Survivor" contestants. Also, the "Survivor" contestants were fighting for things like food, a comfy bed and other comforts that we take for advantage. The people on "I Love Money" are fighting for nothing more than a chance to win cash. That is why I like this show more than "Survivor". There are no real stakes at all.

The challenges on this show are hilarious. They take "famous" moments from the past reality shows and make them do some asinine, over the top, stupid ass challenge. For example, one time on "Flavor of Love" season one, a contestant tried to cook an entire chicken in the microwave for Flav's mom. Of course this went horribly. Well, in "I Love Money", they make the contestants fling chickens that were cooked in the microwave over an obstacle, and a group of people have to try and catch them in a net. See, really stupid. Another challenge they have, on the one and only season of "I Love New York", a little person, who they called Midget Mac(again, these shows were so offensive and horrific), couldn't swim and his floaty he had on a river popped and he almost drowned. He was okay though, don't worry. So, on "I Love Money", they make the contestants swim in a river, grab a mannequin that is supposed to look like Mac, save him, put him on a stretcher and pull it to shore. Again, so stupid.

Watching all of this take place has, much like "Flavor of Love", taken me back to a time when these shows were must see TV for me.  I have to say, we are currently on episode 7 of season one of "I Love Money", I am so glad that this was the choice we went with for the second round of "celebreality" shows. It has only reaffirmed how much I truly enjoyed this show over the other ones. Don't get me wrong, I like the dating shows, along with all the silliness. But, "I Love Money" is a whole other level of trash and crassness and craziness and stupidity. It is an amazing show. Much like I said last week while talking about "Flavor of Love", if you have that itch to watch these older reality shows that VH1 used to thrive on, revisit "I Love Money" first. You will instantly remember all the contestants, even if you choose to not watch the other shows beforehand, and you will be so happy that this was the one you went with first.

"I Love Money" is amazing, and you can thank me later after you watch it, and realize that I was not messing around.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. What will Ty watch next? My vote is for "Next".

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The SeedSing 2018 MLB Season Preview

Baseball is finally back. Many people are not fans of the great game. It is boring they say. It is full of cheating, they yell. It is a sport that allows old white men to talk about the “good old days”, they lament. The thing is, all of this is true. Yet I still love baseball, and I am going to celebrate by making my 2018 MLB predictions. Now that the great game is underway, it is time to ask a few questions.

Who will win the AL East, the most competitive division in baseball?

Last year I was not high on the Boston Red Sox. I was wrong. The Red Sox held off the upstart Yankees and took the AL East. The Red Sox will repeat as AL East champs. I know most people are picking the Yankees, and I understand why. Aaron Judge is the next great Yankee. The Bronx Bombers also added to their incredible lineup by winning the offseason and trading for Giancarlo Stanton. With all that great offense, comes some below average starting pitching. The Yankees have a great bullpen, but they need multiple quality starters. One big trade will not do in 2018. The Blue Jays and Orioles are good, but they cannot match the offensive power in Boston and New York. Tampa will be good for 75-80 wins, the rebuild will continue. The Red Sox improved line-up, along with their superb starting pitching, will carry them to another AL East title.

What about the rest of the American League divisions?

Cleveland will easily win the Central and the Astros will have the West all sewn up by Labor Day. The Minnesota Twins will have a good year, they will not challenge the Indians. The Angels could have a good year, the Astros are light years better than anyone in the west. Look for Cleveland and Houston to once again sleep walk their ways to division titles.

Will there be any drama in the National League division races?

No.

The Washington Nationals, Chicago Cubs, and LA Dodgers will win their respective divisions. You can write that down in pen. The Mets, Cardinals, Rockies, and Giants will win more games than they lose, but the Nationals, Cubs, and Dodgers could each easily win 100 or more games. Each of those teams were already great, they got better in the offseason.

Is there anything not certain in the 2018 season?

The wild card races will be wild.

In the AL the Yankees will make the playoffs as the first wild card, but the second spot will come down to the last weekend of the season. The Blue Jays, Orioles, Twins, and Angels all have a good chance to get that second slot. I am going with the Angels to finally make the jump back into postseason baseball and playing the Yankees in the Bronx in the Wild Card game.

The NL wild card race will be a mad dash including the surprising Phillies, the Mets, Cardinals, Brewers, Rockies, and an even more shocking San Diego Padres squad. The Phillies and Padres will be in the race most of the year, but they will falter late in the season. The Cardinals will realize that they need to start the rebuilding process and trade away players at the deadline. That leaves the Mets, Brewers, Giants and Rockies to fight it out. I am going with the Mets travelling to Denver and playing the Rockies in the Wild Card game.

Who will be the worst team in 2018?

The Reds are once again rebuilding and seem to have no plan. They also have Joey Votto, the Ted Williams of our time, and that will give Cincinnati some unearned wins. The Pirates, Rangers, and Royals are also in full rebuild mode. Arizona will see the need to unload talent and will trade at least Zack Greinke to the Yankees at the deadline. The Braves, Mariners, and White Sox will be lucky to get 75 wins.

With all this subpar baseball, the Miami Marlins will be historically bad. Jeter will get headlines, but I would be shocked if the Marlins win 40 games. They will stink.  

What will be the biggest highlights of 2018?

I have already hyped improved squads in Philadelphia and San Diego. Both teams will have over 81 wins in 2018.

I have also addressed the fact that the St. Louis Cardinals will be sellers at the trade deadline and begin the rebuild process the redbirds so desperately need. Look for St Louis to have a whole new look, including a new manager (please let it be Willie McGee), in 2019.

The San Francisco Giants will rebound in 2018. Unfortunately, they will come up just short of making the playoffs.

Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton will combine for over 100 homeruns.

Bryce Harper and Clayton Kershaw are going to have their best seasons ever.

The 2018/2019 free agency period is going to see some eye-popping numbers.

What will the 2018 MLB Playoffs look like?

Time to recap. The 2018 division winners and wild cards will look like this.

                  AL East -              Boston Red Sox           NL East -                Washington Nationals

                  AL Central -        Cleveland Indians          NL Central -           Chicago Cubs

                  AL West -             Houston Astros            NL West -               LA Dodgers

                  AL Wild Cards – New York Yankees          NL Wild Cards – Colorado Rockies

                                             LA Angles of SoCal                                     New York Mets 

I am not on the Yankees bandwagon this year. Even if they add someone like Greinke, New York does not have the pitching to go far in the playoffs. The Angels will win the wild card game and then get swept by Houston. The Red Sox balance will not be as good as the Indians balance, Cleveland heads to the ALCS against Houston. The Astro’s World Series defense ends in a great seven game series won by Terry Francona and his Cleveland squad.

The National League is about the Cubs and the Dodgers. The Rockies will win the wild card game, and they will join the Nationals in being on the outside of the NLCS. The Cubs will get redemption on the Dodgers and return to the World Series.

For the third straight year I am picking the Cleveland Indians to win the World Series. Do I have too much faith in Terry Francona. Probably, but I feel extra good about picking Cleveland this year. If they do not deliver, I may have to find a new team next year. Will it be the Yankees after they sign Bryce Harper and Clayton Kershaw?

Enjoy the 2018 Major League Baseball season.

RD

RD Kulik is the Head Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. 

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We Revisit "Flavor of Love" to Understand When Mankind Fell into Ruin

The End of Civilization started with Pumpkin and New York

Recently my wife texted me to tell me that she wanted to revisit a dating show that we used to watch on VH1. I started to rack my brain trying to figure out which one she wanted to watch. Now, for some that don't remember, VH1 used to show videos, then, after that, all they showed were various dating shows featuring former music stars, then people that were on those people's shows.

After trying to guess, and not be able to get it right, she told me she wanted to watch "Flavor of Love". I was so stoked by this news. Of all the dating shows we watched before we had kids, "Flavor of Love" was, by far, the best and most trashy, which is why everyone watches reality TV. This show used to crack me up, and the very next day, I searched all of our TV channels and our streaming services, and I finally found full episodes on YouTube. I texted my wife a video of the opening of the first season, and she texted back very excited.

That night we started to watch the first season of "Flavor of Love", and all the great, funny, disgusting and ridiculous stuff came flooding back. This show has the nastiest, loudest and wildest contestants to ever appear on a game show. I swear, the people on the show forget that they are on national TV. They say some of the wildest, and dumbest shit in the world. It is crazy. Another thing that came back was all the crazy ass challenges they had to do to "win" a date with Flavor Flav. It is truly insane. They have had to do stuff like, create and run a "restaurant" within Flav's mansion, set up a hot tub park with something that explains their situation, they do a roast of the other girls, they meet the families, which always turns into some crazy as drama, especially with Sister Patterson(look her up), the list could go on and on. It is wild.

But, the thing I kept coming back to that was truly astonishing, these girls are all competing to be Flavor Flav's girlfriend! What the hell! For those of you who may not know who he is, he is the world's greatest hype man. He was one of the founding members of one of, if not the, best rap groups ever, Public Enemy. He had a very fruitful music career, and with that, he decided he needed to do a dating show on VH1! I say again, What the hell! No wonder Chuck D really doesn't want anything to do with him anymore.

What is really upsetting about the show and Flavor Flav is how shallow he, and the contestants, can be. Now, I am not the world's most attractive man, but Flavor Flav makes me look like Idris Elba or Ryan Gosling. I mean, he is tiny, he has a real wiry frame, he is loud and he is mean. He is ugly on both the outside and the inside. He is judging these girls on their looks, and my wife and I both see him and think, who is he to judge. I have respect for what he did as a member of Public Enemy, but this show really soured me on him as a person. He is also super weird about touching his face, and the spelling of his rap name. He has some of the wildest quirks that I have ever seen. Whenever someone touches his face, he loses his god damn mind. You'd think they were going to slap him. Then, if you misspell his name, be prepared to be taken down a couple notches. He gets so mad, and it is such a small thing to get that angry about.

All that is bad, but the worst thing of all is the way he treats these ladies. He is always telling them to "crowd around your man", and almost forcing them to kiss him, and calling out their breath or their looks or their appearance. Every time he dos this, I yell at the screen, yo, look in the mirror my dude.

Even with all this garbage, that is not enough to keep me from continuing to revisit this show. No matter how awful Flav is, or hot ridiculous the challenge, the nicknames or anything else that goes on this show, I still am excited to watch it again. As I write this, I am watching episode 7 of the third and final season with my wife because she has the day off work. It is truly the best trashy reality show out there. Hell, it might be the best trash reality show that has ever existed. It is just so wild and crazy and stupid and fun. My wife and I have been so into the show, we have decided that, after we finish up all of "Flavor of Love", we are going to watch all the other VH1 reality shows that we used to watch regularly.

Seriously people, if you want to see how crazy reality dating shows used to be just as short as 7 or 8 years ago, go watch some "Flavor of Love". I feel like you might be offended at first, but then you will get sucked in to how nuts and bizarre and goofy it all is. I'm so glad that this show is back in my life. It is a nice escape for 40 minutes to watch this utter nonsense. I love it so much.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He forgot to mention that Flav is also in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. No Sonic Youth, The Smiths, or Cyndi Lauper, but Flav is there. 

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Ty's 2018 MLB Preview

Since today is opening day of the MLB season, I figured now would be as good a time as any to give some preseason MLB predictions. Now, as I say every year, RD is the baseball expert here at SeedSing. I played a ton of baseball, and now I coach it, but I do not watch it. I only watch when my son is playing, or if I get free tickets to a Cardinals game. I find the game to be mind numblingly boring. It takes way, way too long. Even if I go to an actual game, if I last 7 innings, I'm proud of myself. Baseball just doesn't do it for me.

But, I am a hero, and I do know enough to write a preview/prediction blog. I watch enough sports television shows to know baseball. Also, as I said, I still coach the game, so it still has some minor importance to me. Anyway, lets get to my predictions.

I'll start with the American League. Lets go with the AL East. So, this is clearly a race between 2 teams, the Yankees and Red Sox. No offense to Toronto, Baltimore or Tampa, but come on. Toronto may surprise some, they do have Josh Donaldson still, but they will not catch the top 2 teams. Baltimore, if they eventually trade Manny Machado, will be back to rebuilding. And Tampa, what a joke that franchise is right now. But, the Yankees and Red Sox each spent money, added players and look to be the class of the East. Personally, I think the Yankees will win the division. They took a humongous leap last year and were one win away from the World Series. Now, they have Giancarlo Stanton. The Red Sox added JD Martinez, but he isn't Stanton. Stanton pushes the Yankees over the top for me.

Next is the AL Central. The Indians should absolutely run away with this division. They are far and away the best team in this division. Cleveland is back to being a perennial power. The Royals, just a few short years after winning the World Series, are having a fire sale. They are starting to get rid of a lot of good players. The Tigers only have Miguel Cabrera, and he deserves so much better than that. The Twins, who shockingly made the playoffs last year, will be good, but I do not think they can replicate last year's performance. And the White Sox are just a very average baseball team. Honestly, I cannot name one player on their team. The Indians pretty much have it all, and maybe they will finally take that next step and reach, and then win, the World Series this year. Maybe. 

Finally we have the AL West. Again, this is pretty much a one team division race. The Astros are so much further ahead of every team in this division. They also happen to be the reigning World Series champs. They do have it all. Great pitching, solid base hitters, speed, some power guys, the Astros are loaded. They could easily return to the World Series. Their most serious in division threat is the Angels, but they just cannot get over the hump. Mike Trout is an otherworldly baseball player, and he is being wasted in Anaheim. The Angels have names, but those names are too old, or unproven. I will say, I am very intrigued by the new guy they got that is a pitcher and a hitter. He should be fun to watch, if I ever watch a game of theirs. I'm done buying into all the Mariners hype. Every year they have hype, every year I buy in, but no more. They may win 80 or so games, but that is it. The A's and the Rangers are trash. They have both kind of gutted their rosters and are starting from scratch once again. Astros all the way in this division.

Now, lets dive into the National League. Lets first look at the NL East. This division, much like most of the AL, is a one team race. The Nationals, in Bryce Harper's last year under contract, are the clear favorites. They have 2 of the best pitchers in the game, a great lineup, and probably the second best player in all of baseball on their team in Harper. The Mets have great pitching, but none of the guys are healthy at the same time. Their lineup leaves a lot to be desired. They have fallen hard since making the World Series a few years back. The Phillies actually made some moves, mainly acquiring Jake Arrieta, and are on the path to being relevant again, but they still are a few years away. The Braves are better, but I am not going to go all RD on you guys and say that they will push for the playoffs. They are getting better, but they are still young and they still need time. The Marlins, they are a joke. They have gotten rid of anyone that was any importance to that team for the past 5 years or so. They are clearly starting over, and I wouldn't be shocked if they win less than 50 games this whole season. The Nationals will easily win this division.

Now the NL Central. The Cubs are going to win this division again, and that could catapult them to another World Series appearance, and possibly, another title. They are loaded, young, have great coaching and the best GM baseball has ever seen. As much as I may dislike them, I respect the hell out of what they are doing there. The Cubs are going to be very good for a very long time. The Cardinals are their biggest threat. The Cardinals are always their biggest threat, but they finally got some power and youth. I love the addition of Ozuna from the Marlins. The Cardinals need a power hitter, and he is a monster of a power hitter. What the Cardinals lack is dominant pitching. Their starting 5 is very ho hum, and Adam Wainwright is hurt once again. The Cardinals will compete, they always do, but they are not at the Cubs level right now. The Brewers are getting some hype, but I don't know. Every time they get some hype, they seem to fall flat on their face. I wish them luck because they are the team of my father's youth, but I do not see them pushing either the Cardinals or Cubs. The Pirates have had a fire sale. They no longer have Andrew McCutcheon, and that is a brutal blow for them. They are back to the drawing board. And the Reds, sorry RD, they are still rebuilding. They do have Joey Votto, but that is about it. They need to trade him for youth and do a full on rebuild. The Cubs will win this division with ease.

Finally, the NL West. The Dodgers and Giants will fight for the crown. I know the Diamondbacks were in the playoffs last year, but that was a one time thing. They also lost JD Martinez, and Zack Greinke looks to be miserable right now. The Rockies pushed a little last year too, but just like the Diamondbacks, I think that was a flash in the pan. They have also traded or gotten rid of some key players. The Padres might be the second worst team in baseball, behind only the Marlins. They stink. But, the Dodgers have all the money and the best pitcher in baseball. The Giants have a tremendous lineup, with the addition of McCutcheon and another all star. But, Madison Bumgarner is hurt again, and that puts the onus on Johnny Cueto to be their ace. He can handle that, but what about the pitchers behind him? Can they hold on until Bumgarner gets back? Time will tell. I like the Dodgers once again. They are loaded and they have Clayton Kershaw. They also won 100 plus games last year, and they were in the World Series. Their time is now for a push.

As far as the playoffs, The ALCS will feature the Yankees and the Indians. I am going to go with the Indians one more time. I love their team, I like Terry Francona, and I'd love to see them push through and win the World Series. In the NL, I have the Dodgers and Cubs, with the Cubs returning to the World Series. So, we have a rematch from 2 years ago. Unfortunately for Cleveland, I think it will be much of the same. I think it will be a good series, but I think the Cubs will win. They have only gotten better over the past 2 years, and I think they are on the verge of being a possible dynasty. As far as awards go, I am only going to do the Cy Young and MVP, I have Justin Verlander winning the Cy Young and Giancarlo Stanton winning the MVP. In the NL I have Stephen Strasburg, finally putting together a full, awesome year, winning the Cy Young and Kris Bryant, jumping into the conversation with Harper and Trout as one of the best to ever play, winning the MVP.

There you have it, my best guess at a sport I barely watch anymore. Take all of this with a big grain of salt, but also know, I do have an idea of what I'm talking about.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He does the hard work by posting his preview first, stay tuned for the "expert" opinion. Hint, it will be very similar.

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Ty Watches the Final Season of "Love"

Ty Watches Season 1

Ty Watches Season 2

I just finished the last season of "Love", and I have to say, what a way to go out. This was a great, great TV show. Everyone involved, be it acting, writing, directing, producing, it was all so very well done. It also had a very pleasing, and proper ending. I'm going to try to limit the spoilers, but I do have to say, the ending, spot on. It was so enjoyable and perfect for what this show was supposed to be.

I've been on this show from day one. When I heard that Paul Rust and his wife had made a show, and Rust would be starring in it opposite Gillian Jacobs, who I adore, I was so on board. I've been a fan of Rust since I started listening to podcasts, mainly his appearances on "Comedy Bang! Bang!", and Jacobs won me over with her performance on "Community". I devoured the first 2 seasons of the show within days of them being released. I have written about my love for the first 2 seasons as well. The third season took me a little longer to finish, I now have 2 kids and longer days and shorter nights. It took me a little over a week to finish, but I was kind of glad I took my time. I'd watch an episode or 2, take a few days to really think about what I saw, then watch a few more. It was almost like the way we used to all watch TV, minus the commercials. It was nice to see the show that way. And the performances were just magical this final season.

Rust and Jacobs are the stars, and it shows. They command the screen every time they are on. There is a wonderful episode where both Gus and Mickey get sick, and it is a perfect microcosm of how a couple acts the first time they are sick around one another. The ending of that episode was spectacular as well. When they went back to Gus' hometown, another gem. It was great to see Mickey interact with Gus' family and the difference between Gus' family, and when Gus met Mickey's dad in season 2. They were both wonderful at all times.

The people around the main stars did just as well. There was an entire episode that they weren't even on. This was the time for the co stars to shine, and boy did they ever. Claudia O'Dougherty was tremendous in her expanded role. She did some things that weren't very nice to Randy, and she played that role so well. Mike Mitchell, who plays Randy, played the unlovable boyfriend/so to be ex boyfriend of O'Dougherty, and he nailed his role. He is so dumb and takes Bertie for granted, and in the long run, he loses her, as he should. Iris Apatow was a gem as Arya. She was so good as the young star of a crummy TV show who is going through some tough times. She is a very, very good actress. Even actors in smaller roles, who have appeared in earlier seasons, really shined through. Mike Hanford, another actor/comedian that I really like, was great in his kind of bigger role. He is one of Gus' buddies who help him with his movie, and also play in his band. Same for Neil Campbell. I believe he was only in one scene, but it was a great scene. Armein Weitzman was so good in his expanded role. We saw his ups and downs, him being high and him getting mad at Gus, butt hen forgiving him. It was great. Keri Kenney was great as Mickey's older friend who is helping her stay sober. The bowling alley scene with her, Jacobs, Rust and Horatio Sanz was really, really good. She is an awesome and underrated actress. Even the guest stars were great. Rich Fulcher as a former bad guy in movies was heartbreaking and hilarious. Ed Begley Jr as Gus' dad, hilarious. Bret Gelman, who was on previous seasons, was so good, even though his character had a big time downfall. Even someone like David Spade, in his one episode, did a wonderful job.

"Love" is/was a very, very good television show. It is one of the better comedies about young romance that I have ever seen. It is true, it was believable, it was funny, it was touching, it had everything. I'm going to miss the show, but it ended so perfectly, it won't leave a sour taste in my mouth. "Love" came and went like a blink of an eye, but man was it totally worth it. "Love" is great, and now you can binge all 34 episodes right now on Netflix if you want to watch it. I highly recommend you so.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He was going to write about that one show his parents used to watch that is back on tv, but he has better things to do that swim in the nostalgia swamp of the baby boomers.

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LiAngelo Ball and Michael Porter Jr are Not Ready for the NBA

Two 19 year old basketball players have just declared for the draft. I know last week I talked about 5 “one and done” players, but I believe all 5 of those have a chance to have decent NBA careers, if not great careers. These 2 players I am extremely skeptical about. I’ll talk about each individually, and what makes their decision so confounding for me.

The first player is LiAngelo Ball. Now, I am extremely hard on the entire Ball family due to their outrageous father. I do have to say, Lonzo has exceeded my expectations. He looks like he will be a quality player for a good decade. He’s not the best rookie, not by a mile, but he’s not the worst either. He is right down the middle. But, his brother LiAngelo declaring for the draft is insane to me. This kid, by all accounts, doesn’t really seem to have a future in the NBA, G League, or any other overseas league, except the one he played in this year. I’ve heard things like, he’s too slow, not good enough of a shooter, has a bad first step, isn’t a good enough defender, and so on and so forth. From what I’ve heard, it is going to take this kid a long, long time before he is ready for major professional basketball. This is clearly a case of a father essentially forcing his child to do what he wants him to do. Lavar Ball is clearly living through his children, and now it will cause problems. I’m 100 percent certain that LiAngelo will go undrafted. Even if he has one amazing workout, he will still get passed by this amazing draft class. It is no secret how good this upcoming draft class is too. People have stated, and I’ve watched a ton of college basketball this year, that this class can be special. I agree with them all. And for a player of LiAngelo’s “talent”, he is going to get passed upon for all 60 picks. As I stated, I’m one hundred percent certain he won’t get picked. If he does somehow, he will not get a contract. I also do not think he’s good enough for the G League either. This is a horrible decision, and will make LiAngelo Ball a footnote, or a cautionary tale.

The next player will get picked, probably in the late lottery, but if he came back to school for one more year, I think he’d easily be a top 5 pick. That player is Michael Porter Jr. Porter Jr has the talent. The kid can play basketball. Sure, his first step can be better and he needs to work on his man defense. But, he can shoot and he can find ways to score. He will find a team somewhere in the NBA, and he will be on a pro team for, at least, a decade. My qualms with his decision is, why now? Why not return to Missouri for one more year to work on his game? The worst thing he could have done this season was comeback for the SEC and NCAA tournament. This gave scouts a chance to really scrutinize his game. Had he taken the whole season off, I think he would easily be a top 10 pick this year. The potential would have been more than enough for some team drafting early to take a chance. Teams draft based on potential now. But, he came back, pressed too hard, missed too many shots and got beat too much on defense. Now NBA teams have this film on him, and it will go against his favor. They are going to think long and hard before drafting him. And I know people say stuff like, he can get hurt, or what if he plays the same that he played in his 2 college games. To that I say, a full season will provide glimpses of what he can do at the next level, and you can get hurt anytime. Hell, he could get hurt during s private workout. Those are poor excuses. Also, if he came back, next year’s draft class isn’t nearly as good as this year. He could have potentially pushed to be the number one overall pick next year if he came back. The money will still be there no matter what.

These choices really surprised me. I do wish them both the best of luck, but time will tell. LiAngelo will definitely be searching for some team because he won’t get picked. Porter Jr will get picked, but they are going to have to bring him along very slowly. These were odd choices by these two guys.

Ty

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

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The 2018 Final Four Predictions

The Final Four is set. We have 2 number 1 seeds, a 3 seed and an 11 seed. So, chalk, pretty much, all around, except one.

I will say, and I’ve been really hard on this team, props to Loyola Chicago. I never thought they’d make it this far, but here we are. They have proven that they can win tight games, and on Saturday, they proved they can blow a team out. They crushed KSU. It was pretty much a wire to wire win. They dominated every facet of the game. Even when KSU would make a little run, or a push, Loyola had an answer. They weren’t not going to get beat, and they proved that. I have a ton of respect for what they’ve done so far, and for what they can still do.

My team, Michigan, tried to find ways to blow their game on Saturday, but they didn’t, and now they’re in the Final Four for the second time in 5 years. I’m still in a little shock. I didn’t even know if this team would make the tournament when the season started. There were a ton of questions, and a lot of youth coming in. Well, they have played beyond my wildest expectations. Hell, I thought they were toast in round 2, then Jordan Poole made a miracle shot. They then proceeded to hammer Texas A&m the following week. Then on Saturday, in a very ugly game, they still found a way to win. As I said, I still have a hard team seeing them as a Final Four team and accepting it, but it’s real. John Beilein has truly turned this team around.

Villanova has done exactly what they’re supposed to do. I had doubts about them, but they have answered every call, and then some. They have throttled every team they’ve played. I know the game yesterday, against Texas Tech, got as close as 5 points, but it was never really that close. Villanova has been playing lights out this whole tournament. They look like the best team right now, and honestly, I don’t think it’s even close. This team has now earned the right to not be disrespected. They won it all 2 years ago, and now they’re back in the Final Four, and they should be the favorite.

And, finally, we have Kansas. They have quietly played very well so far. I know they’ve had some “close calls”, but they’ve won every game they’ve played. Sure, they struggled a bit with Penn before pulling away late. Yeah, they only beat Clemson by 4, but Clemson has a decent squad. And yesterday, they beat mighty Duke in overtime. That was a hell of a game, and KU deserved to win. I know there’s been some controversy about a call in overtime that went against Duke, but I don’t think that swung that game in either direction. KU was going to win when that kid hit that three in regulation to tie the game. It just had that feeling. Also, I love when Duke gets knocked out in heartbreaking fashion. It is a joy to watch. The fact that Grayson Allen is done as a college player brings me an unusual amount of joy. KU looked as good as I have seen them play all year yesterday. They truly earned that victory.

The games are set for Saturday, and I have, at least, one more prediction for you. The first game is Loyola Chicago-Michigan. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t terrified by this game. Michigan has been up and down, but they’ve won every way you can. So has Loyola. Loyola is the “team of destiny” according to every other journalist or blogger right now. They are on a mission. These 2 teams are both playing good enough basketball to win. But, which Michigan team will show up is my biggest question. I hope the one that hammered A&M cones through. But, if we see the team that struggled with Montana or FSU, Loyola will be in the title game. I’m going to hope that the Michigan that hits open shots shows up. But, I have, unfortunately bought into the Loyola hype, and I think they will find a way to make the title game. They are having the more “magical” year and tournament after all. I also think the public wants them in too. As far as Villanova-KU goes, I don’t see how Villanova doesn’t win. They played their worst game yesterday and still won by double figures. KU played great in beating Duke, but that means they are destined to play poorly now. Everyone is believing in them now, and that’s when they usually blow it. And this is no knock on Villanova. I don’t think they’re going to win just because KU will hand them the game. I think they’ll win because they have a better team and coach. Villanova is a very, very good basketball team. They’ve proved that tenfold this tournament. I think they will win, and win handily on Saturday. So that would put Loyola Chicago and Villanova in the title game next Monday. This is where the “magical” run ends. I picked Villanova a week ago when I thought they’d be playing Kentucky, and even though one team has changed, my mind hasn’t. Villanova is going to hammer Loyola. It will be a bloodbath.

All that being said, I’m excited to watch the games on Saturday. I’ll be pulling for the Wolverines, and I hope they win. We will have to wait and see.

Ty

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

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Kentucky, and John Calipari, Make Another Embarrassing Exit from the NCAA Tournament

I was going to write about something different today, but after that horrendous Kentucky-Kansas State game last night, I have to give my take.

First off, the Nevada-Loyola Chicago game was great. It was back and forth, both teams blew double digit leads and it came down to one final possession. Michigan steamrolled Texas A&M. I, obviously, watched that game intently, and I was able to relax with about 8 minutes left. Lets hope that carries over to tomorrow. And the FSU-Gonzaga game was pretty much not in doubt at all. FSU really did whatever they wanted to against Gonzaga. But, the Kentucky-Kansas State game was something else. 

Kentucky, at least on paper, had the easiest path of any team left to make the final Four. They had also, up until last night, looked like they were playing their best basketball all year. It looked like it was finally starting to click for all the freshman. Then last night happened. I wasn't watching the game too closely, more checking on the score time to time from my phone. I was kind of shocked the first time I checked to see that KSU was up 13-1. That was surprising. I thought though, it was early, Kentucky can come back and they are primed for a Final Four run. And, when I checked back a little later, KSU was only up 4 at the half. I still didn't tune in because I figured that Kentucky would pull away. Well, that did not happen either. Every time I checked the score from there on out it was close, but very low scoring. I'm actually kind of glad I didn't watch the game because it sounds like it was a lot like most games this tournament.

This year's tournament games have been pretty rough, and the low score made me think that this was a rough game too. I went to sleep with about 7 minutes left in the game still thinking Kentucky would find a way to win and face off against Loyola-Chicago tomorrow. Well, when I woke up my phone told me a different story. Apparently the game was pretty wretched the rest of the way and KSU won ugly, which is what they have done all tournament long. And to make matters worse, apparently Kentucky wouldn't shake hands with KSU after the game. I know that it is crummy to go out the way Kentucky did, especially when most thought they were a near shoe in for the Final Four, but come on. You have to, at the very least, shake hands with your opponent. That is good sportsmanship that is taught from the age of 3 all the way up to the professional ranks. That is low class, and I fully put the blame on John Calipari for that. I see that Calipari has tried to backtrack and say some nonsense today, but it is too little too late. He showed horrific sportsmanship, and he got beat.

This is not as nearly as big as UMBC beating Virginia or Buffalo beating Arizona, but this is right up there, as far as big time upsets in this tournament filled with upsets. Before the tournament started Kentucky and Calipari were griping about their seed and the region they were put in. The four teams ahead of them were Virginia, Cincinnati, Tennessee and Arizona. Well, all four of those teams lost during the first weekend. Hell, Virginia was done after their first game. Cincy blew a 22 point lead in the second half. Tennessee got beat on a last second shot against Loyola Chicago and Arizona got blown out by Buffalo. So, Kentucky had it made in the shade. They were clearly, at least on paper, the best team left in their region. Every media member and writer that I read or listen to were sure they were going to the Final Four. I picked them to get to the title game. And, they absolutely blew it, and I still can't believe it.

I do not think it is a case of the freshman not living up to the hype because they had just won the SEC tournament and 2 games in the NCAA tournament. What I think happened was, Kentucky expected to win because they heard everyone saying they were going to win. They bought into their own hype, and you cannot do that come tournament time. It is single game elimination. You have to play well enough, or you are going home. And it doesn't have to be pretty, as long as you win. That was how KSU played last night, from what I have read. They didn't care how they won, they just wanted the win.

Now I think comes the question of Calipari being a choker in the tournament. He has only won one title. He hasn't been to that many Final Four's. A few of the Final Four's he has been to have been taken away due to violations. And his recent teams at Kentucky, while they constantly make the Sweet Sixteen, they never seem to push through. He has not been able to recapture what he had with Anthony Davis. He has had super star NBA players blow through Kentucky in one year, and all he has is one title. That's great that he has one title, but with names like Boogie Cousins, John Wall, Eric Bledsoe, Tyler Ulis, Devin Booker, the list can go on and on and on, come through there and you only have one title, I don't know. Maybe Calipari, who I kind of like, isn't the greatest basketball coach. He is a hell of a recruiter. But, maybe the X's and O's part is a bit too much for him.

This is an embarrassing loss, and it now means that either KSU or Loyola Chicago is going to the Final Four. That statement should speak volumes about how not great this tournament has ben. No disrespect, but either an 11 or an 8 seed is going to the Final Four. Ouch. This should leave a very sour taste in Kentucky fans mouth for a long, long time. They should have easily won that game, but they blew it. That is rough.

Ty

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

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We are So Ready to Go See "Deadpool 2"

Today the newest trailer for "Deadpool 2" was released, and the movie looks absolutely amazing.

I have said before that I am not big on trailers, I do try to avoid them, but with the whole "Deadpool" franchise, the trailers are part of the whole movie watching experience. It all started with the trailer for the first one being like nothing we had seen before. It was crazy, violent and had all the fourth wall braking that everyone wanted from the character of Deadpool. The movie makers and Ryan Reynolds took the love for the different trailers for the movie and ran with it. They started to do things like, have intros, have Deadpool speak to the audience beforehand, they added crazy music videos and nonsensical stuff, that didn't even make the movie, and it all worked to perfection. You needed to see all the trailers to understand any of the little jokes that were placed in the first movie.

Now, I have watched every single teaser trailer and any other videos attached to "Deadpool 2". I loved the whole old school painting show spoof trailer that Deadpool did. The poster of the entire cast in character sitting around a dining room table was so awesome, and I seriously considered making it my screen saver on both my phone and computer. There was another teaser that had Deadpool acting out all the stuff between him and Cable, the villain, with action figures. It was hilarious. My favorite teaser trailer though was the very first one. This 45 second trailer showed Deadpool walking around in street clothes, hearing a crime, going into a phone booth, a la Superman, trying to get his suit on, and completely missing the criminals. It ended with him sitting next to a presumably dead guy and just chit chatting with him. This trailer was attached to the excellent movie "Logan", and it felt so perfect in its place. The movie theater in the background of this trailer had "Logan" on the marquee as well. It was great.

Well, when I woke up today I saw that there was a brand new trailer, and as soon as I dropped my son off at school and sat my daughter down for breakfast, I watched it. It makes me want to see the movie so much more than I already did. It started out with Deadpool holding some cue cards that read 3,2,1. After he dropped the 1, he covered up his private parts, and the trailer started. I was blown away. I do have to say, if you haven't seen the trailer yet, and you want to watch it, do not watch it at work, or if you have kids and they are present. It is filled with curse words and there is a ton of blood shed. It is brutal and funny in all the right ways, just make sure you are watching it in the right context. But, when the trailer kicked off, it started with Deadpool's usually fourth wall breaking and joke making. I swear, this role is the perfect role for Ryan Reynolds. You can tell, just from the preview, that he loves this role so much. He also fought for this role, so you know he also giving it all he has. He is amazing as Deadpool.

Throughout the trailer we see all the fighting and cursing and crazy shit we have come to expect from this movie. At one point we see Deadpool running towards the taxi from the first movie, and the driver is deep into an Air Supply song before Deadpool smashes the window, gun shots follow, and then the driver snaps to and takes off, telling Deadpool that he is "living the dream". From there on out it is pure insanity. We see Cable, played by Josh Brolin, and he looks like a real badass. I'm super excited to see how he does with this role. And, if the preview is any indication, he is going to crush it. We also see Colossus and the young girl, the Negasonic Teenage Warhead I believe her name is, being recruited to join Deadpool's team, which he calls X-Force. A very funny moment from the preview is when he reveals the name, and Zazie Beets, who is awesome, tells him that the name is redundant. I loved it. I'm pretty sure Terry Crews is also in this movie as one of Deadpool's new members on his super hero team. I was also pleased to see that Deadpool and is girlfriend are still together, and she is still just as crass as he is. My favorite thing though was the reveal of Julian Dennison. He was amazing in "Hunt For the Wilderpeople", a movie that I have talked about a bunch of times. And, I knew he was going to be in this movie, but I didn't know in what capacity. Well, he seems to have a very big role as the child that Cable is trying it get, and Deadpool and the X-Force are trying to save. I'm so pumped that people like Zazie Beets and Julian Dennison are started to get cast in big time movies. They deserve it. My absolute favorite part of the new trailer was when we see Deadpool about to get shot, he puts his hand on the gun, the bullet rushes through his hand, then he turns the gun on the bad guy, and we see blood spatter.

This movie looks so badass and I am so pumped to watch it. I didn't see the first one until it came out on video. I will not make that mistake again. My wife and I will definitely be seeing "Deadpool 2" in the theaters. This trailer rules, and if you have even the slightest inkling to see "Deadpool 2", watch all of the teasers, but make sure you watch this new full trailer. It will get you just as excited as I am to see the movie. What a great, great preview. Well done.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He has the mutant power of being able to crush 64 ounces of Gatorade in the time a normal person would drink 32.

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Ty Listens to Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats New Album "Tearing at the Seams"

Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats released their much anticipated second album about a week ago, and I'm here to tell you today that it was totally worth the wait.

I loved their first record. I love Rateliff's gruff voice. I love the way his band plays the music. They sound tight, and they can play that bluesy folk music almost as good as The Black Keys. Granted, I was very late to them the first time around, I am glad that I decided to give this band a try. I had kind of cooled on them after hearing their first record, and the song "Son of a Bitch" over and over again. Their record came out over a week ago, but I was still late to this one as well. I hadn't bought it yet because, to be quite frank, I had forgotten they were making a second one. But, a buddy of mine texted me the other day and said that their record was his favorite record right now. I trust this guy's opinion because he is a good friend, and we have very similar music tastes. So, that night after receiving his message, I bought the record. Now I am going to tell you all about it.

The new album is called "Tearing at the Seams" by the way. I decided that I would wait until the following day to give it a listen. I figured if my buddy said it was good, it would be, but I could wait. Well, since I bought it this past Saturday, I have been listening to it on repeat. This record, from top to bottom is truly wonderful. They sound so, so good. From the opening track to the closer, every song is perfect. I knew from the first note of the opening track, "Shoe Boot", that I was fully in on this record. When those horns come in, and the band plays with them, it is so uniquely Rateliff and his band. Then, after the almost 2 minute instrumental intro, Rateliff breaks into song, and the rest of the song rules. It is the PERFECT opener to a record like this, with a band that sounds like this. From there on out it is stunning. Immediately following "Shoe Boot", we get a great throwback R&B song that could have easily been recorded at Stax. The song is called "Be There", and it is amazing. Rateliff channels his inner 70's soul singer voice and crushes the vocals. The band plays a simple 4/4 rhythm, but it wonderful attached to the lyrics. A few songs later we get "Say It Louder", which sounds like one of the sweeter songs on the record. It is a great, but sad song, put to upbeat music. It is kind of fun to dance to I might add. "Say it Louder" is then followed by a very, very sweet song, "Hey Mama". I love this tune so much. It has excellent vocals and great piano playing attached to the rest of the instruments. And when the horns come in, I get chills every time I hear it. There are 2 songs featuring Lucius, "Babe I Know" and "Coolin Out". They couldn't be more different, but in all the right ways. "Babe I know" is one of the more tender songs on the record. It is played slowly and sweetly. "Coolin Out" has that Stax feel again, equipped with background singers doo the "shoo shoo" stuff. It is awesome. The title track, "Tearing at the Seams" is a thing of beauty. It is perfectly sung by Rateliff. Only he could pull off the vocals needed for a song like this. In fact, this song reminds me so much of something that The Band would have recorded back in the 70's, and I adore The Band. That is a very, very big compliment. I cannot understate enough how beautiful and classic this song sounds. "I'll Be Damned" is a great way to follow up the epic "Tearing at the Seams". It is more upbeat, faster paced and fun. This might be my favorite song to dance to on the record. My daughter also loves to jump up and down when this track plays. This also sounds most like stuff off his first record, in a good way. And closing the record out is the excellent "Boiled Over". It is such a good closer. It is slower and lets the band shine with how they play ballads. But, this track is a showcase for Rateliff's awesome and different singing style. He sings the hell out of this song. It is so god damn good. In fact, this whole record rules.

The songs I singled out today are the ones I really, really like. But, I like the whole record. This is a triumph. This record has me excited to see them live, and to see where they go from here. "Tearing at the Seams" is pretty much the perfect record for this genre of music. Seriously people, if you like Rateliff, want to check him out, or are just looking for some bluesy/folksy/old school R&B music to check out, buy this record now. It is totally worth it.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He one time asked the Head Editor if he wanted to play some blues. The Head Editor declined, something about that music depresses him.

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Let's Breakdown This Years' Group of NCAA Basketball One and Dones

With the news that Trae Young declared for the NBA draft today, I want to take a peek at some of the "one and done" guys that are most likely going to declare for the draft, if they haven't already. I am not a fan of the "one and done" culture in basketball. These colleges that do this are basically basketball factories, and these kids do not see a dime off the colleges making money hand over fist. It has also made the college game not nearly as good as it used to be, and as it could. It is a bummer, and I do not like it. I'd rather they adopt the MLB rule of, if you declare for the draft straight out of high school, you can go. But, if you decide that you need college, you have to stay for at least 2 years. It would be so much better for all involved.

Anyway, lets take a look at five "one and done" players that I think, given the situation they may be drafted in, how I think they will fare in the pros. The five players I have chosen are Trae Young, Deandre Ayton, Mo Bamba, Marvin Bagley and Jaren Jackson Jr. Now, I think 3 of these 5 kids will have solid, to really good, NBA careers. The two I am most curious about are Young and Bamba, so I will save them for last. I want to start with the only player on my list that is left in the tournament, Marvin Bagley. This kid has the potential to be special. Duke players, save for Kyrie Irving, that are one and done, usually don't strive in the NBA. Austin Rivers is a bench player, Jahlil Okafor is a bust, Justice Winslow is not as good as many thought, me included, he could be and Tyus Jones is finally out of the G League and on a roster, but it took awhile. Bagley is better than all these guys. He is an explosive athlete that can hit open shots with ease. He is also a lefty, and that is an advantage in and of itself. He attacks the rim and he can do some highlight reel dunks. But, some has reported that he is a bit selfish. He is kind of out there to get his stats and move up on draft boards. The kid is already super high on most boards, so I don't know why he would do this. I will say, the few times I have watched him play, I have not seen him pass the ball. He either shoots a pull up shot, catches a lob or grabs a rebound and goes. This is a good and bad thing. Believing in yourself is great, to an extent. If he thinks this will fly in the NBA, he will be in for a rude awakening, unless the Kings draft him. In fact, if the Kings draft any of these kids, their careers will be very blah. But, say a team like Chicago or even the Nets draft him, that could be what is best for him. He could go into Chicago and team up with Kris Dunn, Lauri Markannen and Zach Lavine, and that would be a fun, young team to watch. In Brooklyn, he could be the guy to build the team around. They have some talent, Caris Levert and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, and Bagley would only ad to that. If he gets picked by one of these two teams, I think he will have a fine career. Any other team, he might be more Brandon Ingram than anyone else.

Next, Jaren Jackson Jr. This kid is good, thick and can run and shoot. He is a beast on the block and the boards. He can shoot the ball very well. He is already big enough for the pounding in the NBA. He comes from a family of athletes. I think Jackson Jr may have the brightest future of all these "one and done" players. I think he would be a great fit for any team, except the Kings and the Suns. Again, the Kings franchise is a dumpster fire with a very gloomy future. Every kid they seem to draft either gets traded or flames out, or both. I don't want any of these kids to get picked by the Kings. As far as the Suns, I like their young core, and they have very good players already at his position. I don't want them to take another 19 year old and stunt the growth of the 19, 20 and 21 year olds on that team. That would hurt every player involved, especially Jackson Jr. He would be relegated to "learn" from someone who has only been in the league one or two years more than him, and that is no way to learn how to be a professional athlete. I would love to see Jackson Jr go to a team like Memphis or Cleveland, if LeBron stays. I think he would fit it perfectly in Memphis, they'd love him immediately. Cleveland, with LeBron, might even be better. He would be the ideal replacement for Tristan Thompson, and he can stretch the defense more than Thompson can right now.

My favorite player in this upcoming draft is Deandre Ayton. He was the reason I picked Arizona to win it all. What a dumb choice by me. But, that is besides the point. Ayton has a very, very bright future. He could be the modern day Patrick Ewing. This kid can pretty much do it all right now, and do it very well. He is an excellent rim protector and rebounder. He can fill up the stat sheet. He is super fast. He was the guy for Arizona this year. He, honestly, has no real flaws in his game to me. The kid was made to play basketball. I would love if he ended up on a team like Minnesota or San Antonio or even OKC, but they will all be picking way too late. He will, most likely, be the first pick. So, that means he is going to end up on a team like Phoenix, Chicago, Memphis, Boston or, possibly, the Knicks. Truthfully, I would love to see him in New York, playing next to a healthy Porzingis. That would be quite the front court. Imagine trying to score on 2 7 plus footers. It would be a nightmare. They would also be great on the offensive end. It could be a modern day Tim Duncan and David Robinson situation. I am really talking myself into Ayton being a Knick. I don't necessarily like the Memphis fit because Gasol is their big guy. Chicago would be okay because of their youth movement. Phoenix has some young big men, buy Ayton is already better than all of them. If Boston somehow got him that would be unfair. He and Horford is better than him and Porzingis. Just don't let the Kings get this kid because I don't want to see him get ruined by the age of 22.

Now, the 2 biggest question marks for me. First, Mo Bamba. I have to say, I like Bamba as a player, I just do not think he is ready for the NBA. There were games where he flat out disappeared on offense this year at Texas. He was always great defensively. He altered so many shots, or just blocked them. I remember earlier this season when Michigan played at Texas, they just decided pretty soon that it was a jump shooting night for them because of Bamba's presence in the lane. But, as I said, he goes MIA on offense far too much. He is also very skinny for his 7'1 frame. He looks like a twig out there. When he has to go up against centers like Gasol, Clint Capela, Deandre Jordan and Anthony Davis, he is going to get abused. I think it would be best for him to come back for one more year, bulk up and work on his offense. I don't think he will because he is pretty much guaranteed to be a lottery pick, and that is a lot of money to pass up. But, I think he needs, at least, one more year to develop before he is fully ready for the NBA.

Which leads me to my final guy for the day, Trae Young. The things Young did on the court this year were amazing, and never before seen in college hoops, at least not recently. The kid scored 20 plus points and dished out nearly 10 assists a game. He was truly all Oklahoma had. He was the end all be all for that team. For awhile, it worked, then teams started to game plan for him, and Young and Oklahoma kind of took a tumble. They looked pretty bad the rest of the season after reaching the top 5 of the polls. But, even while "struggling", Young still was putting up 20 and 9 a night. People seemed to think he petered out, but he didn't. It just wasn't 40 points and 15 assists every night anymore. We began to expect too much from an 18 year old leading his college team. What I fear for him is the same thing that happened to Shabazz Napier. The thing with Napier though, he was a senior, and he handled his situation a little better. What I mean by this, LeBron fell in love with Napier during his last year in Miami, and basically told them they had to draft Napier, and then he left. Now, he has been on the Trae Young bandwagon from day one and has made it clear he wants the Cavs to draft him. But, what if he decides to bolt for another team again? Then Trae Young is in the same situation that Kyrie Irving was in, except he isn't nearly as good as Irving was/is. Young can do a lot of great things on the floor, but he is not Kyrie Irving. Irving is a transcendent player. He is one of the better point guards now. He has proven he can perform on the biggest stages all the most crucial moments. Young couldn't do that in college, and if the Cavs take him, then LeBron leaves, the city of Cleveland will be counting on him to be their new "savior". He does not deserve that. I would love him to go to a team with a good starting point guard right now, a team like Memphis or Boston, play bench minutes and learn the game. That would be ideal for him. I think Young has a future, but if he ends up in Cleveland and LeBron bolts, that would be very jarring.

I hope all these kids have long careers because I think they can be good, they just need to be put in the right position. Only time will tell.

Ty

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

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

A Wild Weekend of March Madness Means We Need to Reset Our Championship Picks

The first weekend of the men's NCAA tournament has passed, and boy was it a wild one. The games all started last Thursday, and the madness started that night. During the early run of games, it was status quo. KU struggled a bit with Penn before pulling away late. Duke crushed Iona. Texas Tech pulled away late on Stephen F Austin. The early games, for the most part, went accordingly. Then that night, the craziness started.

First, Gonzaga really struggled with UNC Greensboro, only winning by 4. Nevada stormed back down 13 against Texas to win in the end. Kentucky and Davidson traded blows until Kentucky pulled away. Michigan really struggled with Montana, only scoring 61 in their win. But, Arizona, which I wrote about last week, really got trashed. I said all I really had to say about that game last week, but still, it looked to be the biggest upset of the tournament. Even Loyola Chicago beating Miami wasn't as big an upset as the Arizona-Buffalo game. 

Then last Friday happened. That day was nuts. Some teams that were expected to win did. Teams like Michigan State, Auburn, Clemson, Purdue, West Virginia and UNC won with relative ease. But, Marshall beat Wichita State, giving us two 13 seeds over 4 seeds games. Butler crushed Arkansas at its own game. Syracuse, who I believe had no business being in this tournament, beat up on TCU. Florida, who was kind of hot, hammered, shockingly to me, by St. Bonaventure. Florida State hammered Missouri.

But, the biggest upset in the history of the tournament happened that night. I went to bed, I was tired from the Michigan game the night before, and woke up to the news that a 16 seed finally beat a one seed. And, not only was it a one seed, it was the number one seed overall. Virginia, who lost 2 games all season, got beat, badly I might add, by UMBC. I was shocked. I could not believe that it happened. I had to watch highlights to believe it. And it was all true. Not only did Virginia get beat, they got absolutely crushed. UMBC won by 20 points. That is so bizarre. I don't think Virginia is going to give up on Tony Bennett, but his tournament history is not good at all. And now, he is the first coach to lose to a 16 seed. That will be what he is remembered for forever. No matter what happens, say Virginia goes on to win a few titles, when Tony Bennett retires, it will always be said that he was the first coach to lose to a 16 seed. This is a big deal.

After the 16 seed taking down a number 1, I thought it couldn't get any wilder. The second round happened and totally threw me for a loop. That is not to say that some of the blue bloods and one seeds left did not take care of business. Villanova hammered Alabama. I thought Alabama could give them a game, but that didn't happen at all. Duke manhandled Rhode Island. I hate to say it, but Duke truly looks like the best team left in the tournament. Kentucky was given a game for about 35 minutes against Buffalo, but then they won by 20. But, there were 3 games on Saturday that were pretty wild.

First was the University of Ohio State and Gonzaga played a hell of a game. The Zags jumped out to a big lead, but the University of Ohio State came back before the Zags finally pulled away at the end. Loyola Chicago then proceeded to continue their improbable run by hitting a game winning jumper to beat Tennessee. Then, we had the Houston-Michigan game to close the night. The game itself wasn't great, there were a lot of missed shots and piss poor foul calls. But, the shot that Jordan Poole hit to win the game I will never forget. It was amazing, and it was so nice to see my team win a game like that. I did not think they had a chance, especially with Houston going to free throw line with 4 seconds left to win the game. But, magic happened. I'm excited to see how they respond after an ending like that, but for now, I will bask in the glory of that shot.

Yesterday was almost as wild as Friday. Nothing will top Friday, again, a 16 beat a 1, but nonetheless, it was crazy. The only game that wasn't too nuts was Auburn-Clemson, but that is only because Clemson handed Auburn's ass to them. Other than that, it was all crazy. Purdue beat Butler, but it was a big time struggle. They only won by three, but it was tough. Texas A&M came out and put a beat down on the defending champs. UNC had no answer for A&M's big men. That game actually has me kind of worried about Michigan next. KSU ended UMBC's never before seen run. The game was ugly and bad,  but KSU ended up winning by 7. Then the real madness started.

Cincinnati somehow managed to blow a 20 point lead with 10 minutes left, and let Nevada storm back to win. Michigan State, a presumed title favorite, got completely flummoxed by Syracuse's zone, and a team I still don't think belongs, Syracuse, improbably moved on to the Sweet Sixteen. And then we saw our second number one seed go down in Xavier. This was a rough weekend for the state of Ohio in basketball. I did say that Xavier was the "softest" one seed, but I thought they could make the Sweet Sixteen at the very least. Well, Florida State had other plans and knocked them out. It was just a wild, wild weekend.

Now that the first weekend is done, and we have our Sweet Sixteen, I am left with somewhat of a hollow feeling. There are some teams that I never thought would be here right now. The fact that KSU, Loyola Chicago, FSU, Nevada, Texas A&M and Syracuse, that is 1/3 of the Sweet Sixteen, is bizarre. No disrespect to those schools, but wow. I just cannot believe that they are here now. We do have some bluebloods, KU, Duke, Kentucky, Purdue and Villanova is kind of a relief, but not really. The rest of the Sweet Sixteen is either up and coming teams or teams that have had a good year. We have Michigan, Gonzaga, West Virginia, Texas Tech and Clemson. All of those teams were ranked pretty much all year. They do belong.

So, when I look at the matchups left, I honestly have no idea what will happen. I will give it a shot today and pick, but honestly, my guess is as good or as bad as anyone else's in the world. My Elite Eight is Kentucky, Nevada, Gonzaga, Michigan, Villanova, Purdue, Clemson and Duke. In fact I think all these teams will win with ease. Then for the Final Four I have Kentucky, Gonzaga, Villanova and Duke. That would pit Kentucky versus Gonzaga and Duke versus Villanova. Lets be honest, Duke-Villanova is the real title game. The winner of that game should easily win the title. That, if it happens, will be the best game for sure. I have Villanova beating Duke, then crushing Kentucky in the title game. This will have people calling Villanova a "dynasty", but to me, this title will be a lot like when Kevin Ollie led Connecticut to the championship in 2014. It will be hollow.

While this has been a fun tournament to bear witness to, it has not been the best. Maybe this weekend will bring us some more craziness, but hopefully it brings us better basketball. And the refs need to chill out on the whistles.

Ty

Ed Note: I did pick the University of Cincinnati Bearcats to win the title. I went the homer route, and I lost. To make matters worse, Xavier lays an egg right after UC, and the Queen City once again experienced massive sports heartbreak. I have often asked what city has experienced the worst sports heartbreak. Chicago and Boston used to have that title, but they only held it because the sports media is filled with idiots. Cleveland has had some rough times, but the Cavs won an improbable title a few years ago. Cincinnati won the World Series in 1990, then a whole lot of nothing. We have Kenyon Martin breaking his leg, Carson Palmer getting his knee wrecked, a decade worth of Marvin Lewis making the Bengals just ok, the Reds wasting Joey Votto, and now we have our basketball teams having magical seasons just to see them lose in terrible fashion. 

Being a Cincy sports fan sucks. I hope I do not get suckered again.

Since there is no hope left, I am picking Duke to win it all.

RD

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

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It is Time for Arizona Basketball to Let Sean Miller Go

The tournament officially started last night, and just like every other year, a contender got beat by a mid major. The reason this one feels different is how it happened, and to who it happened. Most people, me included, thought that this was finally the time that Arizona was going to push through. They have the presumably number one pick in the upcoming draft in DeAndre Ayton, they have Lonzo Trier, they have very good role players, and they came into the tournament on fire.

Well, none of that mattered to Buffalo last night. They absolutely throttled Arizona, especially in the second half. Buffalo seemingly could not miss from three in the second half. And Arizona had no answer. I was half watching the game because Michigan was playing at the same time. The Wolverine's game was brutal, boring, long and just all around bad basketball, but Michigan found a way to win. So, I was more interested in scoreboard watching the Arizona game. It was close in the first half too. I believe Buffalo held a halftime lead, but it was only 2 points. I figured that Arizona, with all the talent they have, would cruise in the second half after some adjustments.

That was how the second half kind of started. I kept checking the score and Arizona would go up 2, but Buffalo always had an answer. Then, with about 7 minutes to go, I checked on the game and Buffalo was suddenly up 14. As I said, they could not miss from 3. They were also out hustling and just played a much, much better game overall. Buffalo’s coach completely out coached Sean Miller. And that is where I think the problem with Arizona starts and ends.

Sean Miller is one of the biggest chokers in the tournament every year. Never mind the fact that he has this whole FBI thing going on, because he was basically cleared. This should have lit a fire under him and his players, but clearly it did not. They laid a total egg. No one, not even Ayton, could do anything to stop Buffalo. I feel like Arizona walked onto the court and just expected to win. To me, that is on the coach. He did not have his players ready to play. He expected a win. He didn’t prepare them for a fight. He thought they could just walk onto the court, let Ayton do his thing, and they would easily win. The exact opposite happened. I don’t know, maybe Miller isn’t the guy to bring Arizona back to their glory days of the early 90’s. Every year he has coached there they have been no lower than a 4 or 5 seed, but they always come up short. And the collection of talent they have this year, to get blown out in round one by a 13 seed is rough. Look, I’m not even a fan of Arizona basketball, but I expected them to at least make it to the second weekend. They are just too good.

Now, after last night, it is clear that Ayton is going to the NBA. I would be shocked if Trier didn’t do the same. Then, who will Miller have next year? I don’t know, but I don’t think it will matter. As long as Sean Miller is the head coach there, I think Arizona will continue to choke. He cannot get this team over the hump, and that is a shame. I filled out a good amount of brackets for this tournament, and on most of them I had Arizona, at least, in the Sweet Sixteen. Hell, every year my wife and I fill out brackets, make a bet, and I picked Arizona to win it all. I bought in, and that was my mistake. This has to be one of the bigger upsets in tournament history because of how badly Buffalo beat them. This is also frustrating as a college basketball fan that wanted to see Ayton play in a few more college games before going pro. Unfortunately, that won’t happen, and I blame Sean Miller.

This was disappointing, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Arizona decides that he may not be the right person to lead Arizona back to glory. He is one of the biggest chokers, at the head coaching level, in all of college basketball. He really messed up last night, and it could be his undoing. What a disappointment.

Ty

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

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Aldi is Awesome

Good food is wherever you find it

As a kid, my mom did all the grocery shopping for the house. Now that I am the at home parent, I do all the shopping. When I first started to do all the grocery shopping, we had one kid, and it was pretty easy for me to go to our local store, Schnucks, and get pretty much everything we needed at a decent price. Then, we had our daughter, and I started to realize that buying everything at Schnucks was becoming a little too expensive. It just became too much. I then remembered that when I would go grocery shopping with my mom when I was young, she would go to a place called Aldi.

Going to AIdi meant we were "poor". That is what I always thought. I was a dumb kid, and the fact that I wasn't getting brand name cereals, chips or even Pop Tarts, made me think that we just didn't have the money that other families did. Well, I was dead, dead wrong. Now that I do all the grocery shopping, I have become in love with Aldi.

I started to think about going there after our daughter was born, because as I said, groceries were getting to be way too much. So, I decided that I would try out Aldi for everything that we needed, except for protein and veggies. I figured that I could get the off brand cereal, off brand Pop Tarts, off brand chips, all the stuff that I could throw into the pantry and it would last. It was great. On just buying all the non proteins and veggies, we were saving a ton of money, and honestly, we couldn't really tell the difference in taste.

For example, I bought some off brand cool ranch Doritos at Aldi, I think it was Burmann's brand or something like that, and my wife and I ate them, and we couldn't find any real difference. Now, you people need to know that we both love cool ranch Doritos. So, the fact that we found something so similar for almost 1.50 cheaper, it was a game changer. The same thing goes for the cereal and their off brand Pop Tart. Their Cinnamon Toast Crunch, called Cinnamon Crunch, is delicious. My kids love their Marshmallows and Stars, many of you may know that as Lucky Charms. Their Cocoa Rice, or coca Crispies, turn the milk from the cereal into chocolate milk all the same. Their off brand Pop Tarts taste exactly the same as regular Pop Tarts. I literally cannot tell the difference between Pop Tart brand Brown Sugar Cinnamon and Millville brand Brown Sugar Cinnamon. They both taste exactly the same. Same thing goes for Millville's s'mores, blueberry or strawberry. They all taste the same, and they are much, much more cost effective. 

Then, as an almost dare, I, along with my wife, decided we should try the meat and veggies. The veggies were really no problem because we go through veggies in a week. I will say, if you do plan on buying veggies at an Aldi, make sure you eat them within a week or two, or else they may not last. But, as I said, we plow through our veggies. We have one every night with our dinner, and Aldi brand asparagus, canned green beans, canned corn, brussel sprouts, it is all good. Even their fruit is delicious too. My son loves their apples. They sell bags of limes, which we go through fairly quickly weekly, are very good. We love their bananas. It is all good. After going through the veggies, we decided it was time to try proteins there. We were saving so much, and going to Schnucks just to get meat, became tedious. We also talked to a good group of our friends who shop at Aldi, and they all said the meat was fine. So, we decided to try it, and we have not looked back. I get all the protein there. I can buy a 2 pound skirt steak at Aldi for 9 bucks. Two plus pounds of chicken breast is only 3.50. Getting ground beef at Aldi is wonderful. It cooks up real nice, and it is mad cheap. I got three pounds of it this past Monday for only 9 dollars. That is wild.

So now, I pretty much do all of the grocery shopping at Aldi. The only reason I go to a Schnucks or Whole Foods or any other local store is to get the random things I cannot get at Aldi. I am so proud of myself if I am able to get everything I need at Aldi. If I can get it all done in one shot, that is a good day. I need to say, Aldi does not sponsor SeedSing, and this is not meant to be a commercial for them (ed note: yet). I just wanted to give my love to my new favorite grocery store. Also, sorry mom for saying and thinking that we were "poor" when I was kid because you shopped at Aldi. You rule, and so does Aldi. Thank you for showing me the way.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is also a big fan of Aldi because that means Ty always a quarter nearby. It is either in his pocket, or in the little pay slot on the shopping cart.

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Do Not Worry, the Spurs Will Make the Playoffs this Year

I listen to a lot of sports podcasts, as I have mentioned many times before, and NBA podcasts are my favorite. The NBA is probably my second favorite sport, to college football, but the podcasts for the NBA are so much better than any other sports podcasts out there in my humble opinion. So, in my many listens to multiple NBA podcasts, one recurring theme keeps popping up that is baffling, and kind of hilarious to me. The majority of the hosts seem to think that the San Antonio Spurs will not make the playoffs this year, but a team like the Clippers or Jazz will take their place.

Now, I fully realize that at the time of writing this, the Spurs are technically out of the playoffs, if they started today. Well, the playoffs don't start today. In fact, we have about 2-3 weeks before the playoffs begin, if not more time. And, I have watched more than enough NBA, and the San Antonio Spurs, to know that they will find some way to make the playoffs, even if it is as an 8 seed.

First off, the Spurs have been without their best player pretty much all year, and they are still in the hunt. If you watch any NBA, or even ESPN for that matter, the fact that Kawhi Leonard has only played 9 games all year is a definite factor as to why this current team is struggling to stay in the hunt. Well, he should be back in action as early as next week. The moment he steps on the floor, if he is at least 70 percent, his presence will easily put them team right back into the hunt. He is such a transcendent talent on both ends, he will ail what hurts them right now.

I know of all the talk, talk of him wanting out of San Antonio, him waiting until he is fully healthy, some rift between him and management and Jordan brand, all that stuff is out there, but I think it is all nonsense. Leonard is just a quiet dude. I get that. I do not like being the face of anything. I'm happy to just blend into a crowd. I'm happy to do the stuff no one wants to do on a basketball court. I'm happy to kind of just stay in my little bubble of the people that I care about. I'm sure that Kawhi Leonard is the same, he just happens to be an exceptional basketball player, a world champ and a NBA Finals MVP. That has got to be hard for him to just kind of want to stay in his lane with social media and major sports networks proclaiming him to be the next big thing. So while some of those stories may be true and some may be false, I just think the fact that he is a soft spoken dude that never changes his facial expression has made some in the media, I'm looking at you ESPN and The Ringer Network, to make these claims about him. When he comes back, and the Spurs start to look like the Spurs again, they will all be singing a different tune.

Another thing, LaMarcus Aldridge is having a much better season this season, he was dreadful last year, but he too is down with an ankle injury. He will be back soon, but not having Kawhi, and now LMA, that is a problem. When you don't have your 2 best players, unless you are the Warriors, it is going to be hard to find win streaks. That is just the truth.  

I have also heard all the things about the rest of their roster too, that it is either too old or unproven. Give me a break. Guys like Tony Parker and Manu Ginobli will find that extra gear at the right moment. They always have, so why doubt them now. I really like Dejonte Murray too. I remember when Tony Parker came up and people said he was going too fast and needed to slow down. Well, Murray is doing that right now, but, shouts out to Shea Serrano for pointing this out, he looks like he is the next Tony Parker for this team. He will be the point guard the moment that Parker decides he cannot play anymore. I also like guys like Kyle Anderson and Pau Gasol for this team. Anderson is the type of role player that the Spurs covet, and Gasol, he, much like Parker and Ginobli, can turn that switch when it is needed.

The thing I always go back to when talking about the Spurs, and hearing the whole, "is this it" narrative, they still have the greatest NBA coach of all time on their sideline. Greg Poppovich is a genius when it comes to basketball, and he will always find a way to get his team in the playoffs, and give their opponents headaches. Poppovich has been doing this at such a high level for such a long time, I am never, ever going to write any team he coaches off. Ever. He is that good and he has earned that reputation.

So no, I do not see the Spurs missing the playoffs this year. I think they will grab either the 6, 7 or 8 seed with relative ease when Leonard returns. Also, for those people saying they are out of the playoffs right now, yeah, buy like one game, so ease the hell up. This team has earned the right to not be given up on at any time. They will make the playoffs, and hell, they might even win a round or two. I know the Rockets and Mike D'Antoni sure as hell don't want to see them in round one.

Ty

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

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Kirk Cousins and the Minnesota Vikings Make No Sense

NFL free agency kicked off with a bang today when the Vikings gave QB Kirk Cousins a 3 year, 84 million dollar contract, that is fully guaranteed.

You read that right.

I have to say, I was very stunned when I read this news. I do not believe, and this is not my Michigan Wolverines biased coming into play, that he is worth even half that money to be a starting QB in the NFL. What makes it even more shocking to me is that ALL of it is guaranteed. This means that he will get every single dime, no matter what may happen while he is in a Vikings uniform. He could get hurt in his first game, miss two plus seasons and still get all 84 million. He could demand a trade after a year and he still gets all 84 million. He could decide that he wants to retire after one season and he still gets all 84 million. The Vikings could decide to cut him if they don't go far enough in the playoffs and he still gets all 84 millions dollars. This is a truly unprecedented deal, the likes of which we have never seen. Props to whoever Cousins agent is, because they just made history.

This Kirk Cousin's contract is also going to set a very weird, and possibly franchise crippling direction for any "franchise" QB now. No other QB has a deal like this, but some that will be free agents soon will start to get fully guaranteed contracts. I know for a fact that Aaron Rodgers wasn't going to sign anything with Green Bay until the Cousins stuff got done. Now, he is going to want more than him, and he will want it all guaranteed. And what are the Packers going to do? Would they say no and go with Deshon Kizer or some late round rookie? No way. They are going to give him what he wants because he is a much, much, much better QB than Kirk Cousins. What will the Panthers do when Cam Newton's contract is up? Are they going to let him walk and pay a lesser QB? No way. He is going to get paid, and then some. How about teams like the Eagles and Rams that have Carson Wentz and Jared Goff on rookie contracts. What are they going to do when those deals are up? These kids will expect to get Kirk Cousins money, and I think that the Eagles and Rams will have to pony up to stay relevant. And Russell Wilson, what with the teardown going on in Seattle right now, the Seahawks will have to give him whatever he wants and they better damn well make sure it is fully guaranteed.

This deal is just so bizarre on so many levels to me. I mean, the Vikings made it all the way to the NFC title game last year with Case freaking Keenum. This is a team built on defense. Sure, people will remember that "Minnesota Miracle" against the Saints more than anything else. But, this current Vikings team won because they had one of the best defenses in all of football. They straight up shut teams down, wore them down and pulled away late. I don't think adding Kirk Cousins is the "missing piece" that this team needs. Hell, even though all three are free agents, they still had Keenum, Sam Bradford and Teddy Bridgewater. If they had stuck with any three of those guys I still think they would have been a contender. Again, I don't see Cousins pushing the needle for them in any sort of direction.

Quite honestly, I do not understand the love that has surrounded Kirk Cousins since he took over for Robert Griffin III a few years back. He has never won a playoff game. In fact, he has only been to the playoffs once, and my Packers crushed him and Washington in Washington. He seems to put up big numbers at the start of the year, but peter out when it gets to crunch time. He is way too hot headed and way too cocky for a guy that has not done anything of importance in the NFL. To me, he is a starting level QB, but I honestly believe that he is right in line, right now, with guys like Eli Manning, Joe Flacco and Ryan Tannehill. He is just good enough for people to talk about him for a few months, then when it comes to stretch run time, he chokes. I do not think that Kirk Cousins is a QB that can lead a team to, and win, a Super Bowl. I have never seen that in him as a QB. And again, he is a fine player, but how soon until diehard Vikings fans, RD I'm talking to you, are regretting this team making this decision. They are now stuck with him for three years, no matter what. They have put all their eggs into the Kirk Cousins basket. There is no going back now. He will expect to be the team leader, and that could screw up the locker room there. As I have stated many times, this team wins with defense and running the ball. They didn't need to go out and spend so much useless money on a mid tier, at best, QB.

I'm still scratching me head with this deal and with the media saying this now makes the Vikings instant Super Bowl contenders. Prove me wrong Kirk Cousins. But, up to this point in your career you have done absolutely nothing to warrant this type of deal from any team anywhere.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. To answer Ty's question, I was regretting the signing a week ago when it is being rumored. 

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The SeedSing 2018 Men's College Basketball Tournament Preview

The field of 68 was released for the NCAA men's basketball tournament yesterday. There were some surprises, snubs and proper seeding, as always. The top 4 seeds, I feel like, they got right. Virginia, Villanova, Xavier and Kansas are all deserving. But, there were some weird snubs, and teams I felt like should have been in the tournament, just like everyone else.

As far as teams that don't belong, how on Earth are Oklahoma and Syracuse at large bids? That is insane to me. I mean, Oklahoma is in because of Trae Young. But, watching them recently, they are horrid. They have, I believe, lost 11 of their last 13, and finished the year with either 18 or 19 wins. I'm one of those people that feel, unless you win your conference tournament, that you need at least 20 wins to be an at large team. Oklahoma isn't close, and they have stunk, as I said. Trae Young will bring viewers, but a team from the same conference that was more deserving was Oklahoma State. They had 20 plus wins, they beat KU twice to Oklahoma's one win, and they are just a better overall team. Oklahoma is only there because of Young. Syracuse is an absolute horrific pick to me. They are just bad. They have not looked like a competent team all year.

Dare I say, the game looks to have passed by Jim Boeheim. While I have always liked Syracuse, there is no way they belong in the NIT, let alone the NCAA tournament. I will never, ever understand this choice. It is appalling from a basketball standpoint. I'm still in a little bit of shock that they are actually in the tournament. A few teams that I thought should have made it, I've already mentioned Oklahoma State. I also feel like Penn State and Nebraska has a little bit of a beef to be in this tournament. Penn State beat the University of Ohio State three times this year and finished at .500 in conference and had 20 plus wins. Nebraska was well over 20 wins and finished fourth overall in the Big Ten during the regular season. By their standards, they had an excellent year.

The biggest snub to me was Saint Mary's. This is a team that, I think, only lost 4 games all year. They were well over 20 wins, I think close to 30 wins. Sure, they play in a crummy conference, with Gonzaga being the only threat, but come on. They have a great record, they were ranked almost all year, and because they had one bad game in the WCC tournament, they get left out. That is so dumb to me.

Okay, got that off my chest.

For my preview today I will pick each region's winner, who they will face to make the Final Four and the championship game and the winner. Lets get to it. Lets look at the South Region first. Virginia is the number one seed here, as well as the overall number one seed. I feel like they have a fairly "easy" path to the Final Four, but they are Virginia, and they tend to choke. If they win their first game they will have a very tough time with the 8-9 winner, be it Creighton or Kansas State. But, if they get through that game the winner of Kentucky-Arizona, if they meet up, will be tough, but Virginia can beat both of them. The team I like from the South to really push Virginia is Cincinnati. They play just as tough defense, and I think they match up well. But, in the long run, I like Virginia, if they get passed the 8-9 winner, to make it to the Final Four from the South.

Next we will look at the West. Xavier is the one seed in the West. I know I picked them to go to the title game in my 3/4 season redo, but sorry to RD, I think they are the "softest" of the one seeds. They really struggle to win, but they did win enough to be a number one seed. But, the West has teams like Gonzaga, Michigan, Houston and UNC. I feel like all four of those teams could fairly easily beat Xavier. Gonzaga is on fire right now. Michigan looked like one of the best teams in the country a week ago when they won the Big Ten tournament. Houston can score, unless they play Cincy and UNC is the defending champs and just came off a throttling of Duke before getting bested by Virginia. I feel like Gonzaga will meet Michigan in the Elite Eight, and Gonzaga will find a way to score on Michigan's stout defense just enough to return to the Final Four. I love how Michigan was playing a week ago, but I think the week off will eventually be their undoing.

I feel like the East is a very tough, very solid region. Villanova is the one seed here, but I feel like they are going down in round 2 against either Alabama or Virginia Tech, personally I think it will be Alabama because Collin Sexton rules. With Villanova gone that opens the door for teams like Wichita State, Texas Tech and Purdue. Wichita State is not as good as they used to be, but they can get hot come the start of the tournament. Texas Tech has been pretty solid all year, but they have struggled as of late. The very same thing can be said about Purdue, the team I picked to win it all in my 3/4 season redo. And, even though they have struggled a little bit as of late, I like Purdue ending Alabama's Cinderella run in the Elite Eight and move on to the Final Four. Lukas Haas is too big to stop and Carsen Edwards and Vince Edwards are just begging to bust out of their slumps. I think that will happen in the tournament.

Finally we have the Midwest. KU is the one seed, but I feel the same about them as I do Xavier. They will probably make the Sweet Sixteen, but they will go no further. I'm done believing in KU come March. The Final Four representative from the Midwest will be whoever wins the Michigan State-Duke game, when that inevitably happens. I despise both teams, but I feel like Duke will find a way, ahem, ahem, the refs and free throws, to win that game. I think they will face Auburn in the Elite Eight, but they will be firing on all cylinders after beating MSU. Duke unfortunately takes the Midwest region. 

My Final Four is Virginia, Gonzaga, Purdue and Duke. Honestly, I don't really like any of these teams, except for maybe Gonzaga. They will have to face Virginia, and I think Virginia will beat them pretty handily. They will be able to shut them down and they look like a team of destiny right now. In the Duke-Purdue game, I just think Duke is way more talented. Purdue has length and experience, which I love, but Duke has athletes everywhere, and I don't think Purdue will be able to keep up. As much as I want a Big Ten team in the title, I just don't see it happening. That means we will have an all ACC final. I like Virginia to win. They have already shown that they can shut down Duke when they beat them earlier this year in Durham. Virginia plays stout defense, and they will confuse all of Duke's freshman, and I guarantee that Grayson Allen will pull some kind of bull shit trip or flagrant foul that will have the entire nation talking the next day.

So, I have Virginia winning the 2018 tournament. I'm very excited for the games to start. Lets get to it.

Ty

Ed Note: Duke will lose to Michigan State, and the path will then be clear for Kansas or Michigan State to go to the Final Four. Despite their coach, and history in the tournament, Kansas will take the Midwest with only one tough game.

The East could have a big Cinderella run, the top seeds are not scary. I could see West Virginia or Florida having a magical run, but I am going the easy route and have Villanova beating Purdue and winning the East bracket.

I agree on the West, Xavier is a questionable 1 seed. The Muskateers have not shown up in the biggest games (i.e. Villanova twice). Missouri is an unknown in this tournament, Gonzaga is rolling, North Carolina is the defending champ, and Michigan is hot and rested. In a wide open west bracket, Ty's Michigan Wolverines will win.

There are only three worthwhile teams in the East bracket. I could make a case for Virginia, Cincinnati, or Kentucky (you can never count them out). I am going with some home town pride and taking the Cincinnati Bearcats as the winners int he east. Maybe people in this town will shut up about Bob Huggins since Mick Cronin will now have a final four appearance.

The terrible game guaranteed from Kansas in the tournament will come in the final four against Villanova. The Wildcats will meet Cincinnati, after the Bearcats and the Wolverines have an epic game that could go either way. The 2018 Men's College Basketball championship will go to my hometown Cincinnati Bearcats, and the Queen City will finally have a champion to be proud of. 

Before you take my word, remember that I picked the Bengals in the Super Bowl two years ago. You have been warned.

RD

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I am Going to Miss Toys R Us

So long Jeffery

I’ve read a few headlines today that all seem to say that Toys R Us will be closing all their doors, at least in the US, for good. I’m not exactly sure when, but it seems imminent.

This is a real bummer for me. I have loved Toys R Us since I was a child. Now, my children have grown to love the store. I know my wife loves the place. My parents have bought so many things from there, I can’t imagine how much money they could have saved. I’m terrified to tell my 6 year old because I fear he will freak out. Sure, he can still get Legos, video games and Imaginext toys at other stores, Target, but Toys R Us was always a fun adventure for him and I. His face lights up every time we go there. So this is going to devastate him.

But, as I said, it kind of hurts me too. I can remember getting a lot of my early sports equipment from there. I’d get gloves, wiffle ball bats and balls, footballs, basketballs, all kinds of early sports stuff for cheap at Toys R Us. This was all before I got very serious about sports too. It was more cost effective and it let me try a plethora of things. But, the very few actual toys I had as a child, again, sports equipment were toys for me, I got at Toys R Us. I used to play with GI Joe figures. All of those were purchased there. The Starting Lineup sports figurines I owned, another Toys R Us purchase. Some older Simpsons toys I had I got there. Hell, even as I got older and started to play video games, I would get a good majority of them at Toys R Us. PlayStation games were always cheaper there. So were Nintendo 64 and Sega Genesis games. It was the spot to save a few dollars when I needed too. And even when they started to sell movies I would opt for Toys R Us over other retail stores, especially when it came to Disney movies. They always seemed like the first stores to get movies when they “came out of the Disney vault”. I know for a fact that I had VHS copies of “Aladdin” and “The Lion King” that I got from Toys R Us. Even DVD’s became a staple for me to purchase at Toys R Us. When I went through watching all the “Star Wars” movies recently, the only spot I could find the prequels at a reasonable price was Toys R Us. I never should have bought them, but spending 15 bucks for “The Phantom Menace” at Toys R Us, compared to the 30 plus dollars at a Best Buy or online, was the much better option.

I’m going to miss all this from this store. Hell, I liked Toys R Us so much that my friends and I would go hang there in middle school because they had open rims that we would play intense games of one on one basketball in, until we got kicked out. I remember having full on tournaments, and sometimes, even dunk contests. Same thing can be said for games of wiffle ball. We’d find an open isle and pitch and hit against one another. It was perfect. I’m really going to miss this place. It has given me, and now my son, so much joy.

This is the day and age we live in now. People would rather shop online than go physically buy stuff. I’m very guilty of that myself. I just wished I had patronized Toys R Us a little more. Maybe it would still be around. Well, RIP to probably the greatest toy store, outside of FAO Schwartz, that has ever existed. You were a true gem and a big, big part of my childhood. You will be missed.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He may be a millennial, but Ty still prefers to shop for his toys in person and not online. His philosophy even extends to his grocery shopping.

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