Why Do We Love the Sports We Love?

The other day I was chatting with my dad about sports. With football about to begin, we were naturally talking about Michigan’s upcoming season. We were chatting about our concerns, what we liked and what we expected. This conversation turned into something so much more for me than just Michigan football though. It got to a point where I asked my dad when I truly started to root for the Wolverines. I was curious how, and why, I came to truly love this team more than any other “favorite” team of mine. I wanted to know why I was so much more invested in them than anyone else.

My dad told me that he used to sit me down and watch games with me. Apparently I was very interested in why my dad loved this team. I wanted to be just like him, so I guess it was just natural for me. One of my earliest memories, I was probably my son’s age, is sitting with my dad and him pointing out Bo Schembechler to me and telling me how great of a coach he is. It is burned into my brain. I am certain that was when my love for Michigan started, and it has only grown since.

We then started to talk about fandom, and where it comes from. This led to a conversation about why people get into the sports they get into. For me it’s simple. I have always wanted to be like my dad, so I watched and played what he coached and played. Baseball was easy. Football was glorious to watch. And basketball was like a ballet. I fell in love with these sports immediately because my dad loved them. As time went on, baseball started to fade. As I am growing older now, the NFL is becoming harder and harder to watch. Basketball is still great to watch, but I prefer playing it. But college football has been the one constant. It’s pretty much the same for my dad.

We then started to talk about my son, who says he loves Michigan, but I can only get him to watch for about an hour before he gets bored. But, he loves baseball. He loves to go to games, he will watch it on TV and he plays it passionately. I feel like he got that from me. I loved it just as much when I was his age. But, my daughter, who will be 3 in a few months, has no interests in the sports I watch or play. She does love her gymnastics class though. That is where she is happiest. It’s her thing and she’s good at it. I have no idea where it came from. I never did it. My wife never did it. And our son only likes baseball. Where did she get her love for gymnastics? I know my nieces did it, and seemed to enjoy it at the time, so maybe that’s where it comes from. Still though, kind of odd.

Then I started to think about my brothers and their kids. I also thought about my friends and their kids too. What will/are they into. My oldest brother’s oldest daughter is a volleyball player. Where did that come from? He played college football and was a great baseball player. So it didn’t come from him. But his wife is hyper athletic, she’s the one that got me into running, so maybe it came from her. I’m sure she played volleyball at one point in her life. My wife played it for a minute in high school too. Their younger daughter is more into basketball. I’m certain she got that from me. She has seen me play a lot. But that’s it for her. Other than basketball, I don’t think she really cares about sports. RD’s son likes tennis, which makes sense knowing his wife, and enjoys golf, again, makes sense knowing his grandparents on his wife’s side. But, he also LOVES NASCAR. No one in our family watches NASCAR. I can’t get into it, my parents don’t watch it and I know RD has never really watched it. So, where did his love for NASCAR come from? I don’t know if I will ever know. My other brother doesn’t have kids, but he was one hell of a football and basketball player. I’m sure he got that from our dad, but in reality, he’d rather go to a concert than a sporting event. That’s how he’s been since I was 17. He got me into live concerts.

Then some of my friends with kids, their kids are all over the place. Some like football. Others, baseball and basketball. But some like hockey and lacrosse and soccer. Their parents never really showed a love for those sports. But, their kids are way into it. I know hockey and soccer are big in Saint Louis, which is baffling to me. But where did lacrosse come from? That is so far out of left field. My own guess is, kids will like what their friends like, or play, for the most part. They just want to hang with their friends. Then you have some kids like me, that like whatever their folks like. Then you have the outliers, like my nephew, or friends kids that love lacrosse, that they just like something for no other reason than, they think it’s cool.

I’d love to see a scientific study as to why we fall in love with the sports that we do. But for now, I’m just going to go with what I know. But, I do think this is a very interesting thought exercise. I hope to hear from some people telling me why their kids like the sports they like. Let me know.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is looking forward to the day his grand kids are all about Rollerball and Muggle Quidditch. What a future we will live in.

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Pumpkin Spice Latte in August. No Thanks

Fist shaking

I’m going to go old man today and gripe about something that I saw while driving around this past Tuesday.

I was out with my daughter, heading to the playground, and we drove by a Starbucks. Now, Starbucks is fine when it is the only option. On a road trip is when Starbucks really steps up. But, if I have a chance, I go to a local shop or even a Tim Horton’s, which has some of the best coffee anywhere anytime. I’m also a big fan, as you all know, of Kaldi’s Coffee. But, I do have the occasional Starbucks. Yes, I’m one of those people who thinks their coffee tastes burnt. They clearly over roast their beans. But, it works in a pinch.

Anyway, what drove me to anger Tuesday was, when we drove by, I saw a sign that read, “it’s pumpkin spice season!”.

I was confounded.

First off, I’m a guy who enjoys my coffee sweet. But, pumpkin spice is way, way too sweet. I love pumpkin pie, and the pumpkin spice latte makes the pie taste savory. It’s too much. Also, this is a bone of contention in my home because my wife loves them. We debate about pumpkin spice lattes around this time of year every year.

What really threw me was the timing. We are not even close to fall, which is when all things pumpkin usually show up. The date when I saw the sign was August 28th. My son has only been in school for 2 weeks. It was still 100 degrees outside here in Saint Louis. It is still summer time. The weather, and the calendar still say it’s summer. Hell, it has “cooled” off a bit today, but it’s still in the low 80’s outside. How does any of this say fall to the marketing geniuses at Starbucks? Also, releasing the pumpkin spice in August is insane. They should wait, at the very earliest, for the end of September. I have not seen anyone put up fall or Halloween decor yet in my neighborhood, and I live in a spot where people love to dress up there front yards for whatever holiday it is. So I’m baffled that Starbucks felt now was the right time to put out this latte.

I’m sure it sold a ton, it’s a limited item, but come on. This was, and is becoming, a clear cash grab. People see “get your #PSL”, or, “it may not feel like fall yet, but a PSL will put you in the fall mood”, and they lose their god damn minds. They have to get one. It’s a little odd. I just don’t like it. We are in a rush now to push seasons so coffee shops can sell limited bull shit.

I’m not a fan.

I will not be buying any pumpkin spice lattes and I’m a little appalled at the release date of the first ones. Wait awhile Starbucks, you will still get people to buy them in waves if you wait until it actually is fall. It just made me real mad and I have a platform to say why. Take this as you will. Yes, I’m grumpy, but you have to admit, August is way too early to start selling pumpkin flavored coffee.

It’s absurd.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is going to lose his mind on September 4th when he sees the massive Christmas display in Macy's. Who doesn't think of the North Pole when it is 100 degrees outside?

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Happy Retirement Manu Ginobli

Manu Ginobli hung up his sneakers after 16 years of playing in the NBA.

Me personally, I am a big time fan of Ginobli's. He was one of the most selfless players I have watched in the NBA. He was the perfect third option behind Tony Parker, and one of my all time favorite players, Tim Duncan. I know he came off the bench in San Antonio, but lets be realistic, he was the third of their own "big three".

What else I truly appreciated about Ginobli's game, he was an exquisite passer. He was one of the best that I have seen at his position. He would whip the ball to guys slashing to the basket, find the open shooter on drive and kick outs and always put the ball into the shooters hands in perfect shooting position. He was the epitome of a Spurs player, and that was mostly due to his passing. He fit in perfectly with what Greg Poppovich and his staff wanted him to do. And while he was an exceptional passer, the dude could also score in very unique ways. He could hit open jumpers with the best of them. But it was his drives to the basket that truly astounded me. He would find the smallest opening, jet through it and find a way to reverse it in, or hit a hard layup. The way he split a double team was incredible. The screen would come, both guys would come to him, but Ginobli found a way, some way, to split it, go to the hoop and score, draw a foul or find the open guy. It was always amazing. I would always be shocked and just confused how he did it, but he did it and he did it great. And while he wasn't a top notch defender, he made plays when he needed to. Take for instance the block against James Harden. He got beat, then reset himself, and when Harden pulled up, thinking he was open, Ginobli swatted his shot from behind for the win. It was pure Ginobli and pure Spurs. He just did it all.

Ginobli also sacrificed numbers, and a lot more money than he already made, so he could win titles. He wanted to be a champion. That was what mattered to him and Duncan the most. They wanted to have rings. They turned down bigger offers from lesser teams because they wanted those rings. Ginobli also sacrificed minutes because he wanted what was best for his team. He could have easily been a starter and played 30 plus minutes a night, but that was not what the Spurs needed. They needed him to come off the bench, play 20-25 minutes a night and do all the little things that they needed to get wins. And he did it all with zero complaints. That was another thing I loved about Ginobli, he never complained and was never in the news for any wild off court stuff. He went about his business and he went about it quietly.

Also, let us not forget that Ginobli was the leader of the Argentina team that destroyed Team USA basketball. He was the main reason why that whole organization had to regroup. Ginobli led a well oiled machine for Team Argentina, and they made Team USA look bad.

I have also heard some pundits questioning if he is going to be a Hall of Famer.

Are they out of their god damn mind?

Manu Ginobli is, without a doubt, a first ballot Hall of Famer. That is not even a viable question. That is a ridiculous question. I know he may not have glowing numbers, he was only an All Star twice and he wasn't the face of the franchise, but come on. He was just as important to this team as Parker and Duncan were. He is, most definitely, a Hall of Famer.

While Ginobli has earned his retirement, it is kind of sad to me. This is the end of an era. Duncan retired 2 years ago. Parker is now on the Hornets and Ginobli called it quits this week. The Spurs will never be the same to me. Sure, they have very good guys on the team right now, and I still fully believe in Poppovich, and I think they will still be a playoff contender. But, their three star are gone. That is crazy to me.

One last thing I want to share about Ginobli. If you haven't seen the video, or if you just forgot, go watch him knock that bat out of midair during a timeout in a game. It was incredible. I was stunned and amazed that he was able to do that. Think about the hand eye coordination and quickness that took. It was quintessential Manu Ginobli.

Enjoy your retirement Manu. You have earned it.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. If a bat gets into the SeedSing virtual cubicle farm, we all hide and wait for Manu Ginobli to come and take care of it.

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A Newbie Goes to a Sam Smith Concert

I've been so consumed by football lately, I need to catch up on some things that I have wanted to write about the last 2 weeks.

One of those things was seeing Sam Smith live in Saint Louis on August 18th. I know that was 10 days ago, but the great thing about the show, I am still thinking about how wonderful it was. I didn't really know too much about Smith before seeing him live. I knew of his big songs, "I'm Not the Only One" and "Stay With Me". I was also kind of familiar with the new single off his newest record, "Too Good at Goodbyes". So, I knew three hits, but that was it.

I had mentioned offhand one day that he was playing Chafeitz Arena here in Saint Louis to my mom, and she was thrilled. She loves Sam Smith. She is a tried and true fan. She knew all his songs, not just the singles. She said she wanted to go see him, but she didn't know anyone that would go with her. Well, I love a good live show. I have been more into seeing "pop stars" lately, and she did sit through Run the Jewels with me when I took her to see Lorde. So, I offered to go with her. I figured it would be fun, I had time to get more familiar with his music and it is always fun to hang out with my mom.

Well, sitting down for the show, I didn't know what to expect. I saw this very cool stage, we had great seats and after we sat down, he was coming on stage. So, among all these diehard fans, among people who live and breath his music, there I sat, waiting to see what he could do, and he did not disappoint.

Sam Smith is truly amazing. He has one of the absolute best voices I have ever heard live. The notes he can hit are truly remarkable. I don't understand how singers can do what he did, but he did it better than any other person, in his genre, that I have watched perform live. He was really amazing. He also has this very humble way about him. He talked to the crowd about pretty much everything that was going on in his life. He told us about the tour. He spent individual time with each band member. By the way, his band is great as well. He has some real pros backing him up. He kept calling Saint Louis, Saint Louie, and I appreciated that. He has the look and attitude of someone that realizes they are living their dream. He is a humble, respectable dude. And, as I have mentioned multiple times, that dude can "sang". When someone is a great singer, my wife and I say they can "sang", because "singing" doesn't do them justice. 

Smith started out by singing multiple songs off his newest record, which I appreciated since that was what I was listening to on repeat. The live versions of songs like "One Last Song", "Baby You Make Me Crazy" and "One Day at a Time" were wonderfully uplifting and beautifully sung. He also did stuff off his first couple records, which I am not that familiar with. But they were, in turn, slower paced and beautifully melancholy. He also did a different version of "I Know I'm not the Only One", with tons of crowd participation, and it was awesome. I liked that he mentioned how depressing his songs were, but you would never have known by the mood on stage and the way they played the songs. Even a slower song off his new record like "Say it First", which is very stripped down, they turned it into something lively and almost danceable. During the show I kept looking over at my mom and just simply saying, "wow". I was absolutely astonished at how great this show was.

I don't truly know what I expected, but Sam Smith and his band surpassed any expectations I had. They were great. I highly, highly recommend going to see him live, especially if it is in a smaller arena like Chafeitz here in Saint Louis. He is so god damn impressive at what he does. He appreciates his craft, and you can tell he works hard at it. Sam Smith is a wonder and someone I will most definitely go see live again. I love that my mom shared this experience with me. I'm glad she needed someone to go with and that someone just happened to be me. This will be a show that I will always remember, and it will be a show that will most likely be in my top 10 shows of all time. Sam Smith is remarkable talent. Go see him live. You will love every single second of the show.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is available to go see a concert with any moms out there. Nothing sexual, Ty just likes rocking out with women twice his age. 

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The SeedSing 2018 College Football Preview

To wrap up my 2018 preseason football previews I'm going to do college football today. And yes, I realize that 4 games were played on Saturday, and there were a couple on Sunday. But, honestly, college football truly starts on Labor Day Weekend. It has for as long as I can remember, and the fact that 8-10 teams played this past weekend doesn't change that for me. As I have done in the past, I will focus on the Power 5 conference teams, pick a winner from each, pick a few "sleeper" teams, pick the playoff and pick the title game opponents and winner. I will also give everyone my preseason Heisman pick.

Okay, lets go.

I'm going to start with the Pac 12. The Pac 12 is actually kind of solid. USC is starting a freshman QB, but they always have a solid run game, good receivers and an above average defense. Oregon had a rough year last year, but I feel like they will bounce back with Justin Hebert at QB and a new head coach. Washington State will light up the scoreboards, but play no defense. Utah is always a tough team that no one wants to play, especially in Utah. UCLA hired Chip Kelly, and even though he didn't have success in the NFL, the dude can coach college football. Colorado is starting to have a bit of a resurgence, and that is nice. Arizona has a real legit Heisman candidate at QB in Khalil Tate, but they are horrendous on defense, possibly worse than WSU. Arizona State hired Herm Edwards, which is still puzzling to me, but they have a solid incumbent QB. And Cal and Oregon State are the conference whipping boys. The Pac 12 comes down really to Stanford and Washington. Washington has threats everywhere. Jake Browning is back, and he has a ton of threats on the outside to help him out. Chris Petersen is also a great college football coach, and this team was in the playoff last year. They are good. Stanford has Bryce Love, who is one of the best running backs I've seen in a long time. David Shaw is a top notch coach and his team's are always very, very good. Once again, I don't know why I continue to let them do this to me, I'm going to go with Stanford. Their defense is better than Washington, I like David Shaw more, and Bryce Love is, far and away, the best player in the conference.

Lets go to the Big 12 now. This conference lost a ton of talent at QB. Baker Mayfield and the kid from Oklahoma State are gone. Kenny Hill at TCU is gone. That is three top tier QB's from last season. Oklahoma has a replacement who is a great athlete. He was a first round pick in the MLB draft this year. Oklahoma also has an explosive offense, and they didn't seem to miss Bob Stoops at all. Lincoln Riley is perfectly capable of running this team. But, Oklahoma is still Oklahoma, which means they don't play defense, and they always blow an easy game late in the year. Oklahoma State lost their QB, their best receiver and they play no defense, in fact, this whole conference doesn't play defense. They will step back. TCU has a replacement for Hill, and while he isn't a big name like Oklahoma's new QB, he will be by the middle of the year. They also may be the only team that actually tries to play defense. Iowa State is solid, they are tough to play, especially in Ames, and they will somehow win a few games they have no business winning. Texas is about to become real good again. Tom Hermann has now been through an entire season with the team, he has "his guys" in place, and they will be explosive. He will bring the level of scoring to the Longhorns that he did in Houston. Watch out for this team. Kansas State will play solid, but boring offense. They will look okay on defense, until some team like Oklahoma or Texas lights them up. They are an 8 win team at best. Texas Tech is great on offense, but hat is because they throw the ball a million times per game. They will start hot and then backtrack, like they always do. I wouldn't be shocked if they fire Kliff Kingsbury by the end of the season. Screw Baylor. They are loathsome. Kansas is a dumpster fire, and they are a basketball school anyway. I feel like the winner of the Texas-Oklahoma game will win the conference, and I think Oklahoma will win the game. They are, for the moment, the better team.

The ACC is finally not the joke it was a few years back. Clemson has helped with that by winning a title and playing in another. And, Clemson may be the best team in the country this year. They have a great offense returning. And when a true freshman pushes the incumbent starter at QB, I love that in the college game. That will just make Kelly Bryant play that much harder. Where Clemson really dominates is defense, and especially on the D line. They will stop everyone that comes their way. I don't know how teams will run on them, and if they try to pass on them, the QB better get rid of the ball quick. Clemson is ferocious, and they are awesome. Florida State had a bad year last year, but remember, their QB went out in week one. Deondre Francois is back, and I know that Jimbo Fisher left, but Willie Taggart is more than capable, and this team is loaded everywhere on the roster. They are bound to be a problem again. While they are not on Clemson's level yet, I can easily see them being the second best team in the conference. Virginia Tech is back to being a problem for everyone. I knw their QB got in some offseason trouble, but if he is cleared to play, they will be good. They have a very good defense too. They also excel on special teams. Virginia Tech is a solid team. Miami is back as well. They are like Texas, but just a year ahead. They have a solid offense, but where they excel is defense, and more specifically, in the secondary. They have ball hawkers and hitters everywhere on the field. Mark Richt has turned that team around. Miami is legit once again. NC State may not be great, but they are a tough out for every team they play. They play rough, want to slow down the game and try and win low scoring games. They will be a headache. UNC is going to get in some kind of trouble, but until then, they will score quite a bit, and they should be a bowl team. Louisville has to replace Lamar Jackson, and that will be tough. Also, Bobby Petrino is a scumbag. The Cardinals will definitely take a step back, but they should still be a 7 or 8 win team. Pittsburgh is destined to be a .500 team. They are also awful on defense, which is surprising considering their head coach's background. Boston College isn't great, but they have a real good defense, they have a great running back, and they will win more games than they should this year. I wouldn't be shocked if they somehow win 8 or 9 games with scores in the range of 17-10 or 13-6. Syracuse shocked Clemson last year, but that was a blip. They are still trying to become relevant again. Duke is not very good anymore. They can fill it up, but they get beaten easily by better competition with a solid defense. Virginia and Wake Forest are very mediocre. And Georgia Tech will triple option the hell out of you, and I like their QB, but they are no better than a 7 win team, especially in the ACC. I'm taking Clemson for obvious reasons. But, don't be surprised in FSU and Miami are there in the end. The ACC is so much better now.

Next we have the SEC. I used to think the SEC was wildly overrated, and while I do not think it is the best conference in football, it is loaded. Alabama is Alabama. They will be number one a lot of the season. I know they lost a ton of talent to the NFL, but they always do and they always reload. They also still have Jalen Hurts and Tua Tiagoviola at QB. This team is unfairly stacked. They will be in the conversation all year long. They are the dominant team of the 21st century. Auburn seems to be back. Stidham seems to be a solid read option QB. They have great running backs. Their O line is stout. They have a great, swarming defense. Gus Malzahn has done a solid job getting this team back to being top 10 every year. Georgia lost 2 great running backs, and they won't skip a beat. Jacob Fromm is back, they have stud running backs waiting for their turn, they have a great tight end and solid receivers. They also hang their hats on defense, which they dominate. They are the new team that will challenge Alabama every year. Texas A&M just hired Jimbo Fisher, just got in trouble and they will still be good. It may take a year, that defense needs to be retooled, but the Aggies will be heard from sooner rather than later. LSU has to replace Derius Guice, and a solid defense. I think they will accomplish that task, but it may be tougher than usual. But, if you have read any preseason stuff, apparently they finally have a solid QB. This new kid seems legit. If he is, that would be big time for this team. That is the thing they have lacked for a long, long time. Florida now has a legit coach in Dan Mullen, and much like Fisher at A&M, he will get this team back. It will take a little longer, but Mullen can coach and recruit, and he has a fertile base in Florida. The Gators will be a force in maybe 2 years. He will right the ship on offense for sure too. South Carolina has a very good defense, a solid offense and, kind of a shock to me, Will Muschamp can coach. They are the stingy team no one wants to play in the SEC. Tennessee is in a weird limbo right now. They had an awful coaching search, players have sprinted out of the program and they just aren't very good right now. They have a former Alabama coach as their head coach now, but I do not believe in the Volunteers at all right now. Mississippi State had to replace Mullen, but they got a good hire in Penn State's former offensive coordinator. He also has a QB in place in Nick Fitzgerald, and that dude can play. MSU is a better team, but they have a rough schedule, and that will make them look not as good at they are. But, MSU is good. Ole Miss is about to go through some shit due to their former coaching staff. Arkansas fired Bret Bielema, and they aren't very good anyway. Vanderbilt plays defense, but their offense is horrible. Kentucky is a 6 win team at best. And, saving them last for my brothers, Missouri has a great QB in Drew Lock, but nothing else. Lock, and their schedule will get them bowl eligible, but they are not very good on defense, and they will give up a ton of points. But, they will also score a ton. They belong in the Big 12. I'm going to go with Alabama just because they are Alabama. But, I really like Georgia, and if Auburn can get by a brutal, brutal schedule, they could be there in the end too. But, I'm still going with Alabama.

The final Power 5 conference is the conference I watch the most, the Big Ten. The Big Ten is loaded. I personally think the Big 10 is the best conference in college football. I'm sure my bias comes into play here, but also, 7 teams are in the preseason top 25. That is half the conference. To take it a step further, 5 of those teams are in the top 15. The Big 10 is good, they just cannot get out of their own way. The University of Ohio State is going through some horrible stuff, by their own doing. But, all those scumbags of course got away with it because this team is good. They have a better QB than JT Barrett in waiting. They have a great, young running back. They have an awesome O line. Their defense is stout as well. This is a defense they can lean on when they struggle on offense. I hate hate hate this team, and I am disgusted by how they treated the whole Courtney Smith story. But, they will continue to win football games. Penn State is another school with a horrific past, but they are good at football now. This team should have gotten the death penalty for what they did, but they only had to "suffer" through 2 years where they couldn't go to a bowl game. Now, even with Saqoun Barkley off to the pros, this team has a very good QB, a good running back ready to play and very good, and fast receivers. They also have a defense that can get stops when needed. James Franklin is also a scumbag and a douche, but he has some talent around him. He will have to replace his offensive coordinator, which will be tough, but they have good players that can mask any problems. Wisconsin is the most boring team in the Big 10, and that is exactly how they want it. They play excellent defense. They can stop anyone. They have a game managing QB. They have some guys that can make catches. And they have the best O line in college football, and Johnathan Taylor. He is one of the best running backs in college football, and he will only get better. Wisconsin should easily walk with their half of the Big 10. My team, Michigan, is a wild card this year. They have a great defense. I am back to the point where I can count on this defense. They will get stops. Devin Bush is a top notch linebacker. Rashan Gary is a first round talent. Chase Winovich is a professional football player. David Long and Lavert Hill is one of the better cornerback duos that Michigan has had in a long time. The defense is great. The offense, that is the question. They do seem to have a QB in Shea Patterson now, and he could be the difference. That was what plagued this team last year was horrendous QB play. Hopefully Patterson can shore that up. Losing Tarik Black is a blow, but this will give others a chance to step up. I also really like how they use their tight ends, and I am a fan of Donovan Peoples-Jones. The O line should, I am being optimistic here, be better. They finally have a core group. And the running game has 2 very stable guys in Karan Higdon and Chris Evans. I have high hopes for my team, but they have a very, very tough schedule. Week one will show a lot, but they have a ton of tough matchups all year. I am eager to see Patterson play, and I love the defense. Now is the time for Harbaugh to make something happen with this squad. Michigan State, who I should have put with the University of Ohio State and Penn State, because of what happened this past winter, does have a good team. They play dirty, they play rough and they win games. They are scummy and filled with cheap shot artists, but when they get away with it, they are good. They also have a good running back, a good QB and good guys on the outside. Time will tell, in terms of possible sanctions, but for this season, MSU has a very, very good team. After that, it gets a little murky. Northwestern has a very good QB and very good skill players. They are also the tough team that no one wants to play in the Big 10. They will be tough and they will play tough. Their success is all on the shoulders of the QB. Nebraska hired Scott Frost, and while I love that for them, ease up on the preseason praise. It is going to take some time. Frost will need time to recruit his guys, but when he does, Nebraska could be a perennial top 25 team again. Iowa is like Wisconsin light. They want to run the ball, use their defense and bleed the game away. Kinnick stadium is also their best advantage. They will win 8 games, they do every year, but will they be the Iowa team that wins double digits, or will they struggle to get to 8? You never know with this team. Minnesota is in the second year of PJ Fleck. They will be better, but they are still on the bottom half of the conference. They will be in bowl game this year. Purdue is on its way back up. They had a very solid season last year, and they will build on that. They need to get better on defense, but they have a good offense, and they will be a thorn for awhile. Indiana got better at defense last year, but that took a toll on its offense, and that is where their bread is buttered. They are in a limbo of 6-6 or 4-8 or 5-7. Maryland is a horrendous program with some very disturbing issues they need to resolve very soon. DJ Durkin seems like a real awful person, and I am shocked that he hasn't been fired yet. And Illinois and Rutgers are there to be beaten. They should be better, but they just are not. Not yet anyway. The Big 10 is going to be brutal, especially in the East. The East has the University of Ohio State, Michigan State, Penn State and Michigan. I mean, come on. If nothing more than the 3 game suspension happens, I feel like the University of Ohio State will win it, and then have to forfeit it after an investigation. If something more comes out, Penn State, MSU, Michigan and Wisconsin all have a shot. I'm going to go with Wisconsin because I think Urban Meyer will get into more trouble, or he will just quit.

As far as "sleeper" teams, I like Boise State, because they are due and Troy. Troy beat LSU in LSU last year. They are a really, really good team. As far as the Heisman goes, if he stays healthy, I'm going with Bryce Love. He is amazing. But, don't sleep on the new guy at QB for Oklahoma, Johnathan Taylor or some defensive player from Clemson. I would not be shocked if a defensive player gets a ton of Heisman love this year.

As far as the playoffs goes, in backwards order from 4-1, I have Stanford at 4, Clemson at 3, Wisconsin at 2 and Alabama at 1. In the 1-4 matchup, I have Alabama beating up on Stanford. In the 2-3 matchup, I'm going with Wisconsin to win a very low scoring, very defensive minded game. So, my title game would pit number 2 Wisconsin versus number 1 Alabama. I know it is boring and dull and seemingly going through the motions, but I have Alabama repeating. Alabama is a much better version of what Wisconsin, and pretty much every other college football team for that point, wants to be. They have the best coach, the best players and they are more talented than everyone they play. I don't like it either, but I have Alabama going back to back.

There it is, my full NCAA football preview. That wraps up all my preseason football coverage. I will reassess everything midway through the year, but this is how I see it playing out now. I'm so excited for football this weekend. This is like my birthday.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He has already penciled Alabama in as the champions of next year. Maybe Michigan can prove him wrong. Come on Wolverines, win it all for Ty.

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John McCain and Neil Simon: The Death of Icons

Over the weekend we lost two icons of American culture. Eighty-One year old former US Navy Hero, Presidential candidate, and longtime Senator from Arizona, John McCain passed away surrounded by family and friends on Saturday. The very next day, American play, and screen, writer Neil Simon passed away at the age of ninety-one. Both men defined their professions, and their era. Both men leave a legacy that will be studied for generations. With the deaths of John McCain and Neil Simon, the eras they helped create are gone, they were their last champions. We can now only reflect on their lives.

It is easier to look at the life of Neil Simon with reverence. The man wrote plays that were not that controversial, yet they influenced us all. Simon wrote stories that were critical and financial successes. The man penned The Odd Couple, The Brighton Beach Trilogy, Barefoot in the Park, Chapter Two, and Lost In Yonkers, and those are just a few from the top of the head. Lost in Yonkers won the Tony Award and the Pulitzer Prize. Neil Simon won all the awards, broke all the box office records, and was the defining comedy playwright of the late twentieth century. Simon's name belongs on the Mount Rushmore of great American playwrights next to Arthur Miller, Tennessee Williams, and Eugene O'Neill. There is no denying the influence Neil Simon has had on the American theater. He is legendary.

(Ed Note: I also owe Neil Simon a debt of gratitude in that the film version of Biloxi Blues made me want to study theater and I was fortunate enough to play Arty in Lost in Yonkers during my senior year of college and then played the father, Eddie, seven years later. I went from looking sixteen to looking forty in less than one decade. Thanks Neil.)

The death of John McCain is not as easy to find automatic reverence. Many people may be mad once they read that sentence, but it is the truth. When someone spends as long as they did in elective office as Senator McCain, there is a long list of accomplishments, and shortcomings, that need to be part of their life story. 

Let's start with John McCain's military service. Anyone who questions what John McCain went through as a POW in Vietnam is a terrible kind of human being. No person, who holds any elected office in the United States of America, has any right to criticize John McCain's time as a POW. You are a coward, and not a patriot, if you use your platform to criticize a war hero. John McCain did not have to go to Vietnam, his father was a freaking US Admiral. John McCain was connected. He could have had multiple deferments and joined the Arizona National Guard, or claimed to be suffering from bone spurs, but he went to fight. He was captured, and he suffered. Navy John McCain is a goddamn hero. There is no debate.

Once out of the Navy, John McCain was a national hero. He was elected by the people of Arizona to serve in the US House of Representatives and then later to the US Senate. The early years of Congressman John McCain were not notable, except for one scandal. In 1989 Senator John McCain was one of five Us Senators accused of corruption in relation to Charles Keating, a chairman in a major savings and loans firm that was failing. Senator McCain was accused of being corrupt in trying to ease the government pressure on Keating. McCain was later cleared of doing anything illegal, but the Senate still said that the young senator exhibited "poor judgement". Those words would follow John McCain for the next decade.

The new millennium brought a new political narrative for Senator John McCain. The 2000 Republican presidential primary saw McCain challenge the establishment pick of George W Bush. The race started off well for McCain, who was using campaign finance as a center point of his campaign. The Arizona Senator won the first primary in New Hampshire, but the next step was South Carolina. McCain's ideas were not on the ballot, but his adopted Bangladeshi child was an issue. The George W Bush campaign never claimed to be involved, but many people loyal to the Texas Governor's campaign did spread rumors that McCain's adopted daughter was actually a blood relative that McCain had as a result of an affair with an African American prostitute. It will never be known if the lie worked, but Bush won South Carolina and marched his way to the Republican nomination. John McCain was destined to be back in his Senate seat.

Having lost the 2000 Republican presidential primary did not stop John McCain from pursuing his dream of campaign finance. The Republican from Arizona teamed up with John Feingold, a Democrat from Wisconsin, to pass the Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act in March of 2002 (the law is usually known as the McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance Law). McCain's embarrassment from the Keating Five scandal was now clean because he was the author of America's first campaign finance regulation.

It was a hollow victory.

The loopholes left in the McCain-Feingold law helped to give rise to "dark money" and "Super PACS". The terribleness of the 2016 election is directly related to what was possible because of the 2002 Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act. McCain-Feingold just put a band aid on a gaping wound.

Yet John McCain's reputation as a rebel in his party, a maverick one may say, was just starting to grow. The media loved Maverick McCain. He is the most frequent guest ever on Meet the Press. Once it was obvious that John McCain would be the 2008 Republican nominee for President, Fox News opened their doors to glowing coverage of the Arizona Senator. Senator John McCain became the goto guy for the Washington DC media. The maverick even landed in political hot water when he had to defend his opponent in the 2008 election from the seemingly slanderous notion of being an Arab. His defense did not work, Barrack Obama easily won the 2008 election for President and John McCain was once again heading back to the US Senate.

It also a very important part of John McCain's political career to point out the fact that he chose Sarah Palin as his running mate in 2008. The rumor is that the maverick wanted to bring in former democrat Joe Lieberman, but the Republican party wanted the Governor of Alaska. The maverick lost, and the party won, and America now had to deal with the Palin part of American politics. The Republican Party has been forever altered because of the ascension of Sarah Palin, and John McCain is responsible for that. 

Since 2008 Senator McCain tried to hold onto to his branding as a maverick. He opposed any policy that allowed for the US to use torture on captured enemy combatants, yet he continually supported the "wars" in Afghanistan and Iraq. It should be noted that McCain did express regret for these military actions in the last few months of his life. He sided with his party in trying to defeat the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare), yet just a few months ago he was the deciding vote in keeping the law alive. McCain endorsed, and campaigned for Mitt Romney in 2012, yet he would not support Donald Trump in 2016. There was never a clear partisan path for McCain, that is why the Washington media loved him. That is why he was always on the television.  

All the way up to last Saturday, John McCain was called a maverick by some circles, and a politically craven opportunist by other circles. Both are right. That is why looking back at the career of John McCain is so difficult. We all (well almost all) can agree with his heroism as a US Navy pilot, but his second act, his political career, is filled with opportunity and missteps. We must celebrate the man for his service, but we cannot excuse his shortcomings. The hero that is John McCain would not have accepted that.

Neil Simon and John McCain are now gone. They will never do another interview, they will never be in attendance for a standing ovation, they will never offer us another word of wisdom, they are gone. Both men were icons of their era, and they are now confined to being a part of the history of their eras. Society will move on, a new voice of the American theater will be crowned, a new maverick will arise in Washington DC. We can only hope that these new voices can be as influential as Neil Simon and John McCain. For better or worse.

RD

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

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2018 NFL Playoffs and Postseason Awards Predictions

I know it is one day late, but today, I have my postseason picks, my awards winners and my Super Bowl matchup and winner, to round out my 2018 NFL coverage. I'll start with the division winners, then my 2 wild cards. I will also start with the AFC because it is so much less competitive than the NFC. After all of my playoff predictions, then I will give my award winners for all the major awards.

Alright, lets go.

The AFC East is a joke. The Patriots are going to absolutely walk with this spot. I have no faith in the Jets, Dolphins or Bills in even having a winning record. The Patriots could win this division by week 10 and I wouldn't be shocked.

The AFC North will be more competitive than the East, but not by much. The Steelers will dominate, and easily win this division. But, the 2nd and 3rd spot will be a fight between the Ravens and Bengals, but it will be a fight to .500. The Browns are the Browns. Wake me when they win 4 games. The Steelers will walk with the North.

The AFC South is the best division in this conference. I'm not joking. If the Texans stay healthy, they could win 10 games. The Titans were in the playoffs last year and won 9 games. The Colts have Andrew Luck back, and he could push them to be competitive. But, the Jaguars have the best defense in football, and they will ride that and their run game to the division crown again. That said, I wouldn't be shocked if three of the 4 teams had, at least, 9 wins.

And finally for the AFC, we have the West. I don't know what to make of this division. The Raiders have talent, but they also have Jon Gruden as their new head coach. The Broncos have a solid defense, led by Von Miller, but they have no run game and are counting on Case Keenum. The Chargers are perpetually a "sleeper" team, but they are already suffering major injuries, and Phillip Rivers is a thousand years old. And the Chiefs still have a great run game, some solid receivers and Travis Kelce. They also have Andy Reid, which is a blessing and a curse. But, they are breaking in a rookie and their defense is suspect, especially after letting Marcus Peters go. That being said, I will take the Chiefs simply because Andy Reid can coach regular season football. He is dreadful in the playoffs, but he is a 9 or 10 win guy every year.

So, my division winners are the Patriots, Steelers, Jags and Chiefs. If I had to put them in order from 1-4, I'd go Steelers, Patriots, Jags and Chiefs. My 2 wild cards will come from the South, and those teams are the Texans and Titans. Round one will pit the 3 seed Jags against the 4 seed Texans and the 4 seed Chiefs against the 6 seeded Titans. I have the Jags and the Titans, just like last season. That would put the 1st seed, the Steelers versus the Titans and the Patriots against the Jags. A little different from last year, but not by much.. But this time, the Jags will beat the Patriots with defense and the Steelers will roll over the Titans. That would give us a Steelers-Jags "rematch". I feel like the Jags are the only team that can stop the Steelers offense, and they will, once again. That's right, I have the Jags in the Super Bowl.

Now, the NFC.

The NFC East is the Eagles to lose. They are loaded everywhere, and when Wentz gets back, they will destroy teams. Washington has an older Kirk Cousins in Alex Smith, no run game and a minimal pass game. The Cowboys are a perpetual 8-8 team as long as Jason Garrett is the head coach. Also, screw Jerry Jones. And the Giants are a dumpster fire, even with Odell Beckham Jr. The Eagles roll.

The NFC North is all about the Vikings and Packers. The Vikings have one of the best defenses in football, a great run game, and what some think, not me, an upgrade at QB. The Packers have Aaron Rodgers, Davante Adams, Geronimo Alison and Jimmy Graham. Unfortunately, their defense is rough. The Lions, bless them, are doomed to regress back to a 6 or 7 win team. I like Matt Stafford, but this team is not great. And the Bears, while they may be on the come up, are still are few years away from being a real threat. Also, I still think Mitch Trubisky stinks. I'm going to go with the Vikings because they are, overall, a better, fuller team. But, the Packers, if healthy, will put up a fight.

The NFC South is real good. It is just like the AFC South. There are three really, really solid teams. The Saints have a run game, a solid defense now, Drew Brees still and a great receiving corps. The Panthers have Cam Newton, and if he plays pissed off, and is out to prove people wrong, they could be great. And the Falcons have Matt Ryan, Julio Jones, Devonta Freeman and Calvin Ridley. They will be deadly on offense. And then there is Tampa Bay. They stink, they have a horrible QB and a horrible coaching staff. They deserve all the bad that is coming their way. I'm going to go with the Saints, but it wouldn't shock me if the Falcons or Panthers won the division. This will be another division with three teams at, or above, .500.

Finally in the NFC we have the West. The Rams are, far and away, the best team. I do not buy the preseason 49ers hype. They have to prove it. The Cardinals are in a transition, and they are getting David Johnson back, but he is coming off a brutal injury. And the Seahawks are not that good. I feel like they don't know it, but they are not good. They cannot protect their QB, run the ball, have no real receiving threat and their defense has been ripped to shreds. They are a 6 win team at best.

So, my division winners, and in order from how I think they will be seeded, Eagles, Vikings, Rams and Saints. My 2 wild cards are the Packers and Falcons. I wanted to put the Panthers in, but I just think the Packers will claim that final spot. The first round in the NFC would pit the 3 seed Rams versus the 4 seed Saints and the 5th seed Falcons against the 6th seed Packers. I think the Rams will beat the Saints because the Rams defense is better, and Todd Gurley is further along than Alvin Kamara. I then have the Packers beating the Falcons in a high, high scoring game. It will be in a dome, and Rodgers and Ryan will light it up. I just feel like the Packers will score a little more and win the game. So, that would put the 1 seed Eagles facing the Packers and the 2 seed Vikings facing the Rams. The Eagles are still loaded, and will be in full stride by this point, and the Packers will not be able to stop them. The Vikings and Rams game will be a slugfest, and just because their defense is a little better, I am going with the Vikings. So, the NFC title will be a rematch, and I feel like it will be much of the same. The Eagles are just way too stacked. They will roll into their second straight Super Bowl.

I have the Jags playing the Eagles. And for as much shit as I gave the AFC, I'm going with the Jags to win it all. I know, sounds crazy, but their defense is so god damn good. They are elite at all three levels, and as we have seen, save for last season, the team with the better defense wins the Super Bowl, and that is the Jaguars. By the way, I just really want to see these 2 play for the Super Bowl.

As far as my award winners, I'm going with Bradley Chubb for defensive rookie of the year. He and Myles Garrett will be the only bright spot for the Browns. They will be the only reason to watch them. For offensive rookie of the year, and there is a bundle of players to choose from, I'm going to go with a QB, and that QB is Josh Rosen. I think he will be great when he replaces Sam Bradford as soon as he gets injured. The Cardinals will close strong, a la the 49ers last year, and it will be because of Rosen. Coach of the Year is going to go to Mike Zimmer. He will have a great, all time defense, and the offense will be better. Also, he deserved it last year and didn't win, so they will make up for that this year. My defensive player of the year, and I'm going way out there with this pick, is Khalil Mack. I feel like he will be on a new team very soon, and he will go and ball the hell out. He will be out to prove how dumb the Raiders are, and he will show it on the field. Also, he is an incredible player. My offensive player of the year, because I am so god damn tired of QB's winning this, is Alvin Kamara. He is the modern Marshall Faulk, and he will only get better this year. He is an amazing talent. Finally, for MVP, I am going to give it to the guy that I thought deserved it last year, and I think will have an even better season this season, Todd Gurley. The Rams use him perfectly, he just got paid and he is great. He should have won it last year, and he will win it this year.

Alright, that is my 2018 playoff preview and award winners. That is all the preseason NFL stuff I have. Please tell me how wrong I am. On Monday I will wrap up all my football previews with a very in depth NCAA football preview. Come back then.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is looking forward to visiting Jacksonville and being the toast of town with his championship pick. Get ready North Florida.

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Urban Meyer Got Away With It, Again

Where Meyer's coaching career belongs. Along with OSU football and the NCAA.

I know that I promised to do my NFL postseason pick, award winners and Super Bowl champs today, but after what happened with Urban Meyer and the University of Ohio State last night, that needs to be addressed.

First off, I am disgusted and disturbed by how corrupt and meaningless the entire NCAA is. They are a futile corporation that only cares about money and their "brand". If this incident happened at any other school, save for Alabama, the NCAA would have stepped in and made sure that the coaches, the AD and the president of the school were all fired. If this was at Michigan or Clemson or Tennessee or TCU or Oregon or, insert any big name university here, they would have done everything in their "power" to make sure something happened. It is truly disgusting that because this is the University of Ohio State, and because the name Urban Meyer is attached, the NCAA let them do the investigation. I read a tweet last night, I wish I remembered who it was, and they said, "shocking that an investigation into Ohio State, done by Ohio State concluded with a minimal suspension to Ohio State". This was a perfect response.

I think most of us knew, at least those of us that watch college football on the regular, knew that Urban Meyer was going to get off scott free. Now I know, he has a three game suspension but come the hell on, that is a slap on the wrist. He misses games against Oregon State, Rutgers and TCU. TCU is the only team that has even a minimal shot of knocking them off. This is just as bad when a player beats up his significant other, and they get a 3 game suspension in the NFL. Also, Meyer still gets to coach practice after week one. He will only be unavailable to be on the sideline for 3 games. He will be able to coach and talk to all players after the first week.

That is appalling.

It is clear that people in Columbus and in the NCAA only care about one thing, and that is their football program being a success. They don't care about safety of women. They don't care if a former coach was knowingly abusing his ex wife and taking lewd photos at the White House. They don't care that their current coach is trying to find a way to permanently erase text messages that could lead to a whole other story. They don't care that not one single person at the University of Ohio State has simply said "sorry" to Courtney Smith. They don't care that Meyer has tried to turn himself into the victim. They just care that the good ole Buckeyes keep winning them some football games.

That is disgusting.

Urban Meyer's press conference last night was an embarrassment. As I said, he painted himself as the victim. He said he followed his head and not his heart, and that is pure bull shit. When asked about Courtney Smith, he said, "we wished it hadn't come to this". When pressed about how he would go on, he acted arrogant and like he did nothing wrong. It is pretty clear that he is a scumbag. He was a scumbag at Florida, where his buddy Zach Smith worked with him, and he also constantly sided with a murderer, and he is still a scumbag today.

And no, this is not my Wolverines bias coming into play. I would be equally disgusted if this happened to Michigan and Jim Harbaugh. I would have a shit ton of clothes and shoes and shorts to get rid of, and I would also have to get a tattoo removed. I would be embarrassed and grossed out if it happened to my team. But, dumbass Buckeye fans are probably feeling like real winners today, just like their sleazy, scumbag liar of a head coach.

This is disgusting and disturbing.

This is clear evidence that Urban Meyer and his whole football program are above the law in Columbus and the NCAA. That is scary. It was also frightening to read the story about what Buckeye fans have been sending to the guy who broke this story first. If you want to be scared and feel even worse for humanity, go read some of the things that were sent Brett McMurphy's way after he broke the story. It is terrifying. There is also a terrifying trend happening in the conference I watch the most this offseason. We obviously have the coach of the University of Ohio State football team lying to everyone and everybody about his knowledge of abuse by a former coach. We have the horrifying story that came out of Michigan State and their gymnastic program, which bled into their football and basketball program. And we have the Maryland story about DJ Durkin. This is very upsetting and makes me scared for what these coaches will do just to make some money.

We live in dark, dark times and sports used to be my outlet. Now, I cannot even enjoy that on a very basic level. What happened yesterday is awful and loathsome. I cannot believe that Meyer and Gene Smith are still employed. I'm shocked at how little they seem to care about what happened to Courtney Smith. And I'm disgusted at the fact that they got away with everything, as I predicted when this story first broke. I'm so disappointed in every party involved. This is a horrible look, and it will only get worse.

This is bad.

Ty

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

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Ty Ranks the 2018 NFL Teams: Some Awesome Kaldi's Cold Brew Edition

Today I have my final four teams in my 2018 NFL preseason countdown. These 4 teams all have a legit shot at the Super Bowl, depending on health. They, on paper, seem to have it in every phase. But, each team does have faults, and I will point some out today. But, all of these teams will be heard from all year. They should all easily win their divisions, and be in the playoffs for sure.

Okay, lets do it.

At number 4 I have the Pittsburgh Steelers. First things first, I despise the Steelers. I hate the Cowboys and Seahawks more, but the Steelers are a close third. I got so much joy watching the Jaguars put it on them, in Pittsburgh, last year in the playoffs. That was amazing. They also have a rapist at QB. People will say that he has changed since he got married and had a kid. But, he still committed sexual assault, multiple times, and he is a garbage person. That being said, when healthy, he can sling the ball around the filed. He is slow, plodding and out of shape constantly, but he is still hard to take down. Although, I love when his punk ass takes a big hit. It is glorious. The Steelers have one of the best running backs, LeVeon Bell, but the dude has never been properly paid by the franchise, and he always seems to get in some kind of small trouble prior to the season. I think these dudes should smoke pot to heal injuries and what not, but be better about hiding it Mr. Bell. But, Bell is one hell of a running back. He is patient, follows his blocks and bursts through the line when he gets his shot. He can also catch the ball out of the backfield. He scores a ton of TD's. Bell is great. The Steelers also have the best receiver in football, Antonio Brown. Brown is amazing. He catches everything. He is faster and taller than anyone covering him. He finds ways to get open all the time. He is so god damn good. He needs to get paid, which I'm sure the Steelers will do. I have nothing but good things to say about Brown. I also like Ju Ju Smith Schuscter and the rookie they took, James Washington. The Steelers are set at receiver. They also have a solid tight end. They have an okay O line. The Steelers are set on offense. Their defense is another story. First off, the whole Ryan Shazier thing was frightening and the NFL should be embarrassed with how they handled that. But, on the field, the Steelers defense is very blah. They should be better, but they aren't. They could not stop the run against the Jags. The secondary also let Blake freaking Bortles torch them with his arm and legs last year. They need to shore that up. But, they can score enough points to be a title contender next year. The offense could even get them home field advantage in the weak AFC.

At number 3, as much as it pains me, I have the Minnesota Vikings(I don't know if this makes you mad or happy RD). The Vikings win with defense. That side of the ball is amazing. They rule at all three phases. They have a stout line, great linebackers, who can cover, and a secondary that covers better and hits with fury. They are a dominant defensive team. I know that didn't show in the NFC title game last year, but that was a blip. They pretty much stopped everyone that came their way last year. I remember how they completely shut down the Packers twice last year. That was basically what they did to every other team. The Vikings defense is elite. On offense, they are good, but not great. I know everyone is going nuts over the Kirk Cousins signing, but not me. They gave him way too much money, all guaranteed, and he has never won anything of signifigance since he became a starting QB. He is more known for shouting, "YOU LIKE THAT!" to some random camera guy than anything he has done on the field. They do get Dalvin Cook back, and he will totally open up the offense. He is shifty, fast and can catch the ball out of the backfield. They have solid tight ends. They have Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen at receiver, and while they are good, are they one year wonders, or will they be able to sustain their newfound success? I don't know. Also, Diggs will always own a special place in all football watchers heart after scoring that miracle TD versus the Saints. The Vikings also have an elite O line. I just don't buy into the Cousins hype. But, if he is better than Case Keenum, which he better damn well be, with all the money they are paying him, the Vikings will be just fine. Their defense will take them very far.

At number 2 I, begrudgingly, have the New England Patriots. They just keep rolling out the same team, with pretty much the same staff, and they keep winning 12 or 13 games and easily win the division. That is what they do. Tom Brady is still elite. He may be the best QB to ever play the game. They don't have much of a run game, but since Corey Dillon retired, did they ever have a run game? Their running backs are just an extension of their passing game. Sure, they hand the ball off, but it is not that overwhelming. The receivers, while not being top notch, always put up numbers. Brady has made a ton of guys a ton of money. Sure, they lost Danny Amendola, Brandin Cooks and Julian Edelman is suspended four games. But, I'm sure they have some dudes in waiting that will be just fine. Look at a guy like Chris Hogan. The Patriots have 5 more of him on their roster. They also have Gronk. Now, I do not like Gronk at all. He is overrated, in my opinion, and if he were on any other team, and not a white guy, people would view him very differently. That is sickening, and his schtick has worn way, way too thin for me. But, he is a matchup nightmare, when he is healthy, which isn't very often. The Patriots defense is awful, but that doesn't really matter because they play in a shitty division, in the crummy AFC, and they always win double digit games. They will do that again, even with a horrendous defense, and most likely be in the Super Bowl once again. The Patriots are the Yankees of football, only they have a sustained 21st century success. I loathe this team.

My final team, the best team in the NFL in the preseason, and on paper, coming in at number 1, I have the Philadelphia Eagles. They won the Super Bowl, didn't lose anyone of importance and added Michael Bennett. I mean, how are they not everyone else's number one team. They have 2 solid QB's that work very well within their system. Carson Wentz is a future star and MVP. Once he is healthy again, he will be the starter and he will lead this team to many, many playoffs appearances. Until then, they have Nick Foles, who beat Tom Brady in the Super Bowl last year. Foles is in the perfect spot for him to come in and do what he is good at doing, then take a back seat when Wentz is back. They have a seemingly endless number of running backs that can do a bit of everything. Jay Ajayi is big and fast. Corey Clement is going to get more carries, and he is a classic running back. I'm sure they have 2 or 3 other dudes that will help them out when called upon. They have Zak Ertz at tight end, and he may be the most underrated tight end in the league. He is good, big, fast and has great hands. He also had the second best TD of the Super Bowl last year. They have Alshon Jeffrey signed long term now, and he blossomed there last year. He is a great, solid and awesome receiver. The O line can run and pass block with the best of them. I know the defense gave up a ton of yards and points in the Super Bowl, but don't get it twisted, they are real good. They can rush the passer very well. They added Michael Bennett, who will help with that, and run stopping, and grit and toughness. They have great, young linebackers. They have a solid secondary. The coaching staff knows how to best utilize the players they have. The Eagles, right now, are the best run team in the NFL, and they have some of the best talent on both sides of the football. I didn't think it would come together for them as quickly as it did, but it did and they are the reigning champs. I don't think it is too wild of a concept to believe they can repeat. They are that good.

There you have it, my 2018 NFL preseason countdown. Come back tomorrow and I will have full playoff predictions, my award winners and my Super Bowl opponents and champs.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is looking forward to the day when he does not need to automatically put New England and Pittsburg in his top four. Maybe he will have that change in 2030.

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Ty Ranks the 2018 NFL Teams: The First Pumpkin Spice Latte of the Season

Day 7 of my NFL preseason preview is starting to feature the best of the best. These teams are all playoff teams. These teams all have All Pro players. These teams all have solid coaching staffs, save the Packers, that are capable of leading the team to the title. They all have legit shots at the Super Bowl.

Lets get to it.

At number 8 I have the Atlanta Falcons. Yes, they took a step back last year. Yes, they blew a 25 point lead in the Super Bowl 2 years ago. Yes, they have some issues that they need to settle with Julio Jones. But, this team is good. They have a very solid QB in Matt Ryan. He is accurate, good in the pocket and throws for tons of yards and TD's. Matt Ryan is a good NFL QB. Hell, he won the MVP 2 years ago. He can play. He is also good in clutch moments. I like their running game. Tevin Coleman is a solid back that can kind of do a bit of everything. Devonta Freeman is a very solid number one running back. They have a great 2 headed monster. As mentioned, they have to get Julio Jones signed, and when they do, they are set at receiver. Jones is right up there with guys like Antonio Brown and Deandre Hopkins for me, and a whole lot of other people. I also love that they were able to draft Calvin Ridley. I feel like Ridley is going to be a great compliment to Jones. They also have Mohammed Sanu, and that dude is good. They are stacked at receiver. The Falcons defense is a bit suspect, but they were better last year. They can stop the run, but they struggle with the pass. They need to get a little better in the secondary, and I'd like for them to shore up their linebacker corps. But, they play just good enough to keep this team in the top ten. I also like the staff, with one exception. Steve Sarkisian shouldn't be an NFL play caller. Hell, he shouldn't be a college play caller. He is not very good at his job. But, the talent supersedes how bad of a play caller he truly is. The Falcons are good. They are a 10 win team easily. They will be in the playoffs.

At number 7 I have the New Orleans Saints. I was very low on them last year and they totally surprised me. They played very good football last year. They found a run game. They found a defense. And Drew Brees went out there and found another guy to turn into a star receiver. Michael Thomas, as much as it pains me to say this, is a legit top wide receiver threat. He is so good down the field and over the middle. He is awesome. Drew Brees has found another guy. Also, Drew Brees is still awesome at his advanced age. He is still a 4,500 yard passer, with a 70 percent completion rate and throws for 25 plus TD's every year. He is one of the best. What will make his career even longer is their newfound run game. Mark Ingram, who will miss the first 4 games after being suspended, played much better last year. He played like the bruising back that we all thought he would be coming out of Alabama. And they found another diamond in the rough in Alvin Kamara. He is the new Marshall Faulk. He is explosive out of the back field. He finds yards were there are no yards. He is excellent at catching balls out of the back field. Kamara is awesome and he will only get better and better. What was even more shocking was the Saints defense last year. They actually stepped up and held teams down. The Saints no longer have to score 40 or 50 points to win a game. They can play fast and slow now because the defense is that good. They can actually stop people. I don't know how Sean Payton did it, probably ridding himself of Rob Ryan, but he now has a defense that will help the offense. The Saints are good and will be a playoff threat as long as Kamara stays healthy. They are easily a 11-12 win team.

At number 6 I have the Green Bay Packers. As you may have saw at the top, I listed the Packers main weakness is coaching. Mike McCarthy is awful. I'm not super stoked about the Mike Pettine and Joe Philbin hires. I hope it works, but I am not optimistic about it. But, the Packers do get Aaron Rodgers back, and he is healthy. Rodgers is one of, if not the, best QB's in football. He is great on the run and in the pocket, has a laser arm and leads this team like no other. He is who they turn to when they are in trouble and need a play. He is the man in Green Bay. They let Jordy Nelson go, and I do not understand the outcry over this. He was always injured and it was becoming a problem. I know he was reliable, but he always missed time. The same can be said for Randall Cobb, but he is so much more explosive than Nelson. I would much rather have Cobb than Nelson right now in their careers. Cobb can also run trick plays. I also love Davante Adams. This is his year to become the number one receiver. He has all the tools, and I think he can have a great season. I also like Geronimo Alison. He has a chance to really make a name for himself. Also, the Packers went out and got Jimmy Graham. I know it doesn't hold the weight in may have 4 years ago, but I like it. I think Graham likes it too. He will be used properly in Green Bay. He could become the end zone threat that he was in New Orleans once again. The Packers need a better run game. I love that Ty Montgomery was willing to shift positions, and while he is an okay back, he is a receiver. That is where he should be. They have a bunch of young dudes, so maybe one of them will step up. But, the run game needs to get better. The Packers defense needs to get better too. They can get much better much faster if they somehow pull off a trade for Khalil Mack. I would jump for joy if this happens. I'm hoping it happens. They need a guy like Mack because they don't have much else. They are a poor pass rushing and run stopping team. They cannot set an edge, and linebackers overrun plays far too much. I do like the secondary, especially Tramon Williams, but they give up too many big plays. This Packers team reminds me of the Saints team when they had no defense. They will win double digit games if Rodgers stays healthy, but they will give up lots of points in doing so. The Packers will return to the payoffs though. Mark it down.

My final team for the day, at number 5, is the Jacksonville Jaguars. I think people are sleeping on a team that was 10 minutes away from playing in the Super Bowl last year. The Jaguars defense is, maybe, the best in the league. They are so young too. They will continue to dominate on that side of the ball, if they can keep most of these guys, for half a decade easily. I mean, Jalen Ramsey, AJ Bouye, Calais Campbell, Myles Jack and Barry Church are all awesome. They are all pro bowlers. They are all top 3 in the league at their positions. They are so, so, so good on that side of the ball. They can stop pretty much any team. They got screwed by the refs in the AFC title game last year, and they still held a league due to this defense. They are elite. The offense, on the other hand, is very bland. Blake Bortles is awful. They need to let it go. I know he was the QB in their run last year, but he is one of the worst starters in the league. Hell, he would have been one of the worst backups. He stinks. They do have a good O line though. They also have a great, young running back in Leonard Fournette. He is big, strong and fast. He needs to be more durable, but damnit, the kid can run the hell out of the football. I also like TJ Yeldon. He is a great change of pace back. The receivers unfortunately have Bortles throwing them the ball. Keelan Cole, Dede Westbrook and Marqise Lee are all good, but they need a better QB throwing them the ball. The Jaguars are going to be a top team once again, and it is all due to the defense and run game. They need to lean on those 2 phases of the game. I do not think a return trip to the AFC title game is out of the question. I like the Jags so much, and it is solely due to their defense.

That is it for today. Come back tomorrow for the top 4 teams.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He does not know the value of Bloke Bortles in a late season fantasy football run. The head editor used Bortles, and his 9 points per game, to eek out a championship last year.

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Ty Ranks the 2018 NFL Teams: McDonald's has a Pretty Decent Cup of Coffee Edition

The weekend is over, and I am back to my preseason NFL countdown. The rest of this week will be all football. I have three more days of my countdown, then I will do all my NFL predictions, and I will finish everything up on Friday with my full college football preview. The rest of my NFL countdown has all teams that could, and probably should, be in the playoffs. They all should end up with winning records as well.

Let's get to it.

At number 12 I have the Tennessee Titans. I actually like the Titans. I actually believe that Marcus Mariota is going to make the leap this year. I feel like Derrick Henry can become a solid number one running back. I believe in Corey Davis. I think their defense is solid. I just do not like the coaching. The coaching staff doesn't feel great. They are trying their best, but I just think other guys could do so much better with the talent they have on their roster. They were boring last year and they kind of limped into the playoffs, but they made it there. They also won a game, which was astonishing to me. As I said, I like Mariota. I think he will finally put it all together. I feel like they have a solid O line. I like Derrick Henry becoming the feature back. I know Davis hasn't been great in preseason, but I don't care about preseason. I love Delani Walker. He is one of the better tight ends in the league. I like their defense overall. They are solid in all three phases. But, as I said, I just do not like the staff. They seem to find a way to hold this team back. They finished last year at 9-7, and while that seems like it could happen again, if Mariota makes that leap, they could be a 10-12 win team. They are a fringe playoff team, but being in the AFC will get them there.

At number 11 I have the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs have some questions. They finally rid themselves of Alex Smith, and I think that will benefit them. He always collapsed in the playoffs. He always fell flat when they needed him most. I know that Patrick Mahomes is a first year starter, and he has looked a little shaky in preseason, but this team has faith in him, and that throw he made the other night was astounding. He looks like he could be good. I like Kareem Hunt. He will take on more of a heavy load this year, and that should benefit him, the Chiefs and Mahomes. The Chiefs don't really have great wide outs. That could be a problem. They do have Travis Kelce, and while he is a poor mans Gronk, he, at least, can stay healthy. He also makes things happen, both good and bad. The Chiefs defense should be better. That being said, they are average. Guys like Derrick Johnson and Tamba Hali should be much better. I love Eric Berry, but he is only one guy, and he can only do so much. The Chiefs will need their defense to step up, especially since this is Mahomes first time starting. He needs the help. A lot of their success depends on Mahomes, but Andy Reid is a good regular season coach, and 10 wins doesn't seem out of the question. I also think they have a very good shot at getting back to the playoffs, and probably blowing their first round game, as they do. I just do not want to count an Andy Reid coached team out of the playoffs.

At number 10 I have the Carolina Panthers. This team's success fully depends on one guy, Cam Newton. I lived through this being a Packers fan with Brett Favre. Come to think of it, I am still living through it with Aaron Rodgers. It is painful, but can also be great. Remember 2 years ago when the Panther were 15-1 and in the Super Bowl? That was all Newton. Then, last year when the refs decided to not call anything against Newton, the Panthers regressed and missed the playoffs. I feel like Newton is out for blood this year. He wants to show that one season wasn't a flash in the pan. I personally think he is great. He definitely needs help on the outside. Devin Funchess is okay, but not great. I have no idea who else they have at receiver, which is a problem. I like Greg Olsen, so does Cam Newton, but he is old, and oft injured. Christian McCaffery is okay, but I do not know if he is the guy they traded up to draft last year. Maybe a year of being a pro will make him better, but I don't know. The Panthers defense is a lot like the Chiefs. They should be better. Their star linebacker is always concussed. He never seems to not get injured. I do not believe he has played a full year yet in his career. They have an okay D line, but they need to get more pressure. Their secondary is fine. The coach, Ron Rivera, this should be a make or break year for him. This team should be so much better, and I think Rivera knows it. I feel like a return to the playoffs is almost a sure thing, especially if Newton plays how I think he will this year. The Panthers should win, at least, 10 games this year. It all depends on Cam, but there could be worse things.

My final team for today, at number 9, is the Los Angeles Rams. I'm not even a Rams fan, never have been, but I'm still a little pissed off at Stan Kroenke for moving them away from Saint Louis. That hatred soared last year when the Rams surprised everyone, and had a great year. Sean McVay proved he can run an offense. He made Jared Goff an okay starting NFL QB. He helped Cooper Kuup make a name for himself. Todd Gurley was finally used as he should be, and I still think he should have been the MVP last year. The O line stepped up. Sammy Watkins, even though he is gone, was solid. All of this was due to McVay and Gurley. Todd Gurley is awesome. Everyone needs to watch him, even if you don't like the Rams. This kid is a real talent. The Rams defense is even better than their offense. They have the best defensive player in the game, assuming they sign him, in Aaron Donald. That dude is amazing. They added Ndamokong Suh next to him. My god that is a deadly D line duo. They have very solid linebackers. They can cover in the secondary. And Wade Phillips, while he wasn't a great head coach, that dude can coach defense. That was McVay's best decision last offseason. As long as they sign Donald, which they definitely should, this defense is going to be tough. The Rams can score and they can stop people. They also have a solid coaching staff. This is a team on the rise for sure. They should easily win their division, and maybe, after last season's playoff debacle, they have learned and will win a game or 2. I do not see anything less than 11 wins for this team.

That's it for today. Come back tomorrow for the next 4 teams.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He knows that players play and coaches talk, but a bad talking coach can make great players play bad. Just look at the Mike Martz era in St. Louis.

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Ty Ranks the 2018 NFL Teams: The Morning K-Cup to get the Day Started

Welcome  day 5 of my 2018 NFL countdown. We are pretty much to the point that all these teams will, at the very least, be .500, if not better. I don't particularly think any of these teams will make the playoffs, due to many different reasons that I will state, but they are darn close.

Okay, here we go.

At number 16 I have the Dallas Cowboys. As you all should well know by now, I despise the Cowboys. I always have, and I always will. Jerry Jones is a piece of human garbage, and he needs to get punched in the face repeatedly for many things. He is a phony, a liar and thinks he is a plantation owner. He treats his players as property, not people. Jerry Jones is the worst in a long, long line of terrible men. All 32 owners, for the most part, are terrible rich white guys, but Jerry Jones is the worst. I LOATHE him. Now that that is out of the way, the Cowboys have a very solid offense, but not a great defense. When the defense implodes when a player like Sean Lee goes down, that is a big problem. While he is a fine line backer, he shouldn't be the best player on that side of the ball. That doesn't make for a contender. Their secondary is abysmal. They are the opposite of what the Seahawks were at their height. They give up way too many big plays. Their D line doesn't get much of a pass rush, and that bums me out because I like Taco Charlton. They just aren't that good on defense. They do have a solid offense. Letting Dez Bryant walk may be the best thing they did all offseason. He never lived up to the hype. I do like Dak Prescott a lot. I wish the best for him. He has had a very tough life, he is a good kid, and I wish him nothing but the best. He is already better than Tony Romo is my opinion. Ezekial Elliott is a woman abuser, and an all around shitty person. He is arrogant, cocky and seems like a drag to hang around with. While he may be a good back, all the outside stuff makes me not like him. I have also heard multiple stories from multiple people saying that he is a dick head. I don't like him. The Cowboys O line is very good too. That is why Elliott gains so many yards, and Prescott barely gets sacked. They do have to replace Bryant, but that will be easy enough. What holds this team back is their horrid defense and Jerry Jones. I hope this team continues to lose while he is still the owner. That would be sublime. The Cowboys are plus .500 team, but not a playoff team.

At number 15 I have the team from Washington. Now, I do not thing Kirk Cousins is as good as others do, but to replace him with Alex Smith is baffling. He is just an older, more hit version of Cousins. I know he had a decent year last year, but Andy Reid, while being a horrible playoff coach, is a great regular season coach, especially for QB's. Alex Smith's best days are far behind him. They also already lost their rookie running back to a torn ACL on the third play of preseason. I thought Derrius Guice had a chance to be decent, but now he will miss the entire year. The O line isn't that great either. Smith will get pummeled, and whoever is the running back, they will find it hard to gain yards. They also don't really have many solid receiving threats. Vernon Davis is a million years old. Josh Doctson is a bust. And I don't know anyone else at that position. The defense is so so. They can get a bit of pressure, and they have some solid cover guys. But, they are not much to write home about. I also feel like a guy like Ryan Kerrigan is a bit overrated. Also, while I loved Vita Vea in college, I believe he is hurt too. They won't stop too many people. It is sad to say, but this team will regress because they let Cousins go. Again, I do not think he is great, but Alex Smith is not an upgrade. 8-8 is their destiny.

At number 14 I have the Detroit Lions. First of all, I do not think Jim Caldwell deserved to be fired. He led that team to the playoffs, and they were much mote competitive than they should have been, given the roster. And the hiring of Matt Patricia is questionable. He definitely committed some kind of sexual assault that was covered up, and his "expertise" lies in defense. Well, his Patriots defense got ripped apart all season last year, especially in the Super Bowl. Also, the Lions problems lies with their defense. They are a sieve. Besides Ezekial Ansah, they don't really have anyone else of note. Ansah is great, but no one pays attention to him because the Lions defense is just not good. And I don't think Patricia is the right guy to fix it. He is going to have a tough time. The Lions offense though, they are good. Matthew Stafford is a solid QB. He doesn't deserve the money he is getting, but the dude is solid. He trusts his arm far too much, but he has a great arm. I also thought he was going to regress when Calvin Johnson retired, but he didn't. He has made guys like Golden Tate and Kenny Golladay viable receivers. He uses his tight end, Eric Ebron, perfectly. The Lions don't have much of a run game, and that hurts them in tight games when they need to salt the clock away. The Lions will score plenty, but they will also give up a ton of points. I could see them setting a scoring record, but also giving up a record number of points. I have always had a soft spot for the Lions, because of Barry Sanders, but they just don't have quite enough to be a playoff contender. 8-8 or 9-7 seems right to me.

My final team for the day, at number 13, I have the Houston Texans. This team is being held back by 2 things, the coach and injuries. Bill O'Brien is mediocre at best. He has just failed upwards. Just because he once challenged Tom Brady, Penn State, and now the Texans gave him a head coaching job. He hasn't done much since taking over both spots. He is a poor play caller, and he acts like a real asshole. I wouldn't be shocked, if this team misses the playoffs, if the Texans finally fire him. Injuries also plague this team every year. JJ Watt is never healthy. They cannot keep a running back on the field. They lost their star QB to a torn ACL in a non contact drill at a practice last year. They just cannot stay healthy. Also, their owner, is right up there with Jerry Jones. He is a horrible human being. He is the owner who made the "inmates running the asylum" comment talking about the protests last year. He is the guy that forced his best player, Deandre Hopkins, to walk out of a practice after making those comments. He is a monster. I hope he loses all his money in a pyramid scheme. Now, if the Texans can stay healthy, they should be, at the very worst, second in their division, and fighting for a playoff spot all year. JJ Watt needs to stay healthy, which he hasn't done in 2 years. Pair him with Jadaveon Clowney, who is so great, that is a great pass rush duo. Clowney is so much better than Watt too. He is an amazing football player. Now that known steroid user Brian Cushing has retired, I think that will be better for the defense. Other, younger guys will be able to step in and play. And the secondary is fine. They're not great, but they are solid. On offense, this team has the QB of the future. I have always been a Deshaun Watson fan, and the 7 games he played in last year only furthered how much I like him. He is a very, very good QB. He has the tools to be one of the best. He is a taller, more accurate Russell Wilson. He is a faster and taller Drew Brees. He is awesome. He just needs to stay healthy. Those of us that still watch football need a player like Watson to play because he is so wonderful. Now, he doesn't have much of a run game. He can kind of make that not a problem with his legs, but the Texans need to get a running back worth his salt to help Watson out. What Watson does have is Deandre Hopkins. Hopkins is one of the best in the game. He runs great routes, makes incredible catches and is easily the leader of the team. He is criminally underrated. If Hopkins played on a better team, he would be mentioned with guys like Antonio Brown and Julio Jones. Deandre Hopkins rules. The rest of the receiving corps is fine. But, when you have a number one like Hopkins, that makes the rest of the positon unit look so much better. The O line is blah. But, again, a guy like Watson kind of blurs their problems. The Texans can be very good, like 10-12 win good, if they can stay healthy. But, they most likely won't, O'Brien will make some dumb calls and the owner will divide the locker room at some point this year. The Texans should win, at least 10 games, but I bet they end up 8-8, or 9-7. I hope not because I adore Deshaun Watson, but that is what the Texans do.

That's it for today. Come back next week for the top 12. The best of the best.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He knows that Texas is a big state with some great people. It just really sucks that two of the worst Americans happen to own the two football teams in the state.

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Ty Ranks the 2018 NFL Teams: Gas Station Cappuccino Edition

Before I get into day 4 of my NFL preview, I need to say RIP to Aretha Franklin. She was one of, if not the, greatest souls singers of all time. She had a magnetic voice, and I loved every song she sang. Her version of "Respect" is wonderful. Her "A Change is Gonna Come" is fantastic. She was amazing, and she will be sorely missed. Rest in Peace Aretha Franklin, you are a legend.

Okay, lets get into my NFL preview.

Today I have teams 20- 17. Some people may see these teams and think, why are they so high or low. It needs to be stated that I think none of the teams I mention today are playoff contenders or hopefuls. These teams will win 9 games at the very, very best. Okay, on with it.

At number 20 I have the Chicago Bears. I view the Bears pretty much the exact same way I view the 49ers. I know I had the 49ers at 21 and the Bears at 20, but they are pretty much interchangeable. Both teams have a QB that is getting a ton of hype. I don't believe in Jimmy Garropolo, as I stated yesterday, but I really don't believe what is being said about Mitch Trubisky. I do not think he is good at all. He is a bust. I pretty much have no doubt about that. He is inconsistent and, for being considered a dual threat, kind of plodding. Playing out of shotgun may help, but I don't think so. Some may think he will have a Jared Goff type jump in his second year, but I don't. Also, Goff has a hell of a running game behind him, which leads me to what I actually like about the Bears. They have a great 1-2 punch at running back. Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen are perfect compliments for one another. Howard is more the traditional type bac, and Cohen can run and make catches. They are good. I don't really believe much in their pass game, mostly due to Trubisky. But, they don't really have many solid receivers. They lost their best one last year, Alshon Jeffrey, and they never really replaced him. The Bears defense is okay, but not great. Their best player is a rookie that they just signed. Roqoun Smith is awesome, and I have mad respect for him for fighting the team until he got what he wanted. But outside Smith, the Bears defense is thin. They will give up points, and the offense won't be able to utilize their best aspect, the run game, as much as they should. 7 wins seem like the ceiling, and that is sad because I bet Bears fans would kill for 7 wins.

At number 19 I have the Cincinnati Bengals. Sorry RD, I don't know if this is too high or low (ed note: Way too high), and that is the problem. Also, I cannot believe they brought Marvin Lewis back. (ed note: ughhhh) What has he done to continually get contract after contract after contract? It's confounding. He's an okay coach, but he has done all he can do with this team. Which leads me to the rest of the team. They are, for the most part, just like Lewis. Andy Dalton is trash, and he will never be the franchise QB they thought he was. How have they not cut him yet. Their run game is as bland as baked chicken. Gio Bernard is not nearly as good as he was that one year. Also, Joe Mixon shouldn't be in the league. Tyler Eifert is going to get hurt. The only solid player they have is AJ Green, and he deserves so, so, so much better. They should trade him, but they won't, or if they try, they will find a way to screw it up. The Bengals defense is dirty, and not good. Vontez Burfict is already suspended. They have no secondary. This team is just dry and boring and not very good. I feel like they will win, maybe, 6 games, but somehow that will be enough to get Marvin Lewis another extension. Sorry Bengals fans, you guys are in some type of awful purgatory. Maybe it will end soon.

At number 18 I have the Oakland Raiders. The Raiders were like the Buccaneers to me last year. In fact, I had them in the AFC title game. Boy was I wrong. They imploded last year. Derek Carr totally regressed. They had no real run game, even after signing Marshawn Lynch. Amari Cooper dropped every pass that was thrown his way, except for the one game that I sat him on my bench in fantasy football and he went off. Their O line, their supposed strength, was not great. I don't know how they remedy all that this year. And on defense, they are in the dumbest kind of stand off with their best player, and team leader, Khalil Mack. Mack is a great, great linebacker, and the Raiders are being so dumb with the contract negotiations. Also, they have no one, and I mean NO ONE, that is near his talent level. They need Mack if they want any semblance of a defense. They have an old secondary, an even older D line and only Mack at linebacker, who they will most likely trade. Also, they gave Jon Gruden a 10 year 100 million dollar contract to be their coach. What the hell?! That is nuts. He was never really that good a coach. Yes, he won a Super Bowl, but that seems lost in the wind. Besides that one year, he was worse than average. And he has been away from the game for a decade. Jon Gruden will not be a viable head coach. The Raiders are a mess again. They had their window, and it seems like it has already closed. Please trade Mack to the Packers. That would be awesome.

My final team for the day, at number 17, I have the Los Angeles Chargers. I need to get this out of the way first, I'm sick of every other football writer, for what seems like the last 3 or 4 years, saying that the Chargers are their "sleeper" team. The Chargers always shit the bed, so why is this year any different? Well, they do have a very good defense, with some young, super talented guys. That defense should be enough for a couple wins. They have an exceptional pass rush as well. No, the defense is not the problem. What the Chargers lack, and what will continue to hold them back from being a "sleeper" team, is their QB. While I think Phillip Rivers is better than some other guys out there, namely his draft mate Eli Manning, he has never, in his entire career, played in a big time playoff or regular season game. Sure, he puts up numbers, throws for 4,000 yards a year and 25 plus TD's, but it all feels hollow to me. He is old. He has taken too many hits. He talks too much shit for a dude that has never won an important game. He blames everyone around him. Rivers is old, and I feel like the Chargers need to move on. As far as the rest of the offense goes, Melvin Gordon had a much better second year, but he is not the player the Chargers thought they were getting when they drafted him top 15 two years ago. He also fumbles a lot. They do have Keenan Allen, but he is a few concussions away from being out of the league. Oh, and Antonio Gates is back again, but he isn't a quarter of the guy he was 5 years ago. The Chargers are a lot like the Bengals on offense. They are stuck back in time, and have no intentions of changing. That will continue to hold them back. Phillip Rivers has done all he can for this franchise, which is nothing, and they need to find his replacement now. I'm sure other writers will still call them a "sleeper", and claim that this year they will finally "make the leap". Well, I don't buy it. 8-8 looks like their best case scenario.

That does it for today. Come back tomorrow for the next 4 teams. We are getting oh so close to real playoff contenders.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He has way too much faith in the Cincinnati football team. Winning is bad for the Bengals. That means more people will come to the Queen City and see their terrible tax payer funded stadium. The Bengals don't want that.

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Ty Ranks the 2018 NFL Teams: Folgers Coffee with Powdered Creamer Edition

Welcome back to Day 3 of my annual NFL preview. These are not the worst teams, but they are also not very good.

Let's get to it.

Today's preview begins with the team that I think will be one spot ahead of the Seahawks in the same division, coming in at number 24, the Arizona Cardinals. The reason I have the Cardinals one spot ahead, they have a better defense, but that is it. The Cardinals actually have a very solid defense. I know they lost Tyrann Mathieu, but they still have Patrick Peterson, and that is more than enough to make up a solid secondary. Their line backing corps is so so, but their D line is stout. They can stop teams. They also have a new, defensive minded head coach. I liked Bruce Arians, but his time was up. Their offense is why I have them this far down. Yes, Carson Palmer finally, mercifully retired. He is the quintessential "what could have been" QB. If his knee didn't get shredded in the playoff game years ago, he could have been one of the greats. Since that injury though, he was so up and down for the rest of his career. Last year was rough. They still have Larry Fitzgerald, and he is an all time great. He is the best receiver of my generation. He might be the second best receiver ever, behind only Jerry Rice. Unfortunately, he never got much help. The Cardinals have other receivers, but they are all short, burners. They are fast, but that is it. They do get David Johnson back, but how good will he be coming off that gruesome injury last year? Time will tell. If he is anything close to what he was 2 years ago, the Cardinals might be a surprise. But, it is too early to tell. To replace Palmer the Cardinals drafted Josh Rosen. Rosen was my favorite QB in the draft, and I think he will be a solid NFL player. But, he does have turnover problems, and he trusts his arm way too much. He is the type of player that needs one year in waiting before he takes over. Unfortunately, Sam Bradford is the other option at QB. He is going to get hurt, and that will force Rosen into action. That is what Bradford does. The Cardinals should be better, but they won't because their offense is so suspect. I like this team, but 7-9 feels like their ceiling. But, I do feel like Rosen is a QB they can build around.

At number 23 I have the Buffalo Bills. Can someone explain to me what in the hell this team tried to do this offseason? It makes absolutely no sense. They let Tyrod Tylor go, and he led them to the playoffs last year. They traded up to take Josh Allen, my least favorite QB in the draft, when they could have gotten him at their original spot. They have this whole LeSean McCoy fiasco going on right now. Kelvin Benjamin is out here taking shots at Cam Newton. It is baffling. This team was in the playoffs last year, and now, I think they might be one of the worst teams in the NFL. The QB battle is between Nathan Petermann, of the 4 interceptions in the first half of a game fame, AJ McCarron, who is better known for having a very attractive wife, and the aforementioned Josh Allen. Yeesh. I'd much rather have Tyrod Taylor. Who knows what is going on with that run game. Benjamin is their best wide out, and that is not saying much. The O line is okay, but that doesn't really matter. The offense is a mess. The defense is solid though. They will keep them in games. They have heavy hitters, good coverage guys and can rush the passer. The playoff game against he Jags last year was an affront to football, but the Bills did play great defense in that game. The Bills made too many dumb offseason moves to make a return to the playoffs. They will regret letting Tyrod Taylor go. This is a 6 win team at the very best. I'm still shocked at their offseason.

At number 22 I have the Baltimore Ravens. First things first, I love that they traded up to take Lamar Jackson. He should be their QB of the future. I love Lamar Jackson, and I think with a few years of learning the NFL game, he could be Mike Vick 2.0. But, until then, they still have Joe Flacco. Flacco reminds me a lot of a guy like Joe Theismann. Both weren't that great of pros, but because they won a Super Bowl, they get undue credit. Flacco has a monster arm, but he is inaccurate, slow, makes dumb decisions and he just doesn't seem to care. He is not a good QB, and I don't really think he ever was. They do have a solid run game, which they should rely on more than they do. I also like that they brought in Michael Crabtree. But, it is all a wash when you remember that Joe Flacco is the starting QB. Their defense is okay, but that is it. Everyone is just old. I love Terrell Suggs, but I feel like he has been in the league for a billion years. They have that solid corner that played at Colorado, but he is in his sixth or seventh year. I feel like this team is just begging to bring back Elvis Dumervil, or sign a guy like Dwight Freeney, because they need some older dudes on that side of the ball. I like John Harbaugh. He has won a Super Bowl, and he is Jim Harbaugh's older brother. But, it might be curtains for him if he continues to stick with Flacco. Flacco will only continue to hold this team back. They have 7-9 or 8-8 written all over them. 

My final team for the day, coming in at number 21, is the San Francisco 49ers. I know, I know, they have all the hype in the world, but I do not buy it. They will most likely get second in their division, but it is only because the Seahawks are going to take a major step back, and the Cardinals are a team filled with uncertainties. The Rams, I will get to them next week, are light years ahead of them. Also, everyone is saying this team is on the rise because they now have a franchise QB, Jimmy Garropolo. I think he is okay, but he is not a franchise QB. Just because they won their last three games with him at QB, against poor competition, doesn't make him suddenly great. Just because he played in New England and sat behind Tom Brady doesn't make him great. Just because he is handsome doesn't make him great. Just because Kyle Shanahan called plays in Matt Ryan's MVP year doesn't make Garropolo great.  In the three game she started he threw 7 TDs to 5 interceptions. Yes, they won all three, but who cares. Outside of Jimmy G, what do the 49ers truly have. They have the rotting corpse of Pierre Garcon. Great. They have no real run game. Their O line is suspect. I don't even know any other skill players on that side of the ball. And on defense, they aren't there yet. I like Soloman Thomas. Richard Sherman was an okay pickup, but he is coming off a torn ACL. Reuben Foster is a woman abuser. DeForest Buckner is a bit undersized. And Arik Armstead is just not cutting it yet. I have no real faith in their defense. So, don't listen to people like Bill Simmons, or any writer on The Ringer's NFL staff, because they all love Jimmy G. That is the only reason why those guys think they will "take the leap" this year. I am very curious to see how Garropolo performs with high expectations, and as the starter from day one. I see a very similar dynamic between him and Matt Cassel after he left the Patriots. Don't get your hopes that high 49er fans. You guys still have a ton of work to do.

That does it for today. Come back tomorrow for my next 4 teams.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Unlike Joe Flacco, there is no debate on if Ty is an elite sports knower. Ty is elite. End of debate.

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Ty Ranks the 2018 NFL Teams: The Bottom of the Coffee Pot Edition

Day 2 of my NFL preview, and I will be counting down teams 28-25. I will say before I get started, one of the teams may be a surprise to some. But, with what they did this offseason, it really shouldn't be.

Okay, here it goes.

At number 28 I have the New York Jets. Now, I thought the Jets were going to be, hands down, the worst team last year, and they won 5 games, with Josh McCown as their starting QB. That doesn't seem like a lot, but when you look at this roster, that is an achievement. Dare I say, Todd Bowles is a solid head coach. Well, I should say, he can coach defense. That defense kept them in more games than they should have been in. Jamal Adams is a burgeoning star. He is a hard hitting safety, and when his coverage skills catch up, he will be an all time great. They have a solid D line, linebackers and an okay secondary. What holds this team back is their offense. They only won 5 games last year, and they were not shoot outs. This a team that wants to control the ball. They want to run and they are happy to win 17-13 or 10-7. Unfortunately, they don't really have much of a run game, especially since Matt Forte called it quits. They also don't really have good enough receivers. They also don't have much of a tight end. Their O line is suspect. They went out and drafted Sam Darnold and signed Teddy Bridgewater, but that feels like a reach and a last chance. Darnold could be good, but he was a turnover machine in college. Bridgewater looked like the Vikings QB of the future, and then he almost lost his leg. They do still have McCown, but I feel like 5 wins is his ceiling. So, while the Jets have a solid defense, and a solid head coach, their offense is horrendous, and that will keep them from getting anymore than 5 wins this year. They will not be in any Super Bowl any time soon. Also, Sam Darnold might be the next Mark Sanchez.

At number 27 I have the Denver Broncos. This needs to be said, I loathe the Broncos, and I despise John Elway. The fact that he got Peyton Manning near the end, and won a ring with him disgusts me. That Super Bowl was won by their phenomenal defense that year. Speaking of which, what happened there? They do still have Von Miller, and he rules, but where is everyone else? Did they all get snapped by Thanos and disappear into the ether? They have no one else on that side of the ball, and that makes me feel bad for Miller. He deserves so much better. He is a once in a generation talent. He is the Derrick Thomas, or even Bruce Smith, of this generation. The Broncos offense is just as bad as the Jets, but no one says so because they are the Broncos and John Elway is their GM. They started Trevor Siemian for most of last year. He is horrible. I watched him play college football live once and knew he wasn't that good. The fact that they thought they could win with him was hilarious. When they finally realized he was garbage, they turned to Paxton Lynch. Well, he was worse, and there is video evidence of him crying on the sideline of a meaningless late season game to prove how bad he is. People say that shows his competitive edge, I think it shows that he now hates the game of football. They also brought back Brock Osweiler for some unknown reason, and he was terrible of course. The Broncos also have no run game. They lost CJ Anderson, and now they have a platoon with some guy I don't know, and Devontae Booker. I took Booker with the second to last pick in my fantasy draft, and I was mad at myself for doing so. He is so poised to gain 200 yards and score zero touchdowns this year. But don't worry, you still have 5 foot tall Emmaunel Sanders, who is bound to get concussed, and Demayrius Thomas, who I think I am faster than. The Broncos stink. They are going nowhere fast, and it is because Elway has no idea what he is doing.

At number 26 I have the Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins are riddled with injuries, bad players and a bad coach. This is the same team that did give Jay Cutler 10 million dollars last year to be a doofus for them. But now they have Ryan Tannehill back, for maybe a month. He is going to get injured, that is what he does. He will never live up to this potential. They have no run game. They let their best receiver go to the Browns for nothing. Their O line is trash. The defense isn't much better. They did get off of Suh's enormous contract, but hell, he was the only halfway decent guy they had on that side of the ball. I guess Cameron Wake is okay too. But other than that, they have nobody that can stop anybody. Sure, they will get their one glorious win in the regular season over the Patriots like they do every year, but other than that, who cares. This team is not very good, and they need an entire new staff. Adam Gase is not a head coach. I'm just waiting for a story about him where he overworks someone. He seems like that type of dude. The Dolphins are not going to any Super Bowl now, and possibly never in my lifetime.

My final team for the day, my surprise team I teased at the beginning, at number 25, I have the Seattle Seahawks. The Seahawks have thudded like no other the past 2 seasons. They crapped out early in the playoffs 2 years ago, and last year, they missed out entirely. Now, this team has put all their eggs into the Russell Wilson basket. While he is solid, I would not build my team around him. Also, he is going to get hurt at some point because the O line is so atrocious. They might be the worst one in the league. They also have no run game, partly because of the line, but also, they haven't had anybody that good since Marshawn Lynch was let go. They have trotted guys out there, but none have been worth their salt. The receivers, minus Doug Baldwin, who I'm not even that high on are no better than third or fourth, or slot options. They have no tight end either. They also couldn't figure out how to use Jimmy Graham, one of the better tight ends in the league, so they just must not care about that position. I think last year proved how far this team could go with Wilson as "the guy". The defense, what they used to be built around, is gone. Michael Bennett, Richard Sherman and basically Earl Thomas, he wants out of there so bad, are gone. Sure, they might be passed their prime, but now, they have to replace all of them. I'm also sure Kam Chancellor will get hurt, and Bruce Irvin already played his best football. This team's defense is a total shell of its former self, and they are not the unit they once were. They cannot really stop anyone. They don't strike fear in anyone anymore. The Seahawks had a solid run, hell, they even won a Super Bowl, but they are done as a dominant franchise. The offense may put up numbers, but the defense will not be able to stop anyone. They are on the downswing.

That does it for today, come back tomorrow for the next 4 teams.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is very happy to get the hate out of the way for the Broncos and Seahawks. The next few posts should be filled with hapiness, that is until Washington DC.

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Ty Ranks the 2018 NFL Teams: The Taste of Day Old Coffee Edition

Today marks the beginning of my third straight NFL preseason preview. I will do the same thing as always, I will do 4 teams a day, going from worst to best, giving a few reasons why I put them where I put them, and how, if they have any shot, they can win the title. No fuss, mo muss. Also, on the ninth day I will do post season predictions, award winners and who I think will play, and win, in the Super Bowl.

Okay, lets go.

At number 32 I have, and who would have thought this, the Cleveland Browns. It is hilarious to me that professional journalists keep saying that this team is finally going to turn it around. I have heard this same nonsense for the past 2 years, and now, it is white noise to me. The Browns are the Browns, and what that is, is a terrible football team. Hue Jackson, while a decent coordinator, is a horrendous head coach. His record these past 2 years you ask, 1-31. That is abysmal. How he still has that job is far, far beyond me. But, the product they put on the field is an affront to football. They lost their best player to retirement this offseason, so it will only get worse for them from here. You may be asking, "who was their best player Ty?". It was lineman Joe Thomas. That is how bad it is for the Browns. Their best overall football player was a 300 plus pound offensive lineman. And enough with the Baker Mayfield hype. I wrote last week how overblown it has already become after one preseason game. He has bust written all over him. They "juiced" up their receiving corps by giving slot man Jarvis Landry is absurd amount of money. I don't even know who their running back is. This offense is a mess. And, it doesn't get any better on the other side of the ball. The defense has some guys, but those guys are either not ready, Denzel Ward and Jabrill Peppers, or too old, or too hurt. This team is a joke of a franchise. They are going nowhere fast. They may have made the overreach of the century taking Mayfield first overall. All you professional pundits that are saying, "this is the year", knock it off. The Browns stink, and if they win 2 games, I would be shocked. They have zero shot of going to the playoffs, let alone the Super Bowl.

At number 31 I have the New York Giants. Again, preseason hype for a rookie needs to grind to a total halt. Yes, Saquon Barkley looked wonderful the other night, but it was a preseason game against the Browns. Don't put too much stock in it. I know Giants fans will say they finally got rid of the problem, head coach Ben McAdoo, but he isn't the problem, and Pat Shurmur sure as hell isn't the solution. The problem is Eli. It really always has been. I know he has won 2 Super Bowls, but it was through no doing of him. His receivers made miraculous catches, and those Giants defenses were some of the best. Eli is trash. He should have retired 3, maybe 4 years ago. He is not a good QB. Others will say, "but Odell is back, and Evan Engram is in year 2". So what. Odell will either get hurt or demand a trade by week 6, mark it down. And Evan Engram is a glorified wideout masquerading as a tight end. He doesn't block, and isn't that great downfield. Also, Eli Manning is "throwing" them the ball, so it doesn't matter how good they may be when it takes decades to get the ball to them. Also, their O line is so awful. The Giants offense stinks. As far as their defense, now that Jason Pierre Paul is gone, I cannot name a single guy, and I watch a ton of football. This team is flat out bad in every phase of the game. I was kind of excited to see what Barkley could do, but then I remembered his line, and then I heard he was in talks to be a punt and kick returner. That is bad, bad news if true Giants fans. This year will be no fairy tale 9-7 season where you limp into the playoffs and somehow win the Super Bowl. They look a lot more like 3-13 or 4-12 team to me.

At number 30 I have the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Now first off, I am pissed at myself for believing in them last season. I thought for sure they were going to take the next step. They did not. They regressed hard core. Jameis Winston stinks at football, and is even worse at life. This dude is just a bad person, and a bad football player. I do not understand why he gets chance after chance after chance. The Bucs need to cut bait now, before it just gets worse. He is an infection. Desean Jackson deserves better. Mike Evans prime is being wasted. They have no run game. They love to punt the ball. The defense, while they have Gerald McCoy, they don't really have anything else. Poor McCoy has to spend his prime on a lower tier football team. He is so good, but he is only one player. He needs help, and the Bucs defense provides him with nothing. They also play in a super competitive division too, so playoffs and Super Bowls are very unlikely. And, Dirk Koetter is somehow still employed by this team. Again, kicking myself that I bought into his hype. He is a shitty coach of a shitty football team with a shitty face of the franchise. I despise Tampa, and this is exactly what they deserve.

My final team for today, at number 29, the Indianapolis Colts. And they are only this "high" because Andrew Luck may, finally, be healthy again. He is throwing a real football at least. They also skirted Josh McDaniels, after he cried his way back to New England, which may be a good thing. I don't know much about Frank Reich, he looks, talks and acts like the definition of milquetoast. But, all that sounds better than some crybaby who couldn't hack in in Denver, goes back home, takes another job, and at the last second decides he isn't ready. Josh McDaniels stinks. Maybe Reich won't be so bad. But after that, it is rough. T.Y. Hilton is still there, and while he is effective, he is so much more suited as a second or third option. Frank Gore is gone, and while he is old, he was reliable as hell. That dude never quit. I do not know who their new running back is. Jack Doyle is fine, as long as Luck is the QB. And the O line is a bit below average, but not horrendous anymore. But, that offense all hinges on Luck. If he is healthy, and can throw a real ball, they will be okay. If he is gone, they will be awful. The defense is a lot like the Giants to me. I do not really know anyone on that side of the ball for the Colts. That may be good, but it seems more ominous to me. They also got lit up against not even very good teams last year. The Colts are not the darlings they once were. They are not playoff contenders anymore. They are the worst team in the division they used to own now. But, and it is a very big BUT, if Luck can stay healthy, they will win more games than many think. And by more games, I mean 5, possibly 6. The Colts are bad, and they will be for awhile.

That does it for today. Come back tomorrow for teams 28-25. Football is almost back.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He thinks it may be time to move the Browns again. Maybe the team could win a game in a NCAA Division III? 

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It is Already Time to Pump the Brakes on the Baker Mayfield and Saquon Barkley NFL Hype

Last night the number one and two overall picks in the most recent NFL draft faced off. Baker Mayfield and the Browns played Saquon Barkley and the Giants in both teams first preseason game. There was plenty of hype coming into this game. Both teams wanted to see what these guys could do against NFL players.

How did it all go?

Now, it needs to be said that both players did not face most of the other team's first string defense, as is the case in most preseason games. Both guys played well. I believe Barkley took his first carry for a TD, or maybe a long run. Either way, he came out of the gates great. Mayfield played well too. He looked poised, was threading needles and threw 2 touchdowns.

So, how did the sports media treat this nothing game?

The hype this morning grew to an all time high. Everything I saw was headlined with words like, "These guys were worth the risk", or, "Mayfield and Barkley are poised to be super stars", or, "looks like both teams have their new star player to build a team around". There was a lot of other stuff along these same lines. People were going nuts. Social media was even crazier. Giants and Browns fans were obnoxiously claiming that these guys were the future of football. It was intense.

To all this I say, calm the hell down. It was the first preseason game for both teams. Neither guy faced anyone that they will face in a real football game. Both guys are going to have moments like this, but they will also have moments where the game seems much, much to big for them. I know people like to crown guys early and often in football, but when it comes to a Browns QB, and a high first round running back for the Giants, I would think the fans would know better. I would think they would be very cautious with their praise. I think they would be waiting to crown these guys until they did this stuff in the 10th game of the regular season, and had done it all year.

Look, I have very little expectations for Mayfield. I think the Browns reached when they drafted him first overall. They had another pick, number 4, where they could have gotten them. Hell, I think they had another later first round pick where Mayfield may have still been available. But, they jumped at the chance to take him first overall. After all, he was the Heisman winner and had 2 great college seasons. He also dazzled at the combine and at his pro day. I feel like they thought they had no other choice but to pick him number one overall. Well, guys like Jamarcus Russell, David Carr, Joey Harrington, Akili Smith, they all had this same type of hype heading into the draft. Where are all those guys now? How did they fare in their NFL careers? And I don't remember exactly how well they played in their first preseason games, but I'm sure they did just as well as Mayfield. The kid is very short, and he isn't Drew Brees or Russell Wilson. He is also a hard core malcontent, but no one ever mentions that because he is white. Yeah, I said it. Mayfield is like Johnny Manziel 2.0. Yes, he looked good last night, but wake me up when he does this against a real team in a real game. If he wins more than 4 games as a starter this year, I will be absolutely shocked. I have absolutely no faith in him as a quality starter, let alone a player to build around, and who will be in the MVP conversation year after year.

As far as the Barkley hype goes, this is specifically for you Giants fans, wasn't Ron Dayne this good in his first preseason? How did that turn out? Yes, Barkley is more versatile than Dayne was, but the Giants had a better team, and more importantly, a better offensive line when Dayne was there, and he was a total bust. The Giants stink right now, and their offensive line is horrendous. Also, Eli freaking Manning is their starting QB. I also heard that the Giants were flirting with Barkley as a kick and punt returner. What the hell are they thinking. Do they want this kid to get hurt before he can do anything that compares to what he did last night? The Giants are in need of a full rebuild, especially at QB, but they went with the best athlete in the draft, and he just happens to be a running back. Barkley reminds me a lot of Ezekial Elliot, minus all the physical abuse that Elliot has done to woman. The only exception, Elliot had a solid O line in Dallas. The Giants do not have that. You know what else the Cowboys have that the Giants don't? A competent QB. Yeah, Dak Prescott took a step back last season, but he is still much, much, much, much better than Eli Manning. So while Barkley is one hell of an athlete, he has no chance to succeed due to a terrible QB and an O line that will get him murdered by week 3. Someone like Michael Bennett or Jadaveon Clowney, or insert big time defensive player here, will be licking their chops waiting to crush this rookie. And that Giants O line will let that very thing happen.

What I am trying to say is, calm the hell down after one preseason game, especially since they played one another. I'm going to start my preseason NFL countdown next week, and a little sneak behind the curtain for you, the Browns are dead last on my list, and the Giants, they are not much better. I will most likely have them as the second worst team heading into this year. So take last night's game with the biggest grain of salt you can find. I was already skeptical of these 2, and last night did nothing to change my mind. They have a whole season to prove me wrong, but I don't think they will.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He does not know the pain of having pointless hope in NFL draft picks. Come to Cincinnati and see how the Bengals treat a fan's hope.

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Ty Watches "Detroiters

I'm a real big fan of the show "Detroiters" on Comedy Central. I have watched the show from day one, and everything about it has impressed me.

For those that do not know, "Detroiters" is a show about 2 best friends that run an ad agency for smaller companies. They run an agency that shows commercials that one may see on public access TV, or late at night. What I really appreciate, and love, about the show are the 2 main characters. Sam Richardson plays Sam Duvet, and Tim Robinson plays Tim Cramblin, and their agency is called Cramblin and Duvet. These 2 are a perfect comedy match. They play so well off of one another. They also both have a very unique and weird sense of humor that I really love. They do some weird and wild stuff on the show, but it works because of the 2 of them. They have some outrageous bits, and scenes in the episodes that are so off the wall, but I find myself cracking up every time. Their off the beaten path humor just works.

For example, there have been 2 episodes this season where each of them have been able to really show off their comedy chops. For Richardson, it came when he had to record a jingle with his ex fiancée. He ends the bit by telling Tim that he "came in his pants" while recording, and I was on the floor laughing. Tim has an episode where we meet his brother, played by the drummer in the criminally underrated band Death Grips and their interactions are great. Being someone that has brothers, I could relate. But, they took it even deeper when each of them cried. While sobbing, each one had to wear a Slipknot mask. It was terrifying, confusing and hilarious all at once. That episode may be my favorite one so far.

I love that Comedy Central took a chance on this show and these guys. The show is odd, I cannot stress that enough, but it works. Comedy Central has done this lately too, taking on odd subjects and shows, but they have pretty much nailed it with every one. While "Detroiters" isn't on the same level as say a "Nathan For You", or "Review", it still ranks up there with those shows. I like that they gave Richardson and Robinson a chance too.

Richardson is great as a supporting actor. He has proven that tenfold in "Veep". He is, by far, my favorite character on that show. He is so unassuming and hilarious. His interactions with Jonah early on, and now with Julia Louis Dreyfuss, are the best part of that wonderful show. He is also very good in bit parts in the movies he has been in. Richardson is a solid actor. What I love about him on "Detroiters" is, he gets a chance to be a main character, and he totally nails it. He is every bit as funny as anyone on that show, and it comes off without a hitch.

I also love that they gave Robinson a chance. I think I may be one of the only people that, one, remembers him on "SNL", and two, thinks he didn't get a fair shot on that show. His random characters on "SNL" always cracked me up, and he does a wonderful Gary Busey impression. One of the best if you ask me. But, they dropped him after one season I think. Now, he has this show that he co created with Richardson, and he is every bit as good as Richardson. He is a bit more of the wild card, but that is where he shines. He is so good at the loud and weird stuff. He truly makes me laugh pretty much every time he is on screen.

The rest of the people that fill out the how are great as well. I also love that they use Detroit in the show. They really showcase that city, and the people.

"Detroiters" is well worth your time. I'm so glad that Comedy Central gave it a second season, and if the show continues on the current trajectory it is on, I do not see how they don't get a third. This show is awesome, and if you are a fan of absurd humor, you will love it too. Go watch "Detroiters".

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He does a fairly good Gary Busey impersonation. Get Ty some thick black glasses, and have him sing "That'll Be the Day", he looks just like Busey playing Buddy Holly.  

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By Signing Carmelo Anthony, the Rockets Have Given Up on the 2019 NBA Title

Carmelo Anthony has verbally agreed to sign with the Houston Rockets. I know that I have been hard on Anthony lately, and today will be no different. But, all the hate will not be thrown his way, the Rockets are going to take the brunt of it today.

Lets get the Carmelo hate out of the way first. As I stated about a week or so ago, Carmelo is washed. He is no good to any  team anymore. He is a horrendous defender. He is not nearly the lethal scorer. He is still not willing to come off the bench. He still thinks he is a top 15-20 NBA player. All of this is crazy. As I have stated many times, I used to love Carmelo. When he was in Denver, he was must watch TV. But, for about the last 4 or 5 years, he has become a shell of the player he once was. He is a joke. Sure, there a tons and tons of videos of him hitting jump shots in rec league games and pickup games and playing one on one against other pros, but so what. Any player worth their salt can do the exact same thing, and do it better. In one of the videos I saw, where he played with Chris Paul and James Harden, his new teammates, he did nothing that impressed me. In fact, what I noticed most was his unwillingness to pass the ball. The video was about 90 seconds long, and every single time he touched the ball, he shot it. I mean, even Harden was dishing it here and there. Also, Carmelo was trying much, much harder than any of those other guys on the court. Then this morning I saw him playing one on one against Brandon Jennings, and then Stanley Johnson. Those are not big name guys, and while he was scoring at will, so were Jennings and Johnson. Johnson was beating him up, and Jennings was hitting step back after step back on him. Jennings is about 5 inches shorter than Carmelo.

Had this latest Carmelo move happened a few years back, when the Big Three in Miami broke up, I would have been stoked. The fact that he is joining the Rockets now, I just see it messing up what they did so well last season. Which leads me to my Rockets hate portion today.

Last year the Houston Rockets had one of the best offseason, and trade deadline moves. They picked up Paul in the offseason. He was the big name on the free agent market last year. They got him to come in and play alongside Harden, and it worked so well. They also picked up PJ Tucker, and he added the exact toughness that the team needed. He can also hit the corner three, so that was just an added bonus. They also integrated Clint Capela perfectly. He became the perfect big man for their pick and roll that they love to run. They also started to phase out Ryan Anderson because he is now a defensive, and quite frankly, an offensive liability. They crushed it last year.

This offseason and summer has been the exact opposite for the Rockets. They let Trevor Ariza leave. I know they weren't going to be able to give him all the money they wanted, but they could have tried to work with him. They decided not to, and now he is gone. Then after he left, they gave Chris Paul a 4 year 140 million dollar deal. I know, again, they had to do this, but this deal is going to look absolutely awful next season. They gave him a max deal that is really only viable for one season. Paul is continually hurt, especially in the playoffs, and he is a very tough teammate by all accounts. He will also be in his mid to late thirties when the deal is in the final year, and they will have to pay him the 30 million plus. That is a disaster. They then made Capela wait and wait and wait for a deal. This apparently upset him, which is never good for the future, and by all accounts, they were only a minuscule amount of money apart, but this was where they decided to not budge. They dumped money on Chris Paul's lap, who is almost my age, but they waited to give their center, who is one of the better modern centers in the game, and who happens to also be very young, his contract. If I were Capela, I would still be pissed off.

But, the cherry on top of their crap offseason and summer is the Carmelo news. Why do they want him? Do they really think this is a new Big Three? Why do they need him? What does he add? Did they even watch him play at all last year, or the year before that, or the year before that? He is washed. He is not going to be Olympic Carmelo. That was what everyone thought he would be for the Thunder last year, but after refusing a bench role, he had a disaster of a season. So I just don't get why the Rockets want to do this. As I said awhile back, they were phasing out Ryan Anderson. Now, they basically have a Ryan Anderson clone, who isn't as good a three point shooter. Carmelo is also refusing to come off the bench once again, so for those saying the Rockets will get Olympic Carmelo, that dream is out the window. Carmelo also proved last season that he is not a viable Big Three guy. I know it is hard to play with Russell Westbrook, but he couldn't even coexist with Paul George. George is a decent passer and great defender, and all Carmelo did was bitch about him. Putting him next to Paul and Harden will fare much worse in my opinion. The Rockets proved me wrong last year, when I said that Harden and Paul would fight to be primary ball handlers. But, I have zero doubt that Carmelo will be happy only taking 6-7 shots a game. He will want double figure attempts at least. The Rockets also do not need him. They needed to keep Ariza. Ariza was their best three and D guy. And I know his defense has taken a bit of a step back. But, wait until you get a load of how little Carmelo plays, and cares to play, defense. Rocket fans will be opining big time for Ariza.

Finally, we have already seen a team coached by Mike D'Antoni that featured Carmelo Anthony, and it was a nightmare. They hated each other. They openly expressed their dislike for one another to the media. The system D'Antoni runs does not fit what Carmelo wants to do. I saw a Bleacher Report article that said, "This time it will be different" in reference to Carmelo playing for D'Antoni. I didn't even read the article because that headline was dumb enough. It won't be different. Carmelo Anthony is who he is, and he hast changed since entering the league.

The Rockets had an awful offseason, they will regress this year, and it will be because of Carmelo Anthony. What a stupid decision by the one team that may have actually been able to challenge the Warriors.

Ty

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

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Aparna Nancherla Headlined an Awesome Hunger is No Joke

Last Friday I went to my second Hunger is No Joke show at The Pageant in Saint Louis. This year's headliner was the very funny Aparna Nancherla. The Hunger is No Joke shows that I have been to are always good, and they represent a great cause. The majority of the proceeds go to food shelters in and around Saint Louis, and we the audience get to see some top notch comedy. The first time I went, 2 years ago, I saw John Mulaney, and he subsequently blew up. Hopefully the same happens for Nancherla. But, before I get to her, there were some openers.

The host of the night was a local radio DJ, Tim Convy. He does a morning show on Y98 FM, and I have to say, he was a perfect host for the night. He had some solid bits like, how people that work in radio all use a radio voice, including janitors. He talked about being a keyboard player in a band, and how they never really led to many hookups. He told some solid, frequently funny stuff. I found myself chuckling at most of his material.

Convy introduced the first opener, a comedian by the name of Angela Smith, and I found her enjoyable as well. She is a local comedian, and her bits about growing up in Jefferson County here in Missouri, were very funny and very real. She also talked about her love life, but in a different way. She mentioned the dating app world and went into some good material on that whole front. The story she told about a guy "complimenting" her by telling her she was built like a "brick shit house", had me cracking up. The fact that she talked about her mom, who was in attendance, and gave out her real phone number, so guys could send her nudes, was great. She seemed to be having fun on stage, and it really rubbed off on the audience.

The third, and final opener, was my favorite. His name is Kenny Kinds, and he has a way of delivering jokes that I love. He comes off very serious on stage, and when he hits the punchline, his face barely moves. He reminds me a lot of Hannibal Burress, and that is a huge compliment. He told so many great jokes. I loved when he talked about trying to offend white people, and he said the best thing he has come across so far is telling them he doesn't know who Wilco is. That was great. His story about going to a bar to a show to see a band he liked and not remembering the name of the beer he had, but what was on the bottle instead, was riotous. To hear him say that he screamed the words, "WHITE DEVIL" during a silent moment of the show was awesome. I also liked him talking about realizing that he was older when he went to take a picture with his phone, and the screen was turned around. He mimed what old people look like when they have trouble reading something. It was great. I also enjoyed his bit about sleeping with older women because they know what they want. He capped this off by saying that he once saw the biggest sex toy he had every seen. He compared it to the Goodyear Blimp, and quoting Ice Cube's song, "It Was a Good Day". Kenny Kinds is awesome. Seriously people, if you don't know him, or haven't heard him yet, he is well worth your time.

After this, we got our headliner, Aparna Nancherla. I have been waiting awhile to see her live. I love her dry sense of humor. I love the way she tells a joke. I like her voice. I have liked her on any TV show I have seen her on. This show was a big deal to me, and she did not disappoint. She is such a funny, well rounded comedian. She was perfectly able to jump from joke to joke. She has a great way of connecting with the crowd. She tells personal stories. And, she does it all like the seasoned pro she is. Some of the highlights for me where when she talked about being catcalled in New York. The whole "skinny bones" story about one catcaller was hilarious. The other story she told about the guy questioning the time of day while trying to catcall was just as good. She talked about her struggles with anxiety, and the meds that go along with it. Being a person that lives with anxiety, and takes meds for it, the whole bit about dropping pills on the ground was masterful and so relatable. When she went into the audience to talk about dating, and dating sites, it was perfect. Everything she said was a homerun. But, the best joke of the night was about the worst date she had ever went on. I don't want to spoil it because it was her closer, but it was cringe worthy and relatable and so god damn funny. She really crushed. I was so happy that I finally got to see her do her thing live. She is the real deal, and now that she is a headliner, hopefully more people will begin to respect what a great comedian she is.

Aparna Nancherla, along with the rest of Hunger is No Joke, crushed it Friday night in Saint Louis, and I was glad I was there to see it.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is well aware that Wilco is one America's Greatest Band. 

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