Tales from the Training of a First Half Marathon

I’m in the midst of training for a half marathon. It’s tough. Again, like when I wrote about the triathlon I did, I’m not bragging. I’m writing today to talk about my training experience, and what I like and dislike.

What I’m not so crazy about, the amount of training that goes into this half marathon. I’m doing some kind of physical activity 5 days a week. I’m a bigger dude, so it can take its toll sometimes. I find it hilarious when I see a training day scheduled that says “Easy 4 Miles”. There’s no such thing. A distance longer than 3 miles, for me, is hard. But, I do it still, because that’s what the training calls for.

Which leads me to what I do enjoy/like about this. I’m happy that I’m out getting so much exercise. I haven’t felt this in shape since I was in high school. I went hiking the other day, and with some of the hills we encountered, there’s no way I would have been able to get through it if I wasn’t in training. I like that I have an end goal. When I’m working towards something, it’s nice to have a strict regimen. It keeps me focused, and crossing out that day’s workout is a real treat. I’ve also found myself pushing harder. Some workouts, prior to this, I’d kind of half ass my way through. I’d go for a swim, and instead of doing what I should have done, I’d go until my workout app in my watch dinged. Or, if I had to run 4,5 or 6 miles, I’d do about a half to 2/3 worth of running, then walk the rest of the way. With this half marathon, I’m hyper focused on doing exactly what the training says. Doing that has also made the “Easy 4 Miles”, not easy, but doable, even if I’m drained from the day. I’m traveling this weekend, and because I want to stay up on the training, I pushed everything up a day. It was tough, but finishing my distance run yesterday was one of my proudest athletic achievements. I worked out for 7 straight days, and I wasn’t completely wrecked. I’ve never done that before.

What I’ve found that I like most, running long distances, I’m talking about my 9 and 10 mile runs, I’ve gotten to a place where, when I hit the halfway mark, it’s not a chore, it’s something I know I can finish now. I almost hit a meditative state that is like nothing I’ve ever felt before. I get lost in the music or podcast I’m listening to, and I just run.

One more good thing, this has really helped with my weight loss. I put a few pounds back on, some muscle, some fat, with the triathlon training. With the half marathon training, I’m starting to look like I did a few years back when I lost 100 pounds. It’s great.

Half marathons aren’t for everyone, hell, I’m still shocked that I’m doing one. But, if you put in the time, follow a strict plan and go for it, the benefits way outweigh the problems/risks. I have about 3 weeks until my race, and instead of being scared or pessimistic, I’m hopeful, proud and looking forward to it.

Maybe I’m crazy, but I feel good.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He can brag all he wants about doing his triathlon. The only triathlon the head editor has worked towards is driving to the grocery store, walking in the grocery store, and then putting the groceries away at home. It is a tough three events, but someone has to do it.

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Jimmy Butler Does Not Fit with the Miami Heat

Last week Jimmy Butler said he wants to be traded. I wrote a piece basically saying I wanted him to stick it out one more season in Minnesota. That seems like a real no go. He’s already talked to Tom Thibodeau twice, and he still wants out. He has given a list of teams he’s willing to go to. He has already said he will sit out training camp if he isn’t dealt. I’m pretty sure he’s not at any of the media stuff going on right now. Even the Timberwolves GM has said they are taking calls, and he is very available. I’m still perplexed why, maybe it’s because he’s an old school player playing with young kids that don’t take it as seriously as he does, but his new preferred team really makes no sense to me.

As I said last week, Butler named 3 teams he would go to. Those teams, the Knicks, Nets and Clippers. I wrote why I think the Timberwolves are a better fit than all 3. But, the other day, Butler and his agent, David Falk, have now said his preferred team, the team he really, really wants to play for now, the Miami Heat.

Hear me out as to why I think this is an odd fit for Butler.

The Heat are already a playoff team. They play in the East, they have a solid core and I like their current core. To get Butler, they are going to have to break that all up. I know a third team has to get involved, and the Kings seem like the popular choice right now. Why I don’t like this, the Heat will have to give up key players to an already playoff ready roster. Adding Butler will instantly push the Heat into the top 4 in the East. But, with what they’ll have to unload, they would be far behind the Celtics, 76ers and Raptors for sure. Each of those teams have much better units than a Miami Heat roster with Jimmy Butler.

Now, let’s get to what the Heat will have to give up. From what I’ve heard, Justice Winslow is the coveted young guy, Goran Dragic is the vet and then some random salary dump player. I don’t like this for the Heat at all. I know Winslow’s shooting hasn’t really translated to the pros, but he can defend, and he’s still super young. He also closed out the year much better than I expected. He looks like he may be a late bloomer. Dragic finally looks like he is on the right team for his skill set. He’s a great penetrating and kick point guard. The Heat don’t have great shooters around him, but they do have guys that can score. Dragic is also real good finishing around the rim. As far as the salary dump players from the Heat, I feel like it would be either Hassan Whiteside or Tyler Johnson. Both guys haven’t lived up to the hype after their one good season, but both are integral to the Heat’s success last year. So they’d have to lose 2-3 key players to get Butler.

Now, I do think Butler is one of the 20 best current NBA players, but he’s not worth that much. Butler would replace Winslow’s defense, Butler is one of the best defenders in the NBA, but he’s much older, and we know what type of player he is. Butler will not replace Dragic due to position. Butler is not a point guard. He’s a 2 or a 3. The Heat would need a real point guard. Then, if they lose Whiteside, who I know was unplayable in the playoffs last year, they have only Bam Adebayo, who has potential, but isn’t the defender Whiteside is. Losing Tyler Johnson wouldn’t be so bad at least. Jimmy Butler is a much, much, much better player, and they pretty much play the same position.

But say this happens. Say the Heat give up Winslow, Dragic and Whiteside to get Butler. When looking at the rest of the Heat roster, it doesn’t seem more hardcore than the Timberwolves. Look, I love Dion Waiters. I still draft him in fantasy leagues. But, I would much rather play with Andrew Wiggins. Dwayne Wade is a champ and Hall of Famer, but this is his last year, and what does he give you that a guy like Jeff Teague or Wiggins or Tyus Jones can’t? And, all those guys are way younger than Wade. And while I love Adebayo’s old school game, and his potential, KAT has proven that he’s one of the best young players in the league. When he figures it out on defense, he’s going to be a top 5 player.

So I say a week later, I don’t like this fit for Butler. I really want him to stick it out, for just one more season, in Minnesota. That team was real, real good before Butler got hurt. I think they could do it again if he were to stay. He will likely be dealt, but I just don’t see any other fit that is better than what is currently happening with the Timberwolves. I just want him to stay.

Ty

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

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Ty's NFL Quick Hits: Week 3

Week 3 will be in the books after tonight, and I'm back for some takes. Lets go.

First off, I do not know what roughing is anymore. I mean, Clay Matthews sacked Alex Smith, it was like any sack that has ever sacked before in the NFL, and he somehow, some way got called for roughing. Now, that was not the reason the Packers got beat, there are plenty others. But, that penalty was atrocious. I do not know what else Matthews could have done these past 2 weeks to make a cleaner tackle. The way he hit both Smith and Cousins is the way I was taught while playing youth through high school football. They were picture perfect tackles. The same thing happened in the Cowboys-Seahawks game. Hell, a Dolphin defender tore his ACL trying to adhere to the new tackling rules. The NFL has another big time problem on their hands, and it is this new roughing call. The game will be flag football before we know it.

Getting back to the Packers-Washington game, what a dud by my team. Rodgers looks much more hurt than he is letting on. The defense can't stop the run or the pass. And Washington jumped all over it. That game was a 2 TD lead before I could blink. The Packers need to figure some stuff out. Good for Washington taking advantage and getting the win.

The Titans-Jags game was an aberration to my eye balls. The final was 9-6. Marcus Mariota had to replace Blaine Gabbart. Blake Bortles looked like Blake Bortles. He is the only player on that team that has me worried about my Super Bowl pick. That was worse than a Thursday night game.

The Chiefs sure look great though. They are the opposite of the Jags. They can score and score and score. Patrick Mahomes just keeps doing great things. He added another 3 TD passes. Kareem Hunt ran in 2. This team can play offense. Their defense leaves something to be desired. They let the 49ers hang around until Jimmy Garropolo tore his knee apart. He is done for the year, and a team that some were high on, not me, are now officially toast with Jimmy G out. They aren't going to win many game with CJ Beathard at QB.

The Saints and Falcons game was exciting as hell. There was no defense played, but that is what I have come to expect when these 2 matchup. Drew Brees is still amazing. Alvin Kamara is phenomenal. Thomas is one hell of a receiver. On the other side, Matt Ryan balled the hell out. He looked like himself from 2 years ago. He was spreading the ball out and got everyone involved. They ran the ball well too. The only reason I think the Saints won was because they had the ball last.

Carolina looked pretty dominant over the suspect 2-0 Bengals. The Panthers ran wherever they wanted, and when Cam had to throw, he nailed his receivers. I feel like the Bengals we saw yesterday is closer to who they really are as a team. They looked rough, and Dalton seems to have already lost his "magic" from the first 2 games.

Another suspect 2-0 team was brought back down to Earth yesterday, the Broncos. The Ravens absolutely dominated that game. Joe Flacco looked solid, their run game was great and the defense was smothering. Case Keenum doesn't look like he will be bringing any of that magic from last season to Denver.

Speaking of Keenum's old team, what the hell was that showing from the Vikings? They gave up 27, 17 in the first quarter, to the Bills, at home. The Vikings defense, claimed by me, is the best in the league, and they made Josh Allen look like a top 10 QB. I was shocked most by the outcome of that game. Also, the 84 million dollar man, Kirk Cousins, didn't look great. This was a game that would scare me if I were a Vikings fan. They looked real bad. Some good needs to be said about Buffalo too. I mean, they looked to be the worst team after 2 weeks, but they went into Minnesota and won every single facet of that game. The sun shines on even bad teams sometimes, and the Bills had that luxury yesterday. That may be 1 of 2 or 3 wins they get this year.

The Bears won again, but it wasn't pretty. The Bears are starting to remind me a ton of the Jags. They have this great defense, led by Khalil Mack. That dude is amazing. I love watching him play. I don't like the Bears, but Mack is must watch TV. On offense, they have a great run game, but QB is the problem. Mitch Trubisky looks real bad. He looks nervous. When he has to go off script, he just seems uncomfortable. That is where the Jags comparison comes into play. Is Trubsiky the new Bortles? It looks that way right now. And man oh man are the Cardinals bad. They finally, mercifully, turned to Josh Rosen, but he had no shot yesterday. That team is in a bad way, and it looks like it will take awhile to get back to relevance.

Another team that might have to start panicking is the Texans. They have looked abysmal the first 3 weeks. They let the Giants control the game. The Giants were able to kind of do what they wanted. Barkley had his best game as a pro. Eli Manning looked fine. Their O line blocked enough. The Texans offense is in trouble, and I do not blame Watson. Sure, he made some poor throws yesterday, but he has no run game and his O line might be the worst in the league. The Texans need to do something quick to fix this team, or they might have a real long, long season.

Same goes for the Raiders. I'd be so disgusted with Jon Gruden after three games, and they signed him to a 10 year deal! I know it is only 3 games, but it looks like the game has clearly passed him by. Everyone can see it, except for him. The Raiders have so much talent, on paper, but they are a poorly coached football team, and they traded away Mack for peanuts. Their opponent, the Dolphins, are the surprise of the early season. They are 3-0, winning games with their defense, run game and letting Ryan Tannehill be a game manager. They are playing sound and smart football. I just wish they didn't lose their D lineman because of that stupid new "roughing" rule.

The Rams clearly proved they are the only team in LA anyone should care about. The Chargers have not looked good in the first 3 weeks, so I hope the talk of this team being a threat stops now. As far as the Rams, I mean, they haven't even been challenged yet. They look like they are barely breaking a sweat. Goff and Gurley are killing it. Their defense is playing great, considering all the new guys they signed this offseason. They are, far and away, the best team in the NFL right now.

I do not care at all about the Seahawks-Cowboys game. I despise both those teams.

To end the night, we had Detroit-New England. What is going on with the Patriots? I know it is never smart to count them out and they most likely will figure it out, and probably win their division still, but they looked horrid last night. Tom Brady might want to stop pointing fingers at others, and focus on his very poor play these first three weeks. He has looked bad, but he is blaming everyone else. That is a bad look. Detroit totally dominated them last night. Matt Stafford looked solid. He hit open receivers for the first time this year. But what helped him most, the Lions finally had a rusher go for over 100 yards in, I believe, 5 seasons. They may have finally found a solid running back. And their defense shut down the Patriots last night. Matt Patricia is a total scumbag, but I bet he was thrilled to beat 2 equal scumbags, Bill Belichek and Josh McDaniels. The Patriots look real bad right now though. Also, I will tell Lions fans to temper their excitement. This was one game, albeit against a good team, but this is what they do. They show flashes, and then crash back down to Earth.

The main thing I learned from week 3 overall, and it is the same as last week, the Rams are the class of the NFL. Until they get challenged, that will not change. That does it for week 3.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is trying to teach his son to tackle, but tackle with your words and not your body. Maybe that is the key for NFL defenses.

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Jimmy Butler Should Stay in Minnesota and See What Happens

So I have a few thoughts about the whole Jimmy Butler situation.

If you don’t know, Butler has asked to be traded away from Minnesota. Apparently he has had enough, after just one season, of the young kids on the team, mainly KAT. First off, I have no problem if he wants to go to a team that has a chance to be competitive right away. It took KD leaving OKC for me to realize this. But, if you want a ring before your career is done, I say, go for it. Players careers are so limited now, get it while you can.

With that being said, I liked the fit of Butler with KAT and Wiggins. I also liked him alongside vets like Taj Gibson and Jeff Teague. He also got to go play for his first coach in the league, Tom Thibodeau. It seemed perfect. And at first, it was. The Timberwolves looked pretty good with their starting five, including Butler. They were rolling. I believe at one point they were at the 3 seed in the West.

Then Butler got hurt.

The Timberwolves stopped playing defense. Then Wiggins struggled. Then KAT started to struggle. Then Thibodeau started to play the vets way, way too many minutes. And then Butler said something about the young guys not having the will and the grind to be high caliber NBA stars. I agreed with him, but I felt like this was something they could have been said in the locker room, not to the media. That’s when the cracks started. I heard and read things saying he wanted out of Minnesota. I heard he was floated during the trade deadline. He then turned down a massive extension. This all shocked me.

And now, here we are today.

Butler gave the Timberwolves one last meeting, in LA, the other day, and this was when he asked to be traded. This was clearly a courtesy move by Butler, because he had no intention of sticking around. Now comes the hard/fun part.

Butler has given the three teams he prefers:

The Nets

Why?

The Knicks

What the hell?

And the Clippers

Please god no.

I don’t get why Jimmy Butler would want to leave the Timberwolves for one of these three teams. I know they have the most money, and can easily resign him next summer, but why the Nets, Knicks or Clippers, I may never know. One guess I have, Kyrie Irving has said he wants to team up with Butler, and he’s expressed interest in playing for the Knicks next year. As far as the Nets, I guess, it would be his team. They would have to build around him. With the Clippers, maybe he’s willing to miss the playoffs for one year until Kawhi Leonard signs there, that’s his preferred team.

But I say, what of all these fall through? What if Kyrie and the Celtics click, make the Finals and he loves playing for Brad Stevens? Also, they need a center, and I’d be salivating I’d I were Kyrie at the prospect of playing with Anthony Davis. I love Kristaps Porzingis, but AD is so much better than him. What if the Nets are permanently stuck in this mediocrity hell they live in now? What if Butler is the only guy they can get, and he ends up being a good stats, but team guy? That would be brutal for his legacy. The Clippers are the Clippers. They’re the quintessential underachieving overrated NBA team. Will Butler change that? Maybe, if they get Kawhi. But then he is the second best guy on a team? Will that be what he wants? Doesn’t a trade request mean you want to be “the guy”? That won’t happen if he goes to LA and they get Kawhi. Also, what if Toronto, somehow some way convince Kawhi to stay? Then Butler is left with a bunch of castoffs. Also, especially with LeBron now a Laker, the Clippers will always be the little brother, no matter the records.

I liked the fit of Butler in Minnesota, but I’m just an outside fan. There could be way more stuff I know nothing about as to why he wants out. But for now, it seems to me, he wants to go from a team that could be a perennial playoff contender to some teams with a ton of questions that won’t be answered until next year. We shall see.

Ty

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

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Ty's NFL Quick Hits: Week 2

Week 2 of the NFL is just about in the books, the Bears and Seahawks play tonight, and I'm here with my quick hits from all the games yesterday. Lets get into it.

We had 8 games that kicked off art noon. There were some solid matchups there, and not so solid matchups. The Bills are clearly the worst team in the NFL. I mean, Vontae Davis, a corner on the team, retired at halftime, with the Bills down 22 points. Josh Allen had a big throw, and scrambled a bit, but other than that, he was pretty dreadful. He also didn't get much help from his line or run game. The Chargers were in complete control of that game from the get go. Melvin Gordon looked otherworldly, but so did Joe Flacco a week ago against the Bills. The Chargers dominated them, but so did the Ravens, so I do not know what to think about the Chargers.

Speaking of the Ravens, they got beat pretty easily when they played the Bengals on Thursday night. Joe Flacco was thrust back to Earth, and the Ravens run game was blah. The Bengals actually look a lot better than I thought they'd be. Andy Dalton is hitting AJ Green, the run game is working and the defense, while still incredibly dirty, is playing at a very high level. I do not know is Bengals fans like this, but enjoy it while you can. I feel like they will be crashing back down to Earth pretty soon.

The Chiefs have seemed to have found their QB of the future. Patrick Mahomes is on fire. He looks like the real deal. He has a laser arm and hits the open receiver every single time. They can also run the ball with Kareem Hunt. They do not play defense, which may come back to bite them, but for right now, their offense looks legit. Their opponent, the Steelers, look like they may be in trouble. They are horrible on defense. They were down 21 in the first quarter. They made a comeback in the second quarter, but they clearly miss LeVeon Bell. James Connor has done okay in his stead, but they need Bell. Also, Antonio Brown has not been the threat that I thought he was going to be so far. The Steelers need to sign Bell and fix their defense, or this could be a very, very long season.

Now lets get to the team that the Steelers tied in week one, the Browns. They had every single chance to beat the Saints in New Orleans. They had a 10 point lead late in the third, they were keeping Drew Brees in check, they slowed the game down to a snails pace, it was all there for them. Then their kicker happened. This poor dude missed 2 extra points and three field goals. I mean, the Browns offense could have done more, but still, if this kid made one of those extra points and one of those field goals, they would have had a legit win. But, they are the Browns, and they blew it.

The Dolphins might have us all wrong. Every writer, myself included, thought they might be the worst team in the NFL. Well, they are now 2-0 with a legit defense and an offense that looks like they can sustain drives. Maybe the Dolphins aren't so bad, and maybe the Jets are not the team we saw in week one.

Also, the Buccaneers, and mainly Ryan Fitzpatrick, are proving us all wrong too. This dude is playing on a whole other level. Next to Mahomes, he is the hottest QB in football right now. He is going to get paid. He shredded the Eagles stout defense. Also, what in the hell is wrong with the Eagles? Nick Foles looks to be a clear flash in the pan, and the defense looks like they did in the Super Bowl. Luckily for them, Carson Wentz is set to return next week. But damn, the Buccaneers might be legit.

The Falcons and Panthers played one of the most boring one score games I saw yesterday. Yes it was close and yes Matt Ryan and Cam Newton had their moments, but it just looked and felt like ugly football to me. The Falcons won, and it's clear that Newton needs help, but this game was not nearly as fun as I thought it would be.

The Texans are in trouble. Deshaun Watson doesn't look the same. Deandre Hopkins cannot get a call. Their run game is rough. The coaching is horrendous. I mean, how do you let a Titans team being QB'ed by Blaine Gabbart win a game? That was insane and wild to me. Watson did look better than in week one, but man oh man do the Texans look like they are in trouble. And good for the Titans. They won with a horrible QB, took a big risk on a punt fake and won the game on a field goal. Good for them.

The marquee matchup was the Packers-Vikings. This game was good. The Packers looked in control, but the Vikings kept fighting back. Aaron Rodgers looked okay on one leg. Kirk Cousins had an incredible second half. Both defenses played fairly well. Then the refs and the kickers got in the way. First off, that roughing the passer call on Clay Matthews was a joke. Even lifelong Vikings fans that I know said as much. I mean, what else is Matthews supposed to do? That was, in no possible way, roughing. It turned the game around. And then, Mason Crosby, who kicked pretty well, missed a 50 yarder in regulation to win. Then the Vikings kicker one upped him three times. Daniel Carlson may need to find a new team. He shanked a 35 yarded that would have won the game. He also missed two 45 plus yard field goals in regulation. It was a tough, tough game. And, of course, because the NFL's overtime rules are so lame, the game ended in a tie. That is so ridiculous. Football games should never, ever end in ties. Both teams looked dumbfounded. It was such a hollow ending to a pretty solid game. The NFL needs to change some things up.

As far as the late afternoon and night games, the best one was the Jags and Patriots. The Lions got beat by the 49ers. And while that game was close, the Lions look really bad once again. I think Matt Patricia is a terrible head coach. And the 49ers took control of all of that. The Rams throttled the Cardinals. The Rams look like legit Super Bowl contenders, and the Cardinals have a ton of problems. First and foremost, Sam Bradford. I think yesterday was a loud call to let Josh Rosen take over. And the Raiders-Broncos game was a test of futility. Both those teams stink.

Now for my predicted Super Bowl Champs. The Jags look like they may be taking over for the Patriots as the best team in the AFC. They looked faster, they are younger, they won with a backup running back, Blake Bortles looked like a top 5 QB, the defense thwarted anything the Patriots tried. The Jags are good, and I hope this game makes people take notice. Yes, it was in Jacksonville, but they dominated that game from start to finish. They look like the real deal. Blake Bortles may never play that well again, but that defense will play like that all year. They are great.

As far as the night game, the Cowboys and Giants, I did not watch a second of it. Both of those teams are meaningless to me, and the NFL I'm pretty sure. Sure the Cowboys won, and the Giants looked pretty bad, but wasn't that expected? I mean, the Cowboys have 6 or 7 wins written all over them, and the Giants look like one of the worst teams in the NFL. Everything I read about that game last night did not change my mind.

There you have it, my week 2 takes. The biggest takeaways I have, the Packers got screwed, the Rams are as potent an offense as there is in the NFL and the Jags are the real deal.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Another damn tie has Ty tied up in emotional knots. Even the head editor (a Vikings fan) knows that Green Bay got screwed. Maybe with the refs on their side, this is Minnesota’s year.

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I've Got 15 Things to Say About this Serena Williams Naomi Osaka US Open Final

Like many others, I have some… thoughts on the whole Serena Williams/Carlos Ramos/US Open Final kerfluffle.  The universe (especially the Twitter-verse) is awash in incredibly simplistic takes.  These fall into two very shouty camps.  I’ll paraphrase briefly.  Camp Ramos:  “The umpire was completely right, Serena Williams was being a bully and a brat and how dare she sully the sanctity of our sport with her “thuggish” (subtext: black) behavior.”  Camp Serena:  “Carlos Ramos, the USTA and everybody is totally sexist and racist and DON’T YOU DARE criticize Serena because she is heroic and perfect and always right about everything.”

Frankly, the only person who got out of this unscathed is US Open Champ Naomi Osaka, who seems like a charming young woman who played breathtaking, dominant tennis for 2 weeks, and does not deserve to have her moment overshadowed by this.

Unlike many (most?) of the Hot-Takers mentioned above, I actually watched this disaster unfold in real time, not just reviewing the highlights.  So let’s all take a breath, and realize that many things can be true at once.  I’ll list out some of these true things here:

1.       Serena Williams has been subject to a lot of racism.  There are too many examples to list, but the recent dress code announcement by Roland Garros was the latest.  She and her sister weren’t the first black tennis players, even in the modern game, but they are of a different stripe.  They weren’t raised by well-off upper class parents like Chanda Rubin, or James Blake, or more recently, Sloane Stephens.  They brought with them some cultural stuff that a sport like tennis did not accept without a lot of growing pains.

2.       I’m not black.  I can’t begin to understand what the Williams sisters’ success (and Serena’s in particular) mean to the broader black community.  I am a woman of color, but I realize it’s not the same.  I understand the instinctive defense of Serena when she seems to be under siege. 

3.       Carlos Ramos is an umpire with a solid reputation.  He has officiated finals at all four Slams without incident.  He is fair and professional, but does have a reputation for being strict.  He has called time and coaching violations on Nadal, Djokovic, and many others.  Saturday’s coaching violation shouldn’t have been totally unexpected.

4.       Nothing happens in a vacuum.  Earlier this tournament, Mohammed Lahyani caused an officiating stir of his own, when he climbed down from his umpire perch to give a pep talk to a tanking Nick Kyrgios.  The uproar was instantaneous, and the consensus was that Lahyani was too accommodating with Kyrgios.  He was subsequently relegated to outer court doubles matches.  I’m sure Ramos was aware, and that may have factored into his decision to play it totally straight and not give any “leniency” to any player, no matter how famous.

5.       By the letter of the law, Ramos was totally in the right.  Whether you agree with these rules or not, coaching is illegal.  Racquet abuse is illegal.  Personal insults at the chair are illegal.  Code violations accrue.  Strike one, warning.  Strike two, point penalty.  Strike three, game penalty.  And on and on.  John McEnroe was once defaulted from the Australian Open for verbal abuse of an umpire.  Serena is not new here.  She knows the rules.  Maybe better than most, since in 2009, she lost to Kim Clijsters by getting a code violation on a match point.  (More on that later.)

6.       As a practical matter, Ramos DID have some leeway in how he dealt with the situation.  He could have given her a “soft” coaching warning, without it being an official code violation.  During her extended rant, he could have warned her about an impending game penalty if she kept attacking his character.  He could have, but he didn’t, and now here we are.

7.       Serena’s character was not impugned by Ramos.  First off, the behavior that was flagged was her coach’s.  Said coach, Patrick Mourataglou, admitting he was coaching.  Secondly, there’s no stigma attached (probably because, as Patrick noted, everyone does it).  It’s like speeding.  It’s illegal, it sucks to get caught, everybody does it, and nobody thinks you’re a horrible person because of it.  For Serena to blow it up into a personal attack on her integrity and character is ridiculous.

8.       Naomi Osaka’s win does not have an asterisk next to it, so people can just stop with that right now.  Osaka outplayed Williams from the get.  The reason Patrick was signaling in the first place was because Serena was getting beaten.  The racquet smash was precipitated by Osaka breaking Serena’s serve.  The extended rant at the chair was preceded by another service break.  She was losing, and didn’t have an answer.  The game penalty awarded to Osaka was on Osaka’s service game, which she had been holding fairly easily anyway.

9.       Serena has a pattern at the US Open of blowing up at officials when she’s losing.  See above, re: Clijsters in 2009.  Also, she was very much losing the 2011 final to Sam Stosur when she was legitimately called for a hindrance, and she yelled at the umpire again.  And again in 2018.  Three times is a pattern, and it doesn’t reflect well on Serena.

10.   Naomi Osaka handled the pressure like a boss.  First off, she came out fearless and swinging away against a 23 time champ, her idol, and the ESPN narrative favorite.  Later in the match, she handled Serena’s increasingly graceless behavior with her typical poker face.  At 5-3, after a lengthy and emotional interruption in the match, she basically let Serena have her service game, and then calmly and coolly served out the match at 5-4, throwing in a couple of totally unreturnable serves for good measure.  Those are the nerves of a future Hall of Famer.

11.   There is much to admire about Serena Williams.  As noted before, she’s dealt with a lot of ugly behavior from a lot of quarters over her years.  She’s had two brushes with death and been remarkably candid about motherhood and childbirth.  She works harder than anyone else on the tour.  She’s a 23 time Grand Slam champ, not just through talent, but though grit and determination and hard work.  She’s the toughest competitor on the tour.  Even when she’s down, it’s often foolish to count her out.  In recent years, her fiery persona has been tempered by maturity and little more graciousness and sportsmanship.  Again, there’s a LOT to admire.

12.   Little of this was on display on Saturday.  Serena behaved appallingly.  She stole the moment from Naomi Osaka, and made that match and the narrative about herself.  Even her supposedly “gracious” moment, telling the crowd to stop booing, was followed by a “We’ll get through this.”  Again, Serena, it’s not about you.  A truly gracious speech would have noted Osaka’s brilliant play, and asked the crowd to cheer her win.  Maybe it’s too much to ask for Serena to have her head together enough to do that, but asking the crowd to stop booing is pretty much the LEAST she could have done. (The one moment that touched me was the sisterly and protective way she put her arm around Osaka.  I’m not made of stone, people.) 

13.   The Arthur Ashe crowd should feel shame.  Even if you’re booing Carlos Ramos and the USTA, how do you think Osaka felt?  It broke my heart when Osaka apologized for winning.  She just won the biggest match of her life, and you people make her APOLOGIZE?  I have never heard anyone apologize for winning a sports championship.  No way.  Naomi, you have nothing to apologize for.  You deserve it, congratulations, and here’s to many more.

14.   ESPN, Chase, Nike, the USTA, and all the other sponsors and Serena boosters should also feel shame.  They contributed to this environment by making the whole two weeks all about Serena’s comeback/dominance/invincibility, etc.  When that narrative was shattered by Osaka’s exceptional play, neither Serena nor the crowd could handle it emotionally.

15.   The USTA and WTA’s subsequent statements are awful.  They have fully thrown Carlos Ramos under the bus, and I think they should have backed him up.  In sports officiating, I’m a proponent of enforcing the rules as written.  If you don’t want a rule enforced, change it.  In the final analysis, Ramos followed the rules as written, and was punished for it.  That’s totally unfair to the entire officiating community.  What happens next, when Maria Sharapova or Rafa Nadal or another big name throws a tantrum?  The official message to umpires is now “disregard the rules and let it go, because the minute there’s public outcry, we won’t support you.”  That’s bullshit.

As I said before, all of these things are true, and they don’t contradict each other.  It’s possible to recognize that Ramos did his job, and still think that the rules are silly.  It’s possible to have great admiration and respect for Serena, and still think she behaved very badly during the final.   It’s possible for the crowd to get wrapped up in ESPN’s narrative, and still behave gracefully when the outcome doesn’t match up.  It’s possible to think Naomi Osaka is totally awesome and… there’s nothing else to say about that! 

Sorry, I do have one more thing to say. Congrats to Naomi Osaka, future Hall of Famer.

Tina S

Tina is a sometime contributor to SeedSing and occasional guest on the X Millennial Man Podcast. Want to hear what Tina has to say on the topic of the 2018 tennis Grand Slam Season? Check out the latest edition of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

We made a twitter for Tina, go follow her @TinaSeedsing. 

What the Hell is Thibodeau Doing with the Timberwolves?

With the recent NBA news that Loul Deng was bought out by the Lakers and then signed by the Timberwolves, I just cannot help but wonder will happen, now that Joakim Noah is about to be released by the Knicks. I'm not the first person that has noticed that the Timberwolves team this coming season look a lot like the Bulls did in the early 2010's, when Tom Thibodeau was the head coach there. If he signs Joakim Noah, or even thinks about it, I will be all out on the Timberwolves.

Look, I have made it pretty clear that I have struggled to find an NBA team to root for since KD left the Thunder and signed with the Warriors. I eventually decided on the Suns, as I wrote awhile back, but for a moment, the team I was going to choose was going to be Minnesota. I had a history, what with Kevin Garnett being one of my all time favorite players while he was there, and I loved the young talent they had. They then let Ricky Rubio go. I know that they had to. He had run his course, and they needed to free up space for better, scoring point guards. They also traded Kevin Love, which I was also fine with because they got Andrew Wiggins and I felt like he was going to be a solid building block. Then they had the number one pick a few years back, and they took Karl AnthonTay-Towns, who I am a big, big fan of, and it just seemed like a good time to stick up for them. Even when they hired Thibodeau, which I wasn't a fan of, and then traded for Jimmy Butler, which I really liked, I was about to go fully on board with my fandom.

Then, they went out and signed Taj Gibson. I have nothing against Gibson, he seems to be a great team and locker room guy, but his best playing days are far behind him. He played his best when he was last coached by Thibodeau on the Bulls. That was about 5 years ago.

The Timberwolves then, after the Knicks dumped him, inexplicably signed Derrick Rose. Derrick Rose was once great. He won an MVP award. He had flashes where he looked like the next big star. But, he got derailed by two horrible knee injuries. He hen started to make wild claims in New York. He then disappeared for no reason while a Knick. He did the exact same thing when Cleveland signed him a year later. Derrick Rose is clearly not the athlete he once was, and there is certainly something mentally wrong with him. But Tom Thibodeau ignored all of the things we all see, and signed him anyway, and then kept him this offseason.

Now, he has decided to bring on Luol Deng. Deng is like Gibson. He was once a solid NBA bench contributor. He did things that helped the mid 2010 Bulls win games. But, he barely saw the floor last year. The Lakers did almost everything they could to get rid of him last year. His best days are clearly far, far behind him. But, Tom Thibodeau wanted to get the band back together as they say.

So, this whole meme and blog generation, and yes, that includes me, have started to call the "new look" Timberwolves, the Timberbulls. I mean, they now have Deng, Rose Gibson and Butler. Butler is the only one worth having, and he wants out. Go read some of his recent interviews, or just look at the fact that he opted to not sign a mega extension. But it doesn't seem like Thibodeau cares. And now, with Noah out there, I wouldn't be shocked if Thibs gets the itch to sign him. That would be horrible. How any of this fits, with Butler being the exception, with guys like Jeff Teague, Wiggins, KAT, is way beyond me. I feel like Thibodeau is a lesser version of Doc Rivers. He likes guys that used to be good on his teams, or against him, no matter how far past their primes they may be.

The only thing these signings, and the possibility of a Noah signing, does is push back the growth of their young stars. Wiggins hasn’t hit his stride, but he still can. Now though, he has to split time with Derrick Rose. Jeff Teague has proven himself a quality NBA point guard, but he also has to split time with Rose. KAT should be “the guy” for the Timberwolves, but Thibodeau is going to throw Luol Deng, Taj Gibson and, if he signs him, Joakim Noah out there to only stunt KAT’s growth. I wanted to like the Timberwolves. I wanted to be a fan. But, with what GM Thibs has done, I just cannot. He is signing over the hill has beens to play with budding stars. He is going to ruin the young players on this team, just so he can have some former Bulls around him.

What a waste.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is a great GM and has NBA 2K rosters to prove it. Call him up T’Wolves.

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Baseball Needs Shohei Ohtani

I know that I am not the big baseball guy on the site, but I want to talk about the Shohei Ohtani news, that he may need Tommy John surgery.

This is a real bummer to me. Again, I do not watch baseball at all, especially right now since football is in full time swing. But, I was looking at Bleacher Report the other day and saw that Ohtani may need the dreaded surgery for pitchers. Now, he has had a very solid season, at least from what I read, both pitching, but more so hitting. He has a decent amount of home runs, he has a decent average and has a good amount of RBI's. As far as pitching, he was doing fine. If you look at him as a rookie, which he is, he has had a very solid pitching season. He has missed a good amount of time, but who doesn't in baseball these days. Also, every star player is treated with kid gloves, so they don't burn out right away.

I had very high hopes for Ohtani, and he was kind of living up to them. I mean, no one really got to see him because he plays on a middling AL team, that is perpetually stuck at, or below .500. He plays on a team that has the best player in baseball, Mike Trout, and they have Albert Pujols, who is coming up on some iconic numbers as a hitter. But, the Angels are like the Chargers of the MLB. They are always the team that is the "sleeper", and they always stumble. I feel real bad for Trout because he is being completely wasted there, and I fear the same is going to happen to Ohtani.

My main point for my piece today, I think maybe the Angels pushed him a bit too much. I know I said that new stars get treated like kids, but they allowed Ohtani to play both. This was exciting to a guy like me, that never really watches baseball, but how was this good for their franchise, I will never know. They should have played him in the outfield, in my opinion, then on the rare, rare occasion that they needed a pitcher, preferably in relief, then they could let Ohtani pitch. I feel like this would have best utilized his unique skill set, and helped this team actually matter when September and October come around. Case and point, a day or two after the diagnosis of Tommy John, Ohtani played, and he hit 2 home runs. The guy can swing the bat. He has proven that he can hit major league pitchers, and hit them deep. He has proven his prowess in the field. Also, if you want to save his arm play him at DH. The Angles are an AL team and they have the DH, so why not? I mean, it would have fit perfectly with my idea to only pitch him in a needed basis.

Whatever the reason, people say Ohtani need this surgery. Who knows what he will do, and what will happen from here on out. I personally hope he doesn't get it. I want him to become a full time DH, and find a way to heal his arm without having this 10-12 recovery period from this surgery. If he does opt for surgery, I feel sorry for Angels fans and hardcore baseball fans. Ohtani has this special ability to hit and pitch at one of the highest levels of baseball. And not only can he just do both, he is very good at both. If he gets Tommy John, these fans will miss a year plus of getting to watch him play. That is a drag. And, who knows how he will play when he gets back. The last person I remember with big time expectations that had to get Tommy John was Stephen Strasburg. Now, he is strictly a pitcher, but people expected the world of him. He then had the surgery, and while he is a fine MLB pitcher, he is not the threat that he was supposed to be. He is a 13-15 win guy with a 3 plus ERA. Everyone expected him to be the next Nolan Ryan, but after Tommy John, he is just another mid level starter on a supposed good team. He isn't even the best pitcher on his team now. I don't want that for Ohtani.

I personally want Ohtani to continue to play. He is one of the very few reasons I even know about baseball right now. I have checked on him occasionally because I was genuinely curious. That hasn't happened with a baseball player for me for a long while. I hope he continues to play as a DH. I hope he finishes out the season and finds a way to avoid Tommy John. I just want him to be on a baseball field next year, as opposed to him rehabbing after a surgery.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He used to pitch and hit for his baseball team. Unfortunately Ty had surgery and his career ended. It was wisdom teeth surgery, and Ty was 20 years old. What could have been?

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Ty Watches "Last Chance U" Season 3

I just finished up season 3 of “Last Chance U”. They did the right thing, changing which school they highlighted, and I have to say, it is still totally worth a watch. Now, I will say, it definitely helps to be a football fan, but it’s not completely necessary. There are human stories outside of the sport that are told this season. They get into anxiety, pressures of being high profiled athletes, depression, anger, struggles growing up and academic problems, just to name a few things outside of football. But, football is the primary source material, as it was in the first 2 seasons. It was no secret that I personally soured on East Mississippi Community College, and mainly their coach, Buddy Stephens. That dude is a piece of work. I felt like 2 seasons there was plenty.

In the third season they chose Independence Community College in Kansas. ICC was notorious for how bad they were. Up until 2 years ago, they had not won a game in almost three full seasons. Not only had they not won, they were the worst team in their conference. They were the team that everyone else beat, and beat bad.

Two years ago ICC went out and hired a guy named Jason Brown. This dude is wild. He is a white dude that was raised in Compton. He grew up tough, and he acts tough. He is a no nonsense, take no prisoners type of guy. He’s big, loud and knows he’s in charge. He also has a reputation of turning programs around. He did it for a few high schools in California. He then became a coordinator for some JUCO’s in Long Beach. He also became a notorious hot head, and could never keep a job for more than one year. But, he has managed to stick around at ICC. The people of the town like him, and he has turned that team around. In his first season they had a .500 record. This past season, they won the conference for the first time since 1987, and won their first bowl game ever.

The recent success ICC has as much to do with the players as it does with Jason Brown. There was a new rule that was also introduced where any team in the Jayhawk Conference could recruit as many players as they want from any state. That is Brown’s specialty. That dude can recruit. He signed 30 plus players, a bunch of which were former 4 and 5 star recruits. He got this kid Malik Henry who was the top QB in his class and was dismissed from Florida State. He had 2 running backs, Kingston Davis and Rakeem Boyd, both who either left or were dismissed from Michigan and Texas A&M. He had a receiver, Calvin Thompson, who was a return specialist and slot receiver at Texas Tech before getting dismissed for a violation of team rules. He then had a bunch of kids that were good enough to go division one, but due to many different circumstances, had to settle for JUCO.

So, we have the same plot as the first 2 seasons, but with newer, more fun people. Brown is way more fun than Buddy Stephens. The running backs, especially Boyd, were more committed to the sport. Thompson was the star of this season. I’m actively rooting for that kid to make it. Some of the lesser known players, namely Emmit Gooden and Jamal Scott, just had better stories. Bobby Bruce is another kid that has a way better story than any player from the first 2 seasons. The only real similarities were at QB. The QB’s at both schools had big heads, complained too much and were super, super talented. That was it.

I had a lot more fun with season 3. I’m sure it’s due to a ton of different things. It was a fresh school. There were fresh faces. This season felt more real. The people seemed more genuine. The stories were just better. There was a particular episode that chronicled a bunch of players and coaches personal upbringings. This was the best season yet.

I’m glad “Last Chance U” came back. I’m glad they changed the scenery. I like the new people a lot. Maybe that will all change after the fourth season, but for now, this show is great. I highly recommend checking it out. It is well worth your time.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He went to a small trade school in St. Louis, and they had a few guys play pick up football on the weekends. What we are saying is that there is a chance to film next season in Ty’s hometown.

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Ty's NFL Quick Hits: Week 1

Every Monday during the NFL season I want to do some quick hits. I want to talk about my reactions, my highlights, my lowlights and just give my own top teams and players. With it being Monday, I will not talk about the Monday night game, and I will not preview the game as well. So, with that being said, lets get to it.

Yesterday was the start to the season. I know we had a game Thursday night, but come on, Thursday night's game was awful. The Falcons and Eagles still need a few weeks before they are the teams they are going to be. And, that is exactly how I viewed the games yesterday. Yes, there are a few teams that we should already know how good or bad they are, but in reality, there are still about 30 teams that I don't have a full grasp on yet, and I probably won't for about 4 or 5 more weeks.

With that said, the Bills are horrendous. They got absolutely smoked by the Ravens yesterday. I know the Ravens have a solid defense, and a good running back, but Joe Flacco looked like a top 5 QB, and that was all because of the Bills awful defense. Flacco was out there throwing dimes and hitting the open guy all game. Alex Collins, the running back, didn't even have to do too much. The Ravens defense also swallowed everything the Bills tried on offense. First off, I cannot believe they started Nathan Petermann. I mean, how is this guy on a roster? How is he a starter? Why did the Bills let Tyrod Taylor go so this mediocre dude could be their QB? None of it makes sense. And, as predicted by everyone, the Bills took him out very early and went to Josh Allen. He didn't fare much better. Allen is going to be a bust. I'm about 99 percent certain of this. That game was awful, and spoke volumes about the Bills. They may be worse than the Browns.

Speaking of the Browns, they didn't lose yesterday, but they also didn't win. I don't know if that says more about them or their opponent, the Steelers. The Browns are not a good offensive team. They have an okay, up and coming defense. But, their offense is real bad. The Steelers are the opposite. They, at least on paper, are supposed to have an electric offense. I mean, I picked them to go to the AFC title game. Now, I know that Le’Veon Bell wasn't playing yesterday, but his backup, James Connor, went off. He had over 130 rushing yards and 2 TD's. He also had about 50 receiving yards. He played great. But, Antonio Brown was relatively quiet. Ju Ju Smith Schuster had an okay game, but nothing spectacular. The tight ends were very blah. And Ben Roesthilberger was dreadful. I feel like he is done. I kind of felt that way last season, but he looked real, real bad yesterday. This actually makes me happy because that dude is a creep, and he doesn't deserve anything positive said about him. I feel like this tie game was solely on him. He stunk up the joint. To go back to the Browns real quick though, they acted excited because they tied the Steelers. That is embarrassing. They have won 1 game over the past 2 years, and they are happy with a tie? Get the hell out of here. I still think they stink. Tyrod Taylor is a good QB, but he doesn't really have anything else. This team is bad.

The Chiefs looked wonderful yesterday. Patrick Malhomes looked awesome. He might be the real deal. Kareem Hunt looked just as good as he did last year. Their defense was bad though, real bad. They had that game sewn up early in the fourth, but they let the Chargers get back into the game. Also, the Chiefs started off super hot last year, and we all saw how that ended. So, I do not put a ton of stock in their win yesterday. Also, the Chargers are still the Chargers. People please, please stop picking them as your "sleeper" team. Please stop saying they are on the cusp. They are who we thought they were to quote the late great Dennis Green.

The Buccaneers need to cut Jameis Winston now and go with Ryan Fitzpatrick. He looked incredible and actually got the ball to guys like Mike Evans in prime position to score. Also, Alvin Kamara is the new best multi purpose back in the league, Drew Brees can still throw the ball, and what in the hell happened to the revamped Saint defense? They could not stop a thing. I think they will fix what ailed them last year, but they need to be better to compete in their hyper tough conference.

The Panthers and Cowboys game was ugly and boring. Ezekial Elliot looks like a flash in the pan. Dak Prescott, who I like, may be best as a backup and their defense is mediocre. As far as the Panthers, Cam Newton needs help. He will try to do it all, but he needs help. He needs weapons around him. At least their defense is sound and physical.

To finish it all up for today, I have to talk about the Packer game last night. They looked so so so bad in the first half. On the other side of that coin, the Bears looked great. Mitch Trubisky was making throws. Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen were doing their thing. And my god, Khalil Mack was dominant. He was totally worth all those picks for that trade. They looked to have that game wrapped up. I continued to watch because I am a glutton for punishment when it comes to the teams I root for. So, when Aaron Rodgers went down, and was carted off the field, I was certain they were done, especially after Mack got that pick 6. But, Rodgers came back in the second half, and then the pass to Geronimo Alison happened. That was a beautiful throw and an even better catch. That was when my hope came back that the Packers could win. Rodgers then threw a TD to Davante Adams to cut the lead to three. The Bears answered with a field goal, but that was about all they could muster in the second half. They looked like a completely different team. They looked content with winning a half, not a game. So, when the Packers got the ball back, I thought they could win. Then a 75 yard pass to Randall Cobb pretty much sealed the deal. The Packers came all the way back and won. I was happy for a minute, then I got a little concerned. Yes, they won. Yes, Rodgers looked amazing. Yes, the receivers were tremendous. But, the defense looked bad all night. They have no contain, and they got carved up for a half by Mitch Trubisky. Also, they need Aaron Rodgers. If he goes down, this team is done. They have no backup plan. Hopefully they will explore Colin Kaepernick. He would be ideal to play behind Rodgers. They also need a real run game. Jamal Williams had moments, but he is young and green. Ty Montgomery needs to be a slot receiver and returner, not a running back. But, I do appreciate his willingness to play the position. The Packers need a real running game. So while I am happy with the win, I still have plenty of concerns.

These are some of my thoughts my week one. I'm pretty stoked that football is back.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is not happy or sad for the Browns. His emotions are a tie, that is what Cleveland seems to want.

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Le'Veon Bell Deserves to Get Paid

With the NFL season kicking off last night, and pretty much all of the other games kicking off Sunday afternoon, I feel the need to weigh in on the Le'Veon Bell holdout. I've done my whole preview and picks and all that stuff, so I do not need to touch on that again. Today is all about one player.

This Bell holdout has become a very hot topic issue. His lineman are calling him out. Others are in support of what he is doing. He is going to miss out on a big chunk of money if he misses multiple games. His coaches are frustrated. This is what he has done the past couple seasons, but he has always showed up right before the season starts. That doesn't seem to be the case this year though. It looks like he is more than willing to miss upwards of 10 games to prove his point.

Now, I have 2 different thoughts on the holdout. My first one is short. I feel like he is letting his teammates down just a bit. He wouldn't be the running back he is without the help of his O line, and Antonio Brown. Those dudes give him many opportunities that other running backs can only dream of. If he owes anything to anybody, those are the 6 guys that deserve to know what he is doing.

Now, for my biggest point, and, I cannot believe I'm siding with Bell here, he is doing the right thing. He has been the do it all back for the Steelers for the past 4 years now. He carries the ball 250-300 times a year. He also makes multiple catches out of the backfield and makes things happen. He is as patient a runner as I have seen. He is the only current back that helps his line by waiting for them to get in position to block. Some guys are a bit too fast when they see a hole, or too slow to get to an open hole. Bell waits on it, then makes something happen. He has prolonged their sexual assaulter of a QB career much longer than it should have been. That rapist, alleged, can just turn around and hand the ball off to bell 30 times a game and save himself from getting hit. Bell has taken some licks over the past 4 years. When he does get hit, he gets hit hard sometimes. He falls forward a lot, but that still takes a toll on a player that is used as much as him. He helps Antonio Brown, Ju Ju Smith Schuscter, and whoever they have at tight end, face single coverage when he goes out for a pass. The fact that a player like Brown can face single coverage when Bell goes out for a pass, that is enormous for this team. He is the best wideout in football, and single coverage on him is a death sentence for the corner that has to deal with that. That only happens when Bell is out there, going out for a pass. So his plan to holdout, and wait for free agency, I have absolutely no problem with him doing this.

It is a widely known fact that the NFL is toughest on its players. They use you up, and when you are no longer of use to your first team, they cut you or trade you. They will get rid of you the moment you show a slip, or someone younger comes along. Coaches are, in fact, praised for doing such things. So for Bell to holdout, and try and get his, I have zero issue. He deserves to get paid. He has done a ton for the Steelers franchise. He has help to make them relevant and a perennial playoff contender when he is out there. But, the moment he gets hurt, or shows signs of slowing down, they will cut him. He needs to get his money, hopefully guaranteed in his case, right now. His positon, running back, is a dying position in the NFL. LeVeon Bell might be the best of the new era of backs, guy that can rush for 1,200-1,500 yards and catch 50 plus balls. So the fact that the Steelers won't pay him, I say continue your holdout. Wait until some team, be it the Steelers or another team pays you. You deserve a big contract Mr. Bell. The NFL is a brutal, brutal business, and you should get your money however, and whenever you can.

I know if Bell sits 10 games, the Steelers will have to pay him franchise money. I'd say do that, unless they give him what he wants. He can do the same if the Steelers want to continue this stupid game of chicken next season. So, while I think he owes his line and Brown a reason why, I do not think he owes the Steelers a god damn thing. They will just use him and spit him out. So, wait and get your money Le'Veon Bell. You deserve to get paid.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is the franchise player for us here at SeedSing. We will not tolerate a holdout. Hopefully Ty knows this.

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Nike and Kaepernick are Awesome

You do my name well sneaker people

I have always, and will always, be a Nike guy. I know I’ve written about Brooks running shoes, and how great they are, but Nike’s are still the best shoes I’ve ever worn. They’re the most comfortable. They’re the most durable. They look the coolest. And they always up the game in style.

Nike’s rule.

That is why I am so very, very happy that they are siding with Colin Kaepernick. The new ad campaign for their 30th anniversary features Kaepernick, and I couldn’t be more ecstatic. This is a great, savvy move by an extremely smart company.

Now, I understand all the stories about child labor and poor work conditions and low pay. I’m well aware of that. But, I want everyone that talks about that to look at what products they wear, and try to justify their company’s working conditions. Sure, Tom’s shoes donate a pair for every pair bought, but I bet their factories that make shoes aren’t much better than Nike. I’m sure companies like Patagonia and Brooks and North Face and Reebok and Adidas all have shady business deals. I know for a fact that the idiot that owns Under Armour is a big fan of that moron in the White House right now. So all the talk of Nike’s poor work conditions, I throw all that out as nonsense.

What sets Nike apart is their willingness to strike a nerve, and I love it. They did the whole, “I’m not a role model” campaign with Charles Barkley. They let Spike Lee direct Jordan commercials. They came up with the “Bo Knows” campaign. They know what they are doing whenever they do something like this. That’s another reason why I love them making Kaepernick the face of their new campaign. This is a perfect time to do this.

What Kaepernick has done, basically risking his professional career by kneeling in the name of police violence against minorities, is crucial in our current political climate. He is now the face of the resistance to me. And this Nike thing is only going to make him that much more of an icon. He will always be remembered for what he did. He was always be talked about not just among sports people, but in history books when my kids are in college. He has made a name for himself for standing up for what he believes in, and Nike wants to be on board with that. I mean, how can you not love all of this.

And for these idiots out here burning their Nike gear, or cutting the swoosh out of clothes and socks, you will be on the wrong side of history. Also, you are essentially burning money that you worked for you dumb dumbs. Could you be any more stupid? I will never, for the life of me, understand why these morons burn clothes they bought. It’s so dumb.

Also, for you idiot right wingers that are now “boycotting” Nike, how did that work for you when you tried to “boycott” Keurig or Dick’s Sporting Goods or Hamilton? All of those things are thriving. In fact, since you idiots tried to start a “boycott”, those companies have made more money. Your lame attempts don’t work, just like everything else in your miserable little lives. So yeah, try and boycott them, it won’t work. This only makes Colin Kaepernick that much more of an icon/historical/memorable person in our history.

Thank you Nike and thank you Colin Kaepernick. This is amazing and just makes me want to spend more and more money on your products. As I write this I have Nike slides, a Nike shirt and a Nike hat on, and I can’t wait to get more. This is awesome.

Just Do It.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is rocking his Michigan Wolverine Nike gear when he writes. Michigan may disssapoint, but Nike rules.

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What the Hell is Wrong with Braylon Edwards?

Like most Michigan fans, Saturday night was not fun. I had higher expectations for the game. I thought they would come out better. I thought I was going to be able to rely on the defense if the offense came out flat. I thought that the offense was going to be different under Shea Patterson. I thought they had the best guys on the field. I thought they were going to win.

These were all mistakes by me. They came out flat and looked tired. The defense was horrendous in the first half. They fixed it in the second half. The offense, while they did more shotgun, looked very similar to last year. The O line was getting beat on a consistent basis. Patterson looked way too amped up. The run game never got going. They never found any rhythm. The defense couldn't get off the field on third down, which they excelled at last year, and if they had a chance to, they committed some dumb ass penalties. The coaches were not prepared, and neither were the players. Due to all of this, they got beat, and they got beat fairly soundly. I know the final score was only a TD difference, but anyone that watched that game knows what I know. So yeah, I was frustrated and annoyed and a bit upset.

But then I went to bed, slept on what I had saw, internalized everything and got over it. It is a game played by kids. They tried their hardest, they just had a rough night. But, you know who didn't sleep on it and let his emotions get the best of him? Braylon freaking Edwards. Go read his ridiculous tweets right after the game. Go see him call out players by name, kids that are in their late teens, early 20's, and say they played "scared", or called them, and the team, "trash". Look at him scream into the internet and see him say that he is "done with this team". He went to school there. He was an all time great while he was there. He is the last player to wear the number 1 jersey, when it meant something, that truly deserved it. He delivered as a wide out for this team in the early 21st century. There is no doubt about that. But for him to do what he did just a couple of days ago, that is absurd. To call out your former university on Twitter is the height of childish behavior. Then, to double down on it, after other former Wolverine told him to calm the hell down, what was he thinking? Finally he issued an apology, but only after he was suspended by his current employer, the Big Ten Network. And that apology was so half assed, he would have been better off not even saying it. Oh, and don't let me forget, he was still found to be tweeting some dumb ass nonsense after he got suspended.

Now, as I said, he was great while he was there, but what did he win of any importance? He is out here talking all this shit like the Wolverines won a national title when he was the team captain. Well, I think I should know as well as anyone, I mean I love this team with all of my heart, and they didn't win shit while he was there. Sure, they had one or 2 double digit win totals, and they were always in a bowl game, but they never won a big game because of him. And yes, I am fully aware of his spectacular game he had against MSU in triple overtime when Chad Henne was a freshman, my god was he amazing that game. But you know what, MSU was not a very good football team back in the early 2000's. Get over it Braylon. Also, the best bowl game he played in was the Rose Bowl, so big time, and he did have three TD's in that game, but they got beat by Vince Young and Texas. That was the same year he won the Biletnikoff Award as the best receiver in the country. So, maybe it was just his personal stats and accolades that mattered to him. But, I don't remember him calling out players and coaches by name after they lost a game they should have won. I don't remember him saying that the teams he played on that went 8-4 and lost some games they probably shouldn't have were trash. Hell, I don't even remember him saying that the Rich Rodriguez and Brady Hoke era teams were "trash". Braylon Edwards clearly has some kind of weird complex. He also clearly doesn't think before he speaks. He also doesn't seem to look back at record books from when he played. He just seems to be a guy that pops off at the mouth because anyone can do that now. To call out kids on social media though, that was a real low blow. He should know better than anyone else that that was wrong. Imagine if Twitter were a thing when he was in college. People would have trashed his stone hands all the time, especially when he got into the NFL. He dropped a ton of balls he should have easily caught.

That was what irked me the most was him calling out guys playing by name. That was a low blow. So I'm glad that Jim Harbaugh and Khalid Hill called him out. I'm glad that BTN suspended him. I'm glad that he is now being raked over the coals by other former Wolverines. If he doesn't want to root for the team he played four years of college football for, fine. Just don't talk about it in such a public way. Believe me, there are tons and tons of other, faithful Wolverine fans, such as myself, that will always stick by this team, in both bad and good days.

I used to be a big time Braylon Edwards apologist. But, after this childish nonsense, I am done. He can root for any team he wants, but he needs to cool it on bad mouthing his alma mater. I know he was mad, I was mad too, but I slept on it, and I am a god damn grown up. Maybe Braylon Edwards should grow the hell up as well. His actions were ridiculous. Get over it, it is just a game played by children that are ages 18-23. They are kids and you are a grown up. Now prove it.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He was not on twitter after the Michigan Notre Dame game because Ty is not a man child who is only defined by the time he was a good sports person.

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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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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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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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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.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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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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