Ty's Two Cents on the NBA Awards

With the NBA restart approaching, and boy do I hope it happens, award season is right around the corner. They usually do it during the Finals, but 2020 has been anything but normal, so they have had to push all their awards to the beginning of the restart playoffs. But, the people who vote have to have their ballots in within the next week.

Some of the awards I feel are easy. I think Nick Nurse is coach of the year hands down. Toronto has been surprisingly great, and they lost Kawhi. Brandon Ingram should be a shoo in for most improved. He has only gotten better in every phase of his game, he was an all star I believe and he is the reason why the Pelicans are where they are right now. Zion is the reason people want to watch, but Ingram has carried the offensive load in his absence. Lou Williams or Montrezl Harrell are winning sixth man. The Clippers have owned that award since they signed Jamal Crawford years ago, and that has continued since they signed Williams and traded for Harrell.

The MVP and defensive player of the year, to some, seems to be the one with some questions. Not for me. I think Giannis more than deserves both of these awards. He was the MVP last season, and he has been better this year. It shows on the floor and in the stats. The Bucks are also, record wise, the best team in the league. Giannis is also putting up these numbers in less minutes than last season. Add on his newfound tenacity on defense, he is far and away the MVP. And his defense, he is getting to that Kawhi level. He erases whoever he defends on any given night. He is so long, so it's easy for him to block shots or recover on the rare occasion he gets beat. He is one of the better thieves in the league, getting a solid amount of steals for a power forward. He can also be a rim protector. He can guard the perimeter. Giannis, once he gets a semblance of the jump shot, will be more unstoppable than he is right now. He is the MVP, and he is the defensive player of the year. It is that easy for me.

I have heard some argue that it isn't that clean cut. I have seen names like Rudy Gobert and Anthony Davis mentioned as DPOY. Sure, they are good, but not Giannis good. Look, I think Gobert is one of the best modern defenders this league has seen, but he won't get the award this year because people will point to him as the guy that shut the league down. Also, he can't guard the perimeter like Giannis can. Giannis has taken that step. While Gobert is the best rim protector, Giannis can do it well, and he can also guard shooters. Anthony Davis came out like a house on fire with his defense, and had he kept that up, I would have listened to an argument. But he tailed off near the shut down. He would do good things here and there, but he wasn't the dominant force that he was in the first half of the year. I think the Lakers also asked him to take on more of the offensive load, and that meant defense had to take a little hit. Davis is still a great defender, but he isn't Giannis.

As for the MVP, Giannis is a no brainer for me, but some have started to take LeBron James' side. In fact, I think a lot has to do with voters doing to Giannis what they have done to LeBron. They don't want to vote for the same guy year after year. It has happened to LeBron, Shaq, Jordan and Giannis seems like the new guy that will have to endure this. Don't get me wrong, LeBron has been wonderful this year, and to do the things he has done at 35 years old and 18 years in the league is amazing. But, I think Giannis is more valuable to the Bucks than LeBron is to the Lakers. Both teams wouldn't be that good without either guy, but I think the Lakers would be a little better if they had the same roster they currently have. AD, Rondo, Kuzma, Danny Green, these are vets, all stars and solid players. Sure, the Bucks have Khris Middleton, but he only got good with Giannis. Same thing with Eric Bledose, and he chokes in the playoffs. After that, the Bucks have solid guys, but no one near Davis, and no one that will impose their will like some of the guys the Lakers have. Both LeBron and Giannis have had great years, but Giannis is coming off an MVP season and he is better. I just don't see how he doesn't win the MVP again. He deserves, his team is better record wise and they'd be a middling, at best, team, if he weren't there.

That's just my 2 cents.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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Ty Watches "Palm Springs"

On our quarantine date this weekend my wife and I sat and watched "Palm Springs".

This is the Lonely Island movie that won Sundance, and sold for a record amount of money, which was a record by 69 cents, and that is hilarious to me. But, the movie was obviously well received, and got good feedback. I am a sucker for a lot of stuff that comes out of Sundance, and is considered a "darling" movie, and "Palm Springs" got all that attention and then some. Add on the fact that Andy Samberg, who is quickly becoming one of my favorite actors, is the star, and I am going to give it a very fair shot.

So after my wife watched the preview and said she'd love to see it, we turned it on, and the next ninety minutes were wonderful. I loved this movie. It more than lived up to the hype. I am not going to spoil much, if anything because I really want people to watch and support this movie, but I will give you a little outline. The movie is like a newer generation "Groundhog Day", except with much more cursing, and way more sexual situations("sexual situations", what am I a hundred?). Andy Samberg plays Nyles, a guest at a wedding, and he ends up reliving the same day over and over and over again. He doesn't exactly know how it happens, or does he, but he is just reliving the same day. Nothing changes, so he just decides to roll with it eventually, and he decides he doesn't care anymore. He has tried to find ways out, be it suicide, or other, but nothing has worked. So, instead of trying to leave, he simply gives in. He does the same thing, but changes up the situation from time to time. One day he'll fight with his girlfriend, the next he is nice to her. He hooks up with all different people, the best being when he claims to have hooked up with the bride's dad, played by Peter Gallagher. That scene is a riot. But there is one night where he sees someone new. He decides to give a speech to save her, and they go to hook up out in the desert. Only, the hookup doesn't end like they both want. Nyles is being hunted by Roy, who is played by JK Simmons, and man is he great, and the girl he is with, Sarah, played by Cristin Milioti, goes to try and help him, and then realizes she is trapped in this infinite loop. She goes to Nyles and finally gets him to explain what is happening but she doesn't buy it. She thinks he is crazy, and she decides to drive all the way home to Austin so she won't fall asleep there. Well, she wakes up in Palm Springs again, and from there on out the movie just becomes more and more hilarious. When Sarah finally starts to buy in and join Nyles on some crazy adventures, That's when I truly fell in love with the movie. They go out and constantly find ways to wreck the wedding. They do copious amounts of drugs. They get drunk everyday. They fight bar patrons. They even did a dance at said bar, and that was some of the funniest dancing I have ever witnessed. I cannot imagine how many takes that took to get that full shot. It was glorious. Throughout all this stuff, Sarah and Nyles start to realize they have feelings for one another. They have an intimate evening, but when they awake again, they both have different reactions. Sarah realizes she has done something wrong, and Nyles, well, he may or may not have been lying to Sarah this whole time. They have their argument, and Sarah disappears. She eventually comes back, and she has a plan that just might get them out of this loop. Nyles isn't so sure, he has grown accustomed to this life, and that is where I will leave this review because it gets so wild and crazy from there.

All in all, like I said above, I loved this movie. Samberg showed some real chops. He has always had the comedy, but in this movie he had to show other emotions, true emotions, and he nailed it. I already said how great Simmons was, and so were the other bit actors they got to be in this movie. But Milioti, she is the star of this. She owns this movie as much, if not more so, than Samberg. She is funny, dark, mysterious, quirky and excellent in everything she does in this movie. I was blown away by her performance, and I shouldn't have been. She was great in "30 Rock", and was totally awesome in her episode of "Black Mirror". She is a damn good actor. Check out "Palm Springs". It is on Hulu, it is short and it rules. This is definitely one of the best movies I have seen in 2020.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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

Let's Watch a Ten Year Old Review "Back to the Future III"

Teddy reviews Back to the Future III

Some Good News For Michigan Basketball

Isaiah Livers announced earlier today that he will return to Michigan for his senior season.

If they get to play any type of basketball this winter, this is great news for my favorite team. Michigan missed out on some top recruits, understandably so, but getting Livers back is big time for this team. And, even though they missed on the top flight prospects, they still have a solid group of incoming freshmen. They have got a few solid guards, one of which is Juwan Howard's kid, and a big seven plus foot center. Add that to two grad transfers, and Michigan could have a solid season coming up. Getting Livers back was key for that to happen. He is the glue. He is the engine. With Zavier Simpson running out of eligibility, Livers is now the big time vet that a young team will crave. He will be the guy that players look to when they are confused, upset, struggling, because he has been through it all. He also happens to be a hell of a basketball player. He can shoot threes, he is relentless when attacking the rim, he can handle the ball a bit and he is one of the better defenders on the team. He will have to do much more on the defensive end this season, but that will be okay because his offensive load should go down a bit due to who is coming in. Both grad transfers can shoot. The kid from Wake Forest, Chaundee Brown I think his name is, is also big and can attack. They will help take the scoring load off Livers. And while Livers can help lock down the perimeter on defense, he will have the big seven footer back there patrolling the paint, along with Brandon Johns Jr, who I expect to have a big time season.

All in all this really helps Juwan Howard and the team, and it helps Livers come back and work on the little things he needs to to become a NBA player. Howard will love having his leadership, his mentality and his tenacity on the floor. He will be the captain for sure. Bookmark that. The team, with all its youth and new guys, will adore having a guy that has been through all this before. Livers knows what the coaches want and expect. And he will make sure that everyone does as he does. He will go hard, and you better believe when you see your best, and most important player going hard, everyone else will too. They will want to keep up. As for Livers, he can get better at shooting the three, he can work to build more muscle so he doesn't get injured as often, he can shore up the little things he needs to to get a shot in the league. This was the best decision he could have made, and hopefully they will have some kind of season so he can prove that he is worth being drafted in the next NBA draft. I can see Livers being a Caris Levert type, or even Duncan Robinson. He can have a career as long as he works out some of the little things he needs to in his final year at Michigan.

In a year filled with crummy news, especially on the sports front, this was a welcome and happy surprise. I am glad Livers is coming back, I think this helps everyone involved and I hope I get to see him play his final season as a Wolverine. Finally some good news in this world, at least for me and my sports mind. 

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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Let Me Calmly Explain Why The Ramones are Overrated

I was scrolling through Facebook a few days ago, and ugh is that site becoming more and more absurd and insane by the minute it seems, but I saw a cool thing on a Run the Jewels fan page that I am a part of. In fact, all I have on my front page on Facebook is a few music things, a small amount of friends and sports news, so I was glad to see what I saw.

There was a question asked on the page. The question was simple, but it ended up getting well over 100 comments, in about an hour. The question, or statement was, "unpopular music opinion, Go". And man did people respond. The Beatles. Bob Dylan, Eminem, Bob Marley, EDM, these seemed to be the bands or musicians with the most mentions, and everyone hated them. I saw some other stuff that made my head crane. Someone called Prince overrated, that is wrong. Someone said Tool is better than Pink Floyd. On what planet is this true? People also said Lynrd Skynrd was better than Led Zeppelin. Not now, not ever.

I thought about these remarks, considered my instant reaction, but then thought about the question in place. The person who started this clearly said these are "unpopular opinions". So, after sitting, and thinking about it, I commented too. I mentioned my distaste for The Doors, Jim Morrison and The Beach Boys. I got some angry comments, but I definitely got more people that agreed with my stance. But today I want to put out what I deem to be my "most controversial music opinion". And before I get into it, no I don't have Drake on here, he is already widely considered trash by real hip hop fans. I don't have any of the younger, mumblecore rappers. That is trash too. I don't have the Grateful Dead because I have made my thoughts on them well known, much to the chagrin of two of my older brothers. I feel those are as simple as the people who trashed the Beatles, or gave a group like Limp Bizkit credit.

No, my unpopular opinion on music is, you all ready for this, I think The Ramones are the most overrated, least talented band that has ever existed.

BOOM!

There, I have finally said it. I know that I wrote about them as one of America's greatest bands, but I always felt dirty about it. I felt like I needed to take multiple showers after writing that, or just throw in the towel as a writer. I felt like a goddamn sell out. But now that I am in quarantine, and have been listening to a ton of music, I feel like I can go in hard on The Ramones. I even gave them a chance fairly recently to see if it was just me, if I was the problem. After about three songs, I knew that my initial thought was correct. They are, for me, not good at all. In fact, I think they are more well known as a band that sells t-shirts than a band that played music. I guarantee the myriad of teens and young 20 year olds that wear a Ramones shirt have zero idea who they are, but the shirt is now considered "fashionable". Getting to the music though, it is the most simplistic thing I have ever listened to. Yes, I play guitar, and I was in a few very crappy bands, but I am a mediocre at best rhythm guitar player. But, after listening to some Ramones, I feel like I could've easily been their lead guitar player. The music is so easy and so simple and so entry level. Chords, like major chords, are pretty easy after you figure out how to play them. The old saying goes, "if you know three chords, you can play most songs". Well, The Ramones made it even easier. Instead of playing major or even minor chords, they played power chords. For those that may not know, power chords only encompass 3 of the six strings, they are all on top of the guitar, the easiest strings to reach, and all you have to do is just hammer away with your fingers or a pick. The first time I was taught a power chord, I remarked to my teacher how much easier this was, and asked why more bands don't do this. He told me that it was too simplistic, and that I wouldn't learn if I just stuck with power chords. The Ramones made their living on these. That is insane. It is so easy and so minor and takes the least amount of effort. The same thing with their drummer. He was more brain dead than Meg White, another unpopular opinion from me I suppose. I don't think he even needed a full kit. He could have been fine with just one drum, maybe with a pedal, sticks and a snare. They didn't need anything else. It was just a simple three or four count on drums, and guitar for that matter, and I cannot recall any type of true solos from their music. And then we get to singing. I believe Joey Ramone was the singer(hell, I don't know, and to be quite frank, don't care), and man is he horrible. And this isn't a Dylan or Tom Waits thing, where it is an "acquired taste" This Ramone was just a bad singer. He more talk sang, a la Lou Reed, who I adore by the way, but it was worse. It is so hard to understand. I only know in "I Wanna Be Sedated" that those are the words because that is what the song is called. The same thing can be said with "Rock and Roll High School". I simply don't understand, don't get, any other words he is saying. I think he is one of the worst "singers" in history.

If I'm going to go full scorched Earth on The Ramones, KISS is a better version of what they were trying to do. I don't think they started the punk movement. I'm sure some band, or bands from Europe were doing punk before The Ramones. I don't care about the whole CBGB vibe. Way better bands played at this club that, by all accounts, was a dirty and disgusting place. For me The Ramones are an image. Their fame has nothing to do with their ability or their music. People liked them because they looked different. People liked them because they gave off the vibe that anyone could do what they did. Yet somehow they are in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and looked at as a band that started a movement. I call BS on all of that. If I'm going to listen to punk rock give me Iggy and the Stooges or The Dirtbombs or, hell, that's it for me.

The Ramones stink, and I will go to my grave with this opinion. I do want people to tell me why I am wrong, right and put in the comments your unpopular music opinions. This is a very interesting thought exercise, and I want to hear from the readers. But, just know, The Ramones stink. 

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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

Ty Reads "Paper Lion"

Recently during quarantine, and you all should still be quarantining if possible, or wearing a mask when you have to go out, please, I have decided that I am going to read what some deem to be classic sports books. I am also a non fiction fan, so the books I choose have to be real. That is just how I like to read, when I rarely read, although I have picked it up more as an adult. And during this pandemic, I have checked out the unread books I have in my closet, and a good portion are non fiction sports novels. So a few weeks back I decided I was going to start tackling these books. The first one I read, which I finished about five days ago, was "Paper Lion".

This book was on all the lists that I sought out before deciding to take this venture. This is a classic sports book written by a classic sports writer. And it is classic for a reason. I absolutely loved this book. Everything about it is amazing. My dad, my cousin, all the football fans in my life that I talk to about sports, they all told me I would love this book, and they were 100 percent correct. For those that don't know, "Paper Lion" has author George Plimpton going to Detroit Lions camp in 1960. He has longed to do this, and after asking many teams, the Lions finally bit. He had done a similar thing before, playing in the MLB All Star game, going to an NHL thing and some kind of pro golf thing, but nothing to the extent of this Lions camp. This was, by far, the most violent, and fastest pro sport he wanted to take part in. After getting into camp, he went through a few positions, until finally landing on quarterback. The sub title of the book is "The Confessions of a Last String Quarterback". He figured this would give him the most immersion into the sport, and he was right. Quarterback is the most important position in pro sports, so if you want to write a book about pro football, why not choose QB.

Besides the stuff all sports fans know, how tough and fast and big and scary pro football players can be, Plimpton gives us intimate details about training camp. He tells the ins and outs. He talks about arriving at the high school that the Lions used for training camp that year and being mistaken for a professor. He talks about conversations he had, one on one conversations mind you, with the coaches and players like Night Train Lane and Alex Karras, and the head coach and all of his assistants. He talks about the practices in great detail. He mentions how hard and fast and prepared you have to be even for a walk through type practice. He talks about the late nights, the curfews, vets and rookies getting cut, coaches yelling and screaming at stars, rookies and practice players, the pranks played on everyone, the late night stories from players, the rookies who were pushed aside by vets scared of losing their job to them. Plimpton writes about it all, and it feels like you are right there with him. I never got past high school football, but it was neat to remember my times playing when reading what Plimpton was talking about. The camaraderie, the lifelong friendships, the competition, he totally nails everything.

The best part of the book is when Plimpton talks about actually playing in a scrimmage, and how tough it was. He got to play five plays, five he knew really, really well, and he lost 30 yards. He missed a handoff, over threw a wide out, got stepped on by a lineman, fumbled the ball and got sacked before he could barely get away from center. He said it, and I felt it, it was nice to read that not anyone could play this game, that it takes a certain type of athlete. It was very interesting, and oddly comforting to know that a guy like Plimpton, who wasn't unathletic, but not a pro level guy, couldn't just walk on a pro football field and do things like real pro do.

I really loved this book. I now understand why it is on every best of sports books lists. I highly recommend this book, especially now when we have so much extra time, and because we will, most likely, not get any type of football this fall. "Paper Lion" is a classic, and I love that I have now read it and can exclaim how great it is to the world. Go read this book. 

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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

Ty Watches "Space Force" Season One

The other night my wife and I finished season one of "Space Force".

When I first heard about this show I was excited. It was Steve Carrell and Greg Daniels pairing up to make fun of the current "government", and their "plan" to get the US back in space. It sounded like an absolute home run to me. I was stoked. Then it came out, and it seemed to be getting poor reviews. I saw online publications saying it wasn't that funny, Steve Carrell was not very good, it seemed disjointed, all kinds of problems seemed to be had. Then my wife talked to some people she works with, people who have similar taste in TV shows, and they echoed what the critics were saying. They seemed to simply say that it wasn't funny, and that was the biggest problem. So going against my better judgement, I decided to listen to the critics. I decided I wasn't going to watch it. Then one night my wife suggested we give it a try. We are home, we have caught up on other shows, we have watched far worse things, so why not?

One night we watched the first episode and we both liked it. The next night we watched a few more, and found ourselves liking it more. We would find ourselves watching two episodes every other night until we finished it late last week. When we were all done I stated, " this is why I don't listen to critics!". I mean, the show isn't great, it is definitely no "Office", but it is not as bad as most were saying. I found Carrell funny. Sure, his voice was weird, but other than that, he was good. He played his role as the guy lumped into a job he didn't even want, or is qualified for, very well. Carrell has become one of the more reliable actors in Hollywood. And working with Daniels, they remind me of Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, they put out solid stuff. John Malkovich played a scientist, a super genius, and he was the best one on the show by a million miles. He was arrogant and smug and mean, but he was also damn funny. He also showed a very soft side at times that I found incredibly sweet. Whenever Malkovich was on screen I did not take my eyes off him. I knew his performance was going to be great. I'd nominate him for an Emmy. Seriously. I thought Lisa Kudrow was great. She is Carrell's wife, and even though she has a very small role, it is damn memorable. When they move to Colorado, and she is in jail, I was shocked, in a good way. She has some great moments in season one. Diana Silvers plays their daughter, and she is good as the oft forgotten wild child in the family. She has good intentions, but she lets her emotions get the best of her too often. Jimmy O Yang is so god damn great as Malkovich's right hand man. He is funny, smart, obsessed, and involved in a very sweet love story. His love interest, Tawny Newsome, was simply perfect. She is a pilot who winds up going to space out of nowhere, but she just rolls with the punches. When she says her statement when she first walks on the moon, it was so great, so perfect and so well written and performed. Ben Schwartz is the media guy for Space Force, and while he could have pigeonholed himself as a Jean Ralphio esque character, he doesn't. He is kind of dumb, but also cocky, and when an actor like Schwartz, who is really willing to go for it, gets a role like this, it hits. And everyone else involved, they did a very solid job.

That is the best way I can describe this show. It is solid. It is not the best thing you will ever watch, but it is not the worst. It's not quotable, but you don't forget about it either. I highly recommend bypassing the critics and checking out this show if you are on the fence. I know I was, and I am glad that I was pushed into watching it. I recommend "Space Force". It is well done TV. 

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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

Maskless Covidiots Will Cost Us Football This Fall

Late last week the Big Ten, ACC and Pac 12 all decided to ditch their non conference schedules and commit, or at least try to commit, to a conference only schedule for the upcoming 2020 season. The SEC hasn't done this yet, nor the Big 12, but it is just a matter of time I feel.

The SEC commissioner, the University of Ohio State's AD and Michigan's AD have all said they are "very concerned" about the upcoming season as well. Me, I have kind of given in to the fact that the season is going to be cancelled. I feel that it is inevitable. The Ivy League has already said they won't even look into fall sports until January 1st. The NJCAA, junior college for those of you that may not know, is most likely going to switch to a spring season. And while I find it commendable that the power five conferences want to play this fall, I just don't see it happening.

It took me a while to get to this point, but it just feels like it is leaning so much that way. We have done a horrible job as a country in containing this virus. We have proven how selfish, arrogant and self righteous we can be. We thought we were above this. Some thought it would go away in a few weeks, I know I did in early March. Some figured we would be good after shutting things down for three months. But all the progress we made in three months was shattered because people wanted to go out and party over Memorial Day weekend. There were no masks, no social distancing and nobody following what we were supposed to do, and pretty much all did, for three months. We threw all that out the window the moment things reopened. People started to flood restaurants, bars, beaches, clubs, any place that was open. We felt cooped up, not me personally, but others, and people just figured the pandemic was over. It wasn't and still isn't. Not even close. And I know I was right here last week saying that I hoped my kids would be in classrooms in the fall, but now that seems as likely to me as a college football season happening.

People refuse to follow the easiest of rules, wearing a cloth mask in public and social distancing, and we are now paying for it dearly. Numbers are approaching, if not passing in some states, where they were when this first started. I know much more testing is being done, but the numbers are terrifying. In Missouri alone we went from about 200 cases a day to nearly 500. That's wild. And it is because people couldn't contain themselves and just had to go out. And that is fine, if they were following proper protocols. They weren't, and now we will all suffer. Schools won't be normal at all in the fall. I have heard that here in Saint Louis it will be a hybrid thing, two days on, three online, or you can do all online, but that won't last long if people continue to live, and disregard the rules like they have since shelter at home was lifted. I wouldn't be surprised if by early September my kids are strictly online learning.

Which leads me to college football. If my kids can't go to a regular, smallish elementary school, how is big time college football going to be played? You can say, no fans. Okay, but what about the players? You can say, test them every other day. Sure, but what about immunocompromised people or the elderly? Shouldn't they have priority over college athletes? The NBA, MLB and NHL right now are getting tests done regularly, and they know within a day if they are positive or not. But my friends and family that have been tested, they have to wait upwards of a week before they know. How is that fair? And with football, these kids are constantly colliding with one another, spreading sweat, spit, all kinds of bodily fluids everywhere. It would be the easiest way to get it. And I have seen some people talk about making full shields for helmets, or having kids wear some kind of face covering, but they all balk at that idea. Why? I have seen players wear every type of extra padding and gadget on their body. Why would they be against the one thing that could actually give them a chance to play this fall? I'll never know.

I have also seen people say they can push to the spring, but that leaves me with two questions. What star college player, who isn't getting paid a dime, would play in the spring, a few months before the draft and risk getting injured?  Also, who knows what this pandemic will look like in the spring. It could be worse, the same or better, we have no idea. All I know, or at least feel right now is, this season is going to get cancelled, billions, with a B, will be lost and a good amount of seniors will never get to play their last season of football because we are a selfish country. Where cases are record highs right now, places like Alabama, Texas, California, South and North Carolina, Louisiana, Ohio, these states live for college football, but since they couldn't, or simply wouldn't follow rules, they are going to miss out on another year of college football. The OSU's, LSU's, Alabama, Texas, USC, they won't get watched because a good majority of people didn't take this pandemic seriously enough, and refuse to wear a mask, even though they think they have to go out now.

I'm so, so bummed about this because I love college football. I live for it. I love nothing more than wasting an entire Saturday afternoon in the fall watching college football, especially my Michigan Wolverines, who only have had four positive cases I might add. It's the best. But, at this point in time I have zero faith that any type of college football season is going to happen in 2020. I hope the parties and the beaches and the restaurants were worth it because we are going to have to start all over again, and that likely means online, at home school for those of us with young kids, and no fall sports. That is a real bummer. It makes me very upset. 

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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

Let's Watch a Ten Year Old Review "Back to the Future II"

Teddy reviews Back to the Future II

The Nets Made a Few Big Moves Before the NBA Restart

Jamal Crawford was finally, finally signed: the Nets picked him up for this restart.

The Nets are currently decimated with positive Covid cases and injured guys opting out, so they needed to do something. How much Crawford will help them is questionable, but he should’ve been on some team way before this. He’s too good a scorer, who can still fill it up, to not, at least, be an instant offense bench player for someone. He could’ve been a great vet for a young team too. I still don’t get why Phoenix didn’t retain him. But, he’s back in the league, and he seemed pumped. He was all over social media after he signed saying how happy an grateful he was to be back. That’s great. He should’ve already been back, but better late than never. And while he’s stoked, and I’m stoked for him, I’d be a little upset that it took a pandemic and a restart before he was signed. Like I said, the dude can still play. He is liable to go off for 20 plus at any given time. He can come in and hit clutch shots. He could help young teams, and playoff teams. Hell, I signed him on NBA2K when I went on a deep playoff run with the Grizzlies. He was available, I needed a bench sniper, and I didn’t hesitate. And he was awesome in limited minutes. That’s a video game, think how much better he will he in real life. I know he’s been around for twenty years, but he stays in shape, and he stays shooting. The dude is a walking bucket. With the Nets, they’ll need him to do so very much, and while I think he’s up for it, it will be a tall task. He will now be the guy other teams game plan for. I know Caris Levert is younger, and Jarret Allen is a great time defender, and Joe Harris is lights out from 3, but those guys are specialists. They are more apt to give you solid numbers, but not the numbers it takes to win in the playoffs. Crawford is that dude, but he’s never been counted on as that dude in the NBA. He also hasn’t played at this level all year. The guys coming back have been off for four months, Crawford has been off for a year. He will be fresh, that’s for sure, but he’ll need these eight games to get into NBA shape, and if they still find their way to the playoffs, the Nets will need him to go to a whole other level. But, he’s back, he deserves it and I will cheer and root for him to show everyone what they’re missing out on by kit signing him.

The Nets are also bringing in Michael Beasley. This move isn’t near as enticing as Crawford, but it helps fill out the roster. Beasley has never been able to shed the “bust” label, but maybe he’ll show something in the NBA bubble. Maybe he’s been working on his game. He was once a coveted prospect, maybe he’ll show some glimmers of what could have been. He will also add size and strength to a weakish front court. Allen is good, but he’s skinny and he’s all they have. Beasley will add some beef, and frustrate opposing forwards. That’s one thing that kept him around so long, he’s a nuisance. He can get into other dudes heads. It doesn’t necessarily help his game, but it sometimes helps his team, and wrecks the opposing player. Beasley, hopefully for Nets fans, will flash some potential and bother other players on opposing teams.

I like the Beasley signing, but I LOVE the Crawford signing. The Nets still look bleak, but at least they’re giving guys who deserve a spot a chance. Good for them.

Ty

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

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Ty Watches Eric Andre's Comedy Special "Legalize Everything"

Last night I was able to sit down, finally, and watch Eric Andre's new stand-up special, "Legalize Everything".

I loved it, of course. I am a big time Andre fan. I have watched his talk show on Adult Swim multiple times. I loved his role on "Man Seeking Woman". Any time he pops up in a movie, even in a very small part, like in "Popstar", I always end up laughing. And one of the more upsetting live show misses for me was when I was supposed to see him in Saint Louis, but he had to cancel the show due to scheduling conflicts. He never rescheduled, and who knows what will happen with live shows given the current situation. I wished I had gotten to see him. But, luckily, I have all this other content of his to watch, and now this new stand-up special. Since I didn't get to see him live, this was my best case scenario. And as I said, I loved it.

Eric Andre is like the Tasmanian Devil of comedy. He is a total ball of energy on stage, but he can also turn on a dime and really slow things down and tell some funny ass stories. I also appreciated that it was just under one hour long. He gets in and out, and crushes while he is doing his show. The live show was what I wanted to see as well. I mentioned the energy, he has great jokes, he talks about deep stuff that he makes funny, and his crowd work is impeccable. I am going to spoil much because people need to check this out.

Andre is a bit different than most stand-ups out there today. He is so high energy and so wild and so crazy, but it is all done with a tremendous amount of humor. I also liked the cold open of the special where he pretended to be a police officer in New Orleans, where the special was taped, and he walked around getting high, giving people pills, telling people he took evidence, just doing everything illegal, and seeing real people have real reactions, it was like watching his talk show. He then proceeded to crush from the moment he stepped on stage. Oh, he also went through the crowd when he was introduced, and was yelling and getting everyone hyped up. It was great. When he took the mic, he talked about so many different things. He did a good chunk at the beginning about drug use, which was hilarious. He talked about smoking pot with his mom, his experience with MDMA, his one time Xanax trip at Coachella, the bad cocaine in NOLA. It was so funny. He then did a classic bit about the show "Cops", and how ridiculous that they have reggae music as their theme music. It is funny, and timely. The stuff about religion, and Plymouth, Massachusetts was tremendous, and I am totally on board with his thoughts. I howled when he climbed onto an audience member, and told him to stop being weird. The thing with the phone, and texting, that is going to be a classic bit. When he spoke about his early career stand up, and the exploits that happened, again, cackling with laughter. The bit with the souvenir he got in Cuba was great, as was his story about being in the Red Light District in Amsterdam. The whole damn thing is great.

I am a fan, so I knew that I was going to enjoy this special. I do think people who may be on the fence about him will enjoy it too. Like I said, it is wild, but he does tone it down from time to time, and does very funny stories, of which he calls back later in the special. Eric Andre is awesome, and this special is great. I highly recommend checking it out.

Ty

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

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Ty Watches "The Polka King"

On our recent mini vacation, every night after the kids went to bed, we would pick a movie to watch at the Airbnb we stayed in. Each person chose a different night. On the last night we were there it was my father's choice, and he picked a movie called "The Polka King". I remembered seeing stuff on Netflix for this movie. I believe I had it on my list to watch, it has Jack Black in it, so that makes me instantly in, and it was, deemed by critics, similar to another Jack Black movie I love called "Bernie", I guess it has the same feel to it. So I was down when my dad asked to watch this movie. My wife and mom didn't seem too crazy about it, but it was dad's choice, and we watched it.

“The Polka King” is a solid movie. In fact, I enjoyed it quite a bit. And while, for me, it isn't on the same level as "Bernie", that movie is criminally underrated, it was still a well told story with a great Jack Black performance. The movie is about a polish gentleman named Jan Lewan, who is a polka musician, moves to Pennsylvania and gets sent to jail for running a ponzi scheme that preyed on the elderly. It seems like a very by the book crime movie, but it took a different approach than others. The fact that Lewan was this polka musician, and spoke with a thick accent, it made him seem aloof to what he was doing. You almost felt like he was doing now wrong. He seemed to be a nice guy, that just dug himself into a hole that he couldn't get out of until too many things went wrong and he landed in jail. Black embodied the character. Seeing him go about his everyday life as Lewan was great. He crushed that. But the polka stuff, my goodness did he crush that. He was electric. I am not a polka fan, in fact the only person I know who truly liked polka music is my now passed away Grandpa. I have met no other people who list polka as a favorite genre of music. But dammit if I wasn't bouncing my leg and humming along to the music when Black performed it in the movie. It was fun. Black was through and through perfection in this movie. I totally bought him as Lewan, I loved his musical performances, I bought his earnestness and his downfall, I was all in. He was tremendous. So was every other big time actor cast in this movie. Jenny Slate played his wife, and she was great. She talked about how she fell for him because he seemed so sad. She then really loved him, but struggled with his fame over hers. I loved the stuff with the Miss Pennsylvania pageant involving Slate. She was awesome. Jacki Weaver was wonderful as Slate's mom, and Black's mother in law. She didn't like Lewan, always thought he was up to something, and let him know every chance she could. And when she stood up for him, that was a dynamite scene. Jason Schwartzmann as his band mate and friend, he is becoming one of these actors that you can always count on for a solid performance, no matter if the movie is good or bad. It definitely helps when it's a good movie like this. Even JB Smoove, in a very small role, with a full head of hair, he was excellent and stole his scenes.

I didn't know if I would like this movie when we started it, but I can say very loudly now that I truly enjoyed this story and this movie's way of telling it. It was also a quick 90 minutes, which I very much appreciate. So, if you are looking for a quirky, funny, real life crime story, I highly recommend "The Polka King". It is a very, very solid movie. 

Ty

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

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Did You Hear About the Patrick Mahomes Extension?

Somebody in the NFL is going to get paid. Ten year extension worth 450 million dollars, and if he reaches certain numbers, it could get up to 503 million dollars. That is the extension that the Chiefs handed to Patrick Mahomes yesterday afternoon.

I was stunned when I first saw this deal. I was shocked at the price. I couldn't wrap my head around that much money over that amount of time, especially for a football player. Those deals are almost never given to a football player. I remember the Matt Ryan deal, the Jared Goff deal, hell, especially the Aaron Rodgers deal. But those pale in comparison to what Mahomes got yesterday. Those guys have plenty of money, but nothing approaching what Mahomes is going to make over the next twelve years. I mean, it is so wild to just read that, and think why would anyone give an athlete that kind of money. But when I sat with it, read some more things about it and really let it sink in, I don't think it is as wild as it seems now.

The contract is humongous, no denying that. I believe it is the biggest sports contract in history. But, when you have a player like him, a guy that can lead your franchise for the next decade plus, a player that will make guys off the street look good and a coaching staff that is as good as KC has, I'm not so blown away by it. Dare I say, it actually makes sense. The point of professional sports is to win titles. And when you have a player like Mahomes, who is as young and gifted as he is, you have to try everything to lock that up. This deal, to me, is akin to when the Bulls gave Jordan a one year 30 million dollar deal. I don't think any athlete is "worth", in real life terms, that amount of money. But, in the sports world, it is more than worth it to bank on a guy like Mahomes or MJ. Jordan delivered a title the year he got 30 million. Mahomes just won a ring, is young, the core of that team will be together for the next few years, so who is not going to make them the favorites? They have it all right now, especially offensively, and they have the type of QB needed to win in the modern NFL. I wouldn't have hesitated to give him that deal in hindsight. And the way they wrote it, and how he will get the money, it is simply perfect. He won't crush their cap the next two years because he is still under his first contract. This is an extension, so it doesn't really kick in until 2022 or 2023. Brilliant. The biggest chunk of money is set up for him to get in the middle of the deal. So years six, seven, and eight, he will be getting paid, and the Chiefs will be over the cap, but look at how the Patriots dealt with that during Brady's tenure, and right now, Mahomes is a more dynamic QB than Brady could ever dream to be. They will be pulling guys off the heap, but we would have never known the Julian Edelman's, Danny Amendola's, Jabar Gaffney's and Laurence Maroney's of the world had it not been for Brady. Mahomes will do that with similar guys, but might make them even better.

When I fully pull back and look at this deal though, and ponder what the future will hold, I see nothing but good times for the Chiefs, Mahomes and their fans. He obviously likes the team and area. The fans adore him. And the team, well they are set at the most important position in sports for the next twelve years, barring injury. If you have a good, or in Mahomes case, great QB, everything else can be figured out later. The Chiefs are going to be the dominant AFC team. They will be the next Patriots. Fans of other teams will be bored seeing them year after year after year in the playoffs, title games and Super Bowls. I could see him winning another 3-5 rings, which will more than make up for that contract, and he will bring home several other individual awards.

This is an absurd amount of time and money in this deal, but with a player like Mahomes, it just makes sense. Congrats to both parties involved, and I am stoked for my friends that are Chiefs fans. This is some great news for them. 

Ty

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

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Kids Need to Go Back to School

If we all just wore one of these, we would not need to have this debate

I am going to go a little controversial, at least to some, with my piece today. I have written about the importance of wearing masks, why we should all be quarantining properly, or if you do go out, taking the proper precautions, all that I do when dealing with all things involving the CoronaVirus. One thing I have split on, well I don't know if I've split, I have heard all kinds of thoughts on this topic, the topi c is kids should go back to school in a few weeks.

I want my kids in school, in their classroom, in the fall. Both my son and daughter are set to start school on August 24th, and if I had my way, they would be in their classroom, with new protocols, and getting the proper instruction and socialization that an eight year old and four year old needs and craves. Here in West County in Saint Louis, remote learning was an absolute disaster. There were so many missed meetings, Zoom barely ever worked, my son would be done with his "class work" in under an hour, my daughter, for the most part, couldn't converse or even hear what her preschool teacher was trying to teach the kids. It simply didn't work. I don't fully blame this on the Rockwood School District. No one was prepared for the pandemic. We could have been, but the powers that be decided it was simply just going to go away. Well, it didn't, and my kids have been home since early March. That is two months of school washed away. Their summer, so far, has been quite boring too. My son was so stoked when we decided to let him go to day camp, it is outdoors and masks are required. He has also started baseball practice, with social distancing, and he has been smiling ear to ear since these little things have happened. He gets to hang out with kids his age, see friends, it has been a very pleasant surprise. My daughter hasn't been so lucky. She is only four so she doesn't have a core group of friends yet. She hasn't been back to her dance classes because they don't require masks, and that makes my wife and I uncomfortable. She has had to spend all her time with me pretty much, especially since my son has been going back to camp. And she doesn't come to the store with me, no need to expose her to that, and we have only gone to a few places because it has been so damn hot here in Saint Louis. She has asked me countless times if she can go back to school when the virus is over. I have to tell her that the virus is here to stay, but I always say, hopefully, that yes she can go back to school in the fall. She misses it dearly, as do I, and my son too. He may be happy at camp and baseball, but he even told me that he misses his friends, teachers and classroom.

There were some rumors flying around for a minute that schools out here wouldn't reopen until there is a vaccine. That could be years. I don't want my son to be twelve years old, and have to start the third grade, or my daughter be eight and just starting kindergarten. The fact that we still don't know here what is going to happen is frustrating and it makes me angry. The fact that some teachers have come and said that they are scared, or need more time, I get the scariness, this is a very, very bad virus, but the time, you've had since March to get ready for this upcoming school year. The timing is an excuse I will not accept. I usually side with teachers, but to complain about that, get the hell out of here. I have also seen some complain about having to teach social distancing after months away, get over that too. That is part of your job. You get paid to do that.

Anyway, why I want my kids in school the most is the socialization. My kids are social butterflies. They like to be friends, and talk with any and everyone. My son will talk to the checker at a grocery store. My daughter will yell talk to people in cars when they pass us and say hi while we are walking the dogs. They are starving for the social aspect that school brings. They want it, and quite frankly, need it. I also think there is a way that schools can make this work. First off, teachers need to be properly trained, and that can be done using proper PPE and social distancing. Also, local governments need to stop giving money to what they deem essential businesses, like bars and nightclubs, and send it on over to public schools. The fact that bars are open in Saint Louis, and we still have no clue about school, that baffles and upsets me at the same time. It seems that the government is focusing more on the food industry than education. That's messed up. What makes it even worse, we won't know a thing about school until late in this month. The powers that be are having some big meeting on the 20th, and then they will eventually give us the decision. So, bars and restaurants and gyms can all stay open, but schools have to wait. What a crock.

I was sent a survey, as was my wife and every other parent with a kid in the Rockwood School District, and it was overwhelming how many people are willing to send their kids back to school, including me. They asked if we would send our kids back without a vaccine, and nearly seventy-five percent of parents said yes. The survey then asked how we would feel about a hybrid model, something like three days at school and two at home, and nearly eighty-five percent said yes, they'd do that if necessary. Like I said, it has been overwhelmingly trending towards parents wanting their kids in classrooms in the fall. And I don't think this has to do with laziness, or wanting to get back to "normal". I don't have the proper education to teach. I didn't get my degree in that. And my kids both know that. They have told me how I'm not a good teacher, and they are absolutely right. I'm not equipped to teach them because I am not a teacher, as far as stuff like math and science and history goes. And this whole thing isn't me bashing people that home school, or are planning on doing it now. Not at all. More power to you. It is not for me though. I don't have the patience, I don't have the education and I want my kids to see their friends and be exposed to different lifestyles. That is what I liked most about my time in school was meeting, and befriending so many different people. I sent my kids to public school for that very same reason.

So while I know that we live in a pandemic, that it is not even close to being over, and that some may be scared, I do want my kids back in their school come August. With proper training, and safety protocol, it can be done. I just think, if a bar, Ihop and the gym is open, schools can open, and be much smarter about it. And I know that I am not alone. My fingers are crossed that come August my kids will get to go back to school proper. 

Ty

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

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Let's Watch a Ten Year Old Review "Back to the Future"

Teddy reviews "Back to the Future"

The Football Team in Washington DC May Soon Have a Non-Racist Name

It looks like, finally, the NFL team that resides in Washington is going to change their name.

This has been a long time coming. I don’t know why they haven’t done it yet in fact. I’ve mentioned plenty of times that they need to change the name. I think the Indians in MLB should change their name too, or at the very least, their logo. The name is offensive. It’s a racial epitaph. The fact that people run around and scream the name, yell it from the stands, proudly wear shirts with the name plastered on it, it’s all so very insensitive. And this isn’t a recent thing, or a white guilt thing for me. As I said, I’ve been saying this since I was in high school. If the Bullets can become the Wizards, or the Bobcats can return to the Hornets, or the Saint Louis Browns switching to Cardinals, it’s easy to change a name. All it takes is one person deciding it needs to be done. I know the Wizards came about due to actual guns in the locker room, but still, they went with a change, and it was needed. The very same can be said, even more so, about the NFL team that resides in Washington. And while I know the change is only coming because Nike and FedEx have threatened to stop selling items, Nike going as far as taking all their stuff off their website last night, it needs to happen. Dan Snyder needs to stop being so bullish on this. I know he’s said that he will not budge, but when major investors start to threaten to pull out, his tone changed quickly. He released a statement this morning saying he’d have a meeting to discuss, and about an hour later it was revealed that a “name change was inevitable”. Finally.

As far as what I would like to see them change their name too, that’s a loaded question. I have been thinking about this for a very long time. At one point I really wanted them to change to the Warriors. I figured they could keep the logo, and all they’d have to do is change the name on the merch. I think it’s a much better representation to their team symbol. I still like that name a lot, it still might be my favorite in fact. But there has to be other choices. I saw someone mention the name the Red, White and Blues, and go by the Reds. I don’t like that. It’s too long, and kind of lame. My dad said the Diplomats, and while I think it’s appropriate, they’d have to do a full overhaul of all their merch, and I think it would be too patriotic looking, and the Patriots already own those colors on their gear. As far as other names, that could cause little change, they could go with the Native Americans or Cherokee’s or something in the Native American, American Indian realm. They could also go with something that represents the area. They could do Senators or Diplomats, my dad’s choice, Congress People, I don’t know. They just need to change it. I know it will cause a wide conversation, but it’s needed, as is the change. I’m sticking with my choice of Warriors, but hey, anything is better than what they have now.

This has been a long time coming, and hopefully they will have a new name whenever football comes back.

Ty

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

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Ty Watches "Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga"

On a whim the other night my wife asked if I wanted to watch the new Will Ferrell movie on Netflix, “Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga”.

I was taken aback for a few reasons. I didn’t know he had a new movie for one. I didn’t know both Rachel McAdams and Dan Stevens were in it. I didn’t know that Pierce Brosnan played Ferrell’s father. And I had zero idea it was about a singing contest called Eurovision, which is a singing contest that invites bands and singers from all over the world, and it’s a real thing. I guess, according to some research, Ferrell became obsessed with this singing contest when his wife showed it to them on a trip. I think she’s of Swedish decent, and she thought he’d enjoy it. Well, it turned into an obsession, and he made a whole movie about it. And he sings and dances and acts and produces the whole damn thing.

While “Eurovision Song Contest” is a bit overlong, it is funny and sweet. Ferrell is hilarious as usual. He plays the lead character Lars. Lars is a dreamer ever since he saw ABBA on Eurovision as a young kid after his mother passed away. He got up and danced at the wake afterward at his home, and while all the adults laughed at him, he swore he’d win Eurovision one day. While at said wake, Sigrit, Rachel McAdams, got up and danced and sang with him. She was mute up to that point in her life. From that point we see them as grownups working in a new song for their band Fire Saga. It’s as European as it gets too. The song, the attached video, the costumes, it all screams European, and I loved it. It was silly, but fun. And while Ferrell is his usual funny self, McAdams matches him, and dare I say, surpasses him. She is so funny in this movie. She’s so quiet, yet naive. She loves Lars, but he loves Eurovision more. She sticks by his side no matter what, even if it’s to her detriment. McAdams really goes for it, and she absolutely crushes it. She is the star of this movie by far. I adored her performance. Dan Stevens plays Russian singer Alexander Lemtov. His performance is so over the top, but it’s supposed to be. He’s so full of himself and his music. He’s also hiding who he truly is. He may be the “bad guy”, but he’s really not. He just wants what’s best for his career and Sigrit’s. She has real talent that he sees, and Lars doesn’t. Also, the fight scene between Alexander and Lars near the end is one of the funniest things I’ve seen in awhile. Brosnan is great as the gruff dad. He doesn’t like the career path his son has chosen, and he lets him know it. Even when he eases up on him, he’s still kind of a jerk, as he’s supposed to be.

While the performances are great, I like that Ferrell is into this world, he invites real contestants to perform full on song and dance performances a few times in the movie. He really lets the singers shine, really gives them their moment, and it’s so cool and so much fun. Like I says before, the only thing I’d change is the length. It’s a hair over two hours, and that’s a little too long for a comedy like this. Other than that it’s a great, funny movie. Ferrell is good, but McAdams shines. I’d recommend it simply for her performance. But, it’s pretty great for everything else it does. Check it out if you haven’t, and if you enjoy Ferrell’s sense of humor. It’s uniquely him. I like that, and I think you will too.

Ty

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

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Better Late than Never on "Logan Lucky"

During our quarantine date night last weekend it was my choice to pick the movie, and I chose “Logan Lucky”.

I had very fleeting memories of this movie when it came out in 2017. I saw a few trailers, saw the cast and saw it was directed by Steven Soderbergh. Those are winning elements for me. But I simply forgot about the movie. It seems like it was out of theaters pretty quick too. I thought it got decent reviews, it has Soderbergh’s name attached and the cast includes Channing Tatum, Daniel Craig, Adam Driver, Riley Keough and Hilary Swank. I simply assumed it would be out for awhile, it may get award buzz and people would talk about it. None of that happened. In fact, the only way that I remembered it, and how my memory was jogged, was by searching for movies on On Demand, and seeing it there. I rewatched the trailer, with my wife, and we both decided we’d give it a try.

I’m glad we did. This was a very good, very fun movie. The cast is awesome. All the actors I mentioned were awesome. Keough, Tatum and Driver play siblings who devise a robbery plan. The catch, they’re, on the surface, bumbling idiots that can’t keep a job and are just kind of aimless. Tatum is divorced, likes to spend time with his daughter, blew out his knee which ruined his burgeoning football career and just jumps from job to job. But on one of his jobs is where he gets this idea to rob a very popular race in Charlotte. Driver is a one armed bartender, he lost his other arm in the war. He’s a vet, slow witted and believes his family is cursed. He only goes along with Tatum’s idea because he’s his little brother, and he owes him. Driver was superb in this role. Keough works at a salon, she helps with Tatum’s daughter and loves to drive. She’s such a good driver, she agrees to be the getaway driver. The three of them devise this plan after Tatum is laid off again, and he’s sick of his lot in life. They go over the plan, and they realize they need a safecracker. This is where Craig comes in, as Joe Bang. He’s the standout in this movie. He’s a jail bird, with bleach blonde hair and totally nails the southern accent. He’s so funny, so good at his skill and has some of the best moments in this whole movie. He made me laugh out loud many times. I love this route Craig is taking in his later career. He’s taking cool, fun and interesting roles and he’s nailing them. That’s exactly what he does as Joe Bang.

When the crew gets to the day to pull off the robbery, this is when the movie goes into hyperdrive, and I loved it. This is when we get all the heist movie stuff that I’ve grown to love. To see the plan unfold bit by bit is so much fun, and I love having it all laid out for me. And even when Tatum decides to go a different route, spoiler alert, and we get to see what he actually does with the money, it makes me love this movie that much more. And when Swank shows up, she’s only in the last third of this movie and she is awesome, she’s with the FBI trying to solve the robbery. She meets all kinds of dead ends, but she’s relentless. She wants to solve this so bad that even when they close the case, she goes out on her own to try and figure this out. The closing shot is of everyone at the bar that Driver works at, and Swank is seen flirting with Driver. It’s pretty cool.

I loved this movie. The acting, directing, style, everything about it works for me. It has that “Ocean’s 11” feel to it, so much so that the robbers are referred to as “Ocean’s 7-11”. That’s pretty wonderful. I can not recommend this movie enough. It is a true hidden gem that just happens to have legitimate movie stars in it. I wish it got more love when it was out in theaters, but now is a perfect time to check it out since we should all still be staying home as much as possible, or at the very least, not going to theaters or restaurants.

Check out “Logan Lucky” if you’re looking for a fun heist movie. I think you’ll really enjoy it.

Ty

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

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Wear a Damn Mask

After seeing CoronaVirus numbers soaring, and now the UK banning American travelers for the time being, I just want to clearly, and plainly and loudly say, WEAR A GODDAMN MASK PEOPLE! It's as simple a request as one can make.

Look, we don't know a whole lot about this virus right now. There are so many variables that scientists haven't been able to put their finger on. We don't know if you can get it more than once, we don't know if it is seasonal or just going to ravage us for the rest of 2020, we don't know too much right now. But, we do know that wearing a mask while in public, and practicing social distancing, that is our best chance to not get the virus, or if you have it and don't know, wearing masks makes it far less likely to spread the disease. If we all wore masks in public places, we could get to a point where we have this under some kind of control, or at least have more time to figure more things out.

The fact that there are people here in America making fake exempt cards, or whining and crying about being asked to wear one in stores, or making much to do when a restaurant asks you to wear one, or calling people "sheep" that do wear one just proves how entitled and childish and selfish and stupid some people can be in the US. It is a piece of cloth that can save you and anyone you may come in contact with, and it takes 2 seconds to put it on. It is the simplest thing to do, and the most effective thing right now. I simply do not get these people that are so upset about having to wear one. I don't understand people who think it does nothing. I don't get people that seem to think it makes it harder for them to breath. None of the complaints about masks make a lick of sense to me. It's easy, it's effective, you can make your own, you can buy disposable packs, there are so many options for this one thing that can help us return to some kind of normalcy. If we all wore masks in public, and were socially distancing, we could finally flatten the curve and figure stuff out. But because we have so many spoiled rotten brats, our numbers are skyrocketing. We have so many more cases than any other country. We have dumbass people gathering in bars and restaurants and just simply trying to act like this virus is gone, and that is only making it worse. When we were on lockdown for three months, and the numbers were actually going down, all that hard work was for naught because of selfish people. As soon as things reopened to the public, people rushed out without their masks and gathered in large groups without distancing. Just look at the beaches over Memorial Day weekend. They were stacked with a bunch of idiots who just figured the pandemic was over. And since states have reopened, it has only gotten worse. I see far too many people out at restaurants and clubs. It is upsetting. I have also talked with people since my son started baseball practice again, and have heard things like, "I'm glad this is done because I am not a mask guy", or " that was wild, but now it's all over". Those statements are so wrong on so many levels.

This is not over. We are still at the beginning. Not a mask guy, get the hell out of here. How selfish are you? How much of a dick are you? I love things like movie theaters, sporting events, hanging out with my entire extended family, my kids going to school, running races and playing basketball. Since March, the only thing I have done is run virtual races, and I have started to see my parents again. Both are done with masks, and with a ton of pre visit or pre run protocol. But, if we all wore masks, and stopped crying like children, we may get to a point where some of this stuff can start happening in 2021 or 2022. If we all wore masks, I would have no problem going to a theater. I would enjoy the hell out of a Michigan football game if I knew that masks were required to get into the stadium. I took my kids to a local science museum that recently opened back up and it was great because we all wore masks, and no one griped about it. It was the safest I have felt outside my home since early March. And my 4 year old and 8 year old had no problem wearing a mask. They are children, but they understood and didn't bitch and moan and throw a tantrum like I have seen so many adults do since it became the rule in public.

It's such a simple thing to do. If we all wore masks, if we all practiced social distancing, we could, possibly, get to some kind of a new normal. So, I say at the end like I did at the beginning, loudly I might add, WEAR A MASK, IT CAN SAVE LIVES. 

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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Looks Like the Patriots Did it to Us Again

The Patriots just refuse to let it go. They refuse to let someone else win their division. They refuse to play an unproven player since they struck gold with Tom Brady. They refuse to just let go, give in and rebuild. They are a less fun, meaner San Antonio Spurs. They just find ways to always keep themselves in the conversation as a contender.

The New England Patriots went out and got Cam Newton yesterday for absolutely nothing at all. They signed him to an incentive laden one year prove it deal after Brady left for Tampa. This is a move that will either be genius, or they can get away with it without having people drag them. They got Newton to sign for one year, if there is a football season, and even if he doesn’t make the team, it will cost them nothing. Any other team could’ve signed him, except Carolina I suppose, and while it shouldn’t surprise me, I was stunned that New England was who got him. They lost a hall of fame QB, but other than that, they were set up to compete simply because their defense is so good. All they really needed out of the QB position this season was a game manager, and it seemed that Jarret Stidham or Brian Hoyer was going to get the job. They looked like they were going to lean on the run game, short passes and their defense. And then they go out and get Newton. He may be the most overqualified game managing QB that was available. I understand he’s been hurt. I know he’s gotten three shoulder surgeries in three consecutive years. I know he hasn’t quite looked the same since his MVP year. I know he’s taken way too many cheap shots since the Super Bowl appearance. But, he’s won a MVP, he’s played in humongous games at all levels, he’s shattered records in the NFL and he has had over a full year to totally recover and get into shape. And if you’re like me and have been watching far too many pro athletes work out videos, because I miss sports so much, Cam looks about as in good a shape as any human can look. He was, in my opinion, the prize free agent QB. You may say that Brady was a free agent too, welp, at this point in their careers, I’d honestly rather have Cam. He’s younger, bigger and faster. So I guess it only makes sense that he’d replace Brady in New England.

I think the reason I’m so frustrated by this, why I wanted Newton to play anywhere else, is because I despise New England as much as almost everyone else does. They’re cheaters, they did get fined yesterday right after signing Newton by the way for filming a Bengals practice, yet they never truly get in trouble. They always get a slap on the wrist. I also was excited to see someone else win that division, and play in the playoffs. I’m fed up with seeing the Patriots every year. I want new blood. And I figured we’d get that. Be it the Bills, Jets or Dolphins, I was stoked for someone else to represent that division. But, if he stays healthy and is even half as good as he was three years ago, Newton will lead this team to another easy division title and playoff spot. This is the best O line he will ever play behind. The receivers might be the best too. Running back isn’t even close, Carolina is set there, but they still have guys that can fill that role solidly. And this defense, it’s better than the one that newton had when he led Carolina to the Super Bowl. This Patriots team was going to win somewhere around 5-8 games I thought with, most likely, Stidham. With Newton, I’d he’s healthy, they’re a 10 win team easily. They are already set everywhere else, and now they have a great QB who will be out to prove a ton of people wrong. Newton wants to show he’s still one of the better players in the NFL. This was exactly what he, and the Patriots needed. I mean, I’m pissed, but it makes too much sense for it to not work out. I thought he’d go to Washington to reunite with Ron Rivera, or go be the real dual threat the Bears want, or even go tutor Tua in Miami. None of that happened though. He went to the dark side. He’s playing for Palpatine, except it will probably work out much better for the Patriots than it did for Palpatine in the last “Star Wars” movie. I mean, the Patriots did it again, and while I shouldn’t be shocked, I am. I am stunned in fact. I’ll be very curious to see what happens next, but this is a home run for both sides, and that’s what’s most frustrating.

The Patriots  just won’t die. They won’t go away. Jesus.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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