Ty Watches "Last Chance U" Season 5

Being that this has been all sports, and mostly college football, I want to finish the week out talking about that very topic. But this time I am going to end on a higher note than what I have been coming with all week.

I just recently finished the fifth season of "Last Chance U". I am a fan of this show. I know that it is a bit over dramatic, it is the same story season after season and it follows a very paint by numbers thread. But, I love college football, I love watching these kids get a shot, I love watching the dynamic of the coaches at the junior college level and I love this show.

This final season, at least in the sense that they are doing football, rumor has it they are switching to basketball for the next season, and that would rule, was great. This was actually the first season where I didn't really find anyone I disliked. The seasons before, at that school in Mississippi and the one in Kansas, both of those coaches were straight up assholes. They played the villain role, and they played it too well. They, in my opinion, hammed it up when the cameras showed up on campus. The kids, they each had some interesting stories, but for the most part, they were castoffs. The two schools before were essentially farm systems for division 1 schools. The kids would either not have the grades to get into their dream school, they were cut from their D-1 school, they were told to go play at the junior college level to hone their skills, it was all about getting the best of the cast off athletes. The kids at these schools in previous seasons, I had heard of some of them. Hell, one was a running back I thought was going to be great at Michigan, but he simply refused to go to class and was kicked off the team. The kids at the school in season five, it's called Laney, are kids that have not given up on their dream of playing college football at a higher level. Laney College doesn't have dorm rooms. The kids on the team have to pay to go there. There are no scholarships. Sure, there is recruiting, and I am sure some kind of "allowance" type stuff takes place. But for the most part, these kids have to get themselves to and from school on their own, most of them have jobs and some even have kids that they take care of and show up to practice. They play to play. They love the game. And they know that Laney is their best shot at getting somewhere else. There is an exception. One kid on the team is a top flight cornerback. He was, at the time of filming, the fifth rated corner in the country as far as recruiting magazines claimed. But, he went to Laney because his brother went there, his cousin went there and he needed to get a little better before joining a D-1 program, which he does. Other kids, they were all so easy to root for. The little white receiver who I was not a fan of, when I heard his life story, I understood why he acts the way he acts. He won me over. The other receiver, the one that has to sleep in his car, that has no contact with his father, his story was crazy depressing, but the way that kid that keeps at it, the way he sacrifices and the stuff he does, I will root for that kid forever to make it. The lineman who is married with two kids was one of the gentlest giants I have seen on TV. He was a beast on the football field, but off it, he was essentially a stay at home dad trying his best to be there for his kids. I related to him the most. And the star of the season was the coach, John Beam. Apparently this gentleman is a legend in Oakland. He has stuck around for 40 plus years. He has had other opportunities, but he has declined them all because he loves what he does, loves working with juco kids and LOVES Oakland. He has his moments, like every coach does, but he is likable and goofy and funny and I found myself rooting for him and his team way more than the other teams featured in "Last Chance U".

This season was very solid. It was probably the best they have done to this point. If this is the way they are going out from the juco football standpoint, they picked the best possible way to do it. I recommend this show now more than ever since football is going to be very different, if it exists at all, this fall. "Last Chance U" is solid, and featuring Laney College in Oakland was perfect. 

Ty

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

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Time For Another Idiotic, Semi-Racist, Take from Bill Simmons

Since I am in a crummy mood this week I do want to thank RD for telling me to check out Twitter the other night. He told me this after the Big 10 canceled their fall sports, and said to search for Bill Simmons. Oh boy.

It is no secret that I am not a fan of Simmons. I was, but then I grew up, realized he is a mediocre, front running writer and now I have come to realize that he is too, albeit not on the surface to some, a racist. This isn't a new development either. Noam Scheiber of New York Times wrote a great piece awhile back detailing not only his racism at ESPN, Grantland and now The Ringer, but he also pointed out his sexism and his want to be famous and how that makes him treat others as if they are beneath him. I know he read this, and the replies, even though he claims he never does because since that piece, all of the sudden, The Ringer podcasting network had shows that featured writers that are not white that are on staff. It was way, way too heavy handed the way he did this too. I listen, or used to listen, to a good amount of the shows on The Ringer, and all of the sudden guys like Tyler Tines and Van Lathan and Larry Wilmore just started "randomly" popping up as guests, or with their own shows. It was a bit much.

Yet, as he is want to do, Simmons was talking on his pod, again I don't listen anymore, and I guess he had made a statement with another white guy that works there, Ryen Rusillo, comparing Luka Doncic's assists to James Harden's. RD told me this, and I didn't think it would be much. I was reeling, upset about college football, just kind of mopey. But I went on Twitter, just to see what the hubbub was all about, and man oh man was this a very, very underhanded racist comment made by Simmons. He said, "Luka's assists are like Bird's- they're not cheap assists... like the James Harden type of assists".

Let that sink in for a minute. He is saying that a white point guard, who he is comparing to another white player, has better assists than a black man that has revolutionized the way offense is played in the NBA. Also, how is any assist cheap I ask? They all do the same thing. They all lead to a bucket. It doesn't have to be fancy or whipped around the perimeter or anything. An assist is an assist is an assist. Harden, Doncic, LeBron, KD, Russ, all of their assists are the same, at least to me. It's not like these guys are hunting assists. I am not a Harden guy too. He is a great, great offensive player, I just find his brand of basketball boring. But his assists are just as important or special as anyone else's in the league. His lobs are also very useful because he gets teams to collapse on him, leaving the dunker wide open. He is such a threat from the outside, that when he up fakes from three, he usually has two or more guys open, leaving them with wide open looks. If anything, Harden's assists are the opposite of cheap. He is getting guys the cleanest looks they will ever find in the NBA. And Doncic is a great player too, but he is not on Harden's level yet. Doncic is a fine young player, one of the better players in the league, but guys like Bill Simmons, and the majority of the staff at The Ringer are so horny for a white savior in the NBA.

Simmons has made the Ringer in his racist image. The majority of his hires are writers who have, at one time, worked for him already or for the Celtics. That's why they all loved the Gordon Hayward signing when it happened, loved the Brad Stevens hire, but bristle when Marcus Smart calls someone out, or when Jaylen Brown goes on TV and talks eloquently about systemic racism. People like Simmons don't want to see that because he grew up watching a player whose nickname was "The Hick from French Lick". And Larry Bird was great, one of the best. I'm not calling him out, I'm calling out Boston fans that opine for the days when he was the star of the team. For Simmons to say this, and to take the side of Doncic, to call Harden's assists "cheap", it is lazy and hackey and he is trying so hard to be cool. Simmons is no better than anyone that works at Barstool Sports, a horrendously awful website, he just has the ESPN recognition to his name. I have to assume there has always been an underlying racism within Simmons, and now that he is older, it is starting to rear its head. He is trying to be a hip guy, but he comes off as a wannabe and a dork. He makes these grand declarations, and then tries to backtrack immediately.

Simmons is a phony, a hack, the type of guy that reminisces of his high school days, and now, a blatant racist. Since I read this quote and did some more research, I have unsubscribed from anything and everything involving his company. I don't want anything to do with him, or the myriad of white men he tends to hire time and time again. I'm not sure my unsubscribing will do much, but hey, if half the people who read this do the same, maybe we can make Bill Simmons admit he is a racist, misogynistic dickhead one day, and he will get his comeuppance. Here's hoping.

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 Talk About the College Football Problem

I've had a day, and a not so great night of sleep, to think about the Big 10 canceling fall sports this year. I know the Pac 12 did too, and that the three other power 5 conferences are trying to continue with a fall season, but this piece is about my disappointment, my understanding, my fears and my distaste for how the NCAA treats its student athletes in the Big 10. The other conferences, quite frankly, I could care less about.

Say that college football does play a season, or attempt one in the fall, I am sure there will be stops and starts and players getting sick, players opting out and coaches whining and complaining about the "sanctity of the game". People in the South will riot if they don't get one Alabama or Texas game, so I am sure that their AD's and president's are going to do whatever, including endangering children, to play some football. Anyway, like I said up top, I am disappointed. I am feeling things that I have never felt before. I feel heartbreak, and not like when you break up with someone.

College football, Michigan football, these have been two of the most constant things in my life. They have always been there. Every fall since my existence they have played. This year they won't. I feel like something was stolen from me, like a piece of me is simply gone, almost like a limb has just disappeared. That may sound dramatic, but that is how I feel. I look forward to fall. I like the weather, but more importantly, that is when Michigan takes the field and I have twelve to thirteen weeks of angst, exuberance, anger and joy all at once. When the Wolverines take the field, I hang on their every play, good and bad. I know it may sound sad, but it is true. Outside of family, Michigan football is the only thing that I have ever truly loved. Now it is gone.

There are a myriad of reasons for the loss of Michigan football. I mentioned all the maskless idiots, the people who think CoronaVirus is a "hoax", the MAGA dummies yesterday. After reading why this happened, I found out new things that are happening behind the scenes. One thing in particular that doctors are seeing in young athletes who have had Covid and supposedly recovered from it, they are having heart issues or complications. The doctors have seen this in at least five Big Ten athletes, and they say that others who have recovered are saying they are having heart issues as well. This is what made me stop and really think, is it worth it? Do these young kids really need to risk the rest of their lives to play ten football games so I can yell at them through my TV screen? I know they want to play, they say they want to play, they have been at school gearing up for this, they have spent their lives dedicated to this game, but why on Earth would you want to risk your long term health, especially when you don't see a dime for the work you put into this sport.

That is another big time issue I have with all of this. All of these people who say it is a "hoax", all of the Big 12, ACC and SEC fans calling out the Big 10 and Pac 12 today for canceling, do you really think the NCAA cares about these kids and their want to play? There is no way in hell that I will believe that for one second. The NCAA makes money hand over fist off these football players. The schools do too. So do the coaches. But the kids, what do they get? They get a free education you may come back at me with. Okay, so a free education is worth risking their lives to you armchair QB's? These kids going out and playing a sport where spit and sweat are going to be flying all over the place and they will be so much more susceptible to contracting this virus because of that, you are okay with that? The fact that they will bash into one another for three plus hours once a week is fine because you need your football? That is all BS. These "fans" that say these things are no better than the NCAA and Mark Emmert and the presidents of the schools that voted to cancel this fall season.

I firmly believe that the powers that be in the NCAA were afraid because college athletes were starting to use their voice, and the possibility of them unionizing was becoming more and more real by the hour. I fully believe that the Big 10 and Pac 12 commissioners were much more apt to cancel when they figured this out. They just used the CoronaVirus as the face. I am sure both things factored into the decision, but in the long run, and it saddens me to say, I think the NCAA is becoming fearful that players were going to start to get what they truly deserved. They were going to get more than an education, which they most certainly deserve. The NCAA saw this, and they knew they needed to act now. The fact that it was the Pac 12 and Big 10 that canceled first is no surprise. They have schools that actually care about academics, and don't hold football over everything else. The Pac 12 and Big 10 formed groups that were making demands that any regular working person gets. There are smart kids at these schools. Northwestern, Michigan, Purdue, Washington, Oregon, Stanford these schools are just as hard to get in as a regular student. Throw on the athlete part, and it is even tougher. The NCAA and Mark Emmert thought they could pull one over on these kids, these kids who give them free labor while making them millionaires. But these kids wouldn't stand for it. They made a list of demands, the NCAA and the two league commissioners saw this and they had to shut it down. The kids were becoming too powerful for them. That is so sad. It is sad because they chose their own power over safety. Again, they will use the pandemic as the face to shutting it down, but people in the know know that it was these kids finally having leverage that caused the cancellation.

The same kind of student athlete activism isn't going to happen in the South. The Alabama's of the world, the Texas', the Clemson's, they don't give a rats ass about these kids, they just want some football. And when these kids are no longer good to them, to hell with them, bring on the next guy they say. But what will these diehard fans do if one of these kids, one of the star kids gets Covid and has to miss the season? How will Clemson fans deal if Trevor Lawrence gets it because he is supposed to be a football robot? Or how about Sam Ehlinger at Texas? Or Najee Harris at Alabama? If one of these kids gets it, that team's season is all but over, if they actually do end up playing. How will fans of those teams feel then? Will it be next guy up, or will they actually realize that it is too dangerous to play a sport like football right now? I don't know, and that is the scariest thing of all of this to me.

I was so angry, I was depressed, I am still feeling feelings I have never had just like I said up top, but I do get why they are doing it. I get both the ethical and unethical parts of it. It's upsetting, but canceling, and I don't for one second think a spring season is viable in any context, is the necessary thing to do. Just look at how poorly the MLB has done, and that is a professional league with the best doctors and training staffs in the world. At the end of the day I am upset, but I will get over it. I am hopeful to see college football, the Michigan Wolverines that is, next fall.

While I don't think this is a death knell for the sport, I do think the players need to continue pushing and demanding more rights. If anything, they have the time and the backing of many, many people now. I also don't think the long term risks outweigh the short term happiness any lazy ass American sitting on their couch will get this fall. While I am sad, I will get over it and I am pretty sure I will see Michigan play football again in the Big House with 100,000 plus fans maybe as soon as next year. Right now though, I get why they had to cancel. They had no choice. I will be curious to see if other leagues do play, if they even get close to finishing and who opts out and who stays. Time will tell.

This is a wild time we are living in right now, and it seems to get worse and worse by the day. Football should be the least of our worries right now. 

Ty

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

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Some Thoughts on Vice Presidential Nominee Kamala Harris

Joe Biden selected Kamala Harris to be his running mate in the 2020 presidential election. I have a few brief thoughts.

Thought #1 - This is awesome. I love the history making of the pick, the first women of color to be at the top of the ticket. I love the competency of the pick, Kamala Harris has the record and skill set to be the Vice President. I love the bravery of the pick, Trump and his minions were already planning on using Harris’s statements against Joe Biden during the Democratic Party primary debates, now she can directly answer their attacks.

Thought #2 - Who cares what Fox News and the right wing media machine thinks. The fact is no matter who Biden picked, they were going to attack. Trump is in the running for being the worst President in US history. He is a conspiracy theory peddling, angry, mean old man. There is no joy to Trump. The only thing his GOP media enablers have in their arsenal is the ability to attack people personally. I love that Kamala Harris will bring out the worst in the Trump backers. America can see the hate this group has for others.

Thought #3 - This only matters if you get out and vote. Trump is not popular, but he is powerful. He is also craven. It is obvious that the GOP is doing everything they can to delegitimize the 2020 election. Losers can only win through cheating, and the GOP is led by losers. Trump and his backers are not patriots, they do not believe in the Constitution. Like Trump, the GOP is filled with con-men and con-women. They will do everything. including a bunch of illegal stuff, to stay in power. Take their power away and make damn well sure you vote on, or before, November 3rd.

It is now time to get to work.

Kamala Harris, Vice President of the United States. I like the sound of that.

RD

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Some Thoughts on the Cancellation of Big 10 Sports

I’m very,  very upset and very angry right now.

The Big 10, my conference with my favorite team that has ever existed, officially canceled all fall sports today, including football. They hope to play in spring, but who the hell knows. I’m too angry to do a full fledged article today. I need time to process. But for now, for today, I hope all of you that laughed at this virus, that refused to wear masks, that take advantage of these student athletes, that think it’s a “hoax”, that support that monster in the White House, that are arrogant and self righteous, I hope you’re at peace with this decision. It sucks, but we didn’t have to be here if we weren’t so god damn entitled. This is crummy.

More to come tomorrow.

Ty

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

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And Now We Have Lost the College Football Season

Today has not been a good day. Today has been a very sad day for me in fact. And while nothing is official, it seems like, at the very least, the Big Ten and Pac 12 are all but ready to cancel all of their fall sports, including football.

Now, I am not reporting this, I am not trying to be one of the first people to get this out on the internet, I am not trying to stoke any flames. But, if you have read anything this morning or afternoon, or read anything yesterday, big time important people from the power 5 conferences had an emergency meeting yesterday to discuss calling off the season. That type of thing doesn't happen, or if it does, it is not for good news. But, like I said, nothing is official yet, but it seems like it is inevitable. I have read two conflicting reports in the last thirty minutes where one person said the Big Ten voted and canceled the season, and twelve minutes later, I kid you not, another reporter came out and said that they spoke to a Big Ten spokesperson, and that person said that there have been no decisions made. Both of these reporters are reputable too. This isn't 247 or Rivals or anything like that. This was Dan Patrick and Nicole Auerbach of The Athletic. These people are in the know. But either way, this is upsetting and troubling and makes me so mad at our country, and the lack of taking this virus serious. I am also hyper pissed off at the NCAA, which I will get to today.

This is upsetting because I love college football. I truly do. It is my favorite sport played in my favorite season. Look, I love basketball, I love watching my son play baseball, but college football is head and shoulders above all of that. It has been the mainstay for my life to this point. My earliest memories are watching Michigan with my dad. I named my puppy after Bo Schembechler. I have a Wolverines tattoo. One of my most prized possessions is a Charles Woodson signed football. And there is nothing I enjoy more than watching college football from dawn to dusk on a Saturday afternoon in the fall. The fact that it is going to be, most likely, canceled or postponed is a real bummer. I'd be lying if I didn't say I got choked up reading stories about the inevitable downfall this morning.

I'm mad at our country because a lot of people, far, far too many, have just blown off the CoronaVirus. I see people not wearing masks in public. I see people gathering in crowds well over the suggested size, and of course they aren't social distancing. I have seen far too many people flood restaurants the moment they reopened. I see way too many people throwing humongous parties. But what is most frightening is the people who think this is a hoax. How stupid and selfish and ignorant and arrogant do you have to be? What kind of an asshole are you that you think you are above this? Does the death count, which I believe is over 165,000 in the US, not strike fear in you? Do you still think that is a "hoax"? Does your "president" really make you think this is going away, or that it is under any kind of control? If so, I feel so very sorry for you, and I do not need you in my life. The simple fact that sports have been affected by this should be evidence enough that this is real. Sports didn't stop during the Spanish Flu, sports didn't stop during wars, sports didn't stop after 9/11. But sports have been shuttered and left to the unknown since CoronaVirus. The sheer fact that we have had stops and starts, shutdowns, brand new protocols, should be more than enough evidence that this is real, and this is scary. How are you morons going to feel come fall when The University of Ohio State or Michigan or Oregon or Texas or Alabama or Florida or California or UCLA isn't taking the field because of CoronaVirus. Will you then, finally take this seriously? Is canceling football finally going to be the thing that makes you stop and think and act correctly for the first time in your life? I hope so, but I doubt it. You will all say, we can watch it in the spring or we will wait until next season. What if things aren't better by then? We all thought this was going to go away, but it hasn't. It has only gotten worse. Who's to say where we will be in the fall, winter or next spring. But, if we keep living how we are living right now, it won't be better.

As for the NCAA, to wait until now to make these conferences make decisions, and for Mark Emmert to come out and say stuff, I say, sorry mom and dad, shut the fuck up. You have had four plus months. You had time to see how other sports have handled this. You've had time to put things in place to make a season possible. Hell, you have even had conferences shift to a conference only schedule, had them release it, get fans' hopes up, and now you are saying it needs to be shut down. What a crock the NCAA and Emmert are. They are thieves of joy and they are taking advantage of the student athletes. I'm so happy that guys like Justin Fields and Trevor Lawrence are putting their voice out there and letting the NCAA know that they want to play, and that they think it is safer to play than to abandon these kids for an entire season and to send them home. Fields and Lawrence both said they think it is safer to stay and play. They have proper protocol going on. Lawrence went as far to say that he thinks it is safer than if he were sent home where he knows people aren't following the proper protocol. Fields echoed that. Hell, even Jim Harbaugh has come out with a statement in support of the players who want to play and feel safe to play. He even added some stats about how Michigan has managed to keep their positive cases so low, in fact zero positive cases as of their last testing date. But the NCAA won't even give these players, or Harbaugh the time of day I suppose. I'm sure they could also care less about the guys who are seniors and will never play football again, or the guys that had a shot at the NFL, but needed to come back to improve. I hope, at the very least, these players get to form a union and get paid for their likeness being used all the time.

This whole situation is crummy and it didn't have to be this way. Fall collegiate sports had more than enough time to figure out a safe way to do this and they blew it harder than the MLB is blowing it right now. It stinks that I and many other college football fans will not be able to watch our favorite teams and players. I know it is the safest thing to do, I really do, canceling or postponing the year, but the NCAA could have come up with something instead of just assuming CoronaVirus would go away, or be tamped down by now. It isn't, and that was fools thinking. Today is a sad sports day indeed. 

Ty

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

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Ty Listens to "Paradiso"

The Sloppy Boys released a new record “Paradiso” last week, and boy was it much needed. I like this band, I think the guys are funny, but I also appreciate the music they make. They are fun, they remind me of summer and, while this whole year has been a totally dumpster fire, their music lets me forget for thirty minutes about what is going on outside. They make fun music that just grooves. I didn't know they were making another new record either, but I guess, just like the rest of us, they have a ton of free time, so why not, right.

This album, much like their first two, is swift, charming and funny. There are songs about drinking, drugs, getting laid and having a good time, which is what I have come to expect from them. But what I didn't really see coming was how much better they are getting at their instruments. I also dig the fact that they have thrown a sax on a few songs. They are branching out, and I like that. I also have become very accustomed to Tim Kalpakis' voice, and I am a tried and true fan. I fully enjoy when he is the lead singer. Don't get me wrong, Mike Hanford is a solid singer too, and Jeff Dutton throws in some solid backing vocals, but I am a Kalpakis guy.

The opening track, "One Last Bender" sets the table perfectly, and Kalpakis' voice is front and center. It is a fun song about getting hammered. It's great. The next song, "We're Gonna Get You Laid" is funny, and it takes the perspective of a guy trying to help a girl get laid. I think that is pretty cool, and the song is rad. "Breakfast at Bellevue" features Kalpakis on lead vocals, and has a very cool build up at the beginning. Then it morphs into their surfer summer rock style they have locked down. "Out on the Town" is like an old school 80's rap song. It has neat keyboards, funny vocals and hearing them do a song like this makes me laugh and groove at the same time. It is a good song to run to as well. "The Mastah Bong Ripper" is like Black Sabbath meets the Count from "Sesame Street". This song is so weird and so awesome. It's also hilarious the way they put it out on the record. It is totally different from anything they've done to this point, and I love it. It is my favorite song on the record at the moment. "Armageddon" is like a tribute to both Billy Joel and Bruce Willis. They sing and play it in classic waltz style, all the while talking about friends that have grown up and stopped drinking and have families, but they also mention Bruce Willis movies. It is great. "Little Miss Socialite" is a song that could easily be played on pop radio today if pop radio were cool. It has some nice distorted guitar in it, and the lyrics are solid. "Oh Yeah" is more of a classic rock song. It has banging drums, good quality guitar and Mike Hanford bringing it with his voice. The song is all about yelling the phrase "Oh Yeah" also. That is what I love about this band. They are good, but they don't take themselves too seriously. They play music for fun and just happen to be good at it. "College Night" is the longest song on the record, coming in at over six minutes, and it starts with Tim Kalpakis just naming colleges, and then they get into the meat of the song. It starts with distorted guitars, and then shifts to acoustic, with some nice little riffs thrown in, and Kalpakis singing about what college students do at night time. It is kind of sweet if I do say so. This is akin to "Classic New York Night" from their last record. It is an anthem type song, and it sounds like an ode to something bigger. But when you listen to the words, it is pure comedy. I love that they do one song like this on their records. It is almost as assured as their surf rock sound. "Full Blown Free for All" is the closer, and it sounds like the closer to a rocking record. It is fast paced with fast singing and it closes out this new album perfectly.

I really like “Paradiso”. I am a Sloppy boys fan, or Slophead as we are now known. I am happy they made a new record also. It is a nice detour from the real world, and I appreciate that they keep making music. I definitely recommend this record. 

Ty

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

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"Can't Hardly Wait" and "American Pie" Are Not the Classics We Remember

Before the NBA came back, which is basically all I watch now, I was watching a lot of movies. I still do. I mention my quarantine date nights, I watch random stuff on cable, I watched a few when I was on "vacation", so movies are about the only thing that will pull me away from the NBA right now.

One night recently I came across two movies, one I have seen and one I haven't, and my wife and I decided we would watch them both. They started early enough for us that the night would be over by 10 at the latest. Also, the kids were doing their thing, so we had the TV to ourselves. The two movies were "Can't Hardly Wait" and "American Pie". These are two movies that some mine and my wife's age would consider "classics". The first rated R movie I snuck into was "American Pie". My wife saw "Can't Hardly Wait", the one I hadn't seen, a few times with friends in theaters. These were movies of the time that, at least I know, felt like they would be remembered forever for only good reasons.

Welp, I couldn't have been more wrong. These movies are not very good, and quite frankly, both are fairly problematic. I'm not talking "Sweet Sixteen" and Long Duck Dong problematic, but still, these movies are not very flattering to women and non white people. Let's talk about "Can't Hardly Wait" first. This movie uses some of the most homophobic language I have heard this side of the "Entourage" movie. It was appalling to hear some of these actors, some who have had, and are still having, solid, well respected careers. I was shocked to hear these words come out of their mouths. My wife and I said it was a different time. Really though, it wasn't. These movies were made in the 21st century. They are not very old. They couldn't drink if they were a real person. It is wild. What was most upsetting to me was watching Seth Green, an actor I truly adore. He was written so offensively. Him and his friends were the worst caricature of wannabes. They spoke in the cliche "black guy" voice, and it was grating and so tough to watch. Green is a great, well respected actor, but I have to imagine he looks back on this role and cringes. It is so wrong on so many levels. I was offended watching it, and I am a middle aged white dude from the suburbs. I just can't fathom a world where this was approved, and more so, considered to be the "funny" guy in the movie. It was awful.

But, as bad as that was, "American Pie" was much worse. This movie is pitiful. This movie is so degrading to women. This movie makes guys look like suave sophisticated individuals in high school. This movie pokes fun at an athlete trying something non athletic. And to make it singing, you'd think he was the worst person in the world. And then we have Stifler. I love Sean William Scott. I think he has scrubbed this role from his memory. I think he has done a good job of not being pigeonholed. But, he was so offensive, mean, abusive and an outright dick in this movie. He said horribly offensive and homophobic things. He was a jerk. He was the prototypical "jock" caricature, and it was hard to watch. He is not nearly as funny as I thought he was when I was 16. As for the other guys in the core group, man do they stink. They are so focused on "getting laid", and we are supposed to view them as the "heroes" of this movie. We are made to root for them in their "quest". In reality, they are assholes who treat women terribly. They view women as objects and that they are only there to make them not virgins before they go to college. It's awful. And the female characters in this movie, they get nothing. Shannon Elizabeth is only there to be gawked at. Tara Reid is supposedly the "bad guy" because she wants her boyfriend to say he loves her before she sleeps with him. Mira Sorvino has moments, but they are all closed with her longing for Chris Klein. Natasha Lyonne is the only real strong female character in the movie, but it is revealed near the end that she is only nice when she wants something. They paint her as materialistic. It is so bad.

I was so thoroughly disappointed in both movies. I didn't fully know what I was getting into with "Can't Hardly Wait", but I left thinking that the people who wrote this have never met an African American person in their life. As for "American Pie", I was so so so so wrong about everything I used to "love" about this movie. It's a bummer that it took me growing up to realize how terribly this  movie treats women, and boy does it treat them bad. But everything that might have saved it was washed out by the offensive dialogue and the awful character arcs. These movies do not hold up and I wish I could wipe them from my memory. Man do they stink. 

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 Umbrella Academy" Season 2

The past week my wife and I have been watching "Umbrella Academy" season 2. We watched the first season last year on a whim of hers and I thought it was fine. It wasn't great but it wasn't bad. The fight scenes were awesome, the story was cool, the animation and CGI work was top notch and the ending was rad. The acting was hit and miss though, it got a little too melodramatic and it felt kind of slow at times. Like I said, it was okay. But, the ending to season one definitely made me want to come back to the show. I was curious to see where they would go with this story in a second season.

The second season came out at the end of July, and we have watched the first five episodes, with plans on finishing it by the weekend, and I have to say, the second season, so far, has been totally awesome. I liked the first season enough, but this second season has totally blown season 1 out of the water. The acting has been shored up. Everyone is good, not just Ellen Page and the kid who plays Number 5. The story, which has shifted to the 60's, and the assassination of JFK was the absolute right move. Each episode has told the backstory of the main characters so far, and what they have done in the two to three years they have traveled back in time to Dallas in the early 60's. The music has been so cool. They play old hits and set them to some of the most kick ass fight scenes I have seen on TV or in a movie. There was a fight scene last night that we saw that was almost, almost as good as anything I have seen in any of the three "John Wick" movies. The bad guys this season are so much more fleshed out, and frankly better, than what they had last season. No offense to Mary J Blige, she is a wonderful singer, but her acting cannot hold a card to the people they got this season as the villains. The Swedes are right up there with the Salamanca brothers from "Breaking Bad" for me. Kate Walsh is back, and she is the ultimate villain. She is so good in this role, her clothes are wild and dope and she is as bad as they come.

I have been so much more into this season of the show. I find myself thinking about what I think will happen next each day. I put my phone down when we watch and the show gets my 100 percent attention. I do not want to miss a thing. I don't want to miss any possible plot points that I am sure will come back in the last five episodes. The show has just been so much better. The writers seem to have really bought into this season's premise, and they have nearly perfectly fleshed out the characters arcs to this point. The way they start each episode, with a very important cold open has been so good in letting me know what to look forward to. The emotional changes from the first season are so much better. Luther, the big ape man, has become this sad sack of a person, and the actor is totally nailing the emotions. He is funny, but you also feel for him. Adding in the JFK stuff has also given us cool characters, including a guy that plays Jack Ruby. It has been so cool.

I'm very excited to see where they go with the ending. My wife has read spoilers, but I have asked her to not tell me anything, I want to be surprised. This might be one of the best sophomore seasons of TV I've seen in quite some time. I have really enjoyed season 2 of "Umbrella Academy", and I am almost certain they will end it with a bang, and it will totally hit. This show is very good, and I definitely recommend it. 

Ty

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

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Ty Listens to "Talking Heads"

I grew up in a house where music was played constantly. My parents are children of the 60's, two of my brothers are kids of the late 70's and early 80's and my brother closest in age to me was a hip hop kid in the early 90's. There has been plenty of music, and plenty of different music that I have heard in my 37 years so far on this planet. Like most people I have developed my own taste, I have very emotionally charged feelings about what I like and why I like it and I consider myself a music snob. But, my taste has been molded by everyone in my family. I have my love for The Beatles from my dad. The Band is one of the best bands ever, and I have my mom to thank for that. Hip hop groups like Public Enemy and Grandmaster Flash and the Furious 5, I have RD to thank for that. Jam music and hippy bands, I can attribute my other brothers, and my oldest brother's wife for my love, albeit short lasting, for jam music.

The one band that all three of my brothers have listened to, and grown to love over the years, Talking Heads, never really, truly spoke to me. I listened to them. I was the typical guy that liked their hits, but I never really ventured beyond that. I would just listen to their songs that I heard in movies or on TV shows or other bands covering them live. Recently though I have found myself revisiting bands that I never gave a true chance. I have been listening to a lot of bands people have told me about, but I never really felt that I needed to give them the time. I am also running all the time during the pandemic, and lately I have been devouring music on my runs because podcasts can get a bit boring, or they don't give me the energy that I need. My kids would also much rather listen to music than another basketball podcast. Over the past week I decided that I was going to give Talking Heads a fair shake. I don't know if it was the new Scott Aukermann and Adam Scott podcast about them that got to me, or if I just decided it was time, or a combination of the two, but the time had come to give in.

Boy am I glad that I did. Talking Heads are absolutely incredible, way ahead of their time, geniuses, have made some of the best music that has ever existed and just an all out wonderful band. Forgive me if I have already written about them in my Greatest American band pieces I did, but I didn't really get them until just the other day. In the past three days I have listened to "77", "More Songs About Buildings and Food" and "Stop Making Sense" each about three times from start to finish. This is some of the most incredible music I have ever heard in my life. To hear them, especially on a debut album like "77", sound like they did is amazing. They were so ahead of their contemporaries. They had a clearer vision than anyone else where their genre was headed. If I had to pick a genre for them I'd say they are post punk, but Talking Heads is so much more than just a genre. They bend so many different styles and blends of music. They can do so many different styles. The band is truly phenomenal, and David Byrne, he may be one of the most musically talented writers and composers of all time. Hearing what he wrote on "77" is simply astounding. Then to hear the sonic change they made on "MSABAF", they knew where they wanted to go, got some help from Brian Eno, and they went there, but also went beyond.

Then yesterday I decided to give "Stop Making Sense" my first listen. I have read and heard many things about the record, but I never dove into it. I decided I was going to go run for about an hour, so I figured it was a perfect time to finally check it out. Well, my run lasted for an hour and 20 minutes because I had to hear the whole thing. I got three songs into it and I was absolutely blown away by what I was hearing. It has to be one of the best live albums that has ever been made. Listening to "Stop Making Sense" actually makes me miss live music that much more. I didn't think I was missing it much during the pandemic, but this record changed all that. I wanted to be there when they recorded this. I want to see Talking Heads. I know it's not viable anymore, but this album makes me miss it, and wish for live music. It is perfectly crafted, perfectly sequenced and lets the band totally shine. And talk about hits. This record is filled with incredible live versions of any Talking Heads song any average fan could ask for. But they also throw in some other stuff that just blows me away. When they turn into the Tom Tom Club and play "Genius of Love", it is such a change departure, but it is groovy as hell. To go from that right into a sped up version of "Girlfriend is Better" shows how gifted they were as a band. Also, the version of "This Must Be the Place" that they play, they call it "Naive Melody", makes me adore the song so much more. "Life During Wartime", which they play right after "Burning Down the House", is legendary. And that is how the whole record is. It just gets better and better with every listen.

I have found that has been my feeling with the first three records I have chosen to listen to as well. I have found myself craving their music lately. I wake up and turn them on when I make breakfast. I listen to them when I workout. They work for everything. I'm so excited to see where they go from here, and how much more I grow to love them. I definitely waited too long to really listen to Talking Heads, but better late than never, right. They are clearly one of the best, most influential and most important bands of all time. Talking Heads are amazing. 

Ty

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

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The MLB Restart Has Been a Disaster

I have to give credit where credit is due. RD was right in his MLB preview. He gave some picks, even a World Series winner, but he ended it by saying that they wouldn’t be able to finish the season. So far, he looks like he nailed it. This first couple weeks have been, putting it lightly, disastrous. Multiple teams, including my Saint Louis Cardinals, have seen Coronavirus outbreaks. The Marlins had to postpone their opener to this week because they had, at last count, 18 players and staff test positive. The Phillies had an outbreak, although now they’re saying there were some false positives. And now we have the Cardinals. It started with four at the start of the weekend, and last night the news said that the team “expects many more positives”. Their whole series with the Brewers was postponed. Who knows if they’ll even attempt to play the Tigers this week. It has been just horrible.

The MLB squabbled all summer long about minuscule, to them, amounts of money. They couldn’t come to any agreement. One day the players would say they’d play only to have the owners ask for more. Then the owners would want to play, and wouldn’t you know it, the players would say they wanted more. They spent months arguing about money and not coming up with a solid, and safe, plan. They could’ve used that time griping about pennies on the dollar, again in relative terms, trying to figure out a safe solution. The fact they didn’t try a “bubble” scenario still baffles me. They could’ve done it in Arizona, Texas or Florida. I know numbers have been high there, but hey, the NBA is in a bubble in Orlando and they’re doing just fine. But the MLB insisted, once they finally agreed to something, on playing in home stadiums and letting players travel. I get the whole idea of traveling within close quarters, but traveling, especially on a plane right now, is just too risky. These players were going to get sick, and most likely easily. That was my first thought when I read the MLB’s agreed upon plan for playing the season. All the while we’ve had these three outbreaks, so far, other teams are still playing. There were a bunch of games this weekend. I even tuned into the Red Sox-Yankees game last night in between NBA games. That means that some teams may finish their 60 games well before other teams do. Most teams, so far, have played anywhere from 8 to 10 games. Then we have teams like the Phillies and Marlins, who’ve played 3 games. The Cardinals have played 5, the Brewers have played 6. And the defending champs, the Nationals, have played 7. Teams are going to be playing catch-up all year if this continues. Like I said before, I’m still unsure if the Cardinals are going to even play this week. I’m sure the Marlins will have another outbreak. It wouldn’t stun me if the LA or New York teams have to stop. Hell, the Midwest is getting punished with positive cases right now, so I imagine both Chicago teams and Pittsburgh will have to postpone in the very near future.

The MLB’s ill conceived and poorly thought out plan is simply not working. It’s been rough. It also is giving me a look into what pro and college football will look like if they proceed with their seasons, and don’t make some serious changes to testing and protocols and isolating. This has had the exact opposite effect that basketball had had. This “plan” has ruined baseball this year. I’ve said it before, baseball could’ve owned the summer, but they screwed they up, and now look where they are after fighting over some money. After watching games unfold for two weeks now, not only do I agree with RD that they won’t be able to finish this “season”, but it has also made me realize how little of a chance football had of being played in full, or at all, this fall.

This stinks and the MLB has shown us all the wrong way to try and play sports in this pandemic. They get a big fat stinky F for their efforts thus far.

Ty

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

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The NBA Did Not Disappoint

Last night was absolutely amazing. I watched every second of both NBA games that were on, and boy did both of them deliver. The games both started kind of slow, but other than that, they had some great moments, some big dunks, great defense, exceptional passing and it was the first time in four months that I felt somewhat normal. I was watching professional basketball that counted and it was simply wonderful.

This pandemic is just getting started, we are still a ways off from any kind of answers, other sports, mainly the MLB and football, seemed doomed to be postponed or out and out canceled, but the NBA, they seem to be doing it right. They seem to have figured something out. They are, much like other pro soccer leagues overseas, doing the right things, and it is working. And last night was the first big punctuation to their plan. This was the NBA putting their flag in the ground and showing how this could work right now. It was awesome. Outside of the basketball on the court, I'll get to that in a minute, all the prior to the game stuff was done very well. The introductions felt real. The announcers were there, but they were separated by Plexiglass. Everyone who was with the team, but wasn't a player or coach, they were all masked up, and most were gloved. The players that they let come watch the games, they were spread out, they had masks and they seemed to be enjoying themselves and their teammates' company. The kneeling before the game during the anthem was perfect. Every player and coach on both teams knelt before both games. It was tremendous. The social issues that some players chose to wear on the back of their jersey's was very tastefully done, and I loved reading all the different sayings, and seeing which player wore what saying.

Then we have the actual basketball. As I said, it started a bit slow, you'd expect that after an emergency four month stoppage. But as the games wore on, the play became better and better, and more competitive. It seemed like the players were feeling each other out at first, but then they simply switched into game mode. Brandon Ingram, in the Jazz-Pelicans game, was out there cooking for a while. Once he got going, the rest of the Pelicans started to buy in. Zion threw down an alley oop that was spectacular, JJ Redick provided some nice moments off the bench, Jrue Holiday was playing lock down defense and hitting shots, and the Pelicans started to get up and down the floor. The Jazz came out hot, with Rudy Gobert running things, but kind of cooled off for a minute. Then they started to chip away at the Pelicans lead. Mike Conley hit tough shots, Joe Ingles was a pest, Royce O'Neal was hitting threes and Donovan Mitchell started to feel it in the second half. The game came down to the end, with Brandon Ingram just missing a three that would have won the game at the buzzer. It was a great appetizer to the main course.

That main course was a scintillating Clippers-Lakers game. I know the Clippers were without Montrezl Harrell and Lou Williams, but hey, they are still a solid team without those guys. The Lakers though, man did they come to play. Anthony Davis was doing it all, including hitting an inordinate amount of free throws. JaVale McGee was rolling and dropping hooks everywhere. Dwight Howard provided solid rebounding off the bench. Danny Green made shots. But LeBron showed why he is still the best player in the world. He had a rough shooting night, but he made great passes, played some solid defense, and when he needed to, he made shots. The Clippers looked pretty good too. No Harrell meant more time for Zubac and Joakim Noah. Both guys had solid defensive games. Reggie Jackson got the start since Patrick Beverly just cleared protocol prior to the game, and he played like he did while in OKC. Beverly was no slouch either when he got in. He didn't shoot well, but he was that bulldog on defense. Paul George looked fully healthy for the first time in two years. He was making jumpers, asserting himself to get to the rim and playing his usual stout defense. Kawhi had some short jumpers, tired legs, but he ratched it up when he needed to like LeBron, coming on real strong in the second half. LeBron ended up hitting what was essentially a game winner, and the Lakers got a win on opening night in a game that was better than the first.

This couldn't have worked out better for the NBA. They had two great games, all the stars that were there played, made some plays and were all over highlights this morning. The lack of a crowd was nullified for me watching from home. Honestly, I couldn't tell the difference. The fact that these guys played as hard, and as well as they did, it made the fact that there were no fans moot. I liked the big TV screens that showed people, and the pumped in noise, but again, it didn't really affect my watching at all.

I'm so happy that the NBA is back and started off with a bang like it did. I hope they continue to have success, as far as people staying healthy and good games, and they are able to let this thing run its course. But, for at least one night, I felt normal again, watching real basketball games. 

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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Tom Thibodeau is Not What the Knicks Need

Awhile back I talked about the New York Knicks and their opening at head coach. I went through the candidates I thought were viable and through my research I thought that Mike Brown was the best fit. He has coached a super duper mega star, he has been to the Finals, he has been to the playoffs and he has helped start a rebuild. Recently he has been the main assistant to Steve Kerr in Golden State. I felt he was owed his next shot at running a team, and I felt he would fit in perfectly with the Knicks.

Well, the Knicks are going to do what the Knicks are going to always do, and they went ahead and hired Tom Thibodeau. The deal was made official yesterday I believe. He is now the head coach of a very young team, younger than when he took over the Timberwolves, without a player of Jimmy Butler's caliber, or KAT's of that matter, who doesn't play much defense and is trying to build around RJ Barrett, who is okay, but I don't even think he is all rookie caliber. The best player the Knicks have is Mitchell Robinson in my opinion, and while he fits the mold of an old fashioned Thibodeau player, he is not going to be the offensive weapon that they need. And while they may try to mold Barrett into that kind of guy, he did not look to have the goods to be a great offensive player in the NBA. Also, Kevin Knox looked lost last season, they waived Alonzo Trier, they won't get a great college guy and the rest of the roster is, well, underwhelming to put it nicely. This should be a full rebuild. But, I just don't think Thibodeau is the guy for that. He wants to win and win now. To his credit, everywhere he has been, he has had teams that are in the playoffs, that make the game gruff and he has always had at least one guy that can score in the crucial moments. In Boston, as an assistant, he had Kevin Garnett to run the defense, and had KG, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce, plus Doc Rivers as the head coach, to run the offense. They won a title. In Chicago he had Joakim Noah to play brutal defense, and a young Derrick Rose, the youngest MVP in the history of the NBA, to run offense. He played those guys way, way too many minutes at a very young age, never got out of the second round of the playoffs and Derrick Rose destroyed his knee. In Minnesota he had Butler, who was the do it all guy on both offense and defense, and he had KAT playing good enough D, and scoring in bunches. That team had to fight to get the 8 seed in the playoffs, and then got their asses blown out and Jimmy Butler pushed his way out. Minnesota wasn't very good after that, and Thibs was let go. He has a decent track record as a head coach, but he cannot build a team, he plays his starters far too many minutes and he burns guys out. He has also had, at the least, one all star caliber player at his disposal everywhere he has been. As I pointed out, the Knicks don't have that yet, and they don't have a lot of the other things teams need to compete, even in the East. And I understand that Thibs and Leon Rose are buddies. I get that they hired World Wide Wes, and he knows people. I understand that, at least at the beginning, Knicks fans will like Thibs because he is old school and will work these kids. But what happens if they go 20-62 next season, and strike out on big time free agents? What happens if Mitchell Robinson pans out, but goes the Butler route and wants out? What happens if RJ Barrett is never more than an inconsistent scorer? What happens if Kevin Knox is fully a bust? The list of questions could go on and on, and you may say that these questions can be asked of other teams, successful teams at that, but this has happened everywhere Thibs has coached. Butler pushed his way to the 76ers. Derrick Rose was played far too much and he has never been the same. Rookies in Minnesota never got any real time to show themselves because Thibs wants to play vets. The Knicks biggest score in free agency in the past decade has been guys like Enes Kanter and Julius Randle. This just seems like a situation where Thibs will get frustrated, the Knicks won't get the meetings they want, the Nets will be more enticing, the guys Thibs will want are either too old, or simply not stars and the Knicks will be right here in two or three years again, looking for a new coach to go through yet another rebuild.

I want the Knicks to be good. Basketball is way more fun when they matter. The Lakers haven't been good for eight years, but this year, as much as I dislike them, has been better because they are a legit title contender. We need that from the team in New York, the team that plays at the most famous arena, the team that pushed the 90's Bulls. I just don't think it will work with Tom Thibodeau as their head coach. I feel like I have been ragging on him since he took the Minnesota job, but hey, that turned out to be one thing I was correct on. And this situation in New York is much, much worse than what he walked into in Minnesota. I wish the Knicks would think like a modern NBA team, but that just doesn't seem to be the way they do business. They need to get with the modern game, and Tom Thibodeau is not the head coach to do that. Oh well, maybe they will prove me wrong, I just don't see it. Not with him as the head coach and the current roster they have. 

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 NBA Restart Preview

The second round of recent tests just came out in the NBA bubble and there were zero positives. This is a good sign, and it leads me to believe, at the current moment, we are going to get basketball, and maybe, just maybe, we can get a long run of games with no interruptions. I plan on watching basketball all day tomorrow. Real games, that will count towards real standing that will lead into the real playoffs kickoff in the afternoon, and games go through the whole night. I plan on parking myself on a couch and watching as much of these games as possible.

With that being said, I want to do a restart preview and playoff prediction. I already gave everyone my award winners, except for Rookie of the Year, it is Ja Morant in a landslide by the way, so those will not be mentioned. I will pick my playoffs, conference title matchups and Finals winner and MVP. The fact that there are only 22 teams makes it easier. I am not going to go through each team, but the absence of eight teams just makes this so much easier to do.

I am going to start with the East, or as we call it on the pod, the JV. The East isn't bad, it just isn't as good as the West. The East invited the current 8 playoff teams, and added the Wizards. Sure, they had a chance to make a push to possibly get in the playoffs, but the real draw was Brad Beal, and he opted out of the restart. The Wizards will see what kind of young talent they have, but that is it. I wouldn't be surprised if they don't win a single game while in Orlando. The East playoff will be good though. The Bucks are the clear favorite, and they should be. I wouldn't expect Giannis to play much in the first eight games so he can be fully ready for the playoffs. The Raptors are good too. They are the new era Pistons, not the Bad Boy Pistons either, but the team that had Chauncey Billups and Rasheed Wallace and Ben Wallace. They are gritty and they beat the hell out of you on defense. Then it gets kind of jumbled. The Celtics are good, but very young. The Heat have a great, loaded defense, but can they score enough? The 76ers, my preseason pick to come out of the East, have been wildly underwhelming, and they are not good on the road. All the games in Orlando are away from Philly. Then we have the Magic and Nets. The Magic are a nice story, and it's cool that they are playing in their home city, but they won't do much. The Nets are a shell of themselves, and if they win a game in the playoffs, I'd be stunned. As much as I cannot quit the 76ers, I am going to finally bury that and pick the Bucks and Heat to play in the East Finals, with the Bucks winning in 5. Giannis is the MVP, the Bucks are the best team in the NBA by record, they are deep and they can pretty much do it all. It is their turn.

Now for the varsity, the West. The West is loaded. I mentioned the Wizards were the one extra East team, the West has the Spurs, Suns, Pelicans, Kings and Trailblazers. Add that to the Grizzlies, who currently sit in the 8 spot, and the fight for the 8 seed in the West is going to be the most fun thing to watch in these first eight games. It is going to be an all out brawl. Every game is going to matter. Every team is going to want to win and get in. The Suns and Kings are the only teams I look at and think they don't have a real chance, but hey, they have looked okay during the scrimmages. The Spurs have the best coach, so who knows what he will pull out. The Trailblazers have Dame, and he alone can carry that team. He also plays his best when his back is against the wall. And the Pelicans, before the shut down they were figuring it out, the NBA wants them in the playoffs and Zion is officially back as of today. Also, the Grizzlies have a two game lead, they have the ROY, Jaren Jackson has looked good and they only have to win 3 of the first 8 games to secure their spot. But, it is going to be tough. In the end, while I think it is going to be a great, great ride to the final playoff spot in the West, the Grizzlies are going to hold onto that 8 spot. Maybe it is the fan in me, but they have a pretty big lead, and their schedule isn't nearly as rough as it was going to be had the league not had a stoppage.

The rest of the West is so good. The Lakers and Clippers are so goddamn good. I think the Clippers are deeper and play better defense, but the Lakers have LeBron and AD. Two of the five best players in the league are in their starting lineup, and that is a humongous deal. The Nuggets are a very solid team, they have great ball movement, and as I wrote yesterday, Bol Bol is the new face of the league. Dallas is historically great on offense and at full strength. They also have a great coach, but who knows if their defense can stop anyone. The same thing with the Rockets. They can score in bunches, but they can also go ice cold and they are so, so small. PJ Tucker, while being their only good defender, is only 6'8, and he is going to have to guard centers and power forwards. That is a tough task. The Thunder are the best story in the league, and they will put a scare into whoever they face in the first round, but no more than just a scare. They do have the building blocks for a great future, and while this season has been fun, just wait until next season. I am sticking with the Clippers to come out of the West, but they will have to fight to get there because the Lakers are a very, very, very good team, and LeBron is going to want to prove that he is still the dude in the NBA. Also, AD, while only being in the playoffs twice, he has shined both times. The Clippers do have a ton of guys they can throw at both of them, and in the end, I just don't think the Lakers have enough outside AD and LeBron to get to the Finals. Clippers will win the West Finals in 7.

This gives us a Clippers-Bucks finals. I think they are the two best teams, I think this is the best matchup, I think it will get the most eyeballs on the screens and it will be a dynamite Finals. As much as I'd like to pick the Bucks and make my dad's dream come true to see another Bucks championship team, the Clippers have so much firepower on both offense and defense. It will be another hard fought, fun series to watch, and I think it will go 7 and I think all of the games will be close, but the Clippers will always have one better guy on the floor than the Bucks will, and that will bring the title to LA. The Clippers will exorcise past playoff demons and they will win the title. As for the MVP, it is going to be Kawhi. He has proven to be the best overall player in the league the past 2 years, he is rested, he is always ready and he has already shut down Giannis once before.

There you have it, my restart preview. The NBA is almost back people. Now let's just hope it sticks around. 

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.

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Bol Bol is the Early Star of the NBA Bubble

The 2020 NBA restart is just two days away. By all accounts, it looks like things are a go, and teams will start playing real games on Thursday. I have a whole restart blog I will do with picks and who I think will get into the playoffs, and win, tomorrow. Today though, I want to talk about Bol Bol and how wonderful he has looked in these scrimmages.

Yes, I have watched an inordinate amount of the scrimmages as well. I am starved for sports, the MLB doesn't look great right now after last night, I am not a soccer or golf guy and I have never seen a UFC fight. That means these scrimmages have been what I have watched, and gladly watched I might add. It is cool to see the teams playing, kind of taking it seriously and what kind of wild lineups teams are putting out there. That was what led me to watch Denver when I saw what they did on the first day of the live scrimmages. They put out a lineup that had no one under 6'8 as a starter out there, including Bol at forward. He is over 7 feet tall, and they played him at forward. That was more than enough for me to tune in. As I watched, I remembered why he was such a get when he committed to Oregon two years ago. He was a top flight recruit out of high school. You go back and see his mixtapes, and he was dominant. Bigger, faster and more nimble than anyone that he was going up against. He parlayed that into, I think it was only seven games that he played at Oregon. He was a nightmare matchup for opponents. He was a very solid rim protector. Sure, he was a bit too thin, but his speed and quickness more than made up for how much he weighed. He could also drill threes. Like, he wasn't just taking them to see if he could shoot them, he was a solid three point shooter. Players needed to be prepared to come out and guard him at the top of the key because he can hit that shot at a solid clip.

Then he got injured. Then he decided to skip out on the rest of the college season all together. Then his injury got worse. Then he had a bad showing at the combine. Then he slipped out of the first round and went deep into the second round. When the Nuggets took him at 44 I was stunned. I couldn't believe he fell that far, and I couldn't believe that the Nuggets were able to steal him from a team that might actually need him. The year before they were able to snatch up Michael Porter Jr in the late lottery due to injury concerns. This is what the Nuggets do. They are so loaded with talent, that when the draft comes, they can take any gamble they choose. Hell, they had both Nikola Jokic and Jusuf Nurkic, both later first round picks, and were able to trade Nurkic without a second thought. The Nuggets are a very well run franchise, and these picks prove that even more. Porter Jr is going to be good when he gets real minutes, and when he can stay healthy. But the way that Bol has looked in these scrimmages, my goodness, he can be great. He just needs time too. I have seen him take, and make, contested threes. I have seen him recover and swat both jumpers and layups. I have watched him throw down alley oops and run pick and rolls for easy dunks. He is out jumping guys for rebounds. He looks like the kid that was such a coveted recruit. He even looks a little thicker too, which is good. Bol looked so good in his first scrimmage, he got "randomly" selected to be drug tested by the NBA. I mean, if that isn't recognition that he is good, I don't know what is. And believe me, I understand these are scrimmages, not everyone is going 100 percent, not every team has their full roster of players and some are going a little easy, waiting for the playoffs. But, these guys are all still pros, they are on these teams rosters or part of their G League affiliates. They have been in the league for awhile. They are pro basketball players. And Bol is looking more and more like a dude that can be special in the NBA. If it happens in Denver, great. But, with their depth, I could see them striking while the iron is hot and trading Bol for a solid deal as well. Based on these scrimmages I think some teams, especially ones not in the bubble, are wishing they had taken a chance on Bol, and now, they may trade a bit more than they would have to acquire him.

I have loved what I have seen out of him, and I am rooting for him. I would love to see him do something similar to what Rashard Lewis did. For those that may not remember Lewis, he was a prep to pro that was invited to the green room for the draft, and he didn't get picked until the second round. He was the last person left in the green room. He vowed to make teams regret their mistake, saying as much at his interview, and he went on to have a very, very solid NBA career. He was an important player on some very good teams. I want Bol to have that same career, he just needs a real chance. But damn has he been fun to watch in these scrimmages, and I think he will force the Nuggets to play him, or trade him to a team that will play him. Bol Bol is good. 

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.

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Ty Watches "Teen Titans Go!: The Night Begins to Shine"

With everyone being home at my house for the last four plus months, I have seen some shows and movies that would have never really been on my radar. I've seen so many more episodes of "T.O.T.S." than I'd like to admit, my daughter loves it. I have watched all the variations of "90 Day Fiance". My wife and I turned on a show on TLC last night, that network is pure trash now by the way, called "My Pregnant Husband". It's wild the stuff I have seen. Add on the fact that there were no sports, and I frankly didn’t really have a say. But, one show I have really taken to, one show I actually want to sit and watch, my son introduced me to. The show is "Teen Titans Go!".

Now, I know I heaped praise on the movie when it came out, putting it in my top five of the year. But, prior to that, I had never actually watched an episode of the cartoon. I had seen bits and pieces, I know the show that is on Cartoon Network now is a silly recreation of an old cartoon, and there is a live action, hyper violent version of the show on that DC channel. But, I have come to really enjoy, and appreciate what the comedic cartoon version of "Teen Titans Go!" does. This show is funny. There are very well written jokes. There are things for both kids and parents. My four year old daughter loves it. My wife does too. The show is very well made. And there is one set of episodes, I think it is an hour long special, that is one of the funniest, most unique and coolest things I have seen on TV.

The special is called, "The Night Begins to Shine". This special is all about the Teen Titans getting together to, essentially, save music for the greater good. And for a show that is all about the jokes and quips and one liners, there are very few in this. This is about as straightforward as this show can get. Sure, there is funny stuff like Beast Boy meeting one of the band members and constantly being hounded by a bird with clues, and Cyborg gets the crew all riled up at the beginning by singing the song, and even the fake band created for the special has their moments. And Cee Lo Green and Fall Out Boy make an appearance and are given some solid jokes to perform. Other than that, this is a straight up, hardcore, lets save music for the greater good special, and I adore it. We watched it just yesterday for, I think, the 10th time as a family, and it still held up as well as the first time. The animation, they go to this outer space world, that they refer to as "radical", and the Teen Titans look like versions of their old selves from the old cartoon, is phenomenal. The story, about why music is so important and needed and how it brings people together, is great. The minimal jokes I mentioned, they are all perfectly timed and perfectly delivered. And the music, it is very catchy and very fun. The band they created for the special is called B.E.R., and they play 80's style synth rock, except they are good. They have the song "The Night Begins to Shine", which is, according to the episode, the greatest and most important song ever written. Cyborg is so enamored with the song, he is kept in the space world while the other Titans have to help him escape. All the stuff with the members of B.E.R., how they all get found and reunite, is so wonderful.And seeing them transform into their robot forms and play their music to save the world, it is one of the coolest things I have seen. I love everything about this special. I am growing to love this show too. But this special is unique and cool and I know they are making a second part, which I will most definitely watch, and I love it all.

This is one thing I am truly glad that I have been exposed to by my son while we have all been at home. This is a show I would have just considered a "kids" show, and not paid any attention to. But. my son knows my love for music, seems to like a lot of what I like, and I am so happy he had me sit down and watch this the first time he did, and was even happier when he suggested we all watch it again for, as I said, at least the tenth time. Check out "Teen Titans Go!" if you haven't already, watch a few episodes to get the gist, and then watch "The Night Begins to Shine". I promise you you will not be disappointed, and I bet you will suggest it to other family and friends. It is truly awesome. 

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 "Stand By Me"

Teddy reviews "Stand by Me"

Letting Sports Stars Talk About Social Issues is Why We Need Sports Right Now

Of all the professional sports leagues in the US that have restarted, started a shortened season, or at least have some kind of plan, the NBA seems to be doing it the very best. The NHL isn't too far behind, but they don't start until August. MLB started yesterday, pro soccer has started in some spots, golf is going on and the NBA is supposed to restart in six days.

So far the bubble seems to be working. I know it has only been about two, maybe three weeks, but the guys there seem to be having fun, they are making the best of it, they are following the rules and they are trying like hell to play. They also had zero positive Covid tests during their last run, which is the best they could have hoped for. It may not, it most likely won't stay this clean, but for right now, this has all been very good news.

I also saw something else on Wednesday, when the scrimmages started, that made me even more on board, and happy with what they are doing in Orlando. During the post game interviews, which they are conducting very properly, all of the players are taking their time to focus on social issues. They will answer one question about the game just played, or about basketball in general, and then they will completely turn their attention to social issues. Paul George answered one question and followed it up by saying he only wanted to talk about Breonna Taylor and the officers who are still not arrested for her murder. He spent the rest of his time strictly talking about it. LeBron did the same after the Lakers first scrimmage yesterday, and he didn't wait. He immediately went into it, calling out the officers, talking about being a black person in America today and saying some very important, very poignant things. Tobias Harris did it too on the 76ers first media day. He simply, and politely stated that he will only talk about Breonna Taylor. I loved it. He made sure to let the media know that was all he would speak on. It was perfect. Now it seems like most players are doing the same, or something similar. I saw videos of Alex Caruso, Jeremi Grant, CJ McCollum, Jaylen Brown and Malcolm Brogdon, among many many others taking this same stance. They would only talk about social issues currently going on in the world today, and it is a perfect way to get the word out to millions upon millions of people.

There isn't much else to do right now, and with CoronaVirus numbers skyrocketing pretty much everywhere, people are aching to watch sports, and lots of them are aching to watch basketball, just like me. LeBron was correct when he said that he didn't think playing in Orlando in the bubble would stop him from talking about changes that needed to be made. I hate to say this, but Kyrie Irving was wrong. I don't hate to say that actually, he was wrong, and LeBron was right, as usual. You can play basketball and you can help change things. These guys have billions of fans all over the world who are accessible to them via their phones. So, for them to take their media time to only talk about racial inequality, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, defunding the police and so on, that will reach so many, many people, and it may help change their minds.

I think this is great, I think the NBA is doing a tremendous job of letting their players speak and I think doing this while the whole world is watching is going to be remembered for a very, very long time. This is wonderful. A spark in a very rough year so far. 

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.

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The SeedSing 2020 MLB Preview

Much to my surprise, and it was a pleasant one for once in 2020, I realized the MLB season is starting today.

I usually don't watch the MLB, I find it mind numbingly boring, but hey, in 2020 I have found myself watching snippets of UFC, soccer, Korean Baseball and, just yesterday, NBA scrimmages. So, the fact that a major pro sport, who couldn't seem to get things right this summer, is finally getting underway. Who knows how it will go, who knows if they will finish, who knows how many players will get sick, all of that is up in the air. But, they are going to be playing real games that will count towards real records and will, hopefully, get to a World Series and crown a champ.

With all that being said I am going to do my best to do a mini MLB preview. The season is going to be mini, I don't know as much as RD does about baseball, I honestly don't know who is and isn't playing, my dad had to remind me that the Nationals won the World Series last year, so my preview is going to be like all of what I just wrote, very jumbled and mini. Okay, here we go.

I will start in the AL. The season is going to be 60 games, so anything can really happen. If this pandemic was last year, the Nationals wouldn't have even made the playoffs. So, I don't think it is going to be as clear cut as some do. I know people have said that the Yankees and Astros and Red Sox and Twins were all good last year. Well, the Astros are cheaters, so I hope, and don't expect that they will be any good. The Red Sox lost their best guy to the Dodgers, who knows if Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton can stay healthy for such a short season and maybe the Twins were a one season wonder. I would say the best bet of those teams is the Twins, but who knows. I also wouldn't count out teams like the Rays, Athletics, Indians, Blue Jays, if they can find somewhere to play, or even the Angels. Each team has something special that can propel them in such a short season. I do know that the Orioles, Royals and Tigers will not be good because they have been bad, possibly on purpose, for the past couple years. If I am going to pick one team to come out of the AL in this shortened mini season, I think it is a real toss up between the Twins and the Yankees. Again, not much would surprise me, except the Orioles going .500. I could see the Rays making a run, they have solid pitching. Or maybe the A's find some kind of magic like they do every couple of seasons. Or maybe the Astros have found another way to cheat that the MLB doesn't know of yet. But, if I have to pick one team, in a 60 game season to come out of the AL, what the hell, I am going with the Twins. I like their bats, I like their pitching a bit better and I have family that lives in the Twin Cities, and the Twins making the Series would delight them to no end.

Now the NL, the varsity if you will. The teams in the NL are so much better. There is so much more competition. Even the teams considered "bottom feeders" will be hard to beat in a shortened season. The usual suspects will be there. The Dodgers are going to be awesome. They spent enough money to make sure of that. The Braves are very young and very talented. The Phillies have Bryce Harper. The Nationals won it all last year. The Brewers are liable to win 40 plus. Same thing with the Cardinals. And the Diamondbacks still have really solid pitching. Even the teams that I consider "surprise" teams are already good. The Reds are solid. The Cubs still have a great core. The Mets have one of the best pitching staffs in baseball. And the Rockies made a ton of noise last year, and they still have Arenado. The only teams that I think won't be great, but still tough, are the Pirates, Giants and Marlins. The NL is far, far superior to the AL. There is no Baltimore or Detroit in the NL. The Marlins come closest, but I'd still take them over one of the bottom dwellers in the AL. Which team do I think will come out of this and represent the NL? I'm not sure. But, if I had to pick, I'd go with the Dodgers. They have bought the best team money can buy. They also have a really great pitching staff and they have been, and should have won, the past couple of Series. I do think the Cardinals, Brewers and Braves can challenge, but the Dodgers are too good on every level. They truly do have it all.

So that leaves me with a Twins-Dodgers World Series, and I am picking the Dodgers, and picking them in a sweep. They are too loaded, and in this shortened year, I feel like they are going to run roughshod over the league. I could see them winning 50 plus games. I'm serious. They are that good. I also don't see them struggling too much in the playoffs, whenever, or if ever, that happens.

Okay, there is my weird, bizarre 2020 MLB shortened season preview. Time to play ball.

Ty

RD’s thoughts on the season 

I am happy baseball is back. I am not thrilled with how they are doing the season.

I would normally breakdown each division and talk about surprise teams, but that is pointless with this MLB “season”.

Ty is right, the Dodgers are the only sure thing I see in this season, and that is mostly due to the fact that they will play the weakest competition with the AL and NL west. LA is also loaded, I was going to pick them as my NL champs back in late March.

The AL will be won by a team with 35-40 wins. There is a bunch of crap in that league, but no one is as sure a bet as the Dodgers are in the NL. The Yankees have bats, but their pitching is not there and those bats get hurt a lot. The Twins also have bats, but their pitching is a bigger problem than New York’s. Also, the Twins have to play a brutal schedule with all the NL Central teams. The Yankees schedule is not much better adding in the NL East. I think a 35 win Twins, Yankees, or Astros team will come out. I’m going to go with the disgusting Astros.

Astros v Dodgers. LA is going to crush Houston and get their overdue World Series trophy from the cheaters that should not be there.

Oh, and the Cincinnati Reds are going to be solid like Ty said. A solid 30-30 team.

Last prediction, I do not think the season will completed on time, or at all. Too many covidiots that won’t wear a masks

Play Ball.

RD

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

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Ty Reads "Overtime"

As I wrote last week, I am catching up on some books that I have long wanted to read, and now since I have more than ample time, I just furnished a second one that I have had on my shelf for a few moments. Now, I have been waiting to read this book because I knew I would breeze through it, and I wanted to read it when I was feeling down.Lately I have been feeling a little blue, due to the pandemic, we all go through ebbs and flows with this thing I imagine, so I finally read John U Bacon's book "Overtime".

This book is about, and most definitely for, Michigan Wolverines football fanatics. For those that may not know, Bacon is the consummate author on all things Michigan football, at least for me and my dad. He has written so many books about the Wolverines. He even makes a comment about it in "Overtime". He wrote the last book Bo ever published, or had published. He wrote about the turmoil surrounding the Rich Rodriguez era. Basically, he has seen it all since he was a student and now teacher at the University of Michigan. He's been around for the super high highs and very low lows. "Overtime" solely focuses on the 2018 team, one of their better teams in recent memories, and the things the families, players, coaches and staff all go through for that season. It was an amazing, amazing read. Now, full disclosure, this book is a book for Michigan fans. It is written by a Michigan football fan for Michigan football fans. It is very big on paying lip service to the school, the team and the players and staff. I knew that going in, and of course, I loved every single word of the book. That being said, Bacon does talk about some of the things in Harbaugh's past that have upset Michigan fans. He talks about the down year he had in year three. He mentions that Michigan wasn't always the gold standard academic school that it is now. And of course he talks about the downfalls against the higher regarded NCAA football teams, especially that one that resides in that hellhole known as Columbus Ohio. While Bacon is a Michigan Man, he is not afraid to point out the downfall and the problems. But picking 2018 was a great choice. I am sure it was dumb luck, but still, perfect. This was a team that was considered middle of the road starting the season, lost an opener at Notre Dame, rattled off ten straight wins, including demolitions of MSU, PSU and Wisconsin, and then the blowout at the hands of the University of Ohio State at the end of the season and the blowout defeat to Florida in the pointless Peach Bowl. This team started slow, rose all the way to the number 4 ranking in the country, seemed destined to make the playoff, only to end the season with a thud and end right where they started. This team was also full of big time recruits with interesting, and different personalities. Bacon got to interview the soft spoken, yet number one overall recruit in 2016, Rashan Gary. He's a good kid. He got plenty of time from Chase Winovich, who is just a ball of energy. His interviews were at times hilarious, filthy and wild. Devin Bush Jr proved to be one of the most determined individuals that I have ever read about. John Wangler and Joe Hewlett had to step out of their dads shadows, and they did in their very own unique way. Grant Newsome's story is heartbreaking, yet has a great ending. It should be made into a movie. Reading Karan Higdon's interviews, and hearing his full story, it made me love him even more than I already do. I will forever root for him. I loved Noah Furbush's story, and while he has had to deal with some real disappointment, that kid is going to do something special in the near future. The little stuff they got with Shea Patterson was an interesting read. All the player interviews were great. So were the coaches. Everyone and their mom knows and has an opinion on Jim Harbaugh, but Bacon showed me a whole different side of him that made me respect him more. I now love Don Brown as much as Karan Higdon, and I will defend him to anyone that bad mouths him. The staff that works for the school, the unnamed people, man do they put in crazy hours and get zero attention. They do wonders. The same thing with the recruiting staff, and what they have to go through, especially trying to get top flight recruits to come play at Michigan, but also make sure they do it the right way, and that the kids have the grades to get in. Michigan is a HARD school to get in to.

While the book focused on the 2018 season, and there is a chapter for each game, this book more focuses on the outside stuff. The stuff that goes into getting the team to buy into culture, school, coaching, bonding, all the stuff we don't get to see. Bacon got all the behind the scenes stuff that I have always craved. This is the stuff I like to read about. I like knowing everything that goes into making a football team this good, this prepared and this fun. Also, this book made me realize that maybe I should stop yelling at my TV when a player drops a ball or misses a tackle. These kids are doing their very best. I mean, I can't promise I won't yell at the TV when/if there is a season, but hopefully I will think back to reading this book and give it a second thought.

I was predisposed to liking this book, and I loved it. I cannot recommend this book, or anything John U Bacon has written about the Michigan Wolverines, enough. "Overtime" is a beautiful behind the scenes retake of a solid college football season. Check it out, especially if you are a Michigan fan. 

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.