Ty' 2023 - 2024 NBA Season Predictions

Today will wrap up my preseason NBA predictions. I'll pick my playoff teams, the west and east finals, the championship and the winner. I'll also do my awards predictions afterward.

Let's start with the East.

The East is a three team race, depending on the third team's fighting becoming a problem or not. The Bucks, Celtics and 76ers are the three best teams by a pretty wide margin. I think the Bucks will secure the 1, like last year, the Celtics will be 2 and 76ers 3. The only one I am a little weary of is the 76ers. They have a lot of off court issues. Following the 76ers I have the Knicks at 4, Cavs at 5 and the Heat at 6. Those are the teams that will secure playoff spots. The play in tournament will have the Hawks at 7, Magic at 8, Bulls at 9 and Pacers at 10. I think I'm putting the Pacers and Magic in because I think they have very bright futures, and it will all start this season. The 7-10 game will feature the Hawks securing the 7 seed by beating the Pacers. The Magic will secure that 8th spot as well, with the Bulls being too old and the Pacers not nearly as talented as the Magic just yet. In the 1-8 the Bucks will easily beat the Magic. I think it will be a sweep. I think the experience will be nice for the Magic, but they are not even close to the upper level of the East. The 2-7 could be fun if the Hawks figure it out, but the Celtics are too damn good to get beat by this team. I think the Hawks can get a game, maybe 2. But the Celtics talent will win out. The 3-6 will give us the 76ers facing the Heat. The Heat will win. They are a superior playoff squad and the 76ers find ways to get beat in the playoffs all the time. And the 4-5 will give us a rematch, but the Cavs will win this time. It will go seven, it will be ugly and tough, but the Cavs learned from last season and they will use that to their advantage. The second round will have the Bucks playing the Cavs and the Celtics facing the Heat. The Bucks will win, maybe in another sweep. They are the better team, they got better this offseason and they will shut down the Cavs. The Celtics will have a tougher go in round 2. The Heat are a problem for every team in the NBA, and they beat the Celtics last year as an 8 seed. I think the Celtics will win here, but it is going to be a tough seven game series. So, my East Finals feature the top 2 seeds. The Bucks and Celtics will face off in an epic East Finals. I have the Bucks winning with Damian Lillard having a humongous series. I also do not think Al Horford will be able to fully slow Giannis down. The Bucks will represent the East in the Finals.

Now to the West.

The West is much tougher to figure out for me. Every team has some kind of postseason aspirations. The Nuggets are going to be the 1 seed. That is almost inevitable. From there it gets tricky. I'm going to put the Suns at 2, the Kings at 3, the Lakers at 4, the Grizzlies at 5 and the Warriors at 6. Those are my guaranteed playoff teams. The play in is going to be a blast. I have the Clippers at 7, Timberwolves at 8, Thunder at 9 and Mavericks at 10. The Timberwolves are going to find a way to get the 7 seed. The 8 seed is going to be the Clippers, but they are going to really struggle to get there. So the 1-8 gives me the Nuggets and Clippers. The Nuggets will win in five games. They are younger, better and not as hurt. The 2-7 gives us the Suns facing the Timberwolves. The Suns are a much better offensive team and they will be able to neutralize anything Rudy Gobert tries to do on defense. Anthony Edwards will be awesome in the series though. The 3-6 has a rematch. The Kings will face the Warriors, but this time the Kings will win. They are younger and De'Aaron Fox will stay healthy this time around. The Warriors old legs will be too much to deal with running with the Kings. The 4-5 is another rematch, with the Lakers facing the Grizzlies. I would love to watch this series again, especially to see how Morant plays after his suspension. It should go seven games, but the Lakers will prevail. The second round would give us the Nuggets facing the Lakers and the Kings facing the Suns. The Nuggets and Suns will both win their respective series with ease. The Nuggets are much better and younger than the Lakers and the Suns have more firepower than the Kings. That would give us the Nuggets and Suns in the West Finals. The Nuggets will win this series as well. They are as good offensively and they are so much better defensively. It should go six or seven games, but the Nuggets are better.

That means I have the Nuggets and Bucks in the Finals. The two number 1 seeds facing off. And I have the Nuggets going back to back. They are in a great place as a team and organization right now. They are built for the modern NBA and they are in their sweet spot. The series will go seven games and the Nuggets will prevail at home.

As for awards, since I just picked the Finals I am going to go with Jamal Murray as the Finals MVP. He is about to have a great season. As for regular season MVP I'm going with Giannis Antentekoupmo. He is going to re-announce himself as the best player in the NBA. Rookie of the Year is going to be Victor Webanyama. He is too good to not be awesome. Scoot Henderson will give him a push though. Mike Malone will win coach of the year. He will lead the best team all year long and people will award him for multiple seasons of excellent basketball. Sixth Man of the Year is going to be Norman Powell. He is treated like a starter, and he finishes every game. He will be rewarded with his play off the bench. And to wrap it up the defensive player of the year is going to be Giannis Antentekoumpo. He is going to double dip this season. I expect him to have a wonderful, jaw dropping, memorable season.

That is it for basketball stuff for a bit. Enjoy the season everyone. It is almost here. 

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.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram.

Ty Ranks the 2023 - 2024 NBA Teams - Watching Your Favorite Act Perform in a Stadium with 100,000 of Your Closest Friends Division

Welcome back to my preseason NBA countdown. This is the final day of the countdown. I will be giving you my top five teams heading into the season. I'll do awards and postseason predictions tomorrow to wrap it all up. Now, to the final five teams.

At 5 I have the Philadelphia 76ers. I don't know that a team with this much offseason turmoil is deserving of this high of a ranking, but the team on paper is very, very good. They have really good, star players. Hiring Nick Nurse was a home run as well. This team is stacked, if they stick it out. James Harden is still here, much to his chagrin. He is becoming more and more of a baby, but when he is dedicated and trying hard, he is a 25 ppg guy and a double digit assist guy. Joel Embiid is the reigning MVP. He is the best big in the NBA. He is as smooth as it gets on offense and a total menace near the rim on defense. Embiid is awesome, except for the playoffs. He needs to stay healthy during the playoffs and perform better. Tyrese Maxey is an up and coming star. He is on the path to being an all star. He is also a knockdown shooter and excellent shot creator. Tobias Harris is solid. He may not be worth his contract, but he is steady. I also watched him live twice last year and was super impressed. PJ Tucker is still a very feared defender, but he is an absolute goose egg on offense. De'Anthony Melton proved to be a great offseason addition last year. Danuel House Jr can still shoot a bit too. They also revamped their bench this offseason. I think Patrick Beverly will prove to be a good vet to have in the locker room. Kelly Oubre will bring extra offense. Mo Bamba can give five or six decent minutes a night. Danny Green looks okay. The 76ers have a very good team. Their season will all depend on how they come together, but they have the talent to win, and win big.

At 4 I have the Phoenix Suns. The Suns went for it all last season and ate it hard against the eventual champs. They decided to make some changes this offseason. Devin Booker is still here and still awesome. He is fast becoming one of the top players in the NBA. He is very good. Kevin Durant will have a full season with Booker now and hopefully he doesn't get hurt in warmups again. He is still an upper echelon player on both ends. They moved on from Chris Paul and went out and got Bradley Beal. Beal is a good player. He had big moments in Washington. I am still concerned how he fits here, but either way he brings scoring. Then they decided to make more changers. They got Jusuf Nurkic in a trade. He is not as good as Deandre Ayton, but if he is on the floor he will set hard screens. Eric Gordon brings three point shooting. So does Yutu Wantanabe. He has made a mark for himself in the NBA. Bol Bol will be interesting here if he plays at all. Keita Bates-Diop may start, but he will be a screen setter as well. Grayson Allen is here, but who cares. Damion Lee and Josh Okogie stuck around, which will help with some continuity. The Suns have a weird roster, but they will score in bunches. They need to hope for health since they are so top loaded, and if that happens, they will be lethal.

At 3 I have the Boston Celtics. This team almost fully changed their roster and yet they look even better than they have the past couple years. Jayson Tatum is awesome. He is elite. He is one of the best overall players in the NBA. He may be the future face of the league. Jaylen Brown, while solid, is not as good as Tatum. He is not as dependable either. But he got paid and I wonder if the security of his massive contract will let him play more freely. Derrick White is a very good perimeter defender and 3 point shooter. Al Horford, while old, is still one of the better big man defenders in the NBA. He can slow down almost any other center. The Celtics went out and traded for Kristaps Porzingis. He had a career year last year. If he can stay on the floor he may put up very big numbers. They also got Jrue Holiday who may be the best perimeter defender in the NBA. He can also bring extra scoring. And guys like Oshae Brissett, Lamar Stevens and Wenyen Gabriel are better bench guys than they had last year. The rich changed, got richer and got better. The Celtics are going to win a ton of games this year.

At 2 I have the Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks made the deal of the offseason. I fully understand that they traded Jrue Holiday and Grayson Allen, two starters from last season's team, but they got Damian Lillard. Lillard brings everything they need on offense. He is a knockdown shooter, can create and can get to the line. He will also give Giannis an open lane. Speaking of Giannis, Antetokounmpo is the best basketball player in the world. He is a do it all machine and he is very good at almost everything on both sides of the floor. Khris Middleton, if healthy, will get crazy wide open looks playing alongside Giannis and Lillard. He will be astonished at how open he will be. He is also a very solid defender. Brook Lopez is one of the best defensive players in the league and he can really shoot the 3. Jae Crowder is back, and I think with a more defined role he will look like his old self. Bobby Portis is one of the best bench and role players in the NBA. Pat Connaughton, if he can get out of his own head, can stroke the three and be a defensive menace. I love that they brought in Cam Payne to backup Lillard. And I am very curious to see MarJon Beauchamp get some run. He crushed in summer league. The Bucks are a very good team who got much better by adding Lillard. I cannot wait to watch them play this season.

My number 1 team going into this season should be no surprise. The number 1 team is the Denver Nuggets. They have it all and are coming off a dominant playoff run that ended in a title. They were barely even pushed. Expect more of that this season. Nikola Jokic is a great basketball player. I'm sick of all the coverage and love and how people like the "curmudgeon" he is, but the dude can play. Jamal Murray is very awesome. I think he will finally get on the all star team this year. I feel like he is really going to announce himself super loud this season. Aaron Gordon fits perfectly here. He is a great pick and roll guy, he is their best defender and he can still jump out of the gym. Michael Porter Jr is almost unguardable from the perimeter and he is a solid shot creator. But he is always hurt and kind of took a step back last season. Christian Braun played a nice bench role as a rookie. I'm sure he will get more minutes. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope continues to produce and win wherever he plays. Reggie Jackson seems to have finally bought into being a backup and it fits for him. Peyton Watson should get more time this year. Zeke Nnaji is an interesting player. And Justin Holiday was a solid pickup. The Nuggets should be overwhelming favorites heading into the season. They have pretty much everyone back and they are ready to go.

That is it for my countdown. As I said earlier, tomorrow I will have my postseason predictions and my awards predictions. The regular season is almost here everyone. 

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.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram.

Ty Ranks the 2023 - 2024 NBA Teams - Hanging Out at a Great Music Festival Division

Day five of my preseason NBA countdown brings us the start of the top ten. These are the top teams. These are the teams with real title aspirations.

At 10 I have the Memphis Grizzlies. This is my team. This is who I root for. I want nothing but the best for them. The hard part is they have floundered in the playoffs and Ja Morant, due to his own fault, is suspended for the first 25 games. They are going to miss him a lot. He is a very important guy to this team and their playoff hopes. They did get Marcus Smart in a trade. I like the defense, grit and willingness from him to shoot. Desmond Bane is getting better every year, he is their best shooter and he is a solid enough defender. Steven Adams should be back from injury. He brings toughness and much needed rebounding. Brandon Clarke should, hopefully, return at some point this season, and he is a great glue guy and bench player. Jaren Jackson Jr is the reigning defensive player of the year. He is also a good stretch four. He just needs to stop making dumb fouls. I like the addition of Derrick Rose. He is a solid vet and he is returning to the place that he dominated basketball. Kenny Lofton Jr should get spot minutes. Luke Kennard is a decent shooter, but he is inconsistent. Ziaire Williams has looked better this preseason. Santi Aldama is an okay backup big. The Grizzlies have a ton of talent. Now that talent needs to translate to the playoffs. They also need to play big while Morant is suspended.

At 9 I have the Sacramento Kings. The Kings are fun and good again. I feel like it is the late 90's, early 2000's all over again. De'Aaron Fox is awesome. He is fast, he is clutch and he is the perfect point guard to run this offense. Domantas Sabonis is a bruising big man who is one of the better low post passers in the league. Keegan Murray played well above his years last season and was dominant in summer league. Davion Mitchell is a superior perimeter defender. Malik Monk is a microwave shooter. Harrison Barnes is still around and still productive. Kevin Huerter is better than people give him credit. Chris Duarte has got range. This team has gotten better over the years and hiring Mike Brown was a wonderful decision by the front office. They are tried and true and will be for a good long time now.

At 8 I have the LA Clippers. The Clippers have so much talent on their roster. They have stars almost everywhere. Will that talent be healthy all year though? That is the million dollar question. Kawhi Leonard is an amazing basketball player. He is one of the best defenders in the league. His offense has gotten so much better. He is a terror for opponents. He can single win games single handed. But he has to play more than 20 games. Paul George is a bit more durable, but not by much. But when he is out there, boy oh boy is he awesome. He can shoot from anywhere. He is one of the best shot creators in the league. He is an awesome defender. There is not much he cannot do, except stay healthy for long stretches. Russell Westbrook rebuilt himself going to the Clippers. It seemed like an odd fit, but he slid right into that sixth man spot and was a great addition last season. I see that getting even better. Norman Powell is awesome when he isn't the first option. The dude can score in bunches, and when the Clippers have their stars on the floor he is always open. Ivica Zubac is a very good rebounder and a solid defensive presence. He just gets kind of dazed on offense from time to time. Terance Mann is amazing. I enjoy watching him play basketball. I also loved how he was messing with Chris Paul in the playoffs last season. Mason Plumlee and Nic Batum add veteran leadership. And Kobe Brown looks like a nice draft pick. The Clippers should be very good this year, but it all depends on health.

At 7 I have the Golden State Warriors. The names are all the same and they should win a lot of games. But man are they getting old. Steph Curry is the greatest shooter in the history of basketball. He is amazing to watch play and I am so happy that I am around to witness his greatness. Klay Thompson is still recovering from two horrendous knee injuries, but the guy puts up buckets. He has also started trash talking a lot, which I appreciate. Draymond Green is still a pest and the best system player this league may ever see. He is also still a top tier defender in the league and he is the only guy that I truly believe can guard all five positions with no drop off. Kevon Looney is the best rebounder in the NBA and he is the perfect center for this team. He just isn't much of a scoring threat. Johnathan Kuminga is seemingly getting better. Moses Moody may have a make or break year for this team. Andrew Wiggins should be fully back all season and he should be engaged. I love them bringing over Rudy Gay on a small deal. Gary Payton II should be full go and he had his best years within the Warriors system. And they brought over Chris Paul. I don't know how or if that will work, but I do know that he is maniacally trying to win a title. The Warriors will win a ton, but the old legs may be their downfall in the playoffs. I wouldn't bet against them though.

The final team for the day, another old team, at 6 I have the LA Lakers. The Lakers got so much better this offseason, and last year they made the conference finals. LeBron James is back and looks as good as he always has. He is the second greatest player of all time. He does amazing things with the ball in his hands. He is the best modern leader this game has ever seen. James rules. Anthony Davis looked awesome in the playoffs last season and I think that will translate to this season. He is such a good player when he is engaged and focused. He just needs to stay on the floor. I do not like, nor do I get the cult of Austin Reaves. But, the dude can shoot and playing alongside James is in his best interest. Rui Hachimura really found himself as a bench player with the Lakers. He looks like a trade steal. D'Angelo Russell is not as good as advertised. He can shoot, but he is often a minus on defense and can be a turnover machine. Getting Gabe Vincent is going to be big for their bench units. He can shoot and defend. Cam Reddish may actually be an okay bench player for this team. Jaxson Hayes is going to love grabbing lobs from LeBron. Jarred Vanderbilt is a long, switchy defender. The Lakers went out and found guys that fit around LeBron and AD. That is what they have needed to do for quite some time now. They did it and I think it will work in their favor.

That is it for today and for the week. Come back Monday for my top five teams. 

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.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram.

Ty Ranks the 2023 - 2024 NBA Teams - Watching a Pretty Good Cover Band Division

Day four of my preseason NBA countdown continues with five teams that I feel have real, legitimate playoff spots. They should avoid the play in and be in the top six in their respective conference.

At 15 I have the Minnesota Timberwolves. I was very high on them last season but they kind of fell on their face. They never really got it together all season, but they did make the play in and they played the Nuggets kind of tough in round one. This team has massive talent, but I want to see how it comes together, if it does at all, this season. Anthony Edwards is awesome. He is one of my new favorite players in the league. He has major confidence, he had a wonderful summer and he has gotten better every year. Karl Anthony Towns is a great shooter, but he is kind of soft everywhere else. He also missed a ton of time last season. I'll be curious to see if he sticks with the team all season, but while they have him he needs to let it fly. Rudy Gobert is not close to the player he was in Utah. He never fully melded with the team last season and he had a tough summer. I think he may struggle even more. I like Naz Reid as a backup five. He needs more playing time, and if he were to get more, he could do some nice things. Mike Conley is a good point guard, and he has camaraderie with Gobert, but he is older. I like that they got Nickiel Alexander Walker on a good contract. I think he can help this team. Shake Milton was a decent addition as well. The Timberwolves should be a very good regular season team that parlays that into a top six spot in the West. We will see.

At 14 I have the Atlanta Hawks. This team is a mystery. They have loads of talent, but they had an even tougher time playing together than the T'Wolves last season. Trae Young is a great scorer and passer. He is also a complainer. He seems to rub teammates the wrong way far too often. Dejounte Murray is lethal, but he seems to be not as good as he was when he was in San Antonio. He is still an awesome defender. Clint Capela is a great pick and roll guy, as long as Young is a willing passer and Capela stays on the floor. De'Andre Hunter is an okay player, but his skills from college haven't translated to the NBA yet. I like that they went out and got Saddiq Bey last year. He is a good, tough addition to this team. Onyeka Okongwu needs to play to show he is a good five in the league. I think Kobe Bufkin was a very good, smart pick for this team. Jalen Johnson has some solid skills, he just doesn't see the floor enough. This team is highly talented, but they have chemistry issues. They should win enough to get in the playoffs, but it may look ugly at times.

At 13 I have the New York Knicks. This is a very solidly built team with very solid NBA players. They don't have any super duper stars, but they have good team players. Jalen Brunson proved his worth tenfold last season. He is a very good point guard with ice in his veins. He's awesome. Julius Randle is a very good regular season player. He can score a ton. Josh Hart does all the little things really well. He is also a fan favorite. RJ Barrett may be the player he will always be already, and that is fine. He is a solid 16 ppg game guy. No more, no less. Immanuel Quickly had an up and down year, but the dude can score. Mitchell Robinson is a very good defender and rebounder. He is a menace too. They have high hopes for Quentin Grimes. And they went out and got Donte DiVincenzo on a good deal. He can really let it fly. The Knicks are built for regular season wins. They can also give a few teams a run for their money in the East.

At 12 I have the Miami Heat. Remember how they made the finals as an 8 seed last season? That was nuts. It shouldn't have been that surprising though. Jimmy Butler is one of the best, and most underrated superstars in the NBA. He is a killer and a winner. Tyler Herro is a good shooter and shot creator. Duncan Robinson is a knock down 3 point shooter. Neither plays a lick of defense. Kyle Lowry is a great veteran leader, but he is older. He was so good in the playoffs last season. Caleb Martin really showed out last season in the playoffs last season. Bam Adebayo is one of the best modern centers in the league. He is a tank as well. Kevin Love is still here and he is still a great outlet passer and rebounder. Josh Richardson might find his form being back with his original team. And the people I listen to are very high on Jaime Jacquez Jr and Nikola Jovic. The Heat are about as solid as they get in the NBA. They aren't going anywhere.

The final team for the day, at 11 I have the Cleveland Cavaliers. Donovan Mitchell is a legit scorer. He can shoot from every level. He is almost impossible to guard. He just needs to do that in the playoffs. Evan Mobley is a great young player. He has shown strides both years in the league and I think being humbled by Mitchell Robinson in the playoffs last season will be highly beneficial for him. Jarrett Allen is a great old fashioned center. He is tough to guard and is willing to take on anyone. Darius Garland is so good. I was so wrong about him and I am happy about that. Garland is one of the better up and coming guards. Caris Levert provides scoring from the perimeter. I like that they went out and signed Georges Niang for bench scoring, Ty Jerome as a solid backup point guard and Max Strus as a three and d guy. I am also a big fan of the Emoni Bates draft pick. He will do some nice things off their deep bench this year. The Cavs are a fun team to watch.

That is it for today. Come back tomorrow for the next five teams. 

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.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram.

Ty Ranks the 2023 - 2024 NBA Teams - Good Band Playing in a Bad Venue Division

Day three of my preseason NBA countdown gets us into the playoff team mix today. As I continue this countdown I am getting more and more excited about the upcoming season.

At 20 I have the Chicago Bulls. This team needs to pick a lane. They should probably rebuild, but they seem to want to stay in the play in mix. They are also older, so I am kind of confused as to what their long term plans are. I am a fan of DeMar DeRozan. He has been a solid player his whole career and he continues to put up solid numbers. I think DeRozan will not be fully appreciated as a player until he retires. Zach Lavine is still here and he can still score in bunches. He doesn't have the hops that he used to, and he is not a very good defender. But, the guy can score. I don't know that he will finish the season with the Bulls, but they have him for now. Lonzo Ball is out all season and that is a bummer. Alex Caruso has never been able to find the guy who he was with the Lakers. Coby White is an okay enough player, but his talent hasn't really translated in the NBA. Andre Drummond likes to make wild proclamations, and while he is a good rebounder, he doesn't do much else. Ayo Dosunmu is a good backup but he starts too often here. Jevon Carter could easily take his spot. Nikola Vucevic is still around, but he just seems like a warm body at this point. And I wonder if Patrick Williams will ever put it together. As I said, I think they should rebuild and get young, but if they keep this core together they will be a 35-38 win team and might be out of the play in conversation.

At 19 I have the Toronto Raptors. This is another team in the same vein as the Bulls. I don't know what their plan is, but I have to think they may be better off rebuilding. Pascal Siakim is the best player on their team. I like Siakim a ton, but take that statement as you will. He is a decent scorer and defender, but he is not much of an outside shooter. And his contract is up after this season. Scottie Barnes is really good. I know he took a step back last season, but he is too talented to be down for long. I hope they let him run the show this season. OG Anunoby may be more of a trade chip than anything else right now. He is a very solid all around player, but I don't get the obsession. Jakob Poeltl got a contract this offseason, but I don't get the appeal of him. He is fine, but not great. Gary Trent Jr is an okay enough bench scorer. Jalen McDaniels was a nice offseason signing. I am not a humongous fan of the Gradey Dick draft pick. I don't have a ton of faith in him. And Dennis Schroeder can bring some veteran leadership, while rankling some people the wrong way. Toronto will be a tough out, and they could push 40 wins, but not many more than that.

At 18, my first playoff team, I have the New Orleans Pelicans. This is purely based on availability with this team. If they are healthy they could be a top 10 team. Unfortunately they are barely ever healthy. Zion Williamson is unguardable. He also looks to be in shape. But how many games will he play? How effective will he be on defense? Can he stay on the floor for 30 minutes a night? There are a lot of questions surrounding him. Brandon Ingram had a tough FIBA and I am curious to see how he performs after that. He is also in a contract year, so I am genuinely curious how he plays. Jonas Valincunas is an okay enough big man, but he is a dinosaur at center. He will bruise you and try to beat you up, but he is going to find it tough to guard the younger faster players. Herb Jones is already hurt. I haven't heard much from Larry Nance Jr this offseason. Trey Murphy may be in for a leap. Jose Alvarado is a very menacing defender, but I wonder if his bit is up. CJ McCollum can still score, but I wonder if he is more concerned with his duties as president of the players union. Then it is a grab bag of players. The Pelicans were in the top 3 after the first quarter of last season, and then injuries ravaged this team. I want them to stay healthy so I can see what they are fully capable of this year.

At 17 I have the Dallas Mavericks. This team is totally different from what they were two seasons ago. They only have one dude, Luka Doncic, from that team that played significant time. Doncic is a good player, I just despise watching him play basketball. He is whiny, a ball stopper and bores me with his methodical play. He is a younger James Harden. Kyrie Irving is a space case. He never seems to have his head fully into basketball. Grant Williams started to miss games last season due to a coach's decision. I think a change of scenery may help, but I also wonder if, when he played, it was due to Boston's system. Seth Curry is back and I have no feelings either way about them signing him. Jaden Hardy should get ample playing time this season. Dereck Lively Jr was a good pick, but he is raw. He needs time. Tim Hardaway Jr, as much as I root for him, has regressed. They signed Dante Exum. He is a very good defender, but he is a ZERO on offense. Omax Prosper has serious potential, as long as he gets on the court. And Maxi Kleber and Dwight Powell will split the center minutes. Whoopdedoo. The Mavericks are an oddly constructed team, but they do have two great backcourt players. I wonder how many wins that will result in though because they play no defense.

The final team for the day, at 16 I have the OKC Thunder. The Thunder may be the most fun team to watch all year long. I have high expectations for them too. They really came on strong last season, and I think they will only build upon that. Shai Gilgeous Alexander is a burgeoning star. He is going to be a perennial MVP candidate. He is such a good point guard and he is only going to get better. Jalen Williams had a real shot at rookie of the year last season and he has looked great in preseason so far. Josh Giddey is getting a little stronger and a little nastier. That is good for him. I'm curious to see how Chet Holmgren does. He is soft, but he did get bigger this offseason. He was kind of worked by Webayama the other night though. Cason Wallace looks really good. They have ambitions to play guys like Tre Mann, Isaish Joeand Lu Dort big minutes. Time will tell on that. But this team has been building through the draft, they have picks for days and they have a very solid core of guys. The Thunder are going to be legit in two to three years. But they will show another step this season.

That is it for today. Comeback tomorrow for the next five teams. 

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.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram.

Ty Ranks the 2023 - 2024 NBA Teams - Aging Rockstars Playing Some of Their New Music Division

Welcome to day two of my NBA countdown leading up to the new season. The teams still aren't great, but they are getting better and the teams today have some players I am excited to watch this upcoming season.

At number 25 I have the Houston Rockets. I don't think any team this offseason went for it harder than the Rockets did. They are clearly trying to do some things to win games and compete right now. That is good. It is also good that they did not give James Harden a max contract. That was the right move. Who they got instead at point guard was Fred VanVleet. They may have given him too much money and he may be past his prime but he brings a veteran leadership this team hasn't had in years. He is going to be an excellent role model for their young core. They also went out and signed Dillon Brooks. They gave him too much money also, and too many years, but he is a solid defender. He also had a good FIBA showing. If he can stay humbled on the court he will give opposing stars headaches. Then we have the young core. Jalen Green has all the tools in the world to be a big time NBA scorer. He just has to give it 100 percent all the time. I think Jabari Smith Jr is going to be a legit all star. He is big, can defend and rebound and his shot is coming along. Tari Eason is dope. That kid can really play and he brings massive energy. I like the Amen Thompson pick. He was the better twin and he could flourish with a big role. Alperen Sengun is a wizard with the ball, but a total zero on defense. Cam Whitmore fell to them in the draft and he could play the role of the revenge rookie. They also acquired Jeff Green in a trade and he wins almost everywhere he goes. The Rockets will be better this year, but they are not a playoff team yet. Hell, they aren't even a play in team yet. But they are making some interesting moves.

At number 24 I have the Indiana Pacers. I really like what this team is becoming. They have some really good and young talent. They have a solid coach. And they made some excellent moves in the offseason. Tyrese Haliburton is awesome. He is an all star. He was one of the better FIBA players for the US. He can pass with the best of them and his shooting gets better every year. Myles Turner is still here and they gave him an extension. He is still one of the better rim defenders in the league. He can also stretch the floor. Ben Mathurin had a solid rookie year. I expect him to be their sixth man and feast on opposing second team defenses. I love the Bruce Brown signing. The season will tell if he is ready for a bigger role, but that guy has only gotten better every year he has been in the league. I love them acquiring Obi Toppin. He is going to thrive with additional playing time. Drafting Jarace Walker looks like a home run for their defense. TJ McConnell is a solid backup point guard. Andrew Nembhard had some big moments last season and will build on that. Jalen Smith and Aaron Nesmith continue to be decent second team options. And I love that they signed Oscar Tshiebewe as an undrafted rookie. He is going to be a rebounding beast. The Pacers could threaten for a play in spot this year. And next year they should slide into being a solid playoff lock.

At 23 I have the Utah Jazz. Who could have foreseen this team playing as well as they did last season? Not me. And they could be better this year. Lauri Markkanen had a career year last season and looks like the real deal. I was wrong about him. Jordan Clarkson became a better passer last year while keeping up his scoring pace. Walker Kessler had a very good rookie year and looks like a possible lock down center on defense. Collin Sexton got out of Cleveland and looked good in the minutes he got last year. Ochai Agbaji is going to play a bigger role this year and I am curious to see how he does. Keyonte George looks like a very good incoming rookie. They traded for John Collins and he sounds like he wants to wreck the league this year. Kris Dunn is around, and he is as good a perimeter defender as there is in the league. The Jazz are a good team that may fight for a playoff or play in spot. If they were in the East I might pick them to make it. But they are in the West and the West is loaded.

At 22 I have the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets actually did a good job in the Kyrie, KD and James Harden aftermath. They recouped quite well. The prize of that trade was Mikail Bridges, and he is awesome. He blew up last season. He was excellent in FIBA. He seems to like being the first option. Bridges is great. Cam Johnson got a big deal and he seems to enjoy playing in Brooklyn. He has an edge to his game now that I really like as well. I have zero faith in Ben Simmons. I'm over all of the offseason stuff with him. Cam Thomas is a great bench scorer and nothing else. Nic Claxton is a good pick and roll and defense first guy, but he cannot shoot. I like the addition of Lonnie Walker IV. He had a good year last year and could be better with more minutes. Dennis Smith Jr had a great comeback year in Charlotte and the Nets are going to give him another shot. Dorian Finney-Smith can defend, but he hasn't been able to recreate his success from two years ago. The Nets are a weird team with one player, Bridges, that I love. But they will not be as good as they were last season.

The final team for the day, a team I really thought hard about putting into my playoff mix, at 21 I have the Orlando Magic. This team is ready to take a leap and become a true playoff threat. I just think it may take one more season. Paolo Banchero is legit. The kid has all the tools to be the number one option and a perennial all star. He got better as the year went along and he is going to be a star in this league. Franz Wagner is their jack of all trades. He can do a little of everything really well. He was a steal for them in the draft. Markelle Fultz has reignited his career. He is never going to be the star some thought, but he is a solid point guard in the NBA. Anthony Black may be their point guard of the future. He looked excellent in summer league. Cole Antony can also play. He has been a solid starter for the past two years. Jalen Suggs can't shoot, but he can defend. Jett Howard will bring bench scoring. Wendell Carter Jr has been a great big man for them and looks like he could make another leap. Chuma Okeke can play too. The Magic have a good, young team that will win more games than some think. They are going to make a playoff push and may even win a play in game. I love what they are doing over there. They have a decent team.

That is it for today. Come back tomorrow for the next five teams. 

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.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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Ty Ranks the 2023 - 2024 NBA Teams - Opening Band at the Local Dive Bar Division

The NBA season is right around the corner, so that means I am here to rank the teams from worst to best, in my own opinion. This is based on my knowledge of the game and how the teams changed in the offseason. When I did my initial rankings I found it kind of tough. The NBA has some really good teams, and even the teams that aren't very good, they have a bunch of fun players that I cannot wait to watch. I'll do five teams a day and finish up with a prediction blog. Without further ado, let's get started.

At 30 I have the Washington Wizards. They are finally going into full rebuild mode. It is about time. They let Bradley Beal go. They let Kristaps Porzingis go. They gave Kyle Kuzma money to keep the new core young. And they traded for Jordan Poole. Poole will score a lot and do not much else. Kyle Kuzma will have solid games from time to time, but counting on him to be one of your top players seems odd. Tyus Jones was a great pickup in a trade, but I would bet money that he will be on a contender really soon. I love the Bilal Coulibaly pick. He looks like he could be a steal. Deni Avdija is there and plays solid defense, but is a zero on offense. Then there is a major fall off. Johnny Davis hasn't figured it out. Landry Shamet keeps getting traded. Corey Kispert is a wash. Taj Gibson is still here. It is a real mishmash. But, I like that they are finally embracing a rebuild. Jordan Poole will score a ton, but this team will not win many games.

At number 29 I have the Detroit Pistons. I don't know how to gauge this team. They have some really good players, but those players are super young and wildly unproven. They cannot stay healthy either. If they get these guys on the court and some pop, they could be better than this. Cade Cunningham is awesome, when he plays. The dude can shoot and has a very high passing IQ. He is even a solid defender. He just has to stay on the court. Jaden Ivey is fast and looked like he was figuring it out near the end of last season. He is like a young Russell Westbrook. Jalen Duren is big and imposing. He is also only 20 years old right now. I love the Ausar Thompson pick. That kid looks legit. They took a flyer on James Wiseman, and maybe playing with no pressure will wake him up, a la Markelle Fultz. Bojan Bogdanovic is a great shooter and a hot trade asset. Joe Harris is here somehow. Isaiah Stewart is imposing, but not much else. Isaiah Livers has moments. And Marvin Bagley got paid and may get to show some stuff this season. But the team is too inexperienced and doesn't have any kind of continuity yet. Time will tell, but I don't think they have it figured out yet. Maybe in two or three years.

At 28 I have the San Antonio Spurs. I love what this team has done. They struck gold in the last lottery. They got Greg Poppovich to sign an extension and they can do a whole lot of stuff in the trade market if they choose. But this team is so very young and they will need a few years to be a perennial playoff team again. Victor Webayama is the future here. He was the lottery win. He is long, lean and blocks so many shots. He will put on weight and get tougher. But he is already a demon on defense, can rebound and he will stretch the floor. Just give him time. Keldon Johnson is a very good, very little known player. He is a perfect Spur. Jeremy Sochan is one of my new favorite players. This kid does all the dirty work and seems to enjoy it. He is a blast to watch. Malaki Branham is going to become a better known name this year. That was a steal in last year's draft. Devin Vassell just got paid and is their best, most pure scorer on the roster. Tre Jones is a serviceable point guard. Then they went out and acquired Reggie Bullock. They still have Zach Collins. Doug McDermott is still around. The Spurs have guys, too many right now. But this team is all about the youth. They will have growing pains, but this team is on the rise. Just not yet.

At number 27 I have the Portland Trailblazers. This team is rebuilding much like the Wizards, they just have better players. Scoot Henderson is the real deal. That kid is going to be amazing from day 1. I think he has a real shot to average 20 plus points a game, and win rookie of the year. Shadeon Sharpe is good as well. He has so much bounce, can rebound and his shot is improving. I love watching Sharpe play. Anfernee Simons is going to score a ton. He is the vet on this team and I think he will like the constant green light to shoot. Jerami Grant is around too, and he is going to really feed off the players on the roster now. I love that they got Deandre Ayton and Rob Williams in recent trades. Those two will make for a nice front court, with major health and will issues. I like both dudes, but Ayton isn't always engaged and Williams is constantly hurt. They have other vets like Malcom Brogdon and Matisse Thybulle, who are okay. And then they got this Toumani Camara rookie in a trade and people seem to love him. The Blazers will not win a ton, but they will be one of the most fun teams to watch all year. They should have massive highlights all year long.

The final team for the day, at 26 I have the Charlotte Hornets. LaMelo Ball is their dude. He looks good right now, but he still has a funky shot and cannot stay on the floor. He is so much fun to watch play, when he plays. He has kind of regressed into a ball hog a bit, but maybe that will change this season. Brandon Miller looks like a very good pick, but his fit is weird here. He will start because he is very talented, but I don't know how much he will help the team win. PJ Washington is around for a bit longer, and while he is solid, he doesn't get enough touches to tip the scale. Terry Rozier can score a lot if given enough shots, but he will do nothing else. After those guys the roster is bleak. Nick Richard is an okay backup center, but he might have to start here. Mark Williams is too raw. James Bouknight has never been solid enough to garner big minutes. Cody Martin is the second best Martin in his family. JT Thor, while having a dope name, is not the best big man in the league. The Hornets are not a very good basketball team. They have a star in LaMelo Ball, but he is not the massive, massive star they hoped they were getting. This team has some pieces to figure out on the roster. Maybe they will address some of that in next year's draft.

That is it for today. Come back tomorrow for the next five teams. 

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.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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Ty Watches "Only Murders in the Building" Season 3

My wife and I just finished season 3 of "Only Murders in the Building" last night. We have been fans of the show from the start, but it took us a minute to watch this most recent season. Let’s discuss.

For a show that has the same formula each season, the writers really know how to keep it fresh. The show focuses on three people who live in the same apartment building, Martin Short, Steve Martin and Selena Gomez, and they host a true crime podcast while they solve a murder within the building. Pretty simple, right? But they find new ways to make it better every season, and this new season is no different.

The second season ended, spoiler alert, with Paul Rudd's character collapsing on stage. That is where we pick up season 3, and when it starts, it really gets going. This season felt like there was more action. The pace seemed quicker, the multiple storylines came at you fast, and that made it all the more watchable. Adding Paul Rudd and Meryl Streep was an absolute home run. Those two, especially Streep, are wonderful actors and seemed to have a blast this season. Rudd played a superhero, broey version of himself this season. I loved his performance. He was an asshole with some secrets. They even found a way to make him look like he was a redeemable person. Streep played an actress who couldn't seem to find a break, which is wild when you remember that you are watching Meryl freaking Streep. She is one of the best actors of my lifetime, and seeing her try to play a bad actress was hilarious. But, much like Rudd, she nailed it. I bought her every step of the way and want to see more of her in the future of this show. They also added Jesse Tyler Williams in a bit role and he did a wonderful job. He was funny and charming and I liked his character a ton.

Really this show is all about the three stars and boy oh boy did they do a great job this season. Steve Martin got to do a ton of fun stuff and he was exceptional. I really enjoyed when he would go to the "white room" while rehearsing the play. Martin Short got to do a bit of dramatics this season, which he crushed, but he was the funniest one of them all. I think he is the most underrated one on this show, but that should change after this season. And Selena Gomez was front and center this season. She really carried the show and did a phenomenal job. She is really proving how good of an actor she is. She is a shining star here. The rest of the cast is amazing as usual. The guest stars are big time names and they do a wonderful job. The new actors they brought in bring even more weight to this already wonderful tv show.

"Only Murders in the Building" is one of the better shows on streaming networks right now. If you are not watching it, remedy that. This is as funny as any other show and it has three tremendous actors in the leading roles. And the writing staff is second to none. This show is great. Watch 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 Watches Eric Andre Live

Last night I went to see Eric Andre at The Factory on his new tour. Last night was the second night of the tour, so I did not know what to expect. I also did not know if it was going to be a standup thing or something else. It was most definitely something else, and that is a very good thing.

The tickets for the show said that the doors opened at 6 and the show started at 7. They were spot on. Eric Andre had an opener, DJ Douggpound, and he came on stage at 7pm sharp. He was very funny. I enjoyed his 20 minute set quite a bit. DJ Douggpound act is his standup with him playing some music underneath it. He was also on Eric Andre's new podcast recently, so it was nice for me to see him perform after hearing him talk about some not so fun performances. What I liked most about his set was how much fun he seemed to have with it all. He had some great jokes that were buttoned with some funny song clips. When he would play old songs but add in different words, that cracked me up. I also liked him pitching voices up and down. That was pretty hilarious as well. I also liked him coming on stage skateboarding. It was whimsy for me. DJ Douggpound also writes for Eric Andre's show, so he was a perfect opener.

After he was done, there was a five minute break and then Eric Andre came roaring to the stage. When I said that this was different from a standup show of his, that was made incredibly apparent from the start. This was a live version of "The Eric Andre Show". He came on stage and immediately destroyed his desk. He then proceeded to throw food at the crowd and spray them with water. I was sitting in the balcony, safe from all the carnage, so it was pretty hilarious to watch. After going off for a bit, he started the show. His co-host for the night was the Fridge Keeper. People who know know that the Fridge Keeper was introduced on the most recent season of the show. The Fridge Keeper is like the Crypt Keeper, except he lives in the fridge and he raps. I adore the Fridge Keeper. From there on out the show was mayhem. He invited an attendant of the show as his first guest. Andre messed with his phone and talked to his mom. He invited a different person on stage and tried to seduce them like Janet Jackson did on her recent tour. It was wild. We all saw his butt. When he called the first guest's mom, we all got to speak with her. She was a delight. At one point he blended a bunch of McDonald's and fed it to some crowd goers. He used a kiss cam which changed nearly instantly to a calculus cam. He had a few more people come on stage and do a ranch dressing chugging contest. When he couldn't pick a winner, he made them freestyle rap while sucking on hot sauce ice cubes. He then had his second guest, Clownvis, come on stage. He did an interview with Clownvis. He told Clownvis to kiss the Fridge Keeper. He had him drink wine and coffee mixed together. He asked Clownvis to sing his famous song, which happened to be a Christmas song. He messed with Clownvis, which delved into messing with the crowd. He did it all. The show ended with him and Clownvis singing a song, and then he walked on stage bottomless to bow to all of us.

This was a whirlwind of an hour. I leaned over to my buddy about halfway through and asked, "how long is he going to be able to keep this up?". The answer was an hour, and it was a perfect amount of time. You can tell he is still trying to figure out how to put this show on, but I had an absolute blast seeing him live last night. The last time he was in STL he had to cancel, so this was a long time coming for me. I am a humongous Eric Andre fan, so seeing him live was a big deal to me. He delivered. I was in awe of what I saw last night. It was weird and gross and exactly what I hoped a live version of his tv show could be. I had a great time and I highly recommend seeing this show if he comes to your town. It is unlike any other live comedy show that I have seen, and that is a very good thing. It was a great time. 

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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I am Not Very Pleased with Aaron Rodgers

I want to start this blog off by apologizing to my folks, but I want to say this loudly so that dickhead can hear me, FUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCK Aaron Rodgers.

This dude is becoming more irrelevant by the second. He makes a stink to get traded to the Jets this offseason and gets his way. He wants to be on tv and HBO does "Hard Knocks" with the Jets right as he is being traded. He gets to be on the first Monday night football game of the season and runs out with the flag. He then proceeds to rupture his Achilles four plays in and is out of the season. So long

Not to be outdone, when the Jets played the Chiefs the other night, Rodgers made sure he was on the sideline and even threw a pass, just to get his dumbass face on the tv. But what he did after that game, going on yet another podcast to show how desperate he is, was totally uncalled for and shows how out of touch and pointless he is now. To go on whatever pod he went on, and then call Travis Kelce, "Mr Pfizer", as if that is an insult, and then to dig himself further in a hole, he made claims that his Achilles is healing at a rapid pace.

This dude just needs to stop. He has got to stop opening his mouth because every time he does he says something stupid and makes himself look worse. Rodgers is a grade A moron. He is the worst of the conspiracy theorists and the people who say they are "doing their own research". Why go after Travis Kelce? I don't get it. Is Rodgers trying to upset the Swifties, because that would be an epic mistake on his part. He would get obliterated by her fans. And who cares if Kelce wants to get vaxxed? For one, it is smart and courteous. For two, he is protecting himself and those around him. For three, FUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCK you Aaron Rodgers. Let Travis Kelce live his life man. There is no need for you to go on a podcast and try to make Kelce look bad.

The only people who agree with Aaron Rodgers are dangerous, dumb people. He seems to think he is some kind of deity to these people. And if he is, that is a very frightening thing. Rodgers spews nothing but falsehoods and misinformation. People please, do not listen to the nonsense coming out of his mouth. And then to claim he is healing at some kind of rapid pace, okay dipshit. I'd love to see him come back too soon and blow his achilles out again. I know it may not be the best thing to wish ill will on someone I don't know, but Aaron Rodgers hasn't earned respect. He is a total butthead who thinks he can come back from a horrific injury faster than any human ever? Okay dude. Come back and see what happens when a linebacker comes at your legs. Come back and see what a d lineman who has free reign to wreck you does. Come back and try and make a cut off that injured leg. You may rupture the achilles fully out of your body. Then what kind of nonsense would Aaron Rodgers spew then? What kind of dumb shit would he say on his next podcast appearance? How would he spin it then?

Aaron Rodgers is a crazy person who is dangerous to society. Kids look up to this dude and he goes out and says some wild stuff that they may take as truth. He has got to stop, and unfortunately for him, getting injured badly enough to force him to retire may be what is best. But that won't stop him from going on podcasts, and that may be even worse.

Don't take anything that Aaron Rodgers says seriously at all. He is an idiot who just spews constant nonsense. Aaron Rodgers is a total idiot. 

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.

"The Program" Lives on as a Cheesy Sports Melodrama

A few weeks back I wrote a piece about my love of 90's sports movies, mainly kids sports movies. I was a kid back then, I love sports and these were right in my wheelhouse. I mentioned a bunch of movies I loved from that era, but most of them were comedic in nature. I do like a bunch of dramatic sports movies as well, but comedy is always my go to option.

For date night this past week it was my choice to pick the movie. Since I am in this rewatch era of old sports movies I loved, I stayed on that trend, picking "The Program". My wife asked me what it was about and I told her it comes off as a hard drama about the ills of running a college football team. She made a face, but I told her it is funny how melodramatic the movie comes off. That perked her up and we proceeded to watch.

I want to say, right off the bat, this movie still rules. I loved every second of it. It felt as good to watch it as a 40 year old as it did when it came out when I was 12 years old. I also realized that I shouldn't have been watching this movie when I was 12, but I turned out just fine. But what makes this movie so rewatchable, what I still love about it to this day, is the melodrama. This movie takes itself far too seriously. There are so many scenes that end in fights, or realizations, or finding one self, or having to deal with consequences. I swear, the ending of almost every scene has one of these cliches tacked on. A guy on the team takes steroids and his team chastises him for it, but they don't kick him off. He then sexually assaults a coed on campus, and they only suspend him. It isn't until the second time he is caught with steroids do they kick him off the team, but only after he makes a season saving tackle. That is absurd. One of the only decent people in the movie gets all of his glory taken away from him due to a clean block that destroys his leg. Alvin Mack had everything in front of him, he was going to make millions in the NFL, but then his leg got obliterated by a pulling guard who he was shit talking. Then they pan to his house and I swear to you his family lives in the 1800's. That was totally unnecessary and undeserving. But when you watch "The Program", that is almost expected. The tutor, played by Halle Berry, is in a love triangle with the vet running back and the hot shot running back recruit. And she gets everyone involved in this triangle. And the resolution is laugh out loud funny. The QB, who also happens to be a Heisman candidate, is a drunk. He also likes to say he "lives life on the edge". He rides a motorcycle and goes to rehab. He gets a girlfriend and treats her like dirt. But not to worry, she is still completely into him. I also appreciate that he cannot beat Michigan in this movie. But this QB's story might be the most melodramatic thing I've ever seen in a sports movie. It is wild. The coach's daughter sleeps with the backup QB and takes his tests. The coach finds out and is pissed, but when his star QB goes to rehab, again, hilarious, the coach has to vouch for this backup in front of the school board. That scene is meant to be serious, but I can't help but to laugh every time I see it. I mean I could go on and on and on.

This movie is so of its time. From the fashion to the choice of actors to the dialogue, it has the early 90's all over it. James Caan gives it his all, but he cannot save this movie from the melodrama. Halle Berry is the best part, outside of the football action, but she has horrible dialogue to work with, and I feel like the director just let her do her own thing. Look, I love this movie. I will watch it a bunch more. I found it incredibly watchable on this go round. But it has so many faults, mainly the melodrama.

I highly recommend you all check it out. It will take you back and make you laugh. "The Program", for being a sports drama, is hilarious and kind of stupid. And that is why I adore this movie. 

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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

Ty Predicts the 2023 MLB Postseason

The MLB playoffs are upon us. I'm still not as into baseball as I was when I was a kid, but it is more fun with some cool players I enjoy watching now. I'm going to give it my best shot today and do a postseason preview. Again, take this with a tremendous grain of salt. Here goes nothing.

I'll start with the AL. The Orioles are the number 1 seed, which totally shocked me. I didn't realize they were good again. Good for them regardless. The number 2 seed is the cheating ass Houston Astros. I know that was awhile back, but come on, that is hard to forget. From there the 3-6 match up features the the Twins facing the Blue Jays. I'd love to pick the Twins here. I have family that lives in Minnesota and they are Twins fans. But the Twins always facepalm in the playoffs, and they have the worst record of the division winners. The Blue Jays also have a very good and fun team. They hit a lot and have some solid pitching. They have enough to beat the Twins in round one. The 4-5 features Tampa Bay and Texas. I don't know much about these teams. I know the Rays lost a key player because he is a monster. I know the Rangers traded for Max Scherzer, but he is hurt. I know Texas hits a lot of home runs. I know the Rays play old school manufacturing baseball. I'm going to go with the Rays as they have been pretty consistent all season long. The Rangers had too many ups and downs all year. So that would give us the Blue Jays facing the Astros and the Rays facing the Orioles. This is where it gets tough for me. I'd love to see the Blue Jays beat the Astros. I like the Blue Jays. I am a fan of Vlad Guerrero Jr. I like the way they play the game. But the Astros are a better team. They have better pitching and more overall talent. They are also way more experienced. As much as it stinks, I have the Astros winning this series. I do believe we will get some kind of redemption in the other series. It is not like the Orioles are underdogs, but they still have that feel about them. But they are a very good baseball team. They have the skills to go all the way. They could do some real damage. They are better than the Rays. I think they could sweep. That gives me Orioles-Astros in the ALCS. This feels very much like the previous round for me. I'd love to see the Orioles win and go to the World Series. It would be way more fun. But the Astros are better and the experience is going to be critical here. They will have no fear and I think the Orioles will play tight. I have the Astros returning to the World Series.

Now to the NL. The Braves are the best team in baseball and they are the 1 seed. The Dodgers are right behind them at the 2. In the 3-6 we have The Brewers facing the Diamondbacks. I didn't know the D'Backs were good again. They were World Series winning good when I was in college. But they haven't been relevant in awhile. Good for them for getting back to the postseason. The Brewers I saw a lot of this season. And they look very solid. They don't wow you when you watch them play, but this team wins a ton of games. They also happen to be my dad's favorite team, so I will stick up for them here. I do believe they will beat the D'Backs in round 1. The 4-5 is going to be the most fun match up in the playoffs. We have the Marlins and Phillies. The Phillies were in the World Series last season. The Marlins are young, fun and playing with house money. Both teams can hit and both teams have pretty solid number 1 starters. This is going to be a fun series to check in on. Do to the fact that the Marlins are playing with house money, and because when they get in the playoffs they seem to do something crazy, I have them winning this series. The Marlins reward will be facing the Braves. The Braves will roll them. They are about as complete a team can be in MLB. They literally have it all. They will coast. The Brewers will face the Dodgers, and while I think the Brewers will be able to hang around, the Dodgers are too loaded and too deep. They are almost as good as the Braves. The Dodgers should be able to dispose of the Brewers in five, maybe six games. That gives me the Dodgers and Braves in the NLCS. The Braves will win this series in rather resounding fashion. They are a better team with better players and Ronald Acuna Jr is so damn good at this game. I think the Braves are good enough to sweep the Dodgers, which will makes the Dodgers fans incredibly upset.

That means I have the Astros and Braves facing off in the World Series. This is going to feel like some kind of excellent karma for the cheating ass Astros. The Braves are going to throttle their punk asses. I'd not only love to see the Braves sweep them, but to win every game by seven or eight runs. I want them to utterly embarass the Astros. I want the Braves to show no mercy. While they won't do that, I do think the Braves will win it all this season and they will only need five games, maybe six to do it. The Braves will win the 2023 World Series and Ronald Acuna Jr is going to win the MVP. They are legit. 

Ty

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

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Thoughts on the Packers Early in the Season

The Packers got whooped last night. I watched it with my own two eyes. Their coach said the same. I think the players would admit it as well. The Lions are a good football team, but I didn't think the Packers would get beat this easily at home. Let’s discuss.

I marinated on the game last night and this morning. It was interesting reading some comments from fans and media people alike right after the game. Bleacher Report had a headline right as the game finished that read, "Fans Flame Defense" in regards to how the defense played last night. Bleacher Report, just a week earlier during a Packers win, had a headline that read, "Fans Praise Defense". It just goes to show you how up and down the NFL can be, literally week to week.

I am here today to say that this is the team I expected this season. I thought, in my wildest dream season this year for the Packers, they'd be an 11 win team. That was as high as my optimism would go for this team. But, in reality, I expected them to be a 7 or 8 win team. Maybe they could sneak into just above .500 at 9-8. But that doesn't seem likely with this squad. The Packers are a weirdly constructed team. They have, in my opinion, a solid defense if everyone is healthy. Rashan Gary is a very good edge rusher. He is coming off a torn ACL though, I believe. Jaire Alexander could be one of the best cover corners in the league if he didn't miss so many games. Darnell Savage is a heavy hitter, but misses assignments, along with games. The linebacker unit seems to be forever changing due to injury or free agency. But when those dudes are on the field, they can mess stuff up. They do blow assignments too much, and they have trouble shutting down slant plays. All in all, when all these guys are out there I have no real qualms.

The offense is going to need time to figure this stuff out. They are young. Really young. The elder statesman in the skill positions are AJ Dillon and Aaron Jones. Aaron Jones has already missed two games and I think this is only Dillon's third year and first as a featured back. The receivers are very young. Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs are in year two. There is no Randall Cobb. Sterling Sharpe isn't walking through that door. Luke Musgrave is a rookie at tight end. I would love it if Jimmy Graham were still on this team. The o line is young too, or injured. David Bakthiari is back on the IR. Jon Runyan Jr is only a few years removed from college. I could say the same about Elgton Jenkins.

And then we have Jordan Love taking over at QB. He has played better than I anticipated. But he has a lot on his young shoulders. He is the first QB not named Brett Favre or Aaron Rodgers, can't stand either of them, to start a game for the Packers in many, many years. And Jordan Love has serviceable. He isn't making too many mistakes out there. He is finding open guys. He has taken decent care of the ball. He doesn't seem to be forcing things. He is also the best runner that they have had at QB in a long time. But he is going to have some real growing pains at the QB position, especially in Green Bay.

So when I see people on the internet griping about the team, and saying how bad they are, at 2-2 mind you, what did you expect? Did you really think the Packers were going to the Super Bowl this year? Did you expect them to win the NFC North again? Was Jordan Love going to be an instant MVP candidate? Was the defense really going to stay healthy all season long? This is who the Packers are going to be for a few seasons. The Lions are a better team. The Bears are rough and the Vikings need a new QB, so that helps them within the division. But if you were expecting more of the same from the Packers this year, that is on you. The Packers are, at the very best, a 9 win team. And that is okay. 

Ty

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

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The Writers Won the Writers Strike

The writers' strike has finally ended. I was hesitant to write about this yesterday because they had a tentative agreement that went into effect at midnight. I wanted to wait until that came and went with no interruptions. I did not know what the studios were capable of, or how they might try to screw the WGA, but they didn't and midnight came and went and, for the time being, the writers' strike is over. Thank goodness.

This strike went on far longer than I think any of us expected. I was starting to get worried that it might drag on into 2024. I would hope the writers would do that if necessary, but that would have meant no work for them for a year. That would have meant more reality shows for us viewers at home. That is not a world where I want to watch tv. Reality shows are the bottom of the barrell when it comes to tv. Sure, they can capture you and make you watch, but it feels like being kidnapped and just buying in. It is like Stockholm Syndrome for casual tv viewing. But now that the strike is over, for the next three years, we should be getting back to scripted tv. That is a much better world to watch tv. We will get better, newer ideas. I have to imagine there are writers out there who have fresh ideas that they cannot wait to pitch.

I am sure/hopeful the actors strike will follow soon, and when that happens we will get shows back that feature writers as actors. I cannot watch to see what they do with the next season of "Abbot Elementary". "The Bear" should only get stronger from here. I am curious to see what they come up with on "The Simpsons" and "Bob's Burgers". I want to see how FX comes back. I would bet a lot of money that they are going to hit home run after home run. Larry David is seemingly doing one more season of "Curb Your Enthusiasm", and I wonder how he will incorporate the strike, because you know he will find a way to make it uncomfortably hilarious.

I guess my main takeaway, from a tv watching perspective, is that this will hopefully kill or slow down reality shows and dating shows. They are everywhere because they are cheap and you don't really need writers for these shows. But now, especially with the writers hopefully coming out of the strike with fresh ideas, we get new and interesting tv.

I also love it for late night television. The hosts can get back to doing their thing with their writers. Late night tv is a staple in many households, and with the writers getting back to work, the jokes should be flying frequently and hilariously.

This is also good for movies. I know that A24 hasn't had to strike because they did the right thing and opted to do what the writers wanted. But all these other studios are back in business in the writers room. Hopefully this slows the production of remakes and superhero movies and we get cool stuff like "Everything Everywhere All at Once". I want cooler, more unique movies to come from this and I think there is a great possibility of that happening with the strike ending.

This is a good day. This is good news. This shows that workers rights are important and that unions work. The writers stuck to their guns and came out on top. This is a happy day everyone. We should have good tv and movies coming back now. Hooray. 

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 Damian Lillard Trade

Damian Lillard was finally traded this afternoon, but not to the Miami Heat like many, myself included, thought he would be. Nope, Lillard was sent to the Bucks, Jrue Holiday is headed to the Blazers with Deandre Ayton and Jusuf Nurkic is going to the Suns. There are other players involved, but these are the big names, with Lillard's being the biggest. Let’s discuss.

I think Ayton will do well with no pressure on a young team in Portland. He needed a change of scenery and going to a rebuilding squad that will let him be the number 1 or 2 option will be a solid fit for him. Jrue Holiday will not stay in Portland. They have already said they are trying to flip him. Holiday would be a good addition for any team that is a contender. He is one of the best defenders in the league and he can score from time to time. He also has a ring and knows what it takes to get there. Nurkic to the Suns seems small, but if he can stay healthy, he could bring a ton to a team with championship intentions. Nurkic is a big body that can rebound and score in the post. He isn't the best defender in the post, but he could be a menace. But the big news here, the reason you all came to read this blog is Damian Lillard going to the Bucks.

I do not know if he will stay past this season, but for this year the Bucks are clearly going for it. Giannis Antetokounmpo came out recently and said that if the Bucks do not show him that they are willing to compete for titles every year he may not stay with the team. This move is clearly the front office going for it. I did not expect the Bucks to be in this talk at all. I didn't think they had the pieces. I didn't think they were going to get rid of a player of Jrue Holiday's caliber. I thought they were going to play this year out and hope they find that special sauce they had two years ago when they won it all. None of that happened, and I think they are better for it today. They have one of the best shooters to ever play this game now teaming up with Giannis and Khris Middleton. They are a proven playoff killer. Dame is cold blooded and he knows. The rest of the league knows it as well. Dame may not play much defense, but he won't have to on the Bucks. They have Giannis. They have Brook Lopez. They have bench guys willing to play defense on the perimeter. They have Middleton. This team is loaded and now they added a pure scorer.

Lillard teaming up with Giannis is the modern day Kobe and Shaq duo. I saw other people saying this and it is so true. I mean, try guarding those two guys. Oh, and then try guarding Khris Middleton after that. They are going to score a bunch of points. Giannis is going to give Lillard so many open looks it is almost unfair. Lillard is going to draw defenders out to the perimeter, opening the lane for Giannis. Teams won't be able to lay off and clog the lane like they have before. Then Middleton is going to have so many wide open looks from all over the floor. Then you have guys like Malik Beasley and Pat Connauhgton and Bobby Portis and Jae Crowder that are going to find themselves so wide open it is going to be laughable.

The Bucks are clearly, clearly making a big push for a ring this season. To roll out Dame, Middleton, Crowder, Giannis and Brook Lopez, that is a killer of a lineup. It truly has it all. They have the defense, the big man that is unstoppable, the killer mid range shooter, the other big man that can shoot threes and block shots and now one of the greatest pressure shooters of all time. This move instantly pushes the Bucks to the top of the east for me. They are better than Boston, Philly and Cleveland. They are way better than any other playoff team. This is a championship roster.

I love this movie from the Bucks. I bet Giannis is thrilled right about now. I also bet Damian Lillard is so stoked to play for the Bucks as well. This is a winning move on every level. I absolutely love it. I cannot wait to watch this team play this season. What a day. What a move. Good job Milwaukee. 

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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Better Never than Late on "Pretty Woman"

Over the weekend my wife showed me the movie "Pretty Woman". I had never seen it before. I have obviously heard of it before watching, and know of the most famous stuff from it, but I have never sat down and watched from start to finish with no interruptions. I was excited to see the movie because it feels like a cultural touchstone, especially for someone my age. I also tend to have the belief that Gary Marshall was a very good director.

So we watched. I paid full attention. I put my phone next to me and put it on vibrate. I barely looked at it. I wanted to consume this movie with almost my full attention. Unfortunately for me, the next two hours were pretty dull.

Now, don't get me wrong, this movie has its moments. Julia Roberts is wonderful in the movie. You could tell she was going to become a massive star after this movie. She has whatever "it" is needed to make it in Hollywood. I found her funny, charming, sweet and a delight to watch. The music is very much in the pocket of early to mid 90's glam pop. The songs were recognizable and memorable. I found myself bopping my head along from time to time. And the clothing couldn't have been more perfect for the era. It brought me back to a time with wild t-shirts, big shoulder pads and oversized suits. I'm talking about David Bryne from "Stop Making Sense" oversized. Hell, it was even great to see Hector Elizondo in a more understated and quiet role for him. He was fine and dandy in this movie.

Outside of those things, this movie was boring. Nothing really happens in it after Richard Gere picks Julia Roberts up off the road. They have their moments together, but it is never eye grabbing. The movie had my attention, but it didn't really force me to focus. What we essentially see is a couple meeting and deciding to stay together. There is the fact that Roberts plays a sex worker, but they hardly touch on that in the movie. It is mentioned, but never really shown outside of the first meeting and Gere paying her to stay with him for a week at the hotel. Her line of work could have played a much bigger part in this movie, but they hardly mined anything of note from it. We also have Jason Alexander playing the creep of all creeps. Even if I didn't have an idea about his role in this movie I could have picked out he was the bad guy right away. He was a cliche of a bad guy, even by 90's movie villain status. That whole scene at the end with him was gross as well. It made me sick to my stomach. We also have a great opportunity for Laura San Giacomo to really shine as a co-star. But she is a victim of this movie feeling like it needed to give Richard Gere more to do. She is in barely any scenes and it feels like she never gets to stretch her wings. And then we have Richard Gere. Gere is a fine actor, but this movie wastes his talent. He is quiet and brooding the whole time. I felt like I was watching a movie from Bruce Wayne's point of view. Minus the final scene of him walking up the ladder to meet Roberts at her apartment, he never really cracks a smile or raises his voice. It is almost as if he speaks in a whisper the whole movie. It was frustrating.

I wanted to like this movie. I had heard so many great things about it, I knew about the famous stuff, but the movie didn't live up to the expectations I built for it in my head. This was a miss for me. I'm glad I saw it, but I don't think I'll intentionally ever watch it again. 

Ty

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

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The Bears and Broncos are Very Bad Football Teams

We are now three weeks into the NFL season and two teams look very, very bad right now. Anything can happen, things can change, injuries could happen and these teams could go on a winning streak at any moment, but right now, the Broncos and Bears look like the worst teams in the league. I thought the Cardinals and Texans were going to be the bottom of barrel in the NFL. But they have at least been competitive and won a game a piece. The Cardinals have held a lead in all three of their games. The Texans seem to have young pieces that they can build around. But the Bears and Broncos look like they have a long, long time before they are even competitive.

I'll start with the Bears. Look, I'm no fan of them, but it has to be incredibly painful for their fans to watch this team. They look absolutely hopeless on both sides of the ball. The defensive coordinator just resigned. He said it was to spend more time with his family, but more and more stories keep coming out claiming there is much more to this story that we don't know. The offense cannot get it together. Justin Fields looks shell shocked. He had a press conference in which he essentially blamed the coaches for his miscues, only to recant those statements near minutes later. That is wild. They cannot move the ball nor can they stop teams from moving the ball. The Packers beat them yet again in week one in Jordan Love's first start. I understand that the Packers own the Bears, but this seemed like a great opportunity to get a win over their rivals to start the year. They then laid an absolute egg against the Buccaneers in week 2, prompting the comments from Fields. Yesterday the Chiefs demolished them in KC. The final was 41-10, but it was 34-0 at the half. The score did not indicate how much of a blowout this game was on the field. The Bears will have to make some changes if they want to get back to relevancy. Maybe that means the staff, maybe it means the players. Right now I'd lean towards the staff. They seem like a deer caught in the headlights. They seem to have little to no urgency or will to compete when they step on the field. The Bears are a bad football team.

The only team that may be worse is the Denver Broncos. I followed the Broncos offseason coaching search because Jim Harbaugh was considered a prime candidate. I believe he had multiple interviews. I bet he is happy he didn't take that job now. Sean Payton seemed like a homerun hire. He is an offensive and quarterback guru. He had massive success in New Orleans. He seemed like the perfect guy to step in for Nathaniel Hackett. And in weeks 1 and 2 the Broncos looked competent enough. They didn’t win either game, but they were a 2 point conversion away from tying the Commanders and barely got beat by the Raiders, another very bad NFL team right now. But yesterday was incredibly eye opening. This Broncos team is in a very, very bad spot right now. Their defense gave up 70 points to the Dolphins yesterday. I understand that the Dolphins are very good and have a very explosive offense, but 70 points? Are you kidding me? I mean, that is absolutely wild. I went and watched some highlights, I have Raheem Mostert on my fantasy team, and the Broncos defense looked helpless. They were taking awful angles. They couldn't stop a pass at all. Tua was a perfect 16 for 16 in the first half. Yikes. At one point Mostert took a screen pass and basically went untouched for a TD to push the score to 42-13. And on the screen pass plenty of Broncos had a shot at him and missed as poorly as I have ever seen an NFL team miss tackles. Their offense has looked inept in two of their three games as well. They only managed 16 points against the Raiders. And the 20 they scored yesterday was all garbage time. Russell Wilson looks bad. He looks cooked. He doesn't seem to have it anymore. Javonte Williams barely sees the ball. They are usually down so bad that they have to throw. Jerry Jeudy isn't getting passes thrown his way. The o lineman look and sound depressed. Sean Payton looks like a dinosaur in the modern NFL. This team is hurting in a bad way. They need to do something drastic. I don't know if that means to move on from Wilson or to give Payton the hottest seat in all of football. Either way though, the Broncos may be the worst team in the NFL.

The Bears and Broncos are two teams need to make some changes. Something different needs to happen if they want to be relevant again. Time will tell, hell, maybe they will both win the rest of their games and this will all be moot. But at this moment, this early in the season, the Bears and Broncos are far and away the two worst teams in the entire NFL. 

Ty

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

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An Ode to the Greatest Coffee Drink Ever

I write about coffee a good amount on this site. I’m a fan. What can I say? I like to try a bunch of different coffee too. I’m no traditionalist when it comes to coffee. I like flavored coffee, coffee with cream, coffee with cream and artificial sweetener. I’ll drink pretty much any coffee drink except Frappuccinos. Those are too sweet for me. Today I had the best coffee drink in my 10 plus years of drinking this wonderful beverage. Let’s discuss.

I took my folks out to lunch after running with my buddy. We went to a local bakery that also does sandwiches, soups, salads and drinks. All three of us got a coffee soda to drink. The menu listed three ingredients, cold brew, citric simple and an orange peel. Pretty straightforward. This was my second time trying the drink. My dad and I had it awhile back. My mom had it for the first time. When they brought the drinks to the table it looked like any other iced coffee. Then we all tasted it.

This drink is incredible people. You have to get the whole idea of cold brew out of your head. I know the traditionalists won’t like the sound of that, but that’s what you have to do. Yes, you can taste the coffee, but what makes this drink so amazing is the citrus. I could not get enough of the citrus. It adds a very good taste that I would never have thought would work with cold brew. People my age will remember Citrus Cooler Gatorade. That is the greatest flavor of Gatorade ever. Full stop. This coffee soda reminds me of that. I am a big citrus freak, so this is right up my alley. This shouldn’t work, but it just does. Each sip gets better. The citrus flavor comes through fully and it is a quenching drink, but also caffeinated. I was extremely happy when my mom had a few sips left and let me finish.

This is the GOAT coffee drink right now. I love how refreshing and citrusy it tastes. I cannot recommend it enough. If you have the ingredients, make it. If you know of a place that sells a drink similar, go buy it. You will not be disappointed.

Ty

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

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Appreciation for MLB Superstar Mookie Betts

I have been playing MLB The Show on and off for a month now. The game is fun. I like to make the difficulty as low as it can go and see how many homers I can pitch. I also like seeing if I can throw a no hitter, or even better, a perfect game. I've only done the perfect game twice. But I have smacked a ton of homers, especially when I am one of the old time teams with stars that I watched play as a kid.

When I do play as modern teams I am either the Cardinals or the Blue Jays. I live in Saint Louis and Vlad Guerrero Jr is the son of one of my all time favorite players. I have also been the NL All Stars and I have found that I really like Mookie Betts. I do not know much about him, but the way he plays the game intrigues me. He also wears cool stuff. His cleats are rad. I read that he wears different chains at games because he once was gifted a chain by a fan and that started a thing for him. He also has a very fluid swing in the game, which I am sure is modeled after his real swing, and I like that. He can smack liners in one bat and then turn on one and hit it 400 plus feet with relative ease. He has a rocket for an arm. He is fast and can track down almost any fly ball.

Playing this game has turned me into a Mookie Betts fan. It is wild. My son got home from football practice the other night and he turned on MLB Network. I usually pay no attention when he watches, especially since the Cardinals are very bad this season. But the Dodgers were playing the other night and Mookie Betts happened to be having a very good game. So I sat and watched him play. My fandom grew even more while watching. He plays the game with glee. I like that. He understands that he is a pro and he is making big bucks playing, but he looks like he is having the time of his life on the field. He plays with a joy not many other players do right now. He makes this boring game fun, and fun to watch for a "fan" like me. All of these current players who try to play by the "unwritten rules" or the old rules, they are boring and lame. Betts plays the game fun. He is incredibly good at this game, and rewarded as such, but he is never taking it overly serious. He doesn't lose his mind if he gets hit by a pitch. Sure, he will flip his bat during a big homerun, but it is never an attempt to show up the pitcher or opponent. When he makes a good play in the outfield he smiles and acts like he was supposed to do it. I adore that in a modern baseball player.

We need more baseball players like Mookie Betts. If we had more players like him maybe the MLB would get more viewers. I like watching players like Betts, Elly De LaCruz, Vlad Guerrero. They make baseball fun again. They seem to realize they are getting paid to play a game. I want more of these players and less players like Justin Turner. He takes this way too seriously. I would much rather watch Mookie Betts anytime.

Mr Betts, you have gained a new lifelong fan. Keep doing your thing and I wish you nothing but the best. 

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 All Calm Down with the Giannis Leaving Milwaukee Speculation

Zach Lowe is back from vacation and he is recording at a very fast pace. I love it because he is my favorite basketball writer and podcaster. But one thing he keeps bringing up, and a lot of other basketball writers seem to be bringing up is the Giannis statement that he made during an interview.

Giannis said that he would not stay in Milwaukee unless they showed that they can compete for titles year after year. I think that is a pretty normal statement from a superstar who has won a title fairly recently. That seems to be the deal with any upper echelon player that wins. They get a taste of it and they want more and more and more. But listening to Zach Lowe and his colleagues, you'd think that Giannis asked to be traded now. They treat that statement as a proclamation that he wants out, and of course, he wants to go to a big market.

That is what makes me go nuts about all of this. Whenever a superstar player hints at being unhappy, or says they will only stay if the team is competitive, or they just talk to someone with a microphone, to these sports writers for ESPN or Bleacher Report or The Ringer, that means they want out and they must want to go to a big market. All of the teams that get mentioned, the Lakers, Knicks or Celtics, it is all the same. I get that these sports writers spend a good amount of their time in these cities, and it would make their lives easier, but why is it always a big market? Why does it have to be the Lakers or Celitcs? Why do they need to be where the most production and tv cameras are located? Why do these sports writers make it seem like these players will only ever be remembered as great if they are in the biggest market? Do these guys really need to wear purple and gold or green and white to be considered for the hall of fame? No way.

I very much disagree with this statement from Lowe and his buddies. Giannis won a title with Milwaukee. He won with Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday. Those guys are very good, but they may not be hall of fame talents. Michael Jordan was in a very big market, Chicago, but the Bulls never got mentioned. I don't get that. I think, if some of these stars were to leave, Chicago would be a great spot for them to land. Chicago is the third biggest market in the US. But the sports writers would rather they end up in LA or Boston. I get that LeBron did that, leaving Cleveland for LA, but that was more of a life after basketball move. Yes, he did win a title, but the Lakers haven't been as dominant as his teams in Cleveland. All of these sports writers' current darling, Nikola Jokic, plays in Denver. Up until last season the Nuggets games would sometimes get blacked out in Denver because of low ticket sales. But none of the Zach Lowes of the world want Jokic playing in LA or Boston. Anthony Edwards seems to like playing in Minnesota right now. He has gotten better every year and it feels like he wants to build something there. I would not like it at all if he left to be second fiddle for the Lakers or third fiddle for the Celtics. LaMelo Ball is a walking highlight reel and he reupped in Charlotte for a long while. Why would he leave that team now? He gets to do what he wants when he wants. Shai Gilgeous Alexander is on the precipice of becoming a perenial MVP candidate and he was traded from LA to Oklahoma City. He seems much happier on the Thunder right now. Jaren Jackson Jr and Ja Morant are building something nice in Memphis. They have issues they have to clean up, but on the floor in Memphis, they look solid and happy. There are more teams out there than just the LA, New York and Boston teams. And the only one of those big market teams that could put together a good enough trade package for Giannis is the Knicks, and the media barely mentions them now. The Lakers can't do it. The Clippers can't even trade for James Harden right now. And why would the Celtics let Jaylen Brown or Jayson Tatum go ? They are big stars already.

Sports writers need to chill on the constant talk of big named players instantly heading to the Celtics or Lakers. It is hackey and cliche. Come up with better stuff and stop succumbing to the big name teams. The NBA is fine. The Lakers and Knicks and Celtics don't always have to have the best players. Spread the talent out and give this league parity. That is what makes pro sports so much fun. 

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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