I'm Just Not that Into Bruce Springsteen

Scott Aukerman hosts one of the best podcasts ever created. "Comedy Bang! Bang!" is genius and one of the funniest shows out there. Adam Scott is an extremely dependable actor, and from what I've read, "Severance" is a revelation from him. I mention the two of them because they get together from time to time and do a podcast of their own where they go over a band or musician that they like and cover their catalog. They did it with REM, Talking Heads and U2. They have attempted a Red Hot Chili Peppers one, which they abandoned almost instantly to do the Talking Heads instead. They have a new artist they are covering now, Bruce Springsteen. let’s discuss.

I have never really listened to any Springsteen. I know who he is because he is wildly famous. My folks have also listened to his music. I have some older brothers who have checked him out. It is kind of hard to avoid him because he is a true deal rock star. So with the podcast coming out, and being such a fan of these two creators, I decided this was going to be the push I needed to try out Springsteen's music. I decided I wanted to give it a real shot too. I wanted to make sure that I actually tried with no preconceived notions. And I did. I gave it a real deal shot.

I started by listening to his top hits on Spotify. I then shifted to the albums they were covering on the podcast. I even went for the hits. I also thought about making a playlist of the songs that Aukerman and Scott mentioned as their favorites. But after they did the "Born to Run" record, and after I gave it a real listen, I decided that Springsteen just isn't for me.

Now, before I anger a bunch of people, Springsteen is a genius. The guy is a masterful writer. The way he puts pen to paper and writes his lyrics, he is a true poet. He is no Bob Dylan, but he is a close second. He can really paint a picture with his words. He has also written massive hits for other musicians. He is an amazing artist. He is also a very good guitar player. He can play both rhythm and lead. He integrates the guitar very well into his songs. He can shred from time to time. He is a very good band leader. He may be tough on his band members, but he gets the best out of them. He is also an incredibly hard worker. The dude is prolific, and given the fact that he writes all his own stuff, that has to take a ton of time. He is constantly making new music and has been for well over 40 years now. That is epic.

The reason I am not a big Springsteen fan is his voice. He has this gravely voice that I cannot get into at all. I will start vibing out to a song, but then he will start singing and I'm instantly out. I love the words, just not the voice it is coming from. I dig the backing band, but then he starts to sing and that completely takes over. I get what he is doing, and I get why it works, it just isn't for me. I have never been that much into the whole gravel voice, working man thing from musicians. It just isn't my thing. Again, I get it, I understand the appeal, I just prefer something different. I will say the album "Nebraska" is the most listenable one for me, but that gets too Springsteen-y for me about four songs in. I love the words, I love the imagery, I just don't like the singing. I get what makes "Born to Run" an elite album, but Springsteen's voice is too front and center. Even his early work, which outside of "Nebraska" is the best stuff he has done, his voice is too front and center.

I know I am wrong. I get that I'm in a very, very small group of music lovers that do not mess with Bruce Springsteen, but here we are. Maybe as I get older things will change, but probably not. I gave it a real chance, but it is not for me. Sorry, everyone. 

Ty

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

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Jimbo Fisher Got Paid A Lot to Be an Average Football Coach

Texas A&M has relieved Jimbo Fisher of his head coaching duties. Let’s discuss.

I have to say, I am kind of shocked by this news. It wasn't as if Fisher was lighting the coaching world on fire, but it felt like he kind of had carte blanche since taking over the job. I guess I was wrong to assume such. They did just give him an extension, and he seemed to pull in top ten recruiting classes with ease, but here we are. The recruiting may have been gang busters, but the results were not coming in the form of as many wins as the boosters and AD's wanted. When Fisher left Florida State to take this job I thought it was a bad move on his part. If anything it felt like a lateral move. FSU and TAMU are kind of similar in the college football world. In fact, FSU may be a better football school. But after winning a national title and having a couple of ten win seasons, Fisher turned that into a humongous payday and left to go coach the Aggies. But he was never really able to turn the Aggies into a national title contender like they all hoped when they hired him.

Since taking over in 2018 the Aggies never won more than nine games under Fisher. They always had the hype. They always had the next big star in college football. They always had a high preseason ranking. They always have had a major home field advantage. But it never fully seemed to come together. The best player on his 2018 team was tight end Jace Sternberger. Sternberger was fine, but not the game changer they hoped for. They also beat the teams they were supposed to, but could not get over the hump. They played number two Clemson close, but couldn't pull off the win. They got smoked by Alabama that season. And Mississippi State and Auburn beat them back to back. They did win their bowl game to get that 9th win against NC State. The season was off to a good start, but they never really built off that.

In 2019 they ended up 8-5, taking a step back. They were beaten by Clemson again. Auburn also beat them. Alabama smoked them again. Georgia took it to them and LSU throttled them. Their best player that year was a defensive tackle.

The COVID shortened 2020 season was Fisher's best. The Aggies finished 9-1 and finally beat some good teams. They still got smoked by Alabama. But, they did beat number 4 Florida. They also beat LSU and Auburn. And they took down UNC in their bowl game. Their best player that season was QB Kellen Mond. He had a very, very good year that turned him into a 3rd round draft pick. Then the regression came on strong.

They followed up their nine win season returning to 8-5. Arkansas beat them. Unranked Mississippi State beat them. They finally beat Alabama. But they were beaten by Ole Miss and LSU. They had an amazing recruiting class, but it never really panned out. Zach Caldaza was the QB. De'Von Achane was their running back. DeMarvin Leal seemed ready for a breakout. None of that happened. They never really put it together.

Last season was their worst though. They had all kinds of preseason hype. They were picked to finish second in the SEC. They had preseason all conference picks. They had an elite recruiting class. It just never worked out the way they planned it. App State beat them in week 2. TAMU was ranked 6th overall at this point. They did win two straight, over ranked opponents. But then they got beat in six straight games. Mississippi State smoked them. Alabama beat them in a close game. South Carolina won by six. Ole Miss beat them by a field goal. Florida smashed them. And Auburn beat them by three. The bleeding stopped, but barely, when they beat a very bad UMASS team by a field goal. And they closed out the season by upsetting number 5 LSU. But they never really looked all that good in 2022. Haynes King and Max Johnson split time at QB and neither was great. De'Von Achane was the lead back, but he never really got going. The wideouts never got much of a chance. The defense spent too much time on the field. It was a blown season. I do think the LSU win gave the fans and front office hope, but it was false hope.

A&M came into this year with less hype, but still predicted to be better. They had another very good recruiting class. They brought in solid transfers. They had some returning talent. But it didn't work. Miami beat them in week two by 15. Alabama beat them again. Tennessee shut them down. And Ole Miss took them down by a field goal. Sure, they have six wins, but the wins are kind of hollow. They did win their last game, 51-10, thus making the firing even crazier, but here we are.

Fisher was never able to find the success he achieved at FSU with TAMU. They hype was there, they had all the preseason love,  but it never fully came together. I think hiring people like DJ Durkin never helped as well. Jimbo Fisher tried to surround himself with elite coaches, he just picked the wrong ones. He could get elite recruits, but they either transferred or never panned out. They probably deserved better coaching.

I am curious to see where Fisher goes from here. I wonder if he will stay out of coaching for awhile, he has an extremely high payout, and I wouldn't blame him. But if he does come back to coaching I will have to think he will have to go to a mid-major style school, or become a coordinator at a power 5 school. Fisher got paid, big time, by TAMU. He took a chance on himself when he left FSU, it just didn't work out. Now we wait to see the next move. It should be interesting. 

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 Jim Harbaugh Suspension

The Big Ten commissioner has suspended Jim Harbaugh for the remainder of the regular season effective immediately. Obviously I have some thoughts on this. Here we go.

First off, I firmly believe Michigan is going to take this to court. They have stated as much prior to today and I would be astounded if they just sat there and accepted this.

Second, to levy the punishment while the team is flying to their game in State College tomorrow, that is some cowardly shit right there. I'm sure the plane has wifi and I'm sure the staff heard the news when it came across, but to wait until they have left, that is spineless. That is also very petty. The Big 10 commissioner has had more than enough time to hand out a punishment. I read that it was going to happen yesterday. But then they waffled and said it may take another week. And then news sprouted that it was going to happen in the early afternoon today. But to wait until 4pm local time to Ann Arbor, that is akin to challenging to fight someone when you are a kid, and never showing up. This is cowardly, and this whole thing has been cowardly.

To say that Michigan gained any type of competitive advantage for the “crime” is absurd. I hate to burst every other fan's bubble out there, but your team does this too. They just are better at keeping it discreet. And any fan that comes at me and tells me I'm wrong, I have a bridge I'd love to sell you. This is how the game is played in this era. And if your signs are that easy to figure out, change your goddamn signs. It shouldn't be put on the commissioner of your league and the lying ass NCAA to levy punishment.

This also sets a dangerous precedent. Michigan found that the university of Ohio State and Rutgers helped Purdue figure out their signs last year leading up to the Big 10 title game. They provided evidence. They showed everything that reporters and other schools showed during their investigation. So does this mean Ryan Day and Greg Schiano and Ryan Walters are going to be punished too? It should. That is what this ruling from the Big 10 is going to start. We've already seen other coaches ever since this blew up saying that they know other teams are stealing signs. Lincoln Riley made mention of it after Utah beat USC for a third straight time. Matt Rhule, who first said it was no big deal I remind you, has come out and said that his team is 5-4, and they own that, but one team had an advantage. I think we all know who he is speaking about. Greg Schiano made a reference to all this during halftime of Rutgers' game against Michigan. This is going to become a common thing now for coaches at major jobs. No one wants to get let go from being a head coach, and with the Big 10 suspending Jim Harbaugh, they can go to their commissioner and say that the team that has beaten them a few years in a row knows their signs and they want that coach suspended. This is a slippery slope.

The problem is that no one can admit when a team is better than them now. I coach my son, who is 11, in basketball. He will never admit a team is better than us when we get beat. I can say things until I'm blue in the face, he always has an excuse. The same thing happened during his recent football season. The only reason he says that the team that won the 6th grade title this year was because they had 7th graders. It is not true, they had all 6th graders, it was confirmed by his coaches, but he had to find a reason why his team got beat that didn't involve some other team just being better.

What irks me the most about this, besides the fact that Michigan was guilty before anything was proven, and the NCAA has said they aren't including Harbaugh in their investigation anymore because they found no evidence that he knew this was going on, is the language of "competitive advantage" that the spineless commissioner used in his wording today. To say that, while handing out a suspension while Michigan is in flight, is asinine. How does saying that not instantly give Penn State an advantage tomorrow afternoon? I've been nervous for this game all season. This was my tentpole game going into the year. Penn State is a very good football team, and they get this game in State College, which is a very tough place to play. And now Michigan doesn't know if their coach will be able to coach tomorrow, they've been called "cheaters" by major reputable organizations, the players have had to field questions for weeks now, and now they have to play their toughest game of the year with this news coming down at 4pm. That is a whole lot for a group of 18-23 year olds to deal with over a game.

But hey, whatever happens tomorrow, I will always love and root for this team. I will go to bat for them no matter what. I think the way this unfolded, and how ruthlessly adults on major networks have talked about these kids is some of the wildest reporting I have ever witnessed in my life. We are talking about "sign stealing" here. This is not covering up sexual and physical abuse. This is not overworking players to the brink, or in some awful cases the actuality of death. This is not covering for players accused of having weapons. This is not fixing tests. This is the dumbest "scandal" I have witnessed in my 40 plus years being a rabid college football fan. Now we have to see how this all plays out.

Forever, Go Blue. 

Ty

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

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Somehow Carson Wentz is on an NFL Roster Again

I was talking to my son about football stuff yesterday and he told me that Carson Wentz was signed by the Rams. I did not believe him. I thought he was pranking me. We make up fake stuff all the time about players that have retired or been cut. It is a weird thing we do to have fun. That's what I thought this Carson Wentz "news" was. I just assumed he was messing with me.

When he was pretty adamant that he was not joking, I went and checked it out online and he was 100 percent correct. Carson Wentz is now a member of the Los Angeles Rams. And I do not get this signing one bit. Look, I have been as big a defender of Colin Kaepernick as there is. I fully believe the NFL black balled him, that he will be remembered in a much better light than the jerks who black balled him and that he more than deserved a shot to come back. So hearing, then reading, that Carson Wentz is back in the NFL first made me angry, then made me laugh.

Wentz is not 1/10 of the QB that Kaepernick was in the league. You can throw that one season out to me all the time, when the Eagles went on to win the Super Bowl after he got hurt all you want. As my son told me, he was playing at an MVP level prior to him getting hurt. Great. Carson Wentz had one good season while playing in the league. Big freaking deal. There are other guys who had one, maybe even two good years in the NFL that never came back or got another chance. Daunte Culpepper was a prized free agent after a few good seasons in Minnesota. He signed with Miami and was cut pretty quick after that. Dough Flutie somehow managed to stick around the league for far too long. How many good seasons did he really have in reality? Not any that I can remember. Or what about Ryan Fitzpatrick. I mean, he was more a beard than a viable NFL starting QB. And I'm sure there are guys playing right now, Tyson Bagent to name one, that will be out of the league very soon. But Carson Wentz can still get an offer and Colin Kaepernick cannot. That doesn't sit well with me.

After his one solid season, he was a total non factor. He went to the Colts after Phillip Rivers retired. He was awful. They were a trainwreck due to his poor play. He then went over to the Commanders. He was going to be their "game manager". He was going to lead this team back to the playoffs. He got beat out by Sam Hartmann and was cut pretty quickly. He was then more known for posting workout videos with gear from each team he had already played for prior to this season. He was also very vocal about his distaste for the COVID vaccine. This is just another in a long line of poor decisions made by the former number two overall pick. He is super christian, won't get vaccinated and cannot stay on the field. But the Rams saw him, after an injury to Matthew Stafford and the poor play of Brett Rypien, and thought he was a viable option to come in and play QB for them. Yet Colin Kaepernick, who had a much better career than Carson Wentz could ever dream of, is still trying to get reps from teams to come watch him workout. And they won't because Kaepernick peacefully protested police brutality by kneeling during the anthem. But since Carson Wentz loves Jesus, and I think we all know why else he is getting a fourth shot, he can slide into a starting role due to some injuries.

This is a crock and a waste of time. If I were a Rams fan with a conscience, I'd be frustrated by this signing. He is not going to win many games and he will probably say some nonsense during pre and post game interviews. This is dumb and will not work out. 

Ty

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

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Coping with the Unreality of Reality Television

I've talked about reality shows a lot on this website. I also watch, or watched, a good amount of reality shows. I still check in from time to time on reality shows my wife watches on the weekends. But I have been putting more thought into them lately, probably more than the creators, I kid. But I have been trying to suss things out about some of the shows that I watch and have watched.

As I get older I am getting a bit cynical about these "reality" shows. They don't really live up to the hype anymore. They are retreads. They are rip off shows. And they are horrible for the television industry because they put a ton of people out of work. This has been on my mind a lot lately. I find myself even thinking about these shows when they are not on. I don't know what that says about me, but here we are.

I think my biggest issue as of late is the fact that these shows are not actual, true "reality" shows. There is nothing real about them at all. If they were factual, if they were real, they would be tiring and very boring. Think about your everyday life. How boring is it really? I know that if I were to be filmed for a reality show, and if they stuck to actual reality, it would be a total snooze fest. The cameras would see me go through my routine. I get my kids ready for school in the morning. I run errands or have coffee with my dad and friends. I come home and do chores around the house. I go for a run. And then the night is filled with taking kids to sports, having dinner and going to bed. Pretty tiresome huh? That is how I know these reality shows are actually real. Real life is boring. But if you do a few takes of a conversation, add alcohol and try to start a conflict, that is a recipe for intriguing "reality" shows. I have read that these reality shows have copious amounts of alcohol just laying around. I feel like the producers of the shows think that if there is alcohol around, and most of the people enjoy alcohol, they will loosen up and let it fly a bit. That is why there is rarely ever a person on a reality show that has chosen to not drink. I would never be in a reality show because I choose to not partake in alcohol. I would, as I am prone to say in this piece, be very boring.

Take a show like "Love is Blind". My wife is very much into this show and I will sit down with her and watch or listen in the background while I am doing something around the house. This is the fakest "reality" show on tv. They go so far as to have everyone drink from the exact same style cup. The cups are all the same, even when they go to stores, parties or are at their home or their parents homes. That is for continuity. Which leads me to another point. The fact that the glasses have to be the same, so as not to show drinks being consumed, that means they do multiple takes of supposed "real" conversations. There was a very big blow up the other night and the fact that someone cried, I was completely taken out of it because I noticed the glass. This made me question how many times they asked this girl to cry, or how many times they had this dude call her horrible names. And that happens all the time on these shows. It looks like it is a conversation unfolding in real time until you start to think about tv and the fact that they need the correct lighting and that they have to be able to fully hear everything and that the clothing has to be the same, it is all made up.

You could even put cooking competitions in this conversation. I cannot believe that a "Chopped" contestant can think on the fly as fast as these competitors do on the show. They come up with these crazy dishes in a matter of seconds. I have to believe that they have a little bit, at the very least, of an idea of what is coming in those baskets. And they also have to make multiple dishes in an allotted time. Stuff has to get messed up that we never see in the finished product on our tv's.

I could go on and on with other reality shows, but these two came straight to my mind when I thought of this piece. Reality shows are not based in reality. Sorry if that bursts people's bubbles. But I'm not here to tell you not to watch them. If you like reality shows, watch as much as you want. That may be your steez. They just aren't for me and I am going to continue to see what other things I notice while watching them. I will just keep it to myself when I watch with my wife. 

Ty

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

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Go Out and Get Yourself a Pistachio Croissant

Today while I was out for coffee with my dad and a buddy of mine I decided I was going to get some breakfast. This happens from time to time. On coffee days I decide to skip breakfast at home and decide I want a pastry. We went to a coffee shop that we hadn't been to in a bit and they had new pastries on the menu. So I decided to go for it, as did my buddy. We both got a pistachio croissant. Let’s discuss.

I enjoy a good croissant. I like how flaky and delicious they taste. I enjoy the sweet and savory croissants as well. I will more likely go for sweet if that is an option. That is what the pistachio was today. It looked very good on the countertop, so I figured it was going to be tasty. I was right. The look was that of a classic croissant, but it was covered in pistachios and powdered sugar. It also had a crust on top. I was sold on the "you eat with your eyes" thing first. Then we were given the croissants, and man did we both enjoy them. They were very good. They are definitely one of the better croissants that I have ever eaten. My first decision was to rip a piece off the end of the pastry and give it a taste. This was the correct choice. The inside of the croissant was like any other one, but there were pistachios and a pistachio glaze. The first bite was pretty great. It was soft with a crunchy exterior. The inside of the pastry was nice and chewy. The pistachios added an excellent crunch. And that glaze was to die for. The glaze was sweet with a hint of saltiness. The pistachios must have been ground together with sugar or something to form a jelly-like texture. That went throughout the entire croissant. It was something else in a very, very good way. Then we have the outside of the croissant. The crunchy top was akin to a crumble top. It was like the best part of a cinnamon crunch bagel or a pie crumble. It was sweet and added some wonderful taste. The pistachios were all over the outside of the dish. It had big pieces, it had slivered pieces and it had crushed pieces. And it all worked to perfection. The powdered sugar wasn't all over it either. I like that. When a coffee shop makes pastries and they add sugar on top it sometimes comes out too sweet. The sugar on top can overpower the rest of the dish. That didn't happen this morning. The powdered sugar was like a dusting of snow. It was enough to taste it, to get a little bit of sweetness, but that was it. It added to the flavor. It helped to bring out the other flavors of the croissant. It was a nice finishing touch on my breakfast.

I want to go back and get this croissant more and more. I hope it isn't a seasonal thing. I love the taste of pistachios and the way they made a jelly-like substance out of the extra pistachios. This is a home run dish. I highly recommend you get a pistachio croissant if you have the chance. It is very, very good. 

Ty

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

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"Little Big League" Stands as One of the Greatest 90s Sports Movies

It was my pick during date night for the movie and I went with another sports movie from the 90's that I adored. The movie was "Little Big League”. A quick synopsis of the movie, the owner of the Twins dies, gives the team to his grandson who is 11, grandson takes over as coach and after the team buys in, he leads them to a turnaround. It is your typical 90's sports movie story. But there is one big difference. And this difference is why I think this may be the best 90's kids sports movie. Let’s discuss.

First off, the movie is good on its own. It has some cliche stuff in it, but not as much as other 90's sports movies. The kids in this one aren't as precocious as other kids. The adults are funnier and looser in this movie. The baseball players, some real MLB players, don't have to actually act. They can just be themselves, and that is the best use of their talents. But the best thing about this movie is the ending. Spoiler alert for a movie that came out 30 years ago, but the Twins do not win in the end. They don't even make the playoffs.

That is what I instantly loved about this movie, even when I first saw it as a 12 year old. "Little Big League" shows everyone that you can still have a good time even if you don't win it all in the end. The fact of the matter, the way they portray the Twins at the start of this movie is that they need a miracle to even have a chance at the playoffs. And the way they show the progress, the frustration, the ups and downs of a long season, it is all about as realistic as any 90's kids sports movie that has ever been made. Major League Baseball has a grueling 162 game season. That is a ton of time. So there are going to be good times and bad times. This movie shows that.

Another this movie also shows how tough it would be for a bunch of professional baseball players to buy into an 11 year old coaching the team. I do not think any player would ever truly buy in, but in the fantastical world that this movie made up, the idea of these guys deciding to play for him, it works. The main character has a vast knowledge of baseball. He knows the game inside and out. He is smarter than some of the coaches on staff. It works. But it is that final game that makes this movie as great as it ended up being. The Twins and Mariners have to play each other to get in the playoffs. They have a deciding playoff game to see who gets the last Wild Card spot. And it goes back and forth. Ken Griffey Jr blasts a three run homer early on to give the Twins a 3-0. The Twins find their way back into the game with some base hits and then one of their players hits a three run homer to tie the score. Then it is back and forth. Neither team scores until they end up in the 12th inning. The Mariners get the go ahead run on a single. So it is 4-3 in the bottom of the 12th. The Twins come to bat and quickly get two outs. This is another thing I like about this movie. There is no pomp and circumstance. The count doesn't go to 3-2 every single time. The Twins ground out and line out on a few pitches. Then a guy gets a base hit and the Twins best batter comes up. He and the coach have a little chat and he comes up to hit, but not before the Mariners bring in Randy Johnson as a reliever. This would have been a perfect time to really milk the count and make the scene hyper dramatic, and I totally would have bought it. But this movie zigs whenever I think it will zag. The first pitch is high and tight and then Lou Collins, the Twins star player, crushes a 1-0 pitch to left center. It looks like it is going to clear the fence and put the Twins in the playoffs with a 5-4 win. All the while though, Ken Griffey Jr is chasing the ball down. They pan from Collins to Griffey Jr a few times before Griffey Jr robs the home run and ends the Twins season. It is exhilarating and unexpected. I love that. The Twins didn't have to win to make this movie as awesome as it ended up being. The crowd still loved the team. The Mariners respected their opponent. The players grew to love the 11 year old coach. They were all super bummed when he announced he wasn't coming back to coach the next year. And the crowd was still there waiting to give the coach and the team a standing ovation. Again, the Twins didn't even make the playoffs. But they rediscovered their love for the game and made the team fun to watch again.

I love this movie and I loved it even more on this rewatch. Go check out "Little Big League" and find out what makes it so incredible for a 90's sports kids movie. 

Ty

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

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Not a Great Start to the NBA Season for the Grizzlies

The Memphis Grizzlies are having a very rough start to the 2023-24 NBA season. They are currently the only winless team in the NBA. The Rockets have a win. The Pistons have two. The Trailblazers, tonight's opponent, have two.The Spurs have three. Even the Wizards have a single win. But the Grizzlies have that big goose egg. They are 0-5 and they have looked bad in almost every game so far this year.

I think a lot has caused this to happen. First off, missing out on Ja Morant, who deserved his suspension, has been very clearly an issue. The Grizzlies cannot generate much at the rim. The guards are not getting to the basket. There is no one to suck the defense into the lane and open up the outside. These are the things that Morants excels at as a basketball player. They are clearly missin Tyus Jones as well. He was the best backup point guard in the NBA and he helped to stabilize this team when Morant would miss games here and there. He was a vet the entire team trusted. I do like that they went out and traded for Marcus Smart, and I do think that it will work in the long run. But right now he has not had any impact. The Grizzlies were also dealt a blow when Steven Adams went down before the season with surgery. Losing Adams the whole year is going to make it difficult to scrounge out some wins due to his toughness. They cannot rebound the basketball without him in the lineup it feels, and him being gone has caused way more of a problem than I ever imagined it would. Brandon Clarke has not recovered from his torn achilles yet either. These two guys are crucial to their front court and it is showing how important they are without them playing. The Grizzlies are so thin in the front court that they went out and gave Bysmack Biyombo five million to finish out the season there. That is a desperate move in my eyes.

With Morant being suspended for 20 more games, with Adams done for the year, with Clarke not being ready until well after the all star break, I do not know how they recover from this bad of a start. I don't know how they are going to salvage the season. Smart has been average since the trade. His defense is still very good, but his shot looks bad. Jaren Jackson Jr is still fouling far too much. He is the reigning DPOY, but if he cannot stay on the floor it doesn't matter how good he is on that end. Desmond Bane is being asked to do way, way too much. The dude can score, but the number one option is not a suit that fits him well. He is so much better when he is not the focal point of the opponent's defense. Luke Kennard has been a total zero. I fear Kenny Lofton Jr was a nice story last season but is now being exposed. David Roddy doesn't play defense. Jake LaRavia can't get minutes. Ziaire Williams has been below average. Xavier Tillman has not progressed. Derrick Rose is older and hurt. Sant Aldama looks like he has taken a step back. The Grizzlies have a myriad of and it has shown in the first 5 games. The offense is stagnant. The defense is slow and fouling too much. Taylor Jenkins is a good coach. He should be able to fix this. But whatever his game plan is right now, he needs to change some stuff up. I know he didn't expect to see Morant suspended for 25 games to start the year, but they have won without him before. I know he was hoping one of Brandon Clarke or Steven Adams would be on the floor to start the year, but he found a way to stay the 2 seed last season when they both got hurt. I know he wants to trust some of the younger guys, but they haven't proven trustworthy. I feel like they can get out of this funk, but it needs to happen very fast. Being 0-5 in the Western Conference, and I fully realize it is very early in the season, can be a death blow to your playoff chances if they don't start stringing together some wins right now. I still have faith, but it is dwindling with each passing day. Hopefully they right the ship. 

Ty

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

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Ty Watches Flavor Flav Perform The National Anthem

The other night the Milwaukee Bucks invited Flavor Flav to sing the national anthem. This may seem like a weird artist to choose, but we must never forget that the Bucks did invite Ja Rule to perform at halftime of one of their games after the release of the Fyre Festival documentaries. They like to take chances in that front office and I am here for it.

I did not see Flavor Flav's performance in real time, but a bunch of people reached out to me afterward to see if I saw it. It was also plastered all over sports pages that I follow online. But it wasn't until RD texted me and asked if I watched it did I actually sit down and watch it. At the time of the text coming across my phone I had not seen it though. And RD told me it was "iconic". That was the push I needed to sit down and take it in. So I did.

You know what? It was exactly what I expected from Flavor Flav singing the national anthem. Sure it was off key. Sure it felt like he didn't know all the words. Sure he was either too quiet or too loud when he sang. But I loved it and I loved that he went out and did it with no fear. He sang his heart out. He gave it everything he had. He tried his hardest. And he seemed like he was having a damn good time.

I also appreciate that the people within the Bucks organization who decide these things tried to get a hip hop legend to do this. And Flavor Flav said yes. I can't imagine Chuck D doing this. No way is Busta Rhymes going to do the anthem unless he is trying to see how fast he can rap it. I don't see many modern hip hop artists clamoring to go do this. But Flavor Flav did, and he gave it all of his gusto. He had his big clock on and everything. I love that. He is also a very committed sports fan. Flavor Flav loves to go to live sporting events. I have seen him at college and pro football games. I'm sure he has gone to a number of baseball games. He would talk about his love for pro sports when he had his crazy dating show on VH1. And he has always loved basketball. The guy is a true hoop head. So I bet that when the phone call came across to do the anthem at an NBA game he jumped at the prospect. The fact that he got to do it and then watch Giannis and Dame play together so early in this new season was probably icing on the cake for Flavor Flav.

As for the people out here bad mouthing him and the Bucks, get over it. Also, what did you expect? This is not some polished singer. This isn't Adele. This isn't Taylor Swift. This isn't Josh Groban. Flavor Flav was the hype man for one of the most important hip hop groups in the history of music. And he was the best at his job. So for people to be giving him a hard time, I'd like to see any one of them go out and do the anthem any better. At least Flavor Flav gave it his all too. He went out there and did the song the best way he knew how and he did it with a smile never leaving his face.

I applaud you Flavor Flav and the Bucks front office. You all took a chance on a rap icon and I thought he did a very commendable job. 

Ty

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

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Ty Listens to Prof

I wrote the other day about how I am trying out new music and new artists. My brother Seth has always been a reliable source when it comes to artists doing music I already like, but do not know. Seth is very much into hip hop as well, and he knows about many artists who are about to pop off, or just do some dope stuff. He was the first person to introduce me to Tribe Called Quest when I was a teen. He told me about RTJ before they blew up. He let me know about "Good Kid Maad City" before it became a chart topping smash. As I said, he always comes with the heat. So when he told me to check out Prof a while back I knew I was going to like his stuff. But I also kind of forgot about him for a bit.

Seth told me about Prof months ago, but I did not remember until I was scrolling through Instagram the other night and saw his stuff. I sent the video to my brother and asked him if this was the guy he told me about. He responded very quickly with a resounding yes. He also told me he saw him live a few days before this video was sent to him and he was even better in person. Yesterday after dropping my daughter off at school I decided it was time to dig into Prof's music. I went to Spotify and just let it play. I listened to the most played list. I like doing that first to get a taste of what his fans like most.

I was immediately into his music. The beats are super rad. They are slowed a bit and then have some heavy bass drops. And when he does speed up the beat it sounds even better over his rapping. His rapping is pretty awesome as well. He has a very cool style he uses to rhyme and I'm into it. He can be jokey at times. He can be serious. When he has a feature on a track he can go verse for verse with almost anyone. He also has a few tracks that he sings on and I dig that as well. There was a song I heard yesterday that was less than two minutes long, with an incredible beat, that Prof sang over the whole time. The song is called "Vulnerable God", and to this point it is my favorite song I have heard so far. I played it a few times in the twenty minute drive to my folks.

I mentioned the features earlier. One such feature was Redman from Wu Tang Clan. I am a very big Wu Tang fan and if a member is on another artists' song, they are the star. And while Redman crushed on this one song, Prof was right there with him the whole time. They traded verses and it was seamless. Redman also seemed to be having a blast recording with Prof as well. That came off on the recording. And one last thing that I really dig about Prof, that is a little out of left field, the artwork on his records is funny as hell. He has one where he is drinking a cocktail in a booth by himself and he looks very serious. It is hilarious to me. There is another one where he is a cartoon drawn as a mascot. The smile on his face is wild. There is his newest record where he is dressed to the nines, chain and all, and he has this very menacing look on his face. Again, it is wildly funny.

I'm in on Prof. I like his music. I dig his album artwork choices and I am definitely going to listen to more of his stuff. Thank you Seth for the recommendation. This is an absolute home run. 

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 James Harden Trade

James Harden has been traded to the Los Angeles Clippers. Let’s discuss.

This was a long time coming, and at 2 am my time last night, it finally went through. The Clippers are receiving Harden and PJ Tucker. The 76ers got a bunch of picks and a good amount of mid level players. They got Marcus Morris Sr, Nic Batum and KJ Martin. There may be other players involved, maybe even picks, but these are the big names moving teams. The Clippers got the guy they wanted and they did not have to move another first round or Terrence Mann. The 76ers got rid of Harden and regained draft equity and mid level players to possibly move in a deal for a bigger name to pair with Embiid.

Looking at this trade from far out, if I just focus on the names, the Clippers got what they wanted and did not have to move much. Sure, the draft pick is a big deal for them, but in a win now move that is a decision you make 100 percent of the time. The Clippers now have four future hall of fame players on their roster. The defense is still very solid, and got better with the addition of Tucker. They have four guys that can create a shot at any time and they will score a bunch. Harden will also be a good stopgap when one, or let's be more realistic, both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George get hurt and miss time. This is the move they wanted to make all summer long and they now have a ton of time to integrate Harden into their offense. The 76ers got rid of their biggest headache. They don't have to worry about where Harden is, if he will show up, if they have to fine him, all of that is out the window now. He is not their problem. Embiid will get to roam the court with nobody blocking him or stopping the ball. Tyrese Maxey is going to get more and more of an opportunity to grow and get better as a scorer within their offense. And let's not overlook the players they acquired. Batum brings veteran leadership, an okay enough 3 point shot and solid defense. Marcus Morris Sr is tough and not afraid of anyone. He could be the enforcer they have needed for some time. And KJ Martin is a high flying, super athletic player. He will find himself open near the rim so much more now that he will be playing with a dominant guy like Embiid. Both teams, looking at it this way, achieved what they wanted in this trade.

This trade is not all roses. The Clippers have four guys that want to have the ball in their hands at crucial moments. Westbrook has finally found a game that works in his older age in the NBA. But it only works with the ball in his hands. Paul George is a wonderful shot creator, a great 3 point shooter and a very good mid range guy. But, he likes to create more often than not, and that requires the ball being in his hands. Kawhi Leonard is a true big game player. He may be one of the best clutch players in the game. But he, much like George, needs the ball in his hands to do those things. And then there is Harden. He has made no qualms about how much he wants, and needs, the ball in his hands to be as effective as possible. He is one of the biggest ball stoppers in the NBA. The whole cliche of "there is only one ball" has never been much of a thing for me, but this time it truly applies. As for the 76ers, they lost one of the best lob passers and pocket passers in the NBA. Harden is a magician passing the ball to willing shooters and Embiid was finding himself so wide open near the free throw the past two seasons due to Harden's passing. Now he has to rely on a guy like Maxey, who has shown flashes but is not ready for that yet. There is also Patrick Beverly who is pretty much just a defender in the league now. Tobias Harris has never been a fully willing passer. And De'Anthony Melton is so much better being an instant scorer off the bench. Without Harden, Embiid's shots may become tougher.

I'm excited to see how this all ends up for both teams. As for picking a "winner" in this trade, both teams won. They both got what they wanted. Now we have to see the long term effects. I can't wait. 

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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R.I.P. Matthew Perry

While at a Halloween party this past Saturday I pulled my phone out to check college football scores. After doing that I had a Facebook notification that I wanted to see. When I clicked on the app my newsfeed was flooded with the news that Matthew Perry had passed away at 54 years old.

I know who Matthew Perry is because I like pop culture stuff. I mentioned this to my wife and her cousin and they let the whole party know the unfortunate news. I watched each person react to hearing this and it kind of shocked me. Matthew Perry was a big deal to a lot of these people, most of which were right around my age. I have never watched the show "Friends". I know, that's weird. It was never really for me. I was not a fan of the comedy they were doing and I wanted to watch other stuff. But I knew who Chandler Bing, Perry's character, was. He was the goofball of the group. He made jokes. I know one of his big things was saying the line, "could I be anymore...." and adding something to button it. That was his schtick. So when I looked at people processing this news, it made sense why they were upset. They grew up on this show. They watch it now like I watch "The Simpsons" I imagine. "Friends" is probably their comfort food show. And I bet a bunch of them liked Chandler the most. So it was interesting processing that and then thinking about this from their perspective.

As the night wore on and we left the party, driving home my wife mentioned that it was crazy that Perry had passed so young. I agreed and we then talked about the stuff we liked that we had seen him in. My wife was never really a "Friends" person either, but she did watch "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip". She is one of the few people I know that watched, and enjoyed, that show. She said Perry was wonderful. We both really like "The Whole 9 Yards". The sequel is no good, but the first one is underrated. It is a funny movie with some dynamite performances, Perry being one of the stars. When I was younger I adored Chris Farley. That meant seeing all of his stuff, including "Almost Heroes". That movie is not very good either, but Perry does his best with poor material, and he is funnier than Farley, even though he had to play his foil in the movie. Perry would show up in other stuff that I liked too. He was in one episode of "Scrubs" and he knocked that out of the park. He played his own voice in a "Treehouse of Horrors", having fun making fun of his "Friends" catchphrase. He popped up in another underrated gem, "17 Again", as older Zac Efron and was dynamite. He played himself in "Children's Hospital", again willing to joke about himself. He reunited with Courtney Cox for an episode of her show "Cougar Town".

Perry stayed working. But he also had a drug problem. Drugs are the worst when people get addicted to them. Perry spoke of his troubles and was very open about it all. Still, it seemed to take its toll. We have friends who watched the "Friends" reunion thing on HBO and they said that he looked better, but you could tell he was not fully healthy. That's tragic. So to see this news, to read that he was only 54, to know that it was not drugs, but they most likely cut his life tragically short, that is what makes this so shocking and sad.

Perry seemed to be an okay enough dude that battled some bad, bad demons. 54 years is not close to enough. RIP Matthew Perry. Get some rest. 

Ty

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

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The Greatest American Music: Beck's "Truckdrivin' Neighbors Downstairs (Yellow Sweat)"

I go back to Beck's music a lot. I am a fan, RD was the first to tell me about him and for that I am ever grateful and he is one of the better writers in the music industry. Lately I have been listening to his earlier stuff. When I revisit an artist I like to start at the beginning, and sometimes I stay at the beginning longer. That is the case right now with Beck. I adore his early stuff. The record that has been getting the most play for me right now is "Mellow Gold".

This album is awesome. I love the gruffness of the record. It sounds so primitive, especially considering his later work. And the song getting the most play is "Truckdrivin Neighbors Downstairs' '. This song is very simplistic, especially coming from Beck, but it is beautiful in its simplicity. There is not a whole lot to the song. It is four chords. And the four chords are easy chords. They can all be played barred. The song is an A major, followed by a G minor, then a F major with a little D major and finished off with a C minor. Those chords are all very close and I learned them all when I was first in guitar lessons. They are not that hard when you figure them out. But I think it is the construction of the chords and the genius lyrics. The lyrics are funny and perfect. I heard a rumor, probably from RD himself, that Beck wrote this song about literal truck driving neighbors that lived downstairs in the same apartment building as him. That is almost too perfect.

The song starts with some dudes yelling at each other and it makes me laugh every time. The two voices can be heard trading some of the craziest, most white trash insults. One calls the other a lousy lowlife that "can't do nothing for himself". The other guy comes back with, "I may be a lousy lowlife, but at least I'm not a drunk". One calls the other a "lousy puke", and tells him to "call your mommy". I mean, to start a track like this, chef's kiss. I love it so much and it never fails to make me laugh. Then Beck plays the chords and starts with the genius lyrics. We get some wonderful stuff like, "acid casualty with a repossessed car", which is followed by "Vietnam vet playing air guitar". I am instantly in and painting a picture in my mind of what these people look like. They are as white trash as white trash gets in my head. The chorus is glorious too. Beck gives us this gem, "it's just a shit kickin/speed takin/truck driving neighbors downstairs". Again, simplistic and beautiful. You get a great idea of what these people look and act like from one verse into the chorus. In the second verse we get another classic line, "whiskey stained buck-toothed backwoods creep/grizzly bear mother fucker never goes to sleep". I have to imagine Beck was so fed up with these people that he decided he was going to put his anger into a song that would become a classic with his fans, and it works to perfection. Some of my other favorite lines include, "belly floppin naked in a pool of yellow sweat/screamin jackass with a wet cigarette", or "psychotic breakdown double edged axe/growin hair like a shag rug on his greasy back", and the final chorus with Beck singing, "come on honey, feel the grease" over and over. This song is a perfect encapsulation of what it is like to live on your own and have to deal with people who only care about themselves.

I love that Beck took the time to record this. I love that you can see, very early on in his career, that his writing style is so different from everyone else's. I love this song so much and am so happy to live in a world where this song exists. Go listen and tell me I'm wrong about this song. I don't think that you can. "Truck Driving Neighbors Downstairs" is an almost perfect song. I love it so much. 

Ty

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

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Welcome to the NBA Victor Wembanyama

Last night the much anticipated NBA premiere of Victor Wembanyama finally happened. Let’s discuss.

I haven't purposefully tuned into Spurs games the past couple of years because they haven't been very good. That was most likely on purpose so they could draft this kid. But I have watched many Spurs games in the past. My dad was a fan during the David Robinson era, so I was a fan. I adored Tim Duncan in college, so when the Spurs drafted him, I watched them as much as I desired. I was always a Sonics, then Thunder fan, or as I have been for the past four years, a Grizzlies fan. But the Spurs have always been the lone team from Texas that I'll root for openly. I loved Robinson and Duncan when they played, and I fully believe that Greg Poppovich is the greatest to ever coach basketball. Seeing Wembanyama, I get those same feelings.

This kid has got the goods. He should, barring injuries, live up to the hype, if not surpass it. He has all the tools and the skills to thrive, especially in the modern NBA. If you were to just look at his stats, nothing really jumps off the page. He played 23 minutes, shot 6-9 for 15 points, grabbed 5 rebounds, had 2 assists, 2 steals and a block. Nothing too crazy, right? I disagree. First off, his lone block came about 20 seconds into the game, and it was a sign of things to come for years in the NBA. Kyrie Irving had the ball, was doing his magic creating and got to the free throw line for a mid range. This is right in Irving's wheelhouse. But, as the shot was going up, Wemby sailed to the point of the shot and swatted it into the air to start a fast break for the Spurs. He did this to Kyrie Irving everyone. That is insane. Irving, while being a whack job, is one of the best mid range guys in the league. He is showered with praise at how well he can create shots for himself, at his size. Wemby made lightwork of one of the things Irving does best. I mean, come on. It was wild to see him read what was happening, react to change his positioning on the floor, to elevate and then to block the shot. This is a teeanager erasing a champions shot 20 seconds into his first game. I was hooked instantly. Then he made his first shot. I want to state very clearly that Wemby is a teeanger and he is 7'4 before going into this basket. The Spurs ran a high pick and roll with Wemby popping out at the 3 point line. Again, he is 7'4. The guard took the screen, dribbled into traffic and fired a pass to an open Webanyama. Without hesitation he rose and fired. The ball was all net. I was aghast again at what he was doing so quickly into his first NBA game. Being in the right spot, pulling up with no fear and burying a three pointer, as a 7 foot 4 rookie, that is crazier than his block. This kid has the skills to become unguardable in the NBA. And it is not like that was the only 3 he attempted all night. In his 23 minutes, 5 of his 9 shots were threes, and he made 3 of them. I say for what seems like the millionth time, he is 7'4! This is nuts.

He definitely had his hiccups. He turned the ball over four times, he was in foul trouble, but the upside is incredible. We have not seen a prospect come into this first game and look this ready since LeBron. I know that is high praise, but Wemby has earned it dammit. I have fully bought in. I'm a Grizzlies fan through and through, but the Spurs now have my attention once again. Pop is still there, they have a nice young core and Webanyama seems like a once in a generation talent, a la David Robinson and Tim Duncan. Watching this kid play basketball for the next 10-15 years is going to be awesome.

This kid is good, with the potential to be great. I’m stoked to watch it.

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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Let's Talk About the Michigan Football Controversy

Okay, I have to weigh in on the Michigan sign stealing allegations. It has been long enough. I am bummed. Right off the bat, I do not like when the only team that I love is doing shady stuff. It makes me feel bad. I hate it, and that is a word I hardly ever use. It stinks.

I went through all the emotions when the news broke last week. I was very scared at first. I thought of all the worst things that could happen. Then I started to find excuses. The NCAA is fully out to get Harbaugh. That much I fully believe. I do not think that anyone could truly disagree with me on that. Then the video stuff came out and I figured that all teams do this. I still think that as well. But with this staffer buying tickets seemingly all over the country, that seems weird. I also saw the main video being passed around. The one where the Michigan staff changes things up after an audible. I don't see anything truly wrong with this, I see it every Saturday from a bunch of other teams. But, still weird with the accusations out there. Then I saw what other coaches have said and I agree with some and think others, Kirby Smart and Mike Norvell, are being a little holier than thou. And now the staffers' text messages have been revealed and they are damning.

So, taking all of this in, I am still feeling things, but I feel like I will be on the other side after I talk about it on the site today. As stated above, this stinks. I was very against the Astros when they were accused, and then found guilty, of stealing signs. Baseball is a different sport, and what the Astros did was wild, but still, stealing signs is stealing signs. It is definitely a gray area within college football, but if I'm going to chastise the Astros, I need to chastise Michigan football. This is shady. I don't like it.

I was wearing a Michigan shirt today, I will never stop loving this team, and I went to a sporting goods store. A worker told me that they were having a good season and I smiled and said thanks. But as I walked away, I thought maybe he was trolling me. I have felt like sports fans have seen me out with Michigan gear since the story leaked, and they are all judging me. I am sure that is not the case, and most people probably don't care, but that is how my brain works. I feel like I am going to be judged for writing about it today.

What hurts most though, Michigan has simply been accused and an investigation is currently going on. Michigan has not been found guilty of anything. I also do not think they are going to get in much trouble if they are found to have done this. But in the public perception, on the horrific message boards and on major sporting networks, Michigan is guilty. According to a bunch of people, they did the crime and they should do the time. Most people don't care what the outcome will be. And that is the problem with this internet age. The big time sports writers want as many clicks as possible, so if they have a story, they are going to put it out there with little to no credible sources. If you read the original story, the writer mentions "anonymous sources" and "credible big ten sources". He never mentions a name. He wanted to get this story out before anyone, he did, and he is now getting massive clicks on his stuff. I even looked him up the other day.

What else bums me out about this scandal is the whole gray area of it all. Sign stealing is not illegal, but it is gross. I know a ton of teams do this, some much better than others obviously. That doesn't make it any less gross. I get it that teams change signs all the time as well. But some people know how to decipher this stuff, and changing it up a bit does next to nothing.

All in all, this stinks. I hate that it is Michigan being targeted in the investigation. This football team is the one thing I love that I have no affiliation with at all. But I also truly believe that Michigan will get what equates to a slap on the wrist. The public will always have their opinion of them, and that will be that they are college football's Astros. And I think that is what hurts me, as a fan, the most. Michigan's football program, regardless of how long Harbaugh sticks around, will be mentioned as the team investigated as the sign stealers. That hurts me the most. 

Ty

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

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The Dunkin Butternut Donut is So Good I Wish I was Eating it Right Now

One of my favorite splurge breakfast items is a donut. I love them. I like all flavors too. Even when the new hip spots do some wild stuff with donuts, I'm down to try it out. I think it is the sweetness and the fact that I can eat them for breakfast and not be judged is why I love a good donut.

One of my favorite spots to go grab a dozen donuts from is Dunkin Donuts. They have a system that works and they pump out some pretty solid donuts. One of my favorites is the butternut. This donut is the best thing they have on the menu in my opinion. My wife went to Dunkin recently to grab some donuts but told me they were all out. I hope she meant just for that day because I would be legitimately bummed if they discontinue this item. Trying to describe this donut is where it gets tricky. It has flavors of coconut in it, but I don't think there is any actual coconut. Coconut is usually a non starter for me, I don't like the texture. But, I love the flavor of coconut. I like how tropical it tastes. It makes me think I am on vacation. I like how sweet it tastes. So, if you can get rid of the texture and just give me the flavor, that is a win. Then, the glaze on this donut is very thin and very mild. It is almost as if it is not there, but you know it is. There is a schein of the glaze that gets on your hands. I think it is just to give you even more of a feeling of a donut. And how light it is spread on the donut doesn't take away any flavor from the coconut flavor. The little crunchy stuff on the donut adds a nice texture element. Again. I don't know what it is, a quick search could tell me, but I like thinking about this donut as a mystery, that makes it even better for me. So whatever these crunchy bits are on there, they add some great flavor. I also like that you have this soft thing juxtaposed with a peanut like quality, but I know it is not peanuts. My daughter is allergic to peanuts and we asked and they assured us there are no peanuts in the butternut donut. Then we have the donut itself. It feels like a mix between a cake donut and a Krispy Kreme donut. It is light but filling. Two of these donuts are more than enough for breakfast. They will make you feel like you've had a good sized breakfast. And if you are patient enough to take your time with these donuts, the delight you will feel while eating them will make your breakfast that much better. I love the butternut donuts so much that I won't even dip them in milk or coffee. I feel like that would take away from how delicious these donuts taste. I don't want to take anything away from their greatness.

I highly suggest you go to Dunkin and get a butternut donut. And if they are discontinuing them for some crazy reason, that would be wild. These are the best things they have going on right now. I'd much rather have a dozen butternut donuts than munchkins or any other donut on the menu. Butternut donuts rule. 

Better Never Than Late on "The Flash"

Yesterday was a quiet day at my house. I went out for a run in the morning, then my mother in law came over and we had brunch. We spent the rest of the day relaxing and watching tv. I was getting bored of the NFL games so I started to channel surf. I came upon HBO and the new "Flash" movie was on. Let’s discuss.

I remember seeing the preview and thinking it looked kind of cool. I have talked to some people who had seen it and they said it wasn't very good. But I figured it was on, it had just started and my wife likes superhero movies, so we watched it.

The people who told me it was no good were 100 percent right. I sat down and really focused on the movie. I think I really wanted to like it. I was ripe to be a fan. But the movie is bad. There are zero redeeming qualities. Nothing works and that really bums me out. This movie should be decent. The story should work. It should be a looser, more funny superhero thing. That is the direction they should take Barry Allen, aka the Flash, with these movies moving forward. But this one decided they wanted to straddle the line between comedy and drama. They tried to really shoehorn the family drama that Allen has to deal with. The problem was that they would have these really emotional scenes then they'd button them with a joke. Or the dramatic scene would drag on and on. It didn't work. Then we have Ezra Miller as the lead. I wanted to think Miller could pull this off, they are not bad in other iterations of these DC movies. But they were very bad in this movie. They tried way too hard. They are also not a very good person and I read that a lot of the other cast had a ton of problems with them. Going into this movie knowing that made it harder to get on board.

Then we have the whole plot of this movie and seeing how it unfolds. So in this version the Flash figures out that he can travel back in time by running super fast. It should be cool, it should work. It does not. The way they show Flash pull this off is downright dumb. The CGI is awful. Where the Flash ends up is so ridiculous and unbelievable. He figures out how to go back to save his mom, but of course, his whole world gets flipped. There is another version of the Flash that doesn't have his powers yet. This character that Miller plays got on my nerves. This version of Barry Allen is stupid and naive. This version is always laughing and they played him as a stoner. I could not buy it, even in a superhero movie. What should have worked was the different versions of different heroes they had in the movie. They had Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton's Batman. They brought back Michael Shannon's Zod. This should have worked, on the very least, a nostalgic level. It fell incredibly flat. Keaton seemed to be phoning it in. Affleck looked disinterested. Shannon was only ever on a newscast from what I saw. I just did not like what I was watching at all.

About an hour into the movie I went to grab something from my room and when I came back in the living room my wife decided she wanted to play the Switch. I couldn't blame her. She asked if I wanted to finish the movie and I quickly said no. I didn't want to waste anymore time on it. After an hour I was done and I do not plan on going back to it anytime soon.

This movie should have been watchable. It should have been funny. It should have had much better CGI. It did not and it suffered. I do not recommend this movie at all. It is not good at all.

Ty

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

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SeedSing Classic: Please Leave Me out of Your Cool Beard Club

Behold hairy magnificence 

SeedSing classic is a look back at our most influential articles. These pieces have been presented in their original form. No Star Warsesque special editions. This article was originally posted on October 1st, 2015. Also, Ty still has a beard. Enjoy

I've been writing about sports, music , TV and movies a lot lately.

Today, I'm going to go way off topic and talk about beards. I have a beard, but I'm not happy with the way I'm treated because I have a beard.

Now, I'm not treated poorly or differently from people without beards but, when I see another person with a beard they always seem to want to talk to me. I don't even know these people, but they feel a connection to me because we both have beards. Minus the facial hair, I'm sure we have nothing in common. These guys who share the same facial hair choice with me seem to be really into grooming their beards. They have them shaved in certain, "fashionable" ways or they have them combed in a specific way, or they have it in almost a hairdo type of way. Me, I have a "I'm too lazy to shave" type of way. I know that it's hip and cool to have a beard now. It's the new fashion trend for men. Much like the skinny jean or the glasses with no lenses, beards are having their day. The problem I have is the hipsters that groom these beards. You see guys out there with their handlebar mustaches that now have an equally groomed beard. This sickens me. Or, guys who have faux hawks and have a beard. How much more of a douchebag can you be. I'm a big Bryce Harper fan, but he looks like the definition of a douchebag frat boy with his hairdo and beard. There's also the guys with the "gruff" beard. This is done purposefully by these people. Just like shaggy hair was a thing in high school, having a "gruff"(I put it in quotes because these guys chose this look, they're doing it on purpose) beard is in. I believe the term thrown around is a "lumberjack beard". Do you know why lumberjack's have beards? It's not a fashion statement, these guys work in the absolute freezing cold, so a beard is just another layer of warmth for them. They don't do it to be fashionable, they do it to stay warm.

Now, I've had a beard for about 4 years straight. I shaved it completely off once because I lost 100 pounds and I wanted to see what my face looked like, but for most of my sons life, he's three and a half, I've had a full beard. I don't know why I started to grow it when I did. I guess it was because I started to lose my hair. I started going bald about eight years ago, but I was fully bald about five years ago. So, I guess I wanted to have hair somewhere on my face, so I chose a beard. When I started to grow it, I had bald patches right by my cheeks, so it took awhile for a full, big beard to grow. I didn't grow it big for fashion reasons, I grew it big so it looked full. It was around this same time that I noticed beards popping up almost everywhere. I'd go to the grocery store or the movies or even the mall, and about fifty percent of men had beards. No one was really doing anything fashionable at this time though. I was also given my first business card from a stranger promoting his beard grooming barber shop. This was when I started to become disillusioned with beards because I knew that something douchey and hipstery was coming.

And boy did it come with a huge explosion. I'd say the number jumped to about seventy five percent of men with beards (numbers are not exact). Still, I wasn't going to shave. Personally, I like having a beard because I feel that my face looks young without it. I like looking older. About nine months ago I had a normal sized beard, not too big, not too small. My wife told me she was pregnant with our second child and after an embrace, lots of hugs and kisses, I told her I wasn't going to shave until the baby was born. We are now six days away from the birth of my daughter. My beard is humongous(see above picture). I'm excited to get it trimmed after the baby is born because it is getting tangled and it's hard to clean thoroughly in the shower, basically it's more a hassle than anything else. Like I said, I'm going to keep my beard, but it doesn't need to be this huge.

The next thing I'm going to tell you almost made me shave my beard off last week. I was at Target with my wife and son and my parents. We were going through the check out aisle and another gentleman, a very nice guy in fact, came up to me with a business card, that's two for those of you counting out there, and it simply read, "Sweet Beard". This was all I saw at first, and even though this guy was very nice, I was angry. I was sick and tired of guys slapping me five or talking to me about grooming beards or casually telling me "nice beard" from a distance. I was fed up and I didn't want this card. I looked at him with a grimace on my face and quietly and angrily said "Thanks". I think he sensed my anger and softly told me, "my shop for beard grooming is on the back if you want to come by and get a trim". As I said, he was very nice and there was no need for me to be so mad. But then I looked at his beard and became even more upset. He had a HUGE beard, perfectly groomed. I wanted to scream at him, "I DIDN'T DO THIS FOR FASHION REASONS, I"M JUST LAZY!" I didn't do that because I'm a human being and I understand that I shouldn't act like a crazed lunatic to someone that's being nice to me (I have the internet as a place to act like a crazed lunatic).

But this brings me to the most important thing in my piece. I just cracked why I choose to have a beard. It was simple and has been staring me in the face for four years now. I'm lazy. I don't like to shave and the clean up afterward is too much. I don't like keeping my trimmers charged and I'm not going to use a straight razor because they burn my face. See, I found multiple reasons why I won't, but someone will read this and think that all that stuff is easy to do. But like I just said, I'm lazy. I'm not fashionable by any means necessary, and I didn't grow this beard to be "cool", I did it because I'm lazy.

It's as simple as that.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. This article may be a little dated, but that beard is still present in it's magnificent glory.

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Ty Listens to "LSD"

I've been trying new genres of music lately. I've been in a rut with music lately, so I wanted to see if I liked something I never really gave a full go to just yet. I still do not like modern country, too twangy and misogynistic, and jazz is simply unbearable for me. But I have been checking out DJ's, and some of their side projects with other artists. In doing this I stumbled upon an album titled "LSD". Let’s discuss.

This record has three artists on it, Sia, Labrinth and Diplo. I heard of Diplo through my wife who reads gossip magazines. I guess he has dated a lot of famous people. But I also heard of him through "The Eric Andre Show". There is a great street bit they do in an early season where he goes out and talks about scientology. While speaking into a microphone he starts to play music with it and says, "this sounds like a Diplo song". I figured if Eric Andre liked him I'd give him a try. Sia is a massive pop star. I know she made a pretty insensitive movie recently, but she is a good singer. I enjoy her big hits. Labrinth I was not familiar with at all. Doing some research I found out he is an established rap and R&B artist in the UK. I also really enjoy his voice. I decided to give the album a listen because I knew 2/3 of the people, I like some of the stuff they do and the cover is rad.

I really like this record a lot. I'm glad that I gave it a go. This album kind of bounces all over the place genre wise, but that is a good thing. I feel like they let the artists use their strengths on the record. Sia doesn't rap, Labrinth can do that. Diplo picks out the beats. When they need a nice chorus or hook, they let Sia run with it. The songs flow very nicely on the record too. There is no real wasted space here. I have come to realize that the song "Thunderclouds" was a minor hit. I get it. They put it right in the middle of the album and it is an excellent bridge from the start to a wonderful finish. They have some bangers on the front half. Besides "Thunderclouds", the song "Genius" is awesome. It has a nice hip hop feel to it. Labrinth really shines on this song. They also did a remix with Lil Wayne and that version may be better than the original. The song "Audio" has a back and forth from Sia and Labrinth and it works. They both showcase their talents. The second half of the record shines. This is the part that made me love this album. The song "Mountains" is a perfect pop song. From the chorus to the time signature to the beat to the lyrics, it is electric. I also love the stuff Diplo does on this song, making it really, truly feel like this was his baby on the album. "No New Friends" is a fast, almost jarring song on the record, but it works. They then follow that up with "Heaven Can Wait". This is my personal favorite on the album. It bends from hip hop to dance to pop and a little R&B. They wrote a nearly perfect song with this one. The album finishes off with a sweet, slower song, "It's Time". This is a nice closer. It wraps everything up on the album.

I adore this record. I keep going back and finding more and more things I genuinely like with each new listen. Check this album out. It is very, very good. 

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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

Ty Watches "Theater Camp"

Over the weekend my wife was out of town so I watched the movie "Theater Camp" on Hulu. She wasn't interested, I knew she was going out of town, so I took advantage and cued it up. I wanted to see it when I first heard about it, and this seemed like a perfect opportunity.

I loved this movie. It is kind of a perfect movie for me. I like indie movies, comedies and I especially like mockumentaries. This is all three rolled into one. For people who may not know about this movie, the plot is pretty simple. Amy Sedaris owns a prestigious theater summer camp. She is recruiting kids for the upcoming summer session and, while watching a performance, she has a seizure and slips into a coma. I promise it is funny. While she is in the hospital her son, an excellent performance from Jimmy Tatro, has to run the camp. This is a perfect role for Tatro. He plays an influencer who is in over his head. He doesn't know how to run the camp. He is self indulgent. But, he does have a heart of gold. Deep down he is a good dude. The top two counselors are played by Ben Platt and Molly Gordon. They nail it as well. Platt, who I am not the biggest fan of, plays this role great. He is narcissistic. He holds people back. He is always fighting with everyone. But he truly cares about his job as a theater teacher. Gordon plays a hippyish actor who is trying to find her place. She was in love with Platt's character, but acts like she doesn't like him romantically after he comes out of the closet. But, you can tell the attraction is still there. She also gets to do a little bit of dramatics, which is used right next to comedy in a great way, and she nails it.

Those are the three main characters, but the rest of the cast does great in their bit roles. Noah Galivn is awesome as the tech guy who has some talent and gets a chance to showcase it. Caroline Aaron is great as Sedaris' business partner. She has some of the funniest lines in the movie. Ayo Edebiri is a lying counselor who just needs a job. This is a departure from her usual roles, but being the dynamite actor she is, she crushes it in this movie. She also has the coolest clothes in the movie. Nathan Lee Graham and Owen Thiele are exceptional as teachers who thrive in a theater camp scenario. The students are great too. This movie works on every level. The teachers are smug and arrogant. But they love what they do. They take their jobs very seriously and that comes through. But this movie is really about Tatro, Platt and Gordon. They command the audience. When they are on screen, especially together, they make all of this movie work. You can tell that Platt and his partner have been working on this story for a long time. You can see Gordon's influence as well.

Seek this movie out. It really deserves to be seen by many people. They need to keep making movies like this because these are some of the best comedies out there right now. "Theater Camp" is awesome. Go watch it. 

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram.

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