Thoughts on Michigan AD Warde Manuel Leaving

It was announced earlier today that University of Michigan Athletic Director Warde Manuel will be stepping down at the end of the calendar year.

This feels like it has been a long time coming. I was happy when they hired Manuel because it seemed like he really cared. He wanted Michigan to be back on top. He was sick of them being simply mediocre. He was going to make changes, and the changes sounded pretty damn good to me as a fan. I had high hopes.

And boy did he deliver.

Michigan won a football and men's basketball championship under his watch. The sports program grew and got much, much better. The university became so much more than just a football school. They had the two titles, but the other programs were thriving as well. Men's gymnastics has an Olympian on the team. The women's basketball team is a constant in the tournament, and they even made a push to the Sweet Sixteen last year. The hockey team made the Frozen Four, and they have a great roster coming back for next season. The baseball team and softball team are always competitive. The men's and women's soccer teams are solid. The sports at Michigan are thriving, and a lot of that has to do with Manuel.

But he screwed up a lot as well.

Both coaches from the title teams left immediately after they won. Jim Harbaugh couldn't wait to get out of there. He claimed it was due to other extenuating circumstances, but it was also reported that he and Manuel did not have a good relationship. You could see as much at the parade. They wouldn't even look at one another during the speeches. Manuel said he was going to do whatever he could to keep Harbaugh, but we the fans saw the writing on the wall. Harbaugh was fed up with Manuel, Manuel was fed up with him, and they seperated loudly and angry with one another.

Manuel and Harbaugh were both on board with the Sherrone Moore hire, as was I, and we all saw how they unfolded. I have to believe that Manuel knows so much more about that situation than he is letting on, and now that he is on the way out, maybe he will do some kind of tell all. But all of that happened under Manuel. Maybe he tried to cover some stuff up, maybe he tried to keep some people silent, whatever it was, Manuel did a shady thing and let a very shady thing happen while he was the AD.

I was hopeful that the men's basketball team would have Dusty May for a long, long time. He turned that team around so fast. They went from 8-24 to the Sweet Sixteen to the national title. It ruled. May knew how to work the portal while still recruiting highly rated freshmen. He understood the ins and outs of NIL. He had it all. But he got up and left. He signed to be the next head coach of the Dallas Mavericks. He didn't leave the cupboard bare, but he just bounced as soon as he got a better offer. May would rather coach pros making way more money than him than stick around and become a college basketball coaching legend. He said that it was due to the current climate of college sports, which may be true. But I have to believe that there was something going on behind the scenes with him and Manuel.

Manuel claimed he had given May a humongous brand new contract, and that it was all but a done deal that he was going to be the coach at Michigan for a long, long time. But when that contract stayed unsigned by May, I got nervous. Then he left. I have to think Manuel played a hand in this. Both national title coaches were gone not even a month after winning the championship.

This is all a bummer, but don't forget some of the other stuff that has happened as of late on Manuel's time. The baseball coach that brought them to the CWS left after that season to coach at Clemson. The longtime softball coach decided to retire out of the blue. There is an ongoing investigation dealing with the whole blowout from the Moore situation. And I'm sure there's plenty of other stuff behind the scenes that I'm not privy to. Warde Manuel delivered on some of the biggest promises he made when he was announced as the AD, and for that I will be forever grateful. But he also leaves with a mess for the new AD to clean up. I do feel like this is the final semblance of the Harbaugh regime. Manuel stepping down feels like the last thing Michigan needed to fully get off all of the stuff that came with Harbaugh, May and Manuel.

I hope the new AD is as ambitious as Manuel, but goes about it the correct and honorable way. Time will tell, but at least Manuel and Michigan are finally moving on from one another. 

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.

Physical Media Lives Again

Earlier today I took my 14 year old to sell some of my dad's old CDs. He had no use for them, I don't own a CD player and my son strictly listens to Spotify. I got rid of my CDs almost a decade ago. I do own and buy vinyl now, but that is simply because I want to be as cool as my brothers and my friends. My son is all about digital media. That is what he likes, that is what this generation likes and I have to assume my daughter will be the same when she gets her phone next year.

So, going to V Stock, a local store that buys and sells old media, I figured there wouldn't be much of an inventory. I was very, very wrong. First off, my dad had a bunch of CDs to sell. There was a Rubbermaid full of CDs. I didn't think we'd sell that many, but there was only 1/10 of that bin left after we were done. That should have been my first clue that physical media is having a moment. But it wasn't until I walked around the store did I truly realize how much people still buy and collect older things.

V Stock was full of CDs, DVDs, Blu Rays, old collectible toys, older gaming systems, vinyl and they even had VHS', among other random nonsense. I immediately went to check out the vinyl. They had a solid selection, but it was a little too pricey for my blood. They did have some older, used records for a solid price, but there was no gold to be found. But it was the CD and DVD/Blu Ray selection that really blew my mind. They had so much. They had shelves stocked with them. They had Criterion Collection Blu Rays. They had a whole DVD section that was strictly classic movies. They had Marvel and DC movies on their own end caps. They had a whole section of TV series on DVD. I remember buying those up when it was the only option.

The CD section was, possibly, the biggest section in the store. And they had old, new, used and special CDs in the store. They had rare stuff. They had a bunch of live CDs for sale. They had stuff in alphabetical order, but much like the DVDs, they also had certain CDs in their own special section of the store. I saw a bunch of Black Keys CDs, both new and old, and I have, at one time in my life, owned every single one of them. I even thought that maybe they had some of my old ones there for sale.

The VHS section had me floored too. First off, I remember when VHS went the way of the dodo. I remember getting rid of them and not even being all that sad. But V Stock had a bunch of them for sale today. They even had the old puffy Disney VHS boxes. I have not seen those in years. I know some people collect those, so if you're reading this, go check out V Stock now to get the puffy box VHS. I also really enjoyed the collectible toy section. They had them all sealed in bags, but you could still see what they were.

I saw a bunch of old He-Man toys that one of my brothers had. They had a bunch of "Thundercat" toys there. They were up to their ears in collectible Funko Pop toys. They had some from series or comic books that I have never even heard of before. Funko Pop toys are cool and all, but this place made them feel super special. It kind of blew me away to be honest with you all today.

I know that some people are really into physical media, but this really opened my eyes. I like that physical media is having a comeback. I hope it sticks around for a long time. I have really been happy to be collecting vinyl again. I love the artwork and all the added stuff records provide for the buyer. I've heard people talk about Blu Rays and Criterion discs, but it didn't really hit me how important this stuff is to collectors today. They had a Super Nintendo for sale today, and I kind of wanted to buy it just to play the games I used to play growing up.

While the trip to the mall and to V Stock today went on way longer than I expected, I was very happy with what I saw and witnessed this afternoon. Physical media has always had a place for a bunch of people, and right now it is having a moment. That makes me smile and I want to see it go on for a long, long 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.

Follow Ty on instagram.

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

Better Late Than Never on "They Will Kill You"

Yesterday I watched the movie "They Will Kill You". Let’s discuss.

I remember seeing a trailer for this movie sometime ago, and it intrigued me. I like these stylized, hyper violent movies that throw in some comedy. These movies are supposed to be "horror" movies, but even HBOMax called it a "horror/comedy". That made me even more interested. I had planned on going to see it in the theaters, but it came and it went pretty quickly. I thought maybe it was due to poor reviews, but the movie has a 65% on Rotten Tomatoes, which is on the good side of fresh, according to their website.

So, after waiting a few days, I finally pressed play, and I found myself having a damn good time with this movie. "They Will Kill You" is fun, goofy, gory, bloody, over the top and hilarious. Everything I had heard about the movie was true. The people who wrote and directed this movie knew exactly what they were doing. The cast was all in as well. That was my biggest takeaway. When you have everyone buy into such a ridiculous premise, that is always a good sign to me. That means everyone seemed to be having a good time making the movie, and that definitely showed on screen.

The plot of the movie is pretty simple. A pair of sisters get separated, go their own ways and reunite so one sister can save the other. It's a story of family and violence. Zazie Beetz plays our lead, Asia Reaves. She is so awesome in this role. She knew the assignment and took it to the best possible level. I also read that she put in the work. She trained super hard, did a bunch of her own stunts and even learned how to properly wield an axe. There's a scene in which Beetz lights an axe on fire and goes on to decimate some of the people that live within the hotel that is our main set for the entirety of the movie. It was one of the raddest things I've ever seen. I also liked her quick backstory of how she learned to fight so well. She simply tells the person asking her how she learned to fight, and she simply says, "jail". I loved every second Beetz was on screen, and that was the entire movie. Myha'la plays her sister, Maria. She doesn't have as big a role, but she gets some solid jokes in there, and her final scene, where she wants some breakfast, is pretty perfect for a movie like this. Patricia Arquette plays the head maid in the hotel. She is an Irish lady who clearly has some kind of secret she's hiding. She may or may not have made a deal with Satan. That will be for you all to find out when you watch the movie. Arquette is having a moment right now, and she is doing some very cool, very different stuff that I am a big time fan of. Tom Felton, Heather Graham, David Viviers, Gabe Gabriel and Willie Ludok all play Arquette's minions in the movie. It was pretty rad to see Felton and Graham on screen again. I haven't seen them in anything in awhile, and they were more than up to task in this movie. They seemed to have a real good time making this. Paterson Joseph plays Arquette's husband, and he is tired and just wants out. I thought he did a really fantastic job in this movie. Overall, what I enjoyed a ton with this movie, they really went for it. They knew the premise was wild. They knew the gore was over the top. They knew that the fight scenes were going to be epic. And they absolutely ran with it.

I'm so glad that I turned this movie on and watched it yesterday. I had a total blast during the 90 minute runtime. I highly recommend this movie, especially to people who like horror/gore mixed with comedy. Beetz was so much fun to watch as well. I was already a fan of hers, but after seeing this, she is quickly becoming one of my favorites in the business. Check this movie out. 

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.

Ty Watches "The Bear" Final Season

After five wonderful seasons, "The Bear" has come to an end.

I really enjoyed this show. I liked every season. Each season had an episode or two or three that really stuck with me. I, like a bunch of other people, truly love "Forks" and "Fishes". But there are some other gems in there. The one shot in season one during a super rush is great. I appreciate the whole back and forth with Carmy and Claire. The wedding episode where Richie's ex gets remarried is pretty solid. I even like the third and fourth seasons, which some people were lukewarm on. When the final season was released, I tried to put it off as long as I could. I didn't want the show to end. This has been one of my favorite shows since the pandemic.

I do want to say, "The Bear" has won a ton of awards, but it is not a comedy. There are comedic elements, but this show is a drama. Full stop. Anyway, my family had a four hour flight to Seattle a few weeks back, so I decided this was the best time for me to start this final season. I know that the creators never intended for people to watch their show on an iphone while flying to another city, but here we are. I ripped through the first four episodes on the flight out there.

I truly loved that they had the final season focus on one dinner service. As with most shows, things happened that were outrageous. From burst pipes to people falling through the roof, shit really hits the fan. Throughout the final season there are many ups and downs. But this service is also going to make or break the restaurant. They believe a big time reviewer is coming in that night. The storm has not stopped people from making reservations. They are overbooked, but Richie wants to see it all through. Oliver Platt and The Computer are trying to find ways to keep the store afloat. Ebra has his idea to franchise the sandwich portion of the restaurant, he is just biding his time before pitching his idea to Carmy. It is revealed that not only Carmy is leaving, but the other dessert chef, played by Will Poulter, is heading back to Copenhagen. Lionel Boyce's dad is coming in to have a meal. Sydney is stressed and feels overworked. The wait staff is unprepared. It is all the typical sitcom type stuff, but "The Bear" finds a way to make it great and incredibly watchable. I know people always seem to have some kind of gripe about finales, and while I'm sure there are people out there that are complaining right now, I thought they wrapped it up kind of perfectly. I watched the final four episodes the week after we got back, and I was very pleased with what they did. We didn't get any "Five years later" stuff. I'm growing weary of that simply because it always works out for the people on the show. The finale took place the day after the hectic service, and we got a look at how everyone felt going into work the next day. We did get a mild time jump, but it was just to see Carmy give a monologue, and to watch Richie throw a surprise party for his daughter. There was no, so and so went on to do this, or Sydney ended up as the world's greatest chef, or Richie and his new girlfriend got married. We are left to make our own conclusions, and I appreciate that. We don't need to be force fed happy endings all the time.

While "The Bear" ended on a high note, we don't know where they all ended up a month after this service. I like to imagine that Sydney is running a successful, but nerve wracking restaurant. I imagine Carmy is trying to be an architect. I believe Richie has found his way as a host and GM of the restaurant, and has his staff humming along. I, as boring as it may sound, like the fact that, in my mind, they are all just living regular, normal lives. That is what I took away most from this show.

"The Bear" had one hell of a run. It came and went and never really overstayed its welcome. I believe that it will be remembered as one of the better shows of the 2020's. And while it may win some more Emmys for comedy, I still fully believe it is a drama. But that is a topic for another day.

Go watch and rewatch this final season. "The Bear" went out on a very good, very high note. Thank you for five great seasons of television. 

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.

Ty Watches "Obsession"

My wife and I sat down last weekend and finally saw "Obsession". I figured it was time when RD told me how much he liked the movie. I'm going to do a review today, but it will be as spoiler free as possible. Please read ahead if you're thinking about seeing this movie because nothing will be exposed today.

I first heard about the movie right after I saw "Backrooms". I saw some posters for it at the theater I went to, but I never gave it much thought. It wasn't until I was looking for other movies to watch similar to "Backrooms" did "Obsession" really pop on my radar. I do think that the only true comparison for both of these movies is, they're in the horror genre, and both are directed by young kids who got their start on YouTube. Other than that, these are two different, and very good movies. That’s the first thing I want to say about "Obsession", this is a very scary and very well made movie. I do think it is scarier than "Backrooms". Where "Backrooms" is more creepy, "Obsession" is way more gory and has many more jump scares, which I have found that I have begun to like in certain horror movies. But you can tell with both movies that these young kids have a deft hand and should be making movies for a very long time. They have both proved that they belong and they will be around for as long as they want to make movies. The follow ups will tell a lot, but they have come out of the gate swinging.

What I liked about "Obsession" so much was how quickly they get into it. There's a little backstory just so we know the characters and why they are on the paths they're on. But when the male lead makes the wish, about 15-20 minutes into the movie, we are off and running. That was another thing I found I really enjoyed about this movie, the casting. I hadn't heard of anyone who was in the movie, except for Andy Richter, and he has a very minor part. The four main leads are young, working actors, but I wouldn't have been able to pick them out of a lineup before seeing this movie. Megan Lawless plays Sarah, and Cooper Tomlinson plays Ian. They're friends with our two main characters, Bear, played by Michael Johnston, and Nikki, played by Inde Navarrette. Sarah and Ian are co stars, but they do a ton with the time they have on screen. Ian is the life of the party and just wants to have a good time. He never takes anything too seriously, but when he does it may be a little too late. Sarah wants to be an artist and she has a crush on the male lead, which feels like it is not reciprocated. She has a wonderful scene with Nikki at a party that is at times funny and terrifying. Bear is a total pushover. He is meek and cowardly and stays that way pretty much throughout the movie. I grew to despise his actions, which I believe is the point, as the movie went on. And Nikki, she is thrust into a world that she wants nothing to do with, but it is out of her control. Navarrette gives a star turning performance. She should be considered for every award. The stuff she is able to do with facial expressions alone is haunting and so well done. She absolutely owned this movie and I'm certain she is going to get so much more work from this. The way she slips back and forth between two characters is mesmerizing. She has all the talent in the world and  she showed that in this performance. It is one for the ages. I was blown away by her work.

And the story, oh man does it get pretty crazy. The way the movie escalates all the way to the conclusion was a sight to behold. The movie heightens at a fast pace, but it is still able to tell the story that it wants to. I couldn't believe the stuff I was watching and I was on the edge of my couch for the entirety of the movie. I also appreciated that they put jokes in there from time to time just to cut the tension and ease up just a hair before scaring the hell out of me in the very next scene. The scene between Bear and Nikki at the nice restaurant is a masterful play of just how creepy vibes can get when something feels off.

"Obsession" is totally worth the hype. There's so much more I want to say, but I also want people to see it for themselves and draw their own conclusions. I want to hear what others think about the movie, and mainly, about the final scene and the stuff going on over the end credits. I highly recommend watching this movie. It is a good, scary and quality time wherever you may 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.

R.I.P. Sam Neill

Sam Neill has passed away at the age of 78. I awoke to the news this morning and it really bummed me out. I don't know Sam Neill from much, but the things i know him from have had a tremendous impact on my life.

I first became aware of Neill in "Jurassic Park", as I assume most people my age did. He played Dr Alan Grant. This was a formative movie for me. Growing up I loved dinosaurs. So, the idea of a movie that brought dinos back was such a big deal for me. I believe my folks took me to see it on opening night, and it has stayed with me forever. My wife will tell most people that "Jurassic Park" is her favorite movie of all time. We rewatched it fairly recently, and as I have told many friends of mine, the movie is damn near perfect. And for me, Dr Grant is the best part of the entire movie. The dinos are cool, Laura Dern is amazing, Jeff Blodblum does some of his best work, this may be Wayne Knight's second best performance, behind Newman, but Neill is the best by leaps and bounds. From the start of the movie, where he is lecturing the punkass kid that tries him, to the end, where he is basically the 2 kids in the movie new father, Neill owns it. He is one of the first people to see the issues this park may have. He brings to light many of the problems. When he is there for the birth of the baby raptor, Neill plays all happy go lucky and terrified all within a five minute long scene. He owns every single second that he is in this movie. I took so many things away from this as a kid, and watching it as an adult, my biggest takeaway was how wonderful Sam Neill was in this role. He was an adult who never wanted kids, only wanted to study dinosaurs and have a loving relationship with Laura Dern. But he ends up being the one who helps the kids survive the night, shows that he can be a good role model for younger kids, and is ready to get off the mountain as soon as they are able. And although the sequels and remakes they made for "Jurassic Park" were all terrible, anytime Neill and Dern showed up, at least I knew there'd be a few good scenes in there.

The other movie that I adore that stars Sam Neill is "Hunt For The Wilderpeople". This movie kind of came out of nowhere for me, but after I saw it, I told everyone I could everything about it. The driving force for me at first behind this movie was Taika Waititi being the director. He is one of my favorite directors, especially when he is doing more indie style movies. Then I heard people talk about Julian Dennison and how good he is in the movie. He plays the lead role of Ricky Baker. He's a troublemaker who just needs the right people to watch over him. He gets adopted by a couple, played by Neill and Rima Te Wiata. Rima, the wife, really wants a kid and jumps at the opportunity to adopt. Neill wants to be left alone and left to go out and search the land they live on and near. But, spoiler alert, after the wife unexpectedly passes away, Neill and Dennison are forced to be together. The movie sings from there, and it is due to the performance of these two actors. Dennison is clearly a star, but Neill plays such a different role for him and he absolutely nailed it. He is a sweet curmudgeon. He doesn't want the kid there, but he needs a companion once his wife passes. He tries to ward off Dennison at every turn, but it is to no avail. And as he softens, the movie just gets better and better. I saw this movie a few months after my daughter was born, so I was a father to two. And Neill's performance really hit hard for me. This movie always makes me cry and it is because of the relationship that grows between Dennison and Neill. "Hunt For The Wilderpeople" is a movie that is somehow still slept on, and if you haven't seen it yet, remedy that and watch it in honor of Sam Neill.

I know he has done a ton of other stuff, but these two movies are the cream of the crop for me. I know I will go back and watch some of his other work that I have yet to see now. Movies like "Memoirs of an Invisible Man", "Possession" and "Jessica" are now on my list. My wife loved his turn on the series "The Tudors". And I just found a short called "Cinema Quarantine: Das Bad", that I may watch as soon as I am done writing this.

Sam Neill was a great actor, and it looked as if he was a nice, simple man who enjoyed a quiet, unassuming life. This is a true loss. I'm bummed by this. Sam Neill left an impact on me at two very different times in my life, and for that I will be forever indebted to him. Rest In Peace Sam Neill. You will be missed. 

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.

Thought on the Jaylen Brown Trade

Now that I had over a week to sit on it and think about it, I'm ready to discuss the Jaylen Brown trade.

For people that don't know, or don't follow basketball, Jaylen Brown was traded from the Celtics to the 76ers for Paul George and two future first round picks.

On paper this seems pretty tame. I'm still floored that this is what the Celtics and Brad Stevens settled for in a deal for a player that just finished sixth in MVP voting and proved that he can be the leader of a team that vaults to the number 2 seed. Sure, the Celtics were beaten in the first round of the playoffs, to the 76ers no less, but still, the Celtics had a better year than most expected and Jaylen Brown more than proved his worth.

I know that Brown is a divisive player in the NBA. I happen to really like the way he plays basketball. He is a two way player, he has a knack for getting to the rim, he can throw it down, his three point shot is better and he really gets after it defensively. Me, much like almost every other writer, thought the Celtics were going to struggle going into last season. Jayson Tatum was supposed to be out the whole season after tearing his ACL in the playoffs last year. The Celtics let Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday walk out of the door. They took chances on guys like Luka Garza and Neemias Queta. They looked like they were going to take a massive step back. Jaylen Brown would have none of it. He was a man on a mission this season and he balled the hell out. The Celtics started strong and never wavered. Even when Tatum came back, much to the surprise of everyone, Brown accepted his new role and did whatever it took for the Celtics to win. Yes he struggled in round one versus the 76ers. Yes he put too much pressure on himself. Yes he forced the issue. But he led this team all season to the number 2 seed. He showed that he has what it takes to win a ton of regular season games. He has a Finals MVP to his name. He is one of the best two way players in the league. And all the Celtics could get was George and some picks that should not be all that good.

I am a Paul George fan. Let that be known. But he has fallen off a cliff since one of his last seasons in LA. He had that one year where he helped lead the Clippers to the West Finals. But since then he has been too often injured or too focused on his podcast or getting suspended for supposedly taking a banned substance. He is not the player he once was, and that is just an unfortunate realism at this point. The Celtics basically got older at the exact same position, have to pay almost the same amount of money to a lesser player and they have picks that are essentially useless for them to use, unless they can find a trade partner.

I don't know if the Celtics are done making moves either. That has to be said. But this move is baffling. Brad Stevens has this aura about him. I feel like he is supposed to be one of the better GM's in the NBA, not named Sam Presti. Everyone applauded him when the Celtics overachieved this year. People say he has a knack for finding hidden gems in the draft. But this trade does not sit so well for me. Jaylen Brown makes the 76ers instantly better than the Celtics now, in my opinion. Tatum is an incredible player for them to have, but he doesn't have much firepower next to him now. Payton Pritchard is an okay player, but he is not on Brown's level. I like that they signed Mitchell Robinson, but he gets hurt a lot, cannot shoot free throws and tends to be played out of games. Derrick White is on the wrong side of his prime. Garza and Queta probably just had their best seasons, so I don't see them repeating last year ever again. Hugo Gonzalez and Baylor Scheierman better pop like they hope they will. And now they have an old and, possibly washed, Paul George.

On the other side, the 76ers have Brown, Maxey and Edgecombe. That should strike fear in a bunch of East teams. They may be getting LeBron, which would make them a lethal offense. Joel Embiid is always hurt, but I'd much rather have him on my roster than Garza or Queta. They signed Anfernee Simons, who will only help their bench scoring. Dean Wade should get some solid run and adds good defense. And I love the Labaron Philon Jr pick. The 76ers got much better while the Celtics got worse and older.

The Celtics hater in me loves that they did this. But the basketball fan in me is so confused and baffled by this. Anyway, Jaylen Brown got out of Boston, which he wanted, and now he will have multiple chances to show up the Celtics every single season and in the playoffs. And I cannot wait to watch him do it time and again.

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.

Where Does LeBron Best Fit?

It looks like LeBron James is down to three teams he is looking to sign with for the next season. The reported three teams are the Heat, 76ers and Cavs. I don't know why the Warriors are already out of it, maybe because the Wizards have said they don't want to move Anthony Davis, but this is the most updated thing I have seen so far. The three teams in the running all make sense to me.

The 76ers need a player like James. If they were able to add him to the team, they could be pretty lethal. The backcourt is set with Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe. Both of those guys are legit. Maxey proved his all pro capability last season. He went to the next level. He is ascending to being a star at this point. The 76ers should build around him. They just added Jaylen Brown, in one of the wilder trades I've seen in recent history. He is going to be on another level this season. He is out to prove some people wrong, and Brown is too good a player not to show them up. He may have one of the better seasons we have seen in some time. Joel Embiid is the center. He cannot stay healthy, but he was an MVP as of late. When he was on the floor last season, the 76ers were great. With less of a load, Embiid could play more than usual, and that usually spells more victories for the 76ers. It's that 4 spot that seems lacking. All indications were that Dean Wade was going to start after they signed him as a free agent. I don't know about you, but I'd much rather have a 41 year old LeBron James starting than Dean Wade. James knows the East, he can help push the 76ers to make a deeper playoff push and would put them as a top 6 team right away if he signs there. I do think the fit next to Brown may be a little rough at first, but both guys are smart enough and good enough that they will figure it out. This team would be able to speed up games and slow teams down if need be. But, I do think that the 76ers want to go faster. Edgecombe and Maxey are speedy players, and when they pushed the tempo last season, they played much better basketball.

The Heat make sense if they want to push for a title right away. Need we forget, they just traded for Giannis. Pairing Giannis and LeBron would be pretty tight if you ask me. I'd love to see the two of them on the same team. The pick and roll would be dope. Giannis would get some great passes from James. Giannis and James could make some nice music defensively. Add in the rest of the starting five, Andrew Wiggins, Davion Mitchell and Bam Adebayo, this team would be hellacious on defense. James also has capability with Erik Spoelstra, and apparently he has repaired his relationship with Pat Riley. The depth would still be an issue. I don't really know who comes off the bench. They would have to scrape the bottom of the barrell for league minimum guys. But James has made that work in the past. The problem though, this is not the past and both James and Giannis, especially Giannis as of late, are both often injured. Injuries would be the biggest and most pressing issue with this version of the Heat. I do think that this would push them up, past the 76ers in fact, if James were to sign on with the Heat. But the fear of injury may be too big of a risk for the Heat to actually pull this off. They also may not have the money to get him in the door anyway.

Finally we have the Cavs. This one makes the most sense for a myriad of reasons, and I think this is how it will actually play out in the end. Cleveland is his home. He is a legend there. He won them a title for the first time in 50 plus years back in 2016. He had some of his best years with the Cavs. And they have a solid roster for the first time since he went back in the mid 2010's. They just re-upped Dononvan Mitchell. He is the future of the team and he is the current best player on the team. James Harden is most likely going to come back. I know he wants to play with James, and I'm pretty sure James wants to play with him too, outside of Team USA basketball. Evan Mobley would find life much easier on the offensive end of the floor playing with James. He would get so many more open looks and runs to the rim. Max Strus could spell him for minutes. They are apparently leaving space open for Bronny to come play with them. They have some solid rookies and vets they can rely on coming off the bench. And Kenny Atkinson, for all his faults, is a solid NBA head coach. They would most likely have to let Jarrett Allen walk, which would sting, but if it means getting James to come back home, I bet they would do it in a heartbeat.

Going back home for James makes the most sense and I see this being the only outcome in the end. Time will tell, but I would be surprised if James isn't wearing a Cavs jersey to start the 2026-27 season. 

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.

Tales from My Trip to Seattle: Day Three

Today is the conclusion to my travelogue of my family’s summer trip to Seattle Washington.

Our final day in Seattle consisted of us doing the most tourist thing you could imagine. We spent the entirety of our day at Pike Place Market. This was both my wife's and mine idea. We have wanted to see Pike Place Market for the longest time. We watch so many cooking competition shows, and anytime they have one in Seattle, it is inevitable that they will spend a day at the market. We have seen it on "Top Chef" so many times that it feels like they have a residency there or something. And on TV the market has always looked cool as hell to me. So, after the kids got up and out of bed and ready to go, we made our way downtown one last time on the trip.

It took us forever to park, traffic was wild, But we got our spot and started our walk to the market. As I mentioned yesterday, Seattle is hilly and walkable, so we were getting some solid hill training on this walk to the market. You know you're there when you see the big clock and a big sign that reads "Pike Place Market". This is synonymous with Seattle and the market. This is the icon. This is the marker. This is how you know you have made it to the right spot. And like a typical tourist, I took many pictures. I wanted to remember my time here, and the sign and clock are quintessential.

After the pictures, we started to check everything out. We went on a nice long walk to get the lay of the land. The market is pretty cool. I live in STL and we have a solid open market, but not like this. Pike Place Market has everything. When we started we were in an area with local vendors selling tons of goodies and souvenirs. There was a swath of land that had leather goods. From bags to notebooks to belts, it was leather as far as the eye could see. As we walked further we found the t-shirt and sweater section. This is where my wife and daughter decided to get their gifts for one another. We kept going and found some local musicians playing live music. As we kept moving we found the fish area. This is easy to find if you follow the smell. It is an open market, so that smell permeates the entire area. It was rad. They had so many different types of fish and seafood to buy. What I loved most was how they marketed the seafood. There was a spot for mackerel, and it was listed as small, medium and "big ass" mackerel. I love stuff like that. And this is where the workers talk what I assume is nonsense to one another and chuck fish. This was a must for us. We got to see them throw fish and it was as exhilarating as I wanted it to be. It ruled. We found a small donut shop that we got to try, and when we hit the fresh fruit stands, the samples were incredible.

We ended up heading to the restaurant where Rob Reiner and Tom Hanks had lunch in "Sleepless in Seattle". I believe the place is called The Athenia. I had a very solid tuna fish sandwich, my wife had a seafood soup, my son had salmon fish and chips, which I had never seen until this trip, and my daughter, full of fish I imagine at this point, decided to get fettuccine alfredo. It was all pretty solid.

After lunch my kids and wife said they wanted to go to the pier and ride the ferris wheel. I am not for heights, so I opted to walk around the pier. I was very happy with my choice. I got to hang by the water and look at cruise ships and walk amongst like minded and similar people to myself. I loved my walk. At one point I lifted my head up while walking, looked in the distance and noticed a mountain. This still blows my mind. The few places I've been to with mountains still makes me so happy. We don't have them in the midwest, obviously. So when I can lift my head and see a mountain, it still amazes me. It was so cool. My wife and kids saw it from the ferris wheel as well, and they got some excellent pictures.

Once my family exited the ride, we walked a little more, found a local coffee shop, which ruled and made our way back to the car.

For the final day of the trip this was the perfect way to send off Seattle. I loved every single second of this visit, and for that matter, the entire trip. Seattle absolutely blew me away. It lived up and exceeded every expectation I had going into the trip. From the weather to the scenery to the mountains to the people to the food, it was all so, so wonderful. I cannot wait to go back in the very near future. I wouldn't hesitate if my wife told me we had to move there. I would embrace it so much. Seattle was rad.

Thank you for indulging me on this retelling of my trip. I wanted to share it with you all, and I'm glad that I did. 

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.

Tales from My Trip to Seattle: Day Two

Today I’m going to continue my travelogue of my families summer trip to Seattle Washington.

Day two of our trip to Seattle started off with a morning walk of Alki Beach. My wife is a big fan of romantic comedies, and one of her favorites is "Sleepless in Seattle". Alki Beach is where Tom Hanks character, and his son in the movie, move to after the passing of his wife. I didn't see this movie until the pandemic, but when I saw it I mentioned how much I liked the beach town. This was the only invitation my wife needed to set up a morning walk along the beach, and then some lunch while we were out there. The drive to Alki Beach was beautiful. I found myself really enjoying the rolling hills littered throughout the city. It was akin to a roller coaster. And the houses were beautiful. I don't know much about architecture, but I know what I like and these houses struck my fancy. After we parked and got out, the weather was, again, perfect. It was a little overcast and about 60 degrees. We started to walk on the beach and I instantly recognized some stuff they shot for the movie. There were also a ton of seagulls, which I have grown a little fond of the older I get. The beach was great. There were sand dunes throughout, the water felt nice, most of the beach was rock so my son and I got to skip stones and it had an overall comforting feel. The kids decided to stay on the beach a little longer, so my wife and I got some time just for the two of us to walk and chat, which was greatly appreciated. The further down we walked the more art I noticed on and around the street. The artwork in Seattle is rad. There's all kinds of cool pieces throughout the city and Alki Beach was no exception. We also came across a little Statue of Liberty, which was donated to Seattle in the 90's. It was pretty cool, I read the plaque and we showed the kiddos. We walked into a surf shop. This is where we met Surfer Dave. He owned the shop. He was one of the nicest people I've ever encountered. He gave us some history of the town, poked fun at Missouri which I got a kick out of, and at the end of our visit he gave us a proper welcome. He blew into a conch shell, said our names and welcomed us to Seattle and Alki Beach. When he was done he said "mahalo", gave us the surf fingers and left us with some cool souvenirs.

The best food of the whole trip was the lunch we had at Alki at Harry's Beach House. This place was nice and quaint and a great stop for a solid lunch. I had mussels and lamb sausage, my wife had Shrimp Louie, my son had a shrimp po boy and my daughter got fish and chips. We all shared and we all really enjoyed what we had to eat. My wife and I shared some fresh oysters while the kids had some crab beignets. The food, albeit kind of pricey, was top of the line and we got what we paid for. The broth in my dish was some of the best food I've ever had. On my return visits to Seattle I will definitely patronize this place again and again.

After Alki Beach we found a local park with some minor hiking trails. This is where I got pictures of some big ass trees. I wanted pictures of trees and Seattle did not disappoint in that regard. I loved that they have such large trees and I love that my family indulged me in this journey.

After a little rest we headed out for dinner and a stroll around town. We ended up on California ave and had dinner at an Asian noodle spot called KinD. This place was hip and delicious. My szechuan ramen was fantastic. We walked around the downtown area here, where my son and I found a rad record store, and my daughter and wife found a bookshop. The record store, Easy Street Records, was amazing. I could have spent an entire day there. They had two stories and records as far as the eye could see. They had a bunch of rare stuff and they had all the hip hop my son has dreamed of since I got a record player. My wife and daughter loved the book shop. It had new and used stuff and tons of graphic novels. Seattle is so much hipper than most cities, and this street we happened upon proved that tenfold.

We ended the night with some ice cream at Molly Moon's. This is a local chain and the ice cream was hitting. I had a cherry chunk, my wife and son had blueberry cheesecake and my daughter had a thin mint equivalent. Again, we all shared and we all loved each flavor. The ice cream felt creamier, maybe it came from Tillamook, than anything I get here in STL.

This was probably my favorite day of the trip. We crammed so much fun stuff into one day and it all felt so fun and worth it when we all crashed at about 11pm. I want to go back to the record shop for some serious shopping in the near future. Thursday was our last day, so come back tomorrow to get my take on our visit to Pike Place Market. 

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.

Tales from My Trip to Seattle: Day One

Hello all. I'm back and ready to tell you all about a wonderful week I had with my family in Seattle. I'm going to take the next few days to tell you all about some of the stuff we did while we were visiting. Let’s go.

I have always wanted to travel to Seattle, but it never worked out until now. Luckily for me I have a wife and kids that are willing to go on fun adventures with me and explore places we've never been, My dad used to travel there a ton for work, but I was never able to go along due to sports or some other conflict. But I finally made my journey there and it was a memorable one.

The first full day we had was pretty great. We started our day with a trip to the Chihuly Museum. My daughter is a big time artist. She loves to draw and make up comic strips and she got into modeling, with clay, this past school year. The idea of a museum filled with pieces of art that are made from blown glass was right up her alley. And after a mild flare up due to some extra walking she didn't expect, we found our way to the museum and we were blown away. The artwork in this place was incredible. There are so many pieces and they are all done by this one guy, who also wears an eyepatch. I don't know why or how he ended up with the patch, but that has not stopped him from making some of the coolest artwork I have ever been witness to in my life to this point. The pieces in this place were magnetic. I am not much of an artist by any stretch, but I have always followed the idea that I may not know a lot about art, but I know what I like, and I really liked the stuff we saw at Chihuly. The museum isn't humongous by any stretch, but it filled to the brim with these glass pieces and it blew my mind. We went into one gallery and one of the workers showed us that we could see even more detail in the vases if we shined our phone flashlights on them. That rules. The outside walking area had some of the most unique and biggest pieces of art I've ever seen. There was a room with a glass ceiling that had a very good floral art piece, and you could see the Space Needle from inside the building. The Chihuly Museum is a must for first time travelers.

My daughter and I aren't much for heights, but my son and wife have no fear, so they both did the Space Needle. They loved it. My wife sent me tons of pictures while my daughter and I did some further exploring. My wife said they only went up 525 feet, but when they got up there it felt high. She said they had glass floors and a spot where you could sit on glass and get your picture taken. She told me that made it seem higher. When they came down my son was amped. He was talking a mile a minute, and that is a big sign that he enjoyed himself. The pictures they sent made my knees weak. They also sent a few pictures they snapped from the top of the Space Needle where they spotted my daughter and myself. That was pretty cool I thought.

We ended the first day with a Mariners game. I have always liked the Mariners. I was growing up and playing baseball when Ken Griffey Jr first appeared in the majors. He is one of my favorite players of all time. My son happens to like Julio Rodriguez, so going to a game was an easy yes from myself and my wife. T Mobile park is really cool. They have three statues out front, a Ken Griffey Jr one, an Edgar Martinez one and an Ichiro Suzuki statue. We got pictures of all of them. My son and I got our picture taken by the Griffey Jr one with our matching Griffey Jr t-shirts. It ruled. When we walked into the stadium I was impressed with how easy it was to get around. We found our seats with ease. We were five rows up in right field. The seats were incredible. They made the game so much more fun than it had any right to be. My son was stoked because all of the Mariners regular starters were playing and the Angels had Joe Adell playing right field, who he's a fan of as well. The game was a pitchers duel until the 7th inning, when the Mariners opened up the floodgates.  The food was so much better than what we get at Busch Stadium. My daughter had a personal pizza with cupped pepperoni. My wife had fish and chips. My son got a Sumo Dog and nachos. And I had two Sumo Dogs. We got to try Seattle hot dogs as well, which were great. I found the sushi bar they have at T Mobile, and while I didn't try any, it looked damn good. My wife and daughter got the moose ice cream, which is soft serve inside of an upside down batting helmet with cookies to make a moose. My son and I had churros, which were hot and delicious. The weather was perfect too. It got down to the mid 50's during the game. We all had long sleeves in June. It was a dream come true.

This was just our first full day there. I will fill you all in on the next couple days as the week goes on. This was a great start to an awesome trip. Seattle came out of the gates on absolute fire. 

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.

SeedSing Classic: Ranking the Opening of Every Original "G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero" Cartoon (Copy)

I have said this before and I am going to say it again, “G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero” was a big part of my childhood. The episodes aired on weekday afternoons in suburban St. Louis. I would rush home from school to watch my favorite toy line have adventures on my television. The next day my friends and I would talk about G.I.Joe, play with our G.I. Joe toys, and talk about what new G.I. Joe toys we wanted. I was more obsessed with G.I. Joe than I was even with Star Wars. I am still obsessed and even ranked all 95 episodes of the original Sunbow series. Today I’m going to rank the opening credits/song of the first Sunbow run.

Let’s get to it.

#5 The M.A.S.S. Device miniseries

First things first, all of these openings are great. The biggest thing that hurts the first miniseries is that it is the first. The creative geniuses working on the GI Joe cartoon would always find ways to improve the opening, and they did.

With that being said, this opening is still great. It introduces you the concept, the characters and even clearly tells you the enemy is “Destro and Cobra". truly a classic.

#4 Arise Serpentor Arise - Season 2

The dawn of a new era in GI Joe, the reign of Serpentor.

This opening, like it’s predecessors, is heavy on the action and the characters. Actually, there may be a bit too many characters. Still great and when you saw this opening you knew exactly what era of Joe you were getting.

#3 The Revenge of Cobra

The Revenge of Cobra was the second miniseries and saw the introduction of classic characters like Shipwreck, Flint, Lady Jaye, Zartan, Strom Shadow, and many others. All these new characters get great action moments throughout the intro. What places this opening ahead of the others is the great flamethrower morphing into the series title. Greatness all around.

#2 First Season

Yes the first season of GI Joe was after the third miniseries, that is not a typo.

What an opening. The line of Joe vehicles, the massive Cobra airship, all the punching, this is probably the greatest opening to a 1980’s cartoon, or any other cartoon, ever.

Nothing beats this intro, except…

#1 The Movie

The end of the Sunbow era brought the greatest cartoon intro ever made. The song slaps, the action kicks, the patriotism punches you in the gut. I just wish the movie that followed was as great as this opening.

Yo Joe.

RD

RD is the founder and Head Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support us and the podcast on Patreon.

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

Seeding Classic: Pepsi is Not OK

I’m coming in a little hot with my topic today.

Just a warning for everyone.

I’m currently on a road trip with my folks and my kids. My wife will be joining us in two days. We are heading to Buffalo for a family reunion. Me, my folks and my kids are taking our time. We had our first overnight stop in Dayton, Ohio. We are heading to Canton as I write this. My dad will hit about 500 miles driving after today. We have spent most of the trip in the state of Ohio. As you all well know I’m a Michigan guy. Ohio does have cool stuff, which I’ll touch on in the next few days, but Michigan is cooler. Hell, Saint Louis is cooler. But what I’ve really noticed, what’s really grabbed by attention, the state of Ohio is a Pepsi state.

I stopped drinking soda a few months ago, but prior to that I was a Coke guy. I grew up in a house where 2 liters of Diet Coke were prevalent. When I met my wife she was a Diet Coke person. She introduced me to chocolate Diet Coke’s, which are phenomenal. My brother’s still have Coke products. My extended family is a Coke family. I basically live my soda drinking life making fun of Pepsi. The old standby joke that everyone uses is, “is Pepsi okay?”, asking as if they’re apologizing. My answer was always to opt for water. Pepsi is too sweet. The diet versions are too chemical tasting. They removed their best soda, Sierra Mist, for Starry. Mountain Dew is basically a bottle of liquid sugar. Pepsi products, for me, just don’t add up. So it’s been odd to go places and only see Pepsi products the past couple days. The restaurants are Pepsi only. We went to a museum that had bottled drinks, all of which were Pepsi branded drinks. My kids have been confused as to why they have had Starry or Mug Root beer. They’ve mostly had water, but the few times they’ve had soda, it’s been those and they haven’t finished a single one. I don’t get why a place would only serve Pepsi. I’d gather that most people prefer Coke to Pepsi. I’d love to see a poll for the whole country asking that very question.

I guess Ohio figures Pepsi is just fine. I disagree.

Ty

Editor’s note: I currently live in Ohio and have been here for almost two decades. I am also a Coke person except in certain cases which I will address.

Coke is easy to find here in Southwest Ohio. One of the biggest employers in the Cincinnati region is Coca Cola. I pass the giant office every work day. The Reds stadium is Coke, I am unsure of Paycor Field and their soda selection.

As for everything Coke being better than Pepsi, I have a different opinion. Every other soda option is better in the Pepsi family. Mountain Dew is light years ahead of Mello Yellow. Mugs Root Beer crushes Barq’s, and I have not had Starry, but the only thing good about Sprite is that it mixes well with whiskey.

My counterpoint is that Central Ohio may swim in the terribleness of Pepsi, but us good folks here on the Ohio River know that Coke rules. That is Coke rules and all other Coca Cola products are not ok when Mount Dew, Mugs, and other Pepsi products are available.

RD

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

SeedSing Classic: An Ode to the Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie I Ate for Breakfast

I watch a good amount of cooking videos. They calm me down at the end of the day. I like the soft music they play, the food always looks good and I get a ton of ideas for new recipes while watching. Dessert videos have become my absolute favorite. I have a sweet tooth, I like almost all desserts and most of these videos make the food look extra delicious.

One thing I have seen a lot of lately, but haven't tried yet, is people cooking food in brown butter. It is pretty self explanatory. You put butter in a pan and cook it until it goes from gold to brown. I always think it looks good, but as I said, I have not had it, nor have I made anything with brown butter yet. That changed this morning.

I went out for coffee with my dad, and since I hadn't eaten breakfast, I helped myself to a brown butter chocolate chip cookie. Yep, dessert for breakfast today. I don't see how eating a cookie is any different from eating waffles or pancakes. Anyway, this cookie was divine. It was a big, big cookie too. I got it to go, with my espresso and tonic, the best iced coffee drink in my opinion, and the cookie filled the entire bag. When I took it out it looked different from most cookies. This one was darker. Most chocolate chip cookies have a lighter, closer to whiter color. This one was dark. It was almost caramel colored. I was instantly intrigued. I have seen other cookies this color, but not chocolate chip. And the chips in this cookie were the biggest chips I've seen. They were almost Hershey Kiss size. There were only three or four chips in the cookie, but that was more than enough.

Back to the taste of the cookie.

The first bite was pretty amazing. That is the sign if food will be great, okay or bad, that first bite. And this delivered in flavor. There was salt and sweet, but it was not overly sweet at all. That is a big sign of a solid cookie for me. If the baker does a good job of parsing the ingredients properly, the pastry or cookie or whatever should be dynamite. This baker nailed it. Then there was this nutty flavor. This was totally new to me. I have had a lot of cookies in my life. A lot. This was a whole new world for me. I have to imagine this comes from browning the butter. I don't know where else the nuttiness could have come from. When you combine that brown butter with flour, eggs, sugar and salt, and whatever else they add, that is a wonderful combination of awesome flavors. I enjoyed every last bit of this cookie. I had my dad try it and he was equally impressed. He also appreciated the balance of ingredients. My dad is not a big time sweets guy, so for him to enjoy a cookie this much, that is a big deal. And when we chatted about the cookie, we both came back to the brown butter aspect. This has to be the magical/secret ingredient that really made the sweet sing.

I am a fan and will be using brown butter much more often. I am eager to try it at home now. I think using it in a pasta dish could be a magical addition. If you all have not had brown butter yet, I highly recommend giving it a taste. It is very, very good stuff. 

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.

SeedSing Classic: The Ocean is Better than the Pool

Last week in Florida we had the option to swim in a pool or the ocean. My family, like many others I suppose, chose to do both. We figured we would get the best of both worlds, and since our place was right by a pool, it was nice to wash the sand off from the beach in the local pool. But, the ocean is so much more fun to swim in than a pool.

I have thought about this for years, but it really came to a head for me last week. I asked everyone on the trip which they preferred, and they all chose the pool. When I asked why I got the usual answers. They like the pool more because it is enclosed, the waves only come when a bunch of people jump in, you can go from shallow to deep with ease and it is easier to play games. I prefer the ocean for the opposite of those reasons. I love how open the water is in the ocean. I wholeheartedly enjoy navigating the waves and jumping with them. Hell, I even like when a wave crashes over my head and forces me to swim. I like how it just gets deeper and deeper the further out you are from the beach. And as far as games or playing catch goes, it is so much more of a fun challenge to do in ocean water. I also like the toughness of open water swimming and the workout I get from swimming in ocean water. I was totally gassed each day when we returned. I made the mistake of going for a run after a beach day one day we were there. I was so tired after only two short miles into a four mile run. I couldn't figure it out during the run, but when I got back my wife asked how difficult it was after swimming in the ocean all afternoon. That's when it hit me that I had been working out without even trying because the water is tough and forces you to do work. I also really like how the water gets colder and colder the deeper you go out. If I got too warm in one spot I'd take a few steps deeper and it felt refreshing and cool. That was when I'd dunk my head under water just to get that same feeling all over my entire body.

I know people out there will complain about the algae and sand and everything else that goes with ocean water swimming. And sure, the algae got annoying after a while, but to combat that, I would just swim to a new spot. The sand was fine for me. It gave me a sense of where I was in the water and made me feel safe. I loved seeing the fish swim by, and I think a few probably bumped into me on their way to a cooler spot in the water. I thought it was rad seeing pelicans and seagulls flying all over the place. My favorite thing about this was when they would dive into the water looking for something to eat. That was so fascinating to watch. I would clock one and put all my focus on that for a good amount of time. And for the people who don't like the saltwater in the ocean, close your mouth when you go under. I saw plenty of people doing this and it works out great. I also saw kids with goggles and that is genius. That is like shallow water snorkeling for people.

The ocean is far better than a pool. We were meant to swim in open water in my opinion. A pool can be nice for a few hours. But the ocean is nice for an entire day, and then the next day you can go to a totally different spot and get a totally unique experience. A pool is a pool is a pool. The ocean is where all the fun can be had. 

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.

SeedSing Classic: An Ode to Fresh Made Juice

A short time ago I wrote about my love of citrus fruits. That hasn't changed at all by the way. But today's topic may be even a little more niche than that post. I watch a lot of cooking videos on Instagram. That is my way to relax before going to bed. And I've seen and tried to replicate many of those recipes. I have recently gotten into cooking the last couple years, and trying something new is a lot of fun to me. Amongst the videos I have gotten some where people make juice.

I have always liked juice. Who doesn't? As a kid I was all in on apple juice. I used to dislike orange juice. When I was a kid I was convinced that you only drank orange juice when you were sick. But now I love it. I like it plain, in coffee, with some ice. It's all good. I like cranberry juice mixed with other juices. The only kind I don't really go for is grapefruit, but I've never been much of a fan anyway. Back to the juice videos I have seen.

What struck me most from the first video I saw was how much work it took to make them fresh. I would watch people peel an endless amount of fruit. I would see people using a mortar of sorts to muddle the fruit and then strain it. Straining it was a whole other process to deal with while making fresh juice. But then my wife got me a juicer last Xmas. This was a total game changer for me. I still have to peel a bunch of fruit, and while that can be tedious, I'm here to say that fresh juice knocks pre-made stuff totally out of the water. As I sit writing this right now I have a fresh glass of orange juice at my side. And it is so much better than any juice you can buy in the store. It is straight up orange juice. There is no other flavor, and that is exactly what I want from my juice. A few weeks ago I made a bunch of apple juice. We went apple picking as a family and my son and I picked a whole bag full of fresh apples just to juice. My kid, my wife and I all agree that this was the best apple juice we have ever had. After multiple strainings, it was so flavorful and so appley, I wanted more and more of it. In the past year I have done a bunch of other fresh juices. Pineapple has been my favorite. I have liked the watermelon juice I've made. Kiwi juice was a nice surprise. I like to combine multiple fruits from time to time. I once juiced blueberries and bananas together. It wasn't that bad. I like adding fresh lime juice with a little fresh ginger from time to time. Sometimes adding veggies to the fresh fruit gives a nice contrast. But nothing compares to the flavor you get from juicing one single fruit. It is like nothing else you can have. It has a straight up flavor. This orange juice I'm having right now is exactly what I have come to expect from fresh orange juice. And I didn't have to squeeze it or anything like that. All I had to do was peel the oranges, which was a choice all my own. My juicer allows fruit to have the peel on. It separates the peel as best it can, and sometimes when some of the peel makes its way into the juice, it adds a slight bitterness that is a welcome taste. But when you get just the juice, and strain it a bit, man oh man is it good. And refreshing.

I'm all in on fresh juice at the moment. I don't mind the extra work. The extra work proves to me that, by putting in a little effort, you get better tasting food and drink. There is something to it. The fact that I went through some extra work makes it taste better to me. So, if you have the time, I highly recommend making fresh juice. And, if you have the means, get a juicer or something similar. It cuts the time in half and you still get the reward of freshly made juice. It is worth the time in the long run. 

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.

The Memphis Grizzlies Have a Bright Future

Before I go out of town next week and take that time off from writing, I wanted to leave you all with one more piece that involves the NBA. It has been a big basketball week, but with the draft and trades, it was at the forefront of my mind. So, before I bid you all adieu for one short week, I want to talk about how the Grizzlies have reinvigorated my fandom.

It has been tough to be a Grizzlies fan the past couple seasons. They flamed out two years ago to the Thunder in the first round of the playoffs and they were not very good and injury riddled all last season. Throw in all the off court stuff with Ja Morant, inexplicably trading Jaren Jackson Jr last year and letting Taylor Jenkins go before the playoffs two years ago. The Grizzlies have been a dumpster fire for about two years now, but this past week they have been making moves.

They started off the week with a bang on Tuesday night when they drafted Cam Boozer third overall. This is who I wanted them to take and they snagged him as soon as they realized he was going to be available. He is the type of player they can build around. He is a smart and savvy basketball player. He is going to average close to 20 points right away. He is a solid rebounder and passer already. His defense needs to improve, and I have no doubt that it will in due time. Memphis is going to love this kid, he will most likely love it there. He is NBA ready and looks like he may be the top rookie in this class. I fully believe he has the front position on winning rookie of the year next season. I'm so stoked about Boozer.

The Grizzlies traded down a bit in the first round, they originally had the 16th pick in round one as well, but they moved down to 21. Here they took Karim Lopez. This kid is tough. He has been playing professionally in New Zealand against dudes bigger and meaner than him and he thrived. He is a hard nosed rebounder. He doesn't take any garbage from anyone. He can get tough buckets. Bigger NBA players aren't going to intimidate him like they will other rookie players. And again, the city is going to love his toughness and his demeanor. He feels like a silent assassin. He looks young, but the guy is no joke. I feel like he can be this new roster's version of Steven Adams. He will only get bigger and stronger working with NBA trainers and I feel like he may be one of my favorite players in a very short time.

I'm even excited about the kid from BYU they took in round 2, Richie Saunders. I didn't know much about him until they drafted and then I went and checked out some clips of him on the internet. He was the second best player on that BYU team, behind AJ Dybansta obviously. But Saunders is not without his skill set. He can step out and shoot the ball. He tries very hard on defense. If he is open he will make shots. He has a toughness to him too.

That has me most stoked with this draft class, these three kids look like they have the mentality and bodies that are already set for the NBA. The Grizzlies got the most polished player in the draft in Boozer, they got one tough son of a gun in Lopez and they are taking a shot on a guy that can give them solid bench minutes in the long run. I love it. They were also able to acquire Isaiah Stewart from the Pistons for some second round picks. Again, they feel like they're going back to their roots of being tough and mean and physical and opponents will hate to play them. Stewart is one of my favorite players currently in the league. He doesn't back down from anyone. He is also a good rebounder and a surprisingly good shot blocker. He will also protect the young guys if they need it as well.

Peering out and taking a deeper look in this roster, they really only have one more thing to do to make this offseason an absolute home run for me, and that is finding a way to trade Ja Morant. I loved Morant, but he messed up and now he seems disengaged and wants out. I say let him go. Trade him to Sacramento or Brooklyn and try and get some picks. Hell, that may be all they can get for him at this point. But the time has come for both Morant and Memphis to move on.

The Grizzlies have a new franchise building block in Boozer. They have young guys to put around him in Cedric Coward and Zach Edey. Stewart is going to most likely start. Lopez will get extended minutes. I'm ready to watch GG Jackson fire the ball at the rim 20 times a night. They took a flyer on Walter Clayton Jr in the JJJ trade, so let's see if he can bring some of that college magic to the NBA. Santi Aldama can still stretch the floor a bit. They still have Ty Jerome and Scotty Pippen Jr under contract. Those guys have some kind of value. Hell, I'd even give Olivier-Maxence Prosper some extended minutes just to see what he has.

Look, the Grizzlies won't be very good this season, but they are trending in the right direction for me. I like what they accomplished this week. I'm excited to watch them again. I will be happy when they finally move Morant. This wasn't the case last season. But the moves this week have me pumped. I cannot wait to watch this team learn, grow and become good together. I'm happy to be a Grizzlies fan once again. 

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.

Thoughts on LaMelo Ball and the Timberwolves

I was going to write about the Grizzlies draft today. I wanted to talk about my feelings of the team moving forward. But the Timberwolves and Hornets pulled off a blockbuster trade and that takes precedent today.

As I was driving my son to football camp this morning the notification came across my watch that the Hornets were sending LaMelo Ball to the Timberwolves. That was all I saw at 8:30 this morning. It wasn't until I got to my folks house that I saw the rest of the trade. The Hornets sent LaMelo Ball and Josh Green to the Timberwolves for Naz Reid and a bunch of picks and pick swaps.

This was wildly unexpected. I heard last night, during round two of the draft, that the Hornets were mildly shopping Ball. I thought it was just draft talk and would amount to nothing. I went to bed expecting Ball to be a Hornet next season. And then this dropped. I know that Anthony Edwards has wanted to be paired with another star around his age, and the Timberwolves were exploring a bunch of options. I know they kicked the tires on Giannis and Ja Morant, but those deals never really materialized. But they started to move other guys, namely Julius Randle to the Nets for picks, so it seemed like they were trying to cook up some kind of deal. Then they pulled the trade for Ball off.

This is kind of nuts. I figured the Hornets were pretty set with the team they had in place. They made a nice push to the play-in last season, and it looked like they were going to try and build off of that. It seemed like they were happy with their three top players, Ball, Kon Knueppel and Brandon Miller. They also have some nice young bigs that fit their system pretty well. But they kind of blew that all up this morning. I know they have Coby White to step in for Ball, and Naz Reid will bring veteran leadership, and he is a big that can stretch the floor, but taking away the hub seems out of the blue. Ball ran the offense. He was very wild with it, and would make inexplicable turnovers far too often, but he ran this team. He got open shots for the shooters. He is a premier lob passer. He was eager to start any and every fast break. He is a sieve on defense, but he was their guy on offense. Now he is gone, replaced with future picks and an older big man. I think the Hornets are still going to be solid, they definitely unlocked some stuff last season. But they are going to struggle to find as many open shots or fast break opportunities. Coby White is a solid point guard, but he is not on Ball's level as a passer. Knueppel won't find as many open threes either. Brandon Miller is going to have to be a little more assertive as well. The Hornets have some stuff to work out, but they should still be able to compete, especially in the East.

As for the Timberwolves, this is wild to me. They have gotten off of Julius Randle and Naz Reid. Randle struggled in the playoffs and seems to have passed his prime. It seemed inevitable that he was going to be moved. But Naz Reid was about to be put into the starting lineup. He was going to be given his chance with this squad. Now he is off to the Hornets, where I'm sure he will start as well. The Timberwolves will look different now, and they won't have as much size. Ball is going to be the 1, Anthony Edwards the 2, Jaden McDaniels at the 3, probably their young guy they all love, Joan Beringer at the 4 and Rudy Gobert at the 5. This feels like an odd starting five to me. Ball and Edwards make for a solid backcourt. I actually think those two will find a way to coexist, as long as Ball understands that this is Anthony Edwards' team. Edwards drives this team and everything runs through him. As long as he is healthy and on the floor, Edwards runs the show. McDaniels has more than proven himself as a very good three and d guy. He really showed growth and potential in the playoffs this season and he looks primed to get even better. But it is the front court that would worry me most. Beringer is totally unproven. He is only 19. I know the coaches and front office are high on him, but he has proven zero in the league to this point. He has a ton to show. And Gobert is still as stout a defender as ever, but he is not a rim runner or lethal lob threat at this point in his career. Gobert makes his due on defense, as he should. But he may end up being a dunker spot player on offense as long as he is still on the T'Wolves. They do have some solid depth too. They just gave Ayo Dosunmu a long, and well deserved contract. Isaiah Evans was a great second round pick last night, Kyle Anderson may be washed, but he can still do things in spurts that will help this team. Josh Green was a nice throw in in this deal, and he seems like he is much better off the bench. And Bones Hyland may find his niche as instant offense off the bench this season. But the team up of Edwards and Ball still has a ton to prove, obviously.

I don't know that this puts Minnasota on the level of the Thunder, Spurs or Nuggets at this point. I want the Timberwolves to succeed because I'm a big fan of Anthony Edwards. Time will tell and this deal may take a little longer to bear fruit than the Timberwolves may want. We will see. 

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Thoughts on Giannis and The Miami Heat

As mentioned yesterday, today I will give my take on the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade to the Miami Heat.

This appears to have been in the making for sometime now. I read before the trade that he was willing to go to two teams, the Heat or the Celtics. The Celtics did offer Jaylen Brown and picks, but the Bucks clearly wanted more players and more picks. I read that they were interested in Baylor Scheirman and Hugo Gonzalez, but the Celitcs deemed them unmovable in this deal. I am not so sure why they wouldn't include those guys, but I am not Brad Stevens and I do not work for the Celtics. I would have included both in the trade if it meant I would get to pair Giannis with Jayson Tatum next season, but that's just me. But the Heat, they gave up a haul to land Giannis. I wouldn't necessarily say they gave up most of their bench, but damn did the Bucks get a return.

Along with Giannis, the Heat did acquire Bobby Portis. But they had to trade Ke'el Ware, Tyler Herro, Jaime Jacquez Jr, Kasparas Jakucionis and a bunch of current and future draft picks. I know last night that the Bucks took Brayden Burries, and the Heat traded the rights to Nate Ament to the Bucks with their pick. So, not counting future picks, the Bucks gave up two guys, two very important guys, and got back five players. That's quite the haul for the Bucks. And they got young players that they are going to try and build around now.

I have seen that the Bucks may move Tyler Herro this offseason, and I think that may be in their best interest. Tyler Herro is an exceptional offensive basketball player. He has proven that he can shoot the rock and put in points at a very high rate. But he is an absolute zero on defense, and he is coming off of two seasons where he spent more time injured than playing. If they can turn him into future picks, or take a flyer on another young player that a contending team may not need, I'd say go for it. That would help in the rebuilding process for the Bucks.

As far as things go with Ware, Jacquez and Jakucionis, keep those guys and let them play a ton. The Bucks will not be a very good team next year, so I say they see what they have in these young guys. I like Ware a ton. He has looked to figure some things out in his first two seasons in the NBA. He has also become somewhat of a consistent scorer in the paint, and he can already protect the rim at a very high clip. Jacquez was close to winning sixth man of the year last season. He is instant offense off the bench, tries really hard on the defensive end of the court and he can shoot from pretty much anywhere on the floor. Jakucionis was a lottery pick last season, I heard he showed flashes during practices and just needed minutes to prove his worth. He should get minutes in spades now. The Bucks may even start him. Add on their picks last night, this team is going to go through a tough season or two, but they may end up being solid and a threat in the East in three years.

As for the Heat, if they did mortgage their depth, they got an absolute top of the line superstar in the deal. I love Giannis. He is one of my all time favorite players. He has won at the highest levels in the league. He gets better every year. I know he has been hurt a bit too much the past few years, but maybe that will go away now that he is in Miami, and they appear to have one of the best training staffs in all of professional sports. If they can get him right, and keep him on the court for 60 to 70 games every year, the Heat instantly become a threat in the East. The Knicks, Celtics and Cavs may be better than them right now, but the Heat are coming with this new starting five. Pairing Giannis in the frontcourt with Bam Adebayo is going to look like defense nirvana. Those two will contest every shot at the rim, grab almost every rebound and can both start fastbreaks off misses and blocks. They can both score at will as well. Bam put up 80 in a game last season. Giannis put up 50 in a Finals closeout game four years ago. They both love to attack the rim, and with Bam being a little bit of a better outside shooter, he will open up driving lanes for Giannis. You can play Portis at the three and have a super big frontcourt. And then I would imagine the Heat are going to start Davion Mitchell and Norm Powell, if they retain him, in the backcourt. Mitchell has revived his career since being added to the Heat, and Powell is the best scorer on the team. This is a formidable starting five, and if you want to swap out Portis for Andrew Wiggins at the three, be my guest. Wiggins is a better scorer and rim runner anyway.

The depth is the issue in Miami now. They gave up a ton to land Giannis. Let's say Wiggins starts, that leaves bench players like Bobby Portis, Nikola Jovic, Vlad Goldin, Pelle Larson, Dru Smith and Myron Gardner. That's not really much of a threat in the second unit. A lot of those guys were two way players last season. But they are on the Heat, and the Heat seem to squeeze every inch out of these guys. And Portis has always been a solid bench guy. But if a starter gets hurt and misses extended time, it may get dicey for the Heat.

In the end, the Heat got their guy. Erik Spoelstra now has a legit first option to put next to Bam. Spoelstra is an exceptional coach and he will put these guys in the best possible position to win. I like this deal for both teams. They each got what they wanted and I'm excited to see how it plays out in both Milwaukee and Miami. What a trade. The NBA is 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.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Ty's 2026 NBA Draft Preview

I promise you all I will talk about the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade tomorrow. If it weren't for the NBA draft, that would most definitely be the topic today. But we have the first round of the draft tonight, and I, as you all know, like to do my version of a draft preview. As opposed to what other people write about, I'll talk about a few prospects I like, some I dislike and some sleepers. I will also be taking a little time to talk about the three Michigan guys in the draft as well. I'm not doing a mock, not ranking anyone, I'm just going to give my thoughts on a few prospects.

I'll start with the players I like. This draft, according to most experts, has four players that could all be number 1 in most other drafts. I do think this draft class is going to be a memorable one for sure. there's some surefire stars that could turn the fortunes around for a few teams in the near future.

A while back I wrote about my thoughts on AJ Dybansta. I still think that he is the clear cut number 1 player available. He is big, can stretch the floor, plays hard all the time and can create his own shot. He is only 19, so he is going to get bigger and stronger. I see no real downside to his game. He also appears ready to come in and start right away. I'd take him first overall and have no problems with it. Dybansta has star written all over him.

I also really like Cam Boozer. He is a student of the game. He plays with power and control. He is an excellent passer. He can shoot the three. He needs to get better on defense, but that will happen quickly for him. I am very hopeful that he "falls" to three so the Grizzlies can take him and fully start their rebuild with him as the cornerstone player.

I am all in on Caleb Wilson. He has so much raw potential. He is such an incredible athlete. You could see how much UNC missed him when he went down with an injury right before the NCAA tournament. He has the looks of a low rent Kevin Garnett, which is a compliment. I would love to see him come in and contribute right away, but it is going to take a year or two before he starts to maximize his potential.

And then there's Darryn Peterson. I fully understand that he had some weird stuff with his playing time during his lone year at Kansas. I don't care about that. I watched Will Johnson sit out pretty much a full season at Michigan just so he could stay healthy for the NFL draft. I'm sure that's what Peterson was doing to an extent. He played big when he played great competition. He showed up in big games. He can get to the rim at will. Peterson has the goods, and I have him just behind Dybansta as my top player.

My final player that I really like is Kingston Flemings. I, for some reason, watched him play a ton this season at Houston. And he wowed me with every game. He plays under control, never seems to get rattled and really worked his tail off on the defensive end. People may say he is too small, I don't care about that at all. He is the exact type of point guard I would love to have on my team. He is a cerebral guard who never lets the moment get too big for him.

As for some prospects I don't like all that much, I want to start with Nate Ament. He is too skinny, too inconsistent and plays a little too erratic. I watched him play against Michigan in the tournament and they absolutely shut him down. He had an opportunity to prove a ton of people wrong, but he didn't show up. I felt like that happened a lot to him this year. While he is big and long, he is too skinny and needs way more time to develop than other top prospects in this draft.

This next player has very little to do with his ability, it is more about where he will most likely end up. That player is Darius Acuff. Acuff is a tremendously gifted offensive basketball player. He is such a pure and elite level scorer. He doesn't play any defense though. And I am worried for him that he is going to end up with the Nets or Kings. He will be frustrated by his role on the Nets because he is not going to be the number one option. As for the Kings, they are just a mess of a team and they seem to kill any good players they get by lack of surrounding them with elite talent. So, while I think Acuff will be able to score in the NBA, he is going to get hunted on defense and he will, most likely, end up on a team that will not give him the best opportunities to succeed.

I think some team is going to reach way too hard for Bennett Stirtz. I get it, the guy can fill up the stat sheet. He looked dominant as the lead guard at Iowa at times last season. But Iowa was only bolstered by their tournament run and Stirtz reminds me of a low rent Jimmer Fredette, except Fredette was such a better college basketball player. I see a ton of Fredette, Gradey Dick and Immanuel Quickly in Stirtz. I just don't see it with him.

Finally, I don't see it with Hanness Steinbach. Sure, he is a big front court player that can stretch the floor. and he did get a little better as the year wore on. But he never really left much of a mark. He just kind of came and went and I forgot about him. I watch a ton of Big Ten basketball, and Steinbach was never really on my radar. He is someone that I just kind of forgot about. So for him to be considered a late lottery pick is wild to me.

As for sleepers in this draft, some team is going to strike gold with Jayden Quaintance. I know he didn't play hardly at all in his transfer season to Kentucky, but he left a mark during his freshman season at Arizona State. He blocked everything that came into his sight. He was a tenacious rebounder. He was a rim running machine. And he is still incredibly young. If a team like the Pistons or Spurs end up drafting this kid, the other 30 teams in the NBA are going to be kicking themselves for years to come.

I also really like Chris Cenac Jr from Houston. He is long and lean, but he is also nasty and mean. He has a nose for the ball. He will do anything to get his hands on it, and then dunk it in your face. In my Flemings watches, Cenac Jr really started to flash on my radar as well. This kid is going to be such a spark off the bench in the NBA.

My final sleeper, Zuby Ejiofor. Ejiofor is such a perfect bench player for a title contender right now. He is smart, will lay himself on the line for the team, his shot has gotten better and he is a tank. This kid is going to be damn near impossible to move in the post. I think he would be an ideal player to take in the late first, early second round. He is an ideal fit with almost any NBA team.

Now, for the Michigan guys. Michigan has three players that could be taken within the first 14 picks. Aday Mara has risen the fastest on draft boards. He is 7'4, has a standing reach of 9'9, is an elite level passer and rim protector and is such a freaky lob threat. He needs to put some muscle on and work on his outside shot. He should also be an instant impact player on the defensive side of the court. Yaxel Lendeborg has come such a long way in a short time. He didn't even really play basketball until he was in JUCO. But he has molded himself into a legit lottery player and really made a name for himself during Michigan's national title season. He is big and switchable on defense. His three point shot improved dramatically this past season. He is a ferocious fast break player. And he can get to the free throw line. He does need to take the game more seriously now that he is entering the NBA. He cannot take plays off or not have his head into the game regardless of score. But Lendeborg is going to have a nice long career in the NBA and he should be a starter from day one. Finally we have my favorite player from last year's team, Morez Johnson Jr. Morez is such a good hustle guy. He never takes plays off when he is on the court. His motor never stops. He can play the 4 or 5 and guard the position as well. He is a tenacious rebounder. He loves dunking on people. The problem is, he can disappear for stretches of games. Sometimes you would forget that he was on the floor if he didn't get touches on a few possessions. Morez Johnson Jr needs to get drafted to the correct team, like the Spurs, Heat or even the Pacers, for him to fully maximize his potential. But I do think he is going to be a very good bench role player during his NBA career, and whoever drafts him is going to love how hard and how much he cares about the game of basketball.

Okay, that's it. You all have my 2026 NBA draft preview. Enjoy the first round this evening. 

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.