Tys 2026 - 2027 NBA Preview: Timberwolves, Cavaliers, Rockets

Welcome back to my preseason NBA countdown. So far the Thunder look very, very good. The 76ers are finding ways to win games early on this season, I don't know how long that will last. And will the Cavs ever figure it out? Time will tell.

Coming in at 9 I have the Minnesota Timberwolves. Man did Anthony Edwards look very, very good the other night. When he brings that type of energy and killer mentality, he could easily force his way into the MVP conversation this season. He looked every bit the star he can easily become. He was ferocious attacking the rim. He was hitting his jump shots. He was smack talking his opponents. Anthony Edwards is probably my favorite young player in the NBA, and I love it when he plays like he did the other night. Sure, LaMelo Ball traveled on that one shot, but he and Edwards looked really good together. I know it is just one game, but they have a nice camaraderie and if they can do that most nights, this backcourt is going to be tough to defend. The real test for Ball will be when the T'Wolves have to play important games later in the season. Ball has never really played on a team with expectations late in the year. That will change this season. Rudy Gobert still seems to have most of the defense that made him a good NBA player. He has never been a true offensive threat, but he can protect the rim and grab rebounds all day. He has also gotten better at covering switches and staying with some guards on the perimeter. Jaden McDaniels got a one year deal. It feels like a prove it deal. But he proved it last season in the playoffs and he came out of the gates firing this season. He has gotten better each season, he backs up his talk and his offensive game is coming along very nicely. Ayo Dosunmu was a great addition last season, and he got paid this offseason. He brings a great spark off the bench. He loves to get up and down the floor. He wants to run and run and run. He is such a nice, important bench player for this team to have, and he can start on very short notice. Joan Beringer is going to get way more minutes and way more playing time. He needs to prove that he has earned that time. There will be moments of frustration, but if he can show a little something, he will have a definite future with this team. Terrance Shannon Jr is due for a bigger role, and he looked okay at times last season. He struggles defensively, but if he can provide an offensive spark off the bench that would be nice for the Timberwolves. Donte DiVencenzio will most likely not be back this year, and they will miss him. And I wonder if Bones Hyland is simply out of the rotation at this point. The Timberwolves are experimenting with an interesting backcourt this year. I hope it works out for them because I am a big time Anthony Edwards fan. They're also clearly going for it all with the moves they made this offseason. But if they can replicate what happened the other night with some regularity, this team is going to be very, very good this year.

At number 8 I have the Cleveland Cavaliers. I already mentioned them at the top, and the lead they blew, but that is just one game. The Cavs are a proven regular season wins machine. Donovan Mitchell got a big time raise this offseason and the Cavs made it pretty clear that he is their guy. Mitchell is a great offensive player and he is one of the better shot creators in the NBA. He has never been much of a defender, but I think that is because he is this team's offense. Evan Mobley is good, but he is not yet great. He hasn't really gotten much of a jump shot, the playoff lights may be a little too bright for him and he isn't as tough around the rim as one would hope. But he is a highly skilled big man and he, while being a little soft, is still a very good rim protector. James Harden is still very productive. He is like an older version of Luka Doncic. He only cares about one end of the floor and plays a boring brand, for me, of basketball. But he is still productive and still one of the better passers, especially lob passes, in basketball. Jarrett Allen is solid, but the lights are even brighter for him than Mobley in the playoffs. He kind of shrivels when the games start to matter most. That being said, Allen is still a decent enough big man that can still rebound at a high rate. Jaylon Tyson is going to have a much bigger role this season, and he came on strong last year. He proved himself worthy of more playing time. I love that they went out and got Payton Watson. He brings perimeter defense, his shot is better, he is kind of a great fit for this team. He is going to get many more opportunities here than in Denver as well. Same Merrill doesn't move me much. Thomas Bryant is old. Mario Hezjona is a bust. The bench is what scares me most with this team. They have a great starting 5, but that bench is very worrisome. They made it to the East Finals last year, but it was a struggle to get there. That may be the ceiling for this team, but maybe they can make a breakthrough this year.

The final team for the week, at number 7 I have the Houston Rockets. The Rockets got ousted from the playoffs with little fanfare last year, but this team is now whole. I bet that will change their offense too. Fred VanVleet is a very good point guard, and the Rockets missed him very much last year. He facilitates this offense and he is the steady hand this team needs. Kevin Durant is still here, for now, and he is as productive as ever. He can still score at will, create his own shot and find time to fight trolls online. KD is an all time great, but I worry about him possibly wanting to change teams mid season. Tari Eason got himself kicked out of the first game the other night because he shoved a dude to the ground. He is the enforcer that this team needs. He is their James Johnson. Jabari Smith looked very, very good the other night. He was scoring and moving like I have not seen him move before. This may be him entering his prime, and if that is true, this team now has two excellent scoring creators. Amen Thompson got paid, and is one of the best defensive players in all of basketball. He can also handle and distribute pretty well at his size. He cannot shoot a jumper all that well, but he more than makes up for it defensively. Steven Adams is very important to this team's rebounding. When he is on the floor he is an offensive rebounding machine. He is also super strong. Clint Capela still has moments of his excellent rim running ability. And we will have to see if Reed Sheppard was a bust or not this season. Getting VanVleet back is really going to help this team out way more than any of us may think. And KD is still one of the best offensive players ever, who fits in with every team he has played on to this point. The Rockets may be being slept on a bit too much coming into this season. If they can figure out a more coherent offense, which I think they will with VanVleet, the Rockets could push for a top three seed in the West.

That's it for this week. Come back next week for the top six teams and some predictions. 

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 - 2027 NBA Preview: Raptors, Lakers, Nuggets

Welcome back to my preseason NBA countdown. Again, I fully understand the NBA has already started. Almost every team has played one game already, and that is only going to ramp up more and more as October comes and goes. But I still have twelve teams to countdown, and I plan on finishing that. Let's get back to it.

At number 12 I have the Toronto Raptors. The Raptors made a nice push last season, played Cleveland hard in round one and they traded for Kawhi Leonard this offseason. Sure, Leonard comes with baggage, but that is off the court, and to be honest, the whole Aspiration thing means nothing to me. He got some extra money and he paid his fine. In my opinion, Aspiration news is old news to me at this point. Leonard, when he plays, is still one of the better players in the NBA. He is still a top notch defender, he can still create his own shot and he is still as lethal as ever. He fits this team perfectly and is purely additive. I love his fit with the Raptors. Scottie Barnes is emerging as a superstar in the NBA. He took his game to a whole new level in the playoffs last season, and he has only gotten better each year in the league. He is a tenacious defender, can guard multiple positions and is becoming a two level scorer. RJ Barrett may get traded at some point, but while he is still on this roster he has found a nice role. He is a solid outside shooter, he can play a little defense and he is playing in his home country. Collin Murray-Boyles is starting to show the team why he should be a starter. He is a good rim runner, can play defense and he will beat the hell out of you on the glass. Immanuel Quickley has always been able to shoot the ball, but he cannot stay healthy all that long, and if he wants real playing with this team he will have to buy in defensively. Jakob Poeltl is still the starting center, but CMB is coming for that job, and Poeltl feels more like a placeholder until CMB is fully ready to take over. And every team that has Kyle Anderson on their roster finds ways to win multiple games and make deep-ish playoff runs. The Raptors are a good basketball team that was made infinitely better when the Kawhi Leonard trade fully went through. They will be a problem in the East, and it wouldn't shock me if they made a push to the East Finals, and maybe even the NBA Finals.

At 11 I have the Los Angeles Lakers. Look, I despise this team. I always have and I always will. They are the evil empire in the NBA. And I hate that they seemingly pushed LeBron James out the door. He brought this team a title. He is the second best player ever. And the Lakers pushed him away for Luka Doncic. Doncic is a great offensive basketball player. I may hate the way he plays basketball, but he can score and find the open player for easy shots. He also thrives off of people doubting him or talking trash to him. But he is an absolute zero on defense. He doesn't try, he hurts his team's defense and he has zero interest in even learning how to play on that end of the floor. He also whines and moans at the refs so much that it completely takes me out of the game I'm watching. He is a narcissist and plays a dull style of basketball for me. Austin Reaves would be Gordon Hayward if he were on any other team. He wouldn't get the looks he gets now and the media would only talk of him in passing. But since he is on the Lakers people seem to think he is a fringe all star. Again, he is a very good offensive basketball player, but he has no interest or clue on how to buy in defensively. Walker Kessler was their big offseason acquisition, but he has not played one meaningful minute of NBA basketball, and he is coming off of injury. He may be the Lakers best defensive player, but until he does it with some consistency, I don't buy him as some humongous addition to this team. The other additions are interesting to me. Collin Sexton is a microwave off the bench, but he doesn't play defense. Jake LaRavia is a non factor on either end to me. Matisse Thybulle is an interesting pick, who does play defense, but he needs to hit open shots more often. Mamu is going to be taking on too big of a role in my opinion. And Kevon Looney's best days are way, way behind him. But the Lakers have the refs and ESPN in their corner. They also have media members on their side, so they will win enough games to be in the top 6 of the West. As much as I loathe this team, they will win regular season games at a nice rate.

The final team for the day, another team I don't really care for, at 10 I have the Denver Nuggets. Nikola Jokic is another offensive wonder that the media loves, whom I don't care for. Again, much like Doncic, Jokic has zero interest in playing defense. A basketball court has two ends, and Jokic doesn't even care about one end of the floor, which is a shame because his size alone could deter people. But he will make a few fancy passes here and there, and make a few buzzer beater threes, and the media will go nuts over it and call him the best to ever play the game. Jamal Murray is fine, but he has never put together a season like he had when the Nuggets won the title. He is a great pick and roll guy with Jokic, but much like his counterpart, he doesn't care about defense either, and he gets abused on that end of the floor. I think Aaron Gordon is a very good player, and fits very well with this team, but he is almost always hurt, and when he tries to play now, you can tell he is in a good deal of pain. Christian Braun has not lived up to the contract he signed a few years back. His defense has regressed and he is not the shooter he hoped to become. Cam Johnson is a good three point shooter, and he came on strong at the end of last season, but like a lot of the guys on this roster, defense is a nonstarter for him. They signed DeMar DeRpzan this offseason, who i've always been a fan of, and while he will feast on second units, he has never, ever been a defensive minded player. DaRon Holmes III got injured during his rookie year, and never really found much of a place with this team last season. Tyus Jones is an okay backup point guard. And Julian Strawther is going to have to take on a much bigger role now that some of their other key bench guys are gone. The Nuggets will have an explosive and high scoring offense, which will work great against the lower tier NBA teams. But when they have to play real teams, teams that can take advantage of their lack of defense, they will struggle. They will still win enough in the regular season to be a playoff team, but the playoffs will more than likely explore their horrendous defense yet again.

That's it for today. Come back tomorrow for my next three teams. 

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Ty's 2026 - 2027 NBA Preview: Pacers, Heat, Hawks

Welcome back to my preseason NBA countdown. I know the season started last night, and some of the games were fun to watch. The 76ers looked good, the Celtics blew a humongous lead, the Pistons made a nice push to win and the Spurs and Thunder are going to be at each other's throats for a long while now, which makes the NBA even more fun. Anyway, let's get back to the countdown.

At 15 I have the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers are not higher because so much is unknown with this roster. Tyrese Haliburton looked really good in preseason, I just want to see it in the regular season. Haliburton is the straw that stirs this team's offense. He is so good at pushing the ball up and down the floor. He can find the open guy anywhere. He is one of the best clutch  shooters in all of basketball. He's coming back off a really bad injury, and that leaves me with a bit of worry in his case. Ivica Zubac is a very good center. He is big and strong and a solid rim protector. He is good at finishing around the rim and is capable of being a solid rim runner. But he doesn't bring any three point shooting, and that was the best thing Myles Turner gave this offense. Turner could spread the floor. Zubac doesn't, but he does add toughness, which could be nice for this team. I have loved seeing Aaron Nesmith find himself with the Pacers. He is a shooter capable of going off for 30 on any given night. He is also a very good perimeter defender and he plays his tail off. He is wildly inconsistent as a shooter, and that's the problem. He had more responsibility last season, and it did not go great. TJ McConnell has taken a big step back as well. Pascal Siakim may be the second best player on this team. He is very, very good at basketball. He almost made the all star team last season. He showed what he could do with a bigger workload, and he has turned himself into a reliable and productive player. He is great. Obi Toppin is a nice backup big, and he plays so much better when Haliburton is on the floor with him. He struggled last season, but with Haliburton back, I expect Toppin to find his game once again. Jarace Walker hasn't panned out great yet, but he is due for a much bigger role this season, and maybe he finally shows something that gives him more playing time. Jay Huff will provide a decent spark off the bench. Andrew Nembhard gets to return to being a backup, which he is best suited for, and he should be much better than he was last season. And I will never count out a team coached by Rick Carlisle. He is one of the best coaches to ever step foot on a basketball court. The Pacers have the key guys back to make a run, I just want to see them to sustain it for a few months before I fully buy in on this team once again.

At number 14 I have the Miami Heat. I don't get all the clutching of pearls that this team has gotten from other media members. The Heat are coached by the best coach in the game right now, Erik Spoelstra, and he has found multiple ways to win with multiple different players. Also, they have Giannis Antentekoumpo, who is healthy. A healthy Giannis will make all the difference in the world. He is a one man wrecking crew, and he looks energized now that he is playing for a team that has some playoff hopes and expectations. People claiming he may be done are off base in my opinion. Giannis may have a revenge/redemption type season in year one with the Heat. Bam Adebayo is still one of the best defensive players in the league, and he has found a bit of a scoring touch. Adebayo scored 81 in a game last year. He has added a jump shot. He gets to the free throw line. Adebayo may be underrated amongst bigs in the NBA at this point. Davion Mitchell has always been a great perimeter defender, and now he has the semblance of a jump shot. It seems like he just had to get out of Sacramento to find himself in the NBA. They went out and signed Tim Hardaway Jr and Klay Thompson to get some outside shooting on this team. Tim Hardaway Jr was a steal in my opinion, and while Thompson is older, he can still shoot the rock. Simone Fontecchio is a decent backup point guard. Andrew Wiggins has become a totally solid role player and knows what he can and cannot do on the floor. I like that they got Bobby Portis to come along with Giannis. Portis is going to add toughness, and he feels like a prototypical late in career Heat player. I think the Heat are going to be a pretty solid team this season. I think Giannis is feeling better than he has in some time now, and I think he will play a lot this year. If that happens, the Heat will win 50 games and could be a top 6 team in the East.

The final team for the day, at 13 I have the Atlanta Hawks. I think what the Hawks did late last season was no fluke. They kind of found themselves, and I think they will take that into this season and be ready to rock. Jalen Johnson is a star. He has all the tools to be very successful in the NBA. He has all star capabilities, he is a great defender, he just needs to work on his jumper to take the full leap. Dyson Daniels is a great defender and can get to the rim. He has been a revelation since coming over to this team. Nickeil Alexander-Walker had a great playoffs, and I think he will only build on that success more this season. It took him a little bit longer than some wanted, but when he figured out how this team played, he started to excel on the court. CJ McCollum is the best veteran guard in the league possibly. He can go on a heater at any moment, he has become a decent passer and even his defense has gotten a tiny bit better. He is so good at keeping this team in games. They brought over Lu Dort, and he will only make this defense that much better. Dort may not be much of a scorer anymore, but the dude can still play high level defense. Dorian Finney-Smith may never be the guy he was with the Mavs, but if he can find a bit of that player from Dallas, he may be a nice bench addition for this team. Onyeka Okongwu has become a decent modern big and he can even stretch the defense a bit. His jumper has gotten better each season. I also really like what they did in the draft with Kingston Flemings and Zuby Ejiofor. Flemings is a bulldog on defense and he showed some nice scoring at Houston last season. Adn Ejiofor has a body built for the NBA and he is older, which means he may be able to step into a bigger role than most other rookies can in their first season. The Hawks found something last season, and stuff like that doesn't just go away. I think they build on that and become a viable threat in the East this season.

That's it for today. Come back tomorrow for the next three teams. 

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Ty's 2026 -2027 NBA Preview: Suns, Magic, Trailblazers

Welcome back to my NBA preseason countdown. I took a day off to write about one of the better movies I have seen in quite some time yesterday, but with the season officially tipping off in about an hour, let's get back to the countdown. We are at the point in my countdown where the teams from here on out are who I think will be, at the very least, in the play-in tournament. Let's get it started.

At number 18 I have the Phoenix Suns. This team surprised a bunch of people last year, myself included, and I think they may be one of the harder playing teams in the league. They come at you hard and will not stop. They're a pain to play against. Devin Booker is a superstar. He is a legit scoring threat from every level. He has even gotten better defensively. He may be a little upset that the Suns may have made it as far as they can with him as one of the star players, but he did sign a humongous extension last year, so he is with the Suns for the long haul. Like him or hate him, I personally despise him and was stoked when the Grizzlies finally traded him, Dillon Brooks is an important player on this team. He is their best defender, he found some more offensive last season and he continues to talk trash, regardless if anyone is even listening to him anymore. Jalen Green is still explosive, but he may only be that for the rest of his career. He just hasn't seemed to fully figure the NBA out just yet. Sure, he can pop off for 30 on any given night, but he is more apt to struggle shooting the ball and get benched in the playoffs. Collin Gillespie is a fine backup point guard, but some media members seem to think he should start for this team. I don't buy that for one second. He is so much better coming off the bench. They traded for Miles Bridges, which confused me a bit. Sure, he is a solid rim runner, and can still jump out of the gym, but he has off-court stuff to deal with, and his game has regressed a bit the past few years. They just gave Oso Ighodaro a nice extension, but he has to be better on offense. His shot is still a little funky, but I did read that he is working with a shooting coach. They signed Luke Kennard this offseason, and he will bring some added scoring from the outside to a team that needs more of that. I'm excited to see Khaman Malauch in year two. He looks to be a solid modern big man, and I want to see how much he has improved. The Suns are a solid team. Like I said, they play hard every night and they win with their defense. I also truly enjoy watching Devin Booker play basketball as well.

At number 17 I have the Orlando Magic. The Magic are in a kind of limbo right now. They have a very good roster on paper, but they can never stay healthy enough to make any real noise. Defense also used to be their calling card, but they regressed a bit in that area last season. And their offense has never been very good. Paolo Banchero is a good basketball player. He has gotten a little better in every aspect of the game each season, and he has proven his worth in the playoffs. He needs to stay healthy. Franz Wagner can never stay healthy. But when he is on the floor he may be the Magic's best overall player. He is their true jack of all trades. He just cannot ever play more than 50 games a year it seems. Jalen Suggs is one of the best perimeter defensive players in the whole league, but that is all he does. And, like almost everyone else on this team, he can barely play 30 games a year. Anthony Black has been a revelation, but he didn't get a contract extension, and he may not be long for this team. Desmond Bane is the model of consistency, and he stays on the floor. He is a great shooter, plays super hard defensively and you can count on him to be on that court for pretty much every game. Wendell Carter Jr is a very solid center. He won't wow you all that much, but he will produce and provide. Jevon Carter is a hard playing vet. I don't know what Nikola Vucivic will provide, but maybe he will play better since he is back where it all started for him. The Magic have the makings of a top 6 seed, but injuries constantly derail this team. I would have them much higher if I could count on health.

The final team for the day, at number 16 I have the Portland Trailblazers. This team made some changes, but I don't think the outcome will be totally different. Damian Lillard is back and it is so cool to see him in a Blazers uniform again. And he will bring a nice dose of outside shooting to a team desperately in need of that. Ja Morant is now here. This feels like a low risk, high reward trade for them. Morant was unhappy in Memphis, they traded him and he has a new home now. Maybe this will energize him, but he has kind of fallen off since all the gun stuff popped off. Jrue Holiday is probably their best true point guard. He plays that position so well and he is one of their better defenders. Donovan Clingan is coming into his own in the NBA. He has fully bought in on defense and his offensive game is coming along. Denji Avidija is a great offensive player. He will have the ball in his hands a little less, but that may help his shooting percentage from the three, and he will find some great cutting lanes with Holiday, Morant and Lillard passing him the ball. Toumani Camara is a great all around player. I have become a humongous fan of his the past two years. He is really good. Scoot Henderson has gotten just a little better each season. His three is even coming along just a little bit. He may not be a fan of it, but coming off the bench has been great for his progress in the NBA. Robert Williams III is a good backup big who provides some solid offense and really good defense off the bench. And maybe all the Yang Hansen talk from last offseason will show up this season. Portland has a decent enough team to make a push this season. Hell, they even took a game off the Spurs in round one of the playoffs last year. But this team construction is funky. I want to see them play a few games during the season before I fully buy in to them being a playoff team.

That's it for today. Come back tomorrow for the next three teams. 

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Ty's 2026 - 2027 NBA Preview: Wizards, Jazz, Mavericks

Welcome to day four of my NBA countdown. We are officially in play-in territory. The three teams today, given health and a little bit of luck, could very well see themselves, at the very least, competing for the 7 or 8 seed in their respective conferences.

At 21 I have the Washington Wizards. The Wizards have been moribound as a franchise for some time now. But boy oh boy did they make some moves last season, and they picked the right guy first overall in the most recent draft. I am an AJ Dybansta fan. This kid is going to be good, and it may happen right away. He has all the tools to lead this team for the foreseeable future. He can score, his jump shot looks better, he is going to become a solid defender and he seems to love playing basketball. I was stoked when they took him because he was the right choice. Dybansta has star written all over him. The Wizards did give Trae Young far too much money, and that contract will be tough to move if they end up wanting to move him, but he is still a good point guard. He can get the ball in your hands at the perfect release point on some of his passes. He may fire up too many threes, but when he is on, he can light up the scoreboard. He is a zero on defense, but the guy can score and distribute the ball. I don't know if Anthony Davis is long for this team, but he will have to show the other NBA teams that he is still a viable player, so however long they have him, he needs to play well. He is a former all NBA guy, and while he may not return that form, Davis is still a decent modern big man in the league. Bilal Couliboly is an okay enough player, but his defense has not translated to the NBA just yet. I like Bub Carrington, and he showed a few things last season, but that may have been hollow due to how bad they were last year. Deandre Ayton is here, and he is another big body that they can throw out there. He just doesn't play as big as he is in real life. Tre Johnson is decent, and can score, but again, we don;t know if that was all hollow due to how awful this team was at the end of the season. Khris Middelton is too old now and too hurt. He got his ring with the Bucks, and ever since then he has been either hurt or traded. Alex Sarr is the best defender on this team, he is a good rim runner and he has gotten so much better since his rookie year. I wouldn't be shocked if he takes a big leap this year. The Wizards have an odd roster construct, but if it hits they could find themselves fighting for a playoff spot all season long. I don't believe they're a top six team in the East, far from it, but they have the potential to be in that 8-9 conversation if they click and stay relatively healthy all season.

At 20 I have the Utah Jazz. The time is not for this team to play full games and try to win. They have a roster that makes sense and they have a coach that is too good to keep playing awful lineups in the fourth quarter so they can tank for draft position. I do think Lauri Markanen is a bit overrated, but he is still a good basketball player. I believe he is more of a type of potential on a good team player, but that is neither here nor there. He is the focal point of this team and they will go as he goes offensively. I like the Jaren Jackson Jr trade. He may not be the defender he was a few years ago, and his shot comes and goes, but he is still a good player and he brings more height and rim protection to this team. Ace Bailey had a much better rookie season than I anticipated he would. He's a willing cutter to the rim and his shot is coming along. He should maybe start on this team, but he will feast coming off the bench on second units. Daryn Peterson has all of the potential in the world. He is such a good basketball player. There were real conversations on if he should have been the number one overall pick. But he did look disinterested at times at Kansas last season, and if he starts slow, who is to say that won't happen again. Isaiah Collier is already a proven scorer, but last year he looked like a more willing passer, and that will only help him stick around longer. If you listen to the Zach Lowe's of the world you may think Kyle Filipowski is a viable center, but I think he is wildly overrated by certain media members. Jaxson Hayes is a better backup big man option. Keyonte George is about to take a leap. The Jazz have a good team in place here. They have a good coach. I don't like saying that because I have never liked the Jazz, but this team could be good. They just need to play full games at full strength and see if they can make a real push at not just the play-in, but a top six spot in the West this season.

The final team for the day, at 19 I have the Dallas Mavericks. This team has pretty much fully remade themselves in the two years since the Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis trade. Some familiar faces are still around, but they have new guys and a fully new coaching staff. I think Dusty May was a home run hire. I'm already a fan of his, he returned Michigan basketball to glory, so I will always root for him. He has a great young player in Cooper Flagg. Flagg is one of the faces of the future in the NBA, right along with Wemby and Dylan Harper and SGA. Flagg is a great do it all offensive player. He needs to buy in more defensively, but the offensive bag he already has is pretty impressive. Kyrie Irving is back, coming off a torn ACL, and he has looked like himself in the preseason. I don't know if he will stick around with the Mavs all season, but while he is there, if he can continue at this current pace, he and Flagg are going to be a dynamic duo for this team. Dereck Lively is still hurt, and I fear for him that he has already played his best basketball during his rookie year. The guy simply cannot stay on the floor. I wonder how long PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford will be on this team. Washington can shoot the corner three and is a solid rebounder, but he may want to be playing deeper in the playoffs. Gafford is a solid rim runner, and Irving will be able to feed him the ball, but he has got to stay healthy. They acquired Zaccahrie Risaccher, a former number 1 overall pick, but who knows what he is going to bring to this team. He has never been fully effective since entering the league. I am a humongous morez Johnson Jr guy for obvious reasons. But he knows how Dusty May wants to play and he has a never ending motor. He is also a great rebounder. I think he will see his minutes increase exponentially during the season. Naji Marshall is a solid backup point guard. I think they got a great bench scorer and stretch big in Santi Aldama. The Mavericks have some dudes and they have a lethal duo in Flagg and Irving. I think the Mavericks could have a nice bump in wins, especially if this team plays the way May wants them to earlier than expected. I think the Mavs are coming, and this season will bethem announcing themselves as a future perennial playoff team.

That's it for the week. Come back next week for more of the preseason NBA countdown. 

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 - 2027 NBA Preview: Clippers, Hornets, Warriors

Welcome to day three of my NBA preseason countdown. We are inching closer to the play-in teams, and who knows, maybe these teams today will surprise and make a push to the play-in. We shall see.

Coming in at number 24 I have the Los Angeles Clippers. The Clippers future is very much in doubt. They are going to have to scrape the bottom of the barrell to fill out their roster, and with no draft picks, that will make it all that much harder on them. But right now they have some dudes that can play, and they will be a frustrating team to play on a night to night basis. This is now Darius Garland's team. He is the engine that runs this offense and he will be asked to do whatever he can to lead this team. Garland is a solid player, but he does not stay on the floor enough to be a franchise leader. He just gets hurt far too often. He is great offensively, but he is also a non factor on defense. Garland will get every opportunity to prove he can lead this team this season. Keaton Wagler was a nice draft pick, but he has a long, long way to go. He has a lot of stuff he needs to figure out before he becomes a viable NBA player. But the dude can shoot the rock. He will score this season. But he will not bring much else to this team during his rookie season. And he is going to get abused on the defensive end of the floor. Then we have the rest of this roster. It is filled with guys that are past their prime, never met their prime or are just a steady presence. Rui Hachimura revived his career with the Lakers, but now he is going to be asked to do that again in a starting role with a roster not near what he had with the Lakers. But the guy can shoot the three. Bradley Beal is way past his prime and he has never been the same since leaving Washington. Derrick Jone Jr was always an explosive player who could kind of shoot the three, but both of those have decreased over the past couple years. Brook Lopez used to be a defensive stopper and clutch three point shooter. Now he misses tons of games and is only getting older and older. Gradey Dick has never figured it out, Brandon Ingram is hurt, so is Max Strus and Cam Christie was just waived. This team has some dudes that can do some things, but the days of being at or above .500 look to be over for a bit with the Clippers. They screwed themselves with the whole Kawhi Leonard situation, and they are a long way off from being formidable again. But Wagler and Garland will be fun to watch, and I have always rooted for Rui Hachimura. The Clippers may not be very good, and that may last for about five or six seasons now.

At number 23 I have the Charlotte Hornets. This team came on like a wave during the second half of last season. They surprised a ton of people last year, but this team has changed a ton since all of that popped off. LaMelo Ball is gone. He was not long for this team anyway, but they kind of traded him out of nowhere. This is a big bet on a few of their young guys. Kon Kneuppel made me look foolish when I named him as a prospect I wasn't high on last year. He can really shoot the three and he plays hard every night. But I feel like he got exposed in the play-in game last year, and with more responsibility I don't see how he replicates what he did during his rookie season. This season will be interesting for Kneuppel. Brandon Miller has all the tools to be an all star. The kid is big and strong, can shoot and has become a solid rebounder. He can also run the break and looks good in transition. His problem, he gets hurt a ton. He is going to be taking on a bigger role now, and they need him on the floor if they want to be successful in the near future. Coby White is a fun player to watch, but he is now the lead guard on this team and he will be running the show. He has never really had to do this in his career, so it will be something to watch as the season goes on. Grayson Allen has come over to this team, but I feel like he is an overrated shooter. He doesn't do anything else to help a team, and his antics on the court are tiresome. Naz Reid is finally going to start, and I think he is going to be great. I do like that he has a shot to start and I think he is going to have a very, very good season. I fully believe that he is the best overall player on this current roster. Liam McNeely spent more time in the G League than in the pros last season. Tidjane Salaun is still very raw. Moussa Diabate has a motor that never stops and is a great rebounder, but he is undersized. Ryan Kalkbrenner barely saw the court when they went on their run last year. Dennis Schroeder is here because I feel like he is going to play for every NBA team at some point. I'm not very high on Hanes Steinbach. I feel like the Hornet struck lightning in a bottle last year, was exposed in the play-in and then decided to go in a totally different direction. They have a ton to figure out before they become a real playoff threat.

The final team for the day, coming in at 22 I have the Golden State Warriors. This is just not the same team that it was four years ago when they last won a title. Steph Curry is still there, he is still the greatest shooter of all time and he will play his heart out anytime he is on the floor. But he is not on the floor as much as you would like if you were a fan of the team. He is only getting older as well. Draymond Green is still on the team and he is still a menace defensively. But people are used to his antics and he doesn't affect the game like he used to. He is also far more concerned with his podcast it seems. Al Horford is 40. Age always wins out in the end. That's a fact. Kristaps Porzingis has not been at camp. Steve Kerr doesn't even know what is going on with him. Jimmy Butler tore his ACL last season. So did Moses Moody. I love Yaxel Lendeborg, but he is going to be asked to do way, way too much during his rookie year. Gary Payton II is a great defender, but he is too often injured. They gave an unproven Brandin Podziemski 110 million dollars, which is wild to me. The Warriors are not the dynasty they used to be. I kind of thought they were going to blow it all up after last season. But it looks like they are going to try for one final run with some of their original guys that started all their recent winning. I don't think it is going to go as well as they hope, but maybe they will prove me wrong, and make a run to the playoffs. We shall see.

That's it for today. Come back tomorrow for the next three teams. 

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Ty's 2026 - 2027 NBA Preview: Nets, Pelicans, Grizzlies

Welcome to day two of my preseason NBA countdown. We are still in the dregs of teams, but one team I will be talking about today looks to have a brighter future than others this low on the list, and I just happen to root for that team. More on them later.

Coming in at number 27 I have the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets can't get out of their own way it seems. They struck gold a few years back when they signed Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, and were able to trade for James Harden. But injuries and the pandemic slowed that team down. They got Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett when they were too old. Vince Carter was too young to bring them a title when he was there. Deron Williams didn't turn out to be the franchise player they hoped. It seems like miss after miss with this team. And now they have a bunch of unproven young guys that are turnover machines. Michael Porter Jr proved he was a solid scorer last season. He can fill it up. But he doesn't play defense and is not a team leader. He is much more suited to be a 3rd or 4th starter on a title team, which he was in Denver. Egor Demin looks to be a very good three point shooter, but he has not been able to stay on the floor in his first two years. Danny Wolf is an intriguing passing big man, but his shot has not come along just yet, and he is a turnover machine. They drafted Mikel Brown Jr, which some writers seem to like, but I am not very high on at the moment. Noah Clowney Jr will be taking over for Nic Claxton, but he is not the rim protector, nor the rim runner that Claxton was for this team. Terance Mann was once deemed untradeable because of his value to the Clippers a few years back, but now he struggles to get real minutes on this team. Day'Ron Sharpe is a solid enough big, albeit undersized. He would be much better in a bench role, but I believe he is a starter on this team. And Julius Randle is here now because why not. The Nets have an odd collection of players. They don't seem to mesh very well looking at this roster on paper. It wouldn't surprise me either if Michael Porter Jr and Julius Ranlde are playing elsewhere by the end of this season. Jordi Fernandez is a good coach, he just needs a better roster. Until that happens, the Nets are going to be running in the mud. They are no more than a turnover machine that would be lucky to win 20 to 25 games this season.

Speaking of an odd roster construction, at number 26 I have the New Orleans Pelicans. I like players on this team. I think they have talented guys. They have some dudes that are highlight reel players. But the team just doesn't make sense. I'm over hearing about how Zion Williamson is in shape and he is going to become the all NBA player we all hoped he would. He played a good amount of games last season, but it all felt hollow to me. He is explosive and can be dominant, but he just doesn't seem to have the desire to be the star he could have been in his career. He can still dunk the hell out of the ball. Dejounte Murray is a good, calming point guard, but he has never been the same since he was with the Spurs, and he is always injured. I love watching him play, but that doesn't happen all that often. Trey Murphy III is the prototypical 3 and D player, but he is not long for this team. Some contending team is going to make an offer for him this season, and I would hope the Pelicans would take it. I've always enjoyed Saadiq Bey, but he is not very capable unless he has the ball in his hands, and that will be tough for him if the starters are healthy this season. Jordan Poole, who I will always root for, is borderline unplayable at this point in his career. They signed Ben Mathurin, but he is another dude that is not worth much unless he is attacking the rim, which will be tough on this team. I am a Derik Queen guy, but even by his own admission he needs to be in better shape and work harder on his game. Jeremiah Fears seems like a capable player, he just needs minutes. Like I said, this team has players that I enjoy, but they don't mesh and work well as a unit. It wouldn't be surprising if, along with Trey Murphy, they move some other guys and start to build this team around Fears and Queen. I think Zion's time with this team is up, and Murray is going to want to play on a winning team. The Pelicans will score in bunches, but they will also give up tons and tons of points defensively.

The final team for the day, the team that I think has a nice future lined up, at number 25 I have the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizzlies finally blew it all up. The time had come. Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr were traded last season. They finally got off of Ja Morant. They let Santi Aldama and John Konchar walk. The team that I started rooting for is pretty much all gone. And I'm stoked for what they are building right now. I love that they were able to draft Cam Boozer. I hoped that was who they would get, he "fell" to them and they wasted no time in picking him. He has the look of a perennial all star and the face of this franchise. They need to build around him now. I am a Zach Edey fan, he just needs to stay on the court. When he is out there this defense is so much better and he is a great rim protector. I just need him to stay on the damn court. I think Cedric Coward is a star in the making. He had a very good rookie year and I see him only getting better from here on out. Ty Jerome was a good signing, and if he can stay on the floor this season, the Grizzlies will have a competent starting point guard. I also like Scotty Pippen Jr as his backup, but he may be in line for more minutes, and I don't know if the Grizzlies can provide him with that right now. GG Jackson is so much fun to watch shoot, but he doesn't do much else and I don't know if he will get any real time with this team. I loved the Karim Lopez pick. He is tailored made to be a defensive stopper, and the fact that he was a pro in New Zealand means he is used to playing against adults. And bringing Isaiah Stewart over made me jump for joy. He is the exact type of veteran I want to have on a team this young. The Grizzlies are going to be a solid playoff team within two years, but I think they actually have a shot to push for the play-in tournament this year. Maybe I'm too high on them, but damn it is hard not to be excited by what they have done this offseason.

That's it for today. Come back tomorrow for the next three teams. 

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Ty's 2026-2027 NBA Preview: Kings, Bucks, Bulls

For the next ten days I will be counting down the NBA teams from last to best, in my personal opinion. I'll tell you why I have each team where I have them, what I expect from them and how I see their season playing out. I'll dive a little deep into each team given that I'm only doing three a day. I love the NBA, the season is right around the corner and I look forward to watching these teams play this season. Let's get to it.

At number 30 I have the Sacramento Kings. The Kings continue to be the Kings. They just cannot seem to get it right. They traded away De'Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton, both of whom have just played in the Finals. They are looking to offload Domantas Sabonis, so that means he will probably play in the Finals this season. Sabonis is a solid enough player, but he is not often injured and his trade value has dropped pretty significantly. I don't know what they could honestly get for him at this point. They may be able to find a bench guy and a late first round pick, but that seems almost too high. Sabonis is still a good passer, and can score, but it feels like he is past his prime. Darius Acuff is going to score and score in bunches. But he is going to be inefficient. He is a rookie, he will hit a wall. But he will also get the keys to the offense and he will get to shoot the ball to his heart's content. Keegan Murray has never reached the heights he did as a rookie. He has playoff experience, he can score the ball, but he is coming off an injury, and his contract looks to be an anchor around the front office's neck. He still has potential, but time is running out. Zach Lavine has decent career stats, but they feel so hollow. I don't know that he has ever played a truly important game in the NBA. And his explosiveness is pretty much gone. Father time has caught up to him unfortunately. He doesn't play much defense either, but no one on the Kings is all that committed to playing defense. They're taking a shot on De'Andre Hunter, and while I thought he was going to be a good pro, his game has not translated to the NBA. He is just a step slow, and his shot has not come along all that well. Precious Achiuwa is still in the league and he is still getting minutes with this team. Ben Simmons is back in the NBA, and he has looked solid in preseason. Will that translate to when the games matter? Who knows. But he is going to get a real shot at proving he still belongs in the NBA. Malik Monk is a scoring machine, but he does not bring anything else to this squad. He would be much better off being a bench guy on a true contender right now. Efird Payton is here, because why not I guess. Payton can do little things, but not enough to make a true impact on the floor. I don't think Alex Karaban is long for the NBA, Maxime Raynaud is hurt and will miss the start of the season and they're going to give Leaky black a chance. The Kings are going to be bad this year. I would be shocked if they win 20 games. The offense is going to look very rough, and the defense will be even worse. The Kings give up on players way too soon and it seems to bite them in the butt. I wish they were as good as they were in the late 90's and early 2000's, but here we are. The Kings are a mess.

At 29 I have the Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks pulled the plug on Giannis, which was the right thing to do. He needed some fresh scenery, and the Bucks needed a rebuild. They got some dudes in the trade, but they're a few years away from being a few years away. Thanks for that saying Fran Friscilla. Ke'el Ware was the prize of the trade. The Bucks were very aggressive in asking the Heat for them, and they gave in and included him in the deal. Ware is a very raw player, but he has loads of talent and potential. He can protect the rim and throw it down, he just needs to do the rest now. He will get every opurtunity in Milwaukee. I do not think Tyler Herro will stick around. He is too needy, too risky and not as great as he may think he is at basketball. I love the Brayden Burries pick. He could be a very good, jack of all trades player in the future. But he is a rookie and he needs time and minutes. I am not a Nate Ament guy, but the Bucks traded up to draft him and I think they have expectations for him during his rookie year. He needs to bulk up, but the talent is there. AJ Green had a decent year last season, and I wouldn't be shocked if he continued to get a little better this season with more playing time. Jaime Jacquez Jr is very well suited for a bench role, but he will be starting on this team, and that may be too much of a load for him to take on right now. Caris Levert is now on the team, and while he can score, he is on the back half of his career, and he is not great on defense. Kyle Kuzma is somehow still in the NBA and still getting real minutes on this team. Kevin Porter Jr is a good scorer, but he is also a hothead that cannot produce without the ball in his hands. Kam Jones will get a shot to make the team, and I would be stunned if Myles Turner is still on this team by the all star break. The Bucks had to do something big and they did just that. It will set the team back a few seasons, but they also got some solid young players in the trade and those dudes will get a shot to prove themselves this season.

The final team for the day, at number 28 I have the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls will be kind of fun to watch, but they will not win a ton of games. Caleb Wilson is going to be awesome. He has all the skills to be an all star. He is explosive to the rim, has an okay jumper and can rebound the ball and start the fast break. His three point shot should only get better during his rookie season. I am going to really like watching him play basketball. Josh Giddey is average, and that is just fine. He can't shoot the three, but he can attack the rim. He can guard perimeter guys a bit, but gets crushed by everyone else. He is a solid passer, but not elite. Matas Buzelis needs to pop now. This is year three and the idea of waiting on his potential needs to stop now. He needs to show that he is ready to be a full time starter in the NBA this year. Zach Collins has never found a spot to stick around in the NBA. I felt like he was drafted too high, and now that is showing. He is, at best, a backup big. I'd be shocked if Norm Powell is still on the team past December. I don't know why he signed with the Bulls, but he is there now and he will get every shot he wants. The Cavs moved Isaac Okoro over last season, and that seems like the right move by them. Okoro did play better after the trade, but he has not lived up to his potential as of yet. Patrick Williams hasn't figured it out. Buddy Hield seems like a placeholder. Tre Jones is a good backup point guard. And who knows what Noa Essengue can provide this team. The sheer fact that they have Caleb Wilson makes this team fun. But fun and winning games is not one and the same. The Bulls will struggle, but Caleb Wilson will be a blast to watch.

That's it for today. Come back tomorrow for the next three teams. 

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

For Me It’s Brewers or Bust

Now that the MLB playoffs are getting to the championship series, I have decided which team I will be rooting for the rest of the way.

The Yankees are out, so there goes my pick in honor of my late uncle. I really picked them simply based on a want, not necessarily because I thought they would win it all. I have always been a fan of the Braves, but they ran into the buzzsaw that is the Dodgers. I used to like the Padres as a kid. I was always a Tony Gwynn fan growing up. But they were knocked out the other night, and I'm not a very big fan of the current Padres team. The White Sox still have a chance, and if they win, like RD said, I will convert to catholicism. But that doesn't mean I am rooting for them. Sure, they have the pope on their side, and that would rule if they won, but I'm still not going to root for them either. The team I'm all in for the rest of the playoffs is the Brewers.

This is another pick for the family, but it is for my dad. I would love to see the Brewers take it all from here on out. They ousted the Padres the other night. They had the best record in all of baseball this season. They're a small market team. They have a great lineup and one of the better pitching staffs in all of baseball. I like the team name. I like that they have a big slide in their stadium. Their old school hats, the royal blue with the yellow Brewers symbol, are iconic. I was always a Robin Yount fan as a kid, and dug Paul Molitor. One of my favorite moments as a baseball fan was when the Brewers acquired CC Sabathia for half a season and he went on to dominate. I believe he was close to winning the NL Cy Young that season, and he only played half the year with the Brewers.

I also like this current lineup. Jackson Churrio is one of the best young hitters in the game. Christian Yelich is the model of consistency. Jacob Misorowski is most likely going to win the NL Cy Young this season. The Brewers are an easy team to root for and it was almost too easy a choice for me to pick them now that the Braves are out.

Sure, like I said, this pick has a little something to do with my dad, but I also want them to just beat the Dodgers. I get it, the Dodgers have the most money and they can buy whoever they want. They get all the players they desire. When Tarik Skubal went on the trade market this season it was a foregone conclusion he would join the Dodgers. They have a lineup filled with dudes who started their careers elsewhere. I am a big time Mookie Betts fan, he started in Boston. Shohei Ohtani is an amazing player who started his career with the other LA team. Freddie Freeman was in Atlanta before joining them. Their entire starting pitching staff all got their starts elsewhere. I think the only player that is from their farm system, who truly helps the team, is Will Smith. And while he is awesome, it's kind of wild that the Dodgers have simply bought the best team in baseball. My son and I were talking about the playoffs this morning, and when he asked me who I thought was going to win it all, I didn't hesitate to pick the Dodgers. When he asked why I got that answer so quickly, I told him the current Dodgers remind me of the Golden State Warriors when they had Kevin Durant. The NBA regular season was pointless because we all knew who was going to win it all. The only thing that stopped that team was a rash of injuries to their star players. The Dodgers haven't had to deal with that. And I fully understand that this is totally within the rules of modern baseball to do what the Dodgers are doing. If I was a fan, I'd be stoked by what they are doing. And the players still have to prove it on the field, which they are doing. But the Dodgers are not underdogs. They are, as they should be, the prohibitive favorites. And if they do win, I fully believe that the strike will happen after this season until a salary cap is introduced.

So for this, and many other reasons, is why I'm rooting for the Brewers. It would be rad to see them win. It was so cool when the Bucks won the title a few years ago. I was stoked when the Blue Jays almost won it all last year. I like when these mid market teams build a contender and the vision of championships comes to light. So I'm all in for the Brewers.

I'm going to tune into playoff games to root for them. I am very hopeful that they can knock off the Dodgers, and then win it all in the Series. From here on out it is all about the Brew Crew when it comes to baseball for me. 

Ty 

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

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What is Going on with Michigan Football?

Next week I'm going to do an NBA countdown much like my NFL countdown. So that means this week will be filled with mainly pop culture stuff, except for today. I'm going to talk about sports today because my son and I just returned home from his first live viewing experience of a Michigan Wolverines football game.

I've been to many games in my lifetime. He had only ever been to a University of Missouri college football game before this weekend. Over the years he has become a Michigan Wolverines fan, the timing worked out perfectly and we have family in Minnesota, so it was a win all around. And then we went to the game.

I have issues with what we all watched on Saturday. Look, I'm never optimistic going into Michigan games. I always expect the worst, so if it does happen, I don't feel as disappointed as I would if I were optimistic. I cannot sit still when I watch them play, they frustrate me to no end and it is becoming harder and harder for me to feel like this when the game is on. But I figured it being my son's first live game that they would bring it. Something in me just said, okay, he's here and he is going to see this team show out.

The offense had other ideas I suppose. The defense this season has been very, very good. They have played their hearts out. I know that the Iowa game they had some massive brain farts, but outside of that, this defense is constantly put in terrible situations, and they usually come out of it with little to no repercussions. The defense is playing up to expectations and I have had a blast watching them perform all season long. They're doing their part. But this offense is abysmal. They just don't seem to have it.

In their three wins this year they needed a phantom second added to the game clock, they scored 17 points against an Oklahoma team that is as bad as this Michigan team and they waited until the second half before they trounced UTEP. I thought that maybe they had something figured out last week during the Iowa game. That was the best I have seen Bryce Underwood play in his career. The o line protected him. The run game was as effective as they had been all year. Andrew Marsh and JJ Buchannan were productive. Sure, they had some miscues and screwed some stuff up in the red zone, but the offense looked better than I had seen it look in almost two years. And then we had to watch it all implode this past Saturday. I will give credit to Minnesota's defense. They played a great game. They wanted it way more than Michigan, and they showed up and showed out. But the play calling and execution were horrendous by Michigan's offense.

I liked the Jason Beck hire when it happened in the offseason, but he needs to realize that Michigan is a Big 10 team, not a Big 12 team. The guys they have at running back are downhill runners, not sideline to sideline guys. They like to batter and bruise opponents, not finesse them. Bryce Underwood may be the only offensive player who can run to the outside to gain yardage, but he looks timid and scared back there right now. Beck has got to tailor his offense to his players, not tailor the players to his offense. He needs to adjust until Michigan recruits the type of offensive athletes he wants to coach. Jordan Marshall and Savion Hiter want to hit you, not run away from you. The o line has been dreadful, which is very uncommon for Michigan. They looked confused on protections. They are not fast enough to zone block and outside run block. The play action game takes so long, and these o lineman are struggling to keep up with that protection. Sure, they have some injured guys, but this is Michigan. They have three and four star guys ready to step up and step in. This o line has to improve drastically. I don't really have many qualms about the wideouts and tight ends. I wish they used the tight ends more, but that is neither here nor there. Buchannan and Marsh have been productive. Marsh needs to stop muffing punts, but when he is running routes, he looks great. Buchannan has been a revelation to me. That kid's a star. He and Marsh should be one of the better wideout duos in the country.

And then we have Bryce Underwood. I was all in on this kid. I thought Michigan had finally gotten their star QB. I thought he was going to be Michigan's version of Cam Newton. I couldn't wait to watch this kid put on the winged helmet and dominate. He has not lived up to the hype unfortunately. He was put in an impossible situation last season. Sherrone Moore was too busy trying to hook up with randoms, he had no QB coach and he wasn't going to be held accountable. Michigan was paying him lots of money and he was going to be the starter no matter what. Then all the offseason stuff happened with Moore, and Michigan brought in Kyle Whittingham. He is no nonsense and he was going to make it work with Underwood. He got him a coach. He has made him work. He has been holding him accountable. He and Beck were going to let him use his legs. But it feels like for every step Underwood takes forward, the very next week he takes three steps back. He looks confused and scared on Saturday. Minnesota pressured him all game, and he fell apart. His first interception was thrown into double coverage, but it was on him because he looked at no one other than Buchannan. If he had just looked up, he did have time on this particular play, Andrew Marsh was streaking downfield with no Gopher within 10 yards of him. It would have been an easy touchdown. On his second pick, he was rushed, he never moved in the pocket and his arm was hit, causing the ball to flutter in the air. Michigan still had a chance to win with under a minute in the fourth quarter and two timeouts, and Underwood decided on fourth down to sail a ball over Buchannan's head when he had two guys wide open in the middle of the field for an easy first down. He also kept trying to push the ball to Marsh on the sideline into double and sometimes triple coverage. I get that he is only 19, but this is his second season as the full time starter, and he continues to revert to the mistakes he was making as a freshman. I understand that he was so much better than everyone else in high school, but that quite frankly isn't the case anymore. He needs some massive changes made to his game.

I have been sitting on this feeling ever since we left the stadium Saturday afternoon. I think there need to be some changes. I don't want them to fire anyone or start Tommy Carr just yet. But Underwood needs to be put under a massive microscope. He should start their next game, in two weeks, against Penn State. But if he starts to melt and wither, Michigan shouldn't hesitate to just see what they have in Tommy Carr. I also want to see the backs run a more bruising style. I'm over this finesse nonsense. I am a fan of Jordan Marshall because he runs dudes over. I want to see Savion Hiter get loose and bust some big runs. I want to see this o line play mean and hungry and pissed off. I want to see some fire from Kyle Whittingham. I adored this hire when it happened, but he does look like he has one foot out the door already. He looks like he'd rather be on a beach right now than coaching football. I want to see some angst and energy from Michigan. I want to see passion and I want them to look like they care. This season is on the brink. The playoff is out of the question. Hell, I don't know that they even get to bowl eligibility with this schedule. And if that is the case, some massive stuff will change. But maybe that would be best for all parties. If Underwood doesn't develop further, maybe it is best if they both move on from one another. Maybe Jason Beck needs to be looked at under the same microscope as Underwood. Maybe this o line needs a massive overhaul. Maybe Kyle Whittingham needs to be on the hot seat already. Something has to give.

I'm interested to see how they come out of the bye week this week, into their game in two weeks. That will tell me a lot. But right now it is frustrating to watch such a talented roster give you nothing offensively to get excited about. Time will tell. But, always and forever my fandom will never waver. Go Blue. 

Ty

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

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Thoughts on Joey Porter Jr Going to the Cowboys

Joey Porter Jr was traded to the Cowboys last night. Let’s discuss.

It looked like he was going to be out of Pittsburgh sooner rather than later, and the Steelers bit the bullet and traded him away. He was clearly unhappy with his current contract. He wanted a new one. The Steelers weren't too willing to give him what he wanted, and then he decided he was going to sit out practices and games. The Steelers wouldn't budge, so he all but asked out of there. I thought that the Steelers were going to call his bluff, and wait it out. I figured they would talk to him about how he needed to play to get a new contract, that he would have to show the other teams he still had it and that he would eventually suit up this year.

I also had no idea who they would trade him to, if that was going to be the case. To be honest, I wanted him to go to the Packers,but I want any big time player to go to Green Bay. I thought maybe the Vikings would go after him, but their defense is already really good, and the secondary seems just fine. I figured maybe the Lions would try and trade for him just because they seem all in on this season. But maybe they couldn't afford what the Steelers wanted. Or maybe even the Ravens would try to snag him just to make their defense better where they need to be better. But none of that happened.

Joey Porter Jr is now a Cowboy. The Cowboys currently sit at 1-2, but there's a ton of season left. And they need help defensively. The Cowboys can score. They have proven that in every game so far. But they cannot stop the pass. Like at all. They are kind of abysmal in the secondary. Caleb Downs has all the potential in the world, and he was making plays last week, but he is still a rookie and there is still going to be a learning curve for him. Their d line looks solid, especially after trading for Rashan Gary in the offseason. And they look like they may have found their mike linebacker of the future in third round pick Jaishawn Barham. But that secondary, outside of Downs, is not very good. Joey Porter Jr immediately makes them that much better.

Cornerback is one position that can truly make a massive difference. If you get a player of Porter Jr's caliber, one side of the field is pretty much off limits. We have seen players like this before. Charles Woodson did it in Oakland and Green Bay. Darelle Revis' nickname was "Revis Island". That meant he was putting receivers on an island, and qb's barely ever threw his way. Stephon Gilmore held this role for a few seasons in New England. It is a proven fact that, if you have a lockdown corner, you can win a ton of games and make a deep playoff run. Will Porter Jr do this in Dallas? Time will tell. But he has the potential to make the secondary there go from not so great to pretty damn intimidating. Porter Jr is good in coverage and can tackle guys if they do catch a pass on him. He has all the tools one team could want in a number one cornerback. There is a reason why the holdout from him was covered everywhere in the media. When a player is as good as he is, the media will talk about it endlessly until a deal is done, or the player is traded. And when the trade happened last night, my sports media started to blow up, saying similar stuff to what I'm saying right now.

I do not like the Cowboys. Not at all. But they are clearly trying to go all in and win this season. Maybe they feel like this is the last real chance with Dak at QB. They also have two of the best wideouts in all of football. The o line is okay, but not as good as they used to be. They do need to find a running back that they can rely on. Their run game should be an area of concern. But the defensive secondary is what is holding them back. Their opponents have been able to move the ball through the air on them at will so far this year. Lamar Jackson just carved them the hell up. It was glorious to watch to be honest with you. But now that they are adding Joey Porter Jr to this secondary, that is most likely going to change. The Cowboys defense just got immediately better overnight with the addition of one player. Look, I loathe Jerry Jones, but he made a deal here to make this team better. I don't like to say it, but this move makes the Cowboys are legit playoff threat, and if he shows any of his ability from last season, this Cowboys secondary is going to be infinitely better.

We will see. 

Ty

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

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Ty Predicts the 2026 MLB Postseason

The MLB playoffs are set, and I'm here with some predictions. Now, before I get started, take these predictions with a big old grain of salt. I believe that I picked the Mariners to be in the World Series before this season started. I thought the NL Central was going to be a rough and rugged division. I figured the Red Sox were cooked. I didn't even know that the White Sox were going to be this good. I was wrong on a lot of my picks. But with the teams set, and doing a little research, I think I have a solid guess on who is going to win it all this year.

I'll start with the AL.

The Tampa Bay Rays are the 1 seed, who saw that coming, and the Guardians, like clockwork, are the 2 seed. The Astors, with a record of 81-81, are the 3 seed, and they face the 6 seed White Sox in round one. I'm going to pick the White Sox here. They have some kind of mojo working with their team right now, and the Astros might be the worst team in the playoffs. I don't believe in them nearly as much as I do the White Sox. The 4-5 is an inter divisional matchup between the Red Sox and Yankees. I'd love to pick the Red Sox here. They have been on a really good run for a long while now. But the Yankees have the better lineup, and I think they have better pitching at the top of their rotation. The Red Sox may also see their luck run out when they have to face the Yankees playoff lineup. I also want the Yankees to win in honor of my late uncle. So that means I have the White Sox facing the Rays and the Yankees facing the Guardians. I'd love to pick the White Sox to win again, but the Rays are consistent. They have found ways to win tons of games this season, and I feel like that success will follow them to the playoffs. I wish they'd have more fans watching, but that is not the case with this team. But they are damn good up and down the lineup, and their pitching staff is solid. As for the Yankees and Guardians, we have seen this matchup too many times before, and the Yankees always find a way to beat them. The Guardians match up nicely with them, but the Yankees are a better and deeper team. They have a lineup that can hit the Guardians' staff and the Yankees top[ line pitching talent will win out. So that leaves me another inter division matchup featuring the Rays and Yankees in the ALCS. I do think this will go the full 7 games, and it will be hard fought. These teams both know each other very well and know what it takes to win. But in the end I'm rolling with the Yankees. Again, I don't ever root for them, but my uncle was a humongous fan, he passed away, and I want to see them win in his honor. They also have the playoff experience and they have a better lineup. I have the Yankees representing the AL in the World Series.

Onto the NL.

The Brewers, who may be the best regular season baseball team ever, are the 1 seed and the best team money can buy, the Dodgers, are the 2 seed. The 3-6 matchup may be the best first round series, featuring the Braves and Phillies. The Braves have been a nice surprise this year. It looked like they might have had to wait another year to be back in this position due to injuries, but here they are now. They are very good. They can mash and they have a good pitching staff. The Phillies have one of the best lineups in all of baseball. They can kind of do it all when needed. They also have an almost equal pitching staff to the Braves. But it is not quite up to how good the Braves staff is overall. For that one reason I'm going with the Braves here, but it will be a fun and hard fought series. The 4-5 gives us the Padres and Cubs. The Padres have become a perennial playoff team. They can really hit the ball really well. But the Cubs have a legit starting pitching staff, they have the NL MVP and they have a lineup that is just as good on paper as it is at the plate. I think the Cubs can do some really nice things during these playoffs. They might sweep the Padres in this round. So that gives me the Braves facing the Dodgers and the Brewers facing the Cubs in round 2. I would love to see the Brewers win this series. It would be so nice to see their regular season success turn into postseason success. But they seem to always blow it in the playoffs and get beat in magnificent fashion. I believe the Cubs will dispose of them, and they may do it in another sweep. As for the Braves and Dodgers, I mean come on, it is the Dodgers all the way here. Again, they're the best team money can buy. They have everything any MLB team could want. And now they don't even have to pitch Shoehei Ohtani. He can just hit, and the dude has proven time and again that he can mash the ball. I will be rooting for the Braves, hard. But the Dodgers are going to oust them in this round and give us the best matchup in the playoffs. The Cubs and Dodgers may be the de facto World Series. I think they are the two best teams in baseball. But the Dodgers are the better team. Again, they have it all. They are too good to be beaten. The Cubs will take them to the brink, but the Dodgers will pull out another game 7 win. The Dodgers will be, once again, the NL champs.

So that means I have the most boring World Series one could think of, the year before a strike most likely, with the Yankees facing the Dodgers. It makes sense because they're the two best teams in their leagues, so it only makes sense that they're going to face each other in the World Series. But this time I'm not picking the Dodgers. I think we saw that they could be beaten last year, and I think the Yankees actually do it this year. Again, this is most likely due to my uncle, but I'm rolling with the Yankees to win it all this season, and go into the strike with the most recent World Series ring. And Aaron Judge will be the MVP.

There you have it, my MLB postseason preview and predictions. Enjoy the playoffs. 

Ty

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

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Is it Time for Marvin Harrison Jr and JJ McCarthy to Find New Teams?

There have been some rumors about two former top 10 picks in recent NFL drafts that they're both on the trade block. I want to talk just a little bit about this today. I'll give each a few paragraphs and where I think they may end up.

The first player is Marvin Harrison Jr. I was as high on him as I have ever been about any prospect in his draft class. He looked like he had everything a team could ever want in a number 1 wideout. He dominated in college. He is big, fast and strong. He ran great routes and has excellent hands. He was my top overall prospect in his class and I just assumed he would be a top 15 wide receiver in only his second season. That has not happened to this point. Harrison Jr has struggled with drops and getting open. Lately people have been calling him out on a supposed lack of effort. He got hurt here and there as a rookie and all the success he had in college has simply not translated to the pros just yet. Now, I think it is way too early to give up on him. Again, he has loads and loads of talent and potential. I do think he has had the unfortunate job of being on the Arizona Cardinals. No disrespect to the Cardinals. I have always been a slight fan of this team. I like the uniforms, I used to adore Larry Centers and I think they're just a fun team to root for. But they have not had the best of luck at the quarterback position. During Harrison's rookie year he seemed set with Kyler Murray. Murray then, almost immediately, got hurt and missed most of the season. Harrison and Murray simply didn't get the time to mesh and develop a comfort with one another. Jacoby Brissett came in to play QB, and while I like his vibe and how he carries himself, he just isn't the best QB in the world. He can do some things that will make you wonder if he has it all figured out, and then he will do some things that will frustrate the hell out of you. Brissett, for all of his foibles and good things he does, he has been a career backup, for the most part, and it seems like a fitting spot for him. He is a decent gunslinger when he needs to be, but he is not a Super Bowl winning QB. I hope he proves me wrong in the long run, but that is how I see it now. And Harrison has zero comfortability with Brissett. Those two cannot get it right at all. Harrison is either dropping passes or the ball is sailing over his head. His effort does look to be waning. He seems to be all out on the Cardinals. He looks like he wants to be anywhere else but in Arizona.

The other player on this list is JJ McCarthy. You all know that McCarthy has a special place for me. He was the QB of the last Michigan team to win the title. He is an important Wolverine to me, That being said, he was not the main reason that team won the title in 2023. That Michigan team was built on running the ball and defense. Jim Harbaugh never asked, nor needed McCarthy to win games for him. McCarthy would make plays occasionally when called upon, but it was never that often that he was needed to do such things. So, when the Vikings took him ninth overall two seasons ago, I was kind of stunned. But I thought that maybe Kevin O'Connell would work his magic and make him a NFL caliber QB. That has not happened, and it seems like it may never happen. McCarthy just doesn't seem to have it. I could kind of tell from his first game he started last year. He looked timid and not confident. He needed to have a miracle second half, mostly running the ball, just to win that game. And then he just kind of came and went. He would make a few plays here and there, but it seemed like his confidence and his ability seemed to turn off. He would get hurt during last season, and then the Vikings brought in Kyler Murray. Murray would eventually win the starting job during the offseason, and things looked like they may be coming to a close for McCarthy with the Vikings. This was made even more clear to me when the Vikings put him third on the depth chart to start the season. McCarthy was not only passed by Murray, but the Vikings seemed to feel that Carson Wentz was a better backup. JJ McCarthy will always have a place for me as a Wolverine, but the Vikings have clearly moved on.

So, where does this leave Marvin Harrison Jr and JJ McCarthy now? NFL trades don't happen all the time, and in season trades feel more rare than ever nowadays. But these two dudes seem on their way to new teams sooner rather than later. For me it is easier to see where McCarthy will end up. With Jaxson Dart going down with a season ending injury, and Jameis Winston needing a new backup QB, I think the Giants could get McCarthy and get him for cheap. He may only cost them a late round draft pick. They won't need to give up players or picks any higher than the fifth round. I think the Giants would fit him well too. They don't seem to be going anywhere this year, he can play under a great coach in John Harbaugh and he can let it sling if Winston gets hurt. Maybe a change of scenery to New York city would do McCarthy some good.

As for Harrison Jr, this one is a little tougher for me. He is too good a player to languish on a bad team in Arizona. But, maybe this is the best he is ever going to be in the NFL. Maybe he is not a number one wideout. Maybe he can become more of a gadget receiver or a second or third wideout on a contender. Maybe he needs to take a step down to get himself back to the dominant force he was in college. So maybe he could end up with a team that has a solid number 1, but they need another threat. I would love to see him in Green Bay with Christian Watson. Watson has made it clear he is ready to be the Packers top wideout. So, if they were able to bring in Harrison Jr, that could loosen things up for Watson on the other side of the field and Harrison Jr would get more open looks and have a better QB throwing him the ball in Jordan Love. I'm sure the Bears would take a look. If they could find a way to land Harrison Jr, and keep Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III, the Bears could have one of the best, and youngest, wide receiver corps in the NFL. I wonder if the Broncos would try and snatch him up. Jaylen Waddle is proven. He is also shifty and fast. Harrison Jr would be a nice compliment next to Waddle. I would also like to see the Ravens go after him. If they could get him he would instantly love having Lamar Jackson throw him the ball, he could play next to Rashod Bateman and Zay Flowers and the Ravens would have a legit wide receiver room for, quite possibly, the first time in Jackson's career. I feel like the options for Harrison Jr are more abundant than McCarthy, but I'd love to see him end up on the Ravens.

Time will tell of either of them gets traded, but if they do, these are the places I'd like to see them end up. 

Ty

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

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The Lonzo Ball Hype is Over. Is His Career Also Over?

It was reported earlier today, and then refuted by the player himself, that Lonzo Ball was possibly retiring. Now, this was a report I saw on Bleacher Report. He then refuted it, also saw this on Bleacher Report, and said he was "just waiting for a call". Either way, I think retirement may be his best option at this point.

Lonzo Ball came into the league seven years ago with loads of potential. He was a top five pick. He was going to stay home with the Lakers. He was going to be part of them climbing out of the hole that Kobe Bryant left after his retirement. He and Josh Hart, Brandon Ingram, Ivica Zubac, Alex Caruso, they were all in this core that was going to make the Lakers legit again. Ball thrived in Summer League. He was the MVP during his rookie season in fact, at Summer League. But that didn't really translate to much winning for the Lakers during Ball's rookie season. The Lakers just weren't a very good team during his two year tenure. Ball did make second team all rookie, but Kyle Kuzma had surpassed him and was a first team all rookie. His second season wasn't much better, which ended after 50 games due to surgery.

Then LeBron James joined the Lakers and the front office decided they needed to make some changes. Ball, along with some other players and picks, namely Josh Hart and Brandon Ingram, were traded to the Pelicans for Anthony Davis. That worked out really well for the Lakers. They have the 2020 championship banner hanging in their stadium. As for Ball, all the potential he had was starting to feel wasted in New Orleans. He had his moments, again, the dude can ball. But he never really found much of a groove in New Orleans, again getting passed by a teammate, Brandon Ingram. He did have a solid season during the 20-21 year. He was molded into a three and d player, and that seemed to best suit his skills at that point. He was never the best point guard, so taking him off the ball seemed like an easy option. He parlayed that into a deal with the Chicago Bulls.

During his first season he almost immediately got hurt. He would eventually need surgery and be ruled out for that whole season. He then missed the next season getting his previous surgery and some clean up work. He never felt too comfortable when he tried to return that season, which pushed him to get his previous work checked out, and that led to the extra procedures. He would eventually return to the Bulls lineup in 2022, but he never really found any of the success he had with the Lakers or the Pelicans. While with the Bulls he played only 35 total games. He never really looked like himself again. He had to put up videos to prove to some media members that he was trying to get back to playing basketball. That's never a good sign in a player's career. He ended up with the Cavs last year, saw time in about 35 games and was eventually traded to the Jazz, who waived him immediately.

Now we have this announcement and rebuttal and no one really knows what's next for Ball. Ball was a highly sought after recruit who was a one and done player at UCLA., He was good enough to be the second overall pick in his draft class, but that never translated to much success in the pros. Most people will most likely remember his father's rants more than anything Ball did in the NBA. He has been surpassed as a pro by his brother, LaMelo, by a mile. LaMelo is a big time guard who has a shot to finally play some meaningful playoff games in Minnesota. Lonzo never really had that opportunity. He also never gave himself that opportunity. It can most likely be linked to all the injuries, but I also think he never lived up to the hype and potential. Ball had his most success as a three and d player, but that didn't fit the image that he and his father created. Ball wanted to be the focal point of a contending team. But he didn't have that skill set. If he had accepted the role of a fifth starter, who could make open shots and shut down opposing guards, he may still be on an NBA team right now.

I liked watching Ball play as a rookie, but those days are long, long gone now. If he does retire, his career will be one I remember of unfulfilled potential. He had all the gifts in the world to succeed, but he was derailed by hype and injuries. 

Ty

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

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Ben Simmons is Back

Ben Simmons is back in the NBA. Let’s discuss.

This felt like it was going to happen soon anyway. He was out of the league for a year, but he started posting workout videos, and his usual look at how good my jumbo shot is now type of stuff on social media. I didn't know where he was going to sign, but it felt like it was coming. He ended up with the Kings. And this feels like the right spot for him.

I heard that he may sign back up with the Clippers. That wouldn't have made much sense considering all of the heat they have going on right now. He wouldn't have been able to really show off for the other 29 teams in the NBA if he signed there. They also have Darius Garland and others who need the ball in their hands to be effective. Some people said the Lakers. That makes zero sense. He plays way too slow for what they're doing, he wouldn't help out the offense much, and it looks like this Lakers roster is very disinterested in playing any defense, which may be Simmons best attribute at this point. There was no way he was going back to Philly. It ended so poorly there, and they are clearly going in a different direction, signing LeBron James and all.

There were a few teams where I thought it could work other than Sacramento. The Wizards popped into my brain because, why not? They have such a weird roster, full of random dudes, so why not add Simmons into that mix? He could help Alex Sarr on the defensive end, and maybe take a little ball handling off of Trae Young's plate. He could use a break. Charlotte seemed like maybe due to them trading away LaMelo Ball. I feel like he could set up Kon Knueppel for threes and throw lobs to Brandon Miller. But they have Coby White for that, and Coby White is a far superior shooter to Simmons. I also looked at Cleveland, just for a flyer. He could run the second unit, replace some of the defense Dean Wade left when he signed with Philly and they could even put Simmons, Mobley and Jarrett Allen out there for a monstrous defensive front court. But they would have to give him very little money, and I don't know if Simmons would've accepted that.

I'm sure there's others that did their due diligence on Simmons, but the Kings make the most sense to me because of the state of the franchise. The Kings are going nowhere fast right now. They have let a bunch of good players go for next to nothing, they have missed more than they hit in the draft and they are in the space to take a chance on a guy, just to see what he has left, and if he shows anything, they can flip him for younger players or more cracks at the draft. Darius Acuff is going to get to run the show in Sacramento. They took him in the lottery for the sole purpose to let him score and score as much as he can. Acuff is not going to be asked to pass the ball much or play much defense. They want him to score and put up shots. I would be shocked if Domantas Sabonis is still on this team by the All Star break. He wants out, they want to trade him and I bet he will get his wish. Zach Lavine is untradeable and his best days are behind him. The Kings are giving what seems to be De'Andre Hunter's last shot in the NBA. I thought he was going to be a decent NBA player, but it just hasn't translated to the league. Alex Karaban looks slow and unplayable on the defensive end of the floor. Malik Monk can score, and has seemed to find a home in Sacramento. But he is only getting older, and I have to imagine that at some point in his career he wants to play in meaningful games late into the playoffs. They may still have something in Keegan Murray and Maxine Raynaud. But that is it. So why not take a shot on Simmons? If he can find some version of himself when he was making all NBA teams and winning rookie of the year in Philly, that would be a humongous win for Simmons and the Kings. If he can handle the ball a bit, find Acuff and Murray open for threes or throw a few lobs to Precious Achiuwa and Raynuad, that would be great. If he can step up on the defensive side of the ball and show any kind of true defensive pressure, maybe a contending team will give him a spot.

I know this is a lot of maybes and a lot of stuff he will have to show scouts, but it could happen. I don't think it will though. I think Simmons may have a few decent games here and there, but nothing will really stand out. I think that when he gets back on the floor, his shot will be nonexistent. I think he will be scared to shoot free throws. But I will be watching Simmons and kind of rooting for him. This is a former number 1 overall draft pick who fell off the face of the universe. I'm glad he's back, but he has a ton to prove. Maybe Sacramento is the exact place he should be right now. 

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.

This Michigan Win Does Not Feel Good

I am here today to discuss what happened in the Western Michigan-Michigan football game on Saturday night. I've been sitting with this game in my head ever since it ended.

Right away, I don't know what the rules say, I did not read the particular rule for the 1 second being left on the clock, I have no idea how there was any time left, but a win is a win. Do I think there was a second left? Do I think Michigan deserved a chance to win at the end? No. I thought the time had expired and I even went about my evening thinking about how this loss was going to affect the football program for the rest of the season. And then the refs put a second back on the clock, Underwood made his only decent pass of the night and JJ Buchannan came down with the ball amongst a crowd of players. The final score ended up being 13-12, instead of the 12-7 I figured it was going to be.

A lot of stuff can be said about this. Maybe Western Michigan should have batted the ball down. Maybe they needed everyone in the secondary. Maybe Michigan should have just blown the doors off of them. Maybe Michigan's defense was tired and that is why they couldn't get off the field in the third quarter. Maybe this appeal from the MAC will give Western Michigan a much deserved win. In the end, where we sit today, September 8th, Western Michigan is 0-1 and Michigan is 1-0. And I have so many, many issues and more worries about this team, the Wolverines, moving forward this season.

First off, the defense is solid. I don't have many issues. I was frustrated that they couldn't get off the field in the third quarter. And then my dad said to me that he was certain they were tired because they had been playing more than 70 percent of the game. I thought the d line did an okay job rushing the passer and stopping the run. Western Michigan didn't have too many explosive plays, even though that is not the type of offense they run. I thought the defense did bite on too many play action plays and that the secondary was playing way too far off of Western Michigan's wideouts. But, when you only give up 12 points, with zero touchdowns scored, I think the defense did their job.

This Wolverine offense though, boy oh boy does it look pretty bad. I don't really know what I expected, especially with an entirely new offensive staff for the most part, but this was not what I wanted to see. This was an offense that was anemic, timid, couldn't establish the line of scrimmage, made poor choices and got far too many penalties. They looked frightened and very under prepared. The majority of the blame goes to the coaches, but the players bear some of the brunt as well. I had, and maybe still have a little, hope for Bryce Underwood, but he looked like he took a massive stepback. He made poor decision after poor decision. There was a moment late in the game where he could have easily ran for a first down on third down, but instead he decided to throw the ball to a wideout being covered by four players. He threw a horrendous interception late in the first half that set up a field goal for Western Michigan. He fumbled the ball running late in the fourth quarter when Michigan was down one point. He made poor throws most of the night, and I take zero stock in the fact that he made one nice throw all night long. The running game, which is supposed to be the bread and butter, looked rough. Jordan Marshall looked timid and tried to jump cut far too often. Last season he would run a dude over if they were in his way. Saturday night he looked like he was more interested in juking someone. Savion Hiter didn't get a decent block all night, and when he would get going, he looked like a freshman, taking bad cuts or being taken down with ease by one tackler. Bryson Kuzdal got two carries all night, and while he had the best run of any of the backs, it was called back due to an unnecessary holding penalty. The receivers couldn't get much separation, they looked slow out of the gates and Andrew Marsh, who I adore, made some uncommon mistakes by simply just taking his eyes off the ball. And the o line was not good at all. They couldn't establish themselves all night long. They struggled to open running lanes and protect the QB.  The o line looked as bad as I have seen them play in a long, long time.

And the coaching staff really struggled. I had much higher hopes for this staff. I praised them as the saviors. They are supposed to turn this program back into a national power. They shouldn't need the refs to bail them out.

I don't know what is going to come from this game and from this team all year, but my expectations have drastically fallen off. Oklahoma is going to crush them this weekend. I said during my college football preview that I felt like Michigan's ceiling was 10 wins and the floor was 7. I'm struggling to find 6 wins with this squad now. They have one of the harder schedules in all of college football, and if the offense is going to be this bad all year, they may not win 4 games.

I'm going to root for Michigan like I always do. My fandom will never die for this football team. I love them. But I feel like we are going to be in for a long, long season, and maybe there will be some massive changes next year if this isn't figured out. Props to Western Michigan for how well prepared they were on Saturday night, and for how well they played. And I'm more nervous than usual for Michigan moving forward. This has the feeling of a tough and long season for the Wolverines. But, as always, Go Blue. 

Ty

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

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The Hammer Comes for The Clippers

The NBA has levied their punishment against the Clippers, and boy is it big. The Clippers got crushed in fact. I didn't think they would get in much trouble, but I was very wrong.

For people who may not know, the NBA has been investigating the Clippers for about a year now due to some under the table payments given to former player Kawhi Leonard. Apparently this was a way to circumnavigate the salary cap so the Clippers could keep Kawhi on the team as long as possible, and try to build a title contending team around him.

This is very against the rules. It states in the NBA bylaws that stuff like this, namely circumnavigating the salary cap, is very against policy. The Clippers have denied it, and they are still denying it, but they just got their asses handed to them. The owner of the team, Steve Ballmer, has been suspended for a year. Lawrence Frank, the GM, is suspended for the year. Kawhi's uncle, Uncle Dennis, is banned from NBA activities for life, Kawhi has been given a 700,000 dollar fine and the Clippers have to forfeit five future first round picks.

This is brutal. This is a lot. I don't know that any other professional sports team in America has been levied a fine like this. This is right up there with some of the stuff the NCAA used to do back before NIL and when they actually had some kind of power. The Clippers were already in rebuild mode, and this will definitely speed up the process. They let Paul George walk in free agency a year ago. They traded Ivica Zubac during the season last year. They traded Kawhi before all of this stuff went down. They let Ben Mathurin walk in free agency. They are taking on younger players with boom or bust potential and they look to be in the process of trying stuff out. Now they kind of have to continue this for the next, at the very least, five years.

The fines and suspensions levied against the front office is bad enough, but the picks that are going to hurt the most. You can build through the draft. Teams have won doing that. The Bucks got a title out of drafting Giannis. But they also made trades for guys like Jrue Holiday and Brook Lopez. Those trades involved draft picks. The Lakers have always found a way to get a title, usually through trades. Those trades involve coveted future draft picks. They have also made trades on draft night, when picks are also available to move. The Warriors went on a generational run with a team build through the draft. The draft is important. The draft is where the most research happens. And picks are a known commodity and other teams want that. The Clippers now have zero leverage in any deal they may try to get involved in with another team. Let's say that, maybe next season, the Clippers want to offload guys like Brnadon Ingram, Gradey Dick or Rui Hachumira. They will have no power in any deal. They cannot attach those guys to picks. Other teams won't want to give them any picks either. They will just want to offload bad contracts or unhappy players. And those players will most likely be deep bench guys. How are they going to build around Keaton Wagler and Darius Garland now? They traded James Harden last year and took a big shot on Garland. When Garland plays he has some exceptional talent. But now he is going to have little to no help around him. And if they engage in trade talk, they are not going to be able to bring back any big time players.

I have big feelings that Garland is going to ask out, or when his contract is up, there is no way he is going to stay and re-sign with them. Wagler is an unknown commodity. He has skills, but he has a lot of growth that needs to be shown, and now he won't have as much time as he would have if the Clippers had stayed out of trouble. Brandon Ingram has shown flashes, but he is nowhere near the player people hoped he would be when he was drafted. Gradey Dick has proven nothing to this point. Brook Lopez is old. Bradley Beal is past his prime. Max Strus is always hurt. The Clippers are going to be bad this season, and it is only going to get worse from here. They need Wagler to hit and hit big. But they are not going to have any way of putting a solid, young team around him until he is in his mid 20's. Star players are not going to want to go there until this punishment is up. Any vet that hits is going to ask out. They won't have the benefit of building through the draft until 2032.

This is a mess and one that the Clippers seem not so fit to dig their way out of. This is also going to make other teams become very aware of shady outside dealings and shady family members. Time will tell what this actually makes the Clippers look like. But in the short term, the Clippers are going to be a moribund franchise with no way of getting out of their current state. 

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 College Football Preview

Wrapping up my two weeks of football, today I come to you all with my 2026 NCAA football preview and predictions.

College football is kind of messed up right now. I'm all for players getting paid for their name, image and likeness being used. They deserve as much. But NIL and the transfer portal are in a bad place right now. There have got to be some rules installed and reinforced or else it will only get worse. The fact that players who signed pro contracts, practiced and participated in professional games, and are trying to come back to college football, that's a massive issue that needs to change asap. But that's another topic for another day.

For my college football preview I will go through the major conferences, name a few group of five teams I like and a few surprises. I'll pick my title game, the top 12 teams that will make the playoff, and my Heisman winner. Let us tarry no further.

I'll start with the Big 12. The Big 12, much like most of college football, has a bunch of teams that were a parts of different conferences years ago. A bunch of the mainstays are gone and now they have teams like BYU, Arizona and Arizona State to name a few. ASU is good and has a solid coach. They'll be competitive. Arizona should be solid as well. Iowa State's coach left, as did most of the roster. Kansas is back to being mediocre at best. UCF is stuck in the mud. Houston has a five star freshman playing QB, and that will be fun to watch. West Virginia and Colorado are not going to be very good. Kansas State and Oklahoma State are looking like they are going to be much, much better than they were last season. Cincinnati and Baylor, while having some decent players, will be middling as well. This conference comes down to Utah, BYU and Texas Tech. Utah has a fun offense, but they have an entirely new coaching staff. Devon Dampier is awesome. BYU has a very good offense and a solid defense. They need to win when it matters most though. Texas Tech looks like the team to beat. They were in the playoffs last season, they returned some good players and they got another solid QB in the portal. BYU and Utah will make it tough, but I'm going with Texas Tech to win the Big 12.

Now to the ACC. The ACC has a ton of teams, but most are middling to bad. Wake Forest needs to figure some stuff out. They are stuck in the mud. Boston College has a magnitude of issues they need to figure out. Syracuse started super strong last year, but they really fell on their faces when their QB got hurt. Duke somehow won the conference title game last year, but the important guys from that team have moved on. Virginia has reloaded their roster and they could make some noise. Virginia Tech hired James Franklin, and while I love that decision, he needs a little more time to fully turn it around. North Carolina has to deal with Bill Belichek's ego. NC State will be a headache to play, but that won't amount to a ton. Stanford and Georgia Tech have to rebuild rosters. Louisville could be a sleeper in the conference. Florida State and Clemson's best days look like they're behind them. Pittsburgh will be a thorn in opponents sides. And California has a true threat at QB. But Miami is the team to beat in the ACC. They were in the title game last year, and while some of their best players left for the pros, they still have a ton of talent on the roster and they got the top QB in the transfer portal. Miami is going to be a true title threat again this season.

Let's move on to the SEC. The SEC is loaded. Vanderbilt has a new five star freshman coming in at QB. He is one of their highest rated recruits ever and he is going to get every opportunity to prove his worth. South Carolina has Lanoris Sellers and Nyck Harbor. They need to perform better, but damn those two dudes are great. Alabama has a new starter at QB, but Keelon Russell seems like he is wise beyond his years. Oklahoma has tons of talent and veteran talent on the roster. They should be highly competitive this season. Auburn has a new coach and a new roster. They have to figure some stuff out, but they look to be on the right path. Tennessee will have an explosive offense and a middling defense. Texas A&M has a great recruiting class coming in, and Mike Elko has been a superb hire as head coach. Ole Miss could be a surprise title contender. They have the best QB and running back in the country in their backfield. Mississippi State has to rebuild. Florida is in the same boat. Arkansas and Kentucky are going to be at or near the bottom of the conference. Missouri is going to be way more competitive than people are saying. Then we have Georgia, LSU and Texas. Georgia has the best coach in the conference and, probably, the best defense. LSU has a plethora of top end talent from the transfer portal. Their offense should be wildly explosive. And Texas has a great offense, an even better defense and they struck gold when Cam Coleman committed to them out of the portal. I'm going with Texas to win the SEC, but I will be watching Ole Miss and Georgia very closely all season long.

Now for the conference I watch most, the Big 10. Purdue is in full rebuild mode, but Barry Odom is a good coach and he is well equipped to handle a project like this. Rutgers is going to be an annoying opponent, but that won't make much of a difference in the win column for them. Northwestern is breaking in a new QB, but they always punch above their class and they play their butts off in every game. Wisconsin is in a world of struggle right now. I believed in Luke Fickell, but he is really struggling to put together a competent and competitive team. This may be his last shot as their head coach this season. Michigan State has a new coach and a relatively new roster. This rebuild will take time, but Pat Fitzgerald is no stranger to taking over a struggling program and turning them into a formidable squad. Minnesota has a great coach and a very good QB. They will play ferocious defense and the QB has first round talent. Illinois has become a very solid team and they play hard every week. They love their coach, even if he is a blowhard, and that shows with how they play on the field. Penn State has a new coach and a bunch of new players, but Matt Campbell turned Iowa State into a winner, and he has way more resources in Happy Valley. UCLA brought in the head coach from James Madison, and that worked out pretty well for Indiana. They also have a great QB, and that is always a good thing for a team trying to make a come up. Washington is very good, they have a solid offense and defense and a great home field advantage. USC has one of their more talented rosters since they joined the Big 10, and they should make some noise this season. I expect them to be very good. Nebraska has to replace their five star QB, but they do have a solid run game and an okay defense. Maryland seems stuck in some kind of mud, but they have an easy schedule. Iowa will run the ball well, play great defense, but they still need to find a capable starting QB. The university of Ohio State has some dudes to replace, but they still have a top tier QB, the best wideout in college football and an awesome, all world defense. Indiana is somehow still being slept on even though they just won it all last season. They have another great, veteran laden roster, the best coach for modern college football and another relatively easy schedule. I fully believe Oregon is the best team coming into the season. Their offense is absolutely loaded, they have the best QB prospect on their roster, their defense is one of the best they've had and they have a top tier coach. And then there's Michigan. As you all know, this is my favorite team of all time. They have a new coach, which I'm happy about, but they also have a very hard schedule and a bunch of unproven players. I hope Bryce Underwood shows some serious growth this year. I'm excited about Jordan Marshall and Savio Hiter, they just need to stay on the field. Andrew Marsh is awesome and I was stoked he didn't transfer out. The o line is an area of concern for me. I hope they figure it out. The d line should be one of the best in the nation. The linebacker corps concerns me as much as the o line. The secondary should be very good too. Michigan is in a peculiar spot this year. They got the type of coach they needed after the Harbaugh era. But that schedule is a beast. I say their ceiling is 10 wins and the floor is 7. I bet they win 8 games in the end. As for the winner of the Big 10, I'm going with Oregon.

Notre Dame is going to be very good this season. Yes, both of their running backs left for the pros, but they still have a top tier QB, great wideouts and a wonderful defense. Boise State should be in the playoff conversation all year. They may run the table. UNLV is going to have a wildly explosive offense, and they can definitely challenge Boise State as the group of five playoff representatives.

As far as the playoff teams go, from 12-1 I'm going with UNLV, Oklahoma, LSU, Notre Dame, Texas Tech, Indiana, Ole Miss, Georgia, Miami, the university of Ohio State, Texas and Oregon. The title game will have Ole Miss playing Oregon and I have Oregon winning it all. The time has come for them to finally live up to preseason expectations. As for the Heisman winner, I'm going with Dante Moore. He is primed for the award.

Okay that is all of my preseason football previews for the upcoming year. Take it with a grain of salt. Enjoy week zero. Football is upon us, everyone. 

Ty

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

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Ty's 2026 NFL Preview: Postseason and Awards

Welcome to the final day of my preseason NFL preview and predictions. Today I have the playoff and award predictions coming your way. We will wrap up the week tomorrow with my college football preview. But today is the last day for the NFL. Seven teams make the playoff from each conference. I'll rank them from 7-1, pick the winners of each until we get to the Super Bowl. There will be a few words about each matchup as well. And I will end it all with my award predictions. Let's get to it.

I'll start with the AFC.

In the AFC East I'm riding with the Bills. They are the best team in that division. The Patriots will be their main competitor, but the Bills are the clear cut favorites to me. The Jets and Dolphins will most likely be a non factor. The AFC North is going to be a true fight. This is one of the better divisions in all of football. They will most likely get two teams in the playoffs this year. The Bengals and Ravens are the top two teams. I'm going to go with the Ravens due to injury concerns I have with the Bengals. The Steelers are going to regress big time, and the Browns are going to be awful. I do think the Ravens will win the North, but the Bengals will also be in the playoffs. The AFC South is ripe for the Texans to take the crown. The Colts are going to take a big step back. The Titans are getting better, but they are still a few years away. And the Jags let their top running back walk out of the door. The Texans should walk with this division. The AFC West is another division that will be a fight to win. The Chiefs, Chargers and Broncos all have a legit shot at the playoffs. The Raiders are going nowhere fast. The Chiefs are on their last legs. This is their last shot. The Broncos are good, but Bo Nix is coming off a tough injury. And then we have the Chargers. I think they are the team to take this division this year. This is year three with Harbaugh, the team is in his image and they should have a good season.

As for playoff rankings, from 7-1 I have the Patriots, Broncos, Bengals, Chargers, Ravens, Texans and Bills. The Bills are the one seed and they get the bye. The 4-5 game features the Bengals facing the Chargers. I'll go with the Bengals here simply due to Burrow being better than Herbert. The 3-6 game gives us the Broncos going to Baltimore to face the Ravens. This is where Lamar Jackson will show he is different and put up big numbers. The Ravens will win this game. The 2-7 game gives us the Patriots playing the Texans. This game will be a fight, but in the end I think CJ Stroud will make a few more plays and the Texans defense will stifle the Patriots offense. Give me the Texans,

So in round two we will have the Bengals playing the Bills and the Texans playing the Ravens. I'm going with the Bills to beat the Bengals. They have home field, Josh Allen needs to get a signature win and who knows who will be hurt in Cincinnati. As for the Texans and Ravens, I'm going with Baltimore. Lamar Jackson is so good and even better when he plays at home. I think he out duels Stroud and makes a big play to seal the game.

So that means I have the Bills and Ravens in the AFC title game. The Bills will be going to the Super Bowl to represent the AFC. Both teams will squash some postseason demons this season, but it will be the Bills making the big break and going to the Super Bowl.

On to the NFC.

The NFC East will be competitive, but it may not be the best football to watch. The Eagles, Cowboys, Commanders and Giants all think they have a shot. I think the Eagles are the only team with a real shot. They still have a great offense and a wonderful defense. The Giants are still too far off and need a better QB. The Commanders look like they're going to be a good 9-8 squad, but not good enough to get in the playoffs. And the Cowboys will continue to underwhelm. I'm going with the Eagles here. The NFC North could have three teams in the playoffs. They will have three teams that finish over .500. The Bears are the cream of the crop. They are coming together nicely and they look very good. The Packers will get beat in games they shouldn't, then win games they have no business even being in. That is what they do. The Lions have a ton going for them, but they also rely too heavily on Jared Goff. The Vikings are clearly rebuilding. I'm going to pick the Bears due to talent, but the Packers and Lions will not go quietly into the night. The NFC South is a tire fire. The Panthers represented this division last season, and they were 8-9. They are still good, but not division winning good. The Buccaneers should easily walk away with this division. They have the most talent in the South by a wide margin. I don't trust Tyler Shough as a playoff QB. And the Falcons haven't even settled on a QB just yet. The Bucs are the clear favorites here. The NFC West is going to be a blast to watch. The Seahawks are the reigning champs, and outside of getting a new running back, they are pretty much coming back in full force. The 49ers will compete and play hard, but I still have doubts about their health and Brock Purdy. The Rams were my number 1 team in my rankings, and I think they are on a mission this season. And then we have the Cardinals, who will be very, very bad this year. I'm going to stick with the Rams, but the 49ers and Seahawks will be right on their tail all season long.

As for my playoff teams, again from 7-1 I have the Lions, 49ers, Seahawks, Buccaneers, Eagles, Bears and Rams. The Rams get the bye being the 1 seed. So my 4-5 matchup features the Seahawks facing the Buccaneers. The Seahawks are going to cruise in this game. It could be a blowout. My 3-6 matchup has the 49ers playing the Eagles. This game could be sloppy and messy and feel like it is grinding to a halt. It will be some ugly football. But I'm going to go with the Eagles due to home field advantage and the fact that some important 49ers players will be hurt and miss this game. The 2-7 game will have the Lions playing the Bears. This is an inter division game in the playoffs. I love it. And while the Lions are familiar with the Bears, I still think the Bears will win this game. It will be close, but in the end, Caleb Williams will do something spectacular to win the game.

This gives me the Rams playing the Seahawks and the Bears facing the Eagles. I'm going to stick with Chicago keeping the momentum going in their game. They have home field advantage, and knowing the Eagles, they will probably be at each other's throats by this time of the season. The Rams and Seahawks may be the best game throughout all of the playoffs. These two teams will fight all the way to the end, but I see the Rams winning on a late field goal.

My NFC title game has the Bears playing the Rams. The Bears are coming, but they are not at the Rams level just yet. The Rams are loaded with vets and really good players. The Bears have good players, but they don't have the experience just yet. I'm going with the Rams to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.

That means I have the Bills and Rams playing in the Super Bowl and I'm going to stick with my preseason pick throughout all of this, the Rams. This team is tailor made to win it all this year and I believe they will do just that. And Matthew Stafford will most likely go out with the Super Bowl MVP.

As for my regular season awards, I'm going to do the important ones for me. MVP will go to Joe Burrow. I think he is going to put up insane numbers. As for Offensive Player of the Year, I'll take Ja'Marr Chase. Someone has to catch those passes and put the ball in the endzone. That person is Chase. Defensive Player of the Year will be Myles Garrett. He has a new team and a newfound love for this game. And he will finally be playing important football past November this season. Coach of the Year is going to Jesse Minter. He is going to keep the Ravens relevant. Hell, they may even look more explosive. Offensive Rookie of the Year will be Jeremiyah Love. While the Cardinals are going to be pretty awful, Love will be the reason to watch them. He is going to get to showcase all of his talents. And my final award, Defensive Rookie of the Year will be Ruben Bain Jr. I cannot wait to watch him wreck backfields all season long and watch him make the teams that passed on him in the draft regret that decision. He is going to be great.

That's it for my 2026 NFL preseason countdown and predictions. Do with this what you will and I cannot wait for the season to start. 

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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Ty's 2026 NFL Preview: "Once in a Lifetime" Division

Welcome to the final day of my preseason NFL countdown. These are the four teams that I think are the best going into the season. These are the true title contenders.

At number 4 I have the Baltimore Ravens. This feels like it is it for this team. This is the season they either announce themselves as a true threat, or if they're just paper champions. They moved on from John Harbaugh and brought in Jesse Minter. He is like a younger Harbaugh, and he even coached with his brother for a good long time. Minter looks ready and I'm excited to see how he performs as a head coach. Lamar Jackson is the best modern day QB in my opinion. He can do it all and he has the hardware to prove it. He just needs to do it in the playoffs now. He has shown what he is capable of in the regular season, now that needs to shift to the important time of year. I fully believe he can do that. Derrick Henry is awesome. He is still highly productive and a load to tackle. He has made the best run game in the NFL that much better. He is such a great compliment to Jackson in the backfield and he continues to be a great player. Zay Flowers has shown some nice flashes. He has very good hands and he is fast. Rashod Bateman hasn't fully popped off just yet. He needs to show something this year or they may move on from him. Jakobi Meyers made a good choice in coming here, but he needs to show that he is more than just a guy who has one or two good games a year. Mark Andrews has had some issues with dropping the ball, but he is still pretty darn good and Lamar Jackson trusts him. The Ravens need better wideouts, but Jackson can mask some of those problems. The o line is right up there with the Lions. They're mean and nasty and very good. The defense has always been the calling card here, but they need to be better this year. I like that they are bringing in Calais Campbell. He can still produce. Roquan Smith is such a steady hand at linebacker. He is a tackling machine. Kyle Hamilton is a ball hawking safety that loves to hit and Marlon Humphrey is a very solid cover guy. They need to play a bit better to be super dominant, and with Minter at the helm I think they can take it up a notch. The Ravens will be very good during the regular season, but they need to win when it matters. I think they can do that this year and I fully believe they can make a push to the Super Bowl.

At number 3 I have the Buffalo Bills. They're very similar to the Ravens. They have a new coach and they have a roster that is on its last legs as a super competitive team. Josh Allen is great. He is a true franchise QB. He makes some wild plays that still surprise me. He is very, very good. I feel like James Cook is one of the more underrated running backs in the league. He is so quiet about what he does, but what he does is rush for 1,000 yards a season, a handful of TDs and has decent hands out of the backfield. Khalil Shakir announced himself as a solid number 1 wideout on this team. He is already good and he should only improve from here. DJ Moore came over from Chicago, and he is a nice, shifty slow receiver for this team. Keon Coleman needs to show some improvement this year. Dalton Kincaid is a very good tight end and the o line is pretty darn good. This defense is ferocious. Ed Oliver is still a very productive d lineman. Greg Rousseau is great off the edge. Bradley Chubb is still a very productive linebacker. CJ Gardener Johnson and Damar Hamlin are very solid secondary players. The Bills have a great QB and a very good defense. They also have one of the best home field advantages in all of football. They should make a deep playoff run, and maybe they can finally break through and find themselves representing the AFC in the Super Bowl.

At number 2 I have the reigning champs, the Seattle Seahawks. They didn't have to change too much this offseason to still be a true title threat in the NFC. Sam Darnold has proven himself to be one of the best game managers in all of football. He showed that he can make plays when he needs to, and he has shed the bust label he may have gotten a few seasons back. Kenneth Walker is gone, and that will hurt. Zach Charbonnet is still nursing his injury and will miss some time to start the year. Jadarian Price will start out the year as the feature back, and I'm curious to see how he performs. Jaxson Smith-Njigba is great. He is steadily climbing the ranks as one of the best wideouts in the game. He is awesome. Cooper Kupp proved he still has something left in the tank last year. Rashid Shaheed might be the fastest player in the NFL, and he had a chance to make some humongous plays in the Super Bowl last year. AJ Barner is proving to be a solid tight end. The o line is great. They open up plenty of running lanes and can pass block very well. This defense is amazing. Leonard Williams and Demarcus Lawrence are menacing coming off the edge. Ernest Jones IV is a very good linebacker. This secondary is one of the best in the league. Devon Witherspoon is one of the best cover guys in the league. Nick Emmanwori is a great nickel corner. And they are taking a chance on Trevon Diggs, who is an interception machine at times. The Seahawks have all the ability to repeat as champs. They have all the players in the right spot and they have a great coaching staff. They also have the best home field advantage in all of football. The Seahawks are going to be very good for a decent amount of time.

And at number 1 I have the Los Angeles Rams. They have it all. Truly. They have a great offense, a defense that is about to get way better and the best coach in football. Sean McVay is truly a football genius. Matthew Stafford is coming off an MVP season and he just continues to put up very good numbers. Kyren Williams and Blake Corum are going to make for a very formidable 1-2 punch in the backfield. Davante Adams is a touchdown machine. He is always open in the end zone. Puka Nacua has some off field stuff he needs to deal with, but when he is on the field he is productive as hell. Cody Parkinson is a capable tight end and this o line is very, very good. This defense is on the precipice of bringing back Aaron Donald, and they traded for Myles Garrett this offseason. Garrett is the best edge rusher, by a million miles, in all of football and he will actually be playing important football later this season. I cannot wait to see how he performs this year. I'm almost certain that Donald will sign soon, and when he does, he and Garrett will be as dominant a d line duo as we have seen in a long, long time. Kam Kinchens is a very good safety. Trent McDuffie is right up there with some of the better secondary players in football. Omar Speights makes tons of tackles and Byron Young is good at tackling and covering backs out of the backfield. This team is loaded from top to bottom and they are, as they should be, the heavy favorites going into this season. If they don't make the Super Bowl I'd say it will be a wasted season.

That's it. That is my preseason countdown for the 2026 season. Come back tomorrow for my playoff and award predictions. 

Ty

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

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