The Future is Now for the Washington Commanders

I come here today to heap some praise on the Washington Commanders.

I was a bit skeptical of their regular season. I felt like I've seen this story before. A team comes from out of nowhere to make a deeper playoff run that most thought. Hell, I didn't even think they'd be in the playoffs. I was certain they'd have another high pick in this upcoming draft. I liked Jayden Daniels coming into the draft, and when they stole Mike Sainristil, my preseason pick for defensive rookie of the year by the way, I was stoked. But still, they looked like a team starting their year or two rebuild in the right direction. I was wrong. So was almost everyone else.

The Commanders are here, and they look here to stay. Daniels is legit. He is a younger Lamar Jackson. Jackson is still young, but Daniels is younger. Jackson is also currently better, he is my favorite QB to watch in the league right now, but Daniels looks to be on his way. He has a poise and calmness you don't see in any rookies. No matter the score, with his arm and legs, he can keep his team in any game. The Lions have a better roster, but Daniels figured something out and went to the well over and over and over again. And it worked because he is hyper talented. He plays the game with joy, he seems to love doing what he's doing and I cannot wait to see him do this for the next decade plus.

Sainristil, for those that don't know, is also legit. He was a receiver his first couple of years at Michigan. He made the switch to nickel corner and it benefitted him and the team. They won a title last year, and a lot of the defensive success they enjoyed was due to his play. He made this change and it worked out for everyone. It worked out better than anyone else could have ever imagined. He parlayed that into being a high second round pick and day one starter. He has made gradual progression all season long and it culminated in his best game as a pro. He had two interceptions and five tackles. He made big plays in the state of Michigan once again. I was torn because I have a ton of family members that are diehard Lions fans, but I loved seeing the things Sainristil was doing on the field. He is only going to get better and it looks like the Commanders have their two main building blocks on offense and defense for a good long while. Sure, they're are ten other players who are important playing with both of them, but these two are the standouts, and they're rookies. This kind of success this early on is amazing. It's also unheard of. I don't want any bad injury or anything to derail their growth. And they both seem to have good heads on their shoulders, so that is not that big of a worry to me.

Watching them both play this weekend was pretty glorious. I like when I don't have a rooting interest because I can focus on certain players that I may not have watched much during the regular season. The Bills and Eagles impressed me with how they won their games, but the Commanders were the highlight for me. I didn't expect this from them, but I'm not mad that this is where they're at right now. I'm not sure how they'll play this weekend facing the Eagles in the NFC title game. But, I'm done betting against them at this point. They've done more than enough to prove they belong and that they will be perennial players moving forward. And I give a good portion of that credit to Daniels and Sainristil. They're so much fun to watch and I will be rooting hard for them this weekend. What a story. 

Ty

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

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Bob Uecker Made My World a Better Place

Bob Uecker, the iconic voice of the Milwaukee Brewers and one of America’s most cherished entertainers, passed away today at the age of 90. Affectionately known as “Mr. Baseball,” Uecker was far more than a sports figure—he was a cultural icon whose humor, wit, and charm transcended the game. 

We already knew all of that.

Outside of Bob’s less than mediocre professional baseball career, his longtime duties as the voice of the Brewers, and his movie/television career, Mr. Baseball was someone who impacted my life in a very positive way. I already miss him dearly.

Bob Uecker has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. His Miller Light ads in the early 1980s were everywhere, and while I was far too young to drink the product, Bob made me laugh. “I must be in the front row” is something I always say when I go to sporting events. His role as Harry Doyle in “Major League” and its sequel delighted me as a kid, and now my own son quotes him. My son says “juuust a bit outside” on any bad pitch. After a particularly bad Reds outing this season, I said to my wife “two goddamn hits, hell no one’s listening”. I did not really watch Mr. Belvedere, but I had a close childhood friend reach out today and say that Bob Uecker on that show is the dad he always wanted. Later in life I discovered Bob’s legendary visits on Johnny Carson, and I love to tell the story of Uecker and Bob Gibson holding hands in the Cardinals team photo. Bob was a Gen X/Millennial comic legend.

I was lucky enough to meet Bob Uecker one time. Back in 2005 I was working in Milwaukee. I was at an event where Bob was the guest speaker. He took time to talk to each person and he was as funny as he always was. When I had my time with him I mentioned that I was from St. Louis. He asked my age and I told him I was young enough to not be around for his playing days but old enough to appreciate his after baseball work. He then said to me that I looked old enough to drink Miller Light but young enough to strike him out. I laughed and said thanks for the compliment. Immediately after my remark, Bob turned around and said it was no compliment to me but the truth of his abysmal hitting. His comic timing was perfect, and Bob Uecker gave me a memory for a lifetime.

I loved Bob Uecker. I already miss him. The world was a much better place with Mr. Baseball bringing us joy. Bob’s last call ever, a Brewer’s playoff loss to the Mets, the legend said at the end of the game “I’m telling you. That one (pause) had some sting on it”. Bob Uecker always knew what to say.

Thank you for a life well lived, thank you for the memories, and thank you for decades of entertaining this boy from St. Louis, but today (pause) has some sting on it.

RD

RD is the creator and Head Editor of SeedSing. He also does a bunch of podcasts. Find them here.

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Thoughts on Jimmy Butler's Last Days in Miami

It appears Jimmy Butler's time on the Miami Heat is going to come to an end. He has asked for a trade, the team has suspended him for "conduct detrimental to the team", he has been very candid about wanting out and it just seems like a matter of time now.

I'm conflicted here. I love Jimmy Butler. He is one of my modern day favorite players. I like how aggressive he is on defense, everywhere he goes he helps that team win and become relevant, he has been to multiple finals and all star games and it appears he makes good coffee. But, the reasons that have been floated about as to why he wants out makes no sense to me.

I guess, from what has been reported, he didn't like the way Pat Riley called him out during last year's playoff run. Butler missed the first round, where the Celtics took the Heat down in five games, and he said that had he been out there it would have been different. Riley must have heard this and said something along the lines of, he needs to be on the court to prove what he says. It all seems very mild and mundane to me. Butler doesn't seem like the type of guy that would get too riled up about comments like that. Riley is also a known asshole. He always has been and always will be. But, what made this partnership so promising, and it almost paid off, was the fact that these two guys were pretty much the same. They both want the same things when it comes to basketball. I assumed Butler would finish his career with the Heat. I thought he would ride off into the Miami sunset and start a whole chain of coffee shops within the Miami area post basketball. But I guess that is not the way it's going to end. I still don't know that the comments from Riley were the only reason he wants out, but who's to say.

When I pull back and look at who might be able to trade for him, it's slim pickings. The Heat are going to go about this like they always do. They will want the deal that best suits them. They aren't going to trade him just because he wants out. This has nothing to do with representation or "trying to do right" by a player. The Heat want to be relevant and they want to compete. Butler may have preferred destinations, it seems like Phoenix is his number one spot, but if the deal from the Suns doesn't get better, the Heat aren't just going to trade him to get rid of him. I know the Heat have said they don't want Bradley Beal, and that makes sense to me. He isn't the player he once was, and he is so often injured. But other than Beal, the Suns cannot offer much. They don't have picks or any young guys that could be intriguing. I saw the Grizzlies were interested, and I got hyped on this news. It wasn't too much later that Butler publicly said he doesn't want to play there. I wish that weren't true. I think Butler would be a fine addition to the Grizz. I'd love to see a starting five of Ja, Desmond Bane, Butler, JJJ and Zach Edey. I love that lineup. And the Grizz could give the Heat picks and younger, more intriguing guys. Maybe Butler will reverse course on Memphis. I saw the Warriors had minimal interest, but that has seemed to wane. They cannot part with too much talent if they want to stay competitive, and they don't have much in the way of picks. Outside those three possible contenders, not too many other deals make sense. Denver doesn't need him. Neither do the Thunder. The Cavs are cruising with their core guys and they seem to have it all figured out. The Hawks are going young. The Knicks are set and the Magic are too young for him. The Mavs and Clippers could make a push, but they'd have to give up too much in my opinion. Maybe it's just wishful thinking on my part, but Memphis makes the most sense to me, next to the Suns. The Grizzlies have better assets and appear to be a better team.

Time will tell, but I'm interested to see how this all plays out. 

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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The Patriots Were Wrong to Let Jerod Mayo Go

The Patriots relieved Jerod Mayo after one season as the head coach. Let’s discuss.

This is a bad, bad look for this franchise. I don't know anyone, including super fans and even members of the team that thought the Patriots would be a playoff threat this season. This had rebuild written all over it. The rebuild kind of started in Bill Belicheck's final season. They were worse that year than they were this year. They seem to like the QB they drafted in Drake Maye, but this was going to take time and I don't think Mayo got a fair shot. I was kind of stunned when I saw the headline after it was announced. I remember saying to RD that they need to give him time, that this was going to be a process. I believe I said that to him on a podcast record. But, for some inexplicable reason, the Patriots now find themselves in search of a new head coach.

I don't really know what Mayo did wrong either. They came out in week one and beat the Bengals in Cincy. That's a pretty big deal if you ask me. We all saw how both teams finished, but that was a big win. The Patriots also seemed to like playing for Mayo. The defense was better than it had any right to be. They have some pieces there and it seemed to click with Mayo running the show. The offense was bad, but again, it was a bunch of young dudes seeing massive amounts of playing time. It didn't take Maye too long before he supplanted Jacoby Brissett. Rhamondre Stevenson has issues with fumbling, but he is also an okay enough running back. Maybe he shouldn't be a starter though. The receivers are not good. They've tried to take chances, but nothing has worked out yet. How this collection of players managed to scrape together four wins is amazing to me, and I give a ton of that credit to Mayo for having them prepared to play. It has to be demoralizing stepping onto a pro football field knowing that almost every other team has better talent than the Patriots do. But Mayo and his staff, at the very least, had them ready to go out there and put up a fight. They're also going to be drafting high in the upcoming draft, one full of talent, and that should have been exactly what the fans and front office of the Patriots expected. Hell, I'd say they should have been ecstatic at the fact that they have a top five pick.

When I pull back and look at it, Mayo did the best he could with what he inherited, and he had this team going in the right direction. They have a QB they like. They have a defense that seemed capable at times. They were going to get a very, very good college football player to come in and hopefully help right away. The o line wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. A rebuild takes time and the Patriots were just getting started. Mayo deserved much more of a shot. Hell, he definitely deserved more than one season. And to see Robert Kraft say that he felt the team "regressed" under Mayo is nonsense. Kraft gave him nothing and expected the world out of him at his first try as a head coach.

I hope Jerod Mayo catches on elsewhere and gets a real shot again as an NFL head coach. This may end up being the best for him. But, it does feel like a slap in the face to a guy that played and coached there and was finally getting his first chance to run a team. People expect too much too quick, especially in the sports world. Jerrod Mayo deserved way more time. 

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 NFL Playoffs

The NFL playoffs are set and I'm here today with my playoff predictions and Super Bowl winner. I'll also pick the MVP of the Super Bowl. The one seeds are the Chiefs and Lions, which is not really much of a surprise. There are some teams returning that seemed like they were going to be shooting for a high draft pick as opposed to being back in the playoffs. And for teams like the Bengals, sorry RD, they were too little too late.

I'm going to start with the AFC.

The Chiefs have the bye. The 2-7 matchup features the Bills facing the Broncos. The Broncos are a nice story. Bo Nix has been better than I thought, Sean Payton can coach and the defense is pretty damn good. All that is great, but the Bills are going to roll them. Josh Allen is playing at an MVP level. Their run game has been solid. The defense is as advertised. I also think this Bills team is different. They're playing with a chip on their shoulder. The Bills win big. The 3-6 game has the Ravens and Steelers. The Ravens are surging while the Steelers are tumbling. The Steelers offense is worse than before and the defense is tired. The Ravens are putting up big numbers from Lamar Jackson, once again staking his claim at another MVP, and Derrick Henry has been as good as we all thought he would be when he signed there. The defense had some bumps along the way, but they seem to have righted the ship. The Ravens also get this game and home, and while it may look close for a half, the Ravens should win rather easily. The 4-5 game is intriguing, with the Chargers playing the Texans. I had high hopes for the Texans this season, but they have looked stuck in the mud. The offense isn't as electric and the defense is middling. The Chargers are playing with house money and have been on a tear as of late. Jim Harbaugh is also coming off a NCAA football title where Michigan won that game in Houston. I'm going with the Chargers here. They're playing looser and look to be having way more fun.

So, the second round will have matchups of the Chargers facing the Chiefs and the Bills facing the Ravens. The Chiefs are going to find a way to beat the Chargers. That's what they've done all year. Some miracle incident will occur and they will end up in the AFC title game. The Ravens and Bills game should be epic. This is between the two legit MVP candidates. Both teams play similar styles. Both defenses are gelling at the right time. The coaches seem in the groove. I'm going to give the slight edge to the Bills simply due to home field advantage. It's going to be frigid and the Ravens have a tendency of playing poorly when that happens.

That puts the Bills and Chiefs in the AFC title. This year though, I'm going with the Bills. The Chiefs luck is going to end soon, and this version of the Bills seems more than prepared to take over. I don't care  that the game is in KC, I don't care about postseason records between these two teams, the Bills are the better team and they will show that. The Bills will be the AFC's Super Bowl representative.

On to the NFC.

The Lions cruised against the Vikings last night to secure the 1 seed. The 2-7 game features the Eagles and Packers. I'd love for the Packers to win this game. It would be rad to see Jordan Love go into Philly and steal one. But, Saquon Barkley and Jalen Hurts have been better than advertised. Jaire Alexander is done for the year, so Hurts can beat them through the air. Love's best wideout, Christian Watson, tore his ACL yesterday. I'm all in on this Packers team, just not this year. The Eagles will most likely cruise into round 2. The 3-6 game has the Buccaneers playing the Commanders. I can't really get a feel for this game. The Bucs offense is okay, but inconsistent. The Commanders have a great rookie QB and a solid defense. The coaches are both capable. The game is in Tampa Bay, but I don't think that really matters much. I'm going to go with the Commanders simply based on how great Jayden Daniels has been all year. The kid has shown everyone what he is capable of and I think he continues to do that in this game. The 4-5 game has the Rams playing the Vikings. Give me the Rams all day. I have been really amazed at what the Vikings have done this year, but last night's game was telling. The lights were bright and they no showed. The Rams have veteran leaders and a Super Bowl winning coach. The moment won't be too big for them. I fear it might be for the Vikings though.

In round two we have the Lions playing the Rams and the Eagles facing the Commanders. The Lions are going to lay waste to the Rams. A home playoff game for a franchise that has been this stuck in the mud is going to be electric. The Lions proved they belonged last year, and this year I think they're out for blood. They should show no mercy, and I expect that from them. The Lions roll the Rams. I also feel like the Eagles-Commanders game will be similar. This time the Commanders will be shell shocked. I could see both Barkley and Hurts running for 100 yards. I also think the Eagles defense will shut down Daniels. The second round in the NFC won't be near as much fun as the AFC.

That leaves me with the Lions and Eagles in the NFC title game. This should be epic. I love this matchup. Playing in a dome makes it more likely that it will be a barn burner of a game. This could have a final of 38-35, and I see the Lions coming out on top. They're on a mission this season and they're going to play like it.

That means my Super Bowl is between the Bills and Lions. What a game huh? Are there two fan bases that deserve this more than them? Some fans are going to be thrilled while others will have to still wait on a title. As for which franchise I think will be happy, I'm going with the Bills. This is where the injuries will hurt the Lions. If they were fully healthy maybe I'd think differently. But, they aren't and that means I'm going with the Bills. They have something to prove and I think they finally rise above and do it this season. Josh Allen will also be the go away Super Bowl MVP. I can see him doing something incredible late in the fourth quarter to clinch the win. 

Can’t wait for these playoffs.

Ty

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

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Bo Nix and the Vikings are the Surprises of the NFL Season

Today I have come to eat crow on two NFL things I wrote in my preseason preview from earlier in 2024. Let’s go.

The first comes from my 2024 draft preview. In lieu of doing picks one by one, I always talk about five prospects I like and five I think have the most bust probability. In my five busts part, I was pretty certain that Bo Nix was going to flame out and flame out fast. I even doubled down on it when the Broncos named him the starter for the season and released Russell Wilson. Nix has proven me very, very wrong. He is a more than capable starting QB in the NFL. He is not going to be the ROY or the MVP, not by a long shot. But Nix has proven himself to be far more than just a game manager. The Broncos may not have won their game the other night, but it wasn't due to Nix playing poorly. He kept them in the game from start to finish. He made play after play. He went toe to toe with Joe Burrow. And I understand that the Bengals defense is porous, but Nix has done this all year. He led a drive that should have led to a game winning field goal earlier this season against the Chiefs. He has won games from the start for the Broncos. He has done everything he has been asked to do by his staff, and the Broncos, while not a Super Bowl caliber team yet, seems to have found their starting QB for the next five to ten years depending on health. I thought he was going to look like most rookie QB's who are thrust into a starting role, but he has looked confident and capable. I'll be interested to see if this trend continues over the next few years, but I'd be shocked if he didn't improve over the seasons and become a pro bowl level NFL starting QB. I was wrong about him.

The other thing, and I was very aligned with a ton of people on this one, I thought the Vikings were going to be one of the worst teams in the NFL this year, and I thought they had the makings of one of the worst teams in NFL history. I looked at their offseason, who they got rid of, who they traded up to draft and who they signed to be their veteran QB and it all screamed two or three wins, at most to me. I was also not a firm believer in Kevin O'Connell as a NFL head coach. I told RD as much via text and conversations while recording the podcast. He is a Vikings fan, I'm a Packers fan, and I think maybe he even thought that the Vikings were going to be awful too. I was even more certain when they traded up to nine to draft Michigan QB JJ McCarthy. I adore that kid. He helped Michigan win the title last year. But, Michigan was all about their top tier defense and their excellent run game. McCarthy could make plays here and there, but that team won as a team, not because of their QB. But, when the NFL season started, not only were the Vikings winning, they were beating the snot out of their opponents. I figured it was just an early season surprise and they would come crashing back down to Earth soon. But that never happened. The Vikings are still killing it. They're playing for the number one seed in the NFC this Sunday. Sam Darnold has been great. He will be getting paid this offseason. Aaron Jones has been mostly healthy and playing well. Jordan Addison and Justin Jefferson are amazing, and Jefferson may be the best wideout in the NFL. But it is their defense that has been the big surprise and main reason why they've been able to sustain their high level of play. Brian Flores has done a masterful job with a defense that doesn't have any real stars. He has gotten the best out of that unit and he is more than deserving of a shot at being a head coach again. I'm astonished at how well they have played all season, and I am going to give most of that credit to Flores for putting them in the best position possible. As for O'Connell, he has earned my respect, not that he really cares. He has what it takes to be a NFL head coach, and what he has done with Sam Darnold is more proof that he is a "QB whisperer". The Vikings, as stated a few sentences ago, have a shot at the 1 seed. I assumed they'd be more likely to pick first overall in the upcoming draft. And as much as it stings to say this being a Packers fan, the Vikings are legit and they terrify me heading to the playoffs. They're a damn good football team with an excellent defense. 

That’is it. Now time to cook up some crow.

Ty

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

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The World, and Baseball, Was Better with Rickey Henderson in It.

Welcome back everyone. I decided to take a week off for the holidays, but I'm back and ready to write. Unfortunately, I'm starting the week off on a sad note. The family and I were hanging out when I got a notification on my phone that Rickey Henderson had passed away.

I couldn't believe it. I had no idea he was sick or anywhere close to passing. He seemed like he was okay. I saw him catch the opening pitch from his daughter at The Coliseum earlier this season. But, now he is gone.

This one has hit me pretty rough. I know I dog on baseball on this site a lot now, but when I was a kid I loved baseball. I also loved Rickey Henderson. He was so fast. I had never seen anyone move on the base path like him. I am too young for Lou Brock, and I was only coming into my own during Whitey Ball, with guys like Vince Coleman and Willie McGee stealing bases left and right. Henderson was my first experience with a baseball player that, if you let him on base, he was going to swipe a bag or two. I instantly fell in love with his base stealing ability. But then I started to really watch him, and the A's, and I loved his game even more. Henderson was the type of player that could lead the game off with a homer. Or, he would slap a sharp line drive to the outfield for a single, then turn that into a triple or a double. He was also boisterous and talkative, which I had zero issues with as a kid. I liked it. I liked how sure of himself he was when he was on a ball field. There's many famous quotes from Henderson, but the one I go back to all the time is, "I don't care that John hit .316, Rickey hits .330". He didn't know the whole verse or anything that the fan was trying to say, all Henderson knew, which was so rad, was he was a better hitter than John. That was one of the best things I will ever remember about him. He was also a great outfielder to go along with his hitting. He could track a flyball with the best of them. He had a pretty good arm. He was smart and knew how to get to the baseball if he needed to catch it. He ended his career with a .279 career batting average, had over 3,000 hits, had over 1,100 RBI's and stole over 1,400 bases. He was the best base stealer to ever do it in the pros. He was a ten time all star, won two World Series titles. won an MVP and is, of course, enshrined in the MLB Hall of Fame. His number 24 is also retired by the Oakland Athletics. Henderson did all that anyone could ever want from a pro ball player, and he did it his way with his style. Some may say that they were "rubbed the wrong way" by him, but I don't buy it. You either bought in or you were left out. I would have loved to play the game of baseball with someone like Henderson. He loved it so much and he brought out the best in his teammates. He wouldn't let you slack either. You had better be all in if you were his teammate. I love that.

This one is tough. Henderson was young, 64 years old. He was about to celebrate his 65th birthday before he passed. I guess he had pneumonia, and it got the best of him unfortunately. Henderson is going to be missed by many, many people, myself included. Rest in Peace Rickey Henderson. I hope you're stealing bases wherever you may be right now. 

Ty

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

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Ty's 2024 College Football Playoff Preview

The College Football Playoff starts tomorrow night and I cannot wait. Even without Michigan playing in the CFP this year, I'll still be tuning in. I will watch Michigan's bowl game, as always. But, with the new format, I'm pretty stoked to see how it all plays out. I love that the first round is being played in college stadiums, I love that the games are on in primetime and I cannot wait to watch it all unfold. With all that, I'm going to do a preview and prediction. The games will be here before we know it, so on with it.

The first playoff game is tomorrow night, with Indiana traveling to South Bend to face Notre Dame. I have seen Indiana play this year, and while a deserving playoff team, I don't think they have much of a chance tomorrow night. Their offense has stalled as of late. I know they scored 66 points in their rivalry game, but Purdue is not a very good football team right now. Indiana's two previous games, Michigan and the university of Ohio State, weren't so great. The university of Ohio State ran roughshod over them, and Michigan, who was not very good this year, had a shot to win that game in Bloomington. Notre Dame has a very stout defense, a great running game and a passing attack capable of taking advantage of a weak Indiana secondary. I'll be rooting for the Big 10 here, but Notre Dame is the better team and they have home field advantage.

The first game to kickoff Saturday morning features SMU traveling to Penn State. Penn State should win this game and win it relatively easily. They have a better defense, better run game and a QB that rarely makes mistakes. SMU can run the ball okay, but I don't trust much more from them, especially after watching them in the ACC title game. But, we have the whole James Franklin of it all here. He is a poor big game coach. It doesn't matter if he has home field advantage, if he has the refs and media on his side or if he even has the better roster. He seems to flub this stuff way more often than not. But, I'm going to go with Penn State in a low scoring, ugly game. What SMU did in the ACC title game has been hard for me to shake.

The 3pm central game has Clemson facing Texas. Texas is going to win and going to win convincingly in my opinion. Clemson is not the Clemson of old. They barely made the playoff. Their QB is wildly inefficient. The defense isn't as feared as they used to be. Texas, on the other hand, has an elite defense. Their run game is effective. And the duo of Quin Ewers and Arch Manning is going to give defenses tons of headaches in these playoffs. Texas should win this one going away, and I fully expect that. I wouldn't be surprised if they win by three or more scores.

The final first round playoff game is the best first round game. Tennessee faces off with the university of Ohio State. In years past this would've been an easy university of Ohio State pick for me. They have the best roster money can buy. They have weapons all over the field. They have one of the top defenses in the country. They have a highly effective run game. What worries me, their QB and coaching staff. Tennessee is kind of playing with house money here. Their defense is also legit, except on the outside. Their offense isn't as elite as in the past, and that is what worries me most with this team. This game is going to be a slug fest. And, as much as I'd love to see Tennessee win and plant their flag at the 50 yard line, I have this weird feeling that the university of Ohio State is going to get a break and win this on a last minute field goal.

The second round games, the elite 8 if you will, have Texas facing Arizona State, Penn State playing Boise State, Notre Dame facing Georgia and the university of Ohio State playing Oregon. Again, Texas got a great draw and they are going to walk over Arizona State. ASU is a nice story and it's rad that they made this big of a leap in year two of Kenny Dillingham's leadership. Their running back is also damn good. But Texas is so much better in every facet except running back. And Texas has a deep group of backs they can rotate. ASU may keep it close for a half, but then Texas should have an easy path to the final four.

I am going with Boise State, in a minor upset, to beat Penn State. Boise State has one of the greatest college running backs ever. Ashton Jeanty is a force of nature and I love watching him play. He's fierce and fast. He is not afraid of anyone. He will run you over and run by you. The rest of the offense is capable and the defense is fine. This is where James Franklin will find some way to blow it and all the PSU fans will be in agony once again. I really like this Boise State team.

Notre Dame-Georgia is going to be a fun game. If Carson Beck were healthy, I'd pick Georgia. But, Georgia's defense hasn't been nearly as dominant as in the past. The run game is hit or miss. The passing game, especially with Gunner Stockton running the show, is going to be nearly nonexistent. This all plays into Notre Dame's favor. They can slow this game down, make it a slugfest and they have the much better defense. I'm going with Notre Dame beating my preseason pick to win it all.

Finally, for the second round, we have the university of Ohio State facing Oregon. Oregon won this game once this season, by one, but that was earlier in the year. This version of Oregon is better and hungrier. They seem angrier too. They easily handled PSU in the Big Ten title game, and they don't want the accolades to stop there. This offense is one of the better balanced offenses in the country. They're fast everywhere. The defense is as good as Oregon has ever had. I just don't see a world where Oregon doesn't win this game.

That leaves me with a final four of Oregon, Notre Dame, Boise State and Texas. I think Notre Dame is going to beat Boise State. I think this is where the Cinderella run ends for BSU and Ashton Jeanty. Jeanty will have a good game, but Notre Dame can match their energy and I think they have an advantage with their defense.

The real title game for me is Oregon and Texas. These are, in my opinion, the two best teams in college football by a quarter mile. This game will be fast, exciting and an absolute feast for college football fans, In the end, in a minor shootout, I have Oregon winning this game and going to the championship.

This game, featuring Notre Dame and Oregon, will be a coronation for Oregon. It has all led to this for them, and I don't think they'll let their fans down this year. Oregon has all the tools they need to win it all, and I think they do just that this January. 

Ty

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

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Vick as a College Coach Makes Sense

I read earlier in the week that some smaller schools were looking at Mike Vick as a candidate at head coach for them. I didn't know he was actively looking and interviewing for a job, but I like it. Let’s discuss.

I have been a lifelong Mike Vick fan. From his time at Virginia Tech to his stops in the NFL, most memorably with the Falcons, I always enjoyed watching him play football. He reminded me so much of Randall Cunningham, who I also was a big fan of. But, he had a better arm and was so much faster than Cunningham ever was when he was in the NFL. Mike Vick didn't disappoint either. He was as good as advertised. He went to the title game with VT, and almost single handedly won it for them. He was the first pick and was awesome from the start. He made the Falcons fun to watch. He made them a playoff team. When he came back from his suspension, he was a star again with the Eagles. That Monday night game, you know what I'm talking about, was a sight to behold. He then ventured off to the Jets to be a backup and finished up his career as a backup once again with the Steelers. There is the prison sentence for his involvement in a dog fighting ring that slowed his career down significantly. What Vick did was wrong, but for him to be locked up was wild. There are things going on with current players that are much, much worse and they barely even get suspended from playing any games. They get to live their lives freely after doing some heinous things. Vick went to jail. He was a prisoner. He served time. He is well past the point of being a "bad guy" anymore. He did what he did, was punished for it and he came back to play at the highest level, and play very well. Now, he is going to be the head coach at Norfolk State.

I don't know much about Norfolk State. I know the university is in Virginia, Vick's home state. I know they're a lower level division 1-AA school. They haven't made a ton of noise lately, but I feel like that's going to change here very soon. I knew of Jackson State prior to Deion Sanders taking the job there. My knowledge of Jackson State while Deion was there and now is much greater because I wanted to know about where he was coaching. I get very similar vibes with Vick at Norfolk State. Kids with parents around my age or even a little younger are going to want their kids to play for Mike Vick. I would absolutely love for my kid to be recruited by him. I'd love to meet him as the parent. I think it would be a true highlight. Just based off that one fact, Norfolk State is going to improve. The school will put money behind him to help with the NIL collective. Vick is going to get kids in the door on name recognition alone. He and his staff will have to develop that talent. and I'm sure they'll be able to do that with no problem at all. Vick knows this game. He has learned from some of the game's smartest pro coaches. He was an electric athlete, and sometimes that works when transitioning to coaching. I have full faith that Vick will do just fine.

Hearing this news today made me so very happy for him. I want more guys like Vick coaching college football. These are the dudes I watched and I want to see them succeed and thrive. I will be more focused on Norfolk State moving forward from here on out. I love this hire and I cannot wait to see what Vick does now that he's a head coach. 

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 Bill Belichick Going to UNC

I was on vacation with my wife last week and my son texted me something that truly shocked me. I was hanging out by a pool and I audibly gasped when I read what he sent. I also didn't fully believe him at first. The text read, "Bill Belichick just signed to be the next head coach for UNC!".

I was floored. I had to check some reputable sites, nothing against my kid, but he's 12, he has said lots of stuff that wasn't true. But he was correct. Bill Belichick is returning to coach football, and he isn't doing it in the NFL or at a big time power 5 school. He is going to coach UNC, who was like 6-6 or 7-5 this season. They gave up 70 plus points to James Madison. The entire staff is going to be new. I'm sure a good portion of the kids will transfer. I wouldn't be surprised if they had a season not too dissimilar to this past Michigan season.

I don't know how Bill Belichick is going to deal with or like coaching college football. I don't know that he has coached in college before. I only remember him as an NFL head coach, and a quite successful one at that. Bill Belichick knows football. There's no denying that fact. He has won multiple Super Bowls. He has helped to guide stifling defenses. He knows how to use what he has in the best possible way. He knows when to cut the fat and he doesn't let feelings get involved. He knows this sport inside and out. But college is a whole other animal. I mean, recruiting is a year round thing. Bill Belichick is going to have to go into an 18 year olds living room and sell this kid on UNC football. That is tough for anyone.

Also, Belichick is 72 years old. I mean, I cannot imagine traveling all over the country trying to sell your program is fun for anyone. College football coaches are getting younger too. I had a conversation with my son recently about that very topic. Jim Harbaugh left because he wanted to coach in the NFL. He was also sick and tired of dealing with the NCAA and all their nonsense. Nick Saban left Alabama last year and made a statement along the lines of he disliked how much the college game had changed. When you look at most college coaches, they seem to be not much older than 50. University of Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz is 41. Florida coach Billy Napier is 44. Tennessee coach Josh Heupel is 46. Georgia coach Kirby Smart is 48. Ryan Day is 45. PJ Fleck is 44. Lincoln Riley is 41. Sherrone Moore is 39. Dan Lanning is 38. In the ACC Cal coach Justin Wilcox is 48. Dabo Swinney is 58. Manny Diaz is 50. Mario Cristobal is 54. And Fran Brown is 42. Bill Belichick is nearly 30 years older than some of these guys. Hell, he is getting close to being 40 years older than some of these guys. College football, as far as recruiting and dealing with the NIL, is becoming a young guys game.

I feel like Belichick, with all of his knowledge, is going to find that coaching college football is way tougher than he thinks. And, as I said above, he is coaching at UNC. UNC is a basketball school through and through. It always has been, probably always will be. They have had some seasons that are solid, but they haven't been a CFP contender yet. They have a ton of preseason hype usually, but that doesn't seem to translate on the field. Belichek is also very old school. He's going to assume that he is the man in charge and the leader. That may have been the case in the 80's and 90's, but not anymore. As it should be, player empowerment is a real and viable thing. These kids know their worth and they aren't shy about letting everyone know. Kids aren't going to go play for Bill Belichick just because he is Bill Belichick. They are going to want playing time and solid NIL deals. They are going to want tv coverage. They are going to want awards. The coach is just a dude now. They teach the game and help mold these kids into pros in some cases. But, the coach doesn't have the power that they used to. Again, not many people know more about football than Bill Belichick. He has a wealth of knowledge. Teaching the game to his players won't be the issue. I think he will find it much more difficult to recruit and have to be on 365 days a year.

Time will tell, but this is a weird move from him. We will see how it turns out. 

Ty

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

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2024 Year in Review: Top Sports Moments

Welcome to day four of my best of 2024 lists. Today is sports. This is probably my favorite one to write, especially when Michigan football is doing good things. It’s not all Michigan football, but my top two moments definitely revolve around them. Sports is a way of life for me, and I truly love watching, writing and talking about them. On to my list.

At number 5 I
have the Paris Olympics. The Olympics were fun this year. The basketball, more on that in a minute, was excellent as always. But, I found myself watching more and more of the games. I always say I’m not going to do that, but this year was different for me. I got really into badminton for a day. I was watching it for fun, but then I found myself rooting for certain teams. I was making wild claims about what the teams should be doing. I was all in. It was rad. I got into the skateboarding. I was enjoying a good portion of track and field. I extensively watched hoops. These Olympics were probably the most I’ve ever tuned in and really enjoyed the games. They were a blast.

At number 4, I have the men’s gold medal basketball game between France and team USA. This was one of the better basketball games I’ve seen in a long time. I almost put the Serbia-USA game here, but that didn’t have the stakes this game had. This was back and forth. This game was France announcing themselves as a true threat in 2028. This was Victor Webanyama letting the world know how good he truly can be. This was Garschon Yabusele letting everyone know he was NBA ready. This was LeBron James reminding the world his greatness. This was Devin Booker shoehorning his way into superstar conversations. But, this was all about Stephen Curry showing the world what makes him so great. He seemingly couldn’t miss. When he hit his fourth three in a row, my son and I both audibly gasped. We couldn’t believe what we were watching. It was amazing. It was also the last time, in my opinion, that we will see the USA as the basketball favorite in the Olympics. This game was amazing, and it was even better to watch in real time.

At number 3 I have the rise of Victor Webanyama. He was the presumed number 1 pick in his NBA draft, and he went number 1. His defense was supposed to be ahead of his offense, and it was, only for a bit. His offensive game got better and better as the year went on. He’s a 7’4 unicorn. He can play in the paint, but he’s also a legit three point shooter. His defense is incredible. His limbs are so long that he can get faked and still make a block or contest a shot. It’s amazing to see. He can dribble the ball up the court. He’s getting an edge that’s only going to make him better. He’s getting bigger. And he’s very young. The NBA is in a good spot for post LeBron games, because Victor Webanyama seems to be as advertised. I implore you to watch him play if you haven’t yet. There’s no one else like him in basketball.

Now for my Michigan football love.

At number 2 is my most recent 2024 event, a 6-5 Michigan team, as a 20 point underdog, going into Columbus and beating the second ranked university of Ohio State. This was so unexpected and so glorious. Michigan had a bad year. They looked over their heads and confused most of the season. I saw them live and it was just as bad in person. Outside of a few dudes from last year’s title team, this was an entire new team with limited reps as starters. The university of Ohio State, on the other hand was great. They were 10-1. They had the best roster money could buy. They dug deep into their NIL budget to make this team unbeatable. And they held onto to that, minus the Oregon game, which they still almost won. This was supposed to be a blowout. In 2019 Ryan Day said he was “going to hang 100” on Michigan, and I thought this may be the year it happens. But, much to my delight, Day and Chip Kelly decided they had to show how “tough” their team can be. They kept trying to run the ball up the middle, the strength of Michigan’s defense. It was bottled up all afternoon. When they would throw, they gashed Michigan's secondary. But, they had some score to fill, so they went away from that and back to running, which only helped Michigan stay in this game.  As the game progressed I couldn’t believe it was close. Late in the fourth quarter, tied at 10-10, I looked at my dad and said, “imagine if this Michigan team wins today”. Michigan QB Davis Warren proceeded to throw a terrible goal line interception after that. But the university of Ohio State decided to try and prove their toughness yet again and Michigan got the ball back with solid field position. They then kept getting first downs, only by running the ball, and marched down near the goal line again. They bled the clock down to 40 seconds and Dominic Zvada kicked a chip shot field goal for a 13-10 lead. Michigan kicked off, and four plays and one yard gained later, Michigan did it. They won this game. As improbable as it seemed that morning, they pulled off the victory. There was the melee with the flag at the end of the game, but even that didn’t deter my excitement. As frustrating as this season was, this team showed grit and determination and toughness and beat a much better team by playing hungrier, angrier and tougher. This season was a success due to this one win. It was glorious.

Nothing will top my number 1 sports moment of 2024, unless they do it again in my lifetime. That’s last year’s Michigan football team beating Alabama in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day and then winning the title a little over a week later. The 23-24 Michigan football team season was tremendous to watch. That defense was incredible. It may be one of the best defenses college football has ever seen. They had studs everywhere and they had great coaches teaching them the game. The offense was rough, rugged and nasty. They could also throw the ball around if the needed to. The O line was stout. JJ McCarthy was a good game manager who had the tools to improvise. Blake Corum is one of the greatest running backs Michigan has ever had. Colston Loveland and AJ Barner were a great tight end duo. And Roman Wilson was consistent and dependable and Cornelius Johnson was a great deep threat. This team was loaded and locked in all year. Even with the nonsensical sign stealing allegations, this team never stopped winning games and blowing opponents out. If an opposing coach called them out, they beat that team even worse. This team rode for each other and the coaches and it showed on and off the field. Their closest game was the university of Ohio State game, but the Rose Bowl versus Alabama was much more nerve wracking. They then went into National Title game and beat Washington, the only other undefeated team last season, and beat them by 21 points. This was a “team of destiny”. I didn’t fully appreciate them until after the title, but now I’m so grateful for everything the 23-24 Michigan team gave the fans. They won every game and won them all in style. They took on the villain role. They embraced and reveled in the hate. And as a fan it was wonderful to see. I always want Michigan to blow everyone out so I can relax during the games, and that’s what they did all the way to the title. I will always remember this and savor it. It is my proudest moment as a sports fan and that Michigan team will go down in history. Go Blue.

That’s it for sports moments. Come back tomorrow for my final top five list of 2024, podcasts.

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 Who Should, and Will, Win the Heisman Trophy

The Heisman trophy will be awarded to the winner next week. There seem to be about four or five dudes up for consideration. If you want the names, Travis Hunter, Ashton Jeanty, Cam Ward and Dillon Gabriel are the four I'd invite to New York. But, in all reality this is down to two dudes.

The Heisman will be given to either Jeanty or Hunter. My son has pleaded his case for Cam Ward, who has had a great season. But, I just don't see it. He hasn't been as good as Hunter or Jeanty. Dillon Gabriel, my preseason pick for the award, has also been good. But, of the four guys I mentioned for invites, he'd finish fourth overall in my voting. He has been great too, but not out of this world. Hunter and Jeanty are crushing it this season. They're the focal points of two teams that have had a resurgent season.

Ashton Jeanty is the main threat for Boise State, who will, most likely, be in the playoffs this season. Jeanty has also been putting up video game numbers. He has carried the ball 312 times for 2,288 yards and 28 tds. He also has 18 catches for 102 yards and a td. Those numbers are good for 26 carries a game, 190 rushing yards a game and over 2 rushing tds a game. That is insane. He is cruising his way through the Mountain West Conference. In BSU's lone defeat this season, against number 1 Oregon, Jeanty went for 192 rush yards and 3 tds. That is pretty amazing against a solid defense. He has gone over 200 yards rushing four times this season, all wins. He ran for six tds in their opening win over Georgia Southern. The only game he didn't score in, a big time win over Portland State, he only played one half, where he carried the ball 11 times for 127 times. That's an average of 11.2 per carry. A first down per each carry. That is wild. Jeanty has all the stats, the playoff appearance and a good portion of the media behind him right now, and I wouldn't be upset at all if he won.

Travis Hunter is doing things that seem impossible in modern college football. He is the Shohei Ohtani of college football. Travis Hunter starts on both sides of the ball. And it isn't like some cutesy offensive packages, he is one of Colorado's top receiving options. He is a legit number 1 or number 2 option for their offense. He is also, quite possibly, the best corner in all of college football. He is lockdown. We don't hear his name too much and that is the biggest compliment you can give a corner. That means he is covering his guy so well that the opposing QB will not throw his way. And when they do, he seems to make incredible interceptions. On the season Hunter, as a wideout, has 92 catches for 1,152 receiving yards and 14 tds. That's good for 7 catches a game, 96 receiving yards and game and just over 1 receiving td a game. That is top notch for any power 5 wideout. He also has 31 tackles, 4 interceptions and 1 forced fumble as a corner. Again, that would be great stats for a guy that just plays defense. Hunter averages 114 plays per game. That is the amount of plays in most college football games. That means he never comes off the field. Hunter is always there and he is always producing. He is putting up crazy good numbers on both sides of the ball. Those stats, had he been a one way player, wouldn't be good enough for Heisman consideration, but he would be up for other postseason awards. The fact that he is doing this, in high level division 1 college football, is unheard of.

Hunter is going to be the first overall pick in next season's NFL draft. He may damn well play both sides of the ball in the NFL too. I also believe he should, and will, win the Heisman next weekend. Travis Hunter is an amazing football player, playing both sides of the ball, and he has done more than enough to win the Heisman. Hunter is my pick. 

Ty

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

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The Greatest The Game

Let’s talk about last Saturday’s Michigan Ohio State game.

After I got home from my race Saturday afternoon, and my dad arrived at my house, we settled in and watched the recording of the university of Ohio State and Michigan football game. Neither of us knew the outcome, nor the score at the time, so we went in totally fresh. What my dad and I watched unfold was pretty epic and inconceivable to the both of us.

This has been an incredibly frustrating year to be a Michigan football fan. I know, they were coming off an undefeated season that ended in a national title win. It was great. This year was a year of newness and head scratching. They had no QB. Their best defender missed most of the season. The o-line was not playing to their wild expectations. The receivers couldn't get separation. Donovan Edwards was replaced by Kalel Mullings. The defense had some questionable play calling. It was a mess and a work in progress. When I saw them play live over a month ago, it looked as bad in person as it did on the tv. After that Illinois-Michigan game, I thought they may finish 6-6 at best. They played Indiana close, which was nice to see, but they went into their second bye week at 5-5. I didn't know if they'd win another game. They went into the Northwestern game and demolished them. It was such a nice surprise to see them go out and dominate a team like they're supposed to. They ran up and down the field. The QB play was sufficient. The defense was suffocating. It was a sight for sore eyes.

Going into the university of Ohio State game, I had zero expectations. The university of Ohio State, on paper, is a much better team. They played Oregon close, in Eugene, and that same Oregon squad crushed Michigan in Ann Arbor. They throttled Indiana. They kind of, outside of Oregon, made lightwork of every team that was on their schedule. Michigan, on the other hand, really struggled all season long, until the Northwestern game. Fresno State stayed with them all game. They gave up 15 fourth quarter points to Arkansas State. Texas smacked them. So did Illinois and, as previously mentioned, Oregon. Michigan looked like a team that wasn't really prepared to play all year. But, I have to bring it up again, the Northwestern game showed me something different. They did what they wanted to do when they wanted to do it and they looked good while doing it. But I still expected them to get walloped on Saturday. The university of Ohio State was supposed to unleash three years of frustration and prove that Michigan wasn't going to be able to push them around anymore. Ryan Day said, in 2019, that he was "going to hang 100 on them", and I kind of expected that type of game on Saturday.

That didn't happen at all. Michigan was able to run on this supposed vaunted defense. Kalel Mullings fully took control of Michigan's ground game after Donovan Edwards got hurt. Davis Warren, well, he looked like a walk on. He had a bad, bad game. But that didn't matter. If the offense went three and out, the defense held firm. The Michigan defense was lights out on Saturday. They played their best game of the season and looked pretty damn good doing it. Early on in the game, with Michigan down 3-0, the university of Ohio State decided to throw on third and long from their endzone. Aamir Hall read it beautifully and picked the pass off with ease, setting up Michigan's first TD and lead of the game. The defense continued to dominate, but the university of Ohio State's play calling was bizarre. They kept trying to run the ball up the gut, playing right into Michigan's strength on defense. They have been great against the run all year. But, as I said to my dad at one point of the game, it felt like the university of Ohio State offensive plan was to prove how "tough" they could be. It didn't work, but they kept trying it. Over and over again they would run it two, sometimes three times during a drive, only to have to punt or try a field goal. And the field goal kicker missed two gimmes, which was brutal for that guy. But the sheer fact that they kept trying to run the ball, to no avail, was astonishing. The passing game was working like gangbusters, but they didn't stick with it and that helped Michigan. The hubris of the university of Ohio State, to continue to try and prove their "toughness" was the absolute wrong way to go about this game. Late in the fourth, tied at 10, the university of Ohio State had to give up the ball after yet another three and out and Michigan held onto the damn thing for the majority of the quarter. They drove it down inside the 5, after a brilliant Mullings run on third and 6. They made the university of Ohio State use all its timeouts, and with about 45 seconds left, Michigan kicker Dominic Zvada kicked a 20 yarder to take the lead. The university of Ohio State got the ball back with about 30 seconds left, and proceeded to call four pass plays that gained them a total of one yard. When the fourth and 9 pass fell to the turf, and it was known that Michigan was going to win for a fourth year in a row,

I gave out a guttural yell. I couldn't believe that this Michigan team, this 6-5 team with no real QB, two of their best players out, a coaching staff still figuring it all out and their best secondary player not covering superstar wideouts was able to pull off this upset, it was incredible. I loved all the congratulatory texts I was getting. I loved reading about the game online afterward. I loved seeing those crybabies show more fight after the game, when Michigan was planting their flag, trying to fight the players planting the flag. That shows how classless those players and that staff really are. There is no institutional control. Ryan Day is a coward and the biggest crybaby of them all. Their team captain telling Michigan that their "season is over", shows how little sportsmanship they have in Columbus. I want to inject Will Howard's crying speech into my veins. This dude has been popping off at the mouth all season, and being a Michigan fanatic, seeing him crying on national tv was glorious.

I cannot stop reading about this game. I want more and more and more of this. There's no more excuses. The university of Ohio State cannot blame signs, the flu, the cold, the Michigan staff, Jim Harbaugh, the Big 10 or the NCAA. This is all on them. They have to bear the brunt of the last four seasons. Michigan has clearly broken that team and that staff. The university of Ohio State will be in the playoff and they could make a run. But, this 7-5 Michigan team went into Columbus, as a 20 point underdog, with almost every media talking head picking against them, and won. Michigan won The Game for the fourth year in a row and this one feels better than some of the past four seasons. This wasn't supposed to happen, but Michigan did it. I'm going to soak in this for a good long time. Always and forever, Go Blue. 

Ty

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

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Mack Brown is an Old School Coach Who was Not a Fit for the Reality of College Football

Mack Brown was let go by North Carolina today. I'm not that surprised.

Mack Brown has had big preseason expectations in his return to head coaching, but UNC has not been able to live up to the hype. I feel like they, starting in his second season, were always a preseason darling, then they'd inevitably go 7-5 or 8-4. They were never a real threat in the ACC. They were surpassed by Clemson and Miami. Even Duke became more of a threat during his second tenure in Chapel Hill. He's had some solid recruits come in, most recently Drake Maye, but even they couldn't get the Tar Heels over the top. I don't think Maye was the starting QB of a team that won more than eight games.

I have to believe that the tipping point this season was when the Tar Heels gave up 70 plus points in a home game to James Madison. This is no slight to James Madison, who is a very solid division one football team, but that's a game that UNC should win, and win pretty handily. They did score 50 plus points themselves, but a lot of those points came when the game was already well out of hand. They have rebounded enough from that to be a 6-5 team, and they have a good shot to finish 7-5, ending the season against a shorthanded NC State. But, UNC has already let him go, he will coach the final regular season game, but he will not be there for the bowl game. UNC will begin searching for a head coach immediately.

All of this made me look back at Mack Brown, and I have been trying to figure out what went wrong. Brown was a very good coach back in his heyday. He was at UNC before, and he was good enough there to get the head coaching job at Texas. He had great success at Texas. He won a title. His teams competed for the Big 12 title pretty much every season he was there. He coached Vince Young, who may be the greatest college QB of all time. He coached Ricky Williams, who may be the greatest college running back of all time. This was all during the BCS era and pre NIL. This was a time where the coach of a college football team was the king. No one was above them. They called the shots and everyone did what the head coach of a major college football team asked. This new era of college football may have been too much for him. Mack Brown is an older dude, and maybe his old school mentality just doesn't fit in the modern game. When he would go to the podium for post game interviews now he would look tired and frustrated. He didn't have the easy answer like he did in the early 2000's. He would try to fit in and dance in the locker room with his players after any big win and it looked uncomfortable and awkward. He would try and sound cool and hip and it came off as phony. He didn't command the respect in a recruits home like he used to. A lot of these kids don't know much about his old Texas football teams. The game, from my perspective watching him coach these past few years, has passed him by. His defense never got better. He didn't utilize all these great weapons he had. He was not so great with the transfer portal. His teams could score, which they've always been able to, but they didn't do much else that good at all. This is like a passing of the guard in a way. There's not too many older coaches out there right now, and the ones that have stuck around, the lame ass Dabo Swinney's of the world, are getting past everyday by younger, more innovative head coaches.

Mack Brown will always have his championship and the memories of coaching Vince Young and Ricky Williams, but he is a "dinosaur" in the modern college football era and his time is done. 

Ty

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

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The Inglorious End of the Daniel Jones Era

I saw earlier today that the Daniel Jones era with the New York Giants has officially ended. Let’s discuss.

This seems pretty harsh and fast, but not all that crazy if you look at his short lived career. Jones was never the answer with the Giants. I can remember writing about him before he was drafted. I had him firmly in my bust category. He didn't really have the juice in my opinion. He seemed slow, he wasn't very accurate and I figured the bright lights of NYC were going to be too much for him. It seems like I, along with many other writers, had him pegged perfectly. And don't let some phony stats or one playoff win fool you. He was never the reason why the Giants had any of the minimal success they had while he was the starting QB.

The Giants won during that time because they had a killer defense and Saquon Barkley. Look at how stacked the boxes were when Barkley was drafted by the Giants. The guy was facing seven and eight man boxes and he was still producing. The Giants defense during that time created turnovers and rushed the passer. They did the little things they needed, had a superstar in Barkley and they won in spite of Daniel Jones.

Where the Giants screwed up was giving Jones such an enormous contract after their playoff run a few years back. They picked Jones over the Barkley and the rest is history. Barkley played one more season with the Giants, putting up somewhat decent numbers, and now he is thriving in Philadelphia. That team knows how to use their running backs, they have a legit MVP caliber QB in Jalen Hurts, their defense has taken a step up and Barkley seems to be the missing piece. This couldn't have worked out any better for Saquon Barkley.

Daniel Jones, well, as mentioned up top, he was cut today. Before that he was benched in favor of Tommy Devito. I don't know why Brian Daboll picked Devito over Drew Locke, but he did. Maybe Daboll wants out of NYC as well. But, they picked a flash in the pan who is more noteworthy for what his agent wears than anything he has ever done on the field. That speaks volumes to me. The Giants are going to eat whatever money they owe Jones now, but they don't care, they just want him gone. He was taking 4th string QB reps in practice yesterday and they even deployed him at safety on the Giants scout team defense for this week. I have to imagine when that happened that Jones knew it was only a matter of time before he was gone. I mean the disrespect they showed him is kind of sad but also hilarious to me.

What I don't think I'll get over as a fan of football is picking him over Barkley. Barkley is a generational back. He can run and catch. He is a good return man. He knows what he does best and he excels at that while always trying to get bigger, faster and stronger. Jones looks like a dope on and off the field. He seems like he doesn't really want to play this sport that made him millions of dollars. It is clear that he wasn't the guy for this job from day one. I'll be curious to see where his career takes him from here, but I have to assume he will never be more than a backup until he retires. And Saquon Barkley may be the spark to an Eagles team that could make a deep playoff run this year and seasons after this. 

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 Wrong with the 76'ers?

The Philadelphia 76ers are a total mess. Let’s discuss.

Look, I had super high hopes for this team this season. I thought they had figured it out. I proclaimed them the winners of the offseason. Paul George felt like the perfect fit. They got the Martin twin on a great deal. Kyle Lowry was back. Joel Embiid seemed finally healthy going into the season. Tyrese Maxey got paid. Tobias Harris is gone. They have Nick Nurse, who is a very good coach. They seemed to have finally figured it out and they were going to compete for a title. Well, they have been nothing short of a disaster this season, to this point. They're 2-11, tied for the worst record in the NBA. I know it's early, but 2-11 is tough to climb out of, even early on.

Embiid has been more noteworthy for games missed than anything else. I know he also "swung" at a reporter, but I don't blame him for that. That reporter said some out of line comment regarding Embiid's family. But, the missed games, the lack of effort when he plays, the disregard for the team's success, it has been wild. The 76ers need him if they want to win big. He doesn't have to play all the time, but they need him for more than half the season. He is too integral and too important to not be on the court. Paul George has played less than Embiid it seems. He hyperextended his knee in the preseason, but that injury should have healed by now. He should be good to go. He should be firing on all cylinders, as it were. Tyrese Maxey is doing fine, but he is being asked to do far, far too much for his skill set. Maxey is supposed to be a lightning bolt offense guy. They need him to score and score in bunches. That is what he does best, but he has had to do way, way too much to this point. That is unfair to ask of him and his game is suffering for right now. The bench is nonexistent. The coaching staff is struggling. Kyle Lowry is looking old. The 76ers just don't seem to have what it takes.

I couldn't have been more wrong about this team. I assumed they would cruise through the regular season and easily be a top three seed in the East come playoff time. I thought Embiid playing a little less would help him in the long run. I figured George was going to walk right into 25 points per game and be the second defensive stopper they desperately need. And I assumed Maxey would continue to torch opposing defenses. None of that has happened. They look like a very, very bad team. They have some off court problems too. A big time bombshell of a report came out this afternoon saying that the team is in fighting. Maxey apparently called out Embiid. They have been going at it in practice. They have issues with Nick Nurse. There are far too many problems to even list here today. This is not a good look.

The 76ers are going to have to bring it the last 3/4 of the season. They have to show that they care. They have to prove doubters, myself now included, wrong. But this version of the team is going nowhere fast. At this rate they're going to be picking in the lottery and they will have a myriad of questions to answer this offseason. I don't know if it is going to get any better for them soon, but they need to or they are going to be looked at as the biggest embarrassment in the NBA this season. They can turn it around, but they have to start right now. They have wasted too much time and now it is biting them in the butt. Time to figure it out 76ers. No more time to goof off. Start winning games before you are out of the playoffs. 

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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Webanyama is Already Must Watch Basketball

Victor Webanyama had his first career 50 point game last night. This is the first of very many to come for him. I have been kind of waiting for this to happen. Let’s discuss.

Webanyama is one of my favorite players. I grew attached during the draft process last year. I watched as many of his games as a rookie as I could. I watched him almost single handily beat Team USA in the summer Olympics this year. All of this made me like him even more. The guy is an enigma on the court in all the right ways. Someone that big isn’t supposed to be able to do the things he does. I’m a 90’s NBA kid. I grew up watching and loving Charles Barkley and Shawn Kemp. I was all in on Shaq. Yao Ming was an incredible flash of light during his shortened career. The big men I watched with awe were all overpowering and lumbering. Shaq dunked all over dudes. Barkley used wit and quickness to excel. Yao Ming was humongous. Shawn Kemp was wildly athletic and a thunderous dunker. They all went hard and went hard all the time. They had one or two moves and perfected them. Wemby is so much more athletic and talented than any of them for a guy his size. This is no shade to any of the guys I mentioned either. All of those dudes are some of my all time favorite players. But I think even they’d admit that Wemby is an athletic anomaly. He’s 7’4. He brings the ball up the court. He’s skinny, but he is a long rim defender. Go look and see what he just did to Domantas Sabonis recently. He is an excellent cutter and passer. Offense can run through him in the paint and at the top of the key. He can dunk on you or he can pull you out to the three point line. Case in point, during his 50 point game, he hit eight threes. Again, he’s a 7’4 center! That’s wild that he can do that. He’s a bigger Kevin Durant. He’s a faster Steven Adams. He’s a better shooter than Kristaps Porzongis. He’s more malleable on defense than Jaren Jackson Jr. He’s a cutter than Russell Westbrook. And when he figures out passing angles even better, his greatness will be harnessed even more. There’s never been anyone like Wembanyama. What he’s doing at his size and age has never been seen before. LeBron made it cool for a power forward to play point guard. Zion made it cool for a thick guy to run the offense. Jokic has stat nerds cumming in their jeans on a daily basis. Webanyama is taller and younger than all of them. He’s just scratching the surface of his greatness. Stars are going to want to play with him. Greg Poppovich is going to stick around longer, get better soon by the way, just to help shepherd him into being the face of the NBA.  And this is just the first of major achievements this star is going to make.

I implore all of you to watch this kid play basketball any chance you can. It’s amazing to see him play and watch him do the incredible things he does at a player his size. Wemby is must watch TV.

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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Calm Down (Online) Michigan Fans

Michigan football is struggling. There's no denying it. And there is plenty of blame to go around. Let’s discuss.

The QB situation has been an absolute mess. I guess the coaching staff figured they could work with what they had already on roster. It hasn't worked at all. The o-line, a strength in years past, has been underwhelming. They have had moments, but they have wildly underperformed all season. The receiving corps has been non essential. They don't get many targets and they are not the best blockers. The running backs have been okay, just relied on far too often, and the tight end group has been the lone bright spot on this horrid offense. The defense has been up and down. The secondary is bad. They have performed poorly all season long. Will Johnson is still hurt, Zeke Berry has had glimpses, but for the most part he gets beat far too often, Jayire Hill is hurt and gets beat too much and the safeties are nowhere near the level of the play they've had the past three seasons. The linebacking corps is okay, but very bad in coverage. And the d-line isn't generating pressure hardly at all. I will say the defense is better than people online have given them credit for this season though. They're on the field so much and guys are constantly tired. That would halt any defense in college football. And the new coaching staff is having a hard time with the promotion. Sherrone Moore is struggling. Wink Martindale thinks he's coaching NFL players. Kirk Campbell cannot get out of his own way. The lone star from this new staff, in my opinion, has been Lamar Morgan, and that is mostly due to his excellent recruiting acumen. This season has been a mess.

But, for all of the people that want this staff gone or want immediate changes or think they can do better, I need you all to calm the hell down. What did you really, truly expect? When this season started I thought they could win 9 or 10 games. I thought they could remain in the playoff picture. I figured they'd be solid. They had some guys returning that gave me hope. But, that was the optimistic side of my brain. At best they're going to be 6-6 this year and they are going to get stomped in their regular season finale. It's going to be rough. But again, what did you all expect? I don't get the people online, the keyboard warriors who are going on the internet before, during and after each game and saying how everyone needs to go. How they'd do so much better. That so and so should be playing because they're better. It's nonsense. And you have to give Moore more time. He inherited a team that saw a bunch of players and coaches leave the program for the NFL. They needed to replace almost their entire o-line. They needed a new QB. They needed a new number one, reliable running back. They have a whole new linebacking corps. Their best defensive player in the secondary has only played four full games. Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant are being double and triple teamed constantly.

It needs to be said this coaching staff is pretty much all new. Moore got promoted top head coach. Campbell went from QB coach to offensive coordinator. Ron Bellamy is still the wideout coach, and that's it. The rest of the staff is all new. They have a new strength coach, new linebacker and secondary coach. They have a new special teams coach. They have a new tight ends coach. It's all new. And that means they need time. They have to be able to recruit and develop the talent for their system. They have to be given a fair shot, a real chance at coaching this team. I have always been a believer of giving new coaches three seasons before making a decision on the future of the head coach. Moore has had four chances last season and 10 games so far this year. He is 9-5 as a head coach right now. Yes, there have been blundres and issues. Moore has made some odd decisions late in games this year. I'm still confused as to why he waited so long to call his first timeout last week. But I look at these as lessons. He is figuring all this out in real time. And while it looks bad now, I think he's going to learn from all of this and get better with each new season. There's a reason he was looked at as the predecessor to Harbaugh. Moore was going to be a hot commodity on the coaching market sooner rather than later. I'm stoked that Michigan hired him. He was, and I believe still is, the right man for the job.

Everyone wants instant gratification and if they don't get it, they think they can do better than the people most qualified for the job. I just want people online to give Moore a fair shot. I want them to let him recruit and coach his players to his system. Yes it is bad now, but they can get better from here. These kids love playing for Moore and I think with a little more time, one more full season under his belt, Moore will find his groove. We fans just have to believe in his ability. Give the man a real chance. 

Ty

Ty

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

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JJ Redick is Not Ready for This

JJ Redick stormed out of a press conference last night. He did this after throwing the entirety of the Lakers players who played last night under the bus, with the exception being LeBron James. I read that what made him leave was a journalist asking if the team is poorly conditioned, a pretty common question for coaches nowadays. Him storming out says a whole lot to me.

JJ Redick has thin skin. He has never really been challenged in his life. He walked through his NBA life as a role player. He was hated by many when he was playing at Duke, but he was playing basketball at Duke, he didn't have much to worry about. And when he was broadcasting he was fine. He never blew me away as a play by play guy, but he was fine. But now, when he is the head coach of the biggest brand in all of the NBA, he is going to have to field questions much worse than the conditioning of his team. Will he walk out of every press conference if he doesn't like what reporters are asking him? I hope not because that would be an even worse look. He is eight games into his first season as a head coach and he is already bailing out of press conferences, over explaining how he "earned" this job, acting like he is the cream of the crop on podcast appearances. Basically, he is in over his head.

I get it. I'm watching a first year head coach for Michigan football, and he is having a tough time transitioning to being the head guy. But Sherrone Moore hasn't left a press conference. He isn't showing up and trying to justify how he earned his job. He is out there recruiting every day and night. He is struggling now, but I have faith in him. JJ Redick though, I never had faith in him. And this action just makes me even more sure that he is not fit to be a head coach for a high school basketball team, let alone the Lakers.

What made this even worse for me as a viewer though was how he talked about his players not named LeBron James. That is a bad, bad look. Guys on this team aren't going to simply take that from JJ Redick. He hasn't earned that yet. Not even close. Again, he is doing this eight games into the season. That's bad news. D'Angelo Russell is already fed up with him as a head coach. I'm sure Gabe Vincent wasn't too keen on being name dropped as to why he played Russell so few minutes. I have to imagine both Dalton Knecht and Bronny James are stunned to hear their names come up since they're rookies. He didn't say anything about Anthony Davis or Rui Hachuimura, but that is because they were out last night. Austin Reaves probably never heard his name bandied about like that the last two seasons. Him doing that, and leaving LeBron out of it, makes me think that he only got this job because of his friendship with LeBron. And if he would just come out and admit that I'd have no problem with it. That is how some things get done in pro sports. Jalen Brunson's dad is only an assistant because the Knicks wanted his kid to play for them. That happens in college with recruiting all the time. People hire family members or friends to appease star players. It's a fact of life. LeBron also didn't deserve hate for last night's game. He came to play. But to be so blatant about it, to act like the dad of the team to everyone but LeBron shows favoritism and someone with a lack of how to deal with a locker room and pro athletes.

The Lakers have all the time in the world to right the ship. They're 4-4 right now. They have 72 more games to show what type of team they can be. But getting beat by the Pistons one night, then getting the doors blown off by the Grizzlies the next night, and having a coach act like a petulant child afterwards, that is a bad, bad look for a team that is only going to be even more scrutinized going ahead. JJ Redick needs to look in the mirror and stop acting like an old school head coach that has earned the respect of pro players. He has not, and if he continues to play this type of game with the media, he will be looking for a head coaching job somewhere else sooner than he'd like. 

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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The Detroit Lions are a Damn Good Football Team

Yesterday I made sure to get everything done that needed to be done so I could sit down and really watch the Packers-Lions game. This was the big game of the week. These two teams have looked pretty damn good this season. They have both looked like the class of the NFC. It's kind of wild that they're in the same division, along with Minnesota and Chicago, all of which are at or over .500 right now. This is the best division in the NFL by a mile. The game between the Lions and Packers looked like it could be a good one. Add on the fact that it was raining, this had the makings to be solid.

Well, it wasn't. Green Bay looked slow and disorganized. They couldn't get off the field. They couldn't stop anything the Lions were doing. Their offense was inept and not productive. It was a mess. Sure, they made it closer than it should have been at the end, but that was a garbage time TD. And I'm not here for moral victories or to say that they weren't blown out. Green Bay was outplayed and deservingly got beat.

The Lions on the other hand, they look real, real good. They played a wonderful game and proved that they can go anywhere and beat anyone. They kept saying during the broadcast that this was their first game outside a dome. That didn't seem to matter. They looked damn good. They did whatever they wanted. They made everything they were able to do look easy. Jared Goff controlled Green Bay's secondary. He was slicing and dicing them with ease. He seemed to have a receiver open at all times. Where Green Bay receivers were dropping passes left and right, Detroit's wideouts caught everything. Detroit's o-line mashed and smashed Green Bay's d-line all afternoon. They supplied wonderful pass protection. They're the best o-line in the NFL, and they showed that yesterday. David Montgomery ran up and down the field. He would find a hole, cruise through it and pick up 4,5 or 6 yards a pop. Jahmyr Gibbs did the same and added pass catching out of the backfield. He looked so much faster than any defender Green Bay put on him yesterday. Detroit's defense was down two guys, Aidan Hutchinson to season ending surgery and Brian Branch on a very questionable targeting call, and they still dominated. Green Bay's offense has been decent as of late, especially the run game. And while Josh Jacobs got off a big run one time, he was pretty much kept in check, as was the rest of the backfield. The wideouts struggled to hold onto the ball, they couldn't get seperation and Detroit locked them down with relative ease. Detroit still dominated defensively even without their two best players on that side of the ball. What I noticed most yesterday was how good Detroit looks. There wasn't a moment where I thought Green Bay could come back or take control of the game, and they're the team I root for. Detroit looked so much better than Green Bay, and the rest of the NFL for that matter.

Where we stand right now, Detroit is the class of the NFL. They have competition, the Chiefs are undefeated, but in my mind the Lions look like a better team. They can play anyone, anywhere at any time. They have built an incredibly good football team. Everyone knows their roles and plays them exceptionally well. The coaching is second only to Kansas City, and I would take the entire Detroit Lions staff over the Chiefs, minus Andy Reid. Detroit should be considered the favorite to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl right now. And I'd say they're the favorite to win it all this season. They left a damn good impression on me, and they only appear to be getting better. 

Ty

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

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