The NFL is Doing Something Right

I like to bash the NFL a lot on this site. I do watch football, but college football is much more my speed. I know that isn't any better, but college football just speaks to me. I also think the NFL is corrupt, I despise Roger Goodell, I do not think that they care about their players and they act like they could give a shit about any of this. I think RD would agree with me on most of this. For a bit of a change of pace, I do want to give them some love today.

The NFL has been in the news recently with their updated COVID guidelines, and I absolutely love and totally agree with every new rule they have put in place. For those that may not know, the NFL recently put in new rules that if a non vaccinated player causes an outbreak and the team cannot play, they have to forfeit. They also said that any unvaccinated player that doesn't follow proper COVID protocols will be fined 14,650 dollars. They also put into place that vaccinated players can go about their business with other vaccinated players, but unvaccinated players have to follow proper social distancing and masking, and if they don't, they will be fined. I also saw a recent story where a team refused to sign a free agent because he refuses to get vaccinated.

I love, love, love all of this. This is what should be happening everywhere. Vaccinations are free, easy to get and totally, absolutely worth it. They are the only thing that is going to get us out of the hellscape we currently live in. And for a league like the NFL to come out with these steadfast, hardcore rules, I couldn't be happier. Yesterday most camps opened and I saw that ten teams have hit 80 percent vaccination rate. I saw that only Washington is lower than 50 percent. I have seen some players are starting to try and get their teammates that are hesitant to get vaxxed to get the shot so they don't get fined or have to forfeit a game. The voices of some certain morons of late are starting to die out. The Vikings and Patriots O line coaches have both quit because they don't want the shot, but all the message boards, for the most part, do not seem to care. They are going the other way in fact. They are bad mouthing these idiots for not getting the shot. Or they are saying how horrible of coaches they are, so the fans could care less that they are out. I saw Deandre Hopkins is contemplating retirement because he doesn't want the shot, and while that bums me out because I am a big fan of his, if he doesn't get the vaccine, good riddance. Some other receiver is just waiting to take his spot in Arizona. And for the few idiots that are griping about the new rules, the NFL is a privately run business. They can do whatever they choose. They make the rules. They do not have to follow anyone else's rules and they can make up rules as they go. They do not have to take religion or anything in consideration when making up new rules.

I have a good feeling about the new COVID rules they have in place. I think it will drive the vaccination rate up in the country. I also think it will make some fans who may be wary of getting the shot to go and get it. I do believe some stadiums are going to require proof of vaccine or a negative test for fans to even enter the stadium. This is a good thing coming from one of the worst run leagues in professional sports. They are taking the correct steps. They are making the right moves. The NFL skirts safety at every other level, but they are taking this seriously because they lost so much money last year. If that is what it takes, that is what it takes. I assume other professional leagues, if they haven't already, are going to adopt the same, or similar rules. The NBA has been doing this since vaccines were first made available.

So while I am not usually on board with the NFL, this I am not only on board, I am at the front of the boat ready to steer. This is a good thing and we should all be applauding it and trying to do the same. Good job NFL, for once in your life.

Ty

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

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A Return to Normalcy: I am Not Quite There Yet

Yesterday I talked about some podcasts going back to recording in person, in the studio, and how it has me feeling kind of optimistic that we may have turned a corner. It seems like things could be getting somewhat better. Some people are starting to go back out to restaurants, concerts are being scheduled, movie theaters are reopening, theme parks are able to operate at full capacity and the CDC is saying that it is safe, as long as you are vaccinated, to hang out in small groups, unmasked, with other vaccinated people. But I also mentioned in my piece yesterday how I am still kind of anxious about reentering society. Let’s talk about it.

I am fully vaccinated. I have been since April. I spend a ton of time outside. I am running with my buddy, who is also fully vaccinated, maskless again. All of that feels safe to me, and I am comfortable with it as well. I am not worried in those scenarios. But there are other things that still kind of freak me out, where I haven't yet been able to make the disconnect, to switch back to "normal". I have gone to two restaurants since getting vaccinated, and I was not comfortable. There just seemed like too many people inside at the time. And any time I was not eating or drinking, I kept my mask on. That made me feel safer. I noticed I was one of the few people still doing that. I still wear a mask when coaching my son and daughter's baseball/softball teams. I do not know where these other kids or their parents have been. I am sure some of the parents and older kids have not been, nor want to, get vaccinated. I'm sure some of them had COVID. Again, the other coaches do not wear a mask, but I still do. It makes me feel safe. I have played basketball in a gym a few times since getting my shots, but I still mask up. Again, it just makes me feel safe. I do wonder though, when, if ever, I will feel safe enough around strangers, or even people I know, to go maskless. There has to be some breaking point, some unknown time where I have to trust other people. I feel like I will always, at least for a very long time, still mask up at grocery stores, places like Target and WalMart and Lowe's and even gyms. But when will I feel comfortable to go to a race or a movie or a school event or the doctor or my kid's baseball/softball games and not wear a mask? I don't know. I just do not feel ready to fully go back to whatever "normal" used to be.

I know I am not alone. I know there are others out there that have these same fears. I have read many articles, too many in fact, that all have the same title. They are always called, "When Will I Feel Safe Again", and I totally empathize and agree. I still do not feel safe. I still do not trust people I do not know. I went to Lowe's the other day to get house stuff, and I was one of four people wearing a mask, including the employees. The same thing happened at my local grocery store. I already stated that I am the only coach that still wears a mask. Even my wife is comfortable not wearing one when she comes to their games. Why am I not there yet? Does this mean there is something wrong with me? I have heard and read too many stories about people lying, or just skirting the CDC guidelines, and all those people are out and about. They have been this whole time. That is another thing, this pandemic is not over. It may feel like it, and I hope we are close to some kind of end, but people are still getting COVID. It is still out there. We still need to be vigilant. But I just wish that I could get to a personal place, a spot where I do feel okay. The reason why I am okay seeing friends and family maskless is because they have been safe, they are still being safe and they have all been vaccinated. Not to toot our own horns, but we have, and still continue to follow the guidelines to a T. I just am not at a place where I feel good enough to do that around strangers. My wife went to a Saint Louis Cardinals game earlier this year, and I have no desire to do that yet. Michigan Stadium has said they are going to be at full capacity in the fall, and I already told my dad maybe I will feel safer going in 2022. The Grizzlies look like they are going to be solid to really good for sometime, but I am not ready to go to an NBA arena to watch a game. My mom and I are in the process of getting a refund for our Rolling Stones tickets for a show we were supposed to see last summer. I'm just not there, I'm not ready, I do not feel safe, not yet.

Hopefully, as more and more folks get vaccinated, and please, please, please get that shot, and the vaccine becomes more available to everyone, my children included, I can get there. But for now, it is business as usual for me, with very few exceptions. It can be a drag at times, but hey, I'd rather just go about my life being safe and get the sideways looks I get. That makes me feel better as of now.

Ty

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

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I Got Vaxed

As of this past Sunday, I have had my two COVID vaccine shots. I’ve kept it quiet on social media because I do not feel it is my responsibility to post that stuff. My wife and I have both gotten both shots, we have not told anyone other than family and close friends and neither of us had posted a picture with our vaccine cards. This is not me saying that people shouldn’t do that, do whatever you want after you get vaccinated, just get vaccinated.

I do want to tell everyone who reads my blog my story of getting my shots. I assumed I was going to fall in the final tier. I’m a stay at home dad, I run and play basketball, I’m not completely unhealthy, I do not have any underlying medical conditions and I’m still relatively young. It made sense to me to have to wait. And I did. I waited a few months after the vaccine was starting to be distributed. I wanted my folks to get it before me and they did. I wanted my in laws to get it before me and they did. There were people who needed it well before I did. After all of those people got their vaccine, then I’d get mine. Then one day my wife found an opportunity to get her shot. I was so happy for her. I wanted her to get it before me too. She is the bread winner in our relationship, so she deserved the vaccine before me. So I took her to her first appointment. We wanted to be as safe as possible. We didn’t know what, if any, side effects she might have, so we figured it was easiest for me to drive. And we did have to go on a little journey. The vaccine rollout in Missouri has been very bad. All the rural spots got the shots well before the bigger cities and counties. Our governor is an idiot, and I fully assume he did this on purpose. The rural areas voted for him, and us in the city and county did not. He treated the rollout like a spoiled child taking his ball and going home. I will go to my grave believing that. So we made the trip, it was about an hour, and she was ready for the shot. While we went back, I peppered the people with questions. I had so many. I just wanted some kind of timeframe for when I could get my shot. Then a day later I got a call from the same clinic, and they had a shot waiting for me. I was euphoric. I sped back to get that first dose. When I got it I wanted to cry tears of joy. It was amazing. I couldn’t believe that I was on my way to being vaccinated. It was pure joy.

As far as side effects, my arm hurt where I got the injection. It was sore, it hurt more when I used it, but it was nothing that stopped me from continuing my daily routine. It also only lasted one day. I was totally back to normal after that. The same thing happened to my parents. Sore arm that only lasted about 24 hours. Then it was the waiting game again. My wife and I both got Moderna, so we both had a four week wait. It wasn’t as bad as I thought. I kept living as I have lived the past year. I had my mask on in stores, I still ordered pickup from restaurants, when running and hiking with friends my mask was on, basically nothing changed.

Then the time came for the second dose. This was the biggy. After this one, in two weeks time, I’d be 94 percent protected from COVID. So we drove again, got our second shots on the same day and are in the midst of being fully vaccinated. The second shot wasn’t as euphoric as the first, but it was reassuring. It felt right. It was the smart, scientific and right thing to do. As far as side effects from the second shot, for me it was largely lethargy. I felt pretty tired the day after. I drank tons and tons of fluid. I took it easy. The only thing I did that was even remotely vigorous was taking my dog on a walk. That was all I felt like going. I also had a mild headache. From what I’ve heard I was lucky. I know people who had fevers that lasted for two-three days. I know people who had internal issues. I know people who felt like not getting out of bed for a day. I’ve heard some horror stories, but all those people have confirmed that they’ll gladly take a few rough days if it protects them from COVID. No one regrets their decision to get vaccinated. I don’t either.

Now that I’m fully vaccinated, not much has changed since my first shot. I still wear a mask. I have seen a few more friends who are also vaccinated, or on their way to be vaccinated, but we are still masked. I do not go to restaurants to eat, but I will go in to pickup food rather than having it delivered. I do have more confidence going inside the grocery store or hardware store or whatever I need to do errands. I feel more comfortable with my upcoming races. I am confident that my son and daughter will have baseball and softball this summer because all of us coaches will be fully vaccinated. Things seem a little bit better. I know we have variants out there and cases are up ticking, but as long as we stay diligent and keep vaccinating four million people a day, I see some light at the end of the tunnel. This pandemic is not over, not yet, but hopefully we are getting to a point where we can return to some kind of “normalcy”.

I’m glad I got the vaccine, I’ll definitely get any booster that’s required and I’ll stay vigilant. Also, these vaccines have made me so much more appreciative of doctors and science. That’s why we have this finally. Go get vaccinated. It’s easy enough when you get an appointment, and it’s more than worth any side effects and your time.

Ty

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

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The Return of the Covidiots

They’re Back

Spring break is right around the corner for some, and others are already on it.

Time for fun and games.

Right?

I remember last year how different spring break was. The world essentially shut down at that time. We were all scared, didn't know what was going to happen, how to deal with it all, and still some people were selfish enough to go to beaches and other places and party like nothing was wrong. I trashed a town in Missouri around this time last year as well. That town was Lake of the Ozarks. There were far too many people there. It felt like a breeding ground for COVID. I even heard a kid say on the news, "there's no law when drinking the claw". It made my blood boil. It made me angry. I couldn't believe how blasé and nonchalant these people were acting. And it was the same at other beaches in places like Florida and Alabama. Of course the beaches became a very hot spot, and COVID traveled far and wide. I kind of feel like that was the start of the big surges we saw, when right after spring break, virtually everything shut down.

I come to you one year later with almost the exact same concern. COVID is still a very real threat. Not everyone is vaccinated, or even willing to get vaccinated. Some states are not loosening restrictions as much as others. Most, and I emphasize that word, are going to do the right thing. But, there have been reports and pictures and news stories about beaches, mainly in Miami, that are being flocked with people, and the people there are not following proper protocols. I get it, these young kids want to party. But I want to shake them and tell them that they are going to be the reason that everything gets shut down again. Their carelessness and unwillingness to follow simple rules is going to push our reopening timeline back even further. I know that some were arrested for not following the rules, and that is good. But who's to say these same kids won't get bailed out and just go back to partying in a very unsafe way.

I'm particularly worried here in Saint Louis because our schools start spring break on Monday, and I just have a feeling those same idiots that flocked to the lake last year are going to do it again. We are just now getting vaccines in the county and city. My wife and I had to take a drive to get ours. The rural areas were the only places getting them at first, and they had so many that a lot of people did what we did. But I know those kids that went to the lake last year are not vaccinated, and they are going to be endangering their lives and the lives of their loved ones. It's terrifying. Also, if you look at some other countries, and what they are doing about outbreaks here and there that are happening, it is only a matter of time before we have the same problem in the US.

I know everyone wants to get back to some kind of normalcy. People want to see friends and family. I sure as hell do. I'd love to play basketball in a gym. But you have got to be careful about where you go, who you see and how you act. The CDC just put out new, promising guidelines, and I don't want them to have to roll that back because some frat boys decided their beach party over spring break was more important than the safety and well being of everyone else. Things were/are looking up. More and more people are being vaccinated daily. Biden and Harris and Dr. Fauci have come through on their promise to get the vaccine out there. But we still have to be vigilant. We still have to follow the proper protocols. This way things can get back to some kind of normalcy in the near future.

Look, I'd love to go somewhere with my wife and kids next week. Our house is being worked on and we are staying with my parents for the time being. It would be great to get out. But we know that it would be foolish and dangerous if we did. My son is going to a baseball camp, where every child, coach and parent will be masked, in lieu of us going to a beach somewhere. It's not what we wanted, but it is what we are doing.

Please exercise caution. Please make a wise decision. Don't be selfish this spring break if you want to get back to "normal" anytime soon. I'm pleading with you all. Be safe and be diligent. That way, maybe next spring break, the beaches will be a much safer option.

Ty

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

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The Continuing Adventures of Pandemic Schooling

I haven't done a school check in blog for awhile, so today feels like a good day for a new one.

We are into the second semester now here in Saint Louis. I assume most places are for that matter. Things have been smoother than I think most of us could have hoped for. I am probably jinxing it, but we haven't gotten an email from my son's school with a new case in well over a month. And my daughter's preschool, still no positive cases all year. Things have been good at school too. My kids have both told me, on separate occasions, that the only real difference is having to wear a mask all day, and they couldn't care less about that. I applaud both schools my kids go to for teaching them the importance of masks and hand washing and why they need to be more conscious of their hygiene. I am a clean freak as it is, but it is nice to have other people, people outside my home, telling them how important cleanliness truly is.

My kids have adapted well to any other changes too, even outside the universal masking at county schools. They have lunch with their class, that is it. No mingling with other classes, no additional students or teachers, just their teacher and their classmates. My son got on board with this fairly easily. My daughter has half days, so lunch is at home with me. My son has a full day, so he does have this new experience, but as I said, he is cool with it. It helps that he is in class with some kids he has been friends with since kindergarten. He already has these built in relationships. But I think no matter who was in his class, he would find someone to hang with. He is very sociable and easy to get along with. He is very good at making friends. Recess is also like lunch. Their class goes out each day to a different area of the playground, and they play. Some days they get the playground, some days they get the blacktop, that includes ga ga ball, basketball and tether ball and other days they get the big field. It rotates every single day. Again, my son has had no problems adapting to this change. He gets to still do all the things he likes doing at recess, and he gets to hang with his buddies. There have been zero problems. My daughter has recess too, but her class is so small, and they go out so early, they get the full playground to themselves, which is very nice for a bunch of 4 and 5 year olds. And both kids have little four people pods they sit in within their classroom. It has been nice because they rotate the people every few weeks. My son is loving his pod right now because he has his three best friends with him. This has caused some issues within the class, but only because all four of them talk non stop. My daughter loves the pod stuff because she gets to kind of run things. She is one of the older kids in her class, so the younger kids look up to her for advice, and to know what to do. She likes to be in charge, and the pod is perfect for her.

The only change that has come in the second semester has been a switch to making every Friday, at least for the next two months, virtual. Every parent knew this was coming. We all saw the writing on the wall. There was far too much travel and meeting with people outside of personal bubbles over the holiday break. Then COVID case numbers started to soar. We just figured it was a matter of time. Today is the second virtual Friday of the quarter, and it has been okay. It is kind of a throw away day, but work does get done. For example, they only have one Zoom, and it is in the morning. I'm not too terribly pleased with this. My son is the type who's mind will wander. I kind of have to stay on him to get his other work done after his 30 minute meeting. It is a bit reminiscent of last year when we had to suddenly shift to virtual, and no one had any idea how to pull it off. The beginning of the school year was much better when we went fully virtual for nine weeks, but they had a whole summer to prepare. The idea to shift now seemed like an inevitable one, but I also feel like there could have been a little bit better of a game plan. One Zoom in the morning is not enough. But all in all, we are all figuring this out and adapting.

This is as weird a school year as I hope we will ever have. I don't think many people have wanted their kids school year to be part time, or fully virtual, but here we are. I am lucky and grateful that we have been able to send both of my kids back this year, and if that means we have to spend one day virtual, so be it. My hat is off to the school district. They have done everything better than I could have expected. It is a weird and wild year, but we are getting through it together.

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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Strange Tales from the Pandemic: Weight Gain Edition

My topic today is a little out of the ordinary, but I want to talk about it. So the pandemic is in month, I don't know, nine, and I want to talk about how it has affected my diet.

I am pretty sure I told everyone that reads my blog, I lost about 100 pounds total five years ago. The weight has fluctuated both ways, but where I am today, I weigh about 270 pounds. That means I have kept off around 70 total, which I think is solid. But during the pandemic, my weight has just been totally stagnant, and I don't get it. I run more now than I did before, but I do eat a little worse. When I was really on my diet, Atkins, I was pretty militant about my carb intake. That went by the wayside when I started running half marathons. I was burning so many calories at races and runs, my body actually needed carbs. I needed that little extra energy to get through the run. This was when I discovered Tailwinds, and that stuff is magical. It is a powder drink substance that I put in my hydration pack and drink during longer runs. One packet has 50 carbs in it, and I drink it all. When I really watched carbs, I only had 40 a day. So, one packet of Tailwinds was more than I had in years. But it was working. It was helping me push through the harder parts of longer runs and I liked it. I started to let myself eat more carbs, still staying under 100 a day, and I was still losing weight.

Then the pandemic hit, and it all just stopped. Not my running, not my intake of carbs, but my weight loss. I cannot gain any weight, or lose any weight. Since March of this year I have been 270 pounds. Sometimes I'm 270.5 or 270.3, but never under 270. I don't get it. I do eat more carb loaded meals. I let myself indulge in pasta sometimes, I'll have tacos on occasion, I'll eat pizza and I will have real ice cream. I have also really taken to oatmeal because it really is a superfood. And besides the oats and milk, everything else is either low carb or sugar free. But to counteract the food, I run five days a week. I do no less than three miles either. I push myself when I run too. I ran a sub 25 minute 5k, which is really good for me the other day. I go longer distances. I let myself get lost on runs through neighborhoods. I burn tons of calories. But when I weigh myself, boom, 270 no matter what.

It is kind of infuriating. I don't know what to do, or why this is happening. My only theory is the pandemic, and how the mental aspect has affected my diet. I need to get back to doing super low, to no carb diet, but the mere existence of sugary and starchy foods has been too good to pass up. And when I get stressed, eating is my comfort. I know that is bad, but it is true. When the pandemic first started, it was ice cream almost every night. With the election it was cereal and milk. With the post election stuff, it has been pasta and bread and pizza. But I try to justify it by going out and running four or five miles. I guess I do need to rededicate myself to Atkins, but with the virus raging even more, all I think about to calm my nerves is what food I will eat for the day, or what I will have for dessert. It has done a number on my body too, but it isn't noticeable. It is more of the gross way, with upset stomachs and going to bed super full and bloated.

I hope that I can find a way to push myself to go back to a lower carb diet, but with more race cancellations, and the possibility of my kids going back to virtual learning soon, I doubt it will happen. I don't know, I guess I just wanted to vent today. Anyway, time for a run to counteract the pasta I will be having for dinner.

Ty

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

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The Big Ten is Screwed

I was going to write about the season five premiere of "The Eric Andre Show" today, but it will have to wait another day due to some sports news I saw this afternoon.

The Big Ten, after one week of games being played, already have to cancel a game. I read at the beginning of the week that the Wisconsin freshman QB, who looked dynamite against Illinois last Friday, tested positive twice for COVID. The backup QB did too. Then today Wisconsin confirmed that twelve people within the program, including the head coach, have tested positive. They now have to pause all activities for at least seven days, and the players who tested positive may have to sit upwards of twenty-one days.

The Big Ten was very stringent in the protocols to follow if/when positive tests came out, and the players are hit hardest by this. The rule was stated at the beginning that, if a player tests positive more than once, they have to sit out three weeks. It makes sense to me, it seems like that was a big deal in the restart of the season and we all knew it would come to this, just maybe not this early. But, with the Big Ten waiting so long to start its fall season, this leaves no room for making the game up. The Big Ten has a strict eight week conference only schedule, with the ninth week having the top two teams from each division playing for the Big Ten title, and the rest of the teams playing an extra game for bowl positioning. The caveat, for the time being, Wisconsin and Nebraska will only play eight games, at the most. The rest of the conference, if there are no more outbreaks, I doubt it, will all play one extra game.

Nebraska didn't really have a shot at the CFP, but Wisconsin might have. Nebraska got crushed last week, and they were more than likely going to get beat this Saturday after seeing what Wisconsin did to Illinois, whose defense is much better than Nebraska's. They were staring down an 0-2 start. But I do feel a little bad for Nebraska because they were one of the first schools in the conference to push back against the original cancellation of the season. They were so primed to play that they took a case to court, and they had ideas to play as an independent for this season. Now they have to miss a game because Wisconsin has an outbreak. That seems unfair to them. But this is what the Big Ten will look like all year. The more outbreaks amongst the conference, the more cancellations. They have a set date to finish the year, December 12th, and they are sticking to it. That may mean that some teams will play 7, 8 or 9 games. Or, at this rate, some teams may only play 5 or 6 games.

As for Wisconsin, this stinks on so many levels for them, as a football team. This freshman QB looks like the real deal. He only had one incompletion. He and Justin Fields, who is a legit Heisman contender, had almost identical stats. Now he has COVID, as does his backup and upwards of ten or eleven more players. That is brutal. First of all, this virus has proven it is rough, add on the missed games and practices, and it is like a lost season for these kids. As for the team, this is even more brutal because, as I said, Wisconsin had some real playoff aspirations. They looked like they had opened the offense. The defense shut down Illinois. They pretty much had this Nebraska game in the bag, and more than likely they would have been heading to Ann Arbor in two weeks 3-0, and probably favored in that game. Now they have to miss a full game. The players who have COVID will have to miss, at least, two games. The coaches are going to miss a full week, at the very least, of practice during the season.

This is a blow to the program for this very odd season. But, and I say this again and again and again, how did the players and coaches get COVID, and were they not following safety protocols? I know the University of Wisconsin has seen a surge in positive COVID cases due to parties on campus. Were these players at said parties? Were they not wearing masks? Were they not social distancing? No one knows except the people involved. But more likely than not, if I were a betting man, I'd say that they were going to parties because they are young college athletes who are always the big men on campus. Wisconsin loves their football, and the players are treated like royalty. So the dumb actions of a few are screwing this team and their chances at playing in a big bowl game, or even the CFP.

I fear that this is just the start. I know some universities have already had outbreaks. The university of Ohio State, Rutgers, Michigan State and Penn State all had to pause football activities once already due to outbreaks. Iowa did as well, and they have the whole racial injustice issue going on. The University of Michigan currently has its dormitory residents on stay at home orders. It just feels like things will get much worse before they get better. I would hope that this will be a wake up call for the other members of the Big Ten because any stoppage screws these teams from any major bowl games or the playoff. I wish that were the case, but time will tell. Again, these are young kids that are treated better, and they get invited to everything. If there were ever a season or a year to skip those parties, and just hang out at home, this is the year and the season.

The Big Ten better wake up and take this seriously, or else they will be shut out of any important postseason play. 

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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

Thoughts on the Transition from Online to In School Learning

In keeping up with how the school year is going in Saint Louis, today my son returned to in person learning. My daughter went back two weeks ago, to pre k, and my son returned to his third grade classroom today.

It has been seven months since he was in an actual classroom. He went to summer camp, but that was all outdoors, and masked. He played two baseball games before his season was postponed, then ultimately canceled. He has started to play flag football at a local sports spot, also masked. But today is the first day since March that he will be around more than two of his friends. His classroom is full, a little too full if you ask me, of kids his age. He is in one of the three rooms that has in person learning, filled with about 18 kids and one teacher. Now, they are masked, they are being taught the correct way to wash hands, they have assigned seats and assigned lunch time, as well as recess, and they have to follow every safety protocol. I will say, while the state of Missouri hasn't been doing great with curbing COVID, the city and county of Saint Louis have actually done a good job. The state is up 20 percent, but the city and county are down 7 percent. We have mask mandates and the mass majority of people are following the simple rules without throwing a fit. That is why my son and daughter are able to return to their classrooms. The people in charge out here, Democrats, have listened to doctors and scientists, and we have done a solid job of slowing the spread. I do understand that at any moment both kids could be home due to an outbreak. But for the time being, they are in class because we listened to the right people, didn't turn it political and are doing the right things.

I will say that it wasn't euphoric or joyful like I had thought it would be when I dropped my son off this morning. I had been saying that I wanted my kids back in school when it was safe. I mentioned during the summer that I hoped they would be able to start in late August as they intended to. Even when they announced they would be online for the first quarter, I still had hope that they would be able to attend in person earlier than expected. I had all these ideals, that if it were safe, they would both be in school, and that it would be great. I am happy for the kids because they are getting some much needed socialization, quality teaching and a safe place to play, but I miss them. I miss my daughter for those three hours she is in school. I am really, really missing my son too. As I write this, while he was learning virtually, he would usually come and hang out and do his writing assignments while I write my blog. He isn't here right now, and that is weird for me. When I dropped him off, the car was too quiet. Lunch was just me, my wife and daughter. I missed my son being there with us to say some random nonsense that always makes us laugh. Miles is fun to be around, and I guess it took a global pandemic, and school being closed for four months to in person learning, for me to appreciate that about him. I've always known he was fun to be around, and have relished this time we have gotten to spend together, but now that he is back in school, I miss it, and him.

I am happy for him though. Miles is a social butterfly, and he has taken this pandemic hard. We went a few months without seeing anyone. It was just the four of us. Then we added my folks and my wife's mom. Then we added my wife's step mom, brother and dad. And then we let him see two friends. That was it. For seven months, my son, who just wants to talk and play and be around people, only got to see, outside of me, his mom and sister, eight total people. He was excited, but also nervous this morning too. I am sure that the moment he walked into class, and realized that it was similar to last year, with obvious new safety protocols in place, he was fine. I am sure he is happy to be around the friends he has made the past four years in his school. I know he is having fun being able to see his teacher in person, and not on a screen. And I say again, I know that this can be taken away at any moment, and he knows this too. But, for the time being, he is happy, my wife and I feel like he is in the second safest place he can be, our home being first, and he is getting some much needed socialization that he has been craving for seven months now. I hope it works out, and I hope it stays safe. That is up to us, to the school and to the administrators, but they have shown tenfold that they are listening to the right people and doing the right, smart and safe thing.

I miss my son, but I am happy for him. Now lets see what happens from here. 

Ty

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

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An Update on The Adventure of Online Learning During the Pandemic

It has been one month since virtual learning has started here in Saint Louis. I said I wanted to pop in periodically to let you all know how things were going on in my neck of the woods. I figured a month was a good amount of time to get a real, true look at how things are going.

Concerning stay at home online learning, there have definitely been ups and definitely been downs. This is also very, very exhausting. I am finding myself falling asleep on the couch about once or twice a week from about 4pm to 5pm. Just a little nod off, but I don't ever, ever nap unless I am over exhausted or sick. This is definitely exhaustion. And it is not that this is physically demanding, helping my kids out with their virtual school, but it is mentally draining, and sure, it can be physical too. We use recess to walk the dogs, or run around out back before it gets too cold, or shoot baskets. We try to cram in as much as we can during my son's one hour window that consists of recess and lunch.

My daughter is actually returning to in-person learning on Wednesday the 30th, and that was a whole other level of stress trying to figure out what to do. The school district we are in is doing a phase in return. They are having pre-k, kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade all returning on the 30th. And while the kindergarteners and first and second graders have a choice of returning to in person, pre k does not. We had to decide, in a week, if we wanted our daughter to go back to her four days a week, or just skip a whole year of school. After much thought, communication with her teacher, and finding out there were only six kids in her class, we decided to let her return to in person. She will be masked, as will the other students, staff and anyone else in the building. Her teacher has also informed us that the first week of school will be all about washing hands and sanitizing and social distancing, and we really like her, and trust her. It will be quite the adjustment, but we came to a decision, and we will see what happens. I have also been drilling into her head the importance of masks and hand washing and all of that. She is over prepared, which is good.

My son is still home. He started third grade this year, so he has to wait. He's upset, but he understands. He is pretty optimistic that he will be going back at the end of next month, and if we keep doing well in the county, I'd say he will be back to in person learning too. But I am starting to notice that he is getting a combination of bored and stir crazy. He is a smart kid, but he doesn't want to challenge himself. He will do the necessary work, he usually gets solid to good grades and he likes when he is on Zoom. He likes seeing his friends and he likes to have work. It keeps him busy. But lately his morning Zoom meetings have been ending early. The schedule says that he has math from 8:45-10:00am. I know that doesn't mean he will be on Zoom the whole time, but the other day, at 9am, he told me he was done already. I did not believe him. I triple checked his work, made him take a quiz a second time, and all that only took about 15 minutes. He was totally done, everything was correct, and he still had over 40 minutes before his next meeting. I did not like this, and neither did he. He retreated to his room and read for about 20 minutes, but then he joined my daughter and I for her story time Zoom. He kept complaining that he was bored and needed work to do, so I told him to go ahead in his math workbook. He said he couldn't, so he just hung out until it was time for his meeting.

This was the one thing, outside of technical problems, that I was worried about happening. As I said, my son is very smart, but he will not do extra work if he doesn't feel like it. Basically, if it isn't a video game, my son will not put in the extra effort. But I don't fault him. He is eight. What eight year old wants to do extra work in school if they don't have to? I know I didn't. This has been the hardest and most exhausting part, trying to keep him engaged. We are finding new ways to occupy his extra free time, and with my daughter going back it should be easier to fully focus on him and his work. But still, he has a ton of free time, and I wasn't expecting that. I am sure his teacher, and other teachers as well, weren't expecting this either. 8:45 to 3:30 is a long day to be on a computer, even with the built in time away from his screen. But I did not expect this much free time. The mornings go faster because I have both kids to deal with, but the afternoons are tough.

I do still applaud our district for doing what they have done, and continue to do. The whole district had a big time Zoom meltdown this morning, but they were back online by 10. That is impressive. But this is much more exhausting than I thought. I am a very attentive father, at least I like to think I am, but there are times where I feel lost, and helpless trying to find things for both kids, but mainly my son, to do. The virtual learning is okay, I still support the decision, but my kid needs more work to do. I know that is up to me, and I will come up with something. But, I do want the Zoom's to last longer and I would like my kid to be able to move ahead if he feels he can and needs to.

All in all this is fine, I am still opining for the days when he was in a building, but this is okay. I am just emotionally, mentally and physically tired, and we still have a month to go. 

Ty

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

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The College Football Season is Starting to Look Like a Disaster

I swear I am going to stop bashing football in the next few days. I love the sport, I am still hopeful the Big Ten season happens, I am following my fantasy team marginally and I have a pretty solid Fred Willard piece I have been marinating in my brain for the past couple days. But, there was yet another cancellation of a college game this weekend, but this time it is a big time, storied college football team. Yesterday I talked about how injuries, due to lack of proper training, was a subset of why the football season was going to be hard to finish fully, and that COVID is still very much a threat. Well, Notre Dame had to cancel their game this Saturday against Wake Forest due to seven players/staff testing positive for COVID this week.

This is just going to continue to happen. And while it has happened already to a good number of D-1 teams, most notably Memphis and Baylor recently, this is Notre Dame. This is not only a historic school, but a school that has money and can afford to do things to prevent this better than other D-1 schools. They have some of the best facilities in America. I am sure they have alumni that would be willing, or know, or are, doctors that can provide and help with testing and following proper protocols. They do not have many students on campus, I think, so social distancing shouldn't be a problem. This, according to the people who were really pushing for college football, was not what they wanted to happen, especially the week before the SEC starts.

This is also a rough look, at least in my eyes, for the Big Ten. A lot of the reasoning, at least from what I read, was, fans of the Big Ten, alumni, people at the schools, players and coaches all saw that Notre Dame was playing, who's campus is located in the Midwest, in the heart of Big Ten country, and were angered that they couldn't be out there. It was assumed that if Notre Dame could play, why couldn't the University of Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue and Indiana or Michigan play? If they didn't have any positives, and could field a competent team, why couldn't they? Well now they have positives, and enough positives to postpone a game.

This is no good. This is what I feared would halt the college football year more than anything else. I saw what the MLB did, didn't like their plan, and have seen it blow up in their face a few times already. Games have been postponed. Not all teams have played the same amount of games. The Cardinals missed nearly a month because of an outbreak within the team, and they are playing double headers all the time just to catch up, and not make the playoffs I might add. I think the same thing is going to happen, at the very least, to college football. I am sure the NFL will run into this problem soon, but it is happening weekly in college football now. And what will pollsters and voters and players do if a school like Notre Dame only ends up playing six games? Or say the Big Ten starts, they picked late October because that kept them in the conversation for the playoff, but they have to postpone and stop a few times. How many games will all fourteen Big Ten teams actually play? Eight if we are lucky, but I wouldn't be surprised if it ends at five or six games. The SEC is COVID central right now, and they are just getting started. Who is to say they get their full ten games in. Again, I don't think they will. I would be stunned if they got eight full games in from all their teams. As I said up top, it is not a humongous deal, no disrespect, when Memphis, or even Baylor misses a game. No one is bummed out that Air Force only has two games scheduled. Who honestly cares, outside of former players and alumni, that Houston hasn't started their season yet? But when this happens to Notre Dame, it is a big deal. The fact that they have to push a game already, that is a problem. People aren't happy already. How are people, players, fans and coaches and AD's alike, going to react when this happens to Clemson? Or Alabama? Or the University of Ohio State and Michigan? The really big time, prominent, important programs, like Notre Dame.

This is the last thing the NCAA and the college football community wanted. Other, smaller schools postponing was fine, but when it is a school like Notre Dame, that is scary. And unfortunately this is just the start, in my opinion. It won't be too long before Clemson and Alabama have to postpone as well due to COVID outbreaks. This is going to be a weird, stunted college football season. Be prepared fans. That is all I am saying. 

Ty

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

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The First Day of Online School in the Age of COVID-19

Today was my kids first day of "School". I put it in quotes because they were both at home during what would have been a day at an actual building. I have written about my feelings on the upcoming school year, and since that time, things have changed.

Before I go into this, I still am hopeful that at some point this year it will be safe enough for my kids to be in class in person with their friends and teachers because they very much need the socialization, but I understand why our school district, and many others, have opted to do fully virtual to start the year. We have had far, far too many CoronaVirus outbreaks when people get together in big settings and do not follow the proper safety protocols. Hell, look at what has happened in Georgia, and all around college campuses right now. This virus is still raging, and when we don't respect it, it seems to come at us harder. So, while about a month ago I wanted my kids to be in school full time, I get why this change was made. It is the safe, and smart thing to do at the current moment.

And, for the most part, the day went okay. There were hiccups, and that was expected. My daughter's first Zoom of the day for preschool, her screen completely froze. We couldn't get back on, and after about a ten minute delay, we had to use my phone for the rest of her meetings. It doesn't seem like a huge deal, but my phone is small, it has cracks in it and it isn't as fast as the computer. But we made it work, and most likely will have to do the same the rest of the week until we get her computer back up to speed. My son also experienced some delays in Zoom meetings, and other parents said their kids dealt with the same. He missed the first ten minutes of his Strings class today, but he was able to catch up pretty quickly, he is a smart little dude.

Outside the technical stuff, the only other real "problem" I had with the kids was boredom. My son wanted to go ahead in his workbook, but the teachers have enforced a strict no reading ahead policy, which we will abide by. My daughter had three different Zoom's, and in between each one, her and I would do the lesson, but we would finish it within twenty minutes. That left us with another forty minutes of doing the same thing over and over again. She got quite frustrated a few times at me. But again, this was to be expected.

I do want to shout out how well the rest of the day went though. Both kids logged on at 8:30am, and they had work to do until their day was done. My daughter had her meetings and lessons, and she was, for the most part, engaged in the material for her three hours. My son's first Zoom was over an hour long, and he looked exhausted afterward. I asked why, and he said because there was a lot of information. That is what I was hoping for with this virtual learning experience. He also had meetings, or assignments or recess, walking the dogs, and other basics all the way up until about 3pm. He was busy all day, and that is a good thing for him.

When both of their days were over the consensus was, it was good, but weird. They both said they want to go back to their classroom. My son misses his friends and my daughter adores her preschool teacher, and she misses her. But, they both had enough work to fill the day, they were both in the safest place they could be at the time, they're both tired, they both dressed as if they were going to a school building. We made it as close to school as we could, my wife and I that is. So, while I still want the kids to be able to go back to a brick and mortar building, to be with kids their age, to learn from people who are trained in teaching kids their age, this first day went fairly well. We have nine more weeks before the school district reassess their plan, and while I think they won't be going back until after the new year, maybe in the second semester, this first day was fine. Let's just hope it stays this way. The teachers and the district need to keep this momentum until they are able to do the job the way it is intended. But for now, my hat is off.

A good, but stressful, first day of school here in Saint Louis. But above all, a safe first day of school. 

Ty

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

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The Covidiots are Now Attacking a College Football QB

Earlier today an incoming freshman QB at Georgia State said he is sitting out the 2020 season due to a heart issue he has from his recovery from Covid 19. Well, he didn't particularly say that the heart issue was from Covid, but he just recovered from CoronaVirus, he has a heart thing, heart issues have been linked to this disease, so I put two and two together basically. But, he isn't the top QB recruit in the country, he isn't even the starter, but he is a QB who is opting out in a conference that is going forward with a fall season.

This may not seem like a big deal, but it is. Other, bigger named players have opted out, guys that will be first round NFL picks, but none of them have been a QB, and definitely not a QB from a conference that is playing, and not a player from the South. But, he has a heart thing, Georgia is getting crushed right now with new cases, high schools have had to be shut down after being opened and it seems like the responsible thing for him to do. When I saw the news I thought it was a reasonable decision and thought he may be the first QB, but he definitely won't be the last. I then decided to read the story as to why he chose to opt out, and it said all the stuff I just listed above essentially.

Then, for some unknowing, and stupid reason, decided to check out the comment section on the story. I was wrong to do this, and I highly recommend no one else does. It was rough. Well, not at first. At first most people were saying that they hoped the kid would get better, they said he was making the right choice, they supported him, his team supported him, it was all good for about twelve-fifteen comments. Then the insipidness started. Then the fights started. Then the attacks started, and man was it rough. People crushed this kid, his school, other people's political beliefs, it was bad. Then we had the people calling this pandemic a "hoax". We had the people who kept spouting off the phrase, "it's just like the flu". Others said, "he is a young, athletic kid, he should just play, he's already recovered from the virus". It was bad and hurtful and dangerous and stupid. This kid made a choice, he is an adult and he is doing what he thinks is best for his future. Why do others feel the need to attack him? Why call him names? Why bad mouth him and his choice? That is unfair to him and his family. The commentators online are hiding behind screen names and trashing a kid they have never met. That is no good. The trashing of the school is so childish and pointless too. I don't watch Georgia State games, but I also don't watch Georgia or Alabama or Missouri or Texas or a myriad of other teams play. Does that give me the right to bad mouth those schools? Absolutely not. And I don't. I only watch Big 10 games unless the game is a very important one, like last year's CFP title game. So while some may not think GSU is any good, they have fans who are probably bummed this kid is sitting out this year. Your team isn't the only team that matters. There are over 120 D-1 schools, all of which have alumni and fans. It is scary that it has become a political thing mostly though. This disease doesn't care where you fall in your political beliefs, just like any other virus or disease. And this one is particularly dangerous because we know so little about it still. So for "fans" to talk politics in an article about this kid opting out for the year, they need to get a hold of themselves and calm the hell down. He made his choice, there is nothing political about it, and people should be ashamed of themselves for trying to skew it that way. I hope this kid gets better, I hope he can fully recover and play football again, if that is what he wants to do and I wish people weren't so god damn hurtful on the internet.

Look, the world is crazy enough, we don't need anymore psychopaths yelling at a teenager with a heart issue for taking a year of football off. We should be applauding his very adult decision. 

Ty

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

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Some Thoughts on the Cancellation of Big 10 Sports

I’m very,  very upset and very angry right now.

The Big 10, my conference with my favorite team that has ever existed, officially canceled all fall sports today, including football. They hope to play in spring, but who the hell knows. I’m too angry to do a full fledged article today. I need time to process. But for now, for today, I hope all of you that laughed at this virus, that refused to wear masks, that take advantage of these student athletes, that think it’s a “hoax”, that support that monster in the White House, that are arrogant and self righteous, I hope you’re at peace with this decision. It sucks, but we didn’t have to be here if we weren’t so god damn entitled. This is crummy.

More to come tomorrow.

Ty

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

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And Now We Have Lost the College Football Season

Today has not been a good day. Today has been a very sad day for me in fact. And while nothing is official, it seems like, at the very least, the Big Ten and Pac 12 are all but ready to cancel all of their fall sports, including football.

Now, I am not reporting this, I am not trying to be one of the first people to get this out on the internet, I am not trying to stoke any flames. But, if you have read anything this morning or afternoon, or read anything yesterday, big time important people from the power 5 conferences had an emergency meeting yesterday to discuss calling off the season. That type of thing doesn't happen, or if it does, it is not for good news. But, like I said, nothing is official yet, but it seems like it is inevitable. I have read two conflicting reports in the last thirty minutes where one person said the Big Ten voted and canceled the season, and twelve minutes later, I kid you not, another reporter came out and said that they spoke to a Big Ten spokesperson, and that person said that there have been no decisions made. Both of these reporters are reputable too. This isn't 247 or Rivals or anything like that. This was Dan Patrick and Nicole Auerbach of The Athletic. These people are in the know. But either way, this is upsetting and troubling and makes me so mad at our country, and the lack of taking this virus serious. I am also hyper pissed off at the NCAA, which I will get to today.

This is upsetting because I love college football. I truly do. It is my favorite sport played in my favorite season. Look, I love basketball, I love watching my son play baseball, but college football is head and shoulders above all of that. It has been the mainstay for my life to this point. My earliest memories are watching Michigan with my dad. I named my puppy after Bo Schembechler. I have a Wolverines tattoo. One of my most prized possessions is a Charles Woodson signed football. And there is nothing I enjoy more than watching college football from dawn to dusk on a Saturday afternoon in the fall. The fact that it is going to be, most likely, canceled or postponed is a real bummer. I'd be lying if I didn't say I got choked up reading stories about the inevitable downfall this morning.

I'm mad at our country because a lot of people, far, far too many, have just blown off the CoronaVirus. I see people not wearing masks in public. I see people gathering in crowds well over the suggested size, and of course they aren't social distancing. I have seen far too many people flood restaurants the moment they reopened. I see way too many people throwing humongous parties. But what is most frightening is the people who think this is a hoax. How stupid and selfish and ignorant and arrogant do you have to be? What kind of an asshole are you that you think you are above this? Does the death count, which I believe is over 165,000 in the US, not strike fear in you? Do you still think that is a "hoax"? Does your "president" really make you think this is going away, or that it is under any kind of control? If so, I feel so very sorry for you, and I do not need you in my life. The simple fact that sports have been affected by this should be evidence enough that this is real. Sports didn't stop during the Spanish Flu, sports didn't stop during wars, sports didn't stop after 9/11. But sports have been shuttered and left to the unknown since CoronaVirus. The sheer fact that we have had stops and starts, shutdowns, brand new protocols, should be more than enough evidence that this is real, and this is scary. How are you morons going to feel come fall when The University of Ohio State or Michigan or Oregon or Texas or Alabama or Florida or California or UCLA isn't taking the field because of CoronaVirus. Will you then, finally take this seriously? Is canceling football finally going to be the thing that makes you stop and think and act correctly for the first time in your life? I hope so, but I doubt it. You will all say, we can watch it in the spring or we will wait until next season. What if things aren't better by then? We all thought this was going to go away, but it hasn't. It has only gotten worse. Who's to say where we will be in the fall, winter or next spring. But, if we keep living how we are living right now, it won't be better.

As for the NCAA, to wait until now to make these conferences make decisions, and for Mark Emmert to come out and say stuff, I say, sorry mom and dad, shut the fuck up. You have had four plus months. You had time to see how other sports have handled this. You've had time to put things in place to make a season possible. Hell, you have even had conferences shift to a conference only schedule, had them release it, get fans' hopes up, and now you are saying it needs to be shut down. What a crock the NCAA and Emmert are. They are thieves of joy and they are taking advantage of the student athletes. I'm so happy that guys like Justin Fields and Trevor Lawrence are putting their voice out there and letting the NCAA know that they want to play, and that they think it is safer to play than to abandon these kids for an entire season and to send them home. Fields and Lawrence both said they think it is safer to stay and play. They have proper protocol going on. Lawrence went as far to say that he thinks it is safer than if he were sent home where he knows people aren't following the proper protocol. Fields echoed that. Hell, even Jim Harbaugh has come out with a statement in support of the players who want to play and feel safe to play. He even added some stats about how Michigan has managed to keep their positive cases so low, in fact zero positive cases as of their last testing date. But the NCAA won't even give these players, or Harbaugh the time of day I suppose. I'm sure they could also care less about the guys who are seniors and will never play football again, or the guys that had a shot at the NFL, but needed to come back to improve. I hope, at the very least, these players get to form a union and get paid for their likeness being used all the time.

This whole situation is crummy and it didn't have to be this way. Fall collegiate sports had more than enough time to figure out a safe way to do this and they blew it harder than the MLB is blowing it right now. It stinks that I and many other college football fans will not be able to watch our favorite teams and players. I know it is the safest thing to do, I really do, canceling or postponing the year, but the NCAA could have come up with something instead of just assuming CoronaVirus would go away, or be tamped down by now. It isn't, and that was fools thinking. Today is a sad sports day indeed. 

Ty

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

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The MLB Restart Has Been a Disaster

I have to give credit where credit is due. RD was right in his MLB preview. He gave some picks, even a World Series winner, but he ended it by saying that they wouldn’t be able to finish the season. So far, he looks like he nailed it. This first couple weeks have been, putting it lightly, disastrous. Multiple teams, including my Saint Louis Cardinals, have seen Coronavirus outbreaks. The Marlins had to postpone their opener to this week because they had, at last count, 18 players and staff test positive. The Phillies had an outbreak, although now they’re saying there were some false positives. And now we have the Cardinals. It started with four at the start of the weekend, and last night the news said that the team “expects many more positives”. Their whole series with the Brewers was postponed. Who knows if they’ll even attempt to play the Tigers this week. It has been just horrible.

The MLB squabbled all summer long about minuscule, to them, amounts of money. They couldn’t come to any agreement. One day the players would say they’d play only to have the owners ask for more. Then the owners would want to play, and wouldn’t you know it, the players would say they wanted more. They spent months arguing about money and not coming up with a solid, and safe, plan. They could’ve used that time griping about pennies on the dollar, again in relative terms, trying to figure out a safe solution. The fact they didn’t try a “bubble” scenario still baffles me. They could’ve done it in Arizona, Texas or Florida. I know numbers have been high there, but hey, the NBA is in a bubble in Orlando and they’re doing just fine. But the MLB insisted, once they finally agreed to something, on playing in home stadiums and letting players travel. I get the whole idea of traveling within close quarters, but traveling, especially on a plane right now, is just too risky. These players were going to get sick, and most likely easily. That was my first thought when I read the MLB’s agreed upon plan for playing the season. All the while we’ve had these three outbreaks, so far, other teams are still playing. There were a bunch of games this weekend. I even tuned into the Red Sox-Yankees game last night in between NBA games. That means that some teams may finish their 60 games well before other teams do. Most teams, so far, have played anywhere from 8 to 10 games. Then we have teams like the Phillies and Marlins, who’ve played 3 games. The Cardinals have played 5, the Brewers have played 6. And the defending champs, the Nationals, have played 7. Teams are going to be playing catch-up all year if this continues. Like I said before, I’m still unsure if the Cardinals are going to even play this week. I’m sure the Marlins will have another outbreak. It wouldn’t stun me if the LA or New York teams have to stop. Hell, the Midwest is getting punished with positive cases right now, so I imagine both Chicago teams and Pittsburgh will have to postpone in the very near future.

The MLB’s ill conceived and poorly thought out plan is simply not working. It’s been rough. It also is giving me a look into what pro and college football will look like if they proceed with their seasons, and don’t make some serious changes to testing and protocols and isolating. This has had the exact opposite effect that basketball had had. This “plan” has ruined baseball this year. I’ve said it before, baseball could’ve owned the summer, but they screwed they up, and now look where they are after fighting over some money. After watching games unfold for two weeks now, not only do I agree with RD that they won’t be able to finish this “season”, but it has also made me realize how little of a chance football had of being played in full, or at all, this fall.

This stinks and the MLB has shown us all the wrong way to try and play sports in this pandemic. They get a big fat stinky F for their efforts thus far.

Ty

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

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Maskless Covidiots Will Cost Us Football This Fall

Late last week the Big Ten, ACC and Pac 12 all decided to ditch their non conference schedules and commit, or at least try to commit, to a conference only schedule for the upcoming 2020 season. The SEC hasn't done this yet, nor the Big 12, but it is just a matter of time I feel.

The SEC commissioner, the University of Ohio State's AD and Michigan's AD have all said they are "very concerned" about the upcoming season as well. Me, I have kind of given in to the fact that the season is going to be cancelled. I feel that it is inevitable. The Ivy League has already said they won't even look into fall sports until January 1st. The NJCAA, junior college for those of you that may not know, is most likely going to switch to a spring season. And while I find it commendable that the power five conferences want to play this fall, I just don't see it happening.

It took me a while to get to this point, but it just feels like it is leaning so much that way. We have done a horrible job as a country in containing this virus. We have proven how selfish, arrogant and self righteous we can be. We thought we were above this. Some thought it would go away in a few weeks, I know I did in early March. Some figured we would be good after shutting things down for three months. But all the progress we made in three months was shattered because people wanted to go out and party over Memorial Day weekend. There were no masks, no social distancing and nobody following what we were supposed to do, and pretty much all did, for three months. We threw all that out the window the moment things reopened. People started to flood restaurants, bars, beaches, clubs, any place that was open. We felt cooped up, not me personally, but others, and people just figured the pandemic was over. It wasn't and still isn't. Not even close. And I know I was right here last week saying that I hoped my kids would be in classrooms in the fall, but now that seems as likely to me as a college football season happening.

People refuse to follow the easiest of rules, wearing a cloth mask in public and social distancing, and we are now paying for it dearly. Numbers are approaching, if not passing in some states, where they were when this first started. I know much more testing is being done, but the numbers are terrifying. In Missouri alone we went from about 200 cases a day to nearly 500. That's wild. And it is because people couldn't contain themselves and just had to go out. And that is fine, if they were following proper protocols. They weren't, and now we will all suffer. Schools won't be normal at all in the fall. I have heard that here in Saint Louis it will be a hybrid thing, two days on, three online, or you can do all online, but that won't last long if people continue to live, and disregard the rules like they have since shelter at home was lifted. I wouldn't be surprised if by early September my kids are strictly online learning.

Which leads me to college football. If my kids can't go to a regular, smallish elementary school, how is big time college football going to be played? You can say, no fans. Okay, but what about the players? You can say, test them every other day. Sure, but what about immunocompromised people or the elderly? Shouldn't they have priority over college athletes? The NBA, MLB and NHL right now are getting tests done regularly, and they know within a day if they are positive or not. But my friends and family that have been tested, they have to wait upwards of a week before they know. How is that fair? And with football, these kids are constantly colliding with one another, spreading sweat, spit, all kinds of bodily fluids everywhere. It would be the easiest way to get it. And I have seen some people talk about making full shields for helmets, or having kids wear some kind of face covering, but they all balk at that idea. Why? I have seen players wear every type of extra padding and gadget on their body. Why would they be against the one thing that could actually give them a chance to play this fall? I'll never know.

I have also seen people say they can push to the spring, but that leaves me with two questions. What star college player, who isn't getting paid a dime, would play in the spring, a few months before the draft and risk getting injured?  Also, who knows what this pandemic will look like in the spring. It could be worse, the same or better, we have no idea. All I know, or at least feel right now is, this season is going to get cancelled, billions, with a B, will be lost and a good amount of seniors will never get to play their last season of football because we are a selfish country. Where cases are record highs right now, places like Alabama, Texas, California, South and North Carolina, Louisiana, Ohio, these states live for college football, but since they couldn't, or simply wouldn't follow rules, they are going to miss out on another year of college football. The OSU's, LSU's, Alabama, Texas, USC, they won't get watched because a good majority of people didn't take this pandemic seriously enough, and refuse to wear a mask, even though they think they have to go out now.

I'm so, so bummed about this because I love college football. I live for it. I love nothing more than wasting an entire Saturday afternoon in the fall watching college football, especially my Michigan Wolverines, who only have had four positive cases I might add. It's the best. But, at this point in time I have zero faith that any type of college football season is going to happen in 2020. I hope the parties and the beaches and the restaurants were worth it because we are going to have to start all over again, and that likely means online, at home school for those of us with young kids, and no fall sports. That is a real bummer. It makes me very upset. 

Ty

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

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Kids Need to Go Back to School

If we all just wore one of these, we would not need to have this debate

I am going to go a little controversial, at least to some, with my piece today. I have written about the importance of wearing masks, why we should all be quarantining properly, or if you do go out, taking the proper precautions, all that I do when dealing with all things involving the CoronaVirus. One thing I have split on, well I don't know if I've split, I have heard all kinds of thoughts on this topic, the topi c is kids should go back to school in a few weeks.

I want my kids in school, in their classroom, in the fall. Both my son and daughter are set to start school on August 24th, and if I had my way, they would be in their classroom, with new protocols, and getting the proper instruction and socialization that an eight year old and four year old needs and craves. Here in West County in Saint Louis, remote learning was an absolute disaster. There were so many missed meetings, Zoom barely ever worked, my son would be done with his "class work" in under an hour, my daughter, for the most part, couldn't converse or even hear what her preschool teacher was trying to teach the kids. It simply didn't work. I don't fully blame this on the Rockwood School District. No one was prepared for the pandemic. We could have been, but the powers that be decided it was simply just going to go away. Well, it didn't, and my kids have been home since early March. That is two months of school washed away. Their summer, so far, has been quite boring too. My son was so stoked when we decided to let him go to day camp, it is outdoors and masks are required. He has also started baseball practice, with social distancing, and he has been smiling ear to ear since these little things have happened. He gets to hang out with kids his age, see friends, it has been a very pleasant surprise. My daughter hasn't been so lucky. She is only four so she doesn't have a core group of friends yet. She hasn't been back to her dance classes because they don't require masks, and that makes my wife and I uncomfortable. She has had to spend all her time with me pretty much, especially since my son has been going back to camp. And she doesn't come to the store with me, no need to expose her to that, and we have only gone to a few places because it has been so damn hot here in Saint Louis. She has asked me countless times if she can go back to school when the virus is over. I have to tell her that the virus is here to stay, but I always say, hopefully, that yes she can go back to school in the fall. She misses it dearly, as do I, and my son too. He may be happy at camp and baseball, but he even told me that he misses his friends, teachers and classroom.

There were some rumors flying around for a minute that schools out here wouldn't reopen until there is a vaccine. That could be years. I don't want my son to be twelve years old, and have to start the third grade, or my daughter be eight and just starting kindergarten. The fact that we still don't know here what is going to happen is frustrating and it makes me angry. The fact that some teachers have come and said that they are scared, or need more time, I get the scariness, this is a very, very bad virus, but the time, you've had since March to get ready for this upcoming school year. The timing is an excuse I will not accept. I usually side with teachers, but to complain about that, get the hell out of here. I have also seen some complain about having to teach social distancing after months away, get over that too. That is part of your job. You get paid to do that.

Anyway, why I want my kids in school the most is the socialization. My kids are social butterflies. They like to be friends, and talk with any and everyone. My son will talk to the checker at a grocery store. My daughter will yell talk to people in cars when they pass us and say hi while we are walking the dogs. They are starving for the social aspect that school brings. They want it, and quite frankly, need it. I also think there is a way that schools can make this work. First off, teachers need to be properly trained, and that can be done using proper PPE and social distancing. Also, local governments need to stop giving money to what they deem essential businesses, like bars and nightclubs, and send it on over to public schools. The fact that bars are open in Saint Louis, and we still have no clue about school, that baffles and upsets me at the same time. It seems that the government is focusing more on the food industry than education. That's messed up. What makes it even worse, we won't know a thing about school until late in this month. The powers that be are having some big meeting on the 20th, and then they will eventually give us the decision. So, bars and restaurants and gyms can all stay open, but schools have to wait. What a crock.

I was sent a survey, as was my wife and every other parent with a kid in the Rockwood School District, and it was overwhelming how many people are willing to send their kids back to school, including me. They asked if we would send our kids back without a vaccine, and nearly seventy-five percent of parents said yes. The survey then asked how we would feel about a hybrid model, something like three days at school and two at home, and nearly eighty-five percent said yes, they'd do that if necessary. Like I said, it has been overwhelmingly trending towards parents wanting their kids in classrooms in the fall. And I don't think this has to do with laziness, or wanting to get back to "normal". I don't have the proper education to teach. I didn't get my degree in that. And my kids both know that. They have told me how I'm not a good teacher, and they are absolutely right. I'm not equipped to teach them because I am not a teacher, as far as stuff like math and science and history goes. And this whole thing isn't me bashing people that home school, or are planning on doing it now. Not at all. More power to you. It is not for me though. I don't have the patience, I don't have the education and I want my kids to see their friends and be exposed to different lifestyles. That is what I liked most about my time in school was meeting, and befriending so many different people. I sent my kids to public school for that very same reason.

So while I know that we live in a pandemic, that it is not even close to being over, and that some may be scared, I do want my kids back in their school come August. With proper training, and safety protocol, it can be done. I just think, if a bar, Ihop and the gym is open, schools can open, and be much smarter about it. And I know that I am not alone. My fingers are crossed that come August my kids will get to go back to school proper. 

Ty

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

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Wear a Damn Mask

After seeing CoronaVirus numbers soaring, and now the UK banning American travelers for the time being, I just want to clearly, and plainly and loudly say, WEAR A GODDAMN MASK PEOPLE! It's as simple a request as one can make.

Look, we don't know a whole lot about this virus right now. There are so many variables that scientists haven't been able to put their finger on. We don't know if you can get it more than once, we don't know if it is seasonal or just going to ravage us for the rest of 2020, we don't know too much right now. But, we do know that wearing a mask while in public, and practicing social distancing, that is our best chance to not get the virus, or if you have it and don't know, wearing masks makes it far less likely to spread the disease. If we all wore masks in public places, we could get to a point where we have this under some kind of control, or at least have more time to figure more things out.

The fact that there are people here in America making fake exempt cards, or whining and crying about being asked to wear one in stores, or making much to do when a restaurant asks you to wear one, or calling people "sheep" that do wear one just proves how entitled and childish and selfish and stupid some people can be in the US. It is a piece of cloth that can save you and anyone you may come in contact with, and it takes 2 seconds to put it on. It is the simplest thing to do, and the most effective thing right now. I simply do not get these people that are so upset about having to wear one. I don't understand people who think it does nothing. I don't get people that seem to think it makes it harder for them to breath. None of the complaints about masks make a lick of sense to me. It's easy, it's effective, you can make your own, you can buy disposable packs, there are so many options for this one thing that can help us return to some kind of normalcy. If we all wore masks in public, and were socially distancing, we could finally flatten the curve and figure stuff out. But because we have so many spoiled rotten brats, our numbers are skyrocketing. We have so many more cases than any other country. We have dumbass people gathering in bars and restaurants and just simply trying to act like this virus is gone, and that is only making it worse. When we were on lockdown for three months, and the numbers were actually going down, all that hard work was for naught because of selfish people. As soon as things reopened to the public, people rushed out without their masks and gathered in large groups without distancing. Just look at the beaches over Memorial Day weekend. They were stacked with a bunch of idiots who just figured the pandemic was over. And since states have reopened, it has only gotten worse. I see far too many people out at restaurants and clubs. It is upsetting. I have also talked with people since my son started baseball practice again, and have heard things like, "I'm glad this is done because I am not a mask guy", or " that was wild, but now it's all over". Those statements are so wrong on so many levels.

This is not over. We are still at the beginning. Not a mask guy, get the hell out of here. How selfish are you? How much of a dick are you? I love things like movie theaters, sporting events, hanging out with my entire extended family, my kids going to school, running races and playing basketball. Since March, the only thing I have done is run virtual races, and I have started to see my parents again. Both are done with masks, and with a ton of pre visit or pre run protocol. But, if we all wore masks, and stopped crying like children, we may get to a point where some of this stuff can start happening in 2021 or 2022. If we all wore masks, I would have no problem going to a theater. I would enjoy the hell out of a Michigan football game if I knew that masks were required to get into the stadium. I took my kids to a local science museum that recently opened back up and it was great because we all wore masks, and no one griped about it. It was the safest I have felt outside my home since early March. And my 4 year old and 8 year old had no problem wearing a mask. They are children, but they understood and didn't bitch and moan and throw a tantrum like I have seen so many adults do since it became the rule in public.

It's such a simple thing to do. If we all wore masks, if we all practiced social distancing, we could, possibly, get to some kind of a new normal. So, I say at the end like I did at the beginning, loudly I might add, WEAR A MASK, IT CAN SAVE LIVES. 

Ty

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

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The MLB Coronavirus Plan is Idiotic

I know a few weeks back I dumped on baseball for its lack of starting a season. They could’ve owned the summer, could’ve had all the eyeballs of sports fans craving live sports on them and could’ve been the ticket. They missed out on all of that because both players and owners started to fight over money. It was millionaire versus billionaire fighting over money. It was disgusting and disturbing and flat out upsetting. One side would come up with something, and sure enough the other side would say no. This went on for far too long.

Just recently, it seems that both sides came to some kind of agreement. It’s worth noting that the MLB said something along the lines that players will report on a certain day, all but making the decision for them. Eventually the MLBPA agreed on the proposal because I don’t think they really had a choice. This is where I actually agree with RD, that the players are being screwed. The fact that the MLB just picked a day shows how little they care about the players. But, for the time being, they seem to have a plan in place. It’s a weird plan, drought with problems from my perspective, but a plan nonetheless.

They’ll play 60 games, have an expanded playoff and do the playoffs as usual after the wild card stuff. Now, where this gets weird for me is where they’re playing. It appears that teams will play at their home stadiums, and travel to other stadiums for road games. That’s scary. To get on a plane to go play in another city is one of the no no’s bring handed down by the CDC and WHO. It’s unnecessary travel. I don’t know about the testing, but I can’t imagine it’s what the NBA has, or what colleges are doing right now. That number of games is so small too. If they did that last season, the Nationals wouldn’t have even made the playoffs. Sixty games is nothing in baseball. That’s like playing 4 NFL games. And, I don’t think fans will be allowed, I know for a fact that Busch Stadium isn’t allowing fans. But I bet they will make concessions if numbers of the Coronavirus slow down, which will only make numbers go up. I’m also not big in the number of players they’re bringing per team. RD told me they’re going to start with 30. Thirty guys on a bench, in a locker room, on a plane together is just asking for a cluster to happen. That number doesn’t include coaches or other staff either.

This plan is reminiscent of what the NFL is doing, almost acting like the pandemic is over. It’s not. It’s far from over in fact. I feel like baseball is picking money over health and safety, just like the NFL and college football. I hope I’m all wrong about this though. I hope this works, along with the NBA bubble, the NHL restart, training camps and summer football practice. I want sports back. I crave sports coming back. But we need more guys like Adam Silver in control of this weird time we live in, and less Roger Goodell and Rob Manfred. Silver cares about his players. These other commissioners seem to not care enough, or at all.

We will see what happens with this truncated season, but it seems weird, and seems too little too late. The MLB had a shot to really take over, and they absolutely blew it. Now they’ll be fighting for viewers with the NBA, NHL, soccer, NASCAR, golf and football, possibly. They made a humongous gaffe, and I don’t think a 60 game season during a pandemic is going to help. They blew it.

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 if the NBA Should Come Back

I didn't write yesterday because, as I told RD when I called him, I needed another night to figure out how I was going to word my piece for the day. I don't want to come off as an asshole at all, but I figure there will be at least one person that disagrees with me today, and well, there is really nothing I can do about that.

Today I want to talk about the player uprising in the NBA right now. Maybe uprising is a bit too strong, but still, there is a decent number of players, and former players for that matter, who do not think right now is the correct time to come back and play. They deem it too much of a distraction from what is currently going on in our country, as far as the protests, Black Live Matter, police brutality, the pandemic, and any other hellscape that we currently live in. And I fully, fully agree with that. I understand. Once players start playing basketball, that will be the biggest story, at least in the sporting news. That is what people will talk about. The people that cover it will immediately shift their focus to the games, the players and the plays that decide the game. The protests will seemingly shift on the back burner. We don't need that. These protests are working. Stuff is starting to happen. I want the police defunded, and the money given to public education personally, and I feel like there is a shift happening in that direction. Some places have already had votes to defund police, and it is working. Also, a good amount of prominent NBA players have taken part in the protests. Players like Giannis, Russ, DeMar DeRozan and Steph and Klay, among many others, have marched, spoken at the marches and been front and center. I LOVE that they are doing that. I love that they are letting their voice be heard. I appreciate that they are taking the time to go out and fight for what is right. But I do fear that once they step on the court, it will all be forgotten. Well, maybe not forgotten, but pushed aside. Guys like Steph and Klay won't get pushed aside because the Warriors weren't invited. But Russ, Giannis, guys on teams that will be going to Orlando, I think the fact that they marched will be put aside when they throw a pinpoint pass, or get a steal or do a thunderous dunk. That sucks.

There is also the current uptick, alarmingly so, of Coronavirus cases in Florida right now. I don't think the NBA players will be as susceptible, due to the "bubble" they will be put in, but still, there has been a scary amount of newly reported cases in Florida. I get NBA players being wary of that. There is also the injury factor that some young guys have brought up. This is going to be a quick restart, and the way these guys are built, someone could suffer a devastating injury. I would hope that the NBA has contingency plans for that, and I assume they do. But still, it is a big time risk. I get all of these fears and problems being brought up by some players.

Now, for what some may see as the heel turn, I'm shocked that Kyrie Irving has this much hold over current NBA players. When rumors started to surface that some players were unhappy with the restart, I racked my brain trying to figure out who. I thought maybe Chris Paul. He has a family that he is super involved with, and three months away is a long, long time. It wasn't him. Then I thought about some guys on the six teams that got invited. I figured guys like Devin Booker, DeAron Fox, Damien Lillard, CJ McCollum, thought it would be pointless because they will, most likely, be there for only eight games, and then have to head home on an airplane. It wasn't those guys either. I even thought, well maybe Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell don't want to play because, and if it wasn't them it would have assuredly been someone else, they essentially shut down the league, and know firsthand how rough this virus can be. But it wasn't them either. The biggest, most dissenting voice was Kyrie Irving, a guy that wasn't invited to play because he is injured and will not return to next season. As soon as I saw it was him, I scoffed and said out loud to no one, "of course it is Kyrie, he is going to ruin this for everyone".

I am not a Kyrie Irving fan. I never have been. Not even in college, or when he hit one of the biggest shots in NBA history. He is a great, great player. I just don't care for him. He is also an insane person. He is a flat Earther. I believe he is anti-vaccine. He has this deep hatred for LeBron James, so much so that he asked to be traded from a perennial Finals team because he didn't want to play with LeBron. He has also destroyed two locker rooms on his way to this new mission of his to shut down this restart. Now, I agree with his issues with the restart. I said it all up top. I want the protests to be front and center on the news, and I do agree that basketball will take away from that. But coming from Kyrie Irving, a kid who grew up with every single advantage, makes millions upon millions of dollars and isn't even going to play, that makes me mad. I'm sorry, but it does. It pisses me off truthfully. I get his message, I cannot say that enough, but he has money to last for the rest of his life. He makes money outside of his NBA contract. He is doing just fine. But what about the 8th or 9th guy on his team. What is that guy going to do if they cancel this season? Also, if they cancel this season, that will lead to, almost certainly, a lockout next year, and billions upon billions of dollars will be lost. Again, I agree with his words, but he is only thinking about himself in this scenario. He is only trying, as some conspiracy theorists have put out there, to keep LeBron from chasing another title.

Yet, there have been other voices coming out in support of Irving, like Dwight Howard, Avery Bradley and Carmelo Anthony. Dwight Howard, I get. His baby's mother died from this disease. He has personal issues with this. If Minnesota were invited, and they asked KAT about it, and if he didn't want to restart, I'd get it. He lost his mother to the virus. Stephen Jackson has been very vocal about cancelling the restart, and he is one of the biggest voices in the protests, I love what he is doing, and how much he is stepping up. He also lost a dear friend due to police brutality. He is also retired. I get why he is so adamant on stopping the restart. But, Kyrie, Avery Bradley and Carmelo, they confuse me. I think I covered why Kyrie's involvement puzzles me. Carmelo, he begged to get back in the league, got signed, and has played well. Why now does he not want a chance to play, at least, eight more games? I don't know. Maybe he is fearful of the virus or getting hurt or something else. But for a guy that was on every TV show until he got signed to suddenly be against a restart, that is puzzling. Avery Bradley is a role player, and I assume he would like to continue to make money. He would be giving up a huge chunk of his salary if they don't restart, and then he would be looking for a new team next season when the lockout inevitably happens. His involvement is the most puzzling of the names of players that have been released. He is due to lose the most money of any named player against a restart.

Ed Davis, who is a ten year vet came out yesterday and brought up some very good points I thought about not restarting. He mentioned that guys like Kyrie, they have made their money and they will be set. The people who have most to lose are vets like him. They rely on the paychecks that come in every two weeks to provide and care for their loved ones. They make a ton of money, but it isn't at the level that a Kyrie Irving makes. So while Davis said he gets where Kyrie is coming from, he also stated that a player like Kyrie doesn't have the same worries as a player like himself does.

I fully agree with Ed Davis. That is the bottom line of all this, and that is the sad thing. The NBA is a business. They are around to make money and get on TV and promote super stars. I asked my wife, who works for a big time stock firm, what would they do if someone said they wanted to leave to go protest and march. She said they would wish them all the luck in the world, sing their praises, support them and let them know they would try and save their job. She also told me that while that person was away, they wouldn't be required to pay them. That is how businesses work, and I think Kyrie doesn't realize, or care about that. If he does get his way, and enough star guys decide to sit out this restart, enough star players that is, this will cause much bigger problems in the future. There will be a lockout next season. The CBA will be torn to shreds and the owners will have all the power. The NBA will use their Force Majeure clause, they can use this in an event that is so catastrophic that is causing unforeseen cancellations, and rip up everything past players worked for today. This is a very weird, very rough, very bad time in the world right now. We are living through some awful shit. And while I applaud the reasoning that some guys are giving for not wanting to restart, I also think they need to know that it will destroy everything they have worked for to be where they are today, to make the money they make today, to have the power to speak to people the way they do today.

The NBA is one of, if not the, most forward thinking professional leagues in the world. If they cancel this restart, it will be catastrophic though. I don't think it will be cancelled though. LeBron has already come out and said the he doesn't think restarting will take away from his ability to speak to people and force change. I agree with him. Also, when he said that, any anger I had towards Kyrie went away, because when LeBron speaks, the NBA listens.

This is one of the more confusing and frustrating things I have dealt with personally as a sports fan. I want the NBA back. I want to watch basketball. But I also want people to continue talking about the protests, I want people to continue to march, I want the police defunded. I want all these things, and I still think we can have it even with NBA players playing basketball. I guess time will tell. Until then, I will be curious to see what the next couple of weeks has in store, because the next couple of weeks is when players are supposed to start reporting to the mini training camps. We will just have to wait and see. 

Ty

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

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