The Bengals and Cowboys are Two Franchises Going in Different Directions

I was watching the NFL playoffs with my son yesterday and I found that I had some new and interesting insights.

First off, the Bengals looked fantastic. I assumed with all the Damar Hamlin love and the talent that the Bills would be playing with more oomph. Maybe they did, but the Bengals matched and surpassed it immediately. They jumped out to a 14-0 lead. The refs took a TD away from Jamar Chase, he definitely caught that ball, but it still didn't matter. They got a field goal on that drive and took a 10 point lead into half. Then they only gave up 3 more points en route to a 27-10 victory and a second straight AFC title game matchup with the Chiefs.

What I noticed about this game, besides the thorough beatdown, was the confidence this team has. They play with a swagger. Joe Burrow, Jamar Chase, Joe Mixon, Dax Hill, Sam Hubbard, Semaji Perine, they have this unmatched confidence. They never play like an underdog. They go into these games expecting to win. The Bengals have been a pretty moribound franchise since their existence. Not anymore. These guys are good, they know they are good and they have proof of winning big games to be considered good. I was in awe of their performance yesterday. I did not watch much of any regular season NFL so maybe this is new to only me. But I was highly impressed with this team. I was impressed with Burrow and Chase the most. They need to sign those two to big contracts because they could be the face of the league as soon as next year. The Bengals seem very legit.

As for the Cowboys, well, they have some soul searching to do. The Cowboys did what they do now. They have one good season sandwiched in between multiple mediocre seasons and their fans go nuts. They always think they will win the Super Bowl that season. I constantly hear the whole "How bout them Cowboys!" on ESPN during the regular season. And then they get in the playoffs and choke it away. That final drive was so frustrating, and I have despised this team my whole life here on Earth. I just couldn't figure out what was going on. Then I remembered that Mike McCarthy is their head coach and it all locked into place.

What struck me personally was how I felt afterward. I used to get all into the trolling of teams I don't like on social media. I'd always have something to say. I haven't done that these past two years and I continued to not do it yesterday. But I read comments. Boy oh boy were some of those comments frightening. But what I got from all of it was how bad I felt for these guys as individuals. Dak Prescott played a bad game. He has definitely regressed the past couple seasons. But who else do the Cowboys have at QB? Who else is going to get them into the playoffs? I mean, they are not very good to begin with, but to now question if Prescott should be the guy is laughable to me. Hopefully he can go somewhere he is appreciated because Cowboy fans don't deserve Dak Prescott. He is too good for them. Tony Pollard broke his fibula. He was clearly taking over for the overrated Ezekial Elliot, and then this happens. I mean, that is brutal for him. The NFL is unforgiving enough, and it is even worse to backs who have injury history. That kicker got the yips. There is no doubt about it. But it is not his fault they got beat. He made two field goals after missing four extra points. I mean, yikes.

This all really goes down to how poorly McCarthy manages the clock and the team in big moments. He did the same nonsense in Green Bay. The Packers were loaded with talent and he only got one ring, which he tried everything he could to not get it. The way the last two seasons have played out for the Cowboys with McCarthy leading the way should terrify the fans. He is a poor game manager.

That was how I felt watching these games yesterday. One team is ascending while the other is still looking for the heyday of the 90's. That is life in professional sports I guess. At least we got the two best matchups in the conference title games next week. Those four teams are very deserving. 

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

2022 Top Five - Sports

Today I come to you all with my top sports moments of 2022. This has been a good sports year for me as a fan. I have not had much to complain about, but being a true fanatic, I have found stuff here and there. My list is all football and basketball. Well, there is one baseball thing. But those are the sports I watch. I do not watch hockey, soccer, NASCAR or even boxing anymore. I understand that the World Cup just happened, but I didn't watch a second of it. And RD and Tina do all the tennis talk for the site. I just wanted to give you all a heads up. On to the countdown.

At number 5 I have the final season of Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina. I am not the biggest MLB fan, but being a native St Louisian, and a Cardinals fan, this was a very important sendoff. Pujols came back to play his last year here. Yadi is a lifelong Cardinal, and in my opinion, the greatest catcher of all time. To see them play their final season together where they started was magical. What unfolded was even better. Yadi did his thing. He was consistent. He gunned wannabe base stealers down left and right. He hit his usual .270. He had clutch plays. He was as good as ever. Pujols started off slow but something happened to him after the all star break. He found his power. He started to bomb homeruns. He got to a point where 700 seemed like it was possible. And when he hit that magical number it was euphoric. I was stoked. The kids I coach in baseball were stoked. It was so cool to see the whole city get behind Pujols on his run to 700. The Cardinals won the division and looked like they could make a deep playoff run. The Phillies had other plans though. Even though they choked, seeing Pujols and Yadi finish their careers in St Louis, on a relatively high note, was pretty damn cool. They are two of the best to ever do it and two of the best Cardinals to ever do it. 

At number 4 I have the Cincinnati Bengals going on their incredible playoff run all the way to the Super Bowl. I could not believe what I was seeing while it was going on. Sure, one win seemed like it was possible. But to run through the AFC the way they did, and then beat the Chiefs to make the Super Bowl, it was great. I am not a Bengals fan at all, but my nephew is and my brother has lived in Cincy for a bit now. I was happy for them. I was stoked to see guys like Jamaar Chase and Joe Burrow show up big time in big time games. I like those dudes. And the Bengals did not disappoint in the Super Bowl. They may not have won, but they had a chance. They had an open guy on the final play. They stayed in the whole game. The Rams were bought to win a Super Bowl. The Bengals were built to win one. They are playing great this year. But that run, and all the texts between RD and myself during their run, that was pretty rad. I like the team and I wish them nothing but success in the long run.

At number 3 I have the Warriors-Celtics NBA Finals. It was an incredible series. I was rooting for Golden State because of my disdain for the Celtics. But it was cool to see Jayson Tatum, a STL native, play on the biggest stage. And I was certain that the Celtics were going to win after going up 2-1. It seemed inevitable. But then the Warriors woke up and looked amazing. Klay Thompson was coming off two ACL tears and started to look like himself. Draymond Green got back to playing top notch defense. Kevon Looney became a very poor man's Tim Duncan. Jordan Poole was getting points in limited minutes. Andrew Wiggins was locking up Celtic after Celtic. But it was Steph Curry who willed this team to victory. He did not want to be beat and it showed. He scored at will. He hustled on defense. He proved, without a shadow of a doubt, that he is one of the best to ever play. He earned this title. He was the well deserving MVP. He said this one felt best and it showed. I was in awe of his performance from game four to six. He was on a mission and it was beautiful to watch. This was a great finals and the best team won.

At number 2 I have the Michigan Wolverines football season. The new year started off rough with Georgia crushing Michigan in the CFP. I didn't know what to expect from the team going into this season, but they did not disappoint. They handled their cupcake of a non conference schedule. Then when they got into Big Ten play they opened with a tough win over Maryland. They then went on to crush every opponent until Illinois. They beat Penn State by 28. They put Michigan State into submission. They sacked Indiana QB's eight times. They ran over everyone. Illinois gave them a scare. Michigan did not deserve to win but they found a way. They then went to Columbus and won there for the first time in 22 years. Not only did they win though, they dismantled the university of Ohio State. They ran up and down the field on them. They made CJ Stroud look pedestrian. Blake Corum, the team's heart and soul, was hurt the week before and barely played. It didn't matter. They had the next man up mentality. They used this momentum and throttled Purdue in the Big Ten title game. They have a date with TCU coming up and I am terrified as always. But this team has proven me wrong all year. They have figured out ways to win games. Guys like Mike Morris, Mike Sainristil, Blake Corum, the entirety of the O line, Will Johnson, DJ Turner, Cornelius Johnson, they all deserve this. They have all earned this. I am hopeful as a Michigan fan for the first time in a long time.  I hope it doesn't bite me in the butt, but time will tell. As of now I am a hopeful Wolverines fan.

At number 1 I have a very personal sports moment. My son started playing football this year. Let me rephrase that, he started to play tackle football this year. I was nervous. I told him horror stories. I tried to convince him otherwise. But he was adamant and we relented. It was wonderful. He got better and better everyday as a football player. He was taught the right way to play the game. He seemed happy at practice and at games. He really looked like he was in his element. As the season went on the team continued to get better. They started to win more. They were really beating teams up. And my son lived in the backfield on defense and pancaked would-be tacklers on offense. It was a shock, in a good way, to see him progress the way he did. They won enough to make the fifth grade playoffs and it got even better. They won their first game handily. They had a tough test in the second game, but they ran away with that one as well. The championship was on a very windy and cold day. And they even gave up an early field goal. From there on out they scored 30 unanswered points. They destroyed the team that made it to the finals. They hammered them. And my son was smiling all the way. He loved every second of football. And I loved watching him. I am so glad I didn't coach also. I got to enjoy it from the stands. I am always proud of him and this is another notch in his belt. I was so happy to see them win and to watch him play all year. That is the best a sports dad can ask for.

That is it for sports. Come back tomorrow for my final top five, top five podcasts of the year, tomorrow.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

I'm Worried About Joe Burrow

NFL training camps are full go right now and everyone is reporting on them. One day has a great throw, the next a brawl, the next a contract dispute, the next a trade demand and as always, injuries. The most recent injury update I saw was on Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow.

Burrow came out of the gates like a QB on fire last season for the Bengals. After a historic run to a title at LSU and winning the Heisman, Burrow was the number one pick by the Bengals in the 2020 draft. He was the surefire, can't miss prospect. He was the new Andrew Luck, but with more speed. He has all the tools to be great. And he was showing flashes during his rookie year. He was making deep throws, stepping up in the pocket to avoid pass rushers, pulling it down and running for 10 plus yards, he looked like the real deal.

Then he tore his ACL.

It looked bad at the time, but after his surgery all the reports were how well he was healing, and how fast he was healing. Things seemed to be good. But yesterday I saw a story from a reporter who said that Burrow has not looked good in camp. He is short-arming throws. Passes are being easily broken up or picked off. And the worst thing this reporter said was that he is "sticking his leg out to avoid getting even touched". I guess it seems like he may be scared of reinjuring his knee.

I get it, I would be hesitant too. But I am not an NFL quarterback. This can all be worked out, especially given Burrow's age, but this could also just be another in a long line of Cincinnati Bengals that end up having their careers cut short, or dampened by injury. Burrow is not the first Bengal that this would/could have happened to. There are too many to count in fact. When I was reading about this training camp experience the first name that came to mind for me was Carson Palmer. He got his knee absolutely exploded, illegally I might add, in a playoff game against the Steelers. The Bengals actually looked like a real contender that year, but when Palmer went down, their chance to win the Super Bowl was gone. Palmer came back the next year, but he wasn't the same. Even when he looked like he had rebounded with the Cardinals, you could still see the effects of that hit. He was still timid. His long ball wasn't going as far as it used to. He had much less pocket presence. He seemed to bail quicker on plays. I also thought of Ki Jana Carter. He was the next great running back in his draft class. He was an amazing college football player. He had all the tools. He was going to usher in the next era of great NFL running backs. Then his knee got destroyed. His ACL tear was bad too. It looked bad in real time and even worse in slow motion. He never returned after that. He was done. He was out of the league within five years. He had no comeback from that injury. It was brutal too. I may not have liked him, he went to Penn State, but the dude was incredible to watch in college. Then he tore his knee up and was never the same. We could also talk about AJ Green. He had a few great years with the Bengals. He was their Calvin Johnson. Then he got hurt, missed a ton of time and is now gone to a new team but isn't expected to do much because of past injuries sustained with the Bengals. The same thing happened to Ickey Woods after his lone great season in the NFL. Everyone knows him from the "Ickey Shuffle", his touchdown dance, but he was a key to their run in the playoffs. Then he gets hurt a year later and then is out of the league a few years after that. Anthony Munoz is a hall of fame offensive lineman but his career was cut short due to injury. He was as dominate as an offensive lineman could be, but he had shoulder issues and knee problems and concussions and had to walk away before he may have wanted to.

Look, I am not a Bengals fan. I don't actively root against them but I also do not watch their games. But this team seems to have horrible luck with draft picks and injuries. I feel like it is a bit unfair to their fanbase, of which is rabid. Those fans are aching for a perennially good team and things have looked like they could get there with recent picks. Then the injury bug strikes and that sets everything another couple years. It is a bummer. From Munoz to Green to Palmer to Carter to Woods and now Burrow, it just feels like the Bengals are not allowed to draft guys with humongous potential and see them live up to said potential.

I hope Burrow is okay, I hope he gets over the yips he may have right now. But if history has told us anything, when it comes to injured Bengals, do not count on it.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

LSU is a Champion that Makes Us All Awestruck

Last night, after what seemed like an eternity between games, the college football playoff, and season, came to a close.

If you had told me before the season started that a team like LSU would revolutionize their offense the way they did, go 15-0 and make it look easy against a team on a 29 game win streak, with one of the greatest QB prospects of all time, I would have laughed directly into your face. But, that’s pretty much what happened. LSU hired a great offensive mind to put this team into the modern era in college football, and boy did they do some magical and astounding things on that side of the ball. Also, seeing Joe Burrow transform into a super accurate, mobile and efficient QB was a thing of wonder. I remember watching LSU get beat by UCF, I think 2 seasons ago, in a New Years 6 bowl, and Burrow getting absolutely bullied by their defense. Hell, last season he threw for 16 TD’s, and LSU looked as stagnant as ever. Then, Joe Brady comes along, Ed Oregeron goes and recruits supreme athletes and Burrow threw for 60 plus TD’s this year. I can’t even do that in video games. And the speed, and up tempo-ness with which this offense played this year, it was a blast to watch, and I’m not even a fan. Also, that running back, Edwards-Helaire, man is he like a super strong version of Darren Sproles. He was so good all season, and was extra sensational last night. Even the defense, which has been their calling card, while not great, is still very, very good. Grant Delpit is a star. And that D line, my goodness are those kids big and fast and nasty, in all the right ways. That Clemson even made this a close game into the third quarter, was impressive. Clemson is a great team, an elite team, an all time great team, but LSU was special this year. I feel like this season’s LSU football team should go down as one of the greatest college football teams in history. The way they modernized their offense, the players they had that won all the awards, the defense figuring it out after the Ole Miss game, the coaching staff being as productive and efficient as they could possibly be, beating all those top 10 teams, and taking down this Clemson dynasty, it was truly incredible. They were must watch TV all season. I stayed up late to watch this whole game last night because I wanted to see if they could actually pull this off. I wanted to really see if Burrow could do it again. I wanted to see those receivers against top notch defensive backs. I wanted to see what Edwards-Helaire would do. I wanted to see Coach O, or hear him is more like it. And, like I said, I had zero rooting interest. But I am a college football fanatic, and when a team this dominant and fun and likable comes along, I want to take it all in because it doesn’t happen that often. Sure, Alabama has been dominant, but they were never this fun. The University of Ohio State is elite, but they cheat and I hate that team. Georgia is bland. Oklahoma is one dimensional. Even Clemson is kind of blah at this current time. To see a team like this, it’s magical. I’m also happy for my friends that are LSU fans. I know they’ve waited awhile to see their team play this well.

My hat is off to LSU. They earned this title, and then some. This is a season that will go down in history, and man was it fun to watch. Congrats LSU. It was a well deserved title.

Ty

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

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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