Stop It With This Julian Edelman Hall of Fame Nonsense

Julian Edelman retired from the NFL this week after he was waived by the Patriots. I think most of us saw this coming. And then Gronk had to be the stupid frat boy he is and gave some dumbass nonsense comment about him joining the Bucaneers, which would not surprise me at all. But, if he stays retired, no I do not think he is a hall of fame player.

This question has been floating around sports media since he announced his retirement. Every time I see it I try and find a way to fit him in the hall of fame, but I just cannot bring myself to do it. And this has nothing to do with my distaste for the Patriots. I just think Edelman was on the right team at the right time and is reaping the benefits of being in the perfect situation. No one would even bring him up for the hall of fame if he were on the Rams or Saints or Broncos or Colts and put up the exact same numbers. But since he was on a dynastic team that won a lot, he has wormed his way into the conversation. And he was really only highly effective in one of the Patriots Super Bowl wins. I believe he won one Super Bowl MVP. Every other big game, he was just kind of there. He'd get five to six catches for 60 or 70 yards and maybe a score. He was a slot receiver. Nothing more, nothing less.

People may say he was Tom Brady's security blanket as a reason he should be in the hall, and that is wrong. Just because Tom Brady liked him that does not make him a hall of fame player. I believe Brady has found a new "security blanket" almost every single season he has played. Since Chris Godwin became his security blanket in Tampa are people going to say he is a hall of fame player now? I don't necessarily think so unless he starts to put up amazing stats. No one ever had any of the other Patriots "security blankets" as hall of fame players. People would laugh in your face if you mentioned Danny Amendola as a hall of fame player, but he was a key cog on some of those Patriots teams. Laurence Maroney had two great seasons, opening up the passing game for the Patriots, but no one is putting him in the hall. The O line was a humongous reason why those teams were so good, but no one is calling out those guys for the hall. All of these players had as many, if not more, important moments for the Patriots during their time there.

Then we have other players that are not in the hall of fame that deserve it far more than Julian Edelman. Sterling Sharpe has a ring and much better stats, and he is not in the hall of fame. Mark Duper was the much superior "security blanket" for Dan Marino, yet he remains out of the hall of fame. Torry Holt was, in my opinion, the best receiver of the Rams "Greatest Show on Turf" era but he has not been inducted. Jimmy Smith helped the Jacksonville Jaguars become relevant for the first time ever in the NFL, but he has not made the hall of fame. Henry Ellard was like a fine wine, getting better every year in the NFL, but he is not in the hall. Those are just some of the receivers that had far, far better careers than Edelman, yet they remain to be inducted. When you look at some of the rest of the talent that hasn't made it yet, it is laughable to suggest Edelman get in before some of these guys. Drew Bledsoe is not in the hall of fame. People seem to forget how awesome he was before he got hurt. Randall Cunningham is not in the hall of fame. That is absolutely criminal. London Fletcher was the key cog on the "Greatest Show on Turf '' Rams defense, putting up ridiculous tackling numbers, but he has not made the hall. Edgerrin James was a top flight running back for a good long time, but he isn't in the hall of fame. Ty Law was a shutdown corner, yet no hall for him. Andre Johnson is a receiver from essentially the same time as Edelman, but he was on a mediocre Texans team, and he isn't in the hall of fame conversation, which is stupid. Julius Peppers may be one of the best defensive lineman to ever play, and he is not a hall of famer. Troy Polamalu is one of the most fun and hardest hitting safeties ever, no hall of fame. Champ Bailey was as lockdown as they come, but he is still waiting to get in.

There are a ton more players that I didn't even mention today that are far more deserving. And I am not taking anything away from Julian Edelman. He had an okay career and he has a ton of rings. But, with all of the people I have listed today, and the many more I forgot, no Julian Edelman does not belong in the hall of fame. Not at all. Solid career, but not worthy of the hall.

Ty

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

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Ty Watches the Super Bowl

The Super Bowl came and went with a whimper last night. Tampa Bay crushed Kansas City. It was close for about one quarter. The Chiefs got called for an exuberant amount of first half penalties, many of which I thought were pretty bad calls. The refs cleaned it up in the second half, and the game went pretty smooth after that. But, even with the refs making some bad calls, this game was not as close as I hoped it would be.

I assumed we would get a high scoring, shootout type of game. The Bucs did their part, but the Chiefs were stifled. The Bucs defense was dominant last night. And I know people will say that the Chiefs didn't have their two starting tackles, and that Mahomes is hurt, but that did not affect them at all in the playoffs until last night. The Bucs got constant pressure, they negated the Chiefs run game, they had Mahomes running for his life all night and they picked him off twice. They also did not give up one TD, which I believe is the first time that has happened to the Chiefs since Mahomes took over as the starter. This was also the first time he was beaten by double digits in the NFL. The Bucs D should have won a team MVP last night. They were awesome. This goes to show that Todd Bowles is a good coach. The Bucs offense did all the right stuff after their first two drives. They went three and out twice, then they figured it out. Byron Leftwich orchestrated an exceptional game plan after those first two drives, and the Bucs pretty much did whatever they wanted. They had receivers and tight ends streaking down the field constantly, and they were wide open. Leonard Fournette and Ronald Jones Jr ran with power and had gaping holes to plow through. This was a dominant effort. Tom Brady did what he has always done. He was efficient, focused and managed the game perfectly. He executed Leftwich's plan to a T.

I do not like Tampa, not at all. I haven't liked them ever. But, the proof was out on the field that they were the better, more prepared team last night. Also, I questioned Brady's choice to sign with Tampa. I was obviously wrong. I think there is no question he is the best QB to ever play in the NFL.

As for the Chiefs, this is going to happen from time to time. They did have key injuries. Mahomes was not 100 percent. They relied on a rookie running back. With dynasties, and yes the Chiefs are on the cusp of being one, games like this are going to happen. New England did not win every Super Bowl they played in. Peyton Manning won two, but he also lost two. The Cowboys have a ton of titles, but they have playoff lapses too. The Packers have the same. With a team on the brink of a dynasty, especially in football, games like this are par for the course. But make no mistake, they got whooped. Mahomes even said as much. They were outmatched and thoroughly beaten. But do I think they will be back in the Super Bowl before Tampa? Yes. They are still the favorites in the AFC every year they have a healthy Patrick Mahomes. I think they should be the favorites for the Super Bowl in 2022. They are that good. They had a rough game last night, and were beaten by a better team. But that doesn't change the fact that they are young and super, super talented.

As for the other stuff, this whole Super Bowl "experience" was indicative of 2020, and the beginning of 2021. We had no one at our house to watch. The food was excellent, just not as plentiful. The commercials, save for a very few, were all kind of dull. I am not a fan of The Weekend, and while his show looked neat, I did not think it was a hall of fame performance. I do appreciate that his dancers were masked, even if it was just for affect. The anthem was fine. The poet, I did think she was amazing. The post game stuff was very blah, as was the game itself. I am astonished that the NFL got a full season in, that there were no stoppages or shut downs and that they played a Super Bowl. But the game, and pretty much everything surrounding it was not that exciting or interesting. I'd say the two best things for me were the poet and the pulled pork sliders my wife made. Everything else was very forgettable.

Anyway, congrats to the Bucs, and Chiefs fans, don't get too upset, you guys will be back very, very soon.

Ty

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

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Ty Watches the NFC and AFC Title Games

Yesterday was a rough day for personal and sports reasons for myself. The personal stuff is none of your damn business, but the sports stuff, I am here to talk about it.

The Super Bowl is set. We have the Bucs and the Chiefs facing off in two weeks. If the Bills had won, this would have been the most white trash Super Bowl of all time, but the Chiefs saved us from that.

The Chiefs proved how good they truly are. Buffalo was hot, they were the darling team, they even took a lead, just like the Titans last year, and then Patrick Mahomes decided enough was enough, and he was spectacular. He is the best QB in the game right now, and it isn't even close. ESPN went as far to give Buffalo the "advantage" at QB prior to the game, and I think word got back to, not only Mahomes, but the Chiefs defense. Mahomes, as I said, was awesome. The Chiefs D might have been better. They suffocated and harassed and pretty much, for them, dominated the Bills "explosive" offense. They shut down Josh Allen too. Outside of the first drive, he was very mediocre. The Bills run game was pretty much non-existent and Stefon Diggs was blanketed all game. And after that first drive, on the Chiefs next five drives, they scored, or knelt on the ball to go to halftime. Mahomes was finding all of his receivers, the O line was stout and the run game did just enough, basically what they ask of them every game, and the Chiefs won going away. It wasn't as close as the final score suggested. The Chiefs made easy work of the Bills, they looked dominant, and they should be the favorites going into the Super Bowl.

The NFC title game was a different story. Green Bay was bad, especially in the first half. They could not stop the Bucs. To give up a TD like they did to end the first half is something that should never, ever happen. To fumble on the opening drive of the second half and let the Bucs score immediately was brutal. To give up so many third down conversions, that is inexcusable. I would not be surprised, and no one else should, if Mike Pettine is let go today. But Green Bay did make it a game. After going down 28-10, they scored on their very next drive, then picked off Brady and scored again. They missed a 2 point conversion, but still, they cut an 18 point lead to 5 going into the fourth quarter. Then it was a slog. Brady threw two more picks, but the Packers never capitalized. They punted both times. The Packers run game never materialized. But still, they had a chance. The Bucs did add a late field goal to push their lead to 8, but Green Bay got the ball, and they put together a drive. But, and I will never understand this decision, decided to kick a field goal just before the 2 minute warning. They cut the lead back to five, they did have all three timeouts, but still, why did LaFleur decide to kick? I don't know that I will ever understand this decision. It was a bad call in my opinion, and I said as much as I watched the game unfold. But, and this is where I got really pissed off, the PI call on 3rd and 8 against the Packers was a bad, bad call. The whole game the refs were letting both teams be very aggressive with the receivers. Both teams were grabbing and pulling and locking arms, and the refs were letting it go. They called it like this all game, until Tom Brady and the Bucs needed a call, on a pass that was very clearly uncatchable, with about a minute and some change left. This gave Tampa the first down, they were able to run out the clock, and the Packers were left with another unfulfilling season, and Tom Brady gets to go back to the Super Bowl, which just happens to be in Tampa this season. Look, I am not a Tom Brady fan, I know he went to Michigan, but outside a very few former Wolverines, I don't really follow them when they get to the pros. But, I have also never really bought into the whole conspiracy that the NFL wants Tom Brady to be in the Super Bowl. But man was it hard to see that call, then realize where the Super Bowl is being played, not to buy into some of that. Green Bay did not deserve to win. They played awfully. But, to leave it up to the refs, to give Tampa a call when they hadn't all game, I mean, it is hard not to think that, in some very, very small way, that the NFL wants their golden boy to be on the big stage. I mean, think of the stories that the major media will get to write for the next two weeks.

The game is a home game for the Bucs. Brady leaves New England, goes to the NFC and Tampa and leads them to yet another Super Bowl appearance for him, his tenth. Brady is 43 years old. He and Gronk are teammates again. That is so much more salacious and click worthy than Green Bay facing the Chiefs. The only real story if that was the outcome would be a rematch of Super Bowl One. But now ESPN and Sports Illustrated and Bleacher Report get to write about all the stuff I said, plus a matchup of the GOAT, and the up and coming usurper to the GOAT. I mean, I will watch the game because it is the Super Bowl, but boy will I be rooting for a Chiefs blowout. I am bored and sick and tired of all the Brady nonsense. I am sure I sound like a sour fanboy today, but I do not care. Again, Green Bay did not deserve to win, but it should not have been decided by the refs on a call that they hadn't made all game.

Anyway, if you all want a prediction, I am picking the Chiefs to win, but do not be surprised if Brady and the Bucs get some kind of miraculous late call in a close game that gives them the win. I'm just saying. Go Chiefs.

Ty

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

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Gronk Will Not Be the Answer in Tampa

I teased it yesterday, and here I am today to talk about the Gronk trade to the Buccaneers.

This was inevitable the moment Tom Brady simply mentioned how nice it would be to play with Gronk again. Once he said that it was a forgone conclusion that the Bucs front office and Bruce Arians were going to do whatever they needed to get Gronk. Never mind the fact that they have a younger tight end they drafted two years ago. I know that OJ Howard hasn't totally lived up to the hype yet, but this upcoming year will only be his third in the NFL. Now he will be traded, or simply let go. That is a shame.

Look, I think most people know how I feel about Gronk. I do not like him. He is a frat boy, a douche, a party animal, a phony and if he was with any other team during his height, and was not a white person, people wouldn't love him the way they do. Say he played for a team like the Dolphins or Jets or Raiders, he is basically a nobody. Change his ethnicity, he would be viewed very differently by major media outlets. I don't like putting that out there, but it is, unfortunately, true. And now he is coming in to take a younger kid's job just because his buddy wants the team to.

Also, I don't think this is going to be as great as other outlets are proclaiming. I have already gone on the site and said that I don't like the fit with Brady in Tampa. I know Arians has done wonders with older QB's, but those QB's had big arms. I think Brady is the best QB to ever play in the NFL, but arm strength has never been his thing. He has always been a quick slant, diagnose the defense quick and make the right, shorter throw. That is how he destroys other teams. The only guy on the current Bucs roster that is fit for that is Gronk. But, Gronk has been away for an entire year, he has had multiple concussions, he may not play an entire year, if the NFL has a full year, and he has lost a ton of weight. He also went on this weird speaking tour where he talked about the dangers of the NFL. But, since his "bro" is in a city like Tampa, I guess he figures why not.

Actually, the more I write about it, I feel like Tampa is a fitting spot for Gronk's personality. But you don't win games with a "fun" personality. I actually think this trade, and the signing of Brady, is going to hurt Chris Godwin and Mike Evans. They are two of the better deep threats in the league, but just look at Brady last season, or even the season before. Last year he was not great. Maybe it was because he already knew he was leaving, maybe it was because the offense wasn't as talented or maybe it was because Brady is 42 years old. He is an old man in NFL terms. And as we have seen over and over and over again, when guys hit 40, they regress. Even the year before, when they beat the Rams in the Super Bowl, it wasn't because of Brady. He had an awful game. It was their defense, and how green that Rams team was. And Todd Gurley was very hurt. With this new addition, I am stunned at how the media is treating this. I don't want to put this out there, but does everyone remember after the Odell Beckham trade last off season how great that was going to make the Browns? Every major media outlet had them as a 10 plus win team, a favorite in the AFC and a lock to make the playoffs. How did that work out? And that team is much younger than this current Bucs team. And they have a better defense, even though they struggled mightily last year.

I don't know, maybe I am just a hater, but I don't think acquiring Gronk pushes the Bucs to the best in the NFC. I don't even think it makes them the best team in their division. I think the Bucs right now are champs on paper, but they will have to go out and play, and it will be tough sledding. This trade is so unimportant to me. 

Ty

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

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What is Tom Brady Thinking?

Wrong, Wrong, Wrong

Yesterday Tom Brady announced he was moving on from the Patriots. I talked about my feelings on this, and went through some of his options, and where New England goes from here. I also said that once he picked a team I would write about his decision, and my thoughts on that.

Well, about an hour after my piece posted, it was reported that Brady was planning on signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They were one of two teams that was mentioned most as a destination for Brady. I said in my piece yesterday that they have some of the best wide outs, young too, that Brady will ever play with. They also have a solid O line and an okay enough run game. But, I still stand by the fact that I think their defense is less than average, that Brady's arm is not equipped to throw the deep ball consistently, and that Tampa is not a Super Bowl contender, even with the addition of Brady.

People all over sports media were losing their minds when this happened yesterday, and I assume rightfully so. Brady is the best QB ever, the receiving corps is ridiculously good and the line will protect him. But, Brady is going to be 43 years old, and did no one watch his play kind of slide at the end of the season last year? Also, I saw someone say that Ronald Jones is a "weapon". While I think he is a solid back, he is not in the upper echelon of running backs. I don't know that he is any better than who the Patriots, or the Chargers, the other teams that had a shot at signing Brady, have at running back. Honestly, I think Sony Michel is better, and he is younger.

I can't help myself, but I keep going back to that defense. Yes, they have the sack leader from last season in Barrett coming back on a franchise tag. They resigned Jason Pierre Paul, and he is a solid D lineman. But who else do they have on that side of the ball? Ndamukong Suh is more of a name than a disruptive player at this point. Vita Vea is still very green. The secondary is filled with guys that haven't proven a thing. The linebackers, outside of Barrett, are very so so. I don't have a ton of faith in the defense doing enough to push this team far in the playoffs. I do think they have a shot at the playoffs with Brady, and that offense, but that defense is going to give up gobs of points, and that means Brady will be forced to throw a ton. And that is fine when you have guys like Chris Godwin, OJ Howard and Mike Evans. They are going to give opposing teams coaches headaches trying to figure out how to cover them with Brady throwing to them now. I mean, Jameis Winston had a career year with these guys, and Tom Brady is much, much, much better than Winston. But, he is also much, much, much older than Winston, and doesn't have the arm.

I am sure people will throw the fact that Bruce Arians is a QB whisperer, and he did wonders with Carson Palmer in Arizona, but two things need to be said about that. One, Palmer, while older, was still I his thirties when he signed with Arizona. And two, and I know I keep going to this, he always had a stronger arm than Brady. Palmer thrived in a deep ball offense. This is no offense to Brady. I don't know how many more times I can call him the greatest to ever play his position before people stop calling me a hater. But, he is old, he has always been much better at underneath routes, he is immobile and he is very set in his ways. The only time he ever had to throw deep was when the Patriots signed Randy Moss, but that was over a decade ago, and Randy Moss is way better than any receiver the Bucs have right now could wish to ever be in their careers. Also, while I think Rob Gronkowski is wildly overrated, OJ Howard hasn't proved yet to be a real threat at his position.

I am still puzzled by all of this. I, honestly, don't get his decision. This is going to be so much harder for him than it has been for the past 20 seasons. He is used to winning a very easy division. He now has to face Matt Ryan, Teddy Bridgewater, and Drew Brees eight times next season. They will try and keep up with the scoring, but I think he will find it much tougher sledding than anything he has faced in his career. The Falcons and Panthers may not be as good, but they will score points. The Saints should've played in the Super Bowl two years ago, they blew it this year, but their offense is better than Tampa's, and their defense is light years ahead of Tampa's. Finally, it is going to be so god damn weird to see him in that jersey. It is going to take awhile for all of us football fans to adjust.

This decision is one of the wilder, and more confusing ones I have ever witnessed in super star sports figures making at the end of their careers. This ranks right up there, for me, with MJ joining the Wizards and Ichiro Suzuki going to play for the Marlins. I will be curious to see if he has a better ending than those guys did, but I doubt it.

Ty

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

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OK, For Real This Time. Where Will Brady Play Next Year?

I was planning on writing about one of my new favorite shows today, "Black Monday", which premiered this past Sunday, but a certain QB decided they would be moving on from their current team, and it blew up the sports world this morning. And no, I am not talking about the Colts signing Phillip Rivers just now, which I think is a decent signing.

I'm of course talking about Tom Brady sending a "farewell" message to Patriots fan via, I think, Instagram. He said he wants to "take a new direction at this point in his career", or some nonsense. I wrote on this site, when Brady said he was going to test free agency this offseason, that I would be stunned, and would eat a ton of crow, if he didn't stay in New England. Well, I hope you all have your serving utensils ready because I was very, very wrong.

This, as far as sporting news goes, is stunning. Brady has been with the same team, the same coach, and for the most part, the same offensive coordinator his whole career. He was a late round pick, a back up thrust into action due to injury and turned into the best QB the NFL has ever seen. Yes, while I am not a Patriots fan, Brady is the best QB ever in the NFL. He is the most clutch, driven and has won more than anyone else. He and Belichick and the Patriots are like Bill Russell and Red Auerbach and the Celtics, or like whoever coached the Yankees in the late 90's and early 2000's and Derek Jeter and the Yankees. They were the dynasty. They were the team that was either loved or hated, no in between. They were the Deathstar, and a good amount of that has to do with Tom Brady.

Well, at 42 years old, with pretty much the same team coming back, he has decided that he wants to play elsewhere, and to be honest, I don't get it. I don't get why he is going to leave his situation, his coaches, his comfort for the past almost two decades. Sure, maybe he wants to play somewhere warmer, or throw to some legit wide outs, but still, this is a puzzling move to me. And to see the stories that have come out today, it seems like both sides were ready for this to happen. Brady did his thing, and the Patriots have said what they needed to say, including that they "never intended on resigning him".

So, where does this leave Brady and the Patriots you may be asking? Well, I will try and answer both. Lets look at the Patriots first. I, honestly, don't think this changes much. I assumed Brady would be back, but the team doesn't look much different to me than the most recent season. They have a legitimately elite defense, but their offense is lacking. They have no real run game, the line is shotty and the receivers are just okay. I believe they can win 10 games, even with someone like Jarret Stidham at QB, but they will be an easy out in the playoffs, if they make it. Brady did not look elite last year, and the Patriots got beat, fairly easily I might add, by the Titans in the first round. I could see that happening again. And even if they do go out and try to find a veteran QB, their isn't much left. Rivers, Teddy Bridgewater, Marcus Mariota, they are all off the board. They could choose from guys like Andy Dalton and Jameis Winston, but neither really move the needle, at least in my opinion. The Patriots will be an okay team next year, maybe win 9 or 10 games, but they are done as the dominant dynasty we have seen recently.

As for Brady, like I keep saying, this is a puzzling move. Apparently it is down to two teams, the Buccaneers and Chargers, and I don't see a great fit with either. The Chargers are an okay team, with a solid, and young, defense. But, they are going to lose Melvin Gordon, Hunter Henry is always hurt and Keenan Allen, while super solid, is older and more frail. It might be nice to play in LA, but he will be playing in a half empty stadium, it was empty before Coronavirus was a thing, and the Chargers are an 8 or 9 win team at best. The Patriots and Chargers, assuming Gordon gets traded, are almost mirror images. The Buccaneers are an odd choice, but might be the best of what is left. They have great wide outs, especially Mike Evans, they have a solid enough run game and the O line is competent. They also have a very explosive and athletic tight end. But, they have a so so defense, and their head coach Bruce Arians likes to air the ball out. You may say, well he did great with Carson Palmer, and while I agree, and don't yell at me for saying this, but Palmer has a better arm than Brady. Brady is a better, and smarter QB, but he has never really had the arm to air the ball out, not even at Michigan. I almost feel like him signing with the Bucs would stunt Evans and OJ Howard's growth. I also don't think he could rely on that defense to get enough stops. Yes, they have Shaquille Barrett and Jason Pierre Paul, but who else? Who really moves the needle on that defense for anyone? They gave up tons of points last year, and they will, most likely, do that again this season. And, on a little side note, Brady would look so weird in that jersey. Just, really, really odd. As for any outside teams with a "shot" at Brady, nothing really matches up for me. The Colts would've been good, but they went with Rivers. The Bears, it seems, are looking to add a vet to fight Trubisky for the starting job, and they can't afford Brady anyway. The Dolphins aren't actively trying to win, not just yet. The Titans resigned Ryan Tannehill. And any other team, playoff teams from last year especially, don't need a soon to be 43 year old QB who can't bomb the ball anymore.

This is wild, but I am glad the NFL keeps doing this because it is keeping my mind off the regular world for awhile, and I welcome that any day. Soon Brady will pick his new team, and I write about that when it happens.

Ty

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

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Where Will Tom Brady Play Next Year?

A report was released this morning from the NFL combine that said that people are thinking Tom Brady is more likely to leave the Patriots at this point than to come back. I cannot disagree with this statement more. I think the NFL is so obsessed with keeping its name in the sporting news year round that they will make up stuff just to get people talking.

For example, there was a story, I think two days ago, about how small Joe Burrow's hands measured at the combine. It was one of the top stories on "PTI". ESPN covered it as it was the biggest story of the day. The NFL Network was all abuzz at this news. I mean, it is the size of his hands. Who in the hell cares about this nonsense that much? Who was tuning in to see how big Joe Burrow's hands are? The only person who handled this non story the right way was Burrow. If you haven't seen it yet, go check out his tweet after all these sports stations and websites ran the story about his hand size. It is perfect. And now we have this Brady story.

I haven't thought for a second that he is leaving New England. Why would he? They are apparently out there right now looking for players to add that would compliment his skills. They are also, while horrible, horrible people, one of the more established and well run NFL franchises. They are insane, and filled with monsters, but they know how to run a football team. And then I look at some of the "preferred destinations" for Brady, and none of them make sense, for him at least.

Where is Brady rumored to go? One place mentioned the 49ers. That isn't happening. Yes, Brady is a much better QB than Jimmy Garroppolo, but they have less talent at receiver than the Patriots, their defense will regress and their division is the most competitive in the NFL. Sure, it would be nice for him to play for his favorite team as a kid, and his hometown team, but they are not suited to his style of play. Another website mentioned that he, and the Raiders, had mutual interest. This is wrong on so many different levels. First off, they are moving to Las Vegas, and I don't think any 40 plus year old man that is married with multiple children wants to go play in Vegas. They also have little to no talent on the outside. They also want to run the ball. They also have a subpar defense. But worst of all, they have Jon Gruden at head coach. This idea would have been great maybe a decade ago, but now it is just nonsense. The Chargers seem to be another team that people mention, and maybe Brady wants to play in a warmer climate closer to home. But that team doesn't draw at all, they are another team that wants to utilize their running backs more. And while Keenan Allen is really, really good, he has taken far too many hits waiting on ducks from Phillip Rivers, and he is a bit slower than he used to be. They are also not a legit contender. Same thing with the Raiders. I also heard that Tampa Bay is a "sleeping giant" in all the Brady talk. This is the only team that "makes sense" because of the talent at receiver. But, outside of that, they have a ton to work on to be a truly competitive team. They also haven't given up on Jameis Winston for some reason. They also need to retool their defense to be any kind of a threat, and their coach, Bruce Arians has said as much. Yes, Arians is a master with QB's, especially older ones, but Brady doesn't really move the needle for this team. Carson Palmer was put into a great situation, with playmakers everywhere, the last time Arians took on an older QB. Brady has the playmakers on offense, but this defense is far from legit.

So, when I sit back and just try to think about it, and make arguments for other teams, I always come back to many facts that favor the Patriots. They are working to get him some talented dudes. He has been with the same coach his whole career. Josh McDaniels, who is a coward, has been his best coordinator his whole career. The Patriots have done everything for him. They gave him his shot, and he has rewarded them with six rings. I just don't see him leaving now, when he will be 43 during next season, to try and help some middling team sell some tickets. I would be stunned if he signs elsewhere, and I will come on this website and eat crow for days. I still fully believe that, come the 2020 NFL regular season, Tom Brady will be the starting QB for the New England Patriots.

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 the Early Playoff Exits of the Saints and Patriots

As stated yesterday, I still want to talk about what happened to both, the Patriots and the Saints this past weekend. I promise I will get to something other than football this week, but I have to talk about these 2 teams getting beat.

Lets start with the Saints. First and foremost, and I think even RD would admit this, the Saints got hosed in overtime yet again. Now, that didn't cause them to lose the game. Not at all. Their play the whole game caused that. They looked awful, especially compared to how they played to close out the regular season. The defense was solid, but their offense was nonexistent. Also, why didn't they at least try to score a TD at the end of regulation? I don't understand why they didn't run one more play to the end zone, but that is that I guess. But Drew Brees played bad, the O line opened no holes for Kamara and they just seemed like they went out there and expected the Vikings to roll over. And props to the Vikings. They made the game ugly and slow and plodding and ran and ran and ran. I don't give Kirk Cousins the credit, maybe because I dislike him so much, but this win was due to Dalvin Cook. Cook is a beast out of the backfield. The fact that he played so well, while being hurt, that is admirable. I have all the respect for him, and the way their defense played, which was shorthanded in the secondary. The Vikings did enough to win the game. But, lets get real for a second. I mean, Kyle Rudolph pushed off. There is no way he catches that pass if he doesn't extend his arm. The Vikings would've kicked a field goal if the play was called correctly, and the Saints would have, at least, had a chance. The Saints might be the cursed franchise of the late 2000's, and now early 2020. They blew it against the Vikings two years ago, the Rams got away with a blatant pass interference, and then Sunday happened. This looks like the end for them as well. Brees is old, and unless they can retain Teddy Bridgewater, they may be in the market for a new QB for the first time in forever. I truly thought they had the goods to win the Super Bowl, but I was wrong.

Now for the Patriots. First and foremost, I was thrilled, absolutely thrilled, especially for a person who had no skin in the game, that the Patriots got beat at home by the Titans. It was tremendous. Bill Belichick got outcoached by a former assistant, the vaunted Patriots D couldn't stop Derrick Henry, who is amazing and their offense was absolutely atrocious. I'm stoked that someone other than Tom Brady and the Patriots will represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. But what does this mean for the Patriots now? Will Brady leave? Is Josh McDaniels going to finally leave the nest and take a head coaching job elsewhere? What will Belichick do, besides being a curmudgeon? And how many "happy endings" did Robert Kraft go out and get after that game Saturday night? I kid on that, but I bet he did anyway. But let me try and answer the other questions I put out there. So, first of all, the Patriots are one of the most dominant dynasties in any pro sport ever. Sure, they cheated, big time, but they won a ton of Super Bowls, and went to plenty. This all started when I was a freshman in college, and now I am a husband and father of two, and it looks like it may be finally over. As for Brady, I think he return next season, and I wouldn't be shocked if it is with New England. But I think a lot of that depends on McDaniels. If he stays, I think Brady is a shoe in to stay. If he goes, I bet Brady will actually dip his toe into free agency for the first time. I don't know what team he would want to play for, that will also pay him a crap ton of money. He is a name, but he is also 42 years old. He will be 43 next season. So, I don't think he will want to go to a team that isn't a contender. I have heard people talk about Miami or the LA Chargers. I don't think he wants to go to a team that may not make the playoffs. I have also heard the Bears as a possibility. They seem to have all the pieces to contend, but they just said they are sticking with Trubisky. But, if they have a shot to sign Brady, I'd say to go for it. But again, he will be 43. And the Bears really struggled this past season. Outside of those teams, no other team that is a contender needs a 43 year old QB. The Ravens are set, as are the Chiefs. The Rams, unfortunately, paid Jared Goff a kings ransom. The Seahawks have Wilson, the Packers have Rodgers, the Cowboys have Prescott and a new coach. Even the Titans seem content to move forward with Ryan Tannehill. If I had to guess, if Brady comes back, I say he stays in New England. Which leads me to McDaniels. I think he is so afraid to fail again, much like he did in Denver, that he is going to stay and wait out Belichick. I assumed last year, after he accepted, then declined the Colts opening, that he was told he could be the next head coach of the Patriots when Belichick leaves. I also think he is a coward and not prepared to be a head coach. He is a gimmicky coach, and his offense has only ever worked with Brady. He couldn't do it in Denver, and with all the openings started to get filled by other coaches, I think he ends up staying in New England as well. As for Belichick, just like with Brady and McDaniels, I think he wants to try and run it back one more time. I think he knows that his defense is elite, and if he can get some outside help for Brady, possibly AJ Green, the Patriots can go right back to the Super Bowl. As much as I wished this was the end, I think they are willing to run it back one more time. Maybe, hopefully, it will end like this season, but you never know, especially with the ability to bring in new players. I do think after next season, changes will be plentiful in New England. But for now, I bet they run it back one more time. But at least they got beat this year, and we won't have to watch another boring ass Super Bowl featuring the Patriots. I can take hollow joy in that for now.

Well, onto the next round.

Ty

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

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That Was One Terrible Super Bowl

The Super Bowl happened last night.

I watched it.

I hated it.

And it ended as I should have expected.

I have been pretty vocal about my dismay for this particular Super Bowl. I was not looking forward to it, but I watched it anyway because, as I have stated, I am a football junkie. But boy oh boy was this game an absolute clunker. I said last Friday that I thought it was going to be a "slog", but this game was horrible. It was so much worse than a slog. The game started off bad, got worse and just grew and grew in its horribleness from there.

For example, Tom Brady's first pass was an interception. No need to worry though, the Rams immediately went three and out, something they would do most of the game. This game set the record for fewest points in a half. It set the record for fewest points ever in fact. Neither team could really ever establish the run. I know that Sony Michel got close, or maybe even eclipsed, 100 yards, but a ton of that came on one long run deep into the fourth quarter. He was also the only person to score a TD in the game by the way. Tom Brady just seemed kind of off all night too. He made a couple of beautiful throws, but he also had some that were way off. His interception was a horrible throw. He skipped a ton of passes. It was rough.

Julian Edelmann played really well, but he was so wide open, how could he not catch the ball. He got the MVP, I think Michel, or someone from their defense deserved it, but Edelmann got it. Rob Gronkowski had a few nice catches, but again, he didn't really do much of anything that jumped off the screen to me.

The Rams were god awful offensively. They could not do anything at all. Jared Goff was atrocious. I know he is still young, but man did he look scared and flustered and out of his element. The Rams O line could not block at all. Goff was under constant pressure. Brandin Cooks was blanketed all game long. None of the other receivers got any separation either. And where in the hell was Todd Gurley? I mean, is he hurt? Did he do something wrong? Did he not feel well? Was he too tired to play? I have no idea why he barely saw the field. I know that CJ Anderson played very well against the Saints, and since he was signed by the Rams. But he is no Todd Gurley. The Rams needed him, and they needed him badly last night. I do not get his almost total absence.

Sean McVay really shit the bed as the head coach last night. He, much like Goff, just seemed in over his head. He too was out of his element. He did not seem ready. He did not seem like the "wunderkind" that he has been praised as sine last season. And to his credit, he is still a very new head coach.

But the monster that is Bill Belichek simply put him in his place last night. That is the thing with the Patriots. They don't care how they win, as long as they win. Belichek did just that. His offense was so god damn ugly, but his defense shut down one of the top offenses in the NFL. As I just stated, the Rams could not move the ball at all. Any time they had any momentum, the Patriots shut it down pretty quickly. Any time Goff had time, he either took a sack, or he missed throws. He had Cooks WIDE OPEN in the third quarter, and the pass was underthrown and lazy. Anderson never got going. The Patriots shut them down.

The Rams defense was also great. They held the Patriots to 13 points. That should have been more than enough for them to win. Sure, Suh and Donald didn't play as great as they usually do, but they still got occasional pressure, causing Brady to make those bad throws. The Rams secondary did an okay job of stopping every Patriots receiver except for Edelmann.

This was just a disaster of a game. I was not, at any single moment, excited to be watching the game. The halftime show was super forgettable. The commercials were fine, but nothing that I will think back on as great.

Some final thoughts, Edelmann got the MVP, as I said, but he is not a Hall of Famer, no matter what Nate Burleson or anyone at The Ringer says. He is a fine player, but he is not a Hall of Famer. The Rams are not ready for primetime, and neither is Sean McVay or Jared Goff. Bill Belichek proved, again, that he is a great head coach. The Patriots need to stop this whole, "no one believed in us" narrative. They are great and no one has ever counted them out. And Todd Gurley deserved to play more. This was a boring game, I'm glad it is over and I hope Roger Goodell leaves as commissioner and the NFL gets back to being fun again. I mean, I like defense, but this game was not about two great defenses, it was just a very, very poorly played football game.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He was shocked that the awesome Tony Romo never reminded the audience that Super Bowl MVP Julian Edelmann missed the first four games of the season because of a PED suspension. Wonder why that was left out?

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A Halfhearted, In Depth, Look at Super Bowl 53

There is a big football game this Sunday, and no I am not talking about any college football all star game, or the XFL or the American Alliance of Football. I am talking about Super Bowl 53. The Los Angeles Rams are playing the New England Patriots. And yes, it sounds just as boring as you may feel right now. But I’m a professional so I must do what all us internet sports writers do, talk about the game.

I have said it on the podcast, and this is the first time I am writing it, but I have ZERO interest in this game. I have no rooting interest. I am sick of seeing the Patriots in the Super Bowl. For a sport that is supposed to have parity every year, this is the third straight year they are in the game. This is, I don't know, something like the tenth straight time they have been to the AFC title game. And this is the, I want to say, eighth time, the Patriots have been in the Super Bowl in the last 17 years. That is more than half of the Super Bowl's in almost 2 decades. I'm over them.

I also loathe this whole narrative that they are somehow the "underdogs". That "no one" believes in them. That Tom freaking Brady has to go to a party and chant, "We're still here". It is so, so, so stupid. No one buys it except dumbass Patriots fans. They are not the underdogs. The majority of people I read, and myself and RD included, picked them to be in, at the very least, the AFC title game this year. Knock that shit off.

As far as the Rams go, I am from Saint Louis, and it bums me out that they moved, but I have no ill will towards them. I despise Stan Kroenke, and what he did, and how he did it. But he is the only person I truly hate that is involved with the Rams. I think Sean McVay is a solid coach. Jared Goff is a decent QB. Todd Gurley is totally awesome. I like Ndomankong Suh. Aaron Donald is the best defensive player currently in the NFL. But, they do not deserve to be in this game. They got in because the refs blew a massive obvious pass interference. The DB admitted it. The NFL admitted it. The NFL fined the DB that hit the receiver after the fact. But the refs did not call the penalty during the NFC title game. They blew it. They put the Rams here. They wanted the story lines that are now being blown way out of proportion during Super Bowl week. It is, at least in my lifetime, the worst no call ever.

With all this being said, like a good pop culture / sports writer, I am going to pick the game. But, I truly don't care. This is the first Super Bowl I can remember in my lifetime that I have no real interest in the game. At least in year's past I had team's I could root against, if the Packers weren't playing. I don't like the Seahawks, so it was fun to root for whoever they played. I have never liked Peyton Manning, so when he played, it was easy for me to root for the NFC team. I like to root against the Steelers, so when they played, I just stood up for the other team. Even last year, I had the Eagles to root for because of Brandon Graham, and I wanted Mike Lombardi from The Ringer to have to eat crow. But this year, I just do not care. I know I keep repeating that, but it is true. This game is going to be a slog. But, I will watch it because I am a football junkie, and this is the Super Bowl.

If I look at it with just a fan's eye, the Rams should win. They have the better, younger players overall. Yes, the Patriots have Tom Brady, and he is the greatest QB ever, but that seems to be the only advantage they have. The Rams have better receivers. They have much better backs. They have the better O line. And this is the time for McVay to prove his "offensive genius". The Patriots are not good defensively. They can be run on, and they are susceptible to the play action pass. That is where the Rams thrive. As far as the defensive side of the ball, again, on paper, the Rams are better. They have a ferocious pass rush led by Suh and Donald. They have heavy hitting linebackers that can cover. They have a solid secondary. The Patriots have experience, but that is not always what will win the game. Sometimes talent just wins out. And that should happen this Sunday.

Notice I keep saying "should". The reason you may ask, two things, Tom Brady and Bill Belichek. Ooh, and lets add a third, the refs. Belichek is, for all his shortcomings as a human being, gosh I despise him so much, is a genius football coach. He knows how to take away your best players and plays and frustrate you. He usually thrives in the biggest games. The same thing can be said for Brady. Even if you look at the Super Bowl's the Patriots have been beaten in, he played well. He threw for over 500 yards last year. He puts the ball on the money, even if Wes Welker drops it. He is legit the best QB ever. And then we have the refs. They are clearly on the side of the Patriots, no matter what they and their boneheaded fans say. The refs love Brady, Belichek and anyone involved with them. They will give them the benefit of the doubt. There was the no PI call in the NFC title game, but look at the roughing the passer call in the AFC title game. Brady got his shoulder touched, and the refs called roughing. That is clear evidence that the refs are in their pocket.

On paper, I have the Rams winning, and wining with ease. But, when I really look into everything, the players, coaches, refs, star players, I still have the Rams, but in a much closer than it should be game. I think the Rams will win because they will be able to run the ball and keep Brady off the filed. They will control the clock. I also expect Suh, but more so Donald, to make a few big time plays, be it sacks or forced fumbles or even just making Brady release the ball a hair earlier than he would like. So I have the Rams winning a very ugly game by a score of 23-17.

There you have it. Enjoy the game I guess.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He wants to know when the sports media will proclaim Ty as the greatest football caller guy in the world, you know since they are eager to anoint an overrated retired qb.

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Josh McDaniels is a Punk Ass Coward

As was expected, both of the Patriots coordinators were announced as head coaches of 2 different teams yesterday. Matt Patricia, their defensive coordinator, took the head job in Detroit. Josh McDaniels, their offensive coordinator, took the head job in Indianapolis. These were foregone conclusions that these guys were leaving.

Matt Patricia left without much fanfare. Some people are now doubting him because of the Super Bowl, but as Tony Kornheiser said on "PTI" yesterday, "if you base a hire on one game, you're crazy". No new details have emerged about who he will try and bring along with him, but I wish him luck. I like chunky dudes with beards, as I am one myself. 

At the opposite end of the hype expressway, the reporting on McDaniels taking the Colts job was extensive. I was watching basketball while all this was going on, and he had already been linked to 2 guys as his coordinators, plus another hire, possibly special teams. He seemed to have his coaching staff almost set in stone. I figured he was ready to take another head coaching job after his first go around with the Broncos. He did not do a good job in Denver. His teams just weren't that good offensively, which is his forte. After he was fired there, he went back to New England. He has since excelled since going back. The Patriots offense has been great, and a lot of that is his play calling. Hell, even in the Super Bowl, he called a 600 yard plus performance. So, as I said, I felt that he was ready to return as a head coach. He left too young, came back where he was comfortable, grew up and taking a head coaching job was definitely the next step.

Well, like a god damn coward, only a few short hours after all the talk of his staff and everything on ESPN, he backed out of the job and said he wanted to return to New England. This is a punk move. The last time I remember something like this happening was when Billy Donovan took the Orlando Magic job, then backed out and retuned to the University of Florida. I felt then like I feel now about McDaniels. Donovan got scared and punked out and the Magic were left trying to find a new coach in a very short amount of time. What makes the McDaniels situation different is that he has already been a head coach in the NFL, he verbally agreed to become the Colts coach and he started to get a staff together. Donovan did none of that. At least he gave the Magic a chance to keep some people from the current leftover staff. McDaniels has left the Colts stumbling. They put all their eggs in the McDaniels basket, and like a little baby, he backed out at the very last minute. He decided he wanted to return to New England and be under Brady and Belichek's thumb for what will probably be the rest of his career.

In my mind, Josh McDaniels has killed any chance to be a head coach anywhere in the NFL, except for New England. No other team should ever pursue him to be their head coach. If I was an owner of a team that needed a coach and someone came to me with McDaniels name, I'd tell them to get the hell out of my office. He can never be trusted by anyone outside of New England. He will forever be a pariah. This isn't a situation where in a year or two he can try and hope  people will just forget about his actions. This was national news yesterday and this morning. When I turned on my computer to write it was the second story on Yahoo's homepage. Everyone knows about his cowardly move to back out and return to the Patriots. I've read a lot of different stories from both sides of the NFL. As far as people like me, the people who think he did something childish and dumb, we all agree. If he does something like this now, he will never be ready to be a head coach. He probably feels like he cannot win without Brady and Belichek. He should be forever a coordinator. The title of head coach is too big for him. He can't handle the pressure of game planning and being the one who has to fall on the sword when things don't go well. Look at the recent Super Bowl for example. No one is dragging his name in the mud. The Patriots loss has been pinned on Patricia and Belichek. People are actually praising McDaniels play calling.

For the people who think he made the right choice, only people in Boston, have come up with ridiculous excuses as to why this is a good move. They have said things like, Robert Kraft will do anything to screw over the Colts for deflategate. They say that McDaniels doesn't think that Andrew Luck is elite. They say that he is just more comfortable with Brady, and McDaniels is the only guy that Brady trusts as much as Belichek. They say that he came back because he will be the Patriots head coach as soon as Belichek retires.

To all of this I say bull shit. First off, screw Robert Kraft and the Patriots front office. You dickheads have been to 8 Super Bowls in the last 18 years. They have won 5 of them. Get over yourselves and stop messing with the Colts. You already bested them on and off the field. You won the war. As far as the Andrew Luck slander, I say again, get over it. He has been hurt. But, when he plays there is no question that he is one of the better starters in the NFL. He does things that a lot of guys cannot do. He plays hard, throws well and can run a little bit. Yes, he cannot stay healthy, but when he plays, he is good. He isn't as good as I thought he was going to be, but he is still pretty good.

Maybe McDaniels has become comfortable with Brady, and Brady trusts him, but Brady will be 41 years old next season. I know he just went for 500 yards in the Super Bowl, but again, he will be 41. Father time will win. I don't care how many avocados he eats or how much water he drinks, Tom Brady has maybe one decent season left. To be honest with you, any time he took a hit in the last 2 Super Bowls I thought he might have to be carted off the field. He does have good arm strength still, can hit the open man and is probably the best QB to ever play, but he is old and he cannot play forever. McDaniels is going to have to deal with that reality sooner rather than later.

Which brings me to the last thing. If he is the Patriots head coach in waiting, how is that a better situation than the Colts right now? Who will be his QB? Who will be his receivers? Who will run the ball for him? Which QB on that current roster is better than Luck? These are all real questions he will get crushed by when Belichek leaves and he is left with a scorched roster of very little NFL talent. Brady's current backup is Brian Hoyer. Brian Hoyer stinks. He is trash and he is old. Will they draft a QB, maybe. But, all the good QB's by the time they pick will be gone. They will have to reach in the later rounds, and they will not get another Tom Brady. That was a once in a lifetime lucky pick. And when Brady is gone, the new QB will have to throw to a brand new crop of receivers. Gronk will be gone soon. Amendola should retire. So should Julian Edelmann. Brandin Cooks took a vicious hit in the Super Bowl that would have me questioning if I wanted to come back. Chris Hogan needs a Tom Brady type QB to make him relevant. The receiving corps will be done. Running backs will be just as rough. Dion Lewis is old. James White is a pass catcher, but again, he won't have Brady throwing him the ball. Rex Burkhead is slow, plodding and a very, very poor man's Danny Woodhead. Mike Gillisilee will be on a new team next year. Look, the entire offense that McDaniels will take over when Belichek leaves will be one of two things, either extremely young and inexperienced, or just flat out bad and old.

Josh McDaniels lost any credibility he had with me and probably any GM outside of New England with this punk ass move. He is a coward. He is a child. He cannot handle being the man in charge. He will forever be looked at as a leech, a hanger on and a baby. This is a very bad look for him, and I fully expect him to regret this decision in the long run. The Colts dodged a bullet, and McDaniels will never, ever be looked at the same again. He is a punk.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Ty took a job one time he did not want at all. He gave them 4 hours and left on his lunch break to never return. Ty was more loyal than Josh McDaniels.

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Some Quick Thoughts about the Entire Super Bowl 52 Experience

The Eagles won Super Bowl 52.

That was a nice sentence for me to write. Now, I have some thoughts on the game, the halftime show, the commercials, a little bit of everything basically.

First off, for those out there saying this was a "great game", stop it. You are probably the same assholes that loved the Rose Bowl from 2 years ago where USC beat Penn State in a shootout. No defense was played in this game. Save for one strip sack, this was a horrifically played game for both defenses. Neither team could stop the other one. Both offenses did whatever they wanted at any time they wanted. When the team that loses the game goes for 600 plus yards of offense, that is abysmal. That is Big 12 football. These were supposedly two of the top 10 defenses in football, but you wouldn't have noticed it if you watched this game last night. Even the tackling was just awful. This was a poorly played game for the side of the ball that is supposed to win championships. Yes, the strip sack won the game, but that was one play in a game where over 1,100 yards of offense was totaled between both teams. This was a trash game.

Next, the Patriots had a look of entitlement coming into this game. They walked out on that field and just seemed to think that the Eagles were going to roll over. They figured that they were the mighty Patriots and no team with a backup QB is going to beat us. I'm sure they thought that they would surely win because they have Tom Brady, they have Bill Belichek, they have Gronk, they have Josh McDaniels and Matt Patricia, they are the Patriots. Well, the Eagles didn't buy into any of that bull shit. They came to win. They weren't just happy to be in the game, they wanted to win the game. Props to them for not backing down to "mighty Patriots dynasty". That was pretty cool to see.

Nick Foles was amazing in this game. So was Tom Brady. These 2 QB's looked incredible last night. They each shredded what was supposed to be top defenses. Brady got rid of the ball quick and efficiently, which is what he always does. You don't go for 400 plus yards and however many TD's he had if you aren't on fire. But, Foles was better. He outplayed Brady in this game. Sure, he had one pick, but it was early, it was a poorly thrown pass that tipped off Alshon Jeffery's hand and into a Patriot players arms and it didn't really have any ill effect on the outcome of the game. The trick play worked for him and the Eagles. Both teams tried wide receiver passes to their QB's, and while Brady dropped a gimme, Foles hauled in his for a TD that gave the Eagles a 10 point lead going into halftime. He was also awesome on third down. The Patriots could not get off the field because Foles either bought time and found a receiver, or either got a quick slant out to a wide open player for a first down. He is going to be a starter next year, just not for the Eagles.

Which brings me to another point. Carson Wentz will be starting for the Eagles on opening day next season. Don't get it twisted. What Foles did was great, and he will be rewarded, but this team got where they where because of Wentz. He should have won the MVP, and I think he would have put the Eagles in an even better position to win the game by more last night. Foles was great in the playoffs, but Wentz is the future for the Eagles.

Which brings me to another point. Where do the Patriots go from here? Tom Brady will be 41 next season. Belicheck is ancient. Patricia and McDaniels are moving on. I've heard that some other coaches are going to look elsewhere. This is going to be an entirely different team next season. Last night may have been the last we see of this "Patriots dynasty". I would be shocked if Belicheck retires, but it wouldn't be crazy. Brady is going to be 41 as I said, and father time always wins. They will have to spend big money if they want to stay relevant, and that is not what the Patriots do. I do not think it is too far fetched to think that last night was the end. It has been 18 years, 8 Super Bowl appearances and 5 wins. That is a pretty solid run.

Getting back to the game now. As I stated earlier, the Eagles staff outcoached the Patriots. They had a better offensive game plan and they got the one play on defense when they needed it. They ran the ball more effectively, the passing game was almost a toss up, but Foles performed much better on third down, their trick play worked, they never let Foles get sacked, let alone pressured, it was a straight up win for the Eagles. There was no crazy catch on a helmet, or a miraculous throw and catch on the sideline, or a Patriots receiver missing an easy pass, the Eagles just beat them. They went out there and outscored one of the best QB/coaching duos of all time. I say again, congrats to the Eagles and Doug Pederson. And Doug Pederson, a man that the staff at The Ringer, outside of the few Philadelphians that work there, called "the worst coach in the NFL". I have listened to Mike Lombardi, Tate Frazier and Bill Simmons trash him all season long. I have heard Lombardi say in, or around week 11, "the Eagles have bought up all the confetti and are planning the parade route". Well, I guess you should claim that you were right. They beat your Patriots. They outplayed your Patriots. They outcoached your Patriots. They won the game, and a whole lot of that had to do with Doug Pederson. It is amazing to listen to them today on their podcasts all have to eat crow. It is the best kind of schaudenfraude you could ever imagine. And even with all that, they are still making excuses for the Patriots. Well, there are no excuses. They lost and the Eagles won. It is truly as simple as that. If you really want to listen to something today, and you are not a Patriots fan, or if you dislike them, go check out any Ringer podcast. You won't be disappointed. It is hilarious to hear them have to backtrack all the shit talking they did all football season long. Trust me, it is totally worth your time.

To wrap this up I have a few quick takes I want to throw out there from the Super Bowl. I only cared about and remembered 3 commercials. One was a Lexus commercial because it had "Black Panther" attached and there was a Run the Jewels song in it. The other was a spectrum thing that made me laugh because Death went to cut down a tree and his axe thing broke. The third was the preview for "Solo", and that was amazing. 

Oh, I just remembered a fourth one. I think it was a Chevy commercial that used MLK's speech. Screw you Chevy. How dare you. Who in the hell do you think you are? What a disgrace.

The announcing was horrendous, as I expected with Collinsworth and Michaels. They are so bad at this and I was getting legitimately angry during their play calling. Cris Collinsworth is definitely the worst broadcaster ever, and Al Michaels is old, sexist, probably racist and stupid. They were awful. 

I actually watched the halftime show, because I genuinely like Justin Timberlake, and that was a mess. It was boring, predictable and bad. It all looked pre recorded and it was just hackey. The Prince "tribute" was an abomination and I can't wait to push that memory out of my brain. Besides that, he didn't bring out anyone as a special performer. There was no Janet Jackson, no Britney Spears, not even one single member of N'Sync. It was a rough halftime show.

Twitter was awesome after the game.

I'm stoked that the Eagles won because that means a ton of their guys are going to boycott the dumbass White House visit. I love that LeGarette Blount and Chris Long won back to back Super Bowls on different teams. I was shocked that the refs actually made correct calls and let the teams play. I swear, if they overturned either the Corey Clement or Zak Ertz TD, I was going to lose my mind. But, they did the right thing and called a decent game. I was happy that the one big defensive play came from a former Wolverine. But, all in all, this was a pretty bad Super Bowl and I am glad that the 2017 season is done.

These are some of the things I had running through my mind and I figured I would share them with you today. Now, lets get ready for some March Madness and the NBA playoffs.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. The only thing worse than a Patriots Super Bowl win is a Patriots Super Bowl loss. Having to hear pathetic, entitled, fanboys make excuses for Brady and Belichick is pointless and tiring.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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A Non-Classic Super Bowl Won by the Wrong Team

Evil prevailed last night in the Super Bowl.

I know that I picked the Patriots to win, but when the Falcon went up 28-3, I was very, very happy. They had dominated that whole game up to that point. They could not be stopped on offense, going short burst drive after short burst drive, and their defense was more than up to the task of shutting down the Patriots offense. Hell, they pick sixed Tom Brady, which barely ever happens, especially in a Super Bowl. Julio Jones ended up with only 4 catches, but they were four of the greatest catches I had ever seen. Devonta Freeman and, up until he got hurt, Tevin Coleman were gashing the Patriots defense for 5 or 6 yards a carry. I mean, how on Earth could they lose, I, and I bet almost everyone else watching thought.

Then, the Falcons went into a prevent on defense. I do not know if this is from being worn out, the Patriots ran 93 plays to the Falcons 46, or the Patriots just figured it out. The Falcons also decided that they needed to keep throwing the ball instead of utilizing their extremely effective run game. This was one of the biggest brain farts in the history of pro sports that I have ever witnessed. Dan Quinn, who is a defensive guy, who had his defense playing man all game and getting pressure routinely in the first half, decided with a 25 point lead that he had to go to a prevent. This was a fine idea at the time it seemed, but when the Patriots scored a TD and a field goal to cut it to a 16 point lead, I would have applied the pressure again. But, he stuck with the prevent, much to his dismay. I was baffled why he did not go back to putting the pressure on. That is how you beat the Patriots. But, he decided that he needed to back off and play the pass. I just don't get it.

On the other side of the ball, I know that you have the MVP, Matt Ryan, and maybe the best receiver in the game in Julio Jones, but why not lean on that running game up 25 points. It had worked for them all game, but they came out and passed like they were in a shootout. The Patriots defense clamped down in the second half, but I think it would have been moot had Atlanta stuck with the run game. I only saw a few carries that went for 0 or negative yards. But Atlanta Offensive Coordinator Kyle Shanahan, the 49ers about to be named new coach decided that he needed his MVP quarterback to throw the ball a bit more. All this passing led to the biggest momentum turnaround I have ever seen in a Super Bowl in my lifetime. The Patriots, down 16, blitzed a linebacker on 3rd and 1, the Falcons inexplicably put Ryan in shotgun and called a long pass play. The linebacker got through the O line with ease and strip sacked Matt Ryan, to set his team up with great field position with about 6 and a half minutes left. The Patriots turned it into a quick TD, converted the 2 point play and then we had a game.

Down 8, I was pretty sure the Falcons could still salt away the game, but they went back to throwing the ball and making stupid mistakes. First off, on that last drive of the Falcons entire season, Julio Jones made one of the greatest catches on the sideline in Super Bowl history to set his team up at the 23 yard line with less than 4 minutes left and a field goal would ice the game for them. But, the Falcons proceeded to get sacked, called for a holding penalty, never mind the fact that the refs missed a blatant face mask on the Patriots, and they were all the way back near mid field, way out of field goal range. They had to punt the ball, and they gave the Patriots a chance with over 3 minutes left. The Patriots proceeded to drive the ball 91 yards for the game tying TD and 2 point conversion. During this drive, Julian Edelman made one of the best Super Bowl catches ever, for those keeping track at home, that is 2 classic catches in one game, Tom Brady scrambled for 19 yards, which he never does, and the Falcons just could not get a break and they gave up that TD with relative ease.

With the 2 point play being so easy for them I knew then that the Patriots were gong to win, if they won the coin toss in overtime. They, of course, won the toss and Brady and James White drove that team down the field and White scored the game winning TD in overtime. The Falcons offense never got another shot with the ball. I do not know if they would have done anything with it, but they never had a chance, which makes the NFL's overtime a travesty.

Lots of people are saying that this was one of the greatest Super Bowl's ever, but I do not know if I agree. As our head editor and owner of the site told me on a call earlier today, this was a game where one team was hot in one half, and the other was hot in the second half. I totally agree with him. It was exciting, but frustrating as well. I could not believe what the Patriots were doing in the first half, and I could not believe what the Falcons did late in the second half. It was an exciting game, but I do not know if I will remember it like I remember the Broncos beating the Packers, Malcom Butler's interception 2 years ago, the 49ers crushing the Chargers, the Rams beating the Titans, the Patriots beating the Rams, all those games seem, at the moment, more important and better, in my opinion. Yes, this game cements Tom Brady as the greatest QB ever, but he was really awful in the first half. Do not forget that. He was really, really bad in that first half.

Also, do not forget that the Falcons blew this game. This is, quite possibly, the worst loss in the history of pro sports ever. The Patriots did not win, the Falcons lost. I feel real bad for my friends that are Falcons fans today. I also feel for anyone that is not a Patriots fan, which is about 95 percent of the country. This is just another sign that, sometimes, evil prevails. We got evil being dethroned when Clemson beat Alabama, but the Patriots comeback restored the Goliath in sports. I almost always root for the underdog, and the underdog looked great for 40 minutes last night, but Goliath only needed 20 minutes to comeback and win.

I guess, congrats Patriots, but I wish that the Falcons had pulled out that win. They blew it, and I felt gross after watching all the post game stuff. I felt like the wrong team won last night, but hey, that is the way it goes. But I do not think by any means that this was a "classic" game. I thought it was a game where the wrong team ended up winning.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He did thoughourly enjoy seeing Tom Brady, Robert Kraft, and and Bill Belichick having a good time while NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell looked like the odd man out. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

Ty's 2016 NFL Playoff Predictions

Ready to tee up with the playoffs

The NFL playoffs are set, and I'm here to tell you who I think will walk away as Super Bowl 51 champs. I was obviously wrong in my preseason predictions. The Panthers, and Cam Newton, had an atrocious season. They looked pretty bad all year long. I was way, way off on that one. I was right about the Patriots though. I did not think Brady's suspension was going to affect them that much, and it didn't. They went 3-1 without him and 11-1 with him, giving the Patriots the best overall record in the league at, 14-2. I was off on the Cowboys though. I thought they would not be good, no matter who the starting QB was, but they have a tremendous offensive line, and Ezekial Elliot and Dak Prescott played like seasoned vets all year. Will it happen in the playoffs? We will have to wait and see. With all that being said, lets get to how I see this playoff playing out.

I'll start with the AFC. From 6 to 1, we have Miami, Oakland, Houston, Pittsburgh, Kansas City and New England. Only 2 of these teams, in my opinion, have a legit shot to go to the Super Bowl. The Wild Card matchups in the AFC will be Miami vs Pittsburgh and Oakland vs Houston.

Miami has had an okay season, but they have not beaten anybody all that decent this season. They might have the shadiest 10 wins in all the NFL. They have a good defense, but not great. Their offense, especially with Ryan Tannehill out, who I do not think is that much better than Blake Bortles anyway, is not very good. They have excellent receivers, but with Matt Moore leading the offense, it doesn't matter. Jay Ajayi exploded in the middle of the year, but since then, he has been average. The Steelers, on the other hand, have a lethal offense. Even though he is a horrible, god awful human being, Ben Roesthelisberger can still sling it, and he always gets help from the refs. He has his whole career. LeVeon Bell is one of the best running backs in the league. Antonio Brown is one of the best receivers in the league. The Steelers have a decent offensive line. Where they struggle is defense. They get gashed a lot. But, with Matt Moore being the QB, and Ajayi coming down to Earth, I do not see the Steelers short comings on defense giving the Dolphins a shot in this game. Steelers win this game fairly easily, 28-14.

The other game would have been a blowout, had Derek Carr not broken his leg 2 weeks ago. I still think the Raiders are better, but that was a crushing loss to this team. The Raiders now have to rely on either Connor Cook or Matt McGloin. Yeesh. They still have Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree and Latavius Murray, but no Derek Carr is brutal. Their defense, while Swiss cheese at times, has played better lately. They did not look great yesterday, but they have stepped up since earlier this season. Houston is a laughingstock. They do not belong in the playoffs at all. They are more bogus than the Dolphins, but since they are in such a crappy division, they get to go to the playoffs with only 9 wins. They have no offense, except DeAndre Hopkins. But, he barely sees the ball since both Osweiler and Tom Savage are mediocre. They also have no running game and their defense is a joke. As I said, the Raiders will win, but this game will be ugly. Final score of 13-3.

So that would pit the Steelers vs the Chiefs and the Raiders vs the Patriots. These should be good matchups. I think the Steelers-Chiefs game could be great. I think the Chiefs will pull out the win, but it will be tough. The Chiefs have a better overall team, and their defense is much better than Pittsburgh's. I also think that the Chiefs will be able to hold onto the ball and run at will against the Steelers, thus making the Steelers strength, their offense, moot. Andy Reid will not blow this chance, and he will pull out a hard fought victory, 21-17.

The other game is going to be a bloodbath. The Patriots, after Brady's suspension, are out for blood. They want to destroy anyone in their way so that Roger Goodell has to hand them the Lombardi trophy. Unfortunately for the Raiders, without Derek Carr, they will be the Patriots first victim. Sure, the Patriots do not have the best defense, but it is serviceable, especially against a team without their star QB. And this Patriots offense is surgical. Brady picks apart secondary's. He has made guys like Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola household names. He's doing the same with Chris Hogan and Malcom Mitchell this year. They also seem to have limitless options at running back. They can go with Legarette Blount for power, James White for speed and Dion Lewis for a bit of everything. And even though they lost Gronk to injury, they have Martellus Bennett, and he is awesome, and very tall. The Patriots are ready to beat the shit out of some people. I have the Patriots winning big, 34-10.

That would give us a Chiefs-Patriots AFC Championship. This will be a good game. The Chiefs are the one team in the AFC that can compete with this Patriots team. They have guys that can shut down the Patriots skill players, but they do not have any real game changers, except maybe Tyreek Hill, on offense to score with the Patriots. I think it will be a very good game, maybe even come down to the wire like last year, but Andy Reid will rear his ugly head at some point, and Belichek will capitalize, as he always does. This will be a low scoring, hard fought Patriots win, 20-13. The Patriots will represent the AFC in Super Bowl 51.

As far as the NFC goes, the seeding from 6 to 1 goes, Detroit, New York, Green Bay, Seattle, Atlanta and Dallas. I legitimately feel like almost any one of these teams can make a run to the Super Bowl, and yes, I am including the Lions in the discussion.

The Wild Card matchups will feature the Lions vs the Seahawks and the Giants vs the Packers. The Lions are an enigma. This team had no business even being competitive this season, especially after Calvin Johnson retired. They had no running game. Stafford had never put it all together. The defense is good, but spends too much time on the field. But, somehow they managed to get 9 wins and make the playoffs. The Seahawks have been incredibly inconsistent all year. At times they look like the clear cut favorites, at other times, they look mediocre at best. They have a good defense, but they are not what they were 2 years ago, and they are missing some key pieces. They also do not get pressure like they used to. The offense is very average. Russell Wilson has not taken that next step towards the upper echelon of starting QB's. He may be hurt, but he just does not look like the guy that many thought he would turn out to be after the Seahawks won 2 years ago. I think he is a better version of Colin Kaepernick, but not by much. Their offensive line stinks. They cannot protect the QB, and they do not open up running lanes. They have good receivers, like Doug Baldwin and Jermaine Kearse, but they lost Tyler Lockett to a broken leg, and now they have no deep threat. They have also never really figured out how to use Jimmy Graham. He has become a mid tier tight end since the trade. With that being said, the game is in Seattle, so I do think the Seahawks will win, but it will be a very ugly game, much like the majority of the NFL this year. It will also be very low scoring, with a final of 10-6.

The other matchup, being a Packers fan, is my nightmare. I hate the Giants, and it is because they always seem to pull out some miraculous win, no matter how bad Eli Manning plays, or where the game is played. My only hope this season though, Tom Coughlin is gone, and Bob McAdoo is the coach, and he is as predictable as they come. Green Bay is also on a roll right now. Aaron Rodgers, after his selfish calling out of his teammates, has played lights out. So has Jordy Nelson and Davante Adams. Ty Montgomery has been a revelation. The offensive line is clicking. Hell, even the defense is playing better during their 6 game win streak. I'm always nervous when the Packers have to play the Giants though. I bad mouthed McAdoo, but Mike McCarthy is just as bad, possibly worse at times, but I do think the Packers will pull out the win. They have a better team, with much better skill players(yes, I think the duo of Nelson/Adams is better than Cruz/Beckham Jr), and I think Eli will make a big mistake. I have the Packers winning 28-23.

So that would give us second round matchups of Seattle-Atlanta and Green Bay-Dallas. Atlanta should easily beat the Seahawks. They have a better QB, better receivers, a better line and a better running game. They also do not have the injuries that Seattle has. I think Matt Ryan should be the regular season MVP. He's been great. So has Julio Jones. He has been un guardable at times. He is so tall and so fast and has great hands and runs great routes. The revolving door at running back works for them, and Devonta Freeman is coming on at the right time. Atlanta is a serious threat in the NFC. I have them beating Seattle fairly easily, 24-10. It will be close for a half, but Atlanta will pull away in the second half.

The other side has Green Bay-Dallas. This is supposed to be Dallas' year, right? They have everything going for them. They have home field throughout the playoffs. They have had a dominating year on the offensive side of the ball. They have the best offensive line in all of football. Ezekial Elliot and Dak Prescott are the future. Dez Bryant is playing better without Romo. This is supposed to be the year for them Cowboys, right? I do not know if it is my blind love for the Packers, or what, but I think the Packers will beat them, and I do not think it will even be close. The Cowboys will come out hot, but this is a team led by rookies, and I don't know about you, but I'd much rather have vets like Aaron Rodgers, Jordy Nelson, Julius Peppers, Davante Adams, Clay Matthews, some of which have won a Super Bowl, than rookies leading my team in the playoffs. This is not meant to take away from Dallas' great season, but I think the moment will be a bit too big for them. They have won a lot of games, 13, but some have been very ugly, and I just think their luck is going to run out. Maybe it is my blind love, it totally is, and my hatred for the Cowboys, it is that as well, but I think the Packers will go to Jerry World and win this game. I also think they will win by 2 scores, with a final of 28-17.

So that would give us Atlanta and Green Bay in the NFC Championship. this is where the Packers win streak ends. They have no one that can guard Julio Jones, and Matt Ryan is playing so god damn great right now. This will be a very high scoring game, close to the end, but Atlanta will win, 38-35. This game is going to be filled with offensive fireworks, and Atlanta has the better weapons on offense to do just that.

Super Bowl 51 will pit Atlanta and New England. This is a pretty good matchup, or at least I think so. Both teams have so so defenses, but they each have explosive offenses. The Super Bowl will be very high scoring, but in the end, I think New England puts it away, and Goodell has to hand that trophy over to Belichek and Brady. Atlanta will keep it close for three and a half quarters, but New England, behind Legarette Blount, not Tom Brady, will put this game away in the fourth quarter. I think the Falcons will be so keyed up to stop the Patriots pass game that it will open up the run game for New England. Blount is going to have a big game. He is the best of the three running backs the Patriots use, and they will ride him to a win in the Super Bowl. I expect him to go for over 100 yards and, at least, 2 touchdowns, and win the Super Bowl MVP. Like I said, it will be close for awhile, but New England will put it away early in the fourth, and win 38-28.

There you have it, my 2017 NFL playoff preview and picks.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. With the Packers and Wolverines, 2016 saw a lot of sports heartbreak. 2017 will not be a repeat for Ty's teams. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

The NFL is Terrible and It's Roger Goodell's Fault

Goodell's progress report

It has been a very tough year for the NFL. Ratings are down, the public perception on how the league treats domestic violence is in the toilet, the games stink, America's most popular sport does not have much going for it. While the NBA and MLB are going through a ratings renaissance, the NFL is starting to fall behind. The once unstoppable marketing and ratings machine of the NFL is starting to fall, and it is Commissioner Roger Goodell's fault.

Here at SeedSing we have written many times about how terrible of a job Roger Goodell does as the NFL commissioner. Nearly every single one of those posts concerns the stupid deflategate controversy that the commissioner would not give up on. Every time the league was dealt another loss on deflategate, Goodell acted like a sad spoiled child who was told that he could not take the Ferrari out for the night. Every press conference, or interview, was a lesson in how not to do public relations. Tom Brady and the New England Patriots have a whole bunch of haters, yet Goodell turned many of those haters into fans because of how idiotic the commissioner looked during the dumbest sports controversy ever. The terrible way the deflategate scandal was handled by the commissioner was comical in its terribleness.

Deflategate may have been stupid, but the way Roger Goodell has handled players accused of domestic violence is down right evil. When Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice was confirmed to be a domestic abuser, Goodell suspended him for two games. Two whole games for Rice who admitted to hitting a woman so hard she was knocked unconscious. Once TMZ released the elevator video, and people actually saw the much larger Rice hit his fiance, the public lost their mind. We, along with Roger Goodell, already knew that Rice had knocked a woman out with his punch, but seeing it really ignited the public's passion. Days after the tape was released, Goodell increased the suspension and instituted new tough penalties for domestic abuse. Once he was properly embarrassed for his lack of action, Goodell tried to regain some humanity by trying a new tactic. He failed this test, and unfortunately for the commissioner, many more tests were coming.

The most recent domestic abuse case to test the Goodell policy concerned New York Giants Pro Bowl Kicker Josh Brown. Brown was accused of abusing his wife on numerous occasions, many while she was pregnant. Goodell decided to give Brown a one game suspension because his ex wife, the one being abused, many times while pregnant, would not cooperate with the NFL investigation. After weeks of the NFL defending Goodell's horrible inaction, it comes out that yes Josh Brown is a domestic abuser, and the commissioner does not treat violence against women as a serious issue. The NFL once again failed a big test, and they failed because of Roger Goodell.

It is easy to blame Roger Goodell because he wanted all of this power to punish the players. Since he became commissioner, Goodell has continual sought more power over player discipline. There is no committee to dole out punishment, only the commissioner. Once granted this awesome power, Roger Goodell has used his pulpit to rail against the crime of under inflated footballs more than the crime of domestic violence. He has been more interested in banning players who smoke pot, than those players who abuse children. Goodell wanted this power, and he should therefore be the sole person responsible for the consequences.

It is not just domestic violence that Roger Goodell does not care about, it is also the players themselves. Once the Goodell era began, the NFL has been trying to expand their weekly influence beyond Sunday and Monday. Thursday Night Football was introduced, and has been the first culprit in watering down the NFL on the field product. Goodell does not care about what players think of the stupidity that is Thursday Night Football. The games on Thursday stink, and directly lead to the Sunday games stinking. While NBA Commissioner David Silver is listening to his players, Roger Goodell ignores his. The NBA product is getting better, while the NFL product is becoming garbage. The correlation is pretty easy to see.

The players are not the only ones that Roger Goodell dislikes, the fans are also a big thorn in the commissioner's side. Goodell has been the most aggressive sports commissioner in forcing cities to pay for stadiums so the billionaire owners of the teams do not risk their own money. Yes, the job of a commissioner is to represent the owners, but the way Goodell goes about these scams would make a super villain jealous. Look no further than what happened with the St. Louis Rams to see how much Roger Goodell looks down on the fans who pay to see his league. The whole fiasco in San Diego is another Roger Goodell screw the fans special. In the commissioner's world, his job would be a lot easier if the fans just did not exist. That does not seem like a very sustainable business model. 

Just last weekend, Roger Goodell was in London, England for another disposable NFL game being played across the Atlantic. When asked by a reporter about the Josh Brown case, Goodell stood by the his decision to suspend the domestic abuser only one game. In order to cover his heartlessness, Goodell actually said the fans do not understand how the league deals with domestic violence. What Goodell is missing is that the fans know exactly how the commissioner treats domestic abusers. He lets them off easy while players who underinflate footballs, or dance in the endzone, or smoke pot, get the full punishment allowed by the commissioner. The fans are a lot more intelligent than Roger Goodell gives them credit for.

Whenever an issue has come up, Goodell has made the wrong choice. He ignored, and try to hide, any meaningful research being down on player concussions. He has threatened the players health, and overall competition, by insisting on the terrible Thursday Night Games.  He approves of weird rules that fans, and many of the television commentators can not even understand. Explain to a first time football watcher what a catch is. He gleefully goes after certain players, but if Peyton Manning is accused of something, the commissioner quietly pushes it out of the way. He insults fans, and blames the hardworking people who buy tickets to his bad game for the problems. If Roger Goodell is as smart as ESPN and Fox Sports tells us he  is, then maybe the commissioner really does hate the NFL and wants to see it destroyed.

By marginalizing his players, and insulting the fans, Roger Goodell is making people turn off the NFL. The commissioner's job is to make money for the owners, and after many years of incompetence, the money is starting to leave the NFL. Cities are starting to call the league on the terrible practice of demanding public money for privately owned stadiums. Youth football participation is falling off. Ratings are plummeting. Roger Goodell inherited a rapidly growing league, and every action he has made has directly affected the positive growth of the NFL.

The NFL still pulls in better ratings than the MLB or the NBA, but the gap is narrowing. The sports talk world will still go out of their way to defend Goodell and claim that on his watch the NFL has exploded. These sports talk hosts are giving up their journalistic integrity to defend an incompetent Roger Goodell because they are afraid of upsetting the NFL. Anything good for the league has been solely due a generation of great players, and coaches who have innovated. Goodell treats the best player in NFL history as a problem, and protects a kicker who abused a pregnant woman. There is no misunderstanding to see Goodell is wrong, once again, on the issues affecting the league.  

The fans have noticed that Roger Goodell's NFL is not very good. One bad decision after another has taken a great sport, and put it in the toilet. The fans are not to blame for misunderstanding Roger Goodell's bad management. Roger Goodell is to blame for making the NFL terrible.

RD

RD Kulik is the Head Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. What do you think of the current state of the NFL? Tell us all about it. 

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

Ty's 2016 Midseason NFL Redo

As we approach week 8 of the NFL season, I need to do my annual mid season revision. I did a 3 day preseason NFL preview, and like last year, I have some stuff that I got right and some stuff that I got wrong. Today, I want to pat myself on the back a little bit, but also eat some crow, especially with my Super Bowl and MVP pick.

Before I get started, I know that RD is putting up a big piece about this soon, but the NFL has been absolutely atrocious this season. I'll let RD do the majority of expounding on that, but I have eyeballs, and what they have seen has been terrible. The game is watered down and the teams are not that good. This first half of the season has been abysmal. Thank goodness for college football, which I will touch on tomorrow, at least that has been fun this year. Anyway, let's get to my mid season NFL review.

So, as you all know by now, I had the Panthers as the Super Bowl winners. I thought that they would come out and slay pretty much everyone in front of them. I thought that they would be pissed at how they performed in last year's Super Bowl, and want to make up for that. I thought Cam Newton would trash any defense that came his way. Well, I couldn't have been more wrong. The Panthers have been terrible this season. They are 1-5 as we speak. Their defense is dreadful. They cannot get off the field, and teams are putting up 30 plus points on them with ease. I did not think that they'd miss Josh Norman as much as they do. Luke Kuechly has been very, very average this year. Their D line is getting little to no pressure. They stink. The offense isn't much better. Cam Newton looks miserable out there. He is not playing with the joy that turned me into a fan. He is getting head hunted, and the NFL is doing nothing about it. But, he also seems more concerned with what kind of celebration he is going to do when he scores instead of just getting in the end zone. They have no running game. Their passing game, which added Kelvin Benjamin, has been pretty porous. The Panthers have been the biggest, by far, disappointment in the NFL this year.

Outside of the Panthers, the NFC is not really great. The Vikings are probably the best team in the NFC, but they just got absolutely shut down by the Eagles last week. They have an other worldly defense, but their offense is very bad. The Cowboys, very surprisingly, have been right near the top of the NFC this year. Ezekial Elliot is currently leading the NFL in rushing. The receivers, minus Dez Bryant, have been very good. Dak Prescott has been exceptional. He is doing the best job of managing the game. He makes no mistakes, hardly ever, and dinks and dunks all the way down the field. I'm not a Cowboys fan, but I hope that when Tony Romo and Dez Bryant come back totally healthy, they stay on the bench because you should not rock the boat. This team is 5-1 for a reason. Who knows what Jerry Jones will do, but he needs to keep Prescott in there, as long as this team keeps winning.

As far as some other NFC teams, the Cardinals have been very disappointing. Carson Palmer looks like a shell of himself. Larry Fitzgerald is still good, but getting older. Michael Floyd drops more than he catches. David Johnson and their defense has been their saving grace, but they are 3-3-1. The Seahawks are probably the most underwhelming 4-1-1 team in the NFL. Their offense is mediocre, but their defense, who gets away with penalty after penalty, week after week, is still good. They are dirty, but still elite. The Packers are mediocre. Their defense is average and their offense has been mind numbingly frustrating to watch. The Lions, Saints, Eagles, Buccaneers and Falcons are at, or near .500, but they will make no difference in the long run.

As much as I hate to write this, I think the Cowboys, if they stick with Prescott and the running game, will become the team to beat in the NFC. They could very well make the Super Bowl this year, that is how bad this season has been.

The AFC, while not much better, does have the very best team in the NFL. The Patriots are leaps and bounds above all 31 other teams, and they are filled with holes. Their defense is very mediocre. they do give up some big plays a bit too often. After his ridiculous 4 game suspension, Tom Brady has looked like a man possessed. He is the front runner for the MVP right now, after only 3 games. He has lit up the 3 teams he's faced. He is on pace, in 12 games, to surpass 4,000 passing yards. That's crazy. Gronk is fully healthy, and he is just as unstoppable as ever. Martellus Bennett is a great addition, and takes pressure off Gronk. The slot receivers that fill the rest of this offense are perfect for the Patriots system. LeGarette Blount has been a great runner for them this year too. He's on pace for 1,300 plus rushing yards and 15 plus touchdowns. They also have James White, great out of the back field and Dion Lewis will be back soon. The Patriots, even with their holes, are the cream of the crop in the NFL. Eat it Roger Goodell.

 As for the teams not playing at Gillette, the Broncos have a great defense, but their offense is very much below average. They can't sustain drives, and unless their defense gives the offense primo field position, they usually punt. That should rule out a return trip to the Super Bowl. The Steelers, who I was very high on before the season, are minus their QB for another 3-5 weeks. Try as he might, LeVeon Bell can only do so much. Without Roesthilberger, this team will not go very far. But, 9-7 could win that division, so who knows. The Raiders, another team I was very high on, have been great offensively so far, but terrible defensively. The still hold a 5-2 record, and I'd love to see them in the playoffs, but I worry that their defense will make it unlikely. The Chiefs, who I was not so high on, have been pretty good so far. Sure, they got thumped by the Steelers a few weeks ago, but other than that, they have played pretty well. The Bills are well on their way to another 8-8 or 9-7 season. The entire AFC South stinks. The Texans are the worst division leader in all of football. The Colts and Jaguars are bottom feeders and the Titans are so bad on offense, that will hold them back. The Harambes, AKA Bengals, have been very mediocre, and I'm sure RD will agree. The Chargers are bad, but actually kind of fun to watch either blow games late or win games late. The Dolphins and Ravens are destined to be .500, and the Browns may not win a game all year long. The Patriots are, not only the best team in the AFC, but the best team in football. They are 100 percent going to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl this season, barring any major injury.

That means I have the Cowboys playing the Patriots in Super Bowl 51. Yikes. The Patriots should win it going away, if this turns out to be the matchup. I have the Patriots as my new Super Bowl champs. I also have Tom Brady as the MVP. David Johnson might be more deserving, or Julio Jones may put up unprecedented numbers, or Ezekial Elliot may rush for 1,800 yards, but what Brady has done over 3 games, and will continue to do, just to twist the knife in Goodell, will win him the MVP. He is the greatest QB ever, and this season will prove that even further. As far as rookie of the year, I was way, way off on LaQuon Treadwell. This is clearly Elliot's to lose. He has been as good as advertised, and as much as I may dislike his demeanor and the way he carries himself, he has been great this year. I still have Jack Del Rio as my coach of the year. He has the Raiders at 5-2, as I already stated, and they are relevant again. But, I would not count out Bill Belichek. He won 3 of 4 without Brady, and now, they want to crush everyone in their path, as they should. And defensive player of the year should, and probably will be Von Miller. He is incredible and playing incredible. He should own this award for many years to come.

So, that does it for my mid season review. I got some stuff right, but way more wrong. I'm pissed about my love for the Panthers, but happy about my feelings for the Raiders. The NFL is in a rough place, but I still watch and will continue to watch. Come back tomorrow and I will have my mid season college football review. That will be much more fun to write.  

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He may think the Cowboys ccan make the Super Bowl, but in his heart he knows Jerry Jones will ruin the teams chances. Romo is Jones's guy after all. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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The SeedSing 2016 NFL Predictions and Picks

Time to hand out a few game balls

To round out my NFL preview, today I will pick each division winner and who I think will be the two wild cards from each conference. I will also pick the Super Bowl teams and winner. As well as team picks, I will also pick the offensive and defensive players of the year, the offensive and defensive rookies of the year, the coach of the year and the overall MVP. This blog is going to be short and to the point. One sentence as to why I pick each team is all I'm giving myself. If you want to know other reasons I like these teams, you can read my 8 part preview that I finished yesterday.

Let's start with the AFC. The AFC East will be tricky because of Brady's suspension, but I still think the Patriots will win. Brady will come back on fire, and he will, on his own, will this team to the division title. The rest of the teams are either not ready, or not good enough to dethrone the juggernaut that is the Patriots. The AFC West will, most likely, be the toughest division in all of football, with three of the four teams finishing over .500, but I think the Broncos will win it. Their defense is just too good, and they won't give up a lot of points. If the offense averages 20, that would be absolutely huge for them. But, watch out for the Chiefs and the Raiders, they are both coming to dethrone the Broncos. The AFC North will also be a three team race, maybe 2, the Ravens aren't that good, but the Bengals and Steelers will fight it out all season. I see the Steelers winning because they have one of the best offenses in all of football, and their defense is pretty decent. The AFC South is still a joke, but it is getting better. Tennessee still stinks, but the Jaguars are putting together a competitive team. This all comes down to health and performance, and I think the Colts will rebound and win the division, but the Texans will be tough. As far as the wild cards go, I'm going to have to go with the Bengals and the Raiders. The Raiders are going to be good, and the Bengals have become mainstays, even if they cant get out of the first round.

For the NFC, let's start with the lowly NFC East. As I stated many times in my preview, a team with a losing record, like the Cowboys or Giants, could win this division, but I think Washington has the best players and the talent to easily repeat. They will get bounced after one round, but they will make a second straight playoff appearance. The NFC West is a two team race, between the Cardinals and the Seahawks, but the Cardinals are a much, much better team than the Seahawks. If the Cardinals don't win this division with ease, it should be deemed a disappointment. They have the best offense, and their defense is right there with Seattle. Arizona should cruise. With the NFC North, again, we have a two team race between the Packers and the Vikings. I just don't see, especially if they are at full health, how the Packers do not win this division. They have one of the best QB's in all of football, and they have a pretty good defense. Green Bay should win by 2 games. The NFC South is all about the Panthers. They are my best team in the NFL this year, and a lot of other writers agree with me. The Panthers could win their first 10 games and sew up the division with 6 weeks left. They are the cream of the crop. As far as the wild cards from the NFC, I have Minnesota and Seattle, but this may be a last shot for both teams.

I like the Patriots and the Broncos to meet again in the AFC Championship, this time the Patriots will come out on top. And for the NFC Championship, I like the Cardinals and the Panthers, another rematch, with Carolina winning.

That means Super Bowl 51 will be Carolina-New England. As much as I want to pick the Patriots, just so they can shove it in Goodell's stupid smug, arrogant face, I think the Panthers are too good, and they will learn from last season's disappointing loss in the Super Bowl. Carolina is my pick to win Super Bowl 51.

As far as awards go, I like Cam Newton as both, the offensive player of the year and MVP. His time is now, and he will not back down. He has gotten better every year, and I don't see any regression from him. He is awesome. As far as defensive player of the year, I like Luke Kuechly. He is the star defender of one of the better defenses in the NFL. That makes a clean sweep by Panthers in awards and titles. The offensive rookie of the year will probably be some 6th or 7th round pick that a lot of people are overlooking, or if they had the nerve to give it to a lineman, I'd pick Laremy Tunsil, but I think someone like Derrick Henry, who was a second round pick, and will get every opportunity to play for Tennessee or, more likely, Corey Coleman at Cleveland or Laquon Treadwell in Minnesota. Let's go with Treadwell since Minnesota is so much better than Cleveland. For defensive rookie of the year, it will be tough because there are a lot of good, young defenders, but I think I will go with Jalen Ramsey. He may get beat deep sometimes, but he will be a good corner from day one in the NFL. My coach of the year has got to be Jack Del Rio. I love what he has turned the Raiders into, and he will deservedly win this award this year if the Raiders live up to the hype I have put on them.

So that does it for my 2016 NFL preview. Let me know why I'm right or wrong, and football will be here before we know it, thank goodness. Come back tomorrow when I finish off my football previews with my college football preview.

Ty

Editor's Thoughts - I have no major differences with Ty on the playoff teams. I think Kansas City could be better than the Raiders and I do not believe in Seattle. It pains me to say that Tampa Bay could sneak into the playoff picture. Also, the Cincinnati should be called Harambes will win the AFC North. The Cincinnati squad will (FINALLY) win not one, but two playoff games to face Arizona in the Super Bowl. The Queen city will be overjoyed.

The Cardinals will destroy the Bengals by 30-40 points.

RD

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. RD Kulik is the Head Editor and frequent contributor to the X Millennial Man Podcast. Follow Ty on twitter @tykulik and make RD happy by supporting SeedSing with straight cash.

Brady and Gronk - The Dynamic Duo Making the NFL Fabulous

These flowers represent how beautiful Brady and Gronk are together

So, for all of my posts this week, I wanted to try something a bit different. My wife and I were talking the other day and she told me that I should argue a point that I don't necessarily agree with. All five posts this week will be topics given to me that I have expressed a dislike for to, either my wife or everyone who reads my blog, but I have to give the opposite view. I have to explain why these things are actually true, or that they at least have some good qualities. This is going to be a weird, but also very fun, and maybe even a bit difficult, but I'm up to the task.

Now for my second day of topic sentences from my wife, "the NFL would be a little less fabulous without the dynamic duo: Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski".

Now, first things first, I'm not going to say anything about "deflategate", that has been covered more than enough on the site. Okay, here goes.

First off, let's look at Tom Brady. While I don't think he is necessarily a "dynamic" person, I think his playing is dynamic. He is one of the top three quarterbacks of all time. Love him or hate him, you cannot say that he isn't one of the greatest QB's of all time. He has 4 Super Bowl rings, and if not for two lucky catches he would have six. He has humongous touchdown and yardage numbers. He has a very low interception number. He has been deep in the playoffs the whole time he has been a starter in the NFL. He has come up huge in the biggest moments. The dude is a straight up winner. The way he fits passes into the smallest of windows is absolutely incredible. The receivers and running backs that he has won with is incredible because of how average they are/were. The best receiver he has ever had is Randy Moss, and yes he is a sure fire hall of famer, but other than him, it's slim pickings at receiver. He has won with guys like Deion Branch, Troy Brown, David Givens and Brandon Lloyd as his number one target. Those guys are/were good, but they are nowhere near hall of famers, let alone all pros. The running backs he's had are guys like Fred Taylor, Steven Jackson, Corey Dillon, Kevin Faulk and Laurence Maroney. Again, some good players, but no hall of famers. Brady has won with all of these guys, He helped their game as much as they helped his game. He turned these running backs into some of the best receivers out of the backfield. He also turned those receivers into clutch receivers. But, the one constant, dynamic player for the Patriots, who I believe, along with the San Antonio Spurs, are the best run franchises in all of pro sports, has been Tom Brady. He has been the starting QB, save for one injured season, in New England since 2001. And he has been consistently great. There is no denying his incredible play. He is the epitome of a winner. He is a maniac when it comes to film study, practice and staying in shape. He takes multiple pay cuts to make his team better. He will gladly take less money if it means that the Patriots can bring in a big time player. The fact that he was a sixth round draft pick, an afterthought by the "experts" and not even the primary starter while at Michigan makes his amazing NFL career that much more dynamic. We cannot deny his greatness anymore. Tom Brady is an all timer, no ifs ands or buts about it.

A few years ago the Patriots got this little known tight end from the University of Arizona named Rob Gronkowski. This is where the "dynamic" applies to both, his game and his personality. The first time I saw Gronk play, I couldn't believe how big he was. He was so much taller and stronger than the poor defensive backs and linebackers trying to guard them. Not only was he taller, but he was stronger and faster than them too. He runs like a gazelle and he is as strong as JJ Watt. He also has incredible hands. If the ball is anywhere near him, he will catch it. The ball can be a little high or low or to his back side, if he gets a hand on it, it is a catch. He is also, possibly, the greatest redzone weapon of all time. As I already stated, he is bigger, stronger and faster than anyone guarding him, and he can leap and get open in the redzone with an ease that seems unfair. People are literally trying to injure him to get him out of games. No one ever tackles him fairly. Everyone goes after his knees or ankles, intent on hurting him to get him out of the game. Gronk was a godsend to Tom Brady and the Patriots. No matter what mid level receivers or running backs they have, they still have Gronk. He, much like Brady, is a first ballot hall of famer and an all timer at his position.

Then, look at his personal life. This dude just has a great time living his glamorous life. He has his own yacht party with live music and beer pong tournaments. He is super close with his family, that seem just as crazy as he is. He knows his limits when it comes to partying, and he goes right to the edge, but never over it. In season, he is the consummate professional. Out of season, he's a party animal, in every som Brady and Rob GroTense of the word. He is who Johnny Manziel wishes he could be. Manziel doesn't know when to stop where Gronk knows when and how to stop. I usually don't like "bros" like Gronk, but he is almost impossible not to like, both as a football player and a person. He loves his life and he knows that his time in the NFL will be short, so he is living it up both on the field and off. Gronk is just an all around fun dude.

I know that my wife and I will get heat about this because a lot of people hate the Patriots, but I don't think you can read this and tell me that I'm wrong. These two are dynamic, all time great football players and Gronk has a very dynamic personality. It's true, and even the haters can't deny that. Try as they might.

Ty with a little help from his wife

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Like Gronk, Ty is known to walk around shirtless and has had softcore fan fiction written about him. Learn all about it by following Ty on twitter @tykulik.

Roger Goodell Should be Suspended Forever because of "Deflategate"

Please no. Not this story again.

I cannot believe that I have to talk about this again, but a grand jury re suspended Tom Brady for god damn "deflategate" the first four games of next season.

Now, before I get into the meat of this blog, I do not think he will miss any games once again, just like last year. But Jesus Christ, why will this stupid ass story not die? I mean, it's some under inflated footballs. Who in the hell cares about this besides the Ravens, Colts and Satan, AKA Roger Goodell? Why is this such a big deal that they have dragged it out for two years now? Why are they trying to have Brady miss four games for something that is so inconsequential? I know it seems like I'm a Patriots defender, but I could care les about them. I just think this is the most asinine thing that the NFL cannot let go. 

I have talked about deflategate many times before on this site, the NFL has much, much bigger fish to fry than some under inflated footballs 2 years ago. Sure, they suspended Adrian Peterson for a whole year, after he ruthlessly whipped his four year old child with a switch and then showed zero sympathy for what he did, but reinstated him last season and he was praised for his effort. He was looked at as a victim after he brutally whipped a four year old. That's appalling. Yeah, Richie Incognito missed a whole season after bullying someone to the point where they contemplated suicide, but he was let back in the league last year and now, he is going to keep a huge contract. He was also a pro bowler and no one has said anything bad about the terrible, awful thing he did to his former teammate. Oh, he is still a huge asshole too. That still hasn't changed, but don't tell that to Roger Goodell, he just wants to praise his return to the league. Greg Hardy is still in the NFL. He beats his girlfriends, fights his teammates, lies on TV about beating women, but he only had to miss 6 games last year, and I bet someone will sign him this offseason. And Roger Goodell will not blink an eye. Ray Rice is still out of the league, but it's not because there is video evidence of him knocking his soon to be wife unconscious, it's because he is, in NFL terms, over the hill. He is past his prime. I'm sure Goodell wants him back in the league so he can praise his "comeback", a la Peterson. The NFL also has young players, still to hit their prime, retiring from the league. They have a huge problem with their concussion protocol and players are dropping like flies, but that doesn't faze Goodell.

In fact, none of the stuff I have just laid out for you guys matters nearly as much as some under inflated footballs. That is the worst possible thing that any football player could do, if you ask Goodell. Who cares if players beat children or girlfriends or their wives, who cares if there is a big bullying problem going on with each team, who cares about players fighting each other on and off the field, who cares that there is a big steroid problem going on that no one is talking about. None of this compares to a player gaining a home field advantage. Yes, I've said it before and I'll say it again, under inflating footballs is unethical, but it's no worse than watering base paths in baseball. Every player and every team will try to gain a home field advantage any way possible. I'd much rather have a player on my team that wants some footballs slightly under inflated than a player that physically abuses women and children. I'd rather have the under inflaters than a bully. I'd rather have under inflaters than a steroid user. Basically, I'd rather have a player looking to gain a home filed advantage other than a player that physically or emotionally or verbally abuses other people.

This whole story is so ridiculous. I just don't understand why Roger Goodell won't let this go. He lost this case once, and I can almost guarantee that he will lose again and he will look like a total jack ass once again. He is really up a creek because he will not let "deflategate" go. He is so eager and so willing to put everything else aside so he can make the "golden boy" QB of the most dominating franchise in the 21st century in the NFL miss four games of a 16 game season. He is willing to allow abusers and bullies to miss zero time, or cut their suspensions in half so he can attack Tom Brady and the Patriots. And, much like most of the Patriot's opponents, Goodell is probably going to lose. This is almost an un winnable battle because it is such a dumb thing to take to court.

That's another thing, why is this subject being brought to the supreme court? Don't they have way bigger and way more important things to deal with? You know, things like murder, robbery, money laundering, etc. that are much more important than some under inflated footballs. And why did they uphold a suspension that got dismissed over a year ago? What kind of legitimate judge gives two shits about "deflategate"? This is such a non story, that if I were a judge, I would laugh in the face of Goodell and his cronies if they presented this to me and I would kick them out of my office.

Therein lies the main problem with this whole thing, Roger Goodell is an idiot, a sore loser, a person that is unable to let it go when he is wrong and he is trying to kill the US' most popular sport. He clearly doesn't realize that he has bigger problems to deal with. Either that, or he is so oblivious and blinded by his hatred for Tom Brady that he doesn't care about the other problems, and that makes him an even bigger idiot than I previously thought. He is a sore loser. The fact that he is still bringing this thing up and still trying to get Brady suspended means he cannot handle the fact that he was told he was wrong and his proposed suspension was thrown out over a year ago. Most people move on from things, but not a sore loser like Roger Goodell. He is as bad as Donald Trump. When they are told no or that they are wrong, they filter that out and only hear what they want to hear.

Then there is Goodell's quest to take down the NFL. I don't understand why the commissioner of the most popular sport in the US is so hell bent on corrupting and corroding the product. The NFL is so popular and watched by millions, but Goodell's quest to suspend Brady and ignore the abuse, bullying, concussions and every other problem with the NFL is turning a lot of people sour on the NFL. Less and less parents are letting kids play football because they see a commissioner more concerned with suspending a guy that may or may not have had some footballs under inflated and doesn't care about the concussion and abuse problems in the league. Goodell is killing this league and until they fire that incompetent ass, the NFL will continue to suffer.

Scientists have also proven that "deflategate" is pretty much impossible. The balls would have deflated because of the drastic change in temperature and the air in Massachusetts that day. As I stated at the top, the only people that still care about this are the Colts, Ravens and, of course, Roger Goodell.

This story needs to die, but until those three, and mainly Goodell, continue to bring it up, it will, unfortunately, never go away. This is stupid, pointless and ridiculous. I HATE you Roger Goodell and I cannot wait for your dumbass to be fired. The NFL would be so much better off without you trying to ruin the game. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He once tried to underinflate some baseballs, but the only result was a bunch of broken basketball pump needles. Help Ty inflate his twitter following by following him @tykulik.

It is Time to Talk About What Peyton Manning has Done Wrong

Being a shill for bad pizza is one of many alleged crimes Peyton Manning should answer for.

Around this time last year, one or two weeks after the Super Bowl 49, all I heard about on ESPN and all other sports media shows was "deflategate". These outlets couldn't talk about this non story enough. ESPN itself has multiple channels that have sports programming 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and I'd venture to say that at least 10 to 12 hours, passed around all their channels, ran some kind of story related to "deflategate".

For those of you that forgot, "deflategate" centered around some under inflated footballs in a game that the Patriots won 45-7 over the Colts. I've written a bunch of stuff on this non story. It's stupid and pointless and it gives people another reason to hate on the Patriots. "Deflategate" is the most nonsensical story I've ever heard. Is it morally and ethically wrong? Yes. But, is it cheating? Absolutely not. Not even close. Go ask anyone QB out there and they will all say that they like to have the balls a specific way. When Hall of Fame quarterback Warren Moon was asked about this, he said he always had the ball boys take a little air out of the ball for an easier grip. When Aaron Rodgers was asked about this, he said he likes the balls to be over inflated to give him a better grip. Basically, any QB will do anything to gain an advantage. "Deflategate" is akin to watering down base paths in baseball, or using a certain basketball in a certain arena. It's morally wrong, but people tend to look the other way. Who really cares and who really thinks that under inflated footballs helped the Patriots win? No one that has some sense and intelligence.

So, I figured that this year, with the recent allegations and new stories coming out involving Peyton Manning and sexual assault and having HGH delivered to his home, that ESPN would be all over this. These are actual real news stories involving another Hall of Fame QB also coming off a Super Bowl win. These allegations are much, much more serious than some under inflated footballs. I mean, we are talking assaulting a female staffer while a student at Tennessee and the HGH thing, that is steroids. With how much time is being dedicated to getting rid of steroids and other performance enhancing drugs, I figured both these stories would be plastered all over all sports media.

Well, that is unfortunately not the case. I turned on ESPN the other day when "NFL Live" was on because I naturally assumed that they would talk about these allegations and nothing else. I was very wrong. Not only did they not talk about it, they didn't even bring it up. Instead, they focused the entire hour long show on potential free agents at the tight end position. That's right, they figured that potential free agent tight ends were more important to talk about than two major stories involving an extremely high profile player. Could ESPN be anymore in the bag for Peyton Manning and the Manning family? They are just as bad as Jim Nantz when it comes to the blinders they put on whenever someone bad mouths "The Sheriff". It is appalling that they refuse to talk about these terrible, sometimes heinous accusations being brought up. When Nantz was asked, prior to the Super Bowl, why he doesn't talk about the HGH allegations, he blew it off and called it a "non story". This coming from the same guy that chastised Tom Brady last year for some under inflated footballs. Talk about a double standard. When ESPN finally did get an interview with Manning himself about the HGH, it was a total puff piece and they did not press him one single time. They basically told him that he was right and sided with him, claiming that the people accusing him where just jealous of his fame and success. This is the same network that ran, and still runs stories on "deflategate". It's sickening that they continue to defend Manning and his family when someone in his home is getting HGH sent to them. That is a performance enhancing drug and those are supposed to be illegal. I guarantee if Tom Brady, or any Patriot for that matter, had been accused of using HGH, ESPN would have been all over it, calling them liars and cheaters. But, they won't do that to the great Peyton Manning. They assumed, how could someone so wholesome cheat? Why would he do that? He would never under inflate footballs.

Well, thanks to the New York Daily News, once again no ESPN involvement, we come to find out that Peyton Manning may not be as wholesome as we portray him to be. A story was released last week claiming that while he was enrolled at Tennessee, he shoved his naked butt, testicles and penis into the face of a female trainer. When she brought this crime, yes that is a crime, to the higher ups at Tennessee, they blew her off, basically telling her that a student athlete was more important than her dignity. Then, after Tennessee paid this lady off and she moved on to do many great things as a trainer, including working with Olympians, the Manning family wrote a book and destroyed this ladies credibility. She couldn't get a job anywhere because everyone believed the "wholesome" Peyton Manning over her. Why would he lie and why would his family and the University of Tennessee lie about this? Well, as I just mentioned, what he supposedly did is a crime. You cannot force your genitalia in someone's face. What the New York Daily News story reported was, he shoved his genitalia into her face when she was occupied helping someone else. This is a very vile, very disgusting thing for a person to do. I know the Manning defenders will say that he was a kid and kids do stupid things, but this goes beyond stupid, this is disturbing. I was a kid once too, and I never thought to jam my business into anyone's face. Not ever. That takes a special kind of disturbed person. Then, to trash this lady in a book, how classless and guilty does that make one look? If I believed him before, I definitely don't believe him or his dad now. To publicly go after someone like that, that is an admission of guilt. Trying to make someone else look bad for your past childish and abusive behavior, another admission of guilt in my opinion. 

I have not heard anyone at ESPN once talk about this. The only hint of anyone talking about it was on "PTI" and all Wilbon and Kornheiser said is, "he has to speak about these allegations". They didn't attack him the way they attacked the "deflategate" stuff last year. The only people I've heard talk about these allegations are, the aforementioned New York Daily News, a great twitter follow @SportsTalkVM and the wonderful Deadspin. They are the only people that have come out and chastised this childish, abusive and criminal behavior that Peyton Manning showed while at Tennessee and while in the NFL. ESPN won't touch this story with a ten foot pole because they are afraid that they may piss off a powerful football family, but it is in their business to talk about these heinous crimes because that's what good sports journalists do. They don't hide from major stories involving major stars. They sure as hell didn't hold back from attacking Tom Brady, Bill Belichek and the entire New England Patriots franchise when they may or may not have under inflated footballs. So, why do they just stand on the sidelines and give the Manning family a free pass? Are they in bed with Papa John's too? If they are, get out of that relationship because Papa John is a monster and his pizza stinks. Are they afraid of Roger Goodell and the NFL? Yes, they one hundred percent are afraid of that and that sucks because it is really cheapening their own product.

That brings me to what I really think is the problem, and that is the fact that ESPN is hiring unqualified yes men and women to be their anchors and broadcasters. Their bosses, the NFL included, tells them to jump and they ask, how high. They are brain washed people that are terrible at their jobs. These crimes that Manning is being accused of should be talked about a whole hell of a lot more, but until ESPN hires some competent people, I will continue to go to much better news sources like the New York Daily News, @SportsTalkVM and Deadspin. At least they have the guts and the know how to attack this cheater and sexual assaulter.

Screw you Peyton Manning, you are the Bill Cosby of the NFL.

Ty 

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man podcast. Follow him on twitter @tykulik.