NFL Playoffs Quick Hits: Semifinal Games

I have some thoughts now that we have the final four set for the NFL playoffs. This is going to be very similar to my weekly NFL quick takes in fact. I kind of want to touch on each game, and who I see playing in the Super Bowl in two weeks.

First and foremost, I was very wrong with my first prediction, of the Saints and Ravens in the Super Bowl. They were both first game exits. I touched on the Saints already, so let me talk a bit about the Ravens. They got bullied and beat pretty soundly by a Titans team that is peaking at the exact right time. This version of the Titans reminds me a ton of the Jags from, I think it was three seasons ago, except they have a much better, and much bigger, running back. I'm not taking anything away from what the Titans are doing right now, but I do think the Ravens got bitten by the bye week bug that gets top seeds sometimes. They were rolling, winners of 12 consecutive games I believe, and they came out flat and slow and didn't look like the same team. The Titans capitalized on that, and hammered them with the run game all evening. Derrick Henry is fast becoming a super star. Lamar Jackson did play well, but his defense didn't help him at all. This game was 14-0, and 21-6 before the third quarter was a couple minutes in. But again, this Titans team is so reminiscent of that Jags team to me. Props to them for making it this far, but I think it ends this weekend. I have said that twice now.

As for the team that I think will beat the Titans, and end this run, the Chiefs looked rough to start their game yesterday. They were down 21-0 before the first quarter was over. Then the Chiefs proceeded to score on 7 straight possessions. Seven straight TD's that is. They looked like the Chiefs from last season. They simply couldn't be stopped. Patrick Mahomes looked like his MVP self. And even their defense, for the most part, shut down Deshaun Watson and the Texans offense, They outscored them 51-10 after that first quarter. It was one hell of a performance. As for the Texans, this is kind of what I figured would happen. They are a fine team, and have an elite QB, but not much else. Deandre Hopkins is good, but he can only do so much when he is being double and triple teamed. They have an okay defense, but it isn't good enough to stop the best of the best offenses. They are stuck in a weird kind of 9 and 10 win limbo, and seem to be destined to do this most seasons, until they get a better coaching staff and hire a real GM.

As for the NFC, the 49ers easily dismantled the Vikings. This game was exactly why I wanted to see the 49ers play the Saints. It would have been a much better, and closer game. This game was essentially over after the 49ers went up 14-7. They stopped everything the Vikings tried to do on offense. Every time they went to play action, which they did often, the 49ers were there to stop it before it got started. The Vikings couldn't run at all. Kirk Cousins was pressured and looked like the overrated QB he has been his whole career. As for the 49ers, well, they didn't need much from their offense after the second TD drive. They ran the ball, controlled the clock and easily won this game. When the score was 21-10, right after half, I told my wife I was done watching because this game was over. She reminded me there was still a whole 2 quarters to play, but I told her that the Vikings quit. They got outclassed, outplayed and out coached all game. Good for Kyle Shanahan and his staff too. They have really turned this whole thing around quick. The 49ers are a very, very good team.

Finally, my team, the Packers tried to give me a heart attack, but ended up winning the game. They went up 21-3 before half, but only scored one more time, while letting the Seahawks back in the game. The final was 28-23, but it could've ended much worse. I firmly believed that the Packers were going to blow that game. But, they found a way to win, and beat Russell Wilson. As I have said all season, and it still pains me, Wilson is a great QB, and he showed that yesterday. But the Seahawks coaching staff still doesn't believe in him. For them to punt with under 4 minutes left was a terrible call. But, they did, the Packers got the ball back and never returned it to Seattle. Rodgers made some incredible throws, Davante Adams was an absolute beast and Aaron Jones gained some tough yards and scored pivotal TD's. The Packers now have to face the 49ers in San Francisco, and that will be tough.

As far as my Super Bowl pick now, I'm going with the Chiefs and 49ers. And I think the Chiefs will win. They are playing so exceptionally on offense right now, their defense is doing enough and the 49ers just aren't at that level yet. We shall see, but I think it will be a fun championship weekend, and I think that will be a very good Super Bowl matchup.

Lets do it.

Ty

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

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Thoughts on 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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The Era of Dallas Cowboy Mediocrity will Continue with Mike McCarthy

cowboys fans today and for the foreseeable future

I was going to use my time to day to talk about how the Patriots, and my Super Bowl pick, the Saints, got beat. But, some news came across my phone this morning, sports news, that I just cannot go without tackling today.

While out grocery shopping this morning the news popped that the Cowboys had hired their next head coach. I just kind of glanced down, and I assumed that it was going to be Urban Meyer, Lincoln Riley or Matt Rhule. I was one of the many people that thought known racist Jerry Jones would go after one of the big name college guys. Well, when I got to my car and had a minute to check out who they hired, I was stunned, and not in a good way. The Cowboys I read have reportedly hired Mike McCarthy to be the head coach.

There is a decent amount for me to unpack with this decision. First off, yes McCarthy is a Super Bowl winning head coach. I watched that Super Bowl with big time rooting interest because he was the head coach of my favorite team, the Packers. In fact, I watched McCarthy coach for years, and all in all, he was a fine coach. But, he was not elite. I actually am of the ilk of people who feel that he wasted a good chunk of Aaron Rodgers prime. But, I'm not going to do all the bad stuff just yet. So yes, McCarthy has won a ring, he has been to the playoffs a ton, his offenses were always in the top 10, or at the very least, top half of the league. And he helped groom Rodgers. He is a very good coach for you team's QB. He knows how to work with them. Also, his teams were always competitive, even if they weren't a playoff team. They still made every game a game.

But, I am stunned, and yes, stunned is the word I want, that the Cowboys and Jerry Jones and Dallas and all the big wigs there decided that McCarthy was the best guy to take over as head coach, only two days after firing Jason Garrett. Like I said, I thought they would go for the big college guy. Or maybe a big time assistant, like a Greg Roman or Eric Bienemy type. Hell, I even thought they had the juice, especially since they just got beat, to finally get their white whale, Sean Payton. I never, ever expected Mike McCarthy to be the head coach of the Cowboys.

This is wild, and for all the wrong reasons. He will work with Dak Prescott, and I think this hiring means Prescott is about to get super duper paid. But, Green Bay never had a running back that was used properly under McCarthy. Now he has Ezekial Elliot, who got paid last offseason, and he will become, if McCarthy sticks to his usual nonsense, a guy that carries the ball 12-17 times a game and has a few catches here and there. He was already becoming neutralized this season, and he will regress more under McCarthy. I'm sure they will try and find a way to sign Amari Cooper so Prescott can have a good target, but that means they will lose some of the speedy guys they have, and some of the slot guys they have. Sure, McCarthy has experience coaching Randall Cobb, but he under utilized him in Green Bay. I'm sure he will do the same in Dallas. A guy like Michael Gallup, the Cowboys might not have the money to keep him after paying Cooper. The Cowboys also need a new tight end because Jason Witten is a billion years old. But, with all this being said, the offense should still be competent.

Yet, and this is what always bugged me about McCarthy, and why I was glad that Green Bay finally parted ways with him last offseason, he doesn't care about defense, and the Cowboys aren't very good on defense to begin with. The Packers D, under McCarthy, was horrendous. The offense was so highly rated because they needed to be great. They needed to score 25-35 points a game just to win. That is because McCarthy only focused on offense, hiring crappy coordinators and simply didn't care about that side of the ball. The Cowboys could score upwards of 28 points a game under McCarthy, but they may give up 28 points a game as well.

Finally, I feel like this is about as parallel a move as this franchise could've made. I expected an enormous splash. I expected the big time name. I expected a party after naming their new head coach. Now, they have a slightly better offensive mind than Jason Garrett as their head coach. Mike McCarthy definitely has had more success than Garrett, but he is just as bland, and cares less about defense. This almost feels like a move to please Jerry Jones because he knows he is still the boss. Mike McCarthy won't push and talk back. He will do what he is told to do. I don't think guys like Matt Rhule or Lincoln Riley would have done that. They would have wanted full control. And Jerry Jones is insane enough to not go out and get those  guys because he still thinks that the Cowboys are all about him.

This is a very puzzling hire. If I were a Cowboys fan, thank goodness I am not, I would be very pessimistic about this hire. I just don't get it.

Ty

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

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The SeedSing 2020 NFL Playoff Preview

Tomorrow the NFL playoffs kick off, and for the first time in a long time, spoiler alert, I'm not picking New England. I'm sure this means that they will find a way to win ugly and win yet another Super Bowl, but they have looked very good as of late, and they have to play on wild card weekend for the first time in forever. So, I will start with my AFC picks, then NFC, Super Bowl game and winner and my Super Bowl MVP.

The Texans and Bills are the first game of the day tomorrow, and I got to tell you, I am not going to watch a second of this one. I like Deshaun Watson, and I am a big Deandre Hopkins fan, but this game is going to be BORING. This is going to be a lot like the Jags-Bills game from a couple years ago, which I believe ended 10-7, and it was even more boring than that. Both teams are coming in kind of slow. The Bills have a very good defense, but their offense leaves a ton to be desired. The Texans have Watson and Hopkins, but they have a porous line and a mediocre defense. I'm sticking with Houston because of Watson, but this will be low scoring and brutal to the eyeballs.

The other AFC wild card game features The Patriots and the Titans. Again, I feel like this game is going to be slow and boring and not very well played. Both teams are better on defense than offense, but the Titans do have Derrick Henry. But, they also have Ryan Tannehill at QB. The Patriots are still the Patriots, but they have been a shell of themselves offensively all year. They have no run game, and Tom Brady looks every single second of 42 years old. The game is in New England, and honestly, that is the only reason I am picking the Patriots. I will be pulling really hard for the Titans, but I'm sure something weird will happen in favor of the Patriots to secure an ugly win.

That would give us a rematch of KC and New England, but this time I think KC will cruise. They are peaking at the right time, they have all their weapons healthy, Patrick Mahomes is 100 percent healthy and they are playing at Arrowhead. This will not be a repeat of last season. The refs can't even put the fix in on this one. If the Chiefs don't win, I'd be stunned.

The other matchup would pit The Texans and the Ravens. The Ravens should crush the Texans. They are better in every phase of the game, and I'm sure Lamar Jackson is itching to get the stink from last year's playoff game off him, and prove even further that he is the MVP of the NFL. He is awesome, the offense is awesome and the defense will harass the Texans all day. I have the Ravens winning big.

That leaves us with the Chiefs and Ravens in the AFC title game. This game should be a blast to watch. I may actually tune in just to see Mahomes and Jackson duel. But, the Chiefs just don't have the defense to stop anyone, let alone Lamar Jackson. This game will be high scoring, fun and I am picking the Ravens to be the AFC's representative in the Super Bowl.

Now to the NFC.

The wild card matchups included one good game and one I could care less about. The one I could care less about features my preseason Super Bowl champs, the Eagles, facing a very injured Seahawks teams, that was half a yard away from being the one seed. The Seahawks will win this game, but they will make it so much closer than it should be. That is what they do. Russell Wilson will pull something out of his butt, and throw a game winning TD, or set the Seahawks up for an easy field goal. The Eagles are too undermanned and Carson Wentz is not nearly as good as Russell Wilson. The Seahawks win a close one.

The other wild card game features New Orleans and Minnesota. Sorry RD, but the Saints will exorcise some past playoff demons and win this game with relative ease. The Saints are just a better football team, Drew Brees and Michael Thomas are lethal and Alvin Kamara is starting to look like his former self. And, the Vikings have Kirk Cousins as their QB, and he has an atrocious prime time and playoff record. Also, Dalvin Cook isn't fully healthy and the Vikings defense isn't as dominate as they could be. They also stumbled at the end of the season. Things are setting up nice for the Saints to make one last run with Brees.

If these teams win that would give us Saints-49ers and Seahawks-Packers. I don't trust the Packers as far as I can throw Aaron Rodgers. But, the game is in Green Bay, the Seahawks are hurt, and the Packers can control clock with their run game. I think it will be an ugly, and much closer than comfort for me, type game. But, I think the Packers can pull this one out.

As for the Saints-49ers, I trust the 49ers less than I do the Packers. The 49ers may be the most hollow 13-3 team in NFL history. They feasted on bad teams early in the year, and struggled against teams with solid QB's. Welp, the Saints have one of the best QB's to play the game, and I feel like he is going to carve up this defense, which has fallen as of late. The 49ers were a nice story, but they are still a year away, for me, to becoming a perennial threat. It is coming, and they could be good for awhile, but they will not beat the Saints.

That gives us Green Bay and New Orleans in the NFC title game. I am going to stick with my midseason pick, and say the Saints will win the game in Green Bay. Yes it will be cold and the Saints have a bad track record, but I feel like this is Brees' last go round, and he won't settle for anything less than a Super Bowl appearance. He will do enough, and the Packers will find a way to screw up in a critical moment, for the Saints to win a close one.

That gives us Saints and Ravens in the Super Bowl. And as much as I want to pick the Ravens because I love Lamar Jackson that much, I am going to stick with the Saints, and the fact that Brees will retire after the game. Like I said, this feels like their last run, and things are setting up almost too perfectly for the Saints to not go out as the champs this year. And of course this means I'm picking Brees to be the Super Bowl MVP. The game will be fun and exciting and come down to the end, but I feel like the Saints will have the ball last, Brees will hit either Thomas or Kamara on a critical third down and set them up for the win. The Ravens will be back, Jackson is that good, but this one is going to New Orleans.

Ty

Another view of the playoffs

The first round is filled with good teams playing bad teams. Ty is right on his picks for the first round. I would not be shocked to see New England lose, but I would also not be shocked if they won the Super Bowl. They cheat, that is why you cannot count them out.

The second week will see the 49ers lose to the Saints. Their first meeting was an aberration, the Saints will roll in San Francisco. I do not agree with Ty, I think Green Bay will easily beat the Seahawks. Russell Wilson is great, but Aaron Rodgers is also great and has a better team around him. In the AFC Kansas City and Baltimore will win easy games. Unless the Patriots cheat again, then it will be New England and Baltimore.

In the NFC championship I am picking Green Bay to beat New Orleans. The home field advantage of Lambeau in late January will be too much for the Saints finesse offense. In the AFC Kansas City, or New England because they cheat, will beat the Ravens. Lamar Jackson will put up numbers, but the Chiefs have a more balanced team, and I think Mahommes when healthy is the best quarterback in the NFL.

The Super Bowl will finally go to Andy Reid when the Chiefs beat the Packers and take revenge for their loss in Super bowl I. If the Patriots cheat their way to another Super Bowl, they will cheat their way to another win. I am just hoping that the cheaters finally falter, that is why I am holding out hope for a Kansas City win.

One more thing. The Bengals, if they draft Joe Burrow,. will be a better bet for the Super Bowl next year than the Vikings will. Kirk Cousins is not the answer, and never will be. Can Minnesota get Case Keenum back?

RD

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

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Welcome Clay Travis to the World of Hot Take Idiots

As I stated yesterday, I watched my Wolverines lose yet another bowl game. I have come to realize that they are a mediocre, pretty much irrelevant college football team. Yes, they have a big name, a big name coach, a big stadium, are on TV all the time, but when it comes to play on the field, they are a 9 or 10 win team at best. I hope this changes, and I think it can, especially under Jim Harbaugh, but for now, they are a mid level Big Ten team. That's the honest truth.

But, I am not here to douse more gas on the fire that the media has been hitting Michigan with the moment that game ended yesterday. Quite the opposite in fact. I am hear to ask, why does Michigan and Jim Harbaugh bear so much of the brunt from media members who have never, ever coached a single game, at any level, of any importance, ever? I have gone on the record stating how much I think Paul Finebaum actually loves Harbaugh because he is ALWAYS talking about him. A weekend during the college football season doesn't go by where he doesn't have some flippant comment about Harbaugh or Michigan. All this coming from a guy who looks like he never played a sport his entire life. It's okay though, he gets owned constantly on ESPN now by many, many former players that they currently employ. Go look up the whole Cam Newton-Eli Manning debate when Ryan Harris absolutely trolled the shit out of him on live TV. It was tremendous.

Today I want to talk about Clay Travis, who I can almost guarantee is a racist, and never did anything of consequence in the sports world, comments he made on Twitter yesterday. He said something along the lines of Jim Harbaugh being the most overrated coach in the history of college football. Now, I do agree with most people that Harbaugh hasn't done what many, myself included, what we thought he could do at Michigan. But still, he has a solid, winning record at Michigan, he has gone to a bowl game ever year, had them on the cusp of the playoff twice and turned a program that was in the toilet under Rich Rod and Brady Hoke, into a viable Big Ten contender. So, I want to ask Clay Travis, who was against his alma mater Vanderbilt taking the word "confederate" off a hallway sign, why is he the most overrated coach? What has he done to you personally that makes you think he is the most overrated coach ever? Is it because you placed a bet on Michigan, because you are a degenerate gambler, and it didn't work out the way you hoped? Or is it because you are a hot take dipshit that works for Fox Sports, and you always want to say some stupid shit that your dumbass fans will rally behind? I have to think that is the case. You know what Clay Travis, I am shocked, absolutely shocked, that you don't work for that frat boy website Barstool Sports, because your takes are as hackey as the nonsense they put up daily. I'm fed up with people who have never played, or coached at any level saying stuff like this, and it gets hundreds of thousands retweets. That is all he is doing this for. He doesn't care about Michigan football or Jim Harbaugh, he just wants the clicks, retweets and likes. He doesn't know what he is talking about. He isn't out here doing the things that major division 1 college coaches do. He doesn't have it in him to do that. He isn't good enough to do that. I told my father today that, since he thinks he is so smart, I'd like to place him in the job as head coach at Michigan for one day, that's it, just a day, so he can see how hard it is when idiots like himself say this nonsense on Twitter. Clay Travis is no better than Paul Finebaum or Skip Bayless or Stephen A Smith or Jim Rome. He is a wannabe, a hack and a phony. He was never able to reach the heights that these coaches he chastises have, and he is jealous. This is the pathetic state of what some consider real journalism.

My point? Clay Travis is as awful a human being as his takes. He is a nobody with no real accomplishments, except acting like a typical bro. Take his mic, phone and computer away from him, and he is just another average nobody. And he is certainly no Jim Harbaugh. You can take that to the bank. I'd much, much, much rather have Jim Harbaugh as the Michigan football coach then read another dumbass tweet from a Fox Sports moron like Clay Travis. 

Ty

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

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RIP David Stern

As I was watching my Wolverines getting waxed this afternoon, I say that too much lately, news flashed across my tv saying that David Stern had passed away. This was a shock. I know that recently, I believe December 12th, he was rushed to a hospital after having a brain hemorrhage. But, I assumed he was going to be okay because I hadn’t heard much since then. But, while watching the Citrus Bowl, the news scrolled.

I think this is so stunning to me because of how influential Stern was to the NBA, and to getting me back into the game big time while he was in charge. Stern took over as commissioner in 1984, I was only 2, but his time as the boss was unforgettable. He took over the league when guys like Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan were the stars of the league. I think his first year was Jordan’s first year. To take over the league with a player like Jordan at the forefront, you couldn’t ask for it any better. And from there on out, Stern pretty much nailed his job as commissioner.  Stern helped the NBA grow when he took over. He made the game accessible, and watched a ton, in Canada. He got the NBA to be on tv all the time because he knew the product was good enough to get people all over the world to watch. Stern also had a hand in getting the WNBA off the ground. Before Stern, we didn’t have teams move like the Clippers, Grizzlies and Hornets. He also was a part of the relocation of the Sonics, which I’m not a fan of, but the Thunder are a legitimate team. They have been to the Finals, drafted KD, Russell Westbrook and Harden. None of that happens without Stern. Stern was also the guy who vetoed the Chris Paul trade to the Lakers. That would have made them unbeatable, so Stern vetoed it, and then Paul ended up with the Clippers, and then “Lob City” happened. All thanks to Stern. Stern was also the commissioner during the “iced envelope” in the 1985 draft lottery that gave the Knicks the right to draft Patrick Ewing. I’ve always known the draft lottery was rigged, and who cares if that let the Knicks get Ewing. That made New York basketball exciting and relevant again. I’m sure he also had a hand in getting LeBron to Cleveland in his draft. Hometown kid to a hometown, moribund franchise, why not do that. I also loved that he took on morons like Jim Rome. Rome tried to get him to admit to fixing the draft lottery and Stern simply said he didn’t, and then shamed him for asking. I love that. Stern was also a big proponent of not doing load management. He hated it, and so do I. Stern fined players and coaches constantly for doing this, and I supported that. Stern was a very, very important NBA person. He ran the league super well, made it a worldwide phenomenon, dealt with the biggest of stars and never backed down. Stern is a legend and will be remembered rightfully as one.

Rest In Peace David Stern. You will be sorely missed.

Ty

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

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A Few Thoughts on the 2019 College Football Semi-Final Games

I want to take today to talk about the two college football playoff semifinal games. Both were the finals I expected, I picked each winning team, but I did not expect the games to play out as they did. I was actually kind of stunned by each outcome, and how we got there. Let’s break it down.

First off, I expected LSU to win, even picking them to win by double digits, but I didn't expect it to be a 63-28 beat down. I mean, it was 49-14 at halftime. Joe Burrow went for 350 plus passing yards and 7 TD's in the half. That is insane. I can't even put those numbers up in a video game, or if I do, it is time for the backups to come in. This game was close for one drive. LSU scored very early on a muffed punt. Then Oklahoma got the ball and immediately answered. After that, it was over. LSU went on to score, I think, 28 unanswered points, made it look super easy, and this game was done before halftime. I have never seen a beat down like this between two, supposedly, even matched teams. I thought Oklahoma would be able to stay in it for a half, maybe even until the third quarter. Well, I was wrong.

I am a big time Jalen Hurts guy. I love the way he transformed himself, I love his leadership, I love how humble he is and he is one of the few transfers who benefited from leaving Alabama. But, LSU was so far ahead that they turned him into only a passer, and that is how you beat Oklahoma. When Hurts cannot be fully utilized as the threatening dual threat QB he is, and has to become a pocket passer, it isn't the best formula to win. Hurts hung in there and did his best, but his defense let him down.

As for LSU, I mean is there any question they are the best team in college football anymore? What they did on Saturday night was one of the most impressive things I have ever watched. They looked like they were playing 7 on 7. It looked liked a practice for them. Their star running back, Edwards-Helaire, was able to rest his hamstring for the title game because they were so far ahead. Their receivers, especially the Biletnikoff winner, whose name I cannot remember, were always open, always scoring and making the game look so easy. And Burrow, he was outstanding. For a kid I knew very little about coming into the year, this kid is a star. He should be the first pick in the upcoming NFL draft. He looked poised and calm in the pocket. When he had to improvise, he always seemed to find an open guy for a big gain. And again, 7 passing TD's in a half! Wow, just wow. What a performance by this team. I didn't even mention the defense, but they did their job. Sure, Oklahoma had 28 points, but 21 of them were very hollow. I think 14 of them were against backups too. This was a dominant performance.

As for the other game, that gave us the drama and complaints and intrigue I think we all wanted from the semifinal. Look, I picked Clemson to win, thinking they would expose the University of Ohio State's defense. They did win, but it was ugly and riddled with questionable calls. Also, I will never, for the life of me, understand why Clemson decided to make Trevor Lawrence a runner in this game, but it did work. He went for 100 plus rush yards and a TD. He also threw for 250 plus yards and a few scores. He is every bit as good as the hype suggests, it was just weird that it took an odd targeting call to get him going. The University of Ohio State should have won the game, jumping out to a quick 16-0 lead, but there was some poor officiating. I am in no way saying this is why they lost, not at all, but still, there was some bad calls. I do need to say that as much as it pains me. Still, they were up 16-0 early in the second quarter, and they blew it. They had three opportunities inside the red zone in the first half, and they had to settle for field goals. They had too many dropped passes. They couldn't stop Lawrence after the first quarter. The stud defensive end they have was neutralized by Clemson's run game, and quick pass game. The running back, Dobbins got hurt, and they couldn't run much with him out. So no Buckeye fans it wasn't the refs, your team blew it. Believe me, I know. I have seen Michigan blow too many games, tried to blame it on refs and then realized that it was their fault, and no one else's. That fact that their coach is out here blaming it on refs is just sour grapes. Get over it. You have the majority of this juggernaut coming back, and hopefully your receiver and QB don't have a horrific miscommunication in the end zone next season to end your season. The university of Ohio State had a 16 point lead and blew it.

As for Clemson, again, I don't understand their plan heading into this game, but it eventually worked. They ran, ran and ran some more until it worked. They played the check down pass game, until they decided to throw screens against an attacking defense, which of course worked. Their defense constantly blitzed, even though they were giving up chunks of yards, until it worked. They played this game like they were playing an ACC opponent, and you know what, it worked just like it had for the previous 28 games. Clemson hasn't lost in nearly 2 years. Trevor Lawrence hasn't lost since taking over as the starter, and in fact, this game was the first time he had taken snaps trialing in a game since high school. I guess I shouldn't be questioning what they do because it obviously continues to work for them. I was glad that this game was close to the end though. For someone with zero rooting interest in this game, it kept my attention. I watched the whole thing with bated breath. I was taken aback by the interception to end the game. I was impressed by both teams final offensive drives, until the interception. It was a very, very good game. The play was a little sloppy, but I have come to expect that from college football. That doesn't make the game any less exciting.

So, while we get the title game that I, and many others, predicted, it was an odd way to get there. I am sticking with LSU to win, but who knows. Clemson is the dynasty. Will LSU be the team to dethrone them? We will have to wait until January 13th to find out.

Ty

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

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Best of 2019: Top Five Sports Moments

Finishing up my best of 2019 lists, today I come to you with sports. I love sports, I love watching and playing and flat out enjoying it all. This is a big time in sports for me too. We have bowl games, the NBA starting to ramp up, the NFL playoffs coming, it is all good. And as usual, I do not have stuff like horse racing, golf, soccer, hockey or baseball on my lists. Those sports mean little to nothing to me. Anyway, to the list.

At number 5 I have Giannis Antentekoumpo's MVP award season, but more importantly, his speech he gave at the awards show. This kid is an amazing basketball player, and an even better person. To hear him talk about his struggle growing up, to being picked much later in the first round than most thought, to being mocked at that draft for the videos they sent in, to being humbled as a rookie, to learning how to be more aggressive, working on his game and lifting the Bucks franchise, he has been through it all, and he explained that so gracefully and eloquently during his acceptance speech. I don't know any NBA fan out there that doesn't like Giannis. He is a good dude that works tirelessly on his game, wants to be the best and doesn't seem to be in the game for the fame or money. He wants rings and respect. Giannis is wonderful.

At number 4 I have Kawhi Leonard's playoff run last year. When Kawhi was traded to Toronto most of us knew it was a one year rental. And what he did, carrying the Raptors to a title, it was more than worth it. Kawhi has always been a good, but quiet player. He was still pretty quiet during that playoff run, but after the previous season, where he only played 9 games, he was out to prove how great he can be, and he did that throughout Toronto's playoff run last season. He, after they blew game one, helped the Raptors easily dispose of the Magic. He then, playing hurt, did everything for the Raptors against the 76ers, including that incredible buzzer beating shot in game 7 to get his team to East Finals. Then, after losing the first 2 games to Milwaukee, Kawhi became the dominant force we thought he could be. He was the catalyst to the Raptors winning the next 4 games and shutting down Giannis. He became his primary defender, and he did enough to slow him down. Then, he led the Raptors into the Finals against the Warriors juggernaut. People may discount this title because KD didn't play, but I don't. The Warriors won without KD, and they were mostly healthy this whole series. Kawhi was just better than everyone on the floor. His offensive game exploded, he was as good as ever on defense, and he was the reason they ended the Warriors dynasty in Golden State in game 6. He has now shut down two dynasties, and watching him do it, I can't help but respect the hell out of him. Kawhi is, somehow, still underrated, but he showed that he is the real deal in the playoffs last year. It was a thing of beauty.

At number 3 I have the rise of Lamar Jackson. He is the MVP. He is the most fun player to watch in the NFL. He is proving all of his critics wrong. He has made Baltimore's front office, and head coach, look like geniuses for building around his skill set. He is Mike Vick 2.0, and I am all in for it. I am not a Ravens fan, but I adore watching Jackson play football. He has so much fun, seems like a great teammate and is one of the few players that has kept my attention for a professional league I am losing hope in. Lamar Jackson has become must watch TV. He is the best player in the NFL and it is not even close. He has shown up and shown out all year, and if the Ravens play anyone else other than the Packers in the Super Bowl, I will be fully rooting for them. Lamar Jackson is the new generation of QB, and I love it.

At number 2 I have Michigan men's basketball hiring Juwan Howard. After John Beilein left, I didn't know what to think or who they would hire. Some established coaches names popped up here and there, but none of them moved the needle for me. None of them got me excited for the future. Then I heard Howard's name starting to get mentioned, and after reading about his post NBA career, how well respected he was as an assistant coach in the NBA, I started to buy in. I became one of the many people hoping and wishing they would hire him. Eventually, actually pretty quickly after the rumors started, Howard was officially hired, and I was stoked. Beilein didn't leave the cupboard bare for him either, but I also was stoked about his relationships, and potential ability to recruit. The Wolverines basketball team has started much stronger than I would have thought, and Howard has already reeled in two top recruits for 2020. After looking at things possibly being bleak, I have totally flipped and am totally stoked for the future with Howard at the helm. He is returning this team to the fun, and don't get me wrong, the team was super successful and very, very good under Beilein, they are just more fun to watch with Howard as the head coach. It was  great choice.

Finally, my number one sports moment of 2019 is two Michigan football games. I have been very critical, and think that the 2019 Wolverines were one of the most underachieving teams of the year. But, they had two games that were great to watch, and had me thinking, if they played like that all year, they would have been a playoff team. The first was their night game against Notre Dame. They were not picked by many to win, they looked kind of confused on offense and the defense gave up too many big plays. They then came out on a slippery, wet and rainy night and ran the ball down Notre Dame's throats. They went for 300 plus yards. Hassan Haskins and Zach Charbonnet were the offense. Shea only threw the ball about 10 times, and that was all that was needed. As far as the defense, they were all over the field, hitting hard, stopping the run, pressuring and sacking the QB and covering receivers. If not for one atrocious pass interference call, this game would have been a shutout. Michigan stomped on their throats at the jump, and never let up. They won that game 45-14. Then they had another home game about a month later against Michigan State. I loathe Michigan State, and I was nervous about this game, as I always am. And it started rough. MSU went right up the field and scored an easy TD to take an early lead. I thought I was in for a long day. Well, MSU only scored three more points the whole game, while Shea Patterson threw for nearly 400 yards and 4 TD's. He looked as good as I had seen him in his 2 years at Michigan. I also loved that, while up 27 late in the fourth, Josh Gattis called a read option play that was actually a pass and Patterson hit a wide open receiver for another TD to go up 44-10. This was the beat down of MSU I had been waiting for since Harbaugh took the Michigan job. It was nice to see the offense humming, the defense playing fast and mean and the team not letting up an inch after a slow start. It was fun.

As for disappointments, lets continue with Michigan football. The end of the season was an absolute train wreck yet again. Michigan got destroyed by the University of Ohio State, but this year it was in Ann Arbor. They looked under-prepared, slow and not up to task. They got out coached, out played and out classed after their first drive. When Quinn Nordin missed the extra point, I had that sinking feeling that is was a bad omen, and boy oh boy was it ever. They are not at the level of these elite college football teams, and that game showed it once again. Things are better for Michigan than they have been in awhile, but they still have a lot of catching up to do if they want to be a real contender. It has been a frustrating past seven years. Some other disappointments, I am bummed that the OKC Thunder are a shell of the perennial playoff and title contender they were, with Russ and PG leaving this past offseason. They are just not the same team that I once loved and rooted like hell for. They are an average at best team, who does look to have a very bright future, but this was a team that was a true contender. Now, it is Chris Paul and a bunch of young guys, or guys that are looking for a trade. It's a bummer. I also am not a huge fan of the Lakers getting their way yet again. Anthony Davis let LeBron and Rich Paul convince him that he needed to go to LA, and of course they got what they wanted after Davis acted all disgruntled last season. He went to LA after a big time trade, and the Lakers look great. This all proves how much more a the GOAT Jordan is because he never orchestrated a super team like LeBron does. LeBron is great, but only when he has other great players surrounding him. And before you throw Scottie Pippen in my face, AD is a better modern day player than Pippen was back in the 90's. The Lakers always seem to get what they want, and they don't care what franchises they have to potentially blow up to do it. They think they are the glamour franchise, but lately, they are more like the Dallas Cowboys. They may have a big name, but they haven't won anything of importance in nearly a decade. Finally, the most recent Super Bowl, where the Patriots beat the Rams 13-3, might be the most boring, and poorly played Super Bowl I have watched. The game was pointless, easy to see what was going to happen and the cheating Patriots won yet again. I guess this is what I get for rooting for the Rams, even though they were stolen from Saint Louis by a money hungry douche bag. This game was rotten, the teams played awfully and fan boys for the Patriots got more ammo to talk about how great they are. What a waste.

Okay that does it for my best of 2019 lists. I hope you all enjoyed them.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. I know Ty does not care for hockey, but how could he miss his hometown St. Louis Blues winning the Stanley Cup. How soon we all forget. Like I can not tell you who won the previous ten cups before the Blues.

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Can John Beilein and the Cleveland Cavaliers Really Work?

This past NBA offseason, myself and a lot of other people were kind of stunned when John Beilein left Michigan to take the Cleveland Cavaliers head coaching job. He had a good group of players coming back, Michigan was a perennial top 20 and NCAA tournament team, and after flirting with the NBA the season before, he said something along the lines of wanting to retire at Michigan. So, for him to leave, and to choose Cleveland, as I said, it was a stunner. I’m happy with how things have turned out for Michigan. They got Juwan Howard, and they’ve already beaten 2 top 10 opponents in their first 10 games. Also, Howard seems like he’s going to be a great recruiter.

Back to Beilein though. When he left, I wrote a whole thing about how I’m rooting for him, and, after a few days to think about it, kind of understanding why he took the job and how I didn’t think it would go so well. But, I didn’t see it turning this bad this fast.

Recently some of his players, who I think were anonymous, called out his coaching, his tactics and kind of said, this isn’t college anymore. They seemed to be irritated with his play calling, and what he named his plays. Now some players have come out and said they don’t agree, and think he’s going to be a good coach, but when this stuff leaks, and it’s coming from reputable sources, I feel like the damage is done. I kind of fall on both sides of this argument. I get why some of the players on the team may not be so into Beilein’s approach as a head coach. In college, you’re the top dog. The players come to your school to play for you. You have all the power. In the pros, the coach is simply a figure head, picked because someone in the front office thinks they can manage talent. That’s not John Beilein’s strength. He was known for getting under the radar players to excel in college. Now, he’s coaching former champs, former all stars and lottery picks chosen to be franchise players. These guys are making much much more money than him, they have way more pull and they’re more essential. No one is going to Cavs games to watch John Beilein coach. They want to see Kevin Love, Darius Garland and Colin Sexton fly up and down the floor and figure the game out. So I can see why some of the current players may not be so down with watching film for hours, working on fundamentals and practicing as much as Beilein may want them to. I may not agree, but I can understand them tuning him out. Especially the veterans, mainly Kevin Love who just wants out, doing so.

I also find myself sympathetic towards Beilein. Look, he was chosen to coach this team because they’re so young and need to be taught the game. Any NBA fan knew going into this year that the Cavs were going to be one of the worst teams in the league. They are too young to be a real threat. Their best veteran is Love, and as I said, he has one foot out the door already. This team needs to run plays, be re taught fundamentals, have sets they can go to in times of need. They need an adult in the room, and Beilein proved to be one in college. He also proved to be a damn good coach with less than ideal recruits. He turned guys like Trey Burke and Nik Stauskas into lottery picks. He helped Mitch McGary and Glenn Robinson III get drafted. Hell, he had two guys get picked in the most recent draft. He can develop talent, he just needs time. So, for some to call him out after only 21 or 22 games, chill out. Give him time. If you take his coaching, it may benefit you in the long run. If he is given time, I could see the Cavs winning 30 plus games as early as next season.

So, while I don’t like that Beilein thinks he can use a college coaches mentality in the NBA, I still think he needs more time to be truly judged as an NBA coach. We will see if the Cavs brass gives him the time needed, or if they side with the players sooner rather than later.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet. It’s also Ty’s birthday today. The best basketball writer in all the internets never takes a day off.

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2019 NFL Quick Hits: Week 14

Week 14 of the NFL season has come and gone, and I'm here for my weekly takes.

Thursday night's game proved to me that maybe, just maybe, Mitch Trubisky can be Blake Bortles 2.0, with a better defense. The Bears easily handled the Cowboys, god I love seeing them blow it like this every year, and Trubisky controlled the game well enough. The Bears defense also totally shut down the Cowboys offense when it mattered. Sure, the score looked close at the end, but the game was never in doubt. The Bears have strung together a couple of wins, but I don't think it will matter in the end because they currently are third in their division. The Cowboys are still in first, at 6-7, but that just shows me how bad the NFC East is, and how average the Cowboys are.

The Colts blew a much needed win to stay in the playoff hunt in the AFC. Things looked good at the start when they pick sixed Jameis Winston to start the game, but the defense couldn't stop him from there. Winston threw the ball all over the field for the Bucs, and they have looked competitive near the end of this season. They won't make the playoffs, but they are looking more and more like a team that could be good if they get the right QB. They already have solid running backs, great receivers and a good enough o line. They could go far with a quality QB like Colin Kaepernick. The Colts, well, they look like they are running out of steam, and that the loss of Andrew Luck is starting to get to them now. They have played hard, but they are getting tired. It happens.

Lamar Jackson and the Ravens won again. God I love watching this team. In the past 2 weeks Jackson has faced defenses that were designed to stop him, and while they have held him down a bit, he is still finding ways to win. And wins like the past 2 weeks make me like this team even more as a real Super Bowl contender. Jackson has also, to me, already won the MVP. Put his name on the trophy. The Bills played tough, but they just don't have the offense to be a real threat.

The Vikings beat the Lions in one of the most boring games of the week. The Vikings are keeping up in the NFC North, and they need to win games like this, but I still don't trust them, and I picked them to win the division. I also feel sorry for the Lions because they could be a threat if Stafford was healthy. This is kind of a mulligan year for them in my opinion.

Speaking of the NFC North, the Packers won, but it was not pretty. They just kind of trotted out there, did what they needed to and walked away with a blah win. That proves how bad Washington is to me as well. The Packers went maybe 70 percent and still won. They have real problems in Washington.

The Broncos absolutely torched the Texans. I thought the Texans were on their way up, but apparently they let their win over New England last week blend into this week. The Broncos led by 28 at one point, and Drew Lock looked like a Pro Bowler at times. Games like this happen, but if you want to be a real contender, this shouldn't happen. Houston should have taken care of business, but they didn't, and they still don't have a spot wrapped up yet.

The 49ers and Saints played a very exciting, defenseless game. This was back and forth. Drew Brees looked like his old self, but Jimmy Garroppolo matched it. And that play at the end, with George Kittle dragging defenders who were holding his facemask was damn impressive. I didn't expect the 49ers to be this good so soon, but props to them. And while they got beat, I don't think this mattered as much to the Saints. They already have a division wrapped up, and they are just out there to stay warm. Super fun game if you like offense though.

The Browns beat the Bengals, and pushed their record to 6-7, but it is so hollow. The Browns have been a disappointment this season, and the fact that they let the Bengals back in this game speaks to how overrated they were to start the season. As for the Bengals, this is a lost year, they need to rebuild and start all over again. They are not very good.

The Falcons destroyed the Panthers, who are playing horrible football lately, need a new coach and need Cam Newton back. That team was fighting for the playoffs three weeks ago, now they are looking at a possible top ten pick. As for the Falcons, they are playing so much better since Raheem Morris took over the defense and since they realized they could just have fun and play. They look a whole lot better. I wouldn't be totally shocked if Dan Quinn keeps his job. Seriously.

The Dolphins beat the Jets, and all I know about this game is the Dolphins 21 points came from 7 field goals. No TD's. That is insane. Also, the Jets are so inconsistent. It is wild.

The Chargers obliterated the Jags. I guess neither Gardner Minshew nor Nick Foles is the answer at QB. They may also need a new head coach. As for the Chargers, it is games like this that would drive me nuts if I were a fan of theirs. They have the ability to be this good most weeks, they showed that last year, but they have been so up and down this season. Good win for them though.

The Chiefs beat the Patriots in Foxborough in December, and they won pretty easily. The Patriots defense looks to be wearing down a bit, and their offense has not been good at all. They need to fix some stuff, or just cheat like they always have. I'm sure they will find a way to cheat. Hell, they are even illegally taping Bengals sidelines now. That is a problem. As for the Chiefs, they are starting to come together at the exact right time. They are getting that look from last season nearing he end of the regular season and playoffs, just when you want to start really clicking.

The Titans, led by Ryan Tannehill, are really looking like a legit playoff threat. They all but ended the Raiders playoff hopes by beating them by 3 TD's. The Raiders may be good in a few years, but it will still take time. The Titans, while boring, are a good team with a great run game and a solid defense. I could see them winning a playoff game this year over a team deemed better than them.

The Steelers won again, keeping that sixth spot in the playoffs, and it is because of Mike Tomlin and their defense. They stifled the Cardinals, who are definitely running out of steam, and starting to get figured out by opposing teams. I don't know how they do it every year, but the Steelers, and I hate saying this because I dislike them so much, are the Spurs of the NFL. They are consistently good.

The Rams, much like the Chiefs, are starting to click at the right time. It may be too little too late for them, the NFC is loaded, but man did they smoke a hot Seahawks team. They won with ease. They had a 3 score lead going into half. The only TD the Seahawks scored was on defense. Russell Wilson is no longer the MVP front runner. I like what the Rams are doing, they made great adjustments, but like I said, there may not be enough time left in the season. They are going to gave to win out, and still get help from other teams.

And the Monday night game, the Eagles and Giants, may be one of the worst matchups ever for a primetime game. I didn't watch a second, I saw Eli Manning started, threw a few TD's and lost, putting his all time record below .500. By the way, he is not a hall of fame player, but that is a different blog for another day. As for the Eagles, they still have a shot at the division title, but they are so disappointing, I don't think it matters. But good on them, they won a game they needed.

That does it for week 14. Come back next week when we should have a ton of playoff spots nearly sewn up.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Word is that the Patriots have been taping Ty while he writes his blogs. Anything to get a leg up on the competition.

Why Are the Houston Rockets Wasting Everyone's Time?

This whole thing going on in Houston with the Rockets and filing a grievance for a game they got beat in for a missed call on a dunk is one of the wilder things I have ever seen in my NBA watching life.

For those that may not know, James Harden went up for a fast break dunk with about 8 minutes left in the fourth quarter in a game they were currently leading by 13 points, he dunked it pretty hard and the ball flipped out of the top of the hoop. I have never seen anything like this before, and I was blown away that the refs said it was no basket. The ball went through the net, meaning it should have counted, and it whipped through the net up and out. Still, it went through, it should have been a basket. But, this is no different to me than when the refs miss a travel, or a foul or any nominal type call. It happens. Refs are human, and they make mistakes. But, the Rockets went on to blow that lead, and the Spurs won in double overtime. And somehow, well after the game, the Rockets decided that this one miss was the sole reason they got beat.

I mean, come the hell on with that nonsense. Sure, the game was close. I believe the Spurs won by a very slim margin, and one basket may have sent the game to a third overtime, but still, what is this nonsense all about? Why all the whining? Why all the bitching and moaning and filing a grievance? Is this one game, in the first quarter of the season, really going to screw up Houston's shot at a 3 or 4 seed. The facts are simple, the refs missed a call, but the Rockets blew the game. That call was not the deciding factor.

I feel like a lot of this stems from James Harden and Mike D'Antoni. They always have this air about them where they feel like they've been disrespected or screwed by some outside factor. The Rockets are an elite offensive team and a mediocre defensive team. That is D'antoni's MO, and that is how Harden plays. Defense is a nuisance that gets in the way of Harden pounding the ball for 20 seconds and shooting a three or drawing a foul. In this particular game, the defense let them down. I say again, they had a 13 point lead in the middle of the fourth quarter against a team that isn't very good right now. So, for the team, and the higher ups in that organization to think that filing this grievance, and either being gifted a win, or replaying the final 8 minutes, was a good idea, it is not. This is a waste of everyone not involved with the Rockets organization. The people who work for the NBA, the refs, the Spurs, all the fans that were there, will have to comb through pointless footage and have unnecessary meetings and be called out of the blue just because a ref blew a call and cost James Harden 2 points. I mean, that is absurd.

The Rockets, as they currently sit, are starting to remind me every single day of the "Lob City" Clippers. They are an entitled bunch of assholes that haven't won anything of importance. They are chokers. They are highlight chasers. They are ball hogs. They don't play defense. They aren't properly coached come playoff time. They are overrated as hell. I used to like James Harden, now I cannot stand to watch him play. He slows the game down to a grind. The dude is an incredible scorer, and does things I didn't even know were possible, but he is a drag to watch. Russell Westbrook is not near the lightening rod he was in OKC. He is being as misused as Chris Paul was, and he isn't half the defender Paul still is. PJ Tucker is about the only guy that tries on defense, but he uses all of his energy on that end because no one else does. Capela has completely fallen off. He was ascending big time 2 years ago, and now, he is no more than a screener and rebounder. Eric Gordon is hurt. Ben McLemore is playing big minutes. And Mike D'Antoni is a very, very, VERY poor man's version of Phil Jackson when it comes to hounding refs. The Rockets are the new "Lob City" Clippers, minus the high flying dunks, and I don't mean that as a compliment. And this latest stupidity just adds more fuel to people like me who think that they are an absolutely ridiculous franchise.

A team that would complain about a meaningless game in December clearly doesn't have the fortitude to care about the games in June, you know, the ones that matter. This is so pointless and dumb and whiny and will resolve nothing. It is an absolute waste of everyone's time.

Ty

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

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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2019 NFL Quick Hits: Week 13

On to week 13 NFL quick takes. There were three games on Thursday, as opposed to the regular one, but I guess that was because it was Thanksgiving. Anyway, the games on Thursday weren't great, but they were telling.

The Bears beat the Lions, behind their third string QB. Mitch Trubisky looked good, for once in his career, but it was against a very undermanned Lions team. Also, the dude that played QB for the Lions, David Blough, looked okay against a very stout defense. But, the Bears got the win to stay in the playoff hunt. Yipee.

The Bills easily disposed of the Cowboys in Dallas. I think this game says a lot about both teams. The Cowboys are not very good. They can't really stop anyone, and the offense, while it can be explosive, is very inconsistent. The Bills, well, if they can run the ball and stop you, they will win. That's pretty clear cut. They did both of those things in this game, and won going away. They also managed to shit talk a ton, and I loved every second of it.

The Saints wrapped up their division with an easy-ish win over the Falcons. The Falcons are having a very bad year, and the Saints compounded that by beating them with relative ease. No, they didn't play their best, and the defense had a few lapses, but they still won, and are going to the playoffs again.

The Sunday games had one real highlight game, and the rest was just okay.

The Titans beat the Colts by 2 TD's, but it was close all the way to the end. Had it not been for an awkward turnover, the Colts may have won. As for the Titans, we should be talking a ton more about Derrick Henry. He is crushing it lately. He has looked like the best running back in the league for the past three games. He is awesome. The Titans are still in the race, and that surprises me. As for the Colts, they too still have a slight chance at the playoffs, but it looks less and less likely that they will make it. That being said, this team has played well all year considering what happened this offseason.

The game of the day was 49ers-Ravens, and even though it was played in an absolute mess, it was a very good game. The 49ers made some stops, but Lamar Jackson and the Ravens still found a way to win. They made the little plays, got the critical stop and Justin Tucker kicked yet another game winning field goal. Lamar Jackson is the clear front runner for MVP. This game was great.

RD's Bengals got a win. They beat the hapless Jets, and did it convincingly. I didn't watch a single second of this game, why would I, but I did see that they gave head coach Zac Taylor a Gatorade bath, and that is upsetting. I mean, they are 1-11, and he gets rewarded for that? Come on. As for the Jets, they should have won this game easily. They were playing well, and they laid a total egg. It looked rough. I put this one on their terrible coaching staff.

The Steelers beat the Browns in their "rematch" from the game that gave us that wild fight. The Browns head coach wore a stupid t shirt, they played like trash on offense and the Steelers got another win with an undrafted free agent rookie QB. The Steelers are winning with defense and a great head coach. They are nearly firmly in the playoffs, and that is nuts. Hats off to Mike Tomlin and that defense. As for the Browns, well, they are the most overrated team in the NFL. They may also be the most overhyped team. What a disappointment.

The Dolphins beat the Eagles, and man do the Eagles look hapless. They gave up a TD pass from punter to kicker. They let Ryan Fitzpatrick throw for 250 plus yards and three TD's. They got run on at will. The Eagles are right next to the Browns as the second most overrated team. And it all starts with their QB. Maybe Carson Wentz isn't as good as others thought. He hasn't been on at all this season. And that defense has way too many holes. They are 5-7, and still have a shot at the playoffs, but they are a very poor season. Also, Brian Flores is a hell of a head coach. He has this Dolphins team with 3 wins. That's incredible.

Washington, who looks like they have a little fight in them, beat Carolina. That was enough for them to fire Ron Riveria, and maybe Kyle Allen is really a backup, and not a QB to build around. Also, Christian McCaffery has no help, the defense is a mess and, as I said, Kyle Allen isn't the answer at QB. They should hold on to Cam if they can. And good job Washington in beating a real NFL team. They still aren't any good, and a total mess, but a win is a win.

The Packers won a glorified scrimmage over the Giants. They made Daniel Jones look like Daniel Jones and they held Saquon Barkley in check most of the afternoon. Also, Aaron Rodgers looked good throwing the ball, but they need to run better, especially later in the season like this when the weather gets bad. If they had run a bit more on Sunday they could've won by 30.

The Bucs beat the Jags, and Jameis Winston looked okay and Bruce Arians had a good game plan. The bigger story from this game was Nick Foles getting benched for Gardner Minshew. They gave Foles a ton of money, and he has gotten hurt, and played poorly and now they have a QB battle on their hands. I wouldn't be shocked if they try to trade Foles. What a mess.

The Rams got back on track easily disposing of the Arizona Cardinals. It's games like this that make me not give up on the Rams. Sure, Arizona is not a good football team right now, but they have looked competent at times this season against other good teams, and the Rams decimated them on Sunday. If they play like this, I could see them making a solid push for the playoffs. They are still very good.

The Chiefs destroyed the Raiders, and they looked like the Chiefs of old. Patrick Mahomes was crushing it, the run game worked and even the defense stepped up. They too, like the Rams, are looking like they are getting their footing, and they will be a dangerous team come playoff time. They do have the reigning MVP after all. As for the Raiders, well, it was fun while it lasted, pretending they were a playoff team. They have come up super short in their last 2 games, and regressed to the mean, They have 8-8 or 7-9 written all over them.

The Chargers found another crushing way to lose a game, this time getting flagged for pass interference in the final seconds of a game against the Broncos, setting them up with an easy field goal to win. The Chargers let a Drew Lock led team beat them, and I just think it is time they moved on from Phillip Rivers and company. He isn't elite anymore, the run game is stagnant, and the defense may be a bit overrated. And I guess good for the Broncos. They beat a divisional team, and maybe I am being too hard on Drew Lock. Maybe he can be their future QB, if this defense stays together.

The Sunday night game brought about more questions about this being the "end of the Patriots dynasty". I don't think that is true. They are 10-2 and they have a historically good defense. But, the Texans are good, and Deshaun Watson is amazing. He proved his worth by going for 4 TD passes and no picks against that stout defense. They could be a problem in the playoffs too, given the right matchup. They are a good football team. So are the Patriots.

And the Monday night game was entertaining. I'm sorry the Vikings didn't win RD, but I think that is because their QB is garbage against real football teams. He just can't finish the job. Also, the Seahawks, unfortunately, look legit. Russell Wilson is good. He has solid receivers. They now seem to have a run game. And while the defense isn't as good as they used to be, having Jadaveon Clowney is enough to make opposing coaches game plan simply for him.

That does it for week 13. Come back next week for week 14. We are getting near the end.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He forgot to mention the most important game of the weekend. The Head Editor won their last game of the fantasy football season, thus completing a 13-0 undefeated season. Bring on the playoffs.

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Time to Face Some Hard Facts About Michigan Football

Okay, I have given myself the weekend, thought about it a lot, and I want to give my thoughts on where my favorite team of all time, the University of Michigan Wolverines football team, currently sits in the landscape of college football.

First off, I was wrong with my preseason prediction. They were not a playoff team, not even close. They were out of Big Ten title contention after getting beat by Penn State. They were unfocused and undisciplined more often than not this season. Shea Patterson took too long to play like I, and many other fans, expected him to. And the defense, they played well in some games and awful in others. This is the second year in a row where I thought they had a legitimate chance to beat the University of Ohio State, and they got obliterated, twice. The game this year was close for one quarter, that was it. They got their butts handed to them, and the University of Ohio State continued to assert their dominance. There is no way to mince words, Michigan is not as good as them. It is that plain and that simple. Michigan has talented players, good quality football players and students. But, the talent is not the same. That much is evident. That much is true. I don't think anyone could deny that right now.

The coaching, I'm not ready to go there yet. The University of Ohio State poached a few key coaches from Michigan, but this happens all the time. But to see Greg Mattison leave, that one hurt. I really like the new D line coach, Shaun Nua, but Mattison was at Michigan twice, and for him to up and leave all of the sudden, that hurt. But, I would still take Jim Harbaugh over Ryan Day, and Josh Gattis over whoever their offensive coordinator and Don Brown, yeah I said it, over their two defensive coordinators. Hell, I would take all the assistants at Michigan. But, that could be my fandom clouding all of this.

Pulling away from the University of Ohio State game, and just looking at Michigan since Harbaugh took over, I will take it. No, Michigan has not won the Big Ten. No, they have not been to the playoff. No, they have not beaten the University of Ohio State. But, do all these current Michigan fans calling for the whole staff to be fired remember how bad this team was before they hired Harbaugh? Rich Rodriguez was a train wreck. He took over a storied program, tried to change the entire philosophy, albeit he was trying to get them to move into the 21st century of football, and it was disastrous. Rodriguez set records no one would want. He was the head coach when Michigan lost its first game to a MAC school. He lost 9 games in his first year. He stayed on the same recruits for far too long. He started Tate Forcier over Denard Robinson to run a spread option offense. He didn't care about defense. He lasted three years, and his best record was 7-6. He was not the answer. Then they tried to go back to the "glory days", and they hired a former assistant who was having a little success at a smaller school, a la Bo, in Brady Hoke. And, while his first season couldn't have gone better, 11 wins, beating the University of Ohio State and winning the Sugar Bowl, it was all down hill from there. They dropped off to 8 wins, then 7 and then 5. I saw that 5 win team play, and that team was so poorly coached. Hoke wanted to be good, I wanted him to be good, Dave Brandon wanted him to be good, but he just couldn't live up to the job. It was far too big for him. It was too much. And look at him now. I believe he was a d line coach at Tennessee for a minute, and now, I have no idea what he is doing.

After they fired Hoke, they hired Warde Manuel, thank goodness, and then they went out and got their white whale for head coach. They got Harbaugh. At the time I wasn't a humongous fan of this because of how quickly he leaves jobs, and how often he is mentioned for NFL openings. It seemed like his tenure would be shot lived. But, he came in and won 10 games his first season with a subpar roster. But, you could see the team was better coached and more disciplined. Then he had a team that seemed poised to be a playoff team. And, if it wasn't for one horrible spot, they would have made the playoff. Also, Harbaugh was finally getting high rated recruits to live up to their potential. Jabrill Peppers was crushing it that year. Devin Bush was a spot starter and special teams demon his first season. They reeled in Rashan Gary. You could see, in one year, that top tier kids wanted to play for Michigan. Also, he wasn't just getting good football players, but also good students. Michigan is hard enough to get into, so it is a bit harder to recruit the super, super elite. Michigan gets great players, but they have to develop. Year three was a bit of a setback for Harbaugh, but there were injuries and a ton of youth on that squad. Also, they trotted out John O'Korn and Brandon Peters at moments that season, and they still won 8 games. Last year, the first with Patterson, they looked like that second year team. And, they had a chance to play for the Big Ten title and the playoff, and got stomped in the final game. And then Rashan Gary and Devin Bush and Karan Higdon and others decided they needed to skip the bowl game to get ready for the NFL. I have no problem with that, but it does make it hard when several starters skip bowl games. And then we have this season. It was a very rocky start, but Harbaugh and the staff coached these kids up when they needed it. Everyone was ready to give up on Gattis, Harbaugh and Don Brown after the Wisconsin game, and that game was bad. This team looked bad. They needed double overtime to beat Army. Middle Tennessee was in the game late in the third. They looked discombobulated. Then the Penn State game happened. The first half was bad, but they looked totally different in the second half. They looked like they were having fun and playing loose. They looked solid. They didn't win that game, but I walked away thinking they may have figured it out. They went on to win the next four games, crushing Notre Dame and Michigan State. And even with the outcome of the University of Ohio State game, I still saw signs that the offense has legs. The defense was the main problem. So, while I was not on board with the hire 5 years ago, I look at it now like it was the right thing.

Also, for all the people wanting to fire him and the staff, who is the big time hire they expect? There is no one out there, for Michigan, that will be as big as Harbaugh was five years ago. Seriously, who would it be? They are not luring names like Nick Saban or Dabo Swinney or Kirby Smart or anyone that has teams in the hunt for the playoff currently. Those guys are staying put, or looking to get into the NFL. And do you really want to go down the NFL route again? Who would they get? I honestly don't know. I find that the Michigan fans that want a new coach don't really think, they just react. That is a problem. Give yourself time to take everything in before you jump to crazy conclusions. If/when Jim Harbaugh leaves, it will be on his terms. Michigan isn't going to let him go, that would be stupid, especially with the recruits that he has coming in. I'm also fully in on Josh Gattis. He improved each week, and given a few more years, he will be a head coach, I have no doubt about that. I also like Don Brown. I know he has other options right now, the Boston College job just opened. But, I think he is a very, very good coordinator. He is stubborn, but Michigan's defense is always in the top 20. If he leaves, I would hope that Harbaugh would stay in house, maybe Chris Partridge, to take over the defense. But, I like the staff. I'm in on the staff.

As for the talent on the field, it is okay, but not elite. Shea Patterson has been the best QB of the Harbaugh era, but I don't truly know how that makes me feel. I love the Packers, but I get frustrated with Aaron Rodgers. I guess it is the same with Patterson. He was solid for 2 seasons, but never "the best". Never the Heisman candidate that some predicted. The run game does seem to be in a good spot. I am a big fan of both Hassan Haskins and Zach Charbonnet. They could be one of the best duos in college football the more they play and develop. The receivers are solid. It all depends on who comes back, but they have a very good group of pass catchers. Tight end is solid too. So is the offensive line. I look at the defense, and while I have grown to adore guys like Khaleke Hudson and Josh Mettulus and Carlo Kemp and Lavert Hill, I won't be so bummed to see them graduate and head to the pros. It could be addition by subtraction. Again, Harbaugh and his staff have done a solid job of recruiting. Ambry Thomas is a very good corner. Daxton Hill looks like a legit All American. Cam McGrone played lights out after taking over for an injured Josh Ross. Kwity Paye has proven to be a solid pass rusher. Aidan Hutchinson looks really good. Chris Hinton got tons of looks this season. Mike Barrett should step in nicely at Viper. And Brad Hawkins is fine. They should be okay. The only question I have for the team next year is the QB spot, They will be picking between Dylan McCaffery and Joe Milton. Personally, I love Joe Milton. He is humongous, has a big time arm, can run and the game seems to come easy to him. Don't get me wrong, McCaffery is very good too. He's been the number 2 QB for two years. But, he gets hurt often and isn't the athlete Milton is. The offseason will tell a lot about where this team wants to go in 2020 at that position.

But pulling back from all of this. Pulling back from what they look like on paper, and who may or may not be on the staff next year and just thinking about where they stand in the current college football landscape, they are a good team. They can, and should win between 9 and 11 games every year. They will compete. They will play hard. They will fight. They can occasionally get a solid win here and there. They have a good staff with a top tier head coach. But, they are not elite. They are not on the level of the University of Ohio State or Alabama or Clemson. They are, at best, a top 15 team every year. They can win games, but they will also disappoint. They will continue to have dopes in the media say that the head coach is awful one second, then have the same people opining for him to coach their favorite NFL team. They will have to endure these stupid ass memes that former players put on the internet. They will have to deal with guys that have never played or coached the game at this high a level pass judgement on them. Michigan is a target, and so is Jim Harbaugh. But, that is okay. I would rather have a coach that is in demand than not. I would rather my team be in it all the way until the end of the season most of the time. I want Harbaugh to stick around and develop some of these young kids he has recruited to see if they pan out and become the answer for how to beat elite teams, and finally become one again. But, time will tell.

So, where does Michigan stand in my eyes? They are a solid football team. They will play in bowl games every year, and sometimes even major bowl games. They will compete. But, they are not elite. They are not upper echelon, and it may take a little bit longer than we all hope. All in all, I want them to stick with the staff as intact as possible, I want Harbaugh to stay and I really feel like they can close the gap. I feel like they can do it. They have been close twice. They just need to get over that hump. Until then, we Wolverine fans have to get used to 9-3 or 10-2 for a tiny bit longer. Those are just facts.

Ty

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

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2019 NFL Quick Hits: Week 12

Week 12 of the NFL has come and gone, and while there were some matchups that looked good on paper, they were, for the most part, blowouts, or just duds. That's not to say that the games weren't competitive, they just weren't as good as I was hoping. Anyway, lets get to my takes.

The Texans got a much needed win over the Colts on Thursday night to stay in first place on their division, but it wasn't easy. Deshaun Watson and Deandre Hopkins had to play amazingly, and luckily for them, they do that pretty much every game day. And the Colts, well they played tough, they are having trouble closing out games. It was close, a defensive battle, and the Texans pulled it out in the end. Deshaun Watson is so good too, and Hopkins. I just needed to point that out.

On to the Sunday games. The Browns won their third straight game, easily disposing of the Dolphins. The Browns offense actually looked functional, and the defense did what they had to do. As for the Dolphins, Brian Flores is proving to be a good coach because he has this roster actually competing in games against real teams. They have had no business being in any games, and they have won 2. But, the Browns may finally being putting it together, but the schedule only gets tougher from here.

Washington somehow won a game, but it was very, very ugly. They beat the Jeff Driskell led Lions. And while it is no excuse to get beat by Washington, I feel like Jeff Driskell being your starting QB is a pretty telling sign why the Lions got beat. But, this game was so ugly, and I read a story that said that tickets were going for as little as 9 dollars, in the lower bowl of the stadium. That is rough for two pro football teams. Also, go check out some of the pictures on the internet of the parking lot. It is something else.

The Raiders looked to be a real playoff contender, and then they got their asses whipped by the suddenly full of life Jets. The Jets won by 31 points. They only gave up 3 points. The Raiders defense gave up 34 points to Sam Darnold and the Adam Gase led Jets. Just when I think that Jon Gruden and the Raiders may have figured it out, they do something like this. I still don't totally trust them as a real playoff team, especially after a performance like this.

The Bears and Giants played a game almost as ugly as the Lions and Washington. The Bears won 19-14, and when I looked at the stats, it was eerily similar to the Washington-Detroit game. Mitch Trubisky played, and did okay. The Bears defense shut down the Giants, as expected. So, this game was nothing out of the ordinary, just another good showing by the Bears defense, and the offense doing everything they can to blow the game.

The Saints and Panthers played a pretty exciting, back and forth game. The Saints went up by 14 early on, but the Panthers scratched their way back, and the rest of the game it felt like each team seemed to trade points. Christian McCaffery would score, and then Drew Brees or Alvin Kamara or Michael Thomas would match it. The Panthers lost this game because their kicker had a bad day, and the Saints didn't. This game would have killed any shot the Panthers may have had at the playoffs, and solidified the Saints as a top tier contender. This was probably the best game of the weekend. I watched this game, and without even being a fan of either team, I was invested in the outcome.

The Eagles laid another egg, and Carson Wentz looked so bad, against the Seahawks. Russell Wilson didn't look great either, but at least he made plays when he needed to. Wentz did not. He has been really, really bad this year. so have the Eagles. They are the most disappointing team in the NFL this season. I feel dumb for ranking them number one in my preseason rankings. I was very wrong.

I was also wrong on Seattle. Wilson has been great, they have a solid run game, they have good deep threats at wideout and the defense can make plays when they need to. They look like a legit contender in the NFC. They could end up in the Super Bowl and it wouldn't surprise me one bit.

The Bucs finally solved the Falcons newfound defense and won going away. The game didn't start that way, with Jameis Winston immediately throwing a pick 6, but he settled down and so did Tampa Bay and they won with ease. Granted, the Falcons played Matt Schaub at QB, and they had no run game whatsoever, but their defense was humming, and they got scorched. Tampa and Atlanta are two of the most inconsistent teams, so I shouldn't be surprised, but I thought they would win this game. I was wrong.

The Bills won their ninth game, beating Denver 20-3. The game was close for a minute, then the Bills scored a few late TD's to pull away late. The Broncos played someone I have never heard of at QB, they ran the ball okay, but they couldn't do a thing throwing the ball. They also wasted a solid performance from their defense. The Bills defense is what is going to get them in the playoffs, but it may just be for one game because the offense is so blah. Shouts to Frank Gore also, who passed Barry Sanders in career rush yards in this game.

The Steelers beat RD's Bengals, to continue their winless season. The Bengals had a shot too. Ryan Findlay, why is he starting, threw a pass to Tyler Boyd that he housed, and they had a TD lead in the first half. Then the Steelers totally shut them down, and even though their racist ass QB got benched, and they kicked a few field goals after tying the game and walked away with a win, and now hold the 6th spot in the AFC playoff race. This was another ugly game, and was nearly unwatchable.

Derrick Henry and the Titans ran all over the Jags, and got a much needed win to stay in the playoff race. Derrick Henry loves to play Jacksonville it seems. He goes for tons of yards, multiple TD's and looks great. The Jags, well, they have a lot of offseason questions to ask, and try to figure out a direction they want to take this team in for the future.

The Cowboys and Patriots played a sloppy, wildly called game on Sunday afternoon. The Patriots won because they have a much, much better coaching staff. Dak Prescott has been great all year, but Jason Garrett seems to be obsessed with giving Ezekial Elliot the ball. He got far too many carries, and the Cowboys need to rely on Prescott if they want to be a real team. The Patriots were lights out on defense, but that offense is not very good. They have 10 wins, and will be the one seed in the AFC, but they feel like the most hollow 10-1 I have ever seen. The playoffs will be very telling.

The Packers had a chance to look for real, and they totally blew it Sunday night. The 49ers absolutely crushed them in all 3 phases. The Packers could not stop them, they could not do anything on offense and they were totally outclassed. The 49ers are the ones who look like the real deal after this game. They seem to have it all. They can run the ball very well, they can pass it now and the defense is incredible. They are legit.

And then we had the Monday night game. The Ravens are the most fun team to watch. Lamar Jackson is, far and away, the front runner for MVP. They are the best running team in the league and are super efficient in the pass game. The defense is legit too. They stifled the Rams all game long. Jared Goff looked like a rookie. They made Todd Gurley a total non factor. This was a tale of 2 teams going in totally different directions. The Rams are falling off, and the Ravens look like the best team in the NFL. Seriously people, if you haven't watched Lamar Jackson yet, check him out. He is amazing. He is Mike Vick mixed with Drew Brees passing ability. He is the new generation of football players that I want to watch. He might be the NFL's saving grace.

That's it for week 12. Come back next week.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. It was an extra bad weekend for the Head Editor’s teams. The Bengals were the Bengals, and even the Vikings did not win. Granted, Minnesota was on a bye, but still no wins from RD’s teams.

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Bad Take Generator Kevin O'Connor Is At It Again

Where O’Connor’s takes belong

I don't like to talk about the same person in 2 consecutive weeks, and this comes off as big time trolling, but The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor was at it again on "The Ringer NBA Show" this past Tuesday. Also, I don't care trolling someone when they are as stupid and contradictory as O'Connor has proven himself to be time and time again.

This most recent episode had me giving in and saying that I am only going to give the pod one more listen because O'Connor's takes have gotten worse and worse and he has gotten so high and mighty that it is insufferable. On the most recent episode there were 2 instances where he made himself look like a total asshole and idiot.

The first was his pure love for Luka Doncic and his recent tear, wherein he is averaging near a triple double. O'Connor praised Doncic. He has been on the bandwagon since before last year's draft, I will give him that. He then went on to talk about how he is a top ten player currently, I personally have him just outside the top ten, and an MVP candidate right now, of which I agree with. I like Doncic as much as the next NBA fan. I just don't love him as much as O'Connor does. And, when Chris Vernon, who is the only saving grace of this pod and website right now, pushed him on how he dogged Russell Westbrook for averaging a triple double 2 years ago, O'Connor's response was so god damn stupid that I continued to call him an idiot to my phone multiple times.

O'Connor went into some nonsense about how he wished that Westbrook was a better shooter, and how he wished he didn't hunt stats and how he thought Westbrook's two triple double seasons were empty. He then praised Doncic's passing. He said he loves that he shoots threes, even though he isn't a great shooter yet. He also talked about how important he is to the Mavericks and to the league. This is all ridiculous and further proves that The Ringer hates Westbrook and loves Doncic. They're so protective of their pet projects and guys they like, and when they don't like someone, they go in so hard to prove how "bad" they are. But, here is the truth. Westbrook is a better player than Doncic. He isn't the shooter, and he isn't as young, but he has done so much more, for a longer period of time, including deep playoff runs, than Doncic can dream of doing right now. Westbrook one hundred percent deserved his MVP when he won it, and him averaging a triple double was astounding.

The fact that shit writers like O'Connor, and his boss Bill Simmons, keep putting down Westbrook is so pitiful. Westbrook is a once in a generation talent, and they are taking him for granted because they don't like the way he plays basketball. To praise Doncic, who is totally stat hunting as well, and trash Westbrook is just in poor taste and proves how hacky the takes are from O'Connor.

Then, when I didn't think he could be more stupid, he comes out and says that the Spurs need to trade one or both of DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge and embrace the youth movement. While I don't think that the Spurs embracing youth is bad, O'Connor's reasoning was what made me scoff. He said that if they keep both guys, they will be a 6, 7 or 8 seed and get beat in the playoffs, and who wants that he asked. I'd say the majority of Spurs fans would want that. The fans in San Antonio have become so used to being in the playoffs, so I don't think they'd care if they are a lower seed, as long as they are still in the playoffs. I wonder if he would say the same thing about Tom Brady right now, and the Patriots. Yes, the Patriots are better, but Brady has looked pretty washed this season. So, since he is all about youth, why not move on from Brady? Is it because he is a winner, and you trust him to figure it out? Wow. Maybe that is how the Spurs fans feel about Greg Poppovich and his staff. They always seem to figure something out, and they are always competitive. Just because this younger group of writers like O'Connor are so obsessed with drafting based on potential doesn't mean that people who have been winning for multiple decades now have to do what they want them to do. It is 15 games into an 82 game season. They have so much time, and seeds 5-8 are still very much wide open. Then, when Vernon said he wouldn't trade DeRozan because he is good, O'Connor went into nonsense about how he doesn't shoot enough threes and they need to trade him to get younger guys willing to shoot the three. That is so god damn stupid. Also, he kept talking about how the youth on the Spurs barely plays together, and I say again, it is 15 god damn games into the year. I'm sure Poppovich will fix some stuff and make some adjustments. Hearing takes like this every week from a dude that I can guarantee didn't even play high school basketball is so absurd. I'm sure front offices also have people that listen to these pods and think, I'm glad that moron doesn't work for us.

Kevin O'Connor has seemed to do something that makes me dislike, and lose respect for him, every week on the podcast. I already stopped reading his writing because it is poor, and now I am one step away from ending listening to him on pods because his takes are worse than ever. It is sad that he is so porous at what he does, yet he is one of the bigger names at this ridiculous company. Every week I lose respect for him, and continue to ask myself, why do I listen to anyone besides Zach Lowe and Jackie MacMullen talk basketball. They are good. O'Connor is not.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He had an uncomfortable experience with a lie detector test. It was quite uncomfortable, know what I mean?

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2019 NFL Quick Hits: Week 11

Week 11 of the NFL season has come and gone, and for the most part it was pretty blah. But, we do have the Thursday night game that was pretty explosive. So, I'm going to get right into my takes for week 11, but I am going to save the Thursday night game for last. That needs to be talked about a little bit longer than my usual week takes.

So, getting right into the early games, the Jets played Washington, and this game just further proved that both teams are not good. Yes, the Jets won, and are currently on a 2 game win streak, and have Jamal Adams, but that is it. Also, all this winning from them is going to entice them to keep Adam Gase, and man would that be disappointing. As for Washington, they are the most moribund franchise in the NFL, and maybe in all of pro sports. They have no coach, a terrible GM, have made awful front office decisions, lied to a player who had cancer and are going absolutely nowhere. Washington is awful in every possible way.

The Colts got a much needed win over the Jags. Jacoby Brissett was back, and the offense needed that, but they absolutely shut down the Jags offense. They couldn't do a damn thing. Nick Foles was back, and threw for a good amount of yards. But what he didn't throw for was TD's. Also, Marlon Mack was great out of the backfield for the Colts, but he did get hurt. I don't think it is major, but they need him if they want to make a playoff push. This was a big win for Indianapolis. The Bills easily handled the Dolphins, ending their 2 game win streak. Miami looked like the tanking team they set out to be this season, letting Ryan Fitzpatrick throw the ball almost 50 times. Their defense also made Josh Allen look like an All Pro. He is not, but he looked good on Sunday, both throwing and running the ball. Their defense also looked as good as advertised. Yes, it is Miami, but this is what Buffalo needed after getting beat by the Browns last week.

The Cowboys beat the undermanned Lions. Dak Prescott was incredible in this game too. He made all the throws, he made the reads and he is proving that he is going to get paid, by someone, this offseason. He has been solid all season. The Lions are playing with a left hand because Matthew Stafford is out, and he is going to miss a good amount of time. That is a bummer because this team was fun, and competitive when they had Stafford under center. This win keeps the Cowboys atop their division, but outside of Prescott, I feel like they are a very, very flawed team.

The Ravens further proved they are a legit contender, and that Lamar Jackson is the front runner for MVP. Every week he does something else amazing, and it leaves me in awe. He is so good, and the team around him fits perfectly. He is awesome. The Texans, well they had zero answers for Jackson. Deshaun Watson was under duress, the refs blew a horrible no pass interference call early in the game that really changed the start of the game and they just crumbled from there. The Texans are a fine team, but they acted like a title contender before the season started. They look like a first round out, at best, right now.

The Falcons, stunningly, won another game where their defense was amazing. They attacked Kyle Allen all game, they picked him off 4 times and they stalled Christian McCaffery enough to really dominate the Panthers. I feel like the whole honeymoon phase with Kyle Allen is coming to an end. But lets get back to the Falcons for a second. That defense is suddenly one of the most formidable in the league. They are attacking and covering and just playing correctly. It is a sight to behold. They could end up winning 6 or 7 games, which I thought was a no way when they were 1-7.

Speaking of the Falcons, the Saints rebounded from being beat by them to easily dispatch the Bucs. Drew Brees looked like himself, Michael Thomas was great and Alvin Kamara gave the defense headaches. The Saints also picked off Jameis Winston 4 times, and totally stymied the Bucs offense. The Bucs are a mess, and Bruce Arians definitely has his hands full right now. The Saints did what they needed to do, and it helps that it was a divisional win.

The Vikings came back from a 20 point halftime deficit to beat the Broncos. Denver looked in control the whole first half, and I assumed they would roll. But, the Vikings woke up, scored on every second half possession and eeked out a win. This is the type of game that you would expect that they should win, just not in this fashion. It shows that they have the superior talent to Denver, and when they have their backs against the wall, they showed they are up to the task. It is a game like this that worries me when they have to play the Packers again.

The 49ers rebounded from last week, but it took all they had to beat the Cardinals. Jimmy Garroppolo did throw for 4 TD's, but he had 2 awful picks, and made some confounding throws. The Cardinals shouldn't have won this game, and they didn't, but damn is Kyler Murray good. He made a ton of great throws, ran the ball super well and looks like he is in total control of that offense. If/when they get some real players around him, this team could be very good.

The Patriots beat the Eagles in a Super Bowl 51 rematch, but it was not the offensive explosion we saw the first time. This was a defensive battle through and through. Both offenses struggled to move the ball and looked discombobulated. The Patriots made more plays, and made the bigger plays when they needed to. The Eagles are wildly inconsistent. One week they look good, the next, they can't do a thing. As for the Patriots, they have a really good defense and a very average offense. I have said that I thought they would come around, but we are already in week 12, and they have not looked the part all season. That could be their undoing in the playoffs.

The Sunday night game was an absolute slog. The Rams beat the Bears, but it was a total mess. Jared Goff has not looked the part of franchise QB and their defense, while stopping Chicago, hasn't been great. I will say that Todd Gurley looked like himself, and that is an encouraging sign for the rest of the season. The Bears, boy oh boy are they in trouble. Mitch Trubisky is playing scared. He doesn't want to get hit, he is making bad throws and now there is conflicting stories of why he got pulled late in the game. As for the guy that pulled him. Matt Nagy, he is running a gimmicky offense that the NFL has easily figured out. I feel like I say this every week, but they are wasting a once in a generation defense. That is a shame. This team is one QB away from being a legit contender, but it may be too late.

The Monday night game, played in Mexico City, was fun, but kind of empty. The Chiefs won. Patrick Mahomes looked pretty good, almost like he is fully back from injury. And their defense finally played good enough to win. The Chargers slept walked their way to getting beat again. Phillip Rivers is washed. They need some better O lineman. Keenan Allen is the only good receiver they have and Melvin Gordon clearly wants out. The Chargers season last year seems like a total mirage now. They are going nowhere fast.

Now for the Thursday night game.

The game itself wasn't any good. The Browns won 21-7, getting their second straight win, and staying in the playoff picture. And the Steelers dropped to 5-5, and are looking like they don't have a clue on offense. But, what happened near the end of this game was something I haven't seen in a long, long time. This was Malice at the Palace type stuff, except it didn't involve any fans. Near the end of the game a fight broke out between Steelers QB and O lineman Mason Rudolph and Maurkice Pouncey and Browns defensive end Myles Garrett. The scuffle got so bad that Garrett removed Rudolph's helmet and swung it at his head, twice. I was stunned. I didn't know what to think at first. I do not like either of these teams, but I do like Myles Garrett. And he seems like such a quiet, even keeled dude. But this is something that you can never, ever do to anyone else. I need to say that. What Myles Garrett did was wrong, and dangerous. He has since apologized and has appealed his suspension. Then, as I looked further and further into the whole scenario, and checked on some background of the players involved, I kind of tweaked my thoughts. As you all know, I am a died in wool liberal democrat. While doing some research on Rudolph, I found out that he is a hard core conservative, and counts that dip shit Tami Lauren, I truly don't care if her name is misspelled, as a close friend. So I then thought, what did he say. What could he have done to, maybe, provoke Garrett. I have played sports my whole life, and I get heated, I talk shit and I go at it. But, I have never been so angry that I wanted to harm or hurt someone. But I remembered back to when Marcus Smart was playing college basketball at Oklahoma State, and he went after a fan. It was very quickly found out that this fan was calling him racial epitaphs. I then had zero problem with him protecting himself against someone that would say some heinous stuff like that. So, how do we know that Rudolph wasn't doing the very same thing. It is clear he has a history of liking and connecting with people that have this same behavior. And in his post game presser, he acted so holier than thou. He called Garrett "classless", and acted like he was going to pursue legal actions. That is white privilege at its best. So, I am in a very, very gray area. As I said, what Garrett did was totally off base, and he should be suspended for some amount of time. But, we may never know what, if anything, Rudolph said to Garrett to provoke him. It could be heinous. It could be nothing. We may never know, and that is the craziest part.

Come back next week for my week 12 thoughts.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Thanks to Kirk Cousins second half performance, the Head Editor is still undefeated in fantasy football. HOW DO YOU LIKE THAT TY!!!

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Carmelo Anthony has Landed in Portland

Carmelo Anthony is back in the NBA.

Last night it was reported that he was going to sign a non guaranteed contract with the Portland Trailblazers. I think this is both good and bad. Anthony deserves to be on a NBA roster. He is still a really good scorer, he can hit the open shot and he has pedigree. He is better than a good 40 to 50 percent of players currently on most rosters. He should have been signed sooner, but still, he is getting what will most likely be his final shot. He is only going to bolster one of the better scoring back courts in the league. I know that he is technically a small forward, but lets be honest, he is a 2 guard in a forward's body. He has always been a shooter, and that will never change. Putting him on the floor with Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum is going to be a rough matchup for most opponents. Teams will have one, maybe 2 guys to throw at them, but no team, not even the Clippers, have the guys to stop all three of them at once.

I also think, and I know that I have said this for his last 2 teams, we will finally get the Olympic Carmelo. I think he has been humbled by being cut by Houston, and then having to wait this long to get back in the league. I would hope that he would be willing to be the fourth or fifth option on this team. I would hope that he knows this is where he is in his career. He is at the end, and what he is best at is being a spot up shooter who sometimes will drive and kick. That is his skill set now. I want him to play like Vince Carter does now. That would be ideal.

Now, the bad. This threesome is going to be horrendous defensively. Lillard and McCollum are already known league wide as one of the worst defensive backcourts in the NBA. They make up for it as much as they can on the offensive end, but it doesn't always work out. I mean, Lillard went for 60 in a game earlier this season, and they Blazers got beat, fairly handily. McCollum has nights where he goes for 30 plus, but his guy cancels that out by matching his scoring most of the time. And Carmelo has never, ever been considered a top end defender. He is an okay rebounder, but he has never been a good defender. And he is only older now. He never had the best ability on that end of the floor, and he is only older and slower now. That is not a slight, it is the truth. I feel like even Carmelo would admit this much.

The Blazers are also in a bit of a mess right now. They are currently 4-8, and they play in the West. They need to start figuring stuff out real, real quick if they want to get back to the playoffs. So while Carmelo adds another scorer, he has a history of not being a great postseason player. He has also shown that he cannot lead a team. His best teams never made it further than the second round of the playoffs, and he never really showed up.

Another isssue, the Blazers also don't need more scoring. I just mentioned that Lillard and McCollum are scoring machines, but this team needs bigs that are good rebounders and defenders. They need Jusuf Nurkic back. They need Hassan Whiteside to show up, or to trade him for someone that will put in full effort. They need a solid veteran willing to push aside their own personal numbers and do what is best for the team. They need Terry Stotts to wake the hell up and become the good coach eh has proven to be so far in his career.

So while I am thrilled for Carmelo that he is back, I don't think this moves the needle, at all, for Portland. They have bigger fish to fry, and Carmelo doesn't really solve any of the big problems currently plaguing this team. I will say though, I am stoked to see Anthony, who is going to join the team on their upcoming road trip, play against the Rockets. I feel like he could explode on them. I just don't know if that will result in a win for them. They need to get some stops.

Ty

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

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What to Make of the Colin Kaepernick NFL "Tryout"

It seems like Colin Kaepernick is going to get a shot at making a NFL team next week. That much is good. It is a step. But, I have a ton of mixed feelings about this workout that is happening in a few days.

I want to get the bad out of the way first. This feels like the coup of publicity stunts. I mean, the NFL called his people and told him to be in Atlanta for this tryout. He didn't get to pick the day, location or people he wants around for this tryout. This is all being done on their watch, and that is shady as hell. I feel like the NFL thinks, at least the higher ups, that they are in a win win situation. If he gets signed they can say, "see, we didn't blackball him", and if he doesn't get signed they can say, "well, he is too old, and the tryout proved that today". They cannot literally say anything wrong, in their eyes. It is just so weird that this is coming on so sudden. I know that Kaepernick, who has handled this as gracefully as one can, more on that when I get to the good, says he is ready. But, this is so spur of the moment, and even though he is a pro, he hasn't played in 3 years, and the tryout is in a few days. It doesn't feel like enough time. It feels like the NFL is setting him up to fail, and that is so immoral. I think Jerry Jones saying this is good is a real problem. Jones is the epitome of an owner who literally thinks he owns the team, and the players. He is old, racist and insanely rich and stupid. He could care less about the well being of a young person, as long as that person is a good football player. so, for him to be on board with this, I feel like the NFL went to him personally and asked him to say he likes this. I would bet a good sum of money that Roger Goodell and Jones had a meeting prior to this, and Goodell asked him to say he likes this, for a certain amount of cash. And as I said at the top, I don't like the small amount of notice they gave Kaeperninck. This is no time to really get yourself ready for a tryout like this. I would imagine that most, if not all, of the teams will have a representative there to watch. And Kaepernick is going to have to be perfect. Any slip up, and he is toast. That is a shame. I mean, guys coming into the draft have multiple chances to show themselves to teams before being picked. They have the combine, pro days and private workouts, all made on their own schedules. And as far as signing a vet off the street, even those guys get time to get themselves ready. They get a call, are asked to come in for a tryout, and then, if they make the team, sometimes have a few weeks worth of practice with the team. Kaepernick gets none of this, and that is grossly unfair. He has a few days to get himself ready for what may be the biggest tryout for a professional athlete ever. That is insane.

As far as what I think is "good" about this, it is a few things. One, I am glad he is actually getting a shot. I know that I said the time constraints and timing of this is bad, but still, he is getting an opportunity to tryout. I also adore the way he has handled this. Like I said before, he has shown nothing but grace and composure during this past week. He has tweeted out his happiness at a tryout. He is going to be as prepared as he can be. He has been staying in shape. He is still continuing to help his community. Colin Kaepernick is a great human being, and he will be remembered for so much more than just this tryout.

Finally, I think he is going to crush at this tryout. He is going to look good. He will make the throws. He will make the right decisions and he will be phenomenal. He is going to almost force a team, or teams, to sign him. He fits with a ton of teams right now too. The tanking teams, like Miami or Cincinnati or Washington or the Jets or Denver, he is better than any starting QB they currently have on their roster. He would also fit in perfectly as a backup with Dallas or Houston or Kansas City or Green Bay. Hell, I would much rather have him backing up Aaron Rodgers than whoever in the hell is his current backup.

Look, I am a big time supporter of Kaepernick's and I want him to make. I think the NFL is trying to save face with this tryout, hoping that he may not be as good as he was, and it will blow up in their face. He is going to do great, and he is going to get signed. I fully believe that, and I fully believe that is what the NFL doesn't want to happen. We will soon know, and I will be rooting hard for him to make it.

Ty

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

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2019 NFL Quick Hits: Week 10

Week 10 of the NFL season has come and gone, and I am here with some takes. To be completely transparent with everyone, this week I only watched one game, the Packers-Panthers game, and the rest I saw on highlights. I have been busy doing house renovations, and Sunday is the best day for me to do them. Maybe that is because college football is on Saturday, and college football is infinitely more fun, and much cooler than the NFL. It could also be that my mother in law, who has been teaching me how to do all these things around my house, likes coming out on Sunday's. Either way, the majority of my NFL experience this season has been watching Packers games, and catching up on the rest with highlights. Anyway, here we go.

Thursday night featured another big win from the Raiders. They beat the Chargers, who were coming off a big win over the Packers, and Josh Jacobs further strengthened his hold on offensive rookie of the year. That kid is good, Jon Gruden is making me remember that he is a solid coach, and still a jackass, and the Chargers will not be making a second straight postseason. They need to move on from Phillip Rivers, and give Melvin Gordon a new chance somewhere else. Also, maybe they should move to the UK. Who knows. Anyway, the Raiders look like a legit playoff team, and the Chargers are stumbling.

The Jets and the Giants played, and I can't think of anyone that would willingly watch that game. You have to be a serious diehard, almost obsessive, to watch that game. The Jets won, but from what I heard, it was ugly.

The Falcons stunned the Saints. I'm not much for upsets in the NFL, but this is an upset. The Falcons harassed Drew Brees all game, gaining 6 sacks. They had 7 all year. They also showed up on offense and looked, somewhat, like their old selves. I'm sure this is a flash in the pan performance, but shocking nonetheless. This is the type of win that can help the Falcons finish strong, and may hurt the Saints in playoff seeding, and possible home field advantage type scenarios. This may have also saved Dan Quinn's job. Maybe.

In another stunner, the Titans beat the Chiefs. Patrick Mahomes was back, looked really good, albeit a little slow and they looked like themselves, on offense that is. Derrick Henry gashed that defense for almost 200 yards rushing and 3 TD's. He is good, but not that good. That being said, the Chiefs did have the game in hand, seemingly, but they found a way to blow it. The defense let Ryan Tannehill lead a game winning drive at the end, and they took home a 3 point win after they blocked the Chiefs last second field goal attempt. The Chiefs may not be as invincible as I thought. This was a troubling loss for them.

In not so stunning news, the Ravens dismantled the Bengals. They were beating them so bad that they ran out a package where they ran the option with Lamar Jackson, Robert Griffin and Mark Ingram, "The Heisman Package" they called it, and, near the end of the third quarter, Lamar Jackson was on the sideline wearing shades and grinning from ear to ear. The Ravens are the most fun team in the NFL, they keep winning and Lamar Jackson is the real deal. The best part about this game, when John Harbaugh and Jackson were caught talking on the sideline about how Jackson is changing the game and that kids everywhere will be wearing his jersey. That rules. Also, the Bengals stink. Sorry RD.

The Browns found a way to win a game, but from what I heard, this game was almost as unwatchable as the Jets-Giants game. I guess the Browns play calling was atrocious, and the Bills, well, they are still letting Josh Allen play QB for them. The Bills are like the Bears in that regard. I don't think this win was as big for Freddie Kitchens as the Falcons win was for Dan Quinn, but it is a win, and one the Browns desperately needed. Also, the Bills might be returning to form as a middle of the road AFC team. Their defense is really good, but man is their offense bad.

The Bucs and Cardinals played what looked like an exciting game, with tons of passing yards and lots points. Jameis Winston had one of his good performances. Kyler Murray looks like the real deal, maybe he won't be running to play pro baseball after this year, and both teams, while not very good, play exciting football. Bruce Arians has a ton of work to do to get the Bucs back to contention, and every week I am stunned at how Kliff Kingsbury is adapting, as best he can, to the NFL game. The Cardinals could be good sooner rather than later.

The Bears beat the Lions, and Mitch Trubisky had 3 TD passes. But, I think this game says way more about the Lions, and who they had to play at QB. Matthew Stafford missed his first game in forever, and the Lions had to start, hell I don't know if it was Ryan Lindley or Ryan Driskell at QB. The fact that those guys got to start NFL games this week, and Colin Kaepernick is still unsigned is such a god damn joke. Shame on the NFL and their owners. That is so absurd. Anyway, the Bears shut down whatever lower tier QB they played, and Trubisky did enough to eek out a 7 point win over a very undermanned team. I still don't buy any of the "Trubisky proved his worth" headlines I saw, and I bet Lions fans are waiting with bated breath that Stafford's back injury isn't super serious. This seems like another bad game among the many that were played on Sunday.

The Dolphins won their second straight game, beating the Brian Hoyer led Colts. Again, Hoyer is a fine career backup, but why not get Kaepernick to replace Brissett? That would be perfect. But the Dolphins put together enough points to stave off their "tank" for a second straight game. I know the Dolphins are bad, but I feel like Brian Flores is proving his worth as a head coach. The fact that he has gotten this Dolphins team to win, twice, is amazing. And the Colts, well, this is what happens when you have to trot out a career backup. Jacoby Brissett is far better.

The game I watched, Packers-Panthers, was pretty fun. Both teams were able to gobble up rush yards, they played solid defense and it ended with a goal line stand. Aaron Jones is proving his worth,, and then some, this season. He is so important to the Packers offense, and he has been living up to that new role. He is amazing. The Packers defense also did just enough to get a crucial win. That goal line stand was dope. The Panthers are a good team, but they need Cam Newton. I know all the talk lately is of them moving on from him, but I don't trust Kyle Allen. The pressure is already firmly on Christian McCaffery, and he has been great, but that wears on a running back. Also, the Panthers defense is really good. Their pass rush is good. And that roughing call was really bad late in the game. But, the Packers came away with a win, and they still hold a one game lead over RD's Vikings.

The Steelers are making a late playoff push, and it is because of their defense. Minkah Fitzpatrick has been stupendous since being traded there. He is a turnover machine, and he turns them into TD's. Without him, and that D, the Steelers would be DOA. As for the Rams, well, this is what happens when you let Jared Goff be the focal point. He is not that good. This team should go as Todd Gurley goes. But, something is up with him. I don't know if it is an injury, or they want to give Goff the reins because they paid him so much money, but the Rams look like they are suffering from a big time Super Bowl hangover. They don't seem very locked in right now.

RD's real team, the Vikings, got a big win in Dallas. They shut down woman and child abuser Ezekial Elliot. They made Dak Prescott uncomfortable all game. And Dalvin Cook was tremendous. This was a big time win for the Vikings, and it keeps them in the NFC North race. I actually caught a few seconds of this game, and the Cowboys insistence on getting Elliot the ball on the goal line was stupefying. The Vikings knew it was coming, and they stopped it, twice. Good win for Minnesota, and this further proves that Jason Garrett is a bad head coach, and the Cowboys are still irrelevant.

The Monday night game featured overtime, a hard fought game and the Seahawks handing the 49ers their first loss. This game showed me quite a bit in fact. Russell Wilson is good. I don't like writing that every week, but it is true, at least this season. Also, the "vaunted" 49ers defense may not be as formidable as they are perceived. And Jimmy Garropollo isn't Tom Brady, as much as the media may want us to believe. Both these teams are good. They can both do good things. But, if I were to pick a team that would win a crucial, important game, I would go with the Seahawks. They have the better QB, better skill players and the experience. San Francisco is a nice story, but they aren't elite. Not yet anyway.

That does it for week 10. Come back next week for week 11 takes.

Ty

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

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Tales of the NCAA Being Stupid: Chase Young and James Wiseman Edition

In their never ending circle of stupidity, the NCAA doubled down with 2 of the most baffling suspensions I have ever witnessed in my history of watching college sports this past week.

First off, you all know how I feel about the University of Ohio State. I think it says a lot the way I type it, I loathe that team, I think they cheat and Urban Meyer is a supreme asshole. But, to suspend Chase Young, for what now looks like 2 of the most meaningless games on their schedule, is absolutely ridiculous. I get that players cannot accept money from boosters, and that, somewhere deep, deep in the rule book what he did was "wrong", still, this was so stupid. Yes, he took money from a "booster", but it was to fly his family, and his girlfriend, out to the bowl game last season. And Chase Young paid the loan back. I swear the only reason he got the suspension was because the "booster" has ties to the NFL. Or his family does, or something like that.

Herein lies one of my biggest problems with the NCAA and their never ending rule book. Chase Young is not allowed to get a job while he is enrolled in school. One, he doesn't have time, but college athletes cannot get work outside of the program. It is one of the billion dumb rules passed down by the NCAA to further police these kids. I had a friend who I have mentioned before that played division 1-AA football, and even he couldn't work a summer job that wasn't connected with the school. Chase Young is a star player. He is one of the favorites to win the Heisman. He is the best player on the number one ranked team in the country. He will, almost certainly, be a top 3 pick in the upcoming draft, and the NCAA decided now, near the end of the regular season, they were going to suspend him? Look, I do not like standing up for a player from that school, but this is so bogus. I mean, by all accounts, he goes to class, he has had zero off field issues and he paid back the loan. Why the suspension? The NCAA is as crooked, if not more so, than FIFA. And this suspension is just another unwanted feather in their, and Mark Emmert's dumbass hat. Again, the games he will, and already has, missed are glorified scrimmages. But still, this all but takes him out of the Heisman race, and makes the NCAA look really, really bad.

Then, to almost try and outdo themselves, the NCAA decided, one game into the men's college basketball season, that they were going to suspend the number one recruit, and most likely number one pick in the upcoming NBA draft, James Wiseman out of Memphis for the rest of the season because he accepted a "gift" from a booster. This booster, his head coach Penny Hardaway. Never, ever in my life have I heard, or been told, or read that a head coach can also be considered a "booster". This is asinine. I mean, Penny Hardaway did nothing wrong at all. He did exactly as Coach K or John Calipari would do. But, because he is young and new, the NCAA decided they were going to target him. I guarantee that if Wiseman went to Kentucky or Duke, this wouldn't even be a story. But, because Wiseman chose Memphis, and Penny Hardaway, the NCAA decided they needed to suspend him.

Even further, I don't know what the suspension is for. All I have read so far is that he is "ineligible". Is it grades? Is it impermissible benefits? Did the coaching staff at Memphis give him money? The NCAA has answered none of this, and just deemed him "ineligible". But, not to be taken prisoner by the corrupt NCAA, James Wiseman and Penny Hardaway are fighting the suspension, and until he is for real punished, he is allowed to play. The very same day he was deemed "ineligible", he went out and played and had a monster game. Look, Wiseman is going to be in the NBA regardless next year, but this one year at Memphis can mean the difference in draft position, and that could mean millions upon millions of dollars. But does the NCAA care about that? Of course not. They want things done their way, no matter how stupid and pointless their crazy rules may be.

Like I said before, if he were at any other school, one of the blue blood schools, this wouldn't even be an issue. But since Penny Hardaway is able to go into any recruit's home in the country, and is infinitely cooler than say Coach K or John Calipari or Roy Williams or Tom Izzo, the NCAA gets their feathers all ruffled. I told my dad, that if my son grows up to be a college level basketball player, and I had to pick a team or a coach I would want him to play for, Michigan and Juwan Howard were one, but Penny Hardaway and Memphis were a very close second. I grew up watching those guys play in college and the NBA. I didn't sit down and watch Coach K coach Duke, or John Calipari cheat at UMASS and now Kentucky. I loathe Tom Izzo. I think Roy Williams is okay, but he is old school. I would want my kid to play for a young, hip and fun coach. Not some crusty old man.

These 2 suspensions are so blatantly stupid and pointless from the NCAA and Mark Emmert. Every time they do anything that is slightly good, like agreeing to eventually pay athletes for their likeness, they go and do something like this that reminds me how disgusting and corrupt they are. This is so stupid and I like that these kids are fighting back. They aren't just accepting it because the NCAA says so. Good for these kids, and good for Penny Hardaway for attacking the system.

Ty

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

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