Ty's 2021 - 2022 NCAA Men's College Basketball Preview

Since my son starts basketball practice tonight, since I kept seeing commercials for college basketball games all Saturday afternoon while watching football and since I am kind of tired after getting my booster shot, I am going to give you all the NCAA men's college basketball preview I have promised.

I am going blind because of the ever changing college basketball landscape. I truly only know who is on the Michigan Wolverines team since I actually follow them. I was stunned to see KU was the third ranked team in the country. I was equally stunned when I saw Michigan State was unranked. I do not know who these top players are, sans for the freshman on Michigan. I am going in blind like I have for seemingly the past decade with men's college basketball. And instead of doing a conference breakdown for everyone, I'm going to go off the preseason rankings, and add a few teams I think could make some noise. Let's do it.

The AP has Gonzaga at number one. I'm pretty sure they have almost everyone back from a team that made the title game last year. Suggs and the other guard, Joe Ayayi, are gone, but they have guys that will take their place. Gonzaga is a reload team. They do have Drew Timme back, and from what I have read, they signed the number one recruit, Chet Holmgren, who plays like KD. Gonzaga is a basketball powerhouse. They are no longer Cinderella. They, save for the championships, are Alabama in college football. If they do not win it all this year though, that would be a bummer for their fans.

UCLA is two and they have everyone back from the 11 seeded team that made the Final Four. This is a team that had zero expectations last year, but now they have all the expectations. They are one of the older teams in the NCAA, they have scoring and defense and a good coach. UCLA is back. Now it is time to see how they play with everyone watching them again. They are not going to sneak up on anyone.

The aforementioned Kansas Jayhawks are next. They have a loaded team, with super talented freshmen, and doing some research, they got the best transfer in Remy Martin. The Jayhawks will be at the top all year, and they could make some noise. I do think Bill Self may consider leaving if the Jayhawks have a really good year for the NBA.

At four we have Villanova. They have tons of talent returning, they have some stud freshmen, they have always been good and they have the best coach in college basketball.

Texas is five, and I think that is all due to them hiring Chris Beard. Beard is a good coach, a good recruiter, but this seems kind of high to me. I do not know anyone on their team, maybe Beard got some good players to commit, but Texas always seems to dissipate when they are looked at as a preseason darling.

Michigan is six. I know a ton about this team. I love that Eli Brooks, Hunter Dickinson and Brandon Johns Jr came back. The freshmen, mainly Caleb Houstan and Moussa Diabate, are going to play and be heavily involved. Juwan Howard is not only proving to be a great recruiter, but he is also an excellent coach. I love this team, I cannot wait to watch them play on Wednesday and my expectations are sky high with this team.

Purdue comes in at seven. They have one of the best front courts in the country. They are big and mean and nasty. They can shoot. They are good.

Reigning champs, Baylor, check in at eight. They lost a ton, but they are also a very good team. They do have some returning talent, and that staff can recruit and coach. Baylor will always be a contender.

At nine and ten we have two teams that really stunk last year. Duke is nine. This is Coach K's last year as the head man. He brought in a great class. And I feel like the refs and TV people will do everything in their power to prolong their season as long as possible. Kentucky is ten. They have a great class of freshmen, as they always do. But this group feels a little different. They will be fun to watch, they will put up a ton of points and they will return to the tourney, and most likely be a pretty high seed.

Outside of the top 10, there are a few teams that I am interested in seeing. The Big Ten has a ton of teams ranked. I already mentioned Purdue and Michigan at seven and six. The Big Ten also has Illinois at eleven, the university of Ohio State at seventeen and Maryland at twenty-one. I could have also seen Michigan State, Rutgers and Indiana being ranked at some point. The Big Ten is the best conference in college basketball. The university of Ohio State has one of the best bigs in the country in EJ Liddell. Illinois has Kofi Cockburn who is a preseason All American. Maryland has scoring for days. MSU is always good. Rutgers returns pretty much everyone from a team that made the tourney last year. Indiana has a new coach and some young stars. This conference is amazing.

Alabama is now becoming a basketball power, which is kind of annoying. They are preseason number fourteen, and they will push Kentucky in the SEC.

Memphis has a monstrous recruiting class coming in, Penny Hardaway is a better coach, and if the NCAA lets these kids play, they will make noise.

Oregon, at thirteen, is only behind UCLA in the Pac 12. They are always good and always competitive.

UNC, at nineteen, and FSU, at twenty, will make the ACC highly competitive. They will push Duke to the brink, much to the chagrin of the ESPN's of the world.

UConn will be repping the Big East all year in the rankings. And Virginia feels super low to me at 25. They are a very good program.

As for the mid major teams, Houston is lethal. That is why they are ranked 15th. And St Bonaventure, at twenty-three, is loaded with experience. There are always some other mid-major programs, but they end up becoming big time later in the season. I am curious to see SLU because they are local and they seem to have a pretty solid roster.

For me, as I have said many times, the Big Ten is the conference. They will not get all four Final Four spots, but I could see two teams making there with ease. I also think, with Gonzaga and UCLA being the only two other teams, that the Big Ten will win the most postseason awards. I also think the Big Ten will finally, after two decades, bring home a title.

With that, my Final Four picks right now, on November 8th, I have Michigan, Gonzaga, Purdue and Kansas. That is very chalk, I know. I think Michigan and KU will face off in the title game. And, what the hell, I'm going with Michigan to win it all. Their football team continues to disappoint me, so I'm going to fanboy out on their basketball team. But this isn't also simply a fanboy pick. They have experience, depth, talent, great coaching and scoring from every position. They also play defense and they go hard every night. As for player of the year, I'll take Johnny Juzang from UCLA. He is older, he hits clutch shots and I think he will have a monster season. Freshman of the Year is going to be the Holmgren kid from Gonzaga. They have already written that one in ink I bet. Coach of the Year will be Juwan Howard. And my "surprise" team is going to be Michigan State. They will have a deep tourney run and I think they will be ranked inside of the top ten at some point after being left out of the preseason rankings. And my "surprise" player is going to be Patrcik Baldwin Jr from UW-Milwaukee. He was a top recruit, but he chose to go play for his dad instead of going to a major power five school. That kid is going to put up massive number.

Okay, there is my men's NCAA basketball preview. As I saw every year, take it with a big time grain of salt.

Ty

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

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The College Football Playoff Committee are Fanboy Idiots

The first college football playoff rankings were released last night. For college football fans, like myself, this is a big deal. Things can, and definitely will change in the next four weeks, but the release of the first CFP ranking kind of marks the 3/4 mark of the season. We are getting near the end of the regular season.

I do not have much of a problem with the initial rankings, except two teams, who I will get to shortly. Georgia is clearly the number one team. They have beaten the pants off of every opponent, they have the best defense in the country and they can win with both of their QB's. They are really, really good. As much as it pained me to watch last weekend, I think Michigan State is in the right spot at three. They have won every game, they have the front runner, that isn't a QB, for the Heisman and they have found ways to win. Oregon rightfully deserves to be ahead of the university of Ohio State because they beat them, and they beat them in Columbus. It only seems fair. I love that Wake Forest is in the top ten. I don't think Michigan deserves the nine spot, but that is because I am never optimistic about that team. I'm not that upset by Oklahoma being eight because they have had one of the easiest schedules in the country, but they have made all eight of their wins, save for last week, much closer than they should have been. As for the teams outside the top ten, I love UTSA being ranked. They have earned it. I would have put Oklahoma State a little higher. I like that Minnesota is finally getting some recognition. Wisconsin has rebounded nicely after a rough start. Texas A&M has been riding high since beating Alabama, and they have a chance to make a real jump this weekend. And I like that teams like San Diego State and Fresno State got some love.

But, like I said at the top, there are two teams, one that got royally screwed, and one that seems to get their way no matter how they perform on the field. The fact that Alabama is two and Cincinnati is six is a total joke. Again, lots of things are going to change, but to put Cincinnati that low is such a bad look for the CFP committee. And putting Alabama that high, after they have a loss at Texas A&M, makes them look worse. It is clear now that no matter what Alabama does, no matter how many wins and losses they have, this committee will continue to find a way to get them into the top four. They will find a way. They will make excuses. I heard the chair of the committee explain why they put Alabama that high, and it was all nonsense. He was stating ridiculous facts. They have some wins in the top 25, he said. Their loss was a last second field goal on the road to the 14th ranked team. Alabama will play tougher teams. It is all pure nonsense from a college football perspective. And he had the nerve to go on tv and claim, "who has Cincinnati beat besides Notre Dame?". Again, this was like pushing in the knife after already stabbing someone. It was salt on a wound. He sounded like a fan, and that committee is supposed to be non biased. Cincinnati went to South Bend and pretty easily handled Notre Dame. They beat Indiana by two touchdowns in Bloomington. Say all you want about Indiana, but they are a solid football team. They crushed UCF when people thought they could be better than we all thought. They struggled with Navy, but like Michigan State, found a way to win the game. And they easily dismissed Tulane, who put a scare into Oklahoma in week one. They also have one of the best defenses in the country, and while I loathe their coach, he is doing a great job, and I would be stunned if he isn't at a big time power five school next year. Alabama crushed Miami, well they are 4-4. Look at that game like you look at Indiana on Cincinnati's schedule. They beat Florida in The Swamp they may say. Okay, they are 4-4. Their best win is Ole Miss, who they did smoke, but Cincinnati's best win is against a much better, higher ranked team, and it was on the road. I'm fed up with this committee finding excuses to get their beloved Alabama in the CFP. They are a good team, and they may still very well make it to the CFP, but to have them at two in the initial ranking is a spit in the face to the Big 10, the Pac 12 and, most importantly, the Cincinnati Bearcats football team. They got totally screwed by this committee. It is clear they do not have a level playing field. Cincinnati should be two, and hell, I'd put the university of Ohio State, Wake Forest and Oklahoma ahead of Alabama. Michigan State should be ranked higher. Oregon should be ranked higher due to a much better high profile win.

If someone asked me what I think the top four should be right now I'd go with, from 1-4, Georgia, Cincinnati, Michigan State and Oregon. Then I'd have Oklahoma, Wake Forest, the university of Ohio State and then Alabama. I'd have them at eight in the rankings right now. But I'm just a Michigan fan that lives in the Midwest. But I also watch a ton of college football, and I can tell you, on November 3rd, Alabama is not the second best team, Cincinnati is, and they should be ranked as the second best team in the country, like every other major poll has them. This is a bummer, I hope it gets fixed, but also, it just goes to show how stupid and pointless ranking college football teams truly is. It is a genuine waste of time. They should just wait until every game has been played and then make a final decision.

Ty

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

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An Early Look at the NBA Season So Far

The NBA season is a week old now and I have some quick thoughts that I want to get out there. I will do this from time to time because I love the NBA so much, and when it is not Saturday, that is college football watching day, all I pretty much watch is NBA games.

The season has gotten off to a very fun start. The Bulls look good, the Nets look bored, the Celtics look injured and the Bucks look dominant. That is where I want to start, with the Bucks. They look every bit the part of reigning champs. They have brutalized the teams they've faced when they play their full lineup. Giannis looks as good as he did in the finals, Jrue Holiday, save for one minor injury, looks great and Khris Middleton is hitting big jumper after big jumper. The bench looks solid and the Bucks look like a lock to make a deep playoff run only five games into the season.

On the other hand, the Lakers look not so good right now. I am sure they will right the ship, fix some of their problems and be in the thick of the playoff race when it matters. But right now they look really, really bad. The lack of floor spacing is rearing its head. LeBron is already hurt. AD is arguing with Dwight Howard on the bench. Carmelo is missing open threes. Everything people worried about with this roster is happening right before our eyes. I expect them to figure it out, but even I did not think they would look this bad this early in the season.

The Bulls are fun, but their schedule is about to get real tough. But still, they are 4-1.

The Hornets are even more fun to watch. LaMelo Ball is really good at basketball. He is a blast to watch play as well. He is the best Ball brother.

Ja Morant has been amazing to start the season for my team, the Memphis Grizzlies. I have known since he was in college that he was going to be great. If you all remember, I rated him ahead of Zion in their draft class three years ago. I feel pretty good about that right now. But now that the Grizzlies are getting more primetime games, the rest of the country is getting to see how awesome of a basketball player Ja is. I love that.

The Warriors look pretty solid too. Steph is hitting tons of shots, the additions are working and Klay may be back sooner than expected. Maybe I underestimated them a bit.

The Timberwolves, and mainly Anthony Edwards, have been an absolute blast to watch. They fly up and down the court, they score in bunches and Edwards post game interviews are the best. Go look up what he said about Giannis the other night, it was amazing.

Houston, for as bad as they are, they are so much fun to watch play. They are young and not afraid of anything. I'm not a fan, but damn they are fun.

Also, the Thunder are really, really, really bad, but Shai Gilgeous Alexander is amazing.

Over in the East, I already mentioned the Bucks and Hornets, but it looks way grimer than the West. The Nets look bored already. KD looks good, but I expected that. James Harden is not scoring like he used to, he is not getting cheap foul shots anymore and his passing game is not nearly as lethal with his lack of points. Joe Harris is off, and the rest of the lineup, save for Patty Mills who has been great, just looks out of shape. They will right the ship, but they have to at least look like they care.

Atlanta is still fun, but the same thing with Harden is happening with Trae Young right now. He is not getting cheap foul shots anymore and he hasn't adjusted yet. He will, but right now he is struggling to adapt.

The Knicks look fine, and I like the Kemba addition, but I expect them to be a solid team.

The Celtics look jumbled and are not winning if Tatum and Brown do not have humongous nights on offense. Maybe I overrated them a bit.

The 76ers do look better than I thought without Ben Simmons, so at least there is that. I read that Embiid is suffering through some pain right now, but when he is on the floor he has been dominant.

The Heat look as good on defense as I thought, but the offense needs work. I could say the same about the Raptors.

The fact that the Cavs are sitting in the 6 spot should tell you all you need to know about the first week of the season in the NBA.

Outside of the teams, it has been neat to see fans in the stands. I am not going to any games yet, but it is nice to see people at these games. I love the new no foul call when the offensive player forces all the contact. It has made the game much more fun to watch, and it makes it flow much better. I'm a big time fan of the new rule. I would love to see them get rid of the foul where the defense intentionally fouls a team on a fast break as well. Hopefully they will. And seeing teams other than the Lakers, Celtics and Nets on primetime has ruled. I've gotten to see the Grizzlies twice. I've seen Portland play a few times. I watched the Thunder the other night. The Timberwolves got in there. The Nuggets have been on a few times. The Hawks had a primetime game. It has been cool to see some "smaller market" teams getting some shine.

The NBA rules. I'm so happy it is back. I do not feel as gross watching as I have in the past. Basketball is back, and I couldn't be more excited. Go watch some games, they are fun. I promise you.

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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Ty's 2021-2022 NBA Preview: The Postseason

Yesterday I wrote about the marathon instead of doing my NBA postseason and awards predictions. Today I will remedy the situation. I will pick the ten playoff teams from each conference, who I think will win the play-in games and then the rounds and I will pick the Finals matchup and the Finals winners. After that I will do a quick little awards prediction.

I'll start with the East.

The two best teams, by a wide margin are the Nets and the Bucks, in that order. It is a fact. Everyone seems to agree. After that it gets a smidge dicey, but not too out of the ordinary. The rest of the playoff teams, in order, according to me, are Miami, Atlanta, Boston, Philly, New York and Chicago. The 9 and 10 teams are Charlotte and Toronto. I see the Raptors having a "bounce-back" type of season. Charlotte nor Toronto will make it to the top 8, so my order is set.

In round one the Nets will sweep the Bulls, easily. The Bucks will beat RD's Knicks in five games. Miami, who will have the best defense in the NBA, will end up beating Philly in round one, regardless of the Ben Simmons situation. And the 4-5 will have a fully healthy Boston beating the Hawks in a very close, very fun seven game series.

That means round two has Brooklyn facing Boston and Milwaukee playing Miami. Brooklyn will steamroll the Celtics. It will look a lot like their first round series last season. Boston just doesn't have the defense to stop them. I think the Celtics get one game, but that is it. Brooklyn in five. The Bucks and Heat will play what will inevitably be the best series of the entire playoffs. Giannis and the Bucks will go at Jimmy Butler and the Heat. The Heat will make it brutal and grimy and gritty. It will look a lot like a playoff matchup from the 90's. In the end though the Bucks are too talented to let it slip away. I also love what I saw from Giannis in the Finals last year, and I feel like that will carry over to this season. Bucks in seven.

That means I have a rematch from last year in the East Finals, but this time the Nets will prevail. The Bucks will be tired, they won the title last year and the Nets have revenge on their minds. They will win game seven at home to reach the Finals.

Now for the West.

The West is not as easy to pick as the East because it is so wildly competitive, and some teams, the Nuggets and Clippers, are going to miss star players the whole season. I have the Jazz getting the one seed yet again. They are a very good regular season team. The rest of the West is as follows, Phoenix, LA Lakers, Portland, Denver, Dallas, Golden State and Memphis. The two play-in teams will be Minnesota and the LA Clippers. Much like the East, the West's two play-in teams will not make the top 8. Minnesota will be happy to just be there and the Clippers are totally hamstrung without Kawhi.

In round one the Grizzlies will get two games this time out of the Jazz, but that is it. Memphis is on the come up, but they have to take their lumps first. Jazz in six. The first major "upset" I have is Golden State beating Phoenix in seven games in round one. Golden State will, presumably, have Klay back at, or near his regular self. And I think the Suns had so much luck last year that this year will not be the same. The Lakers will brutalize the Mavs in four games. They will run up and down the floor on them. And I have a ton of faith in Portland this year simply because I think it is Dame's last season with the team. They will beat the Nuggets in seven games. My prediction would be different if Jamal Murray were healthy.

That means I have the Jazz facing the Trailblazers and the Warriors playing the Lakers in round two. The Jazz will be able to keep Portland at bay. They have the second best defense in the league behind only Miami. It will be a good series, but I think the Jazz will win in six. I really want to pick the Warriors to win again, but they just do not have the guys to stop both LeBron and AD, if they are both healthy. I'm going to presume they will play, and that AD will dominate in fact. He needs to re prove himself.

That leaves me with the Jazz and Lakers in the West Finals. This is where the lack of floor spacing and three point shooting will catch up with the Lakers. They will not be able to just drive to the basket because Rudy Gobert is the best rim protector in the league. The series will be close and fun and go the full seven, but I have the Jazz winning. This is their last chance to prove me right because I really dislike this team, except for Donovan Mitchell.

That means I have the Nets and Jazz in the Finals. This is almost too easy for the Nets. They have the shooting to outmatch the Jazz's defense. They have more than enough bodies to throw at anyone not named Donovan Mitchell. They will get the necessary stops. Who cares that that dumbass Kyrie Irving may or may not be on the floor. They still have Harden and KD. The Nets are too good to not win the title this season. Much like last season we will have a first time title winner. The Nets will win the championship in five games, and KD will be named the Finals MVP.

Now to awards. I have Giannis winning the MVP for a third time. He showed how truly amazing and great he could be in the Finals last year, and now he seems to have found a solid mid range game to add to his incredible arsenal. He is such a good driver, he can hit hook shots and floaters, now he has the mid range shot and he is a world class rebounder and defender. He can almost do it all. Coach of the Year will be Nick Nurse. He will have Toronto looking decent again, they will become a free agent destination and he will help guys like Pascal Siakim get back to all star contention and OG Anuonoby becoming a face for the next generation of star players. Defensive Player of the Year will not be Draymond or Rudy Gobert for once. I think it will go to Bam Adebayo. He will be the best defender on the best defense in the NBA. He gets better every year and he adds to his game. His defense is going to take a leap. Rookie of the Year is going to be Jalen Green. He is going to score in bunches and be the only reason to watch a very, very bad Rockets team. Most Improved is my guy Jordan Poole. He was awesome in the play-in last year, he has been incredible in the preseason and he is going to play a major role in the Warriors lineup until, and most likely after Klay comes back. And finally we have Sixth Man of the Year. I've got Derrick Rose winning it this season to add to his impressive trophy case. He has fully taken on the role of 6th man in New York, his jumper is better, he can still get to the hoop and he has completely revived himself the past three years in Minnesota and New York. Derrick Rose is a super impressive basketball player.

There you have it, my NBA postseason and awards predictions. This wraps up my NBA preview for the 21-22 season. The season starts tonight. Enjoy the games everyone. It is truly the most wonderful time of the year.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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

Tales from My First Marathon

I know I said I was going to do my NBA postseason and awards predictions today, but it will have to wait until tomorrow. I did something this weekend that I would have never thought possible about 10 years ago. Let’s discuss.

I used to be a heavy dude. I still am a big guy, but I used to be BIG. At my biggest I weighed 340 pounds. I was active back then, but I loved my food. I still do. But one day, right around the time I became a stay at home dad, I found myself winded after running around our tiny backyard in our first house with my son. When I put him down for his nap that day I was still tired. As I sat there on my couch I decided something had to change. That was when I decided I was going to do the Atkins diet. It has been an absolute home run for me. I'm not a big bread or pasta guy anyway, so this seemed like the best fit. And it worked. I started to lose weight. At first it was a few pounds here and there, but then that turned into big cumulative losses. I was loving it, and I felt much better. I could run around with my son and not get tired so quickly. At my lowest weight I was down to 240 pounds. It was awesome.

Losing carbs wasn't working as well once I got to the 250-260 range. I needed to start doing some kind of exercise to keep the weight off because right around the 250 mark I started to allow myself some sweets and pasta as a treat. I have always played basketball, but that is a sport that is easy to take breaks while playing. This was when I took up running. I decided I was going to run to simply keep my weight anywhere from 260-280 pounds, which my doctors informed me was an ideal weight for me. So I tried it. It was tough, real tough at first. I could barely make it a full mile without stopping to walk or catch my breath. But then that mile got easier so I upped it to two miles. Then I did a 5k. And now I am at that place that I thought was unattainable a decade ago. I have done multiple 5k's and 10k's. Done a bunch of trail 10k's and 15k's. I've run many road and trail half marathons. All of these were fun but I would always say that 13.1 was my limit. I did not think I could go further.

When COVID hit I started to run everyday, but still never past my 13 mile threshold. But prior to COVID I signed up for my first marathon. It got pushed to 2020, but I was still going to do it. So I trained, and trained hard. I got to a point where I could run 18 miles in one go and not feel too bad afterward. When things started to open up a bit I signed up for an in person six hour loop race in Columbia, Missouri with the intention of running the marathon distance, but only made it 25 miles before I was spent and my time limit was up. After the race in Columbia I started to have knee problems though. I would try to run through it, or take more days off, but the pain was not easing. I saw an orthopedist about ten days before what was supposed to be my first official marathon and he informed me that I was not going to be able to do it. I had a minor stress fracture in my knee that was only going to get worse if I went and ran the race. I was devastated. Things got dark. I couldn't run for four weeks, and four weeks after that I was only allowed to do four miles at the most. But I got better. My knee healed. I saw my doctor multiple times and every time he said my knee looked better and stronger.

So when my buddy Kirk told me about this race here in Saint Louis called Declue Loops, I was intrigued and wanted to do it. The race had four options, one loop, which is 8.2 miles, two loops, three loops, which equaled a marathon with a little extra on your first loop, or four loops, a 50k. I signed up for the three loops and Kirk did the four. We had a few months to train, so we both hit it pretty hard. We would meet once a week to run trails, and I decided in June that I was going to start my very own run streak. A run streak is running at least one mile everyday no matter what. Kirk and I would do longer distances on the trails. I was making sure I was averaging four miles a day. The knee felt good. Kirk was a constant inspiration and a great listener to any fear I had going into the race. We even went out about twelve days before the actual race and did two loops just to be acquainted. That run that day gave me the boost I needed.

Race day finally came this past Saturday the 16th. I was nervous the night before, but I also felt better. I knew the nerves were getting to me a bit because I only got about four hours of sleep. It didn't matter though when the nine marathon runners and twelve 50k runners got the go ahead to start at 7am. I went out ready to go. I felt pretty solid on my first loop too. The terrain was tough, but I knew it well enough. It was perfect weather, 45 and sunny. The other runners were just as hyped as I was. When I got back on the main trail it was this perfect moment of zen. I felt so good that I ran pretty much all of that first loop. I filled my pack at the aid station, grabbed some snacks for the second loop and made my way out feeling pretty solid. Then at about mile 14 I hit a major wall. I felt terrible. My legs were getting tired. I ate my food way too quickly. I didn't take in enough Tailwind. I just felt bad. I walked for a bit, but that didn't seem to ease any distress mentally and physically I was feeling. The terrain, again which I knew very well, seemed to be rockier and harder. The second loop felt like it had way more elevation. I was starting to get frustrated.

At mile 16 I decided that I was going to drop. I figured I could hike the final two miles of the loop and just go home feeling dejected. When I got to the aid station after the second loop I stopped, grabbed my knees and told one of the workers that I was done. I went over to my pack and the guy I told that I was done told me to just stay there for a minute. Then one of the main people at Saint Louis Track Club, they put on the race, came over and talked to me. He told me exactly what I needed to hear. He said these races are supposed to hurt. You are supposed to feel shitty. No marathon is fun for the whole thing. He told me to get the negative thoughts out of my head. He gave me a Coke and told me to drink half of it. He helped to make my pack lighter. And when he said that he could see in my eyes that I wasn't done, that gave me this sudden burst of energy I didn't know I had inside of me. Once I heard that and put on my much lighter pack, I looked at him, thanked him profusely and exclaimed, "I'm going back out there to finish this damn thing!". And when I took off for that final lap, hearing the people cheer only made me more convinced I could do this. I took that final lap slow. It took me nearly two and a half hours to do the 8.2 miles. I walked more than half of it. My legs and calves and thighs and feet hurt. I got passed by a few 50k runners on their final lap. But when I got to that final hill climb, which meant I was less than a mile away, this feeling of euphoria engulfed my body. I made a video to send to my family to let them know how much I love and appreciate their support in my newfound love of running. After the video, when I was all by myself making that climb, I started to tear up from happiness. When I got to the final tenth of a mile I started to jog again, and when the crew saw me coming I heard someone say, "there's our guy!". It was amazing. I felt like I was on top of the world. When I crossed the finish line multiple people were clapping and telling me what a good job I did. The guy who convinced me to finish told me I looked better at the end than I did when I thought I was done. The running community that I have become a part of now is one of the best groups of people I have ever been around. They are so cool and inviting and nice. When I was done I told my buddy Kirk that we did it. We finished. He said he wanted to be there when I finished my first marathon, and he was right there when I crossed the finish line.

I never, in a million years thought a full marathon was in my grasp. It seemed like a pipe dream. Now I have done it, and on a trail no less. I spent seven and a half hours in the woods, finished in last place of all the marathon finishers, am still very sore, but I did it. I ran a god damn marathon. It is an incredible feeling. It is crazy what the human body can do when it is trained and pushed to the limit. I know I am bragging, but I do not care. I am damn proud of myself, proud of all the other finishers and love the Saint Louis Track Club and the running community. Saturday was a great, great day.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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Ty's 2021-2022 NBA Preview: Bucks and Nets

Welcome to the final day of my 2021 NBA countdown. I have two teams left. These are the two best teams, kind of by a wide margin, in my opinion. They both have real title aspirations, and if we are lucky, we could see them meet in the playoffs yet again. That would be awesome considering how great their series was last season. Now, let's get to it.

At number 2 I have the reigning champs, the Milwaukee Bucks. Both of the teams today are pretty interchangeable. It would be better to have them listed as 1A and 1B honestly. The Bucks are back pretty much intact. Giannis Antentekoumpo is the best player in the NBA right now. I know that LeBron is the best player in the league now, and Kawhi prior to his injury was right up, and I'm sure guys like Joel Embiid, Donovan Mitchell and Devin Booker might have a say, but Giannis is the main man. He went totally supernova in the Finals last season, and he is still only 26. He is an amazing player. He is unstoppable on offense and a great, great defensive player. And if this mid range he has shown off in the preseason is real, watch the hell out. He could be like Wilt, but better on defense. Khris Middleton hit some of the biggest shots in the Finals, and he has gotten better every season. He is the glue for this team. He is the guy they look to when they need a jump shot and Giannis is totally gassed. Jrue Holiday staked his claim as the best perimeter defender after his wonderful Finals. He was very inconsistent on offense, but he was incredibly good on the defensive end. He was traded to Milwaukee for a ton, but it was worth it for everyone involved. He was what they missed. Brook Lopez became a stretch 5, but it was his work in the post, the stuff that made him an all star, that really helped this team and has helped him continue to be a key contributor. Donte DiVincenzio is back from injury, and they will need his jumper. He is a very solid floor spacer, and to have a guy like him on the floor helps Giannis a ton. The same could be said for Pat Connaughton. He is also a very solid defender and rebounder. Bobby Portis was a total revelation. He completely bought into the role of energy guy off the bench, and he was playing crucial minutes in the Finals. He has had quite a turnaround. George Hill brings excellent veteran leadership. Grayson Allen is a little shithead, but the dude can shoot. I like the addition of Semi Ojeyele. The Bucks have a very, very good team. They also have Giannis. This team is more than poised to defend their title. The Bucks are here to stay.

And at number 1, my top team coming into the season is the Brooklyn Nets. Now let's talk about Kyrie Irving real quick. The fact that he is a flat earther and an anti-vaxxer is not surprising. He is a selfish, egotistical prick. He has been since he entered the league. He's a nuisance, a shit head and him not being on the Nets does not do anything to tamp down my expectations for this team. Kyrie Irving is a dumbass, I hate that kids look up to him and I could care less if he ever plays another game in the NBA. He will not be missed.

Okay, now to the players that actually care and will be on the floor. Kevin Durant is fully back. He was amazing in the playoffs. He was taking on the Bucks pretty much by himself, and he almost won that series. KD is amazing. He is probably the second best player in the league right now. James Harden, who I do not like to watch play basketball, was a great add last season. He has fit in perfectly with the Nets. He gets his when he plays with KD, but when KD sits, Harden feasts on second units. He is doing exactly what he should for this team, and if he can stay on the floor he could exorcise some playoff demons this year. Joe Harris is still here. He is a very good shooter and defender. He needs to play better when it counts, the playoffs, but other than that, he is a great role player for this team. Blake Griffin looked revived when he signed with them last season. He had some lift, he hit some shots and he grabbed some boards. I love, love, love the Patty Mills signing. He adds a great scorer to their second unit. He has tons of playoff experience. And he is very comfortable in a backup role. Cam Thomas was an excellent late first round pick. I love his scoring ability, and he is going to learn from some of the best. Bruce Brown is such a good cutter, he finds the open spots on the floor, he makes the easy shots he gets from being so wide open, he is a solid player. Nic Claxton showed flashes of being a solid pick and roll guy and he can play some defense. He will easily fill the role of Deandre Jordan. LaMarcus Aldridge had a heart scare, retired, then got cleared and is now back with the team. This is a big deal. He is a good mid range guy, and he brings depth and height to this team. Paul Milsap was a sneaky good signing. If he does anything for the Nets like he did for the Nuggets, the one year deal was more than worth it. And James Johnson and Jevon Carter bring some attitude and defense. Kyrie or no Kyrie, it does not matter. The Nets have Harden and KD and a bunch of solid role players. They have the best roster. They have the best team on paper. They should be the odds on favorite to win the title. They have it all.

Okay there is my countdown of all 30 NBA teams. Come back Monday for my playoff and awards predictions.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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Ty's 2021-2022 NBA Preview: Celtics, Suns, Jazz, Lakers

Welcome to day seven of my 2021 NBA countdown. This is it. These are the best of the best. These are the teams that can truly win it all. They are not at the level of my top two teams, which get a full blog tomorrow, but they have the goods to win it all.

At number 6 I have the Boston Celtics. I do not like the Celtics, I never have, and their offseason was weird, but they have a very good team. This team was in the East Finals in the Bubble. Jayson Tatum is on the verge of becoming a super star. He has it all, and he is still very young. He has had COVID, I think he is now vaxxed and that will only help him stay on the floor. He is great. Marcus Smart, who was just suspended for some unknown reason, is one of the best perimeter defenders in the league. He is also becoming a better, not reliable, but better three point shooter. Jaylen Brown is coming off an injury, but he was an all star before he got hurt. He is a very, very good basketball player. And watching the playoffs last year, seeing him so nervous and angry that he couldn't play, that made me like him even more as a player. I like the Dennis Schroeder signing. He messed up by not taking the deal with LA early in the season, but now he is on a one year "prove it" deal, and he is a very skilled player. Al Horford is back, and while he is older, he is still a solid defender and can stretch the defense. I loathe Payton Pritchard, I have since he was at Oregon, but the dude is a good role player. Robert Williams has the talent to be a very good center, he just has to stay on the floor. I like the toughness of the bench that Bruno Fernando brings. Enes Kanter is still a top level offensive center. Jabari Parker played well in spurts. Grant Williams took a little step back, but he is still a rock solid defender. And Romeo Langford and Aaron Nesmith bring youth and athleticism to this squad. I actively root against the Celtics, but they have the talent to make a deep run. Last season was definitely an anomaly.

At 5 I have the Phoenix Suns. They were in the Finals last year. They had a 2-0 lead. They looked really good in getting that lead. And they return pretty much the exact same roster. Chris Paul is back, and he just continues to be one of the best point guards the NBA has ever seen. He is so good at running an offense and making a young team grow up real fast. Devin Booker is an elite shooter, he is starting to get super star calls and his offensive game is lethal. The way he cuts and hits that mid range jumper is impressive. He even got a little better on D last season. Deandre Ayton needs to be more assertive, but he is a highly skilled big and is going to be a double double machine. I wish he had a bit more anger to his game, but maybe that will come with time. Mikail Bridges is like Spiderman on defense, and he hit some big shots in the playoffs. Cam Johnson is great off the bench. Jae Crowder is not afraid of any moment or any player. He is a perfect fit next to CP3. Cam Payne looked better than he ever has in the league as a backup. I like the addition of Javale McGee for defense. I like the acquisition of Landry Shamet. He is a good shooter off of the pick and roll. Elfrid Payton doesn't bring much to their offense, but he is a solid perimeter defender. Dario Saric fits in nice there. And Frank Kaminsky flashed a few times in the Finals. The Suns are a very good team, and if this core can stay together, they are going to be a problem in the West for the next decade.

At number 4 I have the Utah Jazz. The Jazz are the NBA's version of the Seattle Mariners with more success. They were the one seed in the West last year. They dominated the regular season. And then they blew a 2-0 to the Kawhi less Clippers. Donovan Mitchell is awesome. He is a budding MVP candidate. He is a scoring machine. He is better than Luka Doncic and Trae Young. He is legit. Rudy Gobert is the best defensive center in the league. He swallows up drivers and makes it next to impossible for centers to score on him. They should use him more in the pick and roll on offense. Joe Ingles is an ass, but the dude can stroke it. He is a very good shooter. Jordan Clarkson is an electric bench scorer. He is amazing on offense. I really like the additions of Eric Paschall and Rudy Gay. Gay adds a veteran with real postseason experience and Paschall is a very skilled post player. Royce O'Neal is their second best defender, and he takes on the perimeter's opposition best player every night. Udoka Azubuike should get a few more minutes, and I think he will add a nice little bench element at center. And their rookie Jared Butler shot lights out at Baylor last season. The Jazz will be a top 3 seed again, they just have to make a real playoff run for me to take them real seriously.

The final team for today, at number 3 I have the LA Lakers. They have LeBron James. He is the second best player to ever play in the NBA. He is an amazing basketball player, an even better person and he seems as locked in as he has been since the Bubble. He is awesome and I will never count a team out that he plays on. They also have Anthony Davis. The dude simply cannot stay healthy, but when he is on the floor he is amazing. At both ends of the floor. AD could be one of the top 5 players in the league if he could not get hurt. Then the roster gets real weird. They have Russell Westbrook. He is as athletic a player as I have ever seen, but he is older. He is coming off injuries. He got COVID. He is a turnover machine and he shoots way too much for a guy that isn't a great shooter. I love Russ, I am a big fan, always have been, but he is on the other side of the cliff in his career. They also have Carmelo Anthony. Melo looked fine in Portland, but he got to play how he wanted. In LA he is going to have to buy in on defense, which he has never done, and he is going to have to come off the bench, which we all know he doesn't like. Dwight Howard and Deandre Jordan are their picks for center. Howard looked pretty bad last season in Philly, but he looked great in the Bubble with the Lakers. Deandre Jordan didn't see the floor in games that mattered in Brooklyn last year, and he doesn't have the lift he used to while with the Clippers. I like that they got Malik Monk and Kendrick Nunn for the mid level exception. Monk has never been as good a shooter in the NBA as he was his one year at Kentucky, and Nunn lost a ton of minutes last season in Miami. Time will tell with those two. Rajon Rondo is back, and unless he returns to playoff Rondo, I do not see him taking real minutes from Russ. Kent Bazemore was a good addition as a shooter, but he is also older and on the back end of his career. Talen Horton Tucker is young and skilled. He'll need minutes, but he also just got injured and will miss some weeks. Trevor Ariza is also older and hurt. Wayne Ellington used to be good, we will see here. The Lakers have the names. They have former MVP's and all stars on this team. They have LeBron and AD. But they are old, not too rich at shooting guard and will have a tougher time on defense. They will still be a very good team. But when the rubber meets the road, when they need a big three or a defensive stop, I'd be reluctant to say that they have the guys to do it. The playoffs will be the true test of this roster construct.

That is it for today. Come back tomorrow for my top two teams.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

Ty's 2021-2022 NBA Preview: Heat, Warriors, 76ers, Nuggets

Welcome to day six of my 2021 NBA countdown. We are in the top 10 now. These are the real good teams, the teams that have a real shot at the title if things go their way.

At 10 I have the Miami Heat. I loved their offseason. They got a great fit in Kyle Lowry. He will be added seamlessly to this lineup. He can run the offense, he will be a total menace on defense, he can score and distribute, he is in a great situation. I do not care that he is "old" in NBA terms. This is a great fit. Jimmy Butler is fast becoming one of my favorite players and people. He is a beast, he works his tail off, he is so much better than he has ever been in the NBA and he is hilarious. Jimmy Butler bet on himself in Minnesota and Philadelphia and it totally paid off for him. He was right and he has proven that tenfold. Bam Adebayo is also becoming one of my favorite players. In fact, besides Ja, Adebayo is probably my favorite player. He is so fast and quick and big and strong and plays so well. He is going to be an all star soon. Duncan Robinson has made it and now he got paid. He is a specialist, but what he does, shoot threes, he is one of the best in the league. He is a true sniper. Tyler Herro could have a bounce back season. He apparently put on some muscle, worked on his shot and everything coming out of camp seems to point to him getting better this offseason. Victor Oladipo is coming off another injury but he took a one year deal and he has to go out and prove he is as good as he used to be. He is a good slasher and cutter and plays solid defense. He just has to show that he is still able to do that. Getting PJ Tucker from Milwaukee makes this team even more of a nightmare on defense. Tucker adds zero on offense, but he is still an upper tier defender. Markieff Morris is tough and nasty. And Udonis Haslem is back as a player/coach essentially. Miami has a very good team that is going to be an elite defense. They will make some noise.

At 9 I have the Golden State Warriors. If they had a fully healthy Klay Thompson to start the season I'd probably have them in my top five. He will not be back until January so that is why they are here. Steph is the best shooter in the history of the league. He is pretty much un guardable. He can do it all and he is an all time great. He alone gets this team in the playoffs. Andrew Wiggins got vaxxed, finally, and while he is not as good as some thought when he was the first overall pick, he still brings value to this team. I am glad he got vaxxed, I just wish he wasn't such a baby about it. Draymond Green is still one of the best defenders in the league. He is also a very good facilitator and passer. He is nothing when it comes to scoring, but he is still elite at the things he does really well. Jordan Poole looks like he is going to take a leap. He looked great in the play-in, and he has been awesome in preseason games. Then it gets dicey for this team. Moses Moody and Johnathan Kuminga were both good picks, but I do not know where they are going to find minutes. Otto Porter Jr has not played in a year, looks to be out of shape, but people in Golden State say he looks good. Nemanja Bjelica can shoot, but he couldn't get minutes in Sacramento. Andre Iguodala is a finals MVP, a great player for the Warriors, but he is old. He is my age. James Wiseman can still be very good, but he needs to play through the run moments, and I do not know if Steve Kerr will be patient enough to let him. Juan Toscano Anderson has energy for days, but he is not much of a scorer. Kevon Looney cannot stay healthy. Damion Lee is a good shooter. And I like that they added Avery Bradley and Gary Payton Jr for defense. The Warriors have one of the all time greats, they should get Klay back and Draymond is still elite. They do need a ton of things to break their way, but they are still going to be in it until the end of the season.

At 8 I have the Philadelphia 76ers. Ben Simmons appears to be at camp, could be a full participant and may even play some games. I think he and his agent realized how much money they would lose if he didn't show up, and they want to up his trade value. Simmons is an otherworldly defender, but he has gone off a cliff in pretty much every other area of the game. I'd still keep him and see if they could figure it out, but maybe everyone involved is doing this to make a real trade. Joel Embiid is amazing. He is the best center in the league. He can do it all on both ends. He is elite. He is an MVP candidate. I just want him to play a full season. Matisse Thybulle is one of the best defenders in the league, and if Simmons does get traded, I could see him stepping into his role, with the exception of running the offense. Seth Curry has proven he belongs. He can shoot the hell out of the ball. Tyrese Maxey was so much fun to watch last season, and I could see him getting an expanded role. I like that they went out and got Andre Drummond for almost nothing. He could go out and feast on second units. He had moments in LA last year, and I could see that come back in Philly. Danny Green isn't as good as he used to be, but he can still shoot and guard. Tobias Harris may be overpaid, but the dude can fill it up. He is a solid NBA scorer. Furkan Korkmaz is a good bench player. And Shake Milton looks like he could take that next step to being the second unit's top scorer. Philadelphia is going to be good regardless of what happens to Ben Simmons. Honestly I do not see much of a difference if he is there or not. The 76ers are a 4 or 5 seed at the lowest.

The final team for today, at number 7 I have the Denver Nuggets. Full disclosure, they would have been number 3 if Jamal Murray was playing. He is not, probably won't for the whole season, so they land in the top 10 on my list. Nikola Jokic is the reigning MVP. He is a very good passer, he runs the offense, he can shoot and he is a nightmare to guard. Jokic is good. He is even better when he is in shape. Michael Porter Jr is a total dumbass and I am actively rooting against him. He's an idiot. He does not know what in the hell he is talking about. I do not care how good of a basketball player he is because every time he opens his mouth something idiotic comes out of it. Aaron Gordon got an extension, fit in great with this team last year and he looks like he is happy playing again. He can also still jump out of the gym, and people do not seem to realize how good of a defender he is. Gordon is great. Jeff Green keeps getting moved, but I like him on this team. He looked great in Brooklyn last year, and he will get more of a chance to play in Denver this year. Will Barton can shoot the ball, he just needs more shots. Austin Rivers has settled in as a role player. Monte Morris is another solid scorer. Bol Bol could be something if he got some real playing time. Facundo Campazzo is a hustler. Markus Howard was one of the best scorers in the NCAA for three years. And JaMychal Green is a good stretch big. The Nuggets are in their title window right now. They may have to pause for one season since Murray is out. But these guys are still young and good and can play. The Nuggets are a top five seed in the West for sure though.

That is it for today. Come back tomorrow for the next four teams.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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

Ty's 2021-2022 NBA Preview: Trailblazers, Mavericks, Hawks, Clippers

Welcome to day five of my 2021 NBA countdown. All of these teams are playoff bound. They could even make noise if things go their way. I like some of these teams but I also dislike one team on my countdown today. You'll see when I discuss said team.

At 14 I have the Portland Trailblazers. This feels like the last chance they have to do anything with Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. I think if they have another early playoff exit, Dame is gone. That being said, they do still have Dame for at least this season. And he is a killer. This dude is a beast on offense, can score from anywhere past half court and is a big game player. He has put teams out of the playoffs in his career. He is so awesome, loyal and has pushed this franchise as far as they have been since the early 90's. CJ McCollum is another really good scorer. He has gotten better each year he has been in the league. He is also a super fun social media follow. But he is who he is at this point. He's good, not great. I liked the Norman Powell addition at the deadline last year, and I thought it was smart to re-sign him. He adds more scoring and is a solid defender. Jusuf Nurkic, if he can stay on the floor, is a great big man for this team. He has also become a solid post scorer. He just needs to stay healthy. I love the addition of Larry Nance Jr. He is a better version of Derrick Jones Jr and he is a much better defender. The Cody Zeller signing was very blah. If Anfernee Simons is going to pop he needs time on the floor and this may be his last chance in Portland. Tony Snell is a sniper. Robert Covington has slipped, but he can still be a menace on defense. Nassir Little just hasn't gotten it yet. And guys like Marquesse Chriss and Patrick Paterson are toast. I like Portland, and if they make a push for a guy like Kevin Love that could really open things up. As for now they are a firm playoff team simply because Dame is so damn good at basketball. He is amazing.

At number 13 I have the Dallas Mavericks. I think the Mavericks might be the most overrated team in the NBA. They have not been out of the first round in two years yet some seem to think they are on the precipice of the Finals. I don't get it. I also do not get all the love for Luka Doncic. He is a very good offensive basketball player. He does very good stuff. But he is boring, and whiny and slow and not the super duper star that Zach Lowe or Bill Simmons have made him out to be. He is also atrocious defensively. He is a fine player, but he is not an MVP. Not even close. Kristaps Porzingis is the softest seven footer I have ever watched. He is also very whiny. He is also very brittle. And he thinks he is way better than he actually is. He is a seven foot shooter, and he is not named Dirk. Tim Hardaway Jr has turned out to be a sniper, but he is also a total defensive liability. He gets hunted by other teams. Maxi Kleber is not the defensive stalwart that ESPN has made him out to be. Kawhi destroyed him in the playoffs last year. Dwight Powell cannot stay on the floor. Willie Cauley Stein has bounced around the league and cannot seem to find a right fit. Boban is more of a personality than a player. Reggie Bullock was a solid signing who will bring some kind of defense to this team. Frank Ntilikina was brought in for defense alone. Jalen Brunson is very blah. And Dorian Finney Smith has not made the leap. The Mavericks are a playoff team, but I see them more of a 6 or play in type playoff team. They are not even close to a title contender.

At 12 I have the Atlanta Hawks. They had one hell of a ride last season. Now we will see if they are for real. I think they are. Trae Young is awesome. He played the role of villain so great. He is a great shooter and excellent passer. He rules. He has also gone further in the playoffs than Luka. John Collins showed out in the playoffs, got paid and I think he is due to make another leap. He is great. I love Clint Capela on this team. He is a perfect pick and roll partner with Young and he looks to be returning as a defensive stopper. Cam Reddish has shown flashes in his limited role, which is perfect for him. DeAndre Hunter is proving that the Hawks were right to take him so high in the lottery two years ago. Bogdan Bogdanovic and Kevin Huerter are great three point shooters and floor spreaders. Sharife Cooper will get to learn how to play point guard from Trae Young. Lou Williams is still a super hot scorer from the bench. Jahlil Okafor has fully bought into being a minimal role player and that suits him. And Gorgui Dieng is a great fit as a deep bench vet. The Hawks are back and it is good to see. This team is young and fun and will be around for a while.

The final team for today, at number 11 I have the LA Clippers. They are only here because of injury. They would be a lot higher if they had a healthy Kawhi. Without Kawhi, for probably the whole year, this team is going to have to dig deep to be a real playoff threat. Paul George was great last year. I do not care that a lot of people say nasty stuff about him, the dude is good at basketball. He more than showed up against the Suns. He put on a show. He is also one of the best defenders in the league. PG can play, and he proved that tenfold last year. Terrance Mann proved he belongs in the league. He had a very solid playoffs. Reggie Jackson seems to have found a home, and with Patrick Beverly gone, he is the starting point guard. Eric Beldsoe is not as gifted athletically anymore, but he brings veteran experience to this team. They're taking a flyer on Justise Winslow, and if he does any little thing, he will help this team. If Serge Ibaka can stay on the floor he can space it offensively, is still an okay rebounder and can still protect the rim. I think Keon Johnson will find minutes here and there and he will bring energy to this squad. Ivica Zubac is a very solid center. Luke Kennard is overpaid, but he can shoot. Marcus Morris Sr was also good in the playoffs and he is tough. And Nic Batum still has something he can add to this team. The Clippers are kind of in nowhere land with Kawhi being out. But they still have some guys on this team that will push them to the playoffs.

That is it for today. Come back tomorrow for the next four teams.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

Ty's 2021-2022 NBA Preview: Pelicans, Grizzlies, Bulls, Knicks

After a two day hiatus I am back with my 2021 NBA countdown. We are at the playoff teams. These teams are the 18 best coming into the season in my opinion. Some will be play in teams, as the NBA has fully committed to doing the play in which I love, but these teams are the playoff bound ones. They should get to the postseason barring significant injuries.

At number 18 I have the New Orleans Pelicans. This team has as much upside as almost any team in the league. If they can get their act together, learn how to play a little defense and stay relatively healthy, they are going to be a matchup nightmare. Zion Williamson has all the tools to be great. He dunks like Kemp, is built like LeBron, can handle the ball like a guard and is a very good passer. He is also nearly impossible to jump with. He can do it all. But he has not been able to stay healthy, and whining before even making the playoffs is a bad look. This kid can be an all time great, he just has to go out there and prove it without a shadow of a doubt. Brandon Ingram is one of the most versatile scorers in the league. He is long, can shoot, can cut and can knock down a shot from anywhere. He does not play a lick of defense though, and I wish he were a better rebounder. He needs to get tougher too. Josh Hart may be the soul of this team. He is their best defender, best rebounder and most reliable player. He is a guard though, so I kind of wish he wasn't their top rebounder. Kira Lewis Jr has some potential, he just needs to get some playing time. Nickeil Alexander Walker looked like he was going to be a great bench scorer a few seasons back, but that hasn't come to fruition. Jaxson Hayes is built like a bruiser, but he too has yet to show his full potential, and he isn't getting adequate playing time. I wish they had kept Lonzo Ball. Devonte Graham is an okay scorer, but this team will miss Ball's passing and defense. Graham doesn't do much of those things. Garrett Temple and Tomas Satorranksy bring shooting, but nothing else. And they replaced Steven Adams with Jonas Valanciunas. Valanciunas may be a better offensive player, but other than that he is an exact replica of Adams. The Pelicans have the talent to become a perennial playoff team, they just have to do it on the floor and play some defense.

At number 17 I have the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizzlies made the playoffs last year. They beat the Spurs and the Warriors, in Golden State, to make it as the 8th seed. They even took a game from the Jazz in round one. That was a nice start for this very young team. Now they need to take that next step. Ja Morant is a star. He will be an all star. He will be an all NBA player. His shot looks better. His floater is untouchable. He is an out of this world dunker. He is becoming the leader they hoped he would when they took him in the draft. I love this kid. He is my favorite player in the league. Dillon Brooks adds great shooting and plays incredible defense. He is going to be all defense this season. When healthy, Jaren Jackson Jr is a great modern big. He's a tough rebounder and defender. He can post you up and shoot the three. He has the tools, he just has to be on the floor. Kyle Anderson is an understated yet solid basketball player. He does all the little things he is asked. Steven Adams will not do much for them on offense, but he brings a strength and nastiness to this defense that I like. Desmond Bane way over shot his expectations for me, and he looked amazing in summer league. Jarrett Culver is getting his second chance here, and if nothing else, he can be a hound on defense. They will be able to bring along Zaire Williams very slowly, but I do already like how athletic he is. Brandon Clarke, with some more minutes, can easily have a good bounce back year. He was down, but he is too good not to break out of it. He could be their Matisse Thybulle, but with a better shot. Xavier Tillman hit some big time shots in crunch time games last year. He was more than ready for the NBA. And DeAnthony Melton can flat out put the ball in the hoop. Memphis is on the come up. They have the guys. They took a big step last year and now I expect, being a fan, that they are a perennial playoff team.

At number 16 I have the Chicago Bulls. Talk about an off season. They signed Lonzo Ball. He will add defense, passing, court vision and a reliable three point shot. They also got DeMar DeRozan. Say what you will about him, but there is a reason he is still around and still putting up eighteen a game. They already have Zach Lavine, who was an all star last year, was great on Team USA this summer and has the looks of a guy that just wants to win. They got Nikola Vucevic last season and didn't have the time to fully integrate him in the offense. Now he has a full off season under his belt and he should shine. Alex Caruso was a sneaky good signing. He brings great defense and hustle to this team. I know Patrick Williams is hurt now, but when he gets back, I feel like he is going to take a humongous leap. Coby White is going to be a lethal bench scorer for this team, and this role is so much better for him. Ayo Dosunmu was a very good draft pick and he is playing for his hometown team. Derrick Jones Jr will be a highlight reel mainstay and a big time fan favorite. The Bulls want to be in the playoffs and this off season made that very clear. They should be a very good team.

The final team for the day, at number 15 I have RD's New York Knicks. They were in the playoffs last season. They had home court advantage. Julius Randle was the MOP, an all star and an all NBA guy. Derrick Rose is back and looks like the best version of his veteran self. They signed Kemba Walker. I know he hasn't been that good as of late, but playing in the Garden, where he shined in college, that has to add something to his game. They overpaid for Evan Fournier, but the dude knows how to score in the NBA. He will inject some life into the second unit. RJ Barrett has quietly gotten better every year. And now that his jumper looks good, he could vault into a solid starter and twenty point per game kind of guy. Immanuel Quickley was a revelation. He is so much fun to watch and he has no conscience when shooting the ball. Mitchell Robinson is fully healthy and in a contract year. He will return to form. Obi Toppin is going to get more playing time and he will grow into a solid player. Nerlens Noel is still a good rim protector and rebounder. Taj Gibson is the vet every team wants. And Alec Burks can put up forty on any given night. The Knicks surprised a lot of us last year. They return pretty much everyone from a team that was the four seed last year. This team is here to stay and it feels good to have a good Knicks team in the NBA.

That is it for today. Come back tomorrow for the next four teams.

Ty

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

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Ty's 2021-2022 NBA Preview: Spurs, Wizards, Raptors, Pacers

Welcome to day three of my NBA countdown. We are getting closer to playoff teams. The teams today have a good shot to be in the play in.

At 22 I have the San Antonio Spurs. Greg Poppovich is still the head coach, he’s coming off a gold medal and he’s the GOAT. But this is a totally different team. DeMar DeRozan is gone. LaMarcus Aldridge left last season. Manu, Tony Parker and Tim Duncan have long retired. And Patty Mills, the original Spur, left for Brooklyn. What the Spurs have is young talent, especially at guard. I’m a big Dejounte Murray fan. The kid can play. He’s gotten better every year. And now they he’s “the guy” I think he’s going to make a leap. Derrick White has moments here and there. If he can do that more consistently he’s going to become a key starter. Lonnie Walker hasn’t popped quite yet, but it feels inevitable. Keldon Johnson was on Team USA, the people in the building love him and he goes hard every night. Jakob Poeltl seems to have found his role nicely. The young guys are good. I’m not as big a fan of some of the off-season moves. Doug McDermott is no more than a spot up shooter. Thad Young is good but he should be a bench guy. Brynn Forbes is a good shooter, but he barely played in the playoffs last season. Al Faroq-Aminu seems well past his prime. And Zach Collins has never been healthy. I’ll never count the Spurs out while they still have Pop. I also love the young talent they have.

At 21 I have the Washington Wizards. They made a playoff run through the play in, and I think they could be better this season. Brad Beal is great. He’s an all star. He’s one of the best scorers in the league. And he’s loyal. I totally disagree with his opinion on vaccines though. He doesn’t need to do research. Just get the vaccine. They acquired Kyle Kuzma and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope from the Lakers. Kuzma played good defense and became a solid cutter. Caldwell-Pope can shoot and play d. these were good gets in the Westbrook trade. They also went out and got Spencer Dinwiddie. We will see how he’s recovered from his ACL injury, but he’s always been able to put the ball in the bucket. I like Rui Hachimura. He has added to his game and looks ready to make a jump. Davis Bertans can shoot. Thomas Bryant has shown he totally belongs. The jury is still out on Deni Avdija. We will see. Montrezl Harrell is a nice bench guy. Aaron Holiday will give them good backup point guard minutes. The Wizards seem much more put together. They have a better group of guys. Beal needs to get vaxxed. Otherwise though this team should be in the playoff race all year.

At 20 I have the Toronto Raptors. They’re back in Toronto. They’ve moved on from star players that are older. And the young talent should be healthy. Fred Van Vleet is awesome. He’s gotten better every year. He’s more than earned his spot in the league. Pascal Siakim had an off year, but this whole team did. He was hurt too. He’s on his way to being a key starter in the NBA. He’s good. Last year feels like an anomaly. Scottie Barnes needs time, but he could be a jack of all trades. He was good his lone season at FSU. He has the tools. Goran Dragic was a solid get in the Kyle Lowry trade. Lowry is better, but Dragic can play. Previous Achiuwa looks like he’s going to be good for awhile. OG Anounoby can be great if he can stay healthy. He’s so good. Khem Birch is a very good rebounder and defender. Chris Boucher looked real, real good last year. The fact that he can shoot threes now is a big deal for this team. And Gary Trent Jr is an okay enough bench guy. The Raptors are the East’s version of the Spurs. Last year was a fluke. Don’t sleep on this team.

The final team for today, at 19 I have the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers are wheats tough. Even when the roster is thin, they still find a way to win much more than they should. That is this team. A lot changes if the Ben Simmons rumors are true, but we will just go along today as if they don’t trade for him. Caris Levert is legit. He’s good. He can score from anywhere. He plays tough defense and he’s getting much needed playing time. Damontas Sabonis is an all star. He’s a great passer, adequate shooter, good defender and rebounder and the offense runs through him. Myles Turner is a defensive monster. He’s so good in that end of the floor. Malcolm Brogdon is just a solid player. And the way he exploded on the Hornets last season was a great sign. If they get a healthy TJ Warren he adds a whole new level of offense off the bench. Chris Duarte was a solid pick. He’s NBA ready right now as a rookie. TJ McConnell is a pest. He and Turner would be a nightmare to play against. Jeremy Lamb, when healthy, is a good bench scorer. And Justin Holiday is a solid backup. The Pacers will be in the hunt all year for the playoffs. Again, if they get Simmons it changes their outlook. But right now they should be a lock for the play in.

That’s it for today. Come back for the next four teams tomorrow. That will be the start of my playoff teams.

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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Ty's 2021-2022 NBA Preview: Cavs, Kings, Timberwolves, Hornets

Welcome to day two of my NBA countdown.

Coming in at 26 I have the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs do have a feeling of a team trying to win, but it’s just not working out. I’m a big Colin Sexton fan. The kid can play ball. He’s a good scorer, good at getting to the rim and has improved both of his years in the NBA. All the trade talk and everything else surrounding him is nonsense. Darius Garland is proving me wrong. I thought he’d need more time, but he’s shown he belongs. He’s a good guard and I feel like he’s going to take a leap. I love love love Evan Mobley. I fear he’ll get buried on the bench but this kid needs to play. He’s got all the gifts and tools to be a great modern big in the NBA. Isaac Okoro had a solid rookie year. I’m a big Jarrett Allen fan. I love his Afro but I love his rim protecting even more. Then it gets iffy. Denzel Valentine is not great. They need to trade Kevin Love. I don’t like the Lauri Markannen signing because he’s taking minutes from Mobley. I don’t get why they signed Ricky Rubio. They already have better, younger guards. Tacko Fall will barely see the floor. And Dylan Windler is just Jimmer Fredette 2.0. This is a weird roster. They need to go fully young and build around those guys. The off-season suggests they may go in a different direction though. Either way they’re a lottery team.

At 25 I have the Sacramento Kings. This team is in purgatory. They’re stuck. De’Aron Fox deserves so much better. He is so good but he’s going to go nowhere with the Kings. He’s an all star stuck on a very poorly run team. Buddy Hield clearly wants out. He almost got his way, but now he’s back to shoot threes and do little else. Richaun Holmes should be a glue guy on a playoff team. In Sacramento he’s a starter playing far too many minutes. Marvin Bagley cannot stay healthy and it seems like he wants out. Davion Mitchell was a good pick, if this team didn’t have Fox. He’s barely going to play. Tyrese Haliburton had a great rookie year, and I see him blossoming if he gets to leave this team. Harrison Barnes’ talent is being wasted. And then it’s a bunch of G League guys. The Kings need to make a ton of changes to get this team back to relevance. Maybe a trade for Ben Simmons could wake this franchise up.

At number 24 I have the Minnesota Timberwolves. I think they could be in the play in with their talent. Their talent just cannot stay on the floor together. Karl Anthony Towns is amazing. He went through hell this past year too. He’s so skilled offensively. He knows how to score. He’s a great rebounder too. He’s just not very good on defense. He needs to be better. D’Angelo Russell can score and run an offense, but he’s been injured more than not, and he’s a zero on defense. I am a big time Anthony Edwards fan. That kid is awesome. He’s got the right attitude for the NBA. He dunks the hell out of the ball. His shot got better. He went toe to toe with Steph in a game last year. I have nothing bad to say about him. Patrick Beverly was a nice addition who will play a ton of defense. He’s no good on offense. Taurean Prince had one solid season but he hasn’t played that well in awhile. Malik Beasley is a good bench scorer but he thinks he should start. Josh Okogie played so much better with Team Nigeria in the Olympics than he ever had with Minnesota. Naz Reid is a good big man, he just needs more time. Like I said, this team can make the play in if they stay healthy. That’s a big if.

The final team for today, at number 23 I have the Charlotte Hornets. LaMelo Ball is legit. That kid can play. He is the player to build around. On the other hand I despise Gordon Hayward for so many reasons. The main one is that he’s not that good anymore. He’s oft injured and seems to have a bad attitude. I love that they took James Bouknight in the draft. He’s instant offense off the bench for them. He’s going to light it up. Miles Bridges is a good pick and roll guy who works great next to Ball. Terry Rozier made bank after one good season. He hasn’t lived up to that season, but he’s still getting paid she he can still score. I like that they’re taking a chance on Kelly Oubre Jr. He’s got some good skills, he just needs to okay more. He’ll get that opportunity in Charlotte. PJ Washington is a solid reserve. He usually starts in Charlotte. Mason Plummer was a wasted signing. Kai Jones will bounce between the G League and the NBA, but he has a ton of upside. Other than that it’s all question marks. The Hornets were in the play in last year, and they were crushed by the Pacers. If Ball takes a leap I could see them back in the thick of the play in again. That’s it for today. Come back tomorrow for the next 4 teams.

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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Ty's 2021-2022 NBA Preview: Thunder, Pistons, Rockets, Magic

The NBA season is about two weeks away. I know it seems like it just ended, and it did, but the league is getting back on their regular calendar. The pandemic has made everything crazy, and the pro sports leagues are just trying to get back on track. With that, I'm going to start my NBA countdown for the 21-22 season today. I'll do this just like I do my other leagues, going from who I consider the worst to the best. I'll do four teams a day and end it with a full prediction blog. These are some of my favorite blogs to write because I love the NBA so much. Okay let's get to it.

At number 30 I have the Oklahoma City Thunder. This is all exactly what they have wanted. When they traded Harden, couldn't re-sign KD and mercifully traded Russell Westbrook, they had a full rebuild in mind. The good news for the Thunder is they have a billion draft picks and Shai Gilgeous Alexander to build around. SGA is awesome. He is a future all star. He has all the tools to build a team around. This kid is legit. Lu Dort is a hounding defender. If he can start to shoot some he could be a solid starter. Darius Bazley showed flashes last season. Derrick Favors is a fine vet to have on a young team. Outside those guys it is kind of rough. Josh Giddey can shoot, but he is a rookie. Alex Pokuusevski is super raw. Mamadi Diakite can block shots, but doesn't do much else. Ty Jerome isn't that good. Isaiah Roby and DJ Wilson do not see the floor. The Thunder are not good now, but if they keep SGA, get Lu Dort to expand his game and cash in on some of their picks, they will be a threat in about 3-4 years.

At number 29 I have the Detroit Pistons. They have Cade Cunningham. He looks like he should be the real deal. He was a great scorer his one year in college and looked good in summer league. They also have Saddiq Bey. He is proving to be a solid all around player. If he can hone his shot he could be very good. Jerami Grant is a really good player and betting on himself totally paid off. He is doing loads of good things for this team. But that seems to be where the "good" of this team stops. Josh Jackson is a bust. Hammidou Diallo is an awesome athlete, but he is way too out of control. Luka Garza is trash. Killian Hayes is completely unproven. Corey Joseph is old. Trey Lyles has never been able to stick anywhere. Isaiah Livers is coming off an injury in college. The Pistons are in a tough spot. They need time to rebuild. Cunningham, Grant and Bey are a solid core, but they need tons and tons of help.

At number 28 I have the Houston Rockets. I think they knew they were going to be in a tough situation when they traded Harden last season, but they did get a slew of picks and they have a ton of future leverage just like the Thunder do. Jalen Green looks every bit the part of a future star. He got great experience while playing for G League Ignite last year. He went toe to toe with Cunningham in summer league. He was on fire until he got a tweak in his leg and sat out the rest of the games. Kevin Porter Jr looked so much better after spending some time in the G League last season. He has bounced around a bit, but the talent has always been there. He should continue to grow. Alpernon Sengun has been on everyone's mind since summer league, where he shined, and I'm excited to see how he plays in real games. After these 3 the team falls off a cliff. John Wall will not play for them this season. Eric Gordon will also most likely be traded before the season starts, or very soon after. Avery Bradley has already left the team. Usman Garuba was a popular pick, but he is so raw. I'm not as high on Christina Wood as other people are. He seems like a good stats on a bad team guy. He is empty calories. Jae'Sean Tate showed flashes, but I need to see more. David Nwaba is incredibly raw. I think the Rockets will be fun to watch because of Jalen Green, but this team will not win more than 25 games all season.

The final team for the day, at number 27 I have the Orlando Magic. I was a fan of them finally blowing it up last season to rebuild. But the rebuild is going to take some time. Cole Anthony has the goods, but he needs time to develop into a true NBA point guard. Mo Bamba simply cannot stay healthy. Ignas Brazdekis is a G League guy. Wendell Carter Jr has the skill, but it has not translated well to the NBA yet. We all know about the Markelle Fultz saga, and while he has looked better in Orlando, he still can't shoot. Johnathan Issac is more focused on not getting vaxxed than playing basketball. RJ Hampton hasn't lived up to the hype and Gary Harris has crashed back to Earth after one good season. Robin Lopex and Terrence Ross are well past their prime. As is E'Twaun Moore, What the Magic need to do is keep Anthony as their point guard, let Jalen Suggs play the 2 and work Franz Wagner in to be their star defender and 3 point shooter. Build off those three and hope that some other players hit or that they get good draft picks. The time had come to rebuild, but Magic fans are going to have to be very patient again. That may be worrisome, but that is where this franchise is right now.

That's it for today. Come back tomorrow for the next four teams.

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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Florida State Football Needs Deion Sanders

Florida State football is off to a rough start. They looked good in their opening game against Notre Dame though. Things looked like they may be coming back a bit in that game. Then the hail mary happened against Jacksonville State. Then the Wake Forest game happened. And now, with a rough schedule coming up, things look like they may get worse.

With their worst start since the 70's, Mike Norvell doesn't seem to be the long term answer at head coach. I was not a fan of the hiring in the first place. Norvell did a solid job when he was at Memphis and he turned that into a big time job, getting the FSU position. But this team has not been good since Jimbo Fisher left. I felt like they gave up on Willie Taggart too soon, and now Norvell may not make it through the next few weeks, let alone the rest of his contract.

With all this being said I think FSU should go after Deion Sanders hard to be their next head coach. To me this is an absolute homerun hire. This is akin to Nebraska hiring Scott Frost. This is the same as Michigan hiring Jim Harbaugh. Deion was a star player while at FSU, and he has done a very solid job in his two seasons as Jackson State's head coach. But what I like even more about Deion, why I think people at FSU would love to have him as their coach, he is passionate about the game, but even more so about his players. He goes to bat for his players. He talks them up in the media all the time. Michigan actually has a transfer this season from Jackson State, Daylen Baldwin, and he was interviewed recently about playing for both coaches. He was glowing when he talked about Deion. He liked him, Michigan just gave him a better shot at the pros, and he is from Michigan. But he seemed to really like what Deion brought not only as a head coach, but as a grown man. He talked about his passion for everyone on the team. You can see it when Deion does interviews. He is out there talking about how HBCU's need more coverage. That they have legit pros playing at HBCU's. and Deion is out there stumping for the greater good. He seems to love it. Think about having that passion and pairing it with the money and resources FSU has. Deion would thrive.

Sanders also knows the program inside and out. He has gotten the taste for recruiting the past two years. He has a goldmine of recruiting in the state of Florida. Young kids know about Deion and they want to play for Deion. His son was a solid recruit, who had multiple offers from higher D-1 schools, but he chose to play for his dad at JSU. And now with the NIL intact, again, think of the damage he could do as the head coach at FSU. He would get FSU back to getting top recruits. Some of the four and five star kids that are kind of scoffing at FSU because they have seen the poor job Norvell has done are opting for schools like Florida or Miami or Ole Miss or Georgia. I think if FSU gets Deion as the head coach those kids think twice. They keep FSU in their top five of schools. Michigan had success in basketball under John Beilein, but it wasn't until he left and they hired Juwan Howard did they start to get five star kids. In Juwan Howard's third season at Michigan he has the second best recruiting class in the country. That is because kids know him, when they meet him they like him and he played at the school and had a long pro career. Deion could bring that aspect to FSU football.

If Florida State want to be relevant again, if they want to be a perennial top 25 team, if they want to get back to being a contender, the best thing they could now is hire Deion Sanders. He brings instant credibility and he would have that team humming in a year or two.

Ty

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

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Who Will Be the Next USC Football Coach?

I knew Clay Helton was not going to last past this year unless USC won the title. Well, he only lasted two weeks. USC got absolutely crushed, at home, by Stanford. The Cardinal football team just crushed them early and rode that momentum to an easy two touchdown win. It was a solid win for David Shaw and Stanford. It cost Helton his job. He was not long for USC's head coaching job pretty much from the moment he was hired.

Truth is that Helton was not the first choice, and USC's much praised alumni made that well known. And Helton never did "enough" in the eyes of the school to keep him around. He had a solid record since taking over in 2015 at 46-24. But his best season was in 2017 when they finished 11-3, but got beat in the Cotton Bowl. Every other season was 8-5 or 5-7. He had one ten win season, but he was much more inline with the seven or eight win seasons. Unfortunately that does not cut it at a school like USC. They have national title aspirations. They are a blue blood team. They were once dominant. They used to get the best of the best recruits. Then Pete Carroll left, the school got disciplined and they have not recovered. Lane Kiffin didn't work. Steve Sarkisian didn't work. And now Clay Helton has not worked.

I have seen the names being mentioned, and it looks like USC is going to shoot for the stars. The first name I saw was Luke Fickell. I do not like that guy at all. He is a total asshole. But he has turned Cincinnati into a real playoff contender. They are a very legit top 10 team. They can play. He has squashed the rumors, but every coach mentioned for this job will say they have no interest.

I saw James Franklin was mentioned. He has built Penn State back into a perennial top 20 team. Again, I do not care for Franklin as a person, but he has won everywhere he has coached. He did it at Vanderbilt, but left them a total mess from which they have not recovered. And now he has Penn State back in the national conversation after a very odd season last year. Franklin to USC actually makes a ton of sense to me, but I do not know if he will leave Penn State just yet.

Whenever a major head coaching job opens, or is even talked about possibly being opened, Matt Campbell's name comes up. Campbell has turned Iowa State into a good team, but they seem to fall flat in big time games. Iowa State was supposed to beat Iowa this year. It was their time. Iowa beat them pretty handily. They also lost some odd games last year. Campbell will get his shot eventually, but USC would be trading Helton for a slightly better version of Helton if they hire Campbell.

PJ Fleck is another name I see and this one makes zero sense to me. Fleck did turn Western Michigan into a very good team, but he has only had one good season with Minnesota. He can coach the kids up, but Minnesota is not as dominant as I think they hoped when they hired him a few years back.

Mario Cristobol was mentioned, but I do not see him leaving Oregon any time soon. He is building something good in Eugene. And as it does any time a big job is opened you get the former star coaches or former/current pro coaches.

Bill O'Brien has come up on lists. I'd say no thank you.

Bob Stoops has been out of the game way too long. He is no Mack Brown. I also do not think he wants to come out of retirement.

Tony Elliot, Clemson's offensive coordinator, is on a few lists, but he seems rather comfortable where his is right now.

Of course, Urban Meyer is being mentioned, especially since the Jags got bombarded by the Texans in his first game as a NFL head coach. If Meyer were to leave the Jags for this job, he is no better than Bobby Petrino. In fact that would be worse. Not only would is prove that he couldn't cut it at the highest level, but that he was not prepared to do it at the highest level.

Looking at this list I think the job comes down to three guys, Fickell, Franklin or Campbell. If I were a betting man I bet Franklin leaves PSU for this job. That makes the most sense to me. He is a proven winner, can recruit and would fit it very well in Southern California.

That is how I see this whole USC coaching search ending, but it will take some time, all season long in fact, before they eventually try and lure Franklin away from his current job. And I bet he takes it. It is too good a job not to.

Ty

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

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Nightmares in Little League Baseball

There are so many things I love about being an at home parent. I get to see all the firsts, I get valuable time with my kids, the one on one with each is amazing, my kids do and say things like me, it’s the best job in the world. I’m not kidding. I wouldn’t trade what I do for anything in the world. It’s the most fulfilling and best job I have had, or ever will have. I will do this job as long as I possibly can. Yet there are struggles. There are lots of stresses. Some days I’m so exhausted that I collapse in bed before 10pm and pass out. It’s a great but tough job.

A few weeks back I wrote about one of the stress filled jobs of an at home parent, cleaning the bathrooms. That’s a gross and very involved job. Another thing I have come to realize that’s tough is coaching youth sports, namely my son’s 10u little league baseball team. I coached my daughter in basketball and softball, but she’s 5. It’s more about learning than competing. I also coach my son’s basketball team, and while that’s tough, that’s on me. I love basketball. I’ve played it forever. It’s the best. But I also expect the best, and at 9, my son has a few years before he has to really decide if he wants to play basketball for a long time. He has to grow into his body a bit more. He’s a big kid, but he’s also super awkward. He moves like a new born baby colt. But baseball, little league baseball, coaching that, at the 10u stage is hard.

Baseball is, admittedly, an easy sport. See the ball, hit the ball. Field the grounder, throw the runner out. Throw the ball, catch the ball. It’s real simple. Also, by the 10u stage, real baseball rules are used. You can steal, passed balls are live, you can run on drop third strikes, you can pick players off, it’s all in play. This is the first season for our team with these rules, but we’ve been practicing pretty much all year. Once we were allowed to safely gather as a team, we started working on the new rules that were soon to come. But now that they’re here, our boys have seemed to forget everything. Our catchers jog or walk back to passed balls. The boys do not understand what a lead off is. Hardly anyone swings the bat now that they’re seeing real pitching, no more pitching machine. We get picked off on a regular basis. The kids do not know how to properly slide. Our pitchers don’t even look at base runners. It’s a mess.

This all came to an ugly head at our game last night. I do want to point out that we moved up a division, we were told too after finishing high in our division over the summer, so the competition is much better. This should head to improvement, but that has not happened. We’ve taken a tremendous step back. Last night we had no business being on the field with this other team. We got one hit. We were 10 run ruled. We couldn’t get the ball back to our pitcher on a regular basis. Our fielders simply forgot how to field ground balls or catch a pop fly. The boys spent their time on the bench talking about video games or eating food. They were clueless to the action on the field. And to put the icing on the crap cake, one of our boys broke his fibula “sliding” into third on a steal attempt. He decided much too late that he wanted to slide and he caught his foot awkward on the bag and I had to physically carry him off the field. I feel awful for him. But the awkward slide was the full cause of the break. It was brutal. I hardly ever raise my voice, but I’m hoarse today. I had my head in my hands the whole two hours. I was questioning if the boys wanted to even be out there. I understand they’re 9 and 10, but I am not kidding when I say they had zero interest in the game last night. I’m an assistant, so I cannot even fathom how our head coach feels. He’s been at this longer than I have, but still, this was maddening last night.

What’s next? We are going to practice more. We are going to do all we can as coaches to get these boys more prepared. But I am not overstating how hard and frustrating it is to coach little league baseball. It’s not for the faint of heart.

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 Best Hat for Runners

These last six or so years have taught me a lot about running. I first did it to lose weight. Then I wanted to run some 5k's just to see what those were all about. Then I did a half marathon. Then I did some trail running. I dabbled in triathlons for a bit. I did some bike riding. But I always go back to running. It has replaced basketball as my number one option for a workout. I get the best workouts while running, I feel better, I eat better and I am mentally much better after a run, especially if I am having a crummy day.

One thing I have noticed more recently is how important gear is for runners. From hydration packs to collapsible water bottles to socks and shoes to knee braces to sweat gear and even hats. Hats are what I want to talk about today.

I have always been a hat wearer. Since I was a kid playing little league, a hat adorned my head. The only time I do not wear one while doing something athletic is when I play basketball. When I first got really into running I did not wear a hat. I went with nothing or wore some kind of sweat band. But every summer was a struggle to keep the sweat out of my eyes. I wear glasses, so when I get sweat in my eyes it is a pain, and when I am sweating like I do it is hard to clean my glasses. So when I would sign up for new races, if a hat was an option as some swag, I started to get that. I got a bunch of mesh hats from races that I wore the hell out. I have almost exclusively run with a hat for about two years now. They work better.

This year for our anniversary my wife bought me a good amount of running gear, but the coup de gras was the hat she found. I get all kinds of ads on my phone for running stuff, and one ad for a hat from a company named rnnr kept popping up. I liked the hat and mentioned it a few times in passing. My wife bought me one. She got me the Unicorn hat. It has a yellow and pink brim, a blue sweat catcher in the middle and 2 sided mesh. The bill is also the most flexible bill I have ever seen. This hat is absolutely amazing. I love everything about it. The other hats I got were fine, but this rnnr Unicorn hat is in a class of its own. It is so breathable yet it soaks up all my sweat. I hardly ever get anything in my eyes now. The hat is so flexible that if I need to move it or adjust it in any way, it is so simple and easy. I love that I can move the bill of the hat anyway I need it to be. The hat works as well if I turn it backwards when I run on a cloudy day. It is so easy to wash and hang dry. It is so light that I forget I have it on during my longer runs. It absorbs water when I throw some on my head to cool down. And it looks cool as hell. It is easily the best hat I have ever owned. I'm talking about any hat. It is perfectly crafted for what it needs to do. It looks rad. It feels even better. And I think I will be buying multiples because of how perfect this hat is.

This hat is like a restaurant with a one page menu. They know what they do is good and they keep cranking out nothing but the best. If you are a runner, of any sort, get yourself a rnnr hat. You will love it. But if you are just a collector of cool ass hats, buy one as well. These things are dope as hell. I cannot recommend these hats enough. They rule.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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Ty's Preview of the 2021 College Football Season

To close out my 2021 football preview I come to you today with my college football picks and predictions.

I love college football. It is my favorite sport to watch. Even with Michigan being mediocre for a decade plus, I will watch every game every Saturday, plus a ton of other matchups. Where we sit today, the college football season officially kicks off tomorrow at 11am eastern time. I cannot wait to watch. I will go over the big conferences, some group of five schools I like, pick my Heisman winner, playoff teams, championship matchup and winner. Let's get to it.

I will start with the major conference I feel is the weakest, the ACC. Clemson is far and away the team to beat. They have to replace Trevor Lawrence, but the kid that stepped in last year when Lawrence got COVID was great. Clemson is now a team that just reloads. They do not rebuild. They will be a top five team all year and they will run roughshod over the rest of the league. UNC will be a tough out though. They have a great offense led by a very good QB. Their defense is better too. UNC is on the up and up. Florida State will be better. I do want to see how well Mackenzie Milton plays after his two year recovery. Louisville will be explosive offensively. NC State is always tough. Boston College can slow games down with their running game. Miami has a real good QB and a great season opener with Alabama. Virginia and Virginia Tech are formidable. UNC will make it tough, but this conference is all about Clemson. They own the ACC.

The Pac 12 is better than the ACC, but not by much. They are always overrated to begin the season and come crashing to Earth by week two or three. Oregon is the cream of the crop and they should win the league. They have a very tough week two game, at the university of Ohio State, and how they fare in that game will be very telling for them this season. USC has pretty much everyone back from a team that closed out the pandemic shortened season on a higher note. Their coach is under pressure to win and win big though this season. Washington is young, but good and has a very good, very sound defense. Stanford is always a tough opponent. Arizona State has a very good QB and offense, but they have some off the field stuff that needs sorting out. UCLA has a good run game and defense, but Chip Kelly is not the dominant coach he once was. Utah is always good. They are worthy of a perennial top 25 spot. The Pac 12 is better, but this should be Oregon's conference to win. USC, ASU and Washington will be tough hurdles, but Oregon is the best Pac 12 team on paper.

The Big 12 will have one of their last season's with all of its current members. Oklahoma and Texas will be moving to the SEC by 2025. But, while they are still there, Oklahoma is the team to beat. They have one of the best offenses in all of college football. Spencer Rattler is the real deal. Their defense is better, although they will be able to outscore every team in the Big 12. Oklahoma is legit. Texas is overrated, I do not think Steve Sarkisian is their savior and I feel like they will tumble. But if they get their legs under them sooner rather than later, they could be a threat. Baylor is not as dominant as they were in the early 2010's. The fact they are still allowed to field a team is an abomination. Iowa State will most likely be Oklahoma's biggest threat. They have a solid QB, a great run game and a very good defense. They are also very well coached. Oklahoma State is rebuilding. Texas Tech will score in bunches, but give up a ton of points also. And West Virginia is mediocre. Oklahoma is going to bury every other Big 12 team this year. They are totally loaded and they will show as much on the field. I expect big things from Oklahoma this season.

The Big 10, my conference, is going to go through the university of Ohio State yet again. Sure they lost a bunch of critical guys, but just like Clemson and Alabama, the university of Ohio State just reloads. They have a new stud QB, great wideouts, running backs with experience and an incredibly good defense. They are loaded as well. Michigan is going to be a very interesting watch not only for me, but for a ton of people. They have a bunch of returning starters, but almost an entirely new coaching staff. They have a very tough schedule, but good players on both sides of the ball. They have a stable of running backs, but the O line is a mystery. The receivers have speed, and now height, but they have yet to produce any real numbers. And the defense has to pressure the ball and play much better in the secondary. Again, I will watch every game, but it is going to be gut wrenching. Penn State returns a ton of offensive starters. They could look like seasons past on that side of the ball. They have to replace some good defensive players, but they always recruit well. Wisconsin is back, they have a real legitimate QB and they can still run the ball. They also play very sound defense. They will be a problem. Minnesota returns their starting QB and he has weapons. They will be a tough out. Northwestern may have lost a good amount of starters, but this team is up to play anyone at any time. Nebraska has the guys to be a very potent offense. They need to limit turnovers though. They are also not the best on defense. Michigan State is rebuilding, but they can still be nasty, Rutgers is no longer a pushover. Iowa is still really good and really consistent. I think the matchup with Iowa State is going to be a hell of a game. And Indiana is definitely trending up. They return a great QB and some really good wideouts. They will be potent yet again. But all these teams are chasing the university of Ohio State. Until someone beats them, I will continue to pick them to win the Big 10.

The SEC is still as dominant as ever. I have been down on them for the past couple years and I have been wrong. They are the best conference in college football. Alabama lost pretty much everyone from their title team last season, yet here they are as the preseason number one overall team. They are the best at reloading. They have top notch talent all over the field. They have pros. They are playing on a whole other level. Georgia looks to be their biggest threat. They have a good QB, good run game, great O line and a stout defense. Kirby Smart has proven he is the best of the Saban disciples in college football. Florida is back to being a perennial top 25 team. Missouri has some solid playmakers and a new QB. Kentucky is tough. Texas A&M has a legitimate shot at crashing the SEC title game and playoff this season. Auburn returns their QB and looks to be an eight or nine win team. Ole Miss will sling the ball all over the field. And LSU is going to rebound from a tough 2020. The SEC is pretty stacked. They have the most talent in the country. I would not be shocked if they get two teams in the playoffs. But, just like the Big 10, until proven otherwise, I am going with Alabama.

As far as some non power 5 teams I like, Notre Dame is back to being great again, annoyingly. I despise that team, but they can play. Coastal Carolina will be fun. Cincinnati is really, really good. They have some good games early to prove how good they truly are. And Louisiana is going to score lots and lots and lots of points. Boise State will also be good yet again. Cincinnati has the best shot to bust into the playoff. They have the schedule to prove it, and if they go undefeated, they will easily find themselves in the playoff. I do not see any other team outside the power 5 besides Cincinnati that could make any major noise. I also do not have many "upsets" with my conference winners. College football is becoming pretty chalk. I hope the NIL changes all that, but time will tell.

As far as my Heisman pick, I am going with Spencer Rattler from Oklahoma. He is going to put up absolutely insane numbers this year. That kid is going to feast. I think Sam Howell could push and Bryce Young from Alabama will make a ton of noise. But Rattler is too primed to not be the favorite.

I also think a ton of freshmen are going to be thrust into the spotlight this year for a ton of teams. Michigan has a few freshmen that I think will get major playing time. The university of Ohio State will be playing a freshman at QB. I'm sure Clemson has some 5 star studs just waiting to hit the field. Freshmen are getting more and more playing time nowadays, and that will continue.

As for the playoff, this was tricky for me. My two locks are Oklahoma and Alabama. I think they will be 1 and 2 all season long. I was going to pick the university of Ohio State, and I think a win over Oregon will be a major push, but I could see them blowing a game or two (I would love it if one of those was against Michigan). I also think Oregon will choke away two games it has no business losing because that is what they do. USC could sneakily make their way into the conversation, but they have a tough schedule. And UNC will push Clemson real hard this year. With all that though, I already have Alabama and Oklahoma and I am going to add Clemson and Georgia. I think the SEC will get two teams while the Big 10 and Pac 12 are left out. I did want to throw Cincinnati in there, but I despise their coach and their schedule is brutal. I think Alabama will easily handle Georgia and I think Oklahoma will light up Clemson.

That leaves me with Alabama and Oklahoma in the title game and I will take Oklahoma. Spencer Rattler is that good. I also think this will be a sendoff for Lincoln Riley. He will get his ring and head to the pros to test out his coaching ability at the highest level.

Okay, there is my 2021 college football preview. I will check in midway through to see how wrong I am, but this is how I see it one day before the season kicks off. I can't wait. Go Blue

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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Ty Ranks the 2021 NFL Teams - The Playoffs and Award Winners

Today wraps up my 2021 NFL preview. I will pick division winners, the seven playoff teams from each conference, award winners and my Super Bowl matchup and winner. Also fyi, I like the addition of an extra playoff team from each conference also. That is a good move.

I'll start with the AFC.

The AFC South is a two team division. Really only one, the Titans, but the Colts are a solid team too. The Jags and Texans are going to be bottom feeders. I'll go with the Titans because no one is hurt, they have a better defense and Derrick Henry is an MVP candidate.

The AFC East is a better division, but there is another clear cut winner. The Jets are still in a rebuild, but the Dolphins and Patriots should be better than .500. But this is the Bills division. The Bills will win going away, but the East could have three playoff teams.

The AFC North may be the best division in the NFL. There are three teams all vying to make the playoffs and make deep runs. The Bengals will have an okay offense, but their defense and head coach are not great. The Ravens, Steelers and Browns are all good. I'm going with Baltimore. I have a ton of faith in that team this year.

The AFC West is also good, but the Chiefs are the best team in the NFL. The other three teams, the Raiders, Chargers and Broncos will all be average to okay, but the Chiefs are the cream of the crop.

That means I have the Titans, Bills, Ravens and Chiefs as the division winners and locks for the playoffs. My three wild card teams are going to be the Browns, Dolphins and Colts. In the AFC title game I believe we will see the Ravens facing off against the Chiefs. Again, I really believe in the Ravens this season, but the Chiefs are just too good to beat. They are at their peak right now, Mahomes is awesome, their defense is better, they have it all. The Chiefs will be on their third straight Super Bowl.

On to the NFC.

The NFC West is the best division in the NFL. I know I gave a few AFC divisions that possible distinction, but the NFC West is the cream of the crop. All four of these teams, if things break right, could be in the playoffs. I actually think three of them have a legit shot to be in the playoffs. I am less high on the 49ers than others. I want them to start Trey Lance, but who knows. Their defense is older too. The Seahawks, Rams and Cardinals all have a legit shot at the division title. The Seahawks have Russell Wilson, the Cardinals have a lethal offense and the Rams have a very stout defense. In the end I am going with the Seahawks. I wrote that this felt like a last shot for them, so I am picking them to win the best division in football.

The NFC South was very potent at one time, but the Buccaneers are going to walk to a division title. They are, hands down, the best team in this division. The Falcons are retooling, the Saints need a new QB and the Panthers are way too odd to figure out. The Bucs will easily return to the playoffs.

The NFC East is the worst division in football. When the NFC made divisions they really made some wild picks. I have all these teams in the deep teens or 20's in my countdown. I could see a six win team winning the division. Washington is a mess. The Giants are still letting Daniel Jones play QB. The Cowboys are the most overrated team in sports. And the Eagles have a lot to figure out. I would really love to pick the Eagles because I really like Jalen Hurts and Devonta Smith, but I am going to go with the Giants. Not because of Jones, but because of Saquon Barkley. I think they will only win seven games, but that will be enough.

The NFC North is the last division in the NFC, and the Green Bay Packers, depending on how invested Aaron Rodgers is this season, should win it with ease. They have the best team on paper in the division. The Bears are totally rebuilding, and hopefully Justin Fields starts soon, the Lions are going to be as mediocre as they were last season, even with a new QB and the Vikings have a bunch of dummies on their team that do not believe in science. I actually think the Vikings will be one of the few, maybe the only, that has to forfeit a game due to COVID. The Packers are the best team in the division and much like the Seahawks, this is their last ride.

So that means I have the Seahawks, Bucs, Giants and Packers as playoff locks. The three wild card teams are the Cardinals, Rams and 49ers. That is right, I have the entire NFC South in the playoffs. The rest of the teams in the NFC, outside the division winners, are just not very good. As far as my NFC title game, I am going with the two teams on their "last ride" as I keep putting it, the Seahawks and Packers. And I think the Packers will win. Maybe I just want them to, so I am trying to will it into existence.

I'll get to my Super Bowl winner in a moment, but obviously I have the Packers and Chiefs, a rematch of Super Bowl 1. Let's do the award winners now. Coach of the Year will be Brian Flores. He has more than earned it. Offensive Rookie of the Year will be Najee Harris. That kid is an amazing football player and person. Defensive Rookie of the Year will be Kwity Paye. He is going to be productive and reliable and this will be the start to a long and illustrious career. Offensive Player of the Year is Derrick Henry. He is the best. Defensive Player of the Year should be Aaron Donald, but since he wins it all the time, I am going to go with his teammate Jalen Ramsey this year. And my MVP is Derrick Henry. I have said that he is a candidate every time I have talked about him these past nine days, so why not pick him to win it.

Now for the Super Bowl. The Chiefs are going to roll. They are a better team than Green Bay, they have a bad taste in their mouth from last season, they are hungry and they want this dynasty to continue.

There you all have it, my full 2021 NFL preview. Tomorrow I will wrap up 10 days of football with my massive college football preview and predictions.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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Ty Ranks the 2021 NFL Teams - Going to Disneyland Division

Today is the final day of my 2021 NFL countdown. These are the contenders. These are the favorites. These are the best teams in the NFL this year, at least to me, on paper. I will do all my predictions tomorrow, but for today, I'm going to give you my top four teams.

At number 4 I have the Buffalo Bills. They made the playoffs and won a game last year. They have a stout defense. Their QB is a dick, but the dude can play. This team has stepped it up big time and they are here to stay. Josh Allen is the aforementioned dickhead QB. He has a ton of questionable off the field opinions, but on the field he has proven me wrong. I thought he was going to be a bust. He has a big arm, he has gotten better at checking the ball down and he can still run. Devin Singletary is a real solid running back. Zack Moss is a nice complement. Stefon Diggs really showed out last year. He has the goods at wideout. Emmaunel Sanders will add a nice deep threat and a good over the middle route runner. Cole Beasley is an absolute moron and a dud. I do not care about him. The O line is big and nasty and mean and good. They are legit. The Bills defense is amazing. Jerry Hughes is legit. Star Lotulelei, when his head is right, is a solid D lineman. Ed Oliver rules. He is so good. Tremaine Edmunds is a very good linebacker. Tre'Davious White is a shutdown corner. And Micah Hyde has proven he can play. This defense may be the best in the league. They are great. The Bills are back. They should easily win the division with 13 or 14 wins and make a deep run in the playoffs.

At number 3 I have the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The reigning champs are back pretty much intact and will be making a run at a repeat. Tom Brady is back for his seemingly one millionth season. I was wrong about him going to Tampa. He went out and produced and won a Super Bowl. I'm done making predictions on when he will regress. He has stayed very good for a very long time. Leonard Fournette is back and so is Ronald Jones Jr. Giovanni Bernard will make for a nice change of pace back. Mike Evans and Chris Godwin are back and they keep getting better. Antonio Brown likes to start training camp fights apparently, but the dude produces on the field. Gronk is a dummy and I still think he is overrated, but he gets TD's and catches when Tom Brady is his QB. The O line is elite. The defense, which was so good in the Super Bowl, is as intact as the offense. Ndamukong Suh and Vita Vea are as scary a D line duo as the NFL has. Jason Pierre Paul is returning to form. Devin White is an elite linebacker. Lavonte David is a relentless pass rusher. Antoine Winfield Jr proved to be worth the draft position and the hype. This team is good. I despise Tampa, but they are really, really good. It is hard to repeat, but they have the guys to do it.

At number 2 I have the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens are so good but they seem to bungle their playoff game. I think this is the year they turn it around. Lamar Jackson is awesome. He is the most electric QB in the league. He can sling it and his legs are lethal. I really, really hope he gets his COVID vaccine so he doesn't miss any time. I do not think he wants to get COVID for a third time, so hopefully he gets the shot. The Ravens moved on from Mark Ingram and handed the running back duties over to JK Dobbins. He is a younger and faster version of Ingram. Hollywood Brown is an awesome deep threat and his hands are getting better. Sammy Watkins was a nice pickup. Rashod Bateman looks like the real deal. Hopefully he recovers from his injury quickly. The O line is so good and deep and does a fantastic job protecting Jackson. Baltimore's defense is solid. They get the job done. They stop teams when they need to. Derek Wolfe is a good end. Calais Campbell is an all time D lineman. Patrick Queen is going to be a great linebacker. Pernell McPhee is already a great linebacker. Marcus Peters was an enormous pickup for them and they are reaping the rewards. This team is legit. They need to get over the playoff hump, and I feel like they will this season. They are going to win the division and multiple playoff games. Now is their time.

And my top team for the year, which is pretty much everyone else's top team, at number 1 I have the Kansas City Chiefs. Patrick Mahomes is the best QB in the league. He is electric, has a great arm, does Steph Curry level stuff on the field and is the man. Mahomes rules. He is the man. Cldye Edwards-Helaire was a great pick last year, had a great rookie season and he will continue to get better. The rich seem to get richer. Tyreek Hill, who is an awful person, and Mecole Hardman may be the fastest wideout duo in the league, and Mahomes always seems to find them wide open with space to work. Travis Kelce is the best tight end in the NFL. While the Chiefs let Mitchell Schwartz go, the O line will be much improved from last season. The Super Bowl was an anomaly, and the line will be so much better. The problem for the Chiefs has always been the defense, but they seem to be better on that side of the ball. Chris Jones is awesome. He is the second best D lineman behind only Aaron Donald in the NFL. Anthony Hitchens is a very good linebacker. So is Willie Gay. Tyrann Mathieu is one of the best safeties in the league, and after Jamal Adams got a big deal, Mathieu will be playing with a big chip on his shoulder. The corners are better too. The Chiefs are going to constantly be a title contender as long as Patrick Mahomes is healthy. This team is good, they should be the favorites and a third straight Super Bowl appearance is definitely on the table.

That is it, that is my rating of all 32 teams in the NFL. Come back tomorrow for my predictions. The season is almost here.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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