Ty's 2022 College Football Preview

Today wraps up my two weeks of football previews. I did the NFL but today is all about college football. College football is my favorite sport of all time. I love watching it. I spend a full Saturday just watching game after game. It is a problem for sure, but I love this sport that much. And I get how problematic of a sport it is. I fully understand. This NCAA football preview is going to be like every other season. I'll cover the power 5 conferences and name a few group of 5 teams I like. I will also pick the four playoff teams and the winner of it all. I will also pick the Heisman winner too. Enough preamble, let's get to it.

I'm starting with the ACC as I feel it is the weakest of the power 5 conferences. The ACC has three or four teams that are very solid. The rest of the conference is average to mediocre. Duke has been down for a bit. Syracuse has potential, but they seem to find ways to blow it. Louisville looks like they could be dynamic or give up 50 points a game. Boston College has .500 written all over them. Georgia Tech has done nothing of note lately. UNC took a major step back last season. Virginia and Virginia Tech are very, very average. What it all boils down to is Clemson, NC State, Miami and Pitt. Wake looked like a solid team until their QB went out. And FSU has not been able to figure it out since Jimbo Fisher left. NC State is going to be solid. Miami has every coach they could want and look to be good to great. Pitt is always a tough out. And then there is Clemson. Clemson is going to be better this season, and playing in the ACC makes their schedule pretty easy to navigate. I think it will come down to Miami and Clemson and Clemson will win the ACC.

On to the Pac 12. The Pac 12 is interesting. I never fully know what to expect from this conference. But what they always seem to do is find a way to blow it when it matters most. Cal is very, very bad. They were better last season, but they are still not good. Washington State is dealing with a disgruntled ex coach. Washington took a humongous step back last season. Arizona State has a big problem with their coaching staff. Arizona is rebuilding yet again. Oregon State is getting better, but still not ready to compete. Stanford is dealing with a few down years. Colorado is trying to refigure stuff out. UCLA has a very good QB and running back, but they don't have much else outside of that. Then we have Utah, USC and Oregon. Utah has a great run game and defense. USC played college football free agency and won big time. And Oregon has talent at every single level. That is why I'm picking them to win the Pac 12. I'm sure I'll regret this, but I think Oregon is going to be very, very good this season.

Now for the Big 12. The Big 12 is fascinating because there are only ten teams, and only three are even that good. TCU is still trying to figure stuff out after letting Gary Patterson go. Texas Tech can light it up on offense, but they cannot stop anyone, and I mean ANYONE on defense. Kansas State has a great run game, but the rest of their offense is very blah. Kansas is Kansas. Iowa State had their shot the last two years and now they are rebuilding. West Virginia is very mediocre. Then we have Baylor, Oklahoma State, Texas and Oklahoma. I'm tired of hearing that Texas is back every year. They need to put up or shut up. Oklahoma State is fine, but they do not scare me at all. Baylor has a great, great coach, and should be in the thick of it all season. Then we have Oklahoma. They have a new coach, a full new team and a bunch of guys that have not played a whole bunch yet. I do love the Brent Venables hire and I feel like they are going to win the Big 12 because their defense will be better and the offense will still put up points.

Now for the SEC. This is the varsity conference. This is the best conference in college football by a wide, wide margin. This conference is loaded. Even the bottom level teams are competitive. Vanderbilt has a decent defense. Missouri got some super high profile recruits. Florida got a new head coach and things are looking up in Gainesville. South Carolina got Spencer Rattler to commit as a transfer and he will up their team. Kentucky has a good defense and solid run game. Auburn has a dick of a head coach, but they should have a better season this year. Ole Miss is going to put up, maybe, more points than any other team in the country. Mississippi State will also score a ton of points. Tennessee is definitely in a much better situation than I thought they'd be right now. Josh Heupel was a good hire. LSU should be better too, even though I despise Brian Kelly. Then we have Arkansas, Texas A&M, Georgia and Alabama. Arkansas had a great season last year, returns a ton of the players and has a great head coach. Texas A&M had one of the best recruiting classes in the country and beat Alabama last season. They should be very good this season. Georgia is the defending champs and they do not rebuild, they reload. Then there is Alabama. I mean, they have Bryce Young back. Will Anderson is back. And talk about a team that reloads, that is the definition of Alabama. They are the best team in the SEC and maybe the best team in the country. They will win a heavily contested SEC.

Closing out the power 5 conferences I have my favorite, the Big 10. The Big 10 is the second best conference in the country, and that is not even close. Illinois and Northwestern are going to be super tough outs all season long. Indiana got a humongous recruit and they should be much better this season. Minnesota has one of the top running backs in the country coming back, and they always have a good defense. Purdue is like a Big 12 team trapped in the Big 10. They score a whole heap of points. Nebraska is weird. They always look good on paper, but they have not shown that on the field in a bit. Maybe that changes this season. Penn State will be breaking some new players in, but they have their starting QB back. That always helps. Rutgers has been playing much better as of late as well. And Maryland has the potential to have a truly wonderful offense. Then we have Iowa, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Michigan and the university of Ohio State. Iowa is always a good team that plays extra well at home. They will be tough as always. Michigan State is playing the transfer portal game, and while they are not as successful as USC was this offseason, MSU has a good team. Wisconsin found a running back and a very good defense last season. That will only get better. Michigan has a ton to replace on defense. That worries me as a fan. Truly. But what doesn't worry me is the offense. It has a chance to be really, really special. They have playmakers all over the field. And the university of Ohio State is going to absolutely maul people on offense. They might have the best offense in the country. And their defense will be much improved this season. As much as it pains me, the university of Ohio State is going to be on a mission this season. They will win the Big 10.

As far as group of 5 teams, Cincinnati is going to be very good once again. Houston has a ton of talent and potential. BYU has that look of a team that will surprise a ton of people. UCF will most likely be very good. And I feel like Boise State is just due to be very good once again. But I do not see a group of 5 team making the playoff this season. There is just too much talent in the power 5 conferences.

So I have Clemson winning the ACC, Oregon the Pac 12, Oklahoma the Big 12, Alabama the SEC and the university of Ohio State the Big 10. As for the four playoff teams, as chalk as this sounds, I have, from 1-4, Alabama, the university of Ohio State, Georgia and Oregon. I have Alabama beating Oregon and the university of Ohio State beating Georgia. That means I have Alabama and the university of Ohio State in the title game. I am going with Alabama to win it all this season. They are just too good of a team to blow it again.

As for the Heisman I have Bryce Young going back to back. He is so, so, so good at football. He will win his second Heisman and be the number one pick in the 2023 NFL draft.

There it is, my 2022 NCAA football preview. Games start tomorrow and really get into it September 3rd. I am so very excited to watch some college football. Let's get to it.

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 2022 NFL Preview - Post Season Predictions

To wrap up my 2022 NFL preview, today I have my playoff predictions and awards predictions. All the football will wrap up tomorrow with my NCAA preview. But today is the final 2022 NFL preview piece I have for you all. Let's get to it.

I'll start with the AFC. The AFC East is the Bills to lose. They are the best team in the division. The Dolphins will be a threat, but not much of one. The Bills win it with ease. The AFC West is very interesting. Every team is good. Every team will most likely be over .500. I feel like this division will get three teams into the playoffs. It is going to be tough. All that being said, I think the Chiefs will take it. The Chargers will be right there behind them, the Raiders were a playoff team last year and the Broncos got Russell Wilson in the offseason. But the Chiefs are still the best team and they will win this very rough division. The AFC North is all about the Bengals. I feel like they will build on last season's success, Joe Burrow is back, so is Ja'Marr Chase and they shored up the O line very well. The Ravens will push, but I have no fear with the Browns or Steelers. The Bengals will win this division. The AFC South is the last division in the conference, but it is not very good. The Colts have a shot, but they blew it last season. The Titans have the best team on paper, but they blow it in the playoffs. And the Jags and Texans are rebuilding. I will go ahead and go with the Titans simply because of Derrick Henry.

So my division winners are the Bills, Chiefs, Bengals and Titans. There are three wild card teams now so that makes the predictions a little easier. I am going with the Ravens, Chargers and Broncos. That means the Raiders are out, as are the Dolphins. All in all I feel like we will get the Bills and Bengals in the AFC title game when it is all said and done. I wanted to pick the Chiefs, but I just couldn't find a way. Prove me wrong Chiefs. Please. I have the Bills making a return trip to the Super Bowl. They have everything you need to win in the NFL.

On to the NFC. The NFC East is trash. It is as bad as the AFC South. I really do not know who to pick. The Commanders are terrible. The Giants might be worse. The Cowboys never live up to the hype. And the Eagles have a bunch of new players. But the new players are why I like the Eagles to win the division. I also really like Jalen Hurts. I think he takes a big leap this season. The NFC West is not a whole lot better than the East, but my number one overall team resides in that conference. The Rams are going to win it, and win it with ease. The 49ers will push due to a solid D and Trey Lance. The Cardinals can also put up a ton of points but their D is not there yet. And the Seahawks are trying to decide between Geno Smith and Drew Lock at QB. That says it all. The Rams walk with the division. The NFC North is pretty much set as well. No one is nearly as good as the Packers. The Lions are going in the right direction, but they still need time. The Bears are simply dreadful. They may be the worst team in the NFL. And the Vikings, well, they are counting on Kirk Cousins. We have seen how that story plays out. The Packers have this division in the bag. The NFC South is not great either. Looking at the NFC, it is much worse than the AFC. The Buccaneers are going to win the division no problem. The Panthers have a coach in over his head and Baker Mayfield is the starting QB. The Falcons are in a full rebuild. And the Saints are out a starting QB and Alvin Kamara may get suspended. They are a total unknown.

So my division winners are the Eagles, Rams, Packers and Buccaneers. The wild card participants are a bit trickier. I'm going to go with the Cardinals, Cowboys and....... the 49ers I suppose. The NFC title game will feature the Rams and Packers and the Packers, namely Aaron Rodgers, will find a way to blow it. This means the Rams will return for a second straight Super Bowl.

I have the Rams facing the Bills in the Super Bowl. One player, not a team, will repeat this season. That player is Von Miller. That means I have the Bills winning the Super Bowl this season. They are too good. Anything less would be a bummer of a season. The Super Bowl MVP will be Von Miller as well.

As for the regular season awards, let's get into it. The Coach of the Year will be Dan Campbell. I think the Lions are going to surprise everyone and win nine games to be above .500. They are on the up and up. Offensive Player of the Year is going to be Josh Allen. He is due for a big come up. Everyone expects him to have a tremendous season. The Defensive Player of the Year is going to be Aaron Donald. He cannot be blocked. He is too good. He is also hungrier than last season when he won the Super Bowl. He is the best player in the league right now. The Offensive Rookie of the Year is going to be Breece Hall. He is going to help take a load off Zach Wilson and help running and receiving out of the backfield. The Defensive Rookie of the Year is going to be Aidan Hutchinson. He has the football gene in him. The dude can really play. And the Comeback Player of the Year is Lamar Jackson. He is going to have a very, very big season which will result in a massive contract extension.

Okay that is my 2022 NFL preview, playoff and awards predictions. Take it with a major grain of salt. Football season is just around the corner, people. Time to get excited.

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 2022 NFL Preview - Cold Beer on a Hot Christmas Morning Division

Today is the final day of my 2022 NFL countdown. I will be back tomorrow with playoff predictions and award winners. And Friday will still be my NCAA football preview. But today I have my final four teams. These are the teams that have the best shot to win it all this year. These are the four teams I believe in the most.

At number 4 I have the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs looked a little off last season. It never really came together. And they still had a shot to go to the Super Bowl. They were almost there. In a down year. Patrick Mahomes is still there. He is still, maybe, the best QB in the NFL. He makes some of the craziest throws I have ever seen. He can pretty much do it all. He is the modern QB that every team wants. The Chiefs have him. If he can stay healthy, Clyde Edwards Helaire is a great double threat out of the backfield. He can run and throw. He is also hard to bring down. Tyreek Hill was traded, but so what. They got JuJu Smith Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling to replace him. They still have a speedster in Mecol Hardman. They also have the best tight end in the league in Travis Kelce. Mahomes has all the weapons he could ever want. The O line also did get better. If you remember, in the Super Bowl against the Bucs, Mahomes was running for his life. They got better last year and they should be okay this season. The defense has always been a bit shaky, but it is okay enough. Chris Jones is still wreaking havoc in the backfield. Frank Clark is a solid D end. Willie Gay and Nick Bolton are servicable linebackers. Justin Reid and Trent McDuffie are pretty good secondary guys. The Chiefs will bounce back. Again, they were off last season and still almost made it to the Super Bowl. They are a 13 win team and a definite playoff team and Super Bowl contender.

At number 3 I have the Buffalo Bills. I am not, nor have ever been, a fan of the Bills. But this team is good. I was very wrong on Josh Allen. I still don't like him and he is still problematic, but the dude can sling it and run it. He has been a solid NFL QB so far. Devin Singletary is a good runner, but I wouldn't be surprised if rookie James Cook supplants him at some point. He is a good runner and has great hands. Stefon Diggs is one of the best wideouts in the league. The dude is so fast, such a good route runner and has tremendous hands. The rest of the receiving corps is as solid as they come. Dawson Knox is turning out to be a threat from the tight end position. The O line is mean and nasty and good. The defense is even better. The D line is stacked. We have Greg Rousseau and Ed Oliver on the line. Those guys are incredible. They somehow were able to convince Von Miller to sign with them. He is one of the greatest linebackers of all time. Tremaine Edmunds is also amazing. This secondary is wonderful. Tre'Davious White is a ball hawk. Jordan Poyer is a heavy hitter. And Micah Hyde is as consistent as they come. The Bills are very, very good. They could win as many as 14 games this year and they are a true threat to get to the Super Bowl.

At number 2 I have the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals appear to be back everybody. They had a chance to win the Super Bowl last year. They made it there against all odds and had the ball with a chance to win. That is amazing. Joe Burrow is legit. He is every bit as advertised. He is the kid that won a ring at LSU. Joe Mixon, while problematic himself, has kept his head down and done an amazing job as the lead back. Ja'Marr Chase is that guy. He is so, so, so awesome. He is fast, has great hands and has a kinship with Burrow. Tee Higgins looks good. Tyler Boyd is fast and a perfect slot receiver. The O line, which was not great last year at all, made some big upgrades. I'm curious to see if it works. The defense is full of no-name guys, but they stepped the hell up last season during the playoffs, and they should be better this year. They have a solid D line led by Sam Hubbard. He is a freak. The linebackers can tackle and cover. The secondary is great in coverage and they get a lot of turnovers. Von Bell is awesome. I also love the Dax Hill pick, obviously. The Bengals should be a perennial playoff and Super Bowl threat as long as Burrow and Chase are there. They are a 13 win team for sure.

The final team, coming in at number 1 is the returning champs, the Los Angeles Rams. First off, screw Stan Kroenke. He is a miserable, horrible, awful human being. I hope he is miserable. Okay, back to the good stuff. Matt Stafford was everything the Rams needed. He was the anti Jared Goff. He won games. He can throw that ball. He just needed real playmakers around him. Cam Akers is a very serviceable running back. He does all that is asked of him. Cooper Kupp is a very good wideout. He has tremendous hands. They got Allen Robinson, which was a nice upgrade. A big, tall and fast receiver will only help this team. Tyler Higbee had a ton of big moments in the Super Bowl. The O line is very solid. The defense, well they have the best player in the NFL in Aaron Donald. There is nothing he cannot do. He is so good, so big, inexplicably fast and as determined as they come. While Von Miller left, they have Bobby Wagner and Leonard Floyd at linebacker. I mean, those dudes are awesome. The secondary is pretty great as well. Jalen Ramsey is the best corner in the league. Taylor Rapp is as good a safety as there is in the NFL. Troy Hill is good. The Rams seemingly have it all. They don't need picks or young guys, they have a veteran laden team that won a Super Bowl. There is no reason they cannot repeat this season. The Rams are the cream of the crop in the NFL.

There you have it, my 2022 NFL countdown. Now let's see how all of this plays out. I cannot wait.

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 2022 NFL Preview - Doing an Awesome Keg Stand at a Tailgate Party Division

Welcome to day seven of my 2022 NFL countdown. We are finally at the true contenders. Each team has a real shot to win it all this season.

At number 8 I have the Baltimore Ravens. I am a little scared of this team screwing up come playoff time, but maybe this is the season they put it all together. They have the QB to do it. Lamar Jackson is incredible. He is my favorite QB to watch play. He is so dynamic and so good. I know RD wishes the Vikings kept that pick and got Jackson instead of what they are left with now. He is amazing. Now it is time to put it together when it matters most. If JK Dobbins can finally stay healthy, he is the type of back to perfectly compliment Jackson. Gus Edwards isn't half bad either. Unfortunately they traded Hollywood Brown. That is a true bummer. But I have a ton of faith in Rashod Bateman. He was awesome in college and I feel like he is going to put it together. I also like Devin Duvernay. Mark Andrews is one of the best tight ends in the league. And this O line would be a dream to run behind. They are great. The D is not as feared as once before, but it is still very good. Patrick Queen is awesome. Marcus Peters is one of the best safeties in the league. Calais Campbell is a beast on the D line. Marlon Humphrey is a very competent corner. This team is very, very good. They had an off year, but I think they will make up for that this season. I see 12 wins.

At number 7 I have the Green Bay Packers. Look, this is my team, but I openly despise Aaron Rodgers. I loathe him. I wish he would shut his mouth forever. He is a dangerous lunatic. He has an emotional problem. He needs real help. And he is older. And Davante Adams is gone. He is going to have to up his play once again this season. But man do I hate this guy. The backfield is in good hands. They need more touches. Aaron Jones is a legit threat running and catching the ball. AJ Dillon is a load to take down when he gets moving. They make for a great duo. I mentioned that Adams is gone. He is replaced by Sammy Watkins, who may get cut, Randall Cobb, who is old and Allen Lazard, who has not done much in the NFL so far. I do like the young dudes though. Romeo Doubs has massive potential, Amari Rodgers is a full year in and Christian Watkins looks like he could be lethal. The O line is pretty damn good. They can play. The D has also gotten better. It was not their fault the 49ers beat them in the playoffs last year. Rashan Gary keeps getting better and better. Preston Smith is still amazing. De'Vondre Campbell is pretty damn good. Jaire Alexander is a lockdown corner. I love Darnell Savage. Adrian Amos still has it. The Packers have a solid team. The offense needs to step up though. I see 12 wins and an easy division win.

At number 6 we've got the Los Angeles Chargers. Will this finally be the year they put it all together? Sure seems so, at least on paper. Justin Herbert is a legit NFL QB. He can do it all. Austin Ekeler is a do it all dynamo out of the backfield. Keenan Allen is amazing. So is Mike Williams. The O line is very, very good. The defense is great too, and they traded for Khalil Mack. He is still one of the best linebackers in the league. Joey Bosa can eat it. He is as bad as his brother. Screw that guy. Kenneth Murray Jr was great in college. Maybe that will translate. Derwin James just got paid and he is as good as they get. Nasi Adderly is solid. The Chargers have all the potential in the world. They just need to figure it out. They should win 12 games this season, and maybe the playoffs will go better this season.

The final team for the day, at number 5 I have the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tom Brady flirted with retirement, but came back. He hasn't been with the team much this offseason, but it seems like he is back now. Todd Bowles is now the head coach, and I like this promotion for him. He is a good coach. Leonard Fournette is back and he keeps getting bigger and better every offseason. Mike Evans is one of the best receivers in the league. Chris Godwin is a great number two wideout. Cameron Brate is a solid replacement at tight end. The O line is pretty, pretty damn good. The defense, which is Bowles' specialty, is very solid. Vita Vea is an awesome interior D lineman. Devin White is an amazing linebacker. Lavonte David and Shaquil Barrett make this one of the best linebacking corps in the league. Antoine Winfield Jr is an awesome defensive back. Mike Edwards is solid as well. The Bucs are a good team. They have pedigree and the best QB to ever play in the NFL. They will be a perennial threat. 12 wins and another division title and playoff appearance are definitely in play.

That is it for today. Come back tomorrow for my final 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 2022 NFL Preview - Trying the New Locally Brewed Beer Division

Welcome back to my 2022 NFL countdown. Hope you all enjoyed your weekend.

Starting the countdown today, at number 12 I have the Denver Broncos. The Broncos probably made the biggest move of the offseason when they acquired Russell Wilson. I have never been a fan, but he is a very good QB. He knows what to do and he does it very well. Wilson is the type of QB that can turn the fate of a franchise around right away. This team is going to go from a non playoff threat to an actual playoff team. They also got Melving Gordon III on a cheap deal to backup Javonte Williams, who has potential to be a solid back. Jerry Jeudy is a solid receiver. KJ Hamler is a perfect third wideout. He is going to be the Broncos version of Tyler Lockett. Courtland Sutton is good enough. Their O line is very good and is getting better. Russell Wilson will enjoy not running for his life all the time. The Broncos defense may not have Von Miller anymore, but they still have Bradley Chubb. He is very, very good at football. They have a decent secondary. The D line is not full of names, but they are good. The Broncos D has not been the problem, it has always been the QB. Now they have a legit top five QB in the NFL. They will win 10 or 11 games and be in the hunt for the playoffs all season long.

At number 11 I have the Las Vegas Raiders. I almost called them the Oakland Raiders. Las Vegas is still odd to me. I do not trust Derek Carr at all. He is not a winning QB. He is a game manager at his very best. He is not worth the humongous contract they gave him. They got Davante Adams, and that is very, very big. He is the best receiver in the NFL. He will elevate Carr's game, and the familiarity with Carr is solid. But why are they trying to trade Josh Jacobs? He is a very good back. Why is Hunter Renfrow the number two wideout? He is, at best, a slot receiver. Darren Waller is good, but he keeps getting hurt. The O line is okay enough. The D had a big year. It was why they got into the playoffs last year. Maxx Crosby is legit. Chandler Jones is a great linebacker. So is Denzel Perryman. Rock Ya Sin is a good corner and he has a cool ass name. The Raiders D can play. I just keep going back to Derek Carr at QB. He is a liability and could halt any momentum they had from last season. With all that though, the Raiders are a 10 win team and a likely playoff contender.

At number 10 I have the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles made some very good moves this offseason. AJ Brown was a great addition. Devonta Smith had a monster rookie year. He will build on that. If Miles Sanders can stay healthy he is an upper tier running back. This will all benefit Jalen Hurts, who I like a whole lot. He has a cannon for an arm. He is a great runner. He is so good at the read option game. And this is year three for him. Time to show up. The O line is very good at run blocking as well. The Eagles D got Hasson Reddick this offseason. This is a great reclamation project for them. Darius Slay is very good. Josh Sweat should have a big season. Anthony Harris is a solid safety. Brandon Graham is back. Fletcher Cox is one of the best D lineman in the league. The Eagles are in a put up or shut up year. I think they will show up. I believe they can win 11 games and their division.

At number 9 I have the Dallas Cowboys. I do not like the Cowboys. I have never liked the Cowboys. I feel that the Cowboys are the most overrated team in the NFL. They consistently fall flat on their faces every season. They are irrelevant. That being said, I do like Dak Prescott. He is pretty awesome. He is one hell of a QB. The dude can sling the ball. I do believe that Ezekial Elliot is fully overrated. He got his big deal and has gotten worse every season since. He is not feared. He is not an every down back. He may get passed by Tony Pollard this season, who I like a lot. There is no more Amari Cooper. Ceedee Lamb, who is very solid, will step into his place. He and Prescott will make for a lethal duo. Michael Gallup is okay. I have no idea who Jalen Tolbert is. The Cowboys O line was their best unit. While still very good. they aren't as dominant as previous seasons. I have zero faith in the Cowboys defense. The defense is not very good, and that is why the offense needs to sling the ball so much. Leighton Vander Esch is wildly overrated. DeMarcus Lawrence's best days are behind him. Anthony Barr is a headcase. Jayron Kearse is very blah. But they do have two rising stars on D. Micah Parsons is going to be a force in the league. And Trevon Diggs is an intercepting machine. These dudes are wonderful. The Cowboys are like Gonzaga. On paper they look great. But when it gets to the nitty gritty they fold up. They will win double digit games and be in a dogfight with the Eagles all season. But come playoff time, who knows which Cowboys team will show up.

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 2022 NFL Preview - Your Third Bud Light on a Hot Summer Night Division

Welcome to day five of my 2022 NFL countdown. We are nearer to some playoff teams. I like this part of the countdown because we finally have some real playoff contenders. The teams are actually good, and that is fun to write about.

At number 16 I have the Arizona Cardinals. They signed Kyler Murray to a massive extension. They got their guy. He should be there for the next five seasons. I understand that he played not so great in their playoff game last year, but this dude is good. And it should be a relief to know who is going to be behind center for the next half decade. Kyler Murray will only get better. I think this is a good deal for both sides. James Conner still remains one of the most uplifting stories, and he is the starter now. He is a good, big bruising back. He will get the tough yards and score double digit touchdowns. DeAndre Hopkins is suspended, and I do not know the length of said suspension. But when he comes back, he is exceptional. I wish he would get vaccinated, but that is a topic for another day. Hopkins is an all pro for a reason. They traded for Hollywood Brown, and he is going to help stretch the passing attack. The guy is a great deep ball threat. They also have AJ Green, as their third receiver. I think people tend to forget how dominant he was for the Bengals. He is still a viable option. Their O line is solid. They open holes for the run game and give Murray more than enough time to throw the ball. The D is what concerns me here. JJ Watt is never healthy. Zaven Collins hasn't played well yet. Isaiah Simmons needs to step his game up. Budda Baker has kind of fallen off. They have the potential, but they have yet to reach it. They need to step up for this team to become a true Super Bowl threat. Until then the Cardinals look like another 10 win team and first round out in the playoffs.

At number 15 I have the Indianapolis Colts. They are still searching for their Andrew Luck replacement. They just cannot seem to find the guy yet. I do like the Matt Ryan acquisition, but he is old and not his usual self lately. At least he is better than Carson Wentz. Johnathan Taylor is one of the best running backs in the league. He carried this team last year. He did all he could, and more. He is incredible. The receiving corps is not great. TY Hilton is gone. And they've replaced him with guys like Michael Pittman Jr, Paris Campbell and Alec Pierce. I know almost nothing about those guys. The O line is stellar. They need more from the passing game. You cannot run on every play. The D is fine. Shaquille Leonard is top notch. They signed Stephon Gilmore. They also acquired Yannick Ngakoue. Kwity Paye showed flashes last year. They have the guys they just need to put it together. The D is not the issue here. The Colts offense needs to modernize if they want to be a true threat. Matt Ryan is old, Johnathan Taylor already carries a massive load and the receivers are unproven. With all that, this is still a 10 win team, with the potential to win 12 games.

At number 14 I have the Minnesota Vikings. I'm sorry to tell you Vikings fans, but Kirk Cousins is still your QB. He is still there and still making massive amounts of money. He is your cross to bear. Dalvin Cook is very good, if he can stay on the field. He has not been able to for his whole career. And I see all the offseason workout videos. That is all well and good if he can stay on the field. Justin Jefferson is incredible. He is such a good wideout. Adam Thielen can still produce. I like them going out and getting Jalen Nailor. The O line is fine. They do their jobs. The Vikings D is kind of blah. They signed Za'Darius Smith, who is a solid pass rusher. Danielle Hunter is serviceable. Eric Kendricks is an okay enough linebacker. But this D is not feared like it was a few seasons ago. They don't have that scare factor anymore. They seem to just go through the motions. The Vikings, on paper, are a solid 10 or 11 win team. But I just keep going back to Kirk Cousins. He has done nothing of note in the NFL, yet he remains one of the highest paid players at the QB position. That is not great. He is not great. He drags this team down in the mud and makes them a murky playoff threat.

The final team for the day, at number 13 I have the Miami Dolphins. They have a seemingly healthy Tua. He has been out there on the practice field participating all offseason. I feel like this is a make or break year for him. They went out and traded for Tyreek Hill. He is as fast as they come in the NFL, and the dude can catch and go. Chase Edmonds and Raheem Mostert is an underrated and solid backfield. Jaylen Waddle had an incredible rookie season. He should only get better. The O line seems to be gelling. The Dolphins have a very good, potentially explosive offense. Their defense looks good too. Christian Wilkins is a good interior lineman. Melvin Ingram III is a solid linebacker. Xavien Howard is one of the best corners in the league. Byron Jones is good. They have the guys to shut other teams down. And they have the offense to put up a ton of points. If this team can stay healthy and put it all together, they will win 12 games and their division. With ease.

That's it for today. I will see you all on Monday 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 2022 NFL Preview - Convincing Yourself that PBR Tastes Good Division

Day four of my NFL countdown is here.

At number 20 I have the Pittsburgh Steelers. I am a Mike Tomlin fan, but that is it when it comes to this team. Ben Roestheisberger, a notorious sexual assaulter is gone. He was overrated anyway, and again, he was accused of rape multiple times. They have replaced him with Mitch Trubisky. I mean, okay. Trubisky is not a good QB. He was let go by the Bears and Bills for a reason. He just doesn't have it. I also do not think Kenny Pickett has it. This team is in need of a QB, and the two they have are not very good. I like Najee Harris but I fear he will be overworked. He is going to get a ton of carries, but that could take a toll on his body. He will also be catching a ton of passes. He is going to be asked to do too much. They gave up on Juju Smith Schuster, and now they are left with Chase Claypool, who is always hurt, George Pickens, who is a rookie, and Diontae Johnson, who is good but undersized. The O line is fine, but it is not full of world beaters. The defense is good, but they will have to play from behind far too much this year. They did not reup Devin Bush. I think he will have a monster year and then walk. I am not a fan of TJ Watt. He is the defensive Gronk. Minkah Fitzpatrick is awesome. He is a ball hawk and a hard hitter. They have good dudes at every level, but they will be put in a hole by their mediocre offense. The Steelers will win 8, maybe 9 games and miss the playoffs.

At number 19 I have the San Francisco 49ers. At least they are moving on from Jimmy Garrapollo. He was never the answer for that team. He is a coattail guy. I also like Trey Lance. He is a great modern day QB. He can throw it and run the ball. He will be good. Deebo Samuel is very good, and versatile. I think last year was, possibly, a one season thing, but he got paid. He is making bank now. But teams will be ready for him now. The run game is kind of iffy, especially now that Elijah Mitchell is hurt. Brandon Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings are mediocre receivers, and I already mentioned Deebo Samuel. I am not a George Kittle guy, and he has the feel of really falling off sooner rather than later. The O line is okay. The defense is good on paper, but that is just it. Nick Bosa is a racist asshole. I don't care if he is a good pass rusher, he is full of hate and incredibly racist. Screw that guy. Fred Warner is a fine enough linebacker. I think Ambry Thomas should start, not be a third stringer. The D line is kind of blah. Last season they had a nice run, but it was unexpected. I don't think that will happen again. The 49ers will probably win 8 games due to Samuel and Lance, but no more than that.

At number 18 I have the Tennessee Titans. Ryan Tannehill is washed. They should start Malik Willis. Also, screw Ryan Tannehill for saying he wouldn't mentor him. Derrick Henry is awesome. He is one of the best, biggest and fastest running backs I've ever watched. I saw a video of him stiff arming a helmet on a stick, and he broke the helmet. The dude rules. He has also been injured the past two seasons. They traded their good receivers and now they have Robert Woods, washed, Treylon Burks, a rookie and Nick Westbrook Ikhine, never heard of him. The O line is great. The Titans defense is solid. Jeffery Simmons is solid on the D line. Harold Landry III is a good linebacker. So is Bud Dupree. The secondary has Caleb Farley and Kevin Byard, both of whom are wonderful players. I just don't see this team being the threat they've been the past couple seasons. Tannehill is done, Henry is great but often hurt and the D is fine. They will win 9 or 10 games, but that is it. They will probably be on the outside looking in for the playoffs this season.

The final team for the day, at number 17 I have the Cleveland Browns. I put them here even before the Deshaun Watson news broke today. He is suspended for 11 games. He will miss most of the season. And it is more than deserved. He did some horrible things to women. He is a monster. Jacoby Brissett is next in line. He has been good coming in for other QB's for other teams. I see no difference here. Nick Chubb is a decent back, but his backup, Kareem Hunt, wants out. He has asked for a trade. I like the receiving corps. Amari Cooper is good. Dononvan Peoples Jones showed some things last season. David Bell is fast and has potential. But, as much as I like him, Jacoby Brissett is the starting QB now. The O line is fine. The D is pretty good. Jadaveon Clowney and Myles Garrett may be the best defensive end duo in the NFL. The linebacker core is solid. The secondary, led by Denzel Ward, Greg Newsome and Grant Delpit, is very, very good. The D will win them some games this season. But with the Watson suspension, the Hunt trade demand and the lack of an upper tier QB, the Browns will be a 9 win team at best.

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 2022 NFL Preview - The Over Hopped IPA Recommended by the Dude with a Beard Division

Welcome to day three of my 2022 NFL countdown.

Coming in at number 24 I have the Carolina Panthers. You may say, but Ty they now have two QB's. I'd come back with, yeah those two QB's are Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold. Both guys have not been good. Both guys have been traded from their original teams. Both guys are more known for their on field issues. They are not the answer at QB. Then you might counter with, but Christian McCaffery is back. He is always, always injured. He has only ever put together one full season. I do not trust him one bit to stay on the field for a full season. Then it gets even worse for this team. The receiving corp is either bad or doesn't trust the new QB. I've never heard of the tight end. The O line is nameless as well. The defense has a few solid players, but two are injured already. Jaycee Horn is out for a bit and who knows how long Shaq Thompson will be out for. Brian Burns is solid, he just needs to put it together. The rest of the defense is very blah. The Panthers are going to get a front row seat to how overrated Baker Mayfield truly is. Matt Rhule also seems way over his head in the NFL. I bet he will find his way back to college after the Panthers win 6 or 7 games and miss the playoffs yet again this season.

At number 23 I have the New England Patriots. How the mighty have fallen. It does seem like maybe, just maybe Bill Belichek needed Tom Brady more than Brady needed him. Mac Jones is not the answer. Sure, he was a pro bowler last season, but who really cares. He has also looked lost this offseason. Damien Harris just retired, so they are left with Ty Montgomery and someone named Rhamondre Stevenson at running back. Yeesh. The receiving corps isn't great by any means. The O line is not even close to the strength it used to be. And this defense took a step back last season. They looked old and slow. Josh Uche could add a solid pass rush. Devin McCourty is still very solid in the secondary. But everyone is gone. They have either been traded or cut. This team is full of guys still trying to stick in the league, or are still very young. The Patriots are in a tough spot. They may finish last in their division. I see only 7 wins, tops, for this team.

At 22 I have the New Orleans Saints. Jameis Winston is hurt. Andy Dalton is the backup. Oof magoof. Alvin Kamara may get suspended and Mark Ingram is his backup. Michael Thomas missed all of last season and who knows what he will play like this season. Chris Olave has great potential, but I don't know if he will see tons of targets. Jarvis Landry is washed. The O line is good, but not great. The Saints defense has never been a strength. They do have good players, but not a collection of good players. Cam Jordan is a very good D end, but he is old. Tyrann Mathieu is incredible, but he is also old. Marcus Davenport needs to step it up. Paulson Adebo is taking over for a high pick. I would hope, if I were a fan, that this team could put it together, but there are far too many question marks. This is a 8 win team who will miss the playoffs again. They are still rebuilding, even if they won't admit it.

The final team today, at number 21 I have the New York Jets. Will the Jets ever figure it out? Zach Wilson just had surgery and apparently he likes to hook up with his mom's friends. Look it up. Breece Hall was great in college, but I don't know if he will figure it out in the NFL. Garret Wilson was a very good pick. It seemed like the Jets actually did the smart thing with this pick. But Elijah Moore and Corey Davis are not great. Their O line is fine. The defense got a great pick in Sauce Gardner at corner. He has the potential to be a shutdown corner in the league. CJ Mosley is a very good linebacker. Quinnen Williams is a solid interior D lineman. The Jets have some really good pieces in defense. This should be their strength. If Zach Wilson plays better and Breece Hall can be an every down back and if Garret Wilson can get some targets the Jets can win some games. I could see them winning 8 or 9 games. I really like this defense. That is why I think they can win more than others.

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 2022 NFL Preview - When You're Out of Schlitz Division

Welcome to day two of my 2022 NFL countdown. We are still at the bottom of the barrel. But we will be getting to the good teams soon, I promise. On with the countdown.

At number 28 I have the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jags did the best thing they could have during last season when they fired Urban Meyer. He was an absolute disaster. It went worse than I thought it would. Doug Pederson was a solid hire too. He has a ring as a coach and he is good with QB's. That should sit very nicely with Trevor Lawrence. He should get better, although I do not think his rookie year was as bad as some made it out to be. Travis Etienne is back after missing his whole rookie year, and the familiarity with him and Lawrence should be nice. I am curious to see how explosive he can be. Other than these two, the offense is pretty rough. Christian Kirk and Marvin Jones are done. Evan Engram has not been a good pro. The O line is a sieve. The defense is young and bad. Travon Walker is an incredible athlete, but he is raw. He needs time. Josh Allen is good, but he gets double teamed a ton. I like the Shaquill Griffin signing, but he can't cover everyone. The Jags are doing a slow rebuild, as they should. But this team is a far cry from where they were a few years back when they made the AFC title game, and then I picked them to win the Super Bowl next year. They are a 6 win team at best.

My number 27 team is the Washington Commanders. Look, I like Ron Rivera, but this team is not good. They are a worse version of Rivera's Panthers teams. They do not have a Cam Newton type QB. They don't have a defense even close. The Commanders are not good. Carson Wentz stinks. He is not good. Nick Foles was a much better QB in Philly. Johnathan Taylor carried the Colts last year, and when Wentz was needed to get into the playoffs, he crapped the bed. Wentz is a bust. Antonio Gibson is a mediocre back. The receivers, outside of Terry Mclaurin, who is very, very good, are bad or young. Jahan Dotson is a rookie. I didn't even know Curtis Samuel was still in the league. Logan Thomas is hurt and not great. I'm not into this O line. The defense has Chase Young, who is an incredible player, but he is hurt again and has no help. Montez Sweat still needs time. Kendall Fuller is decent, but the rest of the D is a bunch of dudes I have never heard of. And I know a good amount about football. The Commanders are stuck in the mud. They are in a bad division, and that helps, but when they only win 6 games, that means they are stuck missing the playoffs yet again.

At number 26 I have the Seattle Seahawks. How the mighty have fallen. Ever since they passed, instead of giving the ball to Marshawn Lynch on the goal line, the Seahawks have ceased to be a consistent team. And now they have traded away Russell Wilson. This team is going nowhere fast. Geno Smith has never put it together. He just doesn't seem to have it. And Drew Lock is flat out bad. Their running game is suspect, but I do like the Kenneth Walker III pick. He was a beast in college. Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf are legit wideouts, but they have no QB throwing them the ball. Metcalf got a big contract. but he is going to see his numbers drop significantly this season. And Noah Fant is very mediocre. The O line has always been a problem, and they still haven't done much to fix it. This defense, once feared, is not good anymore. Outside Jamal Adams they have absolutely no one that strikes fear in opponents. Quandre Diggs is good, but not great. This linebacking core is nowhere near the Legion of Boom days. The D line cannot get pressure on the QB. They just do not have it anymore. The hater in me loves to see this team taking a step back. But the Seattle fan in me, I loved the Sonics, is bummed for their fans. The Seahawks are a 6 win team. They are on the wrong side of a rebuild right now.

The final team for the day, at number 25, I have the Detroit Lions. Now, I want to say that I do think the Lions will be better this year. I also really like the direction they are going in right now. They had the best draft in my opinion. I also like some of their offseason moves. They just need another year before they are in playoff talks. Jared Goff is incredibly mediocre. He is an okay enough game manager, but he doesn't go out and win games for you. He can grit and grind 200 passing yards, on short pass plays, but he has never been able to completely take over. De'Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams are a good one two punch at running back. They can do some things. I also really like Amon-Ra St. Brown. He should build upon a decent rookie year. Jameson Williams should be good, but he is hurt. DJ Chark also needs to show he can stick in this league. TJ Hockenson is a very good tight end. The O line is solid too. They have drafted well there. The offense could be much better if they had a better QB. The defense is going to be solid. Obviously I am a big fan of the Adian Hutchinson pick. He is a very, very good defensive end. He is going to wreck havoc. I think he's going to be very good for a very long time in the NFL. Michael Brockers is a very good interior D lineman. The secondary has solid youth and big play ability. Again, I like this team, but they are young and they need a year to figure it all out. That being said, I could see the Lions winning 7 games this season and be the sexy pick to make the playoffs next season. They aren't ready yet, but they will be soon.

That's 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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Ty’s 2022 NFL Preview - Warm Natural Light Division

The next two weeks are going to be football focused. I'm going to be counting down the NFL teams from worst to best. Then I will make postseason predictions and awards. Then, next Friday I will do my massive college football preview. This is one of my favorite times of year because it means football is right around the corner. So sit back and enjoy some football talk for the next few weeks. On to the countdown.

Coming in dead last I have the Houston Texans. I like Lovie Smith. But that hire was out of nowhere. I love Nico Collins. But he is only in year two and he still needs time to develop. Davis Mills was a nice surprise last season. But defenses will be ready for him. There will be no more surprises. Derek Stingley has potential. I was so high on John Metchie, and I know he will beat cancer. But that is devastating for him. I hope he gets better soon. Outside those guys this team is very, very mediocre. Marlon Mack is washed, as is Brandin Cooks. Pharaoh Brown is out of position at tight end. The O line is not great. The defense is full of youth and no name guys. Jerry Hughes used to be good, but when that is your best signing, that is a bad, bad sign. This team is in full rebuild mode and they will be for sometime. I hope they give Lovie Smith time to turn it around, but they probably won't and that stinks. I assume they will win 2 to 4 games, at best this year. They will be in the hunt for one of the top QB's in the 2023 draft. The Texans are not a good football team.

At number 31 I have the Atlanta Falcons. This team has really fallen off since they blew a 25 point lead in the Super Bowl however many years ago that was. Matt Ryan is gone. Julio Jones is gone. Todd Gurley didn't work out. They fired the coach who led them to the Super Bowl. This team is still rebuilding. They signed Marcus Mariota and drafted Desmond Ridder. I was way off on Mariota. He has not been good. I would not be surprised if Ridder, who I really like, starts at some point this season. They have a receiver starting at running back. Cordarelle Patterson is fine, but he is not an every down back. I think Drake London will be good when the Falcons get a competent QB. Same with Kyle Pitts, who has the ability to be one of the better tight ends in the league. The O line is mediocre. The Falcons defense is a lot like the Texans. I do not know who most of these dudes are on the roster. I recognize Casey Hayward. He is an okay corner. As is AJ Terrell. But the dudes on the D line and the linebackers, I am drawing a total blank. They got scored on a ton last season, and I see much of the same this year. The Falcons will win 3-5 games this season and they will be picking early in the 2023 draft.

At number 30 I have the Chicago Bears. It is no secret that I despise this team. I have never liked the Bears. I think they are overrated. Every year they look like they are going to take a leap and then they fall flat on their faces. I do like Justin Fields, I think he can be very, very good, but this team has absolutely no weapons for him at all. Fields has all the tools in the world to be great, but he needs solid teammates. Every single receiver is hurt. N'Keal Harry is out for the year. Byron Pringle is hurt. So is Cole Kmet. I mean, they have no solid wideouts on this roster. David Montgomery is an okay running back, but he is not someone the offense can lean on. The O line is bad and riddled with injury as well. And the defense is not much better. Khalil Mack has been traded. Robert Quinn wants out. So does Roquan Smith. He just asked for a trade and I believe he is holding out of camp. From there it is rough. This is a roster full of has beens or never was guys. It is going to be a tough year in Chicago and Justin Fields is going to bear the brunt of it. This team is in the bottom of the league. They will win maybe 3 games all year. Fields needs weapons and maybe they will draft someone in the next year's draft with the high pick they will have. We will see.

The final team for the day, coming in at 29 I have the New York Giants. They have a new coach. They have a new GM. They have what looks to be a direction they are settled on. But they just don't have the talent yet, or the team is way too young. Daniel Jones is a bust. He doesn't have it. It is more than apparent that they need to move on. As much as I root for Saquon Barkley, he just looks timid and not fully healed. He doesn't look the same as he did before tearing his ACL. I like Wan'Dale Robinson, but he is a rookie. Kadarius Toney may be asking for a trade. Kenny Golladay had one good year and that was it. The O line is not good, but they got a guy that looks like he could be awesome in Evan Neal. They should build the line around him. The defense is also not great. I absolutely love the Kayvon Thibodeaux pick, but much like Robinson, he is a rookie too. Leonard Williams is oft injured. Blake Martinez is not great anymore. Adoree Jackson is on his second team in not so many seasons. I mean, the defense, outside of Thibodeaux, is not very good. The Giants are on the verge of yet another 5 win season and their fans will be losing their minds. I do think the team is going in a better direction, but they need a new QB, to build the D around Thibodeaux and get Evan Neal some help on the O line. Then they will win some games. But this year is not even close to their year.

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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KD is Going to Stay in Brooklyn

Kevin Durant has reiterated his desire for a trade from the Nets. Well, he said he wanted to be traded, or for Sean Marks and Steve Nash to be fired. It is a real high school level of handling his feeling about being on a team going nowhere fast. I still do not think he will be traded, and I do not think Marks or Nash will be let go. Let’s discuss.

Durant is one year into a four year deal. I know that doesn't mean what it used to, but it is harder for a contract like that to be dealt. There is also the fact that any team that is trying to trade for him is going to have to give away multiple guys and a whole ton of current and future draft picks. The Nets will want one of those guys to be an all star too. And we also have an oft injured KD who is 34. He is still great, top five in the league. But he is old, he ruptured his achilles in 2019 and age is undefeated. He has also shown that, with the last two teams he has been on, he will all of a sudden be ready to leave at the drop of a hat. When it is not fun for him, or the team is not great, he will bounce. He did this in Golden State.

After the Warriors won their second title I heard so many people saying that KD still felt hollow. It was almost like the titles didn't happen. Some media people were outright calling the titles phony because of how easy they were to win. The Warriors were loaded and could not be beat. They had Steph, Draymond, a healthy Klay and KD. That is a nearly impossible team to beat. After leaving the Warriors he had his pick of teams and he chose the Nets. He wanted to play with Kyrie, they wanted Nash to be their coach, they offloaded young talent to bring in old vets that were friends of KD and Kyrie. The Nets did everything he asked of them because they wanted to make a splash. They knew he was going to miss a full year, and they still gave him a max deal. But Kyrie wouldn't get vaxxed, Harden was trying to do too much and eventually demanded a trade and the Nets couldn't tread water with the upper tier of the East. I thought they'd give Boston a run in round one of the playoffs. The Nets were swept.

And now we have all this offseason drama. First it was Kyrie, then KD, now he wants Marks and Nash gone, when is enough enough? And what team will he be truly happy to be traded to? At first it was all Phoenix. The first demand of a trade was all about the Suns. Well, they gave Deandre Ayton a max, he cannot be traded until January and the Suns seem set with their core. They look to be running it back. I saw the Heat were a preferred team, but only if they kept Jimmy Butler, Kyle Lowry and Bam Adebayo. That is not realistic in any trade for KD. One or more of those guys are going to have to go if they trade for KD. Today I saw his new preferred team was the Celtics. The Nets already turned down an offer from them for Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and a ton of picks. The Nets want Brown and Tatum. There is no way the Celtics are doing that. So when the Celtics turn down the Nets next return offer, I wonder who KD will say is his preferred team then. It just seems like he wants to be anywhere but Brooklyn, or maybe he wants to be on a contender, but trading for him is going to dampen a ton of teams' title aspirations.

All this is why I think Durant ends up staying in Brooklyn. The return haul is too much. The asking price is too steep. He is too old and too often injured now. He has proven to all of the sudden become discontent without any warning. There are too many cons when you make a pros and cons list. It is looking more and more likely that he will end up being unhappy playing for a mediocre at best team for the next three or four years. I just don't think a trade is coming.

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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I May Not Skateboard, but I watch the Cool Videos

To get out of all the awfulness that goes on in our current world I like to watch videos on Instagram. I like to see dog videos, basketball videos, cooking videos, anything that kind of lets me just melt away for a bit. My daughter will watch the dog videos with me. My son loves basketball videos. My wife and I have actually done some of the cooking stuff that we have seen there.

I have been getting a little, not bored, I just want something a little different lately. So I did a little searching. I watched some baseball and football videos. They are cool, but not as fun as the basketball videos. There are only so many times I can watch a person make tacos, or grill steaks, or make burgers before I get overly hungry and just want to eat. And then we have the dog videos. While they may be the cutest animals on the planet, it just gives me puppy fever. I will watch a few videos and ask my wife if we can get another dog, which always ends badly for me. My daughter will also ask and she gets the same result. I mean, I absolutely adore the dog videos, but it just makes me want another dog which turns into more heartbreak for me. But recently I have seen some videos that I have been vibing out to before bed.

I have always admired skateboarders because I cannot do what they do. My brother Seth has always been a very good skater, and I would go out and watch him skate and have a blast. I would also try to do what he was doing, but as I said before, I just don't have that ability. As much as I wanted to do even the most simple thing, ride the skateboard straight for a bit, I couldn't do that. Then I stumbled across some skate videos on Instagram. I was hooked. I think it actually started when I was on vacation. One day we were walking around Ann Arbor and I saw a kid skating. I was enamored. I stopped and watched him do cool tricks and ride down the street. There were a few of us watching him skate. I even lost track of my family and the time and had to catch up to them. But there was something about it that kept my attention. So now watching these skate videos on Instagram is just another way for me to waste time, but enjoy that wasted time.

I love watching skaters do the most mundane thing to some of the wildest tricks I could ever imagine. I remember watching "Jackass" as a kid and liking the movie for the pranks. But I was also drawn to skating in the movies. I also watched my brother's skate videos. I used to love when music videos had skateboarding in them. I just enjoy it. And it is all because I can't do it, as I said. It is cool to watch people do things that I can only imagine doing. That is why I love pro basketball and college football. I played those sports, was pretty good, but not good enough to play at that level. Skating is even more foreign which is even more enticing. And to have them edited down to 30 second videos, with all the coolest stuff the skater can do, that is perfect. I can go from one video to the next and be even more amazed with each view. This is very new but I am very into it.

Skateboarding is rad, and watching videos of the best of the best do it is even better. I recommend you check it out too.

Ty

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

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R.I.P. Vin Scully

The sports world lost another one yesterday. Vin Scully passed away at 95. That is a good, long and fulfilling life. Scully did a whole lot in the world of announcing.

It's interesting because I had very little idea who Scully was until I started to watch shows like "The Simpsons". Every time "The Simpsons" would do something involving baseball and an announcer, the announcer always had this very distinct and unique voice. It made me laugh. I liked how they had the voice actor stretch their words and say stuff like "who nellie". It always worked on me. One day, I have to assume it was either RD or my dad, was watching a Dodgers game on TV and the voice sounded so familiar to me. I heard it from the other room and entered thinking they were watching "The Simpsons". When I walked in the room I asked what ep they were watching. I was informed it was a baseball game. That it was real. I was stunned. I couldn't believe that there was actually an announcer who sounded like the guy on "The Simpsons". This was when my mind was blown. Whoever was watching the game told me that "The Simpsons" were doing an impression of this announcer named Vin Scully. From there on out I was hooked.

I am not a Dodgers fan by any means, but hearing Scully call games was dope. I grew up in Saint Louis, so I had Jack and Joe Buck, which was cool. And being close to Chicago, I got to hear Harry Carey call games too. He was always fun. But none of them compared to Scully. There was just something about his voice. It was like a blanket on a cold day. He had this soothing way of talking about the game. The way he described what was happening was second to none. He stretched his words. He said things like "whoa nellie". He would get excited, but then immediately calm it all down. He was a true professional. It is a real bummer that he is gone.

In the past year we have lost Vin Scully and John Madden. Keith Jackson passed a while back. Stuart Scott was taken far too soon. Craig Sager died too fast after his diagnosis. It seems like all the great announcers are dying off, and that makes me sad. The good ones are leaving us with some retreads and also rans. It stinks. I'd much rather have Scully calling baseball games than Chris Bermann. I'd prefer to hear only Keith Jackson call college football games. Craig Sager was the perfect foil to the "Inside the NBA" crew. Stuart Scott was one of a kind, and maybe one of the GOATS on ESPN.

As said before, Scully lived a very long life, left a great legacy and will be remembered forever for his contribution to the game of baseball. But he will be missed and Dodgers games will never sound the same. RIP Vin Scully. Maybe you are calling games wherever you are right now. At least, that is what I hope.

Ty

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

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I'm Happy for Juan Soto

Let's talk a little about baseball today. As always I like to preface these talks with my little knowledge of the MLB. I only follow one baseball team, the Ballwin Outlaws, because that is who my ten year old plays for and I'm an assistant coach.

Major League Baseball used to mean a whole lot to me, but college football and basketball have completely taken over in my adult years. I do not know many players anymore, this fact was never truer to me than when my wife and I took my son to a Cardinals game this year and I did not know a single starter since Yadier Molina and Albert Pujols were not playing. But I do know the big names. I know who Aaron Judge is. I know who Yadi and Pujols are. I'm very aware of Mike Trout, Bryce Harper and Shohei Othani. I could tell you who the "star" players in the league are right now, including Juan Soto. Now I do have to say that I had no idea who he was until last year when I downloaded a baseball game on my phone and he was the cover athlete. I had no idea who this Nationals player was, so I looked it up and found out he is a pretty damn good baseball player. It also showed on the video game I had. He could really mash the ball. Then my son watched the home run derby this year when we were on vacation, and Juan Soto went on to win that. I also read a story earlier this year that he turned down a contract offer from the Nationals in the 440 million dollar range for 15 years I believe it was. And then I saw that he wanted a trade, and that the Cardinals were one of the teams who could give one of the better offers. So I paid a little more attention to Juan Soto.

Soto was traded today, for what many analysts are saying is a good package, but it wasn't to Saint Louis, or New York, or the Dodgers. He was traded to California, to the San Diego Padres. At first I was slightly bummed. I thought the Cardinals had a real chance, and if they had traded for him, maybe, just maybe I would pay more attention to the rest of their season. But as I've had some time to sit here and think about the trade, I think it is kind of rad that he is going to play for the Padres. They already have a pretty dope lineup that includes Fernando Tatis Jr and Manny Machado, two more names I am familiar with. Adding him makes them damn near as lethal as a lineup you can get in the majors.

It is not just the fact that he is joining a cool, young and kind of hip squad in the Padres, it is where he didn't go. I am, for all intents and purposes, a Cardinals fan, but our fanbase is stuck up and rude. We act all high and mighty. We act like we deserve star players all the time. We say things like, "Saint Louis is heaven for baseball players". That is some nonsense. We also already have a decent enough team too. Adding Soto would have been unfair. I could say the same thing for the Yankees and Dodgers. Those teams are historic and really, really good right now, but they also buy or acquire their talented players. I believe Aaron Judge may be the only star player the Yankees drafted, or at least came through their minor league system. It is the same with the Dodgers and Clayton Kershaw. Everyone else of importance to those teams is a star player that the Dodgers or Yankees outbid everyone else to sign. Guys like Giancarlo Stanton, Mookie Betts, Antnoy Rizzo, Josh Donaldson, Trea Turner and David Price, just to name a few, were stars for other teams, mostly small market teams, that signed with one of the Yankees or Dodgers for boatloads of money. Or take a team like the Angels. Soto could have ended up there, in a humongous market, but he would have been stuck like Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani are right now. The Angels are going nowhere fast, and those two guys are stuck. The same would have been true for Soto. But there is something different, and cool, about him joining up with San Diego. It gives me a better feeling about baseball. He is going to a fun team, with great players who are young and talented and I believe this makes them the odds on favorite to make the World Series from the NL. While the Cardinals did not give up enough to get him, and will get their asses kicked by the Padres if they meet in the playoffs, this outcome is about as good as it gets for me as a novice MLB fan.

Good luck to Juan Soto and the Padres from here on out. Tony Gwynn would be thrilled that they are taking a real swing at a special season.

Ty

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

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R.I.P Bill Russell

Bill Russell passed away at 88 yesterday. I was out for a run, I got home, cleaned myself up and checked my phone. This is what I do every Sunday after my morning run. This is my routine. The first thing I saw when I checked was a whole bunch of people writing "RIP Bill Russell".

I did not want to believe it at first. I understand that he was old, but it seemed like Bill Russell was going to live for a bit longer. I figured he would make it to his mid 90's. He still seemed like he had time. I saw him at the Finals. I saw him on TV a lot during the NBA season. And he looked okay. Again, he had grayed and he moved slower than usual, but he still seemed to have it all together. He wasn't going away mentally at least. So when I read his family's statement on his passing, it hit me a little harder than I thought it would.

It is no secret how much I dislike the Celtics. They may be my least favorite professional sports team. But Bill Russell was the exception for me. He was a player who I never saw play, but knew all about his career. I feel like it is a prerequisite to know about Russell when you decided to get into basketball. He was a trailblazer. He was ahead of his time. He dominated. He did things that were unheard of back when he played. He would have thrived in any era with his style of play. He was a defensive first style player. He was the original rim protector. He was a skinnier, more athletic Shaq on the defensive end. He was impenetrable when protecting the rim. He is the greatest rebounder to ever play the game. Without his rebounding prowess there would have been no Moses Malone, Dennis Rodman, Andre Drummond, Tim Duncan, none of those guys would have had a role model to look up to in the rebounding game. I mean, you go look at his old stats and 40 rebounds pops up regularly. It is nuts. Russell was also a dominant low post scorer, but only did it when it was needed. He would put up points when he wanted to, or was asked. He could go for 30 with ease at any moment. But he was also the consummate team player. He did what was best for the team no matter what. If he was asked to only rebound, he did it better than anyone else. If he was asked to be a defensive force, he did it better than anyone else. If the Celtics needed scoring, Russell was more than capable of putting up massive amounts of points. He was Tim Duncan before Tim Duncan. He was the quiet superstar that did what was needed. He never cared about his own stats, he did what was best for his team. He was the antithesis to Wilt Chamberlain, another great. But, even with my disdain for the Celtics, I like Russell so much more than Chamberlain.

Bill Russell was also a very important civil rights activist. He stood up for that he believed in and spoke his mind. He did all this in an era where it could have been detrimental to his personal and professional life. But he didn't care. He felt that he needed to be a voice. People listened to him. People respected him. His fans followed him. He used his voice for all the right things. And again, to do this in the 50's and 60', that took a serious amount of guts. And Russell continued all of this in his post NBA career. He has an excellent autobiography every basketball fan should read. He was a steady presence at many NBA games, mostly Celtics games. He would give speeches at awards shows and NBA banquets. There is one of the greatest interviews I have ever seen between him and Kevin Garnett. As a fan of both, I get chills just thinking about it today. Bill Russell was a giant in so many ways. He was a great basketball player. He was an excellent person. He was an activist. He was always himself. He never put on airs.

I am bummed that Bill Russell has passed away. I will miss him. I told my son the news yesterday and even he was devastated. He is 10. That is how far Russell's reach is in the basketball and real world. Rest In Peace Bill Russell. You lived a very full and very eventful life and you will be dearly missed. Enjoy your peace.

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 Donovan Mitchell and the Knicks

I have been reading since yesterday that the Knicks are putting together a potential trade package for Donovan Mitchell.

At first I got pumped. I am not a Knicks fan, but RD is, and the NBA is better when the Knicks are relevant. Even when they are not contenders, when the Knicks are in the playoff picture the league is in a good spot. Just look at two years ago when they made the playoffs as a 4 seed. Sure the Hawks beat them fairly easily, but the Garden was packed, the pre game shows were more lively and it felt like the good old days. The Knicks relevancy makes the game better, plain and simple. I do not think anyone can argue with me on this one. So this Donovan Mitchell news should be good news. It should have their fans riled up. They should be putting together a strong package to trade for him. This will make them an immediate playoff contender, especially in the East.

Since I am staying in and resting up to be 100% for my trip I have had time to really dive into if the Knicks can, and will, pull this off. Every year we have heard about the Knicks getting a big name in free agency or in a trade. The first time KD was a free agent he was going to go to the Knicks. He didn't even take a meeting with them. When Giannis was a potential free agent he was definitely going to meet with New York. He decided to take zero meetings and he re-signed with the Bucks. When Chris Paul was on the market he was going to be their veteran star that helped the younger generation. He signed with Phoenix instead. I went on the pod, and on the site, and said I thought that Damian Lillard was a near lock to join the Knicks. Welp, he just signed a two year extension, which means he has 5 years on his deal now, to remain in Portland. Every big name has gone elsewhere or stayed with their original team. I think Carmelo Anthony was the last real super star they signed, and he only gave them a few good seasons. All of this has made me hesitant about the whole Donovan Mitchell thing. It would be great if they were able to swing a package, keep the majority of the team intact and become a solid playoff team.

Looking at the East, if the Knicks are able to add Mitchell, they would have a shot to be a top 6 seed immediately. The only teams I can think of off the top of my head that would be ahead of them at the moment are the Bucks, Celtics, 76ers and Heat. If the Knicks were to keep their core and add Mitchell, I think that makes them instantly better than the Bulls, Raptors, Nets, Hawks and Cavs, all were playoff or play in teams last season. But here is the hard part. Here is where it gets difficult for the Knicks to pull this off. It is the whole keeping the core together thing I keep mentioning. The Knicks could trade the most draft assets, and that is what the Jazz want right now. That is where the deal starts.

We need to ask why would the Knicks give up their future to be, at best, a 3 or 4 seed in the East? Mitchell makes them an immediate playoff team, as I keep saying, but they are not a title contender just by adding Mitchell to the starting five. This is not like AD going to the Lakers. They were one piece away. The Knicks are not. And the Knicks would have to give up a hefty amount of those picks. I just don't like mortgaging the future of your franchise unless a title appearance is all but a guarantee, and unfortunately for Knicks fans, Mitchell doesn't vault them to title contention. Then you have this core group of guys. There is Julius Randle, RJ Barrett, Mitchell Robinson, Immaunel Quickley, Obi Toppin and Derrick Rose. They also just gave Jalen Brunson a big free agent deal. They seem to have a group that kind of, sort of, fits on paper. Adding Mitchell, if the Jazz decide they want more than picks, will mean breaking apart that group. If I were the Jazz I'd ask for some of the picks and RJ Barrett. Or even Quickley. Maybe have them package Quickley and Toppin. Or put RJ Barrett and Mitchell Robinson in the deal. I don't know what the Jazz want, or how deep of a rebuild they are going to go through, but they are in the catbird seat. They have the power in these negotiations. Just like the Nets are doing with Kyrie and KD, I'd ask for more than I think I could get. And if the Jazz walk away, fine. The Knicks can save and go after yet another big name free agent next offseason.

I fully understand that the Knicks took a step back last season, and their fans want to be in title contention, but Donovan Mitchell, who is a great, great basketball player, one that I truly enjoy watching play the game, does not make them a title favorite. He makes them a playoff team, but not even a top 3 seed. I don't think I'd mortgage the future of the franchise if I were them. Also, this just seems like another big name for the Knicks that they won't get in the long run. Time will tell, but I am not holding my breath.

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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RIP Gary Moeller

Gary Moeller passed away at 81 yesterday. For the people who may not know who that is, he was a football coach. To be even more specific, he took over for Michigan after Bo Schembechler retired.

Moeller was the first Michigan coach I truly remember. Schembechler stepped down in 1989 and Moeller took over from 90-94. I think he would have lasted longer, but he got a DUI and Michigan has low tolerance for that type of thing. He was let go, replaced by Lloyd Carr, and the rest is history.

Gary Moeller was a very, very good coach. He accomplished quite a bit in his five seasons as the head man, and he climbed the ranks when he was an assistant under Schembechler. He vacillated between defensive and offensive coordinator from 1973-1989. In between that time he was a QB coach and helmed one of the better offenses in the Big 10 in the mid to late 80's. He also modernized Michigan's offense as much as he could when he was the OC. Then when Bo resigned, Moeller was the heir apparent. He stepped in and had immediate success. He won the Big 10 three times. He was coach of the conference twice. He won at least eight games every year. His lowest finish in the conference was tied for 4th. Michigan won four of the five bowl games they played in under Moeller. They won one of two Rose Bowls they played in. Moeller's record at Michigan was 44-13-3. He was 30-8-2 in the Big 10. He averaged nine wins a year. Moeller recruited and coached guys like Desmond Howard and Erick Anderson. Howard won the Heisman while Moeller was the head coach. Elvis Grback got a pro career based on Moeller's coaching acumen.

Even after the DUI it wasn't long before Moeller got another job. He was hired by the Bengals as their tight end coach in 1995. In 97 he took a job with the Detroit Lions that eventually turned out to be a head coaching job after Bobby Ross suddenly resigned. But he did not last too long when the new regime came along. He returned for a bit with the Jaguars as defensive coordinator but left after one year. He then coached the linebackers for the Bears before fully retiring in 2003.

All in all Moeller left the biggest impression at Michigan. He had a .758 winning percentage. He coached a Heisman winner. He kept the train rolling at Michigan. They didn't miss a step. He left the team in good hands when Carr took over. I feel like the whole DUI thing would have been brushed under a rug nowadays. It would have been dealt with internally and he would have stuck around longer. That being said, Moeller was a solid head coach. He wasn't brash or loud or annoying or a TV personality. He was a coach through and through. He stuck around the game so long because he knew the game so well. People respected him and he returned the favor by doing good to great things on a football field.

I was kind of stunned when RD texted me yesterday to tell me of Moeller’s passing. I had not forgotten, but had not thought about Gary Moeller in quite some time. It is kind of crazy when you think about my fandom for Michigan football. Gary Moeller will be missed. He meant a lot to the game and a whole lot more to Michigan. Rest In Peace Gary Moeller. You will be missed.

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 2022 NBA Draft

I know it has been almost a week since the draft, but with the country taking a tremendous step backward, and seeing two very good movies, today is the day I am going to talk about my NBA draft thoughts. It may seem out of date, but I have had a very good amount of time to sit and think about the draft. I'm not just going off the cuff. This isn't a rapid reaction. This isn't a grade the day following. And I have thought about this draft a good amount. I use the draft to forget about the horribleness that is our country right now.

With all that being said, the Pistons came out as big time winners from draft night. They got the guy they wanted at five in Jaden Ivey. He fits like a glove with this squad. He can be inserted at the two, next to Cade Cunnigham, from day one. He is a good slashing guard, will fix his shot and can play defense. He is also happy to be there. He was crying tears of joy. It was the best fit of the night. They also traded for the rights to Jalen Duren. He is an extremely athletic center. He will eventually stretch the court. He is a rebound machine. He can block shots. I love his addition to this young core. They got a stash project in Gabriele Procida. They can bring him along super slow and he is the prototype 6-7 wing forward combo the NBA covets right now. They also just traded for Alec Burks and Nerlens Noel. Those guys may not stay, but if they do, that is two extra vets to help out this young team. The Pistons are going to be a fun team to watch next season, and then they should, if they can coexist, become a playoff threat in the next two to three years. They nailed draft night.

I also love what the Houston Rockets did. They got Jabari Smith Jr at three. He was the consensus number one guy on everyone else's mock drafts, but he "fell" into the Rockets lap at three. They can play him right away at the five. He can shoot, defend, rebound and create shots. He and Jalen Green make for a great young duo. They also have Kevin Porter Jr and Alpernun Sengun. This is a young team loaded with potential and talent. They also got TyTy Washington in the late first to be a backup point guard, which is perfect for him to learn. They also got Tari Eason from LSU in the late teens. He is big and switchy and has a bit more experience coming in. Houston is building a team with so much talent, it just has to find a way to come together and coalesce. They have a few years ahead of them before they are true competitors, but they are going to be fun as hell to watch.

Another draft I liked was the Spurs. They got some good pieces. They got Malaki Branham and Blake Wesley in the late first round. These guys were considered lottery talent and they fell into the Spurs lap. They will get the best out of those two guys. They also had a lottery pick and took Jeremy Sochan at nine. I love this pick. He is such a Spurs guy. He is going to be one of the better players in this draft, and going to San Antonio is like a dream destination for NBA players. The Spurs made sure their "rebuild" won't take as long as other teams.

Finally, for a team I liked, the Magic got the best overall guy at number one. Paolo Banchero is a 20 ppg guy from day one. He is so gifted offensively. And adding him to a roster with Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs is wonderful. They went out and took the best guy on the board. They also got potential in round two with Caleb Houstan. The kid can shoot, he just needs to grow up a bit. He is also barely 19. He is a young dude.

There were only a few teams that puzzled me. First off, the Knicks did some wild stuff during the draft. They traded picks for future picks. They cleared cap space. I get that they want a big name free agent, but Jalen Brunson, as much as I like him as a player, is not the "big name" guy they want to reel in. They have also traded away good vets to clear more space. Maybe that will work next season, but for this year, I don't know. I like when the Knicks are good because it is good for the NBA. But draft night was a real head scratcher.

And then we have the Kings. I mean, this just seems like this is what they do. They had two picks. They took Keegan Murray at four. He is an okay enough shooter, but I think he is what he will be. He is also a bigger guard now on a team filled with guards. This pick does absolutely nothing to move the needle for me. The Kings are just kind of stuck in the mud. They also had a decent pick in round two with Jaden Hardy, but then they traded him to Dallas. I don't even know what they got in return. It was baffling. Hardy could have helped the Kings but now he will help the Mavs. The Kings are going to Kings things on draft night I guess. I will say,

I am excited to watch these kids play next season. I watched a good amount of them play in college or in the G League and I am stoked to see how they adjust to the pros. The NBA has the best draft night coverage and this year was no different. Now we just need to get to the season.

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 2022 NBA Draft Preview

The NBA draft happens this evening. I used to get super pumped up for this when I was a kid. I don't watch anymore, but my son is as hype as I used to get. I love that he is this involved with basketball now. Anyway, I am going to do my annual draft preview. I'll give you five guys I like and a few sentences why, five I'm not so high on and a few sentences why, and finish it off with a sleeper or two that I'm high on.

This draft is pretty solid. The top three picks, maybe even four, are pretty set, but I have one of those guys in my dudes I'm not so high on. But this draft is deep and there looks to be some solid rotation players that will be picked tonight. Here we go.

As for the guys I like, first off, I adore Jaden Ivey. He is going to be very good. He is fast and can get to the rim. His shot is not great yet, but that could come with time, just look at Kawhi Leonard. Ivey also plays defense. He is as ready to go from day one as any prospect in this draft. I think that, even if the Kings draft him, he is going to have a very, very good career.

I also really like consensus number 1 pick Jabari Smith. He is 6'10 first off. He has a calm demeanor. I watched him play a few times this year and he was always the best player on the floor. He can shoot. He is a great rebounder. He has all the skill set you want in a modern big. And he is very young. He is only going to get bigger. Smith is a top tier prospect.

Speaking of top tier prospects, I love Paolo Banchero as an NBA player. He is also 6'10. He is as good, maybe even better, at cutting to the rim than Ivey is. He is a bully going to the rim. He is bigger than a good chunk of NBA players now. He may loaf off on defense from time to time, but he is also only 19. He will get better at that. I also like his attitude. He is not cocky, he is confident. I usually do not like Duke guys, but Banchero is different. He has been ready to play in the NBA for a few years now. College was just another year to grow and learn. I truly think he will end up being the best player in this draft.

I'm pretty high on Ochai Agbaji. I've always been a fan of guys that stay in school longer to get better. He was also the best player on the team that won it all. Even when he wasn't shooting well he was old enough to do other things to help his team win. He can shoot. He can play defense. He is ready to go. He will be a late lottery pick which means he will end up on a team fighting for the playoffs, which will only help him more. This kid is good and will be a very good bench player in the NBA.

My final prospect I like is Johnny Davis. I watched this kid a ton this year since he played in the Big Ten and he is legit. He can score from anywhere. He has confidence for days. Without him Wisconsin would have been a below .500 team. He took over games at times. He made me so mad because he always seemed to make big shots against teams I was rooting for. He is an offensive machine already. I could see him, depending on which team drafts him, scoring 16-17 points a night in his rookie year. Johnny Davis is an elite level scorer. He is a very, very poor man's Devin Booker right now who will only get better.

Now to the prospects I'm not crazy about.

First off, and most importantly, I have Chet Holmgren here. I have been hearing about this kid since his senior year in high school. I heard all of the KD comparisons. I heard people say he could be like Giannis. I even heard Anthony Davis stuff. But when I watched him this past season at Gonzaga I was left unimpressed. He wasn't even the best player on that team. Drew Timme and Andrew Nembhard were better. There were times where Holmgren looked lost. He fouled a lot. He can block shots because he is so tall, but he had to track the block more than actually make it. He was not an impressive scorer. Going to Gonzaga let him play against lesser college level competition. And when he played the best of the best he disappeared. He is too skinny and will need, at the very least, two years to put on real weight. He is going to get destroyed in the paint by most centers in the NBA. He needs to bulk up and he needs time. I don't know that he'll get either.

I'm not crazy about Keegan Murray. This is another guy I watched a lot, Big Ten team, and he did not leave me feeling like Johnny Davis did. Murray would not do stuff for long stretches. There were games where he'd get numbers, but they felt hollow. His release is slow. He is not a great defender. He flops a lot. He is a lot like Jimmer Fredette, but doesn't shoot threes at the clip Fredette did in college. Keegan Murray is going to be a high pick, but I do not think he has the goods to be a starter or early bench guy. He feels like a deep bench player at best.

I do not know what to make of Shaedon Sharpe. This kid is high on all the "experts" lists, but I have never seen him play basketball before. Darius Garland at least played a few games at Wake. Michael Porter Jr got some run at Mizzou. The G League guys are playing against former pros every day. Sharpe has not played a real game in over a year. I simply do not know what type of player he will be, and I am not going to lose my mind over some high school highlights from two years ago. I would not take a risk on a player like Sharpe in the lottery. I do not know what I am getting at all. I would not want to wager the future of my team on a kid that hasn't played a real game since he was 17 years old. There is too much unknown about Shaedon Sharpe.

I am flabbergasted that Chritian Braun is being mocked in the late first round. This kid is a late second rounder at best. He doesn't shoot the three like a Duncan Robinson or Buddy Hield. He can't get to the rim with ease like other guards can in the NBA. He isn't much of a defensive guy. He has energy, but so did Matthew Dellavedova. I just don't see him being more than a deep bench guy at best. I saw him mocked to the Warriors at 28, and people said they could stash him in the G League for a few years, akin to what they did with Jordan Poole, but Poole was a proven scorer in college. I don't think the same can be said for Braun. I just do not see first round talent in this kid.

Finally, as much as I like his name, TyTy Washington has a long road ahead of him before he is a real NBA player. He was oft injured at Kentucky. He would get hit lightly on drives to the basket and went down like a heap. He isn't a sharp shooter. His defense is average. He is short for his position in the NBA. He has a ton of work. Of the five kids I mentioned in this group I will be rooting for Washington the most, but he has a ton of work to do. I have noticed that he is slipping down draft boards as of late too. Maybe these teams are seeing what I saw all season. Washington is a major work in progress.

To end this draft preview I want to point out two "sleepers" in this draft. My first is Bryce McGowens, yet another Big Ten player I saw a ton of this past season. Nebraska was a nightmare to watch, with the exception of McGowens. This kid is a pure scorer. He may be one of the better offensive players in the entire draft. He is going to be an absolute microwave off the bench. I think a player like McGowens has way more in common with someone like Jordan Poole than a player like Christian Braun does. McGowens is going to need to gain weight and learn to take and use contact. But when he does he is going to be a nightmare to guard in the NBA. He is going to be a top bench player in about three or four years, when he is only 21 or 22 years old. McGowens is an elite scorer, and whatever team takes him in round 2 is going to be thrilled.

Finally I'd like to point out David Roddy from Colorado State. He is big. He can score. He can shoot. He is a good rebounder. He is an okay enough defender. He was the all around leader of a team that won 25 plus games last year and earned a 6 seed in the NCAA tournament. I saw him in the tourney and he nearly torched Michigan. This kid is good. He is a big body who can out muscle guys and pull 4's and 5's out of the post due to the threat of his shot. I feel like he may go undrafted, or be picked very late, but he will end up having a PJ Tucker type career with a little more scoring. Roddy is a good ball player.

Alright there is my 2022 NBA draft preview. Hopefully there will be crazy trades and the kids I am not so high on prove me wrong. And I know my son is stoked to watch. Should be a good time.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

The Warriors Won the NBA Title and That Does Not Suck

Just like last season, this season I felt the urge to tune into game six of the NBA Finals last night. It had a feeling of something special. Something big was going to happen either way. The Celtics were going to push this to a winner take all game seven Sunday night, or the Warriors were going to wrap it up and become the newest dynasty.

Well, the Warriors wrapped it up. The game wasn't all that close either. This was not like last season when Giannis put up 51 points and all but willed the Bucks to the title. The Celtics got out to a torrid 14-2 start, but then the Warriors responded with a 21-0 run in the second, led by 15 at the half and the closest the Celtics would get the game in the second half was 8 points. This was a wrap with about ten minutes left in the game. The Warriors were going to get their ring. They had squeezed the will out of the Celtics. They suffocated them defensively and, even though it was not pretty, the Warriors did enough to get a 13 point win.

Steph was great. That needs to be said. He scored 32 on the DPOY Marcus Smart. He made six threes. He had seven boards and seven assists. He shot over 50 percent from the field. He more than earned the series MVP. But he had help. Draymond played a vintage game. He had 12 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 blocks and 2 steals. He was everywhere. He hit jumpers. Klay's shot was off, but the threat more than intimidated the Celtics into throwing a few guys his way. Kevon Looney grabbed boards and did the dirty work. Jordan Poole had 15 crucial points. Andrew Wiggins scored and completely shut down Jayson Tatum. Gary Payton II was a menace and spread the floor on the break. The guys who needed to show up did. They showed out. But make no mistake, this was all Steph. This was LeBron like. This was Jordan like. He knew he had to be great and he was for five of the six games. Hell, he was great in game five, he just missed some shots. Without this Steph, the Warriors would be a lottery team. He was majestic. He shined brightest when he needed to the most.

It also needs to be said that the Celtics had an absolute melt down. I have zero problem eating crow after writing last week that it was inevitable that they were going to win. They could not hold onto the ball. They turned it over far too much. Marcus Smart was exposed. He may be hurt, but he could not stop Steph if he were 100 percent. Al Horford had one good game and then was put on an island trying to guard the Warriors guards one on one. Jayson Tatum disappeared in the second half of games five and six. This should be a good lesson for him, but he did not play well in this series. I give Wiggins a ton of credit for that too. Jaylen Brown was good, but he became a ball stopper late in these games. Derrick White completely fell off. Robert Williams was never fully healthy. As much as it irked me at the time, Draymond was right after game one. He knew the Celtics could not duplicate that game three more times. And they didn't.

I was also so sick and tired of the griping from the Celtics, but the Warriors did the best thing. When the Celtics would complain to the refs, they would run and they usually scored. It was perfect. I have never been happier to see a team I do not root for win. I am not a Warriors fan, but I loathe the Celtics. So to see this Warriors team win in Boston, that was a thing of beauty.

It is amazing that the Warriors did this two years after they won only fifteen games. They did it a year after they were knocked out of the play in. They won three years after KD left for Brooklyn. They rebuilt this team on the fly. And they did it around the greatest shooter to ever step on an NBA court. This team is tailor made for Steph. All the cutting and screening to get open shots has worked to perfection. That is why they went out and got a Juan Toscano Anderson and Beilijica and Otto Porter Jr and drafted Poole late in the first. They got guys that fit the system with Steph and Klay and Draymond. They play beautiful basketball. To me they are the 21st century version of the Spurs. The Spurs were always good, would win titles, would constantly be in the playoffs and would rebound immediately after a bad year or two. That is what this iteration of the Warriors did. They are the 2000's Spurs, the 90's Bulls, the 80's Pistons and Celtics and Lakers. They are a legit dynasty. They have more than earned that. They have four titles in ten years. They have been to six finals in ten years. This is their least talented team and they still won it all. What a team. I may not be a fan, but I respect the hell out of them. I was happy for them. I was stoked to see Steph's emotions after the game. They earned everything they achieved this year.

My hats off to the Warriors. Congrats on a much deserved title.

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.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.