The Latest List of People Killed Because Our Government is Filled With Cowards

While our elected leaders got paid by the NRA to protect guns, these Americans died after the latest mass shooting in Parkland Florida.

Alyssa Alhadeff, 14

Scott Beigel, 35

Martin Duque Anguiano, 14

Nicholas Dworet, 17

Aaron Feis, 37

Jaime Guttenberg, 14

Christopher Hixon, 49

Luke Hoyer, 15

Cara Loughran, 14

Gina Montalto, 14

Joaquin Oliver, 17

Alaina Petty, 14

Meadow Pollack, 18

Carmen Schentrup, 16

Peter Wang, 15

Helena Ramsay, 17

Alexander Schachter, 14

Our elected officials choose to protect guns over our children and educators.

Remember to vote on November 6th. Register here.

RD

RD Kulik is the Head Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. 

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

A Few Words About "Thoughts and Prayers", the GOP. the NRA, and Another Mass School Shooting

The color of a person's soul who holds "thoughts and prayers" over the safety of our children

Yesterday a Florida high school had a horrific event happen. 17 people lost their lives because of a crazed lunatic. This crazed lunatic somehow found a way to purchase an AR-15 and proceeded to map out a plan to shoot up the school, and the plan went through.

This is a horrific, awful and sad tragedy, that could have been avoided. In fact, all 18 of the gun violence incidents that have occurred since that buffoon took office could have been avoided(ed note: It has been 18 in 2018, over 300 confirmed mass shootings since our glorious leader took office). Yet, when that moron, and the other morons he has surrounded himself with have been asked to comment on these events, they all say the same god damn thing. All of them say that the people who have gone through these terrible events will, "be in our thoughts and prayers".

Before I go any further I need to apologize to anyone reading this, especially my parents, because this piece is going to be filled with bad words.

Back to the whole "thoughts and prayers" bull shit. To them I say, fuck your thoughts and prayers. These people will not get their lives back, their families will never get to see them again, these children won't know the joys and pain of growing up with your god damn thoughts and prayers. That is pure, nonsensical bull shit. That is the cowards way out. That is what you dumbasses have been trained to say. All of you dip shits that use "thoughts and prayers" as your answer, fuck you and your so called Jesus. Your perverted idea of this Jesus person never existed, and if he or she did, wouldn't they have put a stop to this, and you for that matter, a long, long time ago. All of you government people who spew religion in our faces, God or Jesus, or whoever is supposed to be an all loving person. I don't think that an all loving person would allow innocent kids, adults, club goers and live music fans to lose their lives due to some lunatics with guns. That doesn't sound all loving. And before you give me the whole, "it was their time. God only chooses when you go". I say again, FUCK YOU. We are talking about little kids in some of these cases. You mean to tell me that the kids involved with Sandy Hook, it was their time? The kids in these high schools, it was their time? The people at the nightclub in Orlando, it was their time? If that is the case, then when is it Mitch McConnell's time? When is it Marco Rubio and Paul Ryan's time? When is it John McCain's time? When is it that dickhead at the White House time? When is it Steve Bannon and Reince Preibus' time? Why do all these monsters get to continue living, if it is God or Jesus' will, when innocent people get cut down way too young? That doesn't make a lick of sense to me. That is preposterous, and further hammers home the fact that there isn't a God or Jesus or anyone that all these morons and horrible people say they are "praying" to.

I'm literally sick to my stomach today because of what happened yesterday, and what has happened in the past year, and what will continue to happen in the next couple of years while these fascists are trying to run the government. I don't like the feeling of dropping my 6 year old off and school and thinking, I hope nothing horrible happens today. But, due to what the current administration has done, I'm left with that sinking feeling now every morning. It is a relief when I see his smiling face after school now. That is a sad state of affairs. But, do they really care? If they did, why would they only give "thoughts and prayers" to victims of these tragedies. 

Does the lack of care from these cowards have to do with the fact that the majority, if not all of the GOP, have ties to the NRA? I'm sure some Democrats have ties to, which is just as sickening. But, lets not be naive about this. We all know that the GOP loves their guns, and that the NRA is filled with conservative nut jobs. They always seem afraid that a Democrat, or a more popular and super offensive term used now, "libtard", is trying to take away their guns. Well, when a private citizen can get access to an assault rifle, I think that is a bit much. Call me a "libtard" and "snowflake" all you want. But, I want to know why someone who is not in the military or on a SWAT team or in the FBI needs a god damn assault rifle. Why? What do you need that kind of power for? Is your penis that small that you think an automatic rifle will make you feel better about yourself? Is the NRA telling you that you need this gun to "take care of business"? You don't need an assault rifle, you need a hug. You need people around you that want to help. You may even just need to smoke some weed and chill the hell out. But, no. The GOP and NRA want you to have access to that assault rifle you think you desperately need. They want you to get that gun so much that the current fascist administration gutted a bunch of quality laws that Barack Obama put in place so it would be tougher to purchase assault weapons. That is a travesty.

Not only do all of these cowards that went out, purchased guns and did these heinous acts have blood on their hands, so does every government official that has taken money from the NRA. You are all complicit. You are all to blame. You are all cowards. You are all the lowest of the low. You are scum and you disgust me. Not only am I embarrassed to be an American, now I am scared. These are dark days that we are living in, and it is all due to the lowlife douchebags that only care about themselves and their bank accounts.

You fuckers sicken me.

I don't know how you sleep at night. I don't know how you show your face in public without being embarrassed. I don't know how you can live with yourselves. You are a bunch of racist, misogynist, narcissistic assholes. If there is a God, and a heaven and hell, I hope all of you cowards realize that you have a one way ticket to hell. You are cowards and bullies and you can take your "thoughts and prayers" and shove them up you asses. I loathe you and I loathe your me first mentality. Go get fucked with the rustiest wrench that you can find. The GOP stinks and they have countless innocent people's blood on their hands. As for the NRA, they are a terrorist organization ranked right up there with Al Qeadea and the Nazis. You are the lowest of the low. The worst of the worst. You deserve nothing but bad things for the rest of your meager, filthy, stupid and pointless lives. I'm sickened by what our country has turned in to.

If you aren't angry and scared now, get there. We have a hard fight ahead of us, and it all starts in November. Lets vote these fascist fuck heads out. Lets turn our country around. Lets make America a safe place again. We can do it. We just have to show up to the polls.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Election Day is November 6th. Get registered.

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Lavar Ball is Nonsense

shut up, shut up, shut up

I read recently, and I had successfully kept this idiot out of my brain until now, that Lavar Ball said that if the Lakers don’t sign his 2 other kids, Lonzo will not re sign with them.

This is insane!

Who in the hell does Lavar Ball think he is? Who is he to demand these outrageous things? Why does he think he can demand these outrageous things? Why haven’t the Lakers done more to quiet this buffoon? I feel like all of these are valid questions.

I won’t go into why Lavar Ball is terrible, I’ve already done that. Instead, I’m going to give the Lakers other options to deal with this nonsense. First off, both the other Ball children will, most likely, not be NBA players. The one that was just at UCLA was, by all accounts, not even a viable pro prospect. Apparently he was slow, didn’t play defense, was a shaky spot up shooter at best and just average. I don’t think he would’ve started if his last name wasn’t Ball. He also screwed himself when he shoplifted in China. He seemed doomed from the start. The youngest brother is 16. Sure, he loves basketball now, and I know he’s playing professionally overseas, but let’s see what happens in a year or 2. By all accounts, the league these 2 brothers are playing in isn’t even the best pro league in Lithuania. Sure, it’s professional, but very low level. Thankfully I don’t know how they’re doing because I decided to stop caring about this family when Lonzo Ball came out slow.

Back to the 16 year old. I think what Lavar did with this kid was horrendous. To “home school” him, to take him away from a good high school basketball program, to basically try and live through him, it left a very bad taste in my mouth. Also, he may never get any better than he is now because his dad always tells him how great he is. He doesn’t coach, he only pops off at the mouth. He’s a malcontent, and a disturbance. So while the youngest brother may be an okay player, I don’t know if he will be an NBA type player. He’s still much too young and way too small.

So, for Lavar to say what he said, just stop. Magic Johnson, Jeanie Buss and Rob Pelinka need to nip this in the bud. They’ve let Lavar get away with way too much, i.e., calling out Luke Walton, saying his son needs more time, calling out other Lakers and so on and so forth. This recent statement is too far. In fact, if I were the Lakers, with the way they d recently cleared a ton of cap space, I’d trade Lonzo if he is on board with what his dad said. Why would LeBron, Paul George or Kawhi Leonard want to go play for a team that allows a player’s dad to say whatever he wants whenever he wants? Those guys are superstars that have made it on their own. They didn’t need mommy or daddy to speak on their behalf. They don’t need the nonsense. Hell, if I were a mid level free agent, the Lakers with Lonzo would be very far down my list if desired teams. The Lakers should trade him now. Don’t let him finish out this rookie contract. They’ve shown recently that they can win without him. Brandon Ingram and Kyle Kuzma are much better building blocks than Lonzo Ball. I also think free agents, big time ones, would agree with me.

This is what happens when you let an unstable person say whatever is in their feeble brain. I mean, look at the bull shit going on at the White House right now. Lavar Ball bit off more than he can chew with this recent comment. This will come back to haunt him and his family, especially when the 2 younger Ball’s don’t even get an invite or a tryout because they aren’t going to get drafted.

Lavar Ball is a nuisance that needs to be stopped. Please Lakers organization, stop this monster while you still can.

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 Does Not Watch the Winter Olympics

I finally sat down and watched some figure skating with my wife the other night. See, I forgot that the Winter Olympics were currently going on. I probably should have mentioned that first. But, that’s my topic for the day. I’m pretty sure that I don’t really care about the Olympics anymore. I can’t really put my finger on why, but I do have some theories.

First one, I don’t know that I ever really cared about either the Summer or Winter Olympics. I do enjoy the racing and basketball in the Summer Olympics, but nothing really in the Winter Games. I have never liked or cared about hockey for personal reasons. I was never rich enough to be a skier or snowboarder, so I put that out of my mind. Figure skating is an art form, but I just don’t care about it. Speed skating is wannabe running events. Also, I can’t ice or roller skate, so that definitely adds to my dislike of anything skating. I do think stuff like luge and bobsled is kind of cool, but that is more of a, “maybe something brutal will happen” type idea, and that is wrong. So with the Winter Olympics, I usually stay away. If the only thing I’m looking forward to is an accident, I shouldn’t be watching.

I also think that the Winter Games is for rich people. As I have said, I’m not a rich person. I never have been, and most likely, I never will be. So the events, which are clearly made for rich people, were things I never did as a child. We would vacation in ski towns in Michigan when I was a kid, but I spent my time in the lodge or hiking and climbing bluffs. I would sled, but no skiing or snowboarding. It is just not my thing.

Another theory I have about my distaste of the Winter Olympics is, I don’t know many other people that are into it. I do know a few people, and shouts out to you few that like the games, but they are far and few between. I’ll talk to friends, family, other people I coach with, and when the Winter Olympics have been brought up recently, every conversation was met with a blank stare or a shrug. It just doesn’t really appeal to us. The kids I coach with are young, so I thought they may be into it, but they like football, basketball or baseball. The Olympics are way down their list. My family has never really been into the Olympics. My dad and I like basketball in the Summer games, I know RD likes the racing, but that is about it. I’ve asked my other brothers if they watch, and they only say they watch it for distraction, or the noise. They never really pay any attention to it. I called RD the other day and he said figure skating was on, but he was playing Zelda or some shit. He wasn’t focused on the Olympics at all. As far as other friends, most people I hang out with on a regular basis aren’t big sports fans. My friends outside of work are big into music and movies. That is why I hang out with them. I can talk about things other than sports with them, which is refreshing, and needed for me personally.

My final theory, and I know that RD has talked about this at length, the coverage when I do watch is horrendous. It ranks right up there with Cris Collinsworth calling football, or ESPN’s coverage of anything. The coverage on NBC is filled with fan boy idiots that have no clue, especially now that Bob Costas is gone. He was the only good thing about their coverage. Now that he’s gone, it is truly awful. When the figure skating was on in my house the other night I was embarrassed for the people announcing it because it was so bad. Maybe they’ll address this problem, but probably not. I think NBC thinks they have good people doing an okay job. Well, I’m sorry to say, they are not very good at what they do.

These are just some theories I wanted to put out there. The Olympics have never really appealed to me, but the Winter Olympics that are currently going on have just hammered home my distaste. It’s boring, poorly covered and not appealing to anyone who is middle class or lower. The Winter Olympics have jumped the shark, in my opinion.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He tried snowboarding one time. He got about ten feet up on the tow rope and gave up on the sport.

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Ty Will Not Watch American Idol

I was scrolling through Twitter and Facebook the other morning and I saw that the show "American Idol" was coming back to TV. I believe that it is coming back this summer on NBC. I have a few thoughts about this news.

First and foremost, why? Why is this show coming back on TV? Who is clamoring for this? Shows get cancelled for a reason, and "American Idol" was cancelled because no one was watching it or talking about it anymore. I am not a fan of any singing competition show. I personally think they are all garbage. Why do people like Paula Abdul, Christina Aguilera, Adam Levine, Bruno Mars and the dude that used to be a bassist that always told people they were "a little pitchy dog", hold clout over others, and get to judge people? Simon Cowell, I get. He is a producer. He is a star maker. That is what he does for a living, and he has made a great life for himself doing this. But, the other "judges", we have many failed pop stars, a crappy country musician, a wannabe and a guy who's name I cannot even remember, just to name a few. So, I ask again, why are you bringing this show back?

Maybe I am just the wrong audience for this show. But, people who I think this may appeal to, kids in their early teens, or maybe 10, 11 and 12 year olds, they are all watching other shows, or constantly on their phones. I know my nieces personally like "The Voice", and when they found out about "American Idol" returning, their response was akin to, "why are they copying "The Voice"". They have never really known a world with "American Idol", and contrary to what they think, my nieces and their friends will not leave a show like "The Voice" to watch "American Idol". They have their one singing competition show, and they won't abandon it. That is one thing I like about the younger generation. They have so many options, maybe too much, on TV, but when they find something they like, they stick to it. Hell, my nieces still prefer "Impractical Jokers" to "America's Funniest Home Videos", no matter how many times myself and their parents show it to them. So, if the new people behind "American Idol" think they might appeal to a new generation of viewer, forget about it.

As far as who may be clamoring for this show, I cannot think of anyone outside of people that once loved the show and stuck it out through the end of the first run. To me, that is a problem. I remember when "American Idol" first premiered, I was still living at home with my folks, fairly fresh out of high school. That was over 15 years ago. If the producers behind this new "American Idol" show are clamoring for that 18-34 prime viewing audience, they have missed out by a year.

After seeing that this show was coming back, I did a little further research and I remembered that it was first on Fox. So, a show that the Fox Network cancelled is coming back on TV, and ABC is putting it on. What the hell? Why ABC? You used to have, and still do, some quality TV. I mean you had a show like "Lost", and you know have a great show like "Blackish"  So, why are you bringing back a crappy singing competition show? You don't need this, literally. You guys can find ratings with your own original programming. You do not need to take on an old singing show for the nostalgic audience. That is a complete waste of your time. This show will do nothing but cause you a headache. You should never have taken it on. 

Another thought, and maybe what made me most upset, I saw who the new judges were. Of course Ryan Seacrest is back because he has nothing better to do. He is never, ever going to be a famous host of any show. He had his chance, he blew it, and now, he is an afterthought. I had forgotten about him, and when I told my wife that "American Idol" was coming back, we both thought of Brian Dunkleman before Ryan Seacrest. Hell, I'd rather see Dunkleman hosting this show in its new format. Seacrest is a has been. And then we have the judges. First off, why are you doing this Lionel Ritchie? You were once a sought after musician. The song "Easy Like Sunday Morning" is a classic, and you sang the hell out of that song. Your solo stuff, while I'm not a fan, was pretty big. You are a well known, famous musician. You, much like ABC, do not need to do this. I wish you had said no. Katy Perry is like a lesser version of Paula Abdul. She is just about as good a singer, which is not a compliment, and I would be willing to bet a ton of money that she won't be nearly as funny without knowing it as Abdul was. Paula Abdul was a train wreck on TV, but it was a compelling train wreck to watch. You literally never knew what she was going to do next. It was, at times, exhilarating. Katy Perry is milquetoast. She is going to be boring and dull. I have no desire to watch a mediocre pop singer judge worse singers. The third new judge, some dude named Luke Bryan, I have no idea who he is. Doing some internet research revealed to me that he is a country singer. I cannot name one single song of his, and that makes me proud of myself.

Looking at these judges further made me realize that the new "American Idol" is kind of doing a "The Voice" rip off with the judges. Now, there is no one that has ever been on "the Voice" that will reach Lionel Ritchie fame. But, you have the female judge, a la Aguilera and Gwen Stefani from "The Voice", and "American Idol" has Perry. And both have mild to mediocre country musicians as judges. Like I said, they are stealing ideas from other singing competition shows. It is lazy.

One final thought about all of this. For all the "fame" that previous "American Idol" winners have achieved, are any of them really, truly famous besides Kelly Clarkson? You may throw out names like Carrie Underwood, Ruben Studdard, Fantasia Barrino and that annoying dude that always yelled "soul patrol!". I say back, Underwood isn't as famous as you might think. She is actually kind of grating. My son, who is 6, heard her singing before the Super Bowl, and he asked why "this terrible song is on right now". So, I don't buy the hype around Underwood. While Studdard has made his name known on Gospel charts, more people know him as the guy that beat Clay Aiken. That is it. Fantasia has been on "The Simpsons", and she too has a kind of cult following, but again, people always seem to say, "oh yeah, I kind of remember her". The "soul patrol" guy, he is nowhere. The only person, outside of Clarkson, who is a bona fide star, that has achieved any success from "American Idol" is Jennifer Hudson. And, she came in 6th place on her season. She didn't even get to the finale. Also, she is more known for her acting than her signing.

This is a terrible, horrible idea and I wish that ABC had rejected it instead of bringing it back on. This is so stupid.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is known to hum a few bars, and rock out to, "Pants on the Ground".  

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Some Quick Thoughts on a Wild, And Cavalier Changing, NBA Trade Deadline

Yesterday the NBA trade deadline came and went, and boy oh boy was there some movement. Not as much movement as I expected, but movement nonetheless.

I should clarify, I thought big names would be moved. And yes, Blake Griffin was moved, but before the deadline. I fully expected DeAndre Jordan and Lou Williams to be on new teams. Well, the Clippers gave Williams to a 3 year extension, and by all accounts, the DeAndre to Cleveland talks stalled. I also expected, and while he may not be a big name to the common NBA fan, Avery Bradley to be on a different team. I heard the Spurs and Thunder were hot on his trail. Well, he is still a Clipper today. Stuff can happen after the "deadline", but if these guys were to be moved they would have been moved yesterday. Even a guy like Tyreke Evans, who is having a career year in Memphis, didn't get moved, and the Grizzlies have purposefully sat him out in preparation for him to be traded. They can, and probably will, buy him out. But, as of today, he is still a Grizzly. There were some other big time names I thought may get moved, guys like Kawhi Leonard, Marc Gasol, even a Julius Randle, but their respective teams kept them on board.

With all of that being said, there was still a ton of movement. I have already written about the Blake Griffin trade. He was the first of a pretty wild week. A few days later the Pelicans traded for Nikola Mirotic, and while that doesn't sound that big, Mirotic has been really good so far this year, and this does give the Pelicans a very potent outside shooter. While he won't come close to putting up any kind of numbers to try and replace Boogie, he can still fill it up from time to time. After the Mirotic trade, it was relatively quiet. The Nets and Bucks made a trade on Feb 5(Bucks got Tyler Zeller and the Nets got Rashad Vaughn and a pick). On Feb 7th, the Knicks traded Willy Hernangomez, who I like, to the Hornets for Johnny O'Bryant and 2 future second round picks.

Then yesterday happened. I'm going to save the Cavs for last because they have totally overhauled their lineup. Lets get to some of the other trades first. Jameer Nelson, who I am shocked that he is still in the league, is now a Piston in a deal that sent Willie Reed to the Grizzlies. Luke Babbitt was reunited with the Heat in a trade that sent the Hawks, who are continuing their epic tank, a guy named Okaro White. The Kings got rid of Malachi Richardson, sending him to the Raptors for Bruno Cabococlo, who the Kings will release. The Wizards offloaded Sheldon Mac to the Hawks for cash. The Blazers got rid of the epic bust that is Noah Vonleh, sending him to the Bulls for the rights to Milocan Rakovic. Dante Cunningham was traded from the Pelicans to the Nets for Rashad Vaughn, his second team of the week. Now, we are finally going to get some recognizable names. The Knicks, Nuggets and Mavericks swung a three way deal that sent Emmanuel Mudiay to New York, Devin Harris and a pick to the Nuggets and Doug McDermott and a pick to the Mavericks. I like this move for Mudiay, because he has not lived up to the hype. Maybe a place like New York will bring it out of him. While Harris is old, he can still shoot, and that will help the Nuggets. And Dougie McBuckets, well, I guess he just won't be that good of a pro. But, at least he will get a shot to play in Dallas. And then Elfrid Payton, another monumental bust, was traded to the Suns for a second round pick. This kid was supposed to be the future for the Magic and he has just flat out stunk. Maybe he will do better in Phoenix, but only getting a second round pick for a lottery player, that is rough.

Now, lets get to the Cavs. The Cavs did a complete overhaul. They have totally changed this roster. And while I agree that they got better in the short run, I do not think they did enough to keep LeBron, or even make the finals again. They are going to have to gel much faster than expected if they want to get back to the Finals. So, I want to name all the players traded, where they went and who they got in return, then I will give a one or two sentence explanation as to why I like or dislike the trade.

Okay, here goes.

First the Cavs traded Dwayne Wade to the Heat for a second round pick. Then, in a three team deal the Cavs acquired Rodney Hood and George Hill, the Jazz got Jae Crowder and Derrick Rose and the Kings got Joe Johnson, Iman Shumpert and a 2020 second round pick. Finally, the Cavs traded Isiash Thomas and Channing Frye, along with their 2018 first round pick to the Lakers for Larry Nance Jr and Jordan Clarkson.

That is a lot to unpack with some big time names. The Cavs first deal was their biggest, trading Thomas and Frye and their pick to the Lakers for Nance Jr and Clarkson. I love this trade for the Cavs. Clarkson is a great shooter, and he will get a ton of open looks from LeBron. Nance Jr is an electric young player and a highlight reel dunker. He will be fun to watch play with LeBron. Thomas has to be thrilled to be out of Cleveland, but I feel bad that he is playing for the Lakers. He has taken a hard fall in less than a year. He was an MVP finalist last year, now he is happy to be a Laker. Yikes. And Channing Frye, blah. But, the Cavs first round pick this year is a big get for the Lakers. They can continue to build for the future. The Cavs definitely won this trade though. The next move was almost as good as the first. They were able to acquire a real point guard, George Hill, and a streaky good and young scorer in Rodney Hood. They also got off some terrible contracts in this trade. They finally rid themselves of Derrick Rose, who will be bought out by the Jazz, oh how the mighty have fallen, and they got rid of the 10 million that Iman Shumpert will make this year. Shumpert is also toast as a legit NBA defender. I love the addition of Hood. He, like Clarkson, is a very good shooter that will get a ton of great looks. George Hill is good, but very injury prone. He is much older than his actual age as a basketball player. That being said, he is better than any other point guard the Cavs had. And, getting off of Jae Crowder, great move. I thought he would be a great fit and a solid defender for the Cavs, but he was not. He couldn't shoot and he neglected to play defense on this team. The only thing left now from the Kyrie Irving trade this past offseason is the Nets pick. That's wild. But, the Cavs won this three team deal as well. Finally, they mercy traded LeBron's buddy Dwayne Wade back to Miami. Wade was doing nothing for the Cavs, there were rumors that he was not a good clubhouse guy and he is just too old to be elite anymore. This needed to be done, and I think he is happy to be going back to Miami. I don't think either team won this trade, but both teams are happy with the outcome.

With all this movement that happened, the Cavs roster will be very different for the last quarter of the year. As I said, they got better in the intermediate. They have shooters now that can space the floor. If Hood can stay healthy, he could thrive. And if Jordan Clarkson thought he got good looks in LA, wait until he plays one game with LeBron. Nance Jr will bring some toughness and rebounding to this team, and he will be fun to watch. Unfortunately for the Cavs, even though they did unload some bad contracts, they still took on some bad contracts. They will not be able to lure free agents, especially if LeBron leaves after this year. But, they also got rid of a bunch of head cases and guys that didn't want to be there. Derrick Rose came and went as he pleased. Isaish Thomas seemed to bad mouth Tyron Lue every night. Iman Shumpert is toast. So is Channing Frye. And D-Wade, as much as I like him, and as much as he is a first ballot Hall of Famer, he is in the twilight of his career. But, the Cavs still have to deal with Tristan Thompson who has been horrendous. They still have Kevin Love, who is injured and LeBron seems to hate him. They still have JR Smith who has been a disaster this year. The Cavs, while making some necessary moves yesterday, still have some problems on their hands. I don't necessarily think that these trades instantly makes them a better defensive team either. But, they will be able to fill it up, if they can gel quickly.

Yesterday was a wild NBA trade deadline, and I had a blast with every update I got from Bleacher Report. I love when the trade deadline is this crazy. It makes for a fun day and I'm excited to see these guys play for their new teams. Also, I'm very curious to see how this all plays out for the Cavs. What they did yesterday was unprecedented, and I want to see how it all eventually unfolds.

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 Watches "American Vandal"

I was going to write about the NBA trade deadline today, but there is still about 20 minutes left to go, and I will give everyone my take on all the moves that happened tomorrow. Today I'm going to write about one of my new favorite TV shows.

Just last week I started to watch the show "American Vandal" on Netflix. I put this show on my instant queue right away, by shied away from it for awhile. I didn't quite know what to make of it. I thought that it was a serious crime story, a la the excellent "Making A Murderer", and I just couldn't handle another show like that at the time. I needed to find something that was more light hearted and not so serious. Sometimes I watch very serious shows and they just take it out of me. I feel almost exhausted after watching great shows like "The Wire", "Breaking Bad", "Legion" and sometimes even "Atlanta" can be super heavy. So, as I said, I needed a break. I kept putting "American Vandal" off.

As I was scrolling through Twitter one night, I saw a bunch of comedians tweeting that everyone should watch "American Vandal". This piqued my interest. The one person who pretty much convinced me to watch was Rainn Wilson. Many of you may know him as Dwight Schrute from "The Office". His tweet was very simple, but it just pushed me over the edge to finally watch the show. He simply said, "everyone needs to watch "American Vandal", that is all". See, very simple, but it worked.

That night I watched the first episode of this show, fully expecting it to be a hard crime drama, and it was not. It is one of the funniest shows that I have seen in a long, long time. The show does follow that "Making A Murderer" or "Law and Order" vibe, but it is so god damn funny. Now, full disclosure, I have only seen the first 2 episodes, but it works.

The story of this first season has to do with a senior at a high school in California who gets expelled for spray painting 27 penises on teachers cars during an administrative day. An administrative day means that the students get the day off, but the teachers have to be at the school. The premiere finds a random student deciding that he wants to get down to the nitty gritty and see if the accused actually did the crime. The student has a background in film making, and he just so happens to have a friend that wants to be a director, so, they reopen up the case and film it all. Everything that happens in that first episode is tremendous and hilarious. The way they shot the footage and how they put it on Netflix, it is magical. It is shot like a true crime story, and that is part of why I enjoy this show so much. They make such a childish act, spray painting penises on cars, and turn it into something that seems like a very serious crime. And as they continue to go on, everything just works. The 2 filmmaker students tell all sides of the story. They get the accused's side of the story. He vehemently denies doing the prank, even though he is the school's best prankster, and pretty much every other student is pretty certain he did it. We get the school board's side of the story. They basically just want this student, who they look at as a nuisance, out of their hair. We have new students involved. We have the class president, who claims he saw the other kid commit the crime, who may or may not be a total bull shitter. We get to meet the accused students buddies, they call themselves the Way Back Boys, which is so god damn funny to me for some reason, side of the story. These kids like to get high and pull pranks, but they staunchly deny that their buddy would do this particular crime. We get the kid's Spanish teacher, who has been a victim of the expelled kid's pranks before, mainly penises being drawn on her classroom board, side of the story. She is certain he did it.

"American Vandal" is a perfect spoof of true crime stories. I am on pins and needles and I cannot wait it see where they take it from here. The second episode ended on a major cliff hanger, and I will be very curious to see how they tackle that problem. If you enjoy spoof type TV shows, but also like crime dramas, I think you should check out "American Vandal". Yes, it is a very childish topic that they are tackling, but the way they do it is so phenomenal, that I don't even care how sophomoric the humor is. This show is awesome and I hope they do more seasons. I will most likely finish the first season by the end of the weekend, and I know that when I'm done I will want to watch more. "American Vandal" is awesome.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He would never spray paint a penis on anyone's car. Now if the car was really dirty, he may draw a penis with his finger in the muck covering the automobile.

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Josh McDaniels is a Punk Ass Coward

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ty

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

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Ty Watches "May it Last: A Portrait of the Avett Brothers"

Yesterday I watched "May It Last: A Portrait of the Avett Brothers". This was a very good documentary. Now, it needs to be said, if you are not an Avett Brothers fan, this movie may not be for you. Luckily for me, I love the Avett Bros. I own all their music. I've paid to see them multiple times in concert. I enjoy their entire catalog. I love how they have turned the folk/bluegrass/alternative/country genre on its head. They are a band that cannot be put into one genre. They expand them all. They are an awesome band.

The main premise of "May It Last" focused on their time recording their last record, "True Sadness". But, it was about so much more. That is what I loved about this movie. It takes us to personal and deep places that I had no idea about with this band that I adore. I have always had enormous respect for this band because of their exceptional writing. I just figured that they were deep dudes that had a great talent. To hear the stories that they tell when writing specific songs, it was amazing. It was touching. It was, at times, heartbreaking. Just thinking back at the movie, hearing Seth Avett talk about writing "Divorce Separation Blues", it almost made me cry. To hear him and his brother talk about all the things they went through sounded very, very rough. I loved how open and honest Scott Avett, the older brother, was about the divorce. He talked about telling his brother to just get over it, and that he has broken up with girls before. But when Seth told him all that he was going through, he completely flipped the script. That was astonishing to see brothers be so open about a very horrible situation.

Another song writing and recording scene that will always stick with me is when they do "No Hard Feelings". Man, that was brutal and beautiful at the same time. To hear Seth Avett sing his heart out, and then watch him be so drained was spectacular. To see Scott just kind of paralyzed afterward, phenomenal. Then, to watch them talk about what they were going through while writing and recording, it was a beautiful piece of film making. Judd Apatow did a great, great job directing that scene, and this whole movie for that matter.

Some other things I really enjoyed about this movie was the closeness that, not only the brothers, but the band has with each other. Their bass player, Bob Crawford, is a great human being. Hearing his story of meeting the brothers and joining the band was awesome. The fact that they just had him play with them in a parking lot was so cool. Then, to hear all the stuff he has gone through with his daughter, she was diagnosed with a brain tumor at the age of 2, she is okay now, made me cry. To hear all of the members talk about their feelings while going through this just further hammered home their closeness and how much they like playing music and just generally being with each other. Hearing Joe Kwon's story, their cellist, was awesome. Again, he was a guy they called based on a recommendation from a buddy, he joins the band, then does all this other stuff just so he can continue to play music with them was great. He literally does a ton of stuff for the band. He is their chef, computer guy, friend and cellist. Kwon is a cool dude, and he brings an added element to a band that already is hard to box in.

I absolutely loved hearing about the brothers as kids. Being a little brother myself, it was easy to relate. I have 3 older brothers where Seth Avett just has Scott. But, the stories are the same. As brothers you dislike one another as kids, then the older brother becomes the protector, then when you are adults, it is all respect. Again, it was so easy for me to understand and relate to. The fact that they have remained this close and played in a band together for so long is so cool. They have a crazy amount of respect for each other, and that is great. To see them as a young hard rock band was pretty cool. I had no idea that they did that, but it makes sense when you hear some of their early stuff. I'm glad they changed to acoustic guitars and banjos, but again, it was neat to see their path. The stuff with Rick Rubin was great. He is, without a doubt, the greatest producer that has ever lived. All the things he has done in music, the people he has worked with and the gold he has made with those people and bands is truly amazing. He is a genius and I will argue anyone that disagrees with me on this point. Rick Rubin is a legend. Seeing their families, their kids, their wives and girlfriends, it was all wonderful and so great to see them be so open with everything. They literally let HBO and Apatow film whatever they wanted. And never once did I think that they came off as pretentious or off putting.

The Avett Brothers seem to be down to earth, cool dudes that just happen to be wonderful musicians. I cannot recommend this movie enough, especially for Avett Bros fans. "May It Last" is well worth your time.

"May it Last: A Portrait of the Avett Brothers" is currently available on HBO Go and HBO Now

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Ty tried to start a band with his brothers. He wanted to play blues, the head editor wanted to play thrash metal, the other two brothers were advocating for jam band type music. The band never took off.

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Some Quick Thoughts about the Entire Super Bowl 52 Experience

The Eagles won Super Bowl 52.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Twitter was awesome after the game.

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

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

Ty

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

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

I Will not Fall for this XFL Garbage Again

Just leave the XFL in the trash, where it belongs

To finish up my week of sports stories I missed out on one week ago, today I'm going to talk about the announcement of the return of the XFL in 2020.

I could not care less about this. This is one of the dumbest things to happen in sports, and only dumbass people are excited by this news. Seriously, do you guys remember how stupid and pointless and terrible the football was in the XFL? I was one of those idiots way back in the 2000's that was excited by this idea of football returning to its glory days of rough and tough. I was fully on board with the idea of no fair catches, fighting for the ball for the opening kickoff, the picked names by players on the back of the jerseys, I bought into all that nonsense.

I was a high school student back then. I was a teenager who played football. I don't know, maybe my brain was messed up from high school football, and basketball and baseball, and that was why I thought the XFL was a good idea. You know what else I thought was cool in the early 2000's? JNCO jeans, chain wallets, pagers, sweatpants and frosted tips. You guys remember all that cool shit that is still relevant today? Didn't think so. The same can be said for the XFL.

Hell, I was so excited for the premiere of the XFL, I had my girlfriend at the time come with me to a friend's house so she could watch the first game with us. And, I wasn't the only football player that dragged his girlfriend there. There were 5 of us that wanted to watch, and all of our girlfriends were there. I'm so sorry to any of you ladies if you are reading this now. We all acted like morons. We were hooting and hollering and almost foaming at the mouth for the XFL. When they finished with their pregame stuff, and the opening race and fight for the ball to see who started the game with it was about to begin, we all shut our mouths and were glued to the screen. It was going to be great, or so we thought.

Then, it happened.

The race began and the scrum for the ball happened and one of the guys, I don't remember who, probably He Hate Me, got  the ball and his team started with it. It was kind of a dud to watch. We figured, okay one bad thing, but the game will be so much more violent and fast paced and the hits will be so brutal that it will be worth it.

Wrong again.

The football was bad. There was a reason that these guys were in the XFL and not the NFL or even the CFL. They were bad at football. They just so happened to be in shape I guess, but they were bad. They couldn't execute simple run or pass plays. When they tried to run slants or deep routes it was an exercise in futility for both the offense and the defense. Running the ball should have been easy, but they made it hard. These dudes couldn't find a hole that was as big as a mack truck. It was pathetic.

The game got so bad we tried to find something, anything, that was good and this was when we turned to the names on the back of the jerseys. This was an enormous letdown. As I stated before, the only guy I remember is He Hate Me, and I remember it for how dumb I thought it was. I'm sure the rest were even dumber.

The whole thing was a mess. My friends and I, and our girlfriends, couldn't even finish watching the first game. We dipped out before halftime. I think most of the other people that tuned in to watch that night did the same thing too. I instantly forgot about this league until the 1 Million Dollar Game, their Super Bowl. I saw it advertised on TV and thought, the XFL is still a thing? I was dumbfounded. Also, 1 million dollars? That is a drop in the bucket for real pro athletes.

So, when it was announced last week that the XFL would be returning I thought, why? Who wants this? Were people actually clamoring for this to come back? What guys would go play in this league? How will it last longer than one season again? I had these, and many, many more questions that I don't think will ever be answered.

Also, when that alleged sexual assaulter Vince McMahon announced the league and said the rules that the players would have to abide by, I wanted to smash his stupid face through my TV. Screw him. He is a punk and a coward. He is trying to force players to stand for the anthem people. That is an atrocity and it goes against free speech. He claims that the players will have to be good upstanding Americans. What does that even mean anymore? This is going to be a disaster, just like the first time around.

It is such a joke already that guys like Jared Lorenzan, shouts out to him to for trying to get his life together, are reaching out to try and get a roster spot. How long until Robert Griffin and Johnny Manziel are knocking down the XFL's door? Hopefully for them, sooner rather than later.

I loathe this idea. I loathe the whole thought process and development of the XFL. I loathe the people involved. I feel sorry for the guys that will legitimately try and make a team as a last ditch effort to get to the NFL or CFL. This is gruesome on every single level. This is all coming from a guy that watches the G League too. But, I know that the basketball in the G League isn't good, but it is better than anything the XFL will put out there, and at least some G League guys get NBA deals, shouts out to former Michigan player Trey Burke. I cannot name one player from the XFL that went on to even be signed by a NFL team.

Screw the XFL and everyone involved. And if you are excited for this, please, I implore you, look in the mirror and ask yourself if you really want to watch something so painful that it will make you angry that you wasted any amount of time on it. I hope that it fades away quietly, just like it did the first time around. What a horrendous idea it was to bring this league back. It is a big, big joke.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. How could Ty forget the excitement of watching Tommy Maddox lead his LA Xtreme squad over the upstarts with the San Francisco Demons in the Million Dollar Game. The Head Editor forgot and needed a little help from Wikipedia to get the details right.

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A Few Thoughts on the NBA All Star Draft

I finally have come to a conclusion of the NBA All Star "draft" from last week.

First off, I am one of the very few people that have enjoyed the lack of defense played in the NBA All Star game in recent years. I love the scoring. I love the dunking. I love the highlights. I am all for it. I want both teams to score 200 plus points. I think that would be amazing. I know people that are opposed to the way the game has been played lately, but I am on the total opposite end. It is an exhibition. It is supposed to be a show for the fans. They don't have to go 100 percent. I don't want these star players to get hurt because they went too hard in the All Star game. This is a fun game that needs to be filled with scoring, scoring and then a little more scoring.

With that being said, I do like this "draft" that they did. I think this is a neat idea. It is a lot like playground basketball. I love getting rid of the conference affiliation, because, lets be honest, the West would have crushed the East this year. I'm also fully on board with the winning team players getting 100k towards the charity of their choice. I think all of these ideas were well thought out. I do wish they would have televised LeBron and Steph picking the teams. I wanted to know who went first overall, and who went last. I wanted to see Steph and LeBron's faces while figuring out who they were going to pick after the other guy picked. I wished they could have picked anyone too. I was not a fan of the whole pick the starters that were voted on first, then pick the reserves. It should have just been an all out "draft" if that is what they were going for.

When looking at the teams now, I do think it is kind of clear who was the first overall pick. LeBron had the number one choice due to the fact that he was the highest vote getter, and I think it is pretty clear that he picked Kevin Durant first. He was the clear cut number one overall player. I have heard some people slander LeBron for doing this, but I think it is borderline genius for many reasons. First off, he breaks up the Warriors two best players. Splitting up KD and Steph was the absolute right choice. Also, I'm not sure what the jerseys will say, but if they say "Team LeBron" and "Team Steph", I think it is so hilarious that KD has to wear a jersey with LeBron's name on it. It is almost as if he is saying, I'm still the best player in the league, look at the name on your jersey, and don't forget it. That is also why I love his pick of Kyrie Irving as well. He is rubbing salt in the wound. Kyrie wanted out of LeBron's shadow, and rightfully so, but now, if he has to wear a jersey with "Team LeBron" on it, hilarious. So while some are trashing LeBron for taking a Warrior and picking Kyrie, I think it was, not only a smart, but also a move to prove to these guys who still owns the league.

The rest of LeBron's team is solid. He had Boogie, but he is out now, unfortunately. He also has Anthony Davis, LaMarcus Aldridge, Bradley Beal, Kevin Love, Victor Oladipo, Kristaps Porzingis, John Wall and Russell Westbrook. We have the obvious Boogie injury and John Wall and Kevin Love are out now, but the rest of his team is great. The starters are LeBron, KD, Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving. I don't know who is fifth starter will be, it was supposed to be Boogie, so lets just say that it will now be LaMarcus Aldridge. That is a solid starting 5. LeBron is the best player in the world. KD is a top notch scorer who has suddenly started to defend. Anthony Davis is just a nightmare everywhere on the floor for opponents. Kyrie is a wizard with the ball. Oh, he can score too and LMA is just a solid NBA player and guy. The bench is good too. Beal is a lethal shooter, Porzingis is a unicorn, Oladipo is having his best year in the league and Russ is a bulldog who wants to win, no matter the stakes. LeBron had a very good draft.

Steph's team is good, but not as good as LeBron's, in my opinion. Steph has, himself, Giannis Antentekoumpo, DeMar DeRozan, Joel Embiid and James Harden as his starters. His bench has Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green, Al Horford, Damian Lillard, Kyle Lowry, Klay Thompson and Karl-Anthony Towns. Just comparing the names of the two teams, Team LeBron wins by a mile. Steph does have great scoring in the backcourt in his starting five with himself and Harden. Harden is on fire right now, he is the front runner for MVP and I think he will be out to prove something. Steph is Steph. He can score from anywhere on the floor. The problem, they don't play any defense whatsoever. If defense will be attempted, they will get roasted. DeRozan can shoot threes and fill it up, but again, no defense. Also, will he get the shots he needs to get in rhythm playing with Steph and Harden? Probably not. Joel Embiid is a great young player with a ton of potential, but he is not an All Star starter yet. People need to chill on the Embiid stuff. I love him as much as any young guy in the NBA right now, but he is still not fully healthy, and he may only be allowed to play 10 minutes in the All Star game. The wild card on Team Steph, Giannis. That dude is amazing. He is the best young player in the league, and the best unicorn by a mile. He is just a specimen and he could absolutely explode in this All Star game. He is Team Steph's version of Russell Westbrook. He will go hard and take this game seriously. Steph's bench is pretty ho hum. I love Jimmy Butler, and he has been incredible this season, but he isn't 100 percent. I'd be shocked if he plays double figure minutes. Draymond Green will not care about this game, and he shouldn't. He is too important to the Warriors quest to win back to back titles and the All Star game will be a weekend of rest for him. Is there a more boring All Star than Al Horford? I know he is a great team guy and a very good passer, but come on. He had to have been the last pick. It was either him or Love. Lillard will go hard and score, but he is another guy that eschews defense in the regular season and the playoffs. He will not play any in the All Star game. I love Lowry and Klay Thompson. Lowry is back from injury and I feel like he will go hard. Thompson will want to prove that he can score against the best of the best, especially when he is the only Warrior on the floor. Hell, he might even want to showcase his talents for a future team he may be playing for in the city that the All Star game is in. KAT is a beast down low, can extend people outside and rebound. But, his defense comes and goes. That is the running problem with Team Steph, they don't have any real lock down defenders. If they can catch fire they could win, but they won't be able to stop pretty much anyone on Team LeBron.

When I broke it down, as I have said once already, LeBron won this draft and he won it by a mile. I hope it will be a good game, but I think it will be a slaughter. I do enjoy this new format and I hope it sticks, but I also hope I get to see one of these teams go for 200 points. I am excited for All Star weekend and the game. Lets get to it.

Ty

The Boogie Cousins Injury Sucks

Last weekend Boogie Cousins, a center/power forward for the New Orleans Pelicans, and one of my favorite players, ruptured his Achilles. He didn't just tear it, he ruptured it. This is a brutal, brutal injury for the team and Boogie.

The Pelicans were a middling Western Conference playoff team. I believe they were in the 6th or 7th spot the night he got hurt. They have 2 All Star starters on the team, Boogie being one and Anthony Davis the other. But besides those 2, the cupboard is pretty bare in New Orleans. Jrue Holiday is a very solid point guard. He is the only other player on their roster that can get buckets and create for other guys. The Pelicans are paying him way too much money, but his deal was more to keep Davis happy, and to try and get Boogie to sign this offseason. Outside these three guys, the Pelicans roster is filled with either rookies or unproven veterans. In fact, some of the guys seeing critical minutes and starting games should be in the G League. That is how brutal this roster construct is.

Coach Alvin Gentry is doing an okay job, but he may be better suited as an assistant at this point in his career. His one saving grace, and the reason the Pelicans are clinging to a playoff spot right now, is due to his version of the twin towers. When Boogie and AD played together, the Pelicans would win games, or at least make them interesting. AD had been relatively healthy this year and he is looking like the perennial all star that many pegged him to be when he came into the league. He has extended his range, he is a great rebounder, he is one of the best rim protectors in the NBA, he is one of the best rim runners in the league and he is a matchup nightmare every night.

Boogie has been out of his mind this season. He was putting up double doubles like no one's business. He has had some games of 30 plus points and 15 plus rebounds. That is amazing. He does lack effort on the defensive end, which needs to be fixed, but he has not been the headache that he was while in Sacramento. He was also rebounding at an amazing clip. He is in a contract year, and he is playing like it.

Then, the injury occurred. I was actually watching the game when it happened. When and how it happened makes this even worse. The Pelicans were on their way to a win over the Rockets. He and AD had played very well. They were up about 4 points with about 2 minutes left in the game and Boogie was going to the line to add to their lead. He made the first free throw, but then the second one happened. When he put up the shot it looked to be short, and he tried to chase down the rebound. The shot was very short, it grazed the front rim, and Boogie tore off the free throw line to try and grab it. As he took off from the line, something looked wrong. He came up lame right away. Right after he planted and took off, it looked like he was buckling under pressure from his legs. He then tried to get up and he immediately went right back down to the floor. Something was horribly, horribly wrong. His face showed it, the trainers got him off the floor ASAP, which is never a good sign, and the reports were that he was going back for an MRI right away. None of that is good news.

The early reports would only say that the news was "not good". I assumed that he tore his ACL. That is what it looked like to me. I've watched enough sports and seen enough injuries like this, I knew it was bad. But, I did not know it was worse than a torn ACL. He ruptured that shit. That is horrific. That is a tough injury to come back from. Just ask Wesley Matthews. He was tearing the league apart, ruptured his Achilles, missed a year and now he is on a terrible Mavericks team and he is an average player. Boogie is better than Wes Matthews, but still, he has a long road to recovery ahead of him. It is going to take him months before he can even get back on a court again.

Then, it will take a few more months for him to get back into playing shape. I don't doubt that he can do it, but he may not be the player that he has been his entire career up to this point. I mean, 75 percent of what he was is still an All Star, but he was a force. He was a nightmare. He was someone that teams had to openly prepare for. He is an old school bully of a center/power forward who just happens to have modern skills. His first step is amazing, and he can shoot from outside.

I think what makes this the worst for him though, he was going to get paid this offseason. He is in the final year of his contract, and he was most definitely going to get the max. Be it the Pelicans, or any other team that needed a 4 or 5, he was going to get the 5 year 200 million dollar contract for sure. Now, I don't know. He will still get paid, but maybe more teams will be hesitant to give him the years and the money. If I were a betting man I'd say he will get a 3 year deal worth much less than 200 million dollars. That stinks for him.

I hope he gets better soon, but it will be a long while before we see Boogie on the floor. I love watching Boogie Cousins, so I am very upset by this injury. This stinks and I wish star players in the major professional sports would stop getting such devastating injuries. This is just a real bummer. Get better soon Boogie, the NBA needs you.

Ty

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

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There is No Upside for Anyone with the Blake Griffin Trade

Blake Griffin is no longer a Clipper. He was traded to the Pistons in what some are calling a "blockbuster" deal. I don't view it that way. As you all know well by now, I think the Clippers and Blake Griffin are extremely overrated. They have never really accomplished anything noteworthy. They never got out of the second round of the playoffs. They never struck fear in any other NBA team. No matter how bad the Lakers were/are, the Clippers were always the second best team in LA. The dunk contest Blake Griffin won was stupid. He punched out employees of the team. He focused more on his "acting" and "stand up comedy" career. He always got hurt. He was one of the main guys to push Chris Paul out of town. He consistently complains to refs. These are all the things that I will remember about Blake Griffin as a Clipper.

In actuality, he had one great season as a Clipper. He was only once a top 5 player in the league. And that year, the Clippers blew a 3-1 lead to the Rockets in the playoffs. Other than that, he would be featured on ESPN due to some highlight dunks or because he got injured again. I don't think he ever truly bought in to being the face of the Clippers franchise. And yesterday, they ended that possibility for good.

Before I fully get into this trade, I don't think either team got better or worse. In fact, I think they will both finish right about where I picked them both in the preseason. The full trade, and I'm sure I'll miss out on some of the involved players, I will just highlight who I consider important, has the Clippers sending Blake Griffin, Brice Johnson and some dude I never heard of to the Pistons for Tobias Harris, Avery Bradley, Boban and a first and second round pick. At first glance you may see this and think that the Pistons got the better part of the deal. After all, they did get the "superstar". Again, I have never thought he was any kind of star. But, is he really the best player in this trade. Sure, he has had highlight reel dunks, extended his range and is a decent passer, but is he a better defender than Avery Bradley? No way. Is he a better scorer than Tobias Harris? Yes, but he needs the ball in his hands at all times. Harris can spread the floor and find open spots and hit rhythm jumpers. He doesn't need to hold the ball for the entirety of the shot clock before hoisting up a jumper.

The main thing with Griffin though, how long can he stay healthy? I know that Stan Van Gundy is taking a big, big leap, but what does he care? If this trade doesn't work and the Pistons miss the playoffs, he will be fired, but he can go straight to TV and make nearly as much as he does coaching and being the GM. This is a last ditch effort for him to save his job. I loved the combo of big guys in New Orleans(more on Boogie Cousins tomorrow), but this doesn't feel the same. Andre Drummond, while a great rim protector and rebounder, is nowhere near as athletic as Davis or Boogie. Also, Griffin has already played next to almost the exact same guy in LA, DeAndre Jordan, and that was not a success. I also feel like this will stifle Drummond's growth. He has been great this year, but now he will have to be second fiddle to Griffin. That is a bummer.

Also, the rest of the Pistons roster leaves a lot to be desired. Reggie Jackson is average at best, Luke Kennard is an inconsistent rookie, Henry Ellenson stinks, Ish Smith cannot do much anymore and Stanley Johnson hasn't figured it out yet. They just don't have good NBA players.

After reading that, you probably think that I think the Clippers won the trade then, right? Nope. Yes they shed a horrendous contract and opened up cap space, but that is about it. Avery Bradley is not engaged this season. He needs to be on a team with playoff ambitions, and neither the Pistons nor the Clippers will make the playoffs, in my opinion. Tobias Harris is good, and I think he will become a number one or two option on this team, especially if they get rid of Lou Williams and DeAndre Jordan, but would you want Tobias Harris to be your first or second option? Will he lead you to a title? How about the conference finals, or even the playoffs? It didn't happen in Orlando or Detroit, and I don't see that changing now. Boban is more known for his enormous hands than his playing ability. That is all that needs to be said about him. The rest of their roster is just as ho hum as the Pistons, especially if they get rid of Jordan and Williams. That means that guys like Montrez Harrell, Austin Rivers, Juwan Evans and Sam Dekker will be playing crunch time. Ouch. That is brutal. So no, the Clippers didn't win this trade either.

This trade is more substance than circumstance. It looks big on paper, but on the floor, I don't think it matters. I do find it hilarious that the Clippers traded him to Detroit though. That is ruthless, mean, but also hilarious. As I said at the top, he claims to want to be a stand up comedian and an actor. He could do that stuff in LA. Where is he going to do that in Detroit? I heard a story today that said  the people close to him say that he is very sad and frustrated right now. Well, the NBA is a business, so grow the hell up. People said the same thing to Isaish Thomas when the Celtics traded him for Kyrie Irving, and he was way more important to them than Blake Griffin ever was to the Clippers. Stop whining and go play for your new team.

Another thing that has made me laugh about all this is the sudden 180 from guys like Bill Simons and the whole Ringer staff. A year ago they were all saying that Griffin was one of the best young players in the NBA. They said he should be an MVP candidate. They claimed he would thrive without Chris Paul. They said he would win in spite of Doc Rivers. They loved him next to DeAndre Jordan. Today, on all their NBA podcasts, they were all singing a different tune. Now he is too often injured, he doesn't care enough, he needs a change of scenery, he was never going to lead the Clippers to the conference finals, he was too much of a headache to the franchise. They completely flipped on him. The Ringer is becoming a lot like the company they are trying to compete with, ESPN. They are front runners and they will drop you the moment you aren't relevant, or don't live and play in a big market anymore. It is hilarious and stupid all at the same time.

Bottom line, I don't think any team won this trade, I find it hilarious that Griffin is sulking like a baby when he makes millions upon millions of dollars playing a game, I think it is totally contradictory the way Bill Simmons and his yes men and women are treating him now. It is all just ridiculous. I guess my conclusion, or final thought to this trade is, who cares? No one got any better or any worse. Some mediocre guys were traded for other mediocre guys and neither the Pistons nor the Clippers will matter anyway, just like they haven't mattered in over a decade.

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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All the Monsters at Michigan State Need to Go

We have a suggestion of where these monsters should go

A lot of stuff happened late last week and this past weekend in the sports world that I didn't have time to write about last week. This week that all changes. I will be touching on a number of sports related subjects like, the NBA All Star draft, Boogie Cousin's injury, college basketball at the midway point and the dumbass return of the XFL. But, today I have to start with the sports story that was everywhere and was rather damning. Of course I am talking about the Larry Nassar case, and what came out about the Michigan State football and basketball programs in the "Outside the Lines" story.

First off, Larry Nassar is a horrific human being and he deserves all the horrible things that will happen to him in prison. He is a despicable and disgusting human being and what he did is terrifying and awful. I thought it was perfect when the judge told him that she was "signing his death sentence", and then proceeded to drop the pen as if it were a microphone. That was amazing. Also, Aly Raisman is a hero. I try not to use the word hero when talking sports, but what she did in coming forward and being the face of bringing this monster to justice, that makes her a hero. She is so awesome and she is going to do great, great things with the rest of her life. She is someone that I want both my son and daughter to look up to. I want them to know that they can speak up when they feel they are being treated wrong or bad in anyway, just like Raisman did. She is a wonderful person and I wish her nothing but the best.

While doing this Nassar case, and then "OTL" getting involved, more very bad stuff came to light about MSU sports programs and the people involved. First of all, after Nassar was sentenced, the president of the university "retired". I more think she got fired, but they said "retired". Then, only mere days later, the Athletic Director resigned. I was a little stunned by this. I figured something was going to happen with the AD, possibly a suspension or payment being docked, but he resigned. This was a brutal blow to begin with. When an AD resigns it is usually a sign of bad things to come. It usually means that they were involved with some kind of wrong doing. Then, a few hours, I say again, hours, not days or months, hours, a report came out that the AD resigned due to undisclosed and not followed up on sexual assault cases brought to him from the basketball and football programs. Apparently he was having multiple documents redacted to protect players that were essential to the program's success.

Spartans basketball has always been a top 20 team. Ever since Magic was there, and especially when Tom Izzo came aboard. They have been, not only a premiere Big Ten program, but a national program. Under Izzo they have been to 7 Final Fours, and they won the title in 2000. They currently sit at, I believe, number 6 in the country right now. They are one of the many favorites for the title this year. Then the "OTL" report came out. During one of their runs in the early 2000's a female student accused two of their key players, Adrien Payne and Keith Appling, of rape. She went into detail during the "OTL" airing, and it sounded horrifying. And when she went to report them, she was told, in not so many words, that she was going up against a giant, and she would not win. You may ask, what was the punishment for these players? Nothing. They missed 0 games and Payne is currently in the G League. Appling is in jail for a different charge, gun charge I believe, but he denied the report vehemently from his cell. When the female student that accused them was asked how they were disciplined, she said she heard that the program, Izzo included, handled it within. That means these guys probably had to do some running, and maybe got yelled at for a bit. A third player, that we know of, who was a captain on the team in the early 2000's, and then became a coaches assistant after his playing days were over, was accused of gang rape twice. When he was accused, and the police were working the case, was he suspended or fired? Nope. He was allowed to stay on the staff, with no limitations. Again, he has denied all the allegations, but it is beginning to pile up.

When it gets to be 6, 7 and 8 women accusing people of the same thing, that is a pattern. That usually means that what they are being accused of is true. It becomes systemic when more and more women feel like they need to come forward. and everyone who hid this, and didn't make the people accused of these horrific crimes suffer any consequences, that is a problem, and that includes the once Teflon Tom Izzo. He is complicit. He has allowed this to happen under his watch. He did nothing to the accused players because they were too important to his team and to him winning and to him being talked about as one of the great college coaches of all time.

When all this stuff came out and he gave his first press conference, I was disgusted. He tried to seem confused and troubled by the allegations, but he came off as sleazy and almost cocky. He would preface every question about the allegations by saying, "I will not talk about that any further", followed by, "I'm going to get my team ready", then finally, "we will help the survivors". So, he covered his own ass, then talked about his team, then brought up the students that were accusing his former players of rape. My wife watched some of his press conference with me, and all she could say was, "what a creep" over and over again. He said he has no intention of "retiring", but time will tell. We have to wait and see what the Michigan Police Department comes up with, now that they are involved.

"OTL" also brought up the football program during their story. Since their coach, Mark Dantonio, took over in 2007, 16 of his players have been accused of either rape, assault or sexual assault, all against female students. 16 players. In 11 seasons. That is alarming and appalling. Hell, not even Miami in its heyday of the early 90's had 16 players accused of what the MSU football players have been accused of. It was also reported that Dantonio knew of these allegations, and either swept it under the rug, or handled it internally, much like Izzo. He did kick a few players off the team 2 years ago, while MSU was 3-9, but none of those guys were important to the team. MSU football has gotten much, much better since he took over, but to what limits does he value winning over the safety of other students? MSU basketball, according to "OTL", had at least 3 players named. MSU football, 16. That is a big, big time problem. Of course in his press conference after the "OTL:' report, Dantonio called it all "completely false". Again, if it is 1 person, maybe. But 16 that we know of, the accusations are all true. 16 people would not make up a story about being raped or sexually assaulted. That would never, ever happen. Dantonio, much like Izzo, came off as sleazy and cocky and said he would refuse to "retire". Just like with Izzo, he may not have a choice after the MPD does their investigation.

To make matters even worse, Mark Emmert, president of the NCAA, knew about all of this stuff as early as 2010 and chose to help the cover up. That is horrendous. He should have already been fired. He is a horrible person and if the NCAA had any kind of backbone, they would have released him of his duties already. This whole story is a very disturbing trend happening in college athletics now. Coaches at major universities, that achieve some form of success, are now going to great lengths to cover up sexual assault allegations to keep important players on the field or court. The fact that this MSU story has led all the way to the president of the NCAA being involved in the cover up is alarming. The NCAA is already corrupt, but now, it is criminal. This is very, very bad.

The only way the NCAA can save face, and right now that may be impossible, is to hammer down MSU, especially their basketball program. They had a chance with the whole Penn State thing a few years back, and what they did to them was akin to a slap on the wrist. They need to come down hard on MSU athletics. I mean, Michigan basketball was crushed for paying players during the Fab Five era, and they have just recently become relevant again. USC was hammered because they gave Reggie Bush's mom a car and a house. SMU football got the death penalty for paying players and they still haven't recovered. The NCAA needs to come down very, very hard on MSU. Izzo has got to go. Same with Dantonio. This is a very disturbing problem, and the men at the top of their 2 best sports programs are involved with all the torrid details.

Don't take this as a lifelong Wolverine fan bashing MSU. That is not the case at all. What has been alleged to have happened at MSU is horrible and tragic and sad and scary. Do the right thing NCAA and fire Mark Emmert, then hammer down MSU athletics. Players and coaches that sexually abuse and assault and cover up the problem do not deserve to be at the university. This is a problem.

Ty

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

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It is Time to Rename Margaret Court Arena

Margaret Smith Court, for those of you who don’t know, is an Australian former tennis player who holds the current record for major singles titles (24, one ahead of Serena Williams).  Although many of these titles occurred prior to the open era, it’s still a very impressive achievement, one that certainly might merit getting a stadium name.  In 2003 the 3rd largest show court at the Australian Open was named for her, after lobbying from, among others, Billie Jean King. That should have been the end of a nice story. 

Unfortunately, Mrs. Court (as I’m sure she’d prefer to be called) is also a hateful, homophobic, trans-basher who is extremely vocal about her views.  Here is a partial list of her idiocies:

Boycotting Qantas for being too gay friendly.

Calling transgender people the work of the devil

Complaining that tennis is full of lesbians, and suggesting that lesbians were trying to convert younger players

Claiming the “gay lobby” is trying to convert children through an Australian anti-bullying program.  Choice quote:  “Everybody knows it’s wrong, but they’re after our young ones.”

Attacking Aussie tennis player Casey Dellacqua after she and her partner welcomed another child.

Advocating conversion therapy through her Pentecostal ministry

No one is denying Court’s right to her opinion and her religious beliefs.  No one is suggesting she should be censored.  But that doesn’t mean we have to celebrate her either.  One of my bucket list items is to attend the Australian Open one day, and I would have a queasy feeling going into Margaret Court Arena.  I can’t imagine being a gay player and having to perform at my peak there.  Sounds pretty unwelcoming.

There are those who say that after 24 majors, one’s legacy should be “safe.”  Should it?  We didn’t consider Joe Paterno’s legacy safe once Jerry Sandusky’s abuse came to light.  Pete Rose’s standing in the public eye has been rightfully tarnished by his behavior, and I say this from my perch in Cincinnati.  What are we going to name after Tiger Woods?  Likewise, many athletes’ legacies reach beyond their results (Roberto Clemente and Muhammad Ali come to mind).

These people are still humans, and when we’re deciding, as a public, which athletes to admire, it has to be about more than stats and championships.  I don’t think that’s a controversial statement.  Even in tennis, the USTA’s National Tennis Center in New York is named for Billie Jean King.  Its premier stadium is named for Arthur Ashe.  If the idea were just to honor the most successful retired American players, they would be named for Chris Evert and Pete Sampras.  But the USTA recognized that King and Ashe have legacies that resonate beyond sports. 

So, here’s a suggestion to Tennis Australia, the Australian Open’s governing body:  rename the arena for Evonne Goolagong.  Goolagong was a major Aussie talent in her own right, with a 7 majors in singles and 7 in doubles.  In addition, Goolagong is from an Aboriginal family and weathered discrimination both in her childhood and her career.  (In a truly vomit-worthy move, in 1972, the South African government named her an “honorary white” so that she could play there.)  After retirement, she continues to work for opportunities for Aboriginal children. 

I can’t imagine anyone feeling uncomfortable or unwelcome at Evonne Goolagong Arena.  Your move, Tennis Australia.

Tina S

Tina is a sometime contributor to SeedSing and occasional guest on the X Millennial Man Podcast. 

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It has Been a Great Six Years for Ty and his Son

Six years ago on this day my life changed forever. My wife gave birth to our son, and my life got instantly better. Today, he turns 6, and I am in shock that 6 years of his life have already come. I mean, so much has changed since he was born.

When my son was born, I was way in over my head. I had no idea what I was doing, like most first time parents. I had never, ever been that tired before. I also, besides my wife, never have loved someone with the entirety of my heart and soul. Miles completed our family at the time. He was the easiest baby that I have ever been around. Now, to that point, the only babies I was around were my nieces and my nephew. They were also easy kids, but Miles was easier. He rarely cried, unless he didn't have a bottle. He was on the smaller end when he was born, 7 pounds 6 ounces, but from the day we brought him home to now, that boy loves his food. Besides the food, he was pretty easy in every other aspect of his infancy. He slept through the night at 3 months. He crawled early. He walked before he was one. The only real scare we had was his minor surgery, and that went off without a hitch. It was so clean and well done, we got home that night, and that was when he took his first steps. From there on out, he remains a great kid, and super easy to take care of.

When he was still a baby I was still a 40 hour a week worker. I went to my job everyday while my wife was on maternity leave. This was very tough for me. I wanted to be around my baby everyday. Then, after 12 weeks, my wife went back to work, and we were both a mess. I had to take him to daycare everyday, and it was tough everyday. We had talked about me staying home with Miles before he was born, and at the time he was in daycare, the talks became longer, more frequent and more realistic. When my wife and I sat down and did our books, I was making no money. Everything I made went to daycare, diapers and formula. It just didn't make sense. That night my wife said I should quit to stay home with him and the very next day I put in my two weeks. While I loved the job I had, it was mainly the people I worked with that made me want to go to work everyday, this was the best decision I have ever made in my life. I found my calling. I started to stay home with Miles a little bit before he was 1 and a half.

This was when things truly started to change. I started to wake up with my son everyday and do everything with him. We ate breakfast and lunch together everyday. We worked on talking, walking, running, everything together. I was able to see milestones first hand. I was there for all of his firsts. It is truly amazing to watch your child grow. I will always have that. Then, we started to venture out and do things outdoors more often. We'd go to the zoo, the Science Center, the Magic House, the library and every free thing we could find in Saint Louis. It was awesome, but it also could be lonely at times. Talking to a 1 and a half year old all day can get frustrating.

It was through another dad I knew that I found out about a group of at home dads that get together once a week. I checked it out on Facebook and immediately became a member. Through this group not only was I able to teach my son to socialize with kids his age, but I was also able to talk to dads that were living the exact same life as me. This group was my saving grace. I now have great friends from this group. It is an amazing thing to be a part of.

As Miles kept having birthdays more and more things changed. When he was 2 he started to speak full sentences, and he hasn't stopped since then. Two years old was also when he became interested in sports, trains and super heroes. It was a fun, exhausting and all a blur. Then he turned 3. He was finally able to start playing tee ball and this meant more socializing and a chance for me to coach him. We loved the program he played in, and as you all know now, I am an employee of the wonderful i9 sports.

This was also the same age that my wife and I decided that we wanted Miles to have a brother or sister. He was on board with this idea too, but I don't think he truly cared either way, that is until he found out it was going to be a sister. He said he wanted a brother, but we explained that we had no choice. A sister it was going to be. I'll never forget when the nurse doing the ultrasound said it was a girl and Miles said, "but I wanted a brother", and we all laughed. Miles eventually laughed too. He has always been a funny little dude.

Before his sister was born Miles started preschool at 4, and another milestone was hit. This was hard for me. I had been home with him for 2 plus years, and now for 3 hours a day, he was going to be gone. I needed something to do with that time before my daughter was born. This was right around the time I took up hiking and running. All the hiking and running led to me doing 5k's, 10k's, mini triathlons and even a half marathon. I also lost a big amount of weight(100 pounds to be exact, and I have kept it right around 60-65 total off). Being home with my son literally changed my life. I became, not fit, but in better shape because of him.

When he was in preschool, his sister was born. He was hesitant at first, but what 3, almost 4 year old wouldn't be. Someone new was honing in on his territory. But, after a rough start, he became a great help. He started to become more self reliant. He was still an excellent sleeper. He started to want to help with everything, except changing diapers. He was, and still is, a great big brother. He protects his sister, but he also plays with her. He truly loves her, and it shows.

At age 4, Miles, along with tee ball, started to play football and basketball through i9. He struggles with football, and I get it, that is a hard sport to learn. But, he is starting to love basketball, but I feel like he has loved it from the start. This makes me very happy on a personal level. I played sports with my dad, now my son is playing them with me. It is awesome.

It didn't just stop at sports for Miles. He loves school. He still loved super heroes. He started to love "Star Wars". He was still into trains. He became a dinosaur nut. He started to want to read more and more books. And, most importantly for me, he was potty trained. All this stuff happened between 3 and 4 years old. It is crazy how much growth happens in such a short span of time. He was also in his second year of preschool, and my wife was on maternity leave with our daughter, and we were both home with her. Those 3 months were amazing, and everyday that Miles got home from preschool, we all got to have lunch together. It was amazing.

My wife then went back to work, and it was me, Miles and our daughter. Again, Miles rocked the house. He was not only killing it at preschool, but again, he was a tremendous help at home. He would hang with his sister so I could shower or make a meal or just get a little break.

Then 5 came, and my baby boy was headed to school. No more preschool for him, he was a full fledged school kid. He goes full day kindergarten, and he is doing an amazing job. He loves it. He is in a gifted program there. He does Read, Write, Run, which is a great program. His teacher loves him. He has a ton of new friends. His transition to full time school has been remarkable. He has also become obsessed with Power Rangers and Legos during his fifth year. He has also gotten pretty good at basketball. He knows karate without taking a class. He plays video games with us. He is a real kid now. He is not a toddler anymore. It is so surreal.

Now that Miles is 6, I am just amazed at how much he has grown, and how the time has flown by, and everything that has changed since he came into our lives. I mean, I became a stay at home dad, my wife continues to climb the company ladder, I got a coaching/instructing/marketing job, we had a second child, we got a dog, we moved into a new house and are now looking for a newer house, I lost over 100 pounds and have kept 60 plus of it off, I have made new lifelong friends, Miles interests have only expanded, my daughter is now walking and talking and about to get potty trained, my parents have retired, I started writing for a website, I'm a podcaster, I got back to regularly playing pickup basketball, Miles continues to grow and learn new things everyday, he asks more and more questions, there are countless number of things that have changed in the past 6 years. It has been awesome, and it is all due to the arrival of Miles.

So, for his sixth birthday I wanted to give you all a little trip down memory lane for myself, but I also wanted to highlight the greatness that is my son. Miles, you rule and I love you so very, very much. You made my life so much better and I am grateful every single day that you are here. I love you buddy and I hope your 6th birthday is amazing. Happy birthday big guy, have a great day!

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. The Head Editor also wants to wish a very happy birthday to our sometime podcast co-host Miles. Have a great day buddy.

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A Brief Thought On ESPN and Tennys Sandgren

I don’t want to talk about alt-right mediocrity Tennys Sandgren.  I’m hoping his 15 minutes are over and within the year he’ll be back to anonymity on the challenger circuit and I won’t see him again.  Unfortunately, I certainly WILL see Chris Fowler again, and his defense of Sandgren (toward the end of his loss to Chung) was truly revolting.  If Fowler defends Sandgren because ESPN is desperate for another American star, well… I’ll just say if Sandgren is just breaking the top 100 at age TWENTY-SIX, then it’s unlikely he’ll ever set the world on fire.  If Chris Fowler is actually sympathetic to Sandgren’s views, he can get the hell off my TV right now. And for that matter, Patrick McEnroe, your mush mouthed objections are lame.  Do better.  ESPN can bite me.

Tina S

Tina is a sometime contributor to SeedSing and occasional guest on the X Millennial Man Podcast. 

We made a twitter for Tina, go follow her @TinaSeedsing.

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Run the Jewels is the Best Band in World Right Now

The older I get the more I enjoy hip hop. I do not know why, I just do. It is always good to dance, workout, run and play basketball to. When hip hop is buzzing in my ear, it just makes me want to move. I also enjoy listening to it in my car because I can vibe out when I go on long or short trips. Hip hop, at least good hip hop, is the best music out there.

The short preamble leads me to my point of my piece today. I was cleaning my home yesterday and listening to Run the Jewels on my Amazon Alexa. It made the cleaning go by so much faster. It seemed easier. I wasn't as stressed as normal. I was grooving to the music as I cleaned. And when I finished cleaning, I just let the music keep going. As I sat there and listened to more and more RTJ I came upon a realization that I thought was impossible. But, I can now say with a clear conscious that RTJ has supplanted The Black Keys as my favorite band. Now, this isn't to say that I don't like The Black Keys anymore. It is the opposite. I still love and adore their music. I will always listen to them. I will always be excited when new Black Keys music comes out. I'm hopeful that they will put out a new record this year. I like Auerbach's solo stuff, but he is so much better as one half of The Black Keys. So yes, I still love their music. They are just my second favorite band now. There are just so many special things about Run the Jewels.

First off, El-P is the best producer in hip hop, no ifs ands or buts about it. He makes the best beats. He is far and away better than anyone else doing it right now. I'm sure younger people will bash me with their favorites, and old hip hop heads will throw out people they think are better, but El-P is a genius. Hell, even Killer Mike says in a song of RTJ's that, "a producer gave me a beat, said it is the beat of the year, I said El-P didn't produce it, so get the fuck outta here". That is poetry, and the truth. He is a genius. Oh, and by the way, he happens to be an incredible rapper. He is amazing. He is smooth and his flow is stupendous. His lyrics are amazing. He is the perfect sidekick to Killer Mike.

And Killer Mike, my god is that dude a beast. He is fast climbing my list as favorite rappers. Biggie is still one, Jay Z two and Kendrick Lamar three, but Killer Mike is at fourth, right behind Lamar, and he may surpass him soon. He is so awesome. He is so fierce and fast and spits some of the best verses ever written in rap music. He is also a political leader. While not a politician, I believe and follow pretty much every word he says when it comes to politics. When he goes off on trolls on Twitter it is a thing of beauty. He is amazing.

Put these two geniuses together and it is bliss. Every single RTJ song is perfect hip hop. It is the right blend of both of their talents. They know how to bounce off one another perfectly. They compliment each other the exact right way. They have fun while performing their songs. They work together better than any other hip hop duo that I have ever listened to. It was clear how much they like each other, and like working with each other when I saw them live last year. It is amazing to see two guys in the music industry that legitimately enjoy one another's company. They are wonderful.

Then their records. RTJ 1, 2 and 3 are the best hip hop records that I have ever listened to. RTJ 1 was like a bolt of lighting. It comes hard and it comes fast. It is like they each took one big breath and just busted out 10 phenomenal rap songs. RTJ 2 was when they started to get more political and attack corrupt politicians and it was awesome. The song with Zack de la Rocha on that record is, maybe, the best hip hop song ever. Then, as RTJ would say, on Christmas morning at midnight, like a "Christmas fucking miracle", they released RTJ 3. I cannot stop listening to this record to this day. I will listen to it all the way through at least once a week. It is a great blend of their first 2 records. Lately I have been blasting "Message to the Shareholders/Kill Your Masters" a ton. This is the perfect song, and RTJ 3 is the perfect protest record right now.

While I used to feel this same way about all Black Keys music, it just isn't the same anymore. As I said, I still love, and look forward to, new and old Black Keys stuff. But, I crave new RTJ music. It is an addiction for me now. Hell, even my daughter, who is 2, knows how much her father loves RTJ. She asked me the other day, "daddy, are we listening to RTJ?", and I couldn't have been happier. She has never said that about The Black Keys, and she has heard them just as much. My son is the same, although I try not to listen to them as much with him in the car because he is just about to turn 6 and I don't need him to get in trouble for quoting RTJ in school, even though that would be amazing. But, the rare times he does hear them he likes it. He told me he likes the beats. He also told me that, outside of the kids music we listen to, RTJ is his favorite. I still love The Black Keys, but Run the Jewels is now my favorite band.

It doesn't matter what genre, what people, what era, RTJ is the best of the best for me. Maybe this will change, when I was a teenager no one was better than Bob Marley until I heard The Black Keys, but I doubt it. I'm at an age now where when I put my hooks into something I stick with it. Run the Jewels is the best band making music and I will not hear otherwise. If you doubt this statement, go listen to them, preferably "Message to the Shareholders/Kill Your Masters", and let your mind be blown away by their awesomeness. RTJ rules.

P.S., sorry for the curse words mom and dad.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. When Ty was 10 years old, he made a detailed flow chart on how Puff Daddy passed up MC Hammer as the greatest rapper ever. The innocence of youth.

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Do Yourself a Favor and Listen to Some RL Burnside

Earlier today, while driving in my car, I decided that I wanted to hear some grimy, gritty and dirty blues music. I had just recently listened to some old Black Keys, so they weren't an option. Same with Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. I thought about Led Zeppelin, but I wasn't in the mood for 14 minute long blues jams. I then dug deep into my iPod and I found some RL Burnside. It had been a long while since I listened to him, so I decided that was what I going to go with for the day.

Boy was that the perfect choice for the music I was craving. RL Burnside does the gritty stuff great. He does the grimy stuff even better. But when you want dirty, muddy and greasy blues music, there is no better option. RL was ahead of his time even though he was in his late 60's and early 70's before he even recorded an album. 

The record I chose was "A Ass Pocket of Whiskey", and it was better than anything that Jon Spencer, The White Stripes and, and dare I even say it, early Black Keys have ever done. His voice is so perfect for this style of music. He has that old man growl that I adore when it comes to the blues. It is stupendous. You can feel his pain when he sings, but you can also tell that he is having a blast recording. When he is singing, you can tell he feels that he is doing what he is supposed to be doing. It is like he was put on Earth to sing grimy blues music. His version of the classic blues tune "Stop Breaking Down" is the best of any cover of that song. Bands like The White Stripes, Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears and The Black Keys have all covered this. They don't come close to Burnside's version. The growl and the groans are wonderful. The pain is awesome. The smoothness that his voice brings to this song is perfection. I love it so very much. This goes for all his songs, originals or covers. He knew exactly what he was doing when he was in the studio. One thing that will haunt me is the fact that I never got to see him live. I bet his shows were a blast. I bet he had so much fun on stage and I bet it showed. Man I wish I could have seen him live.

But, it isn't just himself that rules. His band, and his guitar was some of the best gritty and muddy blues ever recorded. The way he used reverb and distortion on every song, stupendous. When I play the blues I like to use the same stuff, but I am not 1/10 the player he was. And it wasn't like he was playing intricate or super hard music. He was playing standard 12 bar blues on his guitar, but the way he used the 2 main effects that he chose, it was masterful. I can see why he was such a big influence on Dan Auerbach. He uses reverb and distortion, especially in the early days, almost as good as Burnside used to. His backing band was great too. The drummer was awesome. I'm not a big fan of drums when it comes to the blues. When you use it like RL's backing band did, it works. To keep the beat for the band, but also use fills, make it sound just as dirty and to have fun with the drums, it was great. The bassist used reverb and distortion just like RL, and, again, it was perfectly simpatico. The way the bass bounced off the guitar was kismet. Again, I love it. Even the backing vocals were perfection. The guys that yell sing with RL, it just works so god damn well. On the song "Snake Drive", when the backup singer yells the words at the end, I don't want it to stop. They have another song where the backup singer is just straight up talking to RL and it is awesome. He is just asking RL random questions, RL answers him in his gruff voice, and it is oddly perfect.

RL lived a fast and hard life and it comes across in his music. He has a famous quote that sums up his music perfectly. When he was younger he spent some time in jail for shooting a guy. He was asked in court why he killed that man, and he said, "I didn't kill that man, the bullet from the gun I shot did". I know, that is crazy. But, when you listen to his music, it weirdly makes sense. Also, he shot and killed a guy, was released from jail and became a folk hero in the blues music scene. How crazy is that?!

RL Burnside died over a decade ago, but his music still lives on. If you like the grimy stuff, the gritty, the muddy and the dirty blues, filled with reverb and distortion, go listen to anything that RL Burnside recorded. He was an awesome blues musician, and I will forever listen to his music any time I want to get down and dirty with the blues. I suggest you do the same.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is only 1/10th the blues player that RL Burnside was, but Ty is 6/7 of acoustic guitar player of the random weirdo strumming at your local coffee shop.

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