Aldi is Awesome

Good food is wherever you find it

As a kid, my mom did all the grocery shopping for the house. Now that I am the at home parent, I do all the shopping. When I first started to do all the grocery shopping, we had one kid, and it was pretty easy for me to go to our local store, Schnucks, and get pretty much everything we needed at a decent price. Then, we had our daughter, and I started to realize that buying everything at Schnucks was becoming a little too expensive. It just became too much. I then remembered that when I would go grocery shopping with my mom when I was young, she would go to a place called Aldi.

Going to AIdi meant we were "poor". That is what I always thought. I was a dumb kid, and the fact that I wasn't getting brand name cereals, chips or even Pop Tarts, made me think that we just didn't have the money that other families did. Well, I was dead, dead wrong. Now that I do all the grocery shopping, I have become in love with Aldi.

I started to think about going there after our daughter was born, because as I said, groceries were getting to be way too much. So, I decided that I would try out Aldi for everything that we needed, except for protein and veggies. I figured that I could get the off brand cereal, off brand Pop Tarts, off brand chips, all the stuff that I could throw into the pantry and it would last. It was great. On just buying all the non proteins and veggies, we were saving a ton of money, and honestly, we couldn't really tell the difference in taste.

For example, I bought some off brand cool ranch Doritos at Aldi, I think it was Burmann's brand or something like that, and my wife and I ate them, and we couldn't find any real difference. Now, you people need to know that we both love cool ranch Doritos. So, the fact that we found something so similar for almost 1.50 cheaper, it was a game changer. The same thing goes for the cereal and their off brand Pop Tart. Their Cinnamon Toast Crunch, called Cinnamon Crunch, is delicious. My kids love their Marshmallows and Stars, many of you may know that as Lucky Charms. Their Cocoa Rice, or coca Crispies, turn the milk from the cereal into chocolate milk all the same. Their off brand Pop Tarts taste exactly the same as regular Pop Tarts. I literally cannot tell the difference between Pop Tart brand Brown Sugar Cinnamon and Millville brand Brown Sugar Cinnamon. They both taste exactly the same. Same thing goes for Millville's s'mores, blueberry or strawberry. They all taste the same, and they are much, much more cost effective. 

Then, as an almost dare, I, along with my wife, decided we should try the meat and veggies. The veggies were really no problem because we go through veggies in a week. I will say, if you do plan on buying veggies at an Aldi, make sure you eat them within a week or two, or else they may not last. But, as I said, we plow through our veggies. We have one every night with our dinner, and Aldi brand asparagus, canned green beans, canned corn, brussel sprouts, it is all good. Even their fruit is delicious too. My son loves their apples. They sell bags of limes, which we go through fairly quickly weekly, are very good. We love their bananas. It is all good. After going through the veggies, we decided it was time to try proteins there. We were saving so much, and going to Schnucks just to get meat, became tedious. We also talked to a good group of our friends who shop at Aldi, and they all said the meat was fine. So, we decided to try it, and we have not looked back. I get all the protein there. I can buy a 2 pound skirt steak at Aldi for 9 bucks. Two plus pounds of chicken breast is only 3.50. Getting ground beef at Aldi is wonderful. It cooks up real nice, and it is mad cheap. I got three pounds of it this past Monday for only 9 dollars. That is wild.

So now, I pretty much do all of the grocery shopping at Aldi. The only reason I go to a Schnucks or Whole Foods or any other local store is to get the random things I cannot get at Aldi. I am so proud of myself if I am able to get everything I need at Aldi. If I can get it all done in one shot, that is a good day. I need to say, Aldi does not sponsor SeedSing, and this is not meant to be a commercial for them (ed note: yet). I just wanted to give my love to my new favorite grocery store. Also, sorry mom for saying and thinking that we were "poor" when I was kid because you shopped at Aldi. You rule, and so does Aldi. Thank you for showing me the way.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is also a big fan of Aldi because that means Ty always a quarter nearby. It is either in his pocket, or in the little pay slot on the shopping cart.

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Do Not Worry, the Spurs Will Make the Playoffs this Year

I listen to a lot of sports podcasts, as I have mentioned many times before, and NBA podcasts are my favorite. The NBA is probably my second favorite sport, to college football, but the podcasts for the NBA are so much better than any other sports podcasts out there in my humble opinion. So, in my many listens to multiple NBA podcasts, one recurring theme keeps popping up that is baffling, and kind of hilarious to me. The majority of the hosts seem to think that the San Antonio Spurs will not make the playoffs this year, but a team like the Clippers or Jazz will take their place.

Now, I fully realize that at the time of writing this, the Spurs are technically out of the playoffs, if they started today. Well, the playoffs don't start today. In fact, we have about 2-3 weeks before the playoffs begin, if not more time. And, I have watched more than enough NBA, and the San Antonio Spurs, to know that they will find some way to make the playoffs, even if it is as an 8 seed.

First off, the Spurs have been without their best player pretty much all year, and they are still in the hunt. If you watch any NBA, or even ESPN for that matter, the fact that Kawhi Leonard has only played 9 games all year is a definite factor as to why this current team is struggling to stay in the hunt. Well, he should be back in action as early as next week. The moment he steps on the floor, if he is at least 70 percent, his presence will easily put them team right back into the hunt. He is such a transcendent talent on both ends, he will ail what hurts them right now.

I know of all the talk, talk of him wanting out of San Antonio, him waiting until he is fully healthy, some rift between him and management and Jordan brand, all that stuff is out there, but I think it is all nonsense. Leonard is just a quiet dude. I get that. I do not like being the face of anything. I'm happy to just blend into a crowd. I'm happy to do the stuff no one wants to do on a basketball court. I'm happy to kind of just stay in my little bubble of the people that I care about. I'm sure that Kawhi Leonard is the same, he just happens to be an exceptional basketball player, a world champ and a NBA Finals MVP. That has got to be hard for him to just kind of want to stay in his lane with social media and major sports networks proclaiming him to be the next big thing. So while some of those stories may be true and some may be false, I just think the fact that he is a soft spoken dude that never changes his facial expression has made some in the media, I'm looking at you ESPN and The Ringer Network, to make these claims about him. When he comes back, and the Spurs start to look like the Spurs again, they will all be singing a different tune.

Another thing, LaMarcus Aldridge is having a much better season this season, he was dreadful last year, but he too is down with an ankle injury. He will be back soon, but not having Kawhi, and now LMA, that is a problem. When you don't have your 2 best players, unless you are the Warriors, it is going to be hard to find win streaks. That is just the truth.  

I have also heard all the things about the rest of their roster too, that it is either too old or unproven. Give me a break. Guys like Tony Parker and Manu Ginobli will find that extra gear at the right moment. They always have, so why doubt them now. I really like Dejonte Murray too. I remember when Tony Parker came up and people said he was going too fast and needed to slow down. Well, Murray is doing that right now, but, shouts out to Shea Serrano for pointing this out, he looks like he is the next Tony Parker for this team. He will be the point guard the moment that Parker decides he cannot play anymore. I also like guys like Kyle Anderson and Pau Gasol for this team. Anderson is the type of role player that the Spurs covet, and Gasol, he, much like Parker and Ginobli, can turn that switch when it is needed.

The thing I always go back to when talking about the Spurs, and hearing the whole, "is this it" narrative, they still have the greatest NBA coach of all time on their sideline. Greg Poppovich is a genius when it comes to basketball, and he will always find a way to get his team in the playoffs, and give their opponents headaches. Poppovich has been doing this at such a high level for such a long time, I am never, ever going to write any team he coaches off. Ever. He is that good and he has earned that reputation.

So no, I do not see the Spurs missing the playoffs this year. I think they will grab either the 6, 7 or 8 seed with relative ease when Leonard returns. Also, for those people saying they are out of the playoffs right now, yeah, buy like one game, so ease the hell up. This team has earned the right to not be given up on at any time. They will make the playoffs, and hell, they might even win a round or two. I know the Rockets and Mike D'Antoni sure as hell don't want to see them in round one.

Ty

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

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Kirk Cousins and the Minnesota Vikings Make No Sense

NFL free agency kicked off with a bang today when the Vikings gave QB Kirk Cousins a 3 year, 84 million dollar contract, that is fully guaranteed.

You read that right.

I have to say, I was very stunned when I read this news. I do not believe, and this is not my Michigan Wolverines biased coming into play, that he is worth even half that money to be a starting QB in the NFL. What makes it even more shocking to me is that ALL of it is guaranteed. This means that he will get every single dime, no matter what may happen while he is in a Vikings uniform. He could get hurt in his first game, miss two plus seasons and still get all 84 million. He could demand a trade after a year and he still gets all 84 million. He could decide that he wants to retire after one season and he still gets all 84 million. The Vikings could decide to cut him if they don't go far enough in the playoffs and he still gets all 84 millions dollars. This is a truly unprecedented deal, the likes of which we have never seen. Props to whoever Cousins agent is, because they just made history.

This Kirk Cousin's contract is also going to set a very weird, and possibly franchise crippling direction for any "franchise" QB now. No other QB has a deal like this, but some that will be free agents soon will start to get fully guaranteed contracts. I know for a fact that Aaron Rodgers wasn't going to sign anything with Green Bay until the Cousins stuff got done. Now, he is going to want more than him, and he will want it all guaranteed. And what are the Packers going to do? Would they say no and go with Deshon Kizer or some late round rookie? No way. They are going to give him what he wants because he is a much, much, much better QB than Kirk Cousins. What will the Panthers do when Cam Newton's contract is up? Are they going to let him walk and pay a lesser QB? No way. He is going to get paid, and then some. How about teams like the Eagles and Rams that have Carson Wentz and Jared Goff on rookie contracts. What are they going to do when those deals are up? These kids will expect to get Kirk Cousins money, and I think that the Eagles and Rams will have to pony up to stay relevant. And Russell Wilson, what with the teardown going on in Seattle right now, the Seahawks will have to give him whatever he wants and they better damn well make sure it is fully guaranteed.

This deal is just so bizarre on so many levels to me. I mean, the Vikings made it all the way to the NFC title game last year with Case freaking Keenum. This is a team built on defense. Sure, people will remember that "Minnesota Miracle" against the Saints more than anything else. But, this current Vikings team won because they had one of the best defenses in all of football. They straight up shut teams down, wore them down and pulled away late. I don't think adding Kirk Cousins is the "missing piece" that this team needs. Hell, even though all three are free agents, they still had Keenum, Sam Bradford and Teddy Bridgewater. If they had stuck with any three of those guys I still think they would have been a contender. Again, I don't see Cousins pushing the needle for them in any sort of direction.

Quite honestly, I do not understand the love that has surrounded Kirk Cousins since he took over for Robert Griffin III a few years back. He has never won a playoff game. In fact, he has only been to the playoffs once, and my Packers crushed him and Washington in Washington. He seems to put up big numbers at the start of the year, but peter out when it gets to crunch time. He is way too hot headed and way too cocky for a guy that has not done anything of importance in the NFL. To me, he is a starting level QB, but I honestly believe that he is right in line, right now, with guys like Eli Manning, Joe Flacco and Ryan Tannehill. He is just good enough for people to talk about him for a few months, then when it comes to stretch run time, he chokes. I do not think that Kirk Cousins is a QB that can lead a team to, and win, a Super Bowl. I have never seen that in him as a QB. And again, he is a fine player, but how soon until diehard Vikings fans, RD I'm talking to you, are regretting this team making this decision. They are now stuck with him for three years, no matter what. They have put all their eggs into the Kirk Cousins basket. There is no going back now. He will expect to be the team leader, and that could screw up the locker room there. As I have stated many times, this team wins with defense and running the ball. They didn't need to go out and spend so much useless money on a mid tier, at best, QB.

I'm still scratching me head with this deal and with the media saying this now makes the Vikings instant Super Bowl contenders. Prove me wrong Kirk Cousins. But, up to this point in your career you have done absolutely nothing to warrant this type of deal from any team anywhere.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. To answer Ty's question, I was regretting the signing a week ago when it is being rumored. 

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The SeedSing 2018 Men's College Basketball Tournament Preview

The field of 68 was released for the NCAA men's basketball tournament yesterday. There were some surprises, snubs and proper seeding, as always. The top 4 seeds, I feel like, they got right. Virginia, Villanova, Xavier and Kansas are all deserving. But, there were some weird snubs, and teams I felt like should have been in the tournament, just like everyone else.

As far as teams that don't belong, how on Earth are Oklahoma and Syracuse at large bids? That is insane to me. I mean, Oklahoma is in because of Trae Young. But, watching them recently, they are horrid. They have, I believe, lost 11 of their last 13, and finished the year with either 18 or 19 wins. I'm one of those people that feel, unless you win your conference tournament, that you need at least 20 wins to be an at large team. Oklahoma isn't close, and they have stunk, as I said. Trae Young will bring viewers, but a team from the same conference that was more deserving was Oklahoma State. They had 20 plus wins, they beat KU twice to Oklahoma's one win, and they are just a better overall team. Oklahoma is only there because of Young. Syracuse is an absolute horrific pick to me. They are just bad. They have not looked like a competent team all year.

Dare I say, the game looks to have passed by Jim Boeheim. While I have always liked Syracuse, there is no way they belong in the NIT, let alone the NCAA tournament. I will never, ever understand this choice. It is appalling from a basketball standpoint. I'm still in a little bit of shock that they are actually in the tournament. A few teams that I thought should have made it, I've already mentioned Oklahoma State. I also feel like Penn State and Nebraska has a little bit of a beef to be in this tournament. Penn State beat the University of Ohio State three times this year and finished at .500 in conference and had 20 plus wins. Nebraska was well over 20 wins and finished fourth overall in the Big Ten during the regular season. By their standards, they had an excellent year.

The biggest snub to me was Saint Mary's. This is a team that, I think, only lost 4 games all year. They were well over 20 wins, I think close to 30 wins. Sure, they play in a crummy conference, with Gonzaga being the only threat, but come on. They have a great record, they were ranked almost all year, and because they had one bad game in the WCC tournament, they get left out. That is so dumb to me.

Okay, got that off my chest.

For my preview today I will pick each region's winner, who they will face to make the Final Four and the championship game and the winner. Lets get to it. Lets look at the South Region first. Virginia is the number one seed here, as well as the overall number one seed. I feel like they have a fairly "easy" path to the Final Four, but they are Virginia, and they tend to choke. If they win their first game they will have a very tough time with the 8-9 winner, be it Creighton or Kansas State. But, if they get through that game the winner of Kentucky-Arizona, if they meet up, will be tough, but Virginia can beat both of them. The team I like from the South to really push Virginia is Cincinnati. They play just as tough defense, and I think they match up well. But, in the long run, I like Virginia, if they get passed the 8-9 winner, to make it to the Final Four from the South.

Next we will look at the West. Xavier is the one seed in the West. I know I picked them to go to the title game in my 3/4 season redo, but sorry to RD, I think they are the "softest" of the one seeds. They really struggle to win, but they did win enough to be a number one seed. But, the West has teams like Gonzaga, Michigan, Houston and UNC. I feel like all four of those teams could fairly easily beat Xavier. Gonzaga is on fire right now. Michigan looked like one of the best teams in the country a week ago when they won the Big Ten tournament. Houston can score, unless they play Cincy and UNC is the defending champs and just came off a throttling of Duke before getting bested by Virginia. I feel like Gonzaga will meet Michigan in the Elite Eight, and Gonzaga will find a way to score on Michigan's stout defense just enough to return to the Final Four. I love how Michigan was playing a week ago, but I think the week off will eventually be their undoing.

I feel like the East is a very tough, very solid region. Villanova is the one seed here, but I feel like they are going down in round 2 against either Alabama or Virginia Tech, personally I think it will be Alabama because Collin Sexton rules. With Villanova gone that opens the door for teams like Wichita State, Texas Tech and Purdue. Wichita State is not as good as they used to be, but they can get hot come the start of the tournament. Texas Tech has been pretty solid all year, but they have struggled as of late. The very same thing can be said about Purdue, the team I picked to win it all in my 3/4 season redo. And, even though they have struggled a little bit as of late, I like Purdue ending Alabama's Cinderella run in the Elite Eight and move on to the Final Four. Lukas Haas is too big to stop and Carsen Edwards and Vince Edwards are just begging to bust out of their slumps. I think that will happen in the tournament.

Finally we have the Midwest. KU is the one seed, but I feel the same about them as I do Xavier. They will probably make the Sweet Sixteen, but they will go no further. I'm done believing in KU come March. The Final Four representative from the Midwest will be whoever wins the Michigan State-Duke game, when that inevitably happens. I despise both teams, but I feel like Duke will find a way, ahem, ahem, the refs and free throws, to win that game. I think they will face Auburn in the Elite Eight, but they will be firing on all cylinders after beating MSU. Duke unfortunately takes the Midwest region. 

My Final Four is Virginia, Gonzaga, Purdue and Duke. Honestly, I don't really like any of these teams, except for maybe Gonzaga. They will have to face Virginia, and I think Virginia will beat them pretty handily. They will be able to shut them down and they look like a team of destiny right now. In the Duke-Purdue game, I just think Duke is way more talented. Purdue has length and experience, which I love, but Duke has athletes everywhere, and I don't think Purdue will be able to keep up. As much as I want a Big Ten team in the title, I just don't see it happening. That means we will have an all ACC final. I like Virginia to win. They have already shown that they can shut down Duke when they beat them earlier this year in Durham. Virginia plays stout defense, and they will confuse all of Duke's freshman, and I guarantee that Grayson Allen will pull some kind of bull shit trip or flagrant foul that will have the entire nation talking the next day.

So, I have Virginia winning the 2018 tournament. I'm very excited for the games to start. Lets get to it.

Ty

Ed Note: Duke will lose to Michigan State, and the path will then be clear for Kansas or Michigan State to go to the Final Four. Despite their coach, and history in the tournament, Kansas will take the Midwest with only one tough game.

The East could have a big Cinderella run, the top seeds are not scary. I could see West Virginia or Florida having a magical run, but I am going the easy route and have Villanova beating Purdue and winning the East bracket.

I agree on the West, Xavier is a questionable 1 seed. The Muskateers have not shown up in the biggest games (i.e. Villanova twice). Missouri is an unknown in this tournament, Gonzaga is rolling, North Carolina is the defending champ, and Michigan is hot and rested. In a wide open west bracket, Ty's Michigan Wolverines will win.

There are only three worthwhile teams in the East bracket. I could make a case for Virginia, Cincinnati, or Kentucky (you can never count them out). I am going with some home town pride and taking the Cincinnati Bearcats as the winners int he east. Maybe people in this town will shut up about Bob Huggins since Mick Cronin will now have a final four appearance.

The terrible game guaranteed from Kansas in the tournament will come in the final four against Villanova. The Wildcats will meet Cincinnati, after the Bearcats and the Wolverines have an epic game that could go either way. The 2018 Men's College Basketball championship will go to my hometown Cincinnati Bearcats, and the Queen City will finally have a champion to be proud of. 

Before you take my word, remember that I picked the Bengals in the Super Bowl two years ago. You have been warned.

RD

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I am Going to Miss Toys R Us

So long Jeffery

I’ve read a few headlines today that all seem to say that Toys R Us will be closing all their doors, at least in the US, for good. I’m not exactly sure when, but it seems imminent.

This is a real bummer for me. I have loved Toys R Us since I was a child. Now, my children have grown to love the store. I know my wife loves the place. My parents have bought so many things from there, I can’t imagine how much money they could have saved. I’m terrified to tell my 6 year old because I fear he will freak out. Sure, he can still get Legos, video games and Imaginext toys at other stores, Target, but Toys R Us was always a fun adventure for him and I. His face lights up every time we go there. So this is going to devastate him.

But, as I said, it kind of hurts me too. I can remember getting a lot of my early sports equipment from there. I’d get gloves, wiffle ball bats and balls, footballs, basketballs, all kinds of early sports stuff for cheap at Toys R Us. This was all before I got very serious about sports too. It was more cost effective and it let me try a plethora of things. But, the very few actual toys I had as a child, again, sports equipment were toys for me, I got at Toys R Us. I used to play with GI Joe figures. All of those were purchased there. The Starting Lineup sports figurines I owned, another Toys R Us purchase. Some older Simpsons toys I had I got there. Hell, even as I got older and started to play video games, I would get a good majority of them at Toys R Us. PlayStation games were always cheaper there. So were Nintendo 64 and Sega Genesis games. It was the spot to save a few dollars when I needed too. And even when they started to sell movies I would opt for Toys R Us over other retail stores, especially when it came to Disney movies. They always seemed like the first stores to get movies when they “came out of the Disney vault”. I know for a fact that I had VHS copies of “Aladdin” and “The Lion King” that I got from Toys R Us. Even DVD’s became a staple for me to purchase at Toys R Us. When I went through watching all the “Star Wars” movies recently, the only spot I could find the prequels at a reasonable price was Toys R Us. I never should have bought them, but spending 15 bucks for “The Phantom Menace” at Toys R Us, compared to the 30 plus dollars at a Best Buy or online, was the much better option.

I’m going to miss all this from this store. Hell, I liked Toys R Us so much that my friends and I would go hang there in middle school because they had open rims that we would play intense games of one on one basketball in, until we got kicked out. I remember having full on tournaments, and sometimes, even dunk contests. Same thing can be said for games of wiffle ball. We’d find an open isle and pitch and hit against one another. It was perfect. I’m really going to miss this place. It has given me, and now my son, so much joy.

This is the day and age we live in now. People would rather shop online than go physically buy stuff. I’m very guilty of that myself. I just wished I had patronized Toys R Us a little more. Maybe it would still be around. Well, RIP to probably the greatest toy store, outside of FAO Schwartz, that has ever existed. You were a true gem and a big, big part of my childhood. You will be missed.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He may be a millennial, but Ty still prefers to shop for his toys in person and not online. His philosophy even extends to his grocery shopping.

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Where Should LeBron Play Basketball Next Year?

I was supposed to see Vince Staples last night, but I hurt my back doing some house work and had to sell my tickets, So, unfortunately I do not have a review of his show. Next time he comes through, I will be sure to check him out. But, I do have a basketball story I want to talk about today.

Earlier today, LeBron James listed the 4 teams he would consider in free agency. Now, this is nowhere near the circus that was "The Decision". I'm pretty sure he remembers how bad that was, but there are some quality teams on his list. He has his current team, the Cavs, and the other 3 were the Lakers, Rockets and 76ers. I want to give a few reasons as to why I think his fit with all four of these teams would be good and bad.

Lets start with the Lakers first. The reasons to join the Lakers are fairly simple. One is the history. They, along with the Celtics, are the most storied franchises in all of NBA history. This would be a nice spot to finish up his career. Everyone, even if you don't like the players or coaches they have had, remembers Lakers. I despise them, but guys like Magic, Worthy, Kobe and Shaq, just to name a few, I remember them all as great Lakers. Another good reason, the keys to the team will be given to him, no questions asked. He will run everything on the court. Magic and the front office will do anything that he asks of them as well. The down sides, one, this team is very young. I personally think they should eschew adding LeBron, and stick with the youth movement. As much as I don't like him, Lonzo Ball looks like he will be a quality NBA point guard. Kyle Kuzma is in a mini slump, but the dude can score. Brandon Ingram is becoming the all around talent people assumed he could be. I'd like to see them stick with these guys. If LeBron comes in, I feel like he would stunt their growth for a year or two. The Lakers are also in the West, and they aren't the Rockets, Warriors or Spurs. They are very far off from being in that upper echelon of the conference, and I don't know if LeBron should spend the rest of his career fighting to be a 6 seed every season. If I were LeBron, unless they have a verbal agreement from either Kawhi Leonard or Paul George to come play there next year, or both, I would not choose the Lakers. They are too young and they don't have enough shooters to put around him right now.

Lets look at the other Western Conference team on his list, the Rockets. This would form a super duper three if he comes through. LeBron, Harden and Paul would be a great, great trio to have. Paul and LeBron already have a great friendship, and I'm pretty sure Harden would buy in, if all he cares about is titles. He also brings instant playoff credibility. Paul and Harden are known chokers. LeBron though, he gets to the Finals every year. He would make people stop talking about Harden and Paul in the playoffs, and that would benefit them greatly. And Clint Capela would immediately be the best pure center LeBron will have ever played with. I know he and Shaq were on the same Cavs team for a minute, but Shaq was toast. The downsides of joining the Rockets are many. This would only further fuel Golden State's fire to beat them. This would mean they would try every night, and that is a scary thing to think about. They would space the hell out of them, and Harden would get toasted. Also, there is only one ball. Now, Paul and Harden have made it work, but adding LeBron would be a serious wrinkle. He needs the ball in his hands at crucial moments. So do Paul and Harden. They are both used to having the ball whenever they are on the court. The Rockets do have shooters, but how many would they have to give up to clear room for LeBron? Ryan Anderson would be cut. I'm pretty sure they'd have to move Eric Gordon. I don't think Trevor Ariza would stay unless he took a massive pay cut. That is 3 of their better three point shooters. If LeBron joined the Rockets it would also crush their bench. They would have to peel dudes off the scrap heap. While I love the idea of Harden, Paul and James play together, add Capela to that list, I think if he chose the Rockets it would cripple that team far too much. I still think the Warriors would be better too.

Now for the East. Lets look at the 76ers. Personally, this is the team I want him to join. I don't think he will, but I would love it. To see him team up with Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons would be amazing. I still have faith, albeit very little, in Markelle Fultz too. I do think he can turn it around, and I think having a teammate like LeBron would do wonders for him. LeBron would instantly put the 76ers back on the map. They have been a laughingstock, until this season, for about 5 years. With LeBron though, they are instantly relevant, big time, again. They would be instant title contenders. I think it would greatly benefit Simmons. I think Embiid would love playing with him. Imagine the great passes he could throw to Embiid in the high post. It would be beautiful. But, I look at the 76ers like the Lakers in this scenario. They are fun now because of the talent they drafted, sat out, and groomed from within. Simmons and Embiid are also the future of this team, and possibly, the league. I think a year or two of LeBron might stunt that. They would have to get rid of guys like Dario Saric and Robert Covington to sign LeBron. That would stink for those guys. They have earned the right to be a part of this turnaround. They have a solid team in place already, and if I were a 76ers fan, I would grit my teeth and have to pass on signing him. LeBron is one of the greatest to ever play, but the 76ers have great young talent that could/probably be the future of the East. I like their core too much to shake it up by adding LeBron.

Finally, his current team, the Cavs. Look, he has carte blanche there. He can literally do whatever he wants. They will sign, trade or draft anyone he wants them to. They will let him personally pick whoever he wants to have the title of "coach". He will constantly be in title contention. He has played his entire career in the East, so he knows the landscape. He is a hometown kid who has brought a title back to Cleveland. Every sign points to why he should stay. Hell, they unloaded half the roster just to appease him for 1/4 of this season. That franchise has bent over backwards for him, as they should. Now, I know he hates Dan Gilbert, and rightfully so. Dan Gilbert is a dip shit blowhard that has done nothing but undermine LeBron any chance he gets. But, he does give in to him in the long run. I know that LeBron doesn't really like Kevin Love, but when he is healthy, they have found a way to coexist. The team got much younger after the trade deadline too. I like Rodney Hood, especially playing with LeBron. Larry Nance Jr is a much, much better version of guys that LeBron has played with before like Anderson Varejo or Zydrunas Ilgauskas. George Hill is a competent point guard that knows his limitations. They have super high draft pick, and this incoming draft is stacked. Everything points to why he should stay in Cleveland. Just end your career where you started. You are a legend, and a homegrown legend at that. I also think Cleveland is the best fit by a mile.

So, if I had any say, I'd tell him to stay in Cleveland. They give him the best chance to play for a title every year that he has left, and that front office will do whatever he says. The Cavs are his destiny, at least to me.

Ty

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

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The Stupid Seattle Seahawks are Doing Some Stupid Things

I’ve made it very clear how I feel about the Seattle Seahawks on this website and the podcast. I despise them. I think they are sore losers and sore winners. I think they feel like they are above the rules in the NFL. I think they’re extremely overrated. I hate when people give themselves nickname, and they called their secondary, “The Legion of Boom”. They gave themselves that stupid nickname. I think their fans, while loyal and lifelong, are super annoying when the team is successful. And when they aren’t good, there always seems to be an excuse. I’ve grown to despise Russell Wilson, the football player. I think he’s pretty annoying as a person, but I loathe Russell Wilson, the “franchise” QB. I don’t care, at all, for Pete Carroll. He was a cheater in college and he’s a cheater in the pros. I also think his accomplishments don’t really have much to do with his coaching, more so his circumstance. I think they talk too much shit, and they haven’t earned it. I think that is more than enough reasons why I dislike this team.

But some recent stories about players on the team that have been released lately have confused the hell out of me. First off, signing Eddie Lacy last year was an enormous mistake that blew up in their face. I knew it, and so did most of the sports media. Not surprisingly, the people in Seattle have never talked about what a mess that signing turned out to be. And I know I was fully on board with the Packers signing Martellus Bennett last year, and that blew up too, but I am fully aware that was horrible in retrospect. Seahawks fans won’t cop to the fact that Eddie Lacy just isn’t that good.

More recently though, I read a story that said they were shopping Matellus’ brother, Michael Bennett. That’s kind of nuts to me. He is the heart and soul of the best part of that defense. The D line, not the secondary, is why they are a frightening defense. That is mainly due to Bennett. He is an excellent, sometimes otherworldly, defensive lineman. He wreaks havoc pretty much every snap. He needs to be specifically game planned for. He gives opposing offensive coaches nightmares. He is very, very good at what he does. He also seems to be a leader in the locker room and off the field. He is a guy that other players go to for advice. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if he mentors rookies. He has to be a captain on that team. He’s just a good all around player. He does act a little too often on emotion, but the dude is an awesome defensive football player.

So the fact he’s being shopped is bizarre. And, I don’t think this is just a rumor. I think he will be on a different team next year. I’ve heard something about the Falcons, which would be a nice fit. I’d love for the Packers to go after him. They need all the help they can get on defense. I think the Raiders would be a nice fit. But, when I really sit down and think about it, I bet he ends up on the Patriots. This seems to be the move. And he would thrive there. He’d really shore up their D line and make them respectable. It would also keep them as contenders, and I think that’s what Bennett wants for the rest of his career.

While the Bennett stuff is crazy, earlier today I read a story that said Richard Sherman is going around the complex and saying goodbye to everyone. Now this could mean many things. Hell, maybe he’s just done with his workout for today and he said goodbye, followed by see you tomorrow, but they didn’t report that. Or maybe he is just not going to live in Seattle anymore and he’s letting people know he’s looking for a new home. But, I think there is much more to this story because Sherman was heavily involved in trade talks last year. I thought he was going to be moved before last season started. He wasn’t, but he also didn’t seem happy with the team, and then he tore his ACL near the end of last season. It is a well known fact that he and Russell Wilson don’t get along, and maybe Sherman has had enough and he’s asked to be moved. They seem to have been at each other’s throats since Wilson took over as the starting QB. Wilson gets all the media love, unfairly I might add, and Sherman knows this and he is probably cooked with it. He knows that it was their defense that won the Super Bowl 5 years ago, and led them back the next season. Sherman knows that this team cannot win big without this defense. But, to the majority of the main media, all the Seahawks success has to do with Russell Wilson. That’s bull shit.

If Russell Wilson is the reason Sherman wants out, I do not blame him at all. He, much like Bennett, is a guy, if they move him, that the Seahawks will greatly miss on and off the field. He’s another team leader. He is more important to their success than Wilson is, for sure. I just don’t get what is going on in Seattle right now. If they’re hitching their wagon to Wilson and the offense, they will be the same 8, 9 win team that they looked like last year. Offense wins games, defense wins championships.

Things are going to get super messy in Seattle, and while I may get some weird joy, I actually do feel for the true Seahawks fans. Your team is about to be a forgotten squad. You still have Russell Wilson, which will keep you relevant on ESPN, but not anywhere else really. Enjoy your multiple 8-8 seasons coming up because you picked Wilson over Bennett and Sherman. Man, this is some weird stuff.

Note: While I was editing this piece, Michael Bennett was traded to the Eagles. The tear down of an elite defense has begun.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is quite sore that the Seahawks get all this love, and the Supersonics were shuffled out of town unceremoniously by a bunch of rich pricks. Seattle needs it's Sonics back.

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Ty Watches "Atlanta" Season 2 Premiere

"Atlanta" returned for its second season last Thursday. I have been hyped for this for a year and a half now. As you all know, I adore this show. It was my show of the year 2 years ago. Donald Glover is a genius. The people working with him on "Atlanta" are all geniuses as well. This show is just perfect.

I sat down Thursday night and watched in awe of how great this show continues to be. I, of course, have seen all the commercials and trailers leading up to its second season, titled "Robbin Season". I was anticipating greatness and the season 2 premiere did not disappoint.

The episode started out with 2 random guys just chit chatting about some stuff. They were younger kids, one was playing video games, and they seemed to be talking business. They then traveled to a fast food restaurant and proceeded to rob it. It was crazy. It was one of the better action sequences I have seen, be it in movies or TV. The shoot out, which was tough to watch considering what has happened in America recently, was anxiety ridden and very well shot. As the one who jumped in the restaurant and robbed the registered got into the getaway car, the restaurant worker proceeded to follow and shoot more. Then the car stops and a girl gets out of the car and starts to scream and sob because she has been shot. It was scary, heartbreaking, well shot, well acted and just perfect. And all of this happened in a span of about 3 minutes. It was an amazing start to a new season.

After all this happens we cut to see that Earn (Donald Glover) is sleeping in a storage unit. That is how far he has fallen. The storage unit owner tells him he has a few days to get out and takes some of his stuff. Earn tells him he can't do that, that he has time to leave and the manager/owner tells him, "I have seen "Storage Wars", and this isn't "Storage Wars". It was perfect. Earn then makes his way to Paper Boi's (Brian Tyree Henry) house. He is greeted by Darius (Lakeith Stanfield) who seems to not be in a very good mood. Earn asks them what's up, and Paper Boi says that he is on house arrest, so he isn't going anywhere, and Darius will not speak to him. Some clutter happens on the phone and Paper Boi asks Earn to go to his Uncle's house and help him out. Earn doesn't have a car, so he asks Darius to give him a ride. They proceed to leave and get in the car. While driving, Darius is listening to some crazy heavy metal music. Earn starts to question him about what is going on between him and Paper Boi. Darius turns the music down and tells him it isn't his business. Darius then asks about Earn's parents and he says that they are in Florida.

This leads to Darius telling us one of the best written stories I have ever heard on TV about someone called "Florida Man". This story was insane and hilarious all at once. "Florida Man" is a mythical figure that does some horrible, awful and gruesome things, all in the name of suppressing the black vote in the state of Florida. It was truly an astonishing moment for TV. It was spectacular.

We finally get to the Uncle's house and are thrown into a whole domestic situation. Now, the Uncle is played by Katt Williams, and he is/was absolutely amazing in this role. He is stripped down from his normal frantic behavior on stage, which I love, and he plays this role with soft spoken craziness. He is known around town as the "Alligator Man". They call him this because he keeps an alligator in his bathroom at his home. He is fighting with a lady that he has over from time to time, and she has locked herself in a bedroom. Earn comes over to clean all this up because Paper Boi asked him too. Darius was going to stay in the car, but he said he wanted to go in because "this house has crazy vibes right now". I love Darius on this show. Lakeith Stanfield is doing something truly wonderful with this role. Anyway, Earn and his Uncle get into it because the cops show up, and Earn is on probation so he cannot get in more trouble. They fight and yell at each other and it gets to the point where Earn tells his Uncle that he doesn't want to be like him. They both calm down, and have a conversation in another room. Earn's Uncle tells him about the music business and gives him a gold gun, telling him he needs to have it. Earn then leaves, tells the cops he couldn't get him out and starts toward Darius' car. Oh, Darius has left the house because it now has "getting put in jail vibes". Tremendous.

When Earn is walking toward the car, we get some slow motion and Earn turns to see that his Uncle has let the gator out. It was such a weird and wild and awesome scene. I loved it. The camera turns to show Earn's Uncle running away from the back door, still in his house shoes and robe.

The episode finished with Earn and Darius back at Paper Boi's house. The tension between Darius and Paper Boi is done the moment he offers him some weed. I love that about this show. A beef is squashed so easily, and that is how it usually happens in real life. Earn then shows them the gun, they all laugh at him and he then says he is leaving and walks out the door into the cold night.

This premiere episode was everything I wanted and so, so much more. I am so very excited to see where this season goes from here. "Atlanta" is, by far, the best show on TV right now and it is my favorite show. People, if you aren't watching this show, start now. I promise you will love it. "Atlanta" is a real gem and it is a show that will go down as a classic. This Thursday cannot come fast enough. I am so excited to watch.

Ty

Nothing Can Stop Lorde and Run the Jewels in an Epic Live Show

This past Friday I had the pleasure of seeing Lorde on her Melodrama tour. What made it even better was the fact that my favorite group, Run the Jewels, was the opener. The only problem, I had a terrible stomach virus all weekend, and it started that evening. But, no virus was going to keep me from going to this show. My mom was excited for it too, so again, I had no real excuse to miss it. Try as I might, I just couldn’t bring myself to miss it.

When we got to the venue, RTJ was already on stage. I could hear them crushing “Legend Has It”, and my mom and I rushed to our seats. The moment we sat down, it was like my stomach told me that I had a couple hours to enjoy this before it crushed me. My stomach ache was gone and I was immediately vibing out to RTJ. I had just seen them a year earlier in Kansas City, and while their set wasn’t much different, a bit shorter is all, they were still amazing. It was real cool to see them in a bigger venue playing to a totally different crowd. The people in attendance ranged anywhere from 12-70. So, I’m sure some people were slightly taken off guard when RTJ was rapping their songs, but soon, it seemed the entire crowd was vibing with them. They ripped through a great 45 minute set. They did all their big songs and they crushed them all. They had light conversation in between songs. They made jokes at each other’s expense. It was El-P’s birthday, so the entire crowd gave him a hearty “HAPPY BIRTHDAY!”. He seemed to enjoy that. As I said, they were amazing and I hope this tour will really help them explode. They deserve it, and more and more people need to hear RTJ. They rocked.

Then, right on schedule at 9pm, Lorde took the stage. I did not know what to expect. I have never seen a true pop show with a big time pop star. I expected many costume changes and a wild stage show. While she had a costume change, it was only one and it only took about 30 seconds. As far as the on stage show, it was tame compared to my expectations. She had about 6 dancers that were doing interpretive type dancing and a screen behind her showing video. Even the 2 big projection screens on each side of the stage were strictly showing Lorde perform. It was refreshing. But the most refreshing thing, Lorde is a hell of a performer and a wonderful singer. She was dancing on stage and owned the crowd all set long. She talked in between most songs, but it never felt unnecessary or boring. It was insightful. In fact, she might be one of the most mature 21 year olds I’ve ever heard speak. Also, she would mention how she wrote some of her songs when she was only 16. That’s amazing. When I was 16 I was too busy playing baseball and trying to get cheerleaders to go on dates. Meanwhile, Lorde is writing beautiful and touching music. And the music, my goodness is she incredibly talented. She sang all the hits, and they were all spectacular. Hearing “Team” live only made me like that song more. “400 Lux” was incredible. “The Louvre” was beautiful. “Homemade Dynamite” was outstanding. Even her cover of the wonderful Frank Ocean song “Solo” sounded glorious. Every song she sang was an absolute home run. The highlight of the show for me was when she sang “Writer in the Dark”. The stage was completely stripped down and she sat on a set piece. She told a story and then absolutely crushed the performance. Dare I say, it was moving to watch her sing that song live.

Lorde is a wunderkind. She is one of a kind. There is no other pop star like her out there right now. She is unique and different in all the right ways. I’m so glad I didn’t let some virus keep me from going to this show. She is an amazing talent, and I got to see RTJ for a second time. Saint Louis was only the second stop on their nation wide tour. So, if you get the chance, I highly recommend going to this show. It is like nothing I’ve ever seen before, in a good way. It was a wonderful evening and I’m glad I was able to share it with my mom. What an excellent live show. I still get chills thinking about it over 3 days later.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is still looking for a few hours of relief before he has to run off to the bathroom. Ty needs some industrial grade bismuth-subsalicylate.

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The Stupid NFL Combine is Asking Lamar Jackson to Do Stupid Things

The NFL combine is currently going on as we speak.

I despise the combine. It is a waste of time. It is a meat market. It doesn't really prove anything that really translates to being in a game on the field. None of the guys wear pads. They don't really do true one on one drills. They have no one covering them when route running. The QB's have no stress or pressure on them when throwing. Even that dumbass test, I can't think of the name of it right now, is pointless. I mean, Ryan Fitzpatrick has one of the highest scores ever, and while he has made a career for himself, I don't think the Wonderlic, I remembered it, has anything to do with why he has stuck around for a decade plus. Basically, the combine is a useless waste of time. It is just a spot for older gentleman to gush over young athletic guys.

As much as I try to avoid anything involved with the combine I cannot get away from the stories circulating that a bunch of NFL teams representatives that were sent there have been asking Heisman winning QB Lamar Jackson to try playing wide receiver.

This is absolutely asinine.

Like I just said, he won the Heisman 2 years ago as a QB. I don't think I ever even saw him play any wide out while he was at Louisville. He probably didn't play it much in high school either since he was recruited as a QB. So I am flabbergasted as to why these reps think they have the nerve to ask this kid that has been a QB all his life to play wide out, a position that he isn't fully familiar with. I honestly do not know what to make of this, outside of the fact that he is a hyper athletic player that is a bit slight for the position he has played his whole life. But, you look at where the NFL is heading, because of the college game, the run pass option offense is more en vogue now. Hell, the Eagles just won the Super Bowl with a backup QB running the RPO offense. Lamar Jackson excels at this type of game. He put up incredible, almost video game like numbers, in the past 2 seasons. Two years ago, his Heisman year, he had ridiculous numbers. I'm pretty sure he threw for over 4,000 yards, ran for another 1,500 and had right around 40 TD passes and another 15-20 TD runs. Then this past season, which some considered a bit of a letdown, he still went for 3,500 plus pass yards, 1,000 plus rush yards, 36 TD's passing and another 10-12 rushing. Oh yeah, he was a finalist for the Heisman in his "down year". That is some outrageous stat lines. And now these "geniuses" that run teams want him to switch to being a wide out?

Get the hell out of here.

Again, I am amazed that they have the nerve to even suggest this. I first heard Bill Polian, who is a million years old and far too removed from the game, say that he should consider the switch on ESPN. I say to Polian, shut the hell up. Why do you even think you have the right to say this? What team are you the GM for right now? How is this take any different from the bull shit that is spewed out of Skip Bayless' on the daily? Bill Polian is an old man has been. No one working in an NFL front office right now should listen to any nonsense he has to say. But, as the draft is getting closer and the combine is here, more and more reports are surfacing that other teams have asked him to try wide out.

That is ludicrous.

No one asked Deshaun Watson, the guy Jackson beat in the Heisman race 2 years ago, to switch to wide out last year at the combine. No one asked Eric Crouch if he wanted to play running back or receiver when he left Nebraska. Tommie Frazier was never asked to switch positions when he was done at Nebraska. No one wanted Tim Tebow to switch to tight end when he came in the league. No one was questioning Johnny Manziel after he left Texas A&M to play receiver. Denard Robinson only willfully switched to running back after he left Michigan because he wasn't a 1/10 the passer that Jackson is. The list could go on and on and on. If this had come up when Michael Vick was the number one overall pick, imagine the hysteria that would have followed. Even in this upcoming draft, the only QB who is being asked to think about switching positions is Jackson.

What makes a guy like Baker Mayfield a better option at QB than Jackson? He played in a RPO offense at Oklahoma. He doesn't have the strength to get the ball out of his hands like Jackson does. And he isn't nearly as dynamic as Jackson is with the ball. Yet no one is asking him to try a new position. Or why is this Allen kid from Wyoming a better prospect at QB than Jackson. He played in a lesser conference and didn't put up numbers that even came close to approaching what Jackson did over the last 2 years as a QB. Yet, all the "experts" have this Allen kid as the top QB prospect.

This is all absurd and a joke.

I think we all really know why the team reps are doing this, and it is a shame that this sort of racism still exists, especially in the professional sports world. Take one look at Lamar Jackson, then do the same at Baker Mayfield, and you hear 2 different stories about why Mayfield can make it as a QB, then the other side of that story is why Jackson has to switch positions if he wants to have a NFL career. It is disgusting if you ask me.

I hope Jackson blows off the reps asking him to try wide out and lights it up as a QB at the combine and all his pre draft workouts. I am now openly rooting for Lamar Jackson to not only make it as a QB, but he be one of the better QB's in the NFL. I would love nothing more than to see him shove it in these assholes faces that seem to think he has to play a different position. The kid has been a QB his whole life, and he deserves just as much a shot as Josh Rosen, Sam Darnold and Baker freaking Mayfield. I personally think he is better than all three of those guys.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He remembers back when ESPN "draft experts" were debating if Blaine Gabbert would have a better career than Cam Newton. Why does these guys at ESPN still have a job?

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

Louie Anderson on "Baskets" is Must See TV

Go change the channell and watch Louie Anderson on "Baskets"

From time to time I like to point out certain actors that I feel like are doing something exceptional. For instance, I wrote about Jaime Foxx in “Baby Driver”, and Rob Lowe in pretty much any comedic performance he’s done recently. Today I want to talk about the wonderful job that Louie Anderson is doing on the show “Baskets”.

I was a fan of this show from the beginning. One of the things I’ve liked the most is the fact that Anderson plays Chip and Dale Basket’s Mom, Christine. I had no idea that Anderson was going to be on this show, let alone, playing a mom. His performance has been truly remarkable. During the first season, for which he was critically acclaimed, and won some awards (the Emmy), it was always kind of wild to see him playing a mom. But, he totally pulled it off. He was believable. He doesn’t even have to change his voice or his appearance, besides wearing a wig, and I started up but his performance by the second episode of season one. What I loved was how caring/gullible Christine is/was on the show. She loves her kids, including her adopted twin DJ sons. But, she also runs up credit card debt and makes poor decisions based on getting people to like her. It was great.

In season 2 Christine met a man while trying to help Chip, who did some unfortunate stuff. She met a father of a lady that Chip was hanging with while jumping trains. Again, the best thing was how believable their relationship is. I totally bought it again. The episode where Christine takes him to a Reagan(screw they guy) museum was tremendous. It is one of the better 25 minute TV episodes that I have seen. By the end of season 2 I found myself rooting for Christine and this gentleman to get together. And, spoiler alert, they do. When they shared their first kiss, it was perfect for this type of show.

Now that “Baskets” is in their third season, Anderson’s Christine is the true star. He has taken over for Zach Galifinakis. The show is supposed to be about him, but this season has been all Christine. A bunch has happened and it’s all really centered on her journey buying the rodeo and other things outside her life. The stuff with her friends is tragic and heartbreaking and Anderson pulls it off. The opera at the rodeo episode was amazing because of Anderson. The back and forth between her and Martha has been awesome. The stuff with her and the horses and the old cowboy, riotous, but also sad.

Louie Anderson has been the true star of the show this season. His performance is so amazing, and I’m very excited to see where they take Christine from here. I never really saw Anderson do anything besides stand up before this, and he is absolutely nailing it. This is an odd show, but if you decide to watch it, I think you will be amazed at how well Anderson is pulling good role off. It is quite a feat. My hat is off to him.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He always thought that Louie Anderson's career would be defined by his iconic role as "Flower Deliveryman" in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off". It is ok to be wrong.  

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

Ty Listens to "American Teen"

I just recently bought the album "American Teen" by Khalid, and I know that I'm late to the party, but this record is very good. I saw his name on some best of lists for 2017, but at the time, I was heavily into hip hop. I had an iTunes gift card that my wife gave me for Valentines Day this year and I decided that now was the time to buy this record that I had heard so much about. I have to tell you, I wished I bought it sooner.

"American Teen" is a wonderful R&B album by an 18 year old. That is the first thing that stunned me the most when I heard his record for the first time, his age. He is so young, but he sings with the grace of a seasoned pro and his lyrics, while they are about high school, being young, being broke and silly teenage stuff, he makes them sound so much more important. I was on board right away with the first song, "American Teen". It has a very nice R&B sound and, like I said, his voice is amazing. I was still in shock while listening because of how young he is. I like when young kids do things that are old school, just look at all the things I have written about Leon Bridges, but Khalid is so much younger than most people I listen to. Hell, he is younger than most people that are full fledged pop stars. He's younger than Justin Bieber, Lorde, anyone from Migos, Selena Gomez, and he is so much better than them, with Lorde being the exception.

Khalid hasn't experienced nearly as much as his elder pop stars, not yet at least, but you would never know it when you hear the first song on this album. Then he follows the title track with the best song on the record, "Young, Dumb and Broke". This song is a perfect blend of teenage drama, R&B, soul and even a little hint of hip hop. This is the song I go back to multiple times every time I put this album on. My daughter loves it to. She will dance and sing along to it. As the record goes on, each song is very solid. There isn't a clunker or a skippable song in the bunch. Some stand outs for me are, "Location", "Another Sad Love Song", "Hopeless" and ""Keep Me". All of the songs are perfect R&B, but made so much better by Khalid's tremendous voice. His band is incredible as well. They add a great texture to the sound that he is trying to get across. "Location" has a super groovy guitar riff at the start and it kind of flows through the whole tune. The keyboard is very cool as well. Khalid's singing is so effortless on a track like this, and I mean that in the best possible way. I also like the sped up sample of his voice that comes in from time to time on the song. "Another Sad Love Song" could easily be the single off this record. It is a great song about heartbreak and breaking up and all the rough sides of going through those rough times. But, he sings it, and the band plays it, upbeat, which I love. I adore when musicians take "sad" songs and flip them on their head. The music is so poppy and upbeat and fun, you forget that you are listening to a song about heartache. "Hopeless" is a slower tune, and you need something like this on a record like this. It also has a cool synthy piano riff that makes the song that much more fun. Khalid also crushes the vocals on this record, and I love when he hits the high notes right before the chorus. "Keep Me" goes back to the synth well, but the guitar adds that flange type R&B sound that I became accustomed to when listening to this record on repeat for a week. The drum groove, while simple, is a perfect fit for this track. It is also a great lyrical song about asking someone out on a date.

The entire record has 15 songs on it, and they are all great. But, the ones that I singled out are my absolute favorites. Again, I could listen to any song on the album and be happy, and also impressed by the talent that is Khalid. He is starting to blow up a bit too, which is great. He is featured on "the Black Panther" soundtrack, so it is only going to get better and better for him from here on out. I'm very excited to see what he does next, just like I am to see what Leon Bridges will do next. In fact, I would love to see the two of them get together and record some stuff. That would rule.

I love this record, I love Khalid and I wish that I would have checked him out sooner. I guess better late than never. Seriously though, if you dig R&B music, and you want to hear a prodigy, it gets no better than Khalid's "American Teen".

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is thinking of cutting a jazz standards record. At 35 years old, he would be half the age of his jazz contemporaries.  

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The Latest College Basketball Scandal is Completely Worthless

I have been trying my best to not write about the whole FBI investigation into NCAA basketball, but I have heard so many different theories, I just have to put mine out there.

For those of you that may or may not know, the FBI launched a big time investigation into college basketball players getting "impermissible benefits". This basically means that players were given money to go and play for certain colleges. Some big time programs are involved with this whole thing too. I'm talking the Duke's, UNC's, Michigan State's, Kansas' and Kentucky's of the college basketball world. There are many more schools involved, but when blue bloods like that are being named, it becomes a big deal. The money that is being tossed around ranges anywhere from 40 dollars to hundreds of thousands of dollars. It is a mess.

Now, for the entirety of my young adult life, my early to mid 20's, I thought that a full scholarship was more than enough for these kids. I figured, if med students have to pay for school, but athletes don't, what more do they need? But, the older I get, the less I think that is true. Lets get something straight right off the bat, yes these kids are getting full rides to play basketball at these schools, and when you break it down, 4 year tuition to these schools can be as much as 70 to 80,000 dollars a year. But, look at all the money the schools make off the athletes. It is millions, if not billions, of dollars. The schools sell these kids jerseys in their stores for upwards of 75 dollars a pop, and these kids see none of that money. That is bull shit. Imagine that happening in the pros. Imagine LeBron or Steph or KD not seeing a dime from the sale of their jerseys. It would be ludicrous. Why is there is a double standard when it comes to these scholar athletes? They should see some kind of money off the schools using their likeness, shouldn't they? And for people like I used to be, the whole tuition is more than enough people, get the hell out of here. That isn't even close to being enough money for what the schools are pulling in.

What I went back to after this story broke was Michigan and the Fab Five stuff. Yes, they got hammered for paying those guys, mainly Chris Webber, and at the time I was mad. But, looking back on it, I had a number 4 Michigan jersey. I wore black socks. I wore Nikes. I wore Michigan shorts. And my parents got all the stuff from the University. All that money they spent to put me into all the things Webber and the rest of the Fab Five wore had to cost them more than 100 bucks. That was going on all over the country. And to crush a program for years because a kid who was making the school more money than they could print for taking 250,000 dollars, that's insane to me. That is a drop in the bucket compared to what Webber, Juwan Howard, Jalen Rose, Ray Jackson and Jimmy King brought into that school, and still do. I still see people wearing their throwback jerseys at games. The same can be said for the football program at Michigan. This is my school, so that is why I'm using them as an example. I still see those dumbass "throwback" jerseys with Denard Robinson's number 16 on the front and back when I go to games. Do you think Denard saw a dime from those jersey sales? Hell no. But, the University of Michigan easily made six figures off of those dumbass jerseys.

So when I'm looking at the schools being mentioned, and the players being named and what they supposedly took, or their parents took, it drives me nuts that they are being investigated by the FBI. The FBI has much bigger fish to fry, (clears throat), the current "government". But, they are choosing to go after college kids. I mean, Michigan State should be getting investigated by the FBI, but not for giving Miles Bridges 40 bucks. They have the entire athletic department involved in a massive sexual assault scandal, but Miles Bridges is being raked over the coals for taking 40 dollars? What a crock. And the other blue bloods involved, why is it so surprising that they are giving elite prospects money to come to their schools now? Of course Duke, UNC, Kentucky, Kansas, and so on and so forth are giving young kids and their family something to come play ball there. Don't try and tell me, and I loathe Duke, that they weren't giving guys like Christian Laettner money, just like I'm sure they gave Jahlil Okafor, Justice Winslow and now Marvin Bagley and the other star freshman they have and had money and other stuff. Same with KU. I'm not shocked that Josh Jackson's mom took 2 grand from them. I'm sure Danny Manning got some money from KU. I'm sure Mario Chalmers got stuff he couldn't afford from KU. I'm pretty sure Joel Embiid and Andrew Wiggins got stuff too. Who cares? Roy Williams and UNC have been doing this for years, so no, it doesn't surprise me that they were named. And I say again, who cares? John Calipari is one of college basketball biggest cheaters of all time. So, for Kentucky to named, of course they were named. They are giving these kids money to come there. And again, who cares? Even with the supposed phone tapped conversation of Arizona head coach Sean Miller saying that he wanted to give DeAndre Ayton 100,000 dollars to come there doesn't surprise me. And I think, if Ayton took the money, he did the right thing. Arizona is cashing in on him being there right now. I told my father after this story came out that if my son or daughter goes to school on an athletic scholarship, becomes a star and the school makes millions off using their likeness, I would fully support them taking money from agents if they were given the opportunity. Let these kids get theirs. I cannot say it enough. The schools are making tons and tons and tons of money off these athletes, so why not let these kids get something more than a full scholarship.

This has been going on forever, and if you think this is a new thing, you are wrong. Now, the FBI is involved. That is the only difference, and that is absurd. The FBI needs to deal with bigger problems, not cheating in college athletics. And for those of you that think this story will crush college basketball, you are wrong too. None of the blue bloods are going to face any real punishment, save for Michigan State, which should get hit for the horrific sexual assault stuff. Duke, UNC, Kentucky and Arizona will be just fine. Hell, some of the players named have already been cleared to play. This whole "breaking scandal" is stupid and pointless. This is being blown way too far out of proportion and in a month or two, we will have all forgotten about it. That is how I feel about this whole "scandal".

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Ty one time took 10 bucks from a representative at Whatsamatter U. 

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"The Room" is the Midnight Movie We Need in Our Lives Right Now

This past Saturday I went to my first ever midnight movie. I have never done one of these type events, and "The Room" was playing at a local theater, The Tivoli, here in Saint Louis. I jumped on the chance to go since it was a weekend, and I didn't have to coach the following day. I convinced one of my buddies, it wasn't that hard, I asked him if he wanted to go and he said yeah, and we trekked to the theater. He had previously seen a late night screening of "The Room", in fact very recently, so he kind of had an idea of what to expect. Me on the other hand, this was all new territory.

For those of you that don't know, "The Room" is a horrendous movie. It is so bad. It is poorly written, acted, directed, shot and its release was a disaster. It was so bad, this past year a great movie, "The Disaster Artist", was made about the making of this movie. "The Room" is widely considered the "best bad movie ever made". That is why it is so alluring, and the perfect midnight movie.

As I said, I have never been to one, but I know of them. I have heard and read many stories about midnight movies. "Rocky Horror Picture Show" is a big time one. Horror movies seem to draw big time crowds. And, bad movies as well, are the perfect fodder for this event. "The Room" falls into that third category. My buddy that I went with sent me a sort of "how to" when going to see "The Room" at a midnight showing. I am very grateful for this because it helped me to prepare. He, as previously stated, also knew the reins, so he was helpful for this event.

We were all let into the theater right around 11:30 pm to get our seats and get ready. I'd say that the theater was about 1/3 full, not as much as I thought, but it seemed like a good amount. Before the movie started the manager of the theater came out, gave us the rundown of the evening, told us what was upcoming as far as their future midnight movies, and what he knew was going to happen throughout the movie that evening. It was nice to have this little chat right before the start. It even further prepared me, which I like. All the extra prep I can get, give it to me. Then, he told us to enjoy, the lights went down and the curtain was rolled up.

When the movie started, "The Room" has multiple companies producing it, both owned by Tommy Wiseau, more on him later, the first production symbol popped up. The whole crowd cheered. This threw me for a second, but then I was right in there. Then, before the second production symbol, a commercial for Wiseau's underwear popped up.

Now for Tommy Wiseau. He is the star, producer, director and writer of the "The Room". He has a very odd backstory. He may or may not be rich. He may or may not be a villain. He is just an all around goofball. If you really don't know about him, and for some reason you are dying to learn, watch "The Room", or any other thing he may have been in. He is a weird dude.

Anyway, after his bizarre underwear commercial, a bunch of random quotes showed up on the big screen that were immediately followed by an explosion and the text, "Shame on You". Some of the quotes before hand were, "you question the making of "The Room", "shame on you", or "you question Tommy Wiseau", "shame on you". This went on for about 2 minutes, and it was all hilarious. My favorite part was at the end, when instead of the "shame on you", it said, "you know who you are". After all this, the second production symbol came up and the crowd cheered even louder.

Then, the movie started. "The Room" has what seems to be about a 5 minute intro scene, crediting every single person involved with the movie. It seems long when you watch it at home, but with a midnight crew, it ruled. The cheers, the boos and the hisses were amazing. After that nonsense was over and the movie for real started, it just got better form there. The random things people were shouting had me cracking up the whole time. Some great examples, every time that Lisa's mom shows up, Lisa is the villain, everyone yells "CANCER!". This may seem mean, but she randomly says at one point that she "definitely has breast cancer", and it never comes up again in the movie. I laughed every time. Another thing, when Denny, the weirdo that lives in their building shows up at Johnny's home, that is Tommy Wiseau's character, we all yelled, "Hi Denny", and "Close the god damn door Denny". He is always showing up out of nowhere, leaving the door open and saying and doing random nonsense. This also goes for any other character in the movie. Whenever a new person shows up, we' say, "oh hi" insert name, and subsequently telling them to close the door. Then whenever Mark, Greg Sestero, shows up and says that "Johnny is my best friend". we all cheered, until he cheated with Lisa. Then the boos and hisses came out. There was also anytime that people would make out we all yelled, "nom nom nom" because it looks like they are eating the other person's face. Also, during the far too many sex scenes, which are also way too long, we would all clap along to the crappy wannabe R&B music that would play. When Wiseau shows his bare ass, which he is famous for saying that he "needed to show my ass to sell this movie", came up, a loud cheer followed. As far as other random things people said, there was a gentleman in the back, who has clearly been to this more than once, who crushed it all night long. He had one liners and zingers ready all night. He was the star of the evening as far as I am concerned. Some other weird stuff that went on during the movie was the tracking shots of the Golden Gate Bridge, and the crowd chanting "GO! GO! GO!", and then cheering when the cars passed was so much fun. Anytime a football was brought out, which happens a lot, light weight footballs were tossed around. There is a phenomena of pictures of spoons in the movie, and any time one shows up on the screen, we all yelled "SPOONS!", and proceeded to throw plastic spoons throughout the theater. It just got better and better as the night went on. The party scene was hilarious, what with all the laughter and the added commentary. The final fight between Lisa and Johnny was great. The stuff between Mark and Johnny was awesome. The "cheep cheep cheep" noises we all made when people were called chicken in the movie was great. The scene between Chris R and Denny was perfect. The scene with the psychologist, both on the rooftop and at Johnny's home, were amazing. And the conclusion, spoiler alert, when Johnny shoots himself in the head, was just uproarious. That may sound mean, but if you've seen the movie, you know what I mean.

I cannot recommend seeing "The Room" in this atmosphere enough. It was so perfect on so many levels. I now understand why it is such a big thing. This was a night that I will never, ever forget. I had so much fun, no matter how tired I was. This was an amazing event, and I will definitely go to more in the future. It was awesome.

Ty

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

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Who is Going to Fix Michigan Football's Terrible Offense

Tim Drevno resigned as the offensive coordinator at Michigan today.

To me, this is a bit of a shock. Don’t get me wrong, he has not done a very good job since he signed on when Michigan hired Jim Harbaugh. Drevno has been with Harbaugh at almost every stop he has been a head coach. But, his three offenses at Michigan have gotten progressively worse. Michigan’s offense was never the threat it could have been under Drevno and Harbaugh. Drevno’s best season was probably 2 years ago, but I think that had more to do with the experience and athletes they had as opposed to his play calling. He was very predictable as a play caller. My dad and I could call most things he was going to do before he did them. Opponents echoed this same sentiment. You knew on third and long that he was going to call a draw or screen. It was too easy to tell.

This past season with a ton of new, and inexperienced, but also very talented players, the offense really struggled, and Drevno was part of the problem. He never really trusted his QB, be it Wilton Speight, John O’Korn or Brandon Peters. He almost always gave way to the running backs on crucial downs. O’Korn got markedly worse under Drevno’s watch. Peters played fine, but his play book was very small. Hell, even Speight, before his injury, looked rough with all the new receivers.

I also was frustrated at his lack for picking a bell cow running back. Karan Higdon should have been the guy, with a little Chris Evans sprinkled in here and there. But no, he pushed guys like Ty Issac and Kareem Walker. Those guys are fine, but Higdon is far better. Drevno also totally went away from Khalid Hill, which drove me nuts.

The worst thing though, he did not have a single good call for third and long. As I stated before, he almost always ran a screen or draw. He was basically giving up the bank without a fight. He became a very frustrating coordinator for me to watch by the end of last season.

Where this move has me a bit confused, who will be the new play caller? Will it be Harbaugh? Will it be one of the many new assistants they’ve hired this offseason? I don’t know. I feel like Harbaugh already has a hand in what the offense does, so I’m sure that won’t change at all. But, who from the new staff could he possibly pick? The name that I’ve heard all day today is new receivers coach Jim McElewain.

I’m very conflicted about this. He was a very mediocre head coach at Florida, and the problem was the offense. Michigan was bad on offense last year, but Florida was much worse. He did an okay job at Colorado State, but never set the world on fire. Where he did excel was at Alabama as an offensive coordinator. That was what propelled him to be a head coach. So maybe, this will be the same, but I wouldn’t count on it. Where Michigan has big time talent on offense, Alabama gets the best of the best. They turned Lane Kiffin into a decent head coach. I just don’t know which McElwain Michigan will get. Will he be happy to be a coordinator, of is he just positioning himself to be a head coach again? I don’t know, and I’m a little scared to see. Maybe they will hire another person, a prominent person, to run their offense, but all of that will have to wait to see if Shea Patterson gets cleared to play.

Therein lies the biggest question. Did Drevno leave because Patterson won’t get cleared and he doesn’t want to deal with who is left behind? Or can he not work with Patterson because he is more of a dual threat guy and he’s used to pro style QB’s? Did he leave because of McElwain? Maybe.

This is all very confusing, and I hope Michigan and Harbaugh have a plan in place. Next season is a big season for everyone involved with the Michigan football program, and today’s news has other furthered my skepticism. We will see how this all plays out, but for now, I’m just scratching my head.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. May we recommend Ty as the new Wolverines Offensive Coordinator. He does have about 100 straight National titles with Michigan on NCAA Football for the X-Box. 

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Ty Watches "Eric Andre Does Paris"

Eric Andre made his glorious return to Adult Swim on Sunday night with a one off special, "Eric Andre Does Paris".

This 11 minute "special" was one of the weirdest, funniest and most Eric Andre things that I could have ever dreamed of. I follow him on Instagram and Twitter, so I had an idea that a certain thing he was doing was going to make its way to TV. I didn't know what to expect though. He had some weird white suit on with a big ass hat. It was akin to watching a trailer for the show "Legion" to me. I liked what I saw, but I didn't know why, or what was going to come of it. I almost forgot about the special until I was scrolling through Instagram on Saturday and saw his page had one of his "ads" for it. I immediately recorded it and watched it Monday afternoon.

As I said, it was bizarre in the great way that only Eric Andre can pull off. The special started with him talking at his desk on his regular set saying that America was pretty messed up right now, so he was going to go to Paris. We then got a version of the opening of his regular show, where he destroys the set, but this time he was crashing planes, running through the Eiffel Tower, just his basic destruction, just in a few different locations. I was, of course, immediately on board. He then broke into the show, and it was just like any other "Eric Andre Show" episode, but this was all on the street type stuff. There were no celebrity interviews like he does on his regular show. He and his camera crew were just tooling around Paris and doing their random hilarious nonsense. He would go up to people wearing a Charlie Sheen t shirt with some French writing on it, only underwear underneath the shirt, and a crossaint attached to a stick that was dangling in front of him. Oh, he was also wearing roller skates and falling down constantly while yelling stuff like, "I'm a real French person" or, "I'm fitting in". It was riotous. He then switched to doing some on the street type interviews with French people, talking about how in Medieval times people used to just pee and poop out their windows. He then had his people superimpose pictures of Napoleon and Mona Lisa doing these acts on random people. To top this bit off, he made a fake General Insurance ad. You know the ad that I am talking about, with the tiny cartoon general singing about saving on insurance. Well, Andre made his own twisted version of this, and it was odd, but also funny. He also interviewed what seemed to be an American tourist and made him call himself "Potato Boy", and do some random dance. This bit proved to me that people will do anything to get on TV. While he was in the Charlie Sheen outfit, he kept chasing down a bald African American man and calling him Seal and asking him to sing "Kiss From a Rose". It was uncomfortably funny for me. He then jumped cut to a random shot of himself laying down in a field, far enough away from the Eiffel Tower, and pretended to pleasure himself, himself being the tower, and I have to say, it made me crack the hell up. He then cut to himself fishing in a, according to my wife, very famous canal. He kept saying he had a big one, and what he pulled out was a skeleton dressed up as Hitler. He then proceeded to tell everyone around him that he had caught Hitler and asked if they wanted to take pictures. When no one would reciprocate his questioning, he just started to drag the corpse through this lovely town in Paris. Again, it had me cracking up. He also put some cuts in this special where, whenever he was talking to, or approached by an African American man who was bald, save for the Seal guy, with the name Hannibal Burress underneath it. For those that don't know, Burress is his cohost and constant recipient of his destruction. But, Burress gives it right back. The whole thing ended with him in that weird white suit doing his usual hilarious nonsense.

I really loved this special. It made me realize how much I miss having "The Eric Andre" show on a regular basis. As you all know, I am a big fan of his show. "Eric Andre Does Paris" was great, and it made me want more. Hopefully he is filming more episodes, and hopefully it returns to TV soon. This special was a great appetizer to what I hope is a full meal coming from him soon. You definitely have to be an Eric Andre fan to appreciate this special, but if you are, and you haven't watched it yet, go watch it right now. It is trippy and bizarre and wonderful in all the best Eric Andre ways. I thought it was great.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. The city of love for Ty is east on Interstate 70. The only Paris he needs is on the eastern border of Illinois.

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The NBA All Star Weekend Was Kind of a Dud

As I promised yesterday, today I will break down all the other things from the NBA All Star weekend. Friday and Saturday, leading up to the game on Sunday, was kind of a bore, if I am being honest.

I, for some unknown reason, watched the celebrity "all star" game on Friday night. I don't know what possessed me to watch. Maybe it was the fact that my trip to Chicago was cancelled, maybe it was because my mom was injured, maybe it was because that was the only thing that was on at my folks house when we went to visit them that night. I will never be able to pinpoint why, but I watched. As it is with most of these celebrity games, it was a mess. The basketball was mediocre at best. When the pros got in, Tracy McGrady and Paul Pierce, they didn't care enough to even try, which is their right. They have played tons of NBA minutes, so they don't need to go all out in a dumbass game. But, when they were announcing who was on the floor, I didn't know who most of these "celebrities" were. Sure, I new Justin Bieber and Jaime Foxx. Those guys are bona fide stars. I also knew Candace Parker because she is probably the best female player right now. But, some names like Quavo, Katie DeMita, the K-pop singer, the little kid from "Black-ish", and many others, I had no idea. I think it is a mixture of 2 things. One, I am getting older, and I honestly do not know who younger kids look up to anymore. Second, the people involved with the celebrity game have a very loose meaning of the word "celebrity". I know that Winn Butler is in a very popular band, but would I call him a celebrity, absolutely not. That is how I felt with pretty much everyone involved except for Foxx, Bieber, Parker and McGrady and Pierce. Everyone else was non existent in my pop culture lexicon. After the game my only take away was that this Quavo fella can play a little ball. Besides the male and female pros, he was the best player on the court. The dude can play. The celebrity game was a complete waste of time. It was boring, bad and a rough watch.

I figured Saturday night would be better, and while it was, it wasn't that much better. I expected great things from the 3 challenges, and they all kind of ended up very blah. The night started off with the skills competition. I kind of like this game. I like seeing the big men weave through stations and make crisp passes and hit three pointers. It is even better when you see the guards do it. Well, the skills competition this year was very ho hum. I think Spencer Dinwiddie, of the Brooklyn Nets won, beating Lauri Markanen. I was not stoked to see those 2 guys in the finals. I would have rather seen Joel Embiid make it. Or Andre Drummond. Or Jamal Murray. Those guys are more widely known than Dinwiddie and Markanen. It was kind of boring.

The three point competition was better, but not by much. There were some big names this year in the three point contest. Guys like Klay Thompson, Paul George, Bradley Beal and Eric Gordon. Three of those 4 guys were all stars, and Gordon won sixth man of the year last year, and the three point contest last year. There were other guys, guys like Tobias Harris and Devin Booker. But, I was all in for watching the all stars. Paul George laid an egg. Eric Gordon didn't even come close to repeating. Brad Beal was ice cold in the last half of the first round. But, Klay did put up some decent numbers. So did Harris and Booker. The final came down to Thompson and Booker, and this was the best part of the contest. Both guys really showed out in the finals. Booker went first and got 28 points, hitting all of his "money ball" rack, and breaking a record. Thompson had his chance to win, and while he put up a great effort, he only got 25. Both of these guys proved why they are elite shooters and great deep threats in the NBA. This final was the one saving grace of the three point contest.

To end the night they had the slam dunk contest. This is the event I look most forward to every year during the all star break. There were four really good competitors this year. We had Victor Oladipo, Dennis Smith Jr, Larry Nance Jr and Donovan Mitchell. These are four young, hyper athletic guys that could easily be the future of the NBA. And, while 3 of them didn't disappoint, the judging was horrendous. First off, Oladipo tried a nearly impossible dunk in the first round and missed all three attempts. Then in the second round, he put on a Black Panther mask, which was cool as hell. But, he did, for him, a very easy dunk after missing his first attempt. He had 5 chances and only made one dunk. Dennis Smith Jr had an okay first round dunk. His second round dunk should have put him in the finals. He did a reverse 360, put the ball through his legs and dunked with his off hand. It was truly amazing. Donovan Mitchell did a very cool first round dunk, where he bounced a ball off a different backboard than he dunked on. His second round dunk was good too, he paid homage to Eddie Griffith, AKA Dr. Dunkenstein, and put down a solid dunk, but Smith Jr's second dunk was better. Larry Nance Jr paid homage to his dad, even donning his old Suns jersey, and that dunk was incredible. Then, he had his dad come out and throw him a pass and proceeded to windmill the shit out of the dunk. His first 2 dunks were better than anyone else's. He made it to the finals, deservedly, and his opponent was Mitchell. While Mitchell had 2 solid dunks, Smith Jr's were better. He should have made it. Then in the finals, both Nance Jr and Mitchell had solid dunks. Mitchell did another throwback, wearing Vince Carter's Raptors jersey from when he won the contest, but it wasn't as impressive as it could have been. Larry Nance Jr did a double tap off the backboard, which is insanely hard, but he didn't get the win that he deserved. That brings me to the judging. The fact that they felt they needed 3 other judges besides Lisa Leslie and Dr. J was astonishing to me. Those 2 were more than enough to judge dunks. But, to put Chris Rock, who I love but is admittedly not an athlete, Marky Mark, which why is he even relevant anymore, and the worst of the bunch, DJ Khaled, who should never, ever judge anyone doing something athletic, was just wrong. Those three had no idea what they were doing. It was kind of embarrassing. Donovan Mitchell ending up winning, even though I think Nance Jr deserved it. The dunk contest, while being the best part of the night, was very ho hum, much like the rest of the stuff leading to the all star game.

I usually look forward to all the stuff leading up to the all star game, but this year was kind of a dud. Hopefully it gets better next year.

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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Defense, and LeBron, Showed Up in the 2017 NBA All Star Game

Sunday night was the NBA All Star game. This was the first time with the new format, LeBron vs Steph. I'll get to the All Star weekend stuff, i.e., the skills competition, the celebrity game, the three point contest and the dunk contest tomorrow. Today though, I want to just focus on the game itself.

First though, I have to talk about Fergie's "rendition" of the national anthem. It was horrendous. It was a train wreck. It was, possibly, the worst performance I have ever seen. It was so awful. I don't know what she was doing, why she thought this was a good idea, why her people thought this was a good idea and why she thought she nailed it. The national anthem is a hard enough song to sing, but to try and make it a jazzy lounge song, get the hell out of here. The faces of the players was point enough to how bad she did. The people in the crowd, like Chris Rock, Chance the Rapper and Jimmy Kimmel's expressions spoke volumes to how horrible her performance was. It was just horrific, and I hope she gets another chance so she can make up for the travesty that was her performance on Sunday night. God it was bad. Okay, now to the game.

I have said before, and I still feel this way, I had no problem with the lack of defense played in previous all star games. I have always wanted, and still want, to see both teams get 200 plus points. It is an exhibition, these guys don't need to get hurt, and I want highlight reel dunk and shot after highlight reel dunk and shot. It is an all star game after all. But, I will say, a part of me liked seeing these guys at least attempt to play some defense. Sure, James Harden and DeMar DeRozan didn't really give full effort on that end, but they aren't known for their defense. Same with Curry, but he was able to hide himself, just like he does in the regular season and playoffs. But guys like Joel Embiid, Paul George, KD, LeBron, Giannis and Kyle Lowry put forth some defensive effort. It was nice to see some blocked shots, steals and guys bodying up other guys. I have to say, it was a bit of a breath of fresh air.

With that being said though, there were a ton of missed shots. The score could have been higher if some of the players were actually hitting their wide open threes. Westbrook and Bradley Beal must have bricked 3/4 of their three point attempts. Embiid was playing like a 2 guard at times, and while he made half his threes, he took way too many. Same with Towns. He can shoot it, but he was taking too many. I look at a guy like Anthony Davis, who is a solid three point shooter, and I think he only took one three. He was more focused on rebounding and alley oops. Same thing goes for Andre Drummond. He was either rebounding, or trying to tear the rim off. That is what I like to see from big men. Playing with their back to the basket, and maybe occasionally putting up a three pointer or two. So, even with some effort on defense, there was still a ton of missed shots, and some of those shots falling could have changed the entire perception of this game.

Some stuff I really liked, LeBron and KD were going hard. They looked like they were putting real effort into the game. LeBron was sweating like it was a regular season game. KD was shooting his threes, but he was also attacking the rim, just like he does in games that count. Embiid may have taken too many threes, but he was playing some defense. When he made the three pointer at one end, then blocked Westbrook at the other end, I was impressed. Westbrook, who took far too many threes, finally started attacking when his outside shot wasn't falling. He was also passing a lot more, and that was nice to see. Klay Thompson looked legitimately mad at the refs when he wasn't getting calls when he may or may not have been hit on his jumpers. Kyrie was doing his wizardry with the ball and going to the hoop, which he does better than almost anyone else in the NBA. DeRozan, while not playing defense, showed why he belonged. He was hitting jumpers and going to the hoop at will. When Davis finally started to catch passes, he was going up for some big dunks. Even guys who didn't play much, the Goran Dragic's, LMA's and Al Horford's, when they got in, they tried. 

Through all of this, LeBron showed us why he is still the best player in the NBA. As I said earlier, he actually tried. He broke a real sweat. He wanted to win this game. He wanted his teammates to win this game. When he wasn't in the game, he was leading the cheers on the bench. This is the LeBron that I love to watch. He left his ego and his want to be the GM, coach and player at home. He got everyone involved. And, the defense he and KD played on Steph to win the game, that was great. In fact, the last 8 minutes of the game was pretty intense, good basketball and showed why LeBron still owns the league right now. He rightfully was named the MVP of the game. 

While the final score wasn't as high as I might have wanted, the game was pretty okay. Players tried. Players wanted to win. Players wanted to play defense at times. I think this idea of letting the top vote getters pick their teams, then saying that the winning team would get money towards their favorite charities was great. Now, they just need to televise the top vote getters picking their teams, which it sounds like Adam Silver is going to do next year. I felt like the game was a success. It appeased the old generation, and it showed the younger generation that, even in short bursts and exhibition games, defense is an important part to a basketball game. Well done NBA, you guys did a good job with the new format. Now, lets keep making it better and better.

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 "Black Panther"

My wife and I, much like the rest of the country, saw "Black Panther" this weekend. It was amazing! This was a perfect music in every single aspect. There is not a single problem that I can find with this movie. It more than lived up to its tremendous hype. I wish all the movies in the MCU were as good, but more importantly, as genius and profound as "Black Panther".

I had never heard of the super hero Black Panther until I saw "Civil War". I loved him in that movie. I loved his suit, his powers and his politics. I was fully on board. Black Panther immediately shot right up there with Wolverine and Deadpool right after seeing "Civil War".

Then, it was announced shorty after that Black Panther was going to get his own movie. I liked the idea. Then, the names that were involved started to get mentioned, and that took my want to see the movie to a whole new level. Of course, Chadwick Boseman was returning to play T'challa, Black Panther, and I have enjoyed him in every performance I have seen of his. Ryan Coogler was then announced as the director. This dude, for me, is 3 for 3 now with his direction. First off, "Fruitvale Station" is one of the best, and most important, movies that I have ever witnessed. Seriously, that movie should be shown in history classes. Then. he made "Creed". I was hyper critical and very nervous that this may mess up "Rocky" for me. Well, "Creed" is amazing as well. For me, it is right up there with "Rocky", "Rocky 2" and "Raging Bull" as best movies about boxing ever made. So, when he was announced as the director of "Black Panther", I was stoked and ready to see it right away. With Coogler came Michael B Jordan. I mean, Michael B Jordan may be my new favorite actor. He was exceptional on "The Wire", as the lead in "Fruitvale Station" and as Apollo Creed's son in "Creed". Even when the movie he is in isn't that good, his performance is fine. For example, he was just fine as the Human Torch in the god awful "Fantastic 4" reboot. He was also decent in that rom com that starred him, Miles Teller and Zack Efron. Michael B Jordan is a very solid actor that will turn in good performances most of the time.

Then, the female cast was announced. Oscar winner Lupita Nyong'o was cast. I loved it. Then, Danai Gurira, Michonne from "The Walking Dead" was cast. She is the only good person left on that show. And Letitia Wright was cast. I didn't know who she was at the time, but then I watched the "Black Mirror" episode, "Black Museum", and became very familiar with her. Oh, and let us not forget about Angela Bassett. She is wonderful. Some more names that came after the fact were Andy Serkis, Martin Freeman, Forest Whittaker, Sterling K Brown and Daniel Kaluuya. Those are all bona fide stars. Hearing all this, then seeing the previews just amped it up to 11 for me. When they attach a Run the Jewels song, that was that. It was a wrap for me. I was going to see this movie, and I was going to see it on opening weekend.

When my wife and I sat down in the sold out theater, and the movie started, I was wrapped by every single second. The way the movie started, flashing back to Oakland I 1991 was perfect. Seeing Wakanda for the first time was amazing. I wish it were a real place, I'd love to visit. The effects and the costumes were astounding. But, what made this movie perfect was the acting and the message. Chadwick Boseman was incredible. He owns this role, and he is perfect for it. Michael B Jordan, as the villain Kilmonger, was hauntingly good. There were moments where I legitimately thought that he was right and everyone else in Wakanda was wrong. He was amazing. Danile Kaluuya, in a small role, was very good. He is becoming a household name now. Lupita Nyong'o was absolutely incredible as the spy that was T'challa's former lover. Nyong'o just crushed this role. She was the strongest female lead, and maybe the strongest person in this movie. Danai Gurira was a total badass, and I loved her. She sure as hell can wield a weapon, but she was also a very strong willed person that answered to no one. Forest Whittaker was very good in his smallish role. He has a very profound moment between him and T'challa. Martin Freeman was pretty good, as a side character, reprising his role from other MCU movies. Andy Serkis, not in motion capture, is a perfect bad guy. Even Sterling K Brown, in a very tiny role, had some great moments. And Angela Bassett was not only beautiful, but wonderful. But the star was Letitia Wright. She was so great in this movie. She played T'challa's techy younger sister. She was the smartest person in a country of extremely smart people. I'm so excited to see what they do with her character moving forward. I hope she is in "Infinity War" because I want to see more of this character.

As far as why this movie is so important, it shows a cultural shift in super hero movies. If we are being honest, pretty much every other super hero movie, that is a big budget movie, is based on a white person. Well, there are only 2 white characters in "Black Panther", and one is evil, and the other is used as a very marginal side character. And it was perfect. This movie belonged to the main cast. Boseman, Michael B Jordan, Bassett, Wright, Gurira, Nyong'o, these were the main characters. These were the people who's stories I wanted to see when watching this movie. They were the most important people, and Coogler put that across tenfold. It was perfect.

I literally have zero complaints about "Black Panther". I'm so happy that it is crushing records left and right. I love that RTJ and Kendrick Lamar have attached their names and music to this movie. I love that Donald Glover came in and did punch up. I love that the movie had jokes in it. I just plain love this movie. Seriously people, go see "Black Panther" for all the reasons I mentioned, and for so many more. It is a perfect movie. I'm so excited to see where they take these characters from here on out. "Black Panther" has made me excited to see super hero movies again.

Ty

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

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Another Look at Who Will Matter in, and Win, March Madness

I know that we are more than halfway through the college basketball season, but I am still going to do a checkup. I guess we will call this one the 3/4 mark checkup. After all, there is still about 4 weeks until selection Sunday. I'm going to quickly go through each conference and pick a new winner. I will also name a few surprise teams, both disappointing and good. Okay, lets go.

I'll start with the SEC. Wow was I way off. I, much like everyone else, thought Kentucky would cruise. Kentucky stinks. They have lost 4 straight. This might be one of Calipari's "worst" teams. A few other teams that I had high hopes for, Missouri and Texas A&M, have been subpar. Part of that is injury, Missouri, and part is a very slow conference start, A&M. Texas A&M has turned it around lately, and Missouri may be getting Michael Porter Jr back, but it might be too little too late. A few teams in the SEC that have really surprised me, in a good way, are Auburn and Tennessee. I don't think i even mentioned either of them, and both are ranked. Auburn is a top 10 team in fact. I'm sure they will be sanctioned soon, Bruce Pearl is their coach, but Auburn is playing great right now. Tennessee has hovered around the top 20, but they have steadily been ranked almost all year. Besides the teams I have mentioned, no none else in the SEC has really stood out. South Carolina won't be making another miracle run, LSU is lousy, Vanderbilt stinks, Georgia is blah and Florida just doesn't seem to have it going right now. So, at this point, i do not see how Auburn doesn't easily win the conference. They will have to probably vacate it soon, but good for them right now.

Next, lets go to the Big 12. KU is still leading, but they have not been the force that they usually are. They have won 12 straight Big 12 titles, and 13 is possible, but it will be harder. Oklahoma and Trae Young looked like a real threat, but they have stumbled lately. They look to be a flash in the pan. West Virginia made it all the way up to number 2 in the country earlier this year, but they have fallen back to earth recently. TCU is better, but not as good as some thought they could be. Baylor is very hit and miss. Same with KSU. And Texas, even with Mo Bamba, isn't that great. No, KU biggest threat is Texas Tech. They have been awesome this year. Kudos to them for the way they have come out and play. This has been a wonderful year for them so far. I'm still going to go with KU, but it wouldn't shock me is Texas Tech finally took the crown from them.

Now lets look at the Pac 12. There is not one team that really stands out to me. Arizona and Arizona State are the 2 best teams, but they have really had up and down years. Arizona lost 3 of their first 7 games, but started to win again, but have faltered lately. ASU, much like WVU started super hot, raised to number 3, but they are barely still in the top 25. The usual powers in the conference, UCLA and Stanford, they are mediocre. Washington is better, but still not good. Washington State stinks. Oregon is really bad, and I thought they might find some sustained success. Oregon State may as well not even have a basketball program. The rest of the conference is blah. I would not be shocked if the Arizona schools are the only ones that make the tournament. For now, I'll go with Arizona to win because they have DeAndre Ayton, and he is amazing.

The ACC is good as usual, but maybe a tad overrated, in my opinion. Duke is great offensively, and Marvin Bagley Jr is incredible, but they are horrendous defensively. Also, if they aren't hitting threes, they struggle. I have also loved watching Grayson Allen play very poorly this year. Coach K has a good squad, but if he doesn't get these kids, the freshman he recruits just like John Calipari, to play defense, they can be bounced early. Virginia plays the best defense in the country, but their offense is bad. They are the opposite of Duke. They can win games with defense, but if they don't hit shots, they are susceptible to lose any given night. UNC, the defending champs, have been very hit or miss this year. Some nights they look great, other night, blah. They have seniors too, which baffles me as to why they are so up and down. Clemson has been awesome this season. They are fun to watch, and I think they can surprise some people. Louisville is somehow near the top, but none of their games matter because they are a bunch of cheaters. Miami is solid, but being a top 10 team earlier this year was a bit of a stretch. Virginia Tech and FSU are okay, and they will fight for a win, but they will be bubble teams the rest of the year. The rest of the conference is a clutter of teams with anywhere from 11-15 wins. The ACC isn't as tough as it usually is. I'm still going to pick Duke, they have the most talent. But, I would love to see Clemson pull it out somehow.

The Big East is a 2 team race. Either Xavier or Villanova is going to win. Creighton is okay, so is Providence, and shouts out to Butler for always playing hard. But, they won't matter in the end. Seton Hall has been a disappointment this year. They were supposed to be better. But, both Xavier and Villanova are top 5 teams and they have earned that ranking. I'm going to go with Xavier just to appease RD, but they better go further than the second round in the NCAA tournament. They are hyper talented this year.

The AAC is like the Big East, a 2 team league. Those 2 teams, Cincinnati and Wichita State. While both have squandered a few games recently, Cincy is better and they could be as high as a 2 seed in the tournament. I know Houston has 20 wins, and 10 in conference, but Cincy and WSU are better. Again, to appease RD, I'll go with the Bearcats, but they better do good in the tournament too.

Finally, as far as major conferences go, the Big Ten. This conference is between 5 teams. The University of Ohio State, MSU, Nebraska(WHAT!), Purdue and Michigan. Everyone else is very ho hum. PSU has 19 wins, and have played really well, but i do not think they are a tourney team. Northwestern has stumbled. Iowa, Wisconsin and Rutgers all stink. Illinois is god awful. The Big Ten, near the bottom, is really down this year. But, those 5 teams at the top are solid. The University of Ohio State is the biggest surprise to me. I expected very little of them, but they have been very good. MSU, while I think they should get the death penalty, still has some very solid players, and they know how to win. They will always be a tough out. Nebraska has been a total surprise to me as well. They have 11 wins in conference. That is awesome. They could easily make the tournament this year. Purdue, and I know they have lost 3 straight, is still very, very good. They have upperclassmen everywhere, and it is good to get the losing out of the way now. They did win 19 straight after all, and that is a sign of a great team. Michigan has 21 wins, and 10 in conference, but they have been wildly inconsistent on offense, which is kind of a shock. They do play solid defense though. Even though MSU beat them recently, I'm going to go with Purdue. They are having a special year.

A few teams outside of major conferences i want to single out are Rhode Island, St Mary's and, of course, Gonzaga. These teams are all very good, they are ranked, and they can make deep tourney runs. Every year a mid major does, and these are the three best suspects to do that this March.

As far as my Final Four, I'll go with Duke, Purdue, Texas Tech(my wild card) and Xavier. The title game will pit Purdue against Xavier, making this a real "Sophie's Choice" for RD. I'll go with Purdue to win the title. Like I said, they are having a magical year, even with their recent "slide". My Player of the Year will be Trae Young. Everyone loves this kid, and he is great. He has struggled as of late, but he will catch fire again, and he has built up a great reputation all year long. I think Matt Painter will win a much deserved Coach of the Year this year as well.

Okay, there is my 3/4 NCAA men's basketball checkup. As far as the women's game, UCONN is on a war path and will obliterate every team in their way. They will be the women's champ easily. Now lets get to some March Madness.

Ty

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

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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