Better Late than Never on the Classic Novel "A Scanner Darkly"

I know that this book has been out for a long, long time now, and I'm sure pretty much everyone has given their opinion, but I just finished reading "A Scanner Darkly" for the first time, and holy shit is that book amazing.

I am a big time Phillip K Dick fan. I should say, I am "newly" minted as a fan of his writing. I didn't really know much about him until about 8 or 9 years ago when I first read "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep". I became a big time fan of "Blade Runner" around that time, so I wanted to read the book that the movie was based on. I then read "Minority Report" shortly after that, again, after watching the movie years ago. I have even dipped in and out of the Amazon series that is based upon his short stories. But, I decided recently that I wanted to revisit "A Scanner Darkly" this past year. I saw the movie a long, long time ago, but the way it was filmed, it made me queasy. So, I decided this time I would read the book, then watch the movie at a later date. I started the book about a month ago, and I finished it today. That is fast for me. I am a fairly slow reader. So, the fact that I finished in right around a month, that is the sign of a great book for me. I completely fell into the world that Dick created in the book. There were moments where I had to look up, or put the book down and go outside because I was so deeply involved in the setting. I have never read a book, save for "Lord of the Flies", that has grabbed my attention this much.

For those that may not know, "A Scanner Darkly" takes place in the near future, in California, and it has to do with undercover cops going on covert missions to catch people doing a drug called substance D. The main character is a cop turned drug addict named Robert Arctor/Fred Arctor/Bruce. He goes through some stuff in this book. During his mission, he lives in a house with a few other addicts. He goes in as Fred, when he is still fully a cop, but he does so much substance D, he starts to believe that he is Bob. Basically, the drug manipulates his hemispheres in his brain into thinking he is 2 different people. I am not doing the book enough justice right now, but the way Dick describes it, it is perfect. As I said, I totally bought in. The stuff that Arctor goes through in the book is totally believable. We read about him trying to score drugs, dealing with shady roommates, dealing with being ripped off, going through good and bad trips. I mean, the way it is written is so wonderful. We also meet another character named Donna, who is also a cop on a covert mission to catch drug dealers. She and Bob are close buddies, although Bob wishes they were more. The back and forth between Bob and Fred is incredible. Fred is set to have Bob's house bugged so he can do 24 hour surveillance on him. This is when we start to see the split in the hemispheres affect him. He is called back for testing a few times because the other police officers he works with are starting to notice that he is losing it. These scenes in the book are masterfully written. Also, the way Dick writes about the trips these people go through while on substance D is 100 percent believable. I'm a person that has never done drugs, and there were multiple times when I told my wife that, after reading one of the chapters, I felt like I was on drugs. It was so descriptive, and I let myself fall into that world. It was pretty cool. When Bob/Fred/Bruce goes into rehab, the book takes a whole other turn that I did not see coming. I had forgotten how it ended, and I loved how it ended.

"A Scanner Darkly" is one of the best Sci Fi books ever written, and it is certainly one of Dick's best books. Maybe that is because he said before passing that this book was essentially about him and his friends when they were junkies. In fact, the end of the book, in the author's notes section, he talks about that very thing. He also names a bunch of his real life friends that are now either dead or have permanent brain/psychosis problems. It was astounding to see how many people were in there.

This book is old, but it is a classic. I highly recommend reading it if you haven't. Hell, I'd even say read it again if you have already read it. It is that great.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He was once addicted to the destructive drug known as High Fructose Corn Syrup. It was/is readily available for kids and adults. He got off the junk, and is much healthier for it.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

Donald Glover Owned the Night at the Emmy Awards

It is a shame that Teddy Perkins never got his emmy

So my subject for my piece today is a bit off the wall. I just wanted to put that out there before I really dug deep into what I want to talk about today.

I do not watch any awards shows. We live in an era where I just look up on my phone or computer the next day to see who won the awards that I have an interest in. Also, I find award shows tedious and boring. They go on for too long and some speeches are ridiculous, and the people I want to hear speak never seem to get the time that others do. I'm not a fan. All of it is just too much and too crazy. I do like to see who won some of the awards, as I said earlier. I knew that the Emmy's were on last night, due to Twitter and Facebook research, but I did not watch. When I woke up this morning, I reminded myself that I wanted to see who won some of the awards. But, I was greeted by some way, way cooler info when I searched on the internet about something that happened at the Emmy's last night.

So, as you all know very well by now, I think the show "Atlanta" is one of the very best things that has been on TV in some time. I also wrote an entire article attributed to their very best episode from this past season, "Teddy Perkins". It was one of the wildest, horrifying, scary, best acted and directed 40 minutes plus of TV that I have ever witnessed. I still think about that episode from time to time on the daily. It just sits with me. I have watched it multiple times too, trying to see things I missed, or just because it is so different and great from anything else on TV, including other great episodes of "Atlanta". "Teddy Perkins" has its own place in history as great television.

So, when I saw that someone, not Donald Glover, was dressed and sitting at the awards as Teddy Perkins last night, I was super intrigued. From what I have read, and watched in clips, it was just as weird and nuts as I hoped it would be. I mean, Teddy Perkins is a scary looking dude. So, to see someone dressed as him, sitting among TV's best actors and actresses, it was amazing. And, to hear his voice, see his creepy smile and check out the wild clothes he was wearing, it was a treat.

The more I have read and seen this morning, it makes me appreciate what Donald Glover continues to do, and how he continues to capitalize on this moment being his moment right now. Donald Glover is a genius. His music, as Childish Gambino, I cannot get enough of it. I have written, and will write more, about how great his musical career is/was. I have also made it abundantly clear how great of an actor, producer, writer and director I think he is. He is winning at everything he does lately. He is smart enough to know when to capitalize on a moment, and one of those moments was last night. "Atlanta" was up for a bunch of stuff. He knew there would be a ton of eyeballs on him, his show and people watching on their TV's at home. I'm sure he met with many of the people that work on the show with him, mainly Huro Murai, and they all decided that they needed to do something that would be talked about all night, the next day and the next day. So, they had someone go to the awards show dressed as the most memorable character from their best episode of last season. I mean, this is a big deal. I get why everyone is talking about it today, including me. Seeing Teddy Perkins at the awards last night makes me want to go out and watch that episode again today, which I probably will do.

This was a genius move of marketing. This was a genius way to keep his name, and his show, in the news. This was a genius piece of taking example of our current culture and just going with it. I love that Glover and his people did this. I love that the Teddy Perkins character was at the Emmy's and that is the first thing people are talking about when bringing up the show last night. I love this kind of guerrilla marketing that Glover and the people involved with "Atlanta" are doing right now. They are so far ahead of the curve, it is almost unfair to every other show.

Seeing Teddy Perkins at the Emmy’s was amazing, I will always remember this, and I'm so happy that a person I admire very much did something so cool and innovative at a major award sow last night. I know this isn't the first time, and it definitely won't be the last time, but my hat goes off to you once again Mr. Glover. You are a genius, and I am grateful that I get to enjoy all of your content. I cannot wait to see what you do next. But, this Teddy Perkins thing was a stroke of genius. I mean, wow.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He once played a computer in a play written by the Head Editor. At next year’s Emmys look for Ty to be rocking his Banana Jr 2000 cardboard box costume.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

Ty's NFL Quick Hits: Week 2

Week 2 of the NFL is just about in the books, the Bears and Seahawks play tonight, and I'm here with my quick hits from all the games yesterday. Lets get into it.

We had 8 games that kicked off art noon. There were some solid matchups there, and not so solid matchups. The Bills are clearly the worst team in the NFL. I mean, Vontae Davis, a corner on the team, retired at halftime, with the Bills down 22 points. Josh Allen had a big throw, and scrambled a bit, but other than that, he was pretty dreadful. He also didn't get much help from his line or run game. The Chargers were in complete control of that game from the get go. Melvin Gordon looked otherworldly, but so did Joe Flacco a week ago against the Bills. The Chargers dominated them, but so did the Ravens, so I do not know what to think about the Chargers.

Speaking of the Ravens, they got beat pretty easily when they played the Bengals on Thursday night. Joe Flacco was thrust back to Earth, and the Ravens run game was blah. The Bengals actually look a lot better than I thought they'd be. Andy Dalton is hitting AJ Green, the run game is working and the defense, while still incredibly dirty, is playing at a very high level. I do not know is Bengals fans like this, but enjoy it while you can. I feel like they will be crashing back down to Earth pretty soon.

The Chiefs have seemed to have found their QB of the future. Patrick Mahomes is on fire. He looks like the real deal. He has a laser arm and hits the open receiver every single time. They can also run the ball with Kareem Hunt. They do not play defense, which may come back to bite them, but for right now, their offense looks legit. Their opponent, the Steelers, look like they may be in trouble. They are horrible on defense. They were down 21 in the first quarter. They made a comeback in the second quarter, but they clearly miss LeVeon Bell. James Connor has done okay in his stead, but they need Bell. Also, Antonio Brown has not been the threat that I thought he was going to be so far. The Steelers need to sign Bell and fix their defense, or this could be a very, very long season.

Now lets get to the team that the Steelers tied in week one, the Browns. They had every single chance to beat the Saints in New Orleans. They had a 10 point lead late in the third, they were keeping Drew Brees in check, they slowed the game down to a snails pace, it was all there for them. Then their kicker happened. This poor dude missed 2 extra points and three field goals. I mean, the Browns offense could have done more, but still, if this kid made one of those extra points and one of those field goals, they would have had a legit win. But, they are the Browns, and they blew it.

The Dolphins might have us all wrong. Every writer, myself included, thought they might be the worst team in the NFL. Well, they are now 2-0 with a legit defense and an offense that looks like they can sustain drives. Maybe the Dolphins aren't so bad, and maybe the Jets are not the team we saw in week one.

Also, the Buccaneers, and mainly Ryan Fitzpatrick, are proving us all wrong too. This dude is playing on a whole other level. Next to Mahomes, he is the hottest QB in football right now. He is going to get paid. He shredded the Eagles stout defense. Also, what in the hell is wrong with the Eagles? Nick Foles looks to be a clear flash in the pan, and the defense looks like they did in the Super Bowl. Luckily for them, Carson Wentz is set to return next week. But damn, the Buccaneers might be legit.

The Falcons and Panthers played one of the most boring one score games I saw yesterday. Yes it was close and yes Matt Ryan and Cam Newton had their moments, but it just looked and felt like ugly football to me. The Falcons won, and it's clear that Newton needs help, but this game was not nearly as fun as I thought it would be.

The Texans are in trouble. Deshaun Watson doesn't look the same. Deandre Hopkins cannot get a call. Their run game is rough. The coaching is horrendous. I mean, how do you let a Titans team being QB'ed by Blaine Gabbart win a game? That was insane and wild to me. Watson did look better than in week one, but man oh man do the Texans look like they are in trouble. And good for the Titans. They won with a horrible QB, took a big risk on a punt fake and won the game on a field goal. Good for them.

The marquee matchup was the Packers-Vikings. This game was good. The Packers looked in control, but the Vikings kept fighting back. Aaron Rodgers looked okay on one leg. Kirk Cousins had an incredible second half. Both defenses played fairly well. Then the refs and the kickers got in the way. First off, that roughing the passer call on Clay Matthews was a joke. Even lifelong Vikings fans that I know said as much. I mean, what else is Matthews supposed to do? That was, in no possible way, roughing. It turned the game around. And then, Mason Crosby, who kicked pretty well, missed a 50 yarder in regulation to win. Then the Vikings kicker one upped him three times. Daniel Carlson may need to find a new team. He shanked a 35 yarded that would have won the game. He also missed two 45 plus yard field goals in regulation. It was a tough, tough game. And, of course, because the NFL's overtime rules are so lame, the game ended in a tie. That is so ridiculous. Football games should never, ever end in ties. Both teams looked dumbfounded. It was such a hollow ending to a pretty solid game. The NFL needs to change some things up.

As far as the late afternoon and night games, the best one was the Jags and Patriots. The Lions got beat by the 49ers. And while that game was close, the Lions look really bad once again. I think Matt Patricia is a terrible head coach. And the 49ers took control of all of that. The Rams throttled the Cardinals. The Rams look like legit Super Bowl contenders, and the Cardinals have a ton of problems. First and foremost, Sam Bradford. I think yesterday was a loud call to let Josh Rosen take over. And the Raiders-Broncos game was a test of futility. Both those teams stink.

Now for my predicted Super Bowl Champs. The Jags look like they may be taking over for the Patriots as the best team in the AFC. They looked faster, they are younger, they won with a backup running back, Blake Bortles looked like a top 5 QB, the defense thwarted anything the Patriots tried. The Jags are good, and I hope this game makes people take notice. Yes, it was in Jacksonville, but they dominated that game from start to finish. They look like the real deal. Blake Bortles may never play that well again, but that defense will play like that all year. They are great.

As far as the night game, the Cowboys and Giants, I did not watch a second of it. Both of those teams are meaningless to me, and the NFL I'm pretty sure. Sure the Cowboys won, and the Giants looked pretty bad, but wasn't that expected? I mean, the Cowboys have 6 or 7 wins written all over them, and the Giants look like one of the worst teams in the NFL. Everything I read about that game last night did not change my mind.

There you have it, my week 2 takes. The biggest takeaways I have, the Packers got screwed, the Rams are as potent an offense as there is in the NFL and the Jags are the real deal.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Another damn tie has Ty tied up in emotional knots. Even the head editor (a Vikings fan) knows that Green Bay got screwed. Maybe with the refs on their side, this is Minnesota’s year.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

I've Got 15 Things to Say About this Serena Williams Naomi Osaka US Open Final

Like many others, I have some… thoughts on the whole Serena Williams/Carlos Ramos/US Open Final kerfluffle.  The universe (especially the Twitter-verse) is awash in incredibly simplistic takes.  These fall into two very shouty camps.  I’ll paraphrase briefly.  Camp Ramos:  “The umpire was completely right, Serena Williams was being a bully and a brat and how dare she sully the sanctity of our sport with her “thuggish” (subtext: black) behavior.”  Camp Serena:  “Carlos Ramos, the USTA and everybody is totally sexist and racist and DON’T YOU DARE criticize Serena because she is heroic and perfect and always right about everything.”

Frankly, the only person who got out of this unscathed is US Open Champ Naomi Osaka, who seems like a charming young woman who played breathtaking, dominant tennis for 2 weeks, and does not deserve to have her moment overshadowed by this.

Unlike many (most?) of the Hot-Takers mentioned above, I actually watched this disaster unfold in real time, not just reviewing the highlights.  So let’s all take a breath, and realize that many things can be true at once.  I’ll list out some of these true things here:

1.       Serena Williams has been subject to a lot of racism.  There are too many examples to list, but the recent dress code announcement by Roland Garros was the latest.  She and her sister weren’t the first black tennis players, even in the modern game, but they are of a different stripe.  They weren’t raised by well-off upper class parents like Chanda Rubin, or James Blake, or more recently, Sloane Stephens.  They brought with them some cultural stuff that a sport like tennis did not accept without a lot of growing pains.

2.       I’m not black.  I can’t begin to understand what the Williams sisters’ success (and Serena’s in particular) mean to the broader black community.  I am a woman of color, but I realize it’s not the same.  I understand the instinctive defense of Serena when she seems to be under siege. 

3.       Carlos Ramos is an umpire with a solid reputation.  He has officiated finals at all four Slams without incident.  He is fair and professional, but does have a reputation for being strict.  He has called time and coaching violations on Nadal, Djokovic, and many others.  Saturday’s coaching violation shouldn’t have been totally unexpected.

4.       Nothing happens in a vacuum.  Earlier this tournament, Mohammed Lahyani caused an officiating stir of his own, when he climbed down from his umpire perch to give a pep talk to a tanking Nick Kyrgios.  The uproar was instantaneous, and the consensus was that Lahyani was too accommodating with Kyrgios.  He was subsequently relegated to outer court doubles matches.  I’m sure Ramos was aware, and that may have factored into his decision to play it totally straight and not give any “leniency” to any player, no matter how famous.

5.       By the letter of the law, Ramos was totally in the right.  Whether you agree with these rules or not, coaching is illegal.  Racquet abuse is illegal.  Personal insults at the chair are illegal.  Code violations accrue.  Strike one, warning.  Strike two, point penalty.  Strike three, game penalty.  And on and on.  John McEnroe was once defaulted from the Australian Open for verbal abuse of an umpire.  Serena is not new here.  She knows the rules.  Maybe better than most, since in 2009, she lost to Kim Clijsters by getting a code violation on a match point.  (More on that later.)

6.       As a practical matter, Ramos DID have some leeway in how he dealt with the situation.  He could have given her a “soft” coaching warning, without it being an official code violation.  During her extended rant, he could have warned her about an impending game penalty if she kept attacking his character.  He could have, but he didn’t, and now here we are.

7.       Serena’s character was not impugned by Ramos.  First off, the behavior that was flagged was her coach’s.  Said coach, Patrick Mourataglou, admitting he was coaching.  Secondly, there’s no stigma attached (probably because, as Patrick noted, everyone does it).  It’s like speeding.  It’s illegal, it sucks to get caught, everybody does it, and nobody thinks you’re a horrible person because of it.  For Serena to blow it up into a personal attack on her integrity and character is ridiculous.

8.       Naomi Osaka’s win does not have an asterisk next to it, so people can just stop with that right now.  Osaka outplayed Williams from the get.  The reason Patrick was signaling in the first place was because Serena was getting beaten.  The racquet smash was precipitated by Osaka breaking Serena’s serve.  The extended rant at the chair was preceded by another service break.  She was losing, and didn’t have an answer.  The game penalty awarded to Osaka was on Osaka’s service game, which she had been holding fairly easily anyway.

9.       Serena has a pattern at the US Open of blowing up at officials when she’s losing.  See above, re: Clijsters in 2009.  Also, she was very much losing the 2011 final to Sam Stosur when she was legitimately called for a hindrance, and she yelled at the umpire again.  And again in 2018.  Three times is a pattern, and it doesn’t reflect well on Serena.

10.   Naomi Osaka handled the pressure like a boss.  First off, she came out fearless and swinging away against a 23 time champ, her idol, and the ESPN narrative favorite.  Later in the match, she handled Serena’s increasingly graceless behavior with her typical poker face.  At 5-3, after a lengthy and emotional interruption in the match, she basically let Serena have her service game, and then calmly and coolly served out the match at 5-4, throwing in a couple of totally unreturnable serves for good measure.  Those are the nerves of a future Hall of Famer.

11.   There is much to admire about Serena Williams.  As noted before, she’s dealt with a lot of ugly behavior from a lot of quarters over her years.  She’s had two brushes with death and been remarkably candid about motherhood and childbirth.  She works harder than anyone else on the tour.  She’s a 23 time Grand Slam champ, not just through talent, but though grit and determination and hard work.  She’s the toughest competitor on the tour.  Even when she’s down, it’s often foolish to count her out.  In recent years, her fiery persona has been tempered by maturity and little more graciousness and sportsmanship.  Again, there’s a LOT to admire.

12.   Little of this was on display on Saturday.  Serena behaved appallingly.  She stole the moment from Naomi Osaka, and made that match and the narrative about herself.  Even her supposedly “gracious” moment, telling the crowd to stop booing, was followed by a “We’ll get through this.”  Again, Serena, it’s not about you.  A truly gracious speech would have noted Osaka’s brilliant play, and asked the crowd to cheer her win.  Maybe it’s too much to ask for Serena to have her head together enough to do that, but asking the crowd to stop booing is pretty much the LEAST she could have done. (The one moment that touched me was the sisterly and protective way she put her arm around Osaka.  I’m not made of stone, people.) 

13.   The Arthur Ashe crowd should feel shame.  Even if you’re booing Carlos Ramos and the USTA, how do you think Osaka felt?  It broke my heart when Osaka apologized for winning.  She just won the biggest match of her life, and you people make her APOLOGIZE?  I have never heard anyone apologize for winning a sports championship.  No way.  Naomi, you have nothing to apologize for.  You deserve it, congratulations, and here’s to many more.

14.   ESPN, Chase, Nike, the USTA, and all the other sponsors and Serena boosters should also feel shame.  They contributed to this environment by making the whole two weeks all about Serena’s comeback/dominance/invincibility, etc.  When that narrative was shattered by Osaka’s exceptional play, neither Serena nor the crowd could handle it emotionally.

15.   The USTA and WTA’s subsequent statements are awful.  They have fully thrown Carlos Ramos under the bus, and I think they should have backed him up.  In sports officiating, I’m a proponent of enforcing the rules as written.  If you don’t want a rule enforced, change it.  In the final analysis, Ramos followed the rules as written, and was punished for it.  That’s totally unfair to the entire officiating community.  What happens next, when Maria Sharapova or Rafa Nadal or another big name throws a tantrum?  The official message to umpires is now “disregard the rules and let it go, because the minute there’s public outcry, we won’t support you.”  That’s bullshit.

As I said before, all of these things are true, and they don’t contradict each other.  It’s possible to recognize that Ramos did his job, and still think that the rules are silly.  It’s possible to have great admiration and respect for Serena, and still think she behaved very badly during the final.   It’s possible for the crowd to get wrapped up in ESPN’s narrative, and still behave gracefully when the outcome doesn’t match up.  It’s possible to think Naomi Osaka is totally awesome and… there’s nothing else to say about that! 

Sorry, I do have one more thing to say. Congrats to Naomi Osaka, future Hall of Famer.

Tina S

Tina is a sometime contributor to SeedSing and occasional guest on the X Millennial Man Podcast. Want to hear what Tina has to say on the topic of the 2018 tennis Grand Slam Season? Check out the latest edition of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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

What the Hell is Thibodeau Doing with the Timberwolves?

With the recent NBA news that Loul Deng was bought out by the Lakers and then signed by the Timberwolves, I just cannot help but wonder will happen, now that Joakim Noah is about to be released by the Knicks. I'm not the first person that has noticed that the Timberwolves team this coming season look a lot like the Bulls did in the early 2010's, when Tom Thibodeau was the head coach there. If he signs Joakim Noah, or even thinks about it, I will be all out on the Timberwolves.

Look, I have made it pretty clear that I have struggled to find an NBA team to root for since KD left the Thunder and signed with the Warriors. I eventually decided on the Suns, as I wrote awhile back, but for a moment, the team I was going to choose was going to be Minnesota. I had a history, what with Kevin Garnett being one of my all time favorite players while he was there, and I loved the young talent they had. They then let Ricky Rubio go. I know that they had to. He had run his course, and they needed to free up space for better, scoring point guards. They also traded Kevin Love, which I was also fine with because they got Andrew Wiggins and I felt like he was going to be a solid building block. Then they had the number one pick a few years back, and they took Karl AnthonTay-Towns, who I am a big, big fan of, and it just seemed like a good time to stick up for them. Even when they hired Thibodeau, which I wasn't a fan of, and then traded for Jimmy Butler, which I really liked, I was about to go fully on board with my fandom.

Then, they went out and signed Taj Gibson. I have nothing against Gibson, he seems to be a great team and locker room guy, but his best playing days are far behind him. He played his best when he was last coached by Thibodeau on the Bulls. That was about 5 years ago.

The Timberwolves then, after the Knicks dumped him, inexplicably signed Derrick Rose. Derrick Rose was once great. He won an MVP award. He had flashes where he looked like the next big star. But, he got derailed by two horrible knee injuries. He hen started to make wild claims in New York. He then disappeared for no reason while a Knick. He did the exact same thing when Cleveland signed him a year later. Derrick Rose is clearly not the athlete he once was, and there is certainly something mentally wrong with him. But Tom Thibodeau ignored all of the things we all see, and signed him anyway, and then kept him this offseason.

Now, he has decided to bring on Luol Deng. Deng is like Gibson. He was once a solid NBA bench contributor. He did things that helped the mid 2010 Bulls win games. But, he barely saw the floor last year. The Lakers did almost everything they could to get rid of him last year. His best days are clearly far, far behind him. But, Tom Thibodeau wanted to get the band back together as they say.

So, this whole meme and blog generation, and yes, that includes me, have started to call the "new look" Timberwolves, the Timberbulls. I mean, they now have Deng, Rose Gibson and Butler. Butler is the only one worth having, and he wants out. Go read some of his recent interviews, or just look at the fact that he opted to not sign a mega extension. But it doesn't seem like Thibodeau cares. And now, with Noah out there, I wouldn't be shocked if Thibs gets the itch to sign him. That would be horrible. How any of this fits, with Butler being the exception, with guys like Jeff Teague, Wiggins, KAT, is way beyond me. I feel like Thibodeau is a lesser version of Doc Rivers. He likes guys that used to be good on his teams, or against him, no matter how far past their primes they may be.

The only thing these signings, and the possibility of a Noah signing, does is push back the growth of their young stars. Wiggins hasn’t hit his stride, but he still can. Now though, he has to split time with Derrick Rose. Jeff Teague has proven himself a quality NBA point guard, but he also has to split time with Rose. KAT should be “the guy” for the Timberwolves, but Thibodeau is going to throw Luol Deng, Taj Gibson and, if he signs him, Joakim Noah out there to only stunt KAT’s growth. I wanted to like the Timberwolves. I wanted to be a fan. But, with what GM Thibs has done, I just cannot. He is signing over the hill has beens to play with budding stars. He is going to ruin the young players on this team, just so he can have some former Bulls around him.

What a waste.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is a great GM and has NBA 2K rosters to prove it. Call him up T’Wolves.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

Some Appreciation for the Underappreciated Andy Daly

Where is Daly’s damn emmy?

Sometimes on the site I like to point out an actor that did a good job in a movie, has had a solid career or someone more people should know about, someone I deem underrated. Today I will again talk about an underrated actor.

The actor I speak of is Andy Daly. For those of you who may not know who he is, I promise you, you know, or at least have seen him on your TV. For those of you that do know him, you’re probably calling me crazy right now. You probably think he is a person that most people know. Well, people in my circle of friends, people who’s movie and TV tastes I trust, have no idea who Daly is. So, I don’t think it’s too far fetched to say he’s underrated.

I first became fully aware of Daly when I started to watch the great, great show, “Eastbound and Down”. He played the principal of the high school that McBride went back to to teach gym. Daly was perfectly cast as the low key, pushover fiancé of McBride’s high school girlfriend. He had this quiet, yet dark comic timing that was tremendous for the show. There is an episode, the one where he does the triathlon, and then tries to knock McBride out with chloroform, were his dark comedic acting is on full display.

After watching him on “Eastbound and Down”, I wanted to find more stuff with Daly. The easiest way to find him, at that time, was on podcasts, mainly, “Comedy Bang! Bang!”. He always played some weird and wild characters on that show. There were some classics if you listen to him on the back catalog. And anytime he and Jason Mantzoukas were paired up, it was a gem.

Through this, I suppose, he started to show up on TV shows here and there. I remember that he was a Ben Franklin impersonator on “The Office”. That was a great episode made even better by his presence. I know he was on the original run of “Mad TV”, and that show was okay when it first came out. He was uproarious in the very under appreciated “Semi Pro”. He was always clutch when he showed up on “Reno 911”. He was perfect for the Jon Glaser show, “Delocated”. His one episode of both, “The Kroll Show” and “Playing House” made those episodes even funnier. The 2 episodes of one of my favorite shows, “The League” were better because of him. He’s just as funny on the “CBB” show as he was on the podcast. Hell, even his smallish role on “Modern Family” made the later years of that show watchable. He is also great on another show I adore, “Trial and Error”.

“Review” is what should have made him a household name. That show is going to go down in history as a one of a kind gem. There is, and maybe never will be, another show as bizarre, disastrous, hilarious and perfect as “Review”. It is, easily, one of the best shows of the 21st century. It is great. It really let Andy Daly shine. It was his vehicle, and he got to drive it with little to no questions or notes. I loved that show so much. I wish it was still on. I need more than just 3 seasons.

From “Review” I gained a whole new level of respect for Daly. I now listen to any podcast he’s on first when his name shows up. I am so thankful that Earwolf put the second season of his own podcast, “The Andy Daly Podcast Pilot Project” out for free. That podcast rules. Also, remember at the top when I said you know, or have seen him, even if you think you don’t? He’s the spokesman for Car Max, and I have to say, I like those commercials simply because he’s in them. He makes them funny.

Andy Daly is a comic genius. He deserves to be regarded as such. I cannot wait to see what he does next. Seriously people, go check out his work. You will love it, as long as you go in open minded, especially with a show like “Review”. Andy Daly is awesome. It’s time everyone knows it.

Ty

Baseball Needs Shohei Ohtani

I know that I am not the big baseball guy on the site, but I want to talk about the Shohei Ohtani news, that he may need Tommy John surgery.

This is a real bummer to me. Again, I do not watch baseball at all, especially right now since football is in full time swing. But, I was looking at Bleacher Report the other day and saw that Ohtani may need the dreaded surgery for pitchers. Now, he has had a very solid season, at least from what I read, both pitching, but more so hitting. He has a decent amount of home runs, he has a decent average and has a good amount of RBI's. As far as pitching, he was doing fine. If you look at him as a rookie, which he is, he has had a very solid pitching season. He has missed a good amount of time, but who doesn't in baseball these days. Also, every star player is treated with kid gloves, so they don't burn out right away.

I had very high hopes for Ohtani, and he was kind of living up to them. I mean, no one really got to see him because he plays on a middling AL team, that is perpetually stuck at, or below .500. He plays on a team that has the best player in baseball, Mike Trout, and they have Albert Pujols, who is coming up on some iconic numbers as a hitter. But, the Angels are like the Chargers of the MLB. They are always the team that is the "sleeper", and they always stumble. I feel real bad for Trout because he is being completely wasted there, and I fear the same is going to happen to Ohtani.

My main point for my piece today, I think maybe the Angels pushed him a bit too much. I know I said that new stars get treated like kids, but they allowed Ohtani to play both. This was exciting to a guy like me, that never really watches baseball, but how was this good for their franchise, I will never know. They should have played him in the outfield, in my opinion, then on the rare, rare occasion that they needed a pitcher, preferably in relief, then they could let Ohtani pitch. I feel like this would have best utilized his unique skill set, and helped this team actually matter when September and October come around. Case and point, a day or two after the diagnosis of Tommy John, Ohtani played, and he hit 2 home runs. The guy can swing the bat. He has proven that he can hit major league pitchers, and hit them deep. He has proven his prowess in the field. Also, if you want to save his arm play him at DH. The Angles are an AL team and they have the DH, so why not? I mean, it would have fit perfectly with my idea to only pitch him in a needed basis.

Whatever the reason, people say Ohtani need this surgery. Who knows what he will do, and what will happen from here on out. I personally hope he doesn't get it. I want him to become a full time DH, and find a way to heal his arm without having this 10-12 recovery period from this surgery. If he does opt for surgery, I feel sorry for Angels fans and hardcore baseball fans. Ohtani has this special ability to hit and pitch at one of the highest levels of baseball. And not only can he just do both, he is very good at both. If he gets Tommy John, these fans will miss a year plus of getting to watch him play. That is a drag. And, who knows how he will play when he gets back. The last person I remember with big time expectations that had to get Tommy John was Stephen Strasburg. Now, he is strictly a pitcher, but people expected the world of him. He then had the surgery, and while he is a fine MLB pitcher, he is not the threat that he was supposed to be. He is a 13-15 win guy with a 3 plus ERA. Everyone expected him to be the next Nolan Ryan, but after Tommy John, he is just another mid level starter on a supposed good team. He isn't even the best pitcher on his team now. I don't want that for Ohtani.

I personally want Ohtani to continue to play. He is one of the very few reasons I even know about baseball right now. I have checked on him occasionally because I was genuinely curious. That hasn't happened with a baseball player for me for a long while. I hope he continues to play as a DH. I hope he finishes out the season and finds a way to avoid Tommy John. I just want him to be on a baseball field next year, as opposed to him rehabbing after a surgery.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He used to pitch and hit for his baseball team. Unfortunately Ty had surgery and his career ended. It was wisdom teeth surgery, and Ty was 20 years old. What could have been?

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

Ty Watches "Last Chance U" Season 3

I just finished up season 3 of “Last Chance U”. They did the right thing, changing which school they highlighted, and I have to say, it is still totally worth a watch. Now, I will say, it definitely helps to be a football fan, but it’s not completely necessary. There are human stories outside of the sport that are told this season. They get into anxiety, pressures of being high profiled athletes, depression, anger, struggles growing up and academic problems, just to name a few things outside of football. But, football is the primary source material, as it was in the first 2 seasons. It was no secret that I personally soured on East Mississippi Community College, and mainly their coach, Buddy Stephens. That dude is a piece of work. I felt like 2 seasons there was plenty.

In the third season they chose Independence Community College in Kansas. ICC was notorious for how bad they were. Up until 2 years ago, they had not won a game in almost three full seasons. Not only had they not won, they were the worst team in their conference. They were the team that everyone else beat, and beat bad.

Two years ago ICC went out and hired a guy named Jason Brown. This dude is wild. He is a white dude that was raised in Compton. He grew up tough, and he acts tough. He is a no nonsense, take no prisoners type of guy. He’s big, loud and knows he’s in charge. He also has a reputation of turning programs around. He did it for a few high schools in California. He then became a coordinator for some JUCO’s in Long Beach. He also became a notorious hot head, and could never keep a job for more than one year. But, he has managed to stick around at ICC. The people of the town like him, and he has turned that team around. In his first season they had a .500 record. This past season, they won the conference for the first time since 1987, and won their first bowl game ever.

The recent success ICC has as much to do with the players as it does with Jason Brown. There was a new rule that was also introduced where any team in the Jayhawk Conference could recruit as many players as they want from any state. That is Brown’s specialty. That dude can recruit. He signed 30 plus players, a bunch of which were former 4 and 5 star recruits. He got this kid Malik Henry who was the top QB in his class and was dismissed from Florida State. He had 2 running backs, Kingston Davis and Rakeem Boyd, both who either left or were dismissed from Michigan and Texas A&M. He had a receiver, Calvin Thompson, who was a return specialist and slot receiver at Texas Tech before getting dismissed for a violation of team rules. He then had a bunch of kids that were good enough to go division one, but due to many different circumstances, had to settle for JUCO.

So, we have the same plot as the first 2 seasons, but with newer, more fun people. Brown is way more fun than Buddy Stephens. The running backs, especially Boyd, were more committed to the sport. Thompson was the star of this season. I’m actively rooting for that kid to make it. Some of the lesser known players, namely Emmit Gooden and Jamal Scott, just had better stories. Bobby Bruce is another kid that has a way better story than any player from the first 2 seasons. The only real similarities were at QB. The QB’s at both schools had big heads, complained too much and were super, super talented. That was it.

I had a lot more fun with season 3. I’m sure it’s due to a ton of different things. It was a fresh school. There were fresh faces. This season felt more real. The people seemed more genuine. The stories were just better. There was a particular episode that chronicled a bunch of players and coaches personal upbringings. This was the best season yet.

I’m glad “Last Chance U” came back. I’m glad they changed the scenery. I like the new people a lot. Maybe that will all change after the fourth season, but for now, this show is great. I highly recommend checking it out. It is well worth your time.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He went to a small trade school in St. Louis, and they had a few guys play pick up football on the weekends. What we are saying is that there is a chance to film next season in Ty’s hometown.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

Ty's NFL Quick Hits: Week 1

Every Monday during the NFL season I want to do some quick hits. I want to talk about my reactions, my highlights, my lowlights and just give my own top teams and players. With it being Monday, I will not talk about the Monday night game, and I will not preview the game as well. So, with that being said, lets get to it.

Yesterday was the start to the season. I know we had a game Thursday night, but come on, Thursday night's game was awful. The Falcons and Eagles still need a few weeks before they are the teams they are going to be. And, that is exactly how I viewed the games yesterday. Yes, there are a few teams that we should already know how good or bad they are, but in reality, there are still about 30 teams that I don't have a full grasp on yet, and I probably won't for about 4 or 5 more weeks.

With that said, the Bills are horrendous. They got absolutely smoked by the Ravens yesterday. I know the Ravens have a solid defense, and a good running back, but Joe Flacco looked like a top 5 QB, and that was all because of the Bills awful defense. Flacco was out there throwing dimes and hitting the open guy all game. Alex Collins, the running back, didn't even have to do too much. The Ravens defense also swallowed everything the Bills tried on offense. First off, I cannot believe they started Nathan Petermann. I mean, how is this guy on a roster? How is he a starter? Why did the Bills let Tyrod Taylor go so this mediocre dude could be their QB? None of it makes sense. And, as predicted by everyone, the Bills took him out very early and went to Josh Allen. He didn't fare much better. Allen is going to be a bust. I'm about 99 percent certain of this. That game was awful, and spoke volumes about the Bills. They may be worse than the Browns.

Speaking of the Browns, they didn't lose yesterday, but they also didn't win. I don't know if that says more about them or their opponent, the Steelers. The Browns are not a good offensive team. They have an okay, up and coming defense. But, their offense is real bad. The Steelers are the opposite. They, at least on paper, are supposed to have an electric offense. I mean, I picked them to go to the AFC title game. Now, I know that Le’Veon Bell wasn't playing yesterday, but his backup, James Connor, went off. He had over 130 rushing yards and 2 TD's. He also had about 50 receiving yards. He played great. But, Antonio Brown was relatively quiet. Ju Ju Smith Schuster had an okay game, but nothing spectacular. The tight ends were very blah. And Ben Roesthilberger was dreadful. I feel like he is done. I kind of felt that way last season, but he looked real, real bad yesterday. This actually makes me happy because that dude is a creep, and he doesn't deserve anything positive said about him. I feel like this tie game was solely on him. He stunk up the joint. To go back to the Browns real quick though, they acted excited because they tied the Steelers. That is embarrassing. They have won 1 game over the past 2 years, and they are happy with a tie? Get the hell out of here. I still think they stink. Tyrod Taylor is a good QB, but he doesn't really have anything else. This team is bad.

The Chiefs looked wonderful yesterday. Patrick Malhomes looked awesome. He might be the real deal. Kareem Hunt looked just as good as he did last year. Their defense was bad though, real bad. They had that game sewn up early in the fourth, but they let the Chargers get back into the game. Also, the Chiefs started off super hot last year, and we all saw how that ended. So, I do not put a ton of stock in their win yesterday. Also, the Chargers are still the Chargers. People please, please stop picking them as your "sleeper" team. Please stop saying they are on the cusp. They are who we thought they were to quote the late great Dennis Green.

The Buccaneers need to cut Jameis Winston now and go with Ryan Fitzpatrick. He looked incredible and actually got the ball to guys like Mike Evans in prime position to score. Also, Alvin Kamara is the new best multi purpose back in the league, Drew Brees can still throw the ball, and what in the hell happened to the revamped Saint defense? They could not stop a thing. I think they will fix what ailed them last year, but they need to be better to compete in their hyper tough conference.

The Panthers and Cowboys game was ugly and boring. Ezekial Elliot looks like a flash in the pan. Dak Prescott, who I like, may be best as a backup and their defense is mediocre. As far as the Panthers, Cam Newton needs help. He will try to do it all, but he needs help. He needs weapons around him. At least their defense is sound and physical.

To finish it all up for today, I have to talk about the Packer game last night. They looked so so so bad in the first half. On the other side of that coin, the Bears looked great. Mitch Trubisky was making throws. Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen were doing their thing. And my god, Khalil Mack was dominant. He was totally worth all those picks for that trade. They looked to have that game wrapped up. I continued to watch because I am a glutton for punishment when it comes to the teams I root for. So, when Aaron Rodgers went down, and was carted off the field, I was certain they were done, especially after Mack got that pick 6. But, Rodgers came back in the second half, and then the pass to Geronimo Alison happened. That was a beautiful throw and an even better catch. That was when my hope came back that the Packers could win. Rodgers then threw a TD to Davante Adams to cut the lead to three. The Bears answered with a field goal, but that was about all they could muster in the second half. They looked like a completely different team. They looked content with winning a half, not a game. So, when the Packers got the ball back, I thought they could win. Then a 75 yard pass to Randall Cobb pretty much sealed the deal. The Packers came all the way back and won. I was happy for a minute, then I got a little concerned. Yes, they won. Yes, Rodgers looked amazing. Yes, the receivers were tremendous. But, the defense looked bad all night. They have no contain, and they got carved up for a half by Mitch Trubisky. Also, they need Aaron Rodgers. If he goes down, this team is done. They have no backup plan. Hopefully they will explore Colin Kaepernick. He would be ideal to play behind Rodgers. They also need a real run game. Jamal Williams had moments, but he is young and green. Ty Montgomery needs to be a slot receiver and returner, not a running back. But, I do appreciate his willingness to play the position. The Packers need a real running game. So while I am happy with the win, I still have plenty of concerns.

These are some of my thoughts my week one. I'm pretty stoked that football is back.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is not happy or sad for the Browns. His emotions are a tie, that is what Cleveland seems to want.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

Le'Veon Bell Deserves to Get Paid

With the NFL season kicking off last night, and pretty much all of the other games kicking off Sunday afternoon, I feel the need to weigh in on the Le'Veon Bell holdout. I've done my whole preview and picks and all that stuff, so I do not need to touch on that again. Today is all about one player.

This Bell holdout has become a very hot topic issue. His lineman are calling him out. Others are in support of what he is doing. He is going to miss out on a big chunk of money if he misses multiple games. His coaches are frustrated. This is what he has done the past couple seasons, but he has always showed up right before the season starts. That doesn't seem to be the case this year though. It looks like he is more than willing to miss upwards of 10 games to prove his point.

Now, I have 2 different thoughts on the holdout. My first one is short. I feel like he is letting his teammates down just a bit. He wouldn't be the running back he is without the help of his O line, and Antonio Brown. Those dudes give him many opportunities that other running backs can only dream of. If he owes anything to anybody, those are the 6 guys that deserve to know what he is doing.

Now, for my biggest point, and, I cannot believe I'm siding with Bell here, he is doing the right thing. He has been the do it all back for the Steelers for the past 4 years now. He carries the ball 250-300 times a year. He also makes multiple catches out of the backfield and makes things happen. He is as patient a runner as I have seen. He is the only current back that helps his line by waiting for them to get in position to block. Some guys are a bit too fast when they see a hole, or too slow to get to an open hole. Bell waits on it, then makes something happen. He has prolonged their sexual assaulter of a QB career much longer than it should have been. That rapist, alleged, can just turn around and hand the ball off to bell 30 times a game and save himself from getting hit. Bell has taken some licks over the past 4 years. When he does get hit, he gets hit hard sometimes. He falls forward a lot, but that still takes a toll on a player that is used as much as him. He helps Antonio Brown, Ju Ju Smith Schuscter, and whoever they have at tight end, face single coverage when he goes out for a pass. The fact that a player like Brown can face single coverage when Bell goes out for a pass, that is enormous for this team. He is the best wideout in football, and single coverage on him is a death sentence for the corner that has to deal with that. That only happens when Bell is out there, going out for a pass. So his plan to holdout, and wait for free agency, I have absolutely no problem with him doing this.

It is a widely known fact that the NFL is toughest on its players. They use you up, and when you are no longer of use to your first team, they cut you or trade you. They will get rid of you the moment you show a slip, or someone younger comes along. Coaches are, in fact, praised for doing such things. So for Bell to holdout, and try and get his, I have zero issue. He deserves to get paid. He has done a ton for the Steelers franchise. He has help to make them relevant and a perennial playoff contender when he is out there. But, the moment he gets hurt, or shows signs of slowing down, they will cut him. He needs to get his money, hopefully guaranteed in his case, right now. His positon, running back, is a dying position in the NFL. LeVeon Bell might be the best of the new era of backs, guy that can rush for 1,200-1,500 yards and catch 50 plus balls. So the fact that the Steelers won't pay him, I say continue your holdout. Wait until some team, be it the Steelers or another team pays you. You deserve a big contract Mr. Bell. The NFL is a brutal, brutal business, and you should get your money however, and whenever you can.

I know if Bell sits 10 games, the Steelers will have to pay him franchise money. I'd say do that, unless they give him what he wants. He can do the same if the Steelers want to continue this stupid game of chicken next season. So, while I think he owes his line and Brown a reason why, I do not think he owes the Steelers a god damn thing. They will just use him and spit him out. So, wait and get your money Le'Veon Bell. You deserve to get paid.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is the franchise player for us here at SeedSing. We will not tolerate a holdout. Hopefully Ty knows this.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

Ty Watches "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" Season 13 Premiere

Last night the 13th season of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" premiered. Now, I am going to go about this as spoiler free as possible, but I apologize if one or two things get in here that seem like a spoiler.

I was very much looking forward/skeptical of the premiere last night. I was excited because I love "IASIP". It is one of the best shows that has ever been on TV. It is my generation's "Seinfeld", except "The Gang" is filled with people that are much more monstrous than anyone on "Seinfeld". It is a classic. But, I was skeptical because of how the 12th season ended. This may be a minor spoiler, but Dennis left the gang at the end of last season. He found out he was a dad and he moved to one of the Dakota's to help take care of the kid. So, it was up in the air if Dennis would be back for the 13th season. No one really knew, and the writers and actors tried their best to misdirect fans and viewers, which I appreciate. Also, Glenn Howerton has another show that he is starring on right now, the very underrated "A.P. Bio", and he didn't really let anyone know if he was coming back.

Another thing that didn't get near the attention that is should have, the waitress and Charlie became a couple at the end of the last season as well. I wasn't thrilled about this either because I loved the back and forth between the 2 actors, especially since they are married in real life. Their interactions were some of the funniest parts of the show. The whole musical episode, "The Nightman Cometh", was such a great representation of their character's relationship on the show. So, I didn't know if I would like how they handled that news.

In typical "IASIP" fashion, they handled everything with ease, and it was hilarious. The whole Charlie and the waitress new relationship totally turned. The waitress was now nagging Charlie. She constantly called him. He felt bothered by her. He took it upon himself to find a "companion" for her so she had someone to talk to while he was at work. This, of course, backfired on Charlie, and it all worked to perfection. The break up scene between them was wonderful. I was howling.

As far as the Dennis departure, once again, they handled it great. When the episode opened, we hear a woman's voice, and she is giving a speech. The voice is revealed to be Mindy Kaling's. She is basically Dennis' replacement. She seems nice on the surface, but she does some shady stuff in the episode. She is a smarter, more updated version of Dennis. She knows how to manipulate people, but she tries to get the gang involved, instead of demeaning and degrading them. While having a meeting, it is revealed, and this is not a spoiler, it was all over the commercials, Mac gets a package, and it turns out to be a sex doll that look EXACTLY like Dennis. He got it, he tells the gang, because Mindy Kaling's character, Cindy, tells him, in his words, "he needs to fill the Dennis shaped hole in his life". She didn't say that exactly, but with Mac finally coming out of the closet last season, it was a perfect response from him. The stuff with the Dennis sex doll that happens throughout the episode is all gold. The stuff with Mac is great. The fact that they start to hear it talk to them all, except Cindy, is even better. Seeing a Dennis sex doll at a strip club with everyone else, hilarious. It was amazing.

When the gang finally fully buys into the fact that Dennis is gone, and they need to accept Cindy, a big twist comes at the end. I'm not going to say what happens, but it is a very obvious twist. After watching the premiere, I am very excited to see where they go from here.

This premiere more than exceeded my expectations. I don't know why I doubted it. These people that work on this show are awesome. I should have expected greatness. I'm so glad "IASIP" is back, and I hope the rest of this season is just as good as the premiere. "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" rules.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is with Mac and Charlie in not understanding why conservatives would want to drink something that liberals tear. That makes no damn sense.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

Nike and Kaepernick are Awesome

You do my name well sneaker people

I have always, and will always, be a Nike guy. I know I’ve written about Brooks running shoes, and how great they are, but Nike’s are still the best shoes I’ve ever worn. They’re the most comfortable. They’re the most durable. They look the coolest. And they always up the game in style.

Nike’s rule.

That is why I am so very, very happy that they are siding with Colin Kaepernick. The new ad campaign for their 30th anniversary features Kaepernick, and I couldn’t be more ecstatic. This is a great, savvy move by an extremely smart company.

Now, I understand all the stories about child labor and poor work conditions and low pay. I’m well aware of that. But, I want everyone that talks about that to look at what products they wear, and try to justify their company’s working conditions. Sure, Tom’s shoes donate a pair for every pair bought, but I bet their factories that make shoes aren’t much better than Nike. I’m sure companies like Patagonia and Brooks and North Face and Reebok and Adidas all have shady business deals. I know for a fact that the idiot that owns Under Armour is a big fan of that moron in the White House right now. So all the talk of Nike’s poor work conditions, I throw all that out as nonsense.

What sets Nike apart is their willingness to strike a nerve, and I love it. They did the whole, “I’m not a role model” campaign with Charles Barkley. They let Spike Lee direct Jordan commercials. They came up with the “Bo Knows” campaign. They know what they are doing whenever they do something like this. That’s another reason why I love them making Kaepernick the face of their new campaign. This is a perfect time to do this.

What Kaepernick has done, basically risking his professional career by kneeling in the name of police violence against minorities, is crucial in our current political climate. He is now the face of the resistance to me. And this Nike thing is only going to make him that much more of an icon. He will always be remembered for what he did. He was always be talked about not just among sports people, but in history books when my kids are in college. He has made a name for himself for standing up for what he believes in, and Nike wants to be on board with that. I mean, how can you not love all of this.

And for these idiots out here burning their Nike gear, or cutting the swoosh out of clothes and socks, you will be on the wrong side of history. Also, you are essentially burning money that you worked for you dumb dumbs. Could you be any more stupid? I will never, for the life of me, understand why these morons burn clothes they bought. It’s so dumb.

Also, for you idiot right wingers that are now “boycotting” Nike, how did that work for you when you tried to “boycott” Keurig or Dick’s Sporting Goods or Hamilton? All of those things are thriving. In fact, since you idiots tried to start a “boycott”, those companies have made more money. Your lame attempts don’t work, just like everything else in your miserable little lives. So yeah, try and boycott them, it won’t work. This only makes Colin Kaepernick that much more of an icon/historical/memorable person in our history.

Thank you Nike and thank you Colin Kaepernick. This is amazing and just makes me want to spend more and more money on your products. As I write this I have Nike slides, a Nike shirt and a Nike hat on, and I can’t wait to get more. This is awesome.

Just Do It.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is rocking his Michigan Wolverine Nike gear when he writes. Michigan may disssapoint, but Nike rules.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

What the Hell is Wrong with Braylon Edwards?

Like most Michigan fans, Saturday night was not fun. I had higher expectations for the game. I thought they would come out better. I thought I was going to be able to rely on the defense if the offense came out flat. I thought that the offense was going to be different under Shea Patterson. I thought they had the best guys on the field. I thought they were going to win.

These were all mistakes by me. They came out flat and looked tired. The defense was horrendous in the first half. They fixed it in the second half. The offense, while they did more shotgun, looked very similar to last year. The O line was getting beat on a consistent basis. Patterson looked way too amped up. The run game never got going. They never found any rhythm. The defense couldn't get off the field on third down, which they excelled at last year, and if they had a chance to, they committed some dumb ass penalties. The coaches were not prepared, and neither were the players. Due to all of this, they got beat, and they got beat fairly soundly. I know the final score was only a TD difference, but anyone that watched that game knows what I know. So yeah, I was frustrated and annoyed and a bit upset.

But then I went to bed, slept on what I had saw, internalized everything and got over it. It is a game played by kids. They tried their hardest, they just had a rough night. But, you know who didn't sleep on it and let his emotions get the best of him? Braylon freaking Edwards. Go read his ridiculous tweets right after the game. Go see him call out players by name, kids that are in their late teens, early 20's, and say they played "scared", or called them, and the team, "trash". Look at him scream into the internet and see him say that he is "done with this team". He went to school there. He was an all time great while he was there. He is the last player to wear the number 1 jersey, when it meant something, that truly deserved it. He delivered as a wide out for this team in the early 21st century. There is no doubt about that. But for him to do what he did just a couple of days ago, that is absurd. To call out your former university on Twitter is the height of childish behavior. Then, to double down on it, after other former Wolverine told him to calm the hell down, what was he thinking? Finally he issued an apology, but only after he was suspended by his current employer, the Big Ten Network. And that apology was so half assed, he would have been better off not even saying it. Oh, and don't let me forget, he was still found to be tweeting some dumb ass nonsense after he got suspended.

Now, as I said, he was great while he was there, but what did he win of any importance? He is out here talking all this shit like the Wolverines won a national title when he was the team captain. Well, I think I should know as well as anyone, I mean I love this team with all of my heart, and they didn't win shit while he was there. Sure, they had one or 2 double digit win totals, and they were always in a bowl game, but they never won a big game because of him. And yes, I am fully aware of his spectacular game he had against MSU in triple overtime when Chad Henne was a freshman, my god was he amazing that game. But you know what, MSU was not a very good football team back in the early 2000's. Get over it Braylon. Also, the best bowl game he played in was the Rose Bowl, so big time, and he did have three TD's in that game, but they got beat by Vince Young and Texas. That was the same year he won the Biletnikoff Award as the best receiver in the country. So, maybe it was just his personal stats and accolades that mattered to him. But, I don't remember him calling out players and coaches by name after they lost a game they should have won. I don't remember him saying that the teams he played on that went 8-4 and lost some games they probably shouldn't have were trash. Hell, I don't even remember him saying that the Rich Rodriguez and Brady Hoke era teams were "trash". Braylon Edwards clearly has some kind of weird complex. He also clearly doesn't think before he speaks. He also doesn't seem to look back at record books from when he played. He just seems to be a guy that pops off at the mouth because anyone can do that now. To call out kids on social media though, that was a real low blow. He should know better than anyone else that that was wrong. Imagine if Twitter were a thing when he was in college. People would have trashed his stone hands all the time, especially when he got into the NFL. He dropped a ton of balls he should have easily caught.

That was what irked me the most was him calling out guys playing by name. That was a low blow. So I'm glad that Jim Harbaugh and Khalid Hill called him out. I'm glad that BTN suspended him. I'm glad that he is now being raked over the coals by other former Wolverines. If he doesn't want to root for the team he played four years of college football for, fine. Just don't talk about it in such a public way. Believe me, there are tons and tons of other, faithful Wolverine fans, such as myself, that will always stick by this team, in both bad and good days.

I used to be a big time Braylon Edwards apologist. But, after this childish nonsense, I am done. He can root for any team he wants, but he needs to cool it on bad mouthing his alma mater. I know he was mad, I was mad too, but I slept on it, and I am a god damn grown up. Maybe Braylon Edwards should grow the hell up as well. His actions were ridiculous. Get over it, it is just a game played by children that are ages 18-23. They are kids and you are a grown up. Now prove it.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He was not on twitter after the Michigan Notre Dame game because Ty is not a man child who is only defined by the time he was a good sports person.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

SeedSing Classic: It is Time to Repeal and Replace Capitalism

The failure of capitalism is on display with the criminal greed being seen in our corporations and government. We wanted to re-post our thoughts on our broken economic system. The post originally appeared on September 7th, 2015.

What do we really celebrate on Labor Day? History says that the day started as a reaction to the Haymarket Massacre in 1886. The deaths in Chicago that day brought to light the struggles of workers nationwide. Demonstrators at Haymarket Square that day were rallying for an eight hour work day. When we go back and look at how the heads of capitalism treated their workers, who were US citizens, it is frightening. The labor movement needed to strike, rally, and demonstrate just so the capital owners would treat the workers like real humans. We celebrate Labor Day because workers needed to demand, and risk their safety, for a humanity that the capital owners were not willing to provide.

Capitalism is anti humanity and it is not allowing us to socially evolve, it is time for a new economic system. The people at the very top of our capitalistic society are large carnivores that get rewarded for anything that they can consume. There is no humanity to the capital owners. We celebrate record stock markets, and forget we have such a small volume of people participating in the market. We complain about welfare queens, without accepting that some of our richest CEOs get their salaries enhanced by government subsidies. The devourers at the top of the economic food chain have made the people below fearful and reverent at the same time. Capitalism is not allowing us to grow as humans, it is keeping us in cages like the animals that the capital owners need to control.

The way capitalism is sold to the general public is through use of code words like freedom and opportunity. In the world of today there is very little opportunity or freedom for the people not at the top of the capitalism food chain. The use of freedom and opportunity have their roots in trying to keep people non-empowered. If you want to go out and start your own business, you do have that freedom. If you have a great idea that can change the world, you have the opportunity to pursue that dream. Our modern capitalistic system does throw up every hurdle imaginable so the current capital owners have a say over your success. The system allows for the commoditization of people who can steal and exploit other people's work. The defenders of capitalism use opportunity and freedom as defenses for these patent trolls. Capitalism does not create ideas, it creates ways to steal great ideas and give them to the carnivores at the top.

The idea of commoditization has reached a truly dangerous level in our society. We have used capitalism to justify putting a price on the our most important human needs. Healthcare is one of our largest, and wealthiest, industries. We all accept that doctors should be well paid because of their skill and necessity. Our ability to get healthcare, through insurance, is directly related to our income. That is insane. Medical care is a necessity for everyone in the world, why should it be a commodity? Why do we not question this? Most doctors are not builders and creators, they are administrators. When you go to the doctor, it is for maintenance or to discuss something out side of the norm. Your income level rarely dictates the maintenance you require. Your income level can directly relate to the need for a doctor when there is something outside of norm. Lower income people have more severe, treatable, medical issues because of how capitalism financially elevates doctors. Basic human needs like healthcare are not a commodity. Capitalism has set a value to our lives, that is anti-humanity.

The ability to communicate has been the greatest tool for social evolution. The printing press created a new world filled with scientific and social advances. The internet is just getting its legs, and changing the entire world for the better. Many of the innovations related to communication were not done in pursuit of economic riches. The internet was created by the government, and nurtured by the social system, to become the tool we use today. The engineers of the world create things that not only maintain society, but allow it to grow. The Wright Brothers looked to the government for support before they looked to the capital owners. Roads, rails, and bridges are designed and built by engineers with government support, not private business support. Why is it that the government has allowed business to commoditize basic needs like communication? The rise of the telecom deregulation was another sacrifice at the idol of capitalism. We have been told that private business can handle our communication better than the government funded engineers who built the network. Our reward is one of the worst communication networks in the developed world. The telecom companies get their money, the CEOs get their large paydays, and the citizens get a subpar product thanks to the tenets of capitalism. The telecom companies do not have any concern for our ability to communicate, their concern is only to gain money. Our government, and our cultural programming, have allowed for basic communication to be another commodity to be bought and sold. Due to capitalism the more wealth you have, the better communication available.

Capitalism is a wall that stops innovation. The ability to create a commodity out of basic social needs is a large problem. Your health is not something that should be paid for. Your voice and ideas are not things that should be granted by a company with no creators. Capitalism exists to give freedom and opportunity to those already established, and make sure the non established have very nearly no options to compete. We deserve the right pursue our dreams, and not be hampered by our inability to pay for health or communication. Everyone deserves freedom and opportunity.

Capitalism is one of the most destructive forces in history. We need to have a discussion on how to replace this carnivorous ideology with one that rewards innovation and creates an evolving society. In the future we will continue to discuss the pitfalls of capitalism, and start to formulate an ideology that will bring about a brighter future. We encourage your dissent and contribution. Your ideas are not a commodity. Come share them with us.

Happy Labor day. Enjoy this day of rest and remember that protesters died for the right to have a reasonable work schedule. Let us use this Labor Day to start a new movement. The old capitalistic ways need to be repealed, the replacement will produce true opportunity. We can find this new way forward together. The only thing we will lose are the cages the capitalists keep society in.

RD Kulik

RD is the creator and Head Editor for SeedSing. 

Why Do We Love the Sports We Love?

The other day I was chatting with my dad about sports. With football about to begin, we were naturally talking about Michigan’s upcoming season. We were chatting about our concerns, what we liked and what we expected. This conversation turned into something so much more for me than just Michigan football though. It got to a point where I asked my dad when I truly started to root for the Wolverines. I was curious how, and why, I came to truly love this team more than any other “favorite” team of mine. I wanted to know why I was so much more invested in them than anyone else.

My dad told me that he used to sit me down and watch games with me. Apparently I was very interested in why my dad loved this team. I wanted to be just like him, so I guess it was just natural for me. One of my earliest memories, I was probably my son’s age, is sitting with my dad and him pointing out Bo Schembechler to me and telling me how great of a coach he is. It is burned into my brain. I am certain that was when my love for Michigan started, and it has only grown since.

We then started to talk about fandom, and where it comes from. This led to a conversation about why people get into the sports they get into. For me it’s simple. I have always wanted to be like my dad, so I watched and played what he coached and played. Baseball was easy. Football was glorious to watch. And basketball was like a ballet. I fell in love with these sports immediately because my dad loved them. As time went on, baseball started to fade. As I am growing older now, the NFL is becoming harder and harder to watch. Basketball is still great to watch, but I prefer playing it. But college football has been the one constant. It’s pretty much the same for my dad.

We then started to talk about my son, who says he loves Michigan, but I can only get him to watch for about an hour before he gets bored. But, he loves baseball. He loves to go to games, he will watch it on TV and he plays it passionately. I feel like he got that from me. I loved it just as much when I was his age. But, my daughter, who will be 3 in a few months, has no interests in the sports I watch or play. She does love her gymnastics class though. That is where she is happiest. It’s her thing and she’s good at it. I have no idea where it came from. I never did it. My wife never did it. And our son only likes baseball. Where did she get her love for gymnastics? I know my nieces did it, and seemed to enjoy it at the time, so maybe that’s where it comes from. Still though, kind of odd.

Then I started to think about my brothers and their kids. I also thought about my friends and their kids too. What will/are they into. My oldest brother’s oldest daughter is a volleyball player. Where did that come from? He played college football and was a great baseball player. So it didn’t come from him. But his wife is hyper athletic, she’s the one that got me into running, so maybe it came from her. I’m sure she played volleyball at one point in her life. My wife played it for a minute in high school too. Their younger daughter is more into basketball. I’m certain she got that from me. She has seen me play a lot. But that’s it for her. Other than basketball, I don’t think she really cares about sports. RD’s son likes tennis, which makes sense knowing his wife, and enjoys golf, again, makes sense knowing his grandparents on his wife’s side. But, he also LOVES NASCAR. No one in our family watches NASCAR. I can’t get into it, my parents don’t watch it and I know RD has never really watched it. So, where did his love for NASCAR come from? I don’t know if I will ever know. My other brother doesn’t have kids, but he was one hell of a football and basketball player. I’m sure he got that from our dad, but in reality, he’d rather go to a concert than a sporting event. That’s how he’s been since I was 17. He got me into live concerts.

Then some of my friends with kids, their kids are all over the place. Some like football. Others, baseball and basketball. But some like hockey and lacrosse and soccer. Their parents never really showed a love for those sports. But, their kids are way into it. I know hockey and soccer are big in Saint Louis, which is baffling to me. But where did lacrosse come from? That is so far out of left field. My own guess is, kids will like what their friends like, or play, for the most part. They just want to hang with their friends. Then you have some kids like me, that like whatever their folks like. Then you have the outliers, like my nephew, or friends kids that love lacrosse, that they just like something for no other reason than, they think it’s cool.

I’d love to see a scientific study as to why we fall in love with the sports that we do. But for now, I’m just going to go with what I know. But, I do think this is a very interesting thought exercise. I hope to hear from some people telling me why their kids like the sports they like. Let me know.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is looking forward to the day his grand kids are all about Rollerball and Muggle Quidditch. What a future we will live in.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

Pumpkin Spice Latte in August. No Thanks

Fist shaking

I’m going to go old man today and gripe about something that I saw while driving around this past Tuesday.

I was out with my daughter, heading to the playground, and we drove by a Starbucks. Now, Starbucks is fine when it is the only option. On a road trip is when Starbucks really steps up. But, if I have a chance, I go to a local shop or even a Tim Horton’s, which has some of the best coffee anywhere anytime. I’m also a big fan, as you all know, of Kaldi’s Coffee. But, I do have the occasional Starbucks. Yes, I’m one of those people who thinks their coffee tastes burnt. They clearly over roast their beans. But, it works in a pinch.

Anyway, what drove me to anger Tuesday was, when we drove by, I saw a sign that read, “it’s pumpkin spice season!”.

I was confounded.

First off, I’m a guy who enjoys my coffee sweet. But, pumpkin spice is way, way too sweet. I love pumpkin pie, and the pumpkin spice latte makes the pie taste savory. It’s too much. Also, this is a bone of contention in my home because my wife loves them. We debate about pumpkin spice lattes around this time of year every year.

What really threw me was the timing. We are not even close to fall, which is when all things pumpkin usually show up. The date when I saw the sign was August 28th. My son has only been in school for 2 weeks. It was still 100 degrees outside here in Saint Louis. It is still summer time. The weather, and the calendar still say it’s summer. Hell, it has “cooled” off a bit today, but it’s still in the low 80’s outside. How does any of this say fall to the marketing geniuses at Starbucks? Also, releasing the pumpkin spice in August is insane. They should wait, at the very earliest, for the end of September. I have not seen anyone put up fall or Halloween decor yet in my neighborhood, and I live in a spot where people love to dress up there front yards for whatever holiday it is. So I’m baffled that Starbucks felt now was the right time to put out this latte.

I’m sure it sold a ton, it’s a limited item, but come on. This was, and is becoming, a clear cash grab. People see “get your #PSL”, or, “it may not feel like fall yet, but a PSL will put you in the fall mood”, and they lose their god damn minds. They have to get one. It’s a little odd. I just don’t like it. We are in a rush now to push seasons so coffee shops can sell limited bull shit.

I’m not a fan.

I will not be buying any pumpkin spice lattes and I’m a little appalled at the release date of the first ones. Wait awhile Starbucks, you will still get people to buy them in waves if you wait until it actually is fall. It just made me real mad and I have a platform to say why. Take this as you will. Yes, I’m grumpy, but you have to admit, August is way too early to start selling pumpkin flavored coffee.

It’s absurd.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is going to lose his mind on September 4th when he sees the massive Christmas display in Macy's. Who doesn't think of the North Pole when it is 100 degrees outside?

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

Happy Retirement Manu Ginobli

Manu Ginobli hung up his sneakers after 16 years of playing in the NBA.

Me personally, I am a big time fan of Ginobli's. He was one of the most selfless players I have watched in the NBA. He was the perfect third option behind Tony Parker, and one of my all time favorite players, Tim Duncan. I know he came off the bench in San Antonio, but lets be realistic, he was the third of their own "big three".

What else I truly appreciated about Ginobli's game, he was an exquisite passer. He was one of the best that I have seen at his position. He would whip the ball to guys slashing to the basket, find the open shooter on drive and kick outs and always put the ball into the shooters hands in perfect shooting position. He was the epitome of a Spurs player, and that was mostly due to his passing. He fit in perfectly with what Greg Poppovich and his staff wanted him to do. And while he was an exceptional passer, the dude could also score in very unique ways. He could hit open jumpers with the best of them. But it was his drives to the basket that truly astounded me. He would find the smallest opening, jet through it and find a way to reverse it in, or hit a hard layup. The way he split a double team was incredible. The screen would come, both guys would come to him, but Ginobli found a way, some way, to split it, go to the hoop and score, draw a foul or find the open guy. It was always amazing. I would always be shocked and just confused how he did it, but he did it and he did it great. And while he wasn't a top notch defender, he made plays when he needed to. Take for instance the block against James Harden. He got beat, then reset himself, and when Harden pulled up, thinking he was open, Ginobli swatted his shot from behind for the win. It was pure Ginobli and pure Spurs. He just did it all.

Ginobli also sacrificed numbers, and a lot more money than he already made, so he could win titles. He wanted to be a champion. That was what mattered to him and Duncan the most. They wanted to have rings. They turned down bigger offers from lesser teams because they wanted those rings. Ginobli also sacrificed minutes because he wanted what was best for his team. He could have easily been a starter and played 30 plus minutes a night, but that was not what the Spurs needed. They needed him to come off the bench, play 20-25 minutes a night and do all the little things that they needed to get wins. And he did it all with zero complaints. That was another thing I loved about Ginobli, he never complained and was never in the news for any wild off court stuff. He went about his business and he went about it quietly.

Also, let us not forget that Ginobli was the leader of the Argentina team that destroyed Team USA basketball. He was the main reason why that whole organization had to regroup. Ginobli led a well oiled machine for Team Argentina, and they made Team USA look bad.

I have also heard some pundits questioning if he is going to be a Hall of Famer.

Are they out of their god damn mind?

Manu Ginobli is, without a doubt, a first ballot Hall of Famer. That is not even a viable question. That is a ridiculous question. I know he may not have glowing numbers, he was only an All Star twice and he wasn't the face of the franchise, but come on. He was just as important to this team as Parker and Duncan were. He is, most definitely, a Hall of Famer.

While Ginobli has earned his retirement, it is kind of sad to me. This is the end of an era. Duncan retired 2 years ago. Parker is now on the Hornets and Ginobli called it quits this week. The Spurs will never be the same to me. Sure, they have very good guys on the team right now, and I still fully believe in Poppovich, and I think they will still be a playoff contender. But, their three star are gone. That is crazy to me.

One last thing I want to share about Ginobli. If you haven't seen the video, or if you just forgot, go watch him knock that bat out of midair during a timeout in a game. It was incredible. I was stunned and amazed that he was able to do that. Think about the hand eye coordination and quickness that took. It was quintessential Manu Ginobli.

Enjoy your retirement Manu. You have earned it.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. If a bat gets into the SeedSing virtual cubicle farm, we all hide and wait for Manu Ginobli to come and take care of it.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

A Newbie Goes to a Sam Smith Concert

I've been so consumed by football lately, I need to catch up on some things that I have wanted to write about the last 2 weeks.

One of those things was seeing Sam Smith live in Saint Louis on August 18th. I know that was 10 days ago, but the great thing about the show, I am still thinking about how wonderful it was. I didn't really know too much about Smith before seeing him live. I knew of his big songs, "I'm Not the Only One" and "Stay With Me". I was also kind of familiar with the new single off his newest record, "Too Good at Goodbyes". So, I knew three hits, but that was it.

I had mentioned offhand one day that he was playing Chafeitz Arena here in Saint Louis to my mom, and she was thrilled. She loves Sam Smith. She is a tried and true fan. She knew all his songs, not just the singles. She said she wanted to go see him, but she didn't know anyone that would go with her. Well, I love a good live show. I have been more into seeing "pop stars" lately, and she did sit through Run the Jewels with me when I took her to see Lorde. So, I offered to go with her. I figured it would be fun, I had time to get more familiar with his music and it is always fun to hang out with my mom.

Well, sitting down for the show, I didn't know what to expect. I saw this very cool stage, we had great seats and after we sat down, he was coming on stage. So, among all these diehard fans, among people who live and breath his music, there I sat, waiting to see what he could do, and he did not disappoint.

Sam Smith is truly amazing. He has one of the absolute best voices I have ever heard live. The notes he can hit are truly remarkable. I don't understand how singers can do what he did, but he did it better than any other person, in his genre, that I have watched perform live. He was really amazing. He also has this very humble way about him. He talked to the crowd about pretty much everything that was going on in his life. He told us about the tour. He spent individual time with each band member. By the way, his band is great as well. He has some real pros backing him up. He kept calling Saint Louis, Saint Louie, and I appreciated that. He has the look and attitude of someone that realizes they are living their dream. He is a humble, respectable dude. And, as I have mentioned multiple times, that dude can "sang". When someone is a great singer, my wife and I say they can "sang", because "singing" doesn't do them justice. 

Smith started out by singing multiple songs off his newest record, which I appreciated since that was what I was listening to on repeat. The live versions of songs like "One Last Song", "Baby You Make Me Crazy" and "One Day at a Time" were wonderfully uplifting and beautifully sung. He also did stuff off his first couple records, which I am not that familiar with. But they were, in turn, slower paced and beautifully melancholy. He also did a different version of "I Know I'm not the Only One", with tons of crowd participation, and it was awesome. I liked that he mentioned how depressing his songs were, but you would never have known by the mood on stage and the way they played the songs. Even a slower song off his new record like "Say it First", which is very stripped down, they turned it into something lively and almost danceable. During the show I kept looking over at my mom and just simply saying, "wow". I was absolutely astonished at how great this show was.

I don't truly know what I expected, but Sam Smith and his band surpassed any expectations I had. They were great. I highly, highly recommend going to see him live, especially if it is in a smaller arena like Chafeitz here in Saint Louis. He is so god damn impressive at what he does. He appreciates his craft, and you can tell he works hard at it. Sam Smith is a wonder and someone I will most definitely go see live again. I love that my mom shared this experience with me. I'm glad she needed someone to go with and that someone just happened to be me. This will be a show that I will always remember, and it will be a show that will most likely be in my top 10 shows of all time. Sam Smith is remarkable talent. Go see him live. You will love every single second of the show.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is available to go see a concert with any moms out there. Nothing sexual, Ty just likes rocking out with women twice his age. 

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

The SeedSing 2018 College Football Preview

To wrap up my 2018 preseason football previews I'm going to do college football today. And yes, I realize that 4 games were played on Saturday, and there were a couple on Sunday. But, honestly, college football truly starts on Labor Day Weekend. It has for as long as I can remember, and the fact that 8-10 teams played this past weekend doesn't change that for me. As I have done in the past, I will focus on the Power 5 conference teams, pick a winner from each, pick a few "sleeper" teams, pick the playoff and pick the title game opponents and winner. I will also give everyone my preseason Heisman pick.

Okay, lets go.

I'm going to start with the Pac 12. The Pac 12 is actually kind of solid. USC is starting a freshman QB, but they always have a solid run game, good receivers and an above average defense. Oregon had a rough year last year, but I feel like they will bounce back with Justin Hebert at QB and a new head coach. Washington State will light up the scoreboards, but play no defense. Utah is always a tough team that no one wants to play, especially in Utah. UCLA hired Chip Kelly, and even though he didn't have success in the NFL, the dude can coach college football. Colorado is starting to have a bit of a resurgence, and that is nice. Arizona has a real legit Heisman candidate at QB in Khalil Tate, but they are horrendous on defense, possibly worse than WSU. Arizona State hired Herm Edwards, which is still puzzling to me, but they have a solid incumbent QB. And Cal and Oregon State are the conference whipping boys. The Pac 12 comes down really to Stanford and Washington. Washington has threats everywhere. Jake Browning is back, and he has a ton of threats on the outside to help him out. Chris Petersen is also a great college football coach, and this team was in the playoff last year. They are good. Stanford has Bryce Love, who is one of the best running backs I've seen in a long time. David Shaw is a top notch coach and his team's are always very, very good. Once again, I don't know why I continue to let them do this to me, I'm going to go with Stanford. Their defense is better than Washington, I like David Shaw more, and Bryce Love is, far and away, the best player in the conference.

Lets go to the Big 12 now. This conference lost a ton of talent at QB. Baker Mayfield and the kid from Oklahoma State are gone. Kenny Hill at TCU is gone. That is three top tier QB's from last season. Oklahoma has a replacement who is a great athlete. He was a first round pick in the MLB draft this year. Oklahoma also has an explosive offense, and they didn't seem to miss Bob Stoops at all. Lincoln Riley is perfectly capable of running this team. But, Oklahoma is still Oklahoma, which means they don't play defense, and they always blow an easy game late in the year. Oklahoma State lost their QB, their best receiver and they play no defense, in fact, this whole conference doesn't play defense. They will step back. TCU has a replacement for Hill, and while he isn't a big name like Oklahoma's new QB, he will be by the middle of the year. They also may be the only team that actually tries to play defense. Iowa State is solid, they are tough to play, especially in Ames, and they will somehow win a few games they have no business winning. Texas is about to become real good again. Tom Hermann has now been through an entire season with the team, he has "his guys" in place, and they will be explosive. He will bring the level of scoring to the Longhorns that he did in Houston. Watch out for this team. Kansas State will play solid, but boring offense. They will look okay on defense, until some team like Oklahoma or Texas lights them up. They are an 8 win team at best. Texas Tech is great on offense, but hat is because they throw the ball a million times per game. They will start hot and then backtrack, like they always do. I wouldn't be shocked if they fire Kliff Kingsbury by the end of the season. Screw Baylor. They are loathsome. Kansas is a dumpster fire, and they are a basketball school anyway. I feel like the winner of the Texas-Oklahoma game will win the conference, and I think Oklahoma will win the game. They are, for the moment, the better team.

The ACC is finally not the joke it was a few years back. Clemson has helped with that by winning a title and playing in another. And, Clemson may be the best team in the country this year. They have a great offense returning. And when a true freshman pushes the incumbent starter at QB, I love that in the college game. That will just make Kelly Bryant play that much harder. Where Clemson really dominates is defense, and especially on the D line. They will stop everyone that comes their way. I don't know how teams will run on them, and if they try to pass on them, the QB better get rid of the ball quick. Clemson is ferocious, and they are awesome. Florida State had a bad year last year, but remember, their QB went out in week one. Deondre Francois is back, and I know that Jimbo Fisher left, but Willie Taggart is more than capable, and this team is loaded everywhere on the roster. They are bound to be a problem again. While they are not on Clemson's level yet, I can easily see them being the second best team in the conference. Virginia Tech is back to being a problem for everyone. I knw their QB got in some offseason trouble, but if he is cleared to play, they will be good. They have a very good defense too. They also excel on special teams. Virginia Tech is a solid team. Miami is back as well. They are like Texas, but just a year ahead. They have a solid offense, but where they excel is defense, and more specifically, in the secondary. They have ball hawkers and hitters everywhere on the field. Mark Richt has turned that team around. Miami is legit once again. NC State may not be great, but they are a tough out for every team they play. They play rough, want to slow down the game and try and win low scoring games. They will be a headache. UNC is going to get in some kind of trouble, but until then, they will score quite a bit, and they should be a bowl team. Louisville has to replace Lamar Jackson, and that will be tough. Also, Bobby Petrino is a scumbag. The Cardinals will definitely take a step back, but they should still be a 7 or 8 win team. Pittsburgh is destined to be a .500 team. They are also awful on defense, which is surprising considering their head coach's background. Boston College isn't great, but they have a real good defense, they have a great running back, and they will win more games than they should this year. I wouldn't be shocked if they somehow win 8 or 9 games with scores in the range of 17-10 or 13-6. Syracuse shocked Clemson last year, but that was a blip. They are still trying to become relevant again. Duke is not very good anymore. They can fill it up, but they get beaten easily by better competition with a solid defense. Virginia and Wake Forest are very mediocre. And Georgia Tech will triple option the hell out of you, and I like their QB, but they are no better than a 7 win team, especially in the ACC. I'm taking Clemson for obvious reasons. But, don't be surprised in FSU and Miami are there in the end. The ACC is so much better now.

Next we have the SEC. I used to think the SEC was wildly overrated, and while I do not think it is the best conference in football, it is loaded. Alabama is Alabama. They will be number one a lot of the season. I know they lost a ton of talent to the NFL, but they always do and they always reload. They also still have Jalen Hurts and Tua Tiagoviola at QB. This team is unfairly stacked. They will be in the conversation all year long. They are the dominant team of the 21st century. Auburn seems to be back. Stidham seems to be a solid read option QB. They have great running backs. Their O line is stout. They have a great, swarming defense. Gus Malzahn has done a solid job getting this team back to being top 10 every year. Georgia lost 2 great running backs, and they won't skip a beat. Jacob Fromm is back, they have stud running backs waiting for their turn, they have a great tight end and solid receivers. They also hang their hats on defense, which they dominate. They are the new team that will challenge Alabama every year. Texas A&M just hired Jimbo Fisher, just got in trouble and they will still be good. It may take a year, that defense needs to be retooled, but the Aggies will be heard from sooner rather than later. LSU has to replace Derius Guice, and a solid defense. I think they will accomplish that task, but it may be tougher than usual. But, if you have read any preseason stuff, apparently they finally have a solid QB. This new kid seems legit. If he is, that would be big time for this team. That is the thing they have lacked for a long, long time. Florida now has a legit coach in Dan Mullen, and much like Fisher at A&M, he will get this team back. It will take a little longer, but Mullen can coach and recruit, and he has a fertile base in Florida. The Gators will be a force in maybe 2 years. He will right the ship on offense for sure too. South Carolina has a very good defense, a solid offense and, kind of a shock to me, Will Muschamp can coach. They are the stingy team no one wants to play in the SEC. Tennessee is in a weird limbo right now. They had an awful coaching search, players have sprinted out of the program and they just aren't very good right now. They have a former Alabama coach as their head coach now, but I do not believe in the Volunteers at all right now. Mississippi State had to replace Mullen, but they got a good hire in Penn State's former offensive coordinator. He also has a QB in place in Nick Fitzgerald, and that dude can play. MSU is a better team, but they have a rough schedule, and that will make them look not as good at they are. But, MSU is good. Ole Miss is about to go through some shit due to their former coaching staff. Arkansas fired Bret Bielema, and they aren't very good anyway. Vanderbilt plays defense, but their offense is horrible. Kentucky is a 6 win team at best. And, saving them last for my brothers, Missouri has a great QB in Drew Lock, but nothing else. Lock, and their schedule will get them bowl eligible, but they are not very good on defense, and they will give up a ton of points. But, they will also score a ton. They belong in the Big 12. I'm going to go with Alabama just because they are Alabama. But, I really like Georgia, and if Auburn can get by a brutal, brutal schedule, they could be there in the end too. But, I'm still going with Alabama.

The final Power 5 conference is the conference I watch the most, the Big Ten. The Big Ten is loaded. I personally think the Big 10 is the best conference in college football. I'm sure my bias comes into play here, but also, 7 teams are in the preseason top 25. That is half the conference. To take it a step further, 5 of those teams are in the top 15. The Big 10 is good, they just cannot get out of their own way. The University of Ohio State is going through some horrible stuff, by their own doing. But, all those scumbags of course got away with it because this team is good. They have a better QB than JT Barrett in waiting. They have a great, young running back. They have an awesome O line. Their defense is stout as well. This is a defense they can lean on when they struggle on offense. I hate hate hate this team, and I am disgusted by how they treated the whole Courtney Smith story. But, they will continue to win football games. Penn State is another school with a horrific past, but they are good at football now. This team should have gotten the death penalty for what they did, but they only had to "suffer" through 2 years where they couldn't go to a bowl game. Now, even with Saqoun Barkley off to the pros, this team has a very good QB, a good running back ready to play and very good, and fast receivers. They also have a defense that can get stops when needed. James Franklin is also a scumbag and a douche, but he has some talent around him. He will have to replace his offensive coordinator, which will be tough, but they have good players that can mask any problems. Wisconsin is the most boring team in the Big 10, and that is exactly how they want it. They play excellent defense. They can stop anyone. They have a game managing QB. They have some guys that can make catches. And they have the best O line in college football, and Johnathan Taylor. He is one of the best running backs in college football, and he will only get better. Wisconsin should easily walk with their half of the Big 10. My team, Michigan, is a wild card this year. They have a great defense. I am back to the point where I can count on this defense. They will get stops. Devin Bush is a top notch linebacker. Rashan Gary is a first round talent. Chase Winovich is a professional football player. David Long and Lavert Hill is one of the better cornerback duos that Michigan has had in a long time. The defense is great. The offense, that is the question. They do seem to have a QB in Shea Patterson now, and he could be the difference. That was what plagued this team last year was horrendous QB play. Hopefully Patterson can shore that up. Losing Tarik Black is a blow, but this will give others a chance to step up. I also really like how they use their tight ends, and I am a fan of Donovan Peoples-Jones. The O line should, I am being optimistic here, be better. They finally have a core group. And the running game has 2 very stable guys in Karan Higdon and Chris Evans. I have high hopes for my team, but they have a very, very tough schedule. Week one will show a lot, but they have a ton of tough matchups all year. I am eager to see Patterson play, and I love the defense. Now is the time for Harbaugh to make something happen with this squad. Michigan State, who I should have put with the University of Ohio State and Penn State, because of what happened this past winter, does have a good team. They play dirty, they play rough and they win games. They are scummy and filled with cheap shot artists, but when they get away with it, they are good. They also have a good running back, a good QB and good guys on the outside. Time will tell, in terms of possible sanctions, but for this season, MSU has a very, very good team. After that, it gets a little murky. Northwestern has a very good QB and very good skill players. They are also the tough team that no one wants to play in the Big 10. They will be tough and they will play tough. Their success is all on the shoulders of the QB. Nebraska hired Scott Frost, and while I love that for them, ease up on the preseason praise. It is going to take some time. Frost will need time to recruit his guys, but when he does, Nebraska could be a perennial top 25 team again. Iowa is like Wisconsin light. They want to run the ball, use their defense and bleed the game away. Kinnick stadium is also their best advantage. They will win 8 games, they do every year, but will they be the Iowa team that wins double digits, or will they struggle to get to 8? You never know with this team. Minnesota is in the second year of PJ Fleck. They will be better, but they are still on the bottom half of the conference. They will be in bowl game this year. Purdue is on its way back up. They had a very solid season last year, and they will build on that. They need to get better on defense, but they have a good offense, and they will be a thorn for awhile. Indiana got better at defense last year, but that took a toll on its offense, and that is where their bread is buttered. They are in a limbo of 6-6 or 4-8 or 5-7. Maryland is a horrendous program with some very disturbing issues they need to resolve very soon. DJ Durkin seems like a real awful person, and I am shocked that he hasn't been fired yet. And Illinois and Rutgers are there to be beaten. They should be better, but they just are not. Not yet anyway. The Big 10 is going to be brutal, especially in the East. The East has the University of Ohio State, Michigan State, Penn State and Michigan. I mean, come on. If nothing more than the 3 game suspension happens, I feel like the University of Ohio State will win it, and then have to forfeit it after an investigation. If something more comes out, Penn State, MSU, Michigan and Wisconsin all have a shot. I'm going to go with Wisconsin because I think Urban Meyer will get into more trouble, or he will just quit.

As far as "sleeper" teams, I like Boise State, because they are due and Troy. Troy beat LSU in LSU last year. They are a really, really good team. As far as the Heisman goes, if he stays healthy, I'm going with Bryce Love. He is amazing. But, don't sleep on the new guy at QB for Oklahoma, Johnathan Taylor or some defensive player from Clemson. I would not be shocked if a defensive player gets a ton of Heisman love this year.

As far as the playoffs goes, in backwards order from 4-1, I have Stanford at 4, Clemson at 3, Wisconsin at 2 and Alabama at 1. In the 1-4 matchup, I have Alabama beating up on Stanford. In the 2-3 matchup, I'm going with Wisconsin to win a very low scoring, very defensive minded game. So, my title game would pit number 2 Wisconsin versus number 1 Alabama. I know it is boring and dull and seemingly going through the motions, but I have Alabama repeating. Alabama is a much better version of what Wisconsin, and pretty much every other college football team for that point, wants to be. They have the best coach, the best players and they are more talented than everyone they play. I don't like it either, but I have Alabama going back to back.

There it is, my full NCAA football preview. That wraps up all my preseason football coverage. I will reassess everything midway through the year, but this is how I see it playing out now. I'm so excited for football this weekend. This is like my birthday.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He has already penciled Alabama in as the champions of next year. Maybe Michigan can prove him wrong. Come on Wolverines, win it all for Ty.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

John McCain and Neil Simon: The Death of Icons

Over the weekend we lost two icons of American culture. Eighty-One year old former US Navy Hero, Presidential candidate, and longtime Senator from Arizona, John McCain passed away surrounded by family and friends on Saturday. The very next day, American play, and screen, writer Neil Simon passed away at the age of ninety-one. Both men defined their professions, and their era. Both men leave a legacy that will be studied for generations. With the deaths of John McCain and Neil Simon, the eras they helped create are gone, they were their last champions. We can now only reflect on their lives.

It is easier to look at the life of Neil Simon with reverence. The man wrote plays that were not that controversial, yet they influenced us all. Simon wrote stories that were critical and financial successes. The man penned The Odd Couple, The Brighton Beach Trilogy, Barefoot in the Park, Chapter Two, and Lost In Yonkers, and those are just a few from the top of the head. Lost in Yonkers won the Tony Award and the Pulitzer Prize. Neil Simon won all the awards, broke all the box office records, and was the defining comedy playwright of the late twentieth century. Simon's name belongs on the Mount Rushmore of great American playwrights next to Arthur Miller, Tennessee Williams, and Eugene O'Neill. There is no denying the influence Neil Simon has had on the American theater. He is legendary.

(Ed Note: I also owe Neil Simon a debt of gratitude in that the film version of Biloxi Blues made me want to study theater and I was fortunate enough to play Arty in Lost in Yonkers during my senior year of college and then played the father, Eddie, seven years later. I went from looking sixteen to looking forty in less than one decade. Thanks Neil.)

The death of John McCain is not as easy to find automatic reverence. Many people may be mad once they read that sentence, but it is the truth. When someone spends as long as they did in elective office as Senator McCain, there is a long list of accomplishments, and shortcomings, that need to be part of their life story. 

Let's start with John McCain's military service. Anyone who questions what John McCain went through as a POW in Vietnam is a terrible kind of human being. No person, who holds any elected office in the United States of America, has any right to criticize John McCain's time as a POW. You are a coward, and not a patriot, if you use your platform to criticize a war hero. John McCain did not have to go to Vietnam, his father was a freaking US Admiral. John McCain was connected. He could have had multiple deferments and joined the Arizona National Guard, or claimed to be suffering from bone spurs, but he went to fight. He was captured, and he suffered. Navy John McCain is a goddamn hero. There is no debate.

Once out of the Navy, John McCain was a national hero. He was elected by the people of Arizona to serve in the US House of Representatives and then later to the US Senate. The early years of Congressman John McCain were not notable, except for one scandal. In 1989 Senator John McCain was one of five Us Senators accused of corruption in relation to Charles Keating, a chairman in a major savings and loans firm that was failing. Senator McCain was accused of being corrupt in trying to ease the government pressure on Keating. McCain was later cleared of doing anything illegal, but the Senate still said that the young senator exhibited "poor judgement". Those words would follow John McCain for the next decade.

The new millennium brought a new political narrative for Senator John McCain. The 2000 Republican presidential primary saw McCain challenge the establishment pick of George W Bush. The race started off well for McCain, who was using campaign finance as a center point of his campaign. The Arizona Senator won the first primary in New Hampshire, but the next step was South Carolina. McCain's ideas were not on the ballot, but his adopted Bangladeshi child was an issue. The George W Bush campaign never claimed to be involved, but many people loyal to the Texas Governor's campaign did spread rumors that McCain's adopted daughter was actually a blood relative that McCain had as a result of an affair with an African American prostitute. It will never be known if the lie worked, but Bush won South Carolina and marched his way to the Republican nomination. John McCain was destined to be back in his Senate seat.

Having lost the 2000 Republican presidential primary did not stop John McCain from pursuing his dream of campaign finance. The Republican from Arizona teamed up with John Feingold, a Democrat from Wisconsin, to pass the Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act in March of 2002 (the law is usually known as the McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance Law). McCain's embarrassment from the Keating Five scandal was now clean because he was the author of America's first campaign finance regulation.

It was a hollow victory.

The loopholes left in the McCain-Feingold law helped to give rise to "dark money" and "Super PACS". The terribleness of the 2016 election is directly related to what was possible because of the 2002 Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act. McCain-Feingold just put a band aid on a gaping wound.

Yet John McCain's reputation as a rebel in his party, a maverick one may say, was just starting to grow. The media loved Maverick McCain. He is the most frequent guest ever on Meet the Press. Once it was obvious that John McCain would be the 2008 Republican nominee for President, Fox News opened their doors to glowing coverage of the Arizona Senator. Senator John McCain became the goto guy for the Washington DC media. The maverick even landed in political hot water when he had to defend his opponent in the 2008 election from the seemingly slanderous notion of being an Arab. His defense did not work, Barrack Obama easily won the 2008 election for President and John McCain was once again heading back to the US Senate.

It also a very important part of John McCain's political career to point out the fact that he chose Sarah Palin as his running mate in 2008. The rumor is that the maverick wanted to bring in former democrat Joe Lieberman, but the Republican party wanted the Governor of Alaska. The maverick lost, and the party won, and America now had to deal with the Palin part of American politics. The Republican Party has been forever altered because of the ascension of Sarah Palin, and John McCain is responsible for that. 

Since 2008 Senator McCain tried to hold onto to his branding as a maverick. He opposed any policy that allowed for the US to use torture on captured enemy combatants, yet he continually supported the "wars" in Afghanistan and Iraq. It should be noted that McCain did express regret for these military actions in the last few months of his life. He sided with his party in trying to defeat the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare), yet just a few months ago he was the deciding vote in keeping the law alive. McCain endorsed, and campaigned for Mitt Romney in 2012, yet he would not support Donald Trump in 2016. There was never a clear partisan path for McCain, that is why the Washington media loved him. That is why he was always on the television.  

All the way up to last Saturday, John McCain was called a maverick by some circles, and a politically craven opportunist by other circles. Both are right. That is why looking back at the career of John McCain is so difficult. We all (well almost all) can agree with his heroism as a US Navy pilot, but his second act, his political career, is filled with opportunity and missteps. We must celebrate the man for his service, but we cannot excuse his shortcomings. The hero that is John McCain would not have accepted that.

Neil Simon and John McCain are now gone. They will never do another interview, they will never be in attendance for a standing ovation, they will never offer us another word of wisdom, they are gone. Both men were icons of their era, and they are now confined to being a part of the history of their eras. Society will move on, a new voice of the American theater will be crowned, a new maverick will arise in Washington DC. We can only hope that these new voices can be as influential as Neil Simon and John McCain. For better or worse.

RD

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

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