Is James Harden Worth Everything the Nets Gave Up?

I wrote about the best fit for James Harden yesterday, and like it was supposed to happen that way, he was traded right as I was finishing up my piece. I swear. Brooklyn was the best fit, I still believe that, and I did not write that after the trade. Since the trade is official now, the Nets announced it today, I do want to break it down, and why I personally do not think it will end in a title, or even a Finals appearance for Brooklyn.

This trade was involved. It was a three team deal, and the Nets gave up a ton of depth, and pretty much their future. I get that Harden is worth a lot, and he is a perennial MVP candidate, and he is one of the greatest scorers of all time, but the Nets gave up way, way too much. They offloaded Taurean Prince, Jarrett Allen, and the biggest piece in my opinion, Caris Levert. They also gave up, I believe, seven picks and pick swaps. They gave up a whole, whole lot to get a third star. Levert was later traded to the Pacers for Victor Oladipo, and Jarrett Allen ended up on the Cavs. I think, if I look at the trade as a whole, the Pacers probably got the best of the deal, getting a younger Oladipo. And the Cavs, I mean, they maybe have every center in the league on their roster, but getting Jarrett Allen is a big deal. He brings great rim protection, and he is young. The Cavs could be a threat in two to three years if they keep this young core together. The Rockets came out fine. I mean, they got Oladipo but he is on the last year of his deal. He has been awesome this season, and if he can keep it up, and John Wall stays relatively healthy, they could find themselves in the play in. They also have a treasure trove of picks. I feel like the Thunder, Pelicans and now the Rockets own the draft until 2026. This move may not have gotten the Rockets the "star" they coveted, but they got Oladipo, and all those picks I mentioned. They veered from the star chasing into more of a make this trade for the future of the franchise. They have endless options for trades, or just drafting some of the top prospects now.

Now to the big fish move, the name that everyone was talking about, the Nets added James Harden. I already mentioned who they gave up, but they still have a decent roster. You have Harden at the 2 now, Kyrie Irving at the 1, if he ever decides to come back, Joe Harris at the 3, KD, who is as good as ever, at the 4 and Deandre Jordan at the 5. This is a solid lineup. I do not know about the depth, but I am sure they have three guys that are real NBA players on that bench.

Here is where it gets tricky for me. This offense is going to be dynamic, especially when/if Kyrie comes back. They could put up 150 a night with ease. I'm serious. You have three guys capable of going for 40 any night. But, they do not have a very good defense. Deandre Jordan has been bad this year, full stop. He got flat out benched the other night. It was a DNP- Coach's Decision. He is not the same guy he was in LA or with the Knicks. He just doesn't have it anymore. We all know about Harden on defense. He chooses to forget that end of the floor. He puts in no effort at all. He is a zero on defense. His offense makes up for it, but man is he bad on defense. He is also very out of shape at the moment, and has looked disinterested in basketball. Maybe a change of scenery changes that, but it doesn’t get him in NBA shape. That is on him. KD is very good defensively, but he is going to be asked to do so much more, and he is going to be stretched very, very thin. Steve Nash and crew are going to need him to do everything. It may be a bit much. Joe Harris is fine, but I would much rather have Levert. Harris is a better 3 point shooter, but Levert is a better creator, and he is a longer defender. He can also guard multiple positions. And Kyrie, it all depends on where his head is at. Even when he plays, he isn't great on D, unless he is committed. Right now, he seems committed to every except basketball. And that is fine. I'm all for him doing whatever makes him happy. But this team just took a major hit on D. I said they could average 150 a night, and they may need too. Teams are going to score at will. Big men in the East, like Embiid, Giannis and Bam Adebayo are going to feast on Deandre Jordan. Opposing backcourts are going to pretty much get where they want on the floor. KD is the only guy I see on that roster that would give me a pause when game planning offensively against the Nets. I'm also concerned about the ball movement. Is the ball really going to fly around? How many touches will Harris and Jordan get? Are they going to become forgotten teammates? I think it's possible. I'm also concerned with how Harden has played the game since he has been in Houston. I do not know that he can just adjust to not being "the guy" in an offense when that has been his identity for almost a decade now. He is not the best player on this team. Not even close. That is KD. And KD I do not worry about. He is so adjustable and smooth and can do everything. He is a master of the game, and I think he will be fine. And finally we have Kyrie. How will he work with Harden? We barely know how he does with KD because they have barely played together. Harden is another dominant personality, and he is a better offensive player than Kyrie. I also think Kyrie is going to be frustrated playing with these other two because he is the third option now. The whole reason he wanted out of Cleveland and Boston was so he could be the guy. Well, he is definitely not the guy right, or second guy, right now with the Nets. I'll be very curious how he meshes with KD and Harden, if he does come back and play this season.

All in all, Harden got what he wanted, but I do not think it spells a title for them. They will still have to go through the Bucks, 76ers, Heat and Celtics in the East. And if they are able to do that, they will have either the Lakers, Clippers, Nuggets or some other West powerhouse team. The Nets got a star, they got better offensively, but they sacrificed far too much, and they got exponentially worse on defense. I'm excited to see them play, but I do not think they are a serious threat to win the title this year, or even next year.

Ty

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

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The Nets are James Harden's Only Good Option

Editor’s note: Minutes after Ty submitted his article, James Harden was traded to the Brooklyn Nets. Ty will have thoughts on the trade tomorrow.

James Harden did pretty much everything he could last night to get what he wants.

Harden wants out of Houston, he wants to go to the 76ers or the Nets and he made that abundantly clear in his post game press conference. He even ended it by saying he did everything he could for the team, and then he just left. This press conference was pretty loaded. Let’s discuss.

First off, "everything he could" for that team? He led them to the West Finals once (although Chris Paul was much more integral to that team), and he blew it. He played horribly against the Spurs when they were without Kawhi in a game 6 that ended Houston's season. He had great regular seasons and terrible postseasons. I mean, if that was "everything he could" do, Houston should have no problem, or no qualms, trading him. He did not get to the Finals, he won one MVP, he consistently demanded trades for stars, who he then immediately clashed with, and he does not know how to play true basketball anymore. Don't get me wrong, Harden is an all time great scorer. I won't say player, but as far as scoring goes, he revolutionized the game. But he is no fun to watch, and I would hate playing with him, as did Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook and now John Wall and Boogie Cousins.

Harden also seems selfish. He always wants the ball, wants things his way and if he doesn't like what is going on, he will just refuse, or do things that make it nearly impossible to keep him. I thought Houston would do a lot to keep him, and he even started out playing okay basketball. But this past week he has fallen way off, and he looks disinterested. Quite frankly, even if I were a contending team that needed a scorer, I would not actively pursue Harden. The asking price is far too much, he doesn't play defense, he has had the past six years plus playing the exact way he wants to, and I would not expect him to re-sign with my team in the next two years. Whatever team trades for him, and it may happen today, is going to pay a steep price, and I think they will regret it sooner rather than later.

The four teams that have been kicked around are the Raptors, Celtics, 76ers and Nets. Lets just wipe the Celtics and Raptors off that list. Their GM's are too smart, they won't give up young up and coming stars and they will not trade a massive amount of picks for him. I would also not want to pair Harden with either Jayson Tatum or Pascal Siakim. That would just diminish all their personal gains as top options. The 76ers is an interesting exercise, but I would not want them to do that to Joel Embiid. Embiid is playing some of the best basketball of his life right now. Simmons is doing what he does best, Danny Green and Seth Curry, along with Tyrese Maxey are providing the shooting they need and Doc Rivers has this team looking solid. I don't think I'd want to mess with that right now. The 76ers, maybe, just maybe, have found out what type of team they want to be, and they seem to be maximizing that. I also would not trade Simmons, who is, I believe, eight years younger than Harden. He has way more potential, and I would not want anything to happen to my man Joel Embiid. The 76ers should stand pat in my opinion.

This leaves us with the Nets. The Nets have two stars, Kyrie and KD, but who in the world knows what is going on with Kyrie right now. Hell, I don't think Stephen A Smith was out of bounds in saying he should retire. Kyrie has other interests, and he is clearly politically active, maybe he should go do that for a while. He may find he loves that. He doesn't need basketball in his life anymore, at least that is how it seems to me. But KD is back, and he has looked pretty good. He is looking more and more like himself. He is as dangerous as ever on offense, and his defense is getting back up to speed. I watched a little of the Nets-Nuggets game last night because I have not seen KD play yet this year, and he did look good. I also like the other guys the Nets have. Joe Harris is a solid 3 and D player. Both Jarrett Allen and Deandre Jordan have been solid pick and roll guys, and Allen is a dominant rim protector. Caris Levert has been feasting on second units, and he is a third shot creator, which is great for this team. Taurean Prince seems to be doing a little better. So, if I were the Nets, would I risk my future, hell they may have to mortgage it, just to have Harden for two years?

This is where I balk a little. Harden has played with KD, but that was a lifetime ago. They are two totally different players now. What if Kyrie wants to come back? Who runs point then? Would this relegate a guy like Levert or Prince to miniscule minutes? Would Harden be willing to change his style of play? There are a ton of questions, but Harden is an all time great scorer. You don't just hang up the phone if the Rockets come calling, But I think there are just far, far too many questions. Also, do the Nets want to do almost the exact same thing they did when they traded for KG and Paul Pierce? Are they willing to be really good for 2-3 years, then have to rebuild all over again?

I just don't know. I do not know that I would trade that much just to get a disgruntled James Harden. I guess time will tell. Maybe we will have an answer soon.

Ty

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

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Alabama had No Equal in College Football This Season

Last night's college football playoff championship game was pretty telling about the 2020 season.

First off, Alabama was the class of the 2020 season. There was no team even close to how good, prepared and well coached they are. They clearly had the best players, and if they lost players to injury or COVID, they had more than capable replacements. Hell, last night a safety was ejected for targeting in the first half, the commentators made a big deal about it, but even after he was gone, Alabama seemed just fine in the secondary. They more than deserve their rings.

Second, the University of Ohio State proved last week that they may be the second best team in all of college football this past season, but they were clearly not at Alabama's level. I have seen people say they were missing too many important players to COVID, or that losing Trey Sermon on the first drive killed them, but honestly, even at full strength, I do not think they would have kept it that close. I thought prior to the game they would be able to keep it close. I had personally predicted it to be a close game. I think I had Alabama winning by a TD, something like 42-35. I thought that the university of Ohio State would have been able to score with Alabama for a while. That was not the case. They answered the first two scores for Bama, but after that it was a wrap. Alabama had a historic first half. Heisman winner Devonta Smith set three different records in the first half. I think Mac Jones only had three incompletions on twenty plus pass attempts. Najee Harris was ripping off four plus yards a carry, and he had a rushing score and receiving score before halftime. They bulldozed Ohio State in the second quarter. I believe Alabama outscored them 28-10 in the quarter, and took a commanding 35-17 lead into halftime. And while Bama looked unstoppable, after the two TD drives, Ohio State looked kind of lost. It makes sense. They did have key guys out with COVID. They only played eight total games counting last night. Justin Fields did not look like the top 10 pick he has looked like in the past. The offensive line couldn't open holes for the run game. The receivers, when the game was still kind of up for grabs, were being locked down. The University of Ohio State looked like a mess. But, is it because of the shortened season, or because of Alabama? I think it is a little bit of both, but something like 20 percent the shortened season, and 80 percent Alabama. Or maybe more like 95 percent Alabama.

I cannot stress how good Alabama was all year, and how well they played, and were coached last night. LSU's offense last year was seen as this otherworldly, never before seen type thing. Well, Alabama's season stats were almost identical, and Mac Jones beat some of Joe Burrow's records last night. Najee Harris, while not putting up the same rushing numbers as Edwards-Helaire did for LSU, he still had three scores, and could not be tackled by one player. He was also a bigger threat in the pass game. And while I heaped endless praise on Devonta Smith yesterday, he is going to get more right now. He had 12 catches for 215 yards and 3 scores, all in the first half. Alabama schemed ways for him to get open, got him the ball in open space, got him in position to be guarded by linebackers, and he showed why he was the definitive Heisman winner last night. He did all of this in only two quarters by the way. He did play in the third, but he broke his finger, and they pulled him for the rest of the game. That was the correct choice for him, and for Alabama. I also want to point out the coaching last night. Nick Saban is a true prick, but the dude can coach college football. The NFL did not work for him, but he has found a home in Tuscaloosa, and he, I am shocked to be saying this, is the greatest college football coach of all time. I have felt this way for a while now, and last night just hammered that home for me. He had his kids ready to play, he surrounds himself with very good assistants, and his players play for him. They get excited to play for him and they love to play for him. They also go out on the field with a workman's ethic. They, and this truly surprised me, do not do too much celebrating. They act like they've been there before. I respect that. The closest Devonta Smith got to celebrating was when he caught a seam route TD, and pointed at Mac Jones to give him credit. This is what I, and many other people do, when we get a good pass in basketball for an easy bucket. I don't really consider that a "celebration". Alabama's defense was well prepared too. This is supposed to be their "weaker" unit, but they looked awesome last night. Dylan Moses was flying all over the field. The D line was stout. Patrick Surtain shut down whatever side of the field he was on. Even their special teams unit was better because they were barely on the field. I think they punted twice, and kicked one field goal.

On the other side of the field, the university of Ohio State may have been short handed, but they got flat out out coached. Ryan Day had zero answers for what Nick Saban did to him. Day is a great offensive mind, but it felt like he used all of that up on Clemson. He coached scared last night. He punted in plus territory on fourth and nine, down three scores. He ran the ball twice to get off the field before halftime. His defense made zero adjustments. The run game was nonexistent. Justin Fields played timidly. The University of Ohio State is a really, really good team, probably the second best team in the country, but they did belong on the same field with Alabama last night. The game was a blowout, and I probably should have expected that. I would've liked to see the Big Ten win a title, but it was pretty clear early on that Bama was going to run away with this game. And I want to give one more shoutout to Devonta Smith. He is an all time great, and boy was he fun to watch last night.

Congrats Alabama, you guys are still the best, and it clearly isn't very close at the moment.

Ty

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

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Devonta Smith Was the Right Choice for the Heisman Trophy

I have wanted to write about Devonta Smith winning the Heisman since last week, but then all the madness happened. I'm still angry, upset, unnerved and scared by what happened. Those monsters that incited, and took place in those riots need to be arrested and removed from office. But, with the CFP title game on tonight, what better time than now to finally give my thoughts on Smith winning the Heisman. Oh, and he also won the AP Player of the Year award too.

I have to admit, I was rooting for Smith to win. I am not an Alabama fan by any means. In fact, I do not like any of the four teams that played in the playoff, and I may only watch the title game for a bit tonight because I truly couldn't care less who wins. But of the four guys, and in a season marred by COVID and other random injuries, I figured why not give it to someone other than a running back or QB.

We see the RBs and QBs win all the time. I think there have been very few instances where a non running back or QB has won the Heisman, and that is BS to me. In fact, the last non RB or QB to win was Charles Woodson in 1997, the GOAT by the way. Some names that have won it since then, Eric Crouch, Jason White, Troy Smith, Sam Bradford, Tim Tebow, Jameis Winston, Johnny Manziel and Marcus Mariota. Some guys that were up for it in those seasons, Manti Teo, Rocket Ismail, Randy Moss, Larry Fitzgerald and Amari Cooper. I'd take the guys that did not win it over the others if we just look at career success. But when I dug a little further into this season, when I looked at the finalists and decided to watch each one play, it was clear that Smith was the best, and most deserving player. Kyle Trask had a fine season for Florida, but without Kyle Pitts he was a mess, and he looked real bad in their bowl game. Mac Jones is an okay QB, but he is a system guy. He didn't change the position like Tua did when he was at Alabama. Jones is a lot like Jalen Hurts was when he was at Alabama, just not as athletic. He ran the system. He got the ball to Smith, and then Smith did great things with it. And Trevor Lawrence, he did not deserve to win just because of his career. This is a season award, not a college career award. He also missed two games because he got COVID. The people stumping for Lawrence are the same that claimed Peyton Manning deserved the award when Charles Woodson won it because Manning had a "better college career" than Woodson. I don't see any championship rings on Manning's fingers. I saw one on Woodson's. The only season Lawrence could have won it, in my opinion, would have been for his freshman season.

When I watched Smith I came away most impressed. The separation he was able to get, the speed in the open field, it was unmatched. When Jaylen Waddle went down early in the year a lot of people thought Bama's offense would slide. They got better, and that was because of Smith. Sure it helps to have Najee Harris in the backfield, but the way Smith took over a secondary, made the defense have to constantly game plan for him, it helped Alabama stay great on offense. He was the unsolvable problem for opposing defenses. He was the one that opened things up for Harris and Jones and the rest of that offense. But that wasn't the only thing he did. Smith put up gaudy numbers this year. In 12 games, not counting tonight obviously, he had 105 catches, 1,641 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns. He averaged 15.6 yards a catch. He averaged almost 9 catches a game and 136 receiving yards a game. In the semifinal game he had 7 catches, 130 yards and 3 TD's. In the SEC title game he had 15 catches, 184 yards and 2 scores. Against LSU he had 8 catches, 231 yards and 3 scores. He averaged 28.9 yards a catch in that game. And against their biggest rival, Auburn, he had 7 catches, 171 yards and 2 scores. The kid put up video game numbers. It is unreal. I would have been happy if a Michigan receiver did anything close to half of what Smith was able to accomplish. And when you compare his stats to the other finalists, it isn't even really close. Trask threw for 4,200 plus yards and 43 TD's, but struggled against top flight teams, especially Alabama and Oklahoma. Mac Jones just barely threw for 4,000 yards, had 36 TD passes, but almost half of that wouldn't have been possible without Smith. And Trevor Lawrence only threw for 3,100 plus yards, 24 TD's and missed those 2 games. He also did not look great in their last game.

Devonta Smith was, far and away, the best player in college football this year. He more than deserved this award. It is kind of crazy he is the first wideout since Desmond Howard to win the award. I assume he will have a good game tonight, but we will see. He is going up against a solid secondary, but every other secondary, good and bad, he has faced, he has torched. Congrats to Devonta Smith, a much deserved Heisman win for a non QB or running back.

Ty

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

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Ty's 2021 NFL Playoff Preview

Much to my surprise, and thank you for the heads up RD, the NFL playoffs start tomorrow.

I will not give the league credit, there were far too many problems, but they did get through a full 16 game regular season. I don't know how, I don't know how many players actually got COVID, and I was stunned at how they handled everything. But hey, they did it, and tomorrow, 14 teams have their eyes on winning the Super Bowl. They added two more teams in each conference this year, which, whatever. I guess it means more money. But MLB did this first, then the NBA had the play in tournament in the bubble, so the NFL is just copying stuff that has already been done. With all this being said, I will do a prediction column as I am want to do, and give you my pick for Super Bowl champ.

I'll start with the AFC.

In the AFC the Chiefs are the 1 seed, and they are the only team with a bye. They may also be the best team in the NFL. They also have the best QB, and that goes a long, long way. The Chiefs are going to go far.

In the 2-7 matchup we have the Bills and Colts. This won't be anywhere close to as bad the last time the Bills were in the playoffs, when they got beat by the Jaguars, 10-7. This should be a good game. Buffalo is much better than I thought offensively, and they have a solid defense. The Colts are a solid team, but they needed help to get in, and they barely made it. They do have a defense that may slow down Buffalo, but not enough to win. I have Buffalo pulling away in the third, and winning with ease.

In the 3-6 game we have the Steelers and Browns. I dislike both these teams. I think both are highly overrated. I think both are much worse than their records. This is a true toss up to me. Pittsburgh is playing at home, but after starting 11-0, they have really stumbled. The Browns are in the playoffs for the first time in a while, but they are still the Browns. I'm going with the Steelers because Mike Tomlin is a proven winner, and he will not let the Browns beat his team at home.

The 4-5 is the best game in this round, featuring Baltimore and Tennessee. Both teams are sharp. Both teams love to run the ball. Both teams play good defense. They are as evenly matched as it comes. But, Baltimore has past playoff woes, and the Titans have Derrick Henry. As much as I want the Ravens to win, and boy are they on fire right now, I just don't think they will be able to stop Henry, and I think the Titans will control tempo, control clock and grind out a close win.

This means that the Chiefs and Bills and Titans and Steelers would face off in the second round. The Bills have had a great year. That all stops here. The Chiefs can exploit their defense. The Chiefs defense will make enough plays to help. They will win, and probably going away. As for the Steelers and Titans, the Titans will win, they will win by a lot and they will show everyone how overrated the Steelers truly are. I wouldn't be shocked to see Derrick Henry go for 200 plus yards and a few scores.

This means we would have the same AFC title game as last year, but it won't go down like last year. The Chiefs are on the verge of a dynasty, and they will make an easy trip to their second straight Super Bowl.

Now for the NFC.

The Packers are the one seed, and they have been shockingly solid this year. They get the bye week.

The 2-7 matchup is the Saints and Bears. The Saints are really, really good on offense, and after having no healthy running backs, they are all back, and that means Alvin Kamara is back. This also seems like Drew Brees' last run, and while I may disagree with his politics, the dude is a very, very good QB. The Bears backed into the playoffs, they are being led by Mitch Trubisky and the defense is nowhere near as good as last year. They are going to get demoralized in this game, especially with it being in New Orleans. I could honestly see the Saints putting up 50.

The 3-6 match up is between divisional opponents, the Seahawks and Rams. The Rams are not the same team from two years ago when they made a run to the Super Bowl. They are more predictable and not nearly as good. The Seahawks started strong, then kind of faltered. They are awesome offensively, but not very good at all defensively. The Rams will make it closer than it should be, but Russell Wilson is way, way, way better than Jared Goff, and he will lead the Seahawks to a win.

This 4-5 matchup is so much worse than the AFC. Washington, at 7-9 overall, faces off against the Tom Brady led Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs may not have Mike Evans, but it doesn't matter. Washington is mediocre, plays in a terrible division, and they will get blown out. Tampa, while not great, is much better than Washington, especially offensively.

So that leaves us in round two with the Packers playing the Saints and the Seahawks facing the Bucs. The Seahawks and Buccaneers game is one of those games where I do not want to root for either team, I do not care who wins and I will not watch one second of it. Going off the season, I will pick Tampa. Russell Wilson is younger, and frankly, better than Tom Brady right now. But he has no help defensively, and Bruce Arians is a better coach, at the moment, than Pete Carroll. Tampa will find a way to make it to the NFC title game.

I do have a personal stake in the other game, obviously. I want the Packers to win. They should win. The Saints are not good in cold weather stadiums, and it will be freezing in Green Bay. Green Bay has struggled on run defense, but has been okay in passing defense. I also think Green Bay will be able to run and pass on New Orleans. Aaron Rodgers is having an MVP type season, and for as much flak as I gave Matt LaFleur, he has done a solid job getting the best out of his players. Combine that with the Saints struggles outside their dome, I think the Packers will win this game.

So we have Green Bay and Tampa in the NFC title game. Green Bay better win this damn game. They are better at every level, and Tom Brady has come out and said he is glad to not be playing in cold weather anymore. They will have to go to Green Bay, and Green Bay is the better team. Of course I am going with the Packers.

That means I have Kansas City and Green Bay in the Super Bowl. A rematch of Super Bowl 1. As much as I'd like to pick my team, the Chiefs are better, younger, better coached and have a dynasty. The Chiefs will win. It may be close for a bit, but Patrick Mahomes will find a way, as he always does, and he will bring a second straight Super Bowl to Kansas City. Get ready to see the Chiefs as much as we saw the Patriots, because that is what is going to happen.

There is my NFL playoff preview. Hopefully no one gets COVID, and good luck to all the teams.

Ty

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

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Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, and Josh Hawley are Traitors

I had the night to sleep on the madness I witnessed yesterday, and I still woke up angry today. I also did not sleep that well because of the anger I was feeling. I watched the news for about five hours, give or take, and I never watch the news. I was glued into CNN all night. I know that CNN is very liberal, but so am I, and when I do watch news, that is the channel I choose. Going through the late afternoon, into the evening and into the late night, I found myself getting more and more agitated. I just kept thinking about what happened, how it happened and how it was stoked by the sitting "president".

This is not okay. This is not normal. Far, far from it. I thought sleeping on it would help, and while it was nice to get a little rest, as I said, I was, and still am, very angry, for many different reasons. First off, Trump is a terrorist. He is a cultist. He wanted this to happen. According to some reporting, he was "giddy" when he saw these terrorists attack the capitol. He is unwell. He is unstable. He has been unfit to run this country since he took office, and it came to the worst possible conclusion we could have imagined yesterday. To see him say what he said, to not act on it, to put out that absolute embarrassment of a video, filled with lie after lie, to not want to deploy the National Guard, and then to egg on senators to still object, the man is mentally ill.

Trump must be removed. This is not okay. Something needs to happen. I am scared of what he might do in the next 13 days. Who knows. He may seem "stable" today, but who knows how his mood may shift this evening. I do not feel safe as an American with him being the president. It is terrifying.

While Trump deserves pretty much all of the blame, there is plenty more to go around. First off, the people that enabled him for four years, who let him fan the flames of hatred, let him spew his rhetoric, they could have stepped up so much sooner and stopped him. They could have said something. They could have told him to stop. They could have forced him out. They didn't, and we were left with what happened yesterday. This is a man who surrounds himself with yes men and women, who also happen to be racist. Remember this summer when Black Lives Matter were peacefully protesting in DC? Do you remember that they were tear gassed? I sure do. Where was that last night? Why did some of the police involved seemingly invite these domestic terrorists into the Capitol building? Why wasn't the National Guard called in sooner? This could have been avoided. But Trump and his cronies did not act, just like they have not acted on anything or anyone that disagrees with them for four years.

I do want to single out two senators, that even after what happened yesterday, still had the nerve, the gall, to object to states electoral votes. Ted Cruz is, and always will be, an utter scumbag. He started these shenanigans yesterday when he objected to Arizona. He himself said he knew it wasn't going to change the outcome, but he did it anyway. This was clearly a selfish move on his behalf, done in haste because he wants to run for president in 2024, and he wants those terrorists from yesterday, he wants their votes. What a slimy, disgusting and embarrassing human being. He deserves just as much blame as Trump.

Yet Cruz was outdone by the one senator who really deserves to be dragged, to be called out, and quite frankly, should be removed from his post, is Josh Hawley. He was egging on these terrorists before the insanity. There are photos everywhere of him cheering along with these terrorists. Then he disappeared when the madness started, but still found it important to object to Pennsylvania's electoral votes.

Who the hell does Hawley think he is? What kind of privileged asshole does something like this? What was he thinking, after seeing what happened, to still object to Pennsylvania? And, like the coward, and punk he is, he objected, but ceded his speaking time. That is one of the biggest punk moves I have ever witnessed. He wanted to object, but he refused to speak. What a coward. What a sheep. What a yes man. Hawley has blood on his hands. He is just as responsible for the deaths of the four terrorists yesterday as Trump is. His actions prior to the attack and after are despicable. He is the worst of the worst. I despise that he is a senator from the state that I preside in. I am embarrassed that people voted for him, and that some still support him. His actions, to still object to Pennsylvania, when people like Kelly Loeffler and Lindsay Graham and Lankford, and almost all the other republican senators that decided to back off after the attack, are appalling, scary, disgusting and messed up. Hawley is clearly an egomaniac, a psychopath and a narcissist. He only cares about himself and his political career. He is a scary person, and I sure as hell am going to do all I can to get his punkass out of his senate seat. I don't know what I can do, but I will find ways to have him removed from office, or have him tried in court. He is a monster. He is equally responsible for the attack on our democracy and our country by these domestic terrorists yesterday. He is a shameful human being.

I will never, ever forget yesterday. This is forever burned in my brain as one of the worst days in American history. It is clear that Trump, Cruz and Hawley could care less about anyone other than themselves. I hope they know karma is real, and their actions yesterday will forever haunt them. We need Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in office ASAP. I know January 20th is Inauguration Day, but I would like them in office sooner than that. With both Democrats winning their runoffs in Georgia yesterday, the sooner we get Biden and Harris in office, the sooner we can start to heal.

January 6th is a day that will live in infamy, and I will never forget, or forgive, those who stood by and did nothing. We need people in positions of power, Biden and Harris, who will do their jobs, and do them exceptionally. We need to recover from this mess. But we also need to always remember what we saw, and how it made the majority of us feel. It is more than time for the Biden/Harris staff to get to work. Hopefully they will sooner rather than later.

Ty

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

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This Needs to End

I was going to write about Devonta Smith today, but that will have to wait for tomorrow.

I, like many others, have been waiting for this day. Today is the day that Congress is supposed to certify Joe Biden and Kamala Harris' victory in November. I have been staying away from politics because it is a trigger for me. I am a super liberal, and all the legal nonsense, and infighting and refusal to concede has just made me more anxious by the day. I have ways of thwarting all the anxiety, and that has worked. Then one of my own state's senators, a man I truly despise, Josh Hawley, said he was going to object to certify. This is wrong, it is selfish, it was all about himself and he knows that it will not work. Then something like twelve other senators decided they would join the house republicans in objecting. Again, this is a futile attempt, and the people doing this are only doing it to further their own political careers. They know Biden and Harris won, but they want that crazy far right vote. They are playing to their base, and that is wrong. But all politics is dirty and gross and shady.

What just happened, what I just read when I went to check on how the session was going, is one of the most disturbing and upsetting things I have ever read. Apparently some of these far right protesters, egged on earlier in the day by this century's Hitler, Donald Trump, stormed the capitol, threatened violence and they had to suspend the count to get the people inside to safety. What we are witnessing now, what we are all seeing is an attempted coup. It shouldn't have come to this. It didn't have to come to this. This is supposed to be a quiet day where congress gets the job done quickly, and people are able to go back to their everyday lives. But not today. Because Trump, and all of his enablers that have fed into his hysteria, we are now in a situation that no one, and I mean no one, wants. This is a nightmare. This is a disaster. This was the worst possible outcome of the day. The election is over. Biden won. He won both the popular vote and the electoral vote. But Trump, and his insane lawyers, have tried to deny all the way, and now we have ended up with what happened today.

Is this the new Republican party? Do they invite coups? Do they feel good about all of this? Are they happy with where we are right now because they didn't get their way? Why the challenge to the election when they were on the same ballot? None of this, and I mean NONE, makes any sense. My children have more sense and respect than this, and they are eight and five. What am I supposed to tell them today about our country? What have we become? To the people that voted for this four years ago, are you happy today? Is this the country you wanted? Is this the look you were going for in 2016? Gosh I hope not.

This is a day that is going to go down in history as one of the worst ever. My kids will read about this in history books. I will remember exactly where I was 20, 30 and 40 years from now on January 6th 2021. To all the republicans that decided to contest the election, this is on you. I hope you are proud of yourselves. And to Trump, and his baseless, phony goons, this is all of your fault. You are a disgrace. You will be remembered only as a monster, a nuisance and a national nightmare. Your "legacy" is forever tarnished by your actions. Anything he says and does now, it is all moot because of his actions today, and for the past two months, and in fact, for all of his life. People are in danger. People from his own party, and people who supported him, are in danger because of him, and the dozen or so senators, and hundreds of house republicans, who thought contesting this election, named the most secure in history, are in this mess because of him. The US is the "shithole" country, and it is because of Trump and his enablers. This is horrible, it will go down as a horrible day in history and it will take a long, long time to recover from this as a country. I would hope that Trump is removed from office today, and then thrown in jail. That seems like the only fair punishment for what he has wrought. We need Biden and Harris in power ASAP because we cannot allow this to happen. We are supposed to be the greatest country in the world, but today, we are the worst. I am scared and I am disappointed.

What a tragic day, and a day that will go down in infamy.

Ty

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

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Michigan and Texas Football are Missing the Road Back to Greatness

Today I want to talk about two different college football teams, and their head coaching situations. One is Texas, and the other is Michigan. I will save Michigan for last because that is my school, my team, and I have some strong, and anger, towards how Jim Harbaugh is handling that mess.

First let’s talk about Texas. I am surprised, but maybe I shouldn't be, that they fired Tom Herman. Yes, they never met expectations, they were always a perennial top 10 team and would go on to win 6 to 8 games and then play in a lower tier bowl. Herman did not deliver Texas back to the promised land their fanbase had hoped. But, he was only there for, I think, three years. That is not really a long enough time to get the program on his terms. I felt like they didn't give Charlie Strong enough time, but Herman was there as long as him, so maybe this is what Texas does now. Herman also recruited fairly well, had good players coming in, but this past season, I guess to the big wigs, wasn't enough for him to keep his job. Again, surprising, but not really when you break it down. Texas is a blueblood. They are football in that state. I'd go as far to say that the Longhorns are more important than the Cowboys. Full stop. And the team was just not good enough. They weren't winning the Big 12. They couldn't keep up with Oklahoma. They were losing early season non conference games that they had no business not winning. Texas was, and still is, trending down. That is not good enough for them.

Also, I do not think that hiring Steve Sarkisian is going to solve the problem. Does Texas not remember his time as head coach of Washington? Or when he was the OC for the Falcons? It was a disaster. Some people will say he did great at USC, and Alabama's offense this season is top of the line, but look at the talent discrepancy. I could call plays for Alabama, and definitely that USC team he was the OC on, and we'd average 40 plus points a game. USC back in the early 2000's, and Alabama now, they get the best of the best. They always have the top talent. Third stringers on those teams would start on almost any other D-1, power 5, top 25 team. That's the truth. Sarkisian will not have that at his expense at Texas. He will have to go out and do the recruiting himself, and the kids he will go after, a lot of them will choose Alabama or the university of Ohio State and Clemson before even thinking about Texas. Hell, they will have to fight Oklahoma just within their conference. While firing Herman was a surprise, hiring Sarkisian makes even less sense to me. But maybe he will work out, who knows.

Now on to Michigan. This whole situation is an absolute mess, and Jim Harbaugh is the only person to blame. I wasn't on board when Michigan hired him, grew to like him very much, even without living up to his own personal expectations, and now what he is doing, just dragging everyone along while openly looking for an NFL job, it is just, quite frankly, embarrassing and annoying. It is so frustrating that he is dragging his feet, not signing the extension that has been on the table for over a week now and not telling anyone what he plans on doing. His players, his assistants, even AD Warde Manuel has no idea what he is going to do, and that is wrong. Everyone has done anything and everything he has wanted since they hired him in 2014. They have bent over backwards to his every whim, and this is how he decides to handle himself. It is gross. People get so mad at players for transferring every year when they don't play, but applaud coaches when they wait out their own college team for an NFL opening. That is wrong. Coaches can leave whenever they want, no matter how unsuccessful or successful they are, and no one bats an eye. But, if a player transfers after one season, without knowing anything about that kid, the media and coaches will destroy that kid. That is the upsetting part.

The real personal problem with me, I want Harbaugh back as Michigan's head coach this upcoming season. I don't think the options on the table are any better. I think if they make a change they will be back to a full rebuild, a full culture change. They will lose a ton of players to transfers. I think a lot of this solid recruiting class they have will ask out, and rightfully so. It would be a total letdown if Harbaugh continues to wait and wait and wait. I also do not know that the NFL is necessarily breaking down doors to get to him, but I imagine there are talks going on, which is going to make this never ending extension situation drag out longer and longer. If he doesn't sign the extension with Michigan by tomorrow, I fully believe he is going to leave for either the Jets or Chargers job, and leave Michigan an even bigger mess than when Lloyd Carr was all but forced to retire. Warde Manuel, the coaches still on staff and players are all waiting, but Harbaugh seems fully content to just sit and make them wait even longer, until he has exhausted any and all other options. That is wrong, but damn it, I hope he returns. That is my own nonsense that I have to work through.

These two schools, which were once great, and are now not, are going in separate directions, but I feel like both are going to end up in the same spot, the middle.

Ty

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

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RIP MF DOOM

A seemingly brutal 2020 got a little worse on New Years Eve.

I was preparing some food for our at home New Years celebration, because we are all in quarantine, as you should be, when I heard news that MF DOOM had passed away. Well, I should say that I didn't hear. I was looking at Instagram and noticed a ton of people posting pictures of him with no caption. The people posting were rappers, actors and friends of mine. I immediately thought two things, either he had new music coming out, or that he was dead. Unfortunately the second part was true.

I was floored. I googled his name right away to confirm the news. It was everywhere. Every music publication and major news network had confirmed that DOOM had died. I then saw his family post on Instagram that the news was true, and that he had actually passed away in October. He died on Halloween in fact. Again, I was stunned. I had heard nothing about him being sick, getting sick or anything. He hadn't put out new music in awhile, but he takes a ton of time in between records, so honestly, I hadn't thought about him for almost six months. But this news soured my mood. I texted a good amount of people I knew that listen to him, and they were just as stunned as I was.

This sucks. This was one final kick to the crotch from 2020. Lots of people die every year, but 2020 took it to a whole other level, and took some musical geniuses along the way. I mean, I don't know many casual fans that know DOOM, but people that do, they know hip hop. DOOM had been making some great music in the early 2000's. He would put out many different albums, all of which were unique and different and simple and cool in only a way DOOM could do. He also was making beats for many rappers and helping them achieve notoriety. DOOM not only did his own thing, but helped others along the way. But what I adored about him, his music, was how different and how cool it was. DOOM had a very excellent way of rhyming and writing and delivering his lyrics. His beats were straight ahead, yet different from everyone else out there. The lyrics were my favorite though. Instead of glamorizing things, he called out rappers for this. He made fun of how famous rappers talk about women and money and material things. He went the total opposite direction of all the other rappers out there.

The album of his I love the most is the one he did with Danger Mouse called "DangerDoom". This album is one of the best rap records period, and it is made so much cooler because they added Adult Swim people on the album. The characters from "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" were on this album. Space Ghost makes an appearance. All the shows that I watch, they were on this record. It was cool to have Danger Mouse produce it, DOOM rap on it and have Adult Swim characters appear. After hearing news of his death, this was the first record I put on to honor his memory.

Just when 2020 was about to be over, we got this news, and it was a real bummer. At least his family got some time to grieve without having the media all over it. They had some time to mourn their loss. Now the rest of us are mourning this loss. DOOM was, and always will be, one of the greatest rappers that ever lived. He was too young. He was only 49. This stinks, and it was one final blow to a brutal year. RIP DOOM. You will be missed.

Ty

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

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Best of 2020: Top Five Podcasts

Finishing up my best of 2020 lists I have my top five podcasts/podcast episodes of the year.

Podcasts have been a pretty crucial part of my life in 2020. Along with recording X Millennial Man with RD, I have been in the process of starting another podcast with a few of my friends that is strictly about the NBA and basketball shoes. We have put out one episode so far, and you can find it on Google Play and Spotify. It is called Wear and Tear. Outside the two podcasts I am personally involved with, podcasts have been great for running, cleaning the house or just relaxing. It has also been pretty cool to see how the big time podcasters have adjusted to all the changes from the Coronavirus pandemic. With all this being said, I do have a top five, and I am pretty stoked about it.

Coming in at number five I have an episode of a podcast I really enjoy, Heavyweight, and it is their episode entitled "Bobby". This was one of the lighter Heavyweight features, and I have grown to enjoy when they don't go as heavy. "Bobby" focused on, I believe he is the sound engineer for Heavyweight, his musical career before he got his new job. He always loved music, was in a band in high school, played some gigs and even made a few dollars. But this wasn't about that. Apparently he worked for a marketing company out of college and was tasked with writing and performing a jingle for McDonald's. He did it and thought nothing would come of it. But they made it, put it on the air, and boy oh boy did people dislike it. They read some comments, played the commercial and made jokes about it and even had former employees that greenlit the jingle on. They all had great quips. The best thing was his former bandmates discussing it. Of course they knew it was their friend Bobby singing, but he never told them. They brought it up to him. And while they razzed him, they didn't let that linger too long. They joked, but knew he did it basically as a goof. Bobby and his band got to play at the end of the episode, and that was a very nice touch. This was a fun look into the marketing world when things go awry. I had a great time listening to this episode.

At number four I have the new podcast Grawlix Saves the World. I am a fan of the Grawlix. They are a comedy trio, and they had a very great show on TruTV called "Those Who Can't". On their podcast they do things to try and make the world a better place. Throughout their challenges they bring their unique blend of comedy. It is funny to hear them gripe and moan and riff off one another. They also do some very cool things. If it wasn't for their election episode I may have never phone banked for Biden and Harris. I was inspired by them to do that, and I believe that is the point of the podcast. I also loved when they each did a challenge from a listener, and decided I was going to go on hour long walks for a week too. Their goal, to make the world a better place through comedy, has inspired me to do some things I may have never done before. That is one of the main reasons they are on my list. They also happen to be hilarious, which is always a plus.

At number three I have another new podcast, Zack to the Future. The premise is simple. Mark Paul Gosselaar has never watched "Saved by the Bell", so his co host Dashielle Driscoll, the creator of the excellent "Zack Morris is Trash", has him watch each episode, and then they dissect it. It is cool to hear Gosselaar talk about his time on the show, and what he remembers, but more so, what he has no recollection of. It is also great when they get guests on the show. So far they have had Mario Lopes, Elizabeth Berkely and Tiffani Thiessen on. They have also had writers and some extras. It is neat to hear these people talk about this show that has become such an enormous hit, especially for my generation. I loved "Saved by the Bell", and to hear the actors, who are about a decade older than me, reminisce is pretty awesome. If you were a fan of "SBTB", I would highly recommend listening to Zack to the Future. It is a great stroll down memory lane.

At number two I have Scott Aukemann and Adam Scott led U Talking Talking Heads to my Talking Head. They have done this before. They did it with U2 and REM. Aukermann even did something similar with Phish and Harris Wittles(RIP). So this isn't new, but their shows like this have introduced me to very famous bands that I never gave a shot. It didn't work with U2, kind of worked with REM, but it has worked like gangbusters with Talking Heads. I am a humongous fan now, and I have to say it is because of me listening to this podcast. They have introduced me to a band that I now love. I didn't get that into it at first, but when they did the "Stop Making Sense" episode, that was what hooked me. Now I love this band and this show. I am bummed they did their final episode a week ago, but that was all Talking Heads had to offer. What makes this podcast even better is the fact that they were going to do it about the Red Hot Chili Peppers, but instead shifted to Talking Heads during that very first episode, and never looked back. That was the correct decision. I hope Aukermann and Scott continue to do this for so many reasons, but mainly because they seem to genuinely have a good time making these shows.

At number one I have the Lowe Post episode where Zach Lowe speaks to Malika Andrews about the NBA players strike. Andrews was one of the few journalists that got to go to the bubble. She was there from start to finish pretty much. She had to go through all the things the players went through, and her stories from the bubble are incredible. But hearing her talk about her mood, the sight, the feeling in the gyms and seeing the players protest, that was powerful. It is not very often you get instant talk of something as enormous as this strike. Usually we get stories months or even years later. But Andrews appeared on Lowe's podcast within days of the strike. Hearing her insight was truly wonderful. Hearing her thoughts and her actions was incredible. It is a moment in time that no one will forget, and she was one of the first people to openly talk about it. I have listened to the pod a few times because it still brings chills in the very best way. As I stated yesterday, I love the NBA, and this interview with Andrews was an amazing listening experience. It truly was second to none.

Okay, those are my best of 2020 lists. Happy New Year everyone. Stay safe, wear a mask, wash your hands and Black Lives Matter.

Ty

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

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Best of 2020: Top Sports Moments

Today I have my top five sports moments of the year.

Again, I could have gone cliché and picked the obvious choices. I mean, in early March all of the sports shut down. It was a wrap. No March Madness, the NBA season stopped, the MLB never really got started, the NHL stopped, pro soccer was postponed, golf, hell, even NASCAR had to stop for a while. Football, both professionally and at the collegiate level, had months to be prepared, yet they did nothing. They have had multiple postponements and cancellations. It has been a mess. These are the moments I will remember most from 2020, but I like these lists to be about good things, things that made me happy or excited as a sports fan. I don't want it to be all doom and gloom. We do enough of that on the podcast. And I was successfully able to get a top five list of pretty great sports moments of 2020. I will always look back at this year with a wince when it comes to sports, but the five things I picked will help put a smile on my face.

Coming in at number five I have the Chiefs winning the Super Bowl. They have the best QB in the game right now. They made a habit of getting down big in the playoffs last year, and mounting pretty amazing comebacks, and the Super Bowl was no exception. For three plus quarters the game was pretty boring, and it looked like the 49ers were going to win an ugly game. Then Patrick Mahomes and Deangelo Williams and Andy Reid woke up and mounted yet another double digit comeback effort. It was pretty cool to see Mahomes do the things he does regularly on the biggest stage. I loved seeing the 49ers flop, I have never been a fan, and I was stoked for Andy Reid to finally get that ring. I am not a Chiefs fan, but I have a good amount of friends who are, and as always, I was happy for them. The Chiefs are going to be a force to be reckoned with for a while now too. They are a great team, and it started this year with a Super Bowl win.

At number four I have Sarah Fuller being the first woman to kick for a division 1 power five conference football team. She made her debut kicking off against Mizzou. She then kicked an extra point in the very next game. This is a humongous deal. The fact that a woman got into a legitimate D-1 football game is a humongous first step, with many more to come, towards equality in sports. Women are just as good as men, sometimes even better. The fact that Vanderbilt realized this, put her in the game and let her play was awesome. I am in awe of what Fuller was able to do. Add on the fact that it was within such a masculine sport, more props to her. This is so cool. I am all about fair play and playing the person who is the best, no matter the gender or anything else. Fuller was clearly the best person they had to kick for them, so they let her do it and she succeeded. I hope she gets to do it again next season when it will be a little more like a "regular" season. But this was cool and a great step in equality in all D-1 sports.

The top 3 moments are all NBA. Just letting you all know.

At number three I have the new format of the All Star game. Having captains of teams is cool, the "draft" is fun, although it is more for show than anything else, and letting fans vote is still super important. But the addition of making it more competitive towards the end of the game, and giving the money to charity, that is the cherry on top. When this game got down to the final quarter, when it was all ramped up, this was like watching a playoff game. It was, for all intents and purposes, the greatest pickup game of basketball anyone could ever imagine, behind only the Dream Team scrimmages. Players bought in, super stars were fighting and struggling for every point, rebound and assist. Players were locking in defensively. It was so cool to see these guys go so hard in an all star game. Most all star games are a glorified scrimmage, but this was not when they got into the fourth quarter. I loved it, I was on the edge of my seat at the end. And I don't even care that it ended on free throw shots. Hell, if anything, when AD missed the first one, I was more nervous for him. I know there is no all star game this year, for many very good reasons. But when we get back to some kind of normalcy in the sports world, I hope the NBA keeps this new format, which I am sure they will.

At number two I have the NBA bubble. This was a massive, massive success from the NBA, and all the people involved. When they had to shut down the league on March 11th, I had no idea, as with everyone else I imagine, when or if they would come back, and how they would do it. When this bubble idea came up, I was intrigued, but had many questions. The NBA answered them all. Players and staff had daily tests, they couldn't leave their resort hotels, they could only hang out with the people on their teams, when teams got beat they had to leave immediately. Everything they did worked. They had zero positive tests in the three plus months they were there. I know it was a physical and mental strain on the players there, but the NBA proved they could get the season done, and do it without anyone getting COVID. And I bought that there were fans in the stands when I heard the pumped in crowd noise while watching from my home. The ratings may not have been as great as everyone was hoping, but I watched a ton of the games and all of the playoffs and I enjoyed every single second of it. I was so impressed that they pulled it off.

But the NBA did do one thing better than the bubble, coming in as my top sports moment of 2020, was the NBA players strike. Jacob Blake, an unarmed black man, was shot by a white police officer even though he did nothing wrong at all. This happens all too often in our society, and it needs to stop. To all those "All Lives Matter" dummies out there, all lives cannot matter until Black Lives Matter. That is what we all have been saying for so long now. The Blake shooting was the straw that broke the camel's back for the NBA players, especially the players for the Bucks. Blake is from Milwaukee, and plenty of Bucks players have been very vocal about police brutality and police officers aggressiveness towards African Americans. They decided, as a team, without telling any media members, that they were going to not play in their playoff game that night. This set it off. The Magic quickly followed suit. Then the Thunder and Rockets protested their game that night. Then the entire NBA decided they were protesting. The NHL followed suit. Some NASCAR drivers did the same. MLB players and teams decided they were going to join the protests. This made the whole world stop and look, but it was the NBA, and more importantly, the Milwaukee Bucks that started this movement. We are sick and tired of all the BS and brutality and actions of people in power. It is intensified when professional athletes, especially super stars, let everyone else know this. The fact that, along with the entire Bucks team, LeBron James and Anthony Davis, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, Jamaal Murray, Donovan Mitchell and so many, many more old and young stars stood up for what they believed in, and did this protest was truly amazing. I love the NBA. I always have, and I always will. Seeing this, seeing all these teams and players band together and fight for what they believe in, this moved me in a way that sports never has before. I was so proud to be a fan of the NBA when they protested. It made me so happy and so glad and showed me that these guys are people too, and they are sick and tired of all the nonsense. I don't know that any other sports moment will live up to this one in my lifetime. I am very happy I got to see this as it happened, and I am forever grateful to everyone who used their platform to make this protest happen. This was a truly amazing, once in a lifetime moment.

That's it for sports. Come back tomorrow for my top 5 podcasts/podcast episodes of the year.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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

Best of 2020: Top Five Television Shows

TV was pretty solid this year.

It really was the highlight of 2020.

You do not believe me? Let’s discuss.

There was a lot of great television to choose from, and a good amount of it was okay. There was some early quarantine stuff that, when I look back on it now, was not as great as I thought it was at the time. Think "Tiger King" and "Love is Blind". Those shows were a nice distraction, but looking back, they were not great by any stretch of the imagination. They were more crummy reality TV shows that let me forget how crazy the world was, and still is. But, there was good stuff, just mostly already good shows that had really good seasons. That is how I viewed my choices this year. There is only one brand new show on my list, but that show is the best of the year. The rest are all shows that are already established. Let's get to the list.

At number five I have season two of "What We Do in the Shadows". The movie was amazing, and the show is pretty damn good. The first season was a nice homage to the movie. The second season really went out on its own. They explored each character. They gave us great one off episodes of two main characters. The episode that focused on Colin Robinson, the energy vampire, was one of the best episodes of TV in decades. They were able to follow that up with the "Jackie Daytona" episode, featuring an excellent cameo from Mark Hamill. "What We Do in the Shadows" got exponentially better in season two, and season one was great. The stuff with Guillermo, further looking into his vampire hunting past, ended with a tremendous conclusion. I loved this season, and I cannot wait to see where they go with the third.

At number four I have season two of "The Mandalorian". I am a newly minted "Star Wars" fan, but "Rogue One" and "The Mandalorian" are pretty exceptional. Season two of the show gave us Baby Yoda's real name. We got some kick ass fight scenes. Boba Fett reappeared. The episode with Ashoka Tano was epic. And anytime Giancarlo Esposito showed up on screen, I knew some wild stuff was about to happen. We got to see cool space monsters and other inhabitants of this world, and that is always fun for me. I read they had some on set drama, but none of that showed in the final product. And that surprise at the end of the season ranks right up there with some of the best TV season finales ever. "The Mandalorian" is a great show, with a solid cast and really cool story writing. It is an old west style show shot in outer space. I'm curious to see where they go with season three, but I bet it will be great.

At number three I have season 10 of "Curb Your Enthusiasm". Sure, it gets kind of annoying waiting on a new season of "Curb", but when you come up with the comedy that Larry David does, all that goes away. This most recent season rules. All the stuff with Susie and Jeff is great, and it went to a new level of greatness this season. The episode with the painting was hilarious. The wedding episode with Timothy Olyphant was cringey in the best possible way. The stuff with Cheryl and Larry was tremendously funny. Ted Danson was sparsely on, but when he was he was great. But the spite coffee store was the creme de la creme. Larry deciding to do this, with Leon's help, is what makes this show so funny and so incredible. The writing, and improvising, is second to none. Larry David proved why he is one of the greatest people ever to do what he does. He has entered the pantheon of people that really can do no wrong. I know they are making an 11th season as we speak, and I am sure they will find a way to make COVID funny. David might be the only person capable of accomplishing that.

At number two I have season four of "Fargo". "Fargo" is a great show, with great connecting storylines. Season 4 kind of connected all the previous seasons. This was the first one that didn't take place in the North, instead heading to Kansas City. But, there was mention of Fargo, and the show was as captivating as previous seasons, if not more so. Chris Rock was the head of one crime family, the new one, going up against Jason Schwartzmann's already established crew. How they weaved both families stories together was perfect, and the addition of outside characters was done so well. Nurse Mayflower was frightening. The high school student that lived in a mortuary clearly was running things near the end. The sister and her girlfriend, the robbers, were so good. Timothy Olyphant, his second appearance on my list, was charming as hell. The way Noah Hawley does this show, the way it is written and the people he gets to act are so good and so game for anything that is thrown at them. And as I said before, the way they tied previous seasons to this one was done so well. The very last scene of this season was too perfect. "Fargo" is one of the best shows on TV right now, and I hope FX continues to do more.

Speaking of FX, and how I previously mentioned I only had one new show on my list, coming in at number one is the FX show "Dave". I am a Lil Dicky fan. I like his music. I do not think he is a joke or parody rapper, I just think he writes funny lyrics, but is a genuinely good rapper. I did not know what to expect from his show, and boy did it knock me on my ass in the best possible way. The show is a comedy, but like most things on FX, it deals with some heavy shit. Dave is trying to make it, but it is hard for him. He tells his story on this show, and he gets other people involved. Gata, his buddy and hype man, is all wild and fun, but he is bipolar. The episode that reveals this is a very well told, raw story of bipolar disorder. Dave's old camp buddies come to see him perform live, and while they have him doing jokey things, we find out that his old friends are assholes that took advantage of him. Dave soon realizes this too. His friend and engineer wants to make it in the music business, but his anxiety and self doubt gets in the way. Dave treats his girlfriend like shit, and when she finally calls him out on it, and breaks up with him, I was heartbroken for them both. This show was able to perfectly toe the line of drama and comedy. They did such a good job. And the way it catches you totally off guard is how any good show should hit you. I was on the fence about this show, but damn am I glad I watched it, and have watched it multiple times since. I highly, highly recommend people check it out. It will surprise you.

That does it for TV. Come back tomorrow for my top five sports moments of 2020.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

Best of 2020: Top Five Movies

For my best of lists this year, today I come to you with movies.

Movies weren't as hard as music, but I still ran into some issues. I watched a ton of old movies this year. My wife and I do have a movie date night every Friday or Saturday from our home, but again, we have watched a ton of older movies, movies we liked when we were teenagers, or before we started to date. And there were a ton of good ones during these date nights. But we did see some movies that came out in 2020. We haven't seen a lot of the Oscar bait movies yet, but I usually wait until later anyway to see those movies. That is why "Uncut Gems" didn't make my initial list last year. And while we did just watch the new "Wonder Woman" movie, and liked it, it did not push its way into my best of. With all that being said, let's get to the list.

At number five I have "Bill and Ted Face the Music". This movie was all I wanted it to be, and so much more. My wife hadn't seen either of the first two, so we watched them, and then saw this movie, and she loved it too. This movie was funny and fun and silly and cool and had an excellent message. The music was also pretty rad. They also brought back classic characters, and introduced some funny new ones. I have seen the movie a few times since we first watched, and it is still as funny and fun as the first time. This is a great movie to watch to let you escape from the crazy world. It is a good movie, and a very solid sequel.

At number four I have "Da 5 Bloods". I had some issues with this movie personally, but it wasn't anything that a third viewing totally got rid of. The first time I watched, I loved it, but thought it was a bit too long. The second time, I felt I understood it more, but not quite enough. The third time was where it hit me the hardest. This movie is a true masterpiece in many ways. The way Spike Lee directed this, intercutting scenes with Chadwick Boseman as his young soldier self, and his platoon as their older versions, was amazing. The way they weaved racism and the new generation and mistaken identity, fantastic. The setting was beautiful. The story was compelling and heartbreaking. This is a movie that deserves all the awards, and hopefully it will be recognized for the achievement it is. It is also one of Boseman's last performances, and he is magnetic. I highly recommend multiple viewings of this movie. It is a slow burn, but a great slow burn.

At number three I have "Palm Springs". This is my generation's, hell maybe even a generation younger than me, "Groundhog Day". Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti are so great as the two people caught in the time loop. JK Simmons was pretty wonderful too. But the way they did this movie, the comedy and the raunchy and the sweetness and the story itself was just wonderful. I also love that it is the highest selling movie to ever come out of Sundance by 69 cents, per request of the movie makers. That rules. But this movie is good. There is a reason it is the highest selling Sundance movie ever. The performances by the leads are tremendous and noteworthy. They both deserve Oscar buzz. And the way it all unfolds, in a comedic/science fiction way, was so unique and so cool. I love this movie, I love that it is on Hulu still so I can watch it whenever, and I love how great of a movie it truly is.

At number two I have "David Byrne's American Utopia". Is it a concert film? Yep. Didn't Spike Lee direct this one too? Sure did. Isn't it just David Byrne being himself? Most definitely, and it is exquisite. I am new to Talking Heads, and anything involving the four original band members. But like most people I have gravitated towards Byrne. Sure he is a weirdo, probably did some shady stuff to Talking Heads during their heyday and can be a headache, but he is a genius, and "American Utopia" proves this tenfold. Watching this concert doc was the closest I have come to feeling optimism towards the world in 2020. This movie was all about upbeat, good things to come in, hopefully, the near future. And the people backing Byrne were absolutely magnetic. They almost stole the show from Byrne. The dancers and the band were amazing. They were incredible to watch. But Byrne would talk in between most songs, and while I am even one of the people who have no problem admitting that he is pretentious, this was the least pretentious I have seen him. Maybe age and wit and wisdom have caught up to him and he finally realizes how he can put out his music without being an asshole. I also was moved to tears when I heard them do Janelle Monae's "Hell You Talmbout". That was so moving and powerful. I have watched this almost a half a dozen times already, and I know I will watch it many, many more times. "American Utopia" is one of the greatest concert docs ever. It is right up there with "Stop Making Sense". And, real quick, Lee's direction was perfect.

One movie is better than "American Utopia", and that movie, my number one movie, is "The Last Dance". Not a movie you say? I disagree. Just because it is nearly 10 hours long doesn't mean it is not a movie. The OJ doc was always considered a doc, and that is the case with "The Last Dance". Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE was looking forward to this. I have friends that do not care about sports at all that watched "The Last Dance". This was the moment we would finally get to hear Michael Jordan, the GOAT, talk about his personal experience with the Bulls during their two three-peat title runs in the 90's. And you know what, Jordan didn't hold back at all. He said whatever he felt, what he deems to be true, and it was incredible to see the distaste and disdain he has for some people. It was also interesting to see him admit that he needed more than just himself to get to the heights he achieved. This movie also gave answers to pretty much every question people may have had about Jordan, the 90 Bulls and the other players on that team. We found out the truth about the "flu game". We got to see the real Dennis Rodman. We got to hear Scottie Pippen talk about when Jordan left, and how that made him feel. We got some real dirt on Horace Grant. Phil Jackson is the hippiest hippy out there still. Jerry Krause and Jerry Reinsdorf are both pretty shrewd businessmen, and could be real assholes. I truly, really loved this movie. I love that ESPN, who I do not like that much, released it two months early because they knew people didn't want to wait in quarantine. "The Last Dance" is a true one of a kind classic. Sure there are other sports movies and sports docs, but this one feels different. This one was more salacious, more dirt was spilled, the real people told real stories, it was all unedited and real. It was awesome. It is on Netflix now too, I have already rewatched it all once. "The Last Dance" is an achievement that will go down in history. It is number one, and it is so far ahead of the rest of the competition.

That does it for movies, come back tomorrow for my top five shows of the year.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

Best of 2020: Top Five Albums

This week kicks off my best of 2020. Again, I am not going cliché and claiming nothing good came out of 2020. A lot of good stuff has come out as far as entertainment, but I will say, this may have been the hardest for me because I didn't search out a lot of new stuff. I revisited, and was shown things that came out years ago that I now love.

For example, today I am going to do my top five albums of the year. If I just did what I listened to, this list would be pretty much all Talking Heads. I have fallen deeply, deeply in love with that band. I have also gone back and listened to more Bowie, I have revisited Bob Marley a lot more recently, The Beatles and Rolling Stones have been in heavy rotation as well. I could have done that, but I didn't. I was able to find five records that came out this year that I enjoyed for various reasons. So, while I may want to put "Stop Making Sense" as my personal top album of 2020, that isn't going to happen.

Coming in at number five I have Childish Gambino's new record, "3.15.20". Now, this record is not anywhere near as good as "Awaken. My Love". But not many records are. And when he dropped "This is America", he went to a whole other level. I have said it a lot, and I'll say it again, Donald Glover is immune to criticism. When he does something, it works, and "3.15.20" falls in line. This album is so good because it was unexpected. The rumors were that he was done with music after "Awaken, My Love". And even with "This is America", that could have just been a one off because of how amazing it was. But "3.15.20" came out when a lot of people were looking for something new and different. Here in Saint Louis we locked down on March 16th, and this album came out about a week later. And it is good. It reminds me of "Because the Internet". It is different and has some cool beats and lyrics and Glover does some interesting things on the record. It felt like an experience for him. It is a project, but a good project. It was needed and it helped me, and I assume many others, get through the early part of quarantine. I listened a ton to it when riding my bike early on, and revisited it the other day, and it holds up. It didn't get the press it deserved, but it is definitely worth a listen.

Number four I have Man Man's "Dream Hunting in the Valley of the In Between". This record feels like it was made for dancing. I have to credit Har Mar, Sean Tillman, for bringing this album to my attention after seeing him tweet about it. I have always liked Man Man, but this album made me fall in love. It is fun, my kids love it, we have dance parties and it is great for a drive, which we do a lot now. The songs all flow really well, the band sounds amazing and this record has been on repeat for a good long time since I first listened in the late summer. I adore this album.

At number three I have Bright Eyes new album, "Down in the Weeds Where the World Once Was". I did not know that Bright Eyes had been working on a new album until my buddy told me about it. When we were able to run together, wearing masks of course, he let me know all about it, he is a fan, and I was getting stoked. Then I kind of forgot about it until he texted me the day it came out. I listened immediately and loved it right away. It took me back 15 years ago when I first listened to Bright Eyes, but both myself and the band have grown up. The album is a bit more upbeat. It is still filled with sad lyrics, deals with heartbreak and addiction like their other stuff, but with an eye of optimism. Conor Oberst has grown up, been through some shit, dealt with it and has come to a place where he has accepted it all. That comes through full force on the album. The songs are good, the band is good and it is nice to have this band that I listened to at my personal lowest sound grown up and upbeat, just like I have since I got married and had kids. This record is a breath of fresh air.

At number two I have Heart Bones record "Hot Dish". Heart Bones is a two piece pop band made up of Har Mar Superstar and Sabrina Ellis. But, they are so much more than straight up pop music. They both sound excellent on the record. They sing great songs about interesting topics. They just both happen to have voices that sound poppy. But they are not your typical pop band. When my wife listens with me she deems them to be more alternative rock, and I can definitely hear that in them. I was supposed to see them on tour, but COVID happened. That was a bummer, but at least we all got this record. This is a good dancing record, a la the Man Man album, only better. I really dig this record, I listen to it a lot, and their version of "Hungry Eyes" is one of the raddest things I have ever heard.

Finally, at number one, I think it comes as no surprise that "RTJ4", by Run the Jewels, is the record of the year. This album is the best for so many different reasons. They released it early and for free. It is the soundtrack to the younger generation, and the people sick and tired of being pushed around. It is the soundtrack to the revolution I feel like is brewing. The songs are some of the hardest, yet moving tracks I have ever heard. Killer Mike and El-P are at the absolute top of their game, and the whole music game for that matter. This record is on constant repeat. I listen to it when I run almost all the time. I have let my kids listen because I feel they need to hear it. I have broken down lyrics from songs for my dad to think about because this record is this important. I have sung the praises on the podcast and the website. This album is a no brainer for album of the year. They capped it off by doing the "Holy Calamavote" concert on Adult Swim. That was one of the coolest, and much needed, things I have watched and listened to all year. Run the Jewels is the best. They have gotten better with each album and "RTJ4" is an absolute, 500 foot homerun. This album rules and it is, far and away, the best album of the year.

Okay, those are my personal top five albums of 2020. Come back tomorrow for my top five movies.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

SeedSing Classic: Advent Calendar of Awesome Holiday Music: Day 24 - Snoopy's Christmas

ed note: This article was first published on December 24th, 2015

The pre-Christmas Day season of Advent is upon us. Here at SeedSing we love the chocolaty goodness of getting a piece of candy once a day until we get to open our presents. As our gift to you we are looking back at the great holiday music, movies, television episodes, and food of this great season. Enjoy

Day 24: Snoopy's Christmas by The Royal Guardsman

Opened doors: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten,

 Eleven Twelve, Thirteen, Fourteen, Fifteen,Sixteen,Seventeen,Eighteen,

Nineteen, Twenty, Twenty One, Twenty Two, Twenty Three

The Christmas season can feel like a battle. There are large crowds and everyone seems to have their own agenda. People are constantly fighting each other for parking, space in line, and the hot holiday gift. We move through the malls and hardly acknowledge one another. On Christmas Eve, the holiday season reaches its peak while everyone rushes past one another to complete their individual goals. Christmas Eve is the final struggle we face on the battlefield of the holiday season.

"Snoopy's Christmas" is the 1967 follow up to The Royal Guardsman hit "Snoopy vs The Red Baron". The band made their name by incorporating in their songs the Peanuts character of Snoopy, and his exploits of aerial dog fighting against The Red Baron. "Snoopy's Christmas" reads like a classic tale from Charles Schultz's Peanuts comic strips. The Red Baron is terrorizing the skies, and Snoopy with his trusty Sopwith Camel (his doghouse) must engage in  battle high in the sky. While Snoopy valiantly tries to defeat the German ace, disaster strikes. The Red Baron shoots down the pup in German territory. Snoopy lands and believes that the end is here, then suddenly the bells ring out over the countryside marking the beginning of Christmas. Being inspired by the spirit of the season, the Red Baron offers Snoopy a drink and wishes him a Merry Christmas. The brotherhood of Christmas Day causes the foes to befriend, and they then go on their separate ways. Christmas Eve saw bloodshed, Christmas Day is about peace.

The exciting tale being told in "Snoopy's Christmas" is based on a true event, the 1914 Christmas Truce of World War I. British and German troops were shelling each other on December 24th, suddenly the firing stopped when both sides heard the bells from the countryside ring out for the beginning of Christmas Day. The Germans invited the British troops to cross no man's land and have a peaceful celebration. The enemies shared food and drink, showed pictures of their families, and even played games together. The magic of Christmas stopped sworn enemies from killing each other. The feeling of brotherhood trumps the anger of war. It is a magnificent piece of human history.

Christmas Eve can be a tough day. Many people are frantically trying to get that last must have gift. We have no time to be kind and courteous to our fellow man. If you are not relentless, you will lose the battle of the Christmas Season. Once midnight hits and the bells of the village rings out for Christmas Day, a new feeling takes hold. Our disagreements on religion, geopolitics, and philosophy take a day off. Christmas makes us one family. Enjoy your holiday, and thank you for your eyes this Advent Season. As the Red Baron would say, "Merry Christmas my Friend".

RD Kulik

RD is the Head Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man podcast. No matter who you are, or what you believe, the bells at midnight will make you the editor's new friend. Join our circle of joy by liking SeedSing on Facebook.  

SeedSing Classic: Advent Calendar of Holiday Television Programs: Day 23 - "Seinfeld - The Strike"

ed note: This article was first published on December 18th, 2016

The pre-Christmas Day season of Advent is upon us. Here at SeedSing we love the chocolaty goodness of getting a piece of candy once a day until we get to open our presents. As our gift to you we are looking back at the great holiday music, movies, television episodes, and food of this great season. Enjoy

Day 23 "Seinfeld - The Strike"

Original air date - December, 18th 1997 

Opened Doors: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen,  Fourteen, Fifteen, Sixteen, Seventeen, Eighteen, Nineteen, Twenty, Twenty-One, Twenty-Two

For SeedSing's Advent Calendar of great holiday television shows, today, I'm going to write about the "Festivus" episode of "Seinfeld". I know the episode is called "The Strike", but lets be honest, I think we all know this as the Festivus episode. The Festivus episode of "Seinfeld" ranks right up there with any "Simpsons", "The Office" or any other TV show we have written about for the Advent calendar. In fact, I'm going to say that the Festivus episode of "Seinfeld" is the best holiday television show ever. I may quote "The Simpsons" more, or laugh at "The Office" more, but this particular episode of "Seinfeld" has literally changed the way I view the holiday. Today marks Festivus, and I will be airing grievances, showing feats of strength and getting the big pole out for this wonderful pre holiday holiday. 

The episode starts off funny. We all learn that Kramer was/is a worker in a bagel shop, and the strike that he has been seemingly on for years, has ended. Funny right off the bat. The whole thing with the bagel shop, and Kramer's past, and now present, are all classic "Seinfeld". We also get another story involving Elaine giving some creeps a phony phone number and there is some wackiness that happens with this plot line throughout. But, the true gem of the episode is when George's dad tells the world of the joyous day of Festivus.

We learn that when George was a kid, his dad was in line waiting to get him a toy, a doll in fact, and someone else got the last one. He pleaded and prodded the person to give him the doll, but they just would not budge. This caused Frank to lose his mind. He got very, very upset, as he almost always does.  This was when and where he Frank decided he needed to have a "holiday for the rest of us", and thus, Festivus was born. He decided that everyone needs to do many things to make themselves feel a bit better during this holiday season.

Let's be honest, this time of year brings out the anxiety and anger in the best of us. The holiday season can be pretty rough. So, the fact that Frank came up with a holiday where everyone can air their grievances, I love it. I wish this was a real thing and people would not get upset at the outcome. Imagine how nice it would be to tell everyone how you feel, but with the caveat that they cannot get mad at you, and they are allowed to do the same. This would be terrific. To let it all out, that would feel great from both sides. I love that the Costanza's do this every year, because who has more grievances than the Costanza's? No one, that's who. Imagine Frank, Estelle and George sitting around airing their grievances, it must be magically hilarious.

Then, the feats of strength. This would be my absolute favorite. This gives you the chance to prove who is the strongest in your family. I would crush this part of Festivus (ed note: no he would not), and I think my whole family, while they might disagree at first, knows that I would dominate. Now, imagine once again, the Costanza's doing this. I can almost guarantee that Estelle would be the strongest in the family. She may not look it, but I think she would absolutely dominate George and Frank in a feats of strength competition. I bet George is also the weakest, even at everyone's advanced age. He is so meek and mean, but that is just his attitude, I'm sure that does not translate into actual strength.

Then, we have the Festivus pole, which is the alternative to the tree and menorah used during this time of year. It is just an unadorned pole that sits in your living room on December 23rd. It does nothing, but it adds so much to this episode. The fact that Frank just wanted an alternative to all the glitz and glamour of the holiday's is a perfect representation of Frank and the Costanza's. They do not conform to social norms at any times, and I love that.

What makes this episode even more wonderful is the fact that people have made Festivus a real holiday. This has become a real thing. At the time of its airing, it was just an idea that Jerry Seinfeld, Larry David and the "Seinfeld" writing crew came up with, but now, it is real. The computer hasn't proclaimed that I have spelled the word wrong once, there is actual written facts on the internet and most people actually celebrate the day. This has become a world wide, nationally celebrated holiday. I know for a fact that when I go see my family later today, we will celebrate some of the best parts of Festivus, and I cannot wait (ed note: also the fact that Ty will once again lose the feats of strength).

The fact that Festivus is a nationally recognized thing should be more than enough to get this episode on our list, but there are so many more reasons. It is a funny, goofy, Costanza heavy episode, which are usually the best that "Seinfeld" has to offer. While I love "The Simpsons", and it will always be my favorite show, this episode of "Seinfeld" is one of the best episodes of just general television, but it is also the best representation of this holiday that TV has ever put out. It is magnificent.

Go out and have a wonderful Festivus everyone. After all, it is a holiday for the rest of us.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Did we mention that Ty always loses the feats of strength. He does always lose. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

Happy Festivus

Today is Festivus, and that means I have some grievances to air.

I could do the cliché thing and just say all of 2020. And while this has been a rough year, some good has come out of it. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris won the election. The NBA bubble was a massive success, no matter what the ratings may have said. I have gotten to spend way more time with my wife and kids, which rules. And I’ve re learned some old math while helping my kids when they were learning virtually. I’ve also run more than 1,000 miles this year and pushed myself running more than I ever imagined. But, there’s still some grievances. And there always will be.

Let’s begin.

I haven’t seen a live music show since February. It was great, Tyler, the Creator, and if that’s the last live show I ever see, I’m okay with that. It’s fine. But I like live music. It’s fun and shows me how good the band actually is at playing their music. I miss that.

Michigan football was an utter disaster. They shouldn’t have played in the first place. But they did and they stunk. They’re beginning to clean house, which I expected. And more changes are on the horizon. I’m also sick and tired or rooting for a middling, mediocre Big Ten team. I want the old Michigan back. I want the team that, even when they weren’t as talented, they still battled, they still played hard.

I’m annoyed at all the new streaming services. Netflix and Hulu are all well and good, but there’s more and more, and it’s not as cheap as promised. We got Disney+, and that’s another expense. I’m sure we will get Peacock and Vudu and whatever in the hell else we may need. But it’s going to be as expensive as cable, if not more. Cutting cable was supposed to be the cheaper alternative, but it’s looking more and more like it’s going to cost more than people imagined.

I’m bummed I can’t play basketball. This is purely by choice, but I feel like it’s the smart and safe choice. I still miss it though. I miss the pickup games and competitive nature and just the game in general. I love watching it, but I’d much rather play. I’m not going to until we are almost all vaccinated too. But I’m still upset that the people I play with continue to play during the pandemic. Hopefully I can be back soon with them though.

Finally, and I know I said I love all the extra family time I’m getting, I do miss my downtime. I used to get three hours everyday, well Monday-Thursday, that were just me and my dog. I loved and adored that time. I’d get things done. I’d go on long runs without having to do something or be somewhere. I’d clean the house uninterrupted. I’d take my time at the store. I’d sit down and have my coffee and eggs without being bombarded. It was rad. I know I’ll get that back someday, but damn it, I really miss it.

That wraps up my airing or grievances for 2020. Now on to feats of strength. I challenge RD first. Bring it.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

SeedSing Classic: Advent Calendar of Awesome Holiday Music: Day 22 - Patton Oswalt talks about The Christmas Shoes

ed note: This article was originally published on December 22nd, 2015

The pre-Christmas Day season of Advent is upon us. Here at SeedSing we love the chocolaty goodness of getting a piece of candy once a day until we get to open our presents. As our gift to you we are looking back at the great holiday music, movies, television episodes, and food of this great season. Enjoy.Day 22: Patton Oswalt talks about The Christmas Shoes (language NSFW)

Opened doors: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten,

 Eleven Twelve, Thirteen, Fourteen, Fifteen,Sixteen,Seventeen,Eighteen,

Nineteen, Twenty, Twenty One

I really love Christmas music. This entire Advent Calendar project is a way to show the people who hate Christmas music that there are great tunes available to the uninitiated. My love for holiday music is directly related to the fact that while I was growing up my parents would regularly take me and my brothers to church. I was never super psyched to go to our little suburban catholic cathedral, except for one time of the year. The Christmas season was the only times of the year I was happy to go to mass, and it was the songs that created my excitement. Many of the best holiday songs come from the religious tunes the congregation would sing. Hope, light, the betterment of mankind. That is the true religious meaning of Christmas, and it sounds beautiful.

A couple of years back I heard the song "The Christmas Shoes" and I was left dumbfounded. I first thought that this "christian" song was some kind of SNL parody. It was atrocious. The basic plot centered on the story of a poor kid who wants to buy shoes for his mom on Christmas. These shoes are very important because the kid's mom is dying, and he wants her to look pretty if she meets Jesus. That plot is dumb enough, but what puts "The Christmas Shoes" into the stratosphere of appalling is that the song is from the point of view of some grumpy dude in line behind the kid. The narrator thinks that "God" sent this kid, and his dying mom, to be in this man's life so he will feel the Christmas spirit. It is a truly disgusting message.

In 2009 comedian Patton Oswalt dedicated part of his stand up set discussing "The Christmas Shoes" Everything he says is spot on. Oswalt talks about how manipulative and downright sinister the message behind "The Christmas Shoes" is. He also imagines a world with a God being pissed about people being grumpy on Christmas and a Jesus who is bitchy about a person's fashion sense. What Patton Oswalt does in the YouTube video attached to this article is take one of the worst Christmas songs ever, and give it a new hilarious life. You can skip the song and get a dose of the Christmas spirit by hearing Patton Oswalt tear this piece of trash apart. His thoughts on "The Christmas Shoes" makes the song listenable, because I hear Patton Oswalt's words behind every horrid verse.

A few weeks back my son was being rude to the checkout person at a store. When we were heading home, my wife and I were scolding him about his behavior. At one point I told him that Christmas is about being nice to your fellow person. My son was not listening and being quite defiant. As I was getting more angry and frustrated I heard the opening notes of "The Christmas Shoes". My wife and I stared at each other and smiled. My son was forgiven. The rest of the car ride was filled with joy and laughter. Patton Oswalt has made "The Christmas Shoes" a holiday tradition. Not the song, it is awful, but his thoughts about the tune's idiotic message is what Christmas means to me. Mr. Oswalt, I owe you a pair of some great Christmas shoes.

RD Kulik

RD is the Head Editor for SeedSing and the host of The X Millennial Man podcast. Every year he tries to buy his wife some ugly shoes for Christmas, but he never has quite enough pennies. Help him buy those shoes by supporting SeedSing.

Aldi Coconut Blend is Some Great Coffee

I have mentioned on this site how I am fairly new to the coffee scene.

I didn't start drinking coffee until my son was born, and he will be nine next month. When I started to drink coffee it was all about getting as much sweetness as possible, to mask the coffee flavor. I wanted the caffeine, but I didn't want the taste. So I would have every Frappuccino and sweet drink you could imagine. Hell, I even enjoyed a pumpkin spice latte in my coffee infancy. Soon I started to get away from the super sweet coffee, and opted for blonde roast, and then I would add cream and Splenda. I have never been a real sugar guy for my coffee. It takes far too much to reach the taste I want. But, Splenda does do the trick with a very little bit. And lately I have even had some coffee that doesn't require any flavor add ons. Sure, an occasional oat milk honey latte or a mocha or even some kind of Xmas themed drink is fine.

For me there are some places here in Saint Louis where the black coffee actually tastes like the description. There are a few spots, namely Sump, Stone Spiral and Shaw's, that need nothing extra. The coffee on its own is fantastic. Especially Sump. I had a black coffee there that had fruit notes of peaches and pears in it, and I could legitimately taste it in the cup. It is, in fact, one of the best cups of coffee I have ever had.

So in my, now almost nine years of coffee drinking, I have found ways to try and make the drinks from shops I like, or I just find ground coffee with flavors in it that do not require much, if any additions. I still take my coffee with cream no matter what. But there are some ground coffee flavors that need no sweetener, be it fake or real. I have recently discovered a new flavor that does just that. I get most of my ground coffee at Aldi. Say whatever you want about me coffee snobs. I love the price point of Aldi, it works just fine in my Keurig, again, say what you want nerds, and it tastes damn good. I do buy the occasional on brand stuff at Schnucks, but the off brand stuff they have at Aldi is just as good, and the toasted coconut flavor is one of the best ground coffees I have ever had. I am not a fan of straight up coconut. The texture turns me off. It is all grimy and gritty and just not for me. I am not a fan of Mounds bars, I do not like when they add shredded coconut to a fruit medley mix, and I would rather throw out ice cream than eat it if it has coconut in it. But, I do like the flavor of coconut. Yeah, I'm weird. When you separate the texture, and just add the flavor, chef's kiss. My favorite Bai drink is the coconut one. I love these low carb granola bars I found that are coconut flavored. I don't like milk, but I do enjoy coconut milk in coffee and in cereal. I also like coconut water. But this toasted coconut flavored coffee is to die for.

First off, it smells like coconut when it brews. I feel like I am at the beach or the pool when I make my cup every morning, and I love it. But the taste, my goodness is that where this stuff shines. It does have that toasted flavored, but not over roasted. You know how Starbucks roast coffee tastes kind of burnt? This coffee straddles that line to perfection. It truly is toasted, not burnt. Then, with a touch of cream, it goes down so smooth. It gives me both the coffee taste I have grown to like, but with a hint of coconut. You know how LaCroix is like sparkling water, with an essence of flavor, but Spindrift actually has that flavor? This coffee is like the Spindrift of coffee. It is so much better. I really dig the flavor, and the fact that I do not need to add much, if any sweetener. When I do, it takes the flavor up a notch, and that is great. But the coffee is just as good, maybe better, with a splash of cream.

I cannot recommend this coffee enough, and this is coming from a coconut skeptic. Check it out, I bet you will enjoy it.

Ty

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

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SeedSing Classic: Advent Calendar of Awesome Holiday Television Programs: Day 21 - "Saturday Night Live - TV Funhouse December 17th, 2005

ed note: This article was originally published on December 21st, 2016

The pre-Christmas Day season of Advent is upon us. Here at SeedSing we love the chocolaty goodness of getting a piece of candy once a day until we get to open our presents. As our gift to you we are looking back at the great holiday music, movies, television episodes, and food of this great season. Enjoy.

Day 21 "Saturday Night Live - TV Funhouse December 17th, 2005"

Original air date - Read the title 

Opened Doors: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen,  Fourteen, Fifteen, Sixteen, Seventeen, Eighteen, Nineteen, Twenty

We all need that special time where we rule the world. I can do no justice to the master work of Darlene Love and the people at TV Funhouse. 

Enjoy

RD 

RD Kulik is the Head Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He also did not wait in line for King Kong on Christmas Day. He wish he had.

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