Ty Watches "Superstore" Series Finale

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My wife and I decided we were going to watch "Superstore" about two months ago. We were looking for something new, something we hadn't watched yet, and we wanted it to be light and funny.

I had heard good things about Superstore, I am a big Colton Dunn fan and Justin Spitzer, the creator of the show, did some very wonderful things on the American "Office". So we started it and we couldn't stop watching. One episode a night turned to two, then three, then we were clocking five or six a day. Since she has been working from home, we would watch an episode during lunch, then one at dinner with the kids, then sometimes four more after they went to bed. The episodes are 22 minutes long, so we could blow through five or six a day with ease we found out quickly. In doing this we got caught up very fast. We found ourselves waiting to watch new episodes on Hulu very fast. We got to a point where we could watch it in real time if we wanted. We still opted for Hulu.

“Superstore” was so well done. It was funny, but also poignant. The way they tackled issues, issues that come from working in a big business with big corporate people that may or may not even know who their employees are, it was done very well with much needed humor. The stuff with unions and strikes, that was relatable. Having a character being undocumented, and going through his journey, that was eye opening. The inter store politics and fights and hook ups, I loved it all. I found the show so easy to watch because it was so well made. They even tackled systemic racism and the pandemic nearly perfect. Their racism episode was dynamite. The way they handled the last season, all of which was during this pandemic that is still raging, was very well done. My family finally decided we were ready to finish the show a few days back. They had their series finale and we were putting it off because I did not want to stop watching. I know I can always go back, but I will never get the first time viewing ever again.

So we sat down and watched the two part finale. I loved it. I think the way they tied everything up, the way they pretty much finished everyone's story, it felt right to me. For people that watch the show, they know what I am talking about. Glenn reopened his hardware store and hired Mateo and Cheyenne. That was so fitting for so many reasons. Jonah and Amy got back together after Amy quit and moved back home. I was hoping this was going to happen, they were the best couple, and they should have ended up together. The show made us wait, but it was worth it. Dina took over the fulfillment center that Cloud 9 turned into, and hired her five best workers. She had Marcus and Sandra and Justine among the five, and it was nice to see them all still together. Dina also ended up with Garrett, which was super fitting. Hell, they may even beat out Jonah and Amy as the best couple. Garrett's speech that he gave, as the original Cloud 9 was closing, that was a perfect summation of the greatness of this show and I loved the moments they replayed for all of us to see and remember. It was so fitting that Garrett gave the speech too. I liked seeing everyone's interview when they first got their jobs at the store. I like the flashback stuff. I like seeing the characters before they became the people the show wanted them to become. And that barbeque scene at the very end, where everyone is together was so sweet and made me optimistic for the first time in a long time during this pandemic. They were all together hanging out, having fun, their kids were playing together, they were eating food together. It made me opine for the time before COVID when we could do it. It also made me realize that we will get to that point someday soon, hopefully.

I thought this was a great way to end such a great show. I will miss it. I will also most definitely be watching the Cheyenne and Bo spinoff show that is apparently in the works. "Superstore" was an under the radar show that I think will find a great second life on streaming services. It will become like "Friends" or "The Office" when more people, younger people, find it. "Superstore" was a classic, and it ended almost perfectly. I was very pleased with it all.

Ty

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

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Ty Watches "Bad Trip"

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This past Friday was my turn to pick the movie for date night with my wife. We have managed to keep this up while we are staying with my folks, and it has been great. We go down in our room, close the door and my parents hang with the kids until we put them to bed. Awesome. So since it was my turn, and I have been in a comedy mood lately, I picked the movie "Bad Trip".

Now, a few things. I am a big time Eric Andre fan, my wife is not. I liked almost every iteration of "Jackass", my wife did not. I am a big fan of prank movies, my wife only likes a hand selected few. I was in dangerous territory, at least I thought. I picked the movie because I really wanted to see it. I have been wanting to see it since I saw the trailer. This was a movie, in pre COVID times, that I would have watched in a theater. And add in the fact that Lil Rel Howery and Tiffany Haddish were in it with Andre, I was fully on board. Obviously the movie did not make it to many theaters, but it was purchased by Netflix. So, I clicked on it and fully expected to love it, and fully expected my wife to be bored by it.

Well, we both loved it. This movie is absolutely hilarious. The fact that they were able to pull this off is amazing. That they could stage these pranks on unsuspecting people, people that did not know a movie was being made, incredible. Then to add a coherent story, a tip of the hat to everyone involved. The moment I knew that my wife was in, that she was going to enjoy herself, was when Andre appeared out of a bathtub to an unsuspecting plumber and he got freaked out. She was cackling, I was howling and she said, "this movie right here, this is my kind of prank movie!". I was even more smitten than I thought I could be with her. From there on out the movie is wild. The pranks are nuts. The people being pranked are very real getting pranked. They don't suspect a thing. We have the plumber, but there is oh so much more. They do a whole song and dance number in a mall that is wild. The stuff in the juice bar is great. When Howery and Andre steal Haddish's car, the guy working behind the counter just lets it happen.

The story of “Bad Trip” is a simple one too, but I should mention it. Andre and Howery are life long friends that are stuck in their middling jobs in podunk Florida. Andre's high school crush comes into the juice bar one day and invites him to her gallery opening in New York and he decides he needs to go and bring Howery with him. Haddish is Howery's older sister who has been in and out of jail and they take her car to New York. She tries to track them down. All the while these pranks are being played. There is a scene where Howery gets stuck in a porta potty that was outrageous. Andre and Howery get their members stuck in a finger trap. Haddish steals a cop car by ripping the door off the hinges. She fights people who will not give her any info she needs. At one point they superimposed a gentleman into a picture with Howery and Andre, and her interaction with this man is gold. Andre and Howery go to a country bar in the deep south and they are the only two African Americans there. Some hilarity ensues while they are at said bar, and a lot of it has to do with alcohol. The zoo stuff, that was just wrong and hilarious at the same time. This movie was everything I hoped it would be. I mean the very first scene involves Andre getting his clothes ripped off by a car vacuum cleaner, and he convinces the patron to give him his sweatshirt and to try and get a phone number for him. That is quintessential Eric Andre stuff.

I have nothing but good things to say about this movie. Yes it is cheesy and weird and goofy, but it is supposed to be. It is better than any "Jackass" movie in my opinion as well. This movie works. It is short and fast. It is hilarious. And it is coherent. Check this movie out. I think it will give Eric Andre the much needed respect he deserves for the humor her does, and Howery and Haddish totally commit to their roles. I loved it and I think you will too.

Ty

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

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Baylor Showed Up and Dominated, That is Why They are the Champs

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Yesterday I touted how great the Gonzaga-UCLA game was on Saturday, and it was a classic, and I was hoping that the title game was going to be half as good last night.

Well, it was not.

The basketball was good, and Baylor came more than prepared, but Gonzaga was bad. Real bad. Baylor came out like their heads were on fire, they were everywhere defensively and it seemed like they could not miss any shots. They came into the game with a great plan and executed it to absolute perfection. This was one of the best, and most dominant performances I have ever seen. When they pushed their lead at the beginning to 9-0, I already started to see Gonzaga looking like they realized they had no chance in the game. Gonzaga came out slow and stiff. They played scared. They played to not lose. They didn’t have the giddy up, the oomph they’ve shown all season. They got beat like a drum defensively. They turned the ball over far too many times. They got into very early foul trouble. They couldn’t hit the three. They couldn’t regularly get the ball in the post. It was bad.

I don’t think it was the Bulldogs poor performance that gave Baylor the win. I think Baylor dictated every aspect of the game. Baylor controlled tempo. They forced the turnovers. They made shots. When Gonzaga switched to a zone, Baylor attacked the middle and outside with abundant success. Baylor hounded the ball handlers all night. Even when Gonzaga cut the lead to 9 early in the second half, Baylor didn’t clam up. They went on a 7-0 run to push their lead back up to 16. It was so much of a blowout that Gonzaga players did something I am not a fan of. Some of their players, stars like Timme and Suggs, started to move around like they were hurt. Timme was getting his hip worked on in the middle of the second half. During that time, Baylor kept hitting shots and forcing turnovers. They needed him on the floor, but he was “injured”. I just think he was tired. This was as big a blowout as I have witnessed between two teams that seemed evenly matched. These were the two best teams all year, but Baylor made very quick, and easy work of Gonzaga. Baylor owned this game. They were ready to play and Gonzaga was scared.

My hat goes off to Baylor. I was so very wrong about them in this tournament. I thought their late season COVID pause was going to crush them. It did not. At all. Baylor deserved to win this game too. They took the refs out of it, they took Gonzaga’s stars out of it and everyone on Baylor played their role to a T. I was very impressed with their overall performance last night. They are a much deserving champion.

I was so happy to have the tournament back. There were some great games and great individual performances. There were some humongous upsets and the correct team, the best team, won it all. Congrats Baylor. You deserve it.

Ty

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

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Ty Watches the 2021 Men's Final Four

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Saturday night I watched the Final Four like I assume most sports fans did. I missed it last year, and this year I think we had three of the four best teams in the country, and the hottest team in the tourney, and I wanted to watch Gonzaga, who I have not seen an entire game of all year.

The first game was a blowout, and I did not see it coming. I figured Baylor would win. They have looked really good this whole tournament, and clearly I underestimated them. Houston has been great defensively, and they have done just enough on offense to get by. But they played all double digit seeds up to that point, they had blown large leads late only to pull away at the end, and they just seemed overmatched going into the Baylor game. That was all true. Baylor came out like gangbusters, they hit way more threes than they had all tourney, they locked down Houston's best offensive player right off the bat and rolled. The closest they got was 12, I believe. Baylor dominated, proved why they were a top two team all year and more than deserve to be in the title game.

The UCLA-Gonzaga game, at least I thought going into it, was going to be the same. I was very, very wrong. UCLA proved me very, very wrong in this game. They hung in the whole time. They probably should have won that game. They played the best they have offensively maybe all year. They slowed down two of the three stars Gonzaga has on their team. They never let Gonzaga pull away. They held the lead for most of the game. They looked like they more than belonged. This was one of the best college games I have ever seen, all time for me. This is how the final four games should be. This is what I look for during March Madness. I want these games to be back and forth. I like feeling invested even when I do not care who wins. This, this type of game, is what I missed so much last season when they rightfully canceled the tournament. It was back and forth. UCLA would build their lead, then Gonzaga would go on a run and take a lead of their own. And vice versa. When the best players on both teams needed to step up, they most certainly did. Johnny Juzang and Tyger Capmbell played amazingly. Jaime Jaquez was a key cog. UCLA let its stars shine their brightest, and they played up to the Zags level. And while Jalen Suggs, more on him in a minute, and Corey Kispert didn't have a great game, Drew Timme absolutely dominated in the low post. That kid has some of the best footwork in the post that I have ever seen. He looked like a mix of Tim Duncan and a slower Hakeem Olajuwon. He is going to have a long, productive NBA career based solely on his footwork. And he did everything he needed to for the Zags, which was almost everything. And as much as I dislike the charge/blocking call in every level of basketball, he took that charge near the end of the game, and it was rightfully called. He was outstanding.

The regulation 40 minutes wasn't enough, so this epic game got to go into overtime. Overtime was classic. Timme scored 6 quick points, but UCLA kept answering. Juzang was pulling up from everywhere, and it seemed to fall almost every single time. I even threw my hands up at one moment and asked my dad if he had missed at all during the game. Neither of us knew. Gonzaga led by 2 with 30 seconds left and UCLA had the ball. Everyone knew Juzang was going to shoot it. He got the ball, dribbled the clock down to about 12 seconds and drove. He took a contested floater, a shot I did not like at all, and he did miss it. But, Gonzaga didn't block out and he got his own rebound, extremely sound basketball, and made an uncontested layup to tie it with 3 seconds left. I assumed Gonzaga would call a timeout, try to heave a pass and we would go to double overtime. They didn't, and the rest is history. Timme took it out before UCLA could get ready and passed it in to Suggs. Suggs raced up past half court and put up what looked like a decent three. It was in Dame and Steph's range. And that ball banked in and Gonzaga won. I jumped off my parents couch, my dad was aghast, even my wife was pretty amazed by what just happened. I applaud Gonzaga for just going with the ball instead of slowing anything down. That was their best option all game, and when they needed it most, they used it and it worked. That shot by Suggs looked so pure and looked good the moment it left his hands. I believed Mark Few when he said he wasn't surprised when it went in because apparently Suggs does that in practice all the time. It was truly a once in a lifetime shot. It will be on replays and classic game showings for the rest of time. This was just an amazing ending to, by far, the best game of the tournament. This game truly had it all.

When that game ended, we were left with the title game, which is tonight, between Baylor and Gonzaga. This is the way it should be. They were the two best teams all year, their earlier game this season was wiped out due to COVID and now one of these schools will win their first ever college basketball title. I still think Gonzaga will win, but I wouldn't be surprised if Baylor finds a way to pull it out. In the end though, I hope it is half as good as what UCLA and Gonzaga gave us two nights ago.

Ty

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

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Happy Retirement Coach Williams, One of the All Time Greats

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I wanted to wait until today before I wrote about Roy Williams, in case it was some wild April's Fools joke, a "holiday" which I despise, especially with two young kids who are way too into pranks. But it was confirmed after his press conference he had last night, assuring everyone that this was real.

I am still kind of in shock. Williams just seemed like a guy who was going to be coaching college basketball forever. He has been around, and relevant, since I was a little kid. I remember watching him as the KU head coach. I remember being upset when he left for UNC because, outside of Michigan, I used to like KU basketball as well. Georgetown has now taken that spot. I remember when I realized why he left KU for UNC and finally getting it. I remember him winning titles and being a force almost every year while at KU and UNC. I remember the scandals, which looking at what is going on elsewhere now, seem so tame. And I remember his painful white boy dancing, that he did unapologetically. All in all though, the thing I remember most is the winning.

In Williams two stops as a head coach, the guy won. He has won three national titles. He has been to nine final fours. He won the ACC regular season title nine times, and the tournament three times. At KU he won four Big 12 regular season titles and three tournament titles. He won the Big 8 five times. He's a two time national coach of the year winner, a two time ACC coach of the year winner, a three time Big 12 coach of the year winner and a four time Big 8 coach of the year. And he has been inducted in both the college and pro basketball hall of fame. That is one hell of a resume. I think anyone would happily take that as their record. He's one of a very few college coaches that have won over 900 games. He has a career winning percentage of .774. His tournament record is astonishing as well. He is 79-27 in the tourney. That means deep runs most years his teams made it.

Roy Williams is a Mount Rushmore college coach. He is just as successful and important to the game as Coach K or John Calipari or John Chaney. There are very few coaches I would have ahead of him. Hell, it may be just a few of the classics, guys like John Wooden and John Thompson. But Williams is, for the modern day, an important and famous coach. He has coached a TON of guys that have had solid NBA careers. At KU he coached Nick Collison, Kirk Hinrich, Drew Gooden, Jacque Vaughn and Paul Pierce, among others. Those guys all had solid careers, and are now all somehow involved in the game. At UNC he got some more big time players. Guys like Harrison Barnes, Reggie Bullock, Ray Felton, Wayne Ellington, Danny Green, Tyler Hansborough, Justin Jackson, Cam Johnson, Ty Lawson, Nassir Little, Coby White, Cole Anthony and Marvin Williams. That list has current players, former champs and guys that are still giving back to the game. The fact that he has been around so many stellar basketball players is amazing. Add on that he got the best out of them, that is one hell of an accomplishment. I watched a video from last NBA season where Coby White was being interviewed, and to hear the way he talked about Williams, it just showed the love and the respect he has as a head coach. Roy Williams is respected in every basketball corner of the world.

As I sit on the news of his retirement, and what went into his decision, I think of kind of get it. UNC is still a very good school, just not like they used to be. The whole ACC has been down the past couple of years, and UNC is not immune. The college game has changed drastically too. I think more change is needed, and hopefully we are headed in that direction, but for a guy like Roy Williams, I can kind of see why he walked away now. One and done is the way of the game. The G League has created a team that will pay the top high school players, so a lot of kids will choose that route now, rightfully so. And overseas is yet another option for some of the top talent. Then you take into account the new transfer rules, I am sure Roy Williams was just fed up. UNC was coming off a year where they were okay. They made the tourney as a 9 seed and got blown out by Wisconsin in round one. Then his best freshman, a kid that played a ton of basketball for them, decided to transfer, citing "better competition". I mean, that is kind of crazy to me. Again, I do not fault these kids for going out and getting theirs, especially when coaches do it all the time and are praised for such moves. But this was not some kid who rode the bench all year. He played and played big minutes for them. I just think he did not like the fit, and nowadays that is more than enough for kids to make a move. Apparently this was the last straw for Williams. And I kind of get it from his point of view. That has to be frustrating for an old school guy like him, and a guy that likes to develop talent rather than just put all 5 star players on the floor.

Roy Williams has earned the myriad of accolades he achieved over his long coaching career, and I think he will take to retirement quite well. He had earned it. I just want to say congrats to him on a wonderful and memorable coaching run at two college basketball powerhouses. Roy Williams is an all time great.

Ty

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

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The SeedSing 2021 MLB Preview

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I was out on a hike this morning with a buddy of mine, and he informed me that today was opening day in the MLB. I had no idea. I really do not follow baseball anymore, and with the pandemic, I follow it even less. I am so much more involved with my son's team. We started practice the other week, we have a tournament coming up and I am focused on teaching him the game because he seems to be enjoying himself. I didn't even remember that the Cardinals traded for Nolan Arenado, or that Tatis and a few other guys got 300 million dollar contracts. I was reminded of all of this after my buddy told me that it was opening day.

As I do every season, I have my version of a preview. This year, and I say this every year but it holds so much more weight now, please take my picks with the biggest grain of salt you can find. I truly do not know too terribly much anymore. Hell, I didn't realize how old Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina are now. I assumed they were still in their prime. Anyway, I do have some picks, so let's get to it.

I'll start with the American League. When I looked at the teams to get an idea, the only two that really popped out to me were the Yankees and Twins. I'm sure other teams are good, but I at least know of some guys on both these teams. In the AL East, I have to pick the Yankees. I know the Rays have been a solid team, I believe they even made the playoffs in the shortened season last year (ed note: They made the World Series and won a couple of games), so I am sure they will be some kind of threat. And the Blue Jays do have Vlad Guerrero Jr, and that kid rules. But they are the new disappointment team every year. As for Boston and Baltimore, they were both bad, especially Baltimore, and I do not think they did anything to change that this offseason. I think the Yankees will roll.

The Twins should roll in the AL Central. They are the best team. They are the AL version of Atlanta. They are up and coming, but their time is now. The Indians will be okay because they always are, but they have some off field stuff they need to deal with first. The Royals are bad, and so are the Tigers. Those teams will be lucky to win 70 games. The White Sox are kind of a wild card, but I know they lost a key hitter to injury. We will see. But the Twins are the cream of the crop here.

The AL West seems like a real dumpster fire. The Rangers are allowing their stadium to be at full capacity, so they will most definitely have a COVID stop that will crush them. The Mariners seemingly are never going to get over the hump. The Angels are wasting Mike Trout's best years. And the Astros are a bunch of cheaters. I guess this means I am going with Oakland, but Oakland always bows out early in the playoffs. They will win the division, and then get swept in the first round by a team that might not be as good as them.

As for the AL champ, I am going with the Yankees strictly because they have the most guys that I still know, and if those guys are healthy, they are going to hit a ton of homers.

Now for the National League.

The NL East is off to a bad start already with the Mets and Nationals postponing their opening game due to COVID. That being said, I think I am going with the Mets to win this division. They have one of those 300 million dollar guys, and they made a ton of offseason moves that look helpful. The Nationals do have a good amount of pitching, but I think their window is closed. The Marlins were better than I thought in the shortened season, but they are still so very young. They're not ready yet. The Phillies have Bryce Harper, but I think both parties are regretting that deal. And the Braves are very, very good. I think they will be a playoff team, but I think it will be a wild card. Hell, they may win it all. But the Mets made those moves, and they want to win. That is why I am picking them.

The Dodgers are going to roll yet again in the NL West. They are absolutely loaded everywhere. They are the new Yankees. They are the Warriors and Bulls of the MLB. They are the Patriots. They are Alabama. They are unstoppable. The Padres will fight and claw and win some games, and Tatis Jr is awesome, but they are not the Dodgers. And the rest of this division is very mediocre. The Giants are in a swoon period, the Diamondbacks have spent money, but they have traded away great assets and the Rockies are .500 at best. The Dodgers are the cream of the crop.

The NL Central features my hometown team, and they have a very good lineup now, but they do not have the best pitching. That being said, I think they will win the Central this year. The Cubs are very good, but they seem like a team that is going to blow things up soon. They are not going to be able to keep everyone. RD's team, the Reds, have Joey Votto, and not really anything else. They have let good players walk for nothing. I think RD would agree with me (ed note: yup). The Pirates are as bad as Baltimore. And the Brewers are very good, but last year may have been a one time thing. I am going with my heart here and picking the Cardinals.

As for the NL champ, it is the Dodgers. Duh. They are too damn good to get beat. I also have them winning another World Series. They are the best team in baseball. Hell, they may go through the playoffs undefeated. They should win well over 100 games. The Dodgers are the dominant team in baseball. Full stop.

Ty

Another View

Ty is right about almost everything here. The Reds will stink again, along with three quarters of the American League. The Dodgers look loaded, but it has never been easy for them, and something seems to happen to the team in a more semi normal season. The Padres, Braves, and Cardinals could take down the Dodgers in a playoff series. The Cardinals are old, the Padres are young, and the Braves are just right to make that midseason trade and win the NL Pennant.

In the American League it is the Yankees and everyone else. Unfortunately for New York, their big guys either under produce or they get hurt. This leaves an opening for an upcoming team, a team like the Chicago White Sox.

Atlanta will beat Chicago in six games to win the second COVID World Series.

RD

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

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Ty Talks 2021 Final Four

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The Final Four is set, in both the men's and women's tournament. I have not watched the women's tournament, but I saw UCONN won, with a little controversy, but when they get this far, I just assume that they are going to win. That is my pick in the women's tournament. As for the men's tourney, I have watched a good amount of it. I have been really involved. I like that some players are speaking out against the NCAA, but that has not stopped me from watching this tournament endlessly. So, I have some takes going into the two games this weekend, and who I think will win it all.

I'm going to start with my team, Michigan. They blew it last night. They went ice cold at the absolute worst time. Mike Smith, who I love, was not even playable at moments. Franz Wagner picked a terrible time to have his worst game as a Wolverine. Hunter Dickinson did not wake up until early in the second half, and they needed him fully engaged all game. Eli Brooks didn't get enough touches. I wish Chaundee Brown played more. But I have to give UCLA a ton of credit. They locked Michigan down. They swarmed all night. They may be smaller, but that did not matter in the grand scheme of things. And that Johnny Juzang kid was the only player that could hit a shot. He played lights out, and he did it when they needed someone to. Even after he rolled his ankle, he came back and Michigan still could not stop him. Michigan blew it. They had multiple chances, ten to be exact, and they missed every single one of those shots. This was a rock fight, save for Juzang, it was a messy and sloppy and gross game to watch and the deserving team won last night. The Big 10 fell on its face, they couldn't get it done and this season will go down as a wash. Maybe the Big 10 is overrated. But again, kudos to UCLA for what they did last night, and for this run that they have been on since making the tournament.

The Bruins reward for winning last night, they now get to face Gonzaga. Gonzaga has looked absolutely dominant. They have looked amazing on both ends of the floor. No game has been that close. They have come out and steamrolled their way to the Final Four. When Oklahoma got an early lead on them in round two, I thought here is where they choke. That did not happen. They easily turned that deficit into a double digit win with ease. Then I thought USC was going to give them a real problem last night. They have length and size everywhere. They have players that looked like they could lock down some of Gonzaga's stars. That did not happen. Gonzaga did not trail for one second of that game. They won 85-66, and it was not that close. They are such a good team. Maybe this is the year where they finally live up to the hype.

The other two elite eight games were pretty solid. Baylor raced out to a big lead over Arkansas, but Arkansas cut it to single digits before the half. They looked like they may have figured Baylor out. Then Baylor realized how athletic they are, and how great defensively they are, and took control back with ease. The game felt kind of back and forth, but Baylor was never not in control. They won by 9, but some of Arkansas' points came at the end. They were hollow. It was like when a football team wins a game 24-14, but they led 24-7 up until there were three minutes left in the game and they put in their backups. Baylor has proven me dead wrong in this tourney. I thought their COVID pause was going to hurt them. It has not.

As for Houston and Oregon State, that game ended up being much closer than it should have. Houston led by 19 in the middle of the second half, but then Oregon State started to hit some shots. They came all the way back and tied the game at 55. Then Houston woke back up, locked Oregon State down, made some free throws and walked away with, I believe, an 8 point win. Houston is really, really good on defense, they just have these little lapses that could kill them in the Final Four.

On Saturday we will get the two Final Four games, with Houston facing Baylor first, and the night cap will be Gonzaga and UCLA. I think Baylor is way too good to let Houston's defense, as elite as it is, slow them down. Baylor is playing with swag, they look loose and free, they play almost equally as good defense as Hosuton, and they just seemed destined to be in the title game. There is a reason they were the number two team for most of the year. Baylor should beat Houston.

As for UCLA and Gonzaga, the Zags should cruise. They should score upwards of 90 points, if they want. They should be able to easily stop UCLA. UCLA wants to slow the game down to a grind, but I do not think that matters to Gonzaga. Gonzaga is loaded everywhere on the floor. They are the better team. They are the best team in college basketball this year. I think at this point the only thing that can stop Gonzaga is if someone on their team gets COVID and they have to forfeit. They should cruise by UCLA.

That means I have Gonzaga and Baylor in the title game. And surprise, surprise, I am picking Gonzaga. Baylor will be the best team they will face all year, but Gonzaga is a different breed this year. They are too loaded, too good, too fast, can play any pace, can beat any team. Gonzaga is the best team and they should easily win the title. We now will have to wait a week to see.

Ty

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

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A Shout Out to All the Soap Opera Actors

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We are entering week three of living with my folks. Our house is still being worked on, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. They placed concrete where the new room will be, they were putting up 2X4's everywhere, and there is only one big excavator in our yard, as opposed to the three that were there last week. They're moving along. And I am not complaining about living with my mom and dad. We are close, my wife gets along with both my parents swimmingly and my kids adore their mimi and papa. It is getting to a point where it is fine, but I would still rather be in my home. Unfortunately, for the time being, that isn't on the table.

One interesting thing I have noticed in these two plus weeks is the shows my folks watch during the day. I usually do not have the TV on during the day until my son gets home from school. But both my parents are retired, and they like TV. In the morning it is news or "The Middle". Side note, as soon as I get back in my home, I am going to watch the entirety of "The Middle". That show is solid, at least the bits and pieces I have seen thus far. But every weekday at 1pm both my parents watch "General Hospital". And if they are not home at 1, they record it and watch later. I have never been much for soap operas. It is not my thing. It is too dramatic and silly and wild and ridiculous. The stories are like what you see on "Maury Povich", but with beautiful people. This is not to say that I am some kind of fancy TV watcher who only likes "real" TV shows. I watch mindless reality TV. I am all in on "90 Day Fiancé" because it is so trashy. I love cartoons. One of my all time favorite shows is "Aqua Teen Hunger Force". I like weird, absurd TV. I am not above soap operas, they are just not for me.

In watching these shows, well they only watch "General Hospital", I have a newfound appreciation for the actors on the show. I have to assume they know how ridiculous the plot lines are, how insane some of the stories can be, how funny some of the conclusions are, but they all commit. I remember when James Franco was on "General Hospital" because I would go back and watch only his scenes on YouTube. And you know what, the character he played, named Franco, is still on the show, someone else plays him now, and all the actors act like it is totally normal. I respect that. They could make weird inside jokes about it, but they don't. They just all accept the fact that "Franco" is still on the show, even though it is some random actor. And for the actors, this has to be a plum gig. I'm sure they get paid very well, they get to do wild and crazy things, they get to chew as much scenery as one can imagine and they can stretch their acting legs. Yes, it is crazy, but if you are trying to break into Hollywood, what better way than to start out on a soap opera. Or, if you are someone who has achieved James Franco level fame, why not take a chance to do something different? Or if you are an older actor, some of the people on this show look familiar to me as far back as when I was in my 20's and they are still on, why not stay with a job that you are comfortable with, and one where you can make a nice living? My mom has even informed me that this show wins all kinds of daytime Emmys. I think award shows are lame, but when shows win, that usually means they have some kind of value, some level of achievement in Hollywood. It is nothing to scoff at, that is for sure. And my parents follow the many different storylines like I did when I watched "The Wire" or "Breaking Bad". They are just as involved. I asked my dad about a week back to explain the show to me, and he went on a 15 to 20 minute long speech, telling me the entire plot of the show over the whole year. He may act like he doesn't like the show, but he at least pays attention, and that says something to me about this show.

So while I am not a fan of soap operas, and will most likely not revisit them when we get back in my house, I do respect and appreciate what the people who make shows are doing. They have a tried and true method, and it has never stopped working. That is important.

Ty

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

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Ty Watches "Coming 2 America"

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For date night this week my wife picked "Coming 2 America".

Two weeks ago we watched the original movie because she had never seen it, and she enjoyed herself so much that she wanted to watch the sequel. This worked out well for me because, as a big fan of the original, of course I wanted to watch the second one. Eddie Murphy is also on some kind of come back tour, if he even needed one. "Dolemite is My Name" was one of the better movies I saw last year, and he crushed when he finally came back to host "SNL". It seems like he is finally having fun again being funny. He isn't doing the family comedy stuff or the big paycheck stuff. He is more in a "Tower Heist" groove, a very underrated movie I might add, and that is the perfect Eddie Murphy mood for me. He is so funny, and when he has really good material to work with, he usually crushes it. And I did not care at all what the critics were saying about the movie. I know it didn't get the best marks, but hey, neither did "Hot Rod", or the myriad of movies RD and I talked about on the pod a few weeks back, and I like those movies very much.

This is the category "Coming 2 America" falls into for me, the "Hot Rod" category. I had an absolutely delightful one hour and forty minutes watching this movie. There were call backs that were great. They had everyone who is still alive from the original in the sequel. Arsenio Hall was dynamite as Semi, and all the heavily made-up characters he played. I loved the newer character he played, the old man that lives in Zamunda, that guides Prince Akeem after his father passes. I could say the same for Eddie Murphy. Prince Akeem is a classic, but so is the sexist minister and the barber and the infamous singer from Queens. Murphy returned all these characters, and they all made me laugh just like I did when I first saw "Coming to America". Murphy really nails this, or these, roles. Shari Headley, as Lisa, is just as strong and confident and beautiful and proud as she was in the original. James Earl Jones, in his maybe five minutes of screen time, was awesome. His funeral was one of the silliest, yet saddest, and most choreographed things I have ever seen in a movie, and I loved every single second of it.

In the movie, Akeem and Lisa have three daughters, one of which is played by Murphy's real life daughter. They are all strong willed, tough and have the best qualities of their mom and dad. The oldest daughter, Meeka, played by KiKi Layne is almost a replica of her father from the original movie, except she may be tougher. Her story arc is one of my favorite things about this whole movie. She was awesome. They even brought back John Amos, Louie Anderson, Clint Smith and Paul Bates to reprise their roles from the first movie. It was nice to see them all acting and all doing a great job in these very memorable roles. The new additions were excellent as well.

The main story of the movie is that Akeem has a son who was fathered while he was in Queens in the first movie. He is the rightful heir, so Akeem and Semi go back to retreat him. The son is played by Jermaine Fowler. His name is Lavelle. I am a Jermaine Fowler fan. I loved his role in "Sorry to Bother You", he was one of the only things I liked in Pete Holmes' HBO show, "Superior Donuts" was decent because of him, and he does a great job in this movie. For him to keep pace with Arsenio Hall and Eddie Murphy is a triumph on its own. Add on that this movie also put Leslie Jones in it, as his mom, Tracy Morgan, as his uncle and Luenell as his aunt, and he kept up with all of them. Leslie Jones was hysterical, and she made me laugh any time she was on screen. She is so consistent. Luenell is quietly hilarious in everything she does. And Tracy Morgan, he is my favorite actor of all time, and Fowler kept up with all of them. This had to be a dream for him. They also put Morgan Freeman in this movie as the narrator at the funeral, and that ruled. Trevor Noah was a newscaster from Zamunda, and he was great, and so was his fake mustache. And Wesley Snipes, much like he did in "Dolemite is My Name", nearly stole the show as the rival king from Nextdooria, a great name by the way.

Look, this movie works on a few different levels. It is great nostalgia, it is fun, it gives Eddie Murphy another starring role, it gives some up and comers a real chance and it allows great comedic actors to do funny things over and over again. This movie is good. I definitely would ignore the critics reviews and check this movie out. It is more than worth your time.

Ty

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

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Urban Meyer is Not Ready for the NFL

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I was recently checking some NFL news, it has been a free agent bonanza lately, and I came across quite the interesting story for me. I felt like the people writing this particular piece had me in mind when doing it.

What’s the story?

Free agency had just ended, and it appeared that the new Jacksonville Jaguars coach, a man who I despise, who I think is a liar and a cheater, who makes excuses constantly and continues, even now, to make poor choices, Urban Meyer, does not like how the NFL does their free agency. He complained that you do not get to talk face to face with the players, that everything is done through their agents. He claimed that "in the old days" it was more important to have a dinner with the player, to get to know them, before deciding if he wanted to sign them. But now he guessed that it has just changed. That the players kind of pass the buck to their agents, and let them do the work.

Well Urban, this has been going on forever. Even me, just a fan of football, knows that this is the case. This is not college football anymore. You do not have to convince a kid to come and play at your school. These guys are established pros, guys who have made copious amounts of money, guys that want to go to a place where they will either get more playing time or compete for a ring. They do not need to be sold by anyone, especially a coach who will be, most likely, making less money than them. Professional football players do not want some show. They do not need to see their number in the stands, or have some PA announcer say some nonsense about how they are going to be the greatest to ever play for a certain team.

When the Clippers did this for Blake Griffin I cringed. And now look at where Griffin is in his career. The Clippers traded him less than a year into that contract, he struggled mightily in Detroit, and while I like his fit with Brooklyn, he still looks out of shape. All of that happened because the NBA is a business. This might have worked at Oklahoma, when he played there, but in LA, when he was no longer an asset, they let him go. The same can be said for the NFL, except the NFL is so much more cut throat. I remember when running backs were the hot commodity. Now, they will be cut or released two to three years into their career. People are already crushing the Cowboys for paying Ezekial Elliot so much money. Leonard Fournette has become a spot back making far less than when he was a rookie. Doug Martin is out of the league. They didn't produce like some teams thought, and they cut them. That is how it goes.

For Meyer to say what he said, to whine like this, to be this, quite frankly, stupid about how free agency works, it makes me think he is not going to be the success himself and Jacksonville thought when they hired him. I did not like the move because I thought something like this was going to happen. It is just like Chip Kelly and Steve Spurrier's offense getting figured out so quickly. It reminds me of all the awful decisions the Washington Football Team has made trying to lure big time free agents. It is akin to what Dallas has done the past couple years. Teams, mainly the GM's, have to be shrewd. That is why New England and Green Bay, and even Kansas City, who just restructured Patrick Mahomes humongous deal are so good. They know how to do free agency because they do not have college guys running their system. Meyer was a great college coach. It hurts my soul to write that, but it is true. He also was an ace recruiter, and I am sure he did most of it underhanded. I'm sure he skirted some rules to constantly get the best kids. I think every major school does it. Even Michigan. But in the pros, and I know I have said it a ton, these guys do not need the money. They have plenty of it. Most players have people that work for them who help them invest and save because they have too much money. Meyer needs to realize that very, very soon. He is going to have to rely on young, inexperienced players to win. He will have a rookie QB starting for him. He is going to have to learn to build a team through the draft because free agents are not going to want to play for one of the worst franchises in the NFL. All of their good players have left for greener pastures and better teams. If Meyer is frustrated by free agency, just wait until he has to face a very good NFL defense that isn't going to be intimidated by a hurry up spread offense. Those guys won't be fooled. They will be ready to rip some heads off.

The Urban Meyer era has started off very rocky in Jacksonville, do not forget he hired that former Iowa coach with a racist past and a penchant to undermine players and then gave some BS apology after he was forced to resign. Add on this free agency thing now. And they haven't even had a practice or played a game yet. I still think he has a small chance to succeed in the NFL, but that window gets smaller and smaller for me everyday whenever another story like this comes out. Times could continue to be rough in Jacksonville unless they get their coach to realize this is a business, that this isn't college anymore. If they don't, they will be looking for another new coach much sooner than they hoped.

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 Thoughts on the NBA Trade Deadline

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I was waiting until after the NBA trade deadline to write about it today. I did not want to write about a trade that didn't happen only to have it happen two hours later. I wanted to give myself time to see it all the way through, even so far as to waiting to see the big names on the buyout market. Now that we are over an hour past the deadline, I have some takes.

A few "big" trades happened a few days, or even weeks, before the deadline. PJ Tucker made his way to the Bucks a week or so back. There was the massive three team Harden trade over a month ago. And we had all the offseason craziness that occurred. But this deadline, this was as wild and crazy as I can remember in some time.

The day started slow. The Clippers traded a bench guy for future stuff, and Delon Wright moved from Detroit to Sacramento for Corey Joseph and picks. These moves didn't really do much for me, and I do not think they do much to change the future of the teams involved. Then around 9 am Saint Louis time stuff started to really happen.

The first trade I saw was JaVale McGee to Denver for Isaiah Haretnstein and picks. This is a good move for Denver right now, and maybe even better for Cleveland in the near future. McGee is a great backup to Jokic, and has proven he is a quality bench veteran for a contender. Just look at his time with the Lakers and Warriors.

Next was one of the bigger trades, and the first of many moves for Orlando. They traded Nikola Vucevic and Al Faroq Aminu to the Bulls for Otto Porter Jr, Wendell Carter Jr and picks. I like this trade for both teams. The Magic aren't going anywhere this year. They stink. So they were pretty much forced to move Vucevic. In return they get Otto Porter, who still could be bought out and Wendell Carter, plus those picks. Carter never got quality time in Chicago and a fresh start seems great for him. The picks are for rebuilding. For Vucevic, he gets to go to a team fighting for a playoff spot, and adds more scoring to a team that has Zach Lavine and Coby White. Those three will fill it up night to night. And Al Faroq Aminu is a seasoned vet with decent playoff experience. Both teams "won" this deal.

Right after trading Vucevic, the Magic immediately moved on from Evan Forunier, trading him to Boston for Jeff Teague and more picks. Again, the Magic will probably buy out Teague, and they got more future picks. Fournier has not been great this year, but he brings some much needed bench scoring to a Celtics team that desperately needs it right now. This trade isn't as "sexy" as the Vucevic one, but I get it.

Boston then decided they needed to trade Daniel Thiess for Mo Wagner. This trade confuses me a bit. Thiess was a good defender against other teams centers, and as much as I loved Wagner while he was at Michigan, the dude does not play a lick of defense. He can score and stretch a defense, but Boston will miss Thiess' defense. He may like playing with Russ and Brad Beal though. And they will love his toughness.

After being quiet for about five minutes, Orlando then made their biggest move of the day, trading Aaron Gordon to Denver. I love this move for Denver. This will only help them. This makes them so much more athletic and switchable than they already were. Gordon should thrive alongside Jokic and Jamaal Murray. He is a perfect third option on a very good team. This move, to me, pushes Denver to the second or third best team in the West. Denver did have to give up Gary Harris and RJ Hampton, but it is worth it to get Gordon. Harris has fallen off a bit, and Hampton rarely sees the floor. With Orlando they will both get so much more time, and set themselves up for future contracts. But Denver getting Gordon is a big, big deal.

The Kings, after making one move, traded Nemanja Bjelica to the Heat for Moe Harkless and Chris Silva. This isn't a bunch of big names, but it adds shooting for the Heat and depth and some youth for the Kings.

The Trailblazers got a steal when they traded for Norman Powell. He has been on fire this year, he adds scoring depth and has played solid defense. All Portland had to give up was Gary Trent and Rodney Hood, both of whom I wouldn't be surprised if they were bought out. Toronto seems to be punting this season anyway.

The 76ers got a solid point guard in George Hill. While he is not Kyle Lowry, he is another tough nose vet who will really help the 76ers, especially with Embiid still out.

The Thunder acquired Tony Bradley, who just had a career night, Terrance Ferguson and more picks. I think all they want is the picks, but Bradley is a nice addition.

The Knicks got involved in this deal as well. They sent Austin Rivers to OKC and acquired Terrance Ferguson. They also traded Ignas Brazdeikes, another former Wolverine, to the 76ers. This deal was all about getting the 76ers a point guard, and that is what they got in George Hill.

Things slowed down for a half an hour after that, with bench players being traded for other bench players. Then the Clippers traded Lou Williams to the Hawks for Rajon Rondo. I love this trade for the Hawks and I am very skeptical about the Clippers. I know Rondo was great in the Finals, and all of the playoffs when he was healthy for that matter, but he does not add scoring at all. They have two Patrick Beverly's. Lou Williams is a walking bucket, one of the better sixth men in the league, and he is from Atlanta. The Clippers traded scoring for point guard depth, but the Hawks got the better of this deal. Lou Williams is going to love playing in a free flowing system in Atlanta. The Hawks "won" this trade.

Then right at the end of the deadline, literally with seconds left, two big deals got done. JJ Redick joined the Mavericks when the Pelicans traded him for James Johnson and Wes Iwundu. I'm sure the Pelicans will buy out both those guys. This was purely for Redick to go to a team that is almost a playoff lock. The Mavericks got more shooting, but they did not add any defense. They are also the whitest team in the NBA. They are like the Iowa of the NBA. Then, maybe 30 seconds past the deadline, the ink dried on a Victor Oladipo trade to Miami. Houston finally pulled the trigger and let Oladipo go for Kelly Olynkn and Avery Bradley and a pick swap. The Rockets can continue to tank, and the Heat add a serious athlete on a rental who should now start going full bore since he is looking to cash in this offseason. The Heat needed a guy that can create his own shot, that plays sound defense and who can coexist with Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. If this doesn't make Oladipo take that next step, nothing will. He got what he wanted, the Heat got what they wanted and so did Houston. This was another "win" for both teams.

At this point, the two biggest names on the buyout market are LaMarcus Aldridge and Andre Drummond. Both will find good teams to join by the end of the night I would guess.

There was such a flurry of moves I didn't even mention some guys that stayed put. Lonzo Ball is still a Pelican, Kyle Lowry will most likely retire a Raptor, Myles Turner stays in Indiana. These names were mentioned, among others, but they stayed put. But this deadline did not disappoint. There was a flurry of movement and I loved following along all morning and early afternoon. Now I want to see these guys in their new uniforms, especially Aaron Gordon in Denver, What a deadline.

Ty

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

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Ty Watches "Promising Young Woman"

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For date night this past week I chose the movie "A Promising Young Woman" for my wife and I to watch. I hadn't heard much about the movie, but Adam Brody was on "Comedy Bang! Bang!" promoting a different movie, and Scott Aukermann mentioned how much he liked "A Promising Young Woman", and how cool he thought it was that some comedy actors had bit parts in the movie. That piqued my interest. Then my wife kept talking about how much she wanted to see it. Then it got nominated for a bunch of Oscars. I was already getting on board, and then all this other stuff put it over the top for me. So we rented it on Amazon and watched.

We both loved it. This movie does have some comedic elements to it, but make no mistake, this is a thriller. And Carey Mulligan is so good as the lead actor. I bought her from moment one. The movie, no spoilers, is about a lady who loses a friend, and then kind of goes on a revenge tour in her honor. We come to realize that the friend was assaulted, and she is turning the pages on guys, and messing with their heads. This is where some of the comedy actors show up. Brody plays a guy at a bar that picks her up and brings her back to his house. You think he is being nice, but it is all a ruse to get her more drunk and take advantage of her. But this is what she wants. She wants these guys to think they are in the clear, that they can take advantage of her, and then she reveals that she is not drunk, and chastises these assholes for the punks and scum they are. It is great. She does this same thing to Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Sam Richardson. She does start to date a gentleman in the movie, a very solid performance from Bo Burnham, but that has quite the twist in the end as well. Laverne Cox is very good in this movie too as her overbearing but well meaning boss and only friend. Molly Shannon is very good in her very small role too.

All the acting is great. but this is a tour de force from Mulligan. She is so goddamn good in this movie. The way she manipulates these low lifes, the stuff she lets them get away with before calling them out, the thing she does to the dean of her college, Mulligan pulls it off so well. There were moments where I was like, damn she is cold blooded, but then I remembered why she is doing what she's doing, and I am instantly back on her side. Even when she tries to give it up, to move on if you will, that's when things kind of crumble in her everyday world, and she goes on a truly vengeful trip after that. But that works in her favor. She finds a bachelor party of the guys who did horrible things to her friends, and that is when she takes over. Even when it looks like she may have been had, she finds a way to turn the tables in the best possible way. Mulligan more than deserves her Oscar nomination. She is that good in this movie. I also like the message of the movie. Hopefully some frat boy idiots will see it and think twice before they try to take advantage of a seemingly drunk person. I love the way they did the thriller stuff in the movie too. There is no jump scares or blood or gore, it is all mental, and it still has me shook and thinking about it almost five days later.

I highly recommend this movie. Watch it for Mulligan's performance alone, and in doing that, I think you will really end up liking the movie, or at the very least it will leave you thinking about it. This movie is good. Watch it.

Ty

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

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Thoughts on the First Weekend of the Men's NCAA Tournament

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The first two rounds of the men's NCAA basketball tournament are in the books, and I have some takes.

Right off the bat, my bracket is busted, and I am sure pretty much everyone else's is also. This has been a wacky tournament filled with upsets. It was kind of stunning to turn on the TV the past couple of days and see that there was another upset. So many teams, teams with real promise, are out. Their seasons are over. And some lower seeded teams, some that some people would call "Cinderella", a term I am not a big fan of, have made their way to the Sweet Sixteen, and done it with relative ease. I do want to point out that three of the number one seeds are still in the tournament. Illinois, more on them in a second, is the only one that got knocked out. But the other three have taken care of business to this point. Also, the Sweet Sixteen is filled with teams from power five conferences. 11 of the 16 come from power conferences, and Gonzaga is not a "Cinderella" anymore. They haven't been for years. They are legit. Hell, I'd go as far to say that Loyola Chicago isn't really a "Cinderella" either. Two of their five starters were on the same team that made the Final Four a few years back. I guess what I'm getting at is, some of these teams may be seeded as underdogs, but they have played top notch competition all year. They are solid teams.

As for the Big Ten, this tournament has been a major disappointment. They looked like the best conference in college basketball all regular season. They had three and four teams ranked inside the top ten all year. They had two number one seeds. Their conference tournament was pretty great. Now Michigan is the only team left, and they barely beat LSU. I love my Wolverines, but they are on very thin ice. Their play has left a lot to be desired. They are still here, but barely. The eight other Big 10 teams, what a bummer. Illinois looked like one of the big favorites, and they got owned by Loyola. I know Loyola is good, and they were under seeded, but Illinois is a much better team. They just laid an egg at a horrible time. Michigan State couldn't hold a big lead, the players and their coach were openly fighting going into halftime and they blew their game. Rutgers and Maryland each won one game, but they both bowed out in round two. Iowa got crushed by Oregon, who got a free pass to the second round. The university of Ohio State was the ninth 2 seed ever, in the history of the tournament, to lose to a 15. The online aftermath of that has been disgusting by the way. No player deserves what that kid had to deal with. Wisconsin smoked UNC, and then got their asses blown out of the water by Baylor. And Purdue, they let North Texas win their first tournament game ever. This has been a bad tournament for the Big Ten.

The Big 12 hasn't fared much better. Kansas got thumped by USC last night. Texas was beat by Abilene Christian. Oklahoma ran into the Gonzaga buzzsaw. Oklahoma State, my pick to win it all, was destroyed by Oregon State. And Texas Tech blew a humongous opportunity against Arkansas. All the Big 12 has left is Baylor. They are just like the Big 10.

The ACC has done okay. Outside UNC getting throttled in round one and Virginia being upset, they are fine. Florida State looks really good right now, especially on defense.

The SEC is also doing okay. Alabama looks good and Arkansas can run up and down the floor with the best of them. The only true "upset" was Oral Roberts beating Florida.

The Pac 12, on the other hand, that conference has looked awesome. They got five teams in and four are in the Sweet Sixteen. Oregon, who got the free pass because VCU had a COVID issue, looked like world beaters in their game against Iowa. USC dismantled KU. That game was over at the half. They looked so much bigger, stronger and better coached. UCLA has taken their comeback win in the First Four, and they have rolled since then. And Oregon State, the Pac 12 tourney winner, smoked Tennessee, and then did the exact same thing to Oklahoma State. They look legit.

The non power 5 teams left are very worthy. Loyola Chicago is under seeded, but they have done what they do in the tourney. They play a solid team game, and their defense is so, so, so good. Houston has always been able to score, and now they are playing sound defense. They will be a problem. Oral Roberts may be a 15 seed, but they have the top scorer in the country, they won 20 plus games this year and they are playing great basketball right now. And Gonzaga has looked every bit as good as advertised. The other teams, Creigthon and Villanova, they don't do much for me. Creighton has to play Gonzaga and Villanova gets Baylor. Those would be humongous upsets, and this tournament has shown us that that is a real possibility, but I would not bet against either Baylor or Gonzaga. Those were the favorites coming in, and I think they still are. I'm also surprised they only had one game canceled due to COVID to be honest. I figured we'd have a few more.

So far this has been a crazy tournament, filled with wild upsets, but it has also been fun as hell to watch. My bracket died on day one and I couldn't have cared less. This is what the tournament should be like, and after it was canceled last year, for all the right reasons, it is so nice to be watching the tournament once again. I am so happy to have it back. Let's hope the rest is as wild and crazy and fun as the first weekend.

Ty

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

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I, Bald Man

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I am a bald man.

I think I have made that pretty clear on the website and on the podcast. I am not complaining about this either. At first it was frustrating. I used to have dreadlocks, and when I cut those off, I grew my hair out like all millennials used to do. But I noticed in my mid twenties that I was losing my hair. The anger subsided quick, and I just kind of dealt with it. What else could I do.

When my hair was first thinning out I tried to keep the cut short, to kind of blend it in. That worked for a while. I still have some hair in my wedding photos. Pretty soon after my wedding and honeymoon, I began to lose more and more hair. At this time I started to shave it with an electric shaver. My wife would cut it, or I would do it from time to time. I would forget a lot, and my hair would look rough. But when it got to that point, boom I turned on the shaver and took care of business. After some time, after my kids were born, my wife took over shaving my head. She would shave my head and trim my beard. It was a two for one type deal.

One night I decided that I wanted to see what it looked like when I used a razor. I'm not talking anything fancy, no straight razors or anything like that. I would use a BIC, or something similar. And it worked. My wife and I did not know what I would look like, if I would look any different, and I didn't. Shaving your head totally bald doesn't look much different from a close shave. The only real difference is you can see all the knicks and cuts in your head. You also need to use some kind of aftershave, or those cuts get even worse. This has become my new norm now. I shave my head, usually, once a week. I will go on a long run, and my cool down is a shower and shaving my head.

I come here today to tell you a tale of "horror" about waiting too long to shave your head. Keeping a schedule is key. You need to stay on it. You need to make sure that you do it the same day every week. It is just like shaving your face for work. If you miss a week, it will be a pain. That happened to me today. We are getting work done in our home, and we needed to be out by last Sunday, the 14th. I figured I would shave my head when we got to my folks house. No big deal. Well, the moving of objects out of the bedrooms in my home, and setting things out of the way so the workers wouldn't have to, took way more out of me than I thought it would. I was pretty exhausted when we got to my parents house. Add on the fact that my kids had to be cleaned, and my wife and I did too, things got out of hand quick. I got our clothes in the house, moved the stuff into our room in the basement, gave my daughter a bath and decided I was going to sit down before showering. When I finally got around to cleaning myself, I was too tired to shave my head. I just decided to do it the next day.

Well, the next day turned into an entire week. I just kept forgetting. What with my new living situation, getting my kids to and from school, stopping by the house to check on it daily, training for a marathon and trying to get some sleep, shaving my head became an afterthought, until today. I finally had time. My kids are on spring break, my parents were willing to watch them and I had a scheduled rest day. I just finished shaving my head, and it took over 30 minutes.

It hurt. I have cuts all over my head. I had to slop on the aftershave, and it hurts. The water was freezing cold by the end in the shower. When I first started to shave, the razor felt like it was cutting grass for the first time in two years. I would move the razor two to three inches on my head, and the razor would fill up with hair. I had to keep cleaning the hair out. It took forever to get one side of the top of my head barely shaved. I kept going over the same spot three and four times with little to no movement. I finally got through the top part of my head, and the back was untouched. Mind you, I kept going over the back with the razor, it was too full of hair to work. I kept at it, changing midway through for a less dull blade, and that helped, but man did it scratch my head up bad. I could see blood on the white razor. I knew it was bad, and when I finally, thankfully, got my head shaved properly, my teeth were chattering, and my head was on fire with all the razor cuts and burns. It was brutal, but I got it done, and I feel okay now.

I am writing this today to say, if you are a bald man like me and you have decided to shave your head, stay on schedule. I do not want anyone to have to deal with what I did today. It was all on me, I did not stay on course. But I will from now on. This was not fun, and it took way too much time. Stay on schedule. That is the lesson I am trying to pass on today.

Ty

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

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Can a Non Phish Fan Still Enjoy Phish Food?

Wrong kind of Phish

Wrong kind of Phish

Like most people I enjoy some good ice cream. I like going to shops to get scoops, but that’s a moot option in the time of COVID. I can, and sometimes still, order from the shops I like, but it’s not the same as physically going inside. It doesn’t travel as well, it becomes soupy, it’s just a mess. But, I do go grocery shopping for my family. I am the shopper. I like going to the store, finding deals and getting our food.

I’m on a diet, a low carb one, I do have “cheat” days, and my favorite dessert to have on those days is ice cream. I will legitimately eat a full pint of ice cream on Sunday, which is my “cheat” day. And while there’s plenty of pint options, Ben and Jerry’s is the best. Full stop. I’ll debate anyone who disagrees. What they’ve achieved over the years is amazing. They make some crazy flavor mixes, but they all work. I don’t like cherries, but I love some Ben and Jerry’s Cherry Garcia. I’m not a fan of frozen chocolate bananas, but Chunky Monkey is so good. Cinnamon Buns is like eating breakfast ice cream in the best possible way. Netflix and Chilled is an amazing salty and sweet flavor. My son and I argue over finishing the Salted Caramel Core. My wife will steal the Chubby Hubby. It is all so good.

For years I never tried Phish Food. I was opposed to this flavor for a dumb reason too. I used to love jam music. I was a big Widespread Panic fan. I saw String Cheese Incident live more times than I’d like to admit. Yonder Mountain String Band was a big deal to me. I listened to almost every jam band. The one I didn’t, the one I openly refused to listen to, that was Phish. They were too “mainstream” for me. They were the “popular” jam band, and I was a snob about it, so I never listened to them. And it’s not like I listen to them now. I’m over jam music, and I never gave Phish a shot. I don’t intend to either. It’s over for me. But, that was why I would not eat Ben and Jerry’s Phish Food. It was strictly due to my dislike for a band I never gave a real chance. It’s silly looking back at it now.

Recently I was inspired due to the podcast “Doughboys”, and what they’re doing for Munch Madness, that all changed a week ago. “Doughboys” is doing a dessert tournament for March, and of course they’ve had Ben and Jerry’s multiple times. And each time they’ve had it, they’ve mentioned Phish Food. So I went and got the family some pints of Ben and Jerry’s, and this time I got Phish Food. Then Sunday rolled around and I was ready to give it a shot. I didn’t know what to expect, but boy was it fantastic. For those that may not know, Phish Food is a chocolate based ice cream with caramel, fudge fish and marshmallow. Oh my goodness does this work. It is near perfect. The way the chocolate and caramel and marshmallow mesh, it’s divine. I found myself going back to the Phish Food more than the other pints I bought. I just kept digging in until the pint was empty. When I finished it, and I finished it all myself, I said to my wife that it was one of the best tasting ice creams I’d ever had. I’m upset at myself that I waited until my late 30’s to try it. And for such a dumb reason. I was wrong, but better late than never I suppose.

Phish, the band, may not be for me. But Phish Food, the Ben and Jerry’s ice cream, that is top notch. I truly love this ice cream, and I will be eating it many, many more times. Man is it tasty.

Ty

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

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Ty Listens to The "Ear Hustle" Podcast

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Entering season 6, “Ear Hustle” is finding a great groove and is becoming one of the best podcasts available.

I was late to this pod. I heard one of the co hosts, Earlonne Woods, on a different pod a few years back and decided then that I was going to listen. I gobbled up the previous seasons. When I started listening, Woods was still in jail. They did, and still do, stories of what life is like inside San Quentin. I was fascinated. I never really dug this deep into prison life stories. I have watched movies and TV shows, but those were all hyper superficial. It was the cliché stuff. Shows like “Orange is the New Black” and “Oz” seemed like a good representation to me. I couldn’t have been more wrong. There is violence and very crazy stuff that happens in prison, but not like the Hollywood version according to these prisoners. Life seemed boring and pretty redundant. It seemed very structured and very quiet, for the most part. There were stories from certain people who dealt with abuse and violence inside, but those were few and far between. I thought this was interesting. It gave me a new outlook.

Earlonne Woods eventually got released, and that’s when this pod took an even bigger leap, and it really soared. They still have a person inside, he goes by the nickname New York, and we still get stories from the inside, but with Woods out, we are getting stories about prisoners that have been released. That’s equally fascinating. Some are doing well, others are struggling a bit and some are back in jail. There’s a few great stories about these guys. There’s one about a guy who got a job as a trash collector in a strip mall in San Francisco. The job doesn’t sound glamorous, but the way the gentleman describes it, you’d think he was a head honcho at a big corporation. He was thrilled to be doing something on the outside. There was another one, a sad one, about an addict who keeps relapsing and keeps ending up back in jail. Mind you we are still getting stories about guys in jail. There’s been excellent ones about music, taking care of animals, letters and the food. When the pandemic hit I thought that might have been the end, but they kept at it and kept making new episodes. They all had to be about guys who were released, but they also found new angles. There is an episode about kids who stay at a camp where they have incarcerated parents. That was powerful. They did a cooking competition. That was fun. They found ways to keep doing it and do it well.

They have released the first two episodes of season 6, and both are excellent. The first was them catching up with a few former guests. They were also able to get a mic back inside and have New York talk to people. The most recent episode was about visits in the age of COVID. It was eye opening.

This pod just gets better and better with each new season. I look forward to listening to “Ear Hustle” more than the other pods I regularly listen to. I highly recommend checking it out. Nigel Poor and Earlonne Woods are great hosts, and New York does fine work as well. Check this pod out. You will really 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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The Return of the Covidiots

They’re Back

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Spring break is right around the corner for some, and others are already on it.

Time for fun and games.

Right?

I remember last year how different spring break was. The world essentially shut down at that time. We were all scared, didn't know what was going to happen, how to deal with it all, and still some people were selfish enough to go to beaches and other places and party like nothing was wrong. I trashed a town in Missouri around this time last year as well. That town was Lake of the Ozarks. There were far too many people there. It felt like a breeding ground for COVID. I even heard a kid say on the news, "there's no law when drinking the claw". It made my blood boil. It made me angry. I couldn't believe how blasé and nonchalant these people were acting. And it was the same at other beaches in places like Florida and Alabama. Of course the beaches became a very hot spot, and COVID traveled far and wide. I kind of feel like that was the start of the big surges we saw, when right after spring break, virtually everything shut down.

I come to you one year later with almost the exact same concern. COVID is still a very real threat. Not everyone is vaccinated, or even willing to get vaccinated. Some states are not loosening restrictions as much as others. Most, and I emphasize that word, are going to do the right thing. But, there have been reports and pictures and news stories about beaches, mainly in Miami, that are being flocked with people, and the people there are not following proper protocols. I get it, these young kids want to party. But I want to shake them and tell them that they are going to be the reason that everything gets shut down again. Their carelessness and unwillingness to follow simple rules is going to push our reopening timeline back even further. I know that some were arrested for not following the rules, and that is good. But who's to say these same kids won't get bailed out and just go back to partying in a very unsafe way.

I'm particularly worried here in Saint Louis because our schools start spring break on Monday, and I just have a feeling those same idiots that flocked to the lake last year are going to do it again. We are just now getting vaccines in the county and city. My wife and I had to take a drive to get ours. The rural areas were the only places getting them at first, and they had so many that a lot of people did what we did. But I know those kids that went to the lake last year are not vaccinated, and they are going to be endangering their lives and the lives of their loved ones. It's terrifying. Also, if you look at some other countries, and what they are doing about outbreaks here and there that are happening, it is only a matter of time before we have the same problem in the US.

I know everyone wants to get back to some kind of normalcy. People want to see friends and family. I sure as hell do. I'd love to play basketball in a gym. But you have got to be careful about where you go, who you see and how you act. The CDC just put out new, promising guidelines, and I don't want them to have to roll that back because some frat boys decided their beach party over spring break was more important than the safety and well being of everyone else. Things were/are looking up. More and more people are being vaccinated daily. Biden and Harris and Dr. Fauci have come through on their promise to get the vaccine out there. But we still have to be vigilant. We still have to follow the proper protocols. This way things can get back to some kind of normalcy in the near future.

Look, I'd love to go somewhere with my wife and kids next week. Our house is being worked on and we are staying with my parents for the time being. It would be great to get out. But we know that it would be foolish and dangerous if we did. My son is going to a baseball camp, where every child, coach and parent will be masked, in lieu of us going to a beach somewhere. It's not what we wanted, but it is what we are doing.

Please exercise caution. Please make a wise decision. Don't be selfish this spring break if you want to get back to "normal" anytime soon. I'm pleading with you all. Be safe and be diligent. That way, maybe next spring break, the beaches will be a much safer option.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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Ty Talks About the Biggest 2021 Oscar Nomination Snubs

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Every year the Oscars seem to get something wrong, and I’m including winners and nominations. It happens all the time. “Inside Llewyn Davis” got nothing its year. “Moonlight” almost got screwed by “La La Land”. “Crash” won best picture. So did “The Artist”. This is a thing. But this year the snubs seem a little more apparent. There are a good amount too. Let’s discuss.

Regina King deserved a best director nom. So did Aaron Sorkin. Eddie Redmayne and the guy that plays Dr Manhattan on the TV adaptation of “Watchmen” should have been nominated for “Trial of the Chicago 7”. Daniel Kaluuya got a supporting actor nom, but it should be leading actor. The fact that Glenn Close got nominated for “Hillbilly Elegy” is insane. She was also nominated for a Razzie for the very same role. I think that’s the first time that have ever happened. All these snubs suck. Yet there are three blatant snubs in this go around that are so hard to ignore.

The fact that “Da 5 Bloods”, Delroy Lindo and Spike Lee are not even nominated is insane. The movie may be kind of scattershot, it may jump time a bit too much and it’s a little overlong, but it definitely deserves a nomination. For its faults, it’s still a very well made movie with a very good story. It is essentially an updated version of “Treasure of the Sierra Madre”, only better. The academy opened it up to ten movies eligible to be nominated and they only put in eight this year. The ones I’ve seen are good, and I’m sure so are the others. But come on, throw “Da 5 Bloods” in there. It is more than deserving.

I’m even more shocked that Delroy Lindo didn’t get a nom. He is wonderful and insane and scary and excellent and so memorable in this role. I was taken aback at how great his performance was. I couldn’t take my eyes off him. I didn’t agree with his character’s point of view, but that was the point. Every time I think of that movie I think of him. Even more so than Chadwick Boseman, who was excellent as well. Lindo, much like the movie, should be nominated. It’s nuts that he isn’t. They could’ve easily replaced Anthony Hopkins with Lindo. I haven’t seen Hopkins movie, but he’s had his time. Now it’s Lindo’s turn. I’d also rather have Lindo in there in place of Gary Oldman. I haven’t seen “Mank”, and I don’t plan to, not a fan of “Citizen Kane”. I’d go as far to say that Lindo was better in his movie than Oldman was in his. Lindo may be the biggest snub.

Also, what does Spike Lee have to do to get an award? He didn’t direct just one great movie this year either. He also directed “David Byrne’s American Utopia”, and that could’ve gotten a best picture and director nom as well. Spike Lee is a preeminent director, yet he seems to always get passed over. It’s frustrating. The fact that he’s only been nominated five times, with only one win for adapted screenplay, is criminal. He should’ve won for “Do the Right Thing”. He should’ve been nominated for “He Got Game”. He got Ray Allen to give him a solid performance. “Inside Man” is one of the most underrated movies in history. I could say the same for “25th Hour”. “Kings of Comedy” is a crucial stand up comedy movie for people my age. And “Crooklyn” is quietly awesome. “Da 5 Bloods” and “American Utopia” are better than all these movies, save “Do the Right Thing”. If I were Spike Lee I’d be pissed off. This happens to him far, far too much. As much as I loved Lindo in “Da 5 Bloods”, I think Lee is the biggest snub of anyone that was eligible for an Oscar. I’m sure this sounds like whining, and I’m sure “Mank” is going to win everything because Hollywood loves movie about Hollywood, but come on. Give people the credit they deserve.

“Da 5 Bloods”, Delroy Lindo and Spike Lee were the biggest snubs. That is a fact.

Ty

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

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Ty Picks the 2021 Men's NCAA Basketball Tournament

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The men's NCAA basketball tournament bracket was released last night. Last year this did not happen for the first time ever. COVID took it away. At the time I was upset, but it was the right decision. We did not know anything, and still are learning new things, about this virus, and to have had these kids play would have been a disaster. And while I still think this is not as safe as it could be, at least they are doing it bubble style and it is all in one place in a few different gyms. They are doing it safer, but it is still kind of tearing me up knowing that I am going to watch this and not feel so good about it. That has been my experience the last year watching sports, specifically college sports. But I will watch, and watch as much as possible, so that means I have a prediction for everyone.

Before I get into it, know that I have not won a bracket challenge in about five years, and I am really, really going out on a limb this year. I think this is going to be a chaotic tournament, but not until the second round. I think, for the most part, the first round will be chalk, with an upset here and there. But when we get a little deeper, it will be pretty wild. I have a total outcast pick as my title winner too. I just wanted you all to know that up front. Now let's get to it.

As I said, the first round is mostly chalk. I have all the 1 and 2 seeds advancing, I only picked one 12 seed to beat a 5, and I do not think any teams that play in the first four will win more than one game, the first four game. I have every Big Ten team, except Wisconsin and Maryland, winning at least their first game, with most making deep runs. I picked Rutgers to win in round one, and this is their first tourney appearance since 1991. I think the rigors of playing in the Big Ten is going to help these teams in the tourney. I'm also very, very high on UCONN and I love Oklahoma State, more on them later. But yeah, I am pretty much chalk.

Then it gets a little wonky in round 2. I have UNC beating Baylor. UNC is not as good as them, they did not end the ACC tournament as well as I thought they would, but I just have a feeling. Maybe it is because Baylor has kind of fizzled at the end here, and they may still be recovering from their COVID pause. I just do not trust them. This probably means they will crush and cruise to the Final Four. But where we stand right now, I think UNC will beat them. I also have Georgetown making a run to the Sweet Sixteen. They are rolling right now, they got a nice draw in opening with Colorado, and I have them facing UNC Greensboro, who I do have upsetting Florida State in round one. Winning these conference tourneys usually leads to some kind of success in the NCAA tournament, and I think a run to the Sweet Sixteen would be a huge win for Georgetown and Patrick Ewing right now. I have UCONN beating Alabama also. That kid Bouknight is so good, and such a good scorer. He reminds me of Kemba Walker when he was at UCONN. And I like San Diego State to knock off West Virginia and push to the Sweet Sixteen.

My Elite Eight is mostly high seeds, but I think some will have to fight to get there. I think Michigan is going to have to fight to beat LSU and Georgetown is going to be tough. Add on the possibility, which is very high, of no Isaiah Livers, and that makes it even tougher. But they do have the talent to beat those teams to make a run. Gonzaga and the university of Ohio State will cruise to the Elite Eight. There is no real resistance. I think in Baylor's bracket, since they will go out in round two, Purdue is going to have a fairly easy path to the Elite Eight. I have UCONN pushing their way past Alabama and Texas to make it to the Elite Eight. Again, Bouknight is that dude. Iowa will beat an undermanned Kansas team and make it. And Houston and Oklahoma State will make quick work of their opponents. Houston will cruise by Cleveland State, Rutgers and SDSU. Those teams will not provide much of a challenge. Oklahoma State is awesome, Cade Cunningham is legit and I think this team is going to go very, very far. I think they will crush Liberty and then make light work of Tennessee. That will leave us with a great matchup of Oklahoma State and Illinois. I think that will be a good to great game, and Cunningham is going to do something very memorable to win the game for Oklahoma State.

As for the Final Four, Gonzaga is going to blow out Iowa. Iowa does not play much defense, and they either dump it in the post to Luka Garza, who I find unwatchable, or kick out for three pointers. Gonzaga is going to shut that down with ease. I have Michigan being the team to finally stifle Bouknight and beat UCONN to move to the Final Four. They play great defense, and if Bouknight gets shut down, UCONN does not have enough scoring anywhere else. The university of Ohio State just outlasted Purdue in the Big Ten tourney, and I think they will do the same this time around as well. They have just enough scoring to win. And I have Oklahoma State and Cade Cunnignham doing it again and beating Houston with a great Cunnigham game or play. So we have two Big Ten teams, a Big 12 team and Gonzaga.

As much as it hurts me, Gonzaga is better than Michigan, and that is true even if Livers is healthy. They can out score them, and they will play enough defense to slow Michigan down. As much as I want Michigan to win, and will be rooting hard for them. Gonzaga is too good. In the battle of OSU's, I'm going with Oklahoma State and Cade Cunnigham yet again. He reminds me so much of Carmelo Anthony when he was at Syracuse for one year. He is so good and so crafty and so heady and plays the game like a seasoned vet. I also think the fact that the seeding group put them on the 4 line is going to piss them off and make them play even harder.

That means I have Gonzaga and Oklahoma State in the title game. And guess what? That's right, I have Oklahoma State and Cade Cunningham taking home the title, a la Carmelo yet again. Cunnigham is that good, Oklahoma State has been really good lately and I just have a feeling, in a season this weird, that a team we did not think about until very recently will win it all. I'm happy that the tourney is back. I will feel gross watching it, but I will watch it. And as good as the Big Ten has been this year, I still don't have one of the eight teams that made it winning it all. That is a bummer. But hey, at least I will get to watch Cade Cunningham even more, which is great. That kid is good, and if my bracket is right, he will win the title in his lone college season. That would be pretty cool.

Ty

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

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Stop Being Internet Jerks

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Being a writer and podcaster is good and bad. I have talked at length about both of these things. And I am not here to talk about my personal experience with people who comment either nice or not so nice about my brother and I on the internet. We already did an entire podcast on that. Today I want to talk about people who troll on websites like Facebook and Bleacher Report and Instagram.

This has become a real problem. There are things said online, behind a screen name with no picture, that is so putrid, I do not even want to repeat it. There are some people that are so filled with hate and vitriol and anger and they just spew it on the internet for everyone to see. This obviously happens in politics all the time. I am a very liberal democrat, and I follow people like the Obama's and Joe Biden and Kamala Harris and some local Democrats in Saint Louis, and some of the comments on their pages are heinous. These pages are supposed to be for people who actually like them, but you always end up with these trolls saying horrific things to them on their pages. It is so vile, and I always find myself thinking, why are you doing this? What good comes from this? You know they do not read these comments? It is so baffling to me. I used to comment on stuff, until I realized that it was fraught and pointless. It helps no one except the person making the comment, and they are usually so full of anger that one comment, or one thread, is not enough. They go on endlessly. If you don't agree with Biden and Harris, that is fine. But to make vile and insipid comments, that is childish and dangerous. And to do it online for the world to see, that is downright stupid.

Sadly I see the same thing going on with fan pages of sports teams I like. I am a humongous Michigan Wolverines fan, and I swear the people who comment most are fans of other teams. I ask again, what is the point? Why waste your time going on a Michigan page just to trash them? The university of Ohio State fans that do this. I have said many times that they are better at football than Michigan. That is a simple fact. But to go on a fan page, where almost everyone is a die hard, and write stupid things like "it has been x amount of days since Michigan beat us in football", why are you doing that? We all know it has been a long time. Hell, my wife knows it has been a long time, and she could care less. And to go on the page and constantly trash Jim Harbaugh, why? People at ESPN and Sports Illustrated and even Michigan's own websites do this enough as it is. I don't need to hear from some jackass in Columbus telling me the coach of my favorite football team hasn't lived up to the hype. I watch it every season. I'm aware, as are most normal Michigan fans. But we don't go on the university of Ohio State's web page and trash their basketball team, or their former coaches for illegally recruiting. It is a waste of our time.

I also see this trolling on movie pages. Why do people have to go and trash movies? What good does that do? I know not everyone is going to like the movies I like, but why say such hateful things to me for liking a movie like "Judas and the Black Messiah"? Someone who I have never met, who I have no interest in ever meeting, came at me online for liking that particular movie. They said some very nasty and tasteless and hurtful stuff. It was wild. I do not respond to these people, but that stuff does sting. And I do want to ask this person, why are you doing this? What good is going to come from this? How does it feel to trash a person you have never met, and never will meet? But I know this is a fruitless line of questioning. This person, and these other trolls, they will always think they are right because they are louder than me, or they can type in all caps.

This sucks. I lost a very good friend a few years back because I tried to communicate through social media, but they went too far. I know this all goes nowhere. I just wanted to point out how ridiculous and pointless this trolling is. It solves nothing. It makes people angry over nothing and it is cowardly and childish. Think before you type. Treat people the way you'd like to be treated if you met in real life. And stop trolling online. This internet madness has got to stop.

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.