Ty Listens to "Death at the Wing"

As I am always on the prowl for new podcasts, I was pretty delighted to get a text from RD a few weeks back about one I might like. You all know my love for basketball, and especially the NBA. I am really into the history of the NBA as well, specifically the late 80's and early 90's history. So when RD told me that director and writer Adam McKay had a new podcast about that era, and the players that were lost that could have been great, I was pumped. I immediately subscribed to "Death at the Wheel", and to this day I have listened to every episode, some of them more than once.

This podcast is about some players that could have been great, were great and lost it, or never had a chance. All the people he talks about died or had the game taken away from them over political affiliations or religious beliefs. It is really a fascinating listen. Each episode focuses on one or two guys, usually just one, and McKay talks about them and how they lost the game or their lives. He also talks about the politics that were going on during that era, and how that played into the NBA trying to grow its game and image. I am forever intrigued by the politics since I am so green in that era. I will say it is very eye opening, and it makes my dislike for Ronald Reagan even more than I ever imagined. He was an absolute puppet and a real monster. McKay portrays that perfectly.

The most important stories are the ones about the players, and how they ended up where they ended up. Some of the players I know about, or at least have heard of. We all know what happened to Len Bias. That was such a surprise, and it was something that didn't have to happen. Unfortunately it did happen, and now we are all left to wonder what could have been. The way McKay tells the story makes it even more intriguing. He is so good at weaving the story and telling all sides of it. I could say the same thing about the Benji Wilson and Drazan Petrovic episodes. Benji Wilson could have been a super duper star, but young kids make mistakes. Unfortunately for Wilson it was a horrific, life altering mistake. But what made this episode so interesting was the fact that McKay was able to talk to the man who shot and killed Wilson. He is a completely rehabilitated person, who knows the error of his ways and now he works to help stop gun violence. Petrovic's story was something that also could have been avoided, but it was a terrible accident. Again though, I learned so many things about Petrovic and Yugoslavia and so much more than I ever thought I could know about the basketball played overseas back then, and why Petrovic was so great. Then we have the players I do not know about or never heard of. I had no idea who Terry Furlow was, but Magic Johnson sure as hell did. He was an all time great in college at Michigan State. Magic looked up to him. He was a walking bucket, a player before his time. He died because of the opulence of cocaine in the 80's in the NBA and driving a car erratically. It is a wild, ABA esque story. We also have the story of Ricky Berry. Berry clearly was a person that suffered from depression, but back when he played, you didn't talk about that stuff openly. This was a guy that had everything going his way, seemed like he was going to take over the league, and then the next day he is dead because of a self inflicted gunshot wound. If he could have spoken openly and honestly, he may still be alive today. Hearing Jerry West talk about him, and West's own problems, was very eye opening. Then we have the most recent episode which talks about Craig Hodges and Mahmoud Abdul Raouf. These gentlemen are not dead, but the way they expressed themselves pushed them out of the league. Hodges was an advocate to stop police brutality after seeing the Rodney King outcome. He was another person, a peaceful protestor before his time, that was blackballed because he questioned the super stars of the game back then, the Larry Bird's and Magic Jonhson's and Michael Jordan's, on why they weren't more outspoken This guy was a knockdown shooter, but after going after these players, no one wanted him. That's very unfair. With Rauof. He was just a man who converted to Islam and decided to not put his hand on his heart and look at the flag during the anthem. He was Colin Kaepernick before Kaepernick. But the league all but ousted him after hearing why he didn't want to acknowledge the song, and this guy was an all NBA player and an all star. This was clearly a politically charged move by the NBA. These men were unfairly pushed out of the league.

I cannot wait for another episode. I look forward to the new one every week. This podcast is perfect for a basketball nerd such as myself. I love everything about it and I cannot recommend it enough. I owe a huge thanks to RD for letting me know about it too. "Death at the Wing" is awesome. It is one of the best podcasts out right now.

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 the Kid's Show "Bluey"

As many of you know I can be pretty hard on the shows my kids watch. I'm not a fan of many of them, namely "PJ Masks". The ones I do like, like "Teen Titans Go!" or "Yo Gabba Gabba" has many things for the adults watching. I just prefer when watching these shows with my kids when they have something for the adults to enjoy. I appreciate when the creators of the shows put in stuff like that strictly for the parents.

When my daughter told me recently she wanted me to watch a new show with her, a show called "Bluey", I had my doubts. My son has been watching more shows that I am on board with because he is nine now and his tastes are different, and in my opinion, better. My daughter is still pretty young, five, so the shows she likes are still pretty rough for me. She loves "Teen Titans", but she would prefer to watch "PJ Masks" or "Puppy Dog Pals" or that Ryan kid on YouTube. I am not a fan of those shows. She has been getting into some superhero stuff that revolves around strong female characters, and "My Little Pony" is pretty good, so that has been a nice reprieve. But I was still on the fence about "Bluey", and then I watched it with her.

I love love love this show. It is so well made, the animation has a sweet throwback look and it is an Australian show, and a little unknown fact about me until now, I usually like most things Australian. I think it is a mixture of the accent and all the cool looking trails and mountains and greenery that country has. I'm down with Australian for sure. It is on my bucket list of places to see in my lifetime. And while "Bluey" has the accents, that is the only real Australian thing about it. They say certain phrases that I do not get, which I am sure is an Australian thing, but that is about it.

The show is centered around a four person family made up of dogs. The family is made up of all blue heeler dogs, I think, and that breed is rad. They are rambunctious and playful and imaginative, and the show shows that tenfold. Bluey herself is a very energetic and very playful big sister. She always thinks of games to play and when she plays them she plays them rough. But so does her little sister Bingo. Bingo is younger, her voice shows that, but she is just as playful. She does have more moments of clarity or sadness, but she always ends up having fun with her family. The mom and dad are both working dogs, and their jobs are a touch of genius from the writers. The mom is a police dog, and according to some research, she is a drug sniffing dog. They never actually say that on the show, but it is implied. And she works hard and also is heavily involved in her family's life as well. The dad is an archaeologist, or more proper, a dog that sniffs and searches for bones. He is more of an at home parent, constantly being the adult figure in the home in most episodes. Which leads me to what I like most about this show. The show is about using your imagination and being playful, but it is also about family and how important it is to be close and enjoy one another's company. I love that message. In every episode of "Bluey" the family is always together. Even if it is just the dad at home during the day, mom comes home and they all enjoy some quality family time. Bluey also seems to learn a lesson in most episodes that revolve around being nice to her little sister and why it is important to spend time with her. I have been working on that with my own kids, so it is nice to have "Bluey" as a response to why I want my kids to play together. I also appreciate that each episode is about 11 minutes long. That means that my kids and I can watch three or four before it is time to do something else. It is also a perfect amount of time to keep my five year old's attention.

I cannot say enough good things about this show. I highly, highly recommend it to any parents out there, both new and old, that have kids that are still young. "Bluey" rules. Now I am going to go watch an episode with my daughter. I think you should too.

Ty

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

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"Rogue One" Is the Greatest Star Wars Movie Ever

In honor of Star Wars day, which is kind of wild that May 4th has become Star Wars day, but whatever, I want to talk about what I think is the best Star Wars movie.

I kind of combed through every one of them in the past day. I went back and tried to remember which ones I liked and disliked. And since it is so recent, my daughter is only five, it was easier than I thought. And before I reveal my pick, I am only talking about movies. I never watched any of the cartoons, and while I really enjoy "The Mandalorian" that does not count as a movie to me. Those are out of the conversation, so calm down nerds.

With that caveat, my favorite Star Wars movie, the one that I think is better than all the other ones is "Rogue One''. I just like the whole overall feel of this movie as compared to the other Star Wars movies. I think there are better movies, "Empire Strikes Back" and "Force Awakens" comes to mind, but I like "Rogue One" more. I also think a movie like "Solo" is funnier and more upbeat, but I prefer "Rogue One". "Return of the Jedi" and "A New Hope" are all time classics, but I'd pick "Rogue One" before both of them. As for the prequels, just forget about them all completely. Those movies are trash, so there is no need to mention them. And I do enjoy the other new movies, the JJ Abrams ones, and I am confused by the internet hate for them, but I still would rather watch "Rogue One". I like war movies so maybe that is a reason why this one resonates so much for me.

I also think the Darth Vader scene at the end is the best use of Vader in any Star Wars movies, full stop. That is like a horror scene. That was like when Jason Voorhies would claim his victims in "Friday the 13th", or when John Wick goes on a rampage in the "John Wick" franchise. It was that brutal. He is just erasing dudes with his lightsaber. It is the best representation of how evil Vader can be. I know he has moments in the other movies that make him seem human, but not in "Rogue One". He is a murderer hell bent on destruction. I very much appreciate that about his character in "Rogue One". It shows his truly evil side.

The rest of the movie is as good as "Saving Private Ryan" or "Apocalypse Now" or any other classic war movie. It has some great strategy scenes. The fight scenes are great throughout, to go along with the Vader scene. The actors do an exceptional job. The movie has this quiet uneasiness about it that I have come to really love in movies about war.

What sets this one apart from all the other Star Wars movies for me, what makes it the top of the heap, the good guys do not win in the end. Pretty much every character dies in this movie except Vader. They are either killed in battle or they sacrifice themselves. That is what happens in war, and this movie doesn't Disney-ify that aspect. They show it all. It is raw and seems real. The fact that we are left with that Vader scene as the last thing hammers home the point of this movie, which I believe to be, that no one wins when you fight a war. Everyone suffers some way or another. That is why "Rogue One" is hands down the best Star Wars movie on the market. I could watch this movie over and over again and never get bored with it. It is one of a kind in this universe, and if you decided you want to start watching Star Wars late in life like I did, this would be the one I would suggest to start your journey.

So, for this Star Wars day, go ahead and check out "Rogue One" if you want to watch a movie. It is the cream of the crop.

Ty

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

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Kendrick Lamar is Awesome

This morning after I dropped my kids off at school I was able to put on my music. I don't care if my kids hear curse words as long as they do not use them in the wrong context. But sometimes it is more comforting for me to listen to my music when I am alone. And when I am alone I enjoy listening to hip hop. Again, my kids like it, but I have more fun listening alone. It is a much better time for me.

Today after heading back to my folks house I put on some Kendrick Lamar. I haven't listened to him in awhile and I was in the mood. I do not know why, or understand how it came upon, but when the wave hit, it was time to listen to Kendrick. I put on "DAMN" because that is my personal favorite, and from there I listened to a ton of his stuff. I went from the beginning to current times, hitting all the classics along the way. This blog post today is a simple ode, a discussion of how great Kendrick Lamar is as, not only a rapper, but a person too.

Kendrick is awesome. Let's just put that out there right away. He is one of, if not the greatest emcee of all time. I know, I am a humongous RTJ fan. They are my all time favorite group. I also love A Tribe Called Quest. I'm a NAS fan. I like Public Enemy and The Beastie Boys. And Pusha T is wonderful. But there is something about Kendrick. He is a cut above the best of the best in my opinion. The way he does his thing, how he writes, composes and performs his music is on a whole other level. There is a reason he won a Pulitizer. You don't just win those because you are famous or popular. You have to be an otherworldly genius to even be considered for a Pilitizer. And Kendrick has one. His lyrics are some of the best ever. He talks about important things. He raps about interesting and important things. He talks about his real life experiences and how he has come out of it on the other side. He is as real as they get in the music industry. He also isn't flashy or glamorous or anything like that. There is an interview my brother showed me between Kendrick and Rick Rubin. Those two men are worth more money than I will ever even see in my lifetime, but during this interview they both have jeans or shorts, t shirts, hoodies and a hat on. And it is one of the best things that I have ever seen on the internet. Neither of them needs to show out and show how rich they are. They just talked about music, and it was amazing. I appreciate that. There is no flash, no show needed, no over the top clothes. Just two people that are hyper intelligent sharing their thoughts on music. And that was the feeling I got today, especially when listening to "DAMN". That album is as about straight forward hip hop as you can get, and Kendrick absolutely nails it. He crushes every song. From top to bottom, it is perfect. And there are hits on the album. "DNA" and "HUMBLE" are big time hits. They were played on the radio a ton. But man the rest of that record is simply amazing. Listening to Kendrick's flow, how fast yet understandable he is, it is a work of art. I was amazed the first time I listened to the album and I was still amazed today. But that is how it is with every Kendrick album. They all rule. He is a master. And then you have his personal life, which is pretty buttoned up. That is a good thing. He doesn't need to air his business in public. He doesn't have any kind of weird stuff hanging over him. He is loved and respected by pretty much everyone. I have not met a single person that knows him who doesn't like him. He is world renowned. He is a rare star that is just a seemingly normal person who happens to have an amazing gift that he shares with the world. There are no beefs with other rappers. He gets along with people. Uber famous people adore him. But you'd never know the way he carries himself. That is why I adore him so much. Not only is he one of the greatest people to ever be involved in the music business, he is a great person as well.

I love Kendrick Lamar. I love his music, his lack of style, his public persona, the things he does for everyone, simply everything he does is just great. Kendrick Lamar is amazing and, even though he is a super duper star, he needs even more respect thrown his way. This man is a genius and we need to appreciate everything he does while he is still doing it. Kendrick Lamar is the man.

Ty

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

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It's Time for Green Bay to Trade Aaron Rodgers

Before the NFL draft last night a bunch of rumors started to swirl that Aaron Rodgers wanted out of Green Bay.

I am a Packers fan, as you all know, but I am not an Aaron Rodgers fan. My dad, who is also not a fan, can vouch for this. Hell, RD can vouch for this. Just ask him about our conversation the day the Packers drafted him, I was not too happy and neither was my dad. But, he has been great. He won a Super Bowl, and should have gone to more. The Packers have pretty much dominated the NFC North ever since he took over as the starter. He always keeps them in games. He has single handedly won big regular season and playoff games. He is a multiple MVP winner. He is one of the best QB's in the league. I was wrong and RD was right.

The fact is that Rodgers is older, he is becoming more of a head case, he has outside interests that are Hollywood centric and the Packers have gotten the best he has to offer in my opinion. I say trade him for a king's ransom, or just let him waste a year not playing if he is going to demand a trade. I'm all for player empowerment too. Players should have some kind of say in where they play, but not one year after they sign an extension. I feel the same way about the James Harden trade. He gave up on Houston, and no matter how good he has been in Brooklyn, the way he exited Houston will always stay with me. And this isn't like Paul George asking for a trade to the Clippers. He worked with Oklahoma City's front office to make the trade work out for both teams. Aaron Rodgers and James Harden did not, or are not, willing to do that. They both just want out because things aren't the way they want it to be with their teams.

I do agree that the Packers have not made the best choices with Rodgers as the face of their franchise. They drafted a cornerback last night when plenty of wideouts were available. I like the Jordan Love pick last year, but they did that without talking to him. They have no real solid number two receiver behind Davante Adams. And the Matt LaFluer hire is still puzzling to me. But he could have just said no to the extension that they offered last season. He agreed to it and put pen to paper, and now he is unhappy, going so far as to tell some of his teammates he wants out.

This is childish. This is one of the many reasons why I did not want Green Bay to draft him so long ago. Everything has to be about him. He only cares about himself. He wants to be the star. He wants to be the only player that people talk about when they mention the Packers. Basically, Aaron Rodgers is selfish. So, like I said, either trade him to a team of the GM's choice, the team that makes the best offer, or let him waste the rest of his contract stewing about still being in Green Bay. I know he has his "wish list" of teams, but I do not think any of those teams can make a solid offer. Denver has already said they are out. The Raiders have nothing of real value except for a plethora of future picks. And the 49ers, I want nothing to do with Jimmy Garroppollo, and they do not have the picks to make this trade work. Hell, I would go the route that the Spurs did with Kawhi Leonard. Kawhi wanted out and he wanted to go to LA. But the Spurs didn't like either offer from both LA teams. It didn't meet their criteria. Then Toronto came calling, offering DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl and a solid amount of picks. The Spurs also got to keep all their young talent. Kawhi went to Toronto, won a title and then got to go where he wanted as a free agent. The Spurs, while not the dominant team they were in the early 2000's, are still a headache to play, and they are going to be really good again really soon. That's because they dictated the trade. Green Bay needs to go that route.

Personally, I'd trade him for a goldmine of picks and a really good second receiver. I would also try to land a young defensive stud. I'd go after someone like Devin Bush or Khalil Mack or Aaron Donald or Jamal Adams. Shoot for the stars. See who is willing to give up an emerging star on the defensive side of the ball. Why not? Apparently the 49ers were willing to give up a ton, so why wouldn't some other team. Rodgers is better than Ben Roethlisberger, so wouldn't the Steelers give up Bush and a bunch of future picks for him. The Bears just drafted a QB, but Fields could sit for a year or two behind Rodgers and the Packers could get the best linebacker in football. I know the Rams just traded for Matt Stafford, but Rodgers owns him. So why wouldn't the Rams give up Donald to get an upgrade at QB. And I know the Seahawks current QB isn't happy there, so why not swap QB's and then add on Jamal Adams? That would be ideal in my opinion.

In the end I say let Rodgers go. Go out and get as much as possible for a beleaguered malcontent. Now is their best opportunity. Or just let him sit out and be grumpy. Who cares. Green Bay doesn't owe him a damn thing, and they should treat it that way. No matter what choice they make, I say move him. Bring on the Jordan Love era. Let's do it.

Ty

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

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An Ode to The Greatness of Relish

For years and years I was the type of person that put either ketchup or barbeque sauce on my hot dogs. That was what I liked. And the sweeter the ketchup or BBQ sauce, the better. I'd slather my dog in either sauce, put it on a bun and scarf it down. That was the best of the best for me. That was how I liked my dogs at home, when they were grilled, or when I was at a ball game.

As I got older I started to switch it up a teeny bit. I let go of the BBQ sauce, especially if the hot dog was grilled. And while still adding ketchup, I would put a little yellow mustard on it. I liked the vinegar taste the mustard added. Then I started to add topping. Shredded cheese was a big deal. Caramelized onions became one of my favorites. I loved a good chili cheese dog. I liked pickle spears. When we would go to Illinois, I fell in love with Portillo's hot dogs.

About four years ago I stopped eating ketchup. I realized how truly awful it is for you, and it was easy for me to give up, so I let it go. I do not eat ketchup anymore. Not on hot dogs or fries or burgers. I order those items and ask for no ketchup. And all the other stuff I was putting on hot dogs became too much. It was ungapatchka as Nick Wiger would say. We have this great hot dog place in Saint Louis. Steve's Dogs, and they specialize in hot dogs overstuffed with toppings. While I enjoy a Steve's Hot Dog from time to time, it can be a bit much. So lately I have only been putting mustard on my dogs. I don't eat buns anymore either, unless it is a "cheat day" on my diet, so just a Nathan's hot dog with some brown or generic classic yellow mustard is all I need.

During our stay with my folks, my dad and mom suggested I try relish with my hot dog. I have never liked relish. Well, to be honest, it always looked gross to me so I never gave it a chance. I would see my dad eat it at a ball game, my mom would eat it when we grilled at home when I was a child, but I never gave it a fair shot. So when they suggested I try it, I was pretty hesitant. My mom said it was just finely chopped pickles in liquid. I am not a humongous pickle guy, but then my dad reminded me how much I like Portillo's, and they have pickle spears on their famous hot dogs. So my wife, who also never tried relish, and I decided to give it a go, and man was it great. I was stunned at how much I liked the taste. I had my Nathan's, I had the classic yellow mustard and then I added a little relish at first. The extra vinegar, the crunch and the acid made it a perfect mix of flavors. I loved it. Then I decided I wanted to try it on a bun, just to get the full feel. That was even better. Getting that white hot dog bun, the generic brand, adding a good amount of relish to the bottom of it, then putting the hot dog on top of the relish and adding a squeeze of yellow mustard, it was the best hot dog I have ever had. It was the perfect bite of hot dog. This was what I was missing all those years. I finally understood, after 38 years, the appeal of relish on a hot dog. I do have to add the caveat, I used dill relish. I tried sweet relish, but I do not like sweet pickles, so that was a no go for me. But I am a dill pickle fan, so the dill pickle relish is perfect for me. I have been eating it with my hot dogs ever since. In fact for lunch today I had some hot dogs and I added dill relish and yellow mustard and it was great. I highly recommend, if you have just blown off relish for all these years, to give it a shot. It is really, really tasty. My five year old loved it so much that she piled it on her hot dog the other night, and actually took the hot dog out and ate a relish sandwich. That may sound gross, but she devoured it, and me, my wife, my daughter and my mom and dad all enjoyed dill relish on our hot dogs the past couple of days.

I am looking forward to the next time I grill hot dogs just so I can put some relish on it. It is a dynamite condiment.

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's Not Mock NFL Draft

The NFL draft is tomorrow night. I know, I was as surprised as many were when I found out earlier this week. As I normally do I will pick a few prospects that I think are going to be great, a few that might not be so good and a few sleepers. This is much more fun than doing a mock draft. I have also already read a ton of those anyway. And, I do watch a ton of college football, so I feel like I know the "top" prospects pretty well in this upcoming draft. I even watched all of last season, even though I didn't feel very good about watching. With that being said, let's get to it.

This draft is filled with QB prospects. I would not be surprised if the first four picks are QB's. There are so many draft eligible QB's. It is almost too much. At the very top of that list, and one of the prospects that I think will be a good to great NFL player is Trevor Lawrence. His college career played out pretty much as great as we all thought, and I see no reason why the Jags wouldn't take him first overall tomorrow night. He is tall, fast, smart, has a great arm and has been getting himself ready as soon as he took over the starting job at Clemson. He is as sure a bet as Andrew Luck or Cam Newton. They were bonafide stars the moment they were taken first overall, and I do not see that being any different for Lawrence. The only downside is the fact that he will be playing in Jacksonville. They do not offer too much help for him when he steps into the starting role. He also has a first year head coach that I do not think will have much success in the NFL. But Lawrence is as solid a QB prospect as there is in this draft. He is worth the hype.

Going outside the QB class, this wide receiver class is stacked too. And there are two kids that I think will have very bright futures in the NFL. The first is JaMarr Chase. He did opt out of last season, but his year before was one of the best I have ever witnessed. He had so many catches, so many TD's, and he separated himself from every other wideout in college football in 2019. His two playoff games were absolutely dominant. And if the Bengals end up taking him, as they should, having him and a healthy Joe Burrow could make for one hell of a duo. They could be the future in Cincinnati.

The other receiver I love, who is actually my favorite player in the draft, is Devonta Smith. His measurables may not be eye popping, but just look at what he did on the field last season. He was incredible. He was so good he won every major award, including the Heisman. He was unstoppable. That first half in the title game was magnetic. I was so very impressed with what I saw. My dream would be that he falls to Green Bay and they team him up with Davante Adams. That would rule. Smith is awesome and he will be a very, very, very good pro.

As far as the O line goes, Penei Sewell is going to be a first day starter wherever he gets picked. He is big, physical, hyper intelligent and saved his body by opting out last season. He is going to be a Jake Long esque player. He won't make any crazy noise as a player, but he will be dominant, and his QB and coaches will love him.

Looking at the defensive players, I think Patrick Surtain is the top of the class. He is already a shutdown corner, he is big and fast and physical and he will be a Charles Woodson type corner in the league. He will help any team, no matter who, that drafts him. I also think Jaycee Horn has some Jaire Alexander in him. He is a very good corner that will excel against better competition. I also like Micah Parsons. I know his stock has tumbled, and the exact same thing happened to Montez Sweat and he is a top notch d lineman. Parsons was excellent two years ago and I think he will only get better when he gets to the NFL. And of course I love Kwity Paye from Michigan. Three years ago at a game my dad pointed him out as a legit sack master, and he just got better and better. He is explosive, big and super fast. He is going to terrorize NFL backfields for ten years. He is going to be a day one starter.

For all the love I have given these kids, there are some I am not as high on as others. I do not think Zach Wilson is going to be the answer for the Jets at QB. He is the epitome of a one year wonder that played inferior competition. He is not a Russell Wilson clone. That is an insult to Wilson's incredible talent. The Jets will be trading him in two years just like they did with Sam Darnold. I also do not think Mac Jones is going to be much of a pro. He is a system QB to a T. He is like every other Texas Tech QB not named Patrick Mahomes. He is also very slow footed and not very accurate in my opinion. At receiver I just do not trust Jaylen Waddle's ankle injury. I do not know that it is fully healed, I do not know what it will do to his speed and route running and he was not the best wideout on his own team. I feel like the hype around Kyle Pitts has been totally overblown so much so that I think it will affect his career. I mean, he is good, but he isn't Tony Gonzalez or Antonio Gates. That's another thing, there are going to be better tight ends that can be drafted in later rounds. The hype is too much. Jalen Mayfield has taken a rightful tumble down draft boards. He seemed disengaged at times, he wasn't as dominant as he could've been and he missed most of last season with an injury. I feel the same about Landon Dickerson from Alabama. He just isn't the dominant force that Sewell or Rashawn Slater will be in the NFL. He also looks very slow.

As far as some "overrated" defensive players, one for sure in my opinion is Zaven Collins from Tulsa. He is the defensive version of Zach Wilson. Poor competition led to a fantastic year, but this rise up draft boards is baffling to me. I also think all the stuff that has happened with Caleb Farley lately has been a blow to any type of success he was going to have in the NFL. He was a top player, then he opted out, then he got hurt and now he has COVID. All of that is a rough start to an NFL career that hasn't even started yet. And I do not think Benjamin St Juste is going to be more than a special teams player in the NFL. He got beat like a drum in college, and that will just continue in the NFL.

As far as sleepers, there are some for sure. I love Nico Collins. He is a great deep threat, he is physical and he is very tall. He will be a proper third of fourth receiver on a good team. Elijah Moore is another really solid receiver that will go way later in the first round than he should. This is another guy that I would love to fall to Green Bay. I also really like Rondale Moore. He is shifty, fast and will help on offense and in the return game. I know that Justin Fields is a projected top five pick, but people have been on his case for some stupid reasons. I watched this kid carve up the Big Ten for two years, and then do the same thing twice to Clemson. He is going to be a very good pro.

I have two deep sleepers. I really like Chubba Hubbard from Oklahoma State. He is going to be a late round pick because running back isn't a huge priority anymore, but boy is he going to be a steal. He is an excellent runner and a very good pass catcher. He can also block. This kid is going to be a pro bowler, and I wouldn't be shocked if he starts as a rookie. I kind of expect it. And finally we have Najee Harris. Maybe you don't see him as a deep sleeper, but no one is talking about him as a first round talent. He is the prototype modern NFL running back. He is built like Leonard Fournette, but he is not nearly as injury prone. He can catch like a modern day Marshall Faulk and rack up yards after. He can run with the best of the best currently in the NFL. He can block like a fullback. When I watched him in the title game the only player that I thought that was better than him on that field was Devonta Smith. If a team like Miami can get him, and reunite him with Tua, that would be great. Or if he lands with an ascending team that is a running back away, like Seattle or Baltimore, he is going to be the answer they need. I really like Najee Harris.

Okay there you have it, my NFL draft primer. Now let's see how things turn out Thursday night.

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 "Mortal Kombat"

I watched “Mortal Kombat” this afternoon. As you all know well by now I was very pumped to see this movie. The game was taboo when I was a kid, the first movie was kind of blah, later iterations of the game were rad, and this new movie had pretty much everything in its corner to be epic.

Sadly, it is not.

This movie is very cheesy and not very good. I am pretty bummed. I wanted to love this movie, but I just cannot think of more than one character in this whole movie that I actually liked. There were also times that I scoffed, complained how cheesy it was and just found myself bored. I cannot believe it. The first seven minutes of this movie, I wrote about it last week, were great. There were stakes, the fight scenes were dope and the actors nailed everything they did. Then it was just downhill from there for me. There was a quick explanation of what the world has become, and boom, we are introduced to the main character, Cole. The guy who played him was fine, but man he was just a cliché through and through. He’s an older fighter, he doesn’t know why he’s been picked to fight in this other dimensional tournament, he leaves his training, but finds a reason to go back. It is a story lifted right from a bad 80’s movie. Jax, who was my favorite fighter in the video game, doesn’t get enough screen time, and when he’s there, his lines are nonsense. His battle with Sub Zero, more on him in a minute, was rad, and his battle scene at the end had the best fatality, but every other time he’s on screen it’s very blah. Sonya should’ve had a much better backstory, and they could’ve delved deeper into her reason for being here, but they don’t. Her story is all wrapped up way too quick. Kano is an asshole through and through. He could’ve been the comic relief, but he was way too much of a jackass. He has zero redeeming qualities. The “bad guys” from the Other World were all stupid, except for Sub Zero. The two lady fighters have as little brevity as Sonya. One of them is in two scenes, and she gets brutally murdered. The other one was pretty sinister, but she gets zero backstory. We know literally nothing about her, other than she likes blood. The four armed monster looked cool, but that’s it. The iron lung guy was more of a dick than Kano. The dude with the sledgehammer has no lines, and he gets his head exploded by Jax, one of the cooler scenes. And the main baddy, he is so much of a cliché that I groaned whenever he spoke. When Raiden, who was solid in this movie, banished him, I said out loud to no one, “thank goodness”.

On the good side, Sub Zero and Scorpion were the only two characters I cared about at all. They had the best fight scenes. They had the best stories. I would watch an entire movie just about the two of them. That would’ve made for a far better movie. Sub Zero is a great, great villain. He was the only one, well he and Scorpion, that I actually liked. I enjoyed their scenes. I was worried every time Sub Zero was on screen. His visual effects were the best. They should’ve done a series of movies, or a TV show about each character individually. That would’ve been so much better.

The makers of “Mortal Kombat” just tried to stuff too much into a 90 minute movie. And that ending scene, with Cole, that was rough. I really do not want them to make a sequel, especially one focused on Johnny Cage, who was lame as hell in the video game. Just make a stand alone Sub Zero origin movie. I’d much rather watch that. Sub Zero and the fight scenes were good, but everything else was pretty bad in this movie. I wish I was wrong. I wish this was better. But oh boy is this movie a clunker in my opinion. And that really stinks.

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 Continuing Adventures in Running

For the past couple months I have been training for two long races. I have been running five days a week at different mileage each day. It has been pretty good, I have enjoyed my training and so far, no injuries. All is good.

I had my first of two races this past Saturday. I drove to Columbia to run in the Lion's Den Race. This was a timed race. There was a 24 hour, 12 hour or 6 hour portion. I opted for the 6 hours. I figured this was more than enough time since the furthest, and longest I have gone is 17 miles in three and a half hours. Race day came and I was nervous. But when I got to the course, met by a friend, I eased up a bit. He told me how it was going to be fun, it was a looped course so I would get used to it easily and how to properly eat and drink for that amount of time. When our time had come to start I felt pretty ready. And then we were off.

I felt good for a while. I ran one of my fastest 10k's. I ran my fastest half marathon. The sun was coming out and it was drying the course. Things were looking up. I was going pretty well for the first 13 miles. Then I kind of hit a wall. My buddy said he was going to keep going, and I let him know that I was going to be slowing down, walking from time to time. I was feeling it pretty hard around mile 15. Honestly, I wanted to stop right there. I even told myself that I was going to bow out. I felt done. Then I started to think about the other people there. The racers who had been there since 6am and the ones that started the day before at 6pm. Most of them were still out there. They went through a night of on and off rain. It was cold and dreary, and they were still out there going at it, and seemingly having a good time. I gained some kind of relief/acceptance that, if they could do it for as long as they have been doing it, I could go for the next three hours. That was nothing compared to what the other people were doing. I was also able to speak to some of the people that were doing the 24 and 12 hour times, and they gave me even more confidence that I could keep going. That I just needed to push through the pain. They were right. When I pushed past the 15 mile mark, I drank some fluid, ate some peanut butter pretzels and some gummy bears and felt like I had a second wind. This was a great feeling. Sure I was going slower, and the minimal hills became a much needed walking rest, but I was still moving. I pushed through to the 20 mile mark, and I slowed down even more, but I didn't stop. I would only run the downhills and the straights. The hills were a non starter. I was going to walk those the rest of the day. That was the plan. When I got to my last loop, the tenth lap, I walked almost the entire thing, and I was totally fine with that. It felt right. So I walked nearly all of that last lap. I got to the point where there was about half a mile left, and it was all flat or downhill. I decided I was going to run this part of it. Well, it was more of a very slow jog, but still, I was not walking. As I got to the finish line I was first met by a photographer. That was good because I wasn't fake running anymore.

As I got closer I heard people yelling my name. I was confused because the only other person I knew was my buddy, and he was going on to finish his 12th lap that day. When I took my headphones off and looked up I saw my oldest brother, sister in law, two nieces and my son. They came to cheer me on. It was a much needed surprise. I loved that they came out to see me do this. To see me accomplish this feat. Having my son see me do something that I have never done before was humongous. Having my sister in law, who got me into running in the first place, was awesome. My oldest brother, who is the most athletic of all of us, having him there was the epitome of support. Then having my two teenage nieces seeing me do this, they knew me when I was much heavier, that was the icing on the cake.

When I crossed the line, signaling that I was done, I gave my son a big hug. My brother and his wife made sure I was done, made sure I didn't want to do more. I needed that. My nieces were so nice and so sweet. It made me so happy. When I calmed down, drank some more water, ate a banana and took my shoes and socks off, I saw that I had run 25.78 miles. By far the longest I have ever done. It was pretty amazing, even though I was beyond exhausted. Then my buddy finished, and he ran 31.3 miles. I was stoked for him. As for some of the longer timed runners, the 24 and 12 hour people, I saw numbers in the upper 60's and 70's. Hell, a few people went over 100, with one guy going 120 miles. That was amazing.

This was definitely an experience that I will never forget. I'm so glad I did it, and it has me feeling more and more prepared for the full marathon I am running in less than three weeks. I am still tired, I was sore, I hurt all day yesterday, but I am so glad that I went out and ran for nearly six hours on Saturday. I loved it, and I am very happy to have running in my life. It is truly the best.

Ty

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

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The Knicks are Not Actually Bad Right Now

RD may not want to hear this, hell a lot of resident New Yorkers might not want to hear this, but the Knicks look like a solid team. They are currently on a six game win streak, they are fifth in the East, Julius Randle is finally living up to the hype and they are playing really solid basketball at the exact right time.

I agree with LeBron when he said the NBA is better when the Knicks are good. It makes sense. I am not a Lakers, Celtics or Knicks fan, but when they are all good teams, playoff teams, the NBA is better. Those are some of the biggest market teams, and if Chicago would get their act together, this could be like the NBA of the 90's, which is the NBA I watched and fell in love with.

Now, not to temper things down for Knicks fans that are excited, they are currently fifth in the East, and they would get destroyed by the 76ers, Bucks or Celtics. Hell, I'd even take the Heat or Raptors, teams far behind them, to win a seven game series over them. The Knicks are a nice story. That is what this whole season will be for them. But they are not ready to compete with the upper echelon of the East. If you all will remember, Tom Thibodeau went to Minnesota a few years back and turned them into a playoff team in year two. Then they totally went down the drain and he was gone well before his contract was done. He was not only the coach in Minnesota, but also the GM. He made all the player personnel decisions. He chose who they drafted, who they traded for and who they signed as free agents. He signed all the guys he likes and only played them, with few exceptions, and the Timberwolves fell back into obscurity.

What the Knicks have going for them is Thibodeau is just the head coach. He excels in the regular season as just the head coach. He won in Minnesota for a few years, and he had some really good teams in Chicago. But he overworks his players and he is sometimes unwilling to play younger players. So far that has not been the case in New York. Julius Randle is a vet, but this is his first real time being "the guy" for an offense, and Thibodeau has made it work. He is being forced to play RJ Barrett, and he is looking more and more like the player some GM's and scouts envisioned when he left Duke after one year. He is hitting shots and getting to the rim. Obi Toppin isn't getting a ton of playing time, but when he gets in, he is a good defender and good rebounder. Immanuel Quickley was kind of forced into the lineup, but he has been a revelation. He has more than earned his spot in the rotation. Derrick Rose is becoming the super sub for them. That is a perfect role for where he is in his career right now, and he is doing great. I think with the roster construct before he got there, he doesn't have a choice but to play the young kids, and it is working.

We will see what happens from here, how they finish out the year. But right now, Thibodeau has no other choice but to roll the best players out there, and a lot of them are younger guys. The Knicks are going to make the playoffs this season. Where we sit right now they are 32-27, firmly in the fifth spot in the East. They only have 13 more games left in the regular season, I think they will hold on to that 5 seed, meaning they will not have to play in the play in tourney, and I wouldn't be surprised if they win a round. As it stands today they would face the Hawks in the first round. I could see them winning that series in six games. But then they would get one of the buzzsaw teams. One of the three teams at the top that will destroy them. But, as if right now, the Knicks should be proud of what they have done this year. I had no faith in them, and I know a ton of other writers were right there with me. They have proved all of us wrong, and I have loved seeing Julius Randle, who I am a big fan of, turn into this force, especially on the offensive end.

This has been a nice season so far for New York, and they could make it more fun by winning in the playoffs.

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'm So Ready to See "Mortal Kombat"

The other day the internet did one of the few good things it does nowadays, and the people behind the new "Mortal Kombat" movie released the first seven minutes of the movie for free. I immediately watched it, then I watched it three more times after that. I am so very excited to see this movie. I am going to Columbia for a race this weekend so I will not be able to watch it the day it releases, but I will have watched it by early next week. That much I can promise you all.

As for now, that first seven minutes has only made me more excited to see the movie. Now, back in the 90's they tried to do video game movies, and not many of them were watchable. Hell, pretty much all of them were downright awful. I know RD likes "Street Fighter", but even he says it is a guilty pleasure. The "Super Mario Bros" movie is a total dumpster fire. And I feel like, and I could definitely be very wrong, but I am pretty sure they tried to make a "Mortal Kombat" movie, and it stunk (ed note: They made two, and the first one is terribly good with a great techno soundtrack). The problem I have found as I have gotten older is all the video game movies from the 90's wanted to appeal to kids and teenagers, so they went for the PG, or in some very rare cases, a PG-13 rating. That takes away all the fun of the video game. I get that the studios wanted to make money, wanted to appeal to a mass audience, but to not go for the R, or even a hard R, that was their downfall. Those movies were doomed to fail. From what I saw in the first seven minutes of the new "Mortal Kombat" movie, it is a very hard R. It is "Deadpool", but with more violence.

The part that was released shows a humongous body count already and some of the most kickass choreography for fight scenes that I have seen in a movie since "John Wick 3". Then add on the fact that the guy who plays Scorpion loses his wife and son, Sub Zero freezes them and puts a frozen dagger through Scorpion's wife, which makes him hungry for revenge, adds some backstory to this movie. The way he dismisses the assassins that are sent to get him is amazing. I was astonished, while also exclaiming, "that was almost too much blood". I rarely have visceral reactions at movies, and this little portion already gave me one. That is a good sign for me as a movie watcher. I also liked seeing Sub Zero before he was in his fighting suit. I liked seeing the origin of Scorpion's dagger that he throws at people while saying, "GET OVER HERE". Apparently, according to this movie, it is his wife's gardening tool that he uses as his weapon of choice, which is rad. And this portion that was released only showed us two of the, I believe, eight main characters that will be fighting each other in this upcoming movie. There are four bad people and four good people. A nice equal competition.

My main takeaway from this was how good the movie looks overall. The writers seemed to have crafted a story that is easy to follow, and one that is interesting. The choreography, which I mentioned, is like watching a very violent ballet. The actors seem legit. They can act, and they can fight. That rules to me. And there seems to be some kind of brevity, something the good guys will be fighting for.

I am so amped to see this movie. I really cannot wait. I hope the rest lives up to the seven minutes I have already seen. But at this point it would have to be a real dud for me not to find it, at the very least, highly enjoyable. Go check out the video on the internet right now, and if you plan on watching it this opening weekend, and are a friend or family member of mine, do not spoil it for me. I'm going to watch it ASAP. I hope this movie lives up to the hype. The early signs are that it will, and that is good news.

Ty

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

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This Is Just The Beginning

Accountability.

Some accountability was finally handed down to a murderous police officer yesterday. Derek Chauvin was found guilty on all three counts in the murder of George Floyd. The jury found, beyond reasonable doubt, that what Chauvin did was murder. He used excessive force on George Floyd. He had no regard for his life when he decided to knee on his neck for 9 minutes and 29 seconds. He choked the life out of Floyd. Floyd constantly told him that he could not breathe, and Chauvin did not let up. He was rightfully convicted of the murder of Floyd, and now he will hopefully spend the rest of his miserable life behind bars. That is what he deserves.

This needed to happen. We all saw what happened one year ago. It was everywhere. You couldn't miss it. It was terrifying. And the jury agreed. George Floyd should still be alive, just like so many other African American people that the police have wrongfully murdered.

I want everyone to know what this all means. This is just the start. Now is the time for accountability. We need to hold anyone that uses excessive force accountable to the fullest extent of the law. These people need to be prosecuted. They need to know that they cannot get away with murder just because they are the police. They need to know that they are not above the law. That is fact, and it should be easy to follow.

When the verdict was read I was joyous for a while, and then I turned my focus to the other people that have lost their lives too early at the hands of the police. Those officers need to be put in front of a judge and jury. The lady that killed Daunte Wright, she should be guilty. The cops that shot that 13 year old child, they are guilty. The cops that murdered Breonna Taylor and Tamir Rice and Philando Castile and so many others, they all need to face a judge and jury. That is the law. They are not above it. They can't get away with it anymore. The joy I felt was kind of odd too. This is what was supposed to happen. But since we have become so backwards in our country, we applaud when a murderer gets convicted of murder. This is what we should have expected. We all should not have been on bated breath waiting and hoping he would be found guilty on all three counts. This was a homerun as far as convicting him. But we all cheered and applauded when it finally happened, when the verdict came back the way it was supposed to. This shouldn't be the case. But because of the situation, coming off the last administration, dealing with all the rampant racism, white supremacists getting more and more comfortable and police becoming more and more brutal, we as a society did have to wait with bated breath. We didn't know what the outcome was going to be. That needs to change. We need to evolve. We need to grow up. And we need to be held accountable. The Floyd family finally got some justice. It will not bring their son, father and brother back, but they did get some kind of justice. But as I said at the top, this is just the start. More of this needs to happen, and I hope that it will.

So while we celebrate a murderer being put in jail, lets all get ready to work to make sure that this continues to happen to anyone in a position of authority that uses that power in the wrong way. Let's put all these murdering cops behind bars. That is what they deserve. Rest in Peace George Floyd. And, BLACK LIVES MATTER.

Ty

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

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Relax Morrissey

Since we have been living with my folks I have not been able to stay as up to date on my regular TV shows. We still get to watch some from time to time. But, I have not seen one of my Sunday night shows in awhile. That means I have missed a good four or five episodes of "Bob's Burgers" and, most importantly, "The Simpsons".

Missing so much "Simpsons" is a bummer. I know I will catch up when we get back home, which should be in two weeks hopefully. But still, I miss my usual ritual of watching after having a real nice Sunday night dinner with my family. I especially am bummed for missing the most recent episode. I heard all about it, and I have been reading all the aftermath that has occurred since it aired. I am a fan of Benedict Cumberbatch, I adore Flight of the Conchords and Bret McKenzie and I have never listened, or wanted to listen, to any Morrisey music. So all the stuff I saw and heard prior to its airing had me excited. I like when "The Simpsons" does stuff like this. I like when they make fun of an aging star, especially one that clearly cannot take a joke. So for them to go at Morrisey, and it remains to be seen for me if it was purposeful, I was totally on board. I am even more on board after seeing how he reacted, and all the stuff he has said since. I guess he wasn't too pleased and said some things. I believe he called the writers hurtful and racist. I even saw that he was going to pursue a lawsuit, but he doesn't have the money to do it apparently. That is so goddamn funny to me. Morrissey seems pretty holier than thou, that he takes himself far too seriously, that he thinks he is above criticism, that he thinks he can say whatever he wants but no one else can, basically he seems like a real downer. He seems like a guy that would be a real drag to simply talk to. He seems like no fun. He is the real life version of Debbie Downer.

This isn't the first time, nor the last I imagine, that "The Simpsons" has gone after a famous person like this. They did this to George Bush, and he seemed to take it in stride. They also made fun of Gerald Ford in that very same episode, and I didn't hear Ford complaining about it at all. Those are two presidents. They made Michael Jackson out as a humongous white person that resided in an insane asylum. He didn't say a word. There was an episode with a ton of pro athletes, including guys like Yao Ming, Tom Brady and LeBron James, and they did their own voices. They had no problem poking fun at themselves. Even famous people that are total recluses, like Jasper Johns. He wears a bag over his head, he makes jokes at his own expense and he has been on more than once. If Jasper Johns can take the joke, why does Morrissey think he is above the poking fun that has been a cornerstone of "The Simpsons"?

I think it is plain and simple, and I have already mentioned it. He is a sad sack of a human being. He is a bummer. He is an asshole. He is miserable. He is no fun to be around. I'm sure the people in his circle thought this episode was hilarious, but they have to make a big fuss or else Morrissey will be upset. I would go as far to think that even his fans found it kind of funny. But not Morrissey. He has to be the wet blanket. He has to be the lone dissenting voice. He has to make a fit. He has to be the child.

I am so excited to watch this episode now, and I am prepared to laugh and laugh and laugh. And while I am rolling on the floor, I will think about how Morrissey wanted to file a lawsuit, but that he doesn't have the money to do it. That is the funniest part of this whole thing to me. He was once a star, once an uber famous person, and now he cannot even afford to file a suit. That is a riot. As for "The Simpsons", I hope they continue to do what they do best and skewer pop culture. I know they will, and it makes me even happier knowing that this means they will probably go after Morrisey again, possibly soon. One can hope.

Ty

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Happy Retirement LaMarcus Aldridge

LaMarcus Aldridge retired from the NBA last week. I feel like I’m still processing this news. He looked to be finding his groove in Brooklyn. He was going to be a contributor, probably a starter, on one of the favorites from the East. He was putting up solid numbers. And he finally seemed to be healthy. Then, out of the blue, he retired due to an irregular heartbeat.

I read Aldridge’s statement after hearing the news, still in disbelief, and it was profound and perfect. The way he talked about teams giving him a chance, Portland drafting a skinny guy from Texas and letting him flourish, to San Antonio signing him when he was a prized free agent and letting him be him, to Brooklyn who was happy to have him, and very much needed him, it was so nice and so correct. When he talked about how he’s dedicated his life to basketball, putting things on the back burner to get better at honing his skills, to constantly working on his game, to now realizing what is important, his family and his health, that part made me tear up. And when he simply ended it with a very warm and gentle thank you, it was so true to the person he is, and was as a basketball player.

I did some digging and found out that he had a rough night a few nights back with his irregular heartbeat. He then felt better I guess, enough to play, but then it came back. That scared him. That would scare me. And then to come to this decision, to walk away with a chance at a ring, I respect the hell out of him for that. He chose family and health over fame. He wants to see his kids grow up. He wants to be with his partner. He wants to experience things all of us non professional athletes take for advantage. I’ve had the great pleasure seeing both my kids take their first steps, lose their teeth, scrape their knees and find out their limitations. LaMarcus Aldridge may have missed out on some, or all of those things. I can’t imagine missing that stuff. Now though, he doesn’t have to. I would love to say that I’d do the same, but I don’t know. Knowing LMA, his situation must have been very, very scary. He must’ve been worried for his life, to walk away. Again though, I respect it.

As for his career, I think he will go down as an underrated star. In Portland he grew as a young rookie into a reliable scoring threat from the high and low post. His jumper from the corner of the high post was one of the most reliable shots in the NBA. Every time he rose up to shoot I assumed it was going in. He parlayed that into a nice duo with Damian Lillard. Lillard and Aldridge formed a solid duo that helped Portland get back to respectability. They became a perennial playoff team. They were always a threat. They beat some good teams in early playoffs rounds. Then, at the height of his career, he was the free agent everyone wanted. He took meetings with any team he chose. He was the guy that teams thought could put them over the edge. As sad as I was to see him leave Portland and Dame, I was pleasantly surprised when he signed with the Spurs. He could’ve signed with either LA team, or joined a burgeoning super team, but he picked San Antonio. I think it was part Greg Poppovich, part the similarities in his game to Tim Duncan. And while he didn’t have the same success Duncan had, the Spurs stayed relevant and kept making the playoffs. Aldridge ushered in the post Tim Duncan era. He was a solid replacement for Duncan. He wasn’t Duncan, no one is, but Aldridge was serviceable. The past two seasons he slowed down a bit, but he was in the league for 15 years. He was an older vet, plain and simple. Then he asked out of San Antonio, as expected, they’re going super young, finally, and he signed with Brooklyn for the minimum. I was kind of surprised, but understood why. He was nearing the end of his career, and he saw an opportunity for a ring, but he wouldn’t have to compromise the player he was. And seeing him play in Brooklyn, he was fitting in just nice. He was getting starts, playing solid minutes and draining that corner jumper of his regularly. He looked to be another offensive weapon. Then the irregular heartbeat came up, and his career was over.

I do not want us to put LMA in some weird category. He doesn’t have a ring or an MVP or any of that, but LMA is an all time great big man. He was a great mold of old school and new school basketball. He was great in the post, but could also pull rim protectors out of the post with his jumper. He was a solid rebounder. And he played serviceable defense. To me his career is really no different than another player’s that was cut very short due to an unforeseen health issue, Chris Bosh. It’s a shame both of them didn’t get a full run in the NBA. But what they gave us was pretty memorable. I do think LMA is a hall of fame basketball player, and I agree with Dame that Portland should retire his number.

Enjoy retirement LaMarcus Aldridge, and stay healthy. You had a great NBA career, but now you get to be with your family and witness everything you’ve been wanting to see. You more than deserve it. Congrats on a wonderful career.

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 It With This Julian Edelman Hall of Fame Nonsense

Julian Edelman retired from the NFL this week after he was waived by the Patriots. I think most of us saw this coming. And then Gronk had to be the stupid frat boy he is and gave some dumbass nonsense comment about him joining the Bucaneers, which would not surprise me at all. But, if he stays retired, no I do not think he is a hall of fame player.

This question has been floating around sports media since he announced his retirement. Every time I see it I try and find a way to fit him in the hall of fame, but I just cannot bring myself to do it. And this has nothing to do with my distaste for the Patriots. I just think Edelman was on the right team at the right time and is reaping the benefits of being in the perfect situation. No one would even bring him up for the hall of fame if he were on the Rams or Saints or Broncos or Colts and put up the exact same numbers. But since he was on a dynastic team that won a lot, he has wormed his way into the conversation. And he was really only highly effective in one of the Patriots Super Bowl wins. I believe he won one Super Bowl MVP. Every other big game, he was just kind of there. He'd get five to six catches for 60 or 70 yards and maybe a score. He was a slot receiver. Nothing more, nothing less.

People may say he was Tom Brady's security blanket as a reason he should be in the hall, and that is wrong. Just because Tom Brady liked him that does not make him a hall of fame player. I believe Brady has found a new "security blanket" almost every single season he has played. Since Chris Godwin became his security blanket in Tampa are people going to say he is a hall of fame player now? I don't necessarily think so unless he starts to put up amazing stats. No one ever had any of the other Patriots "security blankets" as hall of fame players. People would laugh in your face if you mentioned Danny Amendola as a hall of fame player, but he was a key cog on some of those Patriots teams. Laurence Maroney had two great seasons, opening up the passing game for the Patriots, but no one is putting him in the hall. The O line was a humongous reason why those teams were so good, but no one is calling out those guys for the hall. All of these players had as many, if not more, important moments for the Patriots during their time there.

Then we have other players that are not in the hall of fame that deserve it far more than Julian Edelman. Sterling Sharpe has a ring and much better stats, and he is not in the hall of fame. Mark Duper was the much superior "security blanket" for Dan Marino, yet he remains out of the hall of fame. Torry Holt was, in my opinion, the best receiver of the Rams "Greatest Show on Turf" era but he has not been inducted. Jimmy Smith helped the Jacksonville Jaguars become relevant for the first time ever in the NFL, but he has not made the hall of fame. Henry Ellard was like a fine wine, getting better every year in the NFL, but he is not in the hall. Those are just some of the receivers that had far, far better careers than Edelman, yet they remain to be inducted. When you look at some of the rest of the talent that hasn't made it yet, it is laughable to suggest Edelman get in before some of these guys. Drew Bledsoe is not in the hall of fame. People seem to forget how awesome he was before he got hurt. Randall Cunningham is not in the hall of fame. That is absolutely criminal. London Fletcher was the key cog on the "Greatest Show on Turf '' Rams defense, putting up ridiculous tackling numbers, but he has not made the hall. Edgerrin James was a top flight running back for a good long time, but he isn't in the hall of fame. Ty Law was a shutdown corner, yet no hall for him. Andre Johnson is a receiver from essentially the same time as Edelman, but he was on a mediocre Texans team, and he isn't in the hall of fame conversation, which is stupid. Julius Peppers may be one of the best defensive lineman to ever play, and he is not a hall of famer. Troy Polamalu is one of the most fun and hardest hitting safeties ever, no hall of fame. Champ Bailey was as lockdown as they come, but he is still waiting to get in.

There are a ton more players that I didn't even mention today that are far more deserving. And I am not taking anything away from Julian Edelman. He had an okay career and he has a ton of rings. But, with all of the people I have listed today, and the many more I forgot, no Julian Edelman does not belong in the hall of fame. Not at all. Solid career, but not worthy of the hall.

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 Black Keys Cover of "Crawling Kingsnake"

This morning while scrolling on the internet I came across some good news for once. Let’s discuss.

I’m a big Black Keys fan. They’re my second favorite band behind Run the Jewels. I’ve seen them live more than any other band. I found out about them when MTV2 used to play videos and they performed on an awards show I came across in 2002. And I’ve stayed with them ever since. They’ve achieved a decent amount of fame and now they’re in a situation where they can do the music they want when they want. So when I saw they have a new record of old blues covers coming out next month I was pumped.

As I said, this was good news. When I saw the musicians they would be covering on the record I got even more excited. They said on the press release that they were doing covers of people who inspired them to do the music they now make. Guys like John Lee Hooker, RL Burnside and Junior Kimborough, amongst others, are who The Black Keys will be covering on this record. That’s great. It was also great to read this press release because they announced that they had released the first single off the new record today. I immediately switched over to Spotify to listen.

The song is called “Crawling Kingsnake”, which I believe is a John Lee Hooker cover. I absolutely loved this song from the first note. I am not familiar with the original version but I will soon be after some more listens to the Keys version. This is The Black Keys that I love. I love everything they do, but this stripped down version, the original version of just Patrick Carney and Dan Auerbach, that’s what I adore. That’s the band I fell in love with. All the records they did as just the two of them, those are the best, especially “Thickfreakness”. And this version of “Crawling Kingsnake” has major “Thickfreakness” vibes. From the dirty guitar to the reverb to the chaotic yet somehow put together drum parts to Auerbach’s gravelly voice, it’s all there and it’s all amazing. I have listened to this song about six times already, both versions I might add. They have the unedited and edited version right now. There is no cursing, it’s just the length of each version of the song. I prefer the six minute version. The version where you can hear the two of them talk before they start the song. It is so damn good. To hear them sound like this again, to go back to the early days, it just made me so very happy. I was, and still am, ecstatic. Not that I ever fell out of favor with them, but the fuller band took just a teeny tiny bit out of their aura to me. So when they strip it down, when they go back to basics, it gives me the same vibes I had when I first heard them.

I highly recommend people go listen to this track and then the album when it comes out. Black Keys fans will dig it, blues fans will like it, garage rock fans will enjoy it and newer Keys fans will hear the original version of this band for the first time. I cannot say enough good things about this song. It gets all the thumbs up that it can have. I cannot wait for the record, but for the time being, I’m going to go listen to the new single about 5 dozen more times. I suggest you do the same.

Ty

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

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Ty Watches "Godzilla vs Kong"

Based on RD's high recommendation, and seeing the positive feedback the movie got online, my wife and I watched "Godzilla vs Kong" on our Friday date night. This was her pick too. I am not a Godzilla guy. I do like King Kong, and I have enjoyed most of the movies they have made about the ape, but I was by no means psyched to see the new movie. I have been fooled by the whole "versus" franchise. "Alien Vs Predator" was not good. At all. I did not watch "Freddy vs Jason" because I thought even the trailers looked dull. I guess monsters, or bad guys, facing off is not that big of a deal to me. But much like RD, my wife does enjoy monster movies, and she was pretty excited to watch. So we did and I have some thoughts.

First, I enjoyed parts of the movie. It was exactly what I thought it was going to be, and that was good. I liked that I could actually see the monsters. Even when they fought at night time, the scene was lit so we could see the monsters in full. I also thoroughly enjoyed the battle scenes, especially the final battle scene. I liked the built in relationship Kong had with the scientist and the little girl that the scientist watched over. I thought Brian Tyree Henry was solid in what is a very different role for him. And the monsters themselves, they looked great and the motion capture stuff was done very well. Godzilla and Kong looked as realistic as ever. Spoiler alert, Mechagodzilla was totally rad. I loved the look of this robotic monster. When Kong would fight something other than Godzilla, I loved the ripping apart and drinking of their juices, mainly from the animal's head. Seeing Godzilla swim in the ocean was very cool. The stuff that this movie got right, they nailed.

I do also have a few, minor complaints. I did not need the story lines they shoehorned in this movie. As much as I enjoyed Tryee Henry, his whole thing with Millie Bobby Brown and the kid from "Hunt for the Wilderpeople", both actors who I really enjoy, was pretty pointless. Also, the stuff with Millie Bobby Brown and Kyle Chandler held zero weight with me. Maybe I needed to see the previous "Godzilla" movie to be more involved, but I didn't. And their whole thing was totally pointless to me. And the stuff with Kong, the scientist and the young deaf girl and the Skarsgaard guy and the girl from "Baby Driver", really nonessential to what I wanted from this movie. Yeah it was cool that Kong learned to sign from the little girl, and the world the scientist created for Kong was dope, I quite frankly could have cared less about any of them. Also, for as solid an actor as Skarsgaard is, his whole storyline was completely pointless. And to give him a hero moment was very blah to me. I also did not care for the villains. The two guys that created Mechagodzilla were so cliché and so scenery chewy and just, again, nonessential to what I wanted to watch in this movie. I also wanted all of the movie, the whole hour and 40 minutes to just be a fight between monsters. They gave me that for 40 minutes at the end. But to have to wade through back stories, some new stories and stuff like Hollow Earth, I just did not care at all about any of that. I get why the writers and director added it, it just felt unneeded to me. But, the movie is totally redeemed in that last 40 minutes, and the few fights we get between Godzilla and Kong in the first hour. For a movie that is based in total science fiction, and wild fights between behemoth monsters, they delivered tenfold in that final 40 minutes. That was more than enough for me to recommend this movie. That battle scene at the end is so awesome and so cool and I found myself heavily involved when the main monsters were fighting each other. The movie is also a breeze to watch. It is less than two hours, and for a movie of this magnitude, I appreciate the hell out of that.

So yes, watch "Godzilla vs Kong". The fight scenes are 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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I Got Vaxed

As of this past Sunday, I have had my two COVID vaccine shots. I’ve kept it quiet on social media because I do not feel it is my responsibility to post that stuff. My wife and I have both gotten both shots, we have not told anyone other than family and close friends and neither of us had posted a picture with our vaccine cards. This is not me saying that people shouldn’t do that, do whatever you want after you get vaccinated, just get vaccinated.

I do want to tell everyone who reads my blog my story of getting my shots. I assumed I was going to fall in the final tier. I’m a stay at home dad, I run and play basketball, I’m not completely unhealthy, I do not have any underlying medical conditions and I’m still relatively young. It made sense to me to have to wait. And I did. I waited a few months after the vaccine was starting to be distributed. I wanted my folks to get it before me and they did. I wanted my in laws to get it before me and they did. There were people who needed it well before I did. After all of those people got their vaccine, then I’d get mine. Then one day my wife found an opportunity to get her shot. I was so happy for her. I wanted her to get it before me too. She is the bread winner in our relationship, so she deserved the vaccine before me. So I took her to her first appointment. We wanted to be as safe as possible. We didn’t know what, if any, side effects she might have, so we figured it was easiest for me to drive. And we did have to go on a little journey. The vaccine rollout in Missouri has been very bad. All the rural spots got the shots well before the bigger cities and counties. Our governor is an idiot, and I fully assume he did this on purpose. The rural areas voted for him, and us in the city and county did not. He treated the rollout like a spoiled child taking his ball and going home. I will go to my grave believing that. So we made the trip, it was about an hour, and she was ready for the shot. While we went back, I peppered the people with questions. I had so many. I just wanted some kind of timeframe for when I could get my shot. Then a day later I got a call from the same clinic, and they had a shot waiting for me. I was euphoric. I sped back to get that first dose. When I got it I wanted to cry tears of joy. It was amazing. I couldn’t believe that I was on my way to being vaccinated. It was pure joy.

As far as side effects, my arm hurt where I got the injection. It was sore, it hurt more when I used it, but it was nothing that stopped me from continuing my daily routine. It also only lasted one day. I was totally back to normal after that. The same thing happened to my parents. Sore arm that only lasted about 24 hours. Then it was the waiting game again. My wife and I both got Moderna, so we both had a four week wait. It wasn’t as bad as I thought. I kept living as I have lived the past year. I had my mask on in stores, I still ordered pickup from restaurants, when running and hiking with friends my mask was on, basically nothing changed.

Then the time came for the second dose. This was the biggy. After this one, in two weeks time, I’d be 94 percent protected from COVID. So we drove again, got our second shots on the same day and are in the midst of being fully vaccinated. The second shot wasn’t as euphoric as the first, but it was reassuring. It felt right. It was the smart, scientific and right thing to do. As far as side effects from the second shot, for me it was largely lethargy. I felt pretty tired the day after. I drank tons and tons of fluid. I took it easy. The only thing I did that was even remotely vigorous was taking my dog on a walk. That was all I felt like going. I also had a mild headache. From what I’ve heard I was lucky. I know people who had fevers that lasted for two-three days. I know people who had internal issues. I know people who felt like not getting out of bed for a day. I’ve heard some horror stories, but all those people have confirmed that they’ll gladly take a few rough days if it protects them from COVID. No one regrets their decision to get vaccinated. I don’t either.

Now that I’m fully vaccinated, not much has changed since my first shot. I still wear a mask. I have seen a few more friends who are also vaccinated, or on their way to be vaccinated, but we are still masked. I do not go to restaurants to eat, but I will go in to pickup food rather than having it delivered. I do have more confidence going inside the grocery store or hardware store or whatever I need to do errands. I feel more comfortable with my upcoming races. I am confident that my son and daughter will have baseball and softball this summer because all of us coaches will be fully vaccinated. Things seem a little bit better. I know we have variants out there and cases are up ticking, but as long as we stay diligent and keep vaccinating four million people a day, I see some light at the end of the tunnel. This pandemic is not over, not yet, but hopefully we are getting to a point where we can return to some kind of “normalcy”.

I’m glad I got the vaccine, I’ll definitely get any booster that’s required and I’ll stay vigilant. Also, these vaccines have made me so much more appreciative of doctors and science. That’s why we have this finally. Go get vaccinated. It’s easy enough when you get an appointment, and it’s more than worth any side effects and 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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Enough is Enough, Again

How many more?

I seriously want to know.

Why is seemingly everyday another innocent black person gets murdered by the police. What is going on in this world? Have we lost all morals and ethics? Do people not care? Why is racism so rampant within the police department? Why do they have access to guns but no training in how to deal with people using words? I'm sick of this all. I am also scared. I do not know where we go as a society from here. The last administration made these racist police officers feel that they could go out and literally get away with murder. And now that we have a competent president and vice president, anytime they want to pass legislation to make it much harder to acquire guns, and to allocate more money for other parts of society than just the police, the GOP sits on its hands, or votes it down.

The fact is that Daunte Wright should be alive today. He should not be dead. His family should not be making arrangements for a funeral. His son should be seeing his father right now. He should be waking up next to his girlfriend and getting ready to talk to his folks. He isn't because some racist police officers saw a "traffic violation", and then saw him on his phone, and when he went to get out of his car, he was shot dead. This is sickening and worrisome. I want to know what this so-called "traffic violation" was, and why it was deemed serious enough to get a gun out. And I do not care if he was running away from the police. I feel like everyone should be running from the police right now with the way they have acted since the last administration. Derek Chauvin is currently on trial for the murder of George Floyd. Floyd used a counterfeit bill and this monstrous police officer decided he needed to put his knee to his neck for over 8 minutes and squeeze the life out of him. If Chauvin is not convicted of the murder he knowingly did, there will be riots. Wright was murdered by a different police officer not too far from where this trial is happening. And no one seems to be talking about it as much as they should right now.

I get worried every morning when I wake up and check the news because something horrible like this seems to happen everyday, and the people who commit these heinous acts, these crimes, seem to face little to no punishment. I saw today that the police department that is responsible for the police officer that murdered Wright said "we were supposed to taser him". Explain to me how you mix up a taser with a handgun. I haven't held either, but I have seen many, many pictures of both, and I know the difference between the two. This is a very scary time to be alive, and excuses like this are adding to the fear. It just came across my phone that they have postponed a baseball game that was supposed to happen in Minnesota this afternoon. That was the right call. Things like this cannot just continue to happen and we all just move on as a society. Consequences have to be paid. The punishment needs to fit the crime. The people who shoot to kill need to be held responsible and be prosecuted. I cannot take it anymore.

And it will happen again. That is what makes this even worse. Any of us who may have thought that George Floyd's death was going to be a wake up call, was going to change things, clearly we were wrong. Nothing has changed from the police's perspective. I'm sure there are still some decent police officers, but that wanes every time I see another story like Daunte Wright's. Police officers are given too much power, and I feel the good majority of them abuse it. I feel like a lot of officers were the "cool" guys and girls in high school, and it all stopped there. So they have to find a way to stay relevant, to still be deemed "cool", so they go out and find a job where they can have a miniscule amount of power, and then abuse it. There have been far, far too many deaths that could have easily been avoided. We also have traffic stops that, if they do not end in death, they still end pretty awfully. This past December there were two cops who openly harassed an Army veteran because he is black. They yelled at him, threatened his career and pepper sprayed him even though he was following their directions to a T. The video is only coming out now because the veteran rightfully pressed charges. Those officers need to be excused of their duties and rightly prosecuted as well. But with Wright and the police involved, this is clearly premeditated murder, at least from my perspective. They found a bogus reason to pull him over, and when he made a movement, the police fired their weapons in cold blood. This shit needs to end.

I say again, Wright should be alive today. So should George Floyd and Breonna Taylor and Hamidou Diallo and Michael Brown and Philando Castile and Eric Garner and Botham Jean and Tamir Rice and so, so , so many more people of color that were murdered because they are not white. I have said it before and I will say it again, I am scared. I do not want to be pulled over by any officer. I am scared of what they will do to me and my wife and my kids. And I am a white male in my late 30's. I cannot imagine what my friends who are minorities think whenever they see a police officer, especially with how blood thirsty they have become over these past four years. I am also finding it harder and harder to not tell my children my true feelings about the police. This is another dark day in a very dark time. Something needs to be done. Something big needs to happen. And these monsters that are shooting people in cold blood, they need to be held accountable for their acts. BLACK LIVES MATTER.

Ty

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

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RIP DMX

DMX has passed away at 50.

This has been confirmed by multiple outlets this afternoon. I have been following his situation all week. I saw early on that he was rushed to the hospital, that he was in a coma, that he was in a vegetative state and that they were going to test his brain to see what could have gone wrong. I also later found out during the week that he was rushed to the hospital for a drug overdose. So when the news flashed today I was stunned, but not surprised. I was hoping he would pull through. I thought maybe it was one of the quick internet assumptions that another celebrity was sick and being rushed to the hospital. 2020, and so far 2021 have been pretty rough for people who have achieved some level of fame, but I was still hoping he'd pull through. He didn't, and now he is gone.

This is sad. People will have their opinions on DMX the person and the rapper. He spent a lot of time in jail. He bred dogs to have them fight. He was addicted to drugs and alcohol. He has a ton of kids, a lot of which he did not pay child support until he was forced to. He had many extramarital affairs. He made some bad choices, that is for sure. But he was also a good rapper. He was a famous rapper. He has one of the biggest hits to ever come out. "Ruff Ryder's Anthem" is a song I still sing walking around my house. "X Gon' Give it to Ya" was played in arenas when they had full crowds. "What's My Name" is still played on the radio today. He has one of the most unique voices in rap music. And, for all his faults, it has never been reported that he hit women and children. He was abused as a child, and I think he remembered that, so he did not, to the public's knowledge, lay hands on women or children. That is something he can take to his grave.

It just feels weird that he is just gone. This is kind of like Dustin Diamond passing. One day they are fine, the next they are rushed to the hospital and then they pass away. It is sad. DMX will leave behind his legacy of music, but he was also an ordained priest and tried to spread the gospel. I don't believe in that stuff, but DMX did, and he put his money where his mouth was. He preached when he was incarcerated. He preached when he got out. He preached when he stopped making music. He spread the word. He also was a solid actor. He did movies that fit his style of music, and he shined in some of his roles. He's solid opposite Jet Li in "Cradle 2 the Grave". "Belly" is a hip hop classic movie. He is funny in "How to be a Player". The stuff they used him for in Chris Rock's "Top Five" is awesome. "Romeo Must Die" has him paired up with Li again, and that is another solid karate movie. And you have all the documentaries that he was in, or was a subject of, that explain his style of rap and his life. I enjoyed some of the stuff he was in as an actor. He was able to carve out a spot for himself in both the music industry and in Hollywood. Late in his life he kind of disappeared from the spotlight until very recent, with the news of him being rushed to the hospital. Then we saw a plethora of musicians and actors, and family and friends all come out in support of DMX, and hoping he would come out on the other side of this. Unfortunately he did not. He has passed over to the next plane. He has moved on from Earth, and who knows where he is now.

This is a sad day for the rap community, and most importantly, the people who are in DMX's world. He had a tough life, that was always tough, even when he was uber famous. RIP DMX. You will be missed.

Ty

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

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