Ty's 2021 NBA Draft Preview

The NBA draft is tonight.

I'm pumped.

This class is really, really good. There are three dudes that all could be the number one overall pick. I watched a ton of college basketball last season because I missed the tournament when they rightfully canceled it last year at the start of this ongoing pandemic. I know a good amount of these players because I watched them all play last season. And I devoured the NCAA tournament, where a good amount of these guys made deep runs. I will do my preview like I do my other previews. I am not doing a mock draft. I like to talk about some prospects I like, some I'm not so high on and a few "sleepers". This was kind of tough because, as I said before, this draft has great top talent, solid middle ground players and some good sleepers that could go much later in this draft than they should. I do fully believe this class will have multiple all stars, guys will long NBA careers and, maybe, an MVP caliber player or two. Let's get to it.

I will start with the players I like most in this draft. For starters, all of the G League Ignite guys I like. I am on board with what all of them did. I love that they skipped six months of college to get paid and play against former pros and guys still trying to make it in the league. They got real experience against players that are better than pretty much everyone in college.

I, like most other people, love Jalen Green and Johnathan Kuminga. Kuminga may need a bit more time to develop, but he did average double figures in the G League bubble, and given the right situation, maybe the Warriors, he could really thrive. Green has been ready to go from the jump. He was the first to join the G League, and he was just as advertised. He is a scorer, a play maker, a willing defender, a good passer and he will be a day one starter. He is one of the few that I think has the ability and talent to be a multi time all star and possibly an MVP.

As far as college players, I love Evan Mobley, Cade Cunningham, Moses Moody and Usman Garuba. Mobley has the skills to be a more talented Dwight Howard. Howard was once great by the way, but Mobley has the jumping ability, the dunking, the rim protecting and he can shoot. He may be a little too thin right now, but when he puts on weight he is going to be a force. I think he may be the best player in this class.

Cade Cunningham is, quite possibly, the most NBA ready player at the moment. He dominated in college, was dominant in high school, seems humble and coachable and can score in bunches. He is really, really good. He should be the first pick. If Detroit passes on him that would be a big time mistake.

Moses Moody is a good scorer and he can be an instant offense off the bench guy right away. I see a lot of Immanuel Quickley in Moody. Whatever late lottery team gets him, maybe Memphis, is going to get instant bench scoring.

Usamn Garuba is going to go in the late teens to 20's, and whatever playoff level team gets him is getting the best defender in the league. He was playing professionally overseas, so like the Ignite guys, he has been facing top level talent for at least a year now. Garbua is going to be a very good late first round pick.

Now to the players I am not so crazy about. This first one pains me because you all know I love my Wolverines, but I do not get the lottery love for Franz Wagner. Wagner is a great defender, a willing defender, coachable and a very solid passer. But he does not have a very good shot. That can be worked on, but what if he ends up with the Kings? Or Pacers? Or Magic? He is going to be asked to do too much too fast. He needs time to develop a jump shot. He is going to play right away because of his defense, but he would be so much better off going to a team like the Spurs or Grizzlies or Warriors. He needs to find a team loaded on offense so he can focus on defense.

I watched Scottie Barnes completely disappear in a tournament game against Michigan. So the love for him, especially lately, baffles me. He is hyper athletic and has a non stop motor, but for him to be mocked as high as five, I don't get that at all. He is another guy that needs time. He needs the right team. He needs to go somewhere he can develop. He is about two to three years away.

Corey Kispert is Jimmer Fredette 2.0. He is no more than a shooter. He offers no defense, no passing, no ball handling. He is just a shooter. So for him being mocked in the 10-14 area, that is wild. I do not doubt he is going to be able to score, but his ceiling is JJ Redick, except Redick used to be a competent defender. Just look at some guys in the Kispert mold. We have Fredette and Doug McDermott and Nik Stauskas. Those guys were not worth their draft position, and two of them are out of the league. And McDermott is a bench guy. That is Corey Kispert to me.

Jalen Johnson is a complete mystery to me. I get why he left Duke early last season, but I have not heard about him since. Is he as good as his recruiting ranking? Did he leave Duke to prepare for the draft? Do teams like him? Has he been promised a spot in the lottery? None of this is known to me and many other NBA fans that do not have access some other writers do. Any team that takes him will have a total project on their hands, and that doesn't always work out well.

As for my sleepers, I do have a few. First it is time to give love to my Wolverines. I think however Isaiah Livers gets into the league, he is going to be a beast of a bench player. Livers was the heart and soul of Michigan the past two years. He can shoot, rebound, defend and plays hard every night. He was the guy on Michigan that I was never nervous or worried about. He has this calming nature when he plays basketball. I also think that Ayo Dosunmu is going to be a great fit for whatever playoff team takes him late in the first round. He would be an excellent backup to Mike Conley in Utah. He would be a nice complement to James Harden in Brooklyn. The Lakers would kill to have him take over for Dennis Schroeder if he doesn't re-sign. Dosunmu is a very good player. I mentioned the G League Ignite team, and they have Isaiah Todd and Dashien Nix to go along with Kuminga and Green. Nix is going to be a solid rebounder and Todd, if he develops a decent shot, could be a solid player on a good team.

I am pumped to see where everyone lands tonight. I love the draft and I love seeing who picks who. The draft is great, and the NBA does it best. Let's go.

Ty

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

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Ty Watches "Summer of Soul"

I finally got around to watching "Summer of Soul" on Hulu, and it was awesome. I really wish I hadn't waited so long to watch it.

For those that don't know, "Summer of Soul" is a documentary that was the equivalent of Woodstock with R&B and soul acts. It was dubbed "black Woodstock". I never knew about this, and many other people didn’t as well, because they never released the footage of the festival until now. Questlove of The Roots directed the movie, and he did one hell of a job. The people he got to talk about it ranged from super famous musicians to festival goers to political workers to fans of the music. It was an excellent array of people that really knew their stuff.

My favorite interviews were from the people that attended the show. To see their faces now, to see them reflect and remember, to hear them talk about the joy that this brought, it was magnetic. I have been to many shows and a few festivals, and that experience is something I will never forget. Even at bad shows or festivals, which I am not a fan of, I always have a snapshot in my mind of the day. So to hear these people talk about something as amazing as this festival must have been, those are the memories worth keeping and sharing with anyone that will listen. I adored listening to these people talk.

I loved the music as well. The people that played this were some of the best to do it. Mahalia Jackson could sing. Even when she was ill she was out there belting away like no one else could at the time. Mavis Staples hung right there with her though. When those two sang Dr Martin Luther King's favorite song, after an emotional and powerful speech from Jesse Jackson, I teared up. Those two are amazing. A 19 year old Stevie Wonder kicked off and ended the movie, and holy cow is he incredible. I am already a fan, but seeing this made me love him and his music even more. I also got a good sense of his early activism. BB King slayed guitar like I always expect him too. Even some of the acts I didn’t know or haven't listened to, I really dug their music. I do like Gladys Knight and the Pips, and seeing her in a 60's outfit dancing and having a great time made me like her more. Nina Simone gave a very strong and impassioned performance that I will always think about every time this movie is brought up in conversation.

Besides the music and listening to the people that were there talk about their memories, what I loved most was how comforting and jovial and happy and peaceful everything was during the four weekends this went on. There were no fights or problems. Nothing was destroyed or burned. Everyone was treating others with respect. That doesn't happen nowadays, and it sure as hell hasn't happened since they tried to do Woodstock in 1999. People back in the 60's, with everything that was going on back then, knew how to act responsibly. I appreciated that aspect. I like that Questlove showed everyone having a good time. Even when they did the whole section on the moon landing, I sided with the festival goers. They did things the responsible and correct way.

I loved this movie. I think that is obvious. I wish I knew about this festival sooner, but better late than never. I recommend "Summer of Soul" very much. It is top notch.

Ty

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

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The NFL is Doing Something Right

I like to bash the NFL a lot on this site. I do watch football, but college football is much more my speed. I know that isn't any better, but college football just speaks to me. I also think the NFL is corrupt, I despise Roger Goodell, I do not think that they care about their players and they act like they could give a shit about any of this. I think RD would agree with me on most of this. For a bit of a change of pace, I do want to give them some love today.

The NFL has been in the news recently with their updated COVID guidelines, and I absolutely love and totally agree with every new rule they have put in place. For those that may not know, the NFL recently put in new rules that if a non vaccinated player causes an outbreak and the team cannot play, they have to forfeit. They also said that any unvaccinated player that doesn't follow proper COVID protocols will be fined 14,650 dollars. They also put into place that vaccinated players can go about their business with other vaccinated players, but unvaccinated players have to follow proper social distancing and masking, and if they don't, they will be fined. I also saw a recent story where a team refused to sign a free agent because he refuses to get vaccinated.

I love, love, love all of this. This is what should be happening everywhere. Vaccinations are free, easy to get and totally, absolutely worth it. They are the only thing that is going to get us out of the hellscape we currently live in. And for a league like the NFL to come out with these steadfast, hardcore rules, I couldn't be happier. Yesterday most camps opened and I saw that ten teams have hit 80 percent vaccination rate. I saw that only Washington is lower than 50 percent. I have seen some players are starting to try and get their teammates that are hesitant to get vaxxed to get the shot so they don't get fined or have to forfeit a game. The voices of some certain morons of late are starting to die out. The Vikings and Patriots O line coaches have both quit because they don't want the shot, but all the message boards, for the most part, do not seem to care. They are going the other way in fact. They are bad mouthing these idiots for not getting the shot. Or they are saying how horrible of coaches they are, so the fans could care less that they are out. I saw Deandre Hopkins is contemplating retirement because he doesn't want the shot, and while that bums me out because I am a big fan of his, if he doesn't get the vaccine, good riddance. Some other receiver is just waiting to take his spot in Arizona. And for the few idiots that are griping about the new rules, the NFL is a privately run business. They can do whatever they choose. They make the rules. They do not have to follow anyone else's rules and they can make up rules as they go. They do not have to take religion or anything in consideration when making up new rules.

I have a good feeling about the new COVID rules they have in place. I think it will drive the vaccination rate up in the country. I also think it will make some fans who may be wary of getting the shot to go and get it. I do believe some stadiums are going to require proof of vaccine or a negative test for fans to even enter the stadium. This is a good thing coming from one of the worst run leagues in professional sports. They are taking the correct steps. They are making the right moves. The NFL skirts safety at every other level, but they are taking this seriously because they lost so much money last year. If that is what it takes, that is what it takes. I assume other professional leagues, if they haven't already, are going to adopt the same, or similar rules. The NBA has been doing this since vaccines were first made available.

So while I am not usually on board with the NFL, this I am not only on board, I am at the front of the boat ready to steer. This is a good thing and we should all be applauding it and trying to do the same. Good job NFL, for once in your life.

Ty

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

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It Does Not Look Good For Team USA Basketball

I think it is time to start worrying about Team USA winning any medal at the Olympics this year.

I got up early yesterday to watch Olympic basketball. I love basketball, and if it is on and I am up I will watch. I particularly like Olympic basketball because of the different rules. They play by FIBA rules and that means they can play a bit rougher, faster and pull rebounds off the rim, even if the ball looks like it is going in. I would love for the NBA and college basketball to adopt some of these rules. The best thing about Olympic basketball is the fact that the games are done within two hours. It is close to perfect.

So I got out of bed to watch Team USA. I saw the exhibition games and kind of shrugged off the losses to Nigeria and Australia. They rebounded nicely against Argentina and Spain, and I even went on the pod and said they should be a lock to win gold. Even without guys like LeBron and AD and Steph, they still have KD, Dame, Tatum, Draymond Green and Bam Adebayo, to name a few. Most of the twelve guys on the team are super stars and some of the best players in the world. I know that other countries are catching up, but still, the overall talent on Team USA's roster is chock full of upper tier NBA talent. Look at a team like Slovenia for example. They have Luka Doncic, and a bunch of dudes I have never heard of before. Spain has Ricky Rubio and the Gasol brothers, then a bunch of dudes that had a cup of coffee in the league. Nigeria has some young NBA talent, but no one that really even starts on an NBA team. Australia has a really good group of players, a lot of which are in the NBA still, but none of them are even close to being the best players on their teams. And France has some good dudes, namely Rudy Gobert, but again, Team USA, on paper, has way, way better talent.

I saved France for last because that is who beat Team USA yesterday. The USA came out strong, led by double figures at one point, and then totally melted down. They couldn't hit the ocean. They couldn't get a stop. They kept making stupid fouls. KD fouled out of the game, and only scored ten points. Team USA was an absolute mess in the second half, and France jumped all over them. Rudy Gobert was stifling them at the rim. Evan Fournier could not be stopped. All the other guys on France's roster did what they were told to do, and France came away with a fairly easy 83-76 win. After the game Evan Fournier said that Team USA is a great collection of talent, but they can be beaten as a team.

Therein lies the problem with USA basketball at the moment. We are entitled. We are egotistical. We think we can just walk on the floor and win because our jersey says USA across the front. That isn't the case anymore. Evan Fournier is right. This current USA team is not very good. They are constantly complaining to the refs which is causing them to get beat on defense. These guys are so used to getting minor calls that when it doesn't happen in the Olympics, they get flustered and instead of getting back, they gripe. That needs to stop. Another alarming thing I saw was Jrue Holiday was the leading scorer and about the only guy that played good defense. I love Jrue Holiday, but he just came off the Finals, had no practice with the team and he should not be the leading scorer on a team that has KD, Dame, Tatum and Devin Booker. Hell, his teammate Khris Middleton would be a better top scoring option on this team. Then, after Fournier's comments, Dame came out and said that these guys play differently when they are playing for their home country. That may be true, but I do not think it is a bad thing. They are playing pridefully and they want to represent their home country. That is what I want out of Team USA. Look at when Carmelo played for Team USA. He was instant offense off the bench. When LeBron did it he did what was asked of him. Same with Kobe. Michael Jordan played total shut down defense on the Dream Team. Those guys did what was needed because they realized the collection of talent they had around them. They didn't need to be the top scorer or rebounder or shoot a million free throws. They found a way to mesh.

And now some of the current players are complaining, anonymously, about having to run the Spurs offense. Greg Poppovich is Team USA's head coach, so he is going to instill the offense he has run for almost 3 decades now. And you know what, that offense works. Pop is the greatest NBA coach of all time. He knows how to utilize the talents of everyone on his teams. He has won so many rings. The Spurs are always in playoff contention. So why would running his offense be a problem? I think it has to do with ball movement. The Spurs are the best passing team of all time. I'm not saying that these players don't pass, but the offenses they run in the NBA are built around them. KD goes one on one most of the time with the Nets. Same with Tatum. Damian Lillard is the face of the Trailblazers offense. Draymond Green is, maybe, the only guy on this team that is a willing passer. That needs to change. They don't need to complain about the offense being run. That is an excuse.

The simple fact is Team USA is not playing good basketball right now, the world has caught up to them and they are finding ways to make it seem like it is not their fault. It is though. Something has to change. They need to get their act together. If they don't they could wind up not winning a medal at all. France, Nigeria and Australia all exposed this iteration of Team USA. The playbook is out on how to beat them and how to get in their heads. I hope they get it together soon. But if they don't this team is going to be coming home from Tokyo early and empty handed. I still have faith that they can right the ship, but that faith is a mere flicker. KD is my main hope for a turnaround, but that will only happen if he starts to make shots. I hope he does or this team is done.

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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Oklahoma and Texas in the SEC Makes No Sense

The other day while looking at college football news I saw the big story that Texas and Oklahoma have inquired, or were at least thinking about, joining the SEC. At first I thought it was just a rumor. I took zero stock in the report. I did not think that the two most notable Big 12 teams would bolt to go play in the SEC. It didn't make sense at the time.

Why would these teams make the move? Texas hasn't been great as of late. They are a lot like Michigan right now. They get overhyped, fall on their face when they shouldn't and close out seasons at 7-5 or 8-4. It is eerie how similar Texas and Michigan have been the past ten to fifteen seasons. Oklahoma basically runs the Big 12. Ever since Lincoln Riley took over they seem to win it every season. They have multiple Heisman winning QB's. They have been to the playoff. They go out and torch other Big 12 teams. They are the university of Ohio State or Alabama of the Big 12. So I just thought it was odd that they would want to join the SEC. It doesn't make sense.

It still doesn't make sense to me a few days later. Apparently talks are ramping up on both teams leaving. I saw that neither will resign with TV companies that cover the Big 12 in 2025 when the contract is up. I saw that a few current SEC teams, and former Big 12 schools, Missouri and Texas A&M have come out and said they do not want Texas and Oklahoma to join. I wonder what other SEC teams think. I'm sure Alabama could care less. As long as Nick Saban is coaching they will be the pick to win the SEC every year. Georgia looks to be really good this upcoming season, and their recruiting is setting them up to always be good. Auburn is up and down, but they are entrenched as an SEC school. Florida is big time in the SEC. Even schools like Kentucky and South Carolina are way, way more SEC than Texas and Oklahoma could ever dream of being.

I also do not understand the want for Texas, and even more so, Oklahoma to leave the comfort of the Big 12. If they were to leave the Big 12 in three years both of their schedules get immediately tougher. There is no Kansas in the SEC. SEC teams usually play one really tough out of conference opponent. SEC teams do get that one cupcake team late in the season, but the Big 12 fills their out of conference schedule with cupcakes. For example, Oklahoma's three non conference games this year are Tulane, Western Carolina and Nebraska. Those are all very easy wins for them. Texas plays Louisiana Lafayette, Arkansas and Rice. Again, all very winnable games. Alabama on the other hand has a game with Miami. While they are not as good as they used to be, it is still Miami. They will still be a tough opponent in the ACC. They are better than all of the other teams I just mentioned. Auburn plays Penn State in week three. Ole Miss plays Louisville. In week one Georgia is facing Clemson. Mississippi State faces Memphis, who has been very solid the past few years, in week three. And Vanderbilt has Stanford. Those games are all much more difficult than anyone Texas and Oklahoma face in their first three weeks. Then we have the conference schedule. Texas and Oklahoma get to play West Virginia and Texas Tech and Baylor. They also face Kansas State and Kansas. And there is TCU. Iowa State is the only real threat to Oklahoma, but this is a team that just got good two years ago. The SEC has all those teams I mentioned above, plus teams like LSU, Tennessee, Kentucky and Missouri to name a few.

If I were Texas and Oklahoma I would think about this a bit more before deciding. I like that they want tougher competition, but they can schedule that out of conference. They can schedule two or three tough opponents, then run the gamut in the Big 12 and have a much better shot at the playoff. And if they are both to leave, it will not be too long until we go to three or four super conferences. The Big 12 would be done without these two schools. The rest of the conference would look elsewhere. The Big 10 could absorb some of the schools, but where would the other southern schools go? Would they also join the SEC? Would the ACC survive? How does this affect the Pac 12? There would be a TON of questions to answer if this comes to fruition. But right now, the way I see it, Texas and Oklahoma are better off staying put and wiping the floor with their current conference in Oklahoma's case. We will have to see what happens. But a change from these two schools would cause a seismic shift in the college football landscape.

Ty

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

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Ty Rethinks "Loki" After the Season One Finale

Last week I wrote about the show "Loki", and how it just isn't hitting me like it is some others. I also said in that piece that I was going to finish the first season and make my decision based on the finale if I were to watch season two.

Now before I go further, this is going to be spoiler heavy. There is no way to talk about the finale of "Loki" without spoiling some big time things. I wanted you to know that going forward. So if you haven't watched yet, stop reading now, then come back and read this after you watch the finale.

Okay, that is out there. The finale of "Loki" turned me back into a fan. I will be watching season two now. The finale came up big and it was a great forty minutes of television. I was very pleased with how they ended the season, and where they could possibly go in season two, which has already been confirmed. While I still do not think it is as good as "WandaVision", and I still haven't seen "Falcon and Winter Soldier", "Loki" really came through in this finale. By the way, no show has been as good as "WandaVision" was for me. That show is an instant classic. But "Loki" did a good job setting up their big new villain, and the cliffhanger has me definitely wanting to watch what happens next.

The whole episode focused on Loki and Sylvie, a Loki variant, getting to the main timekeeper. I kept hearing people talk about how this was going to transform the show. This was going to be what made it great. When we finally get to the person it appears to just be a crazy, delusional man. He is spouting weird theories and keeps talking nonsense, or so it seems, to Sylvie and Loki. But his quiet craziness seemed suspect. Then he was able to react well before either person tried to kill him. He knew what was going to happen well before it happened because he wrote all the code for time. He is the timekeeper. He created all things and knows all things. We come to find out that there are thousands of him all across time and the world. He is everywhere. He is Kang the Conqueror.

This was a humongous reveal. I didn't know who he was at first, but my son explained who he was, and I got to tell you, he is a bad, bad dude. He kept telling Sylvie and Loki about all these things that he could do, and he gave them two options. He explained his whole plan, how he invented the timeline, how there were so many others of himself and how this would never stop, unless they took over. He gave them the option to become the official timekeepers. He said they could run everything and create whatever lives they wanted for themselves. Or they could kill him and cause all the other Kang's to come forth and wreak havoc on every single timeline.

Loki wants to take over, but Sylvie doesn't. She wants revenge for being taken so young by the time cops, and she wants blood. There is this great scene where Loki thinks he has talked Sylvie into taking over, they kiss and then Sylvie pushes Loki through a time portal and proceeds to stab Kang. He smiles as she does this and says, "see you soon". It was chilling.

At the end Loki runs into Mobius, played by Owen Wilson, and another time cop and they have no idea who he is. They ask him who he is and that he needs to go back to his cell because he is clearly crazy in their eyes. Loki then looks over at the world outside and there is a big Kang statue. The end.

This is so scary and was such a cool way to end the season. I also want to point out how incredibly awesome Johnathan Majors was as Kang. He was electric. He played this crazy bad villain so well. He was so eerily quiet and stoic. He never really lost it on the two of his pawns. He laid things out, told them exactly what would happen and never, ever chewed the scenery or over played it. Majors was so awesome and I am so excited to see what he does with this role in the MCU.

"Loki" won me back. Getting Majors was a huge deal for me, as I am a very big fan of his work. The finale was so perfect in setting everything up for another season of the show. They did it. They put their best foot forward when I wanted them to do it most. Now let's get ready for season two. I want to see what Kang the Conqueror has in store. I bet it is terrifying and will make for great TV. I'm pumped.

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 Watches the NBA Finals

The Milwaukee Bucks won their first NBA championship in 50 years last night. This series was a ton of fun for me to watch. I kept picking the Suns to win. First I had them in six, then that shifted to seven, but I was rooting for the Bucks the whole time. I am not necessarily a fan, but my dad has been one since their last title, when he was 21. He will be 71 in October. I wanted him to have a team he likes to win something big. We are both Michigan and Green Bay Packer fans. Neither has won anything of importance in about a decade. He is a Brewers fan, and while they are good right now, I do not know when they last won a World Series, if ever. So for a NBA team he likes, a team he has liked for years, wins a championship his happiness makes me happy.

From the jump though this series was very competitive and very well played. When the Suns burst out to a 2-0 lead it looked like they were going to sweep, or win in five. They looked really good those first two games, Chris Paul and Devin Booker were shooting lights out, Deandre Ayton was playing really well, the role players were clutch and Milwaukee looked gassed. Giannis was also coming off a hyperextended knee and I did not know if he was fully healthy. The Suns were on a magical run and they seemed destined to win it all. Giannis even put in 40 plus in game two and that wasn't enough. The Suns pulled away late and they were in the driver's seat.

Then the series shifted to Milwaukee. The Bucks wouldn't lose another game. They won game three by 20 plus. That was the only game that wasn't relatively close. They came out and blitzed the Suns and took the game with ease. I kind of expected this. This usually happens in a finals series. The team that is down goes home and gets that game. It happens a ton.

Game four was great. The game went back and forth. Devin Booker couldn't miss. Ayton grabbed 17 rebounds. CP3 wasn’t scoring, but he was being a pest. But Milwaukee kept coming. They made a push, due to Giannis and Khris Middleton, and they ended up winning that crucial game four. The block Giannis had on Ayton was one of the most athletic things I've ever seen. He came out to overhelp on Booker, who saw Ayton wide open for an alley oop, Booker threw the pass and Giannis somehow recovered to block the shot and pretty much seal the game for the Bucks. That block is right up there with Lebron's chase down block against the Warriors in 2016.

Game five was another delight. Booker, again, was on fire. He made tough shot after tough shot. He was pestered by Jrue Holiday, more on him in a moment, and PJ Tucker all night. But he just kept making really hard shots. The only problem, the rest of his team did not show up. Ayton had the most quiet 20 point 10 rebound game I have ever seen. CP3 was silent. Jae Crowder couldn't hit the ocean. They got nothing from their bench. Mikail Bridges was the only other dude they played well. The Bucks, on the other hand, got all three of their stars involved. Khris Middleton went for 40. Jrue Holiday scored 27 points, dished out 13 assists and played some of the best defense this side of Kawhi. He was so good on defense this whole series that any bad offensive night does not matter. He was absolutely worth every single pick and player they traded before the season started. The Bucks won that trade by a mile. And Giannis went for 30 plus and double digit rebounds and a great alley oop to seal the game. That play was amazing. The Suns had it with a chance to take the lead with less than 30 seconds left. Booker found a spot in the middle of the floor, tried to spin for a shot and Holiday was right there with the help defense to rip the ball away. Then he and Giannis ran the floor and instead of pulling the ball out and running clock and shooting free throws, Holiday threw a perfect pass and Giannis dunked all over CP3's head. He would miss the free throw, but that was a wrap on game five. Giannis had two great moments in two consecutive games.

Then we got his masterpiece last night. Game six was kind of a slog in the first half. It was 47-42 Suns at halftime. Then Giannis, who had 17 points in the first half, went for 20 in the third quarter. And he did it by plowing his way to the hoop, making a few jumpers and hitting his free throws. At one point he had something like 37 of the Bucks 65 points. He was their offense. He continued this in the fourth quarter. He "only" had 13 points in the quarter, but he simply could not be stopped. He was an absolute freight train. Deandre Ayton would slide out of the way or foul him. Jae Crowder was getting beat off the dribble consistently. Mikail Bridges is too skinny. Frank Kaminsky has no business being on the same floor as Giannis. Everything the Suns threw at Giannis he swatted away and scored with ease. He would not allow the Bucks to be beat last night. At the end of the night he had 50 points, 14 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 blocks. He left it all on the floor and pretty much single handedly won this game. He had 50 of their 105 points. That is so impressive. And it wasn't just his offense. He hustled all night up and down the floor, made smart passes, pulled down boards, played great defense, he was awesome. It was an absolute joy to watch him play last night. It was one of those games that I was so happy I watched in real time. He was the Finals MVP, of course, and that game last night pushed him to the top three players in the league. Giannis is amazing.

All in all this was a super fun finals, it was close, it was exceptionally played and it had a great outcome. The NBA pulled this weird season off and it ended with the proper champ. Now go enjoy this title Milwaukee. You deserve it.

Ty

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

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Ty Watches "Space Jam: A New Legacy"

We watched "Space Jam: A New Legacy" last Friday. It was date night, it was my turn to pick, I loved the original movie, still do in fact and I was pumped to watch the new movie. I watched all the trailers, I saw some news stories prior to the movie that made me more excited and I like Lebron James. I also saw that Don Cheadle was the villain, and he is one of my favorite actors. Basically, I was predestined to love this movie.

Unfortunately I did not love this movie.

I am not going to go scorched Earth like some other notable critics have, but this movie is not very good. I do not buy Lebron as an overbearing parent, I didn't find any connection between this movie and the original, the cuts were choppy, the jokes were not great and it just did not have the nostalgia that I wanted. My wife felt the same. We both loved the original, but did not like this new one. I will give it up and say some of the jokes made me chuckle, I appreciated Don Cheadle totally hamming it up and chewing the scenery and the kid who plays Lebron's youngest son was pretty impressive. Other than that though it was pretty boring. I also wished they had done something with the Goon Squad like they did with the Monstars. I wanted to see the NBA and WNBA players get their powers taken from them. I know it didn't fit with the theme of the movie, but that was one of my favorite parts of the original.

Now that I have had an entire weekend to sit on the movie, I have made a revelation. This movie wasn't made for me and my wife. The original was made for us because we were kids at the time of its release. That is who this new "Space Jam" is made for. This is a kids movie through and through. This movie is made for kids under ten. They will love it. My son is stoked to watch. He is nine. One of his buddies keeps telling him how great it is. He watched it with his family last week, they were chatting on Fortnite, and apparently he would not stop talking about it. I have seen some friends posting about watching it and saying that they enjoyed it so much because their kids enjoyed it. My wife is going out of town and my son and I will watch it together when she is gone. I think my daughter wants to join us as well. I will be very curious to see how much they like it, if they do, and if it changes my view of the movie. I'm also certain my son is going to love it. He keeps talking about it and he still hasn't watched it. My daughter will be happy just to see a bunch of cartoon characters on screen, and she likes to watch basketball with me, which there is plenty of in this movie. I will probably do a follow up after watching with them to let you all know how that experience goes. But for my first viewing, I realize that it is not a good movie, that it has many, many flaws and that a ton of things could be changed. But I also realize that I am not the audience this movie is going after.

Long story short, “Space Jam: A New Legacy” is a total kids movie and that is who the producers want to watch. I am sure they understand that parents will be watching as well, but they most likely know that adults and parents are just there to start the movie and hang out. So while I did not think it was good, I am sure my kids will adore it. More to come.

Ty

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

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RIP Biz Markie

Biz Markie passed away at 57 over the weekend.

When the news broke I was pretty bummed out. Being a hip hop fan, of course I know who Biz Markie was. He was known as the "Clown Prince of Rap". It was a fitting name. His music was good, but also very goofy. One of my first music video memories is the "Just a Friend" video. It was so perfect for the song and the person that Biz Markie was. When he wore that wild hair piece and "played" the piano, it still makes me laugh to this day. I am also a big fan of the stuff he did with the Beastie Boys. When he arrives on "Paul's Boutique" it is pure gold. He was so good at what he did in rap music. His niche was perfect for the time. He carved out a great role for himself and rode the wave. He was perfect.

I kind of forgot about Biz for a while in my early adult life. I still listened to hip hop but I was also in my jam band phase. Hip hop has never taken a back seat, but at this time there were only a select few hip hop artists I would listen to. And a lot of the early to mid 90's hip hop got pushed off to the side.

Then my son was born in 2012. Then we started to watch kids shows with him in the morning. Then we found "Yo Gabba Gabba". This is probably my favorite kids show of all time. It was so wild, but also very cool. They had great guests. They ran the gamut. I think it had something to do with DJ Lance because he was pretty deep in the club world and he knew famous people. The fact that he hosted a kids show was icing on the cake for these guests. Jack Black was on it a ton, I saw other people from TV shows I watched at the time, the musical guests were pretty dope and the people they had on for breakaway segments were the best. This was when Biz Markie re-entered my life. One of the segments on the show, probably my favorite, was "Biz's Beat of the Day". It was simple and pure but oh so fantastic. Biz Markie would come on, do a little segment where he explained beat making, do the beat and that was it. It was so incredible. We got to see a glimpse of his process. We got an idea of what it was like for him to make music. My son loved it. He would walk around the house doing Biz's beats all the time.

After seeing this I went back and dug back into his music catalog. It was awesome. It was like listening to hip hop for the first time again. I remembered why I was such a Biz Markie fan. I remembered what made him so likeable and so good at his craft. Seeing the beat of the day stuff, then going back to listen to him when he first made it big, it was a nice trip on one man's incredible career.

I knew that his diabetes was bad around two years ago when he had a stroke. I did not know it was this bad though. I guess he died from diabetes complications. That is a drag. Two of my favorite rappers have had debilitating problems with diabetes, Biz and Phife Dawg. It is such a bummer that a man as young as Biz Markie, again 57, is gone forever. He was a one of a kind artist that I will never forget, and I am glad that my now 9 year old son still remembers him from a show he watched when he was still a baby.

RIP Biz Markie. You will be very missed.

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 "Miracle Workers: Oregon Trail" Season Premiere

The newest season of "Miracle Workers" premiered on TBS this past Tuesday. I love this show. I have sung its praises on the website. I think it is a super interesting and unique way to make a show. I like the subject material very much the first two seasons, and I like how they skewered said subjects. Simon Rich has proven himself very capable of broad humor, and "Miracle Workers" may be his best creation yet. The cast is dynamite, the writing is superb, the directing is top notch and I don't mind having to wait a year or two for each season. This show is so different from everything else on TV right now, so writing and filming it has to take a good amount of time. Add on the pandemic and that must have made it harder to get done. But the third season premiere was just as good as the first two, and it has me pumped for what is to come this third season.

This time around they tackle the Oregon trail. I remember playing this game on a computer when I was in elementary school. I loved it. I have tried to find that high again on my iPhone or Xbox, but it is not the same. I need that floppy disk and those super old school graphics. What "Miracle Workers" did in the premiere was give me that feel. The set was super old school. It looked like a western from the 50's. The clothes are very of the time. The actors actually look like the people in the game. I heard words like dysentery and plague and complaints about not enough crops. They mentioned all the walking that needs to be done. They talk about how long the journey will be and how they will lose people along the way. In the town in the beginning they are losing people to disease left and right and they even make a joke about being six feet apart. Someone in the town gets cholera and the reverend wants everyone to stand six feet apart at the funeral. They don't and another person dies during the service. It was timely, but also how it probably was back in Oregon trail times. I also appreciate that the writers and actors talk and act like modern people. They dress how people dressed back then, they use what people would have used, they live the life but they talk like people I know. They make funny modern jokes. Geraldine Viswanathan, who is awesome, portrays this the best of all the actors. She is really great on this show, and this should definitely lead to more starring roles for her. I think that this is my favorite part of the show. They are putting modern day people in crazy situations that actually happened in history. I always wonder how I would act during ancient times, they did that in season two, or how I would work if I worked in a "heaven" type of place, season one. And I would always talk about my strategy of how I would have done things had I been alive during the Oregon trail computer game.

I love this show. I cannot recommend it enough. I'm pumped it is back. People need to start watching this show so they can do more and more of this. "Miracle Workers" is a fresh Tv show that deserves so much more love than it is currently getting. Check it out. It is so 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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This Year's NBA Finals is Legendary

The Bucks tied the NBA Finals at two games last night. That was the best game of the series so far. Devin Booker went off. So did Khris Middleton. Jae Crowder and Cam Johnson hit big shots, but so did Pat Connaughton and Brook Lopez. Deandre Ayton has been a rebounding beast. And Giannis has been absolutely superb. Chris Paul has had a rough past couple of games, and Jrue Holiday has not found his shot yet, but both guys are doing other things very well right now.

I know the first three games looked like blowouts with the final score, but they were a lot closer. Last night's game was how I have felt this whole series has been so far. These two teams deserve to be where they are right now. I don't want to hear about injuries or the shortened season or any of that nonsense. The Bucks and the Suns are rightfully where they belong. And now with Milwaukee tying it up, this series has the chance to be one for the ages. This looks like it is going to go the full seven.

I think the rest of the games are going to be a ton of fun. I think both teams have each other figured out as much as they can and now it is going to be pure talent that wins out. The Bucks have the best player, but the Suns have a more complete team. The Suns have home court advantage, but the Bucks beat Brooklyn when they had the same advantage. Neither team is very deep, but I trust Phoenix's bench more. Both coaches are nearing that elite level, but Mike Budenholzer has been a head coach longer, although I do adore Monty Williams. I do not see any super clear advantage going forward. I do not know how to handicap the rest of the Finals. I truly do not know who is going to win. I picked Phoenix in six, and after the first two games I said on the pod that they may sweep. Then the Bucks did what they have done all playoffs and grinded their way to two important victories. I simply have no clue what is going to happen in the next two or three games. Ayton hasn't been scoring a ton, and I expect that to change. Jrue Holiday has been way off the mark, but he is due to bounce back very soon. Booker shot his way out of his slump last night, and he is liable to go for 40 any night. Giannis has been an absolute stud the whole Finals. He "only" scored 26 last night. He had been putting up 40 with regularity. Chris Paul is not going to turn the ball over like he has the past three games. But Khris Middleton now looks like he found his scoring touch once again. There are too many things happening right now that make the rest of this series hard to pick but super fun to watch.

I thoroughly enjoyed the game last night. It is so much fun not having any skin in the game and just watching for entertainment. And last night was a prime example of why I love the NBA so much. The game went back and forth all night. Big time players made big time plays. Incredibly difficult shots were going in with regularity. I fully expect the same for the final three games. And I am here for it. I cannot wait.

If I were forced to pick again, to make up my mind right at this moment, I still think I am going with the Suns. They have home court. Their bench is a bit better. CP3 will play better. Devin Booker is hitting shots again. And Deandre Ayton is going to start scoring. But Milwaukee is going to make it super duper tough. Giannis is playing on a whole other level right now. He is Shaq with a jumper. He is making free throws. He is unstoppable. Middelton is making shots. Jrue Holiday will play better on the offensive end, and has been fantastic on defense. Brook Lopez is doing all the little things asked of him. The Bucks just do not have the roster to hold up for two more wins, in my opinion. I'm rooting for Milwaukee, I want them to win, I love Giannis and I thought the Holiday trade was perfect. But Phoenix is having one of those special seasons and I think they will finish it off with a title. It will take seven, but I think they will do it.

I cannot wait to watch more of these games. They have been a blast and the rest will continue to be as much fun. At least I hope.

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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"Too Hot to Handle" is Increasing the Dumbening of America

20th Century Fox

A week or so ago I wrote about one of the worst shows I had ever seen called "You, Me and My Ex". I believe it has been cancelled, but full disclosure, I have not returned to it since I wrote that piece.

Well that blog was a bit premature. My wife and I found another show that may very well be the worst thing that I have ever witnessed. And I do not know what is wrong with me because I finished the entire season of this show. I watched all ten episodes, all the while saying how dumb it was and how dumb it was making me.

The show is called "Too Hot To Handle". We came across it one night while scrolling through Netflix. I like to see what their top rated shows are for the week, and "Too Hot To Handle" was number one. The first episode did hit in all the right ways too. I had such high hopes for this show. We started on season two, but when they got to the point of the show, I was reeled in.

For those that do not know, "Too Hot To Handle" invites ten young single people to an island retreat and tells them that they are on a dating/party show. They all get to the spot and they are free to let loose. They are given free alcohol, they are invited to party and get to know one another and just to have a good time. But there is a countdown clock in the lower part of the TV screen and when that clock strikes the contestants can not have sex, they cannot kiss, they cannot self gratify, basically they cannot do any physical stuff except cuddle. When they revealed this news the shock was great. It is like watching the trainwrecks on "American Idol". It is akin to any person that is floored by some very unexpected news. I found it quite hilarious actually. That was why I got hooked. And for two or three episodes they kept up the stupidness. These people were breaking rules left and right. They were doing stupid stuff on the regular. Even when they thought they did nothing wrong, the cameras would show them what they did, and the shock on their faces was so goddamn funny. But then the show turned into this schmaltzy, ridiculous self discovery show. All the while those people who were finding out new things about themselves are the dumbest, most egotistical, self involved morons. I was stunned at how so many people could be that into themselves. They would constantly look at themselves in the mirror. They spoke as if they were the most important people in the world. They acted almost offended if one of the other people wasn't into them. They complained endlessly about how horny or how blue their balls were. It was so dumb. Then it all got serious and self introspective and even more absurd. The dudes talked to their penises. The women had these inane meetings where they let out all their anger. The show brought on "experts", and these scenes were so unnecessary. The shows just got more and more boring when the people on it stopped being lame. I did not care at all about the relationships they built. I don't even care to know if any of them are still together. I thought when they would have "deep conversations" that it was the dumbest people talking that I have ever heard. My kids are nine and five and they have way, way, way more common sense than the people on this show.

This show is the epitome of what is wrong with our country. I will never ever understand how this show was number one on Netflix for a short amount of time. "Too Hot To Handle" is the stupidest thing I have ever watched. I do not recommend it to anyone ever. This is quite possibly the worst show that is on TV. The fact that it is coming back for a third season is laughable. There is much better content to watch, so avoid this show with all of your might. You will thank me in the long run. What a terrible show.

Ty

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

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"Loki" Is Not For Me

My family is fully caught up on "Loki". I think the season finale is tomorrow, according to the internet, which seems fast. I thought they would do eight or ten episodes, but it seems that they chose six. That is fine. I think "WandadVision" was only six or eight episodes, and while I haven't yet watched "Falcon and Winter Soldier", I'm pretty sure that is less than ten. Maybe this is what Disney + is going to do with their series. Again, they can do whatever they want with these properties. I think I prefer longer seasons of TV. That is just me.

Before I go further in this blog there are two things I want to touch on. One, this is going to be spoiler free. I do not want to spoil anything for the people that are waiting to binge the whole thing. I get that that has become a way to consume TV. I have done that with many shows, and I am glad that those shows were not spoiled for me. I also made sure to stay away from anything on the internet about those shows, and that works. So no spoilers for "Loki". Second, I want to say that "Loki" is a good show. It is visually beautiful. The writing is very solid. The acting is superb. To get a guy like Richard E Grant to be in one single episode, that speaks volumes to the acting chops on this show. "Loki" is a very good show that is deserving of all the acclaim it is currently getting.

Now this is where it turns for me now. This is where I may make some people upset. I am sorry, but I did say that it is a good show. I am having a difficult time getting into it though. I have found it kind of boring. I do not think it has lived up to the hype that was built up prior to its release. Every episode has one thing that grabs me, then the rest is kind of dull. I do not fully know what it is yet, but "Loki" is starting to lose me as a watcher. I am going to finish this season because I am a completionist. I don't know if it is my OCD or whatever, but I will watch the rest of this season. I may not come back for a second season if they have another one. And again, this show is good, but it is not breaking through for me. The season stories are all too similar. I do not recognize or spot the easter eggs. I find myself kind of bored during the action scenes. When they introduce new characters I don't really care either way what happens. I am struggling to get super into the story. I think, in my mind, I thought "Loki" was going to be as good as "WandaVision". It is not. "WandaVision" is a once in a lifetime classic TV show. The fact that they are most likely not going to do anymore makes it even more classic. "Loki" doesn't have that oomph, that get up, that need to give it my full attention. Not yet at least. Maybe the finale will totally flip me and turn me into a super fan, but I don't think that will happen. When I find a show that I like, that I want to keep watching, it usually grabs me within two or three episodes. I'm not there yet on "Loki", and they have had five come out so far.

I want to reiterate once more that I can recognize that "Loki" is a good quality show. I will not deny anyone that claims as much. But for me it just isn't hitting right now, and if I were to guess, I most likely will not come back for season two if they do one. It just isn't compelling me to come back.

Ty

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

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Ty Watches "Black Widow"

My wife and I watched "Black Widow" like most of the rest of the country this Friday. It was her turn to pick, but had it been my turn I would have picked it too. We have wanted to see this movie for two years now.

"Black Widow" was the first really big movie I remember being postponed due to COVID. I was bummed when it got pushed, but of course I understood. We also did not go to the theater to see it. We rented, or maybe bought it, on Disney+. I guess a lot of other people got it on Disney+ as well. Apparently they made something like 60 million plus dollars this weekend on people using Disney+.

Anyway, I kind of enjoyed this movie. I get some of the criticism that it is getting. It seems awkward to make a movie about a character whose outcome we already know, but it is a flashback in its essence. Scarlett Johansson was outshined by other people, but I like when other actors step up in movies that they are not the focus of. And the plot and twists were pretty easy to get, but it is a Marvel movie so the plot twists and whatnot are usually easy to follow. So the criticisms, while valid, I can find reasons to refute them. Otherwise, this movie is solid. One of my wife's friends at work said it was a spy thriller with "Mission Impossible" style action scenes. He was right on the money. Black Widow herself is a spy, and she comes from a family of spies, so that works. The action was rad, and had crazy stuff like helicopters and big planes falling from the sky. The fight scenes were also really well choreographed and expertly done by the actors.

As for the actors, they did good. Scarlett Johansonn was very solid as Black Widow. She played her like she has in all of the other MCU movies she has been in. We have come to know that character so well that any change would have been unnecessary. Rachel Weisz was very good as the surrogate mom who is a brilliant scientist. Weisz has had such a good and solid and sometimes exceptional career as an actor. She has seemingly played every role, and she usually does a very good job. The villain was cheeky and over the top and exactly what I want from my Marvel villains. I thought Taskmaster was cool. I liked the look of the suit and her never ending desire to do as informed by her father and creator. But the stars, by a wide margin, were David Harbour and Florence Pugh. Harbour was the father figure and Russia's version of Captain America. He was so funny. He was so goofy. He said the wrong thing at the wrong time. He was so fantastic in this role. This is such a great role for him. He looks like a regular dude and acts like one too. This was an exceptional performance from him. But Pugh was the absolute star. She was simply perfect. She was funny, but also very tough and a great spy. She had a great Russian accent. She acted the most like a child when being around Weisz and Harbour. She had the most moving moments in the movie. She made fun of all the stuff we have come to love about Black Widow, and it made me laugh. When she did Black Widow's pose and then scoffed, that was incredibly funny. I hope, and assume, that she is going to be around the MCU in this new phase, and I am here for it.

All in all I enjoyed myself while watching the movie. I recommend other people check it out too. Do not listen to the comic book nerds and misogynists that are bad mouthing this movie. They are punks and children. "Black Widow" is a good movie. It is a nice second step in the new MCU phase.

Ty

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

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Better Late than Never on the Cult Classic "Streets of Fire"

RD contacted me the other day saying he had some "homework" for me. He doesn't do this often, but when he does I know that I am in for something. It can be good, bad or weird. It is a true grab bag. But I am also excited at what he is going to recommend. Even if it is really bad, it is at least memorable. He told me about "Southland Tales". I had never heard of "Gummo" until he let me know about it. He told me I had to watch "The Boys". He introduced me to Beck and Talking Heads. All of these things have made an impact on me one way or the other. So when he told me that I needed to watch this movie from the 80's called "Streets of Fire", I was intrigued.

I saw that “Streets of Fire” was on Netflix, that it was only 90 minutes long and that it had a great cast. I just finished watching it. It took me two days because this movie is bat shit crazy. RD told me it was his new "Southland Tales", and he is not wrong. There have been a few things I have watched recently that will stick in my mind, and this is definitely one of them, but for many other reasons than shows like "ITYSL" and Bo Burnham's new special "Inside". "Streets of Fire" is straight up wacky. There are these long, meandering scenes that are underscored by Ry Cooder's music. It is very dirty blues, but with a very 80’s sound to it. I enjoy Ry Cooder from time to time, but I wouldn't pick him to listen to in my top 10 blues choices. He would be further down the list. I find his music to be "white person" blues, and man does it play loudly, and constantly, in this movie.

As I said before, the cast is excellent, but they all seem to be in a different movie. Willem Defoe is the main bad guy, and he is as creepy and weird as ever. But he is almost a cartoonish version of his Green Goblin character from the first "Spiderman". He chews so much scenery in this also. The final fight scene is one for the ages. Michael Pare, who some of you may know from "Eddie and the Cruisers" seems to be playing a bad boy turned good in a noir movie. He is dark and brooding, but he is also beating bad guys up left and right, but he also steals cars for some reason. Amy Madigan is his sidekick, and she is probably the only person who I bought. She seemed to know this movie was insane while they were filming it, and she just had fun. Rick Moranis plays a kind of bad guy club owner in a total departure from everything else I have ever seen him in. It was weird to watch him yell and curse at people and call ladies "broads" and "skirts". It wasn't fitting to his persona that I knew as a kid at all. Apparently he didn't like this movie much either from what I read. Robert Townsend is a gang member and he is in something like two scenes, and they are very bizarre. Diane Lane, who was 18 when this movie was made, is some kind of rock star that Defoe and his cronies kidnap. She looks great and does a good job, but much like Moranis, this was a miscast. It just didn't make sense. Also her band dressed just like David Byrne in "Stop Making Sense". It was very weird.

“Streets of Fire” was so scatter shot and so weird. I still do not fully know what it is about. I do not know who the hero is supposed to be. I think it is Pare, but he is kind of an asshole. There are wild cuts and overlong musical numbers. The fight scenes are filled with bizarre slow motion and sometimes they have credits rolling over them. Defoe is disturbing, and that is saying something.

Would I recommend this movie? It depends on who is asking. I wouldn't pick it for date night with my wife, but I may watch it with my running buddy because he would get how crazy the movie is supposed to be. We would laugh at it. All in all this movie is nuts. RD was right that I had to see it because it is burned in my brain. I am sure I will watch it again in the very near future because I will try to make sense of it. But do not get me wrong, "Streets of Fire" is a mess and not a very good movie. You have to be in the right headspace to watch it. But, I think it has achieved cult status for a reason, and it will keep you thinking. That much is true.

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 "I Think You Should Leave" Season Two

I have now watched season two of "I Think You Should Leave" twice now.

It is wonderful. I knew I was going to like it, but I did not know how it would hold up to the greatness of season one. I am done second guessing everyone involved with that show. They are in Donald Glover territory for me. They can do no wrong. They are at the top of the comedy sketch game, and it isn't even close at the moment.

This new season is darker than season one, but damn if it isn't as funny. I also appreciated that they did not bring back anything from season one. I know they took two years off, and they could write new stuff in that time, but on other shows they will bring back popular sketches in a new season. "ITYSL" season two did not do that, at all. This was all fresh, and it is all going to be as memorable. They could've easily brought back the baby showcase they had, with Barley Jarivs, but they didn't. Instead they had Sam Richardson dress in a gold suit and a wig and bring out some "buff boys". The sketch is just as funny and works just as well. They do bring Santa Claus back, but in a much, much darker scenario. That whole sketch involving Santa is fantastic and so well written. Those may be the only "crossovers" that people can point out, but they are very different from season one.

The rest of season two had me in stitches. From start to finish, it just works so well. I loved the sketch that opened episode three with the professor going out with some former students to a restaurant. Tim Heidecker is back, but in a different role, and that sketch takes some dark turns, but damn it if I wasn't cracking up. Bob Odenkirk shows up and that sketch is truly wonderful and uncomfortable. I want to go to Dan Fashes T Shirt store now so I can fight over some ugly button up shirts. I wonder if Jami Taco is still out there stealing lines in local plays in his home city. I wonder if Karl Havoc, who has the absolute best site gag in the whole season, has come to terms with what his show is going to be. I wonder if the guy with the fedora with flaps in the back still has his hat and dice. Also, the attorney reading the text thread in that scene is pure gold. I would buy the hot dog vac that Robinson's character is selling. I would watch "Coffin Flop" if it were on TV. I want to donate to the company that helps guys cover up dripping pee on their pants. It is all so wonderful.

I mentioned Richardson making his return, and he is dynamite. So is Connor O'Malley. He is in two sketches and they are wonderful. I mentioned the pee drip one, but his other sketch is fantastic, and he isn't the focal point. He and his wife are fighting, but Robinson tries to lighten the mood by doing the Blues Brothers dance. It is uproarious. I also really enjoyed the guy talking about how he used to be an asshole and eating sloppy steaks. John Early makes a great appearance in his one sketch. I could literally go on and on and on.

This show is really, truly one of the best things on TV right now. This season will be as quotable and memorable as season 1. There will be meme's if there aren't already. Robinson and Zach Kanin are in a total sweet spot and they are capitalizing on it right now. I saw someone else proclaim that Robinson was too good for "SNL", and they are right. Nothing on "SNL" right now is even remotely as funny as what "ITYSL" is giving us. This show is wonderful and I am so happy it is back for me to watch over and over again. I suggest you watch it too.

Ty

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

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My Journey Back to the Movie Theater

Last night I went to a movie in a theater for the first time in nearly two years. My wife's work rented out a theater, we are all vaccinated, we wore masks when not eating or drinking and we watched "F9". I want to talk about the theater experience more than the movie.

My quick little review of "F9" is that it is absurd and ridiculous and I did not like it, but I get why it is so appealing to its fanbase and why they continue to make these movies. I have only seen two of them, this new one and the first one, but I was not into this movie at all. It was way, way too absurd. That is my quick overview for all of you.

It was very odd being back in a movie theater. We walked in like we always used to, but when I entered the theater everyone was masked. This made me feel pretty good. But as I walked around more and was checking out the theater, more and more people were removing their masks. They were eating, drinking, talking, just going about their everyday life as if COVID never existed. I envied these people, but I wore my mask most of the night. I am still not at a place where I am fully ready to remove my mask, especially when I am in an indoor setting. Again though, I was comfortable knowing that the people I was sharing the theater with had been vaccinated. It was nice. I went to the concessions beforehand to get my wife and I snacks. I had forgotten how much this stuff costs at the theater. I got two 20oz bottles of water, a bigger package of peanut M&M's and a large popcorn. That was over 25 dollars. And that large popcorn was gigantic. My wife and I did not even finish half of it. I had forgotten how big the portion size is at the movie theater. It is as absurd as the plot of "F9". No one needs that amount of popcorn ever. I can eat, and I was sick of it a quarter of the way in. The peanut M&M's still hit, and they are even better mixed in with the popcorn. And three bucks a piece for some water, give me a break. My wife also went to the bathroom halfway through the movie and bought another bottle of water and some peanut butter pretzels for us to share. That was 15 dollars. All in all, snacks were 40 dollars. That is crazy.

As for the seats, they still rule. They were recliners, they were cozy and they were spaced apart. We were not six feet away from each other, but we were a good two to three feet away. I did forget how comfy those chairs are too. If the movie hadn't been so loud, I might have fallen asleep. I was able to move around very freely. I am a 6 foot 2 inch 280 pound adult man, and I was never uncomfortable in the chair. It was my favorite part of the movie by far.

It was also kind of cool to be in a theater with forty other people, many of which know the story and enjoy the "Fast and Furious" franchise. That communal feeling, hearing people laugh at inside jokes, hearing people clap, talking to others about the characters and their backstory, that was really neat. I did not know I missed that, but last night reminded me that I do. I always liked the feeling of being in a theater with other people that are excited to see a new movie on a very big screen. I got a little of that last night. I did wear my mask the whole movie with the exception of eating, and I am sure I was one of few, but all in all it was a solid time.

I had fun, but I will say, with all the streaming channels and the ability to rent movies at home, I do not think I will return to the theaters in the future unless absolutely necessary. I have enjoyed having the choice to watch new movies in my own home on my own TV with my own snacks. I have learned a lot about myself during this still going pandemic and last night further hammered home my distaste for returning to the movie theater. It was fun, I had a good time, but I think I like watching movies from home now. That is my preferred choice for the time being.

Ty

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

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Tim Robinson is Awesome

Before I sit down to watch season 2 of "I Think You Should Leave", which I am going to do after I write this, I want to talk about how great Tim Robinson is.

He is the man. I was a fan of his when he was on "SNL". I still remember his Gary Busey impression and it makes me laugh very hard to this day. He was one of the first guys I saw on "SNL" that did oddball comedy. His humor was niche and I was on board with him right away. I do like the "weird" people on "SNL". Kyle Mooney is my current favorite cast member. I loved The Lonely Island guys before they were big. Norm McDonald is the best news anchor in my opinion. Tim Robinson fits right in there with all of those guys.

Then when he and Sam Richardson, another one of my favorite current actors, did "Detroiters" on Comedy Central, that was a home run. I adored that show. I wrote about its greatness a few times on the site. It was funny and original and so well written. It should have lasted much longer than the two seasons it got. That show was a hit.

Then two years ago we were graced with the beautiful mess that is "ITYSL". The first season of that show is one of the funniest things to ever be on TV. I have watched that first season at least half a dozen times. The episodes are only about 12 minutes long, but they pack in so many gut busting jokes along the way. I still constantly quote stuff from the first season. My wife, who has never seen the show, knows about some of the more popular jokes. I laugh every time I see a motorcycle on the street. My son always does a bottle flip, and if he flinches I tell him he has to marry his mother in law. He also likes to dab, and thinking of the guy from that skit dabbing makes me cackle. I call poop mud now. I want somebody to try and prank me with a whoopee cushion just so I can go into a tirade on how smelly my farts are. I laugh thinking about a guy fighting with a magician on stage after his wife berates him. I talk about Christmas coming early all the time now, and if no one gets the joke I act all annoyed and upset. I will give my kids a hard time if they eat all my fully loaded nachos I make at home. The show is endlessly quotable and forever memorable. I cannot wait for season two.

The fact that this show has caught on, that so many people adore it, shows the true genius of Tim Robinson and his writing partner Zach Kanin. They know good, quotable jokes. They know what their fans will love. They just get it. I was bummed when Robinson left "SNL" and when "Detroiters" wasn't picked up. But those were all stepping stones to the greatness Robinson had inside of him and he was able to put it out there on his own terms with his own team on "ITYSL". This show is right up there with the best stuff on TV. It is better than most major network comedies at the moment. I love "Always Sunny" and "Dave", but "ITYSL" makes me laugh much harder than both of those shows do. Robinson was given a real shot by Netflix, and he is cashing in in a major way. I cannot wait to see what they bring back and the new material they have for season 2. With Robinson at the helm I know it will be great. He is hilarious and so is "I Think You Should Leave".

Now it is time for me to devour season 2.

Ty

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

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The Suns Will Do It

The NBA Finals are set and they start tomorrow night. Today I have my preview and prediction for you. I feel like we got the two best teams this season in the Finals.

There were times when it looked like it may be the Lakers or Nets or 76ers or Jazz or Nuggets. But the Suns and Bucks earned their way. The Suns beat both LA teams and Denver. And before you talk to me about all the injuries, just go back to last week when I wrote about the Suns making it to the Finals. They did what they were supposed to do. The Bucks beat the presumptive favorite, the Nets, in round two and finally beat the Cinderella Hawks in the conference finals without Giannis. Middleton and Jrue Holiday and Brook Lopex really stepped up when Giannis went down. These two teams beat the teams in front of them, sometimes the better team on paper, and now they are here.

I like this matchup if Giannis is healthy. If Giannis is out, this is a sweep by the Suns, and it would not even be that close. Milwaukee will hopefully get good news this evening or tomorrow morning about Giannis' availability. I'm going to go ahead and assume that he will play.

I also like the fact that only one guy, Jae Crowder, has any experience in the Finals. He's been there the past two seasons, everyone else is a big fat zero. We finally have some new blood playing for the chip. In basketball it is usually very chalky. We know the three or four best teams. For the past decade plus it has been whatever team LeBron is on and any mixture of Golden State or San Antonio. The team that wins it this year will have their franchise's first title in my lifetime. That rules. I enjoy the fact that Giannis is there for the first time. Chris Paul, after 16 great seasons, is there for the first time. Devin Booker, who is going to be a scoring champ and MVP very soon, is there for the first time. Deandre Ayton and Mikail Bridges are getting their first taste. Brook Lopex has never been, Neither has Jrue Holiday or Khris Middleton. It will be very nice to see new faces on the floor playing for their first ring. That is cool. It allows for more parity. It shows that the major markets do not need to always be in the spotlight. This is a good thing.

As for on the court, these teams match up nice. Jrue Holiday will not fall for Chris Paul's shenanigans. Mikail Bridges will make life hard on Khris Middleton. Brook Lopez will be facing a younger, bouncier athlete in Deandre Ayton. Jae Crowder will most likely get the Giannis draw, and if Giannis is healthy, watch out Jae Crowder. And Devin Booker will face a myriad of defenders, but will most likely score on them as he has scored on everyone else all season long. The benches each go about three or four guys deep, so that will be interesting to see who is on who when they play.

But this series is about the stars. This is all about Giannis and Middleton going up against Booker and CP3. I think, and again this depends on Giannis' health, this will be a 6 or 7 game series. I think no matter what though the Suns are going to win. They are having one of those magical seasons. They have beaten all the big guns on their way. They played a tougher regular and postseason schedule. They are the more tested team. This is their title. Milwaukee can make it interesting, but in the end I think the Suns are the better, and more healthy team. I also think Booker will play a better series, but Chris Paul will have a few good games and he will win Finals MVP. It is his first trip there and the powers that be want him to have that MVP. If they cannot get New York or LA in the Finals, they will make sure that CP3 gets that MVP.

Anyway, I think the Suns will win the title and it will take them six games to do it. I cannot wait to watch.

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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Long Live NIL

The NCAA was finally dealt a blow when the NIL bill was passed. For those that do not know, the NIL means that college athletes can now profit off of their Name, Image and Likeness. This is a big, big deal. As soon as it was passed, at midnight on Thursday, players already started to sign deals with random social media companies.

When I was younger I was of the belief that a scholarship was enough for student athletes. I figured getting your college paid for was more than enough. Then I got older and a little bit smarter. I remember my first breakaway from thinking a scholarship was enough was seeing how Chris Webber, and the rest of the Fab Five, were not even able to eat at a McDonald's, but other people, myself included, were wearing jerseys and shirts with their name, face and number on it. That didn't seem right to me. I was 12 and 13 years old at the time. The older I got the more I said that these kids deserved more than just a scholarship. I go to college football and basketball games and see these kids' faces everywhere. They are on the program, adults are wearing their jerseys, their faces are plastered on t-shirts, there are posters of them everywhere you look. Their faces are everywhere and the only people profiting are the coaches and the university. The schools and the NCAA are clearly taking advantage of the term "student athlete". They have looked away and hid their face in the mud for so long that this seemed like it was going to happen eventually. I'm glad it is happening now.

Just look at recent players who have been stripped of awards and games won. Reggie Bush was on Twitter instantly when this passed, and he is right. Give that man his Heisman back. He did nothing wrong at all. Or what about the University of Ohio State tattoo thing. I despise that school and their football team, but that whole "scandal" was ridiculous. Let these kids get a goddamn tattoo in exchange for some game worn stuff. Who cares? Even outside the "scandalous" stuff, just think about the money some of these colleges have made off these kids. Players I do not like, like Johnny Manziel or Tim Tebow, how much money do you think Texas A&M and Florida made off of their image and likeness? Millions of dollars? Maybe billions? I think so. Michigan put Denard Robinson on EVERYTHING when he was their QB, and they were not very good, save for one season. But I saw so many people with t-shirts with his face or wearing his number 16 jersey. Michigan made a ton off of his likeness. Alabama has made a fortune off of Mark Ingram, Devonta Smith, Tua and so many other NFL players that played their college football there. Clemson probably made money hand over fist the last three years just off of Trevor Lawrence's face. Even a smaller school like UCF probably made millions when Mackenzie Milton was their QB and they were going undefeated. It's the same in college basketball. Just think of the money that Duke, UNC, Kentucky and Michigan State have made off of their one and done guys. Hell, look no further than the Duke-UNC game a few years back that featured Zion. People were not paying 10,000 dollars a ticket to see Duke, they were paying that to see Zion. Former president, and one of my favorite people ever, Barack Obama was at that game, and I assure you he wasn't there because of the rivalry. He was there to see Zion. Zion deserves every penny he may or may not have gotten during his six months at Duke. As do every other college athlete that was not seeing a dime but the school was making a fortune during their time on campus.

This NIL rule is a great, great thing for college sports and college athletes. These kids deserve more than just a scholarship. It is about time they are able to make money off their likeness. This has been a long time coming, but I am glad it is finally here. I haven't understood since I was 13 why these athletes couldn't even get a job but every other student could. Now they have an outlet to make money so they can live a comfortable life on campus. This is a big deal and a big win for student athletes everywhere. Congrats.

Ty

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

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