The 90's Were the Golden Age of Kid's Sports Movies

I've been on a kick lately watching kids sports movies from the 90's that I loved as a kid. With my downtime I like to watch shows and movies, and for the past couple weeks I have been craving older sports movies. It all started one afternoon when I heard some people on a podcast mention the movie "Rookie if the Year". I adored that movie as a kid. It had everything I wanted in life. Kid breaks his arm, it heals weird, he can throw super fast and he ends up on the Cubs. It was an absolute dream. From there I would endlessly watch movies like "The Sandlot", "Little Big League", "Little Giants" and "The Mighty Ducks" among many, many others. I watched them all. Even some movies that were not, by definition sports movies, like "3 Ninjas", I watched because they had a few sports scenes. I couldn't get enough.

As I got older though I kind of left those movies behind. I have become a bit snobbish when it comes to movies. RD calls some of my early reviews "Cloves and Fedoras", and he is not wrong. I prefer indie movies. I love a good documentary. I want to watch movies that make you think. But I have been craving movies that I used to enjoy. I have had these feelings of wanting to go back and see if these movies still hold any weight for me.

I am very happy to say that I still get the same feelings when watching these movies. I understand that they are fantastical and you have to remove any kind of sense when watching. That makes it more fun for me now as a father, husband and a 40 year old. I have enjoyed watching these movies with my wife and I think she has had fun too. She has said she is at the very least. But my love for these movies is not the basis of this blog today. I could go on and on and on about my love. But today I want to take the time to tell you all about the straight line each of these movies have. They all have similar plots and villains and endings. They have the old hand, the young star and the family. They are all fun and satisfying because they are all the same. You can watch any of these movies and know how it will finish. It is comforting.

Let's look at "Rookie of the Year" real quick. Kid breaks his arm, conflict. It heals weird, but he can throw hard all of the sudden, fantastical. Goes to the Cubs and learns under the veteran, Rocket, played by Gary Busey, yikes. The villain is the Mets and their slugger. Henry Rowengartner strikes him out with an underhand toss and the Cubs win. It is stupid and phony and wild and I love it. They were even able to get a love story with the mom. This is how a 90's kids sports movie goes.

Take "The Sandlot" next. Star player plays with his buddies, they beat the bullies, the nerdy kid gets the girl, the star player and the new kid are best friends into adulthood, the villain is a dog who turns out to be nice and each kid has their own happy ending. It is my favorite sports movie.

"The Mighty Ducks" have the grisled former hockey star in town deemed with coaching the rag tag misfits. He turns them into a respectable squad. He gets a team from the rival team to come play for his team. The villain is the coach's former coach. He is still a jerk. They beat them in the finals. The kid closest to the coach on the team essentially sets his coach up with his mom. It is almost too perfect.

"Little Big League" brings us a genius kid who isn't good at playing baseball, but knows the game incredibly well, he ends up coaching the Minnesota Twins. He is tasked with the job from his grandpa. He helps turn the Twins around after some skepticism from some vets. The main vet helps him out though, takes his side and that is when things turn. The villains on the team come around but this movie finds a way to make Ken Griffey Jr a villain. I couldn't believe it. The only way this movie differs, and why I still love it to this day, is that the Twins don't win in the end. But they all have fun.

"Air Bud" is the wildest of them all. This movie is about a dog who plays receiver for a local kids team and is the star. This is the most fantastical of them all and it is endlessly watchable for me.

"Little Giants" is great because it features brothers versus brothers. Ed O'Neill is the "villain", but he is actually a good dude in the end. This movie is so great because it gives the little guy the limelight. The "nerds" find a way to beat the jocks and it is a fun football movie. It is also one of Rick Moranis' last roles and he crushes it here. The movie also introduced all of us to Becky, The Icebox, O'Shea. She is a kids sports movie legend.

"Space Jam" is wildly odd and weird and not very good. But I can watch that movie time and again and be very happy.

I could list more and more movies here, but they all have the same, safe and watchable premise. These movies are by no means good, but damn are they fun. I cannot wait to watch more of these because the rewatch of the first couple has been so well remembered. I suggest you do the same if you grew up similar to me. These 90's sports kids movies still rule. 

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 "BS High"

I watched the documentary "BS High" last week and I have some things to say.

The documentary focuses on a "school" and its coaches. Now, the school is not really a school. Bishop Sycamore High may have a website and an online presence somewhat, but it is not a real school. This documentary takes us through its beginning to where it stands today. What they focus most on is Roy Johnson, the founder and coach of the football team, and their appearance on ESPN facing IMG Academy in 2022.

This is a football movie, but it is also a character study of a con man. Roy Johnson is a smart man who knows how to take advantage of people. He is evil. He has a scary smile that is permanently on his face. He has no remorse. He only cares about himself. He thinks others are out to get him. And he knows how to game the system. Johnson had tried to start a school a few years back that gained a little traction. They had a football team, but no one ever really went to class or learned anything. When that fell apart that did not stop him. He decided to double down and go even further with his new school, Bishop Sycamore. He hatched his chickens too soon. He went ahead with this "school" with no funding or space for an actual building. He had mockups made, but nothing came of those. He hired a coaching staff and audio visual people. He reached out to athletes who may be on their last chance and gave them a shot. He wined everyone he met, but he never really dined them. This movie does not have the allure of a show like "Last Chance U". That show has real people in a real school and they do get one last shot. Bishop Sycamore was a total scam. These kids signed away their lives while Roy Johnson took advantage of their info. He would rent out hotels in their names and never pay. He would get apartments for three months in their names and wait until they were evicted, thus ruining that kids credit. He would hire players' parents to be the "hospital staff" for games when kids would get hurt. He would make them play multiple games within the span of a few days.

That was where this all really came to a head with Johnson and Bishop Sycamore. Somehow, some way, Bishop Sycamore was able to schedule a game against IMG, the most powerful high school football program in the country. This game was aired on ESPN. IMG easily disposed of Bishop Sycamore. I believe they won 59-0. But what was more glaring was the lack of competition. Bishop Sycamore had no right to be on the same field with IMG. These were boys playing men. But the biggest problem, Bishop Sycamore had kids on their team that were in their 20's. Some of their starters had already graduated high school. Yet they were somehow deemed eligible and still not good enough to compete with the teenagers on IMG. The Bishop Sycamore kids also got hurt, and hurt bad. That could be due to IMG, but they also played a game two days before the IMG game and were hurt during that game as well. You should never play two high level football games in three days. That is abhorrent.

When this was all done, and Bishop Sycamore was found to be a fraud and the rest of their scheduled teams pulled them off their schedules and when these kids were left out in the cold, did Roy Johnson learn anything? Nope. He was still smiling. He was still blaming the former players. He was still going off on the parents. He was still cackling and saying that Bishop Sycamore was going nowhere, and he was right. That is the scariest thing of this whole movie. Johnson has gamed the system and the state of Ohio has yet to put rules in place stopping this from going on. Of course ESPN and the powers that be in Ohio declined to be interviewed for this movie. But Johnson didn't. He put his story out there and he is an awful, awful man. He has to be reprimanded for his atrocious actions, but he is still coaching high school football. And that should terrify everyone.

I highly recommend this movie. It is endlessly watchable and very eye opening. It is a solid watch. 

Ty

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

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"Swamp Kings" is a Disappointing Waste of Time

I recently just finished the Netflix miniseries "Swamp Kings". For those that do not know, "Swamp Kings" is about the five year run of the Florida Gators football team under Urban Meyer. Everyone knows my feelings on Meyer. He is a scumbag, a cheater and a punk. I have never liked him and I never will. The only upside to my household not getting Fox anymore is that I don't have to listen to him call Big 10 games. So when I decided to tune into this four part docuseries, I thought it would be an eye opening affair. I thought they would point out the good and the bad of this Gators run. Unfortunately they did not do that.

This show was, for all intents and purposes, a mastubatory fascination for Meyer, Tim Tebow and the Florida football team from 2006-2010. This was all about how great of a coach Meyer was for the team. How he molded these young boys into men. How his methods were exactly what this talented but undisciplined team needed. How he made a name for himself and changed the game of college football. Pretty much all the good and none of the bad. They barely mentioned the amount of arrests that happened under his eye. They didn't talk about the recruiting tactics he used. They only mentioned Aaron Hernandez's name once, calling him a "top recruit". They portrayed his barbaric methods as something new college coaches should aspire to. It was, for lack of a better word, gross. I couldn't believe all the stuff that was left out about him.

I have to think he was a producer on this show and would only allow it to air if it made him look great. Urban Meyer definitely had a moment as a top college football coach, but he also had some serious problems that this show just decided to not air. It was so bad that when they talked about his tenure with the Jaguars in the NFL, they said he "stepped down" as head coach. He was fired after 14 games because he was so ill fitted for the NFL. Tim Tebow was looked at as some kind of deity in this thing. They talked about him like he was the greatest college QB of all time. They had their chances to talk about him kind of getting off scot free sense he was a white QB winning titles, but they barely touched on that. A few of his teammates made comments about how they felt slighted, how Tebow got all the love, but the show was quick to get off that topic and move on to something else. Tebow also spoke like he was trained to sound wistful. He had this quiet tone that I found quite annoying. He talked as if he was this person who changed the college game. He would mention a fight between him and a teammate and give it a button along the lines that it helped both him and the teammate. Stuff like this made his teammate a better player. I found it quite odd that he didn't go into any kind of detail about how he felt about the arrests and issues, being that he is so religious. He sat down and openly praised Meyer at every turn. It was frustrating.

They did a decent job of portraying this team as one of the better college units of all time. They won two titles in three years. They had a Heisman winner. They had a bunch of NFL players. And they beat really good teams. But they never talked about the true issues that this team had. They barely touched on the arrests. There was one moment in one episode where they started to talk about it, but it was a three or four minute chunk in a 45 minute long episode. I thought they would do a full 45 minutes just on that topic. They didn't though. They kept it incredibly bland.

This could have been a salacious docuseries. They could have done all the good stuff and peppered in the bad. They could have dedicated entire episodes to the issues. They could have dug deeper. They went the opposite direction. "Untold" is meant to make you angry and disgusted with what you are seeing. This one was a miss though. They didn't dig at all. They let the bad stuff slide. It felt like the people behind "Swamp Kings" figured we knew all the bad stuff so they were just going to show the good. Skip this unless you are a college football fan like me. This is not 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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Ty Listens to "Expo Expose"

Recently Earwolf started to do little side podcasts. They are like mini series. I have been an Earwolf guy for a good while now. Ever since I found podcasts, Earwolf was the first company I really followed. They do the best comedy podcasts, so it was a natural transition for me.

I am a CBB World subscriber, and through that I have found a ton of lesser known actors and comedians and writers doing podcasts or appearing on podcasts that I have become a fan of. Two of those people are Jacob Wysocki and Matt Apodaca. These two crack me up on every "CBB" appearance. They also co host their own podcasts. I am a fan. So when they announced they were doing a four part miniseries for Earwolf I was intrigued. I then did some research and found out they were going to go to some expos and talk about their experience. I have never been to an expo, but the whole idea of an expo fascinates me. Expos are big gatherings of people who have a similar fascination with a person, place or thing. So when all these like minded people come together for one common cause, that interests me. Add on the fact that Wysocki was going to host and Apodaca would be his cohort, I was in.

The show is called "Expo Expose". That is a great name by the way. I have already listened to all four episodes. I love this show. I want more of this from these two dudes. The whole concept for the show is that Apodaca and Wysocki go to the expos, talk about their experience, interview people who are attending and then do a final summation of the day. They went to four very different expos too. They attended a reptile expo, a tattoo expo, a boat expo and an anime expo. Three of these things are foreign to me. I do have two tattoos, but the tattoo culture is foreign to me as well. But, even though this was all very new to me, I was instantly interested in hearing Wysocki talk about his day and give his thoughts.

They started off the series with the reptile expo. I have never been a reptile guy, but I also understand why people like them. But hearing him talk to these people that have dedicated their lives, that was awesome. They were so passionate about the reptiles. They legitimately love their scaly pets. They also gave good advice on dealing with people who may have preconceived notions on reptiles. They followed that up with the anime expo. That was a very fun listen. I have never gotten into the whole anime thing, but I do know that people who have, they love it. That was very apparent listening to this episode. These fans are fanatical about the anime they love. It was really cool to hear the fans speak. The boating expo was the third episode, and there were a lot of people that I did not like. They were all about their possessions and their stuff. It drove me nuts. But Wysocki never let that show during his interviews. He was a pro and it was very cool to hear him speak about his whole day being in a place he felt very much the odd man out. The final episode was the tattoo one and that was very fun. Tattoo culture is a whole vibe and that came across tenfold. It was great to hear from people about their tattoos and to hear from the artists. I was all in with this episode.

What set "Expo Expose" aside was hearing from Wysocki and Apodaca afterward. They would give their full impression of the expo and they were very honest. They would point out the good and the bad. They would make it funny, but you could tell they were also taking it seriously. I was most interested in Wysocki's thoughts on the boating expo and they were about as honest as any interviewer could be.

I highly recommend this miniseries for anyone who has any kind of interest in expos. Expos are a wild and fascinating world. This show gives you that impression, but there is so much more to it. Check it out. It is a very good, short podcast series. 

Ty

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

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SeedSing Classic: It is Time to Repeal and Replace Capitalism

Every Labor Day we revisit the failure of capitalism. Now more than ever the destructive narrative of capitalism is on display with the criminal greed being seen in our corporations and government. 

The post originally appeared on September 7th, 2015.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

RD Kulik

RD is the creator and Head Editor for SeedSing. 

Ty Listens to "Bombing with Eric Andre"

About a week ago I started to listen to Eric Andre's new podcast, "Bombing With Eric Andre". Let’s discuss.

I'm an Eric Andre fan. He is coming to STL in October and you better believe that I am planning on going. I love his talk show. I love the prank stuff he does. I'm always pumped when he shows up in bit roles in movies I'm watching. He was one of the better parts in the very underrated show, "Man Seeking Woman". I enjoy the content Eric Andre creates. So him having a podcast was a no brainer for me. I subscribed to it instantly and have listened to the first four episodes happily.

He has had three comedians, Michelle Buteau, Sam Jay and David Gborie, and one musician, Mac DeMarco. Each episode just gets better and better and funnier. The whole concept of the podcast is interviewing his friends and asking three questions, what's the worst you've bombed, what's the worst bombing you've seen and what's the most wasted you've ever been on stage. Then Andre and the guest go on long tangents while answering each question. I love it. He gets these people to be fully open with him and their stories are wild. Buteau talking about performing in Jamaica seemed wild and terrifying. The stuff Sam Jay talked about, like going on stage after doing mushrooms, or seeing two dudes physically fight on stage, that had to be something to experience. Gborie, who writes for his show, had some of the craziest stories I have ever been privy to hear. The stories he told sounded fake, but how could one make this stuff up? Those have been the most eye opening. And DeMarco's stories had a fully different feel because he has totally different experiences being a musician. With each episode though you learn about the grind and the craziness it takes to get to the level these people are at right now. To make it where they have made it, and seeing what they have seen, going through what they have gone through, is nuts, but it is always funny. You can tell that the guests and Andre have a blast with one another. You can hear the friendship. You can tell they vibe easily off each other. Andre has this way of making his guests feel at ease, even when they are talking about the wildest shit I've ever heard. I also like how loose the interview is. It flows, it has the three questions, but Andre is clearly having fun with it. He doesn't take it too seriously, and that is how it should be. That is what I like about the podcasts that I listen to.

I didn't need more reasons to be an Andre fan. He won me over years ago. But this new podcast has made me an even bigger fan. I cannot wait for each week because that means a new episode is coming. "Bombing With Eric Andre" is fast becoming one of my favorite podcasts. It is a must listen as soon as it downloads. Check this pod out. It is wonderful. 

Ty

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

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Tim Heidecker's The Two Tims Tour is a Must See

I had the pleasure to see Tim Heidecker live on his tour a little less than two weeks ago. I have been a fan for a long time, but he never really toured a whole lot. I love his shows, I am one of the few people that like the movie he and Eric Warheim made, I thoroughly enjoy "The Comedy" and have enjoyed all of his more recent stuff.

When Heidecker announced a tour called "The Two Tims". I was instantly intrigued. I let some friends know about it and we went to see the show. None of us really knew what to expect, we did very little research on purpose, but we knew it was going to be good. As we took our seats we were rewarded with one of the better, and most unique shows I have seen in a long time.

The whole idea of this tour is, Tim Heidecker comes out and first he performs as an intentionally bad stand up comic. The comic's catchphrase is "no more bull shit", but all the character he is playing does is spout bull shit. It is cringey and awkward and the character is delusional. But it was also funny. I found myself cracking up at how out of the touch the comic is. It takes a ton of talent to flub lines and mess stuff up and go on stage in front of a bunch of people and do that. Heidecker did that better than anyone I have ever had the pleasure to see live. It was one of the oddest and most interesting live experiences I've seen. And I loved it.

Heidecker then takes a short break and comes out with his band, The Very Good Band, and performs his music for over an hour. I have heard his music before, but never really dove deep with it. This was a great way to reopen my curiosity. I was highly intrigued. I knew Heidecker was a talented dude and comedian. But hearing him play his guitar and sing his original songs, it blew my mind. He is really good at this as well. I was stunned in the best way possible. He played a bunch of music, some country, some folk, all good. I like how he interacted with the band. They have a very good rapport and it shows. They all seem to be having a great time. Heidecker also told jokes and poked fun and had a loose attitude and was clearly enjoying himself. He had the band leave the stage for a minute and he played the piano and sang a very incredibly deep cut Bob Dylan song called "Lenny Bruce". And believe me when I say this song is very weird. Heidecker made note of that after every line of the song. He would sing it in Dylan's voice, stop, and talk to all of the crowd about how wild the lyrics were. And Heidecker is a humongous Bob Dylan fan. He told us that and I fully believe him. While the Dylan cover was funny and very cool, it was the original stuff that got me. I didn't know any of the songs but I know them now. I have been devouring his music since this show. I will hear songs and think back to the live show and how well they all played the song live. Having no idea what I was going to hear, hearing his music and his band has made me an even bigger fan.

The show was a little over two hours and I could have watched it for longer. The Two Tims is a must see show live. It was an awesome evening and an evening I won't soon forget. Tim Heidecker has a fan for life. What a show.

Ty

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

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

Ty Watches "Barbie"

Now that I am done with the football talk I want to get to some things that I have seen or done or listened to the past couple weeks and have been waiting to tell you all about. The first thing I want to talk about is "Barbie".

Me, my wife and kids all finally went to see the movie two Sundays ago. I have been pestering my wife to see it and told her the kids should come. The movie is a phenomenon and I felt like it would benefit the kids to see it. They had typical reactions. My son, who is 11 and focused solely on sports said it was a "6 out of 10". My daughter loved the colors and seeing Barbieland, but when it got to the more serious stuff she was not interested. My wife and I absolutely loved the movie. I mentioned on the podcast last week how much I adore this movie. I fully believe it is going to go down as one of the best, and most impactful movies to ever come out.

"Barbie" tells a great story about acceptance and being okay with who you are and how it is fine to be sad sometimes and that everything is never going to be as perfect as one may want their lives to be. I was moved by this movie. I laughed harder at this movie than some of my favorite comedies of all time. The imagery was astounding and cool. They used old style techniques and made them modern day. It was highly impressive. And the acting was superb. Margot Robbie knocked it completely out of the park. She was fully engrossed in this role and gave it her all. She played funny and heartbroken to perfection. She blew me away. Ryan Gosling was what I imagine Ken would be like if the doll came to life. I fully believed he was Ken. It was terrific. He was the funniest person in this whole movie. America Ferrera spoke for all of us in our early 40's and how tough life can be with kids nowadays, especially kids with an opinion. Ferrera is wildly underrated and this role should push her to the fame she deserves. Even the smaller roles, those were nailed. Michael Cera as Allan was my favorite. Issa Rae as president Barbie was pitch perfect. Will Ferrell as Mattel CEO was spot on. Simu Liu as a rival Ken was the best foil you could want for Gosling's Ken. Kate McKinnon as Weird Barbie was an example of how great a comedic actor McKinnon is. I was blown away by everyone. To see all the Barbies and Kens, that was quite a feat.

What got me most was Greta Gerwig's directing and her and Noah Baumbach's script. The directing was second to none. Gerwig controlled every aspect of these super talented actors and pulled the best out of them. To get drama and comedy the way she did, that work should not be overlooked. She should be the odds on favorite at the Oscars for best director. There should be no question. The script was even better than the directing. Gerwig and Baumbach told a relatable, real life story using Barbie and Ken dolls. They found a way to make a real life story out of dolls. There were moments in this script that were the best of the best. The way they tackled the stupidity of the patriarchy to Barbie dealing with an existential crisis to America Ferrera dealing with her daughter growing up and being over Barbie, it all worked. I bought it all and wanted more and more.

This is one of the rare perfect movies. I cannot find a flaw anywhere. Any early skepticism I had was instantly erased. I cannot recommend this movie enough. I think everyone should see it. It is a feat that will not be met for a very long time. "Barbie" is destined to become a classic and I am stoked that I saw it in a packed theater during week four of its release. What an accomplishment. 

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

Ty's 2023 College Football Preview

Wrapping up my football previews, today I have my NCAA football preseason prediction and preview for you all. This is my favorite sport to watch. I live for college football. I love spending my Saturdays in the fall watching college football and trail running. Those are the two things outside my family that fill me with joy. This is my version of Christmas. For my preview I will cover the power 5 conferences, the last time I can do that, and give you some independent teams and group of 5 teams I like. I will give you all my CFP teams, my title game matchup and my Heisman winner. Here we go.

We will start with the Pac 12 since this is the last year of the Pac 12.

College football fans know all about this, so I will go on my merry way giving you my final Pac 12 preview ever. This conference is loaded with talented QB's. This may be the year they get a team back in the CFP. The top teams will score a ton of points. The Pac 12 should be very exciting to watch. The top of the conference features USC, Oregon and Washington. USC has returning Heisman winner Caleb Williams Their offense is absolutely stacked. The defense isn't great, but USC could average upwards of 45 points per game. Oregon has its own Heisman hopeful in Bo Nix. He thrived last year and he is even more experienced. The Ducks also have some of the fastest players in the country on their offense. Michael Penix Jr thrived in Washington's offense last season. He has turned himself into a first round NFL draft prospect. Washington may have the best defense of these top three teams. Utah is still here and still very sound on both sides of the ball. Colorado has amassed the biggest transfer class of all time and Deion Sanders is their new head coach. They will be better than expected. Oregon State got DJ Ugaglei to transfer there and he seems happy and poised to have a good season. UCLA has gotten better every year under Chip Kelly and they should be a bowl team again. The rest of the conference is very blah, but these teams will scrap and fight every week. I have not watched the Pac 12 closely in a few years, but I will this year. I am excited to see how lethal these offenses can get. I think USC and Washington will play in the Pac 12 title game and USC will win the conference for the second straight season.

Let's move to the ACC.

The ACC is still the weakest of the power 5 conferences in my opinion, but there are some teams that could make a push for the CFP. Clemson is coming off a "down" year, and they look to be back. Cade Klubinik will take over at QB and this defense is going to be better this year. Clemson has become a legit college football powerhouse. Florida State looks to be back. Jordan Travis is a very good QB and this defense is loaded with talent. They seemed to have figured something out and they are going to be Clemson's main threat all season long. UNC has Drake Maye and if college football has taught us anything it is that a star QB can win a ton of games. Maye is good and should be in the Heisman talk all year, but this defense is very bad and they won't win as many games as they should. I am curious about Miami. They were very bad last season, but they trimmed some fat out of their coaching staff and they had a very solid recruiting class. This season will be very telling for the Hurricanes moving forward and for Mario Cristobal. They should be better than last season at the very least. Wake Forest has a good run game that can control the clock. Pitt seems to disappoint more often than not, but they are a decent team on paper. Louisville alwast has an explosive offense. And Duke can be stingy. I think this conference will come down to Clemson and FSU. I'll take FSU since they have the more experienced QB and a much better defense.

Up next, the Big 12.

This conference will look different next year, but we are not there yet. I have a few concerns about the top this season though. Is Texas back? Are they finally going to live up to the hype? Is Quinn Ewers legit, or are they going to have to turn to Arch Manning? What about Oklahoma? Are they going to rebound from an off year? Has the coaching staff gotten better? Is General Booty the answer at QB? How about KU? Are they going to be the team we saw for the first six weeks of last season or the last six weeks? Is West Virginia ever going to get over the hump? Is Baylor going to be dominant or disappointing? How will Cincinnati, Houston, BYU and UCF fare in their first season in a power 5 conference? Was TCU just a feel good story last year or are they building something special over there? There are far too many questions that have no real answers right now and may not have an answer all season long. I feel like it will come down to Texas and Oklahoma, each team's last season in the Big 12, and I do think Texas will win the conference. But don't count out Cincy, KU and Baylor. These teams could surprise a lot of people like TCU did last season.

Now the SEC.

This is the dominant conference in college football. They own the CFP. They have the most Heisman winners since the CFP was introduced. They have the best coaches and the best overall rosters. It is a gauntlet and the games are almost always a must watch. Georgia is back and reloaded. The names may be different but the results should be the same. Georgia is currently having one of the best runs we have seen in college football in quite some time. But there are threats. Alabama is always going to be here. They have the best staff. They have the most talented players. They are the definition of a team that just reloads. Alabama is going to be tough. LSU has Heisman hopeful Jayden Daniels and a much improved defense. The Tigers are going to be a very formidable threat all season long. Auburn has a new staff under the much scrutinized Hugh Freeze, and they will welcome in a bunch of transfers. But they will still be a tough out and their home games are always rough for their opponents. Tennessee is going to be very, very good on offense. They will challenge the numbers USC is going to put up. I'm thrilled for Joe Milton that he is getting a real shot to play and he is my darkhorse pick for the Heisman. The defense is blah, but that offense is very fast and incredibly productive. Florida should be better in year two under Billy Napier. They will have to replace Anthony Richardson, which will be tough, but they should be improved as a team overall. Arkansas has a returning QB and a good offense. They will be a bowl team and give a scare to a few of the top teams.  I wonder if Texas A&M will actually live up to preseason hype? Or maybe Jimbo Fisher is just overrated. Missouri will have a very up tempo offense and could shock a few teams. Ole Miss has a wonderfully sound run game, but they leave a lot more to be desired everywhere else. Kentucky will be a bear as well. The SEC is awesome. There is a reason they are always the best conference and have the most titles in the CFP era. I am going to pick Georgia to win the conference again, but I do think they will face Tennessee in the title game and Tennessee will give them a good matchup.

Wrapping up the power 5 conferences we are going to the conference I watch the most, the Big 10.

The top of the Big 10 goes through the university of Ohio State and Michigan. It is good to have these two powerhouses on a level playing field. The university of Ohio State has some productivity to replace, but they will be just fine. Marvin Harrison Jr is still on this team and I feel like I could throw him TD passes. He is the most pro ready kid in all of college football. The new QB is his high school teammate as well. They have production everywhere and they should have a top five offense. The questions lie with their defense. They need to limit big plays. They have given up far too many lately. Michigan is finally back to being very relevant. Jim Harbaugh has done almost everything he has strived to do since he took this job. Michigan's offense is slow and plodding and productive as hell. This team loves to run the ball. They would run it every time if they could I feel. And why wouldn't you with Donovan Edwards and Blake Corum? They may have the best backfield in all of college football. Their o line is also amazing. They have won the best o line two years in a row. They may make it three this season. Their defense is also very sound most of the time. They stuff the run and make it tough for QB's to throw on their secondary. The questions here lie with the receivers, QB and coaching staff. JJ McCarthy needs to be able to let it rip through the air and the coaches need to let that happen from time to time. The receivers need to have one guy step up and be "the man". They haven't had a number 1 guy in a while. And the head coach is suspended for the first three games and the oc for the first game. The suspensions were levied by the school, but it is still an inconvenience I wish they didn't have to deal with. Penn State will be very good and they also have an elite running game. Their defense is stingy as hell too. Wisconsin hired Cincy's coach in the best move of the offseason and they will be much improved. They are going to throw the ball more than they ever have too. Michigan State lost some transfers, but they seem to thrive when no one expects anything from them, they have a good defense and always find someone to run the ball for them that is productive. Nebraska hired a new head coach as well, and while they will be improved, they still need a little more time to get back to relevance. Purdue went defensive minded with their head coach hire. They should be much better on that side of the ball, but they have a ton of offensive production to replace. Illinois is building a special defense, and even though their DC got a much deserved head coaching job, the Illini defense should still be one of the best in the country. Maryland has Taulia Tagovailoa for another year and they have a very explosive offense. They will be a threat to every team they play. Iowa is like Diet Michigan. They have their former starting QB and tight end. They also want to run and play dynamite defense, which they do very well. The rest of the conference is rough. The conference will come down to the Ohio State-Michigan game. Iowa will most likely win their division and go to the Big 10 title game. Michigan should win their final game. It is in Ann Arbor, they have won two in a row and they have a better team. But that was the case for the university of Ohio State last season and Michigan rolled them. I fear that will happen this season. I'm, unfortunately, picking the university of Ohio State to win the Big 10 this season.

As far as teams outside the power 5 that I like, first off, Notre Dame looked dominant in Ireland last week. Sam Hatmann is legit. Tulane should build upon a very good year last year. Louisiana has been getting better and better every year the last three years. Coastal Carolina has some staying power now. Boise State looks like they may be back to being relevant. And UTSA should build off another solid season. No group of 5 will break through the CFP this year, but some will win double digit games and be a pain in the butt in their bowl games.

Now for the CFP. This is tough for me. On one hand I could see the Big 10 getting multiple teams, but on the other hand I can see the SEC doing something unheard of and getting three teams in it this year. I'd love to see the Pac 12 get a team in there as well. If I had to pick right now, I'd go Georgia at 1, the university of Ohio State at 2, USC at 3 and Tennessee at 4. That means no Alabama, no Michigan, no Texas, no Oregon. This one is tough for me. As for the title game, I have Georgia rolling Tennessee this time and USC beating the university of Ohio State. As for the championship, I'm going with Georgia for a third straight year. Boring? Yep. But they are just so dominant and so terrifying. They are the class of college football in this era. As for my Heisman pick, I'd love to go with Caleb Williams winning it again, but I mentioned Joe Milton earlier as a darkhorse and I want to see him win it. So I'm picking Joe Milton to win the Heisman.

Okay, my football preview and predictions for the 2023 season are done. I cannot wait to dive into college football this weekend. It is going to rule. To everyone else, enjoy the season. It should be fun. 

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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

Ty's 2023 NFL Season Predictions

The next two days will wrap up my preseason football predictions and preview. Today will be the NFL playoff and award predictions and tomorrow will be my massive NCAA football preview. Let us tarry no longer, on with the NFL playoffs and award preview and predictions.

I'll start with the AFC.

The Chiefs should be the number 1 seed, and probably the best team in the NFL this season. They are loaded and they are at the beginning of this dynasty. Their own threat in the division will be the Chargers, who will have to settle for a wild card spot. The AFC East might be the toughest division in the NFL. All four of the teams have a legit shot to be above .500, but I'm going with the Dolphins. I have a ton of respect for what they have built, and they are working their way to being a true contender. The Bengals are the class of the AFC North. If everyone can stay healthy on that offense, they will be explosive and put up a ton of points. The AFC South is not very good, but the Jaguars are young and gained some solid playoff experience last season. They should win this division going away. So the Chiefs, Bengals, Dolphins and Jags are my four division winners. I already mentioned the Chargers as a wild card team. I think the other two wild card teams will be the Ravens and Bills. That means no Jets, no Titans and no Broncos in the playoffs this season. The AFC is tough. The Chiefs will get the first round bye. They will get the winner of the Jags, who will be the four seed, and Ravens, the five seed. I see the Ravens winning this game and heading to Arrowhead. Lamar Jackson got paid, they have weapons and the defense is legit. The 3-6 matchup will feature the Dolphins and Bills. The Dolphins will have home field and should be amped for a home playoff game for the first time in forever. The Bills have a massive amount of talent, but they cannot get over the hump. That will continue this season with the Dolphins winning this game. The 2-7 game will feature two of the best offenses in the NFL with the Bengals and Chargers. Both teams will score a ton, but the Bengals are so much better and will win this game going away. So we will have the Chiefs playing the Dolphins and the Bengals playing the Ravens. I'd love to pick some upsets here and see either the Ravens or Dolphins win. That would be great. It won't happen though. The Chiefs and Bengals are far better than their opponents and they will meet in the AFC title game. I really want to pick the Bengals here. I want my nephew to see his team continue to be great. I want to see this young offense continue to thrive, but the Chiefs are the Chiefs. As long as they have Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce they will be good to go. They should also have Chris Jones by this time and he is going to wreck backfields when he gets back with the Chiefs. The Chiefs will be in the Super Bowl again.

Now to the NFC.

The NFC is solid, but not as good as the AFC. The Eagles are going to win the East. They are on an upward trajectory and Jalen Hurts should be in the MVP conversation yet again. They will be the NFC's overall number 1 seed. The Lions are going to win the North and their playoff drought will finally be over. Lions fans will be able to celebrate and have a real reason to be excited. They are going to be good this season. The AFC South is bad. I really have no idea who will win here. The division winner could have seven or eight wins. It is that rough. I'm going to go with the Saints because they have the most experience.  The 49ers are going to crush the West with their dominant defense and run game. That offense might only need to average 17-20 points a game for them to win a ton. So the four division winners guaranteed to make the playoffs are the Eagles, Lions, Saints and 49ers. The three wild card teams will be the Seahawks, Cowboys and Giants. The Vikings and Packers are not here. The Rams need to rebuild. These seem like the three best options. The Eagles will get the bye and face the winner of the 4-5 game, which will feature the Saints and Cowboys. This game will be interesting. The Cowboys should dominate, but Mike McCarthy is the head coach and they have blown a ton of easy games. I'm going to pick the Cowboys, but the game will be far too close for comfort. The 3-6 game will highlight the Lions and Giants. This is going to be a low scoring affair featuring two solid defenses and lots of running. I'm going to pick the Lions because I think their defense is a little further ahead than the Giants at this time. That will carry them to a playoff win/ The 2-7 game will be an inter division clash between the 49ers and Seahawks. The Seahawks will keep it close for a half and then the 49ers will pull away. Christian McCaffrey or Deebo Samuel are going to make a big play to open the game up and it will be over from there. So we now have the Eagles facing the Cowboys and the 49ers facing the Lions. It is chalk again unfortunately. I'd love to pick the Lions. That would be the coolest. I would be so happy. But the 49ers are better. They have the defense the Lions are striving to be already and their run game will grind clock. The 49ers will return to the NFC title game. The Eagles are better than the Cowboys and they should cruise. Hurts will run them to death and then make big throws to Devonta Smith and AJ Brown. The Eagles defense will suffocate the run game and force Prescott into timely turnovers. We will have a rematch in the NFC title game. But this time, again much to my dismay, the 49ers will win. They are primed to, and this time their third string QB won't get hurt. I'll be rooting hard for the Eagles, and I would love to see a rematch of last season's incredible Super Bowl, but the 49ers will prevent that. They are heading to face the Chiefs.

All that being said, the Chiefs will be the only team to crack the 49ers defense and they will win a second straight Super Bowl. Patrick Mahomes will further cement his legacy as one of the best to ever play the game and win another Super Bowl MVP. The Chiefs will win Super Bowl 58.

As for regular season awards, first off coach of the year will be Dan Campbell. The Lions feed off of this guy and that shows. They are getting better. MVP will be Joe Burrow. He is coming for Mahomes' belt, which he won't get yet, but Burrow is fastly becoming one of the best QB's in the NFL. Offensive Player of the Year will be Burrow's running mate, Ja'Marr Chase. He is fast becoming the best wideout in the NFL, and he will be putting up big numbers in important games. Defensive Player of the Year will be Fred Warner. He is going to be wrecking backfields and I expect a big number of turnovers from him at his linebacker position. Offensive Rookie of the Year will be Zay Flowers. He is going to put up big numbers in Baltimore. Lamar Jackson will throw to him a lot. Defensive Rookie of the Year is Will Anderson Jr. He is going to look like a star right away and he will give Texans fans hope.

Okay, there you all have it, my 2023 NFL preseason rankings, playoff preview and awards predictions. Take it all with a grain of salt and get ready to enjoy NFL football in less than two weeks. 

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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

Ty Ranks the 2023 NFL Teams: A Fountain Coke at McDonalds Division

Welcome to day eight, the final day of my 2023 preseason NFL rankings. Next Monday I will do playoff predictions and my picks for award winners. And Tuesday will be my massive NCAA football blog. But today we wrap up the final four. These are the best of the best. These are the four teams that, barring massive injuries, should be in it all season long.

At number four I have the San Francisco 49ers. Don't like this team. I never have. I don't think Brock Purdy is all that great. But the team around him is absolutely loaded. Christian McCaffery is the ideal modern running back, when he is on the field. He is a great runner and maybe even a better pass catcher. He is awesome. Deebo Samuel is doing things at wideout that I have never seen before. He can line up anywhere and he is a threat to score at any time. Brandon Aiyuk gets better with every passing season. Jauan Jennings is one of these guys I've never heard of, but will be as consistent as they get. George Kittle is mildly overrated, and needs to let go of having hair, but the dude produces. The o line is nasty and mean. The defense is very good, maybe the best in the NFL. Much like his brother, I cannot stand Bosa's off field issues, but Nick Bosa may be even better than Joey Bosa. I still don't like either of them though. Arik Armstead has proven to be great. Fred Warner is one of the best linebackers in the league. Dre Greenlaw is no slouch either. The secondary, led by Tashaun Gipson, is as good as it gets in the NFL. The 49ers are loaded everywhere except QB. That shouldn't matter though. They can grind on offense and dominate on defense. They are a very, very good football team.

At number three I have the Philadelphia Eagles. They are much like the 49ers, except their QB is legit. Jalen Hurts is magnetic. I liked him in college and I like him even more in the pros. He is like a poor man's Mike Vick, and that is a compliment. Hurts is so finely tuned to run this offense and he does it at the highest level. I think they may miss Miles Sanders more than they are letting on, but D'Andre Swift is still very capable. Rashaad Penny and Kenneth Gainwell will get plenty of reps as well. They are the deepest backfield in the NFL. DeVonta Smith is amazing. He is everything they could have ever wanted him to be. This kid is going to have an incredible career when it is all said and done. AJ Brown is no slouch as well. He has thrived since being traded to the Eagles. The o line is the best in the NFL. No question. They are nasty and disciplined. The defense is elite as well. Brandon Graham is still getting a bunch of sacks in the twilight of his career. Jalen Carter may be the biggest human being I have ever seen. Fletcher Cox is still one of the best d lineman. Nakobe Dean looks to be the real deal, if he can stay on the field. Hasson Reddick should thrive here. Darius Slay leads an absolutely dominant secondary. The Eagles are here to stay and they may very well end up winning it all this year.

At number two I have the Cincinnati Bengals. Who would have thought they'd be this high? Not me. Joe Burrow is the second best QB in the league. The kid is a total gunslinger and he puts up numbers. Ja'Marr Chase is one of my favorite players to watch and I am thrilled the Bengals drafted him when they did. Joe Mixon has off field things to sort out, but on the field he is pretty dynamite. Chris Evans is a solid backup. Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd form a dynamic wideout trio along with Chase. Good luck trying to lock down all three in one game. Their o line has vastly improved since they were in the Super Bowl. Even the defense has gotten better. Sam Hubbard is a turnover forcing machine. He can also bring them back for six. Dax Hill should be even better in year two. Trey Hendrickson is a force off the edge. Chidobe Awuzie will have a good year. The Bengals are here to stay as long as they keep this young offense together. The d is not at the level of some of the other teams up here, but that offense is so good, they are the true team that can outscore anyone at any time.

As for number one, you all know it is the Kansas City Chiefs. Who is better than them? Who has a better offense? Who has the best QB? Who has the best tight end? Who runs the best plays? The answer to all of those questions is the Chiefs. Patrick Mahomes is a hall of fame player already. He is going to go down as one of the best to ever play the game. He does some of the wildest stuff ever, and it works. He is amazing. Isiah Pacheco has slid right into the starting running back role with ease. They also have Jerick McKinnon and Clyde Edwards-Helaire to take some carries and make catches out of the back field. Kadarius Toney, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Skyy Moore may not be big names, but everyone will know who all three are when Mahomes starts slinging TD's their way. Travis Kelce is the best tight end in the league right now, and may be one of the best to ever play. He is magnificent. He and Mahomes form a deadly duo. The o line does just enough to give Mahomes the time he needs and to open up holes for the run game. The defense is meh, but it doesn't really matter. Chris Jones is their best down lineman, but he is currently holding out for a big contract. I agree with his decision. George Karlaftis may end up being a good edge rusher. Nick Bolton is a very solid linebacker. Trent McDuffie is young, but he may be their best cover guy. And Justin Reid is a fine enough safety. When you look at the Chiefs roster it doesn't jump out with a ton of big names, except two, Mahomes and Kelce. That is all they really need to win a lot of games and titles. They have proven time and again that they are the new class of the modern NFL. There is no better team than the Chiefs right now.

Okay, that is my eight day ranking of all 32 NFL teams. I'm sure a lot of people disagree with some of the picks, but that is what lists are for. I want to have a conversation about why I am wrong or right. Come back next week for two more football blogs. It is nearing the most wonderful time of the sports year. 

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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

Ty Ranks the 2023 NFL Teams: Getting a Drink from the Local Root Beer Stand Division

Today is day seven of my 2023 preseason NFL rankings. This is the cream of the crop. I believe eight teams have what it takes to make a Super Bowl run and these are those teams. Injuries could happen and change it all, but right now these are my eight best teams.

At number eight I have the New York Jets. A lot of people say that they won the offseason when they traded for Aaron Rodgers. A lot of people think he is the answer. They think he will provide some kind of leadership they haven't had in a long time. I don't see it. I do not like Rodgers. That is well known at this point. I also do not think he is worth the headache. He is a malcontent who says stupid things about cancel culture. He is a coach killer because he doesn't listen. He often thinks he is the smartest guy in the room. Also he is older and more creaky. He will be better than Zach Wilson, but who isn't in the NFL right now? Breece Hall should build off a solid rookie year. But, I fully expect Dalvin Cook to be the starter sooner rather than later. He was the best signing of the offseason for them. This receiving corps is old, outside Garrett Wilson. Wilson is awesome. The dude can play. But then they have old Packers lining up at wideout. Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb had to be signed before Rodgers committed. They also went out and got Mecole Hardman, who is very fast, but not much else. The o line is good and will provide Hall and Cook with big holes. The Jets are this high because of their defense. Sauce Gardner is amazing. He may already be the best corner in the league. He is as good as it gets. Quinnen Williams is a run stuffer on the d line. CJ Mosley is a one man wrecking crew at linebacking. And their head coach, Robert Saleh, got this job because of his defensive acumen. The Jets will win because of defense, not because they signed Aaron Rodgers.

At number seven I have the Los Angeles Chargers. The Chargers should be higher, they should have more playoff wins, they should be solid, but they aren't quite there just yet. Justin Herbert is legit. I remember some writer for The Ringer said Herbert wouldn't succeed because he is "too tall". That is hilarious. I wonder if he still has a job there? Austin Ekeler is disgruntled, but they have him for one more season and he is a great dual threat out of the backfield. Keenan Allen is the most dependable wideout in the league. He continues to put up fantastic numbers. Mike Williams needs to cut down on the drops, but he is tall and fast. Quentin Johnson could be special. The o line is very, very good. The Chargers defense is legit too. I despise Joey Bosa's off field stuff. He is a creep. But the guy can russ the pasher. Khalil Mack is one of the best linebackers to ever play in the NFL. Kenneth Murray Jr is excellent right next to Mack. Asante Samuel Jr is a decent cover corner. Derwin James is an all around great football player. The Chargers should be at the top of their division and they should be a no doubt playoff team. We will see what this coach does throughout the year though.

At number six I have the Miami Dolphins. This team has rebuilt very fast and they should be very good this year. Tua Tagovailoa should not be playing professional football. He needs to take time off and get his head right. But, while he is out there, he is solid. He can really sling it. Raheem Mostert is a fine running back, but do not count out them trying to bring in Johnathan Taylor. Tyreek Hill is the fastest wideout in the league and he catches everything. Jaylen Waddle is fastly becoming one of the best deep threats in the league. The o line needs to protect better, and I think they will show some growth this year. Christian Wilkins anchors the d line, and he is good. Bradley Chubb adds a rush from the linebacker position. Xavien Howard is right there with Sauce Garndner as one of the top corners in the league. Eli Apple still has what it takes. This team has the makings to be very, very good this season, especially if they find a way to add Johnathan Taylor.

The final team for the day, at number five I have the Buffalo Bills. The Bills are a very, very, very good team. They just need to figure out how to win when it matters most. They need to figure out how to not blow home playoff games. Josh Allen is a very good starter. I was wrong on him. I thought he was going to be a bust. He is not. He can fling it and he can get tough first downs using his legs. James Cook, Dalvin's brother, talents have translated from Georgia to the NFL seamlessly. Stefon Diggs is one of the best wideouts in the NFL. He is as consistent as they come. Dawson Knox is a very capable tight end. The o line is full of dudes that want to hit. The Bills defense is otherworldly. Greg Rousseau and Ed Oliver form a dominant d line. Von Miller is still one of the best linebackers in the NFL, when he is healthy. Tre'Davious White and Jordan Poyer make up one of the better secondaries in the league. The Bills are a very good team. They need to put it all together when it counts the most. That is when I will rank them higher.

That is it for today. Come back tomorrow for my top four teams of the preseason. 

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

Ty Ranks the 2023 NFL Teams: A Cool Baja Blast to Go with a Crunchwrap Division

Welcome to day six of my preseason NFL rankings. These are the teams that should be in the playoffs, or at the very least, the playoff conversation all season long. We will get into the top ten today as well. This is where the teams get very good.

At number 12 I have the Seattle Seahawks. The Seahawks surprised pretty much everyone last year. They made the playoffs. They continued to win without Russell Wilson. Pete Carroll may actually be a very good head coach. But this team is full of guys who play their roles better than almost any other team in the NFL. Geno Smith had one hell of a comeback year. I forgot he was still in the NFL, but he made his presence well known. He started as a game manager, but when the coaches let him rip it, he sure did. He had a great year. I expect him to build off of that. Kenneth Walker turned himself into a pretty good back during his rookie year, but he did get hurt. That seems to be what has held him back. They got some insurance when they drafted Zach Charbonet. That kid is going to be good. DK Metcalf is one of the best wideouts in the league and the dude is in incredible shape. He is also very fast. Tyler Lockett continues to produce at a good level. Jaxon Smith-Njigba will miss a few weeks, but when he gets back he will produce. The o line is solid. They have been for years now. The defense doesn't have the stars it used to, but they are still a very good unit. Quandre Diggs is a very good secondary guy. Bobby Wagner is still out there tackling everything near him. Jarran Reed has potential as a disruptive nose tackle. Devon Witherspoon has some potential. The Seahawks have a good, solid and dependable roster. They also have a good coaching staff. This team is as reliable as it gets in the NFL.

At number 11 I have the Dallas Cowboys. I am not a Cowboys fan. I never have been. I loathe their owner. And I lived through the nightmare that is Mike McCarthy coaching your football team. But this team did some interesting things this offseason. They let Ezekial Elliot go. That was smart. Tony Pollard is better anyway. They didn't pay him, and that stinks, but he will produce for them this year. Dak Prescott has a new offensive coordinator, and I'm curious to see how that works out for him. He does need to cut down on the picks, but he is still throwing for a ton of yards. Ceedee Lamb is awesome. He is part of these young receivers in the NFL who are taking over and it rules. Lamb is dope. Michale Gallup has been good since they signed him. And they somehow were able to bring in Brandin Cooks. The Cowboys o line is one of the best in the NFL. The defense is interesting. Micah Parsons is elite. DeMarcus Lawrence is steady. Trevon Diggs may be the best cover guy in the league. They signed Stephon Gilmore. Leighton Vander Esch is a tackling machine. The Cowboys have a very good roster on paper. They should be good. But will turnovers and Mike McCarthy running this team be their downfall? Maybe.

At number 10 I have the Detroit Lions. What a turn around for this team. They have expectations now, and I am curious to see how they respond to them. But the Lions should be good. They should win their division and return to the playoffs this season. Jared Goff was never going to live up to the first overall pick hype, but he is a fine game manager who can sling from time to time. I was bummed they let Jamal Williams go, but they drafted Jahmyr Gibbs and, by all accounts, he has been awesome all offseason long. Amon-Ra St. Brown is proving to be a reliable number one wideout. Jameson Williams will come back from suspension and produce. Marvin Jones Jr is a fine third option. And Sam LaPorta feels like he was born to be a decent NFL tight end. The o line is big and angry and plays mean. I love it. The defense has gotten significantly better. Aidan Hutchinson was awesome last season and looks to be even better. Charles Harris helps form a dominant edge rushing duo. The linebacking corps is solid. The secondary has good starters and quality backups. The Lions should be good. They should win double digit games and they should be back in the playoffs. I'd love to see it for a bunch of my family members.

The final team for the day, at number 9 I have the Baltimore Ravens. They did the best thing this offseason when they paid Lamar Jackson. He is an MVP. He is the most athletic QB in the NFL. His passing game has gotten better every year. And he finally has some solid weapons around him. JK Dobbins, when healthy, is a very good running back. He is fast, can break tackles and catch passes. And Gus Edwards is a more than capable backup. They also have a speed threat in Justice Hill deep on their bench. Rashod Bateman, if he can stay on the field, will build on his rookie year. Zay Flowers has looked incredible so far. And they signed Odell Beckham Jr, who I personally think is wildly overrated, but he is another weapon for Lamar Jackson. Mark Andrews is the second best tight end in the NFL. The dude is a TD threat anytime the Ravens are in the red zone. The o line is stacked and blocks their run scheme offense to perfection. The defense has always been good, and they will be good again this season. They just signed Jadaveon Clowney. I know he cannot stay with one team for too long, but wherever he goes he gets sacks and tackles. Roqan Smith was a draft day steal and he is proving to be awesome. Patrick Queen is another tackling machine. Rock Ya-Sin is a very good corner. So is Marlon Humphrey. This team is loaded up and down the roster. They should be good. They just need to prove it. Maybe this is finally the season.

That is it for today. Come back for the next four teams tomorrow. 

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

Ty Ranks the 2023 NFL Teams: Let's Try the New Starry Soda Division

Welcome to day five of my NFL preseason rankings. These are the teams I expect to be in playoff contention all season long.

At number 16 I have the Pittsburgh Steelers. I have never been a fan, but Mike Tomlin is an all time great head coach and he always finds a way to be above .500 with whoever is on the Steelers roster. I expect nothing different this season. Also, we need to recognize how great of a coach Tomlin is. He is awesome. But Kenny Pickett is his QB. He definitely looks better right now, definitely better than his rookie year, but he is still very green and very unproven. I think he can be solid, but I would not want him to be my QB of the future. Najee Harris is incredible. He is one of the better running backs in the NFL. He is big, fast, can break tackles and catch the ball out of the backfield. He can do it all. George Pickens is a blooming star. Lots of players put together viral catch clips, but Pickens is one of two players, DK Metcalf being the other, where those clips look real. They look truthful. The o line, as has always been the case, is very good. They are solid. The defense is always good too. Minkah Fitzpatrick really turned the tide for this team last season. He is a ball hawk and a very solid cover guy. TJ Watt has lived up to the hype coming into last season. I'm not a fan, but the dude can rush the passer. Joey Porter Jr was very good in college and he looks like he can be the real deal in the NFL. His dad is a coach in Pittsburgh as well. Cameron Hayward is steady. Alex Highsmith can play. The defense has always been dependable. The Steelers will, annoyingly, be above .500 and will most likely make a playoff push. Mike Tomlin is that good.

At number 15 I have the Minnesota Vikings. I loathe this team. I cannot stand them. I am a lifelong Packers fan and I think I dislike the Vikings more than the Bears. The hatred starts for me at QB. I have never liked Kirk Cousins. I think he is wildly overrated. I find him cringey. He has bad politics, and he cannot win when it matters. That has all been proven. They should have stuck with Teddy Bridgewater. Dalvin Cook is gone. They refused to pay him and he took off. Good for him. He is being replaced with guys I have never heard of. The Vikings are going to miss Cook. They are really going to miss him. Justin Jefferson is one the best wideouts in the league and the only reason why this offense scares anyone. I have no qualms or problems with Jefferson. He's awesome. Jordan Addison can be a good pro, he just has to slow down when he is driving. TJ Hockenson is a solid tight end, but Cousins relies on him far too much. The o line is serviceable. The defense is nowhere near as good as it used to be. In fact, it may be a liability. They are giving Marcus Davenport a second chance, but I don't think he pan out. That's a bummer because I thought he had potential. Danielle Hunter is a head case. Harrison Smith is washed. And the rest of the guys are a bunch of no names. I think this defense will be their undoing. They may still get a wild card spot, but they will have to outscore teams to win, and with Kirk Cousins at the helm, that is not a very likely outcome.

At number 14 I have the New York Giants. I mean, why did they give so much money to Daniel Jones? He is a less athletic Kirk Cousins. He is not why this team wins games. He is just a game manager at his very best. The money they gave Jones should have gone to Saquon Barkley. He is why this offense works. He does EVERYTHING for this team and the front office could care less. The receiving corps is very mediocre. Again, they rely on Barkley for the run and pass game. They did sign Darren Waller, which I do like and he will help very much. The o line is awesome. They are one of the better overall units in the NFL. The defense is solid. The defense is in good hands. They play their roles very well. Kayvon Thibodeaux hasn't lived up to the massive hype yet, but he is incredibly talented. Leonard Williams is a very good d lineman. He can stop the run and contain the pass. The secondary is led by Adoree Jackson, and he has been fine so far. The linebackers play their parts to a T. The defense is good. Combine the d with Barkley and the Giants will be a playoff contender. Add on that the division stinks, they could very well find their way back to playoffs for a second straight year.

The final team for the day, at number 13 I have the Jacksonville Jaguars. They looked like they may be figuring things out during the second half of last season. Trevor Lawrence looked much better. He seems to be figuring it out and that is a big deal for this team. Travis Etienne is another year healthier and he and Lawrence form a solid backfield. Christian Kirk is a good wideout. Calvin Ridley can be even better than him. And Evan Engram looks to be putting it together at tight end. The o line does the job. The defense used to be what made them great a few years ago, and they are solid now, but with no big names. Travon Walker was the number one overall pick last year, but he is still very raw and finding his way. Josh Allen has been as good as everyone expected at linebacker. The d line is very good. The linebacking corps, led by Allen, plays physical football. The secondary is just fine. The Jags appear to be a much better team with what looks like some staying power. They are young, but they got playoff experience and they should build off that.

That is it for today. Come back tomorrow for the next four teams. 

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 Ranks the 2023 NFL Teams: Is Pepsi Ok? Division

Welcome back to my NFL preseason rankings. I hope you all had a good, relaxing weekend. It is football time yet again. Let’s get to it.

At number 20 I have the New Orleans Saints. A lot of people think they are going to be better than I do. A lot of people seem to think that Derek Carr is going to be the answer they have been seeking at QB since Drew Brees left. I disagree. I do not think that Carr has any type of answer. He is too needy, too sensitive to the media and not a QB I would count on to lead any team on a deep playoff run. I kind of thought they were going to stick with Jameis Winston, and I thought that may be better. Alvin Kamara is still very good, but on the wrong side of his prime and he is going to miss some games at the start of the season due to suspension. Chris Olave was a great draft pick, had a good rookie year and should build on that. Michael Thomas is back as well, but he is, much like Kamara, is on the far other side of his prime. They have brought back Jimmy Graham, but he is clearly going through some stuff. And I don't think Taysom Hill has any kind of answer. The o line is fine. The defense has taken some chances in the draft, but no one has lived up to the hype yet. Cam Jordan is good, but old. Tyrann Matieu gave his best years to the Chiefs. Marshon Lattimore has skills and looks to be the best of the defensive players they have drafted as of late. The rest of the defense is kind of unknown. The Saints have a solid roster on paper, and they play in the worst division in football, but I do not trust Derek Carr, don't like that Kamara is injured, their best receiver is young and defense is not the best. Eight wins may win this division, but the Saints will be lucky to get that many wins at all. I think their ceiling is seven wins.

At number 19 I have my team, the Green Bay Packers. I am so very stoked that they finally got rid of Aaron Rodgers. I was stoked when the trade finally happened. I was ready to move on from him years ago. Jordan Love takes over, and while he is not an upper tier QB, if he can manage games well enough the Packers could surprise. I still have faith, although it is dwindling, in the backfield duo of Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon. Aaron Jones has definitely had his best years already, and Dillon needs more touches. But I like that they have two good running backs. The wideout position has changed, but I like the youth forward look. Romeo Doubs has potential. Christian Watson has the tools to become elite. Luke Musgrave could be a solid tight end. And the o line is still very elite, but has to deal with injuries far too much. The defense has always been this team's problem though. Rashan Gary is an awesome edge rusher, but he is never fully healthy. Preston Smith is a great pass rusher and QB sacker, but he is a zero in coverage. Jaire Alexander is amazing, but he is not an upper level corner back. Darnell Savage can hit, but cannot cover consistently. Rasul Douglas can get some picks, but those usually come after a blown assignment. I can't trust this defense as much as I may want to. The Packers will not be great this season. I wouldn't be shocked if they only win five or six games. But to be rid of Rodgers makes all the difference in the world.

At number 18 I have the New England Patriots. I have never liked the Patriots, but I never really rooted against them either. I root against them now. I cannot stand Mac Jones and his rookie year is looking like a flash in the pan. He has struggled the past two years. They signed Ezekial Elliot, who I have never been a fan of and I fully believe his best days are behind him. The receiving corp is full of has-beens. JuJu Smith-Schuster has had one good season in his career. Davante Parker has done nothing since he was a Dolphin. I don't know a thing about Kendrick Bourne. Hunter Henry is cashed and the o line is a far cry from their Super Bowl days. The defense is what keeps this team ranked this high. Matthew Judon is awesome. Josh Uche is going to surprise a lot of people with his rushing ability. Jabrill Peppers is still kicking in the league. Kyle Dugger can play. Johnathan Jones is a skilled corner. The Patriots d is what keeps them ticking. That and Bill Belichek's punkass. The Patriots may not make the playoffs, but they will be a pain all season long for opponents.

The final team for the day, at number 17 I have the Cleveland Browns. The hype train is up and running once again for this team, but I am not buying it like I never did before. Deshaun Watson should not be in the NFL. He should be answering for the accusations he is facing from multiple women. He should be paying consequences for his actions. That is the only thing that seems fair. Nick Chubb is pretty awesome, but can he duplicate last season's success? That is going to be tough. Donovan Peoples-Jones is a solid wideout, but he is not a number one guy. Amari Cooper is past his prime, but can still run clean routes. David Njoku is an okay tight end, but he is what he is going to be in this league. The o line is fine. They did open up some big holes for Chubb last season. Myles Garrett is still the best dude on that d line, and one of the best in the league. He is incredible. Za'Darius Smith is there now, but this is something like his third team in four seasons. Denzel Ward seems closer to being done. Greg Newsome is talented but still hasn't shown his full potential yet. The Browns should be good. They should be a true playoff team, but you never know what you are going to get from this team, and I tend to believe they won't be as good as others think. But they could win nine or ten games and make the playoffs. Who knows.

That is it for today. Come back tomorrow for the next four teams. 

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

Ty Ranks the 2023 NFL Teams: Regional Grocery Store Brand Cola Division

Welcome to day three of my preseason NFL rankings. We are going to be at the playoff teams soon, but not until next week.

At number 24 I have the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers had the number one pick and used it on Bryce Young. Young is one of the better QB prospects to come along in some time. He is a gamer, he has won the most high stakes games, he performs under pressure and he can tuck it and run if need be. He is small, but that doesn't really matter with the heart he plays with. But, he is a rookie and there will be a learning curve for sure. Andy Dalton is not the answer they need at backup QB. They were able to sign Miles Sanders away from Philadelphia, and they also got Adam Thielen. Both of them are due for a setback, and may be past their prime. DJ Chark is okay enough, but not a true threat. The o line is still a work in progress and will need time to mold. They weren't the best, or even close to it, last season. The defense leaves a ton to be desired. Brian Burns is very good, elite perhaps, but will be double and tripled teamed all season. Jaycee Horn is an okay corner, but not upper tier yet. One of their d ends, Henry Anderson, is already fighting injuries. This defense is not even close to the level they were when they were in the Super Bowl. Neither is the offense. And while I do think they got the best QB prospect in the draft, it is going to take a few years before Bryce Young is playing in critical games again.

At number 23 I have the Tennessee Titans. I feel awful for Derrick Henry. He deserves so much better than this franchise. He is far too good to be wasted playing for a team with no real hope for contention. Ryan Tannehill is still the starter. Why? Malik Willis was not given a real chance and then they drafted Will Levis. He has looked rough in camp, they are unwilling to play Willis, so they are settling for Tannehill. That is a problem. I was excited for a second when they signed Deandre Hopkins, but then I sat back and thought about it. What will he bring? How is Tannehill going to get him the ball? Is he going to really make defenses forget about Derrick Henry to focus on him? I don't think he moves the needle too much. Treylon Burks got hurt the other day. The o line is okay. If they were a little better Derrick Henry would be obliterating rushing records though. The defense is pretty new and unknown. Jeffrey Simmons is middle of the road now. Same for Harold Landry. Kevin Byard is a step slower. There is too much uncertainty with this group. Also, they are going to have to overuse Derrick Henry yet again to try and control the clock. The Titans had a moment, but that moment has passed. They need to rebuild.

At number 22 I have the Washington Commanders. Sam Howell was just named their starting QB. Yikes. He is not the answer. I would have gone with Jacoby Brissett. He has at least played and won at this level. Brian Robinson is a quality starting running back. He can do some things. Terry McLaurin is one of the better wideouts in the league. Jahan Dotson has his rookie year under his belt and I think he will have a good year. Logan Thomas is a fine tight end. The o line is okay. The defense should be better than they actually are though. Chase Young cannot stay healthy and he has not produced like I thought he would. Kendall Fuller should be better. Montex Sweat was a draft steal, but he hasn't hit his true potential yet. David Mayo is blah at linebacker. The defense just isn't at a playoff level. That and Sam Howell will keep this team at 7 or 8 wins.

The final team for the day, at number 21 I have the Denver Broncos. They have Sean Payton, a legit head coach. Russell Wilson should rebound from a very bad season. Javonte Williams is a serviceable back. Jerry Jeudy has all the tools to be a number 1 wideout. The o line is very good. But this offense was horrendous last year. Russell Wilson was not the answer they needed at QB. They don't treat the running backs well. The wideouts never got real looks. Will that change with Sean Payton at the helm and Russell Wilson looking to bounce back? Hopefully, but who knows. The defense went out and signed Frank Clark after the Chiefs let him walk. He is good on the field, but he has off field issues. They also have a very similar guy to Clark in Randy Gregory, except he has been suspended for off field stuff once already by the NFL. Pat Surtain is awesome, but he is the only quality secondary player they have. I just do not know what to expect from this team coming into this season. When I'm in that scenario I tend to be pessimistic. I don't know that Wilson will fully recover from last year. I think Williams will be overused. Jeudy won't get enough looks. The defense will not stop enough dudes and may get into too much off field trouble. The Broncos are too much of a toss up and I'm erring on the side of an average team at best.

That does it for today and this week. Come back Monday for the next four teams. 

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

Ty Ranks the 2023 NFL Teams: A Warm RC Cola on a Hot Summer Day Edition

Welcome to day two of my preseason NFL rankings. The teams are getting a bit better, but not much.

At number 28 I have the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts have not had a formidable QB since Andrew Luck shockingly retired a few years back. Jacoby Brissett was the best that they had in that time, and he did lead them to the playoffs, but that is not saying much. I do really like the Anthony Richardson pick. He is big, athletic and has an absolute cannon for an arm. He should definitely start from day one and I believe he will. But he is a rookie QB, and rookie QB's usually start slow. He will have to learn the NFL, but I think he has a bright future ahead. It will need some time to work itself out though. Johnathan Taylor, their best offensive player, has requested a trade and has been sent home from minicamp. That is never good. They need him if they want any chance at the playoffs. I have not heard of any of their receivers or their tight end. Whatever happened to TY Hilton also? Who will be Richardson's top target? These are things that need to be figured out soon, but I don't think it will be soon enough. The o line has some dudes, and they have been good at run blocking. But with Taylor wanting out, who besides Richardson is going to be the benefactor of this line's blocking? That is a mystery as well. The defense is full of unknown guys. I loved Kwity Paye when he was at Michigan, but he is coming off injury. Deforest Buckner had a moment, but that feels like such a long time ago. I have not heard of a single guy in their secondary. That seems to be a running theme for me with the Colts, and I bet a bunch of other people would agree. I love the Richardson pick, and think it will pan out in the future, but that will not lead to many wins this season. They need time.

At number 27 I have the Chicago Bears. It feels like the Bears are a year or two away from being in my top 10 though. I think Justin Fields is awesome. He can run and sling it. He needs to throw more, but that will come as he plays more and more. But the dude is their guy and they need to keep him around. Running back is iffy here, but with Fields they get the best of both worlds. I love the DJ Moore pick up, and it has looked good in the preseason. Chase Claypool, when healthy, is a solid wideout. Cole Kmet is a decent tight end. The o line is good enough. The offense is in good hands. What hurts the Bears is their defense. They cannot stop anyone. They give up big plays and the offense has to perennially play from behind. They have some names, like Yannick Ngakoue and Tremaine Edmunds, but they feel far past their prime. Jaylon Johnson can be a solid corner, but he needs work. They don't have the players to stop teams. They are the opposite of the Buccaneers. They will score, but they will not stop anyone. Once they shore the d up, watch out though.

At number 27 I have the Atlanta Falcons. I am lower on them than other writers I have seen. I do not have the most faith in Desmond Ridder. He has won everywhere he has played, but that was due to the defense and some playmakers around him. A lot of people are super high on Bijan Robinson, and while I think he will be good, I do not think he is going to be the world beater that some expect. Once teams start to gameplan for him it will be tough. He is going to be facing a ton of eight man fronts, and he is not built like Saquon Barkley yet. I do not think he is ready to handle that type of load as a rookie. Kyle Pitts keeps getting pumped up, but this seems to happen every year since he was drafted, and maybe he is who he will be for his career. Drake London is a fine receiver, but I don't think he strikes fear in opposing secondaries. And the o line is very blah. The defense is very blah as well. Calais Campbell has not been a backfield wrecker for a while now. Bud Dupree, who I loved coming out of college, has not figured it out. Jeff Okudah was told to not let the door hit him on his way out of Detroit. Grady Jarrett doesn't jump off the page for me. The defense doesn't strike me as being very good. Their best feature is the division, and Robinson. But I think they will have a tougher time trying to win enough games to make a playoff push.

My final team for the day, at LA Rams. They were my number one team last year. They have truly fallen off. Matt Stafford is back. Who cares? He seems to have phoned it in after winning a ring. I don't know who the running back is going to be. ESPN's website has Cam Akers, but I thought he was on the Raiders. Cooper Kupp seems like a Wes Welker type, but with less success. And I have no clue who Van Jefferson or Ben Skoworonek are. Tyler Higbee gets hurt far too often. And the o line is old and getting older. The defense, outside of Aaron Donald, is full of unknowns. I truly could not tell you one thing about the names of the starters I see on ESPN. This team had Von Miller a few years back. They had one of the best linebacking corps in the league. Jalen Ramsey patrolled their secondary. All those guys are gone and replaced by players like Christian Rozeboom, Ernest Jones, Jordan Fuller and Russ Yeast. Who even are those guys? Jordan Fuller is the only name that sounds vaguely familiar. The Rams are not great, but at least they got their ring I guess. But right now, going into 2023, they are not very good.

That does it for day two. Come back for day three tomorrow. 

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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

Ty Ranks the 2023 NFL Teams: Flat Faygo Chocolate Cream Soda Division

The next ten days of my blog are going to be football related. I want to let the readers know going ahead. We have both the NFL and NCAA seasons right around the corner, and you all know how much I enjoy football, especially college football. I love doing these blogs also. They are some of my favorites. For the next eight days I will rank the NFL teams from 32-1, then I'll do my postseason and awards predictions on day nine. Day ten is dedicated to college football, and I will do my massive preview and predictions then. Gear up everyone, football is near. This blog will have to suffice until then.

Okay, coming in at dead last in my preseason ranking, at number 32 I have the Arizona Cardinals. This team was a playoff team just a few short years ago. But look at where they are now. Kyler Murray is coming off a pretty devastating injury and looked disillusioned before he got hurt. Deandre Hopkins has been replaced by the undersized Rondale Moore. The o line is not the best. James Conner's prime came and went a while ago. I could say the same for Zach Ertz. The defense is very thin, and their best player, Budda Baker, will most likely be on a different team before this season ends. The Cardinals stink. They will not win many games, and they may be the best bet to get the first overall pick in the 2024 draft.

At 31 I have the Houston Texans. I very much like the CJ Stroud and Will Anderson pick. I'm all in on both of them. I know Stroud looked rough in his preseason debut, but the dude can play. He will figure it out. And Will Anderson can wreck backfields right away. He was a beast in college, he has the determination to blow up and I think he will be an upper tier edge rusher sooner rather than later. Outside those guys, it is not great. Nico Collins is an okay receiver, but not a number one guy yet. I don't even know who Dameon Pierce is, but he is the projected running back starter. Robert Woods is cashed as an upper level wideout. The o line is meh. They overpaid for Dalton Schultz. The defense, outside Anderson Jr, is either too young and not ready, or a bunch of no names. Derek Stingley is good, but he may get traded. Sheldon Rankins had a moment, but who knows if that will happen again. I like that they picked Henry To'oTo'o, but he isn't a starter yet. The Texans are still rebuilding. They made some solid picks this past draft, but that won't pay off right away. They need time. But don't expect a quick rebuild.

At number 30 I have the Las Vegas Raiders. I have very little hope for this team. They have made some wild offseason decisions. Some would call their offseason head scratching. I would be part of that some. I also think Josh McDaniles is way in over his head and thinks he is a better coach than he really is. To not give Josh Jacobs an extension is dumb. He is one of the better backs in the league, he was their leader on offense and he will not play for them again. That is my prediction. He is going to be traded very soon. They replaced Derek Carr, who is wildly overrated, with Jimmy Garroppolo. I mean, Garoppolo is either hurt or, at best, a game manager. That won't mesh with no Josh Jacobs. Davante Adams deserves better than this. I know he wanted out of Green Bay, but him having to play for this team feels cruel. He's too good to be wasted on this team. The o line is good, but they will have an entire new backfield to block for that will not be as good as it was a season ago. The defense is good, but they will be wasted as well. They will have to win games, and they are not equipped for that much responsibility. Marcus Peters is awesome. So is Maxx Crosby. Chandler Jones still has moments, but the defense will be tasked with too much and it will show by the middle of the year. The Raiders should be better, but due to the front office and coaching staff, they are going to find it tough to be competitive.

The final team for the day, at number 29 I have the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They're going to try Baker Mayfield now. We have already seen how that story goes. They let Leonard Fournette walk and replaced him with Rachaad White. Who is that? Mike Evans is in a similar situation to Davante Adams. His talent is wasted here. Chris Godwin deserves better. The o line deserves better. They have no QB and run game. Scoring will be tough. The defense is nowhere near what they were when they won the Super Bowl in 2020. Everyone who is still on the team from then is older. Devin White is still good, but not the player he was in 2020. Antoine Winfield Jr is one of the better safeties in the league, but not a marquee guy anymore. Shaquil Barrett has the goods, but he has not been consistent yet. Lavonte Davis is dope, but he lacks consistency as well. Vita Vea is more known for shotgunning Gatorade than anything else at this point in his career. This team is a far cry from its Super Bowl championship, and I have zero faith in Baker Mayfield being a good starter ever in the NFL. The Bucs are going to have a tough season.

That is it for today. Come back for the next four teams tomorrow. 

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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Tales of the Friendly Lizards

I returned from my vacation around 5pm last night. It was a great trip. I got tons of relaxing time, I got to run whenever I wanted, I swam in the ocean, I ate a ton of sushi, had one of the best steaks I've ever eaten and was surrounded by wonderful company. I even said to myself at one point during the trip how lucky I am to be in a situation where this kind of thing is available to a person like me. I am a very, very lucky person. I fully get that. There was one specific thing that I wanted to point out from this vacation, and it is kind of out there.

Each morning after getting dressed and sun screened, and then heading down to the cafe to get a pastry and coffee, I'd see iguanas or lizards or some kind of small dinosaur looking animal. I'd also see them on my way to the beach from the pool. And when I'd walk to the gym. I'd see them when walking back with my fellow travelers to our room. We would see them on our way to dinner. I was scared at first, but after a while I was fascinated with these animals. They were coexisting with us like there was no threat or problem at all. They never scurried away. I only rarely saw them take on the color of the palm trees and other brush near the walkways. They would just kind of stand there, give you a look and either stay or slowly walk into the brush next to the beach or the sidewalk. It was wild. I started to talk to them on my way to places. They would get a lot of "good morning" or "hey there big guy" or "oh, you are blending in with your surroundings now". The fear quickly dissipated and we were all just hanging out together. One day one of these lizards was hanging out at a lunch spot by the relaxing pool. No one was worried. We were all chatting like nothing weird was going on. One day I got up from my lawn chair to get in the pool and one of the bigger lizards crawled from underneath my chair to another shaded spot. I didn't jump or make a face, I grabbed my phone and snapped a picture. One day I saw a big lizard with a smaller lizard and I made up a whole story for them like they were a mom and child on an adventure. I snapped a few pictures of these lizards, but my best was of one of these dudes just hanging on a bridge walkway to the main pool. I got the full thing in the photo, it let me get close enough to snap the photo, and almost as if it was sensing that I was done, it looked at me and jumped off. I fully believe that this lizard is so used to getting pictures taken that it knows when a person is starting the shoot, and when they are done. I was astonished at how well they blended in and how easily we all got used to these animals. Seeing an animal like this back at home would terrify me. But in Mexico, at the beach, hanging at a pool and just relaxing, these animals were part of the experience. And it ruled.

I am so on board for stuff like this. I wish we were more welcoming in the states so animals like this could coexist without all of us living in fear. If you find yourself heading to Mexico anytime soon, look out for these awesome lizards. They will quickly become your friend. Trust me. 

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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Think Getting Your Kids to School is Tough? Watch the Documentary "On the Way to School" to See What Some Kids Go Through for an Education

This is the week parents start sending their kids back to school. My kid starts on Thursday. My kid also goes to school nearly 20 miles from our home. I have to get up a bit earlier, so does he, and we have to spend 30-40 minutes each way so he can get a world class education. My story is not unique, many parents alter their lives to make sure their kids are in good schools. My story, along with many American parents, is an inconvenience.

Back in 2013 a French documentary called “On the Way to School” was released. The movie is just over an hour long, yet it has occupied a good chunk of my mind over the last decade. The documentary follows four kids in different countries and what they do to just get an education. It is a fascinating and inspiring film.

The movie starts with a young Kenyan child who lives in a hut in the desert. He and his brother have to take a two hour journey every day across the desert to go to school. On their journey they have to be careful to not run into any wildlife like lions and elephants. The two boys make the same journey back at the end of the day. They do this every single day. Along the way they need to stop to fill containers with fresh water and carry them on the journey. The oldest boy is 11 years old. The boys never complain and feel grateful that they have an opportunity to get an education.

The next child we are introduced to a Moroccan girl named Zahira. She along with a few friends take a four hour journey, through mountains and on foot, at the beginning of each week to reach their school. The girls stay for the week and make the journey home when school is done for the week. The only really complaining comes when one of the girls forgets to wear proper footwear for a trek through the mountains.

Our third child is an 11 year old Argentinian boy named Carlos. He and his sister have to cross the Patagonia by horseback to get to school. The journey takes almost two hours each way. This will be the last year of school for Carlos before he decides to go away to a school he will live at or if he gets a job.

The final child is an Indian boy named Samuel. Samuel is in a wheelchair and goes to school with his two brothers helping him. The trip takes over an hour and the terrain are sand, water, and city streets. Again, Samuel is in a wheelchair and during their documented trip a tire gets wrecked, and the boys need to get it repaired. Their spirit is never broken, and Samuel tells the documentary crew that he is going to school so he can one day be a doctor and help kids like him.

The stories of these four journeys are intercut with each other. There are subtitles so you do not have to be native in any language to understand and watch. Each kid shows a quiet determination and an interest in bettering their lives through education. Although each of these children live in very low-income households, they movie never wants you to pity these kids. The journey these kids take, some of them each day, is more inspiring than it is depressing. “On the Way to School” is an incredible film.

This week when we are all dreading the changes in our lives as school starts, I know I will try to temper myself pity by thinking of what I saw in “On the Way to School” The movie can be found on most streaming services for purchase and it is on some services for free with ads shown during the movie. When your kids complain about the bus, car, or walk to school, have them watch “On the Way to School”. They may still complain, but maybe they will have a little better perspective.

RD

RD is the founder and Head Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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