Leon Black, The MVP of "Curb Your Enthusiasm"

The final season of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" premieres this Sunday. Everyone involved has said that this is it, and I fully believe them. I don't think this is one of those situations where people say this is the end but then decide to come back for a movie or reunion. This has a real finale feel. I also tend to believe that Larry David is done with this show too, and he doesn't seem like the type to go back on this. So, with that being said, I want to shout out an actor that turned this show from great to classic.

The first couple seasons of this show were great. They laid the groundwork. We got to know who the main characters are, how they act and live day to day. The show was also hilarious. I loved everything with Larry and Cheryl. The stuff with his dad was phenomenal. The stuff with Cheryl's family was great. Getting to know Susie and Jeff really let us into those characters' lives. Seeing how Larry David interacted with the people he used to work with was pretty excellent. The show worked. But, when they decided to do their thing with Hurricane Katrina, and write it into the show in their own way, this is where the show skyrocketed to being one of the best things in television history.

During the season 6 premiere the audience is introduced to the Black's. They are the family whose house was destroyed from the flood and the David's took them into their home. We get to meet the mom, the aunt and the kids right away. But it wasn't until the next day that we were introduced to Leon Black. Leon might be the greatest side character of all time. JB Smoove absolutely knocks this role out of the goddamn park. It feels like Smoove was destined to play this role. He is too perfect here. The whole idea of the show is, with each storyline, they improvise. There are never any true scripts. They get an idea of what each episode will be about, but there are never any written lines. Or at least that is what I have read. This fits right into Smoove's wheelhouse. He is a true comedian and an excellent comedic actor. He improvises so well with David, Susie Essman and Jeff Garlin. It feels like he makes them go up a level. Everytime he and David get into a shouting match I know it is going to be hilarious. When he starts to talk about Leon's past life experiences, it is so, so funny. When he reminisces I cannot control my laughter. I watched an older episode the other night where Leon and David come up with an idea for Leon to be a "house husband". This means he goes and helps his friends get better deals on home improvement projects. It all blows up in their faces, and Smoove is there to play this all for big time laughs. I also love the episode where we see the Black's leave Larry's house, after he and Cheryl split, and Leon walks up, seeing his family leaving. When Larry asks what he is going to do, Leon tells him he is going to go inside and eat his Chinese food, securing his place in Larry's house. Since that moment they have been roommates and friends. They've gone to Paris together. They have their businesses. Leon played a fake doctor for him. He has been his assistant. He talks to him about his lovelife and Larry's could be better. He despises Irma more than Larry I think. They are inseparable, and we are all reaping the rewards of getting to watch them go on this journey as a team.

I cannot wait to see what they do in this final season, but more so for me, I want to see how they wrap Leon's story. That is what I'm here for. I cannot wait. 

Ty

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

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Michigan Football Fans Need to Calm Down

The Michigan football team has seen their head coach leave for the NFL, hired a new head coach, the best possible candidate, and has seen coaches depart to join Jim Harbaugh's staff in LA. This is how it goes when coaches leave. Harbaugh hired these guys, he worked closely with them, they won a national championship and he wants to continue to work with them and see how they do at the highest level. That is the way.

You see this all the time. Nick Saban had to hire new people all the time. Todd Monken left Georgia three years ago for the NFL. Dan Lanning took the Oregon job and brought some Georgia assistants with him. That is two times Kirby Smart had to get new coaches. Deion Sanders brought a bunch of his staff over from Jackson State when he took the Colorado job. This is the norm. But, when I go on Michigan fan pages lately it is going in two areas, the sky is falling or Harbaugh is "screwing the team over". There is no middle ground. There is no complacency. People are mad and frustrated and they are letting it out online.

I have always been a pessimist when it comes to Michigan. It was always the worst case scenario for me. I could not be satisfied with what they did. Until this past season. They won the national title 22 days ago. I am still living on that high. I have seen two national titles in my lifetime, but this most recent one is way, way more satisfying. They did everything I have always wanted them to do. They won all 15 games they played. Most of them weren't close. They were blowing most teams out weekly. It was a dream. This was the first season in forever where I could relax while watching almost every game. I have never been happier to be a Michigan fan. I feel like some people on these message boards have already forgotten this news. They are more obsessed with the transfer haul the university of Ohio State brought in. They want to fight with people online about the ongoing investigation. They want to yell and scream at Harbaugh. They aren't as happy as they should be with the Sherron Moore hire. It hasn't even been a month since they won it all, but if you read the message boards it sounds more like they just went through a rebuilding season. I don't get it.

Harbaugh and these players gave us fans anything and everything we ever wanted but it doesn't seem good enough for some. I fully understand not being satisfied with just one title these past two decades, but can we fans just celebrate a little longer before bitching about every little thing? As for the staffing stuff, Michigan kept the job in house. They hired Moore, who more than earned this job. The university promoted from within. And while losing Jesse Minter and Ben Herbert is tough, they have already replaced Herbert with his assistant, and they have people on staff that they can hire to be the new defensive coordinator. They can also look to an outside hire, possibly someone on the Ravens staff. I also do not believe Harbaugh is going to leave Moore in the cold. I don't think he will shut him out. I definitely think he will help him anyway he can, just like his brother helped him when he needed coordinators. Moore is also currently putting together a staff. We need to give Moore a chance. It seems like a bunch of so-called fans aren't prepared to do this. It is all doom and gloom. Fans are more worried about kids transferring and the coaches that are no longer on the staff. It is always tough when very good coaches leave, but that is a good thing. Coaches in demand means your team is doing something right. If they just stuck around forever I don't think they'd be happy. I don't believe that most coaches who reach the collegiate level want to be assistants forever. I think most want to be head coaches at some point.

I just want it to all calm down. I want people to remember what just happened. They won it all. They haven't done that since 1997. It has been a long, long time. Michigan is relevant again. They are a power. Moore should be given a chance to continue that with the people that he wants to work with. Just relax and enjoy the title and this team. They were incredibly elite. And Moore is going to do just fine. Go Blue. 

Ty

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

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I Guess I Will Do a Super Bowl Preview

The Super Bowl is set. We have the 49ers and the Chiefs.

Now, before I get into it, both of these teams earned their spot in this game. They beat the teams they were facing. The Chiefs went and won on the road and the 49ers came back from a 17 point halftime deficit. They have been two of the better teams in the NFL all year, they both have solid offenses and very good defense, even the Chiefs really played high level d this season. There are stars on both teams, both coaches have been to this game before and this is a rematch from a few years back of a pretty solid game.

Okay, got that all out.

I could not be more bored by this outcome. I'm sick of the Chiefs always being in the Super Bowl. This is like when the Warriors were constantly winning the NBA title, or when the Yankees were the dominant team in the MLB. I am bored of seeing the same team playing in the championship game every season. They won and earned this spot, but I just want some parity. I want change. I have always had a soft spot for the Ravens and I was rooting hard for them to get to the Super Bowl. I don't really care either way about Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's relationship, so that doesn't even draw me in as something to latch on to for this game. Mahomes is great, Andy Reid is a good coach and the d has stepped up, but I truly don't care about the Chiefs at all. I'm over their whole aura.

As for the 49ers, I've never been a fan. Even when I was a little kid I did not like the 49ers. I always liked watching Jerry Rice play, but there was no one else, maybe Charles Haley, that really spoke to me as a fan. I do not like this new version of the 49ers at all. I know they have plenty of fans, and I definitely sound like a hater, but I just do not like anyone on this team. Deebo Samuel is a good player, he's very versatile, but he is on social media too much. Brock Purdy is an average, at best, QB. I watched what he did last night, and I was not impressed. I mean, congrats to him for being a starting QB in the NFL, but he's not for me. The next two weeks are going to be relentless with him being the "leader" of this team as well. I'm sure ESPN already has multiple storylines about his "journey" to where he is now. I haven't seen any of it yet, but I'm already done with it. Christian McCaffrey is a very good running back, but he is boring as hell. He is the most milquetoast superstar the NFL has in the league right now. He's a dolt. The defense is full of big name guys that I just cannot get behind. I have so many personal issues with a bunch of different players that I just cannot get past. I cannot stand the coach either. He is a hipster doofus who dresses like he's a skater. We all know he is a mid 40's dad. The jig is up my man.

So when I look at this matchup and think about a preview, I am just overall bored. I could care less. I will be spending more time on Super Bowl Sunday air frying food and having snacks. If you all came here for a preview and prediction, this is about as short as it will get. I think the 49ers are going to win. They should have been beaten twice now, but they have found a way to win. The Chiefs will make it tough. They are playing their best football right now, but I see the 49ers putting it all together in the Super Bowl. The Chiefs haven't really exploded on offense, and while the defense is playing at a high level, they got the Dolphins in freezing cold temps, the Bills missed an easy field goal and the Ravens played like the playoff Ravens. They haven't had to face a multifaceted offense like the 49ers.

There you have it, the 49ers will win the Super Bowl 24-21. Then we will all get to hear about how "great" Brock Purdy is as a QB. Hooray. 

Ty

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

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A Message for a Happy Birthday

My son turns 12 today. I am finding this very hard to believe. I feel like he is still a little kid, a toddler. He very much is not a toddler.

Raising a pre teen can be both rewarding and frustrating. Things are no different in my world. I adore my son. He is my buddy. He is getting into sports more and more everyday. He loves football. He is a basketball fan. He enjoys playing baseball and has started to watch it from time to time. He is becoming, against my better wishes, a Michigan football fan. I know that life and I am trying to steer him towards other teams, which is kind of working. But hey, no better time to be a Michigan Wolverines football fan. I coach him in basketball, and while his listening skills still need to be better, he does things at practice lately where I see he is figuring stuff out on the court. I'm an assistant baseball coach, and his fear of the ball when hitting is all but gone. He may swing at too many pitches if I'm being honest. He is a super bright kid who may not push himself enough in school. He is inherently smart, but he doesn't apply himself all the time. He wants to get his work done so he can goof around with his buddies. I get it, but he is too smart to not push a little more in school. We have given him incentives to work hard, not a great parenting moment, but what are you going to do, and it seems to be working. I thought I caught him watching YouTube on his chromebook the other day, but he was studying. It was a wonderful surprise. And he got every question right on that quiz except for one. Studying did the trick. As much as I love him, we do argue. I feel like this is pretty commonplace for a dad and pre teen son. And our arguments are never over the top crazy. He doesn't want to make his bed or clean his room. I often have to remind him multiple times to do his homework. He pees all over the toilet seat. He doesn't really clean up after himself when he makes a mess. I think he plays too many videogames and doesn't work enough, for my taste, on his athletics. And we bicker like a married couple. But this is all very small in the big picture of things. I have to imagine a bunch of other parents my age with kids my son's age deal with the same stuff. And if that is all I have to gripe about when it comes to my son, I think that is okay. I'm not mad at that at all. I do give him a hard time, probably too hard at times, but it is all coming from a place of love.

I love this kid with every single inch of my heart. He is my first kid. He is who made me a dad. It is due to him that I am a stay at home dad, which is the greatest job a person could ever have. I lost weight and became a runner to keep up with him when I first started staying home with him. He was my introduction to my best bud. Without us being at home dads, we may have never met. That is all due to my son being the social kid that he is. I love watching him play football. He is becoming a better player every year, and the fact that I don't have to coach makes watching so much more rewarding. As I said up top, the kid is figuring things out on the basketball court and has no fear when batting in baseball. He takes multiple challenge courses, and he scores A's and B's. He has worked harder lately. He is a funny and fun kid to be around. He makes me want to be social. He pushes me to get out of my comfort zone in social situations. He is so good at chatting people up, and I envy that quality of my son. My son is the best kid there is on this planet. He may drive me nuts, but every time I think of this day, I smile. I'm also grateful and thankful for him. He started this whole parenting thing for me, and I couldn;t be happier.

Happy birthday bud. I love you so much and cannot wait to celebrate with you. 

Ty

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

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So Long Coach Harbaugh and Thanks for the Title

It is official, Jim Harbaugh is leaving Michigan to become the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers. Let’s discuss.

I expected this to happen. I said as much after they won the national championship. He did everything he set out to do in his nine years at Michigan. When he took the job he said he wanted to restore Michigan to a national power. He did that. They won the championship. They have won three straight Big 10 titles. They have been to the playoff for three straight seasons. They have had Heisman finalists. They have had many, many players drafted to the NFL. They have been a winning program pretty much since he took over.

Harbaugh also said that he wanted to make the rivalries feel like actual rivalries again. He did that as well. Michigan went 5-4 versus Michigan State. Michigan has won the last three versus the university of Ohio State. They beat Minnesota on the regular. Iowa can be a thorn in their side, but they have gotten the best of them for the past couple years. They beat Penn State fairly regularly right now. He did that job, making the rivalry games an important thing for the players every year.

He really wanted to return Michigan to a winning program. Save for the 2020 season, he was above .500 every season, culminating with a 15-0 season this past year. That is the most wins in Michigan and in the history of the Big 10 for one year. He won 86 games in his nine years as head coach. That is an average of nine plus wins every season. He won 60 of those games in the Big 10. The Big House became a tough place for visitors to play. He restored the home field advantage Michigan has always loved. And he carved out a new niche as a coach, hiring younger guys with new ideas, and has turned a bunch of them into head coaches and future head coaches. Jesse Minter will be a head coach soon enough. Mike McDonald spent one year in Ann Arbor, and he is now leading the best defense in the NFL. Jedd Fisch just took over the Washington job. And many, many more are going to become head coaches soon, namely Sherrone Moore.

When I wrote about Harbaugh departing for the NFL last week, I said I want Michigan to hire Moore ASAP. All signs seem to be pointing towards Moore getting the job, and he has more than earned it. Coaches are supposed to mentor and help their assistants move on to bigger and better things. That is exactly what Harbaugh did in his time in Ann Arbor.

The thing I love most, outside of the national title of course, Harbaugh put the spotlight on the players. He didn't make himself the face of The University of Michigan football team. Every time there was a post game interview, Harbaugh would say one thing and then grab the player who played the best and have the interviewer interview them. He let his assistant coaches speak on games. He has been an advocate for giving players more power to control their own future. Most high profile coaches think it is all about them. And while that may be the case with Harbaugh behind closed doors, in the open he made sure the players and his coaches got the most shine. Even after they won it all, he let his dad and his players speak. I love that. Coaches may be the CEO and leader, but the players are the ones who perform, and the assistants are the ones calling the plays. They deserve more face time. Harbaugh made a concerted effort to give them their proper shine.

I am not mad or upset or hurt about Harbaugh returning to the NFL. He has an itch that he is going to try and scratch. He wants that Super Bowl ring. He has won the biggest award at every level except in the NFL. He has been to one Super Bowl, but it would not shock me to see him go a few more times. He is a very, very good football coach. He is a maniac as well, and I'm curious to see how that translates to the modern NFL. But Jim Harbaugh is a likeable guy that will bend over backwards for his players. He wants them to achieve. And he did that for Michigan. There is nothing but love from me to Coach Harbaugh. He returned this program to glory. I am stoked to let everyone know I'm a Michigan fan. This is the team I remember from my youth, and they were pretty dominant when I was a kid.

Thank you for everything Jim Harbaugh. Always and forever a Michigan man, and Go Blue.

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 "Penith"

Last week Lil Dicky put out his latest album "Penith". For all intents and purposes it is a soundtrack to his show, which I love also. I have been excited about this album coming out. I mentioned it on the podcast. So, the day it came out, I listened as soon as I could. I went to run at the gym, it was dangerously cold in Saint Louis last week, and turned the record on. I had planned on only doing about four miles that day. But, after turning the record on, I decided to keep going until the record was done. I was so into what I was hearing, I was vibing along and I forgot about my plans and felt good. I ended up doing seven miles that day.

This record is pretty excellent. I have been a fan of Lil Dicky's for a few years now, but he has never really put out a full record. He has songs here and there, he releases them every now and again, but never a full on record. "Penith" is a full on record. There are over twenty songs if you listen to the bonus tracks. What makes this record work so much for me is the space each song puts me in when I listen. I sit back and think about the show and the scene that has each song in it. It lets me reminisce. Again, I love that show, so going back without having to binge it for the millionth time, that is nice. I get to use my imagination. I especially like listening to "Harrison Ave". That song is awesome. It has a very good beat over it, and Lil Dicky's rapping is pretty phenomenal on this track. That episode is also one of the best episodes that I have ever seen on tv. "Brand New", which opens the record, brings me right back to Dave changing things around in his life and career. "Mr McAdams" is pretty fun and a good track. I also really like that episode of "Dave" due to the joke they play on the Met Gala. "Ally's Song" is gut wrenching and sad. And it brings me right back to the heartbreak you feel for Ally. "No Fruits or Vegetables" takes us back to season 1 and the wedding episode. That is where I felt this show got pretty great. This was where I was watching and thought, this has some serious legs. "Hi, I'm Dave" is the theme song to the first season of the show. I would listen to this track on Itunes a ton when it first dropped. To hear it again on this record was pretty cool. The album closes with "We Good", which is one of the more uplifting songs on the album. It also gives us GaTa doing his thing for the first time on the record.

I am loving the album so far. I have listened to it from start to finish three times so far and am not even close to being bored with it or skipping songs. I turn it on and just let myself sit back and listen. I was driving home from the vet today and on the way home my dog and I had a good time dancing to the record. This record is not just a soundtrack either, this is a good hip hop album. Lil Dicky can rap. He has good guest spots, but this record is pretty much all him, with GaTa dropping in here and there. He has good flow and is pretty damn good as a rapper. The beats are pretty solid as well.

I hope he doesn't stop here. I want to hear more music from him. And I hope the tv show comes back as well. But for now, I have "Penith" to listen to until a new Lil Dicky record comes out, and I'm totally fine with that. Check this record out. It is good. 

Ty

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

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Ty Watches "The Curse" Season One

Last week I finished season one of "The Curse". I kept thinking about it a lot since then. I was thinking about it so much that I went back and rewatched the finale last night.

I thought this finale was pretty remarkable. In fact, I found this whole season to be very weird and interesting and thought provoking and pretty solid. This show is very different. It is unlike pretty much anything that is on tv right now. The plot is fairly simple, but the execution was next level.

"The Curse" centers on Whitney and Asher, a married couple that host a HGTV show. They go to their hometown and build climate change friendly homes. They have squabbles with the network, the people who work for them and amongst themselves. Sounds simple enough. But the twists and turns happen galore. This show went to some of the cringiest places one could imagine. There were times where I felt uncomfortable watching. I would squirm on the couch. It was wild. The way these two take advantage of the people in their hometown, especially the indigenous people, is abhorrent. When they think they are doing something nice, it is only for their own benefit or to help the show. They are only out for themselves, so much so that they start to plot against one another.

Emma Stone and Nathan Fielder are dynamic here as well. I was totally blown away by Fielder's acting. He takes the uncomfortableness to a whole new level. If you thought he was awkward on "The Rehearsal" or "Nathan For You", this show makes those people look tame. He is clingy and needy and helpless here. It was a delight to watch. Emma Stone is wonderfully odd and plays a white savior so well. She has no qualms about the things she does as long as she thinks she is helping out the less fortunate. In most cases she is only out for herself. There is a scene in particular when she pokes fun at Fielder for trying to be tough and I was taken aback at how mean and nasty her character could be. It was a tour de force for her. I also appreciate the fact that she is doing stuff like this as opposed to taking on multiple rom coms or dumb coming of age movies. She is taking chances, nailing it and I'm here for it. Benny Safdie is also a revelation. I have always enjoyed his directing, but his acting here is pretty good. And while not as cringey as Fielder, he is right up there.

I think my favorite thing about this show is the long, silent moments. They really make you sit in it. The viewer is almost forced to sit and go back and think about what you just saw. They will have this super awkward scene or moment, and then they will cut to a long shot of a home or the face of the person in the aftermath. You just sit there and go over what you just saw until the silence breaks. It is pretty cool the way they do that. And the way they tell this story, and how they end it, it is one of the odder yet cooler things I've ever watched. They never poke fun at reality tv or home making shows. They never make these awful people seem like they have some good inside of them. They paint these overprigeled rich assholes in the proper light. And I love that.

"The Curse" is not the easiest watch, but if you let yourself get into it, the payoff is pretty exceptional. I loved it. If you are going to watch, and you are a Fielder fan, change your expectations. And if you are going in to watch Emma Stone, change your expectations. This show is unlike pretty much anything out there now, but it is well 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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Take a Little Time and Go Watch "The Court Jester"

In Saint Louis we had freezing rain overnight. This caused school closures, some businesses taking the day off and sports activities being pushed back. But, on Monday's I grocery shop for the family. It is what I have been doing since I became the at home parent. And since grocery stores are seemingly never closed, I did my duties as usual.

When I got to my first stop they had a sign on the door saying they did not open until 11am. I got there at about 20 till, so I sat in my car and played on my phone. While scrolling social media I saw a story about the unauthorized short film "The Court Jester". This is the short where Pauly Shore plays Richard Simmons. By all accounts, Simmons had not given this his blessing, so that is why it is considered an "unauthorized" biography. In reading this story, it was on Uproxx, I did read that Shore said Simmons was coming around to almost giving it his blessing. They screened it at, I believe, Sundance, and it got an ovation. I have been curious about this since I first read a week ago that Shore was playing Simmons in a biopic. I have always been an unabashed fan of Shore's. He came into my movie watching life at the best time. When I was a pre teen, "Encino Man" and "Son in Law" came out during the prime of pay per view, and I watched those movies over and over and over again. I never knew why I was so enthralled by these movies as a kid. But when I became an adult and a father, it hit me. Pauly Shore is what drove me to watch these movies. There was no one funnier than him to me at the time. This was before I got into "SNL". Then I started to watch Sandler and Farley and Rock. Those became my favorites. But for a good long while, I was a big fan of Shore's. I have semi followed his career since I first watched him. I like the movie "Pauly Shore is Dead". I think it is a solid mocking of his career. I was stoked when he was a special guest star on "Workaholics". Listening to him on "WTF with Marc Maron" was very eye opening. I sought out movies like "Bio Dome", "Jury Duty" and "In the Army Now". I was pretty enthused when he appeared on the "Comedy Bang! Bang!" tv show. While his stuff is never serious, or even very good, I find it to be like comfort food for me. It is nice to sit back and turn my mind off and laugh at his nonsense. So when "The Court Jester" was announced, I thought it was going to be a comedy.

It is not. I read the Uproxx story and Shore said as much himself. He took this role in this short seriously. He didn't want to poke fun at Simmons. That was never his, or the filmmakers and writers intention. The Uproxx story, nicely, added a link to watch the short. Since I still had ten minutes before the store opened, I clicked the link and watched the eight minute short.

I loved it. I thought it was pretty excellent. They told a nice, heartwarming story. There is this worker for "The Ellen Show" who is a little heavy and nondescript. The short starts with a shot on this worker staring at a donut and a song plays where the only lyric is, "DONUT". He is then snapped back into reality and told to give Simmons a copy of his DVD to promote on the show. All the while people keep asking who he is, and if he is new. He tells everyone that he has worked there for seven years. He doesn't make it in time to hand over the DVD, and the people on the show are furious with him. During this time, Simmons goes on the show and does his schtick. Anyone who has the slightest clue of who Simmons is knows what I am talking about. And Pauly Shore absolutely nails every aspect of Simmons. He looks like him, he's built like him, he has the same mannerisms and voice as Simmons. He is as upbeat as I remember Simmons being. It is a pretty fantastic impersonation. Eventually Simmons runs into the worker and they have an incredible heart to heart. And Shore nails what it must have been like to have a one on one conversation with Simmons. And there is no poking fun or jokes or anything that could be perceived as cruel. Shore does Simmons as one of the nicest, most comforting people you could ever meet. It was pretty amazing to see him transform into this character.

I highly recommend checking this out. It is only eight minutes, like I said before, but it packs a punch. I was happily shocked at Shore's ability to pull it off. I'm curious if they will make a full length feature. But for now, I have "The Court Jester". And that will do just fine. 

Ty

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

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Happy Birthday to Great All Around Person Dolly Parton

Today is Dolly Parton's birthday. Look, I'm a very late convert to Dolly Parton. I've always known who she is, why she's famous and that she has millions of fans. But, it wasn't until recently, namely the pandemic and the rollout of the vaccine, that I really paid attention to Parton. After what I have learned, I’m a big fan of Dolly.

From what I have read and been told by those close to me, Parton was involved in some way helping the COVID vaccine come out, and come out as fast as it did. I will forever be grateful to her for this. She helped usher in this new normal, and because of her tireless efforts, we are back to some kind of normalcy in America. She is an ally of the LGBTQ+ community. She has never given up her political leanings, but she has always been a supporter of same sex marriage and has always loved that she is an icon within the community. She helped with a telethon after wildfires broke out in the Smoky Mountains. She works with Red Cross and HIV/AIDS related charities. She has an honorary doctorate from the University of Tennessee. Dollywood has been a massive success. She has won multiple awards. She has written books. She revolutionized writing rights for songwriters. Colonel Parker tried to goose her out of money for the song "I Will Always Love You". He claimed that it was standard procedure for a songwriter to hand over half the publishing rights when another artist, namely his artist Elvis Presley, covered a song. Parton refused and the rest is history. Parton was not only a genius songwriter, but a genius business person. She has earned an endless amount of money during her career. She's gone on to do multiple genres of music. She is a country icon, but she has also done pop and rock records. She has covered old blues standards. She has a Christmas album. She's even done bluegrass. Not to be outdone on the stage, she is also a fairly accomplished actor. I just recently watched "9 to 5" with my wife, and Parton was the best one in the whole movie. Her music is all over soundtracks. She's appeared on "Grace and Frankie". She has multiple Hallmark Christmas movies. She has lent her voice to many, many animated movies and shows. She has almost an entire "Simpsons" episode dedicated to her. She's been married to the same person for over 50 years. She's never had kids, but she loves them. She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She has countless awards, including an Oscar. And she just performed at halftime of a Thanksgiving NFL game. She is a wonderful, beautiful star.

Dolly is 78 years old today, but you would never be able to tell. That is amazing. Dolly Parton is a national treasure. I wish I had come to her stuff earlier in my life. I was a snob when I was younger about music and movies. I still have snobbish tendencies, but it is getting better. I would not have watched "9 to 5" or listened to her music in my 20's. Now, being 41, I loved "9 to 5" and I will pop on "Jolene" at the drop of a hat. I love that tune. Happy Birthday Dolly Parton. Here's to many more and keep doing all that you do for the country. You are one hell of an awesome person. 

Ty

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

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Who Should Be the Next Michigan Football Coach

It is looking more and more likely that Jim Harbaugh is going to make the leap to the NFL.

I don't blame him. He accomplished his goal at Michigan. He was hired nine years ago and he said he wanted to restore Michigan into a national power. They just won the national title ten days ago. They have also won the Big 10 three times in a row and beaten the university of Ohio State three times in a row. They have had multiple players drafted. Michigan is as back as any college football team can possibly be.

I was talking to my dad earlier today and we discussed his possible jump to the NFL. I feel like he is still itching to win a Super Bowl, and since he won a college football title, a Super Bowl ring would be the icing on the cake for him as a coach. I also think he is sick and tired of the NCAA. They seem to have a vendetta against Harbaugh, and he is a grown ass man. Why would he want to deal with this? He has been proven innocent at every turn, yet the NCAA will not stop pursuing so-called "incidents" against Harbaugh. I get that he may have grown tired of the constant watchful eye of the NCAA. It is just like Pete Carroll when he bolted USC, and his transgressions were much more severe than anything Harbaugh is being accused of doing. I have read a bunch today that the Chargers are preparing an offer, although they are interviewing other candidates, but I feel it is just a matter of time. Harbaugh is most likely going to get an offer, and I fully expect him to take it.

So that leaves Michigan with a head coaching vacancy. I've seen names floated out there. Names like Lance Leipold, Matt Campbell, Chris Kleiman, and the worst on these lists, Brian Kelly. I don't want any of those guys to become the head coach at Michigan. Kansas is a fun offense to watch, but Leipold has zero expectations in Lawrence, and when they win eight games, that is a massive success. I look at him like I did Brady Hoke. He seems like a much better coach when he doesn't have massive expectations. I could say the same for Matt Campbell. He has done some solid things for Iowa State, but the shine is off him as a big time head coach to me. Iowa State hasn't been great lately, he is hot tempered and I think he might crumble the moment something goes wrong if he were to take over for Michigan. Chris Kleiman is exactly like Leipold to me. No frills, not very fun and doesn't have the will to win at a big time university.

And then we have Brian Kelly. I would be so very upset if Michigan even interviewed this guy. He is a phony, not the best coach, is very bad tempered, rubs people the wrong way, players don't really seem to like him all that much and has never won big. He has made one national title game, where his team was crushed. And that whole deal with his fake accent when he took the job at LSU, that was the final nail in the coffin for me. From that day forward my hatefulness for him grew infinitely. Michigan should not waste their time for one second with this egomaniac. I'm out on those four immediately. I don't even think Michigan should call them unless it is a last resort. And they should never call Brian Kelly. That guy stinks.

So you may be asking, who should they hire then Ty? I'll tell you. They need to stay in house. What they have done the past three years, with this staff, has been very impressive. They recruit players that fit their system, they get quality transfer portal guys and they have very good camaraderie. There are three guys I'd talk to already on the staff. I'd talk to Mike Hart. Jesse Minter and Sherrone Moore. Hart was a Michigan legend as a player. He might be even better as a coach. The running back room since he took over has been the best skill unit this team has. And the backs love to play for him. Hart is the hometown guy you kind of need to keep on your staff no matter what. Minter is young, just coordinated one of the most dominant defenses in the history of college football and proved he didn't need signs to do his job at an elite level. Minter has a sophisticated, NFL level defensive unit and has gotten better and better the past two years. He is going to be a head coach soon, so why not give him an interview where he is currently employed. I will say, I do think he will go with Harbaugh if Harbaugh asks him to go to the NFL. I think those two may be linked for a while now. And finally we have Sherrone Moore. This is who I want them to hire if I'm being honest. Moore proved his worth this season. He basically got an on the field interview during the season. Harbaugh was suspended the last three games of the season, the most important games, and Moore shined. He dominated a high level Penn State defense. He didn't call a single pass after the eight minute mark in the second quarter, and it worked. He then had a possible trap game with Maryland, that he came out with a favorable outcome. He then outcoached Ryan Day in the biggest rivalry game of the season. Moore took chances, seemed more comfortable with his players and trusted the rest of the staff that day. He also won two of those three games as the road team. Moore has called a solid, tried and true offense for two years. He has coached the o line for three years, and that may be the best unit on the whole team. He also proved his worth to Michigan four times this past season, three of which were tough games for a head coach.

Michigan needs to stay within the staff they already have right now if Harbaugh does jump like I expect him to. And they have three excellent options already on the staff. Do the right thing Michigan. Give Moore this job. He has earned it and he deserves it. This is the best option by a million miles if/when Harbaugh leaves. It has always been, and should be, Sherrone Moore. 

Ty

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

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Ty Watches the Trailer for "Spaceman"

Yesterday I watched the trailer for the movie "Spaceman". This is the new Adam Sandler movie that premieres on Netflix in March. Let’s discuss.

I have been an Adam Sandler fan from the moment I first saw "Billy Madison". I then went back and watched his stint on "SNL", and pretty much all of his other stuff. He had a fan for life from then on out. I even saw "Little Nicky" in theaters, on my birthday. I watched both "Grown Ups" movies in the theater. I have never finished "Ridiculous 6". I enjoy Sandler's work and will continue to watch almost everything he is involved in. So, this new movie "Spaceman" got my attention simply because I saw Sandler in a picture for the trailer.

I watched it, and I am amped to see it in a little over two months. The movie looks very cool. I am a fan of sci-fi space movies. The set alone will draw me in no problem. I like movies that take place in space because I know I will never go into space. So, I like to see how these writers and actors portray that on screen. I love the "Alien" franchise, minus some of the newer movies. "Blade Runner" is one of my all time favorite movies. I really loved watching "Gravity" in 3-D. That was the best way to watch that movie. That was the closest I think I will get to feeling like I'm in space. I'm a sucker for a space movie. So, I was sold based on that alone. Then I watched and focused on the story. I am all in now. It is about some NASA employees that go on lone space missions. They study and record what life is like, alone in space. I got a real "Black Mirror" vibe from the trailer. Carey Mulligan plays Sandler's wife, and she is one of the best actors in Hollywood. She always brings it, always does a great job and brings brevity to any movie she is in. In this trailer that comes across tenfold. Once she shows up I have an immediate reaction thinking this is an upper tier movie. Then the trailer tells us the movie is written by the people that wrote "Chernobyl". I never saw that show, but from what I read, it was pretty amazing and very grim. These are three key facts that very much intrigue me. As I said before, I'm all in on this movie. Throw in the fact that Paul Dano plays a talking spider, that is icing on the cake. This movie is going to be weird and awesome, hopefully. I cannot wait.

I also want to say, I love this new direction Sandler is going with his movie choices. He is doing some really interesting stuff and I'm here for it. I loved "Uncut Gems". It is a little overlong, but that movie is intense and Sandler crushes it in the lead role. It is criminal that he didn't get awards consideration. Then he did "Hustle". I like that movie even more. I am a sucker for basketball movies and Adam Sandler movies. Combine those two, what a recipe for success. "Hustle" also happens to be a very well made, well written and well acted movie. And now we have "Spaceman". Sandler is on a roll of movies that speak to me as a fan. These are not outrageous comedies, which he already has done and perfected. These aren't movies where he is letting his buddies goof around. These aren't paycheck movies that he is making to just get paid. He is taking real chances on interesting and different styles of movie. I love that and I love that he is stretching his chops. I hope he keeps doing cool stuff like this for a good long while. This is awesome. 

Ty

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

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Make Shorter Movies

I was listening to "Comedy Bang! Bang!" earlier today and Scott Aukerman brought up a pretty good point about the length of movies. He had Jake Johnson on as his main guest and they started a conversation about the most recent "Spider Verse" movie.

Aukerman mentioned how much he liked it, but that he was annoyed at the ending. I heard a lot of people make this complaint as well. I thought it was fine because it means more of these movies. I want all that I can get at this point. But that is not what I took away from all of this. While talking about the movie, Aukerman mentioned that they should just make one five hour movie. Johnson said that he didn't know how long each movie is, but that he is fine with whatever they do because he loves these movies.

But Johnson did mention that he is not a fan of super long movies. Aukerman agreed. They both said that 90 minutes is the perfect amount of time to watch a movie. Johnson said that he loves Martin Scorsese, but he hasn't seen many of his recent movies because they all approach three hours. Aukerman said he has seen "Killer of the Flower Moon", which he liked, but he also said that it felt very long. I sat back and thought about this as I listened to them gripe about it, and I have to say, I fully agree with their assessment.

Movies are very, very long now. A movie I love, "Uncut Gems", is about two and a half hours long. I have a lot of love for the movie, but there are definitely things they could have cut from the movie. The whole scene with The Weeknd felt unnecessary. The constant fights with his wife felt tacked on. I wanted more of the family stuff or the Kevin Garnett stuff. They could have cut things here and there and made that a two hour movie with ease. And I still would love it. I am a big time fan of the "John Wick" franchise, and each movie seems to get longer and longer. These movies keep me intrigued, but still, they can cut some stuff down and make these movies a hair over two hours, no problem. I enjoy watching Judd Apatow movies, but he keeps making two plus hour comedies. That is way, way too much time for a comedy. Ninety minutes should be the hard cut for a comedy. I also love sci fi, and the fact that those movies keep pushing two and a half hours is nuts. "Blade Runner" is 1 hour 57 minutes. That is kind of perfect. I'd so much rather watch "Blade Runner" than "Interstellar". A movie that clocks in at 90 minutes, or even 1 hour 45 minutes, that is the exact amount of time that I want to sit and watch a movie from start to finish. A movie that length will keep my attention, I won't squirm in my seat, and that feels like the perfect amount of time to tell a well thought out story. These "epics" almost feel like the writers and directors don't know how to finish the movie, so they just keep filming and writing more and more. It is like the movie "Babylon". They had no idea how to end that, so they kept making it and eventually had to end it. They did that with a death, the most common way to end these "epics". Movies that are shorter get you in, hold your attention for the allotted time and get you out. That's the way it should be.

We need more 90-115 minute movies. That would rule. 

Ty

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

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It Is a Good Day to Be a Green Bay Packers Fan

The Green Bay Packers went into Dallas yesterday and won. The Packers are the youngest team in the playoffs. They have guys that have little to no experience in high pressure games. I expected them to win no more than seven games at best. I thought they may be looking for a new head coach at this point. I was out, a bunch of other people were out and I was kind of ready for a rebuilding season.

They went the other way though. They eeked out nine wins and secured a playoff spot on the last day of the season. I was stoked that they scraped together some ugly wins and finagled their way into the playoffs. But I assumed it was over there. I was talking to a brother of mine earlier in the week saying that I thought they had a minor shot to beat the Cowboys, but the both of us concluded they were not going to win. They proved us both wrong.

This win was so gratifying for two main reasons to me personally. First, they beat the Cowboys. This is the self proclaimed "America's Team". They had all the momentum in the world. They had home field and they were on a winning streak. They got to face the Packers. And Green Bay went in there and scored 48 points. Against the supposed vaunted Cowboys defense. Sure, one of the scores was a pick 6, but that still means the Packers offense scored 41 points. That is amazing to me considering the players. Jordan Love far exceeded my expectations this season. He was more than capable. He never really floundered all season long. He kept a level head and managed to do some solid things as an NFL starting QB. Aaron Jones was seemingly hurt all year but has come out very strong in the past four games. He was especially great yesterday. He had three tds and looked like a man possessed. It was awesome to see him playing so well. The receivers, a young group with no star player, came on strong and have been pretty reliable. They have taken some chances in the later rounds of the draft, and it looks to be paying off. The defense, which has been a bit of a problem, came to play yesterday. The run defense was good. The run defense has been good all year, but they took it up a notch. The pass defense, the clear problem area, was pretty on point for the majority of the day. They gave up a few garbage, pointless tds yesterday, but when it mattered most, they were up to the task. This was satisfying. I love it because not a ton of people are talking about the win, but they are talking about what went wrong for the Cowboys. This is great being a Packers fan because they can still fly under the radar, but the Cowboys continue to get lambasted everywhere. It is gratifying.

Second, the win also makes me even happier that they moved on from that insane clown Aaron Rodgers. He was looked at as the only reason the Packers did anything for the past decade. He was the "glue guy" whenever the Packers had a good season. And when he asked out, and was traded, everyone, and I mean everyone, figured this was it for Green Bay. Hell, even I have said, many, many times, that the Packers were due for a rebuild, and this season would be the perfect time. But look where we are now. Aaron Rodgers gets hurt four plays into the regular season and has gone on to do insane things all year long. He has promoted his conspiracy theories and anti-vax nonsense any time he is on ESPN. He goes on wild rants about "woke culture" and "cancel culture". He vomits diarrhea from his mouth any chance he can, and almost everyone is starting to see how nuts he truly is. And what is Green Bay doing? They are winning playoff games behind a quiet, young good QB. They have a solid o line. The run game is stout. The defense is playing better. And Matt LaFluer is proving to everyone, myself included, that he is a good, viable NFL head coach. It makes me so, so happy that they moved on from that wacko and the results on the field are all the same.

Yesterday was a very good day to be a Packers fan. I hope it continues throughout the playoffs, but if it doesn't, and their season ends in a week, at least they beat the Cowboys in Dallas. And they did it with Jordan Love. What a great, great day. 

Ty

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

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Aaron Rodgers is Still an Idiot

Aaron Rodgers has lost his goddamn mind. He has become the epitome of white privilege.

Rodgers goes on the biggest sports network in the country, on one of the biggest and most popular sports programs currently on in the country, and complains about "cancel culture". I loathe the term "cancel culture". That term, to me, is what rich white men use to try and blow off any mistake or outrageous thing they do in the public's eye. They think it is a term they can use to get out of any scenario they don't agree with. And Aaron Rodgers has become the poster child for doing this in his everyday life. He recently went on "The Pat McAfee Show", a horrible show that lets all the people see how far down the rung ESPN has gone to stay relevant, and said that Jimmy Kimmel may have been on Epstein's List. That is such an awful, horrible thing to say, and he has no credible evidence to say such a thing. Kimmel made a joke. That is what he made his money doing. But Rodgers took it at face value and decided he was "going to get even". So he said this awful thing on national tv, and as we all expected, ESPN reprimanded him and Pat McAfee.

The first action they took was an apology. That was about as small a thing they could do, but at least they did something. Even McAfee said it was inappropriate. But, to no one's surprise, Rodgers was back on again, and this is when he went on his insane rant about "cancel culture". He mentioned his anti-vax status, like a true moron. He talked about conspiracy theories, and how some of them have been "proven to be true", like a true psychopath. He talked about how people were coming after him, but he "truly doesn't care", which is contrary to his whole unhinged monologue. And it was just downhill from there.

Aaron Rodgers is a rich, famous athlete. He has made tons of money. He has tons of fans. He has appeared in tv and movies. Some people, not me, still root for this maniac. But this has got to be the beginning of the end for this lunatic. He has no place to complain about anything. He was brought up with no real struggle. He has been a pro seemingly forever. He has been paid handsomely. But he still finds something to be outraged about. He finds something to complain about. He wants the focus to be on him and how downtrodden and tough it is to be Aaron Rodgers. Well, I don't care what he says. I want him to continue to dig himself in bigger holes. I want him to make it harder and harder for people to root for this idiot. I wish he had actually tried to come back from his ACL injury. It would have been absolutely hilarious to me to see his achilles rupture even further. Then maybe he could go on another "darkness retreat" and get himself "immunized".

Aaron Rodgers is a dinosaur. He is a privileged white man that continually tries to find ways to say that he is being chastised from the mainstream media, which I'm surprised he hasn't called it the "lamestream media" yet. Rodgers will not be asked to be back on McAfee's show for some time now. But I would guarantee that when he comes back, he will go on some other insane rant about his time away from the show was due to "cancel culture". What a sad person Aaron Rodgers has become. He is a true crazy person that needs real help from a mental health professional. That may be the only thing that can help him now. But I doubt it. 

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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

An Ode to the Careers of Two Football College Legends

Two titans of the coaching world in football are moving on/retiring. Let’s discuss.

I first heard that Nick Saban was retiring when I was scrolling through Facebook last night. A friend of mine posted something about it, but I thought he was just screwing around. I went and tried to find something on a reputable website, but nothing came up right away. So I gave it about ten minutes and checked again. It was EVERYWHERE that Saban was walking away. I was stunned. He took the team he had this season to the playoff. He has won six titles since he took over as the head coach at Alabama. He won another title when he was the head coach at LSU. He had minimal success with the Dolphins before leaving like a coward when the Alabama job opened up. But, for me as a true college football fan, he has been the face of Alabama and their dominance since his second season. His team's have been wildly impressive since he took over. He coached guys like DJ Fluker, Julio Jones, Tua Tagovailoa, Jalen Hurts, Devonta Smith, Derrick Henry, Alex Leatherwood, Quinnen Williams, CJ Mosley, Dont'a Hightower, Minkah Fitzpatrick and Mark Barron, just to name a few. Oh, he recently just coached Heisman winner Bryce Young. Jalen Milroe is a stud. Jahmyr Gibbs transferred in and became a first round pick. Jaylen Waddle is a budding star. The list could go on and on. These are just some of the players he coached at Alabama mind you. He has had other stars at his other stops. But what made him so dominant at the college level was not only the talent, but his passion. Nick Saban is a maniac. This is the same dude that, after winning a national title, he complained that he had to start recruiting again. He was never satisfied with the product. Once he got a ring, he wanted more. It was that drive and grit that made him the greatest college football coach of time. I don't think there is a better one out there. He has played against all of the other greats, and gotten the best of all of them. Look at his coaching tree and all those guys he beat during his tenure. It took Kirby Smart a long while before he beat Saban. Jimbo Fisher only has a few wins against him. I don't know that Lane Kiffin has a win over him. Steve Sarkisian got his first this past season. Butch Jones had a melt down after taking the Tennessee job just trying to beat him. Billy Napier never got Florida over the hump. Jeremy Pruitt and Mel Tucker had to leave their head coaching jobs due to scandal. He has also produced pro coaches. Guys like Brian Daboll, Joe Judge and Bill O'Brien have all spent time under Nick Saban. What Saban did for the college football game and Alabama may never be matched. Alabama was always a threat. When Michigan drew them in the playoff this season I wasn't thrilled because of Alabama's past and potential. He struck fear in opponents. He had the best recruiting pitch. He hired the best coaches. And he always found ways to win. The NFL was never for Nick Saban. He was always destined to be a college football head coach and he became the best the game has seen to this point. It will be odd to not see him on the sideline next season, but congrats on a coaching career that may never be matched. Nick Saban is an all timer.

As for the NFL, well, Bill Belichek and the Patriots have "mutually" parted ways. This felt like a long time coming, but when this news hit this morning, I was still a little taken aback. Bill Belichek turned himself into one of the greatest head coaches the NFL has ever seen. The things he did with the Patriots starting in the early 2000's is the stuff of legend in the coaching world. The guy had an eye for talent when it came to players and assistant coaches. He had this odd sense that he could get the most of people that not many saw much potential. Drew Bledsoe, their star QB and former number one overall pick gets hurt and they turn to some 6th round backup named Tom Brady. We all know what happened then. It was a decade plus of dominance with that pairing as QB and coach. The Patriots always seemed to win and always seemed to be in the thick of the playoff race. Even the season Brady went down in week one, the Patriots still managed to win ten games with Matt Cassell as their starting QB. That has a lot to do with Belichek. This guy also took chances on players. He brought in Randy Moss and had that electric offense. The best years of Laurence Maroney's NFL career were in New England. Ty Law was an all pro under Belichek's tutelage. Lawyer Milloy became one of the best safeties in the league. Benjarvus Green Ellis had a career because of him. The same could be said for Wes Welker, Danny Amendola and Julian Edelman. Richard Seymour made a name for himself in the league because of Belichek. The guy had an eye for these "diamonds in the rough". He also knew how to hire good assistants that figured out how to work with him. Josh McDaniels isn't much of a head coach or person, but the dude can coach a Bill Belichek offense. Matt Patricia only got a head coaching job because he ran Belichek's defense to perfection. Joe Judge was a special teams coach under Belichek, after working for Saban, and that reputation of working with Belichek got him the head job with the Giants. Brian Flores is an amazing defensive coordinator and he more than deserves another shot at being a head coach. Romeo Crennel had a few good years with the Browns. Charlie Weiss parlayed his coordinating job into a few head coaching jobs, namely Notre Dame and Kansas. Hell, even Nick Saban spent time working under Belichek when he was the head coach of the Browns. While a good amount of these guys never reached the heights Belichek has, they had massive success working from, and learning from, Bill Belichek. I don't know what the future holds for him, but I would be a little stunned if he isn't hired by one of the seven teams with a current opening very soon.

As it stands on January 11th, both Bill Belichek and Nick Saban are no longer football coaches. That seems wild to say, but here we are. Crazy. 

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 Reads "Dumb Ideas"

Over the holiday break I decided that I wanted to get back to reading more books. I put about five or six different books on my list, and like a stroke of good luck I got most of them. Now, when I say books I'm not talking about the stuff we read in school or what is in popular demand. I like comedy books. I like books on photography. I enjoy real life sports stories. These are the types of books I like to read. One such book that I put on my list and hoped to get was "Dumb Ideas" written by Dan Curry and Eric Andre.

I, as you all know by now, am a big time Eric Andre fan. I love his talk show, I'm a fan of "Bad Trip" and his new podcast has fast become one of my must listens when a new episode comes out. I also enjoy seeing him pop up tv shows and movies that I did not know he was going to be involved in. So, a new book about his pranking written with his writing partner, sign me up.

I loved this book. I am not a fast reader, but it only took me a little over a week to finish. I would find myself cracking up while reading. But he also put some nice stuff in there too, especially about his mom. But make no mistake, he always buttons the nice stuff with a very solid joke. The way the book works out, Curry and Andre take turns writing different chapters about their lives, their ventures on "The Eric Andre Show" and any other stuff they find funny. I enjoyed reading about how Andre got into the pranking world. It seemed like he was destined for it from what I read, but it was still pretty cool to see where it all started. I also liked reading him write about finding himself in the prank world. Curry would follow this up with how he almost fell into this world. He had other plans, but pranks would always pull him back in. I also enjoyed both of them giving their takes on the shenanigans behind the scenes on "The Eric Andre Show". I loved hearing about the people who worked there and who Curry and Andre trusted. One of my all time favorite pranks on the show was when Andre went to a MENSA meeting dressed in full knight armor. I laugh every time I watch that. Well, they did full chapters about that whole situation. It was awesome. There is a big chapter on Kraft Punk, one of the best characters on the show. Kraft Punk is a menace, and they give the reader all kinds of details. It is epic. They talk a whole lot about them crashing the 2016 RNC. That was funny/terrifying. We get a full Andre chapter about the odyssey of "Bad Trip". There is so much more to that story than I ever knew. Reading about each season of the talk show and the styles Andre tried to go with, that seemed harrowing. We even get to read about both guys' ventures in college, and how much they rip on that. There are also fake quotes from made up philosophers. They give the reader pranks to try if they seem wild enough to go for them. And there are nonsensical emails between Andre and his mom that are pretty hilarious.

"Dumb Ideas" is a very good, very funny and wonderful read. I highly recommend this book to fans of Andre's career and want to hear from his writing partner as well. It is 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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Go Blue

Michigan football did it. They won the national title last night.

The game was close until about seven minutes left. That was when Blake Corum ran it in, and then Mike Sainristil took a pick 81 yards to the redzone, and then Corum punched it in one more time to seal it, 34-13.

Michigan finished the season 15-0. That is the most wins in Big Ten history. That is tied for the most wins with four other teams. Jim Harbaugh revamped his coaching staff, got younger, adjusted and brought a national championship to his alma mater. He accomplished the goal he had when he took this job nine years ago. He has restored the Michigan football program back to being a perennial threat. This is their third playoff appearance in a row. The third time was the charm for this team. They exorcised all of their demons. The people who said Harbaugh couldn't win a big game were proven wrong. He beat Alabama in the Rose Bowl, and then went on to dominate Washington, the only other undefeated team in division 1, in the title game. He has also beaten the university of Ohio State three times in a row. Harbaugh has proven the doubters wrong. Blake Corum came back from a tough injury last year to lead this team, and become one of the best running backs in the history of Michigan football. JJ McCarthy took over as the starter last season and hasn't looked back. He is now 27-1 as the starting QB. The defense has become this boa constrictor. They just squeeze and squeeze and squeeze until their opponent can't take it anymore. Thank you to former Indiana coach Tom Allen for the boa constrictor comparison. The defense is also full of talent. There isn't one guy, this is a collection of super talented players that do what is best for the team. But what I love most about this team is the fact that they are just that, a team. They may have a few players that the media focuses on, but make no mistake, this is a team. They play for one another. Their individual success is the team's success. They don't care who the "star" player is, they just care about each other achieving the team goal of winning it all. Which is what they just did last night.

Of all the seasons to win it all, it is kind of perfect that it was this season. Michigan started with their head coach suspended for the first three games due to "burgergate". Apparently Jim Harbaugh bought some recruits hamburgers during the 2020 recruiting dead period, and also watched workouts during the same time. It is small fries compared to some other infractions, but he was still suspended. Michigan easily won those games as they were against inferior opponents. Then Harbaugh came back. Michigan continued to win, but during the Rutgers game, Greg Schiano made some odd comments. He seemed to allude that Michigan may have had some intel as to what signals Rutgers was using. It was of no mind the following week when Michigan traveled to Nebraska and absolutely smashed them in their first road game. They were 5-0 at this point and riding high. They proceeded to cruise over Minnesota in a nationally televised night game, and I was starting to believe in this team's potential. Then they proceeded to demolish Indiana, and this was when Tom Allen gave us the boa constrictor line. Then they had a bye week. Then all these stories came out, mainly from ESPN, that Michigan was involved in some kind of espionage sign stealing enterprise. It was the talk of every sports channel. I even saw some reputable news sources talking about it. The way it was reported, you would have thought Michigan was breaking some kind of law. They were the villains. Everyone, outside of their fanbase, painted them as cheaters. They were called despicable. Talking heads on sports shows said they wouldn't recognize them as champs if they won it all. People on message boards were saying hateful, awful things about their coach, the players and us fans. Michigan took this all in stride and came back from the bye week facing rival Michigan State, whose coach was fired for having an affair with a speaker, which everyone seemed to forget about, and beat them 49-0. I started to buy in even more. They had Purdue next, and Purdue's coach acted holier than thou, calling Jim Harbaugh a spade. Michigan beat them 41-13, and it wasn't even that close. Then the calls from Big 10 coaches came about suspending Harbaugh immediately for the sign stealing allegations. Remember that these have always been, and still are, allegations. The new Big 10 commissioner did something unprecedented and suspended Harbaugh immediately for the rest of the regular season. These were Michigan's three most important games. This was going to define their season. These games would determine if they would win the Big 10 again, and make the playoff again. Harbaugh and Michigan took the suspension and gave the interim head coaching job to offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Sherrone Moore. He proceeded to lead Michigan to a win over Penn State, in Happy Valley. And that game wasn't close. This was a gratifying win because Penn State's coach was acting all high and mighty all week leading up to the game. And Moore outcoached him, ran the ball down his defense's throat and won. They then beat Maryland in a game that was way too close for comfort. But I feel like every championship team needs one of these games to keep them honest. They then had the university of Ohio State. Ryan Day got everything he wanted in this game. Harbaugh was suspended, the media was on his side, the refs were on his side, all of his players were healthy and ready to go. And guess what, he still couldn't beat Michigan. Moore outcoached Day's punkass and led this team to a third straight win over their biggest rival and a shot at a third straight Big 10 title.  Harbaugh served his second suspension and came back. And you all know how this season ended. They throttled Iowa, then won a thriller over Alabama and closed it out with a runaway win in last night's title game. It was awesome.

As I said up top, it was a euphoric feeling at the end of the game last night. I remember when they won in 1997, but I was only 15. This time I'm an adult. I will remember this as long as I live. This team is going to go down as one of the best teams in the history of college football. If Harbaugh does leave for the NFL, I have no ill will. I think it is going to happen to be honest with you. If he does leave, I'd give the job to Moore without a second thought. And, along with Harbaugh, I want to thank Blake Corum, Donovan Edwards, the entire o and d line, all the wideouts, the tight ends, Will Johnson, Makari Page, Rod Moore, Junior Colson, all the other secondary and linebackers, and Jesse Minter and Sherrone Moore. As well as Jay Harbaugh, Mike Hart, Mike Elston and Stev Clinkscale. And every other player and coach I did not mention. This was a team's team and they accomplished the ultimate goal. They did it with tough interior play, elite tackling and one of the best college football defenses in history.

Thank you Michigan football. Thank you so much for this wonderful title. I am forever grateful and will never forget this as long as I live. I'm on cloud nine right now. This is one of the best things I've seen in sports in my life. This is euphoria. Always and forever, Go Blue. 

Ty

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

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Ty's 2024 NFL Playoff Predictions

The NFL playoffs are set. There are some surprise teams and some teams we all knew were going to be there from the start. I'll do my playoff predictions today and pick the MVP of the Super Bowl. The playoffs are here and this is when the fun begins.

I'll start with the AFC.

The Ravens earned the first round bye. They had an awesome season. The 2-7 matchup features the Bills and Steelers. The Bills won the division last night, eking out a close one over the Dolphins. The Bills are a good team that seems to find ways to come up short in the playoffs. The Steelers are here by pure luck, but they do have a solid team that has found ways to win games all year. That being said, I have the Bills finding a way to win a playoff game, finally, and advancing to the next round. The 3-6 game gives us the Dolphins facing the Chiefs. This one is tough for me. The Chiefs should win. They have homefield, they are a better team and have a much improved defense. The Dolphins have an explosive offense. They can score in bunches and bunches. They have speed everywhere and their offense is magnetic. Their defense is riddled with injuries and inconsistencies. I don't have a ton of faith, but I'm going with the Chiefs, strictly based on having home field advantage. The 4-5 gives us the Texans facing the Browns. This is offense versus defense. This is an up and coming team facing a team finally living up to their expectations. This is Joe Flacco versus CJ Stroud. Give me CJ Stroud. He has been on fire all season and that will continue in his first playoff game. I also think Demeco Ryans is a very, very good coach too. He will prove that this weekend.

So, that gives us the Ravens facing the Texans and the Bills facing the Chiefs. The Ravens are going to exorcise some demons this season. I feel it. They will win this game and win big. Lamar Jackson is going to prove how great he is, and how deserving he is of the MVP this year. The Chiefs and Bills game is tough. I have no faith in either team. The Bills have already beat the Chiefs once this season, and that was before the Bills went on a win streak. The Chiefs will have to travel, and that will be their final undoing to this inconsistent year for the Chiefs. Bills win.

That means I have the Ravens playing the Bills in the AFC title game. The Ravens will win in a walk. They are the better team and they will prove their worth in the playoffs this season. Ravens advance to the Super Bowl.

Now for the NFC.

The 49ers walked to the one seed, they have the best team in the NFL and they should be the heavy favorites to win it all this season. The 2-7 matchup features the Cowboys and Packers. The Cowboys have an elite defense, they have a great QB and pass game and they have home field. The Packers, inexplicably, are here. They beat the Bears yesterday to secure their spot. Jordan Love has played way above expectations, the run defense is solid and they can control the clock from time to time. But, the Packers secondary is mediocre and that will be their downfall. The Cowboys win. The 3-6 gives us the Lions and Rams. I have seen all the stuff about Matthew Stafford coming back to Detroit, that the Rams are primed for a playoff push, that Sean McVay is a playoff coach. I don't buy it. The Lions offense has been steady almost all season. The defense is bend, don't break to the nth degree. They have solid special teams. And they are playing at home. The Lions are going to win and give their fans even more time to celebrate a wonderful season. The 4-5 game features the Buccaneers and the Eagles. This is a toss up, which feels wild to say at this point. The Buccaneers won the division. They also only won nine games. Baker Mayfield is their QB. They do get to play at home, but does that even matter here? The Eagles are reigning NFC champs. But they have been bad over the whole last half of the season. The offense has stalled and the defense has been horrendous. This feels like it should be an easy Eagles win, but with the way they've been playing, I don't trust them at all. I'm going with the Eagles, but I have zero faith.

So that gives us the 49ers facing the Eagles and the Lions facing the Cowboys. The 49ers have trounced the Eagles once already this year, and it will happen again in this game. The 49ers will be able to stop the Eagles offense, and the 49ers offense will score all over the Eagles defense. This game could get ugly. The Cowboys and Lions will be a much better game. This should go down to the wire. They played very recently and that game was good, until the refs screwed the Lions over. That won't happen this time. I have a ton of faith in this Lions team. They are a good, young and hungry football team. I have the Lions advancing to face the 49ers in the NFC title game.

Here is where it ends for the Lions. The 49ers are prime to return to the Super Bowl after a year away. They are the most complete team in the NFL and they are on a mission. They win the NFC with relative ease.

That leaves us with the Ravens facing the 49ers in the Super Bowl. This is how it should be. They are the two best teams in the league and they should meet for a chance at a ring. They played once before, and while the Ravens won that one big, this game should be much closer. This game should go down to the wire. And to complete the season of reintroducing themselves, I have the Ravens winning it all. They have it all going their way right now and they just need to win their first playoff game to prove they can do it before they go on a streak and win it all. I also have Lamar Jackson doubling up at the regular season MVP by winning the Super Bowl MVP.

There you have it, my 2024 NFL playoff preview and predictions. As always, take it with a grain of salt. 

Ty

"Bull Durham" is the GOAT of Sports Movies

The movie "Bull Durham" has been on cable recently and I have watched it twice in the past month.

I love this movie. I think, as do many other people, that it is the best baseball movie of all time. I love "The Sandlot" and "Major League". I get down with "Little Big League". I finally watched "The Natural" from start to finish very recently. While all of those movies are very good, they are not at the level of "Bull Durham" for me. It is funnier than all of those movies, even "Major League". The jokes hit harder and they last longer. The baseball is so much better. It is filmed better and the actors look like they can actually play the game. The drama is understated and played off so much better in "Bull Durham". The love triangle is so well done. The stuff with Kevin Costner being this ragged, angry minor league lifer feels very true to life. I have to imagine that is how a minor league lifer would feel. I would bet they are bitter. Tim Robbins being this hotshot, young idiot was too good. He was magnificent in the role.

While watching it recently my son joined me. He was confused, but he was asking questions. That is his way of saying he likes something without actually saying he likes it. I knew he was intrigued, especially when they played baseball in the movie. That is high praise from him.

I think what makes "Bull Durham" the absolute best is the ending. All of the other movies I mentioned end happily. The Cleveland baseball team makes the playoffs at the end of "Major League". The kids in "The Sandlot" go on and have successful lives. Even the kid that gets into music in the 60's seems okay at the end. In "Little Big League" the Twins get beat by the Mariners, but everyone loves the young kid turned coach. They give him a standing ovation. The fans won't leave until the whole team comes out of the locker room. And in "The Natural", Robert Redford hits a homerun and all of the lights explode. It is this cathartic moment for Redford. He is back to being the star he was before he was hurt. But in "Bull Durham", Costner ends up breaking the minor league home run record, but we only know because Susan Sarandon tells us as the narrator. She even says that the papers do not mention his record at all. Costner is also not on the Durham Bull either when he breaks the record. He is on yet another minor league team. He does end up with Sarandon, but not until he leaves to break this record. He also has visions of becoming a coach. He selfishly leaves Sarandon alone, after being intimate with her many, many times, to do something for himself. And, when we see Costner and Sarandon at the end, they are dancing, and they seem happy, but if you watch the whole movie you can tell this relationship will not last. They have been at each other's throats the whole time. Sarandon picks Robbins over him. Costner may say he made the choice, but that is just his ego. The only person that has a "happy ending" is Robbins. But to get there he has to break Sarandon's heart. He gets called up to the majors and he, much like Costner's selfishness, does what he wants when he wants. So, how truly happy is this ending really?

I love this movie from start to finish. It is the absolute best baseball movie, and may be the best sports movie of all time. 

Ty

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

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We Don't Need a Steamboat Mickey Snuff Film

The other day I saw that Steamboat Mickey was put into public domain. This is happening more and more with some of the older cartoon characters. They have been around forever, and when the time comes, they enter the public domain. That means that anyone can use the intelligent property and do what they want with it. And, after reading some other articles, ones that mention Steamboat Mickey becoming public domain, people already have ideas.

Apparently they are making a horror movie based on this character. I don't know what the movie is going to be about, or when it is coming out, but the pictures definitely indicate a horror movie. I saw one that had a ragged looking Steamboat Mickey looking over what I assume is New York City. I also saw another picture portraying Steamboat Mickey as a villain. The character had devious eyes and was giving me very creepy vibes. It is going to be a horror movie for sure. I also saw that they have done this with Winnie the Pooh. I guess they made a movie last year, a horror/gore movie, based upon Winnie the Pooh. I do not know if any of Pooh's friends were there or not, but they did show Pooh entering an area with a hot tub, a young lady in said hot tub, and Pooh looking like they were up to no good. I do know that this Winnie the Pooh horror movie was blasted by critics. When I was doing my research for my best of lists, this Winnie the Pooh horror movie was on almost everyone's worst list. They crushed this movie every chance they had. I have not seen it, and I don't plan on ever seeing it, but I am not a fan of people taking these public domain characters and making some schlock, horror and gore porn.

These are cartoon characters that I grew up with. I think my folks grew up with them. They have been around forever and they gave many, many kids wonderful memories. Pooh was a big deal to me. I used to read the books and watch any movie that Pooh was involved in when I was a kid. I also watched a ton of Mickey cartoons as a kid. When I watch "The Simpsons" with Steamboat Willie, it instantly takes me to Steamboat Mickey. So, for people who have money and the ability to make movies, to do this, it really bums me out. I don't want to see these characters doing horrible, unspeakable things just because they can now. Just because they're in the public domain doesn't mean they need to be doing horrendous stuff. I understand that no one can do anything to the people using their image, but why not make a cartoon movie about them again? Or why not make a live action comedy with the characters? They could have all the public domain characters appear in a movie together. That would be much, much more fun. But to make gore/horror porn, that is not what I want to see as a fan. I'm not interested in that at all, and I think most people would agree with me on this. Stop doing shock just to shock. It is overdone and hackey. 

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.