We Can Beat Your Kid in Foot Race but You Can't Beat Father Time

Let’s talk about being old.

Sometimes hubris can get the best of you, especially as you get older. My son had football practice yesterday and he was kind of hobbling to the car afterward. I asked him what was wrong. He told me he was sore because they had to run the 200 in gym class and he pushed himself. I told him that it is good to push when you feel like it, and they did have to do some extra conditioning at practice last night. When we got out of the car and returned home, I asked him how he did in the 200. He said he was pretty happy with a time of 38 seconds. That's pretty good considering my son is not into running at all. He said he beat some of his friends, and then he started talking a big game to me. He was telling me that I couldn't run a 200 faster than him. He didn't say the actual words, but he was basically calling me old, or at least that's how I felt. I told him that I could beat that time last night. I mentioned to him that I was on the move a bunch that day, and that I had run five miles at noon. But he kept persisting. He kept telling me that there was no way I could beat him. He was sure about it. So, I told him to go wherever he felt like it was 200 meters within our neighborhood. He walked a distance that we both assumed was 200 meters. He told me to go and off I went.

I finished in 14 seconds.

After some guessing at the distance, we came to the conclusion that he only walked about 100 yards. I knew 14 seconds was way too fast, and he was not having it that I could more than halve his time. So he walked a little further. He pushed it out a bit. He told me to go and off I went.

This time it took me about 41 seconds. But, we found out that this was too far. He went about 300 meters. At this point my wife came outside because she could hear us talking. She asked what was going on and we explained the situation. In her infinite wisdom she told me to turn my watch on and walk 200 meters. Then we could run back. It was perfect. My son also decided he wanted to race me at this point. Keep in mind, he was coming off a 200 meter race in gym and football practice. I was coming off a five mile run earlier in the day and I had just sprinted 300 meters and 100 yards. We were both tired. But, I let my hubris get the best of me. A neighbor came outside and asked if they were seeing a race. I boldly proclaimed, "you're about to see a 41 year old distance runner take on a 12 year old football player and win!". I was in my bag. So, after we got the correct distance we took our mark. I let my son tell us to start and off we went.

We were both sprinting. He was ahead of me for a bit. We made the curve and that was when he slowed and I pulled ahead. It was a slight uphill, and as I passed him I said, "you can't handle these hills like this old man!". He was mad and he slowed to a stop. I kept going because I'm competitive. I also felt, stupidly, that I had to prove a point. I smoked him, but he had stopped at about 100 meters and walked. I was going so fast my head was spinning. My asthma was acting up. I had some tingling and tightness in my legs. When I made it to the end, I put my head on my car and took a ton of deep breaths, just trying to catch my breath. Again, I'm no sprinter, I'm a distance runner. I'm used to going slow and turning it on at the end of a five or six mile run. I can run half marathons all day, but sprinting is not my thing.

When we went inside I was a sweaty mess. My chest was sore. I had almost fully caught my breath, but the asthma was hitting me hard. I kept asking my son why we did this. He was fine by the way, just tired legs from practice. He was even smirking at me a bit. I would say, when I saw the smirk, that I beat him. He didn't care. Part of me assumes that he knew I'd win, but he wanted to see how far he could push me.

This morning is a rest day for me, and I couldn't be happier. I hobbled out of bed. I'm hanging onto the railing when I walk down the steps. My wife just asked how my legs were doing. I don't think I can do this sprinting stuff all the time like I thought. Being in your early 40's can be a bummer, and this is a prime example. All I did was run the equivalent of one lap around a track and I'm kind of spent. It has to be the sprinting that is doing this to me today because I don't feel like this after running double digits at my own pace. Getting older is fun, but it is also a drag. This morning is one of those bummer moments for 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.

Follow Ty on instagram.

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

Now "KAOS" is the Cancel Victim of More Dumb Reality TV

Welp, another tv show that I enjoy bites the dust. It was announced yesterday, I didn't see until today, that Netflix cancelled "KAOS". They gave that show one season. They gave it eight measly episodes. And now it has been canned, and I don't know why.

This show had potential, this show had a great cast, this show was unique and different. I loved what I saw and was excited for where they could take it in season two. The whole cast was stellar, but the reason why I started watching was Jeff Goldblum. He was magnetic as Zeus. He was childish and violent. He was mean. He was vindictive. Goldblum played this role perfectly. If his portrayal of Zeus wasn't enough to keep this show on air, I have to assume it was a longshot at best to stick around after one shortened season.

I am sitting here today trying to figure out what went wrong, why Netflix made this decision. With "That 90's Show", while I was annoyed, some reasons made sense. The audience for that show are people my age. We watched "That 70's Show", so "That 90's Show" was nostalgic for us. The problem, my generation doesn't watch too many sitcoms. We are all about documentaries or crime shows now. Me, and a few of my friends, we're the exception. We watched the hell out of "That 90's Show" and wanted more. We didn't get our way, and Netflix moved on. It is a bummer, but I get it. "KAOS" is not a sitcom. There is no studio audience. There are no corny jokes. The cast is all in, and they know what they are doing with the material. It just doesn't make sense to me that they would give up on another quality show so quickly. The way the season went, started with a bang, no real lull and excellent ending that left the show open to many more seasons, it was strong all the way through. But I guess Netflix didn't see that. All the actors on the show were giving their all, and I found myself attached to every major character's story. When one story would shift into another one, I instantly found myself heavily involved in what was going on with that person. Be it a god, a political person, a mortal or a centaur, I wanted to know everything about that person. I watched the series in two sittings. I watched four episode blocks in two different days. I couldn't get enough of it. But Netflix just axed it.

I thought maybe Netflix would get rid of a bunch of shows, but it seems like the two biggest, and most notable new shows they let go of are "That 90's Show" and "KAOS". I wish I could say the same for a show like "Love is Blind" on Netflix, but nope, they have a new season and they even have versions in other countries now. It seems like they can continue to make more and more reality tv shows, but good material that is different and exciting, like "KAOS" is kicked to the curb.

This bums me out. I wish, and want streaming networks to give these cool shows more of a shot. Unfortunately it seems like that is not the case. 

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.

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

Robert Saleh Was Not The Jets Only Problem

The Jets relieved Robert Saleh of his head coaching duties yesterday. I was kind of surprised when I saw this news. Let’s discuss.

Saleh wasn't lighting the world on fire as a head coach by any means. His record was under .500, the offense always seemed to be a mess and he would say odd stuff from time to time while being interviewed. He also didn't seem to have much of a backbone with the front office. He let them run the show it seemed. But, he wasn't given the best team to work with all the time. He had to go out there and play with QB's like Zach Wilson, Trevor Siemien and Sam Darnold. Darnold is better now, but he was not great while with the Jets. I don't believe Siemien is still in the league and Wilson is destined to be a backup the rest of his career. They never had a real running game. Breece Hall got hurt two seasons ago and I don't know many other backs they've brought in. The receiving corps has not been super either. They have some dudes, but no one really jumps off the page. The defense was pretty legit under Saleh too. That is his forte. That is how he made his living in the NFL. He knows defense. The defense is why this team had any kind of relevance under Saleh. Again, Saleh was never over .500, but he won seven games two years in a row with Zach Wilson. He won six games with Siemien. He won five or six games with a rookie Darnold. Saleh did the best he could with the talent the front office gave him.

Then we have the whole Aaron Rodgers of it all. I am not, nor have I ever been a fan of his. He is a blowhard malcontent who is way too into conspiracy theories. He goes on wild offseason "darkness" retreats. He says stupid stuff like, "I am immunized from Coronavirus". He constantly complains about the "woke mob" while appearing on Pat McAfee's dumbass talk show. Rodgers is a locker room problem and he is a coach killer. I fully believe he is the one who wanted Saleh gone. I know he has come out today and said he has nothing to do with it, but come on man. This is his MO. He is an egomaniac that thinks he can cover everything up by going on some terrible rant on a dumbass sports talk show. He is clinically insane in my eyes. And he wanted to come to the Jets when he knew well that Saleh was the head coach. He got the front office to bring along all his buddies too. Rodgers convinced the Jets front office to sign Randall Cobb, Allen Lazard and Dalvin Cook, among others, to come play for the Jets after he signed with them. This would have been a great idea in 2015, when they were all still pretty good talents. They're all old, just like Saleh.

I have to imagine Saleh knew this, but he wasn't going to speak up to the front office. And that, along with the signing of Rodgers, led to him being removed from his job. Rodgers destroyed his knee on the first drive of the season last year, so this team, and Saleh, were already a year behind. Then all the off the field nonsense, again revolving around Rodgers, led to a bunch of unneeded attention. Now that Rodgers is back, and looks pretty old and not nearly anywhere near his elite level, this team needs a scapegoat. And that scapegoat is, unfortunately for him, Robert Saleh.

I don't know where the Jets are going to go from here, but this is a team I think I'd stay away from if I was an up and coming assistant in the NFL. There is something wild going on in that locker room, and I wouldn't touch Aaron Rodgers, who is 41 and coming off a massive injury, with a ten foot pole. I'm interested to see how this all shakes out. 

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.

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

Thoughts on the 2024 Michigan Wolverines

I do not like armchair quarterbacks or dudes who sit in their homes and talk about how they would change the team they root for. They have these big ideas, think their idea is best and want to run the team. They have it all figured out and they think they're going to be the one who makes the change that fixes everything. I sit back, watch the teams I watch and root hard for them. I have ideas, but I'm not anywhere near the level that the coaches are involved with the teams, and I just vent these ideas to my dad or my kid. They don't seem to mind too much, and they are free to vent to me if they like.

I will always and forever be a Michigan football fan, and there is no way, in a million years, that I'd ever want to be the head football coach. The fans that I'm speaking of right now are the ones on the Michigan fan page who seem to think they have all the answers. They don't, but they sure like to go on social media after a game and speak their wild ideas into existence. I'm not one of those people. I just want to put that out into the world. And I truly have nothing of importance to complain about with the team. They are the defending champs. They have won the Big 10 three years in a row. They have returned to relevance. They have a good team. This season so far has been tough though. They lost a ton from last year's team. That team won a ton too. The head coach is gone. The defensive coordinator is gone. So is the strength coach, defensive back coach, d-line coach, tight ends coach, running back coach, linebacker coach and a bunch of their recruiting staff. They did retain some coaches, and to the armchair online fans, they hired the right guy as head coach. Sherrone Moore is the rightful head coach. Yes, he seems a bit overwhelmed and in over his head from time to time, but he needs a year or two before people start calling for his job. Along with the coaches, they had to replace their starting QB, running back, most of the o line, a lot of their secondary and a good portion of their linebacking corps. I want to say that Michigan is a team that reloads, not rebuilds. But maybe that was a little too much foresight on my end.

Looking at this team halfway through the season, they're a mess. I already mentioned how Moore is a bit overwhelmed, but so is Wink Martindale. He needs to adjust to coaching college kids. This is not the pros. The secondary has taken a step back as well. The defense is supposed to be the strongest unit on this team, but they are struggling, mostly in the secondary. They miss coverages and tackles far too much. The d-line is still pretty good, and the linebackers can make tackles. But, the secondary is really having a tough go, and the new linebackers are taking a little longer to run the defense than I hoped they would. I do have faith they can figure it out. The offense on the other hand, they are being super exposed. There is no imagination. There is nothing different from last season, which worked because of the talent, but this team is totally different. I feel like I can call every play. They like to run up the middle on first and second down. And if that doesn't work, they throw a five yard out on third and 10. When Davis Warren was in at QB, he would chuck it in the air and hope for the best. He threw a ton of picks. When Alex Orji took over, it was run, run, run and run some more. Opposing teams knew this, so they would stack the box. The o-line cannot block eight or nine guys every time. Michigan would go three and out consistently. This tired out the defense. They put Jack Tuttle in last week's game, and while he provided a tiny spark that worked for a bit, once Washington figured him out, he fumbled and threw a crushing pick. The freshman QB they have isn't ready, and I have no idea what happened to Jadyn Denegal. The offense needs to open the playbook. They need to try something else. They need to see what they have at QB and receiver and just go out there and wing it. If they continue with the motion and try to run up the gut, they will be lucky to win another game all year. I don't know better than the coaches. They are there for a reason. They understand the game better than I ever could. And I trust this staff. I was pounding the pavement for Moore to be the head coach after Harbaugh left for the NFL. I like that they gave Campbell the OC job. Martindale created the defense that Mike MacDonald and Jesse Minter ran while they were the DC's. This staff has what it takes to win at this level, and win big. But they have to get creative. They have to change things up. They have to take a chance. They are going to have to spend in NIL. And they need a viable QB, be it from the portal or from recruiting. You need someone that you can rely on at the most important position in football. They don't have that right now, and it will be a struggle until they figure this out.

Always and forever though, Go Blue. 

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.

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

An Ode to My Daughter on Her Ninth Birthday

Today my daughter turned nine. This is wild to me. Kids grow up too fast. I know it's a cliche, but time does truly fly by when you have kids. I feel like she was born yesterday. Oh boy.

In reality, she is a fierce, strong, loyal, stubborn and beautiful 3rd grader. She loves to read, enjoys Disney movies, likes "The Simpsons" and is a very creative and inventive writer. She could easily take over my blog today if she wanted. She is very smart, very friendly and smiles way more often than she frowns. She likes jokes, both hearing and telling them. She is very into science projects and she can sit down and write and draw a cartoon in a day if she wanted to. She is the best.

The whole world changed for me when we had a daughter. I grew up with three older brothers. I am my father's child. We do a ton together, be it movies, music or sports, my dad and I hang out a bunch. My wife is pretty girly, but she also likes what she likes and does what she does. She isn't into makeup or dressing up or any of that unless the situation calls for it. She rules. We had a son first, and he is all about sports, music and video games. He does the stuff I did when I was younger. He loves football, basketball and Fortnite. He is a typical 7th grader. Our daughter, she is into a bunch of stuff that I never really thought about until she was born. She loves getting her hair done. For her birthday today, she went and got a trim, glitter put in her hair and two braids. It looks dynamite by the way. She is really into Disney princesses like I mentioned above. When I was younger I was all about "Lion King" and "Aladdin". She loves "The Little Mermaid", "Princess and the Frog" and "Moana" just to name a few. I never sought these movies out, nor were they an option that came up until our daughter was born. She is in her short shorts and big t-shirt era right now. I guess this is what most young kids like to dress like now. But, she had a big dress phase when she was younger. She would not leave the house unless she was in a dress. I found myself shopping for dresses for her when she was younger. I never did that before. She likes to hold hands and give hugs. We showed love in our house growing up, but it was never physically shown. It was an understood thing in the house. My daughter wants to hold hands when I take her to bed or give me a smooch when she's in a good mood or she will give me long hugs after I pick her up from school. And she is very much into how soft her stuffies are and has a bed filled with stuffed animals, some of which she has done their makeup on. Makeup is another thing that I never, ever thought about nine years ago. All of this is awesome and I love that I now know about all this stuff. She has opened my eyes to things that were never on my radar. I'm all in on the Disney princess stuff. Now I give her my race shirts to wear because they're oversized. I know more about Taylor Swift than I thought possible. I let her paint my nails all the time. I love the affection that she brings and has brought out of the rest of us. My kids both bring different things to the table and I am forever grateful that they're in my life.

Happy birthday baby girl. I love you and I am so excited to see the person you grow up to be. Just slow down with all that growing up so fast. 

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.

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

"That 90's Show" is Cancelled for More Dumb Reality Television

I read earlier today that Netflix has cancelled "That 90's Show" after two seasons. This bums me out.

I really enjoyed that show. A buddy of mine told me to watch it when it first aired and I did and I loved it. I was a big fan of "That 70's Show" when it first aired. I watched it from start to finish. I stayed even after Topher Grace left. I was all in. I was getting to that level with "That 90's Show". I could totally relate to the kids on the show because I grew up in the 90's. When I watched "That 70's Show", I watched it for the kids, but I wasn't born until 1982. Growing up in the 90's, it was so much easier for me to understand because I lived through it. I got all the goth stuff. I knew every show they were referencing. The clothes were what I wore from time to time. It was great. I also related so much more with Red and Kitty in the new version of the show. I got what got them so upset. It made total sense. I have young kids now, but I see them interacting with my parents, their grandparents. My kids' grandparents aren't as mean as Red or lively as Kitty, but they show the same kind of tough love and real love. I loved the show for that.

All of "That 90's Show" was so much more in my personal wheelhouse. I was fully in on this show. But Netflix is killing it, and I don't know why. I don't get it. I don't know what the end game is for them. If I sit back and think about it, Netflix, like so many other streaming companies, are veering more towards reality TV, and that stinks. Reality TV doesn't cost all that much, you can do a bunch of seasons and people will watch that stuff no matter what. There seems to be a reality show for everyone. Want sports, watch "Quarterback" or "Receiver". Want dating shows, there's too many to name. Want cooking competitions, the possibilities are endless. There are far too many reality TV shows out there now, and they are killing narrative shows. Writers are going to be obsolete at this rate, and it is a bummer. Comedies are going to be nonexistent, except for standup specials. Hard dramas may last a little longer, older people seem to enjoy them, but they won't be around as long as reality shows. Along with writers, directors will be few and far between. Creative people are going to get pushed out for reality TV yes men and women and there will be a certain few who remain because they know how to film reality TV, but the good, lesser known directors and writers are going to get squeezed out. As are the young up and coming actors. The kids in "That 90's Show" were great. They were funny, had good timing and seemed to have really good chemistry. But they don't have people behind them, that I know of, like Jenna Ortega has behind her. People will push so much harder for Barry Keoghan over any kid on this show. The Jonas Brothers will get more bit roles than these kids. And reality TV "personalities" are going to be everywhere.

Some streaming network or TV network needs to let these shows develop for longer than two seasons. They need to see what they have before they just move on because the numbers aren't to their liking at first glance. I did read that the people behind "That 90's Show" are shopping it out, hoping someone else takes a chance on it. I hope some network does because they have a true nostalgic hit on their hands. I want less reality TV and more original series. Networks need to stop giving up on them so easily. I want original content so much more than mind dumbing reality TV. 

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.

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

Thoughts on the Big KAT Trade

The Knicks and Timberwolves made a pretty massive trade last week. It wasn't fully finalized until yesterday, so I wanted to wait until it was official. The Timberwolves traded Karl Anthony-Towns to the Knicks for Julius Randle, Donte DiVencenzo and a first round pick. The Hornets also got involved, getting a few second round picks from the Knicks. Let’s discuss.

Trades like this do not happen all that often, especially right before the season starts. I have been ranking my teams for my upcoming NBA preview, but I have to reconsider some things now because this trade shakes it up a bit. Karl Anthony-Towns was destined to be moved. It has been in the works for a bit now it seems. The Timberwolves weren't going to be able to keep all the players they had and expect everyone to be paid a fair price. It wasn't financially sound. But, trading him one season after making a run to the Western Conference Finals seems, at least to me, a bit rash and quick. I know KAT had his issues in the playoffs. He fouls too much. His shot comes and goes. He dips in and out of games. But, he had a rhythm with Anthony Edwards, who by all accounts is very bummed about this trade. He had seemed to figure out a way to play with Rudy Gobert. His defense went up a level playing with such a good rim protector. His three point shot was a weapon for the Timberwolves. He guarded Nikola Jokic better than anyone else in the league. But I guess the front office of the Timberwolves felt the time had come and that the Knicks were offering the best package.

The Timberwolves replace KAT with Randle and DiVincenzo. This does make the T'Wolves deeper. It also adds a very explosive offensive player in Randle, when he is healthy. He is also in the last year of his contract, so maybe they have more plans to trade him for someone else. DiVincenzo came on very strong during last season, is a solid shooter and shot creator and he has a wonderful contract. Adding these two guys to the roster helps their bench immensely. Mike Conley, Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, Randle, for the time being, and Gobert make up the starting five. That means they have DiVencenzo, Rob DillinghamNaz Reid and PJ Dozier, among others they can count on for a second unit. This gives Edwards even more of a runway to be the offensive leader, McDaniels showed some nice flashes on offense last season and DiVencenzo is going to feast on second unit defenses.

Trading KAT almost felt like a necessity, but it is still wild that they did it this offseason. The Knicks got a big man shooter, who has played for Thibodeau before, and he will fit in nicely with this squad. It might bum Jalen Brunson out a bit that one of his Villanova guys is gone, but that isn't as big a deal as it seems at first glance. The Knicks have an identity now. They had an issue at center, due to Isaiah Hartenstein going to the Thunder and Mitchell Robinson always being hurt. They addressed that, and then some, acquiring KAT. KAT is added to a starting five of Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby. That is a really, really good starting five, when they are all healthy. That will be a real fear here. Brunson has thumb stuff. Anunoby has never played a full season. KAT has leg and ankle stuff all the time. But, if they can stay relatively healthy, the Knicks can be a real threat to the Celtics. Their bench, if Thibodeau would ever give extensive bench minutes, is very good as well. Deuce McBride proved himself last season. Precious Achiuwa is a big body backup five. Jericho Sims showed flashes last year. Landry Shamet and Cam Payne are solid veteran backup guards. They have some decent youth. The Knicks have a nice group of players that make sense on paper.

Pulling away and looking at this trade for both teams, I think it works for both the Knicks and Timberwolves. The Timberwolves added depth and shooting. They also have the flexibility to make more moves that could benefit them. And they still have Anthony Edwards, who is an incredible player. The Knicks solved their center issue, they have a big that can truly stretch the floor and KAT makes sense with this roster. Both teams are going to be playoff teams and both teams can make a real run. This is the rare trade that actually makes sense that includes big name players. I'm excited to see these dudes on their new teams as well. What a wild, but, on paper, successful trade. 

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram.

The SeedSing 2024 MLB Playoff Preview

I'm a day late, but I'm going to do a MLB playoff preview and predictions blog today. I promise you all these were my picks going into the playoffs. I didn't realize they started yesterday until my son told me a game was going on at the time. I thought they started next week. Apologies. Anyway, let's get to it.

I'll start with the AL. The wild card features Detroit facing Houston and Kansas City facing Baltimore. Detroit has an excellent pitching staff and they are coming into the playoffs on fire. They have been on a big time hot streak. The Astros have the experience and know how to move on. They also have a pretty potent lineup. I'm going to go with Detroit since I have family members that are fans and I want to see them move on in the playoffs. In the other matchup, I'll take Baltimore. They are more experienced, they have a better lineup and they can outscore a bunch of teams. The Royals are back on track and have a good pitching staff. I just don't think they have the bats to keep up with the Orioles.

With the Tigers and Orioles moving on, we have the Tigers facing the Guardians and the Orioles facing the Yankees. The Tigers will be coming into this series red hot and they may surprise a few people. I think the Guardians have the players to win and go onto the ALCS. But, I'm going to stick with the Tigers here. They are having a moment and I think that will push them to the ALCS. The Orioles and Yankees are going to score a ton of runs and hit a bunch of homeruns. I'm going to pick the Yankees here. They have a better lineup and Aaron Judge is playing like an MVP.

That means I have the Tigers facing the Yankees in the ALCS. This is where the Tigers run stops. While they have a better pitching staff, I don't think they'll be able to keep up with the Yankees bats. And as big a moment as the Tigers are having, Aaron Judge is having an even bigger one. I have a feeling he is going to crush in the playoffs this year. The Yankees will represent the AL in the World Series.

On to the NL. There are no Reds and no Cardinals here. No team for RD or myself to root for. I've decided to give my fandom to Detroit in the playoffs this season. RD, who knows. But, if I had to guess, he may be sticking up for an NL team, maybe the Brewers since he spent time in Milwaukee and our dad is a fan. As for the wild card matchups in the NL, the aforementioned Brewers are facing the Mets and the Braves are facing the Padres. I do believe the Brewers will beat the Mets. The Mets did come on strong in the middle of the season, but the Brewers have been consistently good all year. They kind of ran off with the NL Central early on. The Braves barely made the playoffs, on the last day of the season, and this will be a short trip for them. The Padres have had the best record since the all star break and they look primes to make a run. If the Braves were fully healthy, this would be a different story. Give me the Padres here.

So, that leaves us with the Brewers facing the Phillies and the Padres facing the Dodgers in the NLDS. I'm going to stick with the Brewers over the Phillies. The Phillies are incredibly potent, but they haven't been as dominant as they were in past seasons. The Dodgers have the best lineup in baseball. They have a solid pitching staff. The only thing that worries me with the Dodgers is their manager. He makes some questionable decisions. That being said, I'll take the Dodgers to beat the Padres. It will close, maybe the best series of the playoffs, but in the end, the Dodgers lineup is too damn good to get beat.

This leaves us with an NLCS of Brewers and Dodgers. Again, I'm going to stick with the Dodgers lineup. Shoei Ohtani is the best player in the MLB and he is going to be the Aaron Judge of the NL during the playoffs.

So, that means I have the Yankees facing the Dodgers in the World Series. The two best teams that money can buy in all of baseball. I'm going to stay with the Dodgers. They are going to be World Series champs and Shoei Ohtani is going to win the MVP of the series.

There it is, my 2024 MLB playoff preview and predictions. 

Ty

Another view

This is a must make the World Series year for the Yankees and the Dodgers. I believe neither team will make the series because both teams have a top half great lineup and average bottom half. Also both teams are lacking a solid #3 starter that you need for a playoff run. Also, also both managers are not great. That said this is how I think each round is going to shake out.

Wild Card Round

Brewers will beat the Mets (great story for the Mets this year)

Padres will beat the Braves

Detroit will beat the Astros (this is the end of the Astros dynasty)

Baltimore will beat the Royals (watch out for KC next year)

Divisional round

Phillies will beat the Brewers

Padres will beat the Dodgers (sorry LA)

Cleveland will beat Detroit

The Yankees will beat Baltimore

LCS

Phillies will beat the Padres

Cleveland will beat the Yankees (The Guardians feel like last year’s Rangers)

World Series

Phillies over Guardians in seven (another heartbreak for the Cleveland faithful)

RD

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.

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

R.I.P. Pete Rose

Another professional sports legend has passed away. Almost immediately after posting my Dikembe Mutumbo RIP blog, I read that an all time great baseball icon, Pete Rose, had passed away at 83. It was a punch to the gut.

Think and say whatever you'd like about Rose's personal life, the dude could play the game of baseball. He brought a fire and passion to the game that no one has come close to matching. I vividly remember seeing a video of Rose playing in an all star game when I was younger and he ran over the catcher to score a run. In a glorified exhibition. I mean, the guy cared, sometimes too much, whenever he set foot on a ball field.

As for regular season and postseason, Rose is an all timer. He had the most hits ever, checking in at 4,256. He had a lifetime batting average of .303. His least amount of regular season games played came when he was 43 years old, when he only appeared in 26 games. Other than that, his next lowest total was 107. He was almost always out on the field playing as hard as he could. He played for 25 years, 19 of which came with the Reds. That is the team that we all remember him being on the most. In the postseason he hit for an average of .321. He showed up when it mattered most and least. He gave it his all until he couldn't anymore. When he left the game, he returned to be a coach. He was okay too. He won over 400 games, ranking him fifth overall in Reds history for managerial wins. Not bad.

Rose’s time as manager was also when the gambling became a true issue. I'm sure he had problems with it his whole career, but it became well known by everyone while he was coaching. He was betting on a ton of games, but the most egregious betting was when he put money on the Reds, while he was their manager. That is wrong, and he should have been given a punishment. But, the punishment was far too harsh in my opinion. The fact that he is not in the hall of fame is laughable. There are some members of the hall of fame that did way more heinous stuff. Ty Cobb was a hate filled, miserable prick of a person. But, he is in the hall of fame. John Smoltz is an alt right weirdo. Jim Leyland was a chain smoking, big chugging lush. Hell, a vast majority of the players in the hall of fame played when the game was still segregated. That was not a fair playing ground whatsoever. So, leaving Rose out of the hall of fame is absurd and laughable. He was one of the best to ever do it, and he belongs in the hall of fame with everyone else. I remember going to a Reds game years ago with my son, my brother and our folks. While Rose may not be in the hall of fame, the Reds paid him a wonderful tribute. He has a statue outside the stadium, of him sliding head first, as he was well known to do. There's a rose wall, one for each of his hits, if memory serves me correctly. They have a ton of pictures, memorabilia and what one could call a shrine to him as a Red. It was awesome to see. I like that they went out of their way to honor him the proper way. He gambled on baseball, so what? Who cares? It is legal now. People do it all the time and they are open about it. Yes, he shouldn't have bet on the team he was managing, but he has more than paid the price. He belongs with all the other legends in the baseball hall of fame. The MLB should do the right thing and posthumously place him in asap.

Rest in Peace Pete Rose. Smack a line drive and dive head first into second base wherever you may be now. 

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.

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

R.I.P. Dikembe Mutombo

Dikembe Mutombo has unexpectedly passed away. I had no idea until my son emailed me to let me know. This is shocking to me. He was only 58 years old. I have not seen any cause of death, but this is still very upsetting Editor’s note: Since Ty wrote this article it has been announced that Dikembe Mutombo died of brain cancer.

I was a Mutombo fan as a kid. He did break my heart when I was younger, when the 8th seeded Nuggets beat the 1 seed Super Sonics, my favorite team. But even in that series, I found Mutombo endlessly watchable. He was such a presence. I remember seeing him on the court and being blown away that someone so big could move so nimbly. He was an absolute menace on the court. He was a rebounding monster, but it was his defense that made me enjoy watching him play. It was damn near impossible to score on him. If he was near any floater or layup, he usually swatted it away. And then he would wag his finger, saying "no no no". I loved this. I used to do it when I would play pickup with my friends. If we played on a small hoop, so we could dunk, if I swatted away a dunk, the finger wag was the go to move. Mutombo made this celebration the best thing at the time, and now people are trying to use it and claim it as their own. The finger wag will always be Mutombo's thing. He invented it, it is his and it will always be his.

Mutombo also played for the Nuggets when they had their coolest jerseys. I really liked the dark navy with the gold and other colors. It was a jersey I coveted as a kid. I never had one, but my friends who had one, it was almost always a Mutombo jersey. That number 55 has always been, for me, Mutombo's number. He was, and always will be, the best 55 in the NBA.

Coming out of Georgetown he was already a stout defender. That is why he was the fourth overall pick. While with the Nuggets, he bulked up, blocked all kinds of shots, rebounded well and scored when needed. He was the anchor of the defense and the heart and soul of the team. He moved on to the Hawks after five seasons. He was just as good with Atlanta as he was with Denver. He became an all NBA player while there. He won three Defensive Player of the Year awards while with Atlanta and was on the all defensive team. He led the league in rebounding twice. He was good enough with Denver and Atlanta that they both retired his jersey. He then went to play with Allen Iverson in Philly for two years. He helped Iverson and the 76ers reach the finals. They went up against a juggernaut in the Kobe-Shaq Lakers. But still, Iverson and Mutumbo were the only big names that the 76ers team had. He then went to the Knicks for a season and finished his career off with the Rockets. He passed Kareem Abdul-Jabaar for second most blocks all time in the NBA. He was Yao Ming's backup, but was integral to the team. He even had a 20 rebound game when he was 40 years old. He retired and was a sure fire Hall of Fame player.

Mt Mutumbo was a great center. He was the last of a dying breed. He wasn't a scorer, nor did he care about scoring. He wanted to grab boards and block shots. He wanted to do the dirty work and then wag his finger after every block. It was a thing of beauty when he would block a shot and say "no no no". Rest in Peace Dikembe Mutumbo. This is stunning and shocking and you will be missed. I hope you are blocking shots wherever you are now. 

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.

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

Rotini is the GOAT Mac and Cheese Noodle

I want to end the week on what some may think is a pretty hot button issue. The world is crazy, there are hurricanes abound, it has been raining here in STL all morning, Earth is kind of a mess right now. And with what I will be talking about today, it may just make things even worse off for a select group of people. Let’s go.

In my home, when my wife has an out of town work trip, I do all of the cooking. My son likes to cook, but he has football practice four nights a week and games on Saturday. My daughter has shown interest, but she's only 8. My wife is a great cook, but she was out of town, and I have found myself enjoying cooking more and more everyday. When she has to leave it gives me the opportunity to try something new. My daughter loves mac and cheese. My son loves bacon. I love both. So this past Monday I went ahead and married the two to form bacon mac and cheese.

It was a big hit.

I have done versions of this in the past, but this week's dish felt and tasted different. When I make homemade mac and cheese I tend to use either elbow macaroni or small shells. It's classic. Growing up we ate a good amount of Velveeta shells and cheese. My wife grew up in a Kraft household. These are the classics.

Now, this is what I think may divide some people on the internet. This may get the people talking. I may get some wild comments with what I'm about to say. Don't hate me everyone, but this past Monday I went a little off the beaten path and used rotini to make the bacon mac and cheese. And it was, without a doubt in my mind, the best possible noodle one can use to make mac and cheese at home. It was the absolute perfect vessel for the cheese sauce. My daughter helped me with this, and it was a simple cheese sauce. I used butter and flour for my roux, and added a little salt. As that thickened we added milk and heavy cream. When that became gravy like we added a block of mild cheddar, shredded at home of course, with some gouda, which I also shredded at home. This was a great cheese sauce. It was goopy and soft. It looked like Velveeta to me. I was all in. We then added some bacon that I chopped to the cheese sauce and stirred it all in. After the rotini was done in the water, we drained it and added it to the cheese sauce. Right away I noticed that the sauce was adhering so much better than it does with elbow macaroni or shells. When you use elbow macaroni, the cheese kind of falls off and ends up in the bottom of the bowl that you serve the dish in. With shells, the swooped part gets some of the cheese in it, but then it cascades off from the top. With the rotini, the sauce clung to the edges in the rolled pasta. It stayed on the top and bottom of the rotini as well. The ridges in the pasta make for something of a catching apparatus that will take on any kind of sauce you may have. What made the rotini even better, the bacon bits fit perfectly into each ridge. There wasn't a piece of the pasta that was missing any of the components. I went back the day after to eat the leftovers, and when I reheated it, all of the sauce and bacon stayed in its spot on the rotini. I was in awe. I found myself thinking about it a few days after eating it, and being happily surprised at how well the rotini worked. My kids told me they liked that pasta best too.

I don't know if it is a recency thing, but I will be using rotini again when I make this dish to see if it works as well. All in all, rotini is my new go to pasta for bacon mac and cheese. It is the best type of pasta to get if you want to taste everything that goes into a pasta dish. Don't be too harsh with the comments, but I stand by this take as strong as ever.

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.

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

Derrick Rose's Retires as the NBA's Greatest What If Story

Derrick Rose called it a career this morning. He has officially retired from the NBA. You could see this coming after the Grizzlies released him about a week ago. If the place he played his college basketball was not going to keep him on the team, even in an Udonis Haslem type role, the writing was on the wall.

Rose had one of the biggest "what if" careers in the history of the NBA. Rose was a star when he played at Memphis. He was an all American, led the Tigers to their most regular season wins, led them to the title game and their first number one ranking in the polls in 25 years. Sure, there were some issues off the court that were investigated, but that is rampant in college basketball back then, and even now. He parlayed this college success into being selected first overall in the 2008 draft by the Chicago Bulls. This was an easy pick for the Bulls back then. He was the surefire guy. He was the explosive guard that teams coveted. And he was damn good early on in his career. He was the 2009 Rookie of the Year. He put in 16 points per game, 6 assists and 3 rebounds. Not too shabby for a rookie point guard. He made his first all star team in year two. In the 2010-2011 season, Rose went off. The explosiveness that was so coveted came into full focus. Rose averaged well over 20 points, 7 assists and 5 rebounds. He led the Bulls to 60+ wins. They were the number 1 seed. They won their first two playoff matchups. Rose had become everything the Bulls hoped he would be when they took him first overall two years prior. Rose and the Bulls ended up facing the Heat, and they took them down in five games.

Then the injuries happened. Rose got a raise, but tore his ACL in round one of the playoffs against the 76ers. It was bad. Rose missed all of the next season. He came back in 2013-14, only to tear his meniscus in November. He came back the next year, but he still looked a bit off. His bounce and explosiveness was rare and hard to find now. He couldn't get to the spots he used to with ease. It was discovered that he needed another surgery on his right knee. He had torn his meniscus again. He played his last season with the Bulls in 2015-16. He had moments, but he was not the same guy as he was in 08,09 and 2010. He wasn't a feared rim runner anymore. He couldn't beat guys off the dribble. His knees gave out on him.

Rose still managed to stick around long enough to make more highlights post his Bulls playing days. He went to play for the Knicks after the Bulls. He played here and there, not doing too much. He also left the team at one point without telling them. He was going to see his mom. When he came back, he did score 30 in a win over the Celtics. He left after one season in New York due to some differences with the scheme. He went to play for the Cavs in 17-18, joining LeBron James. He hurt his ankle midway through the season, and left the team to decide if he wanted to keep playing. He played here and there occasionally before hurting his ankle again and moving on to Minnesota. He was kind of revitalized, as much as he could at this point. He had one night where he scored 50 and it was awesome to see. It was at this moment when I really respected and was happy that he was one of my favorite modern players in the NBA. He proved how great he could still be when given the chance. He got to play for Tom Thibodeau again, he was teammates again with guys he loved like Taj Gibson and Jimmy Butler and he seemed happy playing again. Rose was a key part to the Timberwolves in their semi return to relevance. After his time in Minnesota he ended up with the Detroit Pistons. I had forgotten about his time there. It was uneventful. He did have seven straight games of scoring 20 points, was a starter again and really embraced the role of a sixth man. After Detroit he went back to New York, reuniting yet again with Tom Thibeodeau. He ended up third in sixth man of the year voting in 2021. He also returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2018. After two seasons in New York, Rose returned to where he played his college ball, signing with the Memphis Grizzlies. He went back to number 23, had a whole video about returning home and got a humongous ovation when he took the court for the first time that season. He sparingly played for a shell of the Memphis Grizzlies. And then he stepped away after being released.

Rose, if he had stayed healthy, could've been an all timer. He was Russell Westbrook before Russell Westbrook. He was such a dominant athlete, but his body betrayed him. It is a real bummer. He showed flashes later in his career, but he was never the same after winning his MVP award. I'm still on the fence about Rose being a hall of fame player. But, those first three years of his NBA career were amazing and extremely memorable. Enjoy retirement Derrick Rose. You were lightning in a bottle until your injuries halted what could have been a great, great career. 

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram.

The (Non) Humility of JJ Redick

I was listening to "The Lowe Post" earlier today and Zach Lowe had JJ Redick on as a guest. Let’s discuss.

This was Redick’s first podcast interview since being named the head coach of the LA Lakers, a job I fully believe he is wildly unqualified for. They both chatted for a bit, Redick did typical coach speak nonsense, not really saying much of anything . Zach Lowe eventually asked Redick the question I hoped he would, did Redick feel like he "skipped the line" after getting the head coaching position with the Lakers.

This was when the interview got interesting, and really opened my eyes to what a jerk JJ Redick can be. Lowe asked him a very straight forward question that I have to mention is on a bunch of peoples minds right now. Redick has done zero in the world of coaching. I read he coached a fourth grade basketball team, but other than that, he has done nothing. His career coaching record is 0-0. He has never been an assistant coach. He was never a college coach, either assistant or head coach. He never even coached high school basketball. To me, to get a head coaching job as big as the Lakers, one of the biggest brands in professional sports, that is the definition of "skipping the line". Redick built up a friendship with LeBron James, called a few playoff games for ESPN and somehow turned that into a head coaching job. It's baffling. So, instead of showing grace and humility, Redick proceeded to talk about how he "earned" the job and how he "put in the work". Having a podcast that you turn into a tv show does not earn one a professional head coaching job. Being friends with LeBron is not "putting in work". Talking out of the side of his mouth on his own podcast doesn't mean he is ready for this moment. These are all things he mentioned today. Lowe brought up Doc Rivers saying he is glad Redick got a job because now he may rethink some of the stuff he has said about other coaches on his pod. This seems like a very fair suggestion from Rivers. Redick in turn said he felt nothing about it, and mentioned the tenuous relationship he had with Rivers.

JJ Redick has no humility. Sure, he worked hard to make it to the NBA, but he grew up with money and had all the coaches he could have ever wanted to help him achieve this goal. He played college basketball at Duke, so he never had to worry about officiating or being called out for doing gross stuff in college. He was a run of the mill pro. He was good enough to start, but he never really wowed anyone. For his career he averaged 12 points a game, 2 rebounds and 2 assists. He was never an all star, never an all NBA player, never won any kind of awards. Again, he was an okay pro. A guy you want around because he may hit four or five threes in a game, but not a guy counted on to win big. At least when Steve Nash got the Brooklyn job he had multiple MVP awards, multiple all star appearances and was on a few all NBA teams. Redick was just a dude.

What made this interview really gross to me, what made me actually call him an asshole out loud to no one, was how he spoke down to NBA fans, and even more-so, Zach Lowe. He mentioned his "podcast empire", and said that he started that because he was sick of NBA writers asking the same questions in different ways. He said this to an NBA writer who has a podcast and asks the same questions. He seemed to be implying that he was better at podcasting than a seasoned pro. That is a dick move. But, what really upset me, what sent this interview overboard was when he mentioned NBA podcast fans. He went on to make some analogy about how sugar is good, and gives you instant gratification, but sometimes "others" want a leafy green salad. He talked down to the majority of podcast listeners. He seemed to imply that he is better, and smarter than anyone else.

Redick’s whole attitude during this interview was gross and uncalled for. It reeked of privilege. It was as if a glorified white basketball, who has never had to work very hard in life, was hand gifted a job because of who he knows, rather than his accomplishments. That is JJ Redick to a T if you ask me. I don't wish ill will on anyone, but after hearing this today, I hope this goes downhill quickly for him. He talks and acts like he is better than everyone. He is not, and being the head coach of the Lakers will hopefully be a real eye opener for him. 

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram.

"The Real Lives of Mormon Wives" is the Meat in Reality TV's Dumb Sandwich

We watch a good amount of reality tv in our house. I'd like to say I don't watch it all the time, but if I'm in the room and a reality show is on, I'll stick around and give an opinion. I wish I watched less, but these shows are a good mind suck for me, and I can tune out what is going on and goof around for the evening.

One such show that has been on my home tv now is "The Real Lives of Mormon Wives", or some nonsense like that. I'm proud to say that I have only seen about 15 total minutes of this show, and that is strictly because I like to hang out with my wife, and she is currently watching this show. But, the 15 or so minutes I have seen, this show may be one of the worst reality shows that has ever been put on tv. This show is about as mindless as it gets. There is nothing of substance in this show. These ladies have no real provocative thoughts, they offer nothing to society, they constantly gripe about the most meaningless stuff and they are privilege personified.

I asked my wife why they have a show, what is it about them that makes hulu think they can get a big viewer number, and she told me that they are "Tik Tok famous". This is a big, big problem in our world right now. People who are Tik Tok famous should not be given a tv show. That is the lowest form of entertainment. Tik Tok offers nothing other than getting "likes" and "reposts". Tik Tok is the worst. More power to the people that make money off of it, but they should not be given a tv show. That is about the laziest thing that tv and streaming execs can do. They don't have to hire writers, there's no auditioning, they don't have to get a full crew. They just put these fame hungry morons on tv and let it go from there. Sure, they have a camera person and a boom mic person, but they don't need much else. They can have a person around to stir drama, but that is about it.

Reality tv like this is killing television. I already mentioned how they don't have to hire hardly anyone that is imaginative and creative, but they are giving people who have no real insight a platform to spew ridiculous nonsense. The ladies on this show have no real problems, they have nothing to give to society, they fight about the most mundane shit and they act like they are the most important people in the world. They are not. They are about as far from important as it can get. One thing I clocked in the short time I saw this show, the reason I wanted to write this today, whenever these ladies are out about town, they almost always say, "we have to make a Tik Tok for this". That is so, so, so sad. They cannot live in the moment. They have to record everything they do. They cannot have a fun, fulfilling life. They are glued to their phones. They are constantly chasing fame. They want everyone to love them. The problem, none of that is being accomplished. They're not going to ever be famous. They are always going to be chasing clout. Most people do not like what they have to say, and in fact, they disagree with what they're saying. The funniest thing to me about this show is how stupid they all come off. They think they have some world shattering view because they are Mormon, but they swear and talk about body parts openly. Everyone does that. Just because they are Mormon that doesn't make them special.

The beginning of reality tv had a point and a good reason to be on tv. When "Real World" started, it was groundbreaking and new. Now, we have multiple reality shows about teen moms, overweight sisters, people with weird addictions and privileged white people complaining about champagne problems. Reality tv is in a very, very bad place, and this show is only furthering the problem. Don't watch this show. I will not be watching anymore of it. It is the worst of the worst in reality tv. 

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.

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

When Joe Pera Comes to Your Town You Have to Go See Him

Over the weekend I got to see Joe Pera do stand up live for the second time this year. Pera is a fantastic comic. My daughter asked if he was my current favorite standup, and after some thought, yes, Joe Pera is my favorite comedian at the moment. I like the way he performs. We had very good seats in the balcony at The Pageant here in Saint Louis. I prefer sitting up there now. It's much more comfortable. I guess that's a sign of my aging. Oh well.

The opener came on stage just a bit after 8pm. His name is Robert Dean. I liked his set quite a bit. He kind of reminded me of an upbeat Paul F Tompkins. I'm not saying Tompkins is a dour comedian. He is far from it. Tompkins is funny and fun on stage. I've seen him with "CBB Live", and he is a delight. Dean just had a tiny bit more energy, and he dresses like Tompkins. Anyway, Dean was a great opener. He got the crowd ready. He had a bunch of good bits. He interacted with the crowd very well. He moved through his set with ease. It was nice to see a seasoned standup open for another seasoned standup. Dean did a very good job at his job. I have been watching some of his other sets on the internet since seeing him.

After 20 minutes, it was time for the headliner, Joe Pera. Now, after seeing him only a few short months ago, I didn't know what to expect. I did expect very good comedy, which is exactly what we got. Pera is a pro. He knows what he is doing on that stage. He knows how to command the crowd. He knows his segues like clockwork. He is damn good. It was all new material that we saw the other night as well. There were no repeated jokes. Everything was fresh. I applaud that from a pro. He could've done some of the same material, but he didn't. He deemed us necessary to hear new jokes. And I loved them all. I was in stitches the entire hour long show. He even stayed out on stage a little later than expected to tell us a very new joke, which proceeded to kill. I don't know if he does this everywhere, but this joke that he claimed was a work in progress really felt like a closer. It was damn good. During his set, he crushed with his new stuff too. I loved the video game bit. He brought a few people on stage to play out a videogame he was working on. It was pretty wonderful. I was all in on the meatball bit he did. That was a crowd bit, and it went off like gangbusters. I really liked hearing about some of the topics they went over in the writers room of his show. These were ideas for future episodes, or ideas they never made. This was very funny and I loved the inside look at his excellent tv show. But, my favorite bit of the night was when he talked about seeing "Aliens" for the first time. He told us that he was a kid, that he watched it in the dark by himself and that he came running up the steps to make a big proclamation to his family. I will not spoil the joke here, but I will tell you, it goes in a direction that none of us in the crowd were expecting. And that is why it was my favorite joke of the night.

Go see Joe Pera if he is coming to your town. He is great at what he does, he does tremendous crowd work and he seems to be having a blast while he is on stage. He is one of the best out there at his craft. 

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.

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

Ohtani is Must Watch

Shohei Ohtani has just further made his case as one of the best to ever play the game of baseball professionally. It was not enough that he went 6 for 6 in the Dodgers game yesterday, with three home runs and 10 RBI's. He also became the first and only member in the 50/50 club in baseball history. Unreal.

For people that don't know, Ohtani now has 51 home runs and 50 stolen bases. That is incredible. For Ohtani to achieve this so early in his MLB career is amazing. Again, he is the only player to ever do this. I remember when Jose Canseco made the 40/40 club back when I was kid. It was a big deal. Not many people had done that to that point. Ohtani has upped it by 10 plus, with a good amount of games left. It would be wild if he joined the 60/60. And the crazy thing, I wouldn't be stunned if he did it. That is how good he is at the game of baseball. Ohtani can hit with the best of them. Not only does he have 50 home runs, he has 120 RBI's and has a batting average of .294. Oh, and he may end up pitching in the postseason. It's more likely that he won't, but the sheer possibility that he could is baffling.

There is no other player like Shohei Ohtani. There hasn't been a player like him since Babe Ruth, and Ruth never had a season of hitting and pitching like Ohtani has had. He has had multiple seasons where he is a dominant pitcher and a home run hitter. He has won the MVP already, but he should be no doubt MVP this year. He is doing amazing things on the field. Not only does he provide power, but when he gets on base, he is one of the better base stealers in the MLB. A single is going to be a double, at least now. He is going to swipe second base when he gets the chance. Outside of Elly De La Cruz, I don't know that any other player is more of a threat to steal bases than Ohtani. And he's damn good at it too. As good as he is at hitting homers. For a bit I would say that Mike Trout and Bryce Harper were the best players in baseball. That's not true, and it's not even close. Shoei Ohtani is far and away the best player in baseball. He is leaps and bounds above everyone else. I thought that maybe this season would be a little rough for him. He had a scandal with his interpreter, he was coming off injury, he was changing teams and he had this massive contract to live up to. None of that has stopped him from having a massive season. The scandal was over before it ever really started. The injury only affected his pitching. The team change was not a big deal because he didn't have to leave the city he was initially playing in. And he has more than lived up to the money the Dodgers decided to give him. This is the new world of sports contracts, and Ohtani has proven that the Dodgers were right to give him one of the biggest contracts in the history of pro sports.

Shohei Ohtani is the best player in baseball. He has now done something else that no other MLB player has done. He is in a league all his own. I'm not a Dodgers fan by any means, but I sure as hell am going to watch them in the playoffs because I want to see what amazing thing Shoei Ohtani is going to do next. He is making me become more of a baseball fan. 

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.

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

Ty Watches "Frank" Again, and Again

Yesterday I watched the movie "Frank" for the third time. Let’s discuss.

I really enjoy this movie. For people that don't know, "Frank" is about a band writing a record and then performing it live. Well, that is the short of it. The movie has a bunch of layers. It's about music. It's about input from your band members. It's about wanting fame. It's about mental illness. It's about the indie rock scene. There is a ton to see in this movie.

Michael Fassbender plays Frank, and he is wonderful. He totally embodies this role. I should mention that he wears a humongous plaster head for almost the entire movie. Fassbender's Frank is a genius song writer, but he has some serious mental health issues that he has not properly dealt with yet. I read that the movie is based upon some stuff that kind of happened to the writer in their real life. That's wild.

Outside Fassbender, the rest of the cast is great. The guitarist and drummer are first timers and they are in a band in real life. They do a very good job here. Maggie Gylenhall plays the theremin player, and she kind of helps Frank in his daily life. She is an egomaniac, but she has a good heart. Domhnall Gleeson plays the co lead in the movie, and he shines. He wants all the fame. He wants to be remembered for his music. He wants people to love him, which is a problem on its own. Seeing where they start and end up is pretty great. I love watching them record the album. It shows how crazy and how much of a perfectionist some musicians can be. Frank is relentless in his work. He wants all of his ideas to work. Most do, but him pushing the other band members really shows how awful it can be to record with a genius. Scoot McNairy plays the band manager, but he has problems all his own. He is constantly trying to be Frank, but knows he cannot be Frank. It haunts him. That shows tenfold when they finish the record.

I love when the band goes to play South By Southwest. That is a great representation of how wanting fame can be a real disease. Gleeson wants so badly to be famous that he will do whatever it takes. He doesn't care about anyone else's feelings, he just wants fame. His other band members are crumbling around him, but he continues to push until they all leave him behind. Frank has real trauma, and his original members can help. But Gleeson doesn't see that and he pushes too hard. When they finally break apart and go deal with some of their issues, the ending is very fulfilling.

"Frank" is a very, very solid movie. Watching it yesterday made me realize that stuff like this doesn't get made anymore. Movies are all prequels or reimagining ideas or sequels. There are hardly any new ideas. "Frank" is a very good takedown of music and the music industry. It also tells some very good stories about mental illness and how debilitating it can be. I want more movies like "Frank" or "Everything Everywhere All at Once". And less superhero stuff. Give me original ideas. And, watch "Frank". 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.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram.

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

Ty Watches "The Umbrella Academy" Final Season

My wife and I just finished the fourth and final season of "Umbrella Academy". The final season kind of came and went with no real shock or people talking about it all that much. I had forgotten about it for a bit because my wife was watching "Love Island" and we watch "Umbrella Academy" together. She was into that show, I started a different show and just waited until it was time. That time came, and it went for me without much of a whimper as well.

The fourth season was fine. It was short, it was action packed and it had its moments. It was definitely better than the third season, which I thought was nearly unwatchable. But, that is not saying much in my opinion. The first season of the show was rad. I was all in. I wanted to know the story, I liked all the characters and it kept me fully interested. I couldn't wait to get more. My wife and I actually ripped through the first season very fast. When the second season aired, I was just as in. I was all about Klaus' story. He annoyed me in season 1, but they gave him some depth and he became my favorite character. I liked what they did with all the other characters. I like how the story progressed. I felt like they were going in a very good direction.

Then the pandemic hit. This may have been an unexpected blow to the show. I mean, the pandemic was rough for everyone. "Umbrella Academy" definitely suffered. The third season was not very good. You could tell it was filmed during a pandemic. It relied very heavily on CGI. They only really had one set that they shot the show, the hotel. I got a very bad sinus infection near the end of the third season, missed the last three episodes, and it didn't matter. I didn't care what happened. I will say, the third season had very few moments. We got a great Lila story in season 3. Eliot Page got some good stuff to work with to further his story. And 5 continued his run as a very good character on the show. But that was about it. Like I said, it had a pandemic feel to it, too much CGI and nothing really memorable. But, I was excited for this final season. I was curious to see how they wrapped everything up. I wanted to see how they closed out the characters.

With that being said, I had forgotten a bunch about what happened in season 3, so when they showed up as regular people in the final season, that was a surprise. From there, it was very hit and miss for me. Monkey Man was funny. Diego and Lila had become sad. Victor seemed kind of dour. Alison got more boring. 5 was still pretty cool, and the stuff with him and Lila was alright. But poor Klaus. They underutilized him a ton here. He wasn't himself. He was whiny and sour. I didn't like how they portrayed him in the final season. Even as it progressed, he never found his footing like he did in season 2. I'm also very tired of the whole "timeline" thing that superhero movies and shows do now. It is a catch all that is relied on far too much. Writers can make up anything they want and say it is due to a different timeline. And they used it way, way too much in this final season. I was also not overly thrilled with how wrapped up the characters. It felt rushed.

With all this being said, "Umbrella Academy" gave us four seasons of entertainment for free. The creators, writers and actors owe us nothing. I will say, while I did not enjoy the last two seasons, the first two seasons are great. If you want to watch this show, just watch the first two seasons, then catch up via the internet with what happens in the end. That's the best way to go about watching this show in my opinion. 

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.

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

Why is Being a Sports Fan Not Fun Anymore?

Over the past couple of days I have heard a few different people have some interesting takes on sports. My buddy Kirk sent me a stand up video where the comic stated why they like going to concerts over sporting events. He said, in not so many words, that he is never upset after going to a concert. He gets to hear his favorite songs, has a good time and gets to vibe out with friends. At a sporting event, your team doesn't always win, a player you may like might get hurt and you can come home in a bad mood half the time. That is a very fair assessment I think.

Then, while on a run today I was listening to "Doughboys" and their guest was talking about their husband who is a Celtics fan. She said that when the Celtics won, her husband went outside and laid on the ground. She asked what was wrong, and he said he was relieved that his team won it all. This, again, is also relatable for me. When Michigan won it all last season, I was grateful and relieved. At the same time. It was a weird feeling, but that was how I took the title. I celebrated the win during the off season, but now that a new season is here, I am only worried about how they finish this season. I know that you are not supposed to celebrate a title only during the off season, but still, they are reigning champs. That should be enough to make me happy. It isn't though, and that stinks.

As I sit here and think about it, my fandom that is, why do we do this to ourselves? I'm speaking to all sports fans. I have seen an Onion headline that states, local child picks sports team to make their lives miserable forever, or something like that. And it's true. When I was a child I chose Michigan football. My dad is a fan, he would watch the games and I wanted to hang out with him during the game. It was a pretty easy 1 to 1 for me. I was probably about 8 years old. Now, 33 years later, I'm a fanatic. I love Michigan football more than any other team in pro or college sports. I live and die by the results of their games. I constantly read about the team. I want to know what is going on, and hopefully I can be one of the first to know the news. It's been like that for 33 years now. And when I was a kid, it wasn't that hard. I watched the games, the results were the results and that was that. There was no internet, no constant stream of tv shows, no Twitter or Facebook or Instagram. It was great.

Yet, over time, the internet and tv shows are EVERYWHERE, and EVERYONE has a take. Your team can win, but if they don't win by enough, they're trash. God help you if they get beat, the keyboard warriors will tell all of the regular fans how bad your team is, no matter what. Be it coaching changes, a down season, one bad game or not being dominant enough, internet personalities and tv hosts are ready with the ammo to attack your team. It is rough. It's brutal to be a fan of any team nowadays. After Nick Saban left Alabama, the internet had a field day. Washington got beat by Washington State in the Apple Cup last week, and now Washington is consider lower tier. Colorado struggles to beat North Dakota State and podcast hosts instantly call out Deion Sanders. Arch Manning comes in to take over for an injured Quinn Ewers last week, and now everyone says Manning needs to be the starter. Georgia barely beats Kentucky, on the road, and now they are "vulnerable" all of the sudden. It's rough. And all of us sports fans decided that we were going to almost always be miserable the moment we picked our favorite sports team. It's not fun. I want to go back to when I was a kid and it was fun. Sure, your friends would roast you from time to time, but it was all good, clean fun. Now, it's just mean and vindictive. Everyone, who never played the sport mind you, has a hot take now, and they have it at the ready the moment the game hits all zeros in the fourth quarter. Sports can be wonderful and make you very happy, but for the most part, it is brutal and a dumb choice we made when we were way, way too young. And the keyboard warriors don't make it any easier.

Oh well, on to USC for Michigan this weekend, and I am as nervous as ever. Why did I choose this, I guess to hang with my dad and root for a team. But, it has gotten harder and harder each season to experience true joy. And Michigan is reigning national champs. Yikes. 

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.

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

Better Late than Never on "Paprika"

Over the weekend my son and I headed over to his uncle's house for our monthly movie night. We let his uncle pick since he hosts, and he has pretty good taste in movies. He is trustworthy and reliable. This month he picked an anime called "Paprika".

This is the first anime I have ever seen. I have wanted to watch some before, but I have passed it up time and time again. I was pleased that this choice was made and the time to watch anime had finally come. I have never heard of this movie, I saw a preview awhile back, which looked rad and we settled down to check it out. This movie is great. I was interested the whole time. The story was intriguing, the animation was incredible and it was only 90 minutes long. This was a win in every situation for me.

For those that may not know, "Paprika" is about a company that makes a machine that can enter into people's brains and people that are awake can see what is going on. The host mentioned to us that they had heard Christopher Nolan got the idea for "Inception" from this movie. That is very easy to see after watching "Paprika". The whole idea here is that a person, Paprika, can enter dreams and guide people through them. Good and bad, Paprika helps them get through it, and when it gets bad, she wakes them up and they go over the dream together. There is a hitch in their plan, when a very powerful person starts to go into everyone's dreams and uses that to take over the world. We see a bunch of different people going to sleep, entering their REM cycle and having some of the wildest dreams I've ever seen put on film. There are carnivals, chases, lookalikes, mystery, deceit and some truly terrifying images that some have in their nightmares. When things start to come together in this movie, it gets tense in all the best possible ways. I was sitting on the edge of my seat waiting to see what was going to happen. The climatic scene is pretty wonderful. The imagery, the way the story wraps up and what follows is pretty cool and very well done.

And while the story is very, very well done, the animation sets this movie aside from all other movies. The screen is filled, the entire movie, with something and something is always moving. Be it in a police officer's office, the blinds are all there and when the wind blows they move. When they enter a bar in a computer world, the liquid in the bottles move. The bartenders are constantly making facial gestures. The carnival scenes are truly a thing of wonder. To fill up all of that screen time with some of the craziest imagery I have ever seen must have taken a very, very long time and must have been done by some super talented artists and filmmakers. The fact that they took the time, the care and the process to go through all this means they really cared about what they were going to put on screen. I appreciate that as a viewer, and it made the movie even better.

I highly recommend checking this movie out if you have not seen it yet. Seeing this makes me want to watch more anime in the future. "Paprika" is a very, very good movie made by some very talented people. 

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.

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