Hello and welcome to group chat. I am Justin Varyer and joining me, Rob Mahoney, Jay Kyle, man. First night pod of the playoffs. I feel like this can go one of two ways. Either this is the best pot ever or it's going to be the worst pot ever. I already have an inkling of which way it's going to go. But this is the witching hour. So I'm going to embrace the unpredictability and the idea that this might actually be a good pot. I took a couple naps in preparation. Oh, a couple? I don't nap well. So this isn't some story of how I'm ready to roll. You can kind of see it's going to be we're still, it's going to be an adjustment period. But yeah, man, we're not digging ditches here, right?

We're staying up talking some ball. I'm ready to roll. Let's go. Come on.

I just wish I could have bet this on Kalshi, you know? Like, will this be a good pod?

You keep putting it in the air, man. I'm not going to put that in the air. It's going to be a great pod.

Here's the thing.

Justin is only saying this so he can work the markets, a la certain members of the administration as far as the outcomes go. This man would tank this podcast if it meant he could get a little extra coin out of it. 100%. We're already so high up in the standings. We have somebody wins banked. what's just one pod in the playoffs? People will just move long. They won't notice this when they do the accounting for it. I appreciate that manner of thinking. I don't know that I completely agree. I think we got to show up for the people. I think we got to show up in the way that the Pistons showed up, to be honest with you. We can have a stinker now and again and people will forgive us and forget. but then we got to turn it to beef stew. We got to be turning away people in the room.

We're going to end up with a blue chit's moment where Bill and Chris are like reviewing the

audio years later and Chris yells to Bill, Justin was my guy.

When they realize you threw the pod, I hope that's what happens anyway. A little doc review. Yeah, that's always fun. All right. So we're going to talk about Pistons Magic game two. We're going to talk about Thunder's Sons. We're also going to talk about things we think we know about the playoffs thus far. A little bit of housekeeping before we get into the pod here. If you're going to be in

Portland on April 28th, I believe that's next Tuesday, Jordan Khan of the Ringer, is coming up here

to do a little book tour. He's putting Portland on and stop. I will be in conversation with him

at the world famous Powell's books. So if you're in Portland, 7 p.m. Powell's books,

come and join Jordan and I talking about his book, American Men, which you can now find on

bookstands. I cannot wait to check this book out. I mean, the reviews have been raves across the

board. Justin, I presume, given that you're leading a talk, you have read the book. And my question

for you is, are Kyle and I featured as some of the

titular American men? You are two of the best American men that I know. Unfortunately, you did

not get the nod here. I haven't gotten to the very end because I want to be fresh going into the

conversation. So perhaps you're credited in the back as just muses and inspirations. Because you're

that for me. We're in the muse appendices in the back.

That's so kind of you to say.

I'm not glossing over the fact that you gave us that credit, Justin.

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