Hello and welcome to group chat.

I am Justin Verrier and joining me, as always, Rob Mahoney, but not joining us,

unfortunately, is Big Waz. I know. As you probably have heard, listener out there, or if you're criminally online, you've really investigated this fully. Was is no longer going to be with us on our podcast. He took another opportunity. We're very excited for him. Definitely. But we're obviously pretty bummed that he's not going to be with us after what? Four years? I know. It's the end of an era. I mean, we did almost, I think, 300 episodes

together as the three of us. It's been an incredible run. We're going to miss Waz's zero hard

feelings about anything with this situation. We're happy for him. We're just going to miss him, too.

The really unfortunate part is right before he took

this other opportunity, he named me an honorary black guy. Did he? Is that on recording somewhere?

Do we have proof of that? No, but Isaiah Blakely, our producer, heard it. So I have a witness to it.

He was like, yeah, you tend not to want to get

involved in other, like, group activities with Spotify. Reminds me of that. And so I didn't get to

take a victory laugh with that honor in mind. Well, I think you just did. So thank you,

Waz, for unfortunately inflating Justin's ego just a little bit more on the way out. But, you know, we have to soldier on, though, Justin. Basketball never stops. So therefore, group chat can never stop. That's right. And we didn't go very far to find a new co-host. I think when they asked us who we would want to replace Waz, Rob, you and I had the same exact response. Oh, yeah. Easily, the go-to answer under these circumstances, if we can't have WOS, if group chat has to change and enter this new era, we want to do it with our pal J. Kyle Mann, who, if we're all being honest, has been part of the group chat family for a long time. Yes, Kyle, the unofficial fourth chair, the Capadonna of the group chat network,

is going to be joining us throughout the year, which means we're going to do a little bit more

draft coverage, I think, dotted along. I think he's going to be obviously helpful in March

Madness, but also maybe doing some stuff along the way because Kyle is also, in addition to

joining us twice a week now, going to be our draft

expert at the ringer as he was last year. So that'll be fun. I'm looking forward to all of it.

I'm looking forward to potting with Kyle today. Waz is our guy forever though. It's been such an

incredible run with the three of us. I'm going to miss that. I'm just, I'm also looking forward to everything we got cooking this season and everything we're going to be doing with Kyle. So group chat forever, Justin. That's right. We'll miss you, wise. Why don't we take a little break out the, just so we could break out the little hankies and wipe our tears away, and we'll bring in Kyle for the first time. Joe Wicks is on a mission. I want to make this and sell it.

He's creating a protein years away and we'll bring in Kyle for the first time. Joe Wicks is on a mission.

I want to make this and sell it.

He's creating a protein bar.

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