#233 - Rethink Sports, "Popcorn Reading" Trauma, & Restaurant Pickle Conspiracy

Happy National Puppy Day! We kick things off with Erin absolutely spiraling from sleep deprivation, the Daylight Saving Time change, and the stress of editing 360 camera footage from her Adidas brand trip while frantically packing for Puerto Rico. Meanwhile, Mike shares a wild update from a recent card show where his friend flipped a box of Japanese Pokémon cards for an insane amount in cold, hard cash.We also drop some massive podcast news: we officially secured media passes to the Microsoft Excel World Championships in Las Vegas (and potentially the Enhanced Games)! Between celebrating our upcoming media credentials and dreaming of getting cast on The Traitors or The Price is Right, we debate the childhood trauma of "popcorn reading" versus "when the spirit moves you," and try to uncover the deep conspiracy behind why restaurant pickles taste infinitely better than the ones from the grocery store.In sports and pop culture, we investigate a major theft where a pro bowler had 17 custom bowling balls stolen right off his porch. We celebrate Sephora's landmark partnership with F1 Academy driver Natalia Granada, and expose Jake Paul for allegedly wearing a fake "lace-front" beard to hide the scars from his recent jaw surgery. We also touch on Logan Paul’s flag football marketing beef with Tom Brady.We then revisit the infamous fishing tournament scandal where a competitor was caught stuffing lead weights into his catch and now faces felony charges (which somehow leads us into a rant about inflation and housing prices). We break down the chaotic ending of the LA Marathon where the leader was accidentally directed off course, allowing a high school coach to snatch the win—prompting us to officially coin our new podcast slogan: "Rethink Sports." We also explain the science behind why e-sports pros sit two inches away from their monitors, and finally wrap up with a heartwarming "No Bad, No Sad" story about an entire lacrosse team showing up in full practice gear to passionately cheer on their teammate at a spelling bee.