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Rob Pizzola is blindsided by the most random question in show history.
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00:00All right, Rob Pizzola, he's on the Toyota of Hollywood Hotline,
00:03a professional sports bettor based in the lovely nation of Canada.
00:07He's also the founder of the Hammer Betting Network,
00:09and you can catch him hosting Forward Progress,
00:12their NFL betting show on YouTube and all other major podcast platforms.
00:16Forward Progress dives deep into weekly matchups,
00:19betting markets, and analysis from some of the sharpest minds in the industry.
00:25Follow Rob on Twitter, at Rob Pizzola.
00:28Hello, Rob.
00:29Hello, Mark.
00:30How are you feeling?
00:31Your Cowboys are playing tonight.
00:32You're a big Cowboys fan.
00:34I'm excited.
00:36Yeah, listen, the Cowboys have been playing really well lately.
00:38They finally had full health on defense,
00:40and it's kind of really changed things around.
00:42When you have a top five offense,
00:45and your defense is no longer the worst in the league,
00:47you can actually make some noise.
00:49So I try not to get excited when it comes to the Cowboys,
00:52but I think playoffs, it could happen,
00:55and you just got to get in, and then you never know,
00:58because there's like no elite teams this year.
01:00Any team can lose in the NFL.
01:01Rams lose to the Panthers last week.
01:03We saw that coming, right?
01:04So I'm excited as a Cowboys fan for the first time in a very long time.
01:09And Rob, being a Cowboys fan, are you a fan of Jerry Jones?
01:12Because I think he's a great owner.
01:13I think he's terrible at everything else.
01:15I'm with you there.
01:18I don't want to say too many bad things about the guy.
01:20Obviously, you know, he bought the team.
01:21He led them to a lot of success in the 90s.
01:23But since then, I think he's overstepped his boundaries a little bit.
01:27Sometimes, I think a lot of Cowboys fans would be just like,
01:29Jerry, stay out of the spotlight.
01:31You don't need to say things.
01:32You know, coming out and just making up stories
01:34about how they offered Micah Parsons in a first for Quinn and Willett,
01:38like that never happened.
01:39There's no planet where that ever happened.
01:42And the Jets said no in real time to that deal.
01:44So, you know, it's that kind of stuff that bothers me.
01:47But with that said, they're fielding a pretty decent team right now.
01:51And Dak's finally getting his flowers.
01:53He's had a really good year.
01:55Picking up George Pickens was fantastic.
01:57It's hard to believe a team would let him go.
01:59Obviously, you know, personal issues and stuff like that.
02:03Some teams don't want to deal with it.
02:05Fine.
02:05Cowboys get them.
02:06They have two really good receivers now.
02:08The defense is trending upwards.
02:10So, yeah, I'm pretty optimistic.
02:12But certainly not the biggest Jerry Jones fan.
02:15That's for sure.
02:16What is Cowboys game night on a Thursday night like in the Pizzola household?
02:21You make something special?
02:22What's the setup?
02:25No, there's nothing special.
02:27First, it starts well in advance where I tell my wife,
02:31like, figure out something else to do on this night
02:33because I don't want my wife seeing me watch Cowboys games in real time.
02:38You know, I don't like to – I've had to be on some live watch-alongs
02:41on forward progress this year during Cowboys games.
02:44I had a terrible one against Arizona, a great one against the Raiders.
02:47I just – I get into it a lot.
02:49It's my favorite team.
02:51I cheer for them.
02:51So, for me, it's just – I like my peace and quiet alone.
02:56I don't need my friends around, you know, rubbing it in my face
02:59when Detroit makes a big play or something like that.
03:01I can see what happened.
03:02You know, I don't need someone else to tell me what happened.
03:04So, yeah, I get it.
03:06I love when people do that.
03:06When they know you either love a team or have money on a team
03:09and they tell you something that just happened terrible for you
03:12and somehow seem to be taking some sort of pride in that.
03:15Yeah, that annoys you.
03:16It's like, wow, the Cowboys defense is getting carved up.
03:19It's like, yeah, I know.
03:19I have eyes.
03:20Like, I'm watching the same thing.
03:21I don't need you to reiterate it to me.
03:24So, I like to personally just watch Cowboys games alone.
03:28I'm not – I take it in myself and –
03:32Snacks?
03:33What do you do for a meal and snacks?
03:36Yeah, I do it all.
03:39Like Cheez-Its?
03:40No, I'm not like a Cheez-Its.
03:42Goldfish crackers?
03:44I – listen, I don't do the shopping for our family.
03:47Right, but you do the eating.
03:48So, what do you do?
03:49What do you do?
03:50What do you do?
03:50What do you do?
03:51Ruffles?
03:52It always starts.
03:53All dressed.
03:54All dressed?
03:54We do have all dressed.
03:56I'll tell you this.
03:56This sounds really lame.
03:58It always starts with me trying to eat, like, some sort of healthier snack.
04:01And then as the game goes on, I start to get into, you know, the real garbage food.
04:05So, my wife will cut up some celery.
04:08She'll put it in the fridge and I'll have, like, some celery.
04:10If I'm feeling crazy, I'll scoop some peanut butter with the celery.
04:15But then as the game goes on, the chips get broken out and you're like,
04:19what am I doing with carrots and celery here?
04:22Like, this is no way to live, right?
04:23So – but you don't start that.
04:26You don't start that way because by the time the half comes around,
04:28you feel like garbage, right?
04:30You need to feel like garbage after the game, not during the game.
04:34All right.
04:35Makes sense.
04:36What about soda?
04:37I see you're drinking water there.
04:38What are you?
04:38You drink a soda?
04:39Have a beer?
04:39I don't drink soda.
04:41I am a beer guy.
04:42Really?
04:43By yourself?
04:43You'll have a can of beer or something by yourself.
04:45A LaBats?
04:46I won't have a single can of beer tonight.
04:48It will be probably a Sixer, I would say.
04:51What?
04:51Yeah, that's likely what's going to go down.
04:54I don't drink soda, though.
04:55By yourself?
04:56You'll have a Sixer by yourself?
04:57Normal, Hawk.
04:58Football game?
04:59I've never had a beer by myself.
05:01I don't work, like, traditional hours, right?
05:04My Friday is I got to be online for when injury reports start coming in.
05:09Usually around one in the afternoon.
05:11So I can sleep in.
05:13This is my, like, Monday night, Thursday night.
05:16I go, you know, I don't want to say I go hard, but, like, I enjoy myself because Tuesdays and Fridays I can sleep in a little bit.
05:24So, yeah, that's going to be my night tonight.
05:25I would have bet my life savings on Pozzola either being one of these, like, super into craft beer kind of guys.
05:32Oh, yeah.
05:33Like, IPA.
05:34Yes.
05:34He could tell how many hops are in the beer.
05:37100%.
05:38Or, like, a wine sommelier on the side.
05:41No, a craft beer guy.
05:42You're 100% right on that.
05:44Something super cutesy in the grocery aisle that, you know, nobody else has their eye on because you're always looking for the underdog.
05:50I am a craft beer guy.
05:53But I will say this.
05:54I drink all beer.
05:56So usually my, you know, I said I'll drink a sixer tonight, but I don't really go out and buy six packs of beer.
06:02I buy tall boys and just, like, a bunch of random ones.
06:05So I'll mix in some regular lagers, some IPAs.
06:09I kind of just like to sample and try different things.
06:11That's a bit of my routine.
06:13I also do buy a lot of wine, but I have, this is going to sound insane, but I get my wine recommendations from ChatGPT.
06:22Whenever I'm buying wine.
06:23Wow.
06:24Interesting.
06:24Do you think ChatGPT is going to change the handicapping game?
06:28I don't think so.
06:30I've tried to experiment a little bit with building some models in ChatGPT.
06:34It's way behind the curve right now.
06:36There's just something about the human element and watching games that you can pick up on little things here and there that the computer is never really going to be able to do.
06:45It will get closer.
06:47An average person who's never built a model before can now leverage AI to help them build a model.
06:54That's cool, and it's a nice thing to do, but is it going to ever get onto the, like, am I scared that AI is coming for my sports betting income?
07:02No, I'm not.
07:03Maybe 20 years down the road, but we're not even close to that yet.
07:08Fascinating.
07:08All right.
07:09Let me get some winners here, hopefully, from Rob Pizzola.
07:11Follow him on Twitter, at Rob Pizzola.
07:14Cowboys at the Lions tonight.
07:16Lions are three-point favorites.
07:19You know, listen.
07:20Listen, there was money on this afternoon that came in on the Lions, brought it up to three and a half in a lot of spots.
07:26I don't agree with that money, and this is coming as an unbiased Cowboys fan.
07:31The first thing I will always do when it comes to betting an NFL game is I will run my number on the game, and that's going to be my opinion regardless.
07:39Detroit is still being priced like they are the Lions of old, and they are not the Lions of old.
07:45Like, losing both coordinators in the offseason, especially Ben Johnson, made a huge difference for that team.
07:50The offensive line is nowhere near as good as it was last year.
07:54You have Amon Ross St. Brown, who is like a game-time decision today, but he couldn't even wrap his ankle and come back into the game last week on that ankle injury.
08:03This is a guy that's very reliant on making his cuts to separate.
08:06You look at that receiving core, even a guy like Kalief Raymond, who's normally down the depth chart, he's hurt.
08:13Their backup tight end to Sam Laporta, Brock Wright, is hurt.
08:16They just don't have the same weapons on offense that they used to, and they could lean into the running game.
08:23But since adding Quinn and Williams, the Cowboys are much better at stopping the run as well.
08:27So I don't see Detroit being this high-powered offense that everyone thinks of them as anymore.
08:32On the other side, they play a ton of man, they play a ton of one-high coverages.
08:37These are looks that Dak has killed all year long, because if he sees Pickens or CeeDee Lamb one-on-one, he's going to give them the ball.
08:45And the Lions just don't have the corners to be able to defend that.
08:49Terry and Arnold went on IR.
08:50They haven't had Kirby Joseph at safety since week seven.
08:53So I'm not really buying this line move here.
08:57I think the Cowboys are very live in the game.
09:00Famous last words.
09:01But I bet Dallas at a worse number than today, and I added some more today on Dallas.
09:06Because I just don't think the market has caught up to the fact that the Cowboys' defense is not what it was early in the year,
09:12where everyone was wide open all the time.
09:14They're playing league-average defense.
09:17Guys like Jadeveon Clowney are getting after the quarterback.
09:21Rotational good pass rusher.
09:22So, yeah, I like Dallas in this game.
09:25That's fun to have the side that you're betting on, the team that you're rooting for.
09:30That makes it double the excitement.
09:33Some would say they like to go the other way, because no matter what, I don't like that either, Mark.
09:38I'd rather just bet on my favorite team and cheer for them.
09:42I don't need like an emotional hedge or something like that.
09:45Because, you know, yeah, sure, I could lose the Cowboys and win money on the Lions.
09:50I don't want that.
09:50Yeah, what fun is that?
09:51But there's one other game tonight, and then I'll get to the Dolphins game.
09:54The Panthers play tonight, and Panthers have been very disappointing as of late, but they're obviously extremely injured.
10:01It's not really the lineup that you would expect from the Panthers.
10:05They host the Predators tonight.
10:07Panthers are minus 200 favorites, even though Panthers have lost three home games in a row.
10:12Yeah, they get Carter Verhage back tonight, I believe, which will be nice for them.
10:16There's any sort of depth they can have in the lineup.
10:19I know it's really disappointing for Panthers fans, and to your point, Mark, it's just been injuries all year.
10:23They're at the bottom of the East.
10:24But Nashville is next level bad, is what I would say.
10:29So this is like a really good opportunity for them to get back on track.
10:32You look at Nashville being near the bottom of the West.
10:35Nashville's played 16 of their 26 games at home as well.
10:38So they're playing home games, and they're still not winning.
10:40I actually played a little bit of Panthers puck line tonight.
10:43So right now you can get minus one and a half.
10:45It's plus 135 or so right now on that.
10:49I didn't go crazy with it.
10:50I would call it like maybe a half unit type of bet.
10:53But Nashville to me is just as pure a fade as it comes in the NHL.
10:57They don't really do anything well.
10:59They give up a ton of goals.
11:00They don't protect the net front well.
11:02So good potential bounce back opportunity for Florida here.
11:06And yeah, that's where I'm at.
11:07So get right game.
11:09We got a get right game on our hands tonight.
11:11I will say this.
11:12It's only one game, a random Thursday night game.
11:16If Florida does not look good tonight against Nashville,
11:20there's some real cause for concern at this point.
11:23Yeah, because we did the show out there on Tuesday,
11:25and we were asking some of the broadcasters,
11:26and one of them made me a little bit nervous about, you know,
11:30because everyone's like, oh, once they're healthy, you know,
11:32sneak in as an eight, they're fine.
11:34But there's going to be some sort of cutoff date here
11:36where you just can't say that anymore,
11:38where it's just a lost season.
11:40And it's the new NHL with all late in the years,
11:43all these three-point games, so many teams going to overtime.
11:46So when you have to start passing like four or five teams
11:48in the standings to get in the playoffs,
11:50well, they're getting a point every night somehow.
11:52It just makes it harder and harder to do that.
11:54So you're right, Mark.
11:55Like at some point before the new year here,
11:57they got to make some sort of run.
12:00And yeah, it's challenging.
12:02Obviously, they'll get Kachuk back at some point.
12:03That's going to help them a bunch.
12:05But this is the opportunity for them
12:08because the Preds are a bad team.
12:09And I'm pretty sure, I could be wrong,
12:11but I think Florida routed these guys earlier this year.
12:14I think it was like 7-3, 8-3, something like that.
12:16Trying to remember that game.
12:18Could have been on the road.
12:19Could be wrong about that.
12:20But regardless, good spot for the Panthers.
12:24Hey, Rob, we're kind of up against it.
12:26So just like a yes or no, the Sabres this year,
12:30are you buying the Buffalo Sabres?
12:33Well.
12:34Okay.
12:35Where is this from?
12:37Yeah.
12:38Well, they're turning heads.
12:40And every time the Panthers play them,
12:41they beat the Panthers.
12:43But the Buffalo Sabres have been trashed for years.
12:46For years.
12:48I mean, aren't they bottom feeders in the NHL?
12:50What is going on here?
12:52What?
12:52What are you doing?
12:53They're turning heads.
12:54Who's that?
12:55They're turning heads.
12:57They're playing much better hockey.
12:58And I was reading in the Athletics better hockey than me.
13:01No, no, no.
13:01They're bringing to the exits.
13:03I don't –
13:04Here's the weird thing about being a better.
13:06I almost never look at the standings, right?
13:09I don't care about the standings.
13:10I just care about –
13:11Maybe you should, Rob.
13:13There's no way Buffalo is not like a bottom three team in the East right now.
13:18All they do is lose.
13:20All they do is lose.
13:21What's turning heads?
13:23Why are you interested in –
13:25Are you sure this wasn't an article from like six years ago?
13:28He's trying to flex some sort of weird hockey knowledge.
13:31Not at all.
13:31Not at all.
13:32Ha!
13:33Did you write that question down?
13:35I'm asking somebody with you.
13:37Zalata, did you write that question?
13:39You're concerned?
13:40Oh, no, no, no.
13:41Hold on a second.
13:42You guys –
13:42You're concerned if he's buying the Sabres or not?
13:47I just pulled up the standings.
13:49They have the worst points percentage in the East.
13:52They're dead last in the East.
13:54I knew –
13:55You're not buying them yet?
13:57You're not buying them yet?
13:58You need to see a little more?
13:59Are they turning your head?
14:00Did they turn your head?
14:01They've gone six and four in their last ten games, guys.
14:04So, you know, stop the presses.
14:05We're going to write an article about it.
14:06About 500, Rob.
14:08About 500.
14:09Yeah.
14:09Let's see if they could string that together.
14:11There's 82 games in a year, Zalata.
14:13It's not 10.
14:14Where did that question come from?
14:15I have to know.
14:16I have to know.
14:18What do you mean?
14:19It's the Sabres.
14:21It's a paper.
14:22Name one player on the Sabres.
14:26On the Buffalo?
14:27Yeah, on the Buffalo Sabres.
14:29I couldn't name one player.
14:30Name one player in history that's ever played for the Buffalo Sabres.
14:35Patrice Bergeron.
14:37Incorrect.
14:39Lifelong Bruin right there.
14:41A B team.
14:42You get that.
14:43You get that.
14:43The team started with a B.
14:46Oh, my God.
14:48What was that?
14:51Are you having a stroke?
14:53Yeah.
14:54Don't get a press because you're not following the East.
14:57Don't get a press because you're not following the East.
15:00Some of us are following the Panthers and the Eastern Conference.
15:03Some of us are following them.
15:05But what does that have to do with the Sabres?
15:07I just wanted to know.
15:08Rob follows hockey more.
15:10So he's buying the Sabres.
15:11What's the problem with that?
15:13It was just such a random segue there.
15:19Before we let you go, like, we don't even have the Dolphins game to talk about.
15:23We've never mentioned the Sabres on this show.
15:25I don't even think when the Panthers play them.
15:27Like, I don't even think you know what a Sabre is.
15:31I wasn't even sure that was the team name.
15:34Don't get into it.
15:36Just a yes or no.
15:38That was the strangest question.
15:41We could have flew right by it.
15:42I don't know if you saw it in the video, but I could have flown right by it.
15:46You kept going like this.
15:47Like, I've got one quick question.
15:49Like, he was adamant.
15:50And I knew I needed to get to the Dolphins game.
15:53That's what you had to squeeze in.
15:56You know, guys, I joined before you went to break.
15:59And I heard it's the Hawk, Crowder, and Solana show.
16:02They finally included Solana in the – and this is what he – this is how he pays it back.
16:09He feels like he's got this immense pressure now to talk sports with you guys.
16:15He's the Sabres.
16:16Good one.
16:17Oh, is that a no, Rob?
16:18Wild left turn.
16:23Usually I can see a left turn coming.
16:25That was wild.
16:28Dolphins, Jets on Sunday.
16:30Dolphins are two-and-a-half-point road favorites, Rob.
16:33Yes.
16:34This one's an interesting one because when I first saw the line in this game,
16:38my immediate thought was this was on Sunday.
16:41It's like this is going to be Tua playing in the cold.
16:44I've seen that song and dance about a million times before,
16:47and it's not the greatest.
16:50Now, the more and more we're looking at the weather reports here in the Northeast,
16:54I mean, it doesn't look that bad at all.
16:57No wind.
16:58It's not going to rain or snow.
17:00In terms of cold, not too bad.
17:02I'm looking at the Jets injury report right now.
17:05Tony Adams not practicing.
17:06Jarvis Brownlee not practicing.
17:08Jermaine Johnson, edge rusher for them, limited with an ankle.
17:11The Jets are pretty beat up on the defensive side of the ball here.
17:14So now I'm like, I don't really know what to do with this game necessarily,
17:18but I think this actually could be a sneaky over in this one.
17:21You look at the Jets, they've been much better with Tyrod Taylor under center.
17:25They actually have a downfield passing attack now.
17:28A.D. Mitchell, who they brought over from the Colts, gets good separation,
17:31drops a lot of balls, but he can move down the field.
17:34John Mechie, another guy that they've incorporated into the offense.
17:37So I think there could be some sneaky points in this game.
17:40Jets are dealing with a lot of injuries on the defensive side of the ball.
17:43Their offense has gotten better overall.
17:45That's where I would look from a props perspective.
17:48I know you guys have access to hard rock in Florida.
17:51There's a, there's two props that I like in the game that you guys can bet right now.
17:55One is Malik Washington for the Dolphins.
17:58I like his receptions over two and a half minus one 35.
18:02He's just getting a ton of snaps really for this number to be that low.
18:06It's gotten at least three targets in every single game since week two.
18:10He gets a lot of easy looks.
18:11He's not like a, a high A.D. guy where he's running downfield a lot.
18:15Everything's close to the line of scrimmage.
18:17So I like his receptions over two and a half minus one 35.
18:21And, uh, I was looking at, at the other side of the ball here and taking Brees Hall over
18:2716 and a half receiving yards.
18:30Brees Hall got 90% of their snaps at running back last week.
18:33He's a workhorse.
18:34You look at Miami this year, they've given up almost 40 yards a game to opposing running
18:38backs out of the backfield in the receiving game.
18:40It's just another easy look for the Jets offense to keep it moving down the field.
18:44So Malik Washington receptions over Brees Hall receiving yards over for that game.
18:50What was the end game with that?
18:52I have to know the bit that you had to have been doing a bit.
18:56What was, what was the bit?
18:57There's no bit.
18:59Yeah.
19:00You, you truly were interested in the Sabres.
19:04Yeah.
19:05I genuinely wanted to know Rob would die.
19:08It would, it would be like me talking Dolphins jets right now.
19:11And then you, you interrupting and being like, well, what, what do we think about the up and
19:14coming Titans?
19:15How are we feeling about the Titans?
19:17That would be a fair question because we talk football on this show.
19:20We watch it and know it.
19:21Right.
19:22None of us watch hockey other than Panthers games and none of us have any interest in
19:28the Buffalo Sabres.
19:29It was bizarre.
19:31I didn't even know they were in the East.
19:33Like the whole question was bizarre.
19:36I have to know the play there.
19:38What was the play?
19:40Just wanted to know what his thoughts were on Buffalo.
19:44Sobrez.
19:45Yep.
19:47Why?
19:47A famous philosopher.
19:49I don't remember which one.
19:50He said, human, humans by nature, desire to know.
19:54And that's, that's Solana.
19:56He just wants, he just wants more information.
19:58He just wants to know.
19:59Desire to know about your neighbors.
20:02Solana Stottle.
20:03All right.
20:04Well, I apologize.
20:06I apologize for that question, Rob.
20:08I didn't know that that was coming.
20:10And it wouldn't have made it through read through.
20:12Had I known that that was coming.
20:14Rob Gazzola likes the Cowboys tonight.
20:16Laying the points.
20:17He likes the Panthers tonight on the, uh, the goal line minus one and a half.
20:23And, uh, Dolphins jet Sunday likes the over likes Malik Washington over two and a half
20:28receptions and Brees Hall over 16 and a half receiving guards.
20:32You can follow Rob Pizzola on Twitter at Rob Pizzola.
20:35That was delightful, Rob.
20:36All right, guys.
20:37Best of luck with the bets.
20:39Go Cowboys.
20:40Go Sabres.
20:41Give them a little heads up on what, uh, what, what might be coming.
20:44I'll prep for, I'll prep for every NHL team next week.
20:47You never know what's on the board.
20:50Heavy Sabre talk.
20:52Are you buying the Sabres?
20:54Could you imagine a worse question being asked on our show, but really on any South Florida
21:03sports talk show in particular, like, are you buying the Sabres by the way?
21:10On December 4th, a quarter of the season's been played.
21:15Are you buying the Sabres that, I mean, that is just shocking.
21:20Big week coming up for the blues too, Rob.
21:22So we'll, you know, I swear when you were leading with the, I thought you were going
21:27to ask me about the lightning, like the lightning had been hot.
21:29I'm like, okay, this makes sense.
21:30Another Florida team.
21:31But when you said Sabres, man, I was just like, what am I missing?
21:36I still feel like I'm missing something.
21:38Like there's something at play here.
21:40There's no way that you legitimately wanted to know that question and kept saying, please
21:45let me get this quick question.
21:48Yes or no.
21:49That's all you needed to a yes or no.
21:51You just want to know, yes or no, you're buying the Sabres.
21:53I just want to know what his thoughts were on the Sabres.
21:55You just wanted a yes or no, and then you'd be stick together from there.
22:03Fascinating.
22:04You are a fascinating creature.
22:08All right.
22:08Sorry, Rob.
22:09No, no need to apologize.
22:11Solana should apologize.
22:12Not you, Mark.
22:13No, I might apologize.
22:18What was your follow-up?
22:21Yeah.
22:21Like, and now have your concerns been allayed or do you have new concerns?
22:26Well, now I just know.
22:27I mean, he's not buying the Sabres and I'll move forward with the NHL season following the
22:31Atlantic division, knowing Rob's not buying into the Sabres.
22:34But it doesn't seem like you're following them based on what he told us about the Sabres.
22:38I have no idea.
22:39Anything about the Sabres.
22:40No.
22:40All right.
22:41See you, Rob.
22:42All right, guys.
22:42Take care.
22:44That was delightful.
22:45All right, 5 o'clock Funky Buddha happy hour is coming up next.
22:48We're going to get a visit from the trophy and Kevin Egan.
22:51And I'm terrified at what's happening now.
22:54So Solana's excited.
22:57I think you might try to interview the trophy.
23:00Hey, Kevin.
23:02Oh, my Lord.
23:03What you got written up for Kevin?
23:05That was bizarre, man.
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