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Certified Graying Millennial Saam Esfandiari returns to HoS, giving out takes for the holiday season. In this pod, our discussion includes but is not limited to…

* Looks like Saam was right about his James Wiseman pessimism. Can a man, in good conscience, feel validated by a 21 year-old’s struggles?

* The Wiseman Paradox: How can such a talented player, with good counting stats production, be so destructively bad?

* Why NBA players might prefer to be called a “pussy” over “coward”

* The Bay Area Media and propaganda: We know we’re softer than other regions, but are we also more inclined to buy happy lies?

* Why did veteran SF Chronicle reporter Connor Letourneau take a (probable) shot at Saam and his co-host Andy Liu?

* What’s grinding Saam’s gears in this World Cup about American coverage of Iran?

* Our takes on how U.S. player Taylor Adams dealt with some hostile questioning. Our takes on the takes in response.

* Is it permissible for an American to say “Eye-Ran” instead of “Ee-Rahn”?

* Our unvarnished takes on the U.S. women’s soccer team getting half the USMNT prize money. How sexist are we? Or are we nuanced? Listen and find out.

* Who runs the Bay: Gians, Niners or Warriors?