Howard: Marissa what do you weigh? Can we ask you that?
Marissa: 175
Howard: 175, what does Artie weigh?
Artie: I weigh... about 175.
Marissa: Which half of Artie weighs 175?

Hello Reddit! Forgive me as I am new to the online community. Just wanted to tell my story and maybe get some input. I [37F] accidentally found out last month my husband [38M] was using 'work trips' as an excuse to sleep with his also married coworker who lives across the country. When I say accidentally; he sent me a screen shot of Amazon purchases for our children and included at the bottom of the photo was a delivery to this woman. So yes, the worried wife in me checked his search history and email. It was all right there! I learned his November trip was a romantic getaway but this current one is luxurious! A spa resort complete with couples massages, couples cooking classes and monogramed bathrobes from etsy. He mailed her a box of gifts a few days ago for Christmas (how sweet), he purchases sexy lingerie, sent her money on venmo and even started planning a January trip to Las Vegas. I was furious when I learn all this but I kept my composure.
My plan: He left this morning for his 'work trip' but before he left I gathered all evidence of his affair. I spent 4 weeks collecting emails, credit card statements, reservations and confirmations. I wrote him a 10 page letter, put it in an envelope and taped it inside the lining of his suitcase. I plan on sending a group text to him and his mistress right after check in telling them to enjoy their trip. I will also inform them that a letter is in his suitcase and that I want a divorce. I wrote a special section just for her and I want to make sure she sees it so I will be emailing her the letter as well.
He is currently in the air. My group text goes out this evening. Stay tuned...
UPDATE!
His flight landed 1 1/2 hours ago. He told me he would text me when he landed and he has yet to do so. I have text him twice, they were delivered but not read. I checked our phone records and he text both me and her during his lay over. His email shows no Uber receipt from his final destination airport to his hotel. She must have picked him up. Something I probably should have clarified in my OP. She lives in the state he is visiting. So he flew alone.
I will be sending a group text to both him and his mistress in 2 hours as that will be 4pm their time and check in.
UPDATE #2
Sent pictures of our children and he did not respond. FYI he is in the middle of the desert.
My texts are going through green which puts a monkey wrench in my plan for a group text to him and his mistress. Need suggestions. Should I call the hotel? Connect right to their room. I worked so hard for this, it has to be tonight. HELP!
​
UPDATE #3
Thank you to everyone standing by and waiting. My best friend has come to my house to help me through this. It seems my texts are going through green (undelivered) but when my friend tried it is blue and delivered.
HE HAS BLOCKED ME! I guess that helps his guilt.
The plan now is to call the hotel. Will wait a few minutes after check in to make the call. Very soon. Please stand by.
​
UPDATE #4
Like most of you predicted he does not care, He had zero answers for my questions. That was. the mot hurtful part. But guess what, I have all the emotional support and economic support so i'm not mad. Every question I asked he had no response because his mistress was sitting there. I suspect when he is home alone with me, his answers will be different. I have made sure that he will not emotionally and financially fuck me because I have secured support from family and friends. He can go FUCK himself!!!!!!
UPDATE #5
Called his hotel room. Talked to his mistress and finally lost my shit. He ended up calling me a few minutes later and had zero empathy. I'm shocked, but I'm not. He said a divorce was in order and fought me on nothing. I expected him to be sad, he was not, but thats ok. I started packing up his shit, I have some great friend who helped me put everything in the garage. Good riddance? I guess so...
The Morning After
I wake this morning broken. My house is in shambles as I went on a rampage yesterday ripping photos off the wall, throwing his stuff in piles on the floor and breaking random objects in anger. Now that I've had a nights sleep I feel that I am a bit clearer in my thinking as I analyze the 'conversation' we had yesterday. He was different on the phone. That was not the man I know, but who was the man I've known? Because everything was a lie. The only thing he cared about on the phone was getting the kids. Which is perfectly ok, he should want to see his kids. But he refused to answer any question I had or admit to anything. I personally feel his lack of remorse was because he was sitting in front of his mistress. If I confronted him at home this would not have been his reaction. When he comes home Monday night I expect to see a different man. Also, in my conversation with the mistress I learned she is recently separated.
I called my mom. That was hard. While she and my dad have always been loving and supporting it was hard to make that phone call. I felt like a failure. I know it wasn't my doing but to admit that I made a poor choice in a spouse was difficult. Was this all because of a mistake I made 13 years ago? Honestly it doesn't matter. I have 2 days to empty my house of his things.
Who do I tell? Do I call his dad? Do I tell his mother? Best friend? Work buddies? I wish there was a manual on how to do this because I'm lost. Even with all my preparation I'm still humiliated.
Luckily he did not take his house keys when he left. So no need to change the locks, I'll be removing his keys and sending him on his way. I don't plan on seeing him when he gets home Monday night. Doors are locked, everything you own is in the garage, have your people talk to my people and I'll see you never.
Preparing for the Return
My friends and family have been wonderful. I am so fortunate to have such great people in my life. Yesterday they came to help me move all of his clothing to the garage. His collectibles were all packed up and sitting here, waiting to be appraised. It took a very long time and I was exhausted afterwards; but it was necessary. I honestly don't think he expects me to have gone to such great lengths to remove him from my life. Because I was so emotional when I confronted him there is a chance that he thinks I will want to reconcile. Fat chance, buddy. His flights lands a little before 10pm tonight. When he Ubers back home the doors will be locked. He told me on the phone he was just getting his car and leaving. I will be holding him to that. Something I should have mentioned earlier, the house is in my name only. He had no credit when we first started looking so everything is in my maiden name and purchased by me. Health insurance, car insurance, cell phones, utilities are all in my name. The only thing his name is on is his car. I think he realizes now that could all come back to bite him. I don't want a messy divorce, I'm willing to listen to his demands and try and meet in the middle on as many things as possible. He obviously doesn't care anymore so I'm going to do my best to not care and treat this like a business deal.
Update late tonight on his return. Thank you to everyone following and showing support. You are appreciated.
The Dust has Settled
It's been a few days since his return. For a man who so diligently planned a secret retreat with his mistress he took no time to plan for his return 'home.' He has been living in the basement since Monday. I allowed him to watch the children open gifts on Christmas but he has since returned to the basement. We have contacted 3 mediators and have appointments next week to start the mediation process. It's obviously over. We had a conversation/argument upon his return and he actually asked about reconciliation. I laughed. I laughed uncontrollably. Of course he pushed blame stating that our marriage has been over for a long time. Well, that's news to me. His actions of an affair were selfish and avoidant. He didn't want to have that hard conversation with me about counseling or divorcing and this route was easier and a lot more fun. Let's face it, he likes the attention of 2 women loving and pining over him. Well, I'm not longer playing that game. She wins, and oh what a prize he is! I have been amicable about talking about the terms of our separation. My biggest hang up is her. He may continue seeing her and I have questions about her character. What kind of woman/mother cheats with a man she knows is married and knows has children? When I confronted her on the phone last Saturday and asked her that question she was silent. I asked if she was 'sorry' and it was as if the line went dead. That kind of person I do not want around my children. People who show no remorse, especially when they are in the wrong, are not kind people.
I have found solace in friends and family and thank you to everyone's recommendation of ChumpLady. I'm half way through the book, read through the website and find it so helpful. Thank you again to everyone. I can't believe the outpouring of support. To the trolls, sorry you think I'm an unfit and inattentive wife, but cheaters cheat because they want to. Thank you again to all, not sure if you want a mediation update or if my story is over. Either way, I'm happy to have 'met' you all.
Where is the 'fault'?
If you listen to the books and advice always given about cheaters it all says the same thing: It's not you, they made a choice. MY STBX insists things were bad. While I don't think we were Pam and Jim or Lucy and Ricky, I think things were good. This process has made me review who I am, who I've been and who I want to be. Could I have made changes? Yes. Was I perfect? Absolutely not. But my decisions and actions were never detrimental to our marriage. They were more like sacrifices. And now I'm having those sacrifices thrown at me and I'm being called neglectful. Is all this about attention? A narcissistic need to be the apple of someone's eye? Him and the AP are now blissfully in the honeymoon stage. Vacations, late night phone calls like teenagers, present buying, etc. But what happens when the other shoe drops? What happens when she sees that he has very little patience with children? That he will walk past a a sink full of dishes completely blind to them? When he doesn't pay the phone bill for 2 months because he is spending money on silly gadgets? What then? While it's not my problem, I'm sure his AP will take issue with these things. Perhaps then she will be put in the situation I've been in for a decade. Should she be the glue and hold it all together or should she neglect responsibilities for his neediness? I've been told by him ( someone who is having a relationship and spending large sums of money on someone else) that I'm at fault. Perhaps, but what about the decades of cleaning up your messes? Maybe if I would have had 2 hour conversations with him every night things would be different, but to be honest, I'm happy I'm here. Now reflecting back I see how under appreciated I was. How neglected I was. All these year I thought I was helping but I was really being taken advantage of and this affair is no different.
Just a word of advice to all the mess cleaners, excuse makers, and spouse sheltering people reading this. Stop. Stop now. I've learned that all the 'helping' is simply them learning how to manipulate you. Draw that line in the sand. Prepare for an uncomfortable situation when they start to stumble under the pressures of real life. But don't lose yourself. I lost myself years ago and it's not a place you want to be.
Mediation & The Move.
We had our first mediation appointment via Zoom yesterday. It was very amicable, but only because I don't want to fight and I just want this to be over. He apparently wants nothing. Not the house, not the furniture, not what he's entitled to of my pension; he just wants to be done as well. As I've been packing up things in the house to declutter I've been offering him things, but he wants nothing. I suspect the moment our marriage is dissolved he will be packing up his collectables and clothing and driving across the country to live with her. I guess I should be ok with this as I don't want to be married to him anymore. It just kills me that he will be moving in with her and helping her raise her 2 children while mine are fatherless. It makes me so angry. Seething. The man who was abandoned by his father is now doing the same thing. Something he said would never ever happened because of the mental issues it has given him today. Well, it looks like that, as well as mostly everything else, was a lie. Again, I take solace in the fact that their honeymoon phase will be short lived. Reality will smack them both in the face and she will realize that he can be more hurt than help.
While I wish him well and hope the best, our kids deserve more than a Christmas/Easteone week in the summer father. No dad at basketball games, cub scouts, birthday parties and school plays. Meanwhile AP will have him and her children's biological father. I guess nothing in life is fair and my boys will have to learn that lesson early than I had hoped.
He's Gone.
My STBX left yesterday morning to visit her. I told him to go. I didn't want to spend NYE with him and our COVID circle friends who we celebrate with have zero interest in seeing him either. He booked a flight 30 minutes after I told him to go. My only stipulation was that he is back for this weekend as it's my birthday and I really need a day to myself. I've watched the kids for 3 weekends now while he went to see his mistress, I thought I at least deserved my birthday to relax. He text me while he was boarding that he won't be home for my birthday. Well then... He claims when he booked this he booked a return for the evening of my birthday. When he tried to change it he was put on standby, it would cost $1000 to change, it was a red eye etc. The excuses kept coming. He apparently does not realize I have access to the internet as well and flights are less than $300 with the airline he flew. I told him this and he said those flights weren't there when he booked (lies) and he will take care of it. I just want him to be honest. If you don't want to be here for my birthday, just say it. If you don't want to spend the day with your children, just tell me. I can't force you to be a parent. I told him the flights were available and affordable, it's his choice to rebook. Ball is in your court. That's all I can do, right? Stay tuned for an update on his return this weekend..
NYE Nightmare.
It was 12:40am on NYE and there was still no call from him. I was angry for no other reason than I explained to the kids that even though daddy wasn't with us he would call at midnight to talk to them and wish them a Happy New Year. I was made to be a liar. So, I text my STBX and his excuse was, 'they are with their friends, I didn't want to bother them'. Excuse me? Bother them? You mean you didn't want your kids to bother you is what you are really saying. If I was across the country on NYE without my kids I would have called and done the countdown with them via facetime. I think most parents would. But not him. He said, "If you would have told me that you told the kids I'd call then I would have." He tried to spin this on me, that I created this mess. Why do I have to tell you that you need to call your children at midnight? This small act said a lot to me. Our children are not a priority. I guess he didn't want to ruin his perfect vacation at his new girlfriend's house with her children. He has a nice new family now. Today is my birthday and he returns this evening. I told him in my NYE text that I will speak to him on the 12th, our next mediation meeting because I'm done. I tried to be civil for the kids but he is not putting forth the effort for them.
Liar Liar, Pants on Fire.
The past few days have been strange. We rarely talk (a decision on both our parts) and when we do it's about mediation, plans moving forward, or the kids. We have been civil and communicating well about those items. We are also friendly in front of the children as not to upset them. The situation is strange because we are getting along, there is no arguing, it's a shared focus to just get through mediation and divorce. That's fine by me. Last night while I was cleaning the kitchen I heard him on the phone in the basement. I guess he didn't realize the door was left open by one of the children. Not wanting to be a part of the drama anymore I went to close the door. At that point I heard him tell her how 'crazy' I have been acting. Excuse me? We don't speak and when we do it's very civil. How is that crazy? Well, he proceeded to tell her about a conversation we had and he lied about everything. While the conversation part was true he told her I exploded, I was in a rage, I was crying etc. None of that was true. He explained how he laughed in my face at my rage, also not true because there was no rage. I had told him awhile back before the NYE debacle that I would start dating eventually and he proceeded to tell her that I was bragging about guys I'm meeting. So far from the truth. I slammed the basement door. I'm sure he knows I heard. So I ask, 'Why the need to lie and make me a villain?' We aren't staying together, I have no reason to fight with you anymore, that's why we are paying a mediator. Why start lying to your new girlfriend that you love? How is that a good way to start a relationship? I don't know what is happening here...
This is my concern: This woman and him are in love and want to start a life together. Ok, thats fine, God bless and congrats. But, this woman only knows me by the stories (which I'm assuming are all lies) he has told her about me. If he does move across the country to be with her, how can I trust a woman who hates me because of misinformation to treat my children properly? I don't care if she hates me personally, I'll still sleep fine at night, but now I'm worried about sending my kids in the summer to stay with them. I want to confront him about this but I know I can't. Maybe it's not that I can't, but I don't know how. Also, he has told no one we are separated and definitely has not told people why. How come? You initiated this, you cheated, you are happy now, so why can't you tell people? He told his father that he was bringing the kids alone to visit him because he and I 'weren't seeing eye to eye at the moment.' What?! I would assume he's afraid to face the music or is just finding comfort in the little love bubble he has created. He chooses to not face reality. He has yet to look for an apartment for when the divorce is finalized but has booked another fight out to see her for Valentine's Day. He is refusing to face reality and it's so frustrating.
We have mediation on 1/12 to discuss custody and hope that we can settle everything and get the paperwork moving. I'm having a scheduled phone conversation with a lawyer today to discuss what I should ask for in terms of physical and legal custody when he moves. Update you all (if you want it of course) on mediation after the 12th.
Mediation and Empty Promises
Yesterday was our second mediation appointment. While it was amicable, there was some obvious tension. The tension was not on my end but more on his. Let me explain... During our first mediation we brought up the topic that he might move out of state. At yesterdays meeting I asked what we would do about custody if he moves to this particular state. When I mentioned the state by name the mediator was confused. This prompted her to ask him why this state that is so far away. His answer? "Well......." Then silence. He couldn't put into words the fact that he was leaving to be with his girlfriend. I had to finally chime in realizing we are paying by the hour that he was moving to be with his girlfriend. I realized later that was the first time he had semi-confessed to having an affair and a girlfriend to anyone. If you love this person so much why can't you just say it out loud? That whole situation confuses me.
Anyway, when it comes to dollars and cents I will be fine. He will also be fine. He will have enough to do what he needs and so will I. We have agreed to a physical custody scenario that allows him weekend and dinner visits. Fine by me, I want my boys to have their father. But, the situation becomes a bit more difficult when he moves. While he said yesterday he plans to stay here at least a year, I doubt that will actually happen. When he does move across the country he wishes to return for one weekend of every month to see the boys. Again, I'm fine with this scenario but where will he stay that weekend? He has no family. Will he just be taking the boys to a hotel? Again, I don't think he actually thought this through. This is a problem I/we will tackle when he does decide to move.
Lastly, the mediator said it could take about 2 months to finalize everything. He and I spoke after the session to go over some facts and figures and I brought up the tentative finalization date of our marriage. I told him how 2 months is a good amount of time to save some money and find an apartment to which he agreed. I also reminded him about his promise to not return to visit her until our divorce is finalized or he has a place to live. He quickly became frustrated telling me that he knew and tried to shut down the conversation. I told him I'm happy that we are on the same page but I'm not budging. If you leave while you still live here you can not come back, that is something we both agreed to.
Now the big question remains; Who does he break a promise with? Obviously it's a win win for me, stay home and help me with the kids while you save $500+ and move out quickly or leave to visit her and I get you out of the house sooner. I'm happy with either decision. I just want to move on with my life and enjoy my moments with my children.
Out For A Swim
When I took this dive into the Reddit community I had no idea where I would land. I thought my feet would hit shallow ground and I would be ankle deep on the banks in an uncomfortable swimsuit all alone. But to my surprise this deep ocean of Reddit readers have engulfed me into their warm waters and I am surrounded by a sea of support. For this I am thankful. I am also so touched by the droves of people who have reached out for advice or offered their own experiences as lessons to be learned. To the ones seeking advice I tell them, I am not an expert swimmer. I am merely doggy paddling through this sea of hurt and confusion. Please don't use me as a sign of strength. Because the truth is, I am not strong, I am you. I am the woman who reads because they are suspicious of late night phones call her husband takes. I am the spouse who has shouldered the entire family and is in desperate need of support. I am the woman who misses affection from her husband who is next to her in bed every night. I. Am. You. To those people who have yet to catch their partner cheating but are suspicious, trust your gut. Cheating is a coward's choice so be braver than them and face the truth. To the spouse who is 'the fixer' and takes on every challenge, take a step back. When you help (even with good intention) you are actually just hurting yourself. To the spouse who has tried everything to receive physical attention from their partner but to no avail, their affection is probably going somewhere else. These are lesson I wish I could have told myself months, if not years ago. Listen to me. Or just listen to you.
To the sharks in water who call me a 'bad mom', 'a crazy bitch', 'fake' or even just think I'm out of my mind, you will find no blood in this water. So it's best you move on and find a thread where the OP will chum the water for you. It's so very easy to read and judge, this I understand. I just hope that if this ever happens to you that you will be as brave, logical and composed as you expect others to be. If not, you will find sharks circling you as well. So I hope you are as strong of a swimmer as you claim to be.
If you are still reading, my saga/survival continues. Our final mediation papers will arrive this week. We were able to settle everything at the last meeting on 1/12 and the documents just need our signature. After that, the divorce papers need to be served and filed with the county. Then we await our court date which will be done via Zoom. Yes, a bit anticlimactic, but it will still serve its purpose of divorcing. He has started (finally) to look for an apartment but nothing is to his satisfaction. Maybe he is being picky or maybe he is comfortable living in the basement. Either way, once the divorce papers are stamped he needs to be gone. He has started making phone calls to her during the day and I can hear him giggling downstairs. I'm happy he is happy, I really am. That isn't passive aggressive. I know I will be happy one day too, he just got there first and that's ok. I feel like my life is in limbo right now. I can't move forward because I'm chained to the past. I'm hoping his move will be soon. I suspect he wants out for February 1st so he can go visit her for Valentines Day. I hope for his sake (and mine) that he makes his deadline. I will update again after I receive the mediation paperwork and divorce papers are served. I'm sure that will stir up a lot of thought and emotion so I'm certain it will be a doozy. Till then, I'll keep doggy paddling.
Souvenirs
If you have been following along then you know that there was a chance he would leave for Valentine's Day to go visit her. Well, he left this morning. He told the kids, "I'm going" as he walked out the door leaving me to explain a few hours later that he had to leave to 'work' when they started asking for him. I have learned that I can't have expectations. Just because I would try to be more honest with the kids doesn't mean he would. I was really proud of the fact that I didn't even engage him in the discussion/debate/argument of going. Yes, I had loudly vocalized some feelings a week ago when he told me he was going but I have not engaged him about it since. All I asked was for his flight info so that I would know when to expect him back. He did not provide this information; maybe he thinks I'm not entitled to it. Either way, he left and I was fine. While we had the conversation multiple times (in which he agreed) that he would not visit her again till he had an apartment he has reneged on that agreement. Shocker. He claims that he has every right to be here (which he does legally) and he can do as he pleases. He put a down payment on an apartment a few days ago but says he doesn't know when he is moving. What? The bills he pays in the house are less than the child support he will have to pay, so I think his decision to stay longer might be a financial one. I've offered him any piece of furniture he wants in the house. I even offered to pay for 1/2 of the cost of bunk beds for the boys. I just need him to leave. I have no idea why he is dragging his feet.
BUT, I learned through a mutual friend and former work colleague of theirs that she recently had COVID. When I say recently, I mean the board of health from her state said she could stop quarantining 3 days ago! But what about her kids that are in the home? Where they living there during her quarantine? Are they positive? Perhaps they are asymptomatic? Will my STBX be bringing me and our children home a COVID souvenir?
I'm LIVID.

Let me preface this post by saying that I do believe in coincidences, but in my line of work, multiple coincidences tend to not be a coincidence. These occurrences are likely to be evidence of planning. With that said, I suspect that Kyrie, KD, and Harden may have planned to bring Harden to the Nets.
Social Dynamics
It's no secret that KD and Kyrie are "best friends"¹ and that Harden and KD have a long-time friendship.² All three players are friends, they've made clear their preference to play with friends, and the Nets are happy to oblige (for example, DeAndre Jordan playing and even starting for the Nets, which was seen as a means to appease KD and Kyrie).³
Trade Rumors
Most of us are familiar with the Harden trade rumors involving the Nets and Sixers.
The Nets wanted three superstars, which was unlikely to happen if the Rockets demanded Kyrie in return,¹² who was playing like an MVP candidate until January 5.⁴
At the same time, the Nets had leverage: Harden did not want to play for the Rockets, who also wanted to avoid trading him to the Sixers likely because of pettiness since Daryl Morey (a coveted GM) left the Rockets to join the Sixers.
Meanwhile, Harden was clearly unhappy with the Rockets: he partied in Atlanta and Las Vegas, missed the start of training camp, and even acted aggressively during practice.⁵ It wasn't working though. The Rockets made it clear that they wanted Harden to play the 2020-2021 season with a new supporting cast.⁶
Harden needed more leverage to get out of Houston with two years left on his contract, and the Nets needed leverage to keep Kyrie. Something more drastic needed to happen.
The Scheme
To gain that leverage, I suspect that Kyrie, KD, and Harden may have developed a scheme whereby (i) Harden would attempt to irreparably damage the relationship with the Rockets players, coaches, and FO to force the Rockets' hand; (ii) Kyrie made himself practically unavailable in a trade, and (iii) KD kept the team afloat in order to get into the playoffs.
Harden started the 2020-2021 season, like he always does, on fire. He was averaging 30+ points a game. However and coincidentally, on January 6, one day before Kyrie took a leave of absence, Harden effectively stopped playing good basketball.⁷ His FTA (considered to be a good indication of effort) shrunk - he got to the line 14 times in the last 4 games, compared to 46 FTA in the first 4 games. His PPG also shrunk to absolutely mediocre levels (below 20 PPG in the last 4 games). In sum, Harden stopped trying, and it was obvious.
The following day, on January 7, Kyrie took an unexplained leave of absence. No one knows why Kyrie's been MIA, but videos have surfaced suggesting he attended a party and a Zoom fundraising event.⁸ This absence, though widely condemned, has not been considered too unusual for Kyrie, who's a little off the beaten path. After all, although it's unprofessional, it's just Crazy Kai doing Crazy Kai things. The perfect cover.
Meanwhile, Harden tanked the Rockets through to a poetic end: Rockets got demolished twice by the Lakers, who recently destroyed a slightly different Rockets team in the playoffs last year. It's clear this was the end because of Harden's post-game interview, where he sent a not-so-veiled goodbye message, along with a parting shot at the team for good measure.⁹ Why would Harden say goodbye, if all evidence suggests that the FO was unwilling to trade him at that point?
At this point, the Rockets needed to trade Harden because the damage he was causing would have been irreparable. However, the trade offers felt a little different now. Why would the Rockets trade a headache (Harden) for a toothache (Kyrie) (credit to Shannon)? They wouldn't, but they needed to move him quickly.
Because the Rockets wanted to avoid dealing Harden to the Sixers and the Nets offered the best available package (without Kyrie now),¹⁰ the Rockets begrudgingly accepted the Nets’ offer.
I suspected that, since the trade has happened, Kyrie would come back to the team soon. Indeed, one day after the trade, Kyrie announced his intentions to return to the team, and he will play on Saturday, January 16.^{11 & 13}
TLDR
Although I have no direct evidence, some circumstantial evidence suggests that Kyrie, KD, and Harden schemed to bring Harden to the Nets.
Sources

1. https://clutchpoints.com/nets-news-kyrie-irving-opens-up-about-best-friend-conversations-kevin-durant/
2. https://clutchpoints.com/the-evolution-of-the-james-harden-kevin-durant-relationship-since-their-thunder-days/
3. https://nba.nbcsports.com/2021/01/04/nets-coach-steve-nash-doesnt-want-to-turn-deandre-jordan-jarrett-allen-situation-into-mini-drama/
4. http://bkref.com/pi/shareit/0ydVT
5. https://www.sportingnews.com/ca/nba/news/james-harden-trade-rumors-rockets-explained/neei7xesp4b41v0o7a8zoei47
6. https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nba/news/james-harden-trade-rumors-rockets-explained/3cnctbyjv02019tz2yqz8e8g1
7. http://bkref.com/pi/shareit/ZgibV
8. https://www.boston.com/sports/boston-celtics/2021/01/13/kyrie-irving-timeline-absence-personal-reasons
9. https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nba/news/nba-fans-react-james-harden-postgame-farewell/1wwc9rzbyr8351m1slsnn860gj
10. https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/james-harden-trade-grades-rockets-send-all-star-to-nets-in-four-team-deal-involving-cavs-pacers-per-report/#:~:text=Rockets%20get%3A%20Victor%20Oladipo%2C%20Rodions,%2Dround%20pick%20(from%20Houston))
11. https://theathletic.com/news/nets-marks-harden-irving/HHDvvshUAjiM
12. https://nba.nbcsports.com/2020/12/10/report-houston-wants-irving-or-durant-back-in-harden-trade-to-brooklyn/
13. https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1350110949190086660?s=20

​
Edit: Few stylistic changes and non-substantive clarifications.
Edit 2: Added footnote 12, in which Shams reported late last year that the Rockets initially wanted either Kyrie or Durant in any potential trade.
Edit 3: Added Kyrie's return to the court (footnote 13). It's all come full circle.

Spurs are currently one of the 'pleasant surprises' of the NBA The Spurs are doing much better this season than expected, according to an NBA expert.
Kirk Goldsberry, a basketball analyst who once worked with the Spurs and transforms data into art, shared a recent line chart graphic using the 30 team logos to mark how each is faring this season. Simply put, the chart compares "How It Started vs. How It's Going," Goldsberry tweeted.
The data weighs up the current winning percentages to what Las Vegas bettors predicted the teams would shape up to do. The Spurs, along with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Utah Jazz, lead the way as "pleasant surprises" of the league. The Miami Heat, Toronto Raptors and Dallas Mavericks are at the bottom as "yucky starts."
The Spurs are currently 11-10 with a .524 winning percentage. Goldsberry used betting predictions from William Hill, one of the world's largest bookmaker's for the preseason predictions. In July, a day ahead of the NBA restart, the sportsbook had the Spurs near the bottom for future odds of winning the 2021 NBA Championship at 500/1.

With the announcements of WrestleManias 37, 38, and 39, some users were critical of WWE selecting the same venues every year. Every WrestleMania since 23, with the exception of three in Orlando (two at the Citrus Bowl/Camping World Stadium and one at the Performance Center due to COVID-19), has been held at an NFL stadium. As something of an NFL stadium expert, I decided to examine each NFL stadium's likelihood of hosting a future WrestleMania. Please note that some stadiums are located just outside of the city limits listed, but I listed the major city most associated with it (so for instance, while AT&T Stadium is technically in Arlington, it hosts the Dallas Cowboys, so I listed Arlington.) I'm also giving WWE a significant benefit of the doubt and assuming they'd be interested in hosting a Mania outside of their usual go-tos.
Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, NV

• Stadium Profile: A $1.9 billion stadium opened in 2020 to house the newly-moved Las Vegas Raiders. Starting in 2021, it will host the Pro Bowl, Las Vegas Bowl, and the Pac-12 Championship Game. As of yet, it has not hosted any fans. It has a capacity of 65,000.
• City Profile: Las Vegas is the 28th biggest metro area in the US. Las Vegas previously hosted WrestleMania IX in a temporary arena built at Caesars Palace, and the recently-built T-Mobile Arena hosted 2016 Money in the Bank and 2018 Elimination Chamber.
• Likelihood of hosting WrestleMania: Very high. I'm honestly surprised it didn't host one of the next three Manias given its attractive location and massive new stadium. I suspect it will host one very soon in the future.

Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO

• Stadium Profile: Arrowhead is the third-oldest stadium in the NFL, having been built in 1972. It had a renovation completed in 2010 and seats 76,416. It's known for its incredibly-loud fans, as they currently hold the world record for loudest crowd at 142.2 decibels.
• City Profile: Kansas City is the 31st biggest metro area in the US. Kansas City has hosted four PPVs, most notably 1999 Over the Edge with the death of Owen Hart and most recently 2010 Money in the Bank.
• Likelihood of hosting WrestleMania: None. Arrowhead's age and Kansas City being a smaller market (and not an attractive vacation destination) mean that Missouri won't be hosting WrestleMania any time soon.

AT&T Stadium, Dallas, TX

• Stadium Profile: "Jerryworld", a pioneer in the billion-dollar stadium craze, opened in 2009 with a listed capacity of 80,000, though it can hold up to 100,000 for special events like WrestleMania and the Super Bowl, which it hosted in 2011. It also hosts the annual Cotton Bowl game.
• City Profile: Dallas is the 4th largest metro area in the US. Dallas hosted WrestleMania 32 at AT&T Stadium and most recently hosted 2017 Great Balls of Fire.
• Likelihood of hosting WrestleMania: Confirmed, as it will host WrestleMania 38 next year. I suspect this will not be the last.

Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC

• Stadium Profile: A largely no-frills stadium, Bank of America Stadium was built in 1996 and has a seating capacity of 75,523. In addition to hosting the Charlotte Panthers, it will host Charlotte FC starting in 2022 and has hosted an NCAA bowl game since 2002 and the ACC Championship Game most years since 2010. Though it was renovated in 2017 (and soccer renovations are currently underway), Panthers ownership has expressed a desire for a new stadium.
• City Profile: Charlotte is the 22nd biggest metro area in the US. Nearby Charlotte Coliseum hosted 2019 Clash of Champions, its first PPV in 13 years, and nearby Greensboro has been considered one of wrestling's hotbeds.
• Likelihood of hosting WrestleMania: Low. If memory serves, Charlotte was floated as a potential Mania site, but unless they get a new stadium I don't see this nearly as likely as more attractive Southeast locations like Atlanta or Florida.

Bills Stadium, Buffalo, NY

• Stadium Profile: The NFL's fourth-oldest stadium, the former Ralph Wilson Stadium houses 71,608. It was the site of the first NHL Winter Classic in 2008 as the Buffalo Sabres hosted the Pittsburgh Penguins.
• City Profile: Buffalo is the 49th biggest metro area in the US. The last PPV Buffalo hosted was 2013 Battleground.
• Likelihood of hosting WrestleMania: None. With many bigger cities nearby and an aging stadium, Buffalo will never host a WrestleMania. Sorry, Bills Mafia.

Empower Field at Mile High, Denver, CO

• Stadium Profile: Replacing the historic-but-aging Mile High Stadium in 2001, Empower Field seats 76,125. Notably, 84,000 were in attendance on the last night of the 2008 Democratic National Convention for Barack Obama's acceptance speech.
• City Profile: Denver is the 19th biggest metro area in the US. The nearby Pepsi Center has only hosted one PPV - 2003 Vengeance.
• Likelihood of hosting WrestleMania: None. Denver's high altitude doesn't do it any favors, but WWE has been hesitant to run Denver in the past and I suspect with shinier stadiums out West, it will not do so here.

FedExField, Washington, DC (stadium located in Landover, MD)

• Stadium Profile: Once the NFL's largest stadium, FedExField opened in 1997 and currently has a capacity of 82,000. Many upper-level seats were blockaded off in 2011. Even in 2007, Sports Illustrated rated it fourth-lowest in "NFL Fan Value Experience".
• City Profile: Washington is the 6th biggest metro area in the US. Capital One Arena hosted 2005 SummerSlam, 2009 Survivor Series, and most recently 2016 Battleground, but also hosted the inaugural episode of AEW Dynamite.
• Likelihood of hosting WrestleMania: None. A DC 'Mania might sound attractive, but FedExField's unpopularity will keep it off WWE's list. Nationals Park could be an option if WWE chooses to downsize.

FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland, OH

• Stadium Profile: Sitting on Lake Erie's shore, the "Factory of Sadness" opened in 1999 to host the second incarnation of the Cleveland Browns. It has a capacity of 67,431.
• City Profile: Cleveland is the 34th biggest metro area in the US. It hosted Fastlane in both 2016 and 2019 and also hosted SummerSlam in 1996.
• Likelihood of hosting WrestleMania: None. I'm cold just thinking about late March in Cleveland.

Ford Field, Detroit, MI

• Stadium Profile: Built in 2002 as a downtown replacement to the Pontiac Silverdome, Ford Field seats 65,000. It's hosted a bowl game every year since its opening and also hosted Super Bowl XL.
• City Profile: Detroit is the 14th biggest metro area in the US. The Pontiac Silverdome was the site of perhaps the most famous WrestleMania (III), and Ford Field hosted WrestleMania 23 twenty years later. Detroit has also hosted several PPVs, most recently 2017 Hell in a Cell.
• Likelihood of hosting WrestleMania: Low. Though WWE has run WrestleMania in Detroit twice in the past, that it has not done so in nearly 20 years seems to indicate it's looking at newer stadiums and more attractive locations.

Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, MA

• Stadium Profile: Wedged between Boston and Providence, Gillette Stadium was built in 2002 as a replacement to the aging Foxboro Stadium. It seats 65,878 and hosts the New England Patriots as well as the MLS's New England Revolution.
• City Profile: Boston is the 11th largest metro area in the US. The FleetCenter, now TD Garden, hosted WrestleMania XIV and has hosted several other Big 4 PPVs. It last hosted 2017 Clash of Champions.
• Likelihood of hosting WrestleMania: None. An indoor Boston stadium might be more attractive, but the cold weather serves as a major detriment, especially with NYC nearby.

Hard Rock Stadium, Miami, FL

• Stadium Profile: Opened in 1987, the stadium with 11 different names seats 65,326. It's home to the Miami Dolphins, University of Miami football team, and the Orange Bowl game and formerly housed the Florida Marlins baseball team. Amid deterioration, it underwent a massive overhaul in 2015.
• City Profile: Miami has hosted 6 Super Bowls, 5 College Football National Championships, and WrestleMania XXVIII with Miami native The Rock headlining. However, its last PPV was 2013 Hell in a Cell.
• Likelihood of hosting WrestleMania: Medium. The new stadium overhaul has made it an attractive location for other high-profile events, but WWE seems to have other Florida venues in mind. Perhaps they'll be back to Miami in the coming years.

Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, PA

• Stadium Profile: Opened in 2001 along with next-door PNC Park as a replacement to Three Rivers Stadium, Heinz Field seats 68,400. Its open south end has made it one of the toughest places for kickers. It's also hosted two NHL games: the 2011 Winter Classic and 2017 Stadium Series.
• City Profile: Pittsburgh is the 27th largest metro area in the US. It was home to perhaps the most famous match in WWE history, Undertaker vs. Mankind's Hell in a Cell match in 1998. It also hosted the 2014 Royal Rumble and most recently 2018 Extreme Rules.
• Likelihood of hosting WrestleMania: None. As much as I'd love to see a WrestleMania in my home city of Pittsburgh, it's not exactly the biggest destination city in the world, and WWE seems to have shunned Pittsburgh from high-profile events after several negative crowd responses.

Lambeau Field, Green Bay, WI

• Stadium Profile: The NFL's second-oldest stadium, Lambeau Field - named after Packer great Curly Lambeau - opened in 1957. Though single-bowled for most of its life, it added an upper deck at the south endzone in 2013. Most of its 81,441 seats are bleachers.
• City Profile: Green Bay is the 158th biggest metro area in the US. It has never hosted a PPV, though Milwaukee has hosted several, most recently 2017 Fastlane.
• Likelihood of hosting WrestleMania: None. Maybe negative.

Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, CA

• Stadium Profile: Home to the San Francisco 49ers (though San Francisco is about an hour drive north), Levi's Stadium opened in 2014 and holds 68,500. Its large glass press box has led to criticism for making the stadium too bright and hot during the daytime. Levi's hosted Super Bowl 50, WrestleMania 31, and the 2015 NHL Stadium Series.
• City Profile: San Francisco is the 12th biggest metro area in the US, and San Jose is the 35th biggest metro area in the US. San Francisco has never hosted a PPV (likely to change in the coming years with the opening of the Chase Center). San Jose hosted the 1998 Royal Rumble, 2001 SummerSlam, and most recently 2018 TLC.
• Likelihood of hosting WrestleMania: Very low. With the opening of SoFi Stadium ensuring multiple WrestleManias in California in the coming decades, accompanied with poor reception to the stadium and to The Undertaker having to make a daytime entrance, WWE probably won't be back to Levi's.

Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA

• Stadium Profile: Opened in 2003, "The Linc" sits in Philadelphia's famed Philadelphia Sports Complex in the same location as classic venues Veterans Stadium and The Spectrum. Lincoln Financial Field seats 69,796, and in addition to the Philadelphia Eagles and Temple Owls is the usual host of the Army-Navy Game.
• City Profile: Philadelphia is the 8th biggest metro area in the US. Perhaps wrestling's most notorious crowd thanks in part to it being the home of ECW, Philadelphia has hosted a number of high-profile events over the years including WrestleMania XV, the 2015 and 2018 Royal Rumbles, and most recently 2019 Extreme Rules.
• Likelihood of hosting WrestleMania: Low to medium. Philadelphia has been floated as a WrestleMania city before, and though it's not the best climate in early spring, you'd have to imagine a WrestleMania crowd in a normally-raucous city would be a sight (and sound) to behold.

Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN

• Stadium Profile: Indy sure does love its indoor stadiums. After the Colts moved into the Hoosier Dome (later RCA Dome) in 1984, they opened the retractable-roof Lucas Oil in 2008 with a capacity of 67,000. It's also the host of the Big Ten Championship Game, Super Bowl XLVI, and given Indy's status as a college basketball hub, will host at minimum two Final Fours in the future (2021 and 2026).
• City Profile: Indianapolis is the 33rd biggest metro area in the US. The Hoosier Dome hosted WrestleMania VIII in 1992 and has since hosted a SummerSlam, a Survivor Series, and most recently 2016 Clash of Champions. It's also known to wrestling fans as the city where The Shield was formed in 2012 and where they broke up in 2014.
• Likelihood of hosting WrestleMania: Low. While a beautiful stadium, Lucas Oil hasn't brought in as many events as Indianapolis surely hoped, in part due to its small market.

Lumen Field, Seattle, WA

• Stadium Profile: Built in 2002 as a replacement to the literally-crumbling Kingdome, the former Qwest and CenturyLink Field holds a nice 69,000. Known for its triangular end zone stand and loud fans known as the "12th Man", it houses the Seattle Seahawks and Seattle Sounders.
• City Profile: Seattle is the 15th largest metro area in the US. Next-door Safeco Field, home to the Mariners, hosted WrestleMania XIX in 2003, and KeyArena has only hosted two PPVs (most recently 2011 Over the Limit), though a major overhaul to the venue will likely change this once WWE resumes touring.
• Likelihood of hosting WrestleMania: Very low. Safeco Field was WWE's venue of choice in 2003, and while it could be an attractive Rumble target in the coming years, I suspect Lumen won't be on their list.

M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, MD

• Stadium Profile: Home to the Baltimore Ravens, it opened in 1998 with a capacity of 71,008. Its most notable feature is its jumbotrons sandwiched between its upper and lower bowls. It's also hosted several Army-Navy games.
• City Profile: Baltimore is the 21st largest metro area in the US. Baltimore has hosted several PPVs, most recently 2017 Extreme Rules.
• Likelihood of hosting WrestleMania: None. Though Royal Farms Arena is a common stop on WWE's touring schedule, M&T Bank is surely way low on the list of potential WrestleMania stadiums as it hasn't even been seriously considered in years past.

Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA

• Stadium Profile: Jokingly nicknamed "Megatron" due to its distinctly-shaped exterior and retractable roof, Mercedes-Benz Stadium opened in 2017 at a cost of $1.6 billion and seats 71,000. It hosts the Falcons, Atlanta United, the Peach Bowl, Super Bowl LII, and will surely host more Super Bowls and NCAA championships (both football and basketball).
• City Profile: Atlanta is the 9th biggest metro area in the US and is also home to the world's busiest airport. Atlanta was the host of the 1996 Summer Olympics. The now-demolished Georgia Dome hosted WrestleMania XXVII, and Phillips Arena most recently hosted 2015 Survivor Series.
• Likelihood of hosting WrestleMania: Extremely high. The only thing I see as a detraction is WWE being petty about TNT getting back in the wrestling business. Otherwise, this massive, futuristic stadium would be a perfect WrestleMania host.

Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, LA

• Stadium Profile: One of the most famous stadiums in sports, the Superdome (brother) opened in 1975, though it is currently undergoing a massive renovation. It seats 73,208 and has hosted seven Super Bowls (scheduled for #8 in 2025), two WrestleManias, five Final Fours, and is the annual home of the Sugar Bowl.
• City Profile: New Orleans is the 45th biggest metro area in the US, though it's become a cultural hub. WrestleMania 34 was the last PPV hosted in the city.
• Likelihood of hosting WrestleMania: High. WWE has hosted here twice before, and a massive renovation will continue to make it an attractive target.

MetLife Stadium, New York, NY (located in East Rutherford, NJ)

• Stadium Profile: Located across the river from the heart of New York City, MetLife Stadium opened in 2010 as home of both the Giants and Jets and seats 82,500. Its price tag of $1.6 billion made it at the time the most expensive stadium in the US. It's hosted two WrestleManias (29 and 35) and is the only open-air northern city to host the Super Bowl.
• City Profile: What else is there to say about New York? It's the largest metro area by far, it's a massive cultural hub, and in wrestling context has hosted many of wrestling's most memorable events including six WrestleManias.
• Likelihood of hosting WrestleMania: Medium to high. NYC always has to be on the list when hosting large events, and given WWE has been to MetLife twice, you'd have to think they're willing to go again. The massive downside is the intense difficulty some fans had with leaving the stadium, although that's something that can be remedied with a little better planning.

Nissan Stadium, Nashville, TN

• Stadium Profile: Opened in 1999 to house the newly-christened Tennessee Titans, Nissan Stadium seats 69,143 and is also host to the annual Music City Bowl. It will be the centerpiece of a Nashville street circuit coming to the IndyCar calendar in 2021.
• City Profile: Nashville is the 36th largest metro area in the US. Nashville last hosted 2014 Night of Champions, although a house show under the name "Smackville" was aired on the WWE Network in 2019.
• Likelihood of hosting WrestleMania: Very low. I don't want to say zero, but this is as close to zero as it gets. Memphis is by far the more popular wrestling destination in the state, but it doesn't have a stadium capable of hosting a modern 'Mania.

NRG Stadium, Houston, TX

• Stadium Profile: Built in 2002 to house the expansion Houston Texans, the Astrodome's spiritual successor houses 72,220. It's hosted two Super Bowls, two Final Fours, and is also on the schedule to host another Final Four and a College Football National Championship. NRG, then Reliant Stadium, hosted WrestleMania XXV.
• City Profile: Houston is the 5th largest metro area in the US. In addition to XXV, the Astrodome - despite no longer having any tenants - hosted WrestleMania X-Seven, often regarded as the best WrestleMania (and possibly the best WWE PPV ever). Houston has hosted numerous PPVs, including the 2020 Royal Rumble at Minute Maid Park and several other Big 4s.
• Likelihood of hosting WrestleMania: Low. Though the Toyota Center is a common PPV host, Dallas seems to be the preferred destination in the state for WrestleMania. Still, NRG holds its weight, and perhaps it'll get another WrestleMania down the line.

Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, OH

• Stadium Profile: Like many cookie-cutters of the 70s, Riverfront Stadium was replaced by two stadiums; Paul Brown, opened in 2000, was the first, and it seats 65,515. An odd quirk in the contract with the city states that Cincinnati must pay for anything that 10 other NFL stadiums have, including holographic replays.
• City Profile: Cincinnati is the 30th biggest metro area in the US. As it is not home to an NBA or NHL team, the outdated US Bank Arena hasn't hosted much for WWE, only 2006 Cyber Sunday and 2018 Starrcade (a rebranded house show).
• Likelihood of hosting WrestleMania: None. As highly of Moxley speaks of it, Cincinnati isn't a wrestling hub by any stretch, nor is it a big enough market to justify a high-profile event.

Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL

• Stadium Profile: Opened in 1998, this stadium seats 65,890 and has been home to the Outback Bowl, two Super Bowls (it'll host its third later this month), and the 2017 College Football National Championship. Its most prominent feature is a giant pirate ship that fires its cannons when the home Buccaneers score.
• City Profile: Tampa is the 18th largest metro area in the US. It hosted a few Big 4s decades ago, but prior to COVID last hosted 2014 Battleground. Sister city St. Petersburg will end up hosting several upcoming PPVs as it is the second home of the WWE Thunderdome.
• Likelihood of hosting WrestleMania: Confirmed, as it will host WrestleMania later this year as a make-good for the Mania scrapped last year due to COVID-19. I'll admit that I was surprised to see Tampa on the schedule, and I can't imagine it'll come back after this year.

SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles, CA

• Stadium Profile: LA residents, I feel bad that you're on the hook for the $5 billion price tag of this megaplex that houses the Rams and Chargers. Opened last fall, it seats 70,420 on game day but can be expanded to over 100,000. It will also be the epicenter of the 2028 Summer Olympics and will likely be a major part of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. It also has next year's Super Bowl and 2023's College Football National Championship on its radar. Incidentally, it has yet to host fans.
• City Profile: Los Angeles is the 2nd biggest metro area in the US. It's been home to numerous Big 4s including 3 WrestleManias (a fourth if you count nearby Anaheim) and was the regular host of SummerSlam for years.
• Likelihood of hosting WrestleMania: Confirmed, as it is the host of WrestleMania 39 (pushed back from 37, presumably to allow California ample time to recover from COVID-19). It was intentionally over-built for high-profile events like WrestleMania, and I'm confident they will be back for many more.

Soldier Field, Chicago, IL

• Stadium Profile: One of the classic sports venues, Soldier Field was built in 1924 but didn't host the Bears until 1971. A National Historic Landmark until 2002, it was delisted to allow the seating bowl to be gutted and rebuilt. Its signature Roman columns now reside at the stadium's gate.
• City Profile: Chicago is the 3rd biggest metro area in the US. It's a popular site of Big 4s, but it's hosted just two WrestleManias, both in arenas (2 and 22). It most recently hosted 2019 Survivor Series. Most WWE shows are held not in the United Center but instead at the Allstate Arena in nearby Rosemont.
• Likelihood of hosting WrestleMania: Very low. I have to say I'm surprised Chicago's not hosted WrestleMania in so long given how raucous its crowds are and given Chicago's giant market. However, Soldier Field is not the most advanced stadium in the world, and WWE seems to like warmer buildings.

State Farm Stadium, Phoenix, AZ

• Stadium Profile: At the time of its opening in 2006, State Farm was perhaps the highest-tech stadium ever built. It notably features not just a retractable roof but a retractable field, allowing its Bermuda grass to get some sunlight. It's also hosted a Super Bowl, 3 College Football National Championships, and a Final Four, with another Super Bowl and Final Four coming in the next few years.
• City Profile: Phoenix is the 10th biggest metro area in the US. Phoenix's first PPV was 2003 SummerSlam and it's hosted many since, including WrestleMania XXVI and most recently the 2019 Royal Rumble at Chase Field.
• Likelihood of hosting WrestleMania: Low. You'd think if WWE were headed back to Glendale, it would've done so by now. Once the most high-tech stadium in America, its successes have since been duplicated by countless others.

TIAA Bank Field, Jacksonville, FL

• Stadium Profile: Do I really have to do this one? Jacksonville Municipal Stadium was built in the 1930s, but it was overhauled in 1995 to welcome the expansion Jacksonville Jaguars, who are owned by the Khan family - the same family that owns AEW. It's also hosted Super Bowl XXXIX.
• City Profile: Jacksonville is the 40th biggest metro area in the US. Without a NBA or NHL team, it's hosted just one PPV: 2007 One Night Stand.
• Likelihood of hosting WrestleMania: None, as long as AEW is around.

US Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, MN

• Stadium Profile: Built in 2016 as a replacement to the Metrodome and seating 66,655, US Bank's distinct exterior was built to resemble a viking ship. In its short life so far, it's already hosted a Super Bowl and a Final Four.
• City Profile: Minneapolis is the 16th biggest metro area in the US. Minneapolis hosted 1999 SummerSlam andlast hosted 2019 TLC. Surprisingly, the Metrodome never hosted WrestleMania.
• Likelihood of hosting WrestleMania: Medium to high. US Bank Stadium is a technological marvel, but Minneapolis is far from the most attractive location.

NEW INFO 5 Results from share redemption are posted. Less than .2% redeemed. Very bullish as investors are showing extreme confidence in the future of PLBY.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/playboy-mountain-crest-acquisition-corp-120000721.html
NEW INFO 4 Definitive Agreement to purchase 100% of Lovers brand stores announced 2/1.
https://www.streetinsider.com/Corporate+News/Playboy+%28MCAC%29+Confirms+Deal+to+Acquire+Lovers/17892359.html
NEW INFO 3 I bought more on the dip today. 5081 total. Price rose AH to $12.38 (2.15%)
NEW INFO 2 Here is the full webinar.
https://icrinc.zoom.us/rec/play/9GWKdmOYumjWfZuufW3QXpe_FW_g--qeNbg6PnTjTMbnNTgLmCbWjeRFpQga1iPc-elpGap8dnDv8Zww.yD7DjUwuPmapeEdP?continueMode=true&tk=lEYc4F_FkKlgsmCIs6w0gtGHT2kbgVGbUju3cIRBSjk.DQIAAAAV8NK49xZWdldRM2xNSFNQcTBmcE00UzM3bXh3AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA&uuid=WN_GKWqbHkeSyuWetJmLFkj4g&_x_zm_rtaid=kR45-uuqRE-L65AxLjpbQw.1611967079119.2c054e3d3f8d8e63339273d9175939ed&_x_zm_rhtaid=866
NEW INFO 1 Live merger webinar with PLBY and MCAC on Friday January 29, 2021 at 12:00 NOON EST link below
https://mcacquisition.com/investor-relations/press-release-details/2021/Playboy-Enterprises-Inc.-and-Mountain-Crest-Acquisition-Corp-Participate-in-SPACInsider-ICR-Webinar-on-January-29th-at-12pm-ET/default.aspx
Playboy going public: Porn, Gambling, and Cannabis
!!!WARNING READING AHEAD!!! TL;DR at the end. It will take some time to sort through all the links and read/watch everything, but you should.
In the next couple weeks, Mountain Crest Acquisition Corp is taking Playboy public. The existing ticker MCAC will become PLBY. Special purpose acquisition companies have taken private companies public in recent months with great success. I believe this will be no exception. Notably, Playboy is profitable and has skyrocketing revenue going into a transformational growth phase.
Porn - First and foremost, let's talk about porn. I know what you guys are thinking. “Porno mags are dead. Why would I want to invest in something like that? I can get porn for free online.” Guess what? You are absolutely right. And that’s exactly why Playboy doesn’t do that anymore. That’s right, they eliminated their print division. And yet they somehow STILL make money from porn that people (see: boomers) pay for on their website through PlayboyTV, Playboy Plus, and iPlayboy. Here’s the thing: Playboy has international, multi-generational name recognition from porn. They have content available in 180 countries. It will be the only publicly traded adult entertainment (porn) company. But that is not where this company is going. It will help support them along the way. You can see every Playboy magazine through iPlayboy if you’re interested. NSFW links below:
https://www.playboy.com/
https://www.playboytv.com/
https://www.playboyplus.com/
https://www.iplayboy.com/
Gambling - Some of you might recognize the Playboy brand from gambling trips to places like Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Cancun, London or Macau. They’ve been in the gambling biz for decades through their casinos, clubs, and licensed gaming products. They see the writing on the wall. COVID is accelerating the transition to digital, application based GAMBLING. That’s right. What we are doing on Robinhood with risky options is gambling, and the only reason regulators might give a shit anymore is because we are making too much money. There may be some restrictions put in place, but gambling from your phone on your couch is not going anywhere. More and more states are allowing things like Draftkings, poker, state ‘lottery” apps, hell - even political betting. Michigan and Virginia just ok’d gambling apps. They won’t be the last. This is all from your couch and any 18 year old with a cracked iphone can access it. Wouldn’t it be cool if Playboy was going to do something like that? They’re already working on it. As per CEO Ben Kohn who we will get to later, “...the company’s casino-style digital gaming products with Scientific Games and Microgaming continue to see significant global growth.” Honestly, I stopped researching Scientific Games' sports betting segment when I saw the word ‘omni-channel’. That told me all I needed to know about it’s success.
“Our SG Sports™ platform is an enhanced, omni-channel solution for online, self-service and retail fixed odds sports betting – from soccer to tennis, basketball, football, baseball, hockey, motor sports, racing and more.”
https://www.scientificgames.com/
https://www.microgaming.co.uk/
“This latter segment has become increasingly enticing for Playboy, and it said last week that it is considering new tie-ups that could include gaming operators like PointsBet and 888Holdings.”
https://calvinayre.com/2020/10/05/business/playboys-gaming-ops-could-get-a-boost-from-spac-purchase/
As per their SEC filing:
“Significant consumer engagement and spend with Playboy-branded gaming properties around the world, including with leading partners such as Microgaming, Scientific Games, and Caesar’s Entertainment, steers our investment in digital gaming, sports betting and other digital offerings to further support our commercial strategy to expand consumer spend with minimal marginal cost, and gain consumer data to inform go-to-market plans across categories.”
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgadata/1803914/000110465921005986/tm2034213-12_defm14a.htm#tMDAA1
They are expanding into more areas of gaming/gambling, working with international players in the digital gaming/gambling arena, and a Playboy sportsbook is on the horizon.
https://www.playboy.com/read/the-pleasure-of-playing-with-yourself-mobile-gaming-in-the-covid-era
Cannabis - If you’ve ever read through a Playboy magazine, you know they’ve had a positive relationship with cannabis for many years. As of September 2020, Playboy has made a major shift into the cannabis space. Too good to be true you say? Check their website. Playboy currently sells a range of CBD products. This is a good sign. Federal hemp products, which these most likely are, can be mailed across state lines and most importantly for a company like Playboy, can operate through a traditional banking institution. CBD products are usually the first step towards the cannabis space for large companies. Playboy didn’t make these products themselves meaning they are working with a processor in the cannabis industry. Another good sign for future expansion. What else do they have for sale? Pipes, grinders, ashtrays, rolling trays, joint holders. Hmm. Ok. So it looks like they want to sell some shit. They probably don’t have an active interest in cannabis right? Think again:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/javierhasse/2020/09/24/playboy-gets-serious-about-cannabis-law-reform-advocacy-with-new-partnership-grants/?sh=62f044a65cea
“Taking yet another step into the cannabis space, Playboy will be announcing later on Thursday (September, 2020) that it is launching a cannabis law reform and advocacy campaign in partnership with National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), Last Prisoner Project, Marijuana Policy Project, the Veterans Cannabis Project, and the Eaze Momentum Program.”
“According to information procured exclusively, the three-pronged campaign will focus on calling for federal legalization. The program also includes the creation of a mentorship plan, through which the Playboy Foundation will support entrepreneurs from groups that are underrepresented in the industry.” Remember that CEO Kohn from earlier? He wrote this recently:
https://medium.com/naked-open-letters-from-playboy/congress-must-pass-the-more-act-c867c35239ae
Seems like he really wants weed to be legal? Hmm wonder why? The writing's on the wall my friends. Playboy wants into the cannabis industry, they are making steps towards this end, and we have favorable conditions for legislative progress.
Don’t think branding your own cannabis line is profitable or worthwhile? Tell me why these 41 celebrity millionaires and billionaires are dummies. I’ll wait.
https://www.celebstoner.com/news/celebstoner-news/2019/07/12/top-celebrity-cannabis-brands/
Confirmation: I hear you. “This all seems pretty speculative. It would be wildly profitable if they pull this shift off. But how do we really know?” Watch this whole video:
https://finance.yahoo.com/video/playboy-ceo-telling-story-female-154907068.html
Man - this interview just gets my juices flowing. And highlights one of my favorite reasons for this play. They have so many different business avenues from which a catalyst could appear. I think paying attention, holding shares, and options on these staggered announcements over the next year is the way I am going to go about it. "There's definitely been a shift to direct-to-consumer," he (Kohn) said. "About 50 percent of our revenue today is direct-to-consumer, and that will continue to grow going forward.” “Kohn touted Playboy's portfolio of both digital and consumer products, with casino-style gaming, in particular, serving a crucial role under the company's new business model. Playboy also has its sights on the emerging cannabis market, from CBD products to marijuana products geared toward sexual health and pleasure.” "If THC does become legal in the United States, we have developed certain strains to enhance your sex life that we will launch," Kohn said. https://cheddar.com/media/playboy-goes-public-health-gaming-lifestyle-focus Oh? The CEO actually said it? Ok then. “We have developed certain strains…” They’re already working with growers on strains and genetics? Ok. There are several legal cannabis markets for those products right now, international and stateside. I expect Playboy licensed hemp and THC pre-rolls by EOY. Something like this: https://www.etsy.com/listing/842996758/10-playboy-pre-roll-tubes-limited?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=pre+roll+playboy&ref=sr_gallery-1-2&organic_search_click=1 Maintaining cannabis operations can be costly and a regulatory headache. Playboy’s licensing strategy allows them to pick successful, established partners and sidestep traditional barriers to entry. You know what I like about these new markets? They’re expanding. Worldwide. And they are going to be a bigger deal than they already are with or without Playboy. Who thinks weed and gambling are going away? Too many people like that stuff. These are easy markets. And Playboy is early enough to carve out their spot in each. Fuck it, read this too: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jimosman/2020/10/20/playboy-could-be-the-king-of-spacs-here-are-three-picks/?sh=2e13dcaa3e05
Numbers: You want numbers? I got numbers. As per the company’s most recent SEC filing:
“For the year ended December 31, 2019, and the nine months ended September 30, 2020, Playboy’s historical consolidated revenue was $78.1 million and $101.3 million, respectively, historical consolidated net income (loss) was $(23.6) million and $(4.8) million, respectively, and Adjusted EBITDA was $13.1 million and $21.8 million, respectively.”
“In the nine months ended September 30, 2020, Playboy’s Licensing segment contributed $44.2 million in revenue and $31.1 million in net income.”
“In the ninth months ended September 30, 2020, Playboy’s Direct-to-Consumer segment contributed $40.2 million in revenue and net income of $0.1 million.”
“In the nine months ended September 30, 2020, Playboy’s Digital Subscriptions and Content segment contributed $15.4 million in revenue and net income of $7.4 million.”
They are profitable across all three of their current business segments.
“Playboy’s return to the public markets presents a transformed, streamlined and high-growth business. The Company has over $400 million in cash flows contracted through 2029, sexual wellness products available for sale online and in over 10,000 major retail stores in the US, and a growing variety of clothing and branded lifestyle and digital gaming products.”
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgadata/1803914/000110465921005986/tm2034213-12_defm14a.htm#tSHCF
Growth: Playboy has massive growth in China and massive growth potential in India. “In China, where Playboy has spent more than 25 years building its business, our licensees have an enormous footprint of nearly 2,500 brick and mortar stores and 1,000 ecommerce stores selling high quality, Playboy-branded men’s casual wear, shoes/footwear, sleepwear, swimwear, formal suits, leather & non-leather goods, sweaters, active wear, and accessories. We have achieved significant growth in China licensing revenues over the past several years in partnership with strong licensees and high-quality manufacturers, and we are planning for increased growth through updates to our men’s fashion lines and expansion into adjacent categories in men’s skincare and grooming, sexual wellness, and women’s fashion, a category where recent launches have been well received.” The men’s market in China is about the same size as the entire population of the United States and European Union combined. Playboy is a leading brand in this market. They are expanding into the women’s market too. Did you know CBD toothpaste is huge in China? China loves CBD products and has hemp fields that dwarf those in the US. If Playboy expands their CBD line China it will be huge. Did you know the gambling money in Macau absolutely puts Las Vegas to shame? Technically, it's illegal on the mainland, but in reality, there is a lot of gambling going on in China. https://www.forbes.com/sites/javierhasse/2020/10/19/magic-johnson-and-uncle-buds-cbd-brand-enter-china-via-tmall-partnership/?sh=271776ca411e “In India, Playboy today has a presence through select apparel licensees and hospitality establishments. Consumer research suggests significant growth opportunities in the territory with Playboy’s brand and categories of focus.” “Playboy Enterprises has announced the expansion of its global consumer products business into India as part of a partnership with Jay Jay Iconic Brands, a leading fashion and lifestyle Company in India.” “The Indian market today is dominated by consumers under the age of 35, who represent more than 65 percent of the country’s total population and are driving India’s significant online shopping growth. The Playboy brand’s core values of playfulness and exploration resonate strongly with the expressed desires of today’s younger millennial consumers. For us, Playboy was the perfect fit.” “The Playboy international portfolio has been flourishing for more than 25 years in several South Asian markets such as China and Japan. In particular, it has strategically targeted the millennial and gen-Z audiences across categories such as apparel, footwear, home textiles, eyewear and watches.” https://www.licenseglobal.com/industry-news/playboy-expands-global-footprint-india It looks like they gave COVID the heisman in terms of net damage sustained: “Although Playboy has not suffered any material adverse consequences to date from the COVID-19 pandemic, the business has been impacted both negatively and positively. The remote working and stay-at-home orders resulted in the closure of the London Playboy Club and retail stores of Playboy’s licensees, decreasing licensing revenues in the second quarter, as well as causing supply chain disruption and less efficient product development thereby slowing the launch of new products. However, these negative impacts were offset by an increase in Yandy’s direct-to-consumer sales, which have benefited in part from overall increases in online retail sales so far during the pandemic.” Looks like the positives are long term (Yandy acquisition) and the negatives are temporary (stay-at-home orders).
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgadata/1803914/000110465921006093/tm213766-1_defa14a.htm
This speaks to their ability to maintain a financially solvent company throughout the transition phase to the aforementioned areas. They’d say some fancy shit like “expanded business model to encompass four key revenue streams: Sexual Wellness, Style & Apparel, Gaming & Lifestyle, and Beauty & Grooming.” I hear “we’re just biding our time with these trinkets until those dollar dollar bill y’all markets are fully up and running.” But the truth is these existing revenue streams are profitable, scalable, and rapidly expanding Playboy’s e-commerce segment around the world.
"Even in the face of COVID this year, we've been able to grow EBITDA over 100 percent and revenue over 68 percent, and I expect that to accelerate going into 2021," he said. “Playboy is accelerating its growth in company-owned and branded consumer products in attractive and expanding markets in which it has a proven history of brand affinity and consumer spend.”
Also in the SEC filing, the Time Frame:
“As we detailed in the definitive proxy statement, the SPAC stockholder meeting to vote on the transaction has been set for February 9th, and, subject to stockholder approval and satisfaction of the other closing conditions, we expect to complete the merger and begin trading on NASDAQ under ticker PLBY shortly thereafter,” concluded Kohn.
The Players: Suhail “The Whale” Rizvi (HMFIC), Ben “The Bridge” Kohn (CEO), “lil” Suying Liu & “Big” Dong Liu (Young-gun China gang). I encourage you to look these folks up. The real OG here is Suhail Rizvi. He’s from India originally and Chairman of the Board for the new PLBY company. He was an early investor in Twitter, Square, Facebook and others. His firm, Rizvi Traverse, currently invests in Instacart, Pinterest, Snapchat, Playboy, and SpaceX. Maybe you’ve heard of them. “Rizvi, who owns a sprawling three-home compound in Greenwich, Connecticut, and a 1.65-acre estate in Palm Beach, Florida, near Bill Gates and Michael Bloomberg, moved to Iowa Falls when he was five. His father was a professor of psychology at Iowa. Along with his older brother Ashraf, a hedge fund manager, Rizvi graduated from Wharton business school.” “Suhail Rizvi: the 47-year-old 'unsocial' social media baron: When Twitter goes public in the coming weeks (2013), one of the biggest winners will be a 47-year-old financier who guards his secrecy so zealously that he employs a person to take down his Wikipedia entry and scrub his photos from the internet. In IPO, Twitter seeks to be 'anti-FB'” “Prince Alwaleed bin Talal of Saudi Arabia looks like a big Twitter winner. So do the moneyed clients of Jamie Dimon. But as you’ve-got-to-be-joking wealth washed over Twitter on Thursday — a company that didn’t exist eight years ago was worth $31.7 billion after its first day on the stock market — the non-boldface name of the moment is Suhail R. Rizvi. Mr. Rizvi, 47, runs a private investment company that is the largest outside investor in Twitter with a 15.6 percent stake worth $3.8 billion at the end of trading on Thursday (November, 2013). Using a web of connections in the tech industry and in finance, as well as a hearty dose of good timing, he brought many prominent names in at the ground floor, including the Saudi prince and some of JPMorgan’s wealthiest clients.” https://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/08/technology/at-twitter-working-behind-the-scenes-toward-a-billion-dollar-payday.html Y’all like that Arab money? How about a dude that can call up Saudi Princes and convince them to spend? Funniest shit about I read about him: “Rizvi was able to buy only $100 million in Facebook shortly before its IPO, thus limiting his returns, according to people with knowledge of the matter.” Poor guy :(
He should be fine with the 16 million PLBY shares he's going to have though :)
Shuhail also has experience in the entertainment industry. He’s invested in companies like SESAC, ICM, and Summit Entertainment. He’s got Hollywood connections to blast this stuff post-merger. And he’s at least partially responsible for that whole Twilight thing. I’m team Edward btw.
I really like what Suhail has done so far. He’s lurked in the shadows while Kohn is consolidating the company, trimming the fat, making Playboy profitable, and aiming the ship at modern growing markets.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-twitter-ipo-rizvi-insight/insight-little-known-hollywood-investor-poised-to-score-with-twitter-ipo-idUSBRE9920VW20131003
Ben “The Bridge” Kohn is an interesting guy. He’s the connection between Rizvi Traverse and Playboy. He’s both CEO of Playboy and was previously Managing Partner at Rizvi Traverse. Ben seems to be the voice of the Playboy-Rizvi partnership, which makes sense with Suhail’s privacy concerns. Kohn said this:
“Today is a very big day for all of us at Playboy and for all our partners globally. I stepped into the CEO role at Playboy in 2017 because I saw the biggest opportunity of my career. Playboy is a brand and platform that could not be replicated today. It has massive global reach, with more than $3B of global consumer spend and products sold in over 180 countries. Our mission – to create a culture where all people can pursue pleasure – is rooted in our 67-year history and creates a clear focus for our business and role we play in people’s lives, providing them with the products, services and experiences that create a lifestyle of pleasure. We are taking this step into the public markets because the committed capital will enable us to accelerate our product development and go-to-market strategies and to more rapidly build our direct to consumer capabilities,” said Ben Kohn, CEO of Playboy.
“Playboy today is a highly profitable commerce business with a total addressable market projected in the trillions of dollars,” Mr. Kohn continued, “We are actively selling into the Sexual Wellness consumer category, projected to be approximately $400 billion in size by 2024, where our recently launched intimacy products have rolled out to more than 10,000 stores at major US retailers in the United States. Combined with our owned & operated ecommerce Sexual Wellness initiatives, the category will contribute more than 40% of our revenue this year. In our Apparel and Beauty categories, our collaborations with high-end fashion brands including Missguided and PacSun are projected to achieve over $50M in retail sales across the US and UK this year, our leading men’s apparel lines in China expanded to nearly 2500 brick and mortar stores and almost 1000 digital stores, and our new men’s and women’s fragrance line recently launched in Europe. In Gaming, our casino-style digital gaming products with Scientific Games and Microgaming continue to see significant global growth. Our product strategy is informed by years of consumer data as we actively expand from a purely licensing model into owning and operating key high-growth product lines focused on driving profitability and consumer lifetime value. We are thrilled about the future of Playboy. Our foundation has been set to drive further growth and margin, and with the committed capital from this transaction and our more than $180M in NOLs, we will take advantage of the opportunity in front of us, building to our goal of $100M of adjusted EBITDA in 2025.”
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201001005404/en/Playboy-to-Become-a-Public-Company
Also, according to their Form 4s, “Big” Dong Liu and “lil” Suying Liu just loaded up with shares last week. These guys are brothers and seem like the Chinese market connection. They are only 32 & 35 years old. I don’t even know what that means, but it's provocative.
https://www.secform4.com/insider-trading/1832415.htm
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/mountain-crest-acquisition-corp-ii-002600994.html
Y’all like that China money?
“Mr. Liu has been the Chief Financial Officer of Dongguan Zhishang Photoelectric Technology Co., Ltd., a regional designer, manufacturer and distributor of LED lights serving commercial customers throughout Southern China since November 2016, at which time he led a syndicate of investments into the firm. Mr. Liu has since overseen the financials of Dongguan Zhishang as well as provided strategic guidance to its board of directors, advising on operational efficiency and cash flow performance. From March 2010 to October 2016, Mr. Liu was the Head of Finance at Feidiao Electrical Group Co., Ltd., a leading Chinese manufacturer of electrical outlets headquartered in Shanghai and with businesses in the greater China region as well as Europe.”
Dr. Suying Liu, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Mountain Crest Acquisition Corp., commented, “Playboy is a unique and compelling investment opportunity, with one of the world’s largest and most recognized brands, its proven consumer affinity and spend, and its enormous future growth potential in its four product segments and new and existing geographic regions. I am thrilled to be partnering with Ben and his exceptional team to bring his vision to fruition.”
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201001005404/en/Playboy-to-Become-a-Public-Company
These guys are good. They have a proven track record of success across multiple industries. Connections and money run deep with all of these guys. I don’t think they’re in the game to lose.
I was going to write a couple more paragraphs about why you should have a look at this but really the best thing you can do is read this SEC filing from a couple days ago. It explains the situation in far better detail. Specifically, look to page 137 and read through their strategy. Also, look at their ownership percentages and compensation plans including the stock options and their prices. The financials look great, revenue is up 90% Q3, and it looks like a bright future.
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgadata/1803914/000110465921005986/tm2034213-12_defm14a.htm#tSHCF
I’m hesitant to attach this because his position seems short term, but I’m going to with a warning because he does hit on some good points (two are below his link) and he’s got a sizable position in this thing (500k+ on margin, I think). I don’t know this guy but he did look at the same publicly available info and make roughly the same prediction, albeit without the in depth gambling or cannabis mention. You can also search reddit for ‘MCAC’ and very few relevant results come up and none of them even come close to really looking at this thing.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gOvAd6lebs452hFlWWbxVjQ3VMsjGBkbJeXRwDwIJfM/edit?usp=sharing
“Also, before you people start making claims that Playboy is a “boomer” company, STOP RIGHT THERE. This is not a good argument. Simply put. The only thing that matters is Playboy’s name recognition, not their archaic business model which doesn’t even exist anymore as they have completely repurposed their business.”
“Imagine not buying $MCAC at a 400M valuation lol. Streetwear department is worth 1B alone imo.”
Considering the ridiculous Chinese growth as a lifestyle brand, he’s not wrong.
Current Cultural Significance and Meme Value: A year ago I wouldn’t have included this section but the events from the last several weeks (even going back to tsla) have proven that a company’s ability to meme and/or gain social network popularity can have an effect. Tik-tok, Snapchat, Twitch, Reddit, Youtube, Facebook, Twitter. They all have Playboy stuff on them. Kids in middle and highschool know what Playboy is but will likely never see or touch one of the magazines in person. They’ll have a Playboy hoodie though. Crazy huh? A lot like GME, PLBY would hugely benefit from meme-value stock interest to drive engagement towards their new business model while also building strategic coffers. This interest may not directly and/or significantly move the stock price but can generate significant interest from larger players who will.
Bull Case: The year is 2025. Playboy is now the world leader pleasure brand. They began by offering Playboy licensed gaming products, including gambling products, direct to consumers through existing names. By 2022, demand has skyrocketed and Playboy has designed and released their own gambling platforms. In 2025, they are also a leading cannabis brand in the United States and Canada with proprietary strains and products geared towards sexual wellness. Cannabis was legalized in the US in 2023 when President Biden got glaucoma but had success with cannabis treatment. He personally pushes for cannabis legalization as he steps out of office after his first term. Playboy has also grown their brand in China and India to multi-billion per year markets. The stock goes up from 11ish to 100ish and everyone makes big gains buying somewhere along the way.
Bear Case: The United States does a complete 180 on marijuana and gambling. President Biden overdoses on marijuana in the Lincoln bedroom when his FDs go tits up and he loses a ton of money in his sports book app after the Fighting Blue Hens narrowly lose the National Championship to Bama. Playboy is unable to expand their cannabis and gambling brands but still does well with their worldwide lifestyle brand. They gain and lose some interest in China and India but the markets are too large to ignore them completely. The stock goes up from 11ish to 13ish and everyone makes 15-20% gains.
TL;DR: Successful technology/e-commerce investment firm took over Playboy to turn it into a porn, online gambling/gaming, sports book, cannabis company, worldwide lifestyle brand that promotes sexual wellness, vetern access, women-ownership, minority-ownership, and “pleasure for all”. Does a successful online team reinventing an antiquated physical copy giant sound familiar? No options yet, shares only for now. $11.38 per share at time of writing. My guess? $20 by the end of February. $50 by EOY. This is not financial advice. I am not qualified to give financial advice. I’m just sayin’ I would personally use a Playboy sports book app while smoking a Playboy strain specific joint and it would be cool if they did that. Do your own research. You’d probably want to start here:
WARNING - POTENTIALLY NSFW - SEXY MODELS AHEAD - no actual nudity though
https://s26.q4cdn.com/895475556/files/doc_presentations/Playboy-Craig-Hallum-Conference-Investor-Presentation-11_17_20-compressed.pdf
Or here:
https://www.mcacquisition.com/investor-relations/default.aspx
Jimmy Chill: “Get into any SPAC at $10 or $11 and you are going to make money.”
STL;DR: Buy MCAC. MCAC > PLBY couple weeks. Rocketship. Moon.
Position: 5000 shares. I will buy short, medium, and long-dated calls once available.