The Fix Is In!

A few years ago, two friends (Lloyd and Frank) were watching an NBA playoff game when Lloyd says, "You know, all of this is fixed, right?"
Frank: "Excuse me?"

Lloyd: "Yeah, all this NBA stuff. The outcome's already determined. The Bulls will win because without Michael Jordan and the championship narrative, no one cares about the NBA. He's the only reason anyone makes any money. So, the fix is there to keep the narrative in place. I mean nobody is really that good. Look at how people just let him do whatever he wants. This is professional wrestling just dressed up in a fancier package and with more money involved."

Frank: "So, everybody knows this and it's just a set up to separate people from their money?"
Lloyd: "Yeah."

Frank: "There must be a lot of people involved. Why do all of these thousands of people show up, and spend money on it, and even bet on the outcomes?"
Lloyd: "Oh, everyone is a part of the scam. It's no secret. People just do it because they're all stupid and have been duped."

Frank (looking at  the TV): "Wow! Did you see that move?"
Lloyd (barely noticing): "That's no big deal. They just let him do that."

Frank: "They just let him sink a 24 ft fade away jumper with a guy in his face?"

"Yeah, that sort of thing goes on all the time. It's part of the fix. Anybody can do that the way they set it up," says Lloyd. Frank, head beginning to spin, blurts out,"I'm pretty sure you can't do it. I know damn well that I can't. In fact, you couldn't hit the rim from where he was even if no one was guarding you."

To one friend, pro basketball is just another example of a conspiratorial world where nothing is what it seems. No one is real (except him and the small handful of people that agree with him). The other friend seeks and finds authenticity in everyday activities.

Where do you find what's real? How do you know that it's real?