Critical Error

Clear eyes. Full hearts. Critical Error.

Jake Steinberg, Cristian Macias, and Peter Hunt Szpytek kick off Critical Error's Friday Night Lights watch with the pilot episode, which premiered in October 2006. Watch along with us as we revisit all five seasons, one episode at a time.

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00:00 Start
01:17 Is This the Best Show Ever?
04:33 Jason Street and the Mythology of Football
07:48 Rewatching the Show 20 Years Later
11:33 Monday in this Town
16:16 Introducing Matt Saracen and Tim Riggins
24:54 Football, Religion, and Expectations
31:30 A Word From Our Sponsors
32:34 Coach Taylor, Moby-Dick, and the Uncatchable
39:16 Friday Night Football
46:47 Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can't Lose
55:51 Jason Street's Injury and Matt Saracen's Triumph
1:06:56 Texas Talk
1:09:12 Is This a Fireable Offense?
1:11:44 The Matt Saracen Misery Index
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Write To Us ▸ criticalerrorpod@gmail.com
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Hosted and created by Jake Steinberg, Cristian Macias and Peter Hunt Szpytek

Are all video game podcasts, reviews, and essays basically the same? This week we ask why games coverage keeps repeating itself and what it would take to say something new.

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00:00 Every Game Podcast Ever

00:35 Is All Video Game Coverage the Same?

02:47 Overviews as Analysis

07:00 The Intentional Fallacy

10:57 Ocarina of Time and the Remake Discourse

13:55 The Problem With Video Game Essays

18:50 Why Are All Gaming Podcasts the Same?

22:47 A Podcast Should Be More Than Its Hosts

24:35 Going Independent Just to Make the Same Thing

28:57 Is Games Media Becoming Irrelevant?

32:31 Games Media Hasn't Adapted to the Internet

33:29 What Is a Video Game Critic Actually For?

35:24 The Problem With Games News Podcasts

37:59 Being Sad About Layoffs Is Not a Position

40:22 Cruel Optimism and the Games Industry

44:09 Longer Doesn't Mean Deeper

45:41 What Does It Mean to Closely Read a Game?

47:52 How Much Plot Summary Is Too Much?

52:37 The Worst Video Essay Writing Trend

55:36 Critical Error Royalty

56:31 Peter's Prepared Segment

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Patreon ▸ https://www.patreon.com/c/criticalerror/membership

Spotify ▸ https://open.spotify.com/show/2vBGKwB2eZu6yXEEDUYvbM?si=8c082eae408f41f4

Apple Podcasts ▸ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/critical-error/id1831034969

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Follow Jake on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/jakenoseit

Subscribe to Peter on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCoitk5TUppjIS1huKsraU_Q

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Write To Us ▸ criticalerrorpod@gmail.com | Use Subject "Hey Jake and Peter"

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Hosted and created by Jake Steinberg and Peter Hunt Szpytek

This week on Critical Error, we put gaming's greatest (and stupidest) names on trial.

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00:00 Don't Judge a Game by Its Title

00:31 William Shakespeare Is a Hack

04:06 Donkey Kong Bananarama

08:35 Lizard's Religion

12:57 Disney's Bug-Man 2

15:32 Extremely Violent Siblings

19:13 Space Lady: Anxiety

22:26 The Universe Stops at Your House

26:03 Symbolism: Fantasy Again

30:39 Nietzsche: Washing Machine

34:12 Space Wizards: Unfortunate Situation

38:12 Pocket Monsters: Big Sky Objects

41:57 Pokémon: Alphabet Backwards

44:50 Blood-Related Adjectives

47:15 Dang It Grandpa: Gun Fun

49:28 Azure Aristocrat

52:50 Disney's 179 Days Per Person

58:46 Critical Error Nation and Patreon

01:02:11 Microfiction

01:04:17 Closing Discussion

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Patreon ▸ https://www.patreon.com/c/criticalerror/membership

Spotify ▸ https://open.spotify.com/show/2vBGKwB2eZu6yXEEDUYvbM?si=8c082eae408f41f4

Apple Podcasts ▸ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/critical-error/id1831034969

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Follow Jake on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/jakenoseit

Subscribe to Peter on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCoitk5TUppjIS1huKsraU_Q

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Write To Us ▸ criticalerrorpod@gmail.com | Use Subject "Hey Jake and Peter"

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Hosted and created by Jake Steinberg and Peter Hunt Szpytek

How long do you have to play a game before you’re allowed to have an opinion about it? We talk Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave, 100-hour games, the dreaded “it gets good after 40 hours,” and why gaming culture mistakes endurance for acuity.

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0:00 Cold Open

2:11 How do gamers relate to time?

1:00:12 PATREON THANK YOU

1:04:05 Jake's Written Piece

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Patreon ▸ https://www.patreon.com/c/criticalerror/membership

Spotify ▸ https://open.spotify.com/show/2vBGKwB2eZu6yXEEDUYvbM?si=8c082eae408f41f4

Apple Podcasts ▸ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/critical-error/id1831034969

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Follow Jake on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/jakenoseit

Subscribe to Peter on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCoitk5TUppjIS1huKsraU_Q

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Write To Us ▸ criticalerrorpod@gmail.com | Use Subject "Hey Jake and Peter"

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Hosted and created by Jake Steinberg and Peter Hunt Szpytek

Videogame reviews have become overview trailers combined with thumbs-up-or-down referendums on personal taste. We talk about what happened to interpretation, and whether criticism has taught us to stop reading games deeply.
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0:00 Cold Open
0:30 Did Reviews Make Us Dumb?
57:33 PATREON THANK YOU
1:00:05 Jake's Written Piece
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Patreon ▸ https://www.patreon.com/c/criticalerror/membership
Spotify ▸ https://open.spotify.com/show/2vBGKwB2eZu6yXEEDUYvbM?si=8c082eae408f41f4
Apple Podcasts ▸ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/critical-error/id1831034969
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Follow Jake on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/jakenoseit
Subscribe to Peter on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCoitk5TUppjIS1huKsraU_Q
--
Write To Us ▸ criticalerrorpod@gmail.com | Use Subject "Hey Jake and Peter"
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Hosted and created by Jake Steinberg and Peter Hunt Szpytek

Have you ever seen so many 8 out of 10 scores in your life?

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0:00 Cold Open

1:20 Why so many 8s?!

52:39 PATREON THANK YOU

55:58 Peter's Written Piece

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Write To Us ▸ criticalerrorpod@gmail.com | Use Subject "Hey Jake and Peter"

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Hosted and created by Jake Steinberg and Peter Hunt Szpytek

We spend months getting hyped about video games, but then only a week really talking about them? That can't be right.

PATREON
Bonus episodes every week: https://www.patreon.com/c/criticalerror/membership

LISTEN & FOLLOW
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Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/critical-error/

FOLLOW JAKE
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FOLLOW PETER
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WRITE TO US
criticalerrorpod@gmail.com
Subject: “Hey Jake and Peter”

Critical Error is hosted and created by Jake Steinberg and Peter Hunt Szpytek.

Is "negativity" really the problem? -- Patreon ▸ https://www.patreon.com/c/criticalerror/membership Spotify ▸ https://open.spotify.com/show/2vBGKwB2eZu6yXEEDUYvbM?si=8c082eae408f41f4 Apple Podcasts ▸ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/critical-error/id1831034969 -- Follow Jake on YouTube: @JakeSteinberg Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/jakenoseit Subscribe to Peter on YouTube: @peterspittech -- Write To Us ▸ criticalerrorpod@gmail.com | Use Subject "Hey Jake and Peter" -- Hosted and created by Jake Steinberg and Peter Hunt Szpytek --

Do you ever get the sense people are just following a script?

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0:00 Cold Open

0:40 Intro Sequence

0:59 Podcast

47:50 THANK YOU PATREON

51:06 Jake's Pre-Written Piece (Long one this week)

1:07:36 End Screen

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Patreon ▸ https://www.patreon.com/c/criticalerror/membership

Spotify ▸ https://open.spotify.com/show/2vBGKwB2eZu6yXEEDUYvbM?si=8c082eae408f41f4

Apple Podcasts ▸ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/critical-error/id1831034969

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Follow Jake on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/jakenoseit

Subscribe to Peter on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCoitk5TUppjIS1huKsraU_Q

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Write To Us ▸ criticalerrorpod@gmail.com | Use Subject "Hey Jake and Peter"

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Hosted and created by Jake Steinberg and Peter Hunt Szpytek

ONE NINTENDO SHILL MEETS ONE NINTENDO FANBOY AND THEY FALL IN LOVE

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Patreon ▸ https://www.patreon.com/c/criticalerror/membership

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Apple Podcasts ▸ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/critical-error/id1831034969

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Follow Jake on YouTube: @JakeSteinberg Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/jakenoseit

Subscribe to Peter on YouTube: @peterspittech

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Write To Us ▸ criticalerrorpod@gmail.com | Use Subject "Hey Jake and Peter"

--

Hosted and created by Jake Steinberg and Peter Hunt Szpytek

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ONE NINTENDO SHILL MEETS ONE NINTENDO FANBOY AND THEY FALL IN LOVE

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Patreon ▸ https://www.patreon.com/c/criticalerror/membership

Spotify ▸ https://open.spotify.com/show/2vBGKwB2eZu6yXEEDUYvbM?si=8c082eae408f41f4

Apple Podcasts ▸ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/critical-error/id1831034969

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Follow Jake on YouTube: @JakeSteinberg Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/jakenoseit

Subscribe to Peter on YouTube: @peterspittech

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Write To Us ▸ criticalerrorpod@gmail.com | Use Subject "Hey Jake and Peter"

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Hosted and created by Jake Steinberg and Peter Hunt Szpytek

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SINGLE PLAYER GAMES OR MULTIPLAYER GAMES - WHICH IS SUPERIOR?!

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Patreon ▸ https://www.patreon.com/c/criticalerror/membership

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Apple Podcasts ▸ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/critical-error/id1831034969

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Follow Jake on YouTube: @JakeSteinberg Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/jakenoseit

Subscribe to Peter on YouTube: @peterspittech

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Write To Us ▸ criticalerrorpod@gmail.com | Use Subject "Hey Jake and Peter"

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Hosted and created by Jake Steinberg and Peter Hunt Szpytek

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An outlier review is a FAST way to get clicks and attention, right?! Don't worry, we'll generate the discourse FOR YOU. #gta6 #gaming #marvel

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Patreon ▸ https://www.patreon.com/c/criticalerror/membership

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Apple Podcasts ▸ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/critical-error/id1831034969

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Follow Jake on YouTube: @JakeSteinberg Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/jakenoseit

Subscribe to Peter on YouTube: @peterspittech

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Write To Us ▸ criticalerrorpod@gmail.com | Use Subject "Hey Jake and Peter"

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Hosted and created by Jake Steinberg and Peter Hunt Szpytek

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Which of these 10 games will be the BEST REVIEWED game of the year? Which will be the worst? Are we wrong about Marvel's Wolverine? Are we right about Fire Emblem Fortune's Weave? Man, we just don't know.

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Patreon ▸ https://www.patreon.com/c/criticalerror/membership

Spotify ▸ https://open.spotify.com/show/2vBGKwB2eZu6yXEEDUYvbM?si=8c082eae408f41f4

Apple Podcasts ▸ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/critical-error/id1831034969

--

Follow Jake on YouTube: @JakeSteinberg Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/jakenoseit

Subscribe to Peter on YouTube: @peterspittech

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Write To Us ▸ criticalerrorpod@gmail.com | Use Subject "Hey Jake and Peter"

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Hosted and created by Jake Steinberg and Peter Hunt Szpytek

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From the ALL-DIGITAL FUTURE to Xbox Layoffs we're hitting every discourse, baby!

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Patreon ▸ https://www.patreon.com/c/criticalerror/membership

Spotify ▸ https://open.spotify.com/show/2vBGKwB2eZu6yXEEDUYvbM?si=8c082eae408f41f4

Apple Podcasts ▸ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/critical-error/id1831034969

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Follow Jake on YouTube: @JakeSteinberg Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/jakenoseit

Subscribe to Peter on YouTube: @peterspittech

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Write To Us ▸ criticalerrorpod@gmail.com | Use Subject "Hey Jake and Peter"

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Hosted and created by Jake Steinberg and Peter Hunt Szpytek

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0:00 Start

0:49 SHOULD WE BE MAD AT PLAYSTATION?

15:26 CAN JOURNALISTS GET TOO EMOTIONALLY ATTACHED TO THE INDUSTRY THEY COVER?

23:31 WHAT HAS THE STATE OF VIDEOGAMES TAUGHT US ABOUT BDS?

31:52 WHICH SUPER SMASH BROTHER WOULD PERFORM BEST ON LOVE ISLAND?

37:29 GAME OF THE YEAR SO FAR?

37:37 WILL PLAYSTATION REVERSE ITS DISCLESS DECISION?

37:48 MOST ANTICIPATED 2026 GAME?

46:40 VISIT OUR PATREON!!!

We're Afraid of the PS6 and Steam Machine Because We Love Video Games Too Much

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Patreon ▸ https://www.patreon.com/c/criticalerror/membership

Spotify ▸ https://open.spotify.com/show/2vBGKwB2eZu6yXEEDUYvbM?si=8c082eae408f41f4

Apple Podcasts ▸ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/critical-error/id1831034969

--

Follow Jake on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/jakenoseit

Subscribe to Peter on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCoitk5TUppjIS1huKsraU_Q

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Write To Us ▸ criticalerrorpod@gmail.com | Use Subject "Hey Jake and Peter"

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Hosted and created by Jake Steinberg and Peter Hunt Szpytek

DESCRIPTION

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Patreon ▸ https://www.patreon.com/c/criticalerror/membership

Spotify ▸ https://open.spotify.com/show/2vBGKwB2eZu6yXEEDUYvbM?si=8c082eae408f41f4

Apple Podcasts ▸ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/critical-error/id1831034969

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Follow Jake on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/jakenoseit

Subscribe to Peter on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCoitk5TUppjIS1huKsraU_Q

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Write To Us ▸ criticalerrorpod@gmail.com | Use Subject "Hey Jake and Peter"

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Hosted and created by Jake Steinberg and Peter Hunt Szpytek

Is it us..?

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Patreon ▸ https://www.patreon.com/c/criticalerror/membership

Spotify ▸ https://open.spotify.com/show/2vBGKwB2eZu6yXEEDUYvbM?si=8c082eae408f41f4

Apple Podcasts ▸ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/critical-error/id1831034969

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Follow Jake on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/jakenoseit

Subscribe to Peter on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCoitk5TUppjIS1huKsraU_Q

--

Write To Us ▸ criticalerrorpod@gmail.com | Use Subject "Hey Jake and Peter"

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Hosted and created by Jake Steinberg and Peter Hunt Szpytek

If these weapons don't degrade I am gonna be so mad!

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Patreon ▸ https://www.patreon.com/c/criticalerror/membership

Spotify ▸ https://open.spotify.com/show/2vBGKwB2eZu6yXEEDUYvbM?si=8c082eae408f41f4

Apple Podcasts ▸ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/critical-error/id1831034969

--

Follow Jake on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/jakenoseit

Subscribe to Peter on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCoitk5TUppjIS1huKsraU_Q

--

Write To Us ▸ criticalerrorpod@gmail.com | Use Subject "Hey Jake and Peter"

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Hosted and created by Jake Steinberg and Peter Hunt Szpytek

Hey, listen!

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Patreon ▸ https://www.patreon.com/c/criticalerror/membership

Spotify ▸ https://open.spotify.com/show/2vBGKwB2eZu6yXEEDUYvbM?si=8c082eae408f41f4

Apple Podcasts ▸ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/critical-error/id1831034969

--

Follow Jake on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/jakenoseit

Subscribe to Peter on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCoitk5TUppjIS1huKsraU_Q

--

Write To Us ▸ criticalerrorpod@gmail.com | Use Subject "Hey Jake and Peter"

--

Hosted and created by Jake Steinberg and Peter Hunt Szpytek