Episodes
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Big content Friday at HoS! Today weâve got YouTube superstar Saagar Enjeti on to discuss content trends. Saagar has been steadfast about not doing ads to support his business. Whatâs behind that philosophy? And why is he thrilled about the prospect of legacy mediaâs demise? Also, Saagar asks me some questions about whatâs going on in the sports media space. Enjoy!
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Had a fantastic time catching up with our friend Moynihan, co-host of The Fifth Column and all around podcasting force at The Free Press.
This podcast is roughly two hours, one of which weâre making free. For whatever reason, we found the World War 2 revisionism controversy of Daryl Cooper on Tucker Carlson to be a fruitful subject. Why did the political horseshoe arrive at trashing Winston Churchill?
Topics include but arenât limited toâŠ
* Todayâs protestors are physically weak compared to the high T 60âs protestors
* How television shook up America in the 1960s
* Jonestown
* The Martyr Made Hitler vs. Churchill imbroglio
* The âtheyificationâ of Tucker Carlson
* Can a âfounding mythâ be mostly real?
* Weâve exited peak âwokeness.â Is that simply the result of Elon Musk buying Twitter?
* What are the free speech implications of American culture getting shifted by one guyâs impact on one social media platform?
* Can Michael draw a line between his old shop Vice collapsing and Republicans doing better with young males?
* Jesse Jackson
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Episodes manquant?
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Sports Analytics King Neil Paine is on to address some of the questions on our mutual minds. Am I correct that people are less into politics this election? Is Kamala Harris a classic backup QB promotion? Is baseball back in American culture (Thanks to Judge and Ohtani)? Is Ohtani paradoxically more fun now that heâs not pitching? Is Aaron Rodgers too old to be good? Is a âsystem quarterbackâ even a real thing? What NFL players have âshadow valueâ? We discussed these subjects and much more in a talk that was, in my opinion, quite enjoyable.
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This is a public episode. If youâd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.houseofstrauss.com/subscribe -
Ryan Glasspiegel is back, and weâve got many a media topic to discuss. Did politics influence the Samantha Ponder ouster at ESPN (I say ânoâ)? What do we make of the presidential betting odds? How do we feel about how politics is all âvibesâ and no substance these days? Topics include but arenât limited toâŠ
* Sam Ponder: Was there any politics aspect to the ESPN firing?
* Defending Pat McAfee against Awful Announcing
* Trump/Kamala gambling odds
* What's more important in elections: vibes or policy?
* I am fascinated by the character that is Tim Walz
* FS1 shakeup
* Simmons/Klosterman and the gambling topic
* Ryan has another WBD/NBA lawsuit prediction
* Am I a Caleb Williams skeptic amid the hype?
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Warning: This is a very football-heavy podcast.
The NFL is back, and so is Warren Sharp with his massive 2024 Football Preview. Given that Warren is so well versed on NFL data and trends, I wanted to pick his brain on what Americaâs most analyzed league is currently missing. Obviously NFL coaches are highly informed, but is there something theyâre doing wrong? Is football in its early stages Moneyball era, like baseball in the early 2000s? And why the hell have teams stopped scoring in this supposedly pass friendly epoch? We discuss these topics plus so much more. Enjoy!
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This is a public episode. If youâd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.houseofstrauss.com/subscribe -
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Kat Rosenfield is an author and Free Press columnist who often boldly covers matters of cultural controversy. I was fascinated by her âWhat the Childless Among Us Leave Behindâ essay, which anchors a lot of the pod. We also got into Nikeâs new direction and a range of other subjects related to the modern gender wars. Topics include but arenât limited toâŠ
* Is there such a thing as objectively good style?
* Is the meme of âunhappy childless womanâ true?
* The divide in perspective between parents and the childless
* Kids give you existential relief
* Why are cats symbolic of female loneliness?
* Hillary Clintonâs âdeplorablesâ vs. JD Vanceâs âcat ladiesâ
* Why are Gen Z men shifting Republican?
* Why are older women overrepresented at Kamala Harris rallies?
* Why did Obama resonate with young millennial males?
* What is the visual Social Justice Aesthetic?
* Nike shift and the current sanitized culture
* Men expressing what they find attractive as underground movement
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Big Wos and I were interviewed for The Spoils documentary, which examines how the AAU business is changing as the money in the NBA and NCAA explode. Director Mike Nicoll sat down with us to discuss that plus so many related topics of mutual interest.
For instance, in recent years, American youth basketball has become something between a sport and exercise in social media brand building. Team USA just won gold in spectacular fashion, but is this the last truly dominant American basketball generation? Is that just natural as the sport gets more internationally popular, or has something gone wrong in how we cultivate future superstars?
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This is a public episode. If youâd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.houseofstrauss.com/subscribe -
I believe youâve heard of Nate Silver, whose fame is well earned. Sometimes, itâs almost too bad that his reputation as a data/politics guy precedes him. Nate, the writer, is highly underrated.
I was reminded of this once again while reading his new book, On the Edge: The Art of Risking Everything. Itâs an engrossing exploration of risk and probability, as applied to those who live with making difficult choices. We get into many of its fascinating topics and also discuss what had just happened: On Tuesday, Kamala Harris announced Minnesota governor Tim Walz as her presidential running mate, passing over Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro.
Topics discussed but not limited toâŠ
* Was Josh Shapiroâs Jewishness a deciding factor in losing out on the VP spot? Can we set odds on this?
* Why presidential candidates are sometimes inclined to pick worse VPs
* What it was like to hang out with Sam Bankman-Fried during his legal troubles
* Whatâs with the Effective Altruists? Why do some think AI will kill us all?
* Why are the Effective Altruists so disproportionately childless?
* Profiling guys like Elon Musk, Peter Thiel and Marc Andreessen
* Is there a dispassionate way to cut through media noise and assess when Trump is helping his own cause?
* Will Trump outperform the polls again? Should that be expected?
* Can the NFL be Moneyballâd?
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This is a public episode. If youâd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.houseofstrauss.com/subscribe -
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.houseofstrauss.com
OK, Iâm back from vacation, leaping out of cold Lake Tahoe and into this particular hot water.
The womenâs Olympic boxing controversy is an absolute mess from a media perspective. When Angela Carini of Italy quickly tapped out against Imane Khelif of Algeria, it kicked off a cultural firestorm. Initially, some of those outraged by what they witnessed in the match were operating off of incomplete information. But in the follow up, many conventional media outlets were misleading in their corrections.
Given all this confusion, Iâve enlisted evolutionary biologist Colin Wright to make sense of whatâs likely happened, why itâs happened, and where the public conversation went wrong. We also discuss what determines âmaleâ vs. âfemale,â and the impact of testosterone on the human body. Fascinating stuff, in my humble opinion.
Topics include but arenât limited toâŠ
* Imane Khelif as subject of controversy
* What is a DSD (Differences of Sexual Development) condition?
* Where the ârightâ went wrong in the immediate aftermath of this controversy
* Where the âleftâ is wrong in their correction of the right, especially in media
* Whatâs with the impulse to morally shame people who seek an ethical guideline here?
* How the IOC really dropped the ball
* Does XY = male?
* Does it matter at all that the International Boxing Association has Russian ties?
* Odd ways that testosterone impacts the human body, right down to the fingers
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Nate Jones, current NBA agent and insole entrepreneur, has a lot of smart thoughts on our favorite topics. Today we discuss the big news in NBA media: Warner Bros (Turner Sports) is insisting it has the right to match a TV rights deal and the NBA says it doesnât. Is this about to get ugly? Why must fans be deprived of Inside the NBA?
Topics include but arenât limited to...
* The dispute between beloved fan favorite TNT and an NBA that wants to move beyond its old standby
* Are broadcasters overpaying for the NBA? Or is this the path to riches?
* David Stern is a McDonald's guy. Adam Silver is a Taco Bell guy
* Why Nate thinks the NBA needs stars playing more years of college ball
* Menâs college basketball is well known; Womenâs college basketball is known well
* Why NCAA basketball doesnât help the NBA like NCAA football helps the NFL
* Nate tells us whether he believes Jaylen Brownâs contention that he was left off Team USA due to Nike
* Nate and I discuss what is sure to be a highly contentious election discourse, anchored in the political gender gap
* Nate wishes the Democrats elected their candidate through a primary
* I can never predict which issues will matter to people
* Trumpâs impact on the people around Nate and myself, in our Blue World lives
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I saw NBA Youtube tycoon Jason Timpf out at Vegas Summer League and we got to talking about this exact topic: Do you need to truly love basketball to be a winner at its highest levels? That conversation led to this podcast, which includes Jasonâs keen observations on Team USA. Enjoy..
House of Strauss is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If youâd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.houseofstrauss.com/subscribe -
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Glass man alert! Our favorite sports media expert has broken news, and so we discuss his stories, plus a range of other topics. To copy Ryanâs notes, hereâs our loaded topic docket:
* Skip Bayless leaving FS1
* Success after ESPN
* Shannon Sharpeâs ascension and impact as a megastar
* NBA TV deal scuttlebutt with some informed speculation on big news
* New York Knicks owner James Dolan's warnings about modern NBA
* Trump assassination conspiracy theories
* The right weaponizing cancel culture (as the left once did) to cost ordinary people their jobs
* Shams Charania free agency bonanza
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Cowherd alert! Colin and I did our yearly summer conversation, which I thoroughly enjoyed. We started by discussing the sports media mogul era and of course got into a range of interesting topics. Subjects include but arenât limited toâŠ
* Colin on being not just a businessman, but a business, man
* Colin reflects on Barstoolâs success
* How does Colin know whoâll work out as a podcaster?
* Twitter/X is easy; Making content is hard
* When is OK to talk politics in sports broadcasting?
* Colin on Nike and LeBron/Klutch both misusing their power
* The difference (and similarity) between how Steph and LeBron handled their careers
* The difference between Kevin Durant and Steph Curry
* Is KD like Aaron Rodgers?
* Klay Thompsonâs grumpy end with the Warriors
* People are more likely to admit reality on sports than in politics
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This is a public episode. If youâd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.houseofstrauss.com/subscribe -
Iâm a fan of Neil Paineâs data driven sports Substack and you should be too. Neilâs got a gift for finding sports mysteries and probing deeper. This conversation went so many places and I could have kept it going hours longer but for the hard out.
Topics include but arenât limited toâŠ
* The data driven case for Caitlin Clark getting left off Team USA
* If Clarkâs teammates are consistently dropping the passes, are the turnovers her fault?
* Differences between the WNBA and NBA
* Was Tim Duncan underrated?
* Should NFL player stats be more respected by NFL analysts?
* A sneaky reason for why Tom Brady is the GOAT
* Will announcer Brady teach us about his greatness?
* Why canât teams beat the NFL Draft?
* Do we actually know beforehand when an NBA Draft is a âweak draftâ?
* Does MLB showing us âcatch probabilityâ undermine our enjoyment?
* Why canât Canadian teams win a Stanley Cup?
* Are some great players actually chokers?
House of Strauss is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If youâd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.houseofstrauss.com/subscribe -
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Freddieâs back, after writing a glorious rant titled Fuck the Modern NBA. For once I get to be the guy defending the league (and some of my friends). We also discuss the current potential Biden succession chaos.
Topics include but arenât limited toâŠ
* Why fuck the modern NBA?
* Why has criticism of the NBA sharpened after the announcement of its big TV deal? Does the money mean the league is on the right track?
* I defend what the champion Boston Celtics represent
* Freddie and I disagree on whether the âfans as GMsâ phenomenon is bad
* ESPNâs coverage of LeBron/Bronny is weird
* Dismissing Michael Jordan = Being angry at your dad
* Freddie hates Nick Wright and I do not
* Freddie on The Kamala Conundrum
* Why are we here, right now, we these two presidential candidates?
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This month, Jesse Singalâs beloved Boston Celtics won the NBA championship, and he was made happy forever. In between discussing the 2024 title and his widely hated Boston fan base, we of course talked about The Media.
Topics include but arenât limited toâŠ
* Jesse was at the Game 5 Finals clincha (This is how Boston people talk, right?)
* We saw Game 2 together at a Boston sports bar. Does the guilty liberal side of Jesse feel bad about joining in on anti Kyrie chants?
* Is the journalism industry doomed mostly by structural or ideological issues? (woke vs. broke)
* Whatâs with Jayson Tatum copying other peoplesâ famous memes?
* Audience capture is like James Harden
* Is my Criticism Capture concept more explanatory than Audience Capture?
* Should Jesse have tried to talk to Bill Simmons at Game 5?
* I recommend a little place called the Grand Canyon
* Is the Grand Canyon more elite than Yosemite?!
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Thrilled to have Chris on for the first time. Like me, heâs a former NBA beat writer. Unlike me, heâs the co-host of a successful sports debate show. Chris is a very grounded guy who resisted the life as newsbreaker for his current role as commentator. We get into why he made that choice, his call on LeBronâs 2010 Decision, what itâs like to be repped by Klutch, the Harrison Butker controversy and baseballâs current status in America.
Topics include but arenât limited toâŠ
* Broussard was early to report that LeBron was going to Miami in 2010
* The pressure to be a newsbreaker following The Decision
* Chris is repped by Klutch but believes that Michael Jordan is the GOAT
* What did NBA beat reporting used to be like?
* What are we losing now that beat reporting is on the way out?
* Does the media make the NBA big time?
* The Harrison Butker controversy: Is faith in conflict with corporate/modern culture?
* Why I think Butker made his speech too political
* Has baseball lost out in our modern era?
House of Strauss is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If youâd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.houseofstrauss.com/subscribe -
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.houseofstrauss.com
In this visit from our favorite sports media critic, we stop worrying and learn to follow the WNBA. Or Ryan does. I, like many a casual, mostly track the Caitlin Clark aspect. Seems like sheâsâŠreally good?
Topics on this pod include but arenât limited toâŠ
* A nerd could have predicted that Caitlin Clark was better than the initial numbers
* The decision to keep Clark off the Olympic team is starting to look worse.
* Ryan sees the Fever media situation up close
* Do we dare discuss how the WNBA has shifted its marketing to advertise, uh, image?
* WNBAer Natasha Cloud speaks out on Gaza, but few athletes join in on that topic
* Why arenât athletes backing Joe Biden in ways Dems have usually gotten support in the past?
* Why arenât athletes criticizing Donald Trump as used to happen?
* JJ Redick gets hired by the Lakers. Shocker!
* Speaking of politics, the Lakers under Jeanine Buss = one of the major political parties
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When thereâs an ESPN + Adrian Wojnarowski driven controversy, Amin Elhassan and I delight in our ability to discuss the issue unfettered. And so we addressed this whole Woj + Danny Hurley + Lakers mess, while also talking about, what else? A Bay Area meetup that included many brilliant rationalists, featuring some of their peculiarities. Oh ya, and also the Boston Celtics.
Topics include but arenât limited toâŠ
* Manifest Festival in Berkeley was such a unique setting. I run it all by a skeptical Amin
* Whatâs with the Effective Altruists and polyamory?
* Nate Silver as questions-besieged Nerd King
* Do I love the Boston Celtics? I explain my affection for this much maligned now heavy NBA Finals favorite
* Amin and I get into the absolutely bizarre Adrian Wojnarowski driven story where the Lakers seemed about to hire Danny Hurley (45 Minute Mark)
* Was this a leverage play for Hurley? Or a different kind of Woj driven conquest?
* How my being fired shaped Aminâs perception of the leading news breaker
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Again weâve got Andrew Sharp of the GOAT podcast, Sharp Tech, Sharp China, and perhaps some other podcasts Iâm not listing. Needless to say, the man wears many hats, though covering the NBA is his main background (Yes, I can relate to this). Today weâre obviously discussing the Mavs-Celtics NBA Finals, exploding NBA rights fees as a business story and this bizarre Adrian Wojnarowski vs. Shams Charania proxy war over whether the next Laker coach will be Dan Hurley or JJ Redick. Oh, and we get into the following Sharp quote:
Everything this Celtics team stands for represents everything I donât want basketball to be
Enjoy!
House of Strauss is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If youâd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.houseofstrauss.com/subscribe - Montre plus
