House of Strauss

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.houseofstrauss.com Liz co-hosts the Just Asking Questions podcast , which earnestly investigates the day’s most pressing political and cultural issues. She’s also, in no particular order, a Catholic, mom, surfer and natalism evangelist. I really enjoy Wolfe’s approach to conversations and public intellectual life so this pod is a lo...

Hoops Tonight host Jason Timpf is back talking NBA nitty gritty + headier topics that we tend to get into. A great conversation as always, this time including but not limited to… * Why Jason knew the Jimmy Butler trade would work for the Warriors * The “blood and bones” perspective on basketball vs. analytics * The “why” function of Youtube * How players fit With and Without * Does Jason believe i...

Joe, who covers sports business, did a great deep dive on why ESPN’s big bet on ESPN BET has gone awry. What does this say about the current state of sports gambling? Have we reached peak sports gambling? Also, was ESPN’s Around the Horn cancellation more about surrounding structure, or inability to match modern sports fan culture? House of Strauss is a reader-supported publication. To receive new...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.houseofstrauss.com I can’t deny it. I’m really excited about the Jimmy Butler Warriors. I just had to discuss with Light Years hosts Saam Esfandiari and Andy Liu. If you’re a GSW fan, this is the episode for you. If you like NBA legacy talk…this might also be the episode for you. Topics include but aren’t limited to… * Do we believe...

Mavs Moneyball Managing Editor Kirk Henderson went viral with his letter to Mavericks GM Nico Harrison. Since going viral with text is almost impossible these days, we talked about why Kirk’s heartfelt missive swayed the masses. What the hell went on in Dallas to cause this infamous trade of a superstar? What are the media stories connected to it? Also, how do Kirk and I rank those to blame for th...

Big Wos of Ringer fame is here to break down what the hell compelled the Mavericks to trade away an MVP level player entering his prime. We get into why Mavs GM Nico Harrison may have done the unthinkable, and whether there are genuine concerns about the Lakers’ new franchise guy. A fine conversation with our favorite bon vivant. Topics include but aren’t limited to… * Could history ever validate...

And now for something completely different … Razib Khan, beyond being a fine friend of pod, is an excellent genetic historian. He’s written a fascinating article about how Europe once had a burgeoning civilization…thousands of years before history as we know it began. We just haven’t understood much about a once thriving continent because these societies were largely wiped out by the people who be...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.houseofstrauss.com Freddie stopped by and we had a great conversation about hating Chiefs dominance despite its evident merits, and all these other aspects of popular sports fandom. Oh, and we discussed his fantastic essay, “ After Liberal Cultural Hegemony .” Topics include but aren’t limited to… * Are NFL dynasties bad for the gam...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.houseofstrauss.com Author / Podcaster Nancy Rommelmann stops by to discuss a myriad of subjects both morbid and inspiring. This is the week I am, out loud, sorting out the current cultural moment. Nancy, in all her wide ranging curiosity, is an ideal thought partner in this venture. Topics include but aren’t limited to… * Freddie’s...

Nate Jones and I are both trying to figure out the current moment, an era that more or less kicked off on January 20th. Where’s the culture headed now that Trump is officially in power? What are the implications for athlete/sports culture? How is social media different now versus when we started to use it? Enjoy! House of Strauss is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.houseofstrauss.com Great talk that’s anchored by this week’s cancellation of Very Bad Eagles Fan . As WIP host, pod friend Spike Eskin is our ambassador to all things Philly culture, plus a myriad of other pressing topics. Topics include but aren’t limited to… * Does the NBA have a “ massive negativity problem ”? * The viral Eagles...

One of my favorite podcasts to date… Independent NBA Podcast Beast Nate Duncan chastises me over my pronounciation and takes. He also offers his solution to what ails the NBA, but there’s a lot more. Topics include but aren’t limited to… * Am I right to want hand checking above the arc? * What good reforms has the NBA made? * Are 3-pointers even the main issue? * Does Nate send soup back? * Is the...

As NFL newsbreaker Ian Rapoport told the world on Friday, preeminent sports media critic Ryan Glasspiegel is leaving the New York Post for Front Office Sports. Ryan and I discuss the why of his leaving such an established legacy brand, and segue into the business of sports media coverage. Plus we talk about the lurid Fox Sports sexual harassment allegations , California wildfires, current politica...

Happy New Year! We start off 2025 with an in depth discussion about, what else? H-1B Visas. In all seriousness, the visa issue has revealed fascinating dynamics within American politics and culture. Our guest Lee Fang wrote a fantastic article on the business dynamics behind a controversial policy that’s pitted Elon Musk against more traditional MAGA types. In this pod, our topics include but aren...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.houseofstrauss.com Ryan thinks you can guess the two major discussion points here. Topics include… * Why is a Gregg Popovich Trump rant going viral in conservative media over a month after it happened? * Why is NBA ratings discourse so overwhelming all of a sudden? * Did Adam Silver not use soft power like David Stern used it? * Are...

One of our favorite cultural commentators returns to discuss men, women, politics and so much else. Great pod, in my unbiased opinion. Topics include but aren’t limited to… * Why there was a “Sydney Sweeney is mid” discourse on social media * Is modern dating terrible ? * Why the dating app market is bad, even for its big winners * Single men should buy dogs * Does becoming Republican shrink male...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.houseofstrauss.com Non sports media edition, because a) I’m morbidly captivated by the Healthcare CEO assassination fallout and b) Any excuse to host Sarah Haider is a good one. Beyond being intelligent and brave, Sarah has some personally informed thoughts about ayahuasca, a topic of the moment given certain rumors about the CEO ki...

Depending on schedule, this is a potential Part 1 due to a surprise area Internet outage that cut us a bit short. Would love to discuss more topics with Tom, who’s just so easy to talk to. Like so many others, I was shocked to hear KNBR cut ties with the region’s most beloved sports radio host. Hopefully, the silver lining here is that we’ll get to hear more of Tolbert in other contexts. Dude’s a...

NBA/Tech/China podcaster Andrew Sharp is here to “see where the takes take us,” and I love where it goes. * Is Andrew buying or selling the future of BlueSky? * The Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul fight * What is Netflix’s sleazy strategy with this sort of live event? * Andrew explains how the NBA made way more TV money while in viewership decline * What’s driving the NBA viewership drop? Andrew wrote a...

Great podcast, if we do say so ourselves… * Did Ryan lose his life savings betting Kamala Harris on Kalshi? * The French polymarket whale who bet on Trump using the “neighbor method” * Has the election inspired a vibe shift in sports media? * The Ben Strauss argument that FS1 is more woke than ESPN * The “Democrats need a Joe Rogan” trope * Is the “ Dem-friendly Rogan Bill Simmons ”? * Is Shannon...

Nick is back, and candid as ever. This was a wide ranging conversation, as it always is, covering sports, media and political subjects. I wonder which aspects might get aggregated… Topics include but aren’t limited to: * Nick says our guy Freddie deBoer is mad at him. * I just bow down to the Kansas City Chiefs now. It’s easier. * Has the analytics movement devalued winning? * How does Nick feel a...

Not exactly sports, but sort of. I and New York politics expert Ross Barkan reflect on Trump’s landslide victory, the multiethnic factors propelling it, and where the Democrats go from here. 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 you'd like to discuss this with ot...

Eric (@HLinsight) is a real life pro sports gambler. He also has profound reservations about sports gambling’s introduction to the mainstream. I can confidently say that the conversation you’re about to listen to isn’t happening at any of the other mainstream sports media sites. This is a candid look at why betting sports, as fun as it is, is mostly a sucker’s bet. Topics include… * Parlays and ot...

In addition to being co-host of the Light Years podcast, Saam is tasked with running Creator Growth at Playback, an interactive sports streamer app. This means that a lot of this millennial’s waking hours are spent on trying to figure out the sports viewership habits of Zoomers. This is the foundation of our conversation in this pod: What’s up with young people? What programs are they gravitating...

My live video with Chris Best is available here as well, so it seems. Great talk, enjoyed being the one who answers the Qs this time. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.houseofstrauss.com/subscribe