Lefty Specialists

In the grand finale of the Friday Night Lights trilogy, the Lefty Specialists turn their attention to the TV show. John and James discuss their feelings about how the series eclipsed the film and the book, despite existing on the perpetual verge of cancellation. How much does the fictional Dillon resemble the real Odessa? Is the Taylor family too good to be true? And what was really so bad about V...

The Lefty Specialists are back with Part Two of their Friday Night Lights deep dive. Today we’re talking about the movie, which might be the most underrated piece of the oeuvre, while also beginning the neoliberal turn of the story. How did changes made to the story for the movie alter the message of Friday Night Lights ? Is Coach Gaines a great movie coach? And, most importantly, is the Boobie Mi...

The Lefty Specialists are finally back, with the beginning of a deep dive into the Friday Night Lights extended universe. In the first part of a three-part series, John and James look at Buzz Bissinger’s book, and explore some of the themes that would eventually get forgotten as the story went from the page to the big screen to the small screen — specifically racism, Reaganomics, and class conflic...

It’s that time of year! Specifically: March. So the Lefty Specialists return with a socialist breakdown of the NCAA Tournament bracket. In today’s super-sized pod episode, John and James discuss such questions as: Has a new era of inequality come to college basketball? Does the SEC deserve all this success? And why does everyone love Todd Golden? Listen, laugh, learn, love, subscribe… This is a pu...

In today’s episode of the Lefty Specialists, John is joined by sportswriter and author Mirin Fader, whose latest book is Dream: The Life and Legacy of Hakeem Olajuwon . Before that, she wrote the New York Times bestseller Giannis: The Improbably Rise of an NBA MVP . In our conversation, we talk about how racism and anti-immigrant sentiment affected both players, what to make of the mythical origin...

The NFL regular season kicks off tonight! If you don’t know who to root for, either in this game or the 271 that will follow, then fear not, because James and John are here to to tell you which teams are on the side of worker power. Who has the vibes of a pro-labor team? Listen and find out! Thanks for reading Undrafted! This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If yo...

Today the Lefty Specialists are joined by Matt Bruenig, author of labor newsletter NLRB Edge , and together we discuss whether the rule the NBA uses to fine players is illegal, how unions can fight for free speech in general, and the connections between sports union fights and labor movement in general. (We also, of course, discuss podcast favorite Chris Paul…) As always, listen, enjoy, like, subs...

The 2024 Olympics are here and the Lefty Specialists are not that excited! In this episode, James and John break down the history of the Olympics, how they inevitably serve a nationalistic agenda and divide the international working class, and why they’re also kind of boring. Thank you for reading Undrafted and listening to the Lefty Specialists. This episode is public so feel free to share it. Th...

The Lefty Specialists have returned! Today we’re talking about Clipped , but really we’re talking about the Donald Sterling affair. We spend the first ~15 minutes making fun of the show, and then get into Sterling’s long reign in LA, the 2013-14 Clippers team, and whether Sterling’s ban was a victory or a failure. Listen, like, share, enjoy! Thank you for reading Undrafted. This post is public so...

It’s Part Two of our March Madness preview extravaganza! Today John is joined by his ORIGINAL college basketball podcast co-host, Tim Britton of The Athletic , to go through the bracket and make their official predictions. Along the way they discuss where UConn ranks among recent Tournament favorites, whether the SEC turns the ball over too much as a conference, and why this Duke team was so disap...

The Lefty Specialists are back! Including James, who is returning from a hiatus to give his extensive thoughts on who Michigan should hire as their head coach. But in addition to that, James and John do their annual breakdown of the men’s NCAA tournament bracket. This time is a little different, though, as they look for potential stars in men’s college basketball, examining why Zach Edey ain’t it,...

In today’s episode of the Lefty Specialists, John is joined by author, historian, and journalist Kevin Baker, whose latest book is The New York Game: Baseball and the Rise of a New City , about the history of baseball and New York. They talk about Central Park, Arnold Rothstein, the strike of 1890 and the brief, hopeful moment in which players tried to start their own league. You can order a copy...

We, the Lefty Specialists, hope you had a happy holiday season! Today, we (well, I — James is still on hiatus) are taking a brief look at the career of Bill Belichick and answering some questions that Undrafted has been focused on all year: Is Bill Belichick any good? Why are people so invested in him being good? And what does that say about labor relations under capitalism? Thank you for reading...

The Lefty Specialists are back to discuss a history of “The Process”… It has now been a decade since the Philadelphia 76ers hired Sam Hinkie as their General Manager and embarked on a radical experiment in building an NBA team. So today John looks back at what the Process was, its material roots in the fight between labor and capital, and whether it could have succeeded. (Further reading: Part One...

The Astros are dead! Long live the Astros! In today’s episode of the Lefty Specialists, John is joined by the man who literally wrote the book on the Houston Astros: Evan Drellich, author of Winning Fixes Everything: How Baseball’s Brightest Minds Created Sports’ Biggest Mess . The book is a fascinating look at what went on inside the organization from Jim Crane’s purchase of the team through the...

How do you end such a strange and historic career? In the supersized final episode of The A-Rod Chronicles, James and John look at Alex Rodriguez’s last days as a player, and then the start of his post-playing career. As A-Rod went from player to “advisor” to announcer to business mogul, he gradually left behind the working class. But could that class ascent redeem him in the eyes of fans? As ment...

Who do you believe about steroids in baseball? In Chapter 8 of The A-Rod Chronicles, we try to wade through the sea of lies — from the league, from “Dr. Bosch,” from Alex Rodriguez — that make up the Biogenesis scandal. At the heart, though, this scandal was really about who was going to be held responsible for baseball’s Steroid Era. And while A-Rod wasn’t the only to take the fall, he would cert...

Is there any coming back from steroids? For Alex Rodriguez, there was… at least, for a little while. In Chapter 7 of The A-Rod Chronicles, we delve into his brief, fleeting redemption in the 2009 postseason, which turned him from a villain to a hero. Then we talk about the years that followed, and how he gradually turned back… Listen, enjoy, like, subscribe, review, etc.! Thanks for reading Undraf...

Yes, it’s that time… In Chapter 6 of The A-Rod Chronicles, James and John dive deep into baseball’s “Steroids Era” before getting to the news of Alex Rodriguez’s failed 2003 test, which first broke in 2009. This is a big one… Listen, like, share, subscribe, and just generally have a good time! If you’re enjoying The A-Rod Chronicles, please consider sharing it, or subscribing to Undrafted! This is...

What did it mean for Alex Rodriguez when baseball entered its post- Moneyball era? In Chapter 5 of The A-Rod Chronicles, James and John examine how baseball’s statistical revolution impacted its highest paid player, how A-Rod got caught between an old-school that valued “intangibles” he lacked and a new wave of analytics designed specifically to avoid contracts like his, and how that overlapped wi...

Alas, it is time to talk about 2004…. In Chapter 4 of The A-Rod Chronicles, we dive deep into how the Yankees built their dynasty, their rivalry with the Red Sox, and the end of the Curse of the Bambino. This is also, admittedly, our least objective episode, as it deals with a major personal trauma for both of us: the 2004 ALCS. Listen, enjoy, like, subscribe, review, tell your friends, etc.! Cons...

So you’ve signed a $252 million contract…. now what? In Chapter 3 of The A-Rod Chronicles, John and James dive into Alex’s time in Texas, including the massive backlash to baseball’s biggest contract, MLB’s labor disputes in 2002, and A-Rod’s fallout with his friend Derek Jeter. Check it out, like, subscribe, leave a review, all that stuff… Here’s a little preview: Thank you for reading Undrafted!...

It’s time to talk about late ‘90s shortstops! In Chapter Two of The A-Rod Chronicles, the Lefty Specialists talk about the shortstop renaissance of the 1990s, the massive influx Latin American players into the game, and a brief history of MLB free agency. Check it out! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit undrafte...

The Lefty Specialists are back with Chapter 1 of a new mini-series, The A-Rod Chronicles. As you can possibly guess, it’s about Alex Rodriguez. But, more than that, it’s about what his story can teach us about the last three decades of baseball. Check it out! Stay tuned and subscribe for all the upcoming episodes of The A-Rod Chronicles! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this...

It’s college basketball week, and the Lefty Specialists have returned (both of us this time!) to preview the men’s NCAA Tournament and tell you who the left ought to be rooting for this week! In our third annual March Madness podcast, we discuss Fran McCaffery’s death stare, how the Starbucks Union feels about Bobby Hurley, and whether San Diego State deserves travel pay. Thanks for reading Undraf...