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This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.houseofstrauss.com Trying something new and curious what you all think. Instead of separating this week’s articles into their own narrations, I combined them all into one narration. It’s an audio compilation of the following: Eagles Fan Shows the Flaw in NFL Broadcasting UBS Report: NBA Decline Hurt Nike NBA’s Solution is More in Stakes Than Style LaMelo Ball is an Idiot and a Savant The WNBA Wants Attention—Just Not This Kind

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.houseofstrauss.com Honestly, this was one of the most enjoyable podcasts for me. I credit the WNBA, everyone’s favorite league, and also give thanks to the incomparable Wos. We had a great time cathartically venting on what’s unsaid about recent NFL media and WNBA “coupling” scandals. Topics! Include! * WNBA romance frenzy: Fudd-Bueckers #1 picks dating? Team hides dynamics amid HR risks, media gatekeeps. * Have two NBA players ever “dated”? What would we guess? * Russini Talk: Sex between media and sports stars is often incidental * Teammate hookups convo: WNBA’s open lesbian ties baffle coverage norms. * Bueckers as Caitlin Clark counter in WNBA culture * Sophie Cunningham’s MAGA hints * Insider sleaze exposed: Woj/Shams/Schefter all flatter sources * Is Adrian Wojnarowski struggling in Olean, New York because he’s anti Trump? * Is it bad that an MLB broadcaster used AI for questions? * LeBron James and Memphis

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.houseofstrauss.com Spike Eskin got into it with Sopan Deb of the New York Times and became a character in my article on UBS blaming the NBA for Nike woes. We podcasted about this subject, Diana Russini resigning from the Athletic, and the playoff outcome that would best help the NBA. Topics! Include! * NBA popularity decline: Discussing why Finals viewership is the real NBA popularity indicator, and UBS report linking it to Nike’s struggles. * Sopan Deb’s tweet skepticism: Critique of the NYT writer’s demand for “concrete evidence” of crisis despite revenue claims, arguing data like ratings won’t sway entrenched views. * Load management and 65-game rule defense * Star power deficit: Casual fans name only aging stars (LeBron, Steph); current top players lack youth appeal or relatability, hurting Nike sales and broad interest. * Media defensiveness/politics: NBA coverage mirrors politics—denial of decline tied to anti-conservative pushback; OutKick overstates “woke” label post-2020. * Playoff hopes: Spurs-Thunder rivalry, Luka redemption arc, or Wemby breakout could help, but his height/French persona limits mass appeal vs. relatable stars. * Diana Russini scandal: Defending her reporting skill (e.g., accurate AJ Brown rumors matched by Schefter/Rapoport) amid Vrabel photos; industry favors relationships, not just ethics. * Donate to Spike’s great cause: The 2026 Walk for Paws

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.houseofstrauss.com Our guy Tom Haberstroh is here to discuss an article of his that sent shockwaves throughout the NBA. What’s going on with this “alarming data” that suggests stars are increasingly prone to miss national TV games? We talk about that and much more. Topics! Include! * Record star injuries explode with 1,400+ games missed (up from 892 two years ago); stars like Lillard, Hal…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.houseofstrauss.com The greatest sports media podcast in all the land returns as Ryan and I get into some NBA heavy chatter, with a side of Roger Goodell’s Rooney rule defense. Enjoy! Topics include but aren’t limited to… * LeBron James’ likability in a golf video with Bob Does Sports and potential post-retirement renaissance. * Luka Dončić’s MVP case, improved conditioning, defense critiques, and discourse around Rachel Nichols. * Evolution of NBA MVP criteria from team success to individual stats, referencing Westbrook and Jokić. * Jaden Ivey’s release by the Chicago Bulls after erratic live streams criticizing NBA Pride events. * Conservative misinterpretations of NBA “wokeness” on Pride Month and player deference in the league. * Rising manic episodes among athletes on social media, linked to meds, weed, porn, and live streaming. * Puka Nacua’s rehab stint, potentially anti-Semitic remarks, and his elite performance despite issues. * Roger Goodell’s defense of the NFL’s Rooney Rule amid Florida AG’s legality challenge under Trump admin. * LeBron’s blunt quote dismissing playing for the Memphis Grizzlies and debates on small-market NBA viability.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.houseofstrauss.com Kyle Porter from Normal Sport is a thoughtful commentator who thinks about a lot more than just the sport he covers. So I wanted to press him on this topic, plus a few others: Is golf, with the PGA Tour now led by a former NFL exec, about to truly take off and conquer the culture? We get into the sport’s eccentricities and current moment. Topics include… * Post-Tiger Woods stars: Debate on who has “juice” in golf, including Scottie Scheffler’s dominance, recent struggles, and potential as the next face of the sport. * Golf’s niche status: Analysis of golf remaining mostly niche amid declining monoculture, contrasted with strong participation growth post-COVID and viewer overlap with players. * NBA-golf parallels: Connections between waning NBA regular season interest and rising personal golf fandom, including entrepreneurial YouTube golf content. * Family and aging into golf: How mid-life dads (around age 40) increasingly play golf with kids due to modern parenting trends, unlike past generations. * Player personalities: Comparisons of “boring” narratives around Scheffler, Rickie Fowler, Steph Curry, and Mike Trout; Scheffler’s media interactions and focus. * Golf’s watchability: Why golf suits casual viewing (especially with kids), constant action without stoppages, and unique moments like shots hitting birds. * Broadcasting challenges: Importance of shot selection, pace (e.g., pitch clock analogies), and simplifying stats like strokes gained for fans. * Skill breakdowns: Tiger Woods’ elite iron play and lag putting; Scheffler’s mid-round adjustments, course discipline, and avoiding risky shots. * Equipment and distance: Debates on tech advances (e.g., TrackMan aiding young players like Spieth), gear’s role in driving distance, and need for pro-level limits. * Rory McIlroy’s appeal: His humanity, vulnerability, and post-Masters career arc as the most relatable superstar, with older players sustaining power.

Some of you have asked where I am on politics these days, so my best friend and occasional main antagonist decided to objectively gauge it. In this episode, Matt and I go through every question of the famous Political Compass Test, reasoning out where we fall on the spectrum. Will WOKE MATT pull me towards his way of thinking? Listen and find out. For a taste of the questions we’re answering, see below: House of Strauss is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Thanks for reading House of Strauss! This post is public so feel free to share it. 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

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.houseofstrauss.com Our man Ryan Glasspiegel of Front Office Sports is here to discuss how Ross Barkan and others are joining his MLB > NBA bandwagon. Is it true? What are the numbers to support the idea that MLB has surpassed the NBA? Topics! Include! * World Baseball Classic Buzz: Is our media rooting against us? * Rob Manfred’s Reforms * One fascinating theory on why March Madness is fading from culture * Why did the PGA Tour outlast Liv Golf? * The strange bedfellows in Iran War media coverage * JD Vance getting surpassed by Marco Rubio as next president on Kalshi?

I visited the friendly confines of Basketball Illuminati, only to be at a severe rhetorical disadvantage versus Amin Elhassan. He was strongly anti Luke Kornet’s criticism of now cancelled Magic City Night, and argued that case with energy. I was more understanding of Kornet’s position, but wasn’t inclined to vigorously defend it. Still a great talk that included, but wasn’t limited to, Adrian Wojnarowski’s troubles in college basketball, and Pablo Torre vs. Adam Silver. 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 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 It’s a convoluted world out there and I trust Stratechery’s Andrew Sharp to help us navigate it. In this podcast we humble former NBA media types dared entered the fraught topics of Anthropic vs. Trump, world affairs, reason for America’s Israel alliance, the Iran war, and always, fixing the NBA. Enjoy!

This audio article is up. Happy Friday, folks. 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 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 Author, filmmaker and ardent basketball fan Sherman Alexie joins me to discuss one of my favorite topics: The 1990s. Though, to be honest, we stray from that subject and get into others subjects of interest. Such as! * Rob Mahoney thinks “Smells Like Teen Spirit” is bad. Fair? * Smells Like Teen Spirit changed everything * What was the last great movie? * Why, exactly, Toby Keith’s “Courtesy of the Red White and Blue” became a hit again two decades later * The cognitive dissonance for White Liberals seeing people who look and talk like them having different politics * McDonald’s as blue collar space * Sherman could plausibly be from half the world * I’m mesmerized by how different the Canadians are * Sports media’s been socially pressured into softness * The laudable grandiosity of Timothée Chalamet * The theory behind YouTube athletic stars * Is more fictional content political or are we just more sensitive to political messages? * Who are the ALL TIME “Pretendian” actors

Mike Pesca wrote a fine piece for the Free Press on how oddly not controversial the supposedly very controversial Eileen Gu is. She’s from the United States, but competes for China, and yet receives…mostly glowing mainstream American coverage? What’s with that? And beyond Gu, what’s the elite American consensus on China? But before the topics are introduced… Per the new Substack/Polymarket partnership, I’m posting an Eileen Gu involved competition. As someone incapable of accurately pricing Winter Olympics events, I’m interested in whether bettors reflect Gu’s true odds for winning the Ski Halfpipe. As of this writing, Polymarket has her favored to triumph. Fame halo effect, or accurate probability? And onto the Pesca pod topics… * Would we bet that Chuck Klosterman has a secret North Dakota accent? * Eileen Gu is certainly beautiful, but does she also look a little terrifying? * Is the lack of elite anger towards China rooted in corporate considerations? * America is less patriotic now, especially among the young. Bad thing? * Is the United States the best country? * Per the Jeremy Carl congressional dustup, is there such a thing as White American culture? * Stuffwhitepeoplelike was a great website * Is there such a thing as a “white guy basketball assist”? * Is it plausible that Spike Lee’s All-Star Game Palestine outfit had nothing to do with Deni Avdija? 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 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 This pod was so hot, so provocative, that our man Ryan Glasspiegel was worried about career consequences. Personally, I believe we were just being reasonable about potentially fraught topics, such as… * Not everyone loved Ryan’s reporting on the viewership drop during Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime performance * Was the bigNBC viewership falloff another “Bud Light” style boycott, or simply lack of American median fan connection with the artist? * Who SHOULD the halftime show artist be next Super Bowl? * More people are criticizing Adam Silver these days * A solution to the NBA All-Star game * A solution to NBA tanking * Artists are dropping Casey Wasserman due to Epstein files revelations. But what’s the specific allegation against him? * I think there’s less to the Epstein story than Ryan thinks

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.houseofstrauss.com First of all, congratulations to our SportsPredict Super Bowl winners SFZevi, Nathan Shea and Peter V. I had fun competing against all of you this NFL season, even though I reliably fell short of prize territory. But before we completely say goodbye to football, I present this look back at the game/season with John Middlekauff, absolute contest BEAST for The Volume network. Of course, we got off topic into issues of interest, as tends to happen. Subjects include! * How much is Michael MacDonald worth on the open market? * Why are NFL coaches paid so low relative to impact? * Why does nepotism work better in the NFL than the NBA? * Should NBA GMs make more than NBA coaches? * James Pearce Jr., coming off a 10.5 sack rookie season for the Atlanta Falcons, has been arrested and the details are horrific. How would you assess the pick and process if you’re the new GM of the team? * NFL media seems happier than NBA media. Why? * Is the NBA past its peak? * John’s boss Colin Cowherd famously warned against hiring golfers. Does golf nut Middlekauff still find time to play rounds? * Can Scottie Scheffler reach a higher echelon of fame? * Why are pitchers better than hitters at golf? * Is there a big market to watch non golf athletes compete playing golf?