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We’ve ombuds’d with Spike. Can we ombuds’d with Mike? We tried to stay on topic with Mike Pesca, public radio/sports podcasting legend, but we ended up hitting so many subjects outside this here website. Subjects include, but aren’t limited to: * I just came back from Florida. What’s the deal?  * There once was a banana that everyone ate and it was called The Big Mike. Now it’s extinct.  * I went on Pesca’s podcast to discuss Giannis Antetokounmpo’s “there’s no failure in sports” moment. We analyze why his listeners hated our take.  * Is it helpful to exaggerate certain societal threats?  * Mike’s NBA vs. Senate salary comp became a random controversy  * I’m trying to outsmart Elon Musk. Good luck to me. * Is, “Go Woke, Go Broke?” true or false? * Mike wonders why I didn’t cover certain stories, like Jon Gruden’s Raiders ouster * The conversation about women’s sports isn’t very nuanced * Mike asks for my most progressive sports media opinion

HoS Pod: Mike Pesca

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This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.houseofstrauss.com

When there’s 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 aren’t limited to… * Manifest Festival in Berkeley was such a unique setting. I run it all by a skeptical Amin * What’s 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 Amin’s perception of the leading news breaker

HoS: Amin Elhassan on the Dan Hurley/Adrian Wojnarowski/Lakers Head Fake, NBA Finals

Again we’ve got Andrew Sharp of the GOAT podcast, Sharp Tech, Sharp China, and perhaps some other podcasts I’m 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 we’re 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 don’t 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.  

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HoS: Andrew Sharp on NBA Finals, TV rights tripling, and JJ Redick vs. Dan Hurley Lakers Media Feud

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We can hardly keep track of all the sports media controversies pouring forth from Caitlin Clark’s debut WNBA season, so we enlisted WNBA fan and certified #GirlDad Ryan Glasspiegel. What the hell is happening here? Why is Stephen A. Smith doing battle with ESPN personality Monica McNutt? Why is Pat McAfee apologizing for calling Caitlin Clark a “white bitch”? Why is Sean Hannity attacking Pat McAfee over this? We answer all these questions and more.  Topic Docket: * A whole lot of hilarious WNBA-related subjects (We’re allowed to laugh) * Much of the sports media is gaslighting us on what’s happening * Why do players hate Caitlin Clark? What’s the percentage breakdown?  * Sean Hannity going after Pat McAfee? In a non political way? What?  * The Negro Leagues + MLB stats integration topic

HoS: Ryan Glasspiegel on WNBA Crackup

Our resident announcer Guy Haberman is back, and sounding much better since the last time we chatted. We went as deep as we could go on the profession of sports broadcasting. What’s the greatest call of all time? What’s Joe Buck’s style, distilled?  Also discussed: Guy’s time with the great Bill Walton, my thoughts on how writing is different from podcasting, and how you should prepare for anything you do. Oh, and some 49ers stuff at the end, of course.  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

HoS: Guy Haberman

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A hearty welcome to American Soccer Man Alexi Lalas. He’s sometimes discussed as “controversial” in sports media, but is he? We get into how and why he expresses his views, how the culture is shifting, and how athletes are different from us. We also look back at his and Carli Lloyd’s viral 2023 World Cup commentary. Enjoy topics that include but are not limited to… * How does Alexi feel now about suddenly becoming a famous Gen Xer in 1994? * Alexi’s problem with soccer fans who “gate keep” soccer fandom * America’s the only nation where soccer fan can be coded as “well educated snob” * Why Lalas posted a 1993 photo of himself with the caption:  Yup, in 1993 you would have seen this dude was flying down the 5 freeway into the warm golden California sun, with the windows down cranking Rush Limbaugh....and Ratt * Are athletes, including soccer players, more small “c” conservative than media?  * How the NBA (cynically) stopped involving itself in politics * That time Alexi tweeted, “'Don’t kill the messenger. This #USWNT is polarizing” * Looking back on Bill Walton * Alexi thinks society would heal if all group chats were made public  * His view on Megan Rapinoe * “Not everyone is wired like Carli Lloyd” 

HoS Pod: Mike Pesca

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