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 Voodoo Tatum?

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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 Miles scene the saddest scene of all time?

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This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit undrafted.substack.com

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 conflict. What is the real message of the Friday Night Lights story? And how is it really remembered in 2025?

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This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit undrafted.substack.com

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 public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit undrafted.substack.com

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 stories surrounding both international players, and whether Giannis will stay in Milwaukee.

It’s a fun conversation, and you should check out both of the books!

Thanks for reading Undrafted! This post is public so feel free to share it.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit undrafted.substack.com

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!

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This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit undrafted.substack.com

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, subscribe, and share!

Thanks for reading Undrafted! This post is public so feel free to share it.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit undrafted.substack.com

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.

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This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit undrafted.substack.com

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 feel free to share it.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit undrafted.substack.com

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 disappointing. Listen! Enjoy! Subscribe! Happy March…

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit undrafted.substack.com