Lefty Specialists

If you’re like us, you have a vague recollection of a time between 2009 and 2015, when people kept talking about the supposed “death of football.” But football no longer appears to be dying. In fact, it seems to be doing better than ever, weathering the pandemic better than any other major American sport.

So in this episode of the Lefty Specialists, John and James look back at the narrative around the death of football, how the events of 2016 changed that narrative, and what the whole thing reveals about different theories of change and social movements.

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

This week’s episode of the Lefty Specialists is all about player movement, from the MLB trade deadline, to the draft, to the start of NBA free agency. James and John talk about what Thomas Piketty has to say about the Cubs, why Steve Cohen was tweeting about the labor theory of value, and whether the left is obligated to root for the new Lakers. Check it out, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!

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

This week’s episode of the Lefty Specialists is our first ever Socialist Sports Movie Review! We’re discussing the Space Jams, delving into what the two movies have to say about the last 25 years of capitalism. James and John get into such questions as: What does Don Cheadle’s character say about capitalism’s relationship to Big Tech? How are the comparative legacies of Michael Jordan and LeBron James tied to upward class mobility? And what does all the promotion in the sequel reveal about the alienation of labor?

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 this week’s episode of the Lefty Specialists, James and John break down the NBA playoffs to determine whether the Bucks’ championship proves superteams don’t work, whether Giannis’ origin story is an indictment of immigration policy, and whether The Process is officially dead and buried in Philadelphia.

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 back for some big questions. Are the Olympics inherently imperialist? Can college athletes live on barbecue sponsorships alone? Is Dan Gilbert actually the voice of the capitalist class? And James also refuses to apologize to Coach K for insulting his tenure atop Team USA…

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

This week’s episode of the Lefty Specialists is all about Chris Paul, who just led the Phoenix Suns to the NBA Finals. James and John look back at his career, how he’s made every team he’s ever been on better, and especially how his career has been a simulacrum of the labor struggles in the NBA during that time. Enjoy and 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

The Lefty Specialists are back for a midseason baseball episode! James and John talk about sticky stuff, the tyranny of structurelessness, and whether they wrong to accuse baseball owners of tanking. Enjoy and 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 this edition of the Lefty Specialists, James mostly just listens patiently while John tries to make the case that Mike Krzyzewski is not the reactionary force you might think.

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 back! In this week’s episode, James and John break down the socialist heroes of the first round of the NBA playoffs (Trae Young, Nikola Jokic, Kawhi Leonard), and discuss whether people are being too hard on Anthony Davis. Then they talk about the fallout from Naomi Osaka’s withdrawal from the French Open, and discuss how she both is and is not like Marshawn Lynch. Please enjoy! (And Like and 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

Yesterday we previewed the East, and today the Lefty Specialists are back to talk about the Western Conference. In this episode, John and James discuss moving on from LeBron James, whether Tyronn Lue is underrated, and, of course, the Yugoslav Civil War.

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