House of Strauss

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.houseofstrauss.comGreat conversation with Mike Pesca in which I, unfortunately, regressed to my old ways of pronouncing Chuck Klosterman’s name incorrectly. This is possibly our most controversial and free associative podcast yet. * Was Alec Baldwin’s best Trump imitation actually Jack Donaghy?* “Seinfeld sucks and isn’t funny”?* Mike disagrees with certain Minnesota ICE takes from my podcast with Kat Rosenfield * Berkeley made me biased against protestors* We discuss Brian Phillips’ belief that Trump era chaos is all a devious strategy* The oddness of initially not knowing whether the 2nd Alex Pretti video was AI* Should the new Pretti vs. police video have any influence on how one feels about the possibly unrelated deadly encounter 11 days later? * We aren’t conquering Canada and also, adding Alberta would look so stupid on the map* Mike weighs in on whether the NFL should All 22 itself* Most people agree that a man’s morality shouldn’t influence his NFL Hall of Fame case, but nobody will make the Hall of Fame case for serial rapist Darren Sharper* Is Robert Saleh good or just good at playing the media game?

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.houseofstrauss.comKat Rosenfield has, as she often does, written brilliantly of late. I especially enjoyed her nuanced takes on the Minnesota shootings. We discussed intrusive thoughts on recent political events, millennials seeking meaning, the adultery based cancellation of Jay Asher, and whether James Franco was morally wrong to LARP as a college student so as to pick up college women. A great pod imo.

The House of Strauss SportsPredict playoff contest continues, so make some picks for this weekend. For the championship round, the prize is a $500 DICK’S gift certificate, plus, of course, bragging rights. So join in.In this episode our friend Tyler Dunne from Go Long is here to discuss NFL. We also get a Glasspiegel cameo at the start of this episode which is, admittedly, HEAVY FOOTBALL. Topics!* Why was the Sean McDermott firing controversial?* Why did Ryan Glasspiegel want Matt LeFleur FIRED?* Are young defensive coaches the next wave? * Tyler’s take on that whole Jaguars journalism controversy * Is football great because it’s hidden from us?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.comFirst, congratulations to Kevin Turner for winning NFL Playoffs Week 1 of our Sports Predict contest. He receives a $250 Ticketmaster prize, and I have it on good authority that there’s more money to be won (by Kevin or whoever) this week. I’d encourage all of you to join for the Divisional Round and beyond, given that the contest is free of charge and it’s a lot of fun. This podcast was initiated by our man Tom Haberstroh breaking a story on a drastic dive in NBA offense, attributed by many in the league to a sudden secret shift in referee practice. What’s going on with this? Why is it happening?Many a great topic in this discussion, such as: * Is Rich Paul correct to lobby for Austin Reaves getting traded? * Is it close minded to say an out of shape Luka can’t be the best player on a title team? * Is it crazy to consider dealing Luka instead of Reaves?* Is Deni Avdija getting unfairly accused of being a foul grifter?* My dislike of the great (and necessary) Victor Wembanyama* Is a substation is getting 49ers injured. Enjoy!

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.houseofstrauss.comI spent much of Monday listening to Spike on the WIP livestream as Philly digested the Eagles playoff loss to the 49ers. What I encountered did not necessarily fit Philadelphia’s reputation for brutality but it did validate its stereotype for sports passion. I was spellbound and needed to converse with Mr. Eskin. In this pod, Spike Eskin and I discuss the Eagles disaster, head coach Nick Sirianni as Tim Robinson character, the media controversy stemming from that nice Jacksonville reporter’s question of Liam Coen, and, of course, LeBron James’ commemorative 23 jersey patch. Enjoy!

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.houseofstrauss.comWARNING: This is an NFL heavy House of Strauss podcast.DOUBLE WARNING: You should really join the free of charge HoS Sports Predict NFL Playoffs Contest. You can win $1000 in prizes based on making NFL predictions with no money risked. So, Dieter and I believe the overachieving 49ers have finally arrived at an impasse. We discuss this, my fraught parasocial relationship with Kyle Shanahan, whether Robert Saleh is a FRAUD, plus sports uniforms aesthetics. Oh, and of course I defend Brock Purdy in advance of a game where he might not produce great results. Enjoy!

The NFL Playoffs, With a Scoreboard That Actually MattersIn this pod, I discuss an exciting reveal: The official NFL Playoffs House of Strauss contest! Beyond the contest, Sports Predict co-founder Steve Kuhn and I also get into our nerdy NFL strategy obsessions and whether the league is starting to mirror the “mixed strategy” approach that took the poker world by storm. But, once again, ladies and gentlemen, we’ve an NFL Playoffs SportsPredict.com contest for all of you. It’s all upside, no downside. We are doing sports prediction, not gambling addiction. Okay, it’s a little addictive. But I digress. The point is you just have to make picks, with no capital risked. Come one, come all, see if you can predict your way to some generous prizes. From Sports Predict: The NFL postseason strips things down. Fewer games, tighter decisions, less margin for error. If you want to know how good your reads actually are, this is the moment.HoS is running a dedicated NFL postseason prediction challenge. Each playoff game comes with ten prediction markets. You can answer as many or as few as you want. There’s no penalty for skipping, and scoring is based purely on accuracy.There are two ways to compete.Predictions across all rounds count toward an overall postseason leaderboard, while each playoff round also has its own standalone competition. You can jump in late and still win a round.The prize structure follows that format: a $1,000 prize for the overall postseason champion, plus additional prizes for Wild Card weekend, the Divisional round, the Conference Championships, and the Super Bowl.It’s a straightforward way to engage the playoffs without betting mechanics, just decision-making under pressure.Link to the Event: https://play.sportspredict.com/LobbyDetails?id=f067dad7-cff5-46c4-8680-92faea924561&eventId=95c1be3f-7927-4a9f-8f0b-2bdc6259caf2Thanks to everyone who joined in on the Sports Predict contests this season and look forward to playing you over these next few weeks. It salves my negativity over the hyper injured 49ers attempt at a playoff run. 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

Dieter Kurtenbach, a YouTube analyst and co-host of the Dieter and Hutch channel, dives deep into the 49ers and NFL media dynamics. He discusses why the 49ers have been overlooked recently, emphasizing how national TV windows shape narratives. The conversation reveals insights into coaching strategies, such as Kyle Shanahan’s unique game preparations, and critiques the superficial nature of national media coverage. They also unpack the importance of authenticity in sports storytelling while debating the limitations of national access versus regional expertise.

The host shares a deeply personal story about his son, revealing the challenges and joys of parenting a child with autism. He grapples with the fine line between vulnerability and exploitation in family storytelling. The reflection on grief intertwined with gratitude offers a raw look at his emotional journey. He recounts the moment of diagnosis and the shift it brought to his life. Discussions around the fear of the future highlight both his worries and the support systems that uplift his family. Ultimately, he celebrates his son’s happiness and the strength found in community.

Spike Eskin, a sharp-tongued Philadelphia radio personality, dives into the chaotic world of Eagles fandom and the fallout from their recent collapse against the Cowboys. He tackles the Jalen Hurts debate, revealing internal tensions around his leadership and teammates' discontent. They also explore the absurdity of NFL narratives, the myth of situational quarterback skill, and the intricate dynamics of sports media. Plus, Spike recalls memorable moments from past controversies, all while reflecting on what defines true NFL success.