House of Strauss

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.houseofstrauss.comThrilled to have Chris Vernon on because I’ve long been curious about his career as an NBA + overall sports podcaster. The best way I can summarize Verno for those who do not know: Think if Sam Kinison was really into the Memphis Grizzlies. Topics include but are not limited to…* Vernon used to hilariously CRUSH Pau Gasol* How Chris chose the Grizzlies as his success vehicle * Why Robert Saleh is the reason 49ers Youtube exploded * JT The Brick saved Chris’ career with some unforgettable advice * Why Tony Allen is a better NBA player podcaster than some others* Why Vernon thinks the NBA will be profitable despite losing full game watchers* Gas station boner pills?* Do the kids like the NBA?* Will this LeBron + JJ Redick podcast be a success?

Incidentally, Subscribe to my channel if you want the occasional video/Youtube experience for non paywalled articles…Tom Haberstroh has written an explosive article in The Finder about just how improbable the NBA’s post All-Star break scoring drought is. I think it’s impossible to look at these numbers and reach any conclusion other than that the NBA directed referees to call games differently. But does Tom himself think this? Discussion includes but is not limited to…* A wild free throw stat, unseen in 2000 games, happens twice on the same night* Tom gets into the numbers on a dramatic drop in fouls called* GMs don’t believe the league’s position that this is random and non directed* I say it really really really really looks like the NBA is lying* Why would the NBA lie about something so (allegedly) obvious?* Tom reveals a sneaky big benefit to the lack of foul calls * “Trying to get pregnant” is a funny euphemism.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.comThe preeminent sports media critic is here, right after breaking sports media news. We discuss, in notes cribbed from his X feed: * Ryan’s Pat McAfee vs. Stephen A. Smith story * Shannon Sharpe, digital juggernaut* The media lets it slide that Mark Cuban rips Trump nonstop yet sold his baby to partner with statistically the world's largest Trump supporter* A vibe shift where nobody cares about athletes like Joe Burrow hanging with Trump* The viral moment of LeBron getting very friendly with Lakers owner Jeanie Buss* I cost Ryan money on unders picks with my NBA scoring drop article. * National NBA media can't stand most of the stars being in small markets

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.houseofstrauss.comI’m not sure how to describe this free flowing conversation with geneticist and writer Razib Khan, which was to be expected since Zeeb’s one of the most brilliant/idiosyncratic people I’ve ever met. Naturally, this talk is all over the place after beginning with, and I’m not sure there’s another way to describe this, social media reaction to “Aella’s birthday gangbang”. Topics discussed:* Razib knows the infamous Aella, who’s a rationalist data scientist between orgies. * Razib is friends with Aella, but is viscerally disgusted by her lifestyle. * Is human “disgust response” logical? * Is gene editing going to destroy sports? * Very tall people are rarer than it seems* Michael Jordan’s “mailman” theory on his own parentage * “Female sperm is heavier” * “The Sports Gene”* Why do men get autism and schizophrenia more frequently than women?* Ashkenazi really do have Middle East ancestry * Is the tech scene right wing? Left wing? * Why Microsoft is killing Google * An analysis of problems at Google

Larry Krueger, proprietor of The Krueg Show, and former Bay Area radio mainstay, might know a thing or two about succeeding locally. A couple years ago he was pushed out of his role at KNBR, at which point he started building his 49ers-centric Youtube channel. It’s been a big success, currently at over 40,000 subscribers and rapidly gaining. As a fan of his channel, I wanted insight into the comeback story behind it and Larry’s overall perspective on media. Pod discussion includes, but is not limited to: * How advice from comedian Al Madrigal helped Larry build The Krueg Show* Larry is so granular with his analysis and yet it works on a big scale* The massive gap between America’s passion for football and actual knowledge* Why people feel comfortable second guessing football coaches vs. other sports* Larry’s disagreement with Grant Cohn* Larry’s since resolved fight with “The Coach”* We both object to a Dan Patrick take on Kyle Shanahan in the Super Bowl* How the Warriors handle the media* Larry gives us his take for dream 49ers 1st round pick and realistic 1st round pickHouse 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.comWhat have I been doing with my life, waiting this long to have Frank Isola on? Frank’s a famously bold New York Knicks beat writer turned multi media star. You can find him on ESPN and Sirius radio, talking NBA and a range of other subjects. Frank comes from the era (and region) where media was confrontational. The overall modern lack of confrontation was just one subject we addressed in this podcast. Topic docket: * Frank and the other Knicks beat writers seemed totally insane to me back in the day* Is Andre Iguodala an obvious Hall of Famer?* Andrew Wiggins is missing. Surrounding media gonna look into it?* Coaches should wear suits* CAA-Knicks: Is agency influence real? * Frank tortures me with 49ers Super Bowl second guessing* Draymond Green vs. Bonta Hill* Can Caitlin Clark save the WNBA?* How the lack of accepted criticism hurts the WNBA

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.houseofstrauss.comRichard Hanania is, I believe, the most controversial person to appear on this podcast (though I’m curious if the subscribers can offer up some competitors for that title). Based on his public profile one might think his book, The Origins of Woke, would be a searing polemic. But it’s not. It’s really more of a law history with a focus on how legal decisions determine institutional policy and cultural norms. I think most people assume law to be downstream of culture. This book asserts that it’s mostly the other way around. Some of these legal decisions, like sports-relevant Title IX, you’ve heard of. Others are more obscure and yet massively influential. Whatever one’s political persuasion, the idea of judicial ruling as skeleton key to culture is worth discussing. And so we discuss that, plus other topics. For example…* Why did Richard want to appear on House of Strauss?* I met Richard, did not like his manner, but was intrigued* Can Richard define “woke”?* Discussing The Origins of Woke* How we overrate the importance of peoples’ secret motives* What’s the deal with Title IX?* I explain how Kenny Smith got pilloried during Sabrina Ionescu vs. Steph Curry* The Hanania vs. Yarvin debate (Democracy vs. Monarchy) * One major thing the most outraged critics of Hanania and Yarvin are right about* Republicans come off like weirdos now* Richard, Glenn Greenwald and others who fight against their own audiences * Does Matt Yglesias secretly like Richard?

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.houseofstrauss.comSpike Eskin of Rights to Ricky Sanchez is here because a few of his favorite characters are in the news. Frankly, there’s no better person to cover Doc Rivers vs. JJ Redick as it plays out in the media. Who’s right? Who’s wrong? Does Spike hate JJ more than JJ hates basketball fans? Topics...* Spike on where Doc is lying* ESPN’s hilariously unbelievable reporting on Doc taking the Bucks job* Why did Redick get blasted for his correct take on Doc?* Redick’s bizarre meta media critique and “54K pageviews” humblebrag* Redick’s appeal as Twitter mirror* JJ’s postseason vulnerability * Why does Spike hate JJ? * How Tony Romo went from great to less great announcer* I failed my customers by doing too much football this season* What’s with writers fearing AI replacement?

Sarah Hepola discusses the viral Emily Gould divorce essay, sparking controversy and praise. They delve into millennials, feminism, and the era of personal essays. The ethical considerations of sharing personal stories, financial vulnerabilities, and predator tactics are explored. The complexities of fame and extremist views are uncovered, touching on societal trends and expressing unpopular views.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.houseofstrauss.comThis one is a lot of politics/culture, so pure sports lovers be forewarned. We also had to paywall it for standard Wos reasons. Personally, I believed this to be a very fruitful conversation with HoS favorite Big Wos. We agreed, disagreed, and eventually got to common ground on what the House of Strauss foreign policy should be. Topics include but aren’t limited to…* What’s wrong with ESPN’s coverage of the tragic shooting in Kansas City? * What specific gun law do journalists reacting to these incidents want?* Jon Stewart’s Daily Show return* Stewart’s comments about Biden’s decline and reaction in media* Does Biden at the top mean the status quo is strong right now or weak? Wos says “strong,” I say “weak.”* Tucker Carlson’s post-Fox decline in influence * Tucker in Russia* Wos wasn’t aware of the “Fidel is Trudeau’s dad” conspiracy theory * Is that conspiracy more or less believable than Frank Sinatra as Ronan Farrow’s father?