House of Strauss

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.houseofstrauss.comA chaotic day in sports media as ESPN timed up their news of major layoffs exactly with the starting gun for NBA free agency. Given all that happened and his New York Post reporting on the matter, we needed Ryan to swing by on short notice and deliver his insights. From there, we bounced around to many a sports media issues. This podcast includes discussion of, but is not limited to the following topics….* Was this round of ESPN layoffs a sea change in sports media?* My article on Jeff Van Gundy getting axed. * Did NBA commissioner Adam Silver have a hand in Van Gundy’s ouster? * Why did Mark Jackson survive?* Why did so many TV people get axed, including Steve Young?* The financial factors pressuring ESPN and Disney* Ryan’s out on NBA free agency* “Windy” Season* Bill Simmons vs. Kyrie Irving* Is golf hot right now?

A benefit of my job is that I can read a book, enjoy it, and then interview the person who wrote it. This is exactly what happened after I binged Ben Smith’s Traffic: Genius, Rivalry, and Delusion in the Billion-Dollar Race to Go Viral. Ben, now a founder of Semafor, formerly of the New York Times, and before that, EIC of Buzzfeed News, has written a contemporary history of the early news era in social media. There’s a lot about 2006-2016 that already seems foreign in retrospect. Ben’s book takes you back there, from the perspective of some major figures who tried to harness viral content to their own ends. Our conversation touches on, but is not limited to the following topics: * How did the New York Times win the big war over the future of media?* Jonah Peretti vs. Nick Denton (Buzzfeed vs. Gawker)* Was Nick Denton a genius? * Why Ben thinks that the Facebook app and Twitter app are dying* Is the NBA media more corrupt than other kinds of media?* Why are individuals gaining and institutions are losing? 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.comAfter years of relative stasis, the Warriors have just seen their longtime General Manager quit, and, on Thursday, completed a trade of that saw the ouster of Jordan Poole and the introduction of Chris Paul. We talk about this, talk draft and eventually start drifting away from the pure basketball discussion. This pod includes discussion of, but is not limited to: * How do you feel about dumping Jordan Poole for Chris Paul?* How does Chris Paul feel about it?* Are we going to rip Bob Myers on the way out, Boston media style? * The Warriors never really develop their draft picks. Their fault? * Are draft picks a shakier (less successful) proposition in this era? * What’s the take on Zion Williamson’s porn-tinged fall from grace?* Is Zion getting too much grief for the porn lady’s accusations?* Was Ja Morant’s suspension too light?* Who’d you rather trade for: Zion Williamson or Ja Morant?* All good draft analysts should be weirdos * We’re all obsessed with Dean on the Draft, who once wrote a paper on dating market inefficiencies

We re-welcome Katie Herzog of Blocked and Reported, the hilarious podcast that explains Internet meltdowns while weaving them into a spellbinding narrative. I asked Katie on because a) She’s a great guest, but also b) BAR-worthy topics of controversy are knocking into the sports world. Specifically, baseball’s awkward embrace of Pride celebrations and the broader societal conversation about trans in sports are both current hot topics. So we get into those and a lot more. This podcast discussion includes but is not limited to…* We talk about my dumb controversy vs. the Cavinders* The trans sports issue is popping up a lot. Is it a Waterloo for one political side? * Are there influential people who really don’t know that males have a sports advantage? * Pride Nights in baseball and player resistance * “Acceptance isn’t enough”* The Dodgers, Clayton Kershaw and the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence* Who’s offended by nipples at the White House? 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

Comedy writer and viral Facebook critic Matt Klinman returns to discuss my piece on Zoomer Influencers, and the general degradation of the content economy. We talk about topics including but not limited to:* Why are the Zoomer Internet stars non institutional? * Why can Jake Paul love Trump and it means nothing?* Was the ads-based cable bundle an unfair bilking of the customer? Was it the best of bad systems?* Are the social media platforms bad vehicles for ads-based content?* Why are all the old media institutions collapsing? Where is the money going?* What does it mean that popular sports sites need gambling to sustain?* I say “Thanos” wrong.* Is Youtube the best platform?* Australia as a warning from the sports gambling future 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.comOne of the great aspects of my job, whatever it is, is that I can arrange a conversation with people whose work I enjoy. Good vibes legend Joe House is such a person and has been since back before I’d even heard of Twitter. You might know House from his frequent B.S. Report guest appearances, or perhaps his Fairway Rollin’ golf show. The latter provided…

John Middlekauff is a podcaster, first and foremost, but used to be an NFL scout. After succeeding as a football Media Guy he’s expanded into golf, a topic I need some help with on account of the massive LIV/PGA merger story. John’s also a frequent critic of sports media tendencies, and we get into some of that over the course of this conversation. Near the end, John wants some of my takes on the Bob Myers’ exit from the Warriors. For those curious about LIV/PGA specifically, we start at the 36 minute mark and I eventually derail much of the conversation to express shock over the media framing. Enjoy! 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.comMichael Moynihan of Fifth Column fame is, in my opinion, one of the best podcast talents out there. Additionally, The Fifth Column is, beyond being hilarious, one of the great sanity-validating resources in this crazy era. We meant to talk some sports, and hopefully will next time. In this case, discussion included, but was not limited to:* On enjoying getting ousted by Vice News* Why the Fifth has more credibility when ripping Tucker’s Twitter show launch than prestige media outlets do* Tucker’s “Theyification” of everything* But wait. Is there a “They” out there, controlling our lives? How does it all work?* The Karl Popperification of Everything in media* Is social media good on balance? I argue no* “Don’t Look Up” worldview vs. a “Don’t Look Down” worldview

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.houseofstrauss.comWas bed-ridden sick last week, now I’m finally back to fulfill your content needs. Today we have the return of the New York Post’s Ryan Glasspiegel and we kick off our sports media talk by discussing a very curious number: 11.9 million. This podcast discussion includes but is not limited to:* The Game 1 NBA Finals viewership number finally, loudly confirms a theory I’ve been baking. Circumstantially at least* Does my conclusion mean that the NFL is about to see its viewership numbers radically change? * Ryan breaks down Shannon Sharpe leaving Undisputed and divorcing from Skip Bayless* I bring up Tucker Carlson leaving Fox because I momentarily forgot where Ryan works* Is there a Pat McAfee backlash now that he’s at ESPN?* The opaque nature of how people make millions on YouTube and can have it taken away

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.houseofstrauss.comOur favorite combo is back as the NBA Finals kicks off. This episode may have even gotten a bit basketball-ish. In it, conversation touches on, but is not limited to…* Action Bronson’s brilliant decision to become a Food Vlogger* The NBA’s future depends on marketing the Denver Nuggets. How do they do it?* Why is soon to be former Warriors GM Bob Myers really quitting* The new Collective Bargaining Agreement will change the NBA as we know it. Nate Jones breaks down what’s going to happen* Why the best choice is just to pay Jaylen Brown* Steve Ballmer is so much richer than all these other owners