House of Strauss

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.houseofstrauss.comOne day Nate quit being a lawyer and started an NBA podcast empire. Still, the urge to litigate remains, so he’s arrived at HoS to prove NBA commissioner Adam Silver innocent of my grievous charges. We debate Silver’s thus-far legacy and then move on to the other main event: Can Nate smartly answer some of my dumb NBA questions? Podcast discussion includes but is not limited to:* About a 7 minute preamble where Nate and Ethan discuss our awkwardness around in person greetings* I put Adam Silver on trial; Nate defends him * On what basis do we judge a sports commissioner?* My Dumb Normie Questions for Nate, such as…* Why is Erik Spoelstra the best coach? * Was Anthony Davis unfairly maligned* What’s Nate’s view on how good this Nuggets team is historically?* I’m hearing that the new CBA is designed to ruin the Warriors. Is this true and what does this mean?* Why was Nikola Jokic the biggest draft steal ever?* Why is Jimmy Butler so good?* Nate’s take on the most overrated food* My case for pepper as a coattail-riding condiment

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.houseofstrauss.comThrilled for this well timed visit from Adam Mares of DNVR, in the immediate aftermath of the Denver Nuggets clinching their first ever Finals berth. A few years ago, Adam staked his independent media claim out in Colorado, a small market, where the NBA theoretically comes last. Now, the Nuggets are what’s hot and his DNVR site is where the national media comes for answers on the NBA’s latest phenomenon. On this pod, we discuss the incredible high he’s feeling as his grand plan comes to a shocking, though natural, fruition. Pod discussion includes, but is not limited to:* “ALL THE NUGGETS ARE GOOD“* Where does the bunny eat? * Did Adam cause all this to happen with his vision? * Adam vs. the NBA’s Him-ification* Why wasn’t this Nuggets juggernaut marketed well? * Would the Nuggets have been more mainstream in the recent past, like, let’s say, 2012? * Adam’s take on the idea that fewer people will watch a Denver Finals than a Los Angeles Finals* What stories did the media miss about this team? * LeBron was amazing this postseason; He also tried to control the narrative again.* Which media members are bending the knee to Jokic?

In terms of sales, Ashlee Vance might be the most successful writer we’ve had on this podcast, not that it’s a competition. And you know what? Sometimes the market is correct. Vance, whose new best seller is titled When the Heavens Went on Sale: The Misfits and Geniuses Racing to Put Space Within Reach, has a knack for identifying and distilling fascinating subjects. His Elon Musk biography, for example, is one of the most widely read biographies of the last decade. Have I read these books yet? Well, not exactly, to my great shame. And yet the conversation we had about these works, and related subjects, happened to be fantastic. The conversation includes but is not limited to…* The privatization of space is a huge thing. Major implications* Can space exploration actually make money though? * Elon Musk…what’s his deal, man? * How did Vance wear down Elon Musk* Is sending rockets into space easier than simply saying what you think? * Why did tech stop awing us? * British sports media has more class solidarity; America sports media sniffs jocks* Ashlee extends me some compliments and testimonials! 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.comSaam Esfandiari and Spike Eskin are, respectively, co-hosts of the Light Years podcast (Warriors) and The Rights to Ricky Sanchez podcast (76ers). Both teams had their seasons end in searing disappointment over the weekend, which can be a tricky outcome to handle if you’re running a fan pod. Both guys handle failure expertly though, so we got into the nitty gritty of how that goes, plus some of their theories on players and media. Conversation topics include but aren’t limited to…* The Ricky fans are broken; The Warriors fans…less so* How to make fans characters in your pod universe* I hate being wrong about sports takes. Saam and Spike think it’s key to not fear this* Is “loser energy” real? Are certain highly paid, incredibly successful athletes…losers?* Can it be possible that the fans care more about the outcome than players?* Does Doc Rivers have loser energy?* Was Joel Embiid maliciously taken out of context when quoted saying, “Me and James, we can't win alone”?* Is the normie take correct and Draymond Green really did doom the Warriors’ season by punching Jordan Poole?* At 1:04:45 we discuss an accidentally hilarious article by an SF Gate writer who attended a Dave Chappelle show in San Francisco and was aghast.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.houseofstrauss.comGreat to have the New Y Post’s Ryan Glasspiegel on because there’s so much sports media to discuss. And we get into it, from the uncomfortably seedy (Media’s treatment of the accused), to the hilariously bumbling (Mark Jackson treatment of Jokic). This conversation includes, but is not limited to:* Matt Araiza media coverage (why did almost everyone get the story so wrong?) * Mark Jackson and his MVP snub of Nikola Jokic. Accidental? Forgiveness time?* Kevin Durant’s legacy. Should I have opened my mouth about it on Cowherd?* The non apology apology form Pat McAfee to Brett Favre* Will Tucker Carlson on Twitter work? Or is Twitter just not TV? * Why Bud Light got hurt by a conservative boycott but Nike is impervious to red backlash

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.houseofstrauss.comThe myth, the man, the Meadowlarker returns for more conversation and takes. This pod begins with my sincere compliment of a guy who’s become, in my opinion, essential to that LeBatard operation. So without further ado, this podcast includes but is not limited to the following topics:* A former NBA player told Amin he loves his HoS appearances; This makes Amin suspicious of said player* I LARP’d as Keith Olbermann in 2012 because my bosses kept treating me better after tantrums* We theorize what happened with the Glen Kuiper n-bomb error* I display my sociopathic PR skills, reveal how I would have saved Aziz Ansari in 2018* How players get over or underrated over time (Did Kobe’s tragic demise influence the way he’s discussed?)* Some NBA hipsters say Scottie Pippen was a top 2/3/4 1990s player. We start a list of guys we’d take over the admittedly great Pip.* Shawn Marion as another “hipster revisionism” guy* Amin talks about the time Marion was force fed the star role he always begged for* Did Amin and Ethan cry on recent podcasts? Or merely pause?* Amin reads his childhood diary entries.* We love the Cam'ron and Mase sports talk show

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.houseofstrauss.comWe’ve ombuds’d with Spike. Can we ombuds’d with Mike? We tried to stay on topic with Mike Pesca, public radio/sports podcasting legend, but we ended up hitting so many subjects outside this here website. Subjects include, but aren’t limited to:* I just came back from Florida. What’s the deal? * There once was a banana that everyone ate and it was called The Big Mike. Now it’s extinct. * I went on Pesca’s podcast to discuss Giannis Antetokounmpo’s “there’s no failure in sports” moment. We analyze why his listeners hated our take. * Is it helpful to exaggerate certain societal threats? * Mike’s NBA vs. Senate salary comp became a random controversy * I’m trying to outsmart Elon Musk. Good luck to me.* Is, “Go Woke, Go Broke?” true or false?* Mike wonders why I didn’t cover certain stories, like Jon Gruden’s Raiders ouster* The conversation about women’s sports isn’t very nuanced* Mike asks for my most progressive sports media opinion

I found myself fascinated by Sarah Hepola’s memoir Blackout: Remembering the Things I Drank to Forget, and so I reached out for a discussion. The book was a huge bestseller when it came out in 2015 and it keeps resonating with new readers. I am one of those readers. Though I’d never met Sarah in person, she was one of my bosses at Salon.com in 2009 and 2010, and I’d had no idea she was going through any of what was detailed in her book. In this pod, we talk about her enduring hit, and her unusually candid writing style, but also get into a lot more. As a pop culture obsessed young GenXer, Sarah has a particular perspective on the culture and how it’s moved over the last couple decades. We wanted to talk some sports, but got too wrapped up in the conversation at hand. Next time! 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

As co-host of the successful Rights to Ricky Sanchez podcast and Vice President of Programming at storied WFAN, Spike Eskin has some audio bonafides. Having been spellbound by his takes on what makes a radio show work, I wanted his advice on how to improve my operation. So here we go, no mercy, no malice. Spike’s here to improve whatever ails the HoS audio product. Discussion on this podcast includes, but is not limited to:* Kitchen myths* What I’m doing wrong* How I’m not a natural point guard* The magic of pausing* Spike has takes on Rogan’s recent podcasts* We try to break down what makes Red Scare a hit pod* We get into the media going crazy over Giannis’ “failure” speech * No Spike podcast would be complete without takes on JJ Redick’s ESPN heel act* Additionally, no Spike visit would be complete without takes on ESPN’s “appreciate LeBron” messaging 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 sports/econ/culture/whatever combo returns to HoS and boy do we have a good one for you. The launching pad topic is the NFL’s latest sports gambling scandal, but this podcast goes in a lot of NBA directions. This conversation with Wos and Nate touches on, but is not limited to…* Somehow we start on the past inaccessibility of porn * Young Nate Jones was a vice salesman * Is sports going all in on gambling bad for sports? * Can sports gambling make sports more popular?* Can players be tempted to throw games?* Phil Jackson had some comments about the NBA bubble* Is it unfair that people punish the NBA for political hypocrisy? * What’s up with the Blazers having so much admiration for Draymond Green?* Is Draymond the greatest defensive player, post Bill Russell?