House of Strauss

Daman has two public roles: Helping out Ben Thompson with Thompson’s world-beating tech newsletter, Stratechery, and troll-fully supporting the Lakers on Twitter. He’s a brilliant guy, with a mind trained for optimization, so I hit him up when I have business questions. This discussion is in that vein. In it, we discuss: * Why do tech bros love narrated articles? * How Daman trained his mind to listen to pods at super fast speeds * Why are journalists afraid to go subscription model?* Going for Likes vs. Going for Dollars* Who’s winning the streaming wars? * On whether the Binge Model was a mistake * How does the NBA create events within its regular season? * On if ESPN is too big (a monopoly on tv rights) to fail* The NFL bullying the NBA* Is Woj too big to fail? * LIV as player empowerment in golf* Could LIV happen in golf? * Daman vs. Kevin Durant on the concept of leadership* Did Deadspinism kill the concept of character in sports? * KD as man without a country 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

First, a quick announcement: As of today, we’re number 1 in sports newsletters. Who knows how long that lasts, but I’m thankful to the subscribers who got us there, all within the span of a year. Though I almost always paywall narrated articles, I’m unlocking this one to celebrate, in the spirit of generosity/discoverability. Thanks again, readers and listeners. 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

First Things First host Nick Wright stopped by and didn’t hold back. We discuss:* How Colin Cowherd’s analogy game ruined local talk radio.* How Zach Lowe’s greatness led to failed imitators. * Nick’s take on Redick vs. Russo. * Nick’s take on Richard Deitsch vs. Skip Bayless.* Why Kevin Durant underestimates Nick. * Nick gets honest on his insecurities among writers. 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

Matt Johnson is press coordinator for Direct Action Everywhere, the organization behind the animals rights protests that are disrupting Minnesota Timberwolves playoff games. I asked Matt about the protests and about Wolves owner Glen Taylor, the factory farming tycoon whom the protests are aimed at. Matt’s is a subculture I’m not entirely familiar with, so I wanted to ask some questions and get his perspective. What’s it like to trying to outfox the authorities at Target Center? What are the moral questions involved in his work? We address these topics and a lot more. 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

For the longer pods, I’m trying my best to find the most interesting people I can, even if their purview isn’t necessarily sports. Culture writer Rob Henderson, who’s gone from Red Bluff to the military and onto to the Ivy League, is one such person, and he’d qualify even without that idiosyncratic biography. Rob’s a great writer and one aspect of his focus is, of all things, television. We get into why and also what he’s thought about after close reads of Mad Men, Succession, and The Sopranos. Think you’ll enjoy this one. 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

I recall Michael Moynihan saying that the benefit of working in journalism is that you can talk to anyone who fascinates you. It’s a good thing to remember, especially since, for all the modern era’s depravations, striking up a conversation is easier than ever. A few weeks back, I idly bought Chuck Klosterman’s new book on the Nineties and found myself fascinated by his insights and framing. Then, I figured I’d reach out and see if he wanted to chat. He was nice enough to oblige and the talk was great. Here’s our conversation, which I’ve decided to un-paywall. 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

The Fifth Column co-host + Paloma Media co-founder stops by to discuss HBO’s Winning Time and finding success between ideological worlds. 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

Free audio version of this article is up. 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

Non sports content here…Top level Substacker Freddie DeBoer is back on HoS, I’m happy to say. We covered a lot of ground in this one, such as:* The meaning of the San Francisco school board recall* How and why the system is discriminating against Asian students* Why the post-Gawker NYC media set can’t digest political rebukes* Why are many of these people more anti-anti-woke than woke?* Why don’t writers talk about writing on podcasts? * Why Freddie doesn’t do Strunk and White concision style* The lack of sincerity in media Twitter 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

Narrated version of this article. 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