This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.houseofstrauss.com Light Years co-host Saam Esfandiari is here to explain his perspective on NBA free agency, parenting, and Iran. Massive range in this pod. A great talk as always, including but not limited to… * Is there much to say about beloved Kevon Looney leaving GSW? * Why, oh why, is the “cuck chair” Saam’s preferred metaphor for GSW roster moves? * Why is Saam desperate to deal Jonathan Kuminga? * What is the chance Kumin...
Jul 01, 2025•32 min
Dieter Kurtenbach and Jake Hutchinson have done for 49ers Youtube what pod friend Nate Duncan did for NBA podcasting. I’m entranced by how Dieter and Hutch have decided to build an audience by getting as niche as possible about my local football team. And so we dig into what they’re doing and why it works. Enjoy! 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 dis...
Jun 27, 2025•1 hr 24 min
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.houseofstrauss.com Mike Silver, senior NFL writer at the Athletic, has written a remarkable book. “ The Why Is Everything ” is, in my opinion, the type of work that will no longer happen in the modern access-constrained world. So we get into it, exploring the coaching rivalries that shaped modern football and analyzing the friend/enemy relationships involved. Topics include but aren’t limited to… * Why is the “why” important for p...
Jun 25, 2025•30 min
Stop by live, Friday, at 2way.tv/ethan , where I can discuss most things and Mike Pesca can discuss everything. Topics I’d like to get into include NBA Finals, sports gambling as indicator of sports decline, plus the emergent visibility of baby boomer liberals in protest culture. Also…do we dare discuss Israel/Iran? See you there ! 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...
Jun 19, 2025•49 sec
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.houseofstrauss.com After angering Stratechery ’s Daman Rangoola in private about his JOY over Wednesday’s Lakers team sale, I decided to allow his grievances to be aired in public. Or at least behind this paywall. Beyond being highly informed about the tech world, Daman is a Laker obsessive, with ties to people in the know. And so we discussed topics including but not limited to… * Was I improperly throwing cold water on Laker fan...
Jun 19, 2025•30 min
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.houseofstrauss.com Our old friend and Yahoo!/Substack NBA writer Tom Haberstoh is here for some analytical diving. Great talk in my humble opinion. Topics include but aren’t limited to… * Tom and I made Tim MacMahon famous and he owes us big time * Is a Thunder-Pacers Finals good for the NBA? * Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the new Tim Duncan * Does SGA not have a signature move? Which stars have what signature moves? * If you take a...
Jun 11, 2025•31 min
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.houseofstrauss.com Our man Glass is here to discuss an oddly contentious week in sports media. Prominent names are fighting, so we decided to give our takes on what the hell is happening. Topics include but aren’t limited to… * Is Bill Simmons right that ESPN will fuck up Inside the NBA ? * Ryen Russillo draws ire of Mina Kimes over a harmless joke * Towel snapping maleness of Inside * Bill Simmons vs. Pablo Torre (A B.S. report w...
Jun 04, 2025•15 min
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.houseofstrauss.com I’ve heard buzz about a memoir by Ed Latimore, who’s a former professional boxer and current professional writer. Ed’s developed a following for his life advice and his upcoming book is titled, Hard Lessons From the Hurt Business . I loved getting to know Ed on quite a free range assortment of topics. These topics include but aren’t limited to... * Having kids is the choice that later doesn’t feel like a choice ...
May 29, 2025•21 min
Here’s my Substack live video with Mike Pesca ! Btw, Mike and Bomani Jones will be joining me for my inaugural launch of Random Offense on YouTube, Friday 4pm ET (1 pm PST). Here’s a link for that . Join up. Idea of Random Offense is it’s a bit like the old Callin show I used to do, with listener involvement, only more visual. You guys can call in, ask questions, submit article ideas for the Substack. See you Friday. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers ...
May 20, 2025•1 hr 11 min
Matt is back! Nearly two hours of tech and media conversation, in which Matt reveals that he endorses Jon Voight’s plan to take Hollywood back to the 1970s. Also, we discuss how sports television is now aggressively eating scripted Hollywood. Topics include but aren’t limited to… * We were bullied into doing this episode by my only female subscriber * Woke Matt doesn’t think HBO’s The Pitt is woke * Did I accidentally trick a writer into thinking I’m a robot? * Max goes back to HBO Max * Old peo...
May 16, 2025•1 hr 44 min
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.houseofstrauss.com House of Glass alert! Topics include but aren’t limited… * Nike not optimizing shareholder value * NBA lottery history suspicious but probably not rigged * Is Cooper Flagg a top tier prospect historically? Would you trade him for Giannis? * Why nobody cares about Anthony Edwards’ off court issues * Sad Bill Belichick situation * Does Bill Belichick really still have sex? * Meadowlark Media crossroads * Why the o...
May 14, 2025•21 min
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.houseofstrauss.com You people emailed me, wanting Spike Eskin’s commentary on JJ Redick’s playoff flameout. This tweet was but a taste… We discuss Spike’s anti Redick theory and so much. more. Topics include but aren’t limited to… * “Farting in church” basketball takes like wanting more from Popovich’s coaching tree * Is it fair to suggest that Redick’s choking as a player can carry over into coaching? * Why everyone loves James H...
May 05, 2025•28 min
Mike of The Gist is here, which means the conversation flows so easily. We start with Giannis Antetokounmpo going viral again in defeat, and then hit a range of sports current events. Topics include but aren’t limited to… * Why the public likes Giannis’ defeat monologues * Is Antetokounmpo at all at fault for the Milwaukee disaster? * NBA playoff ratings have juice * What’s up with all TV ratings these days? Are they real or fake? * Aaron Rodgers is insufferable in totality but not in bite sizes...
Apr 30, 2025•1 hr 7 min
Rogue Bogues podcasters (and former NBA professionals) Andrew Bogut and Mike Procopio are here for the playoffs! We start with the elevated physicality of Warriors-Rockets and whether Amen Thompson is at fault for Jimmy Butler’s injury. From there, we’re looking back on situations as wide ranging as when Draymond Green kicked Steven Adams in the nuts in 2016, all the way to whether the Warriors tried to trade Steph Curry for our humble podcast guest (not Procoprio) in 2012. Topics include but ar...
Apr 25, 2025•1 hr 20 min
One of my favorite conversations with Wos, if I do say so myself. Very NBA forward, if that’s your thing. Topics include but aren’t limited to… * Why Jordan Brand’s “Bad Luka” ads work * Laker Luka’s potential to become the face of the league * Why is Laker Luka such a hotter cultural commodity than Dallas Luka * Why I don’t believe in the Lakers * Steph Curry as Houston Boogie Man * Rudy Gobert as constant scapegoat * The controversy over the Braves TV guy getting a girl’s phone number * Kay Ad...
Apr 24, 2025•1 hr 10 min
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.houseofstrauss.com I never get to talk one-on-one with Light Years co-host and overall Warriors provocateur Andy Liu, but today is my lucky day. In this episode we cover why, exactly, Andy quit the sports writer path for whatever he became. We also discuss how I got fired from Yelp. Oh, and the Warriors made the playoffs finally. Topics include but aren’t limited to… * Why did Andy quit formal sports media? * What did I learn abou...
Apr 17, 2025•38 min
Audio version of this article is up. 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...
Apr 10, 2025•6 min
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.houseofstrauss.com An ideal time to podcast with fellow indie media man Andrew Sharp, King of the Generalists. In addition to podcasting about the NBA , Andrew also co-hosts podcasts on technology and China . Obviously, there were topics to discuss. Subjects include but aren’t limited to… * Are America and China at war? * The precarious nature of what we need from Taiwan * “America is the biggest customer and the customer is alway...
Apr 09, 2025•26 min
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.houseofstrauss.com Congratulations to Freddie, who’s a new father . Having just come up for air, he’s got takes on the state of our possibly melting down world, NBA corner 3 elimination, and the Jackie Robinson DEI imbroglio . For those who don’t want financial crisis/tariff talk, we begin with it and it ends at around the 25 minute mark. Enjoy!...
Apr 09, 2025•32 min
* Mainstream NBA media tone vs. YouTube tone * The Event Level NBA takes are so much harsher than public takes * Agents can threaten everyone in your media org * Players Justin has pissed off * Why is it Old NBA heads vs. Current Players? * How do we feel about Kirk Goldsberry’s plan to ban corner 3s ? * Why is Justin voting Nikola Jokic for MVP? * Justin recounts the time Jerry West eviscerated JJ Redick over “plumbers and firemen” * Why do Justin and I complain about the great LeBron James? * ...
Apr 03, 2025•1 hr 19 min
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.houseofstrauss.com Many great topics today with our favorite sports media reporter! Items include but aren’t limited to… * LeBron’s massive hour-plus sit down with Pat McAfee * Is LeBron uniquely annoying among all time greats? * LeBron’s straw man arguments * Why is McAfee egging LeBron on to take shots at Stephen A. Smith and Brian Windhorst? * The GOAT debate as needless dumping on the past * The NBA has an anti-nostalgia probl...
Mar 26, 2025•17 min
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.houseofstrauss.com Jay Caspian Kang writes about a little bit of everything and so, in our conversations, we discuss a little bit of everything. Today’s main topic is whether the Analytics Movement is past due in sports . Related, per new data-based analysis of Democratic Party woes , is politics about to get a visit from the analytics movement? Topics include but aren’t limited to… * Are Michael Jordan’s shoes actually objectivel...
Mar 19, 2025•22 min
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.houseofstrauss.com Liz co-hosts the Just Asking Questions podcast , which earnestly investigates the day’s most pressing political and cultural issues. She’s also, in no particular order, a Catholic, mom, surfer and natalism evangelist. I really enjoy Wolfe’s approach to conversations and public intellectual life so this pod is a long time coming. Topics include but aren’t limited to… * Why you should have kids * Whether it’s bad ...
Mar 14, 2025•14 min
Hoops Tonight host Jason Timpf is back talking NBA nitty gritty + headier topics that we tend to get into. A great conversation as always, this time including but not limited to… * Why Jason knew the Jimmy Butler trade would work for the Warriors * The “blood and bones” perspective on basketball vs. analytics * The “why” function of Youtube * How players fit With and Without * Does Jason believe in the Thunder? * Why Jason doesn’t believe in the Bucks * The underrated MAIN problem with the NBA p...
Mar 11, 2025•1 hr 29 min
Joe, who covers sports business, did a great deep dive on why ESPN’s big bet on ESPN BET has gone awry. What does this say about the current state of sports gambling? Have we reached peak sports gambling? Also, was ESPN’s Around the Horn cancellation more about surrounding structure, or inability to match modern sports fan culture? 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. I...
Mar 07, 2025•59 min
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.houseofstrauss.com I can’t deny it. I’m really excited about the Jimmy Butler Warriors. I just had to discuss with Light Years hosts Saam Esfandiari and Andy Liu. If you’re a GSW fan, this is the episode for you. If you like NBA legacy talk…this might also be the episode for you. Topics include but aren’t limited to… * Do we believe? * Reasons for belief * Was Bob Myers throwing cold water on the Warriors in the ABC broadcast? * D...
Feb 25, 2025•33 min
Mavs Moneyball Managing Editor Kirk Henderson went viral with his letter to Mavericks GM Nico Harrison. Since going viral with text is almost impossible these days, we talked about why Kirk’s heartfelt missive swayed the masses. What the hell went on in Dallas to cause this infamous trade of a superstar? What are the media stories connected to it? Also, how do Kirk and I rank those to blame for the trade in terms of culpability? House of Strauss is a reader-supported publication. To receive new ...
Feb 12, 2025•58 min
Big Wos of Ringer fame is here to break down what the hell compelled the Mavericks to trade away an MVP level player entering his prime. We get into why Mavs GM Nico Harrison may have done the unthinkable, and whether there are genuine concerns about the Lakers’ new franchise guy. A fine conversation with our favorite bon vivant. Topics include but aren’t limited to… * Could history ever validate this decision? * Apparently I’ve joined the conventional wisdom in hating Adam Schefter’s tweet abou...
Feb 05, 2025•1 hr 12 min
And now for something completely different … Razib Khan, beyond being a fine friend of pod, is an excellent genetic historian. He’s written a fascinating article about how Europe once had a burgeoning civilization…thousands of years before history as we know it began. We just haven’t understood much about a once thriving continent because these societies were largely wiped out by the people who became “Europeans”. These revelations turn a lot of conventional historical wisdom about ancient histo...
Feb 01, 2025•1 hr 46 min
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.houseofstrauss.com Freddie stopped by and we had a great conversation about hating Chiefs dominance despite its evident merits, and all these other aspects of popular sports fandom. Oh, and we discussed his fantastic essay, “ After Liberal Cultural Hegemony .” Topics include but aren’t limited to… * Are NFL dynasties bad for the game? * Why do we feel sorry for Josh Allen, winner at life? * Is Josh Allen to blame for what happened...
Jan 29, 2025•27 min
