The Libs Give Up on Adam Silver
A recent Atlantic profile titled “Adam Silver Goes to War” delivers a surprisingly harsh assessment of the NBA commissioner, contradicting the usual favorable coverage he receives. The piece, authored by Tim Alberta, was published as the league’s playoffs began, positioning Silver as a reluctant, indecisive leader rather than a decisive visionary. The article’s tone suggests a shift in elite media’s perception of Silver’s handling of league issues, especially around competitive balance and playoff integrity. House of Strauss highlights the profile’s impact, noting it may catch NBA executives off guard.
NBC Counts Its NBA Playoff Ratings Differently than ESPN
The NBA playoffs have generated strong viewership, highlighted by NBCUniversal reporting a record 5.7 million viewers for the Spurs‑Blazers Game 1 and ESPN/ABC noting 5.2 million for the Rockets‑Blazers opener. Shortly after, ESPN’s PR feed stopped publishing NBA ratings, sharing only NHL data....
Talking Music DATA with Chris Dalla Riva
In this episode of House of Strauss, host Royce Webb chats with data‑driven music analyst Chris Dalla Riva about his book *Uncharted Territory*, which uses Billboard Hot 100 data to uncover hidden patterns in popular music. They explore why 1950s hits...
Why I (Eventually) Turned Down Polymarket
The author of House of Strauss turned down a $20,000 advertising deal with Polymarket, a prediction‑market platform partnered with Substack. While the offer was financially appealing, the decision was driven by concerns that the partnership would restrict discussion of sports‑related...
Live with Mike Pesca
Ethan Strauss hosted a live video podcast with veteran journalist Mike Pesca, focusing on the craft of writing and the challenges facing writers today. The episode aired on Strauss’s Substack platform and featured a Q&A segment that allowed listeners to...
Ryan Glasspiegel on Vrabel-Russini, NBA Ratings, Steve Kerr as Broadcaster
In this episode, host Ryan Glasspiegel and guest Ryan Glass, a sports‑media critic, dissect the ongoing Mike Vrabel‑Diana Russini scandal, examining how the NFL, the Patriots, and the media have managed the story and why it remains a dominant talking...
What Killed Nike?
Nike faced a swift backlash after displaying a "Runners welcome. Walkers tolerated" sign at its Boston Marathon‑adjacent Newbury store, prompting the company to pull the ad amid accusations of pace‑shaming. The controversy coincided with UBS’s neutral "hold" rating, which came...
UBS Report: NBA Decline Hurt Nike
UBS’s latest equity research links a perceived decline in NBA popularity to a sharp hit on Nike’s earnings, estimating billions of dollars in lost revenue. The bank argues that over‑inflated media‑rights deals have insulated NBA owners from product‑quality pressure, while...
Does the NBA Really Need 32 Teams?
The blog examines the NBA’s push to add two new franchises, questioning whether a 32‑team league is sustainable or just a lucrative expansion fee opportunity. It highlights that owners could collect $5‑6 billion per new team while the league benefits from...