40 Comments
Mar 7, 2022Liked by Ethan Strauss

Would be interested to hear your PoV on the recent Jeff Passan situation. Perhaps it's a mistake in the way he describes, but really sounds like he may have stepped in it.

https://nypost.com/2022/03/07/jeff-passan-sorry-for-s-t-sandwich-remark-about-mlbs-offer/

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I'm surprised as to how much society caves to people who are mad on Twitter.

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One thing that gets lost in the athlete mental health discussion is that mental health problems are not an excuse to act like an asshole but for some reason national media seems to think it is

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Yes. We might have issues, but we also have responsibilities.

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Have problems? Run away and ignore them. That’s the healthy thing to do!

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There's also this underlying assumption that *not* playing basketball is therapeutic for your mental health. Like, maybe. But are we sure?

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Ethan (and fellow stackers) - who are your favorite people to read (sports mostly) that make you really think...similar to House of Strauss in that way.

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I have been curious if Lebatard has asked you to be on lately? He has mentioned you a few times praising your work. I think it would be an interesting back and forth with them. But I’m assuming it’s related to their unwillingness to have any slightly diverse view points. And I’m someone who likes them.

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I don't know much about how they do guest selection there, but appreciate that he's said good things. Anything recently? Wait, I'm narcissistic enough, don't tell me.

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Are they still doing a billion hours of content a day? I like(d) them too, but come on man I've got other shit to do. If I can't keep up with your output I'm going to drop off

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Yea it’s a bit all over the place. At least Amin is always great.

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The CoCo broke Le Batard’s brain.

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Le Batard is one of those people who was a Covid Crazy. Someone who shouted at young people for partying in Miami during the peak CoCo hysteria. Screw Le Batard. Ethan doesn’t need that douchebag.

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anyone who says why celery isn't total trash says something like "it's great with peanut butter or cream cheese." Like, no kidding asshole? What isn't great with peanut butter or cream cheese? Now how about I put it on something good instead of celery.

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I’d like to apply each and every word of this to cauliflower as well.

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Sure raw celery is sorta useless but mirepoix is pretty essential.

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Mar 5, 2022·edited Mar 5, 2022

Allison Roman has a great recipe for celery and fennel salad with blue cheese and walnuts. It changed my tune on celery

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This is not 1939. Russia is not Bolsheviks or Nazis. And there is no tank drive to Budapest on the horizon.

NATO should have dissolved a generation ago. And, Kiev is Rus no matter our opinion - since 988. Ukraine nationalism assists a weigh station of massive international corruption, and Putin is correct there is neo-Nazi ideology involved. (And NO I am NOT saying Putin is some angel.)

There is a deep spiritual and historical compulsion of Rus and Kiev we simply cannot comprehend. Not our sandbox and not our battle.

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That looks beautiful Ethan. Way better than the snow up here in Canada. Have a wonderful spring!

My only thought is, I don't think Twitter was made for threads. Like I appreciate people putting in the effort to make threads, but it just makes the user experience much worse, conveying half-useful information in bite-size form and that doesn't bode well for anyone.

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Totally agree. If it's good enough for a thread, make it an article.

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Exactly.

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We all know the truth. The real Washed King is Bill Simmons, not LeBron James. Washed King wants Kevin O’Connor (nice guy) to be his new Zach Lowe, but really, Washed King’s new Zach Lowe is Wosny Lambre. Wosny is the only one at the Ringer who talks to Washed King like a friend and not as a boss/overlord. Joe House does too obviously. Everyone else is just there to rub the Washed King’s nuts while they’re deep-throating him.

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The Carli Lloyd, Hope Solo podcast was like 98% pro women/union/labor rights but a throw away line about culture and politics of union elections has the media spinning it like it was something else. What’s the motivation?

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You have to be 100% in lock step with every “main” opinion or your not qualified to talk on the subject haha. I honestly don’t know why they do this as it seems to be counterproductive

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Coach K passing over a black, well qualified coach over a white guy seems like it would be a bigger story then it is.

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Recently, I've been thinking a lot about rising gas prices and US urban planning and development.

I consider myself lucky in the sense that my household budget is insulated from feeling the negative effects of increased gas prices. I live in Manhattan, don't have a car, and, as a result, my transit costs are essentially capped at $127 (pre-tax) -- the cost of an unlimited 30-day MetroCard. Obviously, city living is not for everyone and lower transit costs in NYC/ similar urban centers are offset by higher living costs in other spending categories... But I think that the merits of having less car-dependent development aren't discussed as much as they should be.

It's my belief that there is a lot of waste stemming from car-centric urban planning and suburban development in the US. The waste is not malicious: in too many communities, there simply are no suitable alternatives to driving. However, it's a shame that alternative methods of transit (walking, biking, etc.) aren't usually considered or promoted in new housing and commercial developments.

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Wright State, alma mater of Vitaly Potapenko, "The Ukraine Train" just won the horizon league tournament and is heading to the dance.

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Nate Duncan alluded to this, but what if Ben Simmons mental health concerns are a direct result of his job as an NBA player. This would be a distinct difference between K Love and DeRozan's anxieties that they said pre-dated their time in the league.

For example, what would be the response if Simmons' camp said that Ben's mental health issues are a direct result of being booed by fans (opposing or home). What would be the reaction within media? Obviously media would scold fans for being mean. But would media go so far as to suggest that booing be banned from arenas? I'm sure at least one media member would recommend that the NBA should grant Ben a reasonable accommodation (the legal standard) which would allow him to play in arenas where fans are not permitted to boo.

I am fascinated by this because this looks like the first pro athlete to say: "getting booed by fans is detrimental to my mental health and I cannot play if I am getting booed." This is especially interesting because Ben appears to have a family history of serious psychiatric disorders (his sister was diagnosed with bipolar disorder).

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Can we talk about how the war in Ukraine has broken some brains in the culture wars? Tucker Carlson and The Fucking Gravel Institute are singing similar songs. How does no one find this nuts or funny?

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Not commenting pro or against the recent changes to the Oscar telecast but it was funny to me that the people freaking out the most about it are going to watch no matter what. I do agree that removing those categories likely won’t bring in more viewers but still, settle down

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Not sure I agree. In baseball, for example, people complaining loudest about recent hokey rule changes are probably the biggest baseball fans who are going to watch the next season regardless. That said, it's a pretty poor calculus to alienate your core fanbase for minimal upside in terms of new viewers (if that's how you think it plays out).

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Lots of commentary on younger workers making all these changes to prioritize their mental well being or work-life balance. That sounds great, I just wonder if that's true and if it is true is it sustainable? According to these charts, US home price to income ratio is the highest it has ever been. https://www.longtermtrends.net/home-price-median-annual-income-ratio/

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It's not happening and it's good that it is!

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A lot of murky details with Smiley as well. I'll defer to you on Sirvydis as a prospect, though. I know what I hear on that front, but can't say I ever studied his game in depth.

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