Mike Pesca on Eileen Gu and Patriotism Decline

Mike Pesca on Eileen Gu and Patriotism Decline

Author: Ethan Strauss February 19, 2026 Duration: 1:09:24

Mike Pesca wrote a fine piece for the Free Press on how oddly not controversial the supposedly very controversial Eileen Gu is. She’s from the United States, but competes for China, and yet receives…mostly glowing mainstream American coverage? What’s with that? And beyond Gu, what’s the elite American consensus on China? But before the topics are introduced…

Per the new Substack/Polymarket partnership, I’m posting an Eileen Gu involved competition. As someone incapable of accurately pricing Winter Olympics events, I’m interested in whether bettors reflect Gu’s true odds for winning the Ski Halfpipe. As of this writing, Polymarket has her favored to triumph. Fame halo effect, or accurate probability?

And onto the Pesca pod topics…

* Would we bet that Chuck Klosterman has a secret North Dakota accent?

* Eileen Gu is certainly beautiful, but does she also look a little terrifying?

* Is the lack of elite anger towards China rooted in corporate considerations?

* America is less patriotic now, especially among the young. Bad thing?

* Is the United States the best country?

* Per the Jeremy Carl congressional dustup, is there such a thing as White American culture?

* Stuffwhitepeoplelike was a great website

* Is there such a thing as a “white guy basketball assist”?

* Is it plausible that Spike Lee’s All-Star Game Palestine outfit had nothing to do with Deni Avdija?

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

Ethan Strauss hosts the House of Strauss, a podcast that operates on a simple premise: the games we watch are never just games. They are reflections of our culture, our politics, and our rapidly evolving relationship with technology. Each episode digs into the collisions and convergences between these seemingly separate worlds. You might hear a deep analysis of an NBA dynasty followed by a conversation about how artificial intelligence is reshaping the media that covers it, or a debate on a political headline examined through the lens of a stadium funding fight. The discussions are built on the understanding that the playing field, the voting booth, and the Silicon Valley boardroom are increasingly part of the same conversation about power, money, and the future. This isn't about hot takes for their own sake, but about tracing the deeper connections that explain why we care so much about sports and what they tell us about everything else. Tune in for thoughtful, often unpredictable explorations where a debate about league policy can easily spiral into a discussion about societal change, all guided by Strauss's curious and contrarian perspective. The House of Strauss podcast is where the passion for competition meets a critical examination of the forces shaping it.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

House of Strauss
Podcast Episodes
Katie Herzog [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 4:56
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.houseofstrauss.comA glorious conversation with our PRIDE CORRESPONDENT Katie Herzog of Blocked and Reported on this whole San Francisco Giants Rainbow Hat…
Nate Duncan on the NBA Finals [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:34
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.houseofstrauss.comDunc’d On Founder and co-host of my new favorite YouTube channel Nate Duncan, everybody. * How huge is this Finals?* Wembanyama temp che…
Steve Kuhn on NBA Finals and Probability Cup [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:47
We’re podcasting per the launch of the World Cup-tracking Probability Cup, but of course, just had to talk about Wednesday night’s NBA Finals classic. The BIG question on my mind: Should predictors/gamblers price in the…
HoS: Ryan Glasspiegel NBA Finals Special [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:04
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.houseofstrauss.comWow, do Ryan and I have much to discuss with all this Knicks-Spurs NBA Finals buzz. Topics! Include!* Why the NBA Finals suddenly feel l…
Neil Paine on Thunder HATE and "Draftism" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:15
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.houseofstrauss.comWe love Neil Paine, our analytics-forward friend. He covers seemingly every sport with a data-driven zeal. Today we took at look at whet…
Teutonia World: A Super Subscriber Speaks [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:11:31
Teutonia World, otherwise known as “Ben,” has been a prominent subscriber since the earliest House of Strauss days. He’s vocal in the House of Strauss BCC chat and often sends me good ideas over email. He’s an analytical…
Talking Music DATA with Chris Dalla Riva [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:39
I was introduced to Chris Dalla Riva, who I’d describe as an analytics-driven music historian. He wrote Uncharted Territory: What Numbers Tell Us about the Biggest Hit Songs and Ourselves. I know very little about music…
Jesse Singal Plays Basketball [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:34
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.houseofstrauss.comWe’ve got Jesse Singal in large part so we can discuss his quality as a basketball player. Of course, other less important topics were d…
Monitoring the Situation [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:06
Sharing the pod I did with the TECH BROS over at Monitoring the Situation. Tried to give some sense of what we discuss over here at HoS, plus engage in the discourse of the day. Topics covered include: * How sports shape…