Lefty Specialists

In today’s episode of the Lefty Specialists, John is joined by sportswriter and author Mirin Fader, whose latest book is Dream: The Life and Legacy of Hakeem Olajuwon. Before that, she wrote the New York Times bestseller Giannis: The Improbably Rise of an NBA MVP. In our conversation, we talk about how racism and anti-immigrant sentiment affected both players, what to make of the mythical origin stories surrounding both international players, and whether Giannis will stay in Milwaukee. It’s a fun conversation, and you should check out both of the books! Thanks for reading Undrafted! This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit undrafted.substack.com [https://undrafted.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

The NFL regular season kicks off tonight! If you don’t know who to root for, either in this game or the 271 that will follow, then fear not, because James and John are here to to tell you which teams are on the side of worker power. Who has the vibes of a pro-labor team? Listen and find out! Thanks for reading Undrafted! This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit undrafted.substack.com [https://undrafted.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Today the Lefty Specialists are joined by Matt Bruenig, author of labor newsletter NLRB Edge [https://www.nlrbedge.com/], and together we discuss whether the rule the NBA uses to fine players is illegal, how unions can fight for free speech in general, and the connections between sports union fights and labor movement in general. (We also, of course, discuss podcast favorite [https://undrafted.substack.com/p/episode-14-chris-paul-union-man] Chris Paul…) As always, listen, enjoy, like, subscribe, and share! Thanks for reading Undrafted! This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit undrafted.substack.com [https://undrafted.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

The 2024 Olympics are here and the Lefty Specialists are not that excited! In this episode, James and John break down the history of the Olympics, how they inevitably serve a nationalistic agenda and divide the international working class, and why they’re also kind of boring. Thank you for reading Undrafted and listening to the Lefty Specialists. This episode is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit undrafted.substack.com [https://undrafted.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

The Lefty Specialists have returned! Today we’re talking about Clipped, but really we’re talking about the Donald Sterling affair. We spend the first ~15 minutes making fun of the show, and then get into Sterling’s long reign in LA, the 2013-14 Clippers team, and whether Sterling’s ban was a victory or a failure. Listen, like, share, enjoy! Thank you for reading Undrafted. This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit undrafted.substack.com [https://undrafted.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]