You should run backtests before making these assertions.I think it would really help
Im not sure what yor point is regarding "cash is tied up in some stock that will bite you eventually" is a strange thing to say..Of course something/everything will bite you sooner or later...Its a question of how bad relative to the returns,watch your leverage...
If you are going to make a definitive statement,post what cover call you are referring to,i.e DTE,percent of spot etc. Then suggest which strategy is better,and i can backtest..
FWIW,the SPY 30 day rolling covered call strategy had the worst max drawdown percentage compared to straddles and strangles,and by 50%+ more.It had a slightly higher return and higher Sharpe, which all makes sense if you think about it.
The one thing to consider is its not a fair test to compare a strangle/straddle with a covered call in a predominantly up market.