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Sportscaster Mike Krukow watches from the broadcast center between the San Francisco Giants and the San Diego Padres at Oracle Park on October 1, 2021 in San Francisco, California.

Mike Krukow, One Of Baseball’s Greatest Hangs, Is Ready To Go

97
Asylum seekers, who entered Israel illegally via Egypt, lean at the fence of the Holot detention centre in Israel's southern Negev Desert, on February 17, 2014.

Alligator Alcatraz Isn’t Just An American Fantasy

22
Undated group photo of the original "Our Gang."

Staff Chat Starts Now? Staff Chat Starts Now

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Blogs of Note

The Mystery Of Google’s Fixation On “The Transwoman In The WNBA”

New York’s Use Of AI For Family Policing Summarizes The Last 30 Years Of City Politics

How Do I Talk To My Kid About Death?

We’re Just Going To Keep Doing 2020 Again Until All The Wrong Stuff Is True

Is This The End For Gianni Infantino?

Sarah and Sohini eat dinner
Announcements

The Defector Interns Say Fogo de “Ciao”

55
Jerry Jones and Stephen Jones
Why Your Team Sucks

Why Your Team Sucks 2026: Dallas Cowboys

231
LaMelo Ball of the Charlotte Hornets attends a 2025 NBA Summer League game
Interviews

Let’s Unpack LaMelo Ball’s Sugary Abode

64
This Is So Stupid

CarJitsu Is Precisely As Dumb As It Sounds

118

The last good website.

Why Your Team Sucks

Jeff Hafley

Why Your Team Sucks 2026: Miami Dolphins

258
Joe Burrow poses at the Met Gala

Why Your Team Sucks 2026: Cincinnati Bengals

387
Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and Andy Reid

Why Your Team Sucks 2026: Kansas City Chiefs

441

Why Your Team Sucks 2026: New Orleans Saints

287
Tyler Shough

Why Your Team Sucks 2026: Washington Commanders

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (L) speaks with U.S. President Donald Trump as Commanders team owner Josh Harris looks on at the NFL football game between the Detroit Lions and Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium

Why Your Team Sucks 2026: Cleveland Browns

Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders

Why Your Team Sucks 2026: New York Giants

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - OCTOBER 26: Cam Skattebo #44 of the New York Giants warms up prior to an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on October 26, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images)
Sophie Cunningham #8 of the Indiana Fever speaks during a press conference before a game against the Portland Fire at Moda Center
WNBA

The Right Has Created Its Perfect Trans Athlete

295

Arts And Culture

Claire Stapleton Helped Write The Myth Of Google, But Now She’s Trying To Tell The Truth

44
Collage: An old drawing of people in a lifeboat struggling against rough seas; in front of them a modern woman is popping out of the water, taking a photo of herself.

What Are You Banning When You Ban Influencers?

178

The Best Music Of 2026 So Far

Still image from Drake's music video for "Burning Bridges."

‘I Want Your Sex’ Is A Raunchy Plea For Young People To Have More Fun

Podcasts

Here is the logo of the Normal Gossip podcast

Normal Gossip

The Distraction podcast

The Distraction

Try Hard

Only If You Get Caught

Nothing But Respect

Science

an ichthyosaur eats a pterosaur, all above the gaping maw of a pliosaur

Would You Eat This Cretaceous Turducken?

English: Tufted gray langur (Semnopithecus priam) stroking a Grizzled giant squirrel (Ratufa macroura) caringly at Yala National Park - Sri Lanka.

Can A Monkey Have A Pet?

a yellow giant frogfish, Antennarius commerson, perched on coral

There’s Big News In Necks

Squirrel Leads Detroit Grounds Crew On Merry Chase

WNBA

MLB

Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Miami Heat speaks to the media during an introductory press conference at Kaseya Center on July 16, 2026. The Distraction logo is at upper right.

Mugged By Seagulls, With Rohan Nadkarni

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Jefry Yan #84 of the New York Mets celebrates after striking out Angel Martínez #1 of the Cleveland Guardians for his first career strikeout during the sixth inning of his major league debut on August 5, 2026.

It’s Jefry Yan Time

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Tarik Skubal #29 of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.

Oh No: Dodgers In Unrecoverable Tailspin After Sixth Straight Loss

102
Paul Skenes in the rain.

Paul Skenes Is Stuck Being A Guy While The Pirates Require A Dude

80

Advice

Kristaps Porzingis with blood on his forehead from a collision.

Concussion Protocols Are A Sham

478
A man carries his child sideways in his arms as he walks up a road

Is It Even Possible To Discipline A Two-Year-Old?

115
Shirtless Broncos fans yelling

Will People Ever Stop Attending Sporting Events?

465
A dad sits in the grass at a park with his shirt off listening to music on headphones and reading the paper while his baby sleeps next to him

What’s Going To Happen To The Rest Of My Life After I Become A Parent?

125

Crosswords

JR Ritchie #60 of the Atlanta Braves pitches in the second inning during the game against the Washington Nationals at Truist Park on August 2, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia.

The Crossword, Aug. 3: Lucky Stars

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Serena Williams of United States prepares to serve against Maya Joint of Australia during their Ladies' Singles first round match on day two of The Championships Wimbledon 2026 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on June 30, 2026 in London, England.

The Crossword, July 27: Way Downtown (Themeless)

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ABC/ESPN sideline reporter Katie George interviews head coach Kirby Smart of the Georgia Bulldogs after the Friday afternoon college football game between the UGA Bulldogs and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on November 28, 2025 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA.

The Crossword, July 20: No Half Measures

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Amanda Gutierres #9 of Boston Legacy FC defends Joelle Anderson #18 of Bay FC during a game between Boston Legacy FC and Bay FC at PayPal Park on May 15, 2026 in San Jose, California.

The Crossword, July 13: Flat Out

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More

This Is So Stupid

Defector Also Investigating How Our Super Powerful AI Tool Broke Contain

170
ILLUSTRATION - 17 May 2024, North Rhine-Westphalia, Cologne: A person works at a computer with an illustrative image generated by artificial intelligence on the screen, showing code from various programming languages and a neural network diagram. At the meeting of telecommunications ministers on May 21, the EU countries are expected to finally adopt the AI law in the EU. The European Parliament had already given the green light for the project beforehand. Photo: Oliver Berg/dpa (Photo by Oliver Berg/picture alliance via Getty Images)
MLB

Miles Mikolas Now Better At Hitting Than Pitching

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Miles Mikolas #36 of the Washington Nationals lays down a sacrifice RBI bunt in the top of the 11th inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park
Golf

LIV Golf Claims It Will Be Rescued From The Toilet Any Day Now

173
Bryson DeChambeau tees off at a LIV Golf event
Tennis

Alex Eala Is Catching The WTA’s Best Off Guard

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WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 01: Alexandra Eala of the Philippines celebrates after winning a women's singles match against Naomi Osaka of Japan on day six of the Mubadala DC Open 2026 at William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center on August 01, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
MLB

For One Night Only, A Rookie And His Sweet Folks Make It Possible To Enjoy The Yankees

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George Lombard Jr. smiles in the Yankees dugout.
Podcasts

How Far Would You Go To Save Your Kia Soul?

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A Kia Soul on display at the New York International Auto Show with a presenter dressed up as a hamster
Podcasts

‘Nothing But Respect’ Is Back From Summer Break

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DUBROVNIK, CROATIA - JUNE 12: Basketball Player and Team Co-Owner of Sierra Racing Club, Kyle Kuzma poses for a photo ahead of the E1 Series Dubrovnik GP on June 12, 2026 in Dubrovnik, Croatia. (Photo by Malcolm Griffiths/Getty Images)
Women's Baseball

The Women’s Pro Baseball League Will Eventually Need To Escape The Past

38
Former All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player Maybelle Blair and WPBL mascot pose for a photo prior to the game between the Boston Hunters and San Francisco Firebells at Robin Roberts Stadium on August 02, 2026 in Springfield, Illinois

See All Posts →

Interviews

Life's Rich Pageant

Let Me And A Food Scientist Sample The Abandoned Fish Sauce Terrorizing A Small Canadian Town

Interviews

Colson Whitehead Talks About Embracing Change, Pulling Off A Heist, And Finding A Good Coffee Table

Interviews

An Interview With Three Italian Backpackers Who Crossed The Pyrenees And Accidentally Ran Into The Tour de France

Arts And Culture

Meet The Broadway Actor Teaching Public Defenders How To Win In Court

Interviews

John Early’s Secret Is Total Commitment