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Defector

Kelsey McKinney

Ilona Maher #2 of Team United States looks on during the Women’s Pool C match between Team United States and Team Brazil on day two of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Stade de France on July 28, 2024 in Paris, France.

Olympics

Welcome To The Ilona Maher Fan Club

<p>Columnist. Author of many <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Drew-Magary/e/B001JS8R52/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_book_1">fine works of literature</a>, including <em>Point B</em>. Handsomest man in the world.</p>


Drew Magary

COSTA MESA, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 13: Jim Harbaugh of the Los Angeles Chargers at the podium before an NFL football practice at Hoag Performance Center on June 13, 2024 in Costa Mesa, California. (Photo by Ric Tapia/Getty Images)

Why Your Team Sucks

Why Your Team Sucks 2024: Los Angeles Chargers

Ray Ratto

CHICAGO, IL - JULY 28: Victor Robles #10 of the Seattle Mariners scores during the fourth inning against the Chicago White Sox on July 28, 2024 at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago, Illinois.

Why Are The White Sox Like This?

Maitreyi Anantharaman

A visitor views the preview of "Magritte and Contemporary Art: The Treachery of Images" at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), 15 November 2006 in California.

Crosswords

The Crossword, July 29: Collector’s Edition (Themeless)

Tom Ley

Announcements

Transactions, July 29

Barry Petchesky

US Senator from Ohio and 2024 Republican vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance (R) gives a thumbs up as he shakes hands with US former President and 2024 Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump during the second day of the 2024 Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, July 16, 2024. Days after he survived an assassination attempt Donald Trump won formal nomination as the Republican presidential candidate and picked right-wing loyalist J.D. Vance for running mate, kicking off a triumphalist party convention in the wake of last weekend's failed assassination attempt. (Photo by Jim WATSON / AFP)

Politics

Look At These Fucking Weirdos

Sideline reporter Pam Oliver interviews head coach Mike Vrabel of the Tennessee Titans at halftime against the San Francisco 49ers at Nissan Stadium on December 23, 2021 in Nashville, Tennessee.

The Scourge Of In-Game Coach Interviews Spreads To The NFL

Kathryn Xu

This Is So Stupid

The Official, Complete, Very Scientific Taxonomy Of Fishing Video Games

Race winner George Russell of Great Britain and Mercedes sits on the ground in parc ferme after winning the F1 Grand Prix of Belgium.

Racing

How George Russell (Almost) Stole The Belgian Grand Prix

Billy Haisley

US' forward #05 Trinity Rodman (3L) celebrates scoring the opening goal in the women's group A football match between the USA and Zambia during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Nice Stadium in Nice, on July 25, 2024.

The USWNT Still Has Questions To Answer

Kyler Murray #1 and Hjalte Froholdt #72 of the Arizona Cardinals walk onto the field before the game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on December 24, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois.

Why Your Team Sucks 2024: Arizona Cardinals

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<div class="p-rich_text_section">Tom Scocca is the editor of <a href="http://indignity.net">Indignity</a>, a subscription-supported newsletter of news, essays, and commentary.</div>
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Tom Scocca

A flyer with information about Project 2025's plan to expand oil drilling inside the United States, stapled to a pole on a city street in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Margin Of Error

Who Wants To Talk About The Issues

Dave McKenna

French boxer Laurent Dauthuille trains on October 27, 1946 at the Palais sed Sports in Paris before his match against Robert Charron.

The Fights

Everlast Love: The Tale Of Me And The Heavy Bag

A specially trained police officer demonstrates a controlled landing of a drone using a drone jammer during the presentation of the Munich security concept for the 2024 European Football Championship at the Munich soccer stadium.

Canada, Untrustworthy Nation To The North, Accused Of Massive Soccer Cheating Plot

Patrick Redford

Video Games

‘Elden Ring’ Makes Everyone A Poet And A Reader

<p>Annie Howard is a journalist and historian based in Chicago. She is currently at work on her debut manuscript, <em>The City Made Me Trans</em><i>.</i></p>


Annie Howard

Los Campesinos concert stage - two fists surrounded by a ring of shards pointing at them

Music

A Small Catalog Of Reflections On Aging Made Possible By Los Campesinos!

Albert Burneko

The New York Times building is seen on September 6, 2018 in New York. - A furious Donald Trump called September 5, 2018 for the unmasking of an anonymous senior official who wrote in the New York Times that top members of his administration were undermining the president to curb his "misguided impulses." Trump asked if the unsigned op-ed could be considered treasonous, assailed the newspaper for the "gutless" piece and questioned whether the senior official it was attributed to actually existed. "TREASON?" Trump posted in response to the article entitled "I Am Part of the Resistance Inside the Trump Administration," which claimed the president's own staff see him as a danger to the nation."Does the so-called 'Senior Administration Official' really exist, or is (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP) (Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)

Journalismism

Why Did The New York Times Delete A Notorious Fraudster’s Election Take?

Alex Sujong Laughlin

Kareem Maddox of the USA throws during the mens pool play match between Austria and the USA on Day 4 of the FIBA 3x3 World cup at Rathausplatz on June 2, 2023 in Vienna, Austria. (Photo by Andrea Kareth /SEPA.Media /Getty Images)

How Kareem Maddox Went From Public Radio To The Olympic Stage

Soraya Roberts

(from left) Kate (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and Tyler (Glen Powell) in Twisters, directed by Lee Isaac Chung.

Defector At The Movies

‘Twisters’ Can’t Singlehandedly Drag Us Back To The ’90s


<p>Diana Moskovitz is Defector&#8217;s investigations editor. You can contact her at diana@defector.com or dfmoskovitz@protonmail.com. She&#8217;s also on Signal @dmoskovitz.99</p>


Diana Moskovitz

Alexander Zverev of Germany looks on during his match against Carlos Alcaraz of Spain during the Men's Singles Final match on Day 15 of the 2024 French Open at Roland Garros on June 09, 2024 in Paris, France.

Tennis

When It Comes To Alexander Zverev, Tennis Is Going To Stick To Tennis

David Roth

A dancer performs during the Breakdance contest "Paris Battle Pro" at La Seine Musicale in Paris on February 23, 2019.

Podcasts

Popping And Locking With Pablo Torre

Colorado Rockies pitcher Cal Quantrill (47) and Boston Red Sox catcher Reese McGuire (3) exchange words as Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers (11) and Colorado Rockies catcher Jacob Stallings (25) try to separate them, during a game between the Boston Red Sox and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field in Denver, CO on July 24, 2024.

Cal Quantrill Starts Benches-Clearing Brawl With Extremely Specific And Informed Trash Talk

Owner Robert Kraft of the New England Patriots reacts before Super Bowl LVIII between the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefsat Allegiant Stadium on February 11, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Why Your Team Sucks 2024: New England Patriots

Giri Nathan

Joel Embiid Continues His Summer Of Grousing

Republican Vice Presidential nominee U.S. Senator J.D. Vance (R-OH) campaigns at the first public rally.