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This is Defector, a new sports blog and media company. We made this place together, we own it together, we run it together. Without access, without favor, without discretion, and without interference.

Defector

Ray Ratto

Alex Vesia of the Los Angeles Dodges runs in from the bullpen at Dodger Stadium during Game 2 of the 2024 World Series.

There Was No Relief From, Or For, The Dodgers Bullpen In This World Series

David Roth

Teammates celebrate with "Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Walker Buehler (21), left, after winning the World Series. Game 5 of the World Series against the Yankees at Yankees Stadium in New York City Wednesday, October 30, 2024.

The Dodgers Did It The Weird Way

Kelsey McKinney

Giri Nathan

Patrick Redford

Alex Sujong Laughlin

Women's world chess champion, Vera Menchik (1916 - 1944, left) and Sonia Graf (1908 - 1965) competing in the British Chess Federation Major Open in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, UK, 11th July 1935. Menchik finished the tournament in third place with Graf in seventh. (Photo by Harry Todd/Fox Photos/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Defector Reads A Book

Sit Down Across The Board With Sally Rooney’s ‘Intermezzo’

Maitreyi Anantharaman

Head coach Teresa Weatherspoon of the Chicago Sky complains about a call against her team during the fourth quarter of a home basketball game against the Washington Mystics at Wintrust Arena on August 28, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois.

WNBA

What Happened To All The WNBA Coaches?

Defector Staff

Announcements

We Will Further Secure Our Financial Independence By Letting Drew Cook

Israel Daramola

College Football

Quietly, Deion’s Colorado Is Getting There

Jae Towle Vieira [they/them] works as a producer for Normal Gossip. Their fiction has been published in The Normal School, New England Review, Carve Magazine, Passages North, Fairy Tale Review, and elsewhere.

Jae Towle Vieira

Normal Gossip logo with cartoon characters gossiping

Podcasts

Night Of The Flying Fruit Snatchers

Staff Writer
Find me on Signal @DefectorChris.19

Chris Thompson

A completed spiral of Paul Hollywood's Spanakopita.

Food

The Not-So-Great Defector Bake Off Quakes With Rage For Pastry Week

A statue of Dwyane Wade outside the Miami Heat's arena

That Isn’t Dwyane Wade, Sir

Heather Chen is a former Defector intern and the managing editor at the Columbia Daily Spectator. She loves hockey, photography, and the good ol’ state of Michigan.

Heather Wei-Xi Chen

Kristin Merrilees is a writer based in New York covering technology and the internet.

Kristin Merrilees

A Timothee Chalamet lookalike in a Wonka costume showcases an empty briefcase

Life's Rich Pageant

We Went To The Timothée Chalamet Lookalike Contest And Didn’t See Timothée Chalamet

Barry Petchesky

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 29: Fans interfere with Mookie Betts #50 of the Los Angeles Dodgers as he attempts to catch a fly ball in foul territory during the first inning of Game Four of the 2024 World Series against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on October 29, 2024 in the Bronx borough of New York City. The play resulted in an out. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

Yankees Jamokes Have Been Training For This

Gleyber Torres of the Yankees celebrates his eighth-inning homer in Game 4 of the 2024 World Series while rounding the baes at Yankee Stadium.

A World Series Of Unexpected Heroes Just Minted A Few More

Dave McKenna

LANDOVER, MD - CIRCA 1992: Jerrod Mustaf #0 of the Phoenix Suns warms up prior to playing the Washington Bullets in an NBA basketball game circa 1992 at the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland. Mustaf played for the Suns from 1991-94.

Sadly, Jerrod Mustaf Was More Than A Basketball Player

Dan McQuade was a founding member of Defector. He died in January 2026.

Dan McQuade

Split photo. Dan stands in front of some giant pastel mural, wearing a Pizza Plus shirt and sweapants, holding up an old Captain Planet costume. Dave stands in front of a giant helmet that says SPORTS CITY. They're both in a mall.

Dan And Dave Visit A Mall Over The Ocean

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 Point B. Handsomest man in the world.

Drew Magary

Funbag

A Pre-Election Dog Story For You, The Dog Fan

Luis Paez-Pumar

Raphinha of FC Barcelona celebrates 0-4 with Lamine Yamal of FC Barcelona during the LaLiga EA Sports match between Real Madrid v FC Barcelona at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on October 26, 2024 in Madrid Spain

Soccer

Barcelona Has Put It All Together

Lauren Theisen

Music

The Dream Of The 1980s Is Alive And Unwell On Atlantic City Playlists

Tom Ley

Journalismism

Jeff Bezos Made Someone Else’s Business Decision

Politics

They’re Saying It

charismatic megafauna (they/them)

Sabrina Imbler

a giant red-eyed tree frog sculpture at the rainforest cafe

Who Lives At The Rainforest Cafe?

Kathryn Xu

Will Smith #16 of the Los Angeles Dodgers tags out Giancarlo Stanton #27 of the New York Yankees at home plate.

If This World Series Ends In A Sweep, I Will Launch The Yankees Into The Sun

Samer Kalaf

Nick Bosa appears on the Sunday Night Football postgame interview in a Make America Great Again hat

Nick Bosa Wants The Attention Without The Culpability

Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (1) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB20 leads Lando Norris of Great Britain driving the (4) McLaren MCL38 Mercedes on track during the F1 Grand Prix of Mexico at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on October 27, 2024 in Mexico City, Mexico

Racing

Max Verstappen Finally Punished For Driving Like Max Verstappen

Albert Burneko

Erik Ten Hag walks through some soap bubbles on his way to the pitch for what turned out to be his final match as Manchester United manager.

English Premier League

More Like Erik Done Hag

CLEVELAND, OHIO - OCTOBER 27: Jameis Winston #5 of the Cleveland Browns celebrates after his team's 29-24 win against the Baltimore Ravens at Huntington Bank Field on October 27, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)