Footer Legal

Header - Categories

Header Menu

The last good website.

Topics

Subscribe, at any level, to play

Thanks for your interest in Defector Crosswords!

Become a subscriber today to get unlimited access

Thanks for reading!

Plans start at $8/month.

Subscribers enjoy unlimited, ad-free browsing.

Register to continue

Or click here to subscribe for unlimited, ad-free access!

Our gift to you: This year's post is unlocked. Register your email to get even more free articles.

Welcome to the 2025 Hater's Guide!

Just register your email:

This blog is free to read.

Defector

Kathryn Xu

Race winner Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing arrives in parc ferme during the F1 Grand Prix of Japan.

Racing

No Matter The Car, Max Verstappen Is Inevitable


<p>charismatic megafauna (they/them)</p>


Sabrina Imbler

two caterpillars having a face-off on a leaf tip until one launches itself off the leaf

Creaturefector

This Leaf Tip Ain’t Big Enough For The Two Of Us

Justin Ellis

J'Wan Roberts of the Houston Cougars defends the shot attempt of Cooper Flagg of the Duke Blue Devils in the final minutes of the 2025 Mens College Basketball semi final

College Basketball

Houston Showed Why You Play To The Final Buzzer

People attend the 'Trans Day of Visibility Rally' hosted by the Christopher Street Project on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Someone holds up a sign saying "I WANT MORE TRANSSEXUAL FRIENDS LOVERS TEACHERS STUDENTS NEIGHBORS AUTHORS ARTISTS LEADERS LAWYERS PREACHERS & COMRADES.

Science

What It Means To Fund Studies In Transition “Regret”

Maitreyi Anantharaman

Sarah Strong #21 and Paige Bueckers #5 of the UConn Huskies react on the bench against the UCLA Bruins during the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament Final Four semifinal game at Amalie Arena on April 4, 2025 in Tampa, Florida.

Sarah Strong Doesn’t Act Her Age

Barry Petchesky

WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 04: Alex Ovechkin #8 of the Washington Capitals celebrates after scoring his 894th career NHL goal in the third period against the Chicago Blackhawks at Capital One Arena on April 04, 2025 in Washington, DC. Ovechkin's goal ties him with Wayne Gretzky for the all-time goal scoring record. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

Ovechkin Skates Down Gretzky

Patrick Redford

PHOENIX, ARIZONA - JUNE 30: (L-R) Phoenix Suns player Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer and owner Mat Ishbia attend the game between the Phoenix Mercury and the Indiana Fever at Footprint Center on June 30, 2024 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Fever defeated the Mercury 88-82. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)

Here Lie The Phoenix Suns, Who Did It All Wrong

Kelsey McKinney

Media Meltdowns

Patrick McAfee You Are 37 Years Old

Tom Ley

Ja Morant (R #12 of the Memphis Grizzlies reacts with teammate Scotty Pippen Jr. #1 during the third quarter against the Miami Heat at Kaseya Center on April 03, 2025 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement.

Ja Morant Will Not Stop Doing His Little Gun Thing

<p><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif">Marc Normandin currently writes on baseball’s labor issues and more at </span><a style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif" href="http://marcnormandin.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://marcnormandin.com&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1758998321491000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1ZpjG5RUFwdpapWqR1u4bd">marcnormandin.com</a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif">, which you can read for free but support </span><a style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif" href="https://www.patreon.com/marcnormandin">through his Patreon</a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif">. His baseball writing has appeared at FOX Sports, SB Nation, Defector, Global Sport Matters, Deadspin, Sports Illustrated, ESPN, Sports on Earth, The Guardian, The Nation, FAIR, and TalkPoverty, and you can read his takes on video games at Retro XP and Endless Mode.</span></p>
<div class="gs">
<div class="">
<div class="WhmR8e" data-hash="0"></div>
</div>
</div>


Marc Normandin

Pittsburgh Pirates owner Bob Nutting speaks during the 2024 Pirates Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony before the game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Cincinnati Reds at PNC Park on August 24, 2024 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He is kind of shrugging and looks like he is wearing a disguise somehow.

Are The Pittsburgh Pirates Really In Dire Straits?

Ray Ratto

Decorative bunting blows in the wind at Sutter Health Park which is decked out in opening day decorations for the A’s home opener in Sacramento, Calif., on Monday, March 31, 2025.

West Sacramento Has The A’s, Whether They Want Them Or Not

A FanDuel gambling advertisement on the exterior of a building prior to Super Bowl LIX on February 08, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs will face each other on Sunday.

Gambling

Baltimore Sues DraftKings And FanDuel For Exploiting Gamblers

a photo of Tara Kerin, an infectious disease epidemiologist who lost her job as a result of the DOGE layoffs

Interviews

An Interview With An Epidemiologist Who Lost Her Job Because Of The DOGE Layoffs

Israel Daramola

Listening Habits

Gangsta Grillz Is Forever


<p>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

TCU Horned Frogs forward Sedona Prince (#13) dribbles up court during the Big 12 college basketball game between the TCU Horned Frogs and Baylor Bears on January 26, 2025 at Ed &amp; Rae Schollmaier Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.

The Silence Surrounding Sedona Prince Is A Look Into Sports’ Future

<div>Paola Rosa-Aquino is a freelance journalist covering science, space and the environment. Born and raised in Puerto Rico, she now lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her canine co-worker Cece.</div>
<div></div>


Paola Rosa-Aquino

Flames are seen after Starship's Super Heavy Booster splashed down for a water landing off the coast of, Texas, on its sixth flight test on November 19, 2024. SpaceX aborted an attempt to catch the first stage booster of its Starship megarocket in the "chopstick" arms of its launch tower, opting instead for an ocean splashdown, a live feed showed November 19. The hitch came as President-elect Donald Trump joined SpaceX chief Elon Musk at the company's Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas to watch the test flight, the latest sign of the budding bromance between the two billionaires. (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP) (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images)

We’re Littering The Earth With Space Trash

David Roth

Paige Bueckers exults in a basket under the basket against the USC Trojans during the Elite Eight round of the 2025 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament held at Spokane Arena on March 31, 2025.

Podcasts

Where’d She Go To College? With Maitreyi Anantharaman

Alex Sujong Laughlin

Michael Townsend descends the stairs from the space where the secret mall apartment used to be.

Arts And Culture

Watching ‘Secret Mall Apartment’ In The Secret Apartment Mall

<p>Staff Writer</p>
<p>Find me on Signal @DefectorChris.19</p>


Chris Thompson

With Two Hits, Rafael Devers Makes Dylan Crews Mayor Of Bozo Town

Team Visma-Lease a Bike's Belgian rider Wout van Aert (C) reacts at the end of the men's elite race 'Dwars Door Vlaanderen', 184,2 km from Roeselare to Waregem, on April 2, 2025. (Photo by DIRK WAEM / Belga / AFP) / Belgium OUT

Cycling

Wout van Aert Tried So Hard To Win, He Forgot Not To Lose

<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

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell on the show Hard Knocks

You Say You’re A Dawg, But Are You A Motherfucker?

Mark Asch

In Praise Of ‘The Pitt,’ The Most Normal Show On Television

Photo of Val Kilmer signing a movie poster.

Remembering Val Kilmer In Five Movies

Defector Reads A Book

‘The Artist’s Way’ Week 12: Is Julia Cameron Wrong?

Jarred Kelenic #24 of the Atlanta Braves is forced out at second base by Tommy Edman #25 of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

All Articles