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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

Barry Petchesky

TORONTO, CANADA - MAY 18: of the Florida Panthers skates against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the third period in Game Seven of the Second Round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena on May 18, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Panthers defeated the Maple Leafs 6-1. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption ***

Something’s Over In Toronto

Maitreyi Anantharaman

Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith #4 of the Ohio State Buckeyes seen in action during the game against the Tennessee Volunteers at Ohio Stadium on December 21, 2024 in Columbus, Ohio

Crosswords

The Crossword, May 19: Squared Away

Ray Ratto

TORONTO, ON - May 18: The Toronto Maple Leafs skate off the ice after game 7 of the Eastern Conference Playoffs between the Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs on May 18, 2025, at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, ON. (Photo by Mathew Tsang/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Seven Is The Leafs’ Unlucky Number

Tom Ley

Jalen Williams (8) of the Oklahoma City Thunder guards Jamal Murray (27) of the Denver Nuggets during the third quarter at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City on Sunday, May 18, 2025.

The Thunder Tried Really Hard


<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

A photo of two cats, Chuck and Purrle. Chuck is a brown and golden striped tabby, toward the back, while Purrle is a black cat toward the front. They are sitting next to each other on a bed.

Animals

Meet Chuck And Purrle, The Newest Members Of The Defector Pet Family

Dave McKenna

Kilkenny players return to the changing room before the Leinster Senior Camogie final match between Wexford and Kilkenny at Netwatch Cullen Park in Carlow. The women had to return to the locker room because they wore shorts. There are no action pictures from this game at the request of the players.

Hurling

Ireland To Consider Ending Sexist Dress Code For One Of Its Most Popular Sports

Actor Timothee Chalamet and director Spike Lee celebrate after the New York Knicks defeated the Boston Celtics in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Second Round NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on May 12, 2025 in New York City.

Timothée Chalamet Is In His Sports Bro Era

Jockey Umberto Rispoli crosses the finish line on Journalism #2 to ahead of jockey Luis Saez and Gosger #9 win the 150th Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course on May 17, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland.

Horse Racing

Journalism Finally Meets Its Deadline, Wins The Preakness

Samer Kalaf

Bill Belichick grimaces during a Good Morning America interview

Media Meltdowns

Bill Belichick Gives Proof Of Life, Stops By Another Morning Show

David Roth

Anthony Santander of the Toronto Blue Jays rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run in the eighth inning during the game between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Angels.

Politics

A Dumb New Way To Think About The Dismantling Of The Federal Government

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


Sabrina Imbler

Kelsey McKinney


<p>Dan McQuade was a founding member of Defector. He died in January 2026.</p>


Dan McQuade

The two Eurovision hosts are surrounded by dancers holding giant fondue sticks.

Music

Can You Do Racism Against Italians? A Eurovision Roundtable

Journalismism

The New York Times Really Asked Ms. Rachel If She’s Paid By Hamas

Patrick Redford

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 12: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors looks on from the bench during the first quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game Four of the Western Conference Second Round NBA Playoffs at Chase Center on May 12, 2025 in San Francisco, California. 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 Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

For A Limited Time

One Last Trip To Pimlico, A Dead And Damned Racetrack

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<p>Robert Rubsam writes fiction and nonfiction. His work has appeared in the NYT Magazine, the Atlantic, the Washington Post, the Baffler, and Liberties. He is a contributing writer for Commonweal Magazine.</p>
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Robert Rubsam

Arts And Culture

Netflix Keeps Ruining Action Movies

Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve and Napheesa Collier #24 talk with referee Tim Greene after a foul call in the fourth quarter against the New York Liberty during Game Five of the WNBA Finals at Barclays Center on October 20, 2024 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. The New York Liberty defeated the Minnesota Lynx 67-62 in overtime to win the championship.

WNBA

An Old Grudge, A New Team, A Swole Caitlin: The 2025 WNBA Season Preview

Joe Don Baker, in a loud white shirt with color slots on it, sits in a blue car talking to a kid in a yellow shirt. Silhouettes of a man and three robots are in front of the image.

‘Mitchell’ Is Part Of Joe Don Baker’s Legacy, For Better Or Worse

Honorary pace car driver, Alan Ritchson attends the "Reacher" activation on the midway prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 16, 2025 in Daytona Beach, Florida. The Distraction logo is at upper right.

Podcasts

Hands Like Small Turkeys, With Brandy Jensen

Swole Woman Casey Johnston Has Written A Swole Book

Albert Burneko

The obnoxious Grok logo, on a phone screen, in a hand silhouetted against a neon green background.

The Machines

Elon Musk’s Idiot Chatbot Goes Full Boer

<p>Violet Lucca is the author of <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/david-cronenberg-clinical-trials-violet-lucca/21170132"><i>David Cronenberg: Clinical Trials</i></a>. Her writing has appeared in the <em>New York Times</em>, <em>Art in America</em>, <em>Sight and Sound</em>, the <em>Village Voice</em>, and elsewhere. She was the VP of Digital at <em>Harper’s Magazine</em> and Digital Producer at <em>Film Comment</em>, and was the host of their respective podcasts.</p>


Violet Lucca

Defector At The Movies

‘The Shrouds’ Is David Cronenberg’s Typically Prescient Epitaph For Our Present And His Career

Lauren Theisen

sarah snook on stage with several screens showing her

‘The Picture Of Dorian Gray’ Is A Digital Monument To Vanity

Soraya Roberts

‘Friendship’ Can’t Sustain The Relationship

TORONTO, ON- MAY 14 - Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett (9) and Toronto Maple Leafs center David Kampf (64) battle in the snow in first period action as the Toronto Maple Leafs play the Florida Panthers in game five in the second round of the NHL Stanley Cup play-offs at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. May 14, 2025. Steve Russell/Toronto Star