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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

New York Knicks owner James Dolan attends the game between the New York Knicks and the Washington Wizards at Madison Square Garden.

The Whole NBA Is Telling James Dolan To Piss Off

Patrick Redford

Cyclists in a race are in the background. There is a house or wall on the left side of the road. There is a man in front, looking at the peloton, squatting halfway with his arms spread just past his knees. Next to him in the center of the road is a bicycle laid across the ground.

Defector Reads A Book

Why ‘The Rider’ Is The Best Sports Book I’ve Ever Read

Lauren Theisen

Brian Wilson, along with the Beach Boys perform at the Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, California on January 1, 1987 .

Music

Brian Wilson Was The Sound Of Something Just Out Of Reach

Dave McKenna

LOS ANGELES - 1966: Singer and mastermind Brian Wilson of the rock and roll band "The Beach Boys" directs from the control room while recording the album "Pet Sounds" in 1966 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

Brian Wilson Was A Sad Genius Who Brought Joy To The World

Tom Ley

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder dribbles the ball against Andrew Nembhard #2 of the Indiana Pacers during the fourth quarter in Game Three of the 2025 NBA Finals at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on June 11, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. 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.

Not So Funny When Someone’s Doing That Shit To You, Is It?

charismatic megafauna (they/them)

Sabrina Imbler

a headshot of Laura Mata López, a psychiatric nurse and doctoral student at Johns Hopkins University

Interviews

An Interview With A Psychiatric Nurse Whose Research Funding Was Cut By The Trump Administration

Barry Petchesky

Pope Leo XIV (C) reacts wearing a Chicago White Sox baseball team cap as he meets newly wedded couples during the weekly general audience in St Peter's Square at the Vatican on June 11, 2025. (Photo by Filippo MONTEFORTE / AFP)

Life's Rich Pageant

Chicago Man Wears White Sox Cap To Work

(L-R) U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), Republican presidential candidate, former U.S. President Donald Trump and Republican vice presidential candidate, U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) react during the second day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 16, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Delegates, politicians, and the Republican faithful are in Milwaukee for the annual convention, concluding with former President Donald Trump accepting his party's presidential nomination. The RNC takes place from July 15-18.

Politics

This Party Sucks

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

Everyone Will Be Abuzz About The Season 8 Finale

Staff Writer
Find me on Signal @DefectorChris.19

Chris Thompson

BWOOP BWOOP BWOOP! Now The Red Sox Have Summoned A Mighty Lad

Kathryn Xu

al Raleigh #29 of the Seattle Mariners celebrates in the dugout with a trident after hitting a home run.

The Rime Of The Big Dumper, Or How And In What Manner Cal Raleigh Became A Bona Fide Slugger

David Roth

Denzel Clarke of the Athletics makes an amazing catch and nearly vaults over the wall during the game between the Athletics and the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on Monday, June 9, 2025.

I Think This Is The Best Catch I’ve Ever Seen

A Toys R Us store that was shuttered in 2018 is seen on June 21, 2019 in Orlando, Florida. The company was bought and destroyed by private equity.

Megan Greenwell On Living Under And Outside Of Private Equity, The Invasive Species Eating American Life

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

Mike Patton from Faith No More performs at 2015 Rock in Rio on September 25, 2015 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Funbag

In This House We Believe Faith No More Is One Of The Most Important Bands In History

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 21: Veronica Burton (center) #22 of the Golden State Valkyries celebrates with her team after the Valkyries beat the Washington Mystics at Chase Center on May 21, 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)

WNBA

The Golden State Valkyries Are Beloved And Ahead Of Schedule

SUNRISE, FLORIDA - JUNE 09: A plastic rat is seen on the ice after the Florida Panthers 6-1 victory in Game Three of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final between the Edmonton Oilers and the Florida Panthers at Amerant Bank Arena on June 09, 2025 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Brian Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images)

Brad Marchand Is Still A Royal Pain In The Ass

Israel Daramola

Is This An Era Of Cultural Stagnation?

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

Diana Moskovitz

Marc Maron performing stand up comedy. He is sitting on a stool and holding a microphone

Arts And Culture

There Will Never Be Another ‘WTF With Marc Maron’

SUNRISE, FLORIDA - JUNE 09: Jonah Gadjovich #12 of the Florida Panthers tangles with Darnell Nurse #25 of the Edmonton Oilers during the third period of Game Three of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final between the Edmonton Oilers and the Florida Panthers at Amerant Bank Arena on June 09, 2025 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Brian Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images)

The Panthers Are Having A Laugh

Darragh Fitzgibbon of Cork scores a point from a '65 in the last play of extra-time to send the match to a penalty shoot-out during the Munster GAA Hurling Senior Championship final match between Limerick and Cork at LIT Gaelic Grounds in Limerick.

Hurling

Cork Whoops Limerick, Proving Hurling Shootouts Aren’t Ass

HOUSTON, TEXAS - APRIL 04: Aaron Wiggins #21 of the Oklahoma City Thunder brings the ball up court in the first half against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on April 04, 2025 in Houston, Texas. 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 Tim Warner/Getty Images)

Aaron Wiggins Is The Key To Understanding OKC’s Revolutionary Depth

Kelsey McKinney

Mia Scott, wearing the all white Texas uniforms, runs between second and third base.

College Softball

My Queen Mia Scott Is A National Champion

Luis Paez-Pumar

Nuno Mendes of Portugal runs to the ball during the UEFA Nations League 2025 final match between Portugal and Spain at Munich Football Arena on June 08, 2025 in Munich, Germany.

Soccer

Nuno Mendes Made The Nations League Worth The Hassle

Joy Binion, formerly a social science analyst at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, or SAMSHA

An Interview With A Terminated Analyst At The Substance Abuse And Mental Health Administration

Rose Eveleth is the host of the podcast&nbsp;<a href="https://www.flashforwardpod.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Flash Forward</a>, and author of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.flashforwardpod.com/book/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the book by the same name</a>.&nbsp;

Rose Eveleth

The Orlando Valkyries celebrate winning the 2025 PVF championship