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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

Tom Ley

Jonas Valanciunas #17 of the Sacramento Kings looks on against Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets during the second quarter at Ball Arena on March 5, 2025 in Denver, Colorado. 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.

The Nuggets Are In A Standoff With Jonas Valanciunas And It Somehow Matters

Samer Kalaf

Journalismism

The New York Times Had To Work With A Eugenicist So They Didn’t Get Scooped By A Bigot

Patrick Redford

Slovenian Tadej Pogacar of UAE Team Emirates celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win the fourth stage of the 2025 Tour de France cycling, Amien Metropole - Rouen (173 km), on Tuesday 08 July 2025 in France. The 112th edition of the Tour de France starts on Saturday 5 July in Lille, France, and will finish in Paris, France on the 27th of July. BELGA PHOTO JASPER JACOBS (Photo by JASPER JACOBS / BELGA MAG / Belga via AFP)

Cycling

Tadej Pogacar Strikes The First Blow With Some “Pure Racing”

Billy Haisley

Spain's Alexia Putellas scores their side's first goal during the UEFA Women's Euro 2025 Group D match at the Arena Thun in Thun, Switzerland.

Soccer

Spain Is Untouchable When Alexia Is Feeling It

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


Chris Thompson

Dave Martinez looks bummed shortly before being fired.

The Nationals Should Quit Pretending

Giri Nathan

Aryna Sabalenka reacts to a break of serve during her victory against Laura Siegemund of Germany in the Quarter-Finals of the Ladies' Singles Competition on Centre Court during the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club at Wimbledon on July 8th, 2025, in London, England. (Photo by Tim Clayton/Getty Images)

Tennis

Aryna Sabalenka Could Round Out Her Game By Hiring Some Elderly Training Partners

<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

A gallery assistant looks at a vintage horn gramophone belonging to John Peel during a photo call for highlights from Bonhams Live In Session: Property From The John Peel Archive sale which takes place on Tuesday June 14 at Bonhams in London. Picture date: Friday June 10, 2022.

Funbag

I Listen To Music Wrong

John Saward

Outfielder Dave Parker #39 of the Pittsburgh Pirates swings and watches the flight of his ball against the Chicago Cubs during a circa 1970's Major League Baseball game at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois. Parker played for the Pirates from 1973-83.

Dave Parker’s Great Bounty

Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria gets an injury in the Gentlemen's Singles Fourth Round match against Jannik Sinner of Italy on day eight of The Championships Wimbledon 2025 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 07, 2025 in London, England.

On The Brink Of A Defining Victory, Grigor Dimitrov’s Body Failed Him

Ray Ratto

Arts And Culture

Sure, We Gained Our Independence, But We Lost The Ability To Make Anything As Good As ‘Taskmaster’

Kelsey McKinney

Climate

The Floodwaters Are Rising

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


Dan McQuade

A cat on a fake baseball card. He's grey and little and next to a keyboard. There is a wood border around the card, with the Toledo Mud Hens logo in the corner, and a Defector logo in the other corner, and WEBLEY: Toledo Mud Hens

Creaturefector

The Newest Toledo Mud Hen Is A Purrfect Midseason Addition

<p>Alexandra Tey is a writer, photographer, and birdwatcher living in Queens, New York.</p>


Alexandra Tey

Life's Rich Pageant

The Anti-Fascist Power Of Trans Women Wrestling In Nacho Cheese

<p>Becky Ferreira is a science reporter based in Ithaca, N.Y. She writes <a href="https://www.404media.co/author/becky/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.404media.co/author/becky/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1740083778769000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3_mk31dNhas5lklZb38a6k">The Abstract</a>, a weekly science column for 404 Media. Her book <em>First Contact</em>, about the search for alien life, <a href="https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/becky-ferreira/first-contact/9781523527755/">is available now.</a></p>


Becky Ferreira

Sun over dying Earth. Illustration of the Sun, around 5 billion years in the future, heating a dying Earth. The oceans have evaporated, leaving salt-encrusted rocks. The Moon is seen passing in front of the massively swollen Sun. This stage of the Sun's life, known as its red giant stage, will begin when the Sun exhausts the hydrogen fuel in its core. It will then begin burning hydrogen in a shell surrounding the core, causing the Sun to expand. The expanding Sun will engulf the inner planets, and possibly the Earth. If the Earth survives this stage of the death of the Sun, it will freeze as the Sun collapses into a white dwarf star.

Science

Are You Team Fiery Sun Death Or Team Lifeless Husk?

Jim Spanfeller Somehow Worse At Writing Than Running A Media Company

WEST PALM BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 22: Washington Nationals manager Dave Martinez (4), left, with GM Mike Rizzo during the second day of full squad workouts at the Nationals training facility on February 22, 2023 in West Palm Beach, FL. (Photo by John McDonnell/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Mark Lerner Stops Neglecting The Nationals Long Enough To Fire Everyone

Maitreyi Anantharaman

Summer McIntosh is interviewed by NBC Sports Nicole Auerbach after winning the Women's 400 Meter Individual Medley Final on Day 3 of the TYR Pro Swim Series Westmont at FMC Natatorium on March 07, 2025 in Westmont, Illinois

Crosswords

The Crossword, July 7: Tennis, Anyone?

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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

Donald Trump looks up at the new flag on the south lawn of the White House on July 06, 2025 in Washington, DC.

Margin Of Error

Totally Petty

Kathryn Xu

Third placed Nico Hulkenberg of Germany and Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber sprays Champagne on the podium during the F1 Grand Prix of Great Britain.

Racing

239th Time’s The Charm For Nico Hülkenberg

Barry Petchesky

UNITED STATES - OCTOBER 26: Baseball: World Series, Chicago White Sox A,J, Pierzynski (12) and Bobby Jenks (45) victorious after winning Game 4 and series vs Houston Astros, Houston, TX 10/26/2005 (Photo by John Biever/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (SetNumber: X74496 TK4)

Bobby Jenks Made The Most Of A Short Time

Luis L. Ortiz #45 of the Cleveland Guardians looks on from the dugout during the game against the Athletics.

The Suspect Pitches In MLB’s Gambling Investigation Of Luis Ortiz Look Not Great

NEW YORK, NY - JULY 05: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees kneels in the outfield during the game between the New York Yankees and the New York Mets at Citi Field on Saturday, July 5, 2025 in New York, New York. (Photo by Evan Yu/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

It’s Been That Kind Of A Week For Aaron Judge And The Yankees

LHASA, CHINA - OCTOBER 23: Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) streaks across the sky on October 23, 2024 in Lhasa, Xizang Autonomous Region of China. (Photo by Jiang Feibo/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images)

A Comet From Another Solar System Is On Its Way

Defector Staff

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 20: A hawker advertises a hot dog at the San Francisco Giants home opener at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, Calif. on April 20, 1965. The opener was attended by 37,784 fans. (Photo by Howard Erker/MediaNews Group/Oakland Tribune via Getty Images)

Defector Up All Night

Your Fourth Of July Open Thread

SAINT-PAUL-TROIS-CHATEAUX, FRANCE - JULY 17: (L-R) Jonas Vingegaard Hansen of Denmark and Team Visma | Lease a Bike - Polka dot Mountain Jersey, Tadej Pogacar of Slovenia and UAE Team Emirates - Yellow Leader Jersey, Biniam Girmay of Eritrea and Team Intermarche - Wanty - Green Sprint Jersey, Jasper Philipsen of Belgium and Team Alpecin - Deceuninck and Thomas Gachignard of France and Team TotalEnergies prior to the 111th Tour de France 2024, Stage 17 a 177.8km stage from Saint-Paul-Trois-Chateaux to Superdevoluy 1500m / #UCIWT / on July 17, 2024 in Saint-Paul-Trois-Chateaux, France. (Photo by Tim de Waele/Getty Images)