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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

Maitreyi Anantharaman

Brittney Sykes #15 of the Washington Mystics holds a "Pay the Players" sign following the 2025 AT&amp;T WNBA All-Star Game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on July 19, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

WNBA

WNBA Players Want To Share In The League’s “Hypergrowth”

Barry Petchesky

Music

Ozzy Osbourne Was The Frontman Of The Future

<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

Restaurants are starting to use digital technology for self serving regarding the customer seeing their menu, ordering and paying their bill.

Funbag

Fuck The iPad Ordering Kiosk

<p>Emily Zhou is the author of <em>Girlfriends</em><i>, </i>which won the Publishing Triangle’s Leslie Feinberg Award and was nominated for a Lambda<i>. </i>She edits books at LittlePuss Press and short fiction at <em>Joyland Magazine</em><i>.</i></p>


Emily Zhou

Arts And Culture

Nerves, Nerves, Nerves

Kathryn Xu

Edmundo Sosa #33 of the Philadelphia Phillies celebrates with teammates after a catcher interference walk-off.

Phillies Implement Forbidden Catcher’s Interference Strategem To Walk Off Red Sox

Patrick Redford

Spectators crowd the ascent of Hautacam during the 12th stage of the 112th edition of the Tour de France cycling race, 180.6 km between Auch and Hautacam, in the Pyrenees mountains of southwestern France, on July 17, 2025.

Cycling

The Tour de France Is For The Polyglots, For Now

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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

Craig Finn attends "A New York Evening With Margo Price" at The Greene Space on June 16, 2023 in New York City.

Craig Finn Can Write A Great Song, But Can He Write A Good Short Story?

Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan reacts against the Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Landover, Maryland.

Why Your Team Sucks

Why Your Team Sucks 2025: Tennessee Titans

Dave McKenna

Oleksandr Usyk punches Daniel Dubois during their IBF, IBO, WBC and WBO World Heavyweight titles' fight on the 'Undisputed' fight night card at Wembley Stadium on July 19, 2025 in London, England.

The Fights

Heavyweight Champ Oleksandr Usyk Finally Reveals He’s A Bad, Bad Man

Ray Ratto

Washington Commanders logo displayed on a phone screen and photo of Donald Trump taken on June 25 in The Hague displayed on a laptop screen in the background. It's a photo illustration.

Donald Trump Is Trying To Extort The Washington Commanders Into Making It 1989 Again

Accredited media motorcycles and race direction vehicles precede the pack of riders (peloton) as they cycle during the 14th stage of the 112th edition of the Tour de France cycling race, 182.6 km between Pau and Luchon-Superbagneres, in the Pyrenees mountains of southwestern France, on July 19, 2025.

Media Meltdowns

An Anatomy Of The Doping Story That Has The Tour de France Press Room Buzzing


<p>Richard Staff is a <a href="https://twitter.com/RichardStaff" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">weapons-grade Twitter goblin</a> and hostage of the Mets. That is his real name.</p>


Richard Staff

Marcus Walden of the Boston Red Sox throws during a summer camp workout before the start of the 2020 Major League Baseball season on July 15, 2020 at Boston College in Boston, Massachusetts. The season was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Secret Brotherhood Of The Phantom Ballplayers

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


Chris Thompson

Braves Coach In Hot Water Over Battle Of Gestures

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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

From left, American real estate developer Donald Trump and his girlfriend (and future wife), former model Melania Knauss, financier (and future convicted sex offender) Jeffrey Epstein, and British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell pose together at the Mar-a-Lago club, Palm Beach, Florida, February 12, 2000.

Margin Of Error

Collective Amnesia

North Carolina Tar Heels football head coach Bill Belichick speaks to the crowd during a basketball game against the La Salle Explorers on December 14, 2024 at the Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. North Carolina won 93-67.

Crosswords

The Crossword, July 21: One By One

Julian Alaphilippe of France and Team Tudor Pro Cycling (celebrating wrongly) and Wout Van Aert of Belgium and Team Visma.

Julian Alaphilippe Loses, Celebrates, And Learns To Smile About It

NFLPA President JC Tretter speaks at a press conference prior to Super Bowl LVI at the NFL Media Building on the SoFi Stadium campus in Inglewood, California.

The NFL Players Association Is Falling Apart When It Needs Solidarity The Most

Rachelle Hampton

An orange cat sits in front of two framed Henri Rousseau prints.

Finding Henri Rousseau

David Roth

Sitting in the dugout and watching the game, (L to R), are Tim Teufel, Howard Johnson, Bob Ojeda and Ron Darling, as they balance baseballs on their caps to try and change the Mets luck. The image is in black and white; and from 1986.

39 Years Ago, Four Mets Fought The Cops At A Houston Bar Named Cooter’s

Markus Hoelgaard of Norway and Team Uno-X Mobility competes during the 112th Tour de France 2025, Stage 14 a 182.6km stage from Pau to Luchon-Superbagneres.

A Day Inside The Tour de France From The Neutral Service Car

Tom Ley

A big duck with Bills Week coming out if its bill

Bills Week

It’s No Longer Bills Week

Director Bill Paxton behind the set of the Lions Gate Films movie "Frailty", circa 2001. The Bills Week logo is on there.

In Bill Paxton’s ‘Frailty,’ Certainty Is The Scariest Thing There Is

<p>Former Defector intern, now freelancer.</p>
<p>For professional inquiries or tips please write lucybl00m@protonmail.com or yuck.20 on Signal.</p>
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Lucy Bloom

Billie Marten’s Music Makes Loneliness A Thrill

Brandy Jensen

William F. Buckley’s Bill Never Came Due

Liam Gallagher of Oasis performs on stage during the opening night of their Live 25' Tour at Principality Stadium on July 04, 2025 in Cardiff, Wales.