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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

CINCINNATI, OH - JANUARY 2: A Paycor Stadium video board reads that the game between the Buffalo Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals is suspended due to an injury sustained by Bills safety Damar Hamlin #3 during the first quarter of an NFL football game on January 2, 2023 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)

Football Games Aren’t Mandatory

Patrick Redford

Dana White arguing with his wife Anne at a club in Cabo San Lucas.

Dana White, Who Once Said “You Don’t Bounce Back From Putting Your Hands On A Woman,” Hits His Wife At A Club

DOHA, QATAR - DECEMBER 3: Greg Berhalter of the United States lines up for the national anthem before a FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Round of 16 match between Netherlands and USMNT at Khalifa International Stadium on December 3, 2022 in Doha, Qatar. (Photo by Stephen Nadler/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

Soccer

Gregg Berhalter, U.S. Soccer Release Statements About Alleged Blackmail Plot Over 1991 Domestic Violence Incident

Samer Kalaf

Media Meltdowns

Skip Bayless Hosts ‘Undisputed’ By Himself, Struggles To Explain Damar Hamlin Tweet

Lauren Theisen

Connor Bedard skates toward the net with the puck

Connor Bedard Is Your Shitty Team’s Savior

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

GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN - DECEMBER 19: Matthew Stafford #9 of the Los Angeles Rams watches action prior to a game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on December 19, 2022 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers defeated the Rams 24-12. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

Funbag

Oh God I’m Ranking Matts Now

Dan McQuade was a founding member of Defector. He died in January 2026.

Dan McQuade

Pasadena, CA - January 02: Quarterback Sean Clifford #14 of the Penn State Nittany Lions after defeating the Utah Utes 35-21 to win the 109th Rose Bowl game in Pasadena on Monday, January 2, 2023.

College Football

Penn State Finally Gets The Rose Instead Of The Thorn

Staff Writer
Find me on Signal @DefectorChris.19

Chris Thompson

This Is So Stupid

Donovan Mitchell’s 71-Point Game Must Be Stricken From The Record Books If We Are To Preserve The Soul Of This Great Game

Barry Petchesky

BAY OF BISCAY, SPAIN: Tanker under dark clouds in The Bay of Biscay north of Santander in the Atlantic Ocean, Spain

Arts And Culture

Goodbye To Dark Sky, The Only Good Weather App

An announcement is displayed on the scoreboard after the game was temporarily suspended following the collapse of Damar Hamlin #3 of the Buffalo Bills after making a tackle against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium on January 02, 2023 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

Interviews

A Fan At The Bills-Bengals Game Describes The Scene When Damar Hamlin’s Heart Stopped

Tom Ley

NFL Exec Troy Vincent Claims League Never Intended To Restart Bills-Bengals Game

Buffalo Bills players react after teammate Damar Hamlin #3 was injured against the Cincinnati Bengals during the first quarter at Paycor Stadium on January 02, 2023 in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Bills-Bengals Game Postponed After Safety Damar Hamlin Collapses On Field

Kelsey McKinney

David Pastrnak #88 and Brad Marchand #63 of the Boston Bruins poses for a photo before the game against the Pittsburgh Penguins at the 2023 Discover NHL Winter Classic at Fenway Park on January 2, 2023 in Boston.

The NHL Winter Classic Should Be Baseball Now

This Is Why You Never Count Out The Bucs

How Many Snow Angels Is Too Many Snow Angels When A Guy Is Writhing In Pain Next To You?

TCU Horned Frogs tight end Jared Wiley (19) hugs a teammate after the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl between the Michigan Wolverines and the TCU Horned Frogs on Saturday, December 31st, 2022 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, AZ

The Big 12 Is Back, Baby

Ron Rivera Went Down With His Chosen Scrub

Devin the dugong with meatloaf glaze on his face

Test Category

Devin The Dugong’s Algorithmically Generated Sandwich (Subtitled)

(GERMANY OUT) DEU, Germany: (Fast) Food: sausage, fried curried sausage (Photo by Yavuz Arslan/ullstein bild via Getty Images)

Year In Review

What Horrible Things Did We Do To Our Penises Last Year?

Zillowing Out

A Mysteriously Priced House To Consider Quitting Our Jobs In

Defector Staff

The Worst Ideas Of 2022

Defector Up All Night

It’s A New Year’s Weekend Open Thread

To Think Of Soccer Is To Think Of Pelé

What Our Families Thought Of Defector In 2022

You can follow Will on Twitter (<a href="https://twitter.com/Senn_Spud" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">@Senn_Spud</a>), Instagram (<a href="https://www.instagram.com/will_sennett/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">@will_sennett</a>), and TikTok (<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@will_sennett" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">@will_sennett</a>). You can listen to his podcast, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-closer-look-podcast/id1561306479" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">A Closer Look</a>, wherever you get your podcasts.