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Defector

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


Sabrina Imbler

A photo of the now deceased last female Yangtze giant softshell turtle

Creaturefector

The Last Female Yangtze Giant Softshell Turtle Is Dead

Barry Petchesky

Horse Racing

That’s Too Many Dead Horses

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


Dan McQuade

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - MAY 05: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers falls to the court after colliding with Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics during the second quarter in game three of the Eastern Conference Second Round Playoffs at Wells Fargo Center on May 05, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The Celtics Own The Sixers

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MAY 06: Leon Draisaitl #29 of the Edmonton Oilers skates with the puck ahead of Mark Stone #61 of the Vegas Golden Knights in the first period of Game Two of the Second Round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at T-Mobile Arena on May 06, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

The Oilers’ Power Play Is Out For Blood

Kelsey McKinney

Zillowing Out

A $900,000 House Where We Can Become Narcissus

Patrick Redford

Head coach Mike Budenholzer of the Milwaukee Bucks looks on against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena on April 04, 2023 in Washington, DC. 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 Rob Carr/Getty Images)

Mike Budenholzer Takes The Fall For The Bucks’ Playoff Flameout

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<div>Noah Gittell is a Connecticut-based writer on film and baseball. His work can be found in <em>The New York Times</em>, The Ringer, <em>The Guardian</em>, <em>Washington City Paper</em>, and the <em>LA Review of Books</em>. His book on baseball cinema is due in 2024.</div>
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Noah Gittell

George exults while wearing a Yankees cap after being hired as the assistant to the traveling secretary for the New York Yankees in an episode of "Seinfeld."

When ‘Seinfeld’ Abandoned The Mets For The Yankees

Israel Daramola

Lauren Theisen

David Roth

Vincent Mason aka P.A. Pasemaster Mase aka Maseo aka Plug Three, David Jude Jolicoeur aka Trugoy the Dove aka Dave aka Plug Two and Kevin Mercer aka Posdnuos aka Mercenary aka Plug Wonder Why aka Plug One of the hip hop trio De La Soul pose for a portrait in 1990.

Defector Music Club

‘De La Soul Is Dead’ Made Us Nostalgic For Skits And Samples

TORONTO, CANADA: Anthony Duclair #10 of the Florida Panthers battles against Mitchell Marner #16 of the Toronto Maple Leafs during Game Two of the Second Round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena on May 4, 2023 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Anthony Duclair; Mitchell Marner

The Panthers Don’t Give An Inch

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


Chris Thompson

It All Comes Down To Anthony Davis

Tom Ley

Defector Up All Night

Hanser Alberto Demonstrates A Painful Way To Lose

Arts And Culture

Cam’ron And Mase Argue About Sports Now, And It’s Working

Malik Monk prepares to push the button that illuminates the beam after Sacramento's win against Golden State in Game 2 of their NBA Playoffs series.

Podcasts

The Beam Shines For All, With Patrick Redford

Alex Sujong Laughlin

Writers Guild of America members walk the picket line on the first day of their strike in front of Amazon studios on Tuesday, May 2, 2023.

Reality TV Won’t Fix What’s Broken About Hollywood Economics

Samer Kalaf

An Alabama Crimson Tide hat rests in the dugout during a game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the LSU Tigers on May 12, 2018, at Alex Box Stadium in Baton Rouge, LA.

College Baseball

Something Weird’s Going On With Alabama Baseball

Ray Ratto

West Bromwich Albion's English head coach Sam Allardyce looks on during the English Premier League football match between Leeds United and West Bromwich Albion at Elland Road in Leeds, northern England on May 23, 2021. - RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. (Photo by Jon Super / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications.

Soccer

Sam Allardyce Is Back For One Last Job, Until His Next Last Job

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<div>Casey Taylor is a writer living and working in Pittsburgh. He is currently writing a book for St. Martin&#8217;s Press about cannabis religions, Haile Selassie I, and the Cold War in the Caribbean. He also writes a free newsletter called <a href="https://weedchurch.substack.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://weedchurch.substack.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1709306863919000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1mVH2xiID6S0zvlyj6yHco">Weed Church</a> covering foolish spiritual things that occur to him. His work has appeared in The New Republic, WIRED, New York Magazine, and a sports blog he can’t currently recall the name of. You can <a href="mailto:caseyt7@gmail.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">email</a> him if you’d like.</div>
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Casey Taylor

Audrey Kim, curator and artist, talks about the piece "Genesis: In The Beginning Was The Word" by Eurypheus at the Misalignment Museum on March 8, 2023 in San Francisco, California. - A new exhibition titled the Misalignment Museum opened to the public in San Francisco on March 9th, 2023, featuring funny or disturbing AI art works, supposed to help visitors think about the potential dangers of artificial intelligence. (Photo by Amy Osborne / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY MENTION OF THE ARTIST UPON PUBLICATION - TO ILLUSTRATE THE EVENT AS SPECIFIED IN THE CAPTION (Photo by AMY OSBORNE/AFP via Getty Images)

The Machines

AI Art Sucks Ass And You Should Say It’s Bad

Leon Draisaitl #29 and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins #93 of the Edmonton Oilers celebrate Draisaitl's third-period power-play goal

Maybe Leon Draisaitl Should Just Never Leave The Ice

<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

TEMPE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 16: (L-R) Owner Michael Bidwill, new head coach Jonathan Gannon and general manager Monti Ossenfort of the Arizona Cardinals pose for a photo during a press conference at Dignity Health Arizona Cardinals Training Center on February 16, 2023 in Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)

The Arizona Cardinals Are Still Intensely Fucking Weird

Dave McKenna

Life Lessons

Requiem For An Overweight

Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets passes the ball during Game Two of the Western Conference Semi-Finals of the 2023 NBA Playoffs against the Phoenix Suns on May 1, 2023 at the Ball Arena 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2023 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)

Media Meltdowns

Denver Post Columnist: Nikola Jokic’s Underwear Shows Why He Deserves MVP

<p>Dan Berger teaches at the University of Washington Bothell and writes about activism, Black Power, and the carceral state. His latest book is <em>Stayed on Freedom: The Long History of Black Power Through One Family’s Journey</em>.</p>
