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Defector

Kelsey McKinney

The Phillies Finally Had Some Fun

Israel Daramola

‘The Idol’ Isn’t Good Enough To Be Shocking

Lauren Theisen

There’s No Bottom In Oakland

Soraya Roberts

Helene Yorke and Drew Tarver in The Other Two

Why ‘The Other Two’ Is So Good

Luis Paez-Pumar

Duncan Robinson (55) of the Miami Heat flexes after a strong finish as Nikola Jokic (15) and Denver Nuggets teammates head to the bench for a timeout in the fourth quarter of Miami's 111-108 win during Game 2 of the NBA Finals at Ball Arena in Denver on Sunday, June 4, 2023

A Little Duncan Robinson Can Go A Long Way

David Roth

PITTSBURGH, PA - APRIL 25: Noah Syndergaard #43 of the Los Angeles Dodgers looks on from the dugout in the fifth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on April 25, 2023 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)

Twilight Of The Thunder God

Patrick Redford

DENVER, CO - JUNE 4: Jimmy Butler #22 of the Miami Heat looks on during Game Two of the 2023 NBA Finals against the Denver Nuggets on June 4, 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 Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)

Miami Punches Back

The Fights

Claressa Shields Is As Great As It’s Possible To Be

Albert Burneko

Horses race in the 2023 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs

Horse Racing

Horse Racing To Hide Somewhere Else Until Storm Blows Over

Linesman Jonny Murray separates Nicolas Hague #14 of the Vegas Golden Knights and Matthew Tkachuk #19 of the Florida Panthers during a fight

Vegas Will Tolerate No Rats In The Cup

Stephen Strasburg of the Washington Nationals, looking sad

Extremely Depressing Report: Stephen Strasburg’s Body Is A Wreck

Zillowing Out

A $700,000 House Where We Can Go Creek Mode

Tom Ley

The 'Oath of the Tennis Court' painted by Auguste Clouder. The painting commemorates the meeting of the Third Estate in France in which all bar one of the 600 deputies swore an oath not to separate until a constitution had been established, June 20, 1989.

Staff Chat

Come Hurl Your Questions At The Defector Staff

Ray Ratto

Miami's Duncan Robinson argues with referee Eric Davis during Game 1 of the NBA Finals

The Heat Have Bigger Problems Than The Refs

DENVER, COLORADO - JUNE 01: Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets reacts after a 104-93 victory against the Miami Heat in Game One of the 2023 NBA Finals at Ball Arena on June 01, 2023 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. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

The Two Plays That Defined Nikola Jokic’s Brilliant Finals Debut

AUSTIN, TX - APRIL 8: Rose Lavelle #16 of the United States dribbles past Megan Connolly #6 of the Republic of Ireland during a game between Ireland and the United States at Q2 Stadium on April 8, 2023 in Austin, Texas.

Soccer

What Is This USWNT Player’s Deal: Rose Lavelle


<p>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</p>


Diana Moskovitz

A black and white photo of a young Jim Brown, when he played for the Cleveland Browns. It shows Brown sitting on a bench, with fans off in the blurry distance.

Jim Brown’s Legacies

Referee, Szymon Marciniak reacts during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 leg two match between FC Porto and FC Internazionale at Estadio do Dragao on March 14, 2023 in Porto, Portugal.

Champions League Final Ref Says He Was “Misled” Into Attending Notable Racist’s Networking Event

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


Chris Thompson

Nikola Jokic defends against Bam Adebayo.

The Heat Forgot Which Direction The Rim Is In

Finally, A Night Where It’s Safe To Be Christian At The Ballpark

An old black-and-white photo of a game between the Celtics and Royals

A Timely And Data-Loaded 2023 NBA Finals Preview, For Basketball Idiots

Eric Lewis #42 looks on during the game during round two game seven of the 2023 NBA Playoffson May 14, 2023 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. 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 David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images)

Someone Tweeted NBA Referee Eric Lewis Out Of An NBA Finals Assignment

Gabe Vincent, Bam Adebayo, and Caleb Martin stand together as the team is introduced before Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

Podcasts

Eat Culture, With Rohan Nadkarni

THE WOODLANDS, TEXAS - APRIL 30: A general view of a golf ball on the green of the first hole during the final round of the Insperity Invitational at The Woodlands Golf Club on April 30, 2023 in The Woodlands, Texas.

Golf

I Demand These Two Awful, Heroic Golfers Be Given A Hefty NIL Deal

<div class="gmail_default">Timothy Faust is a healthcare writer and author of the book <i><a href="http://www.healthjusticenow.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.healthjusticenow.com&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1685593699820000&amp;usg=AOvVaw24V19Y2HTPgYkH_EpZ_lgj">Health Justice Now</a></i>. He and his long little dog, Ume, move around a lot.</div>
<div class="gmail_default"></div>


Timothy Faust

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - JULY 16: Zander Bathory steps on the back of the European Assassin during the AWF Wrestling Dojo Wrestling night July 16, 2004 in Sydney, Australia. For this group of die-hard sports professionals who spend most Saturdays training and wrestling in a small dojo in Sydney's South West. It's a ritual that goes way beyond dedication reaching into the realm of obsession. Founded in 1999, the AWF has now grown to over fifty professional wrestlers Australia wide. Hosting regular bout nights across the country, means these guys get a chance to do things they don't normally get to do, the blood is real and injuries happen, often. After starting a school for wrestling six years ago, AWF founder Greg Bowden has trained more than fifty pro wrestlers, in a bid to help promote the sport and build a substantial fan base. Unlike America's WWE group, which is broadcast regularly around the world via cable television, the AWF, despite numerous attempts, have been unable to secure television broadcast support, which constantly hampers the sport's promotion, keeping crowd numbers down and the group confined to low cost venues and shows. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)