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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

Jae Towle Vieira [they/them] works as a producer for Normal Gossip. Their fiction has been published in The Normal School, New England Review, Carve Magazine, Passages North, Fairy Tale Review, and elsewhere.

Jae Towle Vieira

Normal Gossip logo with cartoon characters gossiping

Podcasts

Normal Gossip Returns, In Search Of A Teenage Dream

Soraya Roberts

Aparna Nancherla speaks onstage during The 2023 New Yorker Festival at SVA Theater 1 on October 07, 2023 in New York City.

Arts And Culture

Aparna Nancherla Is My Favorite Impostor

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

Diana Moskovitz

Miles Bridges #0 of the Charlotte Hornets in action against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center on March 27, 2022 in New York City.

The Cycle Continues Around Miles Bridges

T.M. Brown is a Brooklyn-based writer who has written for The New Yorker, The New York Times, and Rolling Stone, as well as the good versions of Deadspin and the Village Voice. He writes the newsletter <a href="https://tedthoughts.substack.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://tedthoughts.substack.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1696431933834000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1vP6E3SoXDsrjiq0Qj9HM5">Is It Supposed to Look Like That?</a>

T.M. Brown

Tennis

Surviving Break Point

Ray Ratto

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - OCTOBER 17: Alec Bohm #28 and Bryce Harper #3 of the Philadelphia Phillies celebrate a 10-0 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks in Game Two of the Championship Series at Citizens Bank Park on October 17, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)

Go D-Backs And Go Astros Because, Well, What Else Is There To Do?

Nicholas Russell is a writer from Las Vegas.

Nicholas Russell

Cosplayer Devan Blake dressed as Valak from "The Conjuring" attends the 2019 Comic-Con International on July 18, 2019 in San Diego, California.

Defector At The Movies

They’ll Just Keep Conjuring That Garbage

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

NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 16: Actors Jeff Bridges (L) and John Goodman attend "The Big Lebowski" Blu-ray release at the Hammerstein Ballroom on August 16, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by D Dipasupil/FilmMagic)

Funbag

A Requiem For “Dude”

Giri Nathan

Samer Kalaf

The Namedropping podcast logo, a coffee cup with a scratched-out name

The Geography Of A Name, With Thomas Dai

Patrick Redford

A black and white illustration of turpentine resin harvesting.

Into The Woods

Where Are We Vis-À-Vis The Woods? An Investigation

Kelsey McKinney

Staff Writer
Find me on Signal @DefectorChris.19

Chris Thompson

Paul Hollywood's Devonshire Splits, as shown on the Bread Week episode. They're very circular, very beautifully even in color, and very neatly decorated with cream and strawberries.

Chefector

The Not-So-Great Defector Bake Off Proves Too Small For Bread Week

Tom Ley

Managing Partner John Fisher of the Oakland Athletics in the stands during the game against the Chicago Cubs at RingCentral Coliseum on April 17, 2023 in Oakland, California. The Cubs defeated the Athletics 10-1.

A’s Reliever Trevor May Retires, Tells Owner To “Take Mommy And Daddy’s Money Somewhere Else”

INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 16: Justin Herbert #10 of the Los Angeles Chargers reacts on the bench in the second half against the Dallas Cowboys at SoFi Stadium on October 16, 2023 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

Nobody Does It Like The Chargers

PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 03: Miami Marlins general manager Kim Ng looks on prior to Game 1 of the Wild Card Series between the Miami Marlins and the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on Tuesday, October 3, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

That’s More Like The Marlins We All Know And Ignore

A Danger sign in front of trees in Yellowstone National Park warns visitors to not approach wildlife.

Do Not Fuck Around With The Woods

Megan Rapinoe #15 of OL Reign reacts after her last home regular-season NWSL match at Lumen Field on October 06, 2023 in Seattle, Washington.

Soccer

Megan Rapinoe Put Retirement Off A Little Longer

Announcements

Programming Notes

Maitreyi Anantharaman

Jonquel Jones #35 of the New York Liberty and Breanna Stewart #30 high five during the game against the Las Vegas Aces during game 3 of the 2023 WNBA Finals on October 15, 2023 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

WNBA

New York Showed Up In A Big Way

Lauren Theisen

Yordan Alvarez is upset after striking out

Jordan Montgomery Won The First Three Rounds Against Yordan Álvarez

Barry Petchesky

ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 15: Tyrod Taylor #2 of the New York Giants looks on in the second quarter of a game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium on October 15, 2023 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images)

The Giants Just Keep Doing Bad Things

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

Dan McQuade

EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - OCTOBER 15: Jalen Hurts #1 of the Philadelphia Eagles warms up before the game against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on October 15, 2023 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Eagles History Forever Marred By Loss To Jets

Billy Haisley

Sabrina Ionescu #20 of the New York Liberty reacts after a basket against the Las Vegas Aces during the fourth quarter in Game Three of the 2023 WNBA Finals at Barclays Center on October 15, 2023 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City.

The New York Liberty Finally Won

Hubert Hurkacz celebrates with his Shanghai Masters trophy

Hubie Hurkacz Is Happy Again

United States forward Christian Pulisic (10) celebrates his goal with United States forward Tim Weah (21) during a match between the United Sates and Germany on October 14, 2023, at Pratt &amp; Whitney Stadium in East Hartford, Connecticut.

The USMNT Once Again Played The Best

Kelsey Plum attempts a layup in the WNBA Finals

Kelsey Plum Asks Teammate If Kelsey Plum’s Finger Is Broken Or Not

Shedeur Sanders #2 of the Colorado Buffaloes throws a pass against the Stanford Cardinal during the third quarter at Folsom Field on October 13, 2023 in Boulder, Colorado.