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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

Trick or treaters at a house on Halloween night in Vaughan, Ontario, Canada.

Crosswords

The Crossword, Dec. 18: That’s A You Problem

<div class="author-header-content">
Charles P. Pierce is a writer at Esquire and the author of four books, most recently Idiot America, and has been a working journalist since 1976. He lives near Boston with his wife but no longer his three children.
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</div>
<div class="author-header-shares"></div>

Charles P. Pierce

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick chats with QB Bailey Zappe in the first half. The Patriots beat the Pittsburgh Steelers, 21-18.

The Patriots Are Reverting To Type

Giri Nathan

Simona Halep wipes away sweat during her loss at the 2022 US Open

Tennis

Simona Halep Says This Doping Ban Could Be The End Of Her Career

Ray Ratto

Luton Town players applaud fans after game was abandoned after team-mate Tom Lockyer needed lengthy medical treatment before being stretchered off during the Premier League match between AFC Bournemouth and Luton Town at Vitality Stadium on December 16, 2023 in Bournemouth, England.

Soccer

The Frightening Familiarity Of Tom Lockyer’s On-Field Collapse

Staff Writer
Find me on Signal @DefectorChris.19

Chris Thompson

Zach Wilson is sacked by the Miami Dolphins.

The Jets Have Excavated An Even Lower Level Of Quarterback Hell

Nick Mullens throws the ball directly into the face of the player who is sacking him.

Nick Mullens Tossed The Interception Of A Lifetime

The Detroit Pistons huddle before the game against the Milwaukee Bucks on December 16, 2023.

The Pee Stains Alone

Albert Burneko

1855: The Football Squad of Addiscombe Military College. (Photo by Aaron Penley/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Defector Up All Night

Have Yourself A Merry Weekend Open Thread

Kelsey McKinney

overexposed artistic rendering of a house

Zillowing Out

A $420,000 Home Where We Can Be Happy

David Roth

Andre Braugher in a black and white portrait taken in 2015.

Arts And Culture

The Good Guy

Dave McKenna

Black and white photo of a basketball court

Ex-NBA Scout Pete Philo Convicted Of Sexual Assault Charges In North Carolina

Billy Haisley

Kylian Mbappe of Paris Saint Germain during the UEFA Champions League match between Borussia Dortmund v Paris Saint Germain at the Signal Iduna Park on December 13, 2023 in Dortmund Germany

Will Kylian Mbappé’s PSG Have Enough Time?

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

Dan McQuade

The logo for Wondery's THE LEAD: STARTING FIVE

Journalismism

Wondery Sports Podcast Now Has An AI Host Named Striker

Nicholas Russell is a writer from Las Vegas.

Nicholas Russell

Antique print of whalers harpooning a sperm whale off New Bedford, Massachusetts. The print is from 1910.

A Year In Pursuit Of Moby Dick

charismatic megafauna (they/them)

Sabrina Imbler

Jonathan, a Seychelles giant tortoise, believed to be the oldest reptile living on earth with and alleged age of 185 years, opens his mouth in a kind of yawn as he stands on grass

This Is So Stupid

This Week In Turtles

black and white photo of a man photographing a family

What Can Another Photo App Give Us?

This picture taken on November 18, 2016 shows a worker checking parts of a toilet bowl on the production line in a factory of Taiwan's largest toilet maker HCG in Taoyuan. According to the United Nations, there are 2.4 billion people living without a toilet in the world. (Photo by SAM YEH / AFP) (Photo by SAM YEH/AFP via Getty Images)

College Football

Bowling For Dollars

Inglewood, CA - December 10: Los Angeles Chargers head coach Brandon Staley watches from the sideline during the second half against the Denver Broncos at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood Sunday, Dec. 10, 2023. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

This Is Not The Face Of A Man With Job Security [Update]

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

A screenshot of Matt Araiza speaking at a press conference.

Ex-NFL Punter Matt Araiza Will Be Dropped From Rape Lawsuit

Shohei Ohtani smiling in the dugout during an Angels game on September 17 of 2023.

Podcasts

Infinite Bonilla Mode

Dennis Young is the news editor at Front Office Sports.

Dennis Young

Nick Bawden's cleats advertising Operation Underground Railroad

Which NFL Players Are Supporting Sketchy Anti-Trafficking Organizations With Their Shoes?

FC Barcelona manager Xavi gesticulates during the UEFA Champions League match against Royal Antwerp.

Barcelona Loses Match, Wins UCL Group, Possibly Dooms Xavi

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

ARLINGTON, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 30: Head coach Mike McCarthy of the Dallas Cowboys coaches from the sidelines during the 2nd quarter of the game against the Seattle Seahawks at AT&amp;T Stadium on November 30, 2023 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)

Jamboroo

I Don’t Want To Live In A World Where Mike McCarthy Has His Shit Together

A female Tasmanian Devil yawns in an enclosure at the Night Safari Singapore nocturnal zoo in Singapore o

Creaturefector

What If You Kept Your Baby Teeth Your Entire Life?

San Francisco Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi speaks during a news conference at Oracle Park in the Nick Peters interview room on Tuesday, October 1, 2019 in San Francisco, CA.