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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

Barry Petchesky

ST. PAUL, UNITED STATES - MAY 1: the NHL Playoff game between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Minnesota Wild at the Xcel Energy Center on May 1, 2025 in St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. (Photo by /NHL)

Your Best Player Might Want Out. Enjoy The Season!

Tom Ley

Yankees Honor Slain Anti–Free Speech Activist

Luis Paez-Pumar

Billy Haisley

Ray Ratto

Maitreyi Anantharaman

A detailed view of a replica Premier League Trophy outside the stadium prior to the Premier League match between Liverpool and Arsenal at Anfield on August 31, 2025 in Liverpool, England.

Soccer

A Seemingly Late Yet Actually Perfectly Timed Preview Of The 2025-26 Premier League Season

Patrick Redford

Podcasts

A WNBA Playoff Preview For Everyone, With Maitreyi Anantharaman

charismatic megafauna (they/them)

Sabrina Imbler

two winged male ants: Messor ibericus (left) and Messor structor (right) against a black background

Creaturefector

Everything You Need To Know About The Girlboss Ants That Give Birth To Another Species In Order To Exploit Their Offspring (Slay Ant Queen!)

Alex Sujong Laughlin

A close up shot of Henry Kissinger looking absolutely decrepit.

This Is So Stupid

Defector Has Outlived These Things

Defector Staff

Bebel the cat, hard at work at a typewriter.

Things We Actually Like

Our Favorite Defector Blogs From The Last Five Years

NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 09: Kerry Carpenter #30 of the Detroit Tigers reacts after hitting a two-run triple in the seventh inning during the game between the Detroit Tigers and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday, September 9, 2025 in New York, New York. (Photo by Michael Urakami/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

I Am Writing This Yankees Blog Under Duress

27th May 1963: Supremely confident American boxer Cassius Clay holds up five fingers in a prediction of how many rounds it will take him to knock out British boxer Henry Cooper.

Announcements

Five Years Of Defector

Pro-Palestinian protesters wave flags and shout as the peloton rides by in Poio at the start of the 16th stage of the Vuelta a Espana, a 172 km race between Poio and Castro de Herville, on September 9, 2025. (Photo by Miguel RIOPA / AFP)

Cycling

Israel–Premier Tech’s Presence At La Vuelta Is Ruining The Race

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

Roger Ebert (L) and Gene Siskel on the set of TV show Siskel and Ebert at the Movies.

Funbag

The Critic Counts

Tottenham Hotspur Manager Ange Postecoglou celebrates with the UEFA Europa league trophy during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur FC and Brighton &amp; Hove Albion FC at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on May 25, 2025 in London, England.

Nottingham Forest Fired Its Manager And Hired His Polar Opposite

Staff Writer
Find me on Signal @DefectorChris.19

Chris Thompson

Kelsey McKinney

The exemplar Fondant Fancies, from the show.

Food

The Not-So-Great Defector Bake Off Fancies A Go At Cake Week

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

Dan McQuade

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 04: Jalen Carter #98 of the Philadelphia Eagles looks on after being ejected from the game against the Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field on September 04, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He's walking with his hands behind his back, in a midnight green uniform with white pants, his helmet off and a white bandana around his head. He's on the left side of the photo, and to the rest of him is green grass.

Journalismism

Washington Post Editorial Board: Football

Hailey Van Lith #2, Ariel Atkins #7 and Angel Reese #5 of the Chicago Sky look on from the bench in the third quarter of their game against the Las Vegas Aces at T-Mobile Arena on September 07, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Aces defeated the Sky 80-66.

WNBA

Angel Reese And The Sky Are Ready To End This Dismal Season

Giri Nathan

Spain's Carlos Alcaraz poses with his trophy after winning the men's singles final tennis match against Italy's Jannik Sinner

Tennis

The Tour Is Theirs

Engraving shows interior of Leiden University library, Netherlands 1610 by Jan Cornelisz Woudanus, approximately 1570-1615.

The Machines

If The Thieving AI Company Can Survive The Legal Settlement, Then It Is Not Big Enough

Diana Learns To Ride A Bike

Israel Daramola

Bill Belichick giving a very awkward thumbs up to the camera.

Death To The NCAA

Bill Belichick Will Not Allow The Patriots To Scout His Bad Team

Lauren Theisen

Micah Parsons #1 of the Green Bay Packers sacks Jared Goff

The Packers Got What They Needed In Micah Parsons

Brandy Jensen

English broadcaster, author and parliamentarian Melvyn Bragg

Arts And Culture

Thank You, Melvyn Bragg

Former Seattle Seahawk Marshawn Lynch looks on while on the sideline documenting the NFL Preseason 2025 game between Las Vegas Raiders and Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field on August 7, 2025 in Seattle, Washington.

Crosswords

The Crossword, Sept. 8: Chomp Chomp

Aryna Sabalenka poses with her trophy after defeating Amanda Anisimova of the United States during their Women's Singles Final match on Day Fourteen of the 2025 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 06, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Susan Mullane/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images)

Aryna Sabalenka Is The Final Boss Of The Hard Court

ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 7: during the NFL 2025 game between Baltimore Ravens and Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium on September 7, 2025 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images) *** Local Caption ***

Nobody Beats The Ravens Like The Ravens

Kathryn Xu

McLaren's Lando Norris (centre left) and Oscar Piastri (centre right) celebrate with the team after taking second and third respectively at the Italian Grand Prix.