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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

Podcasts

How Do You Make A Podcast When The World Is On Fire?

Ray Ratto

Head coach Bill Belichick of the North Carolina Tar Heels gives a thumbs up during the ACC Football Kickoff at Hilton Charlotte Uptown on July 24, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. He looks real weird doing it.

Bill Belichick Becomes The Target Of Someone Else’s Pettiness, For A Change

David Roth

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick announces he is leaving the team during a press conference at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on January 11, 2024.

Heartwarming: Miserable Man Frustrated In Ultimately Insignificant Way

Séamus Malekafzali is a New York-based journalist and writer primarily focusing on the politics of the Middle East.

Séamus Malekafzali

Donald Trump looks on as Lindsey Graham talks in the foreground.

Politics

Lindsey Graham Has Waited Decades For The Chance To Obliterate Iran

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

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - JANUARY 25: Sam Darnold #14 of the Seattle Seahawks celebrates after defeating the Los Angeles Rams an NFC Championship NFL football game at Lumen Field on January 25, 2026 in Seattle, Washington.

This Season Belongs To Sam Darnold

Patrick Redford

Boston, MA, 05/13/2019 -- Actress Felicity Huffman enters Federal Court. (Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff)

The Class Warfare Behind The Varsity Blues Saga

Lauren Theisen

Stefania Constantini and Amos Mosaner of Team Italy look on against Team Switzerland during the Curling Mixed Doubles Round Robin ahead of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics

Olympics

Let’s All Say “Buongiorno” To My Favorite Olympic Curlers

In This House We Believe In Highlights, With Samer Kalaf

Brandy Jensen

Defector Reads A Book

Defector Reads A Book Is Tackling ‘Wuthering Heights’

Head coach Nick Sirianni of the Philadelphia Eagles looks on before the NFC Wild Card Playoff game against the San Francisco 49ers.

Who Dares To Coordinate The Philadelphia Eagles’ Offense?

Leland Nally is a writer living in Los Angeles.

Leland Nally

Lisbon , Portugal - 3 November 2021; Tarek Mansour, Co-founder, Kalshi on Centre Stage during day two of Web Summit 2021 at the Altice Arena in Lisbon, Portugal.

Capital

Prediction Markets Are Betting On A Grim Future

Owen Lewis is a former Defector intern and co-founded the website <a href="http://popcorntennis.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://popcorntennis.com&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1726234676777000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0PFWw6PL-FUqaCMME5TLqP">popcorntennis.com</a>. He wrote 63,000 words about the Novak Djokovic-Rafael Nadal rivalry that can be accessed for free at <a href="https://thegoldenrivalry.substack.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://thegoldenrivalry.substack.com&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1726234676777000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2OjAHpo4PVIhkx8Xd21lRJ">thegoldenrivalry.substack.com</a>.

Owen Lewis

Fans line up to enter Melbourne Park ahead of day four matches at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 21, 2026.

Tennis

The Australian Open Is Too Much Of A Good Thing

Dave McKenna

Lauren Sánchez Bezos and Jeff Bezos are seen on December 24, 2025 in Aspen, Colorado.

Media Meltdowns

Jeff Bezos Is Putting The Washington Post Into Hospice

Kathryn Xu

Amanda Anisimova in action against Xinyu Wang.

Amanda Anisimova Defeats Wang Xinyu, Narrowly Escapes Amanda Anisimova

Tom Ley

Women's Basketball

“Disgusted” Breanna Stewart Holds Up “Abolish ICE” Sign Before Unrivaled Game

Kawhi Leonard #2 of the Los Angeles Clippers reacts during the first half of their game against the Brooklyn Nets at Intuit Dome on January 25, 2026 in Inglewood, California.

Clippers Win, Sentencing Blogger To Eat Words

Denver, CO - January 25: Denver Broncos quarterback Jarrett Stidham throws a backward pass in the second quarter. The New England Patriots played the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship Game at Empower Field at Mile High on January 25, 2026.

Jarrett Stidham Dropped The Ball

Maitreyi Anantharaman

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye gets a game-sealing first down in the fourth quarter. The New England Patriots played the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship Game at Empower Field at Mile High on January 25, 2026.

Crosswords

The Crossword, Jan. 26: Nailbiter (Themeless)

Alex Pareene

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Gregory Bovino with his security team while a group of citizens opposed to the country's immigration policies protested him in Minnesota on January 21, 2026.

I Have A Great Idea For Retraining ICE Agents

Sam Darnold of the Seattle Seahawks whoots enthusiastically following an NFC Championship NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams at Lumen Field on January 25, 2026 in Seattle, Washington.

Sam Darnold Is An Exorcist

Staff Writer
Find me on Signal @DefectorChris.19

Chris Thompson

Patriots And Broncos Stink On Ice

Vikings play-by-play guy Paul Allen talks into a microphone.

Oops! Vikings Play-By-Play Moron Chooses Yesterday’s Right-Wing Lie For Wisecrack About Minneapolis Protesters

Giannis Antetokounmpo looks bummed on the sideline.

Make Hay While The Sun Is Shining, By Losing In Earnest While Giannis Is Injured

Albert Burneko

Protesters take cover behind overturned trash containers as a line of federal agents forms a barricade across a downtown street during clashes following the fatal shooting of a demonstrator earlier in the day, on January 24, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Federal Agents Kill Again; Gunmen Still At Large

Supporters watch on from the Cusack Stand during the GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship final match between Kerry and Donegal at Croke Park in Dublin.

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