Footer Legal

Header - Categories

Header Menu

The last good website.

Topics

Subscribe, at any level, to play

Thanks for your interest in Defector Crosswords!

Become a subscriber today to get unlimited access

Thanks for reading!

Plans start at $8/month.

Subscribers enjoy unlimited, ad-free browsing.

Register to continue

Or click here to subscribe for unlimited, ad-free access!

Our gift to you: This year's post is unlocked. Register your email to get even more free articles.

Welcome to the 2025 Hater's Guide!

Just register your email:

This blog is free to read.

Defector

Albert Burneko

Politics

As Best We Can Tell, Kristi Noem Is Now A Green Lantern Or Some Shit

David Roth

Justin Agu #13 of the Louisville Cardinals catches the ball against the Toledo Rockets during the first half of the 2025 Bush's Boca Raton Bowl of Beans at Flagler Credit Union Stadium on December 23, 2025.

Podcasts

Imagining The End Of College Sports, With Spencer Hall

Giri Nathan

Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks looks on during the first quarter against the Indiana Pacers at Fiserv Forum on February 06, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 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 Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

An Interview With A Tenant Who Doesn’t Have Heat In Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Building

Billy Haisley

Antoine Griezmann second striker of Atletico de Madrid and France celebrates the victory after winning the second leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final between FC Barcelona and Atletico de Madrid at Spotify Camp Nou on March 3, 2026 in Barcelona, Spain.

Soccer

Antoine Griezmann Is Still Too Good To Go

Kathryn Xu

Aston Martin team principal Adrian Newey during day two of F1 Testing at Bahrain

Racing

Aston Martin: Driving Our Car Will Maim You

<p>Owen Lewis is a former Defector intern and has written for The Guardian, The Second Serve, The Athletic, and other publications.</p>


Owen Lewis

A view of the court at the Australian Open

Tennis

How I Became A Target For Right-Wing Freaks At The Australian Open

Ray Ratto

Charlotte Hornets forward Moussa Diabate (14) screams out after dunking during the first half of a NBA game at the TD Garden.

No, Seriously, Pay Attention To The Charlotte Hornets

Maitreyi Anantharaman

Kelsey Plum #10 of the Phantom dribbles the ball against Breanna Stewart #30 of the Mist during the first quarter of an Unrivaled 2026 at Sephora Arena on January 12, 2026 in Medley, Florida

WNBA

What’s Going On With The WNBA CBA Talks?

<p>Flatbush Local, Culture Writer, Former Mayor of New York City.</p>


Abe Beame

Arts And Culture

Lost Recipes

Dave McKenna

Boxing

Report: Tyson Vs. Mayweather, The Con In The Congo, Is Off For Now

Patrick Redford

TOKYO, JAPAN - SEPTEMBER 14: Susanna Sullivan of Team United States and Jessica McClain of Team United States compete in the Women's Marathon during day two of the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 2025 at National Stadium on September 14, 2025 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

Running

U.S. Half-Marathon Championships Thrown Into Chaos After Leaders Accidentally Led Off Course

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 29: New York Knicks fans react after game five in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers after the Knicks win at Madison Square Garden on May 29, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Kent J. Edwards/Getty Images)

New York Or Nowhere, With Will Menaker

Shohei Ohtani #16 of team Japan warms up during the 2026 World Baseball Classic exhibition game.

World Baseball Classic, Or Assic?

<p>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 <em>Point B</em>. Handsomest man in the world.</p>


Drew Magary

Kyler Murray Dishonorably Discharged


<p>charismatic megafauna (they/them)</p>


Sabrina Imbler

Chimp Toti attentively observes the quartz crystal during Experiment 1.

Creaturefector

Which Chimp Should Wield The Crystal?


<p><a href="https://twitter.com/petesegall?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pete Segall</a> lives in Chicago. His fiction has appeared in <em>The Bennington Review</em>, <em>Conjunctions</em>, <em>The Drift</em>, and elsewhere.</p>


Pete Segall

A collage featuring three of the different paperback covers for "Cleo Birdwell"'s 1980 novel Amazons.

Don DeLillo’s Funniest Novel Is A 1980 Hockey Sex Romp He Won’t Acknowledge

Breakfast tray on double bed next to open French doors.

Funbag

I Burp My House Now

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


Chris Thompson

Nikola Jokic Is A Mountain Of Angst

PARIS, FRANCE - MAY 11: Yoko Tawada, Japanese writer poses during portrait session held on May 11, 2006 in Paris, France. (Photo by Ulf Andersen/Getty Images)

Yoko Tawada Is A Genius In Any Language

Trae Young of the Washington Wizards looks on as a tribute was shown during the second quarter against the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena on February 24, 2026.

Trae Young Got Ejected From A Wizards Game Before He Ever Played In One

Barry Petchesky

FBI Director Kash Patel is sworn in before testifying during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on "Oversight of the Federal Bureau of Investigation" on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on September 16, 2025. Patel faces the Senate panel amid criticism of his handling of the investigation into the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk and the case of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. (Photo by Jim WATSON / AFP) (Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)

Anyone Want To See Kash Patel Fall On His Ass While Playing Hockey?

Luis Paez-Pumar

Football journalist Fabrizio Romano during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD6 match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and FC Internazionale Milano at BayArena on December 10, 2024 in Leverkusen, Germany.

Why Is Soccer’s Most Famous Scoopster Doing PR Work For Saudi Arabia?

<div id="message-list_1773066846.655809">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>Abigail Segel is a contributing writer at Defector. She is also an editor for The IX Soccer and the Equalizer. Her work has been published in the Guardian and the Montreal Gazette.</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>


Abigail Segel

The NWSL Offseason Put Important New Faces In New Places

Daniil Medvedev poses with the trophy after his victory in the Men's Singles Final against Tallon Griekspoor of the Netherlands on day fourteen of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships at Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium on February 28, 2026 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Christopher Pike/Getty Images)

Daniil Medvedev’s Tennis Plans Interrupted By Unrelated Global Crisis

Belgium Remco Evenepoel, Slovenia Tadej Pogacar and France Paul Seixas pictured on the podium after the Men Elite raod race, a 202,5 km from Privas to Guilherand-Granges, at the UEC road European cycling championships, Sunday 05 October 2025, France. The European cycling championships Drome-Ardeche takes place from 1 to 5 October, France. BELGA PHOTO DAVID PINTENS (Photo by DAVID PINTENS / BELGA MAG / Belga via AFP)

All Articles