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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

Kathryn Xu

A racegoer holds an umbrella which is inside out on Grand National Day of the Randox Grand National Festival 2026 at Aintree Racecourse.

Life's Rich Pageant

Please Enjoy These Photos Of Damp And Drunk People At An English Horse Race

Patrick Redford

Winner Team Visma - Lease a Bike's Belgian rider Wout van Aert celebrates on the podium of the 123rd edition of the Paris-Roubaix one-day classic cycling race, 258.3 km between Compiègne and Roubaix, at the Vélodrome André-Pétrieux in Roubaix, northern France, on April 12, 2026. (Photo by Anne-Christine POUJOULAT / AFP)

Cycling

Wout van Aert Forever

Ray Ratto

Julian Reese of the Washington Wizards and Lachlan Olbrich #47 of the Chicago Bulls fight for the ball during the second half at Capital One Arena on April 9, 2026 in Washington, DC.

And Now It Is Time To Forget The NBA’s Regular Season

Maitreyi Anantharaman

Jordan Chiles of the UCLA Bruins celebrates after her routine on the balance beam against the Utah Utes at UCLA Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles, California, on March 14, 2026.

Crosswords

The Crossword, April 13: Call ‘Em Like I See ‘Em

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

In an aerial view, Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art (R) are shown in Exposition Park on March 5, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.

Olympics

One Angeleno’s Journey Through Olympics Ticket Madness

Tom Ley

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland reacts to making the winning putt, on the 18th green, during the final round of Masters Tournament

Golf

Rory McIlroy Held On Just Long Enough

Dave McKenna

Food

In Praise Of Cafe du Monde And Tourist Trap Eateries Everywhere

Brandy Jensen

Arts And Culture

‘Last One Laughing UK’ Is Absurdly Funny

Politics

New UFC Ad Rebuilds The White House

David Roth

WABC radio host Sid Rosenberg speaks during a protest against a tent shelter for migrants at Floyd Bennett Field in the Brooklyn borough of New York City on August 22, 2023. They're rallying against immigrants being housed there so everyone in the picture looks like someone who'd do that.

Media Meltdowns

New York Radio Yutz Has Had It With Mr. Met’s Antisemitism

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 13: Sacramento Kings owner Vivek Ranadivé watches the Kings play the Phoenix Suns at Golden 1 Center on November 13, 2024 in Sacramento, California. 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 Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

NBA Investigates Kings For Tanking, Determines That They’re Just Ass

Annie Geng

‘The Drama’ Has More Going For It Than A Provocative Twist

Giri Nathan

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 09: Tyson Etienne #10 of the Brooklyn Nets and Jalen Slawson #18 of the Indiana Pacers battle for possession during the second half at Barclays Center on April 09, 2026 in New York City. 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 Jordan Bank/Getty Images)

Do You Know These Men?

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

Life Lessons

The College Trip

Barry Petchesky

Science

It’s Time For The Scariest Part Of Artemis

General view inside of the Levi's Stadium on June 3, 2024 in Santa Clara, California.

Soccer

Poor Suckers Who Ponied Up For Expensive World Cup Tickets Boned By FIFA

Albert Burneko

In a black-and-white old photo from an exhibition in Paris in 1960, a robotic typist sits at a desk in front of a typewriter, with two women looking on.

The Machines

Why Would You Ask AI To Tell The Story Of Your Own Life?

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman speaks during the BlackRock Infrastructure Summit on March 11, 2026 in Washington, DC.

Podcasts

A Feast Of Sludge, With Ed Zitron

Spencer Weiner 805–653–7527 –– – (left–r) Steve Galbraith and Kim Cuevas, United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service Archaeologists, search burn area near Lions camp in Rose Valley. The Forest Service regularly researches ruins, or other artifacts revealed in Wilderness areas after wildfires. Members of U.S. Forest Service Archeological team are in areas of the Sespe Wilderness to check on the condition of rare Native American rock art and other artifacts that may have been damaged when the wolf fire raged through the area last week.

The Great Outdoors

The Trump Administration Is Killing The U.S. Forest Service So It Can Also Kill U.S. Forests

Owen Lewis is a former Defector intern and has written for The Guardian, The Second Serve, The Athletic, n+1, Texas Monthly, Air Mail, and other publications.

Owen Lewis

A radar board at a tennis tournament showing a 149 mph serve

Tennis

Men’s Tennis Is, Once Again, Too Fast

Staff Writer
Find me on Signal @DefectorChris.19

Chris Thompson

Tony Vitello Might Be Too Candid For His Own Good

Journalismism

Free Press Dipshit Humiliates Herself In Public Again

Israel Daramola

Music

The Best Songs Of Q1 2026

PORTLAND, OREGON - MARCH 21: Darius Acuff Jr. #5 of the Arkansas Razorbacks looks on against the High Point Panthers during the second half in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Moda Center on March 21, 2026 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images)

A Post-Tournament Prospect Prospectus, With David Roth

Heather Chen is a former Defector intern and the managing editor at the Columbia Daily Spectator. She loves hockey, photography, and the good ol’ state of Michigan.

Heather Wei-Xi Chen

The New York Sirens and the Seattle Torrent shake hands following their game at Madison Square Garden