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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

Ray Ratto

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder looks on against the San Antonio Spurs during the third quarter in Game Seven of the NBA Western Conference Finals.

There’s No Such Thing As An Inevitable Team In The NBA

Sarah Borus

Closeup of American actor Patty Duke smiling in a still from the television series 'The Patty Duke Show'.

Announcements

It’s Nice To Meet You. ‘The Patty Duke Show’ Has Fundamentally Changed Me As A Person

Sohini Desai

A Non-Exhaustive List Of Things That Happened To Me Last Week 

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


Sabrina Imbler

Green Pakistani Parrot on White Background

Birdfector

Let Birds Masturbate

Patrick Redford

TORONTO, ON - MARCH 20: De'Aaron Fox #5 of the Sacramento Kings speaks to head coach Mike Brown in a break against the Toronto Raptors during the first half of their basketball game at the Scotiabank Arena on March 20, 2024 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 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 Mark Blinch/Getty Images)

Beam Team’s Esteemed Dreams Once Deemed Reamed, Now Redeemed With New Regimes

Lauren Theisen

Pro Wrestling

How Did A C-Tier WWE Guy From Germany Become One Of The Most Popular Luchadores In Mexico?

<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

CLEVELAND, OHIO - AUGUST 23: Defensive end Myles Garrett #95 of the Cleveland Browns reacts as he warms up before an NFL Preseason 2025 game against the Los Angeles Rams at Huntington Bank Field on August 23, 2025 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)

What The Fuck Are The Rams Doing?

Tom Ley

Sadio Mane and Pape Thiaw hold the AFCON trophy

Soccer

Senegal’s Bringing A Good Team And Some Nasty Vibes To The World Cup

Giri Nathan

Joao Fonseca of Brazil celebrates a point against Casper Ruud of Norway during the Men's Singles Fourth Round match on Day Eight of the 2026 French Open at Roland Garros on May 31, 2026 in Paris, France. (Photo by James Fearn/Getty Images)

Tennis

Joao Fonseca Has Created More Chaos At The French Open

Media Meltdowns

Boring Dunce Nick Bilton Hounded Out Of First Meeting With ’60 Minutes’ Staffers

Israel Daramola

Arts And Culture

RIP To ‘Euphoria,’ HBO’s Dumbest Show

Alex Sujong Laughlin

Podcasts

‘Try Hard’ Is Back, Now In Video Form

The USMNT Is Still Stuck In The Middle

<p>Nicholas Russell is a writer from Las Vegas.</p>


Nicholas Russell

‘Backrooms’ Doesn’t Quite Capture The Weirdness Of The Originals

sprinklers spraying the field with players on it

College Softball

Texas Tech Overcomes Last-Ditch Homer And Sprinkler Attack To Beat UCLA

Maitreyi Anantharaman

Lionel Messi of Argentina celebrates with the trophy at the end of the Finalissima trophy 2022 football match between Italy and Argentina. Argentina won 3-0 over Italy.

Crosswords

The Crossword, June 1: Bleus Band

Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred answers questions during an MLB owner's meeting at the Waldorf Astoria on February 10, 2022 in Orlando, Florida. Manfred addressed the ongoing lockout of players, which owners put in place after the league's collective bargaining agreement ended on December 1, 2021.

MLB Owners Want A Salary Cap Because They Want To Cash Out

Dave McKenna

Sphere Entertainment Co. Executive Chairman and CEO James Dolan operates a booth for the Wizard's chamber during a preview of the Atrium experience for "The Wizard of Oz at Sphere" ahead of the show's premiere on August 28, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

To Boo Or Not To Boo? That’s The Question, Knicks Fans

Fernando Tatis Jr. looks relieved after hitting a homer

Fernando Tatis Jr. Finally Hit A Damn Homer

Luis Paez-Pumar

A screenshot of OOTP 27, showing Jose Ramirez hitting against Logan Gilbert

Video Games

Playing A Baseball Simulator Made Me A Fanatic Again

There’s No Hiding From The Spurs

Gabriel of Arsenal looks dejected after missing the team's fifth penalty in the penalty shoot out, as players of Paris Saint-Germain celebrate victory in the UEFA Champions League Final 2026 match between Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal FC at Puskas Arena on May 30, 2026 in Budapest, Hungary.

Well, That Stunk

<p>Joshua C. Kendall was born in New York City. An award-winning freelance journalist, he has written on history,<br />
politics, biography, health care, and neuroscience for many national magazines and newspapers. He is currently an associate fellow of Yale’s Trumbull College. His previous books include <em>First Dads</em>, <em>The Man Who Made Lists</em>, and <em>The Forgotten Founding Father</em>.</p>


Joshua Kendall

Book Excerpts That Don't Suck

“Awfulness For Decades”: A Short History Of Trump And Doonesbury

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<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>
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Abigail Segel

Janine Sonis of the Denver Summit FC celebrateds her second goal of the second half against the Orlando Pride with teammates Kaleigh Kurtz and Eva Gaetino.

The Denver Summit May Not Be Good, But They Sure Are Fun

Defector Staff

A photo of a bunch of old-timey green barstools with the cover of the NYRB Classics edition of Robert Coover's Universal Baseball Association in the middle and the Defector Reads A Book logo at left.