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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

Shining brightly in this Hubble image is our closest stellar neighbour: Proxima Centauri. Proxima Centauri lies in the constellation of Centaurus (The Centaur), just over four light-years from Earth. Although it looks bright through the eye of Hubble, as you might expect from the nearest star to the Solar System, Proxima Centauri is not visible to the naked eye. Its average luminosity is very low, and it is quite small compared to other stars, at only about an eighth of the mass of the Sun. However, on occasion, its brightness increases. Proxima is what is known as a “flare star”, meaning that convection processes within the star’s body make it prone to random and dramatic changes in brightness. The convection processes not only trigger brilliant bursts of starlight but, combined with other factors, mean that Proxima Centauri is in for a very long life. Astronomers predict that this star will remain middle-aged — or a “main sequence” star in astronomical terms — for another four trillion years, some 300 times the age of the current Universe. These observations were taken using Hubble’s Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2). Proxima Centauri is actually part of a triple star system — its two companions, Alpha Centauri A and B, lie out of frame. Although by cosmic standards it is a close neighbour, Proxima Centauri remains a point-like object even using Hubble’s eagle-eyed vision, hinting at the vast scale of the Universe around us.

Reds Week

Red Dwarfs Are Super Stars

Ray Ratto

A screenshot of the Starbug's bridge from an episode of Red Dwarf, with the Reds Week logo at lower right.

‘Red Dwarf’ Became A Sci-Fi Classic By Rejecting Every Sci-Fi Convention

Billy Haisley

Bruno Fernandes of Manchester United reacts after his team concedes a second goal during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Hull City and Manchester United.

Hull City Drags Red Devils Right Back To Hell

Samer Kalaf

CEO Jed York of the San Francisco 49ers looks on prior to a game

49ers Owner Jed York Red-Faced After Arrest In Ohio


<div dir="auto">Liz Cook is a freelance writer and recipe developer based in Kansas City. Her work appears in places like Serious Eats, Eater, the BBC, and Condé Nast Traveler. She also writes the experimental food newsletter <a href="https://haterade.substack.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Haterade</a>. </div>


Liz Cook

Turn Your Busted Tomatoes Into Tomato Water

<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

Why Your Team Sucks

Why Your Team Sucks 2026: Philadelphia Eagles

Alex Sujong Laughlin

Alexander Chee performs as part of Wesley Stace's Cabinet of Wonders variety show at City Winery.

Podcasts

Alexander Chee Trusted His Gut

Luis Paez-Pumar

A detail shot of merchandise in the team store prior to the game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park.

Red Uniforms, Ranked

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


Sabrina Imbler

Redback spider - Latrodectus hasselti on a branch

Some Spiders Savor Sacrificial Somersault Sex

Maitreyi Anantharaman

Manager Terry Francona #77 of the Cincinnati Reds argues with umpire Chris Conroy #98 after being ejected from the game in the first inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium on June 5, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri.

Crosswords

The Crossword, Aug. 24: Bat To Ball

Lauren Theisen

Is My Hair Red? A Defector Slack Investigation

<div class="r43lxo-0 gqfcxx js_post-content">
<p class="sc-77igqf-0 bOfvBY">Vince Guerrieri is an award-winning journalist and author in the Cleveland area. He likes Lake Erie perch sandwiches, Jim Traficant and long walks on the field at League Park. His website is <a class="sc-1out364-0 hMndXN sc-145m8ut-0 kGbjEv js_link" href="http://vinceguerrieri.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-ga="[[&quot;Embedded Url&quot;,&quot;External link&quot;,&quot;http://vinceguerrieri.com/&quot;,{&quot;metric25&quot;:1}]]">vinceguerrieri.com</a>, and you can follow him on Twitter <a class="sc-1out364-0 hMndXN sc-145m8ut-0 kGbjEv js_link" href="https://twitter.com/vinceguerrieri" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-ga="[[&quot;Embedded Url&quot;,&quot;External link&quot;,&quot;https://twitter.com/vinceguerrieri&quot;,{&quot;metric25&quot;:1}]]">@vinceguerrieri</a>.</p>
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Vince Guerrieri

Portrait of, from left, baseball players George Crowe, Wally Post, and Gus Bell, all of the Cincinnati Reds, as they pose at Crosley Field, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1957. (Photo by Transcendental Graphics/Getty Images)

How Cincinnati Ruined All-Star Voting For A Dozen Years

Tom Ley

Mr. Redlegs dressed as a communist general

Announcements

It’s Reds Week

David Roth

Deshaun Watson of the Cleveland Browns calls a play during a preseason game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on August 15, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois.

Deshaun Watson: Very Telling That Browns Fans Would Boo Me For Being A Lousy Quarterback And Shitty Guy

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


Chris Thompson

Randy Arozarena celebrates a game-winning dinger.

Randy Arozarena Made The Mariners Smile

Giri Nathan

MASON, OHIO - AUGUST 18: Frances Tiafoe of the United States returns a shot during a match against Learner Tien of the United States on day eight of the Cincinnati Open at Lindner Family Tennis Center on August 18, 2026 in Mason, Ohio. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)

Tennis

Frances Tiafoe Is Peaking At The Right Time

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert is sacked by New England Patriots linebacker Anfernee Jennings in the fourth quarter.

Why Your Team Sucks 2026: Los Angeles Chargers

Israel Daramola

HOUSTON, TEXAS - DECEMBER 27: Head coach Lane Kiffin of the Louisiana State Tigers poses with the mascot before the game against the Houston Cougars during the Kinder's Texas Bowl at NRG Stadium on December 27, 2025 in Houston, Texas.

College Football

The 2026 College Football Offseason Recap

Matt Calkins being interviewed on News Nation

Journalismism

Seattle Times Dipshit Quits Because His Editors Were Smart Enough To Spike His Stupid Columns

Patrick Redford

PARIS, FRANCE - JULY 26: (EDITOR'S NOTE: Tonal effects have been applied to this image) Tadej Pogacar of Slovenia and UAE Team Emirates - XRG - Yellow Leader Jersey celebrates at finish line as final overall winner during the 113th Tour de France 2026, Stage 21 a 89km stage from Paris to Paris / #UCIWT / on July 26, 2026 in Paris, France. (Photo by Dario Belingheri/Getty Images)

Cycling

Tadej Pogacar Returns To The Scene Of His Arrival

Martin Odegaard of Arsenal (hidden by ticker tape) celebrates with the Premier League trophy after the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Arsenal at Selhurst Park on May 24, 2026 in London, England.

Soccer

And Now, A 2026-27 Premier League Preview In Five Storylines

Dave McKenna

AUSTIN, TEXAS - JULY 28: From left, Brandon Creighton, chancellor of the Texas Tech University System; Wynn Rosser, commissioner of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board; Michael Williams, chancellor of the University of North Texas System; and Brandon Simmons, ombudsman for the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, testify during a Texas Senate Committee on Higher Education hearing on Senate Bill 37 at the Capitol in Austin, Tuesday, July 28, 2026. (Jay Janner/The Austin American-Statesman via Getty Images)

Texas Tech’s  Administration Is Just As Embarrassing As Its Football Program

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - NOVEMBER 16: Aaron Rodgers #8 of the Pittsburgh Steelers reacts after being sacked during an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Acrisure Stadium on November 16, 2025 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)

Why Your Team Sucks 2026: Pittsburgh Steelers

Kathryn Xu

Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing and Laurent Mekies, Team Principal of Oracle Red Bull Racing pose for a photo in a press conference.

Racing

After All That, Max Verstappen Re-Signs With Red Bull Racing

A photo I took of the sun setting over the bay in Strathmere, NJ. There's a dock at left and The Distraction logo at upper left.