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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

Patrick Redford

Kalshi's logo appears on a smartphone placed on a reflective surface, with a blurry betting curve projected in the background in Creteil, France, on March 9, 2026, during a major scandal and $54 million lawsuit concerning bets related to recent strikes in Iran. (Photo by Samuel Boivin/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Gambling

Kalshi Lawsuit Pits States Against Trump Family’s Corruption Machine

Giri Nathan

Novak Djokovic of Serbia reacts during a changeover against Mariano Navone

Tennis

Novak Djokovic Pukes And Crumbles  At The U.S. Open

Luis Paez-Pumar

Cole Palmer of Chelsea celebrates scoring his team’s fourth goal with Morgan Rogers, Jorrel Hato and Pep Chavarria during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Chelsea FC and Brighton &amp; Hove Albion at Stamford Bridge on August 30, 2026 in London, England.

Soccer

Chelsea Contains Thrilling Multitudes

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Mike Tanier has covered the NFL for 20 years for Football Outsiders, the New York Times, The Messenger, Bleacher Report, Sports on Earth, and other ancient empires. He&#8217;s a co-author of Aaron Schatz&#8217;s FTN Football Almanac and the author of the Y/A novel for grownups Long Snapper&#8217;s Blues. He lives off Exit 3 of the New Jersey Turnpike with his long-suffering wife, two sons and a 70-pound American Bully named Frank the Tank. His newsletter, <a href="https://too-deep-zone.ghost.io/">Too Deep Zone</a>, has officially launched.
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Mike Tanier

Why Your Team Sucks

Why Your Team Sucks 2026: Houston Texans

Maitreyi Anantharaman

Nicole Gosling #61 of the Montréal Victoire celebrates her goal with teammates on the bench during the third period against the Ottawa Charge in Game One of the PWHL Walter Cup Final at Place Bell on May 14, 2026 in Laval, Quebec, Canada.

Crosswords

The Crossword, Aug. 31:  Prepare For Trouble, And Make It Double (Themeless)

Tom Ley

Life's Rich Pageant

Daejon Love Will Go Down As A Scammer For The Ages

Rachelle Hampton

Dolly Parton stands alone on stage holding a microphone. She's wearing a flowy red top and black bottoms.

Arts And Culture

Dolly Parton Prepared Us For The End

Brandy Jensen

Don’t Forget The Nails

Peter Coviello is Professor of English at UIC. He writes about normal things: Walt Whitman, Mormon polygamy, stepparenthood, Prince.

Peter Coviello

Dolly, Josephine, And Me

Mr. Redlegs dressed as a communist general

Reds Week

It’s No Longer Reds Week

David Roth

Aristides Aquino of the Cincinnati Reds looks on from the dugout in the eighth inning during the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on September 28, 2022 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Aristides Aquino Thumped While The Thumping Was Good

Kate Wagner

There Is Only One Lesson Of Red Vienna

charismatic megafauna (they/them)

Sabrina Imbler

a strange-looking fish called the red-lipped batfish with the reds week logo

Why Does The Red-Lipped Batfish Look Like That?

Dave McKenna

Close view of gloved hands priming a fine syringe for local anesthesia during surgery in a modern sterile clinic

I’m A Redhead, So Hit Me With Your Best Shot (Of Lidocaine)

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

Why Your Team Sucks 2026: San Francisco 49ers

Israel Daramola

Ray Ratto

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - NOVEMBER 30: The UNLV Rebels celebrate on the field after the team's 38-14 victory over the Nevada Wolf Pack at Allegiant Stadium on November 30, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

College Football

We Caught These Teams Playing Imaginary Football Redhanded

<a href="mailto:tara@taraariano.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tara Ariano</a> co-hosts the podcasts <a href="https://www.extrahotgreat.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Extra Hot Great</a>, <a href="https://listentosassy.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Listen To Sassy</a>, and <a href="https://www.againwiththis90210.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Again With This</a>. She is also the co-author, with Sarah D. Bunting, of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Very-Special-90210-Book-Absolutely/dp/1419747460?tag=decider08-20" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">A Very Special 90210 Book: 93 Absolutely Essential Episodes From TV’s Most Notorious Zip Code</a>. Her byline has appeared in the New York Times Magazine, GQ, Vanity Fair, New York, Slate, Vulture, Salon, and The Awl, among many others. She lives in Austin.
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It's a photo of Tara Ariano. She has big sunglasses on.

Tara Ariano

The Cozy-Looking Sweaters In ‘Reds,’ Ranked

Who Needs Life On Mars When It Has Glacial Spiders?

Staff Writer
Find me on Signal @DefectorChris.19

Chris Thompson

Let’s Make Some Romesco, Not Only Because It’s Red, But Because It Rules

Lauren Theisen

Storm clouds blanket the sky over Great American Ball Park as Starlin Castro #13 of the Chicago Cubs fields a ground ball in the fifth inning against the Cincinnati Reds as on July 7, 2014 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Cincinnati defeated Chicago 9-3.

I Went To A Reds Game And The Sky Was Red

Red from Red Dead Revolver standing just outside of Brimstone, the main city in the game. The Reds Week logo is on the bottom left.

Before ‘Red Dead Redemption,’ There Was ‘Red Dead Revolver’

Kelsey McKinney

four actors in bad Beatles wigs pose for a photo

Possible Red Card: The Beatles Movie Wigs

A still from the Sherlock Holmes episode "The Red-Headed League"

“The Red-Headed League” Is A Sherlock Holmes Mystery That Can Laugh At Itself

Amy Schneider is a software engineer, cat owner, and Jeopardy champion who posts about her experiences on Twitter @Jeopardamy. She used to have a podcast, and odds are she will again some day.

Amy Schneider

13 Short Blogs About The Cincinnati Reds

Rich Dotson of the Chicago White Sox pitches during an MLB game at Comiskey Park in Chicago, Illinois during the 1986 season.