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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

Dave McKenna

A screenshot of Ross Levinsohn standing at a lectern. He's speaking at the University of Colorado. A giant poster of an SI cover with Deion Sanders on it is behind him.

Journalismism

Debating The Finer Points Of Nepotism With Ex-SI Boss Ross Levinsohn

charismatic megafauna (they/them)

Sabrina Imbler

Creaturefector

Shark Is Maybe Baby

Tom Ley

Caitlin Clark #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes scores her 3,403 career point, passing Kelsey Mitchell for second in Division I NCAA women's basketball history, during the second quarter against the Northwestern Wildcats at Welsh-Ryan Arena on January 31, 2024 in Evanston, Illinois.

Women's Basketball

Caitlin Clark Keeps Gliding Towards Immortality

Patrick Redford

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - JANUARY 28: Travis Kelce #87 of the Kansas City Chiefs (L) celebrates with Taylor Swift after defeating the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship Game at M&amp;T Bank Stadium on January 28, 2024 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

Republicans Struggle To Comprehend Nation’s Interest In NFL All-Pro And Taylor Swift

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

Russian Olympic Committee Kamila Valieva with coaches Eteri Tutberidze (L) and Daniil Gleikhengauz after Women’s Free Program Final at Capital Indoor Stadium. Beijing, China

Figure Skating

Two Years Later, The Russian Figure Skating Scandal Still Lingers

Israel Daramola

A NCAA logo is seen on the field before the game between the South Dakota State Jackrabbits and the North Dakota State Bison in the Division I FCS Football Championship held at Toyota Stadium on January 8, 2023 in Frisco, Texas.

Death To The NCAA

NCAA’s Desperate Flailing Invites Another Lawsuit

Ray Ratto

An exterior view shows signage for Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium on January 30, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The game will be played on February 11, 2024, between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers.

Super Bowl Day 3: Too Stupid, Too Early

Staff Writer
Find me on Signal @DefectorChris.19

Chris Thompson

John Angelos Got Everything He Wanted

Dennis Young is the news editor at Front Office Sports.

Dennis Young

A runner (2nd R) looks at his watch as he stands at the start line during the 2015 Shanghai International Marathon in Shanghai on November 8, 2015. Shanghai marathon kicked off in the morning of November 8, with 35,000 runners starting their race from the Bund, local media reported.

Negative Splits

Embrace The Second-Dumbest Running Watch You Can Find

Dan McQuade was a founding member of Defector. He died in January 2026.

Dan McQuade

Moby performs on stage at a concert in 2002. He is in front of a mic in a black t-shirt with a weird eyeball design on it. He's sort of pushing forward with his torso as his arms go backward.

Music

A Notorious Pitchfork Reviewer Was My Biggest Musical Influence

Giri Nathan

Jannik Sinner with his Australian Open trophy

Tennis

Jannik Sinner Booted And Rallied To His First Major Title

MEMPHIS, TN - JANUARY 29: Domantas Sabonis #10 of the Sacramento Kings looks for a rebound during the game against the Memphis Grizzlies on January 29, 2024 at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2024 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)

An Ode To The Modern Rebounder

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

Femmes âgées ?faisant chabrot?, en ajoutant du vin rouge dans la soupe, en Bourgogne, France. (Photo by Alain RIVIERE-LECOEUR/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)

Funbag

Help! My Daughter Eats Soup Like An Animal!

Luis Paez-Pumar

Jimmy Butler #22 of the Miami Heat rebounds the ball against Bradley Beal #3 of the Phoenix Suns during the third quarter of the game at Kaseya Center on January 29, 2024 in Miami,

My Bad: I Cursed The Miami Heat

A poster of Jerry Seinfeld showing his perfect teeth. It's Dental Health Adviser from Fall 1993, and it's a large poster. It's telling you to floss.

Life Lessons

This Giant Visage Of Jerry Seinfeld Is What Finally Got Me To Floss

Nicholas Russell is a writer from Las Vegas.

Nicholas Russell

The main character giving a speech in Origin

Arts And Culture

‘Origin’ Fails As Both Homework And Entertainment

Billy Haisley

Head Coach Xavi Hernandez of FC Barcelona looks on during the LaLiga EA Sports match between FC Barcelona and Villarreal CF at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on January 27, 2024 in Barcelona, Spain.

Soccer

Xavi Writes Himself An Ending

An African grey parrot looking at the camera

Birdfector

Let The British Parrots Say “Fuck”

Science

I Bonked My Head On The Moon

David Roth

Boeing CEO David Calhoun speaks during a joint press event with United Airlines at the Boeing manufacturing facility in North Charleston, on December 13, 2022.

Capital

How Will The Golden Age Of “Making It Worse” End?

WINNIPEG, CANADA - JANUARY 11: MacKenzie Entwistle #58 and Lukas Reichel #27 of the Chicago Blackhawks get set at the bench prior to puck drop against the Winnipeg Jets at the Canada Life Centre on January 11, 2024 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. (Photo by Jonathan Kozub/NHLI via Getty Images)

The Blackhawks Are Plumbing The Depths

Lauren Theisen

Defector At The Movies

Stuck In The One-Woman Myth

What Happens Next?

Maitreyi Anantharaman

Usain Bolt of Jamaica celebrates victory in the Mens 200m Final, during the 2012 London Olympics at The Olympic Stadium on August 09, 2012 in London, England.