CULTURE

Footer Column 2

Footer Legal

Footer Main

Nav Bar

OTHER

SPORTS

Subscribe, at any level, to play

Thanks for your interest in Defector Crosswords!

Become a subscriber today to get unlimited access

Thanks for reading!

Plans start at $8/month.

Subscribers enjoy unlimited, ad-free browsing.

Register to continue

Or click here to subscribe for unlimited, ad-free access!

Our gift to you: This year's post is unlocked. Register your email to get even more free articles.

Welcome to the 2025 Hater's Guide!

Just register your email:

This blog is free to read.

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

Tom Ley

Some of the more than 400 proposition bets for Super Bowl LI between the Philadelphia Eagles and the New England Patriots are displayed at the Race &amp; Sports SuperBook at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort &amp; Casino on January 26, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Defector Up All Night

We Have Confirmed The Existence Of America’s New Worst Bettor

Patrick Redford

Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks celebrates during the game against the Indiana Pacers on February 1, 2024 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. 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 Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)

Jalen Brunson Is The Heart Of The Knicks

Ray Ratto

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - DECEMBER 12: Roger Goodell speaks onstage during the 2023 HOPE Global Forum at Hyatt Regency Atlanta on December 12, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Derek White/Getty Images)

Roger Goodell Is Tired Of Those Inconvenient Questions

Kathryn Xu

Charles Leclerc of Monaco and Ferrari, Alfa Romeo Racing Team Principal Frederic Vasseur and Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes GP look on before the F1 Grand Prix of China at Shanghai International Circuit on April 14, 2019 in Shanghai, China.

Racing

How Exactly Is This Whole Lewis Hamilton And Ferrari Thing Going To Work?

Lauren Theisen

Giri Nathan

Ana da Silva, lead singer of The Raincoats, on stage with the band in 1995.

Defector Music Club

Defector Music Club Knows Who The Raincoats Are

Emile is a freelance writer, originally from the U.S., now living in Barcelona. He writes about Spanish soccer, namely FC Barcelona and Barça Femeni, on Substack, at <a href="https://barcafemeni.substack.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://barcafemeni.substack.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1699026753084000&amp;usg=AOvVaw14bYDiXeApFrdtb0hLPnFE">La Barça Soc Supporter</a> and appears regularly on <a href="https://twitter.com/TheBarcelonaPod" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://twitter.com/TheBarcelonaPod&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1699026753084000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3pyv2PojdPBZ1Gkv3_aN-S">The Barcelona Podcast</a>. His work has previously featured at outlets including The Blizzard, <a href="https://urbanpitch.com/author/eavanessian/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://urbanpitch.com/author/eavanessian/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1699026753084000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0I4zygG7AmIDTzwXlPE2u_">Urban Pitch</a>, The Squall, Barça Blaugranes, and <a href="https://www.sportscollectorsdaily.com/author/emile-avanessian/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.sportscollectorsdaily.com/author/emile-avanessian/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1699026753084000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3g0kv0jxafpvL520xVCsVU">Sports Collectors Daily</a>.
Emile also writes about the NBA, at his new outpost League Pass in L’Eixample. His previous work can be found at Forum Blue and Gold and his own site, a living relic of the basketblog era, <a href="https://hardwoodhype.com/the-work" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://hardwoodhype.com/the-work&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1699026753085000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2U949Uf-KXcPwkDPCbW129">Hardwood Hype</a>.

Emile Avanessian

Jonatan Giraldez, Head Coach of FC Barcelona, gestures during the UEFA Women's Champions League group stage match between FC Barcelona and Eintracht Frankfurt at Estadi Johan Cruyff on January 25, 2024 in Barcelona, Spain.

Soccer

Jonatan Giráldez Is Trading A Golden Past For An Uncertain Future

PARIS, FRANCE - JANUARY 11: NBA commissioner Adam Silver speaks during a press conference ahead of the Paris Game 2024 match between Brooklyn Nets and Cleveland Cavaliers at Accor Arena in Paris, France on January 11, 2024. (Photo by Mustafa Yalcin/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Some People Just Can’t Stand To See A Load Managed

Staff Writer
Find me on Signal @DefectorChris.19

Chris Thompson

John Fisher’s Wandering Athletics Are Slipping Free Of Reality

Dillon Dube #29 of the Calgary Flames during a break in play against the Vegas Golden Knights.

The Calgary Flames’ Original Excuse For Dillon Dubé’s Absence Now Looks Slimy

David Roth

Jared Goff #16 of the Detroit Lions warms up prior to the NFC Championship NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium on January 28, 2024 in Santa Clara, California.

Podcasts

Lessons Of Collapse And The Christian Version Of Limp Bizkit, With Jason Kirk

Barry Petchesky

College Basketball: NCAA Playoffs: View of sports book patrons betting on March Madness games at MGM Grand Hotel &amp; Casino. Las Vegas, NV 3/21/2013 CREDIT: Chris Farina (Photo by Chris Farina /Sports Illustrated/Getty Images) (Set Number: X156296 TK2 R1 F31 )

Life's Rich Pageant

We’ve Found Him: America’s Dumbest Bettor

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

BENGHAZI, LIBYA - AUGUST 8,1943: A view as a soldier sits at the latrine at the U.S Air Force base in Benghazi, Libya. (Photo by Ivan Dmitri/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

Jamboroo

“Who Took A Giant Shit In The Drug Test Toilet?!” Your Annual POOPOROO

Logo for The Messenger, with letters flickering out and then going blank. First the 'h', then the 'nge', then the 'T e e r.' Blue background, white text.

Journalismism

The Messenger Was Built To Fail, And Did

Israel Daramola

Arts And Culture

To Love ‘Feud: Capote Vs. The Swans,’ You Must Loathe It

view of Elias Lindholm from above, stretching during warmups

The Canucks Are The Right Kind Of Nervous

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.

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

charismatic megafauna (they/them)

Sabrina Imbler

Creaturefector

Shark Is Maybe Baby

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

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

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

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

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.