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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

Lauren Theisen

Journalismism

Pro-Commanders Spin Somehow A Bigger Mess Than Commanders

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

Dan McQuade

Baylor Bears head coach Scott Drew yells after being called for a technical foul during the Big 12 college basketball game between Baylor Bears and Iowa State Cyclones on February 3, 2024, at Foster Pavilion in Waco, Texas.

College Basketball

A Coach Got T’d Up For Being On The Court!

Barry Petchesky

David Roth

Kathryn Xu

Metlife Stadium across the Hackensack River in Secaucus, New Jersey, on June 15, 2023. Activist Bill Sheehan has turned mountains to clean up the river, polluted by industry, ten kilometers (6.2 miles) from Manhattan, even if much remains to be done. "It didn't take me long to realize that the river needed a full-time advocate," he says of the hemmed in by an ultra-dense urban grid. (Photo by KENA BETANCUR / AFP) (Photo by KENA BETANCUR/AFP via Getty Images)

Soccer

Let Us Discuss What The World Cup Final Means For “New York New Jersey”

Maitreyi Anantharaman

A Boykin Spaniel competes in the 147th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show Presented by Purina Pro Plan at Arthur Ashe Stadium on May 09, 2023 in New York City.

Crosswords

The Crossword, Feb. 5: Ring Ring

Tom Ley

The Sixers And Joel Embiid Are Back In The Bad Times

Dwayne Johnson and Vince McMahon at a press conference

Pro Wrestling

WWE Presses The Panic Button, Summons The Rock

charismatic megafauna (they/them)

Sabrina Imbler

a sea otter eating a crab in Monterey Bay

Creaturefector

Hungry Sea Otters Can Change The World

Dennis Young is the news editor at Front Office Sports.

Dennis Young

Marathon running holding a Palestinian flag

Olympics

How Four Marathoners Organized A Ceasefire Protest From Across The Country

All-Star Weekends Could Use More Heels

Ray Ratto

No One Can Fire A Coach Like The NHL

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

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

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?

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.

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

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

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.