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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

Columbus’s Biggest Believer Gets The Boot

Billy Haisley

Brahim Diaz of Real Madrid CF celebrates after scoring his team's first goal during the UEFA Champions League 2023/24 round of 16 first leg match between RB Leipzig and Real Madrid CF at Red Bull Arena on February 13, 2024 in Leipzig, Germany.

Soccer

Everybody’s A Star At Real Madrid

Kelsey McKinney

The Traitors cast arrayed around the round table.

Arts And Culture

‘The Traitors’ Is The Best Show On Television

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

Dan McQuade

One man rushes onto the court after Detroit Mercy wins its first game of the season.

College Basketball

Detroit Mercy Gave Up Losing For Lent

Dave McKenna

RTÉ analyst team, from left, Jackie Tyrell, Dónal Óg Cusack and Joanne Cantwell at half-time during the Allianz Hurling League Division 1 Group A match between Cork and Kilkenny at SuperValu Páirc Ui Chaoimh in Cork.

Hurling

The Wasting Of The Green: A Hurling Commentator’s Righteous Stadium Rant

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

A man walks on a pockmarked road, carrying another man across his shoulders, from the TV series 'Top Boy.'

I Am A ‘Top Boy’ Boy Now

(Original Caption) Frankenstein starring Boris Karloff as The Monster. Scene in the laboratory.

Life Lessons

I Have Become The Dr. Frankenstein Of Amps

Patrick Redford

Law enforcement and medical personnel respond to a shooting at Union Station during the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl LVIII victory parade on February 14, 2024 in Kansas City, Missouri.

Gunfire At Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl Parade Leaves One Dead, More Than 20 Injured

Maitreyi Anantharaman

Japan's Mai Yamamoto (C) celebrates the team's victory after the 2024 FIBA Women's Olympic qualifying tournament basketball match between Canada and Japan in Sopron, Hungary on February 11, 2024.

Women's Basketball

My Basketball GOAT Is 5-Foot-4

charismatic megafauna (they/them)

Sabrina Imbler

Barry Petchesky

David Roth

Whale stranded at Winterton, 1857. 'This fine specimen of the whale tribe was driven ashore at Winterton by the gales which visited the coast of Norfolk...When the whale found himself upon land he roared loudly, and he struggled most lustily to regain the deep...The colour of the outer coat is dark brown on the back, vanishing off towards the body of a bluish grey. The body is white; also about two feet of the nose and baleen is white; the rest of the outer part is black. We understand that the skin, head, and tail were removed from the carcase for exhibition. The whale is stated to weigh about 25 tons'. From &quot;Illustrated London News&quot;, 1857.

Defector Reads A Book

From Hell’s Heart We Blog At Thee: Let’s Chat About ‘Moby-Dick’

Newly acquired Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani puts on his jersey for the first time as Chairman of the Los Angeles Dodgers Mark Walter looks on during a press conference on December 14, 2023 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Early Reviews Suggest That MLB’s New Jerseys Suck Ass

Tom Ley

An image from Jesse Hernandez's body cam footage

Policing

Cop Empties Clip On Suburban Street After Hearing Acorn Strike His Car

The Padres Squandered The Greatest Gift

Ray Ratto

OAKLAND, CA - JULY 19: Owner John Fisher of the Oakland Athletics stands in the stands during the game against the Houston Astros at the Oakland Coliseum on July 19, 2016 in Oakland, California. The Athletics defeated the Astros 4-3. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/Oakland Athletics/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** John Fisher

Look Who’s Come Crawling Back To Oakland

Soraya Roberts

Color-coded passages of text tracking James Somerton's plagiarism

It’s A Great Time To Be A Plagiarist

Justin Ellis

A man sitting in an Apple Store in Los Angeles demos the Apple Vision Pro with his hands held wide apart in a very silly way.

Capital

The Problem With The Goggles Of The Future Is Today

Defector Up All Night

Look At This Big Stupid Desk

Morgan Rielly cross-checks Ridly Greig after an empty-net slap shot.

Ridly Greig’s Empty-Net Clapper Has Turned Into A Provincial Scandal

Israel Daramola

A display for CBS Sports Streaming on Paramount+ is shown in front of the Bellagio Hotel & Casino.

Paramount CEO Announces Layoffs One Day After Boasting About Super Bowl Revenue

Staff Writer
Find me on Signal @DefectorChris.19

Chris Thompson

Ted Leonsis’s Suburban Dreams Are Drowning In Glenn Youngkin’s Big Fat Mouth

Funbag

Autoplay Wants To Eat Your Humanity

Igor Shesterkin is named first star of the game

Shesterkin Shutout Stifles Squabble

opossum, Red-Tailed Hawk, Raccoon (Photo by Dick Loek/Toronto Star via Getty Images)

This Is So Stupid

Critter Or Varmint?

LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 10: Ausar Thompson #9 of the Detroit Pistons looks on during the game on February 10, 2024 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. 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 Tyler Ross/NBAE via Getty Images)

Don’t Look Now, But The Pistons Have Competition In The Crapper

A little yellow frog with a tiny white mushroom sprouting out of its side