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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

Kelsey McKinney

The Great Outdoors

In Defense Of Chaos Gardening

Albert Burneko

Deuce McBride of the New York Knicks rises up to shoot over Tyrese Maxey of the Philadelphia 76ers.

New York’s Second Unit Chased The 76ers Into The Pain Cave

Tom Ley

A fan holds up a sign for Naz Reid #11 of the Minnesota Timberwolves in the third quarter of the game against the Toronto Raptors at Target Center on April 3, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Defector Up All Night

Open Thread!

Billy Haisley

Emiliano Martinez of Aston Villa reacts after saving the first penalty by Nabil Bentaleb of Lille OSC (not pictured) in the penalty shoot out during the UEFA Europa Conference League 2023/24 Quarter-final second leg match between Lille OSC and Aston Villa at Stade Pierre-Mauroy on April 18, 2024 in Lille, France.

Soccer

Troll God Emi Martínez Shows Once Again Why He Is The Penalty Shootout King

Maitreyi Anantharaman

Mason Miller #19 of the Oakland Athletics delivers a pitch against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on April 06, 2024 in Detroit, Michigan.

Mason Miller Is Keeping The A’s Interesting

Patrick Redford

ARLINGTON, TEXAS - MARCH 30: Former NFL player and Colorado Buffalos head coach Deion Sanders looks on prior to a game between the Arlington Renegades and Birmingham Stallions at Choctaw Stadium on March 30, 2024 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Sam Hodde/UFL/Getty Images)

College Football

Deion Sanders On Transferring Players: Bye Losers


<p>charismatic megafauna (they/them)</p>


Sabrina Imbler

a brown pacific field cricket with a whitish parasitoid fly sitting on top of it

Creaturefector

In Hawaii, Crickets Are Learning New Songs Of Sex And Death

Alex Sujong Laughlin

Singer JoJo Siwa on the red carpet entering the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards in Hollywood, wearing a black and silver sequins outfit reminiscent of Gene Simmons from the band Kiss.

Arts And Culture

When You Eat Poison Long Enough, It Starts To Taste Good

Luis Paez-Pumar

Ray Ratto

UNITED STATES - CIRCA 1900: Dance Lessons for the Palace Club Basketball Team.

For Literally The First Time Ever, A “Preview” Of The NBA Playoffs

Hensley Meulens #31 of the Colorado Rockies poses for a photo during the Colorado Rockies Photo Day at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on Friday, February 24, 2023 in Scottsdale, Arizona.

There Are Several Reasons Not To Let Anyone From The Colorado Rockies Into An Airplane Cockpit

Dave McKenna

Ryan Garcia speaks to reporters during a media workout at World Class Boxing Gym on April 9, 2024 in Dallas, Texas.

Boxing

Ryan Garcia Is Promoting His Title Fight By Having A Mental Breakdown

EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - FEBRUARY 18: New York Rangers fans cheer on after the 2024 Navy Federal Credit Union Stadium Series game between the New York Rangers and the New York Islanders at MetLife Stadium on February 18, 2024 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Rangers defeated the Islanders 6-5 in overtime. (Photo by Brian Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images)

Dear Long-Suffering Fans: Keep It To Yourself

<p>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 <em>Point B</em>. Handsomest man in the world.</p>


Drew Magary

Atmosphere at the Nike Air Innovation Summit held at the Palais Brongniart on April 11, 2024 in Paris, France.

Capital

The Fanatics Disaster Is Also A Nike Disaster

Kathryn Xu

Anthony Volpe #11 of the New York Yankees reacts after a call made by home plate umpire umpire Angel Hernandez #5 during the fifth inning against the Houston Astros at Yankee Stadium.

This May Be Hard To Believe, But It Gets Even Worse Than Ángel Hernández

Lauren Theisen

PEN America Chooses The Most Cowardly Words

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<div class="p-rich_text_section">Tom Scocca is the editor of <a href="http://indignity.net">Indignity</a>, a subscription-supported newsletter of news, essays, and commentary.</div>
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Tom Scocca

A big outdoor sign reading USC University of Southern California, with a student riding a skateboard in the background.

Margin Of Error

The Speech-Free Campus

Israel Daramola

Organized Noize members, Raymond Murray (L), Rico Wade (C), and Sleepy Brown (R)

Rico Wade And Organized Noize Were The Architects Of Southern Rap

David Roth

Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets looks on during the first half against the Utah Jazz at Delta Center on April 9, 2024. I put the little Distraction logo at upper right so it looks like he's glowering at it.

Podcasts

We’re All Lifelong Nuggets Fans Here, With Patrick Redford

New York Times Managing Editor Joseph Kahn gives the keynote speech at the Andrew Olle lecture 2017 at ICC darling Harbour on October 27, 2017 in Sydney, Australia.

Journalismism

The New York Times Ignores Reality In Pursuit Of Objectivity

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<div>Victoria Zeller is a trans writer born and raised in Buffalo, New York, where she still proudly resides. Her debut novel, <i><a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/one-of-the-boys-victoria-zeller/21775251" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://bookshop.org/p/books/one-of-the-boys-victoria-zeller/21775251&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1735306610555000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0sXpgNMmxpIwmIZOFd-Pnw">One of the Boys</a></i>, is out now. Her personal website can be found <a href="http://victoria.monster/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://victoria.monster&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1735306610555000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0PrZ7PkO1IykxAodWoMLI_">here</a>.</div>
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Victoria Zeller

Stefon Diggs #14 of the Buffalo Bills warms up prior to a game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Highmark Stadium on September 17, 2023 in Orchard Park, New York.

Stefon Diggs Fixed Buffalo Before We Could Fix Him

Kylian Mbappé of PSG react during the UEFA Champions League quarter-final second leg match between FC Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on April 16, 2024 in Barcelona, Spain.

PSG And Barcelona Turned A Champions League Feast Into A Soggy Appetizer

Animals

I Have Become A Crazy Dog Person

a tiny gall midge pollinating a tiny orchid

The Secret Life Of A Tiny Flower

Arizona Coyotes arena in 1996, with a big coyote inflatable

Let’s Look Back On The Great Moments In Arizona Coyotes History

Nicolas Batum #40 of the Philadelphia 76ers smiles during the game against the Miami Heat during the 2024 NBA Play-In Tournament on April 17, 2024 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania