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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

Alex Sujong Laughlin

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


Sabrina Imbler

A young woman in a swimsuit and sun hat poses with a drink at the edge of a pool

Announcements

The Normal Gossip Summer Guide To Eavesdropping

Lauren Theisen

Jeimer Candelario celebrates after hitting a home run

Jeimer Candelario Silenced The Hater

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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

19th October 1964: A robot designed by Claus Scholz of Vienna answers the phone, unfortunately he can't speak.

Margin Of Error

Garbage In, Garbage Out

<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

1956: EXCLUSIVE Full-length image of stunt performers on Muscle Beach, Santa Monica, California. Four men lift four women in the air, all in bathing suits, on the boardwalk stage. (Photo by Gene Lester/Getty Images)

Elder Wisdom

IT’S SUMMERTIME, MOTHERFUCKERS

Tom Ley

Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics reacts in the fourth quarter against the Dallas Mavericks in Game Three of the 2024 NBA Finals at American Airlines Center on June 12, 2024 in Dallas, Texas.

The Celtics Keep It Simple

Patrick Redford

NBA reporters Adrian Wojnarowski and Shams Charania

Lakers’ Messy Coaching Search Revives The Scoopster Standoff Between Woj And Shams

<p>Owen Lewis is a former Defector intern and has written for The Guardian, The Second Serve, The Athletic, n+1, Texas Monthly, Air Mail, and other publications.</p>


Owen Lewis

Tennis

Defector Blogger Calls Aggregator Tweets “Pathetic” In Furious Takedown. Do You Agree?

<p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-kelly-180886217/"><span style="font-weight: 400">Christopher “Kit” Kelly</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400"> is a professor of criminal justice at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia.</span></p>


Kit Kelly

<p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ray-spraggins-49638227b/"><span style="font-weight: 400">Ray Spraggins</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400"> graduated in 2024 from Saint Joseph’s University with a Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice.</span></p>


Ray Spraggins

Lady Justice, wearing an Eagles helmet and weighing a football and some alcohol.

Eagles Court Could Only Have Existed In Philadelphia

Two men celebrate the July Fourth holiday on the Coney Island boardwalk in New York, one wearing a hot dog costume and the other in red, white and blue overalls.

Life Lessons

Bro Summer Waits For Us All

How Late Is Too Late To Get Popcorn At A Baseball Game?

Ray Ratto

(Original Caption) Lakers' Jerry West (C) is guarded closely by Celtics' Bill Russell (L) as he goes in for a layup, 3rd period, 1st game of championship playoffs of the NBA, Boston Garden (4/18). Celtics' Willie Naulls is on the right. Celtics won the game, 142-110.

Jerry West Never Left His Game

<p>Jae Towle Vieira [they/them] works as a producer for Normal Gossip. Their fiction has been published in <i data-stringify-type="italic">The Normal School</i>, <i data-stringify-type="italic">New England Review, Carve Magazine, Passages North, Fairy Tale Review</i>, and elsewhere.</p>


Jae Towle Vieira

Normal Gossip logo with cartoon characters gossiping

Podcasts

Love In The Time Of Overalls

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<div><a href="http://lillianstone.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://lillianstone.com&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1718218980346000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2u5kEh7Ge04YvIIiNqdkoU">Lillian Stone</a> is a culture writer and the author of the humorous essay collection <i>Everybody&#8217;s Favorite.</i></div>
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Lillian Stone

Los Angeles Kings music director, Dieter Ruehle, plays a 1941 Wurlitzer organ during the ribbon cutting and reopening of the LA Kings Iceland at Paramount on October 26, 2022 in Paramount California.

The Stadium Organ Is Alive And As Goofy As Ever

a gif of a dragonfly and other flies flying into a mountain pass in the Pyrenees

Creaturefector

The Big Bug Migration Of The Pyrenees Mountains

Giri Nathan

PARIS, FRANCE - JUNE 2: Corentin Moutet of France in action during Day 8 of the 2024 French Open at Roland Garros on June 2, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Marleen Fouchier/BSR Agency/Getty Images)

The Defector Tennis Desk Bids Adieu To The French Open

Kathryn Xu

Bryan Woo #22 of the Seattle Mariners throws in the first inning during a spring training game against the Los Angeles Angels.

Bryan Woo Thinks Walks Are For Dogs And Babies

<p>Heather Chen is a former Defector intern and the managing editor at the <em>Columbia Daily Spectator</em>. She loves hockey, photography, and the good ol’ state of Michigan.</p>


Heather Wei-Xi Chen

NHL team officials watch prospects take part in testing during the NHL Combine at HarborCenter on June 3, 2017 in Buffalo, New York.

Asking NHL Prospects These Questions Will Fix Your Franchise

Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever talks to the media before the game against the Washington Mystics at Capital One Arena on June 07, 2024 in Washington, DC.

WNBA

The Olympic Roster Is Not Just A Marketing Tool

Funbag

What Makes A Power Ballad?

A photo of the west side of the South Lawn in front of Columbia University's Butler Library at the Morningside campus. This picture, taken right before sunset, depicts an encampment set up by protestors on a lawn with turf and a big event tent. Students are scattered throughout, and there are multiple banners and signs depicting pro-Palestine statements.

Politics

Why Did I Sleep On The Turf?

Evan Rodrigues celebrates after scoring a goal

The Panthers Kept The Faith

16 Nov 1999: The Mascot of the Colorado Avalanche smiles for the camera during the game against the Ottowa Senators at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. The Avalanche defeated the Senators 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bahr /Allsport

Utah Hockey Must Seize Howler The Yeti For Their Own Nefarious Purposes

<div id=":g4.ma" class="Mu SP" title="January 26, 2021 at 2:34:42 PM UTC-5" data-tooltip="January 26, 2021 at 2:34:42 PM UTC-5"><span id=":g4.co" class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/GoStevenGoldman">Steven Goldman</a> is a former BP editor-in-chief and current consulting editor. He is the author of the Casey Stengel biography <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Forging-Genius-Making-Casey-Stengel/dp/1574888749">Forging Genius</a> </i>and host of the long-running <a href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/show/the-infinite-inning/"><i>Infinite Inning </i>podcast</a>, which sits at the crossroads of baseball, history, politics, and culture. His most recent book, which has an introduction by David Roth, is <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Baseballs-Brief-Lives-Inspired-Infinite/dp/B0BBJTPGDF"><i>Baseball&#8217;s Brief Lives: Player-Stories Inspired by the Infinite Inning</i></a>.</span></div>
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Steven Goldman

A general view of the DraftKings Bet Live Now signage during the Major League Baseball game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Washington Nationals on July 7, 2022.

Gambling For Life

Aaliyah Edwards #24 of the Washington Mystics shoots a free throw during the game against the New York Liberty during a 2024 Commissioner's Cup game on June 9, 2024 in Brooklyn, New York. 2024 NBAE

The Mystics Are Losers Of Note

Maitreyi Anantharaman

Iga Swiatek of Poland in action against Jasmine Paolini of Italy (not seen) during the Women's Singles Final match on day fourteen of the 2024 French Open at Roland Garros Complex in Paris, France on June 8, 2024.