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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

Patrick Redford

Mark Cavendish of Astana Qazaqstan celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win the stage 5 of the 2024 Tour de France.

Cycling

Mark Cavendish Endured So Much To Break The Tour de France’s Most Hallowed Record

Lauren Theisen

Long Rebuilds Are For Prey, Not Predators

Israel Daramola

Jack from 'Lost' lying down with a golden retriever next to him in the finale

Arts And Culture

The ‘Lost’ Finale Is Good

charismatic megafauna (they/them)

Sabrina Imbler

A crowd of ants, in which an ant in the middle is receiving an amputation from another ant

Creaturefector

Make A ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Spin-Off But This Time It’s Ants

Staff Writer
Find me on Signal @DefectorChris.19

Chris Thompson

A young green tomato with a long way to go.

Chefector

Before Tomato Time Comes Tomato Fever

Samer Kalaf

Klay Thompson #11, Andrew Wiggins #22, Jonathan Kuminga #00, and Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors look on from the bench during the game against the Sacramento Kings during the 2024 Play-In Tournament

This Is So Stupid

An Attempt To Draw This Overstuffed Sentence About Klay Thompson Leaving The Warriors

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.

Owen Lewis

Tennis

Andy Murray Is Sitting Out His Last Dance

Ray Ratto

LOS ANGELES, CA - JULY 02: Lebron James watches as the Los Angeles Lakers introduce 2024 NBA draft picks Dalton Knecht and Bronny James at UCLA Health Training Center on Tuesday, July 2, 2024 in Los Angeles, CA. (Robert Gauthier / For The Times)

Roster Flexibility Is A Flexible Term

Giri Nathan

France's Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard serves the ball to USA's Sebastian Korda during their men's singles tennis match on the second day of the 2024 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 2, 2024.

Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard’s Aces Are A New Nightmare

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - JULY 1: United States Head Coach Gregg Berhalter walks across the field at the end of the CONMEBOL Copa America group C match between the United States and Uruguay at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on July 1, 2024 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Bill Barrett/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - JULY 1: during the CONMEBOL Copa America group C match between the United States and Uruguay at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on July 1, 2024 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Bill Barrett/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)

Soccer

U.S. Soccer Is Damned If It Does

UAE Team Emirates team's Slovenian rider Tadej Pogacar cycles to the finish line to win the 4th stage of the 111th edition of the Tour de France cycling race, 140 km between Pinerolo in Italy, and Valloire in France, on July 2, 2024. (Photo by Thomas SAMSON / AFP)

Tadej Pogačar Opens The Tour de France As Pugnacious As Ever

Kathryn Xu

Johan Rojas #18 of the Philadelphia Phillies reacts in front of a fallen Tim Anderson #7 of the Miami Marlins after hitting a double.

Down Goes Anderson

A round stingray (Urolophus halleri) I photographed in shallow water at Bolsa Chica wetlands (Southern California). The clouds of sand around the eyes and and body were formed as the stingray flapped and positioned deeper in the sand, expelling water. You can see the spiracles behind the eyes.

Charlotte, The Stingray At The Heart Of Scandal, Has Died

Alex Sujong Laughlin

Players give high-fives after the National Anthem before an NWSL match between the Portland Thorns and Kansas City Current on June 23, 2024 in Portland, Oregon.

The NWSL Took Me Back

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

Funbag

How I Became An All-Caps Fetishist

Marketa Vondrousova Is The Forgotten Champion

Joel Quenneville and Stan Bowman speak to media

The NHL Quietly Ends Its Punishments For The Blackhawks’ Sexual Assault Scandal

Barry Petchesky

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JUNE 29: New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers looks on during the UFC 303 event at T-Mobile Arena on June 29, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

The Jets Are Desperate Enough To Enable Aaron Rodgers

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

Heather Wei-Xi Chen

SUNRISE, FLORIDA - JUNE 24: Matthew Tkachuk #19 of the Florida Panthers smokes a cigar while wearing the NHL/WWE Stanley Cup Championship belt in the locker room after Game Seven of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final between the Edmonton Oilers and the Florida Panthers at Amerant Bank Arena on June 24, 2024 in Sunrise, Florida.

My Beloved American Girl Doll Will Not Stop Wearing His Big Belt

SACRAMENTO, CA - APRIL 16: Klay Thompson #11 of the Golden State Warriors looks on during the game against the Sacramento Kings during the 2024 Play-In Tournament on April 16, 2024 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, 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 Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2024 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)

Klay Thompson Left It All In Oakland

Tom Ley

Christian Pulisic #10 of the United States yells at referee Kevin Ortega during the second half against Uruguay at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on July 01, 2024 in Kansas City, Missouri.

A Noisy Loss Is Still Just A Loss

Dave McKenna

Dublin , Ireland - 29 June 2024; Paul Mannion of Dublin in action against Jack Glynn of Galway during the GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship quarter-final match between Dublin and Galway at Croke Park in Dublin. (Photo By Harry Murphy/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

Internationals

Galway Boots Dublin Out Of All-Irelands With Historic Upset

Citi Field scoreboard with NHL Trade Alert graphic on it

The Mets’ Pride Night, As Witnessed By Someone Who Cared A Lot About The NHL Draft

Mistico makes his entrance at Forbidden Door

Pro Wrestling

Go See Your Guys Live

Pole position qualifier Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing, Second placed qualifier Lando Norris of Great Britain and McLaren and Third placed George Russell of Great Britain and Mercedes pose for a photo in parc ferme during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Austria.