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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

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

No One Knows How To Beat Carlos Alcaraz In Five Sets

Maitreyi Anantharaman

Brady Tkachuk #7 of the Senators steps into the steps into the penalty box during the second period of the game against the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena on January 31, 2024 in Detroit, Michigan.

Crosswords

The Crossword, July 8: Going, Going, Gone

Patrick Redford

LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 03: Emma Raducanu of United Kingdom reacts in the Women's Singles Second Round match against Elise Mertens of Belgium during day three of The Championships Wimbledon 2024 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 03, 2024 in London, England.shi (Photo by Shi Tang/Getty Images)

Emma Raducanu, Wimbledon Protagonist, Takes Shape

Barry Petchesky

Science

NASA Must Put Me On The Simulated Mars Mission, To Test The Astronauts’ Patience

Ray Ratto

ARLINGTON, TEXAS - JULY 02: A general view of signage promoting the 2024 MLB All Star Game is shown outside the ballpark before the game bw at Globe Life Field on July 02, 2024 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images)

Seven Ideas, Ranging From Sensible To Terrible, For Fixing The MLB All-Star Game

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - JULY 06: Jose Miranda #64 of the Minnesota Twins acknowledges fans after his at-bat against the Houston Astros in the sixth inning. Miranda tied an MLB record recording a hit in 12 consecutive at-bats at Target Field on July 06, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)

Old-Timey Ballplayers Have Nothing On José Miranda

Soccer

Sometimes Ugly Gets The Job Done

Brad Balukjian, PhD has chosen two careers—journalist and scientist—which converge on pursuit of the truth. He has been published in Rolling Stone, Smithsonian, National Geographic, and many others. His first book, The Wax Pack: On the Open Road in Search of Baseball’s Afterlife, hit #7 on the LA Times bestseller list and was named one of NPR’s Best Books of 2020. He is a Research Associate at the California Academy of Sciences, and he discovered 17 species of insects (green flash bugs) in Tahiti, one of which he named after Harrison Ford. He lives on the road, where he’s in an open relationship with his VCR.

Brad Balukjian

An image of Tito Santana in the ring during his time in WWF, with the cover of Brad Balukjian's book "The Six Pack" visible at lower left.

Book Excerpts That Don't Suck

Before He Became A Wrestling Legend, Tito Santana Needed A Name

Tom Ley

Former NFL quarterback Archie Manning stands on the field prior to the start of the Allstate Sugar Bowl at Mercedes Benz Superdome on January 01, 2020 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Defector Up All Night

The Clarion Ledger, A Mississippi Newspaper Founded In 1837, Is Shutting Down Any Speculation That Archie Manning Is Not 75

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

Andy Murray Is Sitting Out His Last Dance

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)

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.