CULTURE

Footer Column 2

Footer Legal

Footer Main

Nav Bar

OTHER

SPORTS

Subscribe, at any level, to play

Thanks for your interest in Defector Crosswords!

Become a subscriber today to get unlimited access

Thanks for reading!

Plans start at $8/month.

Subscribers enjoy unlimited, ad-free browsing.

Register to continue

Or click here to subscribe for unlimited, ad-free access!

Our gift to you: This year's post is unlocked. Register your email to get even more free articles.

Welcome to the 2025 Hater's Guide!

Just register your email:

This blog is free to read.

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

Life Lessons

I Don’t Ever Want My Favorite Things To Change

charismatic megafauna (they/them)

Sabrina Imbler

A neopet dragon broods over its hoard of gold.

Capital

Is It Ethical To Be A Billionaire In Neopets?

Patrick T. Dorsey is the writer of and a producer on the feature film FUTURE DATE, which had its world premiere at the 2024 Cinequest Film Festival and won the Audience Award for Best Comedy Feature. You can hear him Thursdays on Defector Trivia, whenever Diana Moskovitz shouts, “Baaaaaaabe!”

Patrick T. Dorsey

PARIS, FRANCE - AUGUST 02: Chase Budinger of Team United States reacts during a Men's Preliminary Phase match on day seven of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Eiffel Tower Stadium on August 02, 2024 in Paris, France.

Olympics

Chase Budinger Completed His Journey From Guy To Olympian

Maitreyi Anantharaman

Bronze medallists USA celebrate on the podium of the women's 3x3 basketball during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at La Concorde in Paris on August 5, 2024.

Team USA Women Overcome Chemistry Issues, Sport’s Silly Math To Medal In 3×3 Basketball

a mother cape fur seal screaming in front of some pups

Creaturefector

How To Eavesdrop On A Seal In A Crowd Of 90,000

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

Brazil's Gabriel Medina reacts after getting a large wave in the 5th heat of the men's surfing round 3, during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, in Teahupo'o, on the French Polynesian Island of Tahiti, on July 29, 2024.

Funbag

What Summer Olympic Sport Is Best In Person?

Patrick Redford

Defector Reads A Book

Defector Reads A Book Is Ending The Summer With Janet Malcolm

Ray Ratto

Nicky Lopez of the White Sox looks exhausted and sad during a loss to the Minnesota Twins on August 4, 2024.

Why This Team Sucks: The August 6 Chicago White Sox

Staff Writer
Find me on Signal @DefectorChris.19

Chris Thompson

A general view of the Draft Kings sign during the Major League Baseball game

Gambling

DraftKings Introduces Fees To The World Of Sports Wagering

EAGAN, MINNESOTA - AUGUST 02: Aaron Jones #33 interacts with Sam Darnold #14 of the Minnesota Vikings during training camp on August 02, 2024 in Eagan, Minnesota. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)

Why Your Team Sucks

Why Your Team Sucks 2024: Minnesota Vikings

David Roth

A plaid Jacksonville Jaguars baseball cap available at Fanatics.com.

This Is So Stupid

I Found That Jaguars Hat You Like

Diana Moskovitz is Defector&#8217;s investigations editor. You can contact her at diana@defector.com or dfmoskovitz@protonmail.com. She&#8217;s also on Signal @dmoskovitz.99

Diana Moskovitz

Simone Biles of Team United States competes in the Artistic Gymnastics Women's Floor Exercise Final on day ten of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Bercy Arena on August 05, 2024 in Paris, France. Her arms are up in the air, and she is smiling.

Simone Biles’s Greatness Is About More Than Medals

Emma Meesseman #11 of Team Belgium during the Women's Group Phase - Group match between of Team Japan and Team Belgium on day nine of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Stade Pierre Mauroy on August 04, 2024 in Lille, France.

Emma Meesseman Is Having Too Much Fun To Rush Back To The WNBA

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

NANTERRE, FRANCE - JULY 31: Zhanle Pan of Team People's Republic of China celebrates after winning gold in a world record time in the Men's 100m Freestyle Final on day five of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Paris La Defense Arena on July 31, 2024 in Nanterre, France.

I Am Aging Rapidly While Watching Pan Zhanle Swim

PARIS, FRANCE - AUGUST 04: Kristen Faulkner of Team United States celebrates at finish line as Gold medal winner during the Women's Road Race on day nine of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Trocadero on August 04, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Tim de Waele/Getty Images)

Kristen Faulkner’s Gold Medal Ride Was A Masterpiece Of Bravery

Kathryn Xu

Olympics, Paris 2024, before the triathlon, view of the murky water of the Seine after the second training session was cancelled due to poor water quality.

I Will Only Swim In The Poop River If It Contains Fewer Than 1,000 Colony-Producing Units Of E. Coli Per 100 Milliliters Of Water

Giri Nathan

PARIS, FRANCE - AUGUST 04: Gold medallist Novak Djokovic of Team Serbia celebrates during the Tennis Men's Singles medal ceremony after the Tennis Men's Singles Gold medal match on day nine of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Roland Garros on August 04, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

Tennis

Novak Djokovic Finally Adds Olympic Gold To His Hoard

FLORHAM PARK, NEW JERSEY - MAY 21: Aaron Rodgers #8 of the New York Jets speaks to the media during the New York Jets OTA Offseason Workout at Atlantic Health Jets Training Center on May 21, 2024 in Florham Park, New Jersey. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

Why Your Team Sucks 2024: New York Jets

Rose Eveleth is the host of the podcast&nbsp;<a href="https://www.flashforwardpod.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Flash Forward</a>, and author of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.flashforwardpod.com/book/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the book by the same name</a>.&nbsp;

Rose Eveleth

An illustration of a skeleton with running shoes on sliding into an MRI machine

What Can We Learn From The Biology Of Dead Athletes?

Rebeca Andrade of Team Brazil looks on prior to the Artistic Gymnastics Women's Floor Exercise Final on day ten of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Bercy Arena on August 05, 2024 in Paris, France.

Crosswords

The Crossword, Aug. 5: Round And Round

Alex Sujong Laughlin

A woman sticks her thumb down next to a skincare product and records the scene with an iPhone (posed scene). Product tips on Instagram or Tiktok are often paid advertising. "Deinfluencers" actively advise against buying if they are not convinced of the quality.

Under The Influence

Local Girlbosses Lose Pyramid-Shaped Business Model

Barry Petchesky

A basalt head portrait of Roman Emperor Nero is pictured at the exibition "Nero" in Rome on April 11, 2011. Nearly two hundred pieces, including sculptures, reliefs, frescoes, paintings and artifacts from recent excavations will be shown during the exhibition from April 12 to September 18. AFP PHOTO / ALBERTO PIZZOLI (Photo by ALBERTO PIZZOLI / AFP) (Photo by ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP via Getty Images)

Nero Was The Worst Best Olympian Ever

Andrew Vaughn #25 of the Chicago White Sox looks on against the Minnesota Twins in the ninth inning at Target Field on August 04, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Twins defeated the White Sox 13-7.

20 Straight Losses Is Where The Real Blight Sox Begin

Samer Kalaf

A photo finish of the 100-meter at the 2024 Olympics, with Noah Lyles winning.

Noah Lyles Wins The 100-Meter Gold By A Skin Cell

Blue Jays pitcher Kevin Gausman argues with umpire Laz Diaz from the dugout, while manager John Schneider stands in front of him.