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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

Luis Paez-Pumar

Mohamed Salah of Liverpool celebrating after scoring the second goal during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Manchester City FC at Anfield on December 01, 2024 in Liverpool, England.

Soccer

Liverpool Is Winning A Battle Of Attrition

Patrick Redford

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 01: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs and Keegan Murray #13 of the Sacramento Kings go for a loose ball in the first half at Golden 1 Center on December 01, 2024 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

This Is What Getting Left Behind Looks Like

Samer Kalaf

Aaron Rodgers Suffers Further Indignity

Ray Ratto

Justin Tucker of the Baltimore Ravens reacts during the third quarter after missing a field goal against the Philadelphia Eagles on December 1, 2024.

Justin Tucker Just Can’t Find The Range

Tom Ley

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO - OCTOBER 19: Brooke Slusser #10 of the San Jose State Spartans serves the ball during the first set against the Air Force Falcons at Falcon Court at East Gym on October 19, 2024 in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Politics

Bigots Don’t Know Ball

Maitreyi Anantharaman

Lin Manuel Miranda debuts the 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' song 'Jabba Flow' at 'Hamilton' on Broadway at the Richard Rodgers Theatre on May 4, 2016 in New York City

Crosswords

The Crossword, Dec. 2: Hot Ones

charismatic megafauna (they/them)

Sabrina Imbler

An Ethiopian wolf (Canis simensis) licks nectar from the Ethiopian red hot poker flower (Kniphofia foliosa). the wolf is really into it

Creaturefector

These Beautiful Wolves Are Freaks For Nectar

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Vince Guerrieri is an award-winning journalist and author in the Cleveland area. He likes Lake Erie perch sandwiches, Jim Traficant and long walks on the field at League Park. His website is <a class="sc-1out364-0 hMndXN sc-145m8ut-0 kGbjEv js_link" href="http://vinceguerrieri.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-ga="[[&quot;Embedded Url&quot;,&quot;External link&quot;,&quot;http://vinceguerrieri.com/&quot;,{&quot;metric25&quot;:1}]]">vinceguerrieri.com</a>, and you can follow him on Twitter <a class="sc-1out364-0 hMndXN sc-145m8ut-0 kGbjEv js_link" href="https://twitter.com/vinceguerrieri" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-ga="[[&quot;Embedded Url&quot;,&quot;External link&quot;,&quot;https://twitter.com/vinceguerrieri&quot;,{&quot;metric25&quot;:1}]]">@vinceguerrieri</a>.
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Vince Guerrieri

How The Art Modell Law Could Keep The Browns From Leaving Cleveland

Giri Nathan

Kyle Kuzma #33 of the Washington Wizards reacts against the Chicago Bulls during the second half in the Emirates NBA Cup at Capital One Arena on November 26, 2024 in Washington, DC.

The Washington Wizards Won Nothing In November

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

Quarterback Trevor Lawrence #16 of the Jacksonville Jaguars is taken off the field in a medical cart during the second quarter of a game against the Houston Texans at EverBank Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Jacksonville, Florida.

Azeez Al-Shaair Confronted And Ejected After Ugly Hit That Gave Trevor Lawrence Concussion

Iga Swiatek of Poland in action against Varvara Gracheva of France in the second round on Day 4 of the Cincinnati Open at Lindner Family Tennis Center on August 14, 2024 in Mason, Ohio

Tennis

Iga Swiatek Suspended After Testing Positive For Banned Substance

Michigan Wolverines players fly a flag prior to a brawl between players from both teams following a 13-10 Michigan win against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium on November 30, 2024 in Columbus, Ohio.

College Football

Police Pepper Spray Players During Michigan-Ohio State Postgame Fight

Lily Yohannes of the United States looks to the ball

Enjoy The Lily Yohannes Victory Lap

Justin Ellis

A dish filled with baked macaroni and cheese

Chefector

When Does A Recipe Become Your Own?

Patrick Dubuque is a writer and editor at Baseball Prospectus.

Patrick Dubuque

American baseball pitcher Wilbur Wood, of the Chicago White Sox, demonstrates his 'knuckle ball' at the club's Comiskey Park stadium in Chicago, Illinois, 30th July 1973.

The Last Pitcher

Felix Kent

Simple Hotel Room, Iceland. (Photo by: GHI/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Arts And Culture

Why Does Hotel Art Look Like That?

David Roth

Former Duke Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski, his wife Mickie, and Actor Ken Jeong look on in the final seconds of the Terry's Chocolate Vegas Showdown college basketball game between Duke Blue Devils vs Kansas Jayhawks on November 26, 2024.

Podcasts

Staying Up Late And Being Stupid

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

Alm Summer Livestock Herding Offers Relief To Stressed Urban Dwellers

Jamboroo

Pass The Salt

Dan McQuade was a founding member of Defector. He died in January 2026.

Dan McQuade

Trent Green, in a number 10 red Chiefs jersey, watches as a man in an overcoat with black short hair and a black beard holds a football, ready to throw it

They Put Trent Green In This Hallmark Christmas Movie

Lauren Theisen

The Purpose Of A Bathroom Law

Kathryn Xu

Cup of rose hip berries herbal tea and glass teapot standing on old wooden plank table with wild autumn berries around.

Life Lessons

Consider The Fruit Tea Dilemma

Blake Snell of the San Francisco Giants pitches against the Miami Marlins on August 30, 2024 in San Francisco. EDITORS NOTE: This image was created with the free lens technique)

The Dodgers Should Cut To The Chase

Jae Towle Vieira [they/them] works as a producer for Normal Gossip. Their fiction has been published in The Normal School, New England Review, Carve Magazine, Passages North, Fairy Tale Review, and elsewhere.

Jae Towle Vieira

Normal Gossip logo with cartoon characters gossiping

Bitter Fruit From The Fig Of Deceit

Kelsey McKinney

Staff Writer
Find me on Signal @DefectorChris.19

Chris Thompson

The Not-So-Great Defector Bake Off Must Alas Die, Die For Pâtisserie Week

Luisa Rollenhagen is a German-Argentinian freelance journalist based in Berlin. She&#8217;s written for publications such as The Guardian, BuzzFeed News, Deutsche Welle, and GQ.

Luisa Rollenhagen

DUSSELDORF, GERMANY - FEBRUARY 12: A parade float shows an effigy of Donald Trump holding a pair of scissors in his hand with a cut-up US flag in the shape of a swastika at the annual Rose Monday Carnival parade on February 12, 2024 in Dusseldorf, Germany. The Mainz and Dusseldorf Rose Monday parades are known for their biting political satire. Cities in western Germany are celebrating the traditional Rhineland Carnival this week, culminating in today's Rose Monday parades. (Photo by Andreas Rentz/Getty Images)