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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

Lauren Theisen

Still from Carmelita Tropicana. A person in sunglasses and a person in leather holding a neon plunger interrogate a man tied to a chair.

Arts And Culture

‘Give Me Carmelita Tropicana!’ Seizes The Full Potential Of The Theater

Ray Ratto

Matthew Stafford hands the ball to Kyren Williams against the San Francisco 49ers during the second quarter in the game at Levi's Stadium on December 12, 2024 in Santa Clara, California. It is a low-angle shot and raining as hell.

That Was Just Awful

Ben Tippett

India's grandmaster Gukesh Dommaraju (R) reacts after winning against China's chess grandmaster Ding Liren in game 14 of the 2024 FIDE World Championship in Singapore on December 12, 2024. The 18-year-old became "the YOUNGEST WORLD CHAMPION in history", said the International Chess Federation in a post on social media platform X, after Ding resigned in a thrilling endgame that had been expected to end in a draw.

Chess

Gukesh D Unleashed The Zugzwang To Become The Youngest World Chess Champion In History

David Roth

A birthday cake is seen for Jess Park of England (not pictured) at St George's Park Futsal Arena on October 21, 2024 in Burton upon Trent, England. It's kind of a saddish cake sitting on what looks like a couch. The Distraction logo is at upper right.

Podcasts

One Hundred Distractions Deep, With Eric Silver

Giri Nathan

Trae Young #11 of the Atlanta Hawks celebrates the win on the logo after the quarterfinal game of the Emirates NBA Cup against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on December 11, 2024 in New York City. The Atlanta Hawks defeated the New York Knicks 108-100 to advance to the semifinal round. 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 License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Trae Young Goes For Cheap Heat In The Knicks’ House

Patrick Redford

HOUSTON, TEXAS - DECEMBER 11: Head coach Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors reacts during the second half of a quarterfinal game against the Houston Rockets in the NBA Emirates Cup at Toyota Center on December 11, 2024 in Houston, Texas. 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 License Agreement. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)

Steve Kerr Flips Out After Latest Warriors Meltdown

Dylan Cozens #24 of the Buffalo Sabres is driven toward the net

Sabres Still Bad

Staff Writer
Find me on Signal @DefectorChris.19

Chris Thompson

Detail view of a DraftKings Sportsbook advertisement

Gambling

How Much Protection Do Online Sportsbooks Owe Their Patrons?

Annie Howard is a journalist and historian based in Chicago. She is currently at work on her debut manuscript, The City Made Me Trans.

Annie Howard

Music

Godspeed You! Black Emperor Works Hard To Hope

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

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - DECEMBER 08: Sam Darnold #14 of the Minnesota Vikings warms up before the game against the Atlanta Falcons at U.S. Bank Stadium on December 08, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Jamboroo

Sam Darnold Brought Me To Football Nirvana

Kelsey McKinney

An artistic interpretation of artificial intelligence, showing a stack of books surrounding a laptop with a pixelated face on it

The Machines

There’s No Shortcut To Publishing A Book

Mounted police officers remove the riot gear from their police horse outside the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, MN, site of the 2008 Republican National Convention.

Defector Up All Night

They Defunded The Ponies

charismatic megafauna (they/them)

Sabrina Imbler

A clam known as a heart cockle, which is shaped like a heart with a red-and-white striped border, against a white background

Creaturefector

There Are Clam Cathedrals Everywhere For Those With The Eyes To See

Food

I Loved How Much Ugly Baby Hated Me

Defector Staff

Announcements

Give Some Blogs, Get A Calendar

Bill Belichick, former NFL coach, looks on during the game between the Washington Huskies and the Michigan Wolverines at Husky Stadium on October 5, 2024.

College Football

Bill Belichick Isn’t The First Coaching Legend Who Doesn’t Know How To Quit

Luis Paez-Pumar

Jhon Duran of Aston Villa celebrates scoring his team's second goal with teammates during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD6 match between RB Leipzig and Aston Villa FC at Leipzig Stadium on December 10, 2024 in Leipzig, Germany.

Soccer

Aston Villa Is Built For This

Maitreyi Anantharaman

Golden State Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase during the expansion draft party in San Francisco on Friday, Dec. 06, 2024.

WNBA

The Valkyries’ Expansion Draft Is Prep For Next Year’s Free-For-All

Alex Sujong Laughlin

Lindsay Lohan sitting on a chair opening a book that reads "Construction Proposal Lifestyle Complex"

Defector Watches A Christmas Movie: ‘Our Little Secret’

Samer Kalaf

ESPN FC studio reacts to a fart-like noise

Media Meltdowns

ESPN Soccer Show Once Again Derailed By Fart-Like Noise

Pittsburgh Pirates right-fielder and All-Star Dave Parker (#39) signs some autographs for fans at a game in April of 1980 at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Dick Allen And Dave Parker’s Hall Of Fame Election Is A Victory For Baseball’s Cool Guys

Tom Ley

31 January 2024, USA, Los Angeles: The Netflix logo can be seen on a building belonging to the video streaming provider. Photo: Andrej Sokolow/dpa