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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.

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Defector

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Israel Daramola

Arts And Culture

David Lynch Was The Artist of Our Time

Visual Editor. Runs <a href="http://defectorstore.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">defectorstore.com</a>. Philadelphia-based, if you couldn’t tell.

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Dan McQuade

An Eagles fan yells at Packers fans at the game

ugly-dumb-screenshot-eagles-fan

A Thorough Analysis Of This Latest Philly Sports Fan Bullshit

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Patrick Redford

OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - JANUARY 16: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers attempts to drive past Cason Wallace #22 of the Oklahoma City Thunder during the first half at Paycom Center on January 16, 2025 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. 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 Joshua Gateley/Getty Images)

Cleveland Cavaliers v Oklahoma City Thunder

The Thunder Articulate A Philosophy Of Pressure

Dave McKenna

The building of the Washington Post newspaper headquarter is seen on K Street in Washington DC on May 16, 2019.

Washington Post Logo

Journalismism

The Familiarity And Sadness Of Watching The Washington Post Go To Hell

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Ray Ratto

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder drives to the basket around Donovan Mitchell of the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse.

Oklahoma City Thunder v Cleveland Cavaliers

What Could Possibly Be The Problem With More Cavaliers-Thunder?

Normal Gossip: portraits

Alex Sujong Laughlin

‘Vidcom’ de Cannes

Under The Influence

TikTok Users Learn The Internet Isn’t Forever

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Tom Ley

Great Perfecting Printing Press

Announcements

Transactions, January 17

Investigations Editor. You can contact her at diana@defector.com or dfmoskovitz@protonmail.com. She&#8217;s also on Signal @dmoskovitz.99

DFM New Headshot

Diana Moskovitz

An aerial view of a street in the Eaton fire. The entire street is burned and decimated. It looks like a bomb went off. A sole person walks down the empty steet.

Eaton Fire aerial view

We Need A New Deal To Save Local Journalism

2019-01-01 00:15:14.989

Maitreyi Anantharaman

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Women's Basketball

Unrivaled Could Be A New Solution To The WNBA’s Old Problems

<div dir="ltr">Dom Cosentino is a writer in Brooklyn who takes Pittsburgh sports way too seriously.</div>
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Dom Cosentino

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - JANUARY 11: Head coach Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers looks on prior to an NFL football wild card playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&amp;T Bank Stadium on January 11, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)

AFC Wild Card Playoffs: Pittsburgh Steelers v Baltimore Ravens

What’s Mike Tomlin’s Standard Now?

Michael is a writer who has worked with The Atlantic, The New Yorker, WIRED, Vox, The New York Times, and other publications. His first book, The Other Olympians, which uncovers the stories of several European athletes who transitioned gender in the 1930s, is now available for purchase.

Michael Waters

WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 20: Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) (C) and Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-VA) (L) raise their hands when asked if they know a transgender woman during an event to celebrate the House passing The Protection Of Women And Girls In Sports Act outside the U.S. Capitol on April 20, 2023 in Washington, DC. President Joe Biden has promised to veto the legislation, which defines sex as 'based solely on a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth' and would ban all transgender women and girls from competing in female school sports.

House GOP Members And Female Athletes Mark Passage Of The Protection Of Women And Girls In Sports Act

Politics

The Trans Sports Ban Portends Something Much Darker

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David Roth

An Enchanted Tools robot called the Mirokai is displayed during the 2025 Consumer Electronics Show CES in Las Vegas.

U.S.-LAS VEGAS-CES-ROBOTS

Podcasts

The Future Feels Like The Raiders, With Ed Zitron

SAN ANTONIO, TX - JANUARY 15: Ja Morant #12 of the Memphis Grizzlies tries to dunk over Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs in the second half at Frost Bank Center on January 15, 2025 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)

Memphis Grizzlies v San Antonio Spurs

Ja Morant Summited Mount Wembanyama

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.

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Drew Magary

19th century drawing of a physician holding death at bay.

Drawing of Two Figures Warding off Death

Jamboroo

Fear Of Death Will Kill Us All

Bob Uecker walks onto the field to throw out the ceremonial first pitch before Game 1 of the NLCS between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park.

League Championship Series – Los Angeles Dodgers v Milwaukee Brewers – Game One

Bob Uecker Was Just The Best

Katelyn Burns is a freelance journalist and columnist for MSNBC. She co-hosts the Cancel Me, Daddy podcast and is a co-founder of The Flytrap, a worker-owned feminist newsletter. Find her on BlueSky: <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/katelynburns.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://bsky.app/profile/katelynburns.com&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1737039410886000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0AGF3RbPU2rsUfV7tUou_r">@katelynburns.com</a>

Katelyn Burns

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Video Games

Can Pro ‘Overwatch’ Be Brought Back To Life?

Day'Ron Sharpe #20 of the Brooklyn Nets drives to the basket against Bones Hyland #5 of the Los Angeles Clippers during the fourth quarter at Intuit Dome on January 15, 2025.

Brooklyn Nets v Los Angeles Clippers

It Doesn’t Get Any Less Essential Than Nets-Clippers

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Barry Petchesky

BUFFALO, NEW YORK - JANUARY 15: Ryan McLeod #71 of the Buffalo Sabres skates with the puck against Sean Walker #26 of the Carolina Hurricanes during an NHL game on January 15, 2025 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Bill Wippert/NHLI via Getty Images)

Carolina Hurricanes v Buffalo Sabres

How To Complete A Hat Trick Without Taking A Shot

Staff Writer
Find me on Signal @DefectorChris.09

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Chris Thompson

Giannis Antetokounmpo waits for a free throw.

Giannis Antetokounmpo Jan. 2025

How Serious Are The Milwaukee Bucks?

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Typing

Sabrina Imbler

A fire fighting helicopter drops water as the Palisades fire grows near the Mandeville Canyon neighborhood and Encino, California, on January 11, 2025. The Palisades Fire, the largest of the Los Angeles fires, spread toward previously untouched neighborhoods January 11, forcing new evacuations and dimming hopes that the disaster was coming under control. Across the city, at least 11 people have died as multiple fires have ripped through residential areas since January 7, razing thousands of homes in destruction that US President Joe Biden likened to a "war scene." (Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / AFP) (Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)

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Climate

The Future Of West Coast Wildfire Is Whiplash

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Kelsey McKinney

Moonlight Scene

I Believe In Ethel Cain

Megan Greenwell is the author of Bad Company: Private Equity and the Death of the American Dream, which will be published in June 2025 and is <a href="https://www.harpercollins.com/products/bad-company-megan-greenwell?variant=43151012757538">available for preorder now</a>.

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Megan Greenwell

photo of a corner of the Clevelant Museum of Art

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The Wonder Of The Regional Art Museum

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Albert Burneko

Hansi Flick holds a press conference for the match against Betis, corresponding to the round of 16 of the Copa del Rey, in Barcelona, Spain, on January 14, 2025.

Hansi Flick

Soccer

A German Coach, The Spanish Media, And Google Translate Walk Into A Press Conference

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Luis Paez-Pumar

Matz Sels of Nottingham Forest saves the shot of Diogo Jota of Liverpool during the Premier League match between Nottingham Forest FC and Liverpool FC at City Ground on January 14, 2025 in Nottingham, England.

Nottingham Forest FC v Liverpool FC – Premier League

Nottingham Forest Has An Iron Chin

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Samer Kalaf

A recall notice on a case of Boar's Head products.

Popular Deli Meat Maker Boar Head’s Recalls 7 Million Pounds Of Meat After Listeria Outbreak

Life's Rich Pageant

“Residual Ham Material,” And Even More Evocative Phrases From USDA Inspections Of Boar’s Head Plants

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