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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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David Roth

Anthony Santander of the Toronto Blue Jays rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run in the eighth inning during the game between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Angels.

Toronto Blue Jays v. Los Angeles Angels

Politics

A Dumb New Way To Think About The Dismantling Of The Federal Government

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Typing

Sabrina Imbler

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Kelsey McKinney

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

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Ray Ratto

The two Eurovision hosts are surrounded by dancers holding giant fondue sticks.

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Music

Can You Do Racism Against Italians? A Eurovision Roundtable

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Samer Kalaf

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Journalismism

The New York Times Really Asked Ms. Rachel If She’s Paid By Hamas

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Patrick Redford

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 12: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors looks on from the bench during the first quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game Four of the Western Conference Second Round NBA Playoffs at Chase Center on May 12, 2025 in San Francisco, California. 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 Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Minnesota Timberwolves v Golden State Warriors – Game Four

For A Limited Time

Dave McKenna

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Horse Racing

One Last Trip To Pimlico, A Dead And Damned Racetrack

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Robert Rubsam

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Arts And Culture

Netflix Keeps Ruining Action Movies

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Maitreyi Anantharaman

Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve and Napheesa Collier #24 talk with referee Tim Greene after a foul call in the fourth quarter against the New York Liberty during Game Five of the WNBA Finals at Barclays Center on October 20, 2024 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. The New York Liberty defeated the Minnesota Lynx 67-62 in overtime to win the championship.

2024 WNBA Finals – Game Five

WNBA

An Old Grudge, A New Team, A Swole Caitlin: The 2025 WNBA Season Preview

Joe Don Baker, in a loud white shirt with color slots on it, sits in a blue car talking to a kid in a yellow shirt. Silhouettes of a man and three robots are in front of the image.

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‘Mitchell’ Is Part Of Joe Don Baker’s Legacy, For Better Or Worse

Honorary pace car driver, Alan Ritchson attends the "Reacher" activation on the midway prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 16, 2025 in Daytona Beach, Florida. The Distraction logo is at upper right.

NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500

Podcasts

Hands Like Small Turkeys, With Brandy Jensen

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Swole Woman Casey Johnston Has Written A Swole Book

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Albert Burneko

The obnoxious Grok logo, on a phone screen, in a hand silhouetted against a neon green background.

Grok logo ugh so corny fuck off Elon

The Machines

Elon Musk’s Idiot Chatbot Goes Full Boer

Violet Lucca is the author of <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/david-cronenberg-clinical-trials-violet-lucca/21170132">David Cronenberg: Clinical Trials</a>. Her writing has appeared in the New York Times, Art in America, Sight and Sound, the Village Voice, and elsewhere. She was the VP of Digital at Harper’s Magazine and Digital Producer at Film Comment, and was the host of their respective podcasts.

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Violet Lucca

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Defector At The Movies

‘The Shrouds’ Is David Cronenberg’s Typically Prescient Epitaph For Our Present And His Career

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Lauren Theisen

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‘The Picture Of Dorian Gray’ Is A Digital Monument To Vanity

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Soraya Roberts

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‘Friendship’ Can’t Sustain The Relationship

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Barry Petchesky

TORONTO, ON- MAY 14 - Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett (9) and Toronto Maple Leafs center David Kampf (64) battle in the snow in first period action as the Toronto Maple Leafs play the Florida Panthers in game five in the second round of the NHL Stanley Cup play-offs at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. May 14, 2025. Steve Russell/Toronto Star

Toronto Maple Leafs oplay the  Florida Panthers in game five in the second round of the NHL Stanley Cup play-offs

Toronto Once Again Wins The Stanley Cup Of Angst

Staff Writer
Find me on Signal @DefectorChris.09

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Chris Thompson

Torey Lovullo gives the business to an umpire.

Torey Lovullo argues

No, You’re Outta Here!

Maya Goldberg-Safir writes about women’s basketball and splits her time between Chicago and Oakland, where she was born and raised. She is the creator of <a href="https://wnbaroughnotes.substack.com/">Rough Notes</a>, a newsletter chronicling women’s basketball from the court, the road, and the heart.

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Maya Goldberg-Safir

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History

How The Japanese-American Basketball Leagues Built Natalie Nakase

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - MAY 13: Luguentz Dort (5) of the Oklahoma City Thunder reacts to making a three pointer as Nikola Jokic (15) of the Denver Nuggets prepares for the inbound during the fourth quarter of OKC's 112-105 win at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City on Tuesday, May 13, 2025. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)

DENVER NUGGETS VS THUNDER, NBA

Nikola Jokic Is Outnumbered

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Interviews

An Interview With A Fired Contract Specialist At The Office Of Personnel Management

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

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College Football

Bill Belichick Brought Along His Merry Band Of Losers

Javier Báez #28 of the Detroit Tigers is showered with ice water after hitting a three-run walk-off home run

Boston Red Sox v. Detroit Tigers

Javy Báez Comes Back For Seconds

Group shot of the 1919 White Sox. They would after this year be known as the "Black Sox Scandal" team, due to the allegation that eight members of the team accepted bribes to lose the 1919 World Series to the Cincinnati Reds.

Group Shot of 1919 White Sox

Baseball Frees Its Gambling Ghosts

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 headshot

Jae Towle Vieira

Normal Gossip logo with cartoon characters gossiping

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Stewing In Anger

Tyrese Haliburton greets fans after defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers 114-105 in Game Five of the Eastern Conference Second Round NBA Playoffs.

Indiana Pacers v Cleveland Cavaliers – Game Five

No One Ever Sees The Pacers Coming

DALLAS, TX - MAY 13: Dallas Stars center Mikael Granlund (64) scores a goal for a hat trick during game 4 of round 2 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs between the Dallas Stars and the Winnipeg Jets on May 13, 2025 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Matthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

NHL: MAY 13 Stanley Cup Playoffs¬†2nd Round Jets at Stars

Mikael Granlund Takes Jets Downapeg

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