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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

NYC: Come To Our WNBA Comedy Show On July 15

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Live Event

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Barry Petchesky

SUNRISE, FLORIDA - JUNE 09: Jonah Gadjovich #12 of the Florida Panthers tangles with Darnell Nurse #25 of the Edmonton Oilers during the third period of Game Three of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final between the Edmonton Oilers and the Florida Panthers at Amerant Bank Arena on June 09, 2025 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Brian Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images)

2025 Stanley Cup Final – Game Three

The Panthers Are Having A Laugh

Dave McKenna

Darragh Fitzgibbon of Cork scores a point from a '65 in the last play of extra-time to send the match to a penalty shoot-out during the Munster GAA Hurling Senior Championship final match between Limerick and Cork at LIT Gaelic Grounds in Limerick.

Limerick v Cork – Munster GAA Hurling Senior Championship Final

Hurling

Cork Whoops Limerick, Proving Hurling Shootouts Aren’t Ass

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Patrick Redford

HOUSTON, TEXAS - APRIL 04: Aaron Wiggins #21 of the Oklahoma City Thunder brings the ball up court in the first half against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on April 04, 2025 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 Tim Warner/Getty Images)

Oklahoma City Thunder v Houston Rockets

Aaron Wiggins Is The Key To Understanding OKC’s Revolutionary Depth

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Kelsey McKinney

Mia Scott, wearing the all white Texas uniforms, runs between second and third base.

NCAA Division I Softball Championships

College Softball

My Queen Mia Scott Is A National Champion

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Luis Paez-Pumar

Nuno Mendes of Portugal runs to the ball during the UEFA Nations League 2025 final match between Portugal and Spain at Munich Football Arena on June 08, 2025 in Munich, Germany.

Portugal v Spain – UEFA Nations League 2025 Final

Soccer

Nuno Mendes Made The Nations League Worth The Hassle


<p>charismatic megafauna (they/them)</p>


Typing

Sabrina Imbler

Joy Binion, formerly a social science analyst at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, or SAMSHA

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Interviews

An Interview With A Terminated Analyst At The Substance Abuse And Mental Health Administration


<p>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;<br></p>


WEB-Rose Eveleth-Mamiya RZ 67-Eler de Grey

Rose Eveleth

The Orlando Valkyries celebrate winning the 2025 PVF championship

Orlando Trophy WIN-34

Volleyball

The Battle For Professional Volleyball Has Officially Begun

2019-01-01 00:15:14.989

Maitreyi Anantharaman

Skylar Diggins #4 of the Seattle Storm reacts during the third quarter of a 2025 Commissioner's Cup game against the Las Vegas Aces at Climate Pledge Arena on June 01, 2025 in Seattle, Washington.

Las Vegas Aces v Seattle Storm

Crosswords

The Crossword, June 9: Yes, Chef!

EDMONTON, AB - JUNE 06: Edmonton Oilers Center Connor McDavid (97) races towards the puck in the third period in game two of Stanley Cup Final Edmonton Oilers game versus the Florida Panthers on June 06, 2025 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, AB. (Photo by Curtis Comeau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

NHL: JUN 06 Stanley Cup Final Panthers at Oilers

We Don’t Speak Connor McDavid

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<div class="p-rich_text_section">Tom Scocca is the editor of <a href="http://indignity.net">Indignity</a>, a subscription-supported newsletter of news, essays, and commentary.</div>
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Tom Scocca

Andrew Cuomo speaks in the New York City Democratic Mayoral Primary Debate at NBC Studios on June 4, 2025 in New York City.

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Margin Of Error

Andrew Cuomo Is Garbage

<p>Staff Writer</p>
<p>Find me on Signal @DefectorChris.09</p>


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Chris Thompson

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is defended by Andrew Nembhard.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander dribbles

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Can Make Anyone Look Bad

Spain's Carlos Alcaraz holds the trophy after winning the men's singles final match against Italy's Jannik Sinner on day 15 of the French Open tennis tournament on Court Philippe-Chatrier at the Roland-Garros Complex in Paris on June 8, 2025.

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Tennis

Carlos Alcaraz Wins The Match Of A Lifetime

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Albert Burneko

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder drives to the basket against Tyrese Haliburton #0 of the Indiana Pacers during the fourth quarter in Game One of the 2025 NBA Finals

2025 NBA Finals – Game One

If I Were The Oklahoma City Thunder, I Would Simply Sustain A Lead All The Way To The End Of Game 2

Paris, France - June 7: Coco Gauff of United States with the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen trophy after her victory over Aryna Sabalenka in the Women's Singles Final match on Day Fourteen of the 2025 French Open at Roland Garros on June 07, 2025 in Paris, France. (Photo by Tnani Badreddine/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Images)

2025 French Open – Day Fourteen

Coco Gauff Won’t Be Rattled

Capture

Lucy Bloom

Detroit Tigers catcher Dillon Dingler (13) hits an RBI single

MLB: JUN 04 Tigers at White Sox

Dillon Dingler Demonstrates Delightful Distinction

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Lauren Theisen

Tony Shalhoub accepts the award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical for The Band's Visit onstage during the 72nd Annual Tony Awards

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Staff Chat

An Experimental Staff Chat: Let’s Talk Tonys

Elon Musk speaks during a news conference with President Trump on May 30, 2025 inside the Oval Office at the White House in Washington.

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Politics

Donald Trump And Elon Musk Throw Day-Long Tantrums At Each Other

<p>Owen Lewis is a former Defector intern and co-founded the website <a href="http://popcorntennis.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://popcorntennis.com&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1726234676777000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0PFWw6PL-FUqaCMME5TLqP">popcorntennis.com</a>. He wrote 63,000 words about the Novak Djokovic-Rafael Nadal rivalry that can be accessed for free at <a href="https://thegoldenrivalry.substack.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://thegoldenrivalry.substack.com&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1726234676777000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2OjAHpo4PVIhkx8Xd21lRJ">thegoldenrivalry.substack.com</a>.</p>


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Owen Lewis

Iga Swiatek of Poland drops her racket as she stretches for a backhand against Aryna Sabalenka in the Women's Singles Semi Final match on Day Twelve of the 2025 French Open at Roland Garros on June 05, 2025 in Paris, France.

2025 French Open – Day Twelve

Iga Swiatek Abdicates Her Clay Throne

CT scan of the front of a skate, showing the hard, tooth-like denticles on its skin (shown in orange)

Creaturefector

The “Tooth Hurty” Joke Has Its Origins In Ancient, Armored Fish

, TX - MAY 29: Dallas Stars head coach Pete DeBoer takes questions from the media after game 5 of the Western Conference Final between the Dallas Stars and the Edmonton Oilers on May 29, 2025 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Matthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

NHL: MAY 29 Stanley Cup Playoffs¬†Western Conference Final Oilers at Stars

Pete DeBoer Just Loves Making Conference Finals And Getting Fired

<p>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 <em>Point B</em>. Handsomest man in the world.</p>


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Drew Magary

NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers walks up the 16th hole during the practice round prior to the WM Phoenix Open 2025 at TPC Scottsdale on February 05, 2025 in Scottsdale, Arizona.

WM Phoenix Open 2025 – Previews

Steelers, Aaron Rodgers Agree To 18 Weeks Of Darkness

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Tom Ley

Tyrese Haliburton #0 of the Indiana Pacers scores a basket with .3 seconds remaining during the fourth quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game One of the 2025 NBA Finals at Paycom Center on June 05, 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.

We Must Consider Whether The Pacers Have A Pact With Beelzebub Himself

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David Roth

St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Brendan Donovan (33) as seen during a Major League Baseball game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Kansas City Royals on May 18, 2025. Just a real Cardinals-looking guy.

MLB: MAY 18 Cardinals at Royals

Podcasts

A Residence At One Cardinal Way, With Will Leitch

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Kathryn Xu

This photograph shows a TGV inoui high speed train of the French national SNCF rail company SNCF running in Nantes, western France, on April 4, 2025.

FRANCE RAIL SNCF TGV

Transit

All The Trains I Rode In France

a photo of Patrick Kelly, a Doctoral Candidate at Brown University School of Public Health, whose NIH National Institute on Drug Abuse funded doctoral research was terminated

An Interview With A Public Health Researcher Whose Funding Was Terminated By The Trump Administration

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