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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

Rachelle Hampton

Josh Hart #3 and Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks talk against the Indiana Pacers

Thank God Jalen Brunson And Josh Hart Are Kind Of Boring

Lauren Theisen

Politics

Protests Big

Brad Marchand #63 of the Florida Panthers shoots the puck into the net behind goaltender Calvin Pickard #30, Corey Perry #90, and Jake Walman #96 of the Edmonton Oilers

Panther Machine Never Breaks

<p>Former Defector intern, now freelancer.</p>
<p>For professional inquiries or tips please write lucybl00m@protonmail.com or yuck.20 on Signal.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>


Lucy Bloom

Christian Moore #94 of the Los Angeles Angels loses his helmet running to third base

Angels Call Up Christian Moore As Infield Crisis Counselor

Soraya Roberts

Arts And Culture

Stick With ‘Dept. Q’


<p class="wp-block-paragraph">charismatic megafauna (they/them)</p>


Sabrina Imbler

a photo of Mary Giovagnoli, a fired Unaccompanied Children Ombuds

Interviews

An Interview With A Fired Unaccompanied Children Ombuds

Patrick Redford

David Roth

Kathryn Xu

Brandy Jensen

Cyclists in a race are in the background. There is a house or wall on the left side of the road. There is a man in front, looking at the peloton, squatting halfway with his arms spread just past his knees. Next to him in the center of the road is a bicycle laid across the ground.

Defector Reads A Book

Tim Krabbe’s ‘The Rider’ Won Us Over By Losing

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<div>Abigail Segel is a contributing writer at Defector. She is also an editor for The IX Soccer and the Equalizer. Her work has been published in the Guardian and the Montreal Gazette.</div>
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Abigail Segel

Michelle Cooper #17 of the Kansas City Current looks on during the first half against NJ/NY Gotham FC at Sports Illustrated Stadium on June 07, 2025 in Harrison, New Jersey.

Soccer

Michelle Cooper Is Always Ready To Pounce

Kelsey McKinney

25th May 1937: Two London women reading back to back as they sunbathe by the banks of the Serpentine in Hyde Park, London.

I Had A Baby And Now I Can’t Read! What Do I Do?

Barry Petchesky

SUNRISE, FLORIDA - JUNE 12: Anton Lundell #15 of the Florida Panthers shoots on Calvin Pickard #30 of the Edmonton Oilers during the second period in Game Four of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena on June 12, 2025 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

Calvin Pickard Saved The Day

Ray Ratto

SUNRISE, FLORIDA - JUNE 12: Sergei Bobrovsky #72 of the Florida Panthers makes a save against the Edmonton Oilers during overtime in Game Four of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena on June 12, 2025 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

Oilers-Panthers Isn’t A Rivalry, It’s A Saga

Maitreyi Anantharaman

Isabelle Harrison #21 of the New York Liberty goes to the basket as Michaela Onyenwere #12, Angel Reese #5, and Kamilla Cardoso #10 of the Chicago Sky defend during the second half at Barclays Center on June 10, 2025 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. The Liberty won 85-66.

WNBA

Yes, The Sky Is Falling For The Sky

Defector Staff

Announcements

We Let Drew Cook

Podcasts

Monorail: Origins, With Alan Siegel

<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>


Drew Magary

James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich of Metallica perform during the M72 World Tour at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on June 03, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Music

Metallica Is Forever

New York Knicks owner James Dolan attends the game between the New York Knicks and the Washington Wizards at Madison Square Garden.

The Whole NBA Is Telling James Dolan To Piss Off

Why ‘The Rider’ Is The Best Sports Book I’ve Ever Read

Brian Wilson, along with the Beach Boys perform at the Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, California on January 1, 1987 .

Brian Wilson Was The Sound Of Something Just Out Of Reach

Dave McKenna

LOS ANGELES - 1966: Singer and mastermind Brian Wilson of the rock and roll band "The Beach Boys" directs from the control room while recording the album "Pet Sounds" in 1966 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

Brian Wilson Was A Sad Genius Who Brought Joy To The World

Tom Ley

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder dribbles the ball against Andrew Nembhard #2 of the Indiana Pacers during the fourth quarter in Game Three of the 2025 NBA Finals at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on June 11, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. 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.

Not So Funny When Someone’s Doing That Shit To You, Is It?

a headshot of Laura Mata López, a psychiatric nurse and doctoral student at Johns Hopkins University

An Interview With A Psychiatric Nurse Whose Research Funding Was Cut By The Trump Administration

Pope Leo XIV (C) reacts wearing a Chicago White Sox baseball team cap as he meets newly wedded couples during the weekly general audience in St Peter's Square at the Vatican on June 11, 2025. (Photo by Filippo MONTEFORTE / AFP)

Life's Rich Pageant

Chicago Man Wears White Sox Cap To Work

(L-R) U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), Republican presidential candidate, former U.S. President Donald Trump and Republican vice presidential candidate, U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) react during the second day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 16, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Delegates, politicians, and the Republican faithful are in Milwaukee for the annual convention, concluding with former President Donald Trump accepting his party's presidential nomination. The RNC takes place from July 15-18.

This Party Sucks

<p>Jae Towle Vieira [they/them] works as a producer for Normal Gossip. Their fiction has been published in <i data-stringify-type="italic">The Normal School</i>, <i data-stringify-type="italic">New England Review, Carve Magazine, Passages North, Fairy Tale Review</i>, and elsewhere.</p>
