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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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Lauren Theisen

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

Florida Panthers v Edmonton Oilers – Game Five

Panther Machine Never Breaks

Capture

Lucy Bloom

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

Los Angeles Angels v Cleveland Guardians

Angels Call Up Christian Moore As Infield Crisis Counselor

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Soraya Roberts

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Arts And Culture

Stick With ‘Dept. Q’

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Typing

Sabrina Imbler

a photo of Mary Giovagnoli, a fired Unaccompanied Children Ombuds

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Interviews

An Interview With A Fired Unaccompanied Children Ombuds

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Patrick Redford

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David Roth

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Kathryn Xu

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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.

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Defector Reads A Book

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

Abigail Segel is a writer based in Montreal.

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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.

NJ/NY Gotham FC v Kansas City Current

Soccer

Michelle Cooper Is Always Ready To Pounce

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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.

Ask The Book Doctor reading back to back

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

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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)

2025 Stanley Cup Final – Game Four

Calvin Pickard Saved The Day

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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

2019-01-01 00:15:14.989

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.

Chicago Sky v New York Liberty

WNBA

Yes, The Sky Is Falling For The Sky

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Defector Staff

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Announcements

We Let Drew Cook

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Podcasts

Monorail: Origins, With Alan Siegel

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

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

Metallica M72 World Tour – Atlanta, GA

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.

Washington Wizards v New York Knicks

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 .

Beach Boys Live

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)

Recording “Pet Sounds”

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

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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.

2025 NBA Finals – Game Three

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

Laura Mata Feb 2025-15

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)

VATICAN-RELIGION-POPE-AUDIENCE

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.

2024 Republican National Convention: Day 2

Politics

This Party Sucks

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.

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Jae Towle Vieira

Normal Gossip logo with cartoon characters gossiping

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Everyone Will Be Abuzz About The Season 8 Finale

Staff Writer
Find me on Signal @DefectorChris.09

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Chris Thompson

Roman Anthony

BWOOP BWOOP BWOOP! Now The Red Sox Have Summoned A Mighty Lad

al Raleigh #29 of the Seattle Mariners celebrates in the dugout with a trident after hitting a home run.

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The Rime Of The Big Dumper, Or How And In What Manner Cal Raleigh Became A Bona Fide Slugger

Denzel Clarke of the Athletics makes an amazing catch and nearly vaults over the wall during the game between the Athletics and the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on Monday, June 9, 2025.

Athletics v. Los Angeles Angels

I Think This Is The Best Catch I’ve Ever Seen

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