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Defector

Luis Paez-Pumar

Anthony Gordon of Newcastle United (10) fouls Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool FC (4) during the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Liverpool at St James' Park on August 25, 2025 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England.

Soccer

Liverpool And Newcastle Turned Transfer Drama Into A Brutal And Beautiful Game

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.

Drew Magary

C.J. Stroud #7 of the Houston Texans reacts after being sacked against the Houston Texans during the fourth quarter in the AFC Divisional Playoff at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on January 18, 2025 in Kansas City, Missouri.

Why Your Team Sucks 2025: Houston Texans

Kathryn Xu

Cal Raleigh #29 of the Seattle Mariners receives high fives in the dugout after hitting his 49th home run of the season setting the record for most home runs during a single season by a catcher.

Cal Raleigh Breaks The Catcher Homer Record In A Big (Dumper) Way

Ray Ratto

Jalen Milroe #4 of the Alabama Crimson Tide is sacked by Cameron Brandt #91 of the Michigan Wolverines during the third quarter in the 2024 ReliaQuest Bowl at Raymond James Stadium on December 31, 2024.

College Football

College Football Brings People Together, But Then What?

Nottingham Forest's Portuguese manager Nuno Espirito Santo (R) speaks with Nottingham Forest's Greek co-owner Evangelos Marinakis (L) at the end of the English Premier League football match between Nottingham Forest and Leicester City at The City Ground in Nottingham, central England, on May 11, 2025. Nottingham Forest and Leicester City equalise 2 - 2. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. /

Everyone And Everything Has Gone Crazy At Nottingham Forest

Giri Nathan

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 24: Daniil Medvedev breaks his racket after losing in five sets to Benjamin Bonzi of France during their Men's Singles First Round match on Day One of the 2025 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 24, 2025 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Tennis

Wayward U.S. Open Photographer Triggers Daniil Medvedev’s Two-Part Meltdown

Maitreyi Anantharaman

Andrew Martinez, owner of Bo's Bagels, bakes bagels in his store's oven on July 12, 2023 in New York City. Bagels are as synonymous with New York as pizza and the Statue of Liberty. Although there is no official count of New York's daily bagel production, Sam Silverman, chief executive of the trade group Bagelup, estimates there are about 500 specialty shops across the city's five boroughs. The ring-shaped bread has evolved and been reinvented since its arrival more than a century ago thanks to Polish Jewish immigrants.

Crosswords

The Crossword, Aug. 25: Out Of Office Again (Themeless)

Tom Ley

Heckler Achieves Impossible Task Of Making Shohei Ohtani Even Cooler Than He Already Was

David Roth

A grimacing Terence Stamp, with some blood splashed across his face, in Stephen Soderbergh's 1999 film "The Limey"

Arts And Culture

Seek And Destroy

Mitch Therieau is a writer living in Virginia.

Mitch Therieau

Marcus Mumford and Alex Ebert and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes perform as part of the Railroad Revival Tour at San Pedro Port of Call on April 22, 2011 in San Pedro, California.

The Tragedy Of “Stomp Clap Hey”

Billy Haisley

Iliman Ndiaye of Everton celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the Premier League match between Everton and Brighton &amp; Hove Albion at Hill Dickinson Stadium on August 24, 2025 in Liverpool, England.

BREAKING: Watching Everton Is No Longer Like Taking A Porcupine Quill To The Eyeball

Staff Writer
Find me on Signal @DefectorChris.19

Chris Thompson

Micah Parsons lying down on a table on the sidelines.

The Cowboys’ Annual Contract Stalemate Is Getting Awkward

James Greig is a journalist and the Political Editor at <a href="https://www.dazeddigital.com/user/jamesgreig">Dazed</a>.

James Greig

Politics

Sally Rooney Dares The British Government To Follow Through

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

Lucy Bloom

Life Lessons

You Can’t Be Too Careful

Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) hugs head coach Kevin O'Connell before the NFL preseason game between the Las Vegas Raiders and the Minnesota Vikings on August 10, 2024, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, MN.

Why Your Team Sucks

Why Your Team Sucks 2025: Minnesota Vikings

Alex Sujong Laughlin

People sit in bleachers and lawn chairs in front of a stage at sunset.

Interviews

An Interview With My Grandmother, Who Knows Everyone In Bluegrass Music

Kelsey McKinney

Two parents read a book to their child in bed

What Books Should I Buy For My Future Child?

charismatic megafauna (they/them)

Sabrina Imbler

an illustration of two bats together, one with a rat. the next panel shows the two bats biting the rat together

Creaturefector

Brother May I Have Some Rat

Patrick Redford

An Airbus Helicopter H145M of the Hungarian Air Force uses an infrared trap over the Danube River in Budapest during an air show as part of the celebrations marking the Hungarian national day on August 20, 2025. Hungary marks the 1,025th anniversary of the foundation of the Hungarian state, established by the first king of Hungary, Stephen I.

Capital

22-Year-Old Has It All Figured Out

Israel Daramola

New Cowboys Docuseries Offers Revealing Look Up Jerry Jones’s Own Ass

Dave McKenna

The Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and Metro Transit Police Department (MTPD) agents walk on patrol near Nationals Park on August 15, 2025 in Washington, DC. An increased presence of law enforcement has been seen throughout the nation's capital since U.S. President Donald Trump announced plans to deploy federal officers and the U.S. National Guard.

Notes From The D.C. Clampdown

Albert Burneko

James Dobson poses for a portrait in 2011 in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

James Dobson Is Dead, Was A Monster

Paige Bueckers #5 of the Dallas Wings celebrates reacts to a Wings three pointer during an 81-80 Los Angeles Sparks win over the Dallas Wings at Crypto.com Arena on August 20, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.

WNBA

Now Imagine What Paige Bueckers Could Do With Better Teammates

Carlos Alcaraz of Spain celebrates a point against Jannik Sinner of Italy during the Men’s Singles Final match on Day Fifteen of the 2025 French Open at Roland Garros on June 08, 2025 in Paris, France.

Podcasts

A Forehand That Sounds Like Construction Equipment, With Giri Nathan

Quarterback Jordan Love #10 of the Green Bay Packers stands on the sidelines during the national anthem prior to an NFL game against the Miami Dolphins at Lambeau Field on November 28, 2024 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.