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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

Tom Ley

An umpire ejects JT Realmuto for no reason

Defector Up All Night

The Sports Lowlight Of The Day Is This Umpire Losing His Mind

Staff Writer
Find me on Signal @DefectorChris.19

Chris Thompson

The Dallas Mavericks Now Emit The Stench Of Death

Patrick Redford

LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 26: Patrick Beverley #21 of the Chicago Bulls touches the Los Angeles Lakers basketball court as he celebrates after scoring a basket against LeBron James #6 of the Los Angeles Lakers in the closing minute of the game at Crypto.com Arena on March 26, 2023 in Los Angeles, 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 Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

LeBron James Of Feet Not Quite Enough To Push LeBron James Of Basketball To Return Win

Israel Daramola

The ‘Succession’ Misery Index: Raking Up A Whole Lot Of Bullshit For No Profit

Maitreyi Anantharaman

Cotie McMahon #32 of the Ohio State Buckeyes reacts after being fouled and making the basket during the fourth quarter against the UConn Huskies in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at Climate Pledge Arena on March 25, 2023 in Seattle, Washington.

College Basketball

Ohio State Keeps On Pressing

Lauren Theisen

Tereza Vanisova is tackled by Dominika Laskova after scoring the game-winning goal

Women's Hockey

3-On-3 Overtime Is Certainly One Way To Decide A Champion

Dan McQuade was a founding member of Defector. He died in January 2026.

Dan McQuade

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 25: Head coach Dusty May of the Florida Atlantic Owls celebrates with the team after defeating the Kansas State Wildcats in the Elite Eight round game of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Madison Square Garden on March 25, 2023 in New York City.

Florida Atlantic Really Did It

Ray Ratto

TAMPA, FL - FEBRUARY 23: Anthony Volpe #77 of the New York Yankees smiles during Spring Training at George M. Steinbrenner Field on February 23, 2023 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images)

The Yankees Could Be Meaner

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Charles P. Pierce is a writer at Esquire and the author of four books, most recently Idiot America, and has been a working journalist since 1976. He lives near Boston with his wife but no longer his three children.
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Charles P. Pierce

Bryan Park Charlestown Ma. Refurbishment Project 12-17-15 Media event unvailing finished project.

Marty Walsh Has His Work Cut Out For Him

Caitlin Clark #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes reacts during the fourth quarter against the Louisville Cardinals in the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at Climate Pledge Arena on March 26, 2023 in Seattle, Washington.

Iowa Is The Truth

Alex Pareene

White blossoms covering a tree branch with a line of cars slowly driving on a road in the background.

Life's Rich Pageant

People Who Caused Traffic Nightmare At Pretty Tree Festival Complain Of Traffic Nightmare At Pretty Tree Festival

Kelsey McKinney

Ryan Reaves takes a sniff of smelling salts

Hockey Man In Need Of Third, Just-Smelliest Enough Salt

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 25: Markquis Nowell #1 of the Kansas State Wildcats reacts during the second half of the game against the Florida Atlantic Owls during the Elite Eight round of the 2023 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament held at Madison Square Garden on March 25, 2023 in New York City.

Markquis Nowell Had Two Incredible Games. It Was Not Enough.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 25: Giancarlo Rosado #3 of the Florida Atlantic Owls celebrates after defeating the Kansas State Wildcats during the Elite Eight round of the 2023 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament held at Madison Square Garden on March 25, 2023 in New York City.

FAU Stayed Calm All The Way To The Final Four

Zillowing Out

A $315,000 House We Can Love As Much As The Owners Before Us

David Roth

Silicon Valley entrepreneur Marc Andreessen onstage at the TechCrunch Disrupt festival in 2016.

Politics

The Limits Of The Billionaire Imagination Are Everyone’s Problem

Man sitting at library table, scratching head, with large book open in front of him.

Defector Reads A Book

Defector Reads A Book Is Back For April

EAST LANSING, MI - DECEMBER 21: Head coach Greg Kampe of the Oakland Golden Grizzlies reacts in the second half of the game against the Michigan State Spartans at Breslin Center on December 21, 2022 in East Lansing, Michigan.

Greg Kampe’s Been Running The Football Inbounds Play For 25 Years. No One Has Been Able To Stop It.

Diana Moskovitz is Defector&#8217;s investigations editor. You can contact her at diana@defector.com or dfmoskovitz@protonmail.com. She&#8217;s also on Signal @dmoskovitz.99

Diana Moskovitz

Striking Los Angeles Unified School District employees and their supporters, including teachers, rally outside LAUSD headquarters in Los Angeles on Tuesday, March 21, 2023 during the first day of a three-day strike. At the center of the photo, a person is holding up a sign. It reads: "Mortgage: $$$$ Food: $$$$$ Utilities: $$$$$ My pay: ¢¢¢¢¢¢"

Capital

Why L.A.’s Education Workers Had No Choice But To Strike

Emile is a freelance writer, originally from the U.S., now living in Barcelona. He writes about Spanish soccer, namely FC Barcelona and Barça Femeni, on Substack, at <a href="https://barcafemeni.substack.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://barcafemeni.substack.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1699026753084000&amp;usg=AOvVaw14bYDiXeApFrdtb0hLPnFE">La Barça Soc Supporter</a> and appears regularly on <a href="https://twitter.com/TheBarcelonaPod" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://twitter.com/TheBarcelonaPod&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1699026753084000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3pyv2PojdPBZ1Gkv3_aN-S">The Barcelona Podcast</a>. His work has previously featured at outlets including The Blizzard, <a href="https://urbanpitch.com/author/eavanessian/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://urbanpitch.com/author/eavanessian/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1699026753084000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0I4zygG7AmIDTzwXlPE2u_">Urban Pitch</a>, The Squall, Barça Blaugranes, and <a href="https://www.sportscollectorsdaily.com/author/emile-avanessian/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.sportscollectorsdaily.com/author/emile-avanessian/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1699026753084000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3g0kv0jxafpvL520xVCsVU">Sports Collectors Daily</a>.
Emile also writes about the NBA, at his new outpost League Pass in L’Eixample. His previous work can be found at Forum Blue and Gold and his own site, a living relic of the basketblog era, <a href="https://hardwoodhype.com/the-work" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://hardwoodhype.com/the-work&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1699026753085000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2U949Uf-KXcPwkDPCbW129">Hardwood Hype</a>.

Emile Avanessian

STADIO OLIMPICO , ROME, ITALY - 2023/03/21: Salma Paralluelo of FCB Barcelona celebrates with teammates after scoring the goal of 0-1 during the Women Uefa Champions League quarter finals football match between AS Roma and FCB Barcelona. Barcelona won 1-0 over AS Roma.

Soccer

Barcelona Femeni Is Ready To Make The Climb

Jon Solomon (masked) sits in a sea of empty black chairs in Section 113 at Jadwin Gym in Princeton.

Jon Solomon, Princeton’s Number One Fan, Has Made Me Believe In The Tigers

Soraya Roberts

TV Is Thinking Of Ending Things

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 23: Markquis Nowell #1 of the Kansas State Wildcats reacts during the second half of the game against the Michigan State Spartans during the Sweet Sixteen round of the 2023 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament held at Madison Square Garden on March 23, 2023 in New York City.