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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

Alex Sujong Laughlin

Writers Guild of America members walk the picket line on the first day of their strike in front of Amazon studios on Tuesday, May 2, 2023.

Arts And Culture

Reality TV Won’t Fix What’s Broken About Hollywood Economics

Samer Kalaf

An Alabama Crimson Tide hat rests in the dugout during a game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the LSU Tigers on May 12, 2018, at Alex Box Stadium in Baton Rouge, LA.

College Baseball

Something Weird’s Going On With Alabama Baseball

Ray Ratto

West Bromwich Albion's English head coach Sam Allardyce looks on during the English Premier League football match between Leeds United and West Bromwich Albion at Elland Road in Leeds, northern England on May 23, 2021. - 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. (Photo by Jon Super / POOL / 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. / 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.

Soccer

Sam Allardyce Is Back For One Last Job, Until His Next Last Job

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<div>Casey Taylor is a writer living and working in Pittsburgh. He is currently writing a book for St. Martin&#8217;s Press about cannabis religions, Haile Selassie I, and the Cold War in the Caribbean. He also writes a free newsletter called <a href="https://weedchurch.substack.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://weedchurch.substack.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1709306863919000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1mVH2xiID6S0zvlyj6yHco">Weed Church</a> covering foolish spiritual things that occur to him. His work has appeared in The New Republic, WIRED, New York Magazine, and a sports blog he can’t currently recall the name of. You can <a href="mailto:caseyt7@gmail.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">email</a> him if you’d like.</div>
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Casey Taylor

Audrey Kim, curator and artist, talks about the piece "Genesis: In The Beginning Was The Word" by Eurypheus at the Misalignment Museum on March 8, 2023 in San Francisco, California. - A new exhibition titled the Misalignment Museum opened to the public in San Francisco on March 9th, 2023, featuring funny or disturbing AI art works, supposed to help visitors think about the potential dangers of artificial intelligence. (Photo by Amy Osborne / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY MENTION OF THE ARTIST UPON PUBLICATION - TO ILLUSTRATE THE EVENT AS SPECIFIED IN THE CAPTION (Photo by AMY OSBORNE/AFP via Getty Images)

The Machines

AI Art Sucks Ass And You Should Say It’s Bad

Lauren Theisen

Leon Draisaitl #29 and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins #93 of the Edmonton Oilers celebrate Draisaitl's third-period power-play goal

Maybe Leon Draisaitl Should Just Never Leave The Ice

<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

TEMPE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 16: (L-R) Owner Michael Bidwill, new head coach Jonathan Gannon and general manager Monti Ossenfort of the Arizona Cardinals pose for a photo during a press conference at Dignity Health Arizona Cardinals Training Center on February 16, 2023 in Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)

The Arizona Cardinals Are Still Intensely Fucking Weird

Dave McKenna

Life Lessons

Requiem For An Overweight

Patrick Redford

Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets passes the ball during Game Two of the Western Conference Semi-Finals of the 2023 NBA Playoffs against the Phoenix Suns on May 1, 2023 at the Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2023 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)

Media Meltdowns

Denver Post Columnist: Nikola Jokic’s Underwear Shows Why He Deserves MVP

<p>Dan Berger teaches at the University of Washington Bothell and writes about activism, Black Power, and the carceral state. His latest book is <em>Stayed on Freedom: The Long History of Black Power Through One Family’s Journey</em>.</p>


Dan Berger

Capital

In The Fight For Justice, The Police Can Only Be On One Side

Carter Verhaeghe Makes Other Teams Feel Bad

Albert Burneko

An NYC subway car with an MTA badge by the door

Jordan Neely Just Needed Some Help

Kelsey McKinney

Normal Gossip logo with cartoon characters gossiping

Podcasts

Time To Process Our Michael Phelps Trauma!

<div>Adam Charles Hart is an author, curator, and archivist who lives in Pittsburgh. His second book, &#8216;<i>Raising the Dead: The Work of George A. Romero, </i>will be out in early 2024 from Oxford University Press.</div>
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Adam Charles Hart

An evil zombie poking its head up from behind a black wall, and at the bottom it says DIRECTED BY GEORGE A. ROMERO. And zombie has baseball stitches on his head. And then above there are comic word bubbles that say things like "OJ SIMPSON" and "BRUNO SAMMARTINO" and "REGGIE JACKSON" and "FRANCO HARRIS"

Defector At The Movies

Remembering “The Winners,” George Romero’s Forgotten Sports Documentary Series

Luis Paez-Pumar

Leo Messi of Paris Saint-Germain looks on during the Ligue 1 match between Paris Saint-Germain and FC Lorient at Parc des Princes on April 30, 2023 in Paris, France.

Lionel Messi’s PSG Vacation Has Fallen Apart

Giri Nathan

Tennis

Zhizhen Zhang Is In New Territory

DALLAS, TEXAS - MAY 02: Oliver Bjorkstrand #22 of the Seattle Kraken celebrates after Yanni Gourde #37 of the Seattle Kraken scored the game-winning goal against Jake Oettinger #29 of the Dallas Stars in the first overtime period in Game One of the Second Round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at American Airlines Center on May 02, 2023 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

Kraken 5, Joe Pavelski 4

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 02: LeBron James #6 of the Los Angeles Lakers blocks a shot by Jordan Poole #3 of the Golden State Warriors during the third quarter in game one of the Western Conference Semifinal Playoffs at Chase Center on May 02, 2023 in San Francisco, 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 Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Jordan Poole, Off The Deep End

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


Sabrina Imbler

Creaturefector

What If I Told You Sperm Could Be Balls?

DENVER, CO - MAY 1: Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets handles the ball against the Phoenix Suns during Round 2 Game 2 of the 2023 NBA Playoffs on May 1, 2023 at the Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2023 NBAE (Photo by Bart Young/NBAE via Getty Images)

Nikola Jokic Is A Big Strong Guy

The Grizzlies Are Done With Dillon Brooks

KANSAS CITY, MO - APRIL 28: A Washington Commanders fan during the second day of the NFL Draft on April 28, 2023 at Union Station in Kansas City, MO. (Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire)

Funbag

Just Keep The Name Commanders And Be Done With It

RJ Barrett Needs To Be More Up Than Down

Tom Ley

LEICESTER, ENGLAND - MAY 01: Everton captain Seamus Coleman encourages the Everton supporters as he is carried from the field on a stretcher during the Premier League match between Leicester City and Everton FC at The King Power Stadium on May 1, 2023 in Leicester, United Kingdom.

Seamus Coleman Never Stopped


<p>Dan McQuade was a founding member of Defector. He died in January 2026.</p>


Dan McQuade

BOSTON, MA - MAY 1: James Harden #1 of the Philadelphia 76ers drives to the basket during Round Two Game One of the 2023 NBA Playoffs on May 1, 2023 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2023 NBAE

James Harden Outshot The Celtics, Somehow

TEMPE, AZ - SEPTEMBER 21: A Colorado Buffaloes helmet on the field during the college football game between the Colorado Buffaloes and the Arizona State Sun Devils on September 21, 2019 at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona.