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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

Ray Ratto

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 31: Tom Brady attends the Los Angeles Premiere of Paramount Pictures’ “80 For Brady” presented by Smirnoff ICE at the Regency Village Theatre on January 31, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures)

You Won’t Be Rid Of Tom Brady That Easily

Barry Petchesky

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MAY 27: Adin Hill #33 of the Vegas Golden Knights watches Shea Theodore #27 of the Golden Knights knock the puck behind the net as he defends against Radek Faksa #12 and Fredrik Olofsson #42 of the Dallas Stars in the first period of Game Five of the Western Conference Final of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at T-Mobile Arena on May 27, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Stars defeated the Golden Knights 4-2. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Bruce Cassidy Is So Mad About The Golden Knights’ Effort, The Damn Coyotes Are Catching Strays

MIAMI, FL - MAY 27: Derrick White #9 of the Boston Celtics shoots the game winner during Game Six of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat on May 27, 2023 at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida. 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 Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)

Derrick White Was In Place

Tom Ley

DENVER, COLORADO - MAY 22: Fans watch the big screens at Ball Arena show the Denver Nuggets playing in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals on May 22, 2023 in Denver, Colorado. Denver Nuggets are playing Los Angeles Lakers in Los Angeles. If the Nuggets win they will clinch a spot in the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history.

Defector Up All Night

Take It Easy In The Memorial Day Weekend Open Thread

DALLAS, TEXAS - MAY 25: Joe Pavelski #16 of the Dallas Stars celebrates a game-winning power play goal against the Vegas Golden Knights during overtime in Game Four of the Western Conference Final of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at American Airlines Center on May 25, 2023 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

I Live In A Joe Pavelski Household Now

Patrick Redford

AUSTIN, TEXAS - APRIL 8: Crystal Dunn #19 of the United States passes the ball during the first half against the Republic of Ireland in a 2023 International Friendly match at Q2 Stadium on April 8, 2023 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)

Soccer

What Is This USWNT Player’s Deal: Crystal Dunn

charismatic megafauna (they/them)

Sabrina Imbler

Giri Nathan

Laura Wagner

Photo of Yamil "Yam Yam" Arocho in a bright purple sweater.

Let Yam Yam Host ‘Survivor’

A pod of killer whales on the move in the Pacific Ocean.

Creaturefector

How To Sink A Yacht (If You’re An Orca)

Staff Writer
Find me on Signal @DefectorChris.19

Chris Thompson

Jayson Tatum blocks the shot of Bam Adebayo.

It’s Fine That The Celtics Are Kicking The Heat’s Butts Off. I’m Not Worried. It’s Fine!

Katharine Trendacosta writes about tech policy, the entertainment industry, pop culture, and where those things intersect. In her day job, she&#8217;s the Associate Director of Policy and Activism for the digital civil liberties nonprofit the Electronic Frontier Foundation. (Her writing here reflects her views alone and not those of EFF.) In her spare time, she writes things like this.

A photo of the author, Katharine Trendacosta

Katharine Trendacosta

Actor and writer Daheli Hall, left, joins WGA members as they cheer on the first day of their strike in front of Paramount Studios in Hollywood on May 2, 2023.

Capital

The Writers Are Striking For The Future Of Entertainment

This Twitter Account Is Unusually Dedicated To Defending The Honor Of NBA Referee Eric Lewis

Israel Daramola

The Final Season Of ‘Barry’ Shot For The Stars

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

Arts And Culture

Movies Have A Reality Disease. ‘Sisu’ Is The Cure

David Roth

Grant Williams of the Boston Celtics holds the ball while Jimmy Butler makes a Jimmy Butler Face in an Eastern Conference Finals game..

Podcasts

Sacred Oafs, Holy Madmen, Culture Wars, Things Of That Nature

The Messenger's white-text on blue-field logo.

Journalismism

The Messenger Hasn’t Yet Disrupted Anything But Its Own Newsroom

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

Dan McQuade

Triptych of Tajama Abraham, Pops Mensah-Bonsu and Yinka Dare while playing with George Washington Colonials. Abraham is grabbing a rebound, Mensah-Bonsu is celebrating, Dare is dunking.

Death To The NCAA

George Washington Settles On Revolutionaries For Nickname

Lauren Theisen

The Panthers celebrate while Jordan Staal looks on

We’ve Got A Category 5 Spendicane Incoming

Music

Tina Turner Did Nothing Nice And Easy

Life's Rich Pageant

Mission Re-Accomplished: Shaq Served At Former FTX Arena

Luis Paez-Pumar

Matthew Tkachuk #19 of the Florida Panthers celebrates with his teammates after scoring the game winning goal on Frederik Andersen #31 of the Carolina Hurricanes during the third period in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at FLA Live Arena on May 24, 2023 in Sunrise, Florida.

I Am A Proud Florida Panthers Bandwagoner

Aaron Rodgers #8 of the New York Jets takes his turn during a warm up drill with a medicine ball as teammate Zach Wilson #2 looks on during an offseason workout session at Atlantic Health Jets Training Center on May 23, 2023 in Florham Park, New Jersey.

RodgersWatch: Aaron Rodgers Is Just A Kid In The Body Of An Old Quarterback With A Tweaked Calf

SUNRISE, FLORIDA - MAY 24: Matthew Tkachuk #19 of the Florida Panthers celebrates with his teammates after scoring the game winning goal on Frederik Andersen #31 of the Carolina Hurricanes during the third period in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at FLA Live Arena on May 24, 2023 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

These Panthers Were A Long Time Coming

a Greenland shark swims away from the camera

This Barnacle Went Where No Other Barnacles Dared Go (Inside A Greenland Shark’s Cloaca)

Steph Curry carves a Bored Ape ice sculpture.

The NBA’s New Social Justice Champion Has A Few Demerits

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.

Jae Towle Vieira

Normal Gossip logo with cartoon characters gossiping