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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

Lauren Theisen

TUSTIN, CA - SEPTEMBER 19: The Tustin Cobras Pop Warner team holds a practice at Foothill High School.

Jamboroo

My Year Of Boy Football

Jackie Charniga is a writer, reporter, and bookseller based in Michigan.

Jackie Charniga

A woman stands behind an oversized book with "#BookTok" on the cover in a colorful exhibit on BookTok at the Frankfurt Book Fair, October 2023

Arts And Culture

If BookTok Convinces Teens They’re Ready For Erotica, Is It My Job To Stop Them?

Ray Ratto

MIAMI, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 17: Global Ambassador Tom Brady and Founder and CEO of Best Buddies International, Anthony K. Shriver are seen on stage at the 25th Annual Best Buddies Miami Gala at Ice Palace Film Studios on November 17, 2023 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images for Best Buddies)

Tom Brady Says Today’s Players Are Soft, Unlike In His Day

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

Podcasts

What Horrors Await In The Weedsgiving Basement?

Patrick Redford

Israel Daramola

Britney Spears performs during the 2007 VMAs

Defector Music Club

Defector Music Club Wants A Piece Of Britney Spears’s ‘Blackout’

Soraya Roberts

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 13: Brad Pitt is seen on the set of "Wolves" in Old Howard Beach on February 13, 2023 in New York City.

Life Lessons

What Does Dressing My Age Look Like?

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - NOVEMBER 21: Obi Toppin #1 of the Indiana Pacers dunks against Onyeka Okongwu #17 of the Atlanta Hawks during the second quarter of an NBA In-Season Tournament game at State Farm Arena on November 21, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. 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 Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Obi Toppin; Onyeka Okongwu

Report: In-Season Tournament “Is A Real Thing”

Giri Nathan

How Many Different Ways Can James Dolan Tell Us He’s Sick Of This?

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

Dan McQuade

KANSAS CITY, MO - NOVEMBER 20: Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling (11) drops a sure touchdown late in the fourth quarter of an NFL football game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs on Nov 20, 2023 at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri.

Subscribe To Defector Media For Continuing Coverage Of Glum Philly Fans After Huge Eagles Wins

Jordan Poole #13 of the Washington Wizards drives to the basket against Immanuel Quickley #5 of the New York Knicks in the second half during an NBA In-Season Tournament game at Capital One Arena on November 17, 2023 in Washington, DC. 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 Rob Carr/Getty Images)

Jordan Poole Charts A New Frontier In Unseriousness

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

An abundance of Christmas decorations in front of a house in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on December 24, 2009. (Photo by Creative Touch Imaging Ltd./NurPhoto)

Funbag

Have We Reached Peak Inflatable Christmas Decoration Inflation?

Kelsey McKinney

Staff Writer
Find me on Signal @DefectorChris.19

Chris Thompson

A perfectly made Caterpillar Roll, with a happy little face and lots of festive meringue decorations.

Chefector

The Not-So-Great Defector Bake Off Crawls Through Party Week

Luis Paez-Pumar

Matt Turner #1 of the United States talks with teammate Sergiño Dest #2 as he walks off the field after being red carded during the first half against Trinidad and Tobago at Hasely Crawford Stadium on November 20, 2023 in Port of Spain, Trinidad And Tobago.

Soccer

Sergiño Dest Lost His Damn Mind

Barry Petchesky

Fans display American flag during warmups prior to an exhibition game between Team USA and Team Canada on September 9, 2016 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/World Cup of Hockey via Getty Images)

Bring Us Canada

Justin Ellis

The exterior of a Red Lobster restaurant illuminated by its neon sign at dusk in South Carolina.

This Is So Stupid

We Will Plunge The Depths Of Unlimited Shrimp Until The System Is Broken

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

Travis Kelce #87 of the Kansas City Chiefs speaks with Jason Kelce #62 of the Philadelphia Eagles after Super Bowl LVII at State Farm Stadium on February 12, 2023 in Glendale, Arizona. The Chiefs defeated the Eagles 38-35.

Defector Up All Night

Sure, Let’s Listen To The Kelce Brothers’ Rendition Of “Fairytale Of New York”

Tim Boyle throws a football during pregame warmups.

Tim Boyle? Yes, Tim Boyle

SUN VALLEY, IDAHO - JULY 11: Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, speaks to the media as he arrives at the Sun Valley Lodge for the Allen &amp; Company Sun Valley Conference on July 11, 2023 in Sun Valley, Idaho. Every July, some of the world's most wealthy and powerful businesspeople from the media, finance, technology and political spheres converge at the Sun Valley Resort for the exclusive weeklong conference. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Capital

What The Shit Is Happening With OpenAI And Sam Altman? An Explainer

ARLINGTON, TEXAS - OCTOBER 27: Former MLB player Alex Rodriguez commentates prior to Game One of the World Series between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on October 27, 2023 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)

Another Hall Of Fame Ballot, Another Chance To Get It Wrong

David Roth

Atlanta Braves pitcher Kyle Wright throwing a pitch against the Washington Nationals in a September 2023 road game.

What Do The Kansas City Royals Know About Shoulders?

Nicholas Russell is a writer from Las Vegas.

Nicholas Russell

A collection of triangular shapes in Michael Heizer's City installation

Art In The Middle Of Nowhere Is Still Somewhere

Quarterback Joshua Dobbs #15 of the Minnesota Vikings fumbles the football after being hit by safety Kareem Jackson #22 of the Denver Broncos during the first quarter of the NFL game at Empower Field At Mile High on November 19, 2023 in Denver, Colorado.

The Vikings Caught The Turnover Bug Again

Maitreyi Anantharaman

Head coach Kim Mulkey of the LSU Lady Tigers yells at Angel Reese #10 during the second quarter against the Michigan Wolverines in the second round of the 2023 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament held at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on March 19, 2023 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

College Basketball

Angel Reese Absent From Recent LSU Games Amid Mom-Instigated Social Media Feud

Crosswords

The Crossword, Nov. 20: Switch Pitchers

Tom Ley

Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell (14) and head coach Ron Rivera stand for the national anthem prior to action against the Philadelphia Eagles at FedEx Field on October 29, 2023.