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Defector

Ray Ratto

Andre Szmyt #25 of the Cleveland Browns celebrates with teammates and fans after kicking a game-winning field goal against the Green Bay Packers.

Chaos, Brought To You By Kickers


<p>Investigations Editor. You can contact her at diana@defector.com or dfmoskovitz@protonmail.com. She&#8217;s also on Signal @dmoskovitz.99</p>


Diana Moskovitz

Tyreek Hill #10 of the Miami Dolphins runs across the field during an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium on September 18, 2025 in Orchard Park, New York.

Why Defector Is Intervening To Make Public A Confidential Document In The Tyreek Hill Case

<div>Nate Jackson is a former NFL tight end and author of <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/slow-getting-up-a-story-of-nfl-survival-from-the-bottom-of-the-pile-nate-jackson/6430451?gclid=Cj0KCQjwpc-oBhCGARIsAH6ote9JzWMngZDpSjF2eoL1_JlyPm2QhDfkNgOzqvaB4n9ic0qqUNQ4iCwaAsasEALw_wcB"><em>Slow Getting Up</em></a>. He lives in Denver.</div>
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Nate Jackson

Denver Broncos Training Camp at their training facility on July 29, 2008 in Englewood, Colorado.

I Played In The NFL. Should I Care If My Son Doesn’t Like Football?

<p>Staff Writer</p>
<p>Find me on Signal @DefectorChris.19</p>


Chris Thompson

HOUSTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 20: Victor Robles #10 of the Seattle Mariners makes a diving catch to end the ninth inning against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park on September 20, 2025 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images)

Victor Robles To The Rescue!

The rusted hulk of RFK Stadium, which is being demolished.

The Commanders’ D.C. Stadium Deal Is An Abomination

Barry Petchesky

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - SEPTEMBER 20: George Valera #35 of the Cleveland Guardians celebrates after hitting a solo home run against the Minnesota Twins in the second inning of game one of a doubleheader at Target Field on September 20, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

What In The Hell Is Going On In The AL Central?

Dave McKenna

PROVO, UT - JANUARY 28: Boxer Conor McGregor sports a Brigham Young hat during the second half of the Brigham Young Cougars game agaisnt the Baylor Bears at the Marriott Center on January 28, 2025 in Provo, Utah. (Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images)

Politics

Conor McGregor’s Irish Presidential Campaign Was Brief And Humiliating

Maitreyi Anantharaman

Kelsey Mitchell #0 of the Indiana Fever speaks with ESPN reporter after the game three of the first round of WNBA Playoffs between the Indiana Fever and Atlanta Dream at Gateway Center Arena on September 18, 2025 in College Park, Georgia.

WNBA

Kelsey Mitchell Is Making Up For Lost Time In The Playoffs

David Roth

Holland Roden, Joe Pantoliano, and Matthew Daddario sitting on a very Hallmark movie coach, all admiring a little Buffalo Bills ornament that Pantoliano (in a Bills hat and goatee) has received from an anonymous benefactor. It's from the trailer of Holiday Touchdown: A Bills Love Story.

The Hallmark Channel And The Buffalo Bills Encourage You To “Go For Four”

Patrick Redford

A'ja Wilson #22 of the Las Vegas Aces reacts against the Seattle Storm at Climate Pledge Arena on September 16, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. 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 Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

A’ja Wilson Is The Smoothest Operator

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<div>Abigail Segel is a contributing writer at Defector. She is also an editor for The IX Soccer and the Equalizer. Her work has been published in the Guardian and the Montreal Gazette.</div>
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Abigail Segel

Sarah Puntigam #17 of Houston Dash shoots during the NWSL match between San Diego Wave and Houston Dash at Snapdragon Stadium on September 07, 2025 in San Diego, California.

Soccer

In A Typically Chaotic NWSL Season, The Only Safe Place Is The Very Top

Sean Kuhn

An Immaculate Grid filled in with the most-remembered people from the Defector/Immaculate Grid collaboration week.

Let's Remember Some Guys

Who Gets Remembered? Crunching The Numbers From 36,000 Immaculate Grids

Israel Daramola

College Football

The College Coaches Are Going Through It

Kathryn Xu

Never Try To Catch A Baseball

Veronica Burton #22 of the Golden State Valkyries reacts after making a three-point shot against the Minnesota Lynx during the second half of Game Two in the first round of WNBA Playoffs at Sap Center on September 17, 2025 in San Jose, California.

Ballhalla Is A Mindset

Jalen Hurts looking thoughtful after defeating the Kansas City Chiefs in the game at Arrowhead Stadium on September 14, 2025 in Kansas City. The Distraction logo is at upper left.

Podcasts

Teaching Jalen Hurts How To Complain, With Dan McQuade

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaks as he presents the new Meta Ray-Ban Display at the 2025 Meta Connect conference in Menlo Park, California, on September 17, 2025. (Photo by Benjamin LEGENDRE / AFP)

The Machines

Mark Zuckerberg Demonstrates That His AI Smart Glasses Suck And Don’t Work

Soraya Roberts

American actor Robert Redford wearing a grey tweed blazer over a matching waistcoat and a white shirt, with a diagonally striped tie, with a grey fedora, in a scene from 'The Sting', filmed in the United States, 1973.

Arts And Culture

Robert Redford Made An Art Of The Double Take

Luis Paez-Pumar

Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool FC celebrates after scoring his team's third goal during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD1 match between Liverpool FC and Atletico de Madrid at Anfield on September 17, 2025 in Liverpool, England.

Liverpool Can’t Keep Getting Away With This … Right?

<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

A blank high school scoreboard with a backdrop of the snow-covered Topatopa Mountains in Ventura County, California.

Jamboroo

Scoreboard!

TORONTO, ON - September 17 Head Coach Craig Berube chats to the media.

The Maple Leafs Can’t Seem To Get Out Of The First Round Against Punctuation

LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 04: Jimmy Kimmel is seen at 'Jimmy Kimmel Live" on November 04, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by RB/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)

Charlie Kirk Is A Means To An End

Aliyah Boston #7 and Lexie Hull #10 of the Indiana Fever celebrate during the second half against the Atlanta Dream in game two of the first round of WNBA Playoffs at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on September 16, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The WNBA Won Won Won With 1-1-1

Albert Burneko

US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump during a visit to St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, Berkshire, on day one of their second state visit to the UK.

This Is So Stupid

Nice Hat, Melania

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


Sabrina Imbler

a wild octopus americanus, arms unspooled and curling

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