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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

Israel Daramola

Ray Ratto

College Football

The College Coaches Are Going Through It

Kathryn Xu

Never Try To Catch A Baseball

Maitreyi Anantharaman

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.

WNBA

Ballhalla Is A Mindset

David Roth

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

Patrick Redford

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.

Soccer

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!

Barry Petchesky

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)

Politics

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

Creaturefector

Unlike Our Stupid Human Arms, Octopus Arms Are All Equally Beautiful And Talented


<p>Robert Weintraub is the author of four books, including <em>The Divine Miss Marble</em>, now <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Divine-Miss-Marble-Tennis-Mystery/dp/1524745367/ref=asc_df_1524745367/?tag=hyprod-20&amp;linkCode=df0&amp;hvadid=459515946640&amp;hvpos=&amp;hvnetw=g&amp;hvrand=6202131795131082661&amp;hvpone=&amp;hvptwo=&amp;hvqmt=&amp;hvdev=c&amp;hvdvcmdl=&amp;hvlocint=&amp;hvlocphy=9010752&amp;hvtargid=pla-926582175995&amp;psc=1">out in paperback</a>. He has also written for the <em>New York Times</em>, ESPN/Grantland, Slate, Columbia Journalism Review, the <em>Guardian</em>, Football Outsiders, and many other outlets. Follow on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/robwein" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">@robwein</a>.</p>


Robert Weintraub

Bubblegum card (from the Bowman Gum Company) features baseball player Hank Thompson, of the New York Giants, 1955.

Hank Thompson Lived A Wild, Tragic, Forgotten Life In Baseball

Hannah Smothers

Reality TV Dating Enters Virgin Territory

Kelsey McKinney

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


Chris Thompson

Food

The Not-So-Great Defector Bake Off Suffers Mightily For Biscuit Week

U.S. Vice President JD Vance, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller depart Union Station after meeting with federal law enforcement officers on August 20, 2025.

The United States Of Snitches

Giri Nathan

Washington Post Editor Karen Attiah leads a discussion on Saudi hacking techniques at the Oslo Freedom Forum 2019 on May 28, 2019 in Oslo, Norway. (Photo by Julia Reinhart/Getty Images)

Media Meltdowns

Washington Post Opinion Columnist Fired For Social Media Posts On Charlie Kirk

A video feed is displayed in the White House Briefing Room as U.S. Vice President JD Vance hosts a podcast episode of 'The Charlie Kirk Show' following the assassination of the show's namesake, at the White House on September 15, 2025 in Washington, DC. Tyler Robinson is accused of fatally shooting Charlie Kirk, CEO and co-founder of Turning Point USA, while he was speaking at an event for his "American Comeback Tour" on the campus of Utah Valley University.

Funbag

Everything Is Getting Lost In The Fog

Tom Brady speaks onstage at Fanatics Fest NYC 2025 at Javits Center on June 21, 2025 in New York City.

Tom Brady Adds Sportswashing To His Impressive Résumé

Veronica de Souza

Make It Nice

Make It Nice: Why Is This Bathroom So Round?

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<div class="p-rich_text_section">Tom Scocca is the editor of <a href="http://indignity.net">Indignity</a>, a subscription-supported newsletter of news, essays, and commentary.</div>
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Tom Scocca

U.S. President Donald Trump boards Air Force One on September 11, 2025 at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. President Trump is traveling to New York to attend a New York Yankees game and to stay at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey for the weekend.

Margin Of Error

How Do You Stop A Serial Killer?

J.J. McCarthy #9 of the Minnesota Vikings fumbles the ball as he's sacked by Zach Harrison #96 of the Atlanta Falcons in the fourth quarter during the NFL 2025 game at U.S. Bank Stadium on September 14, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

J.J. McCarthy Awful, Then A Hero, Then A Father, Then Awful Again, Then A Bust, Now Hurt

A Dissection Of The Kawhi Leonard Scandal, With Noah Kulwin

of the New York Mets heads to home plate to celebrate with teammates after hitting a home run for a walk off win in the bottom of the 10th against the Texas Rangers at Citi Field on September 14, 2025.