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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

Kirill Kaprizov #97 of the Minnesota Wild celebrates

Minnesota Is Good Enough For Kirill Kaprizov

Nick Sturm

Arts And Culture

Good Riddance To ‘The Best American Poetry’

Defector Staff

Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrates with teammates in the locker room after defeating the Arizona Diamondbacks 8-0 to clinch the National League West title.

Everything We’re Looking Forward To In The 2025 MLB Playoffs

Maitreyi Anantharaman

Napheesa Collier #24 of the Minnesota Lynx congratulates Alyssa Thomas #25 of the Phoenix Mercury following Game Four of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs semifinals at PHX Arena on September 28, 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Mercury defeated the Lynx 86-81 to advance to the WNBA finals.

WNBA

So Much For The Lynx’s Revenge Season

Dave McKenna

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - SEPTEMBER 13: Terence Crawford walks to the ring prior to the Undisputed &amp; Ring Magazine Super Middleweight Championship against Canelo Alvarez (not pictured) at Allegiant Stadium on September 13, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/TKO Worldwide LLC via Getty Images)

Policing

Omaha Cops Draw Guns On Local Hero Terence Crawford [UPDATE]

Luis Paez-Pumar

Crystal Palace's English striker #09 Eddie Nketiah shoots to score their late winner during the English Premier League football match between Crystal Palace and Liverpool at Selhurst Park in south London on September 27, 2025.

Soccer

Crystal Palace Liverpooled Liverpool


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Israel Daramola

Leonardo DiCaprio's character talks into a payphone, from the movie One Battle After Another.

Paul Thomas Anderson Goes Big Game Hunting With ‘One Battle After Another’

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


Chris Thompson

Elly De La Cruz attempts to drink from an empty champagne bottle.

The Sneaky Little Reds Avoid Being Squished By The Boot Of Elimination

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<p>Charles P. Pierce is a writer at <em>Esquire</em> and the author of four books, most recently <em>Idiot America</em>, and has been a working journalist since 1976. He lives near Boston with his wife but no longer his three children.</p>
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Charles P. Pierce

Worcester, MA - May 11: Opening Day at the new Polar Park for the Worcester Red Sox in Worcester on May 11, 2021. Spectators watch from above home plate as Syracuse Mets and the WooSox line the field. (Photo by John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

A Million Lives Lead Back To Worcester

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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

Margin Of Error

What Makes A Loser


<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Dan McQuade was a founding member of Defector. He died in January 2026.</p>


Dan McQuade

Tom Brady wearing white-on-white tie and shirt combo in the broadcast booth and sort of looking like a caterer.

Congratulations To Tom Brady On Making His First Holy Communion

Diana Taurasi #3 of the Phoenix Mercury brings the ball up the court against the Las Vegas Aces in the third quarter of their game at Michelob ULTRA Arena on May 14, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Crosswords

The Crossword, Sept. 29: Miss Her, Kiss Her, Love Her (Themeless)

Ray Ratto

Owner Jerry Jones of the Dallas Cowboys looks on before the game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on September 21, 2025. He has big sunglasses on.

For Jerry Jones, A Tie Is As Good As A Win

Barry Petchesky

MIAMI, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 28: Juan Soto #22 of the New York Mets reacts after striking out during the first inning against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot park on September 28, 2025 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Tomas Diniz Santos/Getty Images)

The Mets Went Out Like Chumps

Kelsey McKinney

Albert Burneko

A barren Dust Bowl wasteland with a single fencepost standing in the foreground.

Life Lessons

Now Let Us Survey Our Summer’s Gardening Bounty

Donald Trump talks with Bryson DeChambeau of Team United States at the first hole tee box during the Friday afternoon four-ball matches of the 2025 Ryder Cup at Black Course at Bethpage State Park Golf Course on September 26, 2025 in Farmingdale, New York.

This Is So Stupid

Donald Trump Posts Fake Video Of Himself Promoting Fake Medical Technology In Fake News Segment

C.J. Kayfus #63 of the Cleveland Guardians is hit by a pitch to force a walk-off to win the game between the Texas Rangers and the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on Saturday, September 27, 2025 in Cleveland, Ohio

I Too Would Hit My Opponent With A Baseball To Eliminate The Astros From The Playoffs

Giri Nathan

Former NBA player Luke Ridnour, an archetypal Guy to Remember

It’s Just “Let’s Remember Some Guys”

<p><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif">Marc Normandin currently writes on baseball’s labor issues and more at </span><a style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif" href="http://marcnormandin.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://marcnormandin.com&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1758998321491000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1ZpjG5RUFwdpapWqR1u4bd">marcnormandin.com</a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif">, which you can read for free but support </span><a style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif" href="https://www.patreon.com/marcnormandin">through his Patreon</a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif">. His baseball writing has appeared at FOX Sports, SB Nation, Defector, Global Sport Matters, Deadspin, Sports Illustrated, ESPN, Sports on Earth, The Guardian, The Nation, FAIR, and TalkPoverty, and you can read his takes on video games at Retro XP and Endless Mode.</span></p>
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Marc Normandin

Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred (L) speaks with owner Tom Ricketts of the Chicago Cubs during the 2027 Chicago All-Star Game Announcement before a game between the Baltimore Orioles and Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Manfred's got shades on.

Rob Manfred’s Two Jobs

Soraya Roberts

To Artistic Freedom: The Cause Of, And Solution To, All Of Life’s Problems

Brandy Jensen

Defector Reads A Book

Defector Reads A Book Is Deciding If This Is The Funniest Novel Ever Written

Noelvi Marte #16 of the Cincinnati Reds leaps to make a catch in the ninth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates