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Defector


<p>Dan McQuade was a founding member of Defector. He died in January 2026.</p>


Dan McQuade

CINCINNATI, OHIO - NOVEMBER 02: Chase Brown #30 of the Cincinnati Bengals leaps over Kevin Byard III #31 of the Chicago Bears during the fourth quarter in the game at Paycor Stadium on November 02, 2025 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Brown is completely upside down, back to the camera, legs in the air, looking like his flip will continue to land him on his back. Both Bears players are looking at him. One is on the ground, behind him, looking up. The other is reaching toward Brown. In the background is a full stadium of people, and from the orange it's clear it's the Bengals stadium.

Move Over World Series, The Bears And Bengals Are Playing

Ray Ratto

Auburn University head football coach Hugh Freeze walks off the field surrounded by a police escort following the Tigers home loss to Kentucky on November 1, 2025

College Football

Auburn Gives Hugh Freeze The Hook

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto is mobbed by teammates as they celebrate winning the 2025 World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4

Yoshinobu Yamamoto Will Not Be Denied

Barry Petchesky

Toronto, Ontario, Canada October 31, 2025: Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts (50) leaps to Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Enrique Hernandez (8) after the final out while Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Addison Barger (47) is out at second in the ninth inning and Los Angeles Dodgers Miguel Rojas celebrates during game six of the World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Toronto Blue Jays at Roger Centre on Friday, October 31, 2025 in Los Angeles, CA.(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Six Isn’t Enough

<div class="gmail_default">
<div class="gmail_default">Ryan Goldberg is an award-winning journalist and author who has written for <i>Texas Monthly</i>, The Intercept, <i>The</i> <i>New York Times</i>, <i>Popular Science</i>, and ProPublica, among many other publications. Some of his best stories ran in the old Deadspin. He lives in Brooklyn, and leads regular walks for the Brooklyn Bird Club. You can find more of his work at <a href="http://ryangoldberg.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://ryangoldberg.net&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1758917926877000&amp;usg=AOvVaw04lh06uBoaa598nfG5ro-G">ryangoldberg.net</a>.</div>
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Ryan Goldberg

UNITED STATES - 2023/05/31: Close-up of a barred owl (Strix varia), also known as the northern barred owl, or striped owl, in a park in Kirkland, Washington State, United States. (Photo by Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Birdfector

The Owl Code Tearing Apart New York’s Birders

EDMONTON, CANADA - OCTOBER 23: Evan Bouchard #2 of the Edmonton Oilers in action during the game against the Montreal Canadiens at Rogers Place on October 23, 2025, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images)

Evan Bouchard’s Making It Messy Out There

Israel Daramola

An LSU football player pointing in the distance.

Come On Down And Pick LSU’s Next Football Coach!

<p><a href="https://tomwhyman.com/">Tom Whyman</a> is a British philosopher.</p>


Tom Whyman

Arts And Culture

Werner Herzog’s New Book Tackles The Problem Of Truth

David Roth

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Toronto Blue Jays celebrates after hitting a solo home run in the first inning during Game Five of the 2025 World Series. The Distraction logo is at upper left and the light above the stadium is lovely.

Podcasts

I Like To Get A Solid 12 Hours

<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

Head Coach Bill Belichick of the North Carolina Tar Heels poses during a press conference on December 12, 2024 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Jamboroo

Our Rich People Suck At Spending Money

Defector Staff

Announcements

Help Secure Our Financial Independence By Infiltrating The Great Blogger Bake Shop

Luis Paez-Pumar

Roma's Spanish defender #22 Mario Hermoso celebrates with Roma's Argentine forward #21 Paulo Dybala after scoring his team's first goal during the Italian Serie A football match between AS Roma and Parma at the Olympic Stadium in Rome on October 29, 2025.

Soccer

The Best Title Race Is, Once Again, In Serie A

Jason England

Leonardo DiCaprio in One Battle After Another.

‘One Battle After Another’ Isn’t Up For The Fight

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


Sabrina Imbler

a photo of the microscopic flatworm Stenostomum simplex, which looks like a worm with green balls inside its body.

Creaturefector

Exclusive! A Revealing And Not Made-Up Interview With A Two-Headed Worm

Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers looks on during Game Five of the 2025 World Series. The background of the fans in the seats is indistinct, but Ohtani is in focus.

Game 3 Is The Legend, But The Blue Jays Are For Real

Kelsey McKinney

Lily Allen Takes The “Fuck It” Approach To A Breakup Album

Patrick Redford

NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 26: Daniel Naroditsky during Day 1 of the FIDE World Rapid Championship 2024 on December 26, 2024 in New York, NY. (Photo by Lennart Ootes/Getty Images)

Chess

Beloved Grandmaster Dies Suddenly Amid Harassment Campaign By His Former Idol

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


Chris Thompson

The Blue Jays Make The Dodgers Look Fake And Silly

a spider with yellow stripes perched on a web decorated with stabilimenta

Why Do Some Spiders Make Web Art?


<p>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</p>


Diana Moskovitz

Jordon Hudson attends the game between the Richmond Spiders and the North Carolina Tar Heels at Kenan Memorial Stadium on September 13, 2025 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

The Rise Of Jordon Hudson, Small Business Owner

Lauren Theisen

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. #27 of the Toronto Blue Jays reacts after the final out of the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game four of the 2025 World Series at Dodger Stadium on October 28, 2025 in Los Angeles, California

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Is A Canadian Hero

Tom Ley

Media Meltdowns

Good Thing Nobody In Charge Of A Newspaper Wanted To Make Olivia Reingold A Video Star

Food

The Not-So-Great Defector Bake Off Rages Against Dessert Week

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - OCTOBER 25: VJ Edgecombe #77 of the Philadelphia 76ers reacts against the Charlotte Hornets in the first half at Xfinity Mobile Arena on October 25, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 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 Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)

The NBA’s Rookie Class Is Getting Straight To Work

Kathryn Xu

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. #27 of the Toronto Blue Jays hits a two run home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers.