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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

Dave McKenna

Diana Nyad speaks at the FEMME Awards 2025 at Terranea Resort on March 20, 2025 in Rancho Palos Verdes, California.

Swimming

Diana Nyad Finally Got Her Plaque

Luis Paez-Pumar

Vikings on a boat preparing for a fortress raid in Assassin's Creed Valhalla

The Backlog

‘Valhalla’ Is Assassin’s Creed At Its Most Bloated

David Roth

A barn near Litchfield, Connecticut. It is painted in a faded red, and there's an American flag painted on the front of it. The Distraction logo is at upper right.

Podcasts

A Long Weekend In “Magary Country”

Tom Ley

Football teams from the schools of Yale and Princeton playing a match on Thanksgiving Day afternoon that ended in a tie score, November 1879. The illustration, a wood engraving, was published in an 1879 issue of Harper’s Weekly newspaper.

Defector Up All Night

Catch Your Breath In The Thanksgiving Open Thread

<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

View of American media mogul and businesswoman Martha Stewart, in a blue, striped apron, as she works in her kitchen, Westport, Connecticut, August 1976.

Jamboroo

Confessions Of A Domestic Demigod

Ray Ratto


<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Culture Writer</p>


Israel Daramola

Indiana Hoosiers OL Mike Katic (56) celebrates with the Old Oaken Bucket following a college football game between the Purdue Boilermakers and Indiana Hoosiers on November 30, 2024 at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, IN

College Football

It’s All Over But The Crowing Over The Corpse Of Your Rival

Cason Wallace #22, Isaiah Hartenstein #55, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2, Chet Holmgren #7, and Luguentz Dort #5 of the Oklahoma City Thunder celebrate during the first half against the Portland Trail Blazers on November 23, 2025.

Are The Thunder Too Good?

Zohran Mamdani holding up a photo of Ian Wright

This Is So Stupid

Can Zohran Mamdani Keep New Yorkers Safe From Remembering Some Arsenal Guys?


<p class="wp-block-paragraph">charismatic megafauna (they/them)</p>


Sabrina Imbler

a mother leopard seal opens her mouth above the body of her dead pup

Creaturefector

Why Won’t Nora The Leopard Seal Abandon Her Dead Pups?

<p>Jae Towle Vieira [they/them] works as a producer for Normal Gossip. Their fiction has been published in <i data-stringify-type="italic">The Normal School</i>, <i data-stringify-type="italic">New England Review, Carve Magazine, Passages North, Fairy Tale Review</i>, and elsewhere.</p>


Jae Towle Vieira

Motive, Opportunity, And Sweet Potato Pie

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<div><a href="https://www.bystefanfatsis.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.bystefanfatsis.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1759235100786000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1mlCW5_XUY56jklGr11a_z">Stefan Fatsis</a> is the author of four books: <a href="https://groveatlantic.com/book/unabridged/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://groveatlantic.com/book/unabridged/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1759235100786000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0jbw5ZscOBp6w-1um3R6yu"><i>Unabridged</i></a>, <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/a-few-seconds-of-panic-a-sportswriter-plays-in-the-nfl-stefan-fatsis/7891278" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://bookshop.org/p/books/a-few-seconds-of-panic-a-sportswriter-plays-in-the-nfl-stefan-fatsis/7891278&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1759235100786000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0MpNNngIOKaj-715hSNVZD"><i>A Few Seconds of Panic</i></a>, <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/word-freak-heartbreak-triumph-genius-and-obsession-in-the-world-of-competitive-scrabblep-layers-stefan-fatsis/11648962" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://bookshop.org/p/books/word-freak-heartbreak-triumph-genius-and-obsession-in-the-world-of-competitive-scrabblep-layers-stefan-fatsis/11648962&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1759235100786000&amp;usg=AOvVaw02LL51Wrka0A0lLkwOxYUj"><i>Word Freak</i></a>, and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Wild-Outside-Renegade-Baseball-Heartland/dp/0802712975" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amazon.com/Wild-Outside-Renegade-Baseball-Heartland/dp/0802712975&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1759235100786000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1YzbrZGW2KCbIttDDLhkPn"><i>Wild and Outside</i></a>. He&#8217;s also a former cohost of “Hang Up and Listen,” commentator on NPR&#8217;s &#8220;All Things Considered,&#8221; and reporter for <i>The Wall Street Journal</i>. Subscribe to his newsletter, <a href="https://stefanfatsis.substack.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://stefanfatsis.substack.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1786480936396000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0fRpxgEOhbgbpR79WFcozC">Unabridged</a>.</div>
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Stefan Fatsis

Life's Rich Pageant

How A Campy 1970s Game Show Became Part Of Canada’s National Lexicon

Patrick Redford

TORONTO, ON - NOVEMBER 24: Brandon Ingram #3 of the Toronto Raptors waves to the crowd as he walks off the court after defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers at Scotiabank Arena on November 24, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 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 Andrew Lahodynskyj/Getty Images)

Welcome To The ‘Nothing But Respect’ Media Hour

DETROIT, MICHIGAN - NOVEMBER 17: Jalen Duren #0 of the Detroit Pistons reacts after he dunks in the first half against the Indiana Pacers at Little Caesars Arena on November 17, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan. 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 Rick Osentoski/Getty Images)

Jalen Duren, Phenomenal Leaper, Has Made The Leap

Funbag

All Of The Brands Suck At Branding

Lauren Theisen

Logan Cooley #92 of the Utah Mammoth celebrate a hat trick with the Utah Mammoth bench during the third period against the Vegas Golden Knights at Delta Center

The Hats Were Not Enough For Logan Cooley

Barry Petchesky

The Phoenix Mercury logo and the planet Mercury.

The Phoenix Mercury’s New Logos Vs. The Planet Mercury: An Exhausting Showdown

11:00 A.M. Monday. May 9th. 1910. Newsies at Skeeter's Branch. Jefferson near Franklin. They were all smoking. Location: St. Louis. Missouri. May 9. 1910. Gelatin silver print. 9.1 x 11.9 cm

Announcements

Would You Like To Be Defector’s Sixth-Ever Editorial Intern?

Idrissa Gueye of Everton receives a red card for a disagreement with Michael Keane of Everton during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Everton at Old Trafford on November 24, 2025 in Manchester, England.

Soccer

You Can Get Slapped By Your Own Teammate And Still Beat Manchester United

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


Chris Thompson

Can Anything Make The Hornets Make Sense?

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


Dan McQuade

ARLINGTON, TX - NOVEMBER 23: Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa (97) sacks Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) during the game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles on November 23, 2025 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

The Eagles’ Struggles Are Simply Offensive

Kathryn Xu

New York Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo (9) sprinting to first base on a walk.

Brandon Nimmo Will Now Do His Sprinting To First Base In Texas

GREEN BAY, WI. - NOVEMBER 2025: Green Bay Packers defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt (95) sacked Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) during the fourth quarter at Lambeau Sunday, November 23, 2025 at Lambeau Field

J.J. McCarthy Is Not Beating The “Sucks” Allegations

Maitreyi Anantharaman

Around 500 people perform yoga on the occasion of the 11th International Day of Yoga at Cyber Hub near Cyber city, on June 21, 2025 in Gurugram, India. International Yoga Day emphasises the numerous benefits of yoga for personal wellness and mindfulness, urging individuals to embrace calm amidst chaos. Celebrated annually on June 21 since 2015, this year's theme is 'Yoga for One Earth, One Health.'

Crosswords

The Crossword, Nov. 24: Fight For Rights (Themeless)

Jasper Nathaniel

Politics

Good Settler, Bad Settler

<p>Owen Lewis is a former Defector intern and has written for The Guardian, The Second Serve, The Athletic, n+1, Texas Monthly, Air Mail, and other publications.</p>


Owen Lewis

David Benavidez exchanges punches with Anthony Yarde in a WBC and WBA light-heavyweight title fight during Ring IV: Night of the Champions at ANB Arena on November 22, 2025 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.