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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.

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Defector

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Defector Staff

31st December 1931: New Year's Eve revellers at the Piccadilly Hotel in London.

Piccadilly Party

Defector Up All Night

Here’s An Open Thread To Help Ring In The New Year

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Israel Daramola

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Ray Ratto

2025 College Football Playoff First Round Game – James Madison v Oregon

College Football

You Can Finally Start Paying Attention To The College Football Playoff

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

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Diana Moskovitz

Stefon Diggs #8 of the New England Patriots looks on during the national anthem prior to an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons at Gillette Stadium on November 02, 2025 in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

Diggs

Stefon Diggs Charged With Strangulation After Personal Chef Told Police He Attacked Her

2019-01-01 00:15:14.989

Maitreyi Anantharaman

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College Basketball

If Syla Swords Takes A Shot But The Clock Is Frozen, Did It Actually Happen?

Abigail Segel is a writer based in Montreal.

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Abigail Segel

Christen Press and Tobin Heath at their live show

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Soccer

Christen Press And Tobin Heath Want To Keep Up The Fight

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Brandy Jensen

Woman farmer feeding hogs Lisbon Falls, ME

Funbag

Against “Slop”

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Luis Paez-Pumar

Don Parrott likes to spend the afternoon in his wife's bar, the Artesia, playing his favorite game, Ms. Pac-Man.

JUL 16 1982, JUL 18 1982; Parrott, Don – Ind. (Dinosaur, Co.); Parrott likes to spend the afternoon

Video Games

All The Video Games I Started But Did Not Finish In 2025

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Lauren Theisen

Gavin McKenna #9 of Canada reacts after winning best player for Canada during the Group B, Game 14 match against Denmark

Preliminary Round – Group B, Game 14 Canada vs Denmark – 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship

Gavin McKenna Refuels The Hype Machine

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Patrick Redford

OAKLAND, CA - SEPTEMBER 21: Former first baseman Mark McGwire of the Oakland Athletics stands on the field during the team"u2019s Hall of Fame ceremony before the game against the Texas Rangers at the RingCentral Coliseum on September 21, 2019 in Oakland, California. The Oakland Athletics defeated the Texas Rangers 12-3. (Photo by Jason O. Watson/Getty Images)

Texas Rangers v Oakland Athletics

Podcasts

The Real Story Of Baseball’s Steroid Era Is A Labor Story

E.Y. Zhao is a writer and editor from St. Louis. Her debut novel, <a href="https://astrapublishinghouse.com/product/underspin-9781662603266/">Underspin</a>, set in the world of competitive table tennis, is out now. She holds a BA in history from Harvard College and an MFA from the University of Michigan.

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E.Y. Zhao

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Arts And Culture

‘Marty Supreme’ Bears Us Into The New World

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Where Does ‘Marty Supreme’ Rank Among Recent Sports Movies?

Swedish Crown Princess Victoria and Prime Minister Goran Persson attend the Nobel Banquet at Stockholm City Hall, Sweden, 10 December 2003.

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Year In Review

The Best Things We Ate In 2025

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Chris Thompson

Philip Rivers

Philip Rivers Had A Grand Old Time Leading The Colts Into Their Grave

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Sabrina Imbler

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What Would You Name This Cat?

San Francisco 49ers' Brock Purdy celebrates his 2nd quarter rushing touchdown against Chicago Bears on December 28, 2025. He's doing the cupped-ear "let me hear it" gesture into a TV camera's lens.

Chicago Bears Play San Francisco 49ers During NFL Game At Levi’s Stadium In Santa Clara

Brock Purdy Refuses To Remain Anonymous

VANCOUVER, CANADA - DECEMBER 27: Macklin Celebrini #71 of the San Jose Sharks gestures to a teammate prior to a face-off during NHL action against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena on December 27, 2025 in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo by Rich Lam/Getty Images)

San Jose Sharks v Vancouver Canucks

Macklin Celebrini Is All Promise

Pittsburgh Steelers v Cleveland Browns – NFL 2025

The Steelers Really Love To Make Things Difficult

Shaquille O'Neal with kids on the court during the Icy Hot &amp; The Shaquille O'Neal Foundation launch latest Comebaq Court event, in partnership with Boys &amp; Girls Club of Northeast Texas, on July 14, 2025 in Rockwall, Texas.

Icy Hot & The Shaquille O’Neal Foundation Launch Latest Comebaq Court, In Partnership With Boys & Girls Club Of Northeast Texas

Crosswords

The Crossword, Dec. 29: Men Getting Hit By Football (Themeless)

Dave McKenna

Naoya Inoue punches David Picasso during the IBF, WBC and WBO World Super Bantamweight title fight between Naoya Inoue and David Picasso during the Ring V: Night Of The Samurai fight night at Mohammed Abdo Arena on December 27, 2025 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Ring V: Night Of The Samurai – Fight Night

The Fights

Naoya Inoue Is Becoming A Bigger Monster

Hamilton Nolan is a journalist based in New York City. Subscribe to his work at <a href="https://www.hamiltonnolan.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.hamiltonnolan.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1687350200913000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0naFbUVOe-5ZgtPDtIM3gz">HamiltonNolan.com</a>.

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Hamilton Nolan

JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 21: Mascot Jaxson de Ville of the Jacksonville Jaguars leaps from the light towers prior to the game against the Houston Texans at EverBank Field on September 21, 2025 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images)

Houston Texans v Jacksonville Jaguars

Jaguars Junction: Week 17

Yawning Puppy on Bookshelf

The Best Things We Read In 2025

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Kelsey McKinney

Heated Rivalry – Episode 104

Some Thoughts On ‘Heated Rivalry,’ Including But Not Limited To: Ahhhh, Mmmm, And [Crying Emoji]

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This Is So Stupid

Please Join Me In Understanding The Rules Of This Game I Got For Christmas

Detroit Lions v Minnesota Vikings – NFL 2025

The Detroit Lions Can Ruin Any Holiday If You Let Them

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Tom Ley

Nikola Jokic (15) of the Denver Nuggets draws a triple team from Rudy Gobert (27), Jaden McDaniels (3) and Anthony Edwards (5) of the Minnesota Timberwolves during the fourth quarter of the Nuggets' 142-138 overtime win at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado on Thursday, December 25, 2025.

DENVER NUGGETS VS MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES, NBA

Nikola Jokic And Anthony Edwards Gave Us A Christmas Game For All Time

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