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Staff Writer
Find me on Signal @DefectorChris.19

Chris Thompson

Jimmy Butler’s Injury Thrusts Steve Kerr And Jonathan Kuminga Once More Into The Hell Of Working Together

Barry Petchesky

CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA - JANUARY 17: NASA's Artemis II is rolled from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on January 17, 2026 in Cape Canaveral, Florida. NASA’s integrated SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft for the Artemis II mission are being rolled to Launch Pad 39B ahead of the 10-day mission in February 2026, which will take the crew around the Moon and back to Earth. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Science

I Am Not Immune To The Charms Of A Really Big Moon Rocket

Ray Ratto

Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott looks on from the sideline during an NFL divisional playoff football game against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field At Mile High on January 17, 2026 in Denver, Colorado.

There’s No Such Thing As A Secure NFL Coaching Job

Lauren Theisen

Fernando Mendoza #15 of the Indiana Hoosiers dives into across the goal line to score a touchdown during the Indiana Hoosiers versus the Miami Hurricanes College Football Playoff National Championship Game Presented by AT&T on January 19, 2026, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, FL

College Football

Fernando Mendoza Was Unstoppable

Head Coach Curt Cignetti of the Indiana Hoosiers looks on after the Indiana Hoosiers versus the Miami Hurricanes College Football Playoff National Championship Game Presented by AT&amp;T on January 19, 2026, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, FL.

It Will Never Get Better Than This

Israel Daramola

Indiana Is A Champion For College Football’s New Era

SUNRISE, FLORIDA - JANUARY 19: Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky #72 of the Florida Panthers fights with Goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic #33 of the San Jose Sharks at the Amerant Bank Arena on January 19, 2026 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Eliot J. Schechter/NHLI via Getty Images)

2026 Is For Fighting

Samer Kalaf

Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott looks on in the first half during the AFC Divisional Round game

Sean McDermott Stood Up For Buffalo, And Now He’ll Get Out

Jarrett Stidham #8 of the Denver Broncos looks on against the Los Angeles Chargers at Empower Field At Mile High

Broncos Fans Have Six Days To Talk Themselves Into Jarrett Stidham

Maitreyi Anantharaman

Jeremy Swayman #1 of the Boston Bruins in the net against the Seattle Kraken at the TD Garden on January 15, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts.

Crosswords

The Crossword, Jan. 19: Sole Cycle

Caleb Williams #18 of the Chicago Bears throws the ball during an NFL divisional playoff football game on January 18, 2026 at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois.

The Bears’ Final Magic Trick Was Almost Enough

K'lavon Chaisson #44 of the New England Patriots tackles C.J. Stroud #7 of the Houston Texans in the first half during an AFC Divisional Playoff game

C.J. Stroud’s Nightmare First Half Dooms The Texans

College basketball betting odds on the video board at the Westgate SuperBook sports book on November 18, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Gambling

Rigging A College Basketball Game Seems Stressful

Rashid Shaheed #22 of the Seattle Seahawks returns the opening kickoff for a touchdown during the first quarter against the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Divisional Playoff game at Lumen Field on January 17, 2026 in Seattle, Washington.

The Seahawks Have A Need For Rashid Shaheed

Head coach John Harbaugh of the Baltimore Ravens looks on from the sideline

John Harbaugh Had The Giants Rework Their Org Chart For Him

Bo Nix #10 of the Denver Broncos looks on at half-time of the NFL football divisional playoff game against the Buffalo Bills

Broncos Win The Game, But Lose Their Quarterback

David Roth

Kyle Tucker of the Chicago Cubs celebrates a hit in Game Four of the National League Division Series against the Milwaukee Brewers at Wrigley Field on October 9, 2025.

It’s Nice To Have A Process, But It’s Better To Have Money

Veronica de Souza

Make It Nice

Make It Nice: Gallery Wall Tutorial

Nicholas Russell is a writer from Las Vegas.

Nicholas Russell

Interviews

Natan Last Has Thought A Lot About Crosswords

Jonathan Kuminga, at left, of the Golden State Warriors sit with fans before their game against the New York Knicks at Chase Center on January 15, 2026 in San Francisco, California.

Jonathan Kuminga Is In Basketball Purgatory

charismatic megafauna (they/them)

Sabrina Imbler

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 08: U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. unveils the department's new dietary guidelines food chart during a policy announcement event at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on January 8, 2026 in Washington, DC. The Trump administration announced new dietary guidelines on Wednesday including an emphasis on proteins and full-fat dairy, and limits on processed foods. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Food

In The War On Protein, We Have Been Humiliatingly Defeated By Protein

BUFFALO, NEW YORK - JANUARY 15: Tage Thompson #72 of the Buffalo Sabres celebrates during the third period of an NHL game against the Montreal Canadiens on January 15, 2026 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Ben Ludeman/NHLI via Getty Images)

Nobody Loves An Ex-Loser Like Buffalo

Dave McKenna

JT Toppin #15 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders stands on the court for "The Matador Song" after the game against the Utah Utes at United Supermarkets Arena on January 14, 2026 in Lubbock, Texas.

College Basketball

Texas Tech Is Rich And Good At Everything

Kathryn Xu

A screenshot from 'Hades II': Melinoë, Princess of the Underworld, wonders whether she will have chances to correct her earlier mistakes.

Video Games

‘Hades II’ Is At War With Itself

Giri Nathan

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 04: Rich Paul talks with LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers in the second half at Crypto.com Arena on January 04, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. 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 Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)