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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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Brandy Jensen

trees in the mist and snow in the North Yorkshire moors

Defector Reads A Book

Defector Reads A Book Is Tackling ‘Wuthering Heights’

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Ray Ratto

Head coach Nick Sirianni of the Philadelphia Eagles looks on before the NFC Wild Card Playoff game against the San Francisco 49ers.

NFC Wild Card Playoffs: San Francisco 49ers v Philadelphia Eagles

Who Dares To Coordinate The Philadelphia Eagles’ Offense?

Leland Nally is a writer living in Los Angeles.

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Leland Nally

Lisbon , Portugal - 3 November 2021; Tarek Mansour, Co-founder, Kalshi on Centre Stage during day two of Web Summit 2021 at the Altice Arena in Lisbon, Portugal.

Web Summit 2021 – Day Two

Capital

Prediction Markets Are Betting On A Grim Future

Owen Lewis is a former Defector intern and co-founded the website <a href="http://popcorntennis.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://popcorntennis.com&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1726234676777000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0PFWw6PL-FUqaCMME5TLqP">popcorntennis.com</a>. He wrote 63,000 words about the Novak Djokovic-Rafael Nadal rivalry that can be accessed for free at <a href="https://thegoldenrivalry.substack.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://thegoldenrivalry.substack.com&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1726234676777000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2OjAHpo4PVIhkx8Xd21lRJ">thegoldenrivalry.substack.com</a>.

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Owen Lewis

Fans line up to enter Melbourne Park ahead of day four matches at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 21, 2026.

TENNIS-AUS-OPEN

Tennis

The Australian Open Is Too Much Of A Good Thing

Dave McKenna

Lauren Sánchez Bezos and Jeff Bezos are seen on December 24, 2025 in Aspen, Colorado.

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Media Meltdowns

Jeff Bezos Is Putting The Washington Post Into Hospice

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Kathryn Xu

Amanda Anisimova in action against Xinyu Wang.

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Amanda Anisimova Defeats Wang Xinyu, Narrowly Escapes Amanda Anisimova

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Tom Ley

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Women's Basketball

“Disgusted” Breanna Stewart Holds Up “Abolish ICE” Sign Before Unrivaled Game

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Patrick Redford

Kawhi Leonard #2 of the Los Angeles Clippers reacts during the first half of their game against the Brooklyn Nets at Intuit Dome on January 25, 2026 in Inglewood, California.

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Clippers Win, Sentencing Blogger To Eat Words

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Lauren Theisen

Denver, CO - January 25: Denver Broncos quarterback Jarrett Stidham throws a backward pass in the second quarter. The New England Patriots played the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship Game at Empower Field at Mile High on January 25, 2026.

Patriots celebrate return to Super Bowl after 10-7 win over Broncos in AFC Championship

Jarrett Stidham Dropped The Ball

2019-01-01 00:15:14.989

Maitreyi Anantharaman

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye gets a game-sealing first down in the fourth quarter. The New England Patriots played the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship Game at Empower Field at Mile High on January 25, 2026.

Crosswords

The Crossword, Jan. 26: Nailbiter (Themeless)

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Alex Pareene

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Gregory Bovino with his security team while a group of citizens opposed to the country's immigration policies protested him in Minnesota on January 21, 2026.

CBP Commissioner Gregory Bovino faces protest in Minnesota

Politics

I Have A Great Idea For Retraining ICE Agents

Sam Darnold of the Seattle Seahawks whoots enthusiastically following an NFC Championship NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams at Lumen Field on January 25, 2026 in Seattle, Washington.

NFC Championship Game: Los Angeles Rams v Seattle Seahawks

Sam Darnold Is An Exorcist

Staff Writer
Find me on Signal @DefectorChris.19

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Chris Thompson

Jarrett Stidham

Patriots And Broncos Stink On Ice

Vikings play-by-play guy Paul Allen talks into a microphone.

Paul Allen

Oops! Vikings Play-By-Play Moron Chooses Yesterday’s Right-Wing Lie For Wisecrack About Minneapolis Protesters

Giannis Antetokounmpo looks bummed on the sideline.

Giannis Antetokounmpo is injured

Make Hay While The Sun Is Shining, By Losing In Earnest While Giannis Is Injured

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Albert Burneko

Protesters take cover behind overturned trash containers as a line of federal agents forms a barricade across a downtown street during clashes following the fatal shooting of a demonstrator earlier in the day, on January 24, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

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Federal Agents Kill Again; Gunmen Still At Large

Supporters watch on from the Cusack Stand during the GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship final match between Kerry and Donegal at Croke Park in Dublin.

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Gaelic Football

Gaelic Football Season Opens With Contested Gaza Protest Scoop

Elon Green is the author of The Man Nobody Killed and Last Call.

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Elon Green

US-ENTERTAINMENT-STREAMING-AMAZON-PRIME

Arts And Culture

Michael Connelly Should Stick To Fake Crime

Golden State Warriors' Jonathan Kuminga L competes during the 2025-2026 NBA regular season basketball game between Golden State Warriors and Toronto Raptors on January 20, 2026.

U.S.-SAN FRANCISCO-BASKETBALL-NBA-WARRIORS VS RAPTORS

The Jonathan Kuminga Saga Swings Towards Tragicomedy

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Barry Petchesky

EDMONTON, CANADA - JANUARY 22: Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins awaits a face-off during the second period of the game against the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place on January 22, 2026, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images)

Pittsburgh Penguins v Edmonton Oilers

Sidney Crosby Is A Miracle

Abigail Segel is a writer based in Montreal.

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Abigail Segel

Manchester City players huddle ahead of the Subway Women's League Cup Semi Final match between Manchester City and Chelsea at Joie Stadium on January 21, 2026 in Manchester, England.

Manchester City v Chelsea – Subway Women’s League Cup Semi Final

Soccer

Manchester City Lost A Battle But Is Winning The War For English Women’s Soccer Supremacy

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David Roth

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We Live In The Bone Temple Now

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Typing

Sabrina Imbler

A statue representing an iceman named Oetzi, discovered on 1991 in the Italian Schnal Valley glacier, is displayed at the Archaeological Museu of Bolzano

ITALY-MUMMY-ARCHAEOLOGY-HISTORY

Science

Let The Record Show That Ötzi Fucked

U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (R) and Japanese Defense Minister Shinjirō Koizumi talk between sets during their workout on January 15, 2026 in Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Virginia.

Secretary Of War Hegseth Hosts Japanese Defense Minister Koizumi

Podcasts

Ideologically Opposed To Proper Workout Form, With Patrick Wyman

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Justin Ellis

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How Do You Justify Abducting A Child?

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