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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

Israel Daramola

Photos of Nicole Good (L) and Alex Pretti are placed among flowers at a makeshift memorial in the area where Pretti was shot and killed by Federal immigration agents in Minneapolis, Minnesota

Politics

How Much Longer Can The Politics Of Grievance Sustain Itself?

Tom Ley

Steve Tisch at "An Unforgettable Evening" 2025 Gala held at The Beverly Hilton on April 28, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.

Giants Co-Owner Steve Tisch Says His Creepy Emails With Jeffrey Epstein Were About “Adult Women”

Ray Ratto

Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers reacts after the game against the Sacramento Kings at Xfinity Mobile Arena on January 29, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 76ers defeated the Kings 113-111.

Sixers Enact Intentional, Then Unintentional Tribute To The Late Great Dan McQuade

Dan McQuade sits in a blue chair, which is big and fake leather-ish, and has big arms on it. He has his head resting on his left arm, which is on the left arm of the chair. He has long light brown hair, a beard cropped to his face, and I dunno I'd say he's pretty handsome, but I am biased as I am the subject of the photo. Dan is wearing a red shirt with a grey and white tabby cat's face on it, with a rose under (and patially covering) the cat. Under that it says DEFECTOR with the 4 degrees slant logo. He has on blue shorts or pants (they're shorts, I know they're shorts), they're not jeans but they're not sweats, like a sort of inbetween situation. There's a hospital admit bracelet on his left arm. His right arm is on the other arm of the couch.

Announcements

Dan McQuade, 1983–2026

Patrick Redford

The peloton rides past a kangaroo road sign during the Tour Down Under UCI Men's Cycling in Adelaide on January 25, 2026.

Cycling

Double Kangaroo Chaos Will Reverberate Across The Cycling Season

Jae Towle Vieira [they/them] works as a producer for Normal Gossip. Their fiction has been published in The Normal School, New England Review, Carve Magazine, Passages North, Fairy Tale Review, and elsewhere.

Jae Towle Vieira

Podcasts

How Do You Make A Podcast When The World Is On Fire?

Head coach Bill Belichick of the North Carolina Tar Heels gives a thumbs up during the ACC Football Kickoff at Hilton Charlotte Uptown on July 24, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. He looks real weird doing it.

Bill Belichick Becomes The Target Of Someone Else’s Pettiness, For A Change

David Roth

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick announces he is leaving the team during a press conference at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on January 11, 2024.

Heartwarming: Miserable Man Frustrated In Ultimately Insignificant Way

Séamus Malekafzali is a New York-based journalist and writer primarily focusing on the politics of the Middle East.

Séamus Malekafzali

Donald Trump looks on as Lindsey Graham talks in the foreground.

Lindsey Graham Has Waited Decades For The Chance To Obliterate Iran

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 Point B. Handsomest man in the world.

Drew Magary

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - JANUARY 25: Sam Darnold #14 of the Seattle Seahawks celebrates after defeating the Los Angeles Rams an NFC Championship NFL football game at Lumen Field on January 25, 2026 in Seattle, Washington.

This Season Belongs To Sam Darnold

Boston, MA, 05/13/2019 -- Actress Felicity Huffman enters Federal Court. (Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff)

The Class Warfare Behind The Varsity Blues Saga

Lauren Theisen

Stefania Constantini and Amos Mosaner of Team Italy look on against Team Switzerland during the Curling Mixed Doubles Round Robin ahead of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics

Olympics

Let’s All Say “Buongiorno” To My Favorite Olympic Curlers

In This House We Believe In Highlights, With Samer Kalaf

Brandy Jensen

Defector Reads A Book

Defector Reads A Book Is Tackling ‘Wuthering Heights’

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

Who Dares To Coordinate The Philadelphia Eagles’ Offense?

Leland Nally is a writer living in Los Angeles.

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.

Capital

Prediction Markets Are Betting On A Grim Future

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.

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

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.

Media Meltdowns

Jeff Bezos Is Putting The Washington Post Into Hospice

Kathryn Xu

Amanda Anisimova in action against Xinyu Wang.

Amanda Anisimova Defeats Wang Xinyu, Narrowly Escapes Amanda Anisimova

Women's Basketball

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

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.

Clippers Win, Sentencing Blogger To Eat Words

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.

Jarrett Stidham Dropped The Ball

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)

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.

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.