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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

Ray Ratto

Soccer

It’s The Hype That Kills

Sarah Borus

Life's Rich Pageant

America’s Birthday, Brought To You By Gas Station Hoagies

Tom Ley

The USMNT’s World Cup Exit Was Too Sad And Too Familiar

Lauren Theisen

white text on blue background: "THE LEAGUE IS LISTENING"

MLB Is Now Promoting A Salary Cap Between Innings

Patrick Redford

Cycling

Gifts, Gritos, And A Breakthrough Win: An Afternoon With The Tour de France’s New And Jubilant Mexican Fanbase

Staff Writer
Find me on Signal @DefectorChris.19

Chris Thompson

Matt Miller does an ESPN pre-draft segment

Media Meltdowns

ESPN’s Matt Miller Investigated For Alleged Consumer Fraud While Recovering From Emergency Arm Amputation

Luis Paez-Pumar

Folarin Balogun #20 of the United States fouls Tarik Muharemovic #4 of Bosnia and Herzegovina which is later reviewed by VAR and awarded as a red card foul a during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 match between USA and Bosnia and Herzegovina at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium on July 01, 2026 in Santa Clara, California.

The Folarin Balogun Red Card Brouhaha Is A Vintage FIFA Disaster

Eury Perez #39 of the Miami Marlins reacts after an out in the bottom of the sixth inning against the Athletics at Sutter Health Park on July 05, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)

Poor A’s Fans Can’t Even Get Properly Perfecto’d

Maitreyi Anantharaman

France's Marie Wattel, France's Leon Marchand and France's Yohann Ndoye-Brouard react after the final of the mixed 4x100m medley relay final swimming event during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Paris La Defense Arena in Nanterre, west of Paris, on August 3, 2024.

Crosswords

The Crossword, July 6: We’re Halfway There

Barry Petchesky

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MAY 06: Leo Carlsson #91 of the Anaheim Ducks skates during the third period against the Vegas Golden Knights in Game Two of the Second Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at T-Mobile Arena on May 06, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/NHLI via Getty Images)

The Ducks Screwed Themselves

Cesar Montes #3 of Mexico shoots and misses a chance against Jude Bellingham #10 of England

That’s Why This Shit Rules

Kathryn Xu

Race winner Charles Leclerc of Monaco and Scuderia Ferrari celebrates on arrival in parc ferme during the F1 Grand Prix of Great Britain at Silverstone Circuit.

Racing

Banger British Grand Prix Ends With A Whimper

Billy Haisley

U.S. President Donald Trump poses for photographs with FIFA President Gianni Infantino in the Oval Office at the White House.

FIFA Makes Good And Right And Not At All Corrupt Decision To Rescind Folarin Balogun’s Red Card Suspension

A LA Metro shuttle bus transports fans after the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D match between USA and Paraguay.

A Shockingly Positive Review Of World Cup Public Transit In Los Angeles

Team Visma | Lease a Bike's Danish rider Jonas Vingegaard celebrates on the podium with the overall leader's yellow jersey after the 1st stage of the 113th edition of the Tour de France cycling race, a 19 km team time trial stage in and around Barcelona in northeastern Spain, on July 4, 2026.

Jonas Vingegaard Made It Out Alive, Then Made Barcelona Smile

Nicholas Russell is a writer from Las Vegas.

Nicholas Russell

Gross distressing AI image of the disparate threads of the American flag wrapping themselves into the shape of Civil Rights marchers, like something out of John Carpenter's The Thing.

Arts And Culture

Darren Aronofsky’s AI Videos Are A Fitting Tribute To America, I Guess

Israel Daramola

Music

25 Rap Songs For America’s 250th

World Cup fans cheer as one tries to catch a ball

Defector Up All Night

Try To Cool Off In The July 4th Weekend Open Thread

Owen Lewis is a former Defector intern and has written for The Guardian, The Second Serve, The Athletic, and other publications.

Owen Lewis

1978 Ladies Singles Final, Wimbledon, Chris Evert v Martina Navratilova, Wimbledon Tennis Championships, Friday 7th July 1978. Martina Navratilova wins in three sets (2?6, 6?4, 7?5), Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova, together on Centre Court.

Tennis

‘The Final Set’ Tells The Story Of Tennis’ Greatest Rivalry Becoming A Friendship

MANTES-LA-VILLE, FRANCE - JULY 27: (L-R) Ben Healy of Ireland and Team EF Education - EasyPost as most combative rider prize winner, Florian Lipowitz of Germany and Team Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe - White best young jersey, Jonas Vingegaard of Denmark and Team Visma | Lease a Bike - Polka dot Mountain Jersey, Tadej Pogacar of Slovenia and UAE Team Emirates - XRG - Yellow leader jersey, Jonathan Milan of Italy and Team Lidl - Trek - Green Sprint Jersey and Kaden Groves of Australia and Team Alpecin - Deceuninck prior to the 112th Tour de France 2025, Stage 21 a 132.3km stage from Mantes-la-Ville to Paris - Champs-Elysees / #UCIWT / on July 27, 2025 in Mantes-la-Ville, France. (Photo by Dario Belingheri/Getty Images)

Your Guide To The 2026 Tour de France

A. Frog is a freelance writer living in Japan.

A. Frog

a frog taking a weevil into its mouth that looks like shit

Creaturefector

The Passion According To A. Frog

Belgium Cannot Be Understood By The Pedestrian Soccer Mind

Sohini Desai

Politics

Unlike The Defendants, One Of The Prairieland Judges Is Part Of An Organized Cell Of Extremists

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.