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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

Billy Haisley

Minor Dilemmas

Am I The Asshole For Judging The Screen Time Habits Of Other People’s Kids?

Sarah Borus

Pitcher Zack Wheeler #45 of the Philadelphia Phillies throws a pitch

Hell Hath No Fury Like A Pitcher Scorned

Maitreyi Anantharaman

Skylar Diggins #4 of the Chicago Sky warms up prior to the game against the Portland Fire at Wintrust Arena on June 26, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois

WNBA

The Long-Awaited Blowup Between Skylar Diggins And The Sky Has Finally Arrived

<p>Staff Writer</p>
<p>Find me on Signal @DefectorChris.19</p>


Chris Thompson

Brad Stevens, Celtics president of basketball operations.

What Do The Boston Celtics Intend To Be?

<p>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 <em>Point B</em>. Handsomest man in the world.</p>


Drew Magary

Media Meltdowns

Dana White Stars In History’s Worst Truck Ad

<p>Jae Towle Vieira [they/them] works as a producer for Normal Gossip. Their fiction has been published in <i data-stringify-type="italic">The Normal School</i>, <i data-stringify-type="italic">New England Review, Carve Magazine, Passages North, Fairy Tale Review</i>, and elsewhere.</p>


Jae Towle Vieira

a classroom with desks and chairs piled on top of each other in a corner

Podcasts

Who Pranks The Pranksters?

Lauren Theisen

The Mets Have Turned It Around 360 Degrees

Giri Nathan

Coco Gauff of the Untied States returns a shot in the Ladies Singles Quarter Finals match against Jessica Pegula of the United States on day nine of The Championships Wimbledon 2026 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 07, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Shi Tang/Getty Images)

Tennis

You Don’t Have To Love Grass To Win On It

Patrick Redford

Cycling

The Tour de France’s Infernal Present Portends Its Impossible Future

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<p>Robert Rubsam writes fiction and nonfiction. His work has appeared in the NYT Magazine, the Atlantic, the Washington Post, the Baffler, and Liberties. He is a contributing writer for Commonweal Magazine.</p>
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Robert Rubsam

Arts And Culture

‘The Furious’ Kicks Ass

Allisha Gray #15 of the Atlanta Dream shoots against the Golden State Valkyries in the fourth quarter at Gateway Center Arena on July 4, 2026 in College Park, Georgia.

The Atlanta Dream Are Getting Drowsy

Luis Paez-Pumar

Lionel Messi #10 of Argentina celebrates after the 3-2 victory during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match between Argentina and Egypt at Atlanta Stadium on July 07, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Soccer

Lionel Messi Refuses To Let Time Win

Funbag

The Hot Take Industrial Complex Cannot Be Killed By Conventional Means

Sohini Desai

Meet The Broadway Actor Teaching Public Defenders How To Win In Court

France's forward #10 Kylian Mbappe celebrates past Paraguay's goalkeeper #12 Orlando Gill after winning the 2026 World Cup round of 16 football match between Paraguay and France at the Philadelphia Stadium in Philadelphia on July 4, 2026.

Paraguayan Senator Gets Shockingly Racist Toward Kylian Mbappé

Albert Burneko

Politics

Is It Mitch McConnell Or Your Own Sense Of Possibility That Has Been Dead For Weeks?


<p>charismatic megafauna (they/them)</p>


Sabrina Imbler

a photo of a swimming crab trapped inside a plastic bottle

Creaturefector

Plato’s Allegory Of The Crab

Ray Ratto

It’s The Hype That Kills

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

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

MLB Is Now Promoting A Salary Cap Between Innings

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

Matt Miller does an ESPN pre-draft segment

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

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)