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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

Albert Burneko

Large bags of Halloween candy for sale in Walgreens pharmacy, Queens, New York.

Elder Wisdom

Bring Back Weird Halloween Candies

Erik Ten Hag walks through some soap bubbles on his way to the pitch for what turned out to be his final match as Manchester United manager.

English Premier League

More Like Erik Done Hag

Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs, illuminated by somewhat spooky crimson light during the pregame ceremonies ahead of Thursday night's road game against the Dallas Mavericks.

Victor Wembanyama’s Hands Missed Opening Night

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


Chris Thompson

Giri Nathan

Luis Paez-Pumar

Patrick Redford

Ray Ratto

Tom Ley

A circa-1900 black-and-white photo of basketball players receiving dance lessons from a lady in a flapper hat and dress.

A Preview Of The 2024-25 NBA Season, Accurately Enumerating Everything That Will Happen In It

Barry Petchesky

CLEVELAND, OH - OCTOBER 17: David Fry #6 of the Cleveland Guardians gets doused with water after hitting a walk off two-run home run to beat the New York Yankees in Game 3 of the ALCS presented by loanDepot at Progressive Field on Thursday, October 17, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

Point/Counterpoint: Friday Night Playoff Games

A toilet, viewed from above, mid-flush but thankfully with nothing but clear water in it.

When The Toilet Rings, You Must Answer The Call

A wide view of the desolate Martian landscape, captured by the Perseverance rover.

Science

Neither Elon Musk Nor Anybody Else Will Ever Colonize Mars

The United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket with Boeing's CST-100 Starliner spacecraft launches from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on June 5, 2024. Boeing launched its very first astronauts bound for the International Space Station aboard a Starliner capsule, which joins a select club of spacecraft to carry humans beyond Earth.

Boeing Starliner Astronauts Electively Spending Five More Months In Space To Hitch Ride In Different Vehicle Due To Preference For Not Dying

Ilkay Gundogan and Vitor Roque of FC Barcelona during a training session before Barça's La Liga match against Valencia CF

Soccer

Deadbeat Club At War With Its Own Players, Again

A gross alien facehugger, clamped onto a character's face in Alien: Romulus.

Defector At The Movies

‘Alien: Romulus’ Is Exhausting, Gross As Hell, And Incredibly Fun

Billy Haisley

Maitreyi Anantharaman

The Premier League trophy during a pre-season friendly match between Manchester City and Celtic at Kenan Stadium, on July 23, 2024, in North Carolina, USA.

And Now, A Timely And Exhaustive Preview Of The 2024-25 Premier League Season

The United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket with Boeing's CST-100 Starliner spacecraft appears as a blazing meteor with a long trail of vapor as it launches from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on June 5, 2024.

This Is So Stupid

Do Not Say The Boeing Starliner Astronauts Are Stranded In Space, Which They Cannot Presently Return From Due To Problems With Their Spacecraft

Nico Williams left winger of Spain and Athletic Club Bilbao celebrates after scoring his team's first goal during the UEFA EURO 2024 final match between Spain and England at Olympiastadion on July 14, 2024 in Berlin, Germany.

Barcelona’s Pursuit Of Nico Williams Is Yet Another Degrading Farce

The New York Times building is seen on September 6, 2018 in New York. - A furious Donald Trump called September 5, 2018 for the unmasking of an anonymous senior official who wrote in the New York Times that top members of his administration were undermining the president to curb his "misguided impulses." Trump asked if the unsigned op-ed could be considered treasonous, assailed the newspaper for the "gutless" piece and questioned whether the senior official it was attributed to actually existed. "TREASON?" Trump posted in response to the article entitled "I Am Part of the Resistance Inside the Trump Administration," which claimed the president's own staff see him as a danger to the nation."Does the so-called 'Senior Administration Official' really exist, or is (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP) (Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)

Journalismism

Why Did The New York Times Delete A Notorious Fraudster’s Election Take?

A drone flies over a forest with a tree house.

Olympics

No, Canada!

Some lovely beefsteak tomatoes, still growing on the vine.

The Great Outdoors

Another Garden Check!

George Clooney, as Michael Clayton, talks into a cell phone while walking down a city street at night.

There Are Three Essential Lawyer Movies

A Tesla Cybertruck parked on the street in New York.

I Would Like To Put Lunchmeat On The Cybertruck

Arts And Culture

Appalling Errors In Vulture’s Ranked List Of Muppets Movies, Ranked

BOSTON, MA - NOVEMBER 23: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics and Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks on November 23, 2022 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2022 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)

Behold The Defector NBA Finals Mega-Preview

Garden Check!

Xavi Hernandez, head coach of FC Barcelona follows the match during the LaLiga match between FC Barcelona and Rayo Vallecano on May 19, 2024 in Barcelona, Spain.

Xavi, Who Quit And Then Un-Quit And Then Was Maybe Gonna Get Fired, Is Now Fired

Myles Turner #33 of the Indiana Pacers drives to the basket during the game against the New York Knicks during Round 2 Game 7 of the 2024 NBA Playoffs on May 19, 2024.

The Pacers Simply Ran Away

P.J. Washington #25 of the Dallas Mavericks shoots a free throw during the fourth quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game Six of the Western Conference Second Round Playoffs.

Thunder–Mavericks Deserved A Better Ending

"Motoman" robots from Japan's largest industrial robot maker Yasukawa Electric, beats a drum during a demonstration at the International Robot Exhibition in Tokyo, 29 November 2007.