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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


<p>Dan McQuade was a founding member of Defector. He died in January 2026.</p>


Dan McQuade

Old headlines about how Marijuana led to killings

Media Meltdowns

The Myth Of Cops Overdosing From Touching Fentanyl Persists For A Reason

A montage of anti-Alex trebek headlines. they are all the ones listed in the previous paragraph.

Maybe The Next ‘Jeopardy!’ Host Should Just Be Some Random Doofus

I Miss My MTV

Ryan Crouser throws. Dan McQuaid insert photo. Dan McQuade insert photo.

Olympics

An Interview With Throwing Expert Dan McQuaid, By Me, Dan McQuade

Guardians of Traffic photo in 1932, mixed with Cleveland Guardians logo now

Cleveland Guardians Is A Fine Name And The Backstory Is Even Better

Triptych of Usain Bolt, the Peloton leaderboard (Usain wins 435-311) and me, Dan McQuade

This Is So Stupid

I Lost To Usain Bolt In A Bike Race Next To My Bedroom

Triptych of McGruff, an ad promoting McGruff's album, and McGruff again

History

This McGruff Drug Album Might As Well Be By Weird Al

A collage of Babe Ruth headlines from newspapers at the time

101 Years Ago, Babe Ruth’s Career Could Have Ended In A Car Crash In Wawa, Pennsylvania

Lance Lynn Has Been Sweating A Lot Recently, And It Seems To Be Working

Devin Booker in a suit, sitting at the 2017 NBA Draft Lottery

The Official Defector Guide To The 2021 NBA Draft Lottery

A golfer lines up for a shot, and the ball heads toward the hole, but he's interrupted by a Weather alert

Golf

Iowa TV Station Interrupts U.S. Open At Funniest Possible Time

A Dispatch From The Most Horrible Sixers Collapse Of My Lifetime

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 06: Kawhi Leonard #2 of the Los Angeles Clippers dunks the ball against Dorian Finney-Smith #10 of the Dallas Mavericks during the first half of Game Seven of the Western Conference first round series at Staples Center on June 6, 2021 in Los Angeles, California.

It All Changes So Quickly

The 76ers arena with the Sixers up 23-6 early in a playoff game. It's full and looks loud. It's a wide shot, with a wide angle lense

It Got So Loud

Shake Milton shooting a three pointer over three Atlanta Hawks players

Shake Milton Turned It All Around In Six Minutes

Robert Kraft does the surrender cobra in celebration of getting a car

Life's Rich Pageant

Jay-Z, Meek Mill, And Michael Rubin Make My Head Explode

The Fights

This Boxing Match In The Rain Was The Perfect Undercard Bout For Paul/Mayweather

Joel Embiid lies on the court, clearly injured. Robin Lopez looks back at him.

I Spent All Day Thinking About Joel Embiid’s Injury

The Wildwood Boardwalk T-Shirts of 1978. A boardwalk scene from the 70s.

The Wildwood Boardwalk T-Shirts Of 1978

Allen Iverson at a press conference, holding a VHS cassette tape

Thinking About Another Run Two Decades After The Sixers’ Last One

The Ottawa Silver Seven (Senators) in red black and white jerseys

Senators Week

The Original Ottawa Senators Were Winners, But Their Uniforms Were Not

Here’s Yet Another Baffling, Unreviewable Call From An Umpire

LaMelo Ball Is Back, And So Are His Otherworldly Assists

A split image: A cheesesteak surrounded by fries on a table with a flower and a soda; and a t-shirt that says "HOMETOWN DELI: Eat So We Both Don't Starve"