CULTURE

Footer Column 2

Footer Legal

Footer Main

Nav Bar

OTHER

SPORTS

Subscribe, at any level, to play

Thanks for your interest in Defector Crosswords!

Become a subscriber today to get unlimited access

Thanks for reading!

Plans start at $8/month.

Subscribers enjoy unlimited, ad-free browsing.

Register to continue

Or click here to subscribe for unlimited, ad-free access!

Our gift to you: This year's post is unlocked. Register your email to get even more free articles.

Welcome to the 2025 Hater's Guide!

Just register your email:

This blog is free to read.

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

Luis Paez-Pumar

Erling Haaland of Manchester City celebrates scoring the first goal during the Premier League match between Manchester City and AFC Bournemouth at Etihad Stadium on November 2, 2025 in Manchester, England.

Soccer

Erling Haaland Has Taken Control

Roma's Spanish defender #22 Mario Hermoso celebrates with Roma's Argentine forward #21 Paulo Dybala after scoring his team's first goal during the Italian Serie A football match between AS Roma and Parma at the Olympic Stadium in Rome on October 29, 2025.

The Best Title Race Is, Once Again, In Serie A

Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool looks on alongside teammates during the Premier League match between Brentford and Liverpool at Gtech Community Stadium on October 25, 2025 in Brentford, England.

Alright, What The Damn Hell Is Going On With Liverpool?

Viktor Gyokeres of Arsenal celebrates with teammates after scoring their side's fourth goal during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD3 match between Arsenal FC and Atletico de Madrid at Arsenal Stadium on October 21, 2025 in London, England.

Arsenal Shows No Mercy

Jean-Philippe Mateta of Crystal Palace celebrates after scoring his team's second goal during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Bournemouth at Selhurst Park on October 18, 2025 in London, United Kingdom.

It Doesn’t Get Much Better Than Bournemouth-Crystal Palace

Barry Petchesky

Kathryn Xu

Video Games

Three Totally Normal Bloggers Are Being Totally Normal About ‘Hades II’

Jack Grealish of Everton celebrates scoring his team's second goal during the Premier League match between Everton and Crystal Palace at Hill Dickinson Stadium on October 05, 2025 in Liverpool, England.

Jack Grealish Has Rediscovered His Excellence

Drake Maye #10 of the New England Patriots throws a pass during the first quarter against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium on October 5, 2025 in Orchard Park, New York.

Drake Maye Had Me Hooting And Hollering For A 12-Yard Pass

A sign is posted in front of Electric Arts headquarters on September 29, 2025 in Redwood City, California.

Saudi Arabia’s All-Consuming Maw Devours Electronic Arts

Crystal Palace's English striker #09 Eddie Nketiah shoots to score their late winner during the English Premier League football match between Crystal Palace and Liverpool at Selhurst Park in south London on September 27, 2025.

Crystal Palace Liverpooled Liverpool

Zagreus faces off against Meg, the first boss in Hades

The Backlog

‘Hades’ Made Hell A Real Hoot

Carlos Sainz of Spain and Williams, Alexander Albon of Thailand and Williams, Williams Team Principal James Vowles, and the Williams crew cheer for a group photo after the F1 Grand Prix of Azerbaijan at Baku City Circuit on September 21, 2025 in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Racing

Carlos Sainz Dragged Williams Back To The Podium

Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool FC celebrates after scoring his team's third goal during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD1 match between Liverpool FC and Atletico de Madrid at Anfield on September 17, 2025 in Liverpool, England.

Liverpool Can’t Keep Getting Away With This … Right?

Tom Brady speaks onstage at Fanatics Fest NYC 2025 at Javits Center on June 21, 2025 in New York City.

Tom Brady Adds Sportswashing To His Impressive Résumé

Tom Ley

Billy Haisley

Ray Ratto

Maitreyi Anantharaman

A detailed view of a replica Premier League Trophy outside the stadium prior to the Premier League match between Liverpool and Arsenal at Anfield on August 31, 2025 in Liverpool, England.

A Seemingly Late Yet Actually Perfectly Timed Preview Of The 2025-26 Premier League Season

Tottenham Hotspur Manager Ange Postecoglou celebrates with the UEFA Europa league trophy during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur FC and Brighton &amp; Hove Albion FC at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on May 25, 2025 in London, England.

Nottingham Forest Fired Its Manager And Hired His Polar Opposite

Loading screen from Crusader Kings 3, showing a group of four people crowded around a chess board.

Embrace ‘Crusader Kings III’ And It Will Take Over Your Life

Anthony Gordon of Newcastle United (10) fouls Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool FC (4) during the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Liverpool at St James' Park on August 25, 2025 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England.

Liverpool And Newcastle Turned Transfer Drama Into A Brutal And Beautiful Game

Nottingham Forest's Portuguese manager Nuno Espirito Santo (R) speaks with Nottingham Forest's Greek co-owner Evangelos Marinakis (L) at the end of the English Premier League football match between Nottingham Forest and Leicester City at The City Ground in Nottingham, central England, on May 11, 2025. Nottingham Forest and Leicester City equalise 2 - 2. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. /

Everyone And Everything Has Gone Crazy At Nottingham Forest

Alexander Isak during the Pre Season Training Camp at FC Seefelder Plateau on July 14, 2025 in Innsbruck, Austria.

Alexander Isak Wants The Hell Out Of Newcastle

Players, match officials and fans take part in a minute's silence as a fan mosaic depicting "DJ20" is displayed in memory of Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva prior to the Premier League match between Liverpool and Bournemouth at Anfield on August 15, 2025 in Liverpool, England

Diogo Jota Will Never Walk Alone

Tom Brady, Minority Owner of Birmingham City, looks on prior to the Sky Bet League One match between Birmingham City FC and Wrexham AFC at St Andrew’s at Knighthead Park on September 16, 2024 in Birmingham, England.

‘Built In Birmingham’ Can’t Save Tom Brady From Himself

Marta Vieira and Kerolin Israel of Brazil hold the trophy after the CONMEBOL Copa America Femenina 2025 Final match between Colombia and Brazil at Rodrigo Paz Delgado Stadium on August 2, 2025 in Quito, Ecuador.

The Copa América Femenina Final Had It All: Goals, Controversy, And Marta

Left half: A screenshot from Fall Guys, with the Beans running up a slipper slope. Right half: A screenshot from Among Us, with an impostor killing a crewmate.