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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.

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Defector

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Patrick Redford

PARIS, FRANCE - AUGUST 04: Kristen Faulkner of Team United States celebrates at finish line as Gold medal winner during the Women's Road Race on day nine of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Trocadero on August 04, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Tim de Waele/Getty Images)

Cycling – Road – Olympic Games Paris 2024: Day 9

Olympics

Kristen Faulkner’s Gold Medal Ride Was A Masterpiece Of Bravery

Japan's #08 Rui Hachimura leaves the court after being sent off for committing to successive unsporting fouls in the men's preliminary round group B basketball match between Japan and France during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Pierre-Mauroy stadium in Villeneuve-d'Ascq, northern France, on July 30, 2024.

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Cheating-Ass France Men’s Basketball Needed A Pair Of Miracles To Beat Japan

ELANCOURT, FRANCE - JULY 29: Thomas Pidcock of Team Great Britain competes during the Men's Cross-Country on day three of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Elancourt Hill on July 29, 2024 in Elancourt, France. (Photo by Alex Broadway/Getty Images)

Cycling – Mountain Bike – Olympic Games Paris 2024: Day 3

Tom Pidcock Scandalizes Delicate French Fans By Being Too Good At Bike Racing

PARIS, FRANCE: JULY 27: Stephen Nedoroscik of the United States prepares to perform his pommel horse routine during Artistic Gymnastics, Men's Qualification at the Bercy Arena during the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games on July 27th, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)

The Olympic Games-Paris 2024

Stephen Nedoroscik Is The Bespectacled King Of The Pommel Horse

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Video Games

‘Elden Ring’ Makes Everyone A Poet And A Reader

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 04: NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is interviewed before Game Three of the 2020 NBA Finals between the Miami Heat and the Los Angeles Lakers at AdventHealth Arena at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on October 04, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. 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. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

2020 NBA Finals – Game Three

The NBA’s Landmark TV Deal Shows What Matters

COL DE LA COUILLOLE, FRANCE - JULY 20: Tadej Pogacar of Slovenia and UAE Team Emirates - Yellow Leader Jersey celebrates at finish line as stage winner during the 111th Tour de France 2024, Stage 20 a 132.8km stage from Nice to Col de la Couillole 1676m / #UCIWT / on July 20, 2024 in Col de la Couillole, France. (Photo by Tim de Waele/Getty Images)

111th Tour de France 2024 – Stage 20

Cycling

Tadej Pogačar Is Insatiable

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Lauren Theisen

<p>Brandy Jensen lives in New Orleans with her dogs.</p>


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Brandy Jensen

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Wings Week

Wait By The Door, Light A Cigarette, And Listen To Miranda Lambert With Defector Music Club

<p>Owen Lewis is a former Defector intern and co-founded the website <a href="http://popcorntennis.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://popcorntennis.com&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1726234676777000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0PFWw6PL-FUqaCMME5TLqP">popcorntennis.com</a>. He wrote 63,000 words about the Novak Djokovic-Rafael Nadal rivalry that can be accessed for free at <a href="https://thegoldenrivalry.substack.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://thegoldenrivalry.substack.com&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1726234676777000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2OjAHpo4PVIhkx8Xd21lRJ">thegoldenrivalry.substack.com</a>.</p>


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Owen Lewis

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Giri Nathan

LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 12: Carlos Alcaraz of Spain stretches to play a backhand volley against Daniil Medvedev in the Men's Singles Semi-Final match during day twelve of The Championships Wimbledon 2024 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 12, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

Day Twelve: The Championships – Wimbledon 2024

A Bird’s-Eye View Of Tennis’s Post-Wimbledon Landscape

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Maitreyi Anantharaman

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Kelsey McKinney

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David Roth

Close-up of northern goshawk of prey perching on branch,Spain

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Let Loose The Jesses And Come Discuss ‘H Is For Hawk’ With Us

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Time Is Running Out To Clip Tadej Pogačar’s Wings

VILLENEUVE-SUR-LOT, FRANCE - JULY 11: (EDITOR'S NOTE: Alternate crop) Biniam Girmay of Eritrea and Team Intermarche - Wanty - Green Sprint Jersey celebrates at finish line as stage winner ahead of (L-R) Wout Van Aert of Belgium and Team Visma | Lease a Bike, Pascal Ackermann of Germany and Team Israel - Premier Tech and Jasper Philipsen of Belgium and Team Alpecin - Deceuninck during the 111th Tour de France 2024, Stage 12 a 203.6km stage from Aurillac to Villeneuve-sur-Lot / #UCIWT / on July 11, 2024 in Villeneuve-sur-Lot, France. (Photo by Tim de Waele/Getty Images)

111th Tour de France 2024 – Stage 12

Biniam Girmay Is The New Sprint King

Gregg Berhalter, Head Coach of United States reacts after the first half during the CONMEBOL Copa America USA 2024 Group C match between Panama and United States at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on June 27, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Hector Vivas/Getty Images)

Panama v United States – CONMEBOL Copa America USA 2024

Soccer

The Era Of Low Expectations Is Over

Head Coach Mike Gundy of Oklahoma State speaks/attends the 2024 Big 12 Conference Football Media Days at Allegiant Stadium on July 09, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Louis Grasse/Getty Images)

2024 Big 12 Football Media Days

College Football

Mike Gundy On Running Back’s DUI Arrest: “I’ve Probably Done That A Thousand Times In My Life”

Peanut Butter the dog gets going on his speedrun attempt

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Peanut Butter The Dog Hits A Two-Run Blast, And The Crowd Goes Wild

LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 03: Emma Raducanu of United Kingdom reacts in the Women's Singles Second Round match against Elise Mertens of Belgium during day three of The Championships Wimbledon 2024 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 03, 2024 in London, England.shi (Photo by Shi Tang/Getty Images)

Day Three: The Championships – Wimbledon 2024

Tennis

Emma Raducanu, Wimbledon Protagonist, Takes Shape

Mark Cavendish of Astana Qazaqstan celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win the stage 5 of the 2024 Tour de France.

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Mark Cavendish Endured So Much To Break The Tour de France’s Most Hallowed Record

UAE Team Emirates team's Slovenian rider Tadej Pogacar cycles to the finish line to win the 4th stage of the 111th edition of the Tour de France cycling race, 140 km between Pinerolo in Italy, and Valloire in France, on July 2, 2024. (Photo by Thomas SAMSON / AFP)

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Tadej Pogačar Opens The Tour de France As Pugnacious As Ever

MOIRANS-EN-MONTAGNE, FRANCE - JULY 21: Yellow jersey of race leader Jonas Vingegaard of Denmark and Jumbo - Visma salutes White jersey of best young rider Tadej Pogacar of Slovenia and UAE Team Emirates at the start of stage nineteen of the 110th Tour de France 2023, a 172.8km stage from Moirans-en-Montagne to Poligny / #UCIWT / on July 21, 2023 in Moirans-en-Montagne, France. (Photo by Jean Catuffe/Getty Images)

110th Tour de France 2023 – Stage 19

This Year’s Tour de France Will Have No Paris Parade And No Precedent

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 26: Rob Dillingham arrives prior to the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 26, 2024 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. 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. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

2024 NBA Draft – Round One

The New CBA Is Already Making NBA Teams Squirm

Lalas confusing and infuriating Daniel Sturridge

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Love Him Or Hate Him, Alexi Lalas Stinks At His Job

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Billy Haisley

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Luis Paez-Pumar

A general view of pregame ceremonies before the CONMEBOL Copa America match between Argentina and Canada on June 20, 2024 at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.

SOCCER: JUN 20 CONMEBOL Copa America – Argentina vs Canada

A Comprehensive And Tastefully Belated Guide To The 2024 Copa América

JJ Redick looks on before the game between the Denver Nuggets and the Los Angeles Lakers on March 2, 2024 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. 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 2024 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images)

Denver Nuggets v Los Angeles Lakers

After All That, The Lakers Hire LeBron’s Podcast Co-Host

Northern goshawk (Accipiter gentilis), male, on tree stump, Toledo province, Castilla-La Mancha, Spain

Defector Reads A Book

DRAB:H Is For Defector Reads A Bird: ‘H Is For Hawk’

Turkey celebrates their side's victory in the UEFA Euro 2024 Group F match at the BVB Stadion Dortmund in Dortmund, Germany. Picture date: Tuesday June 18, 2024. (Photo by Nick Potts/PA Images via Getty Images)

Turkey v Georgia – UEFA Euro 2024 – Group F – BVB Stadion Dortmund

Turkey-Georgia Was Perfect