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

Patrick Redford

BALTIMORE, MD - AUGUST 09: Robinson Chirinos #23 of the Baltimore Orioles dumps the Gatorade jug over Rougned Odor #12 after winning a baseball game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on August 09, 2022 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)

Rougned Odor Takes, Gives, Takes, And Gives Again

STILLWATER, OK - NOVEMBER 27: Offensive coordinator Cale Gundy of the Oklahoma Sooners greets his brother, head coach Mike Gundy of the Oklahoma State Cowboys, before their game at Boone Pickens Stadium on November 27, 2021 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images)

College Football

Oklahoma Assistant Cale Gundy Resigns After “Shameful” Film-Room Incident

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MAR 03: Trevor Penning #OL38 of the Northern Iowa Panthers speaks to reporters during the NFL Draft Combine at the Indiana Convention Center on March 3, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)

Trevor Penning Simply Loves To Fight His Teammates

The pack rides on the Champs Elysees during the 1st stage of the new edition of the Women's Tour de France cycling race, 81,6 km between the Tour Eiffel and the Champs-Elysees, in Paris on July 24, 2022. (Photo by JEFF PACHOUD / AFP) (Photo by JEFF PACHOUD/AFP via Getty Images)

Cycling

The Tour de France Femmes Surpassed Every Expectation

LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 31: Leah Williamson of England lifts the UEFA Women's EURO 2022 Trophy after their side's victory during the UEFA Women's Euro 2022 final match between England and Germany at Wembley Stadium on July 31, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

Soccer

It’s Come Home

Video Games

The Draw Of ‘Stray’ Is That It’s Fun To Be A Cat

LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 13: Rebekah Vardy arrives at Royal Courts of Justice, Strand on May 13, 2022 in London, England. Coleen Rooney, wife of Derby County manager Wayne Rooney, and Rebekah Vardy, wife of Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy, are locked in a libel battle dubbed by the media as the "Wagatha Christie" trial. The case centres around accusations that Mrs Vardy leaked false stories about Mrs Rooney's private life to the press. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

Rebekah Vardy Loses Libel Suit Against Coleen Rooney

Second-Division Sacramento Republic Is On A Magical Open Cup Run

WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 28: CEO of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg appears on a monitor as he testifies remotely during the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee hearing 'Does Section 230's Sweeping Immunity Enable Big Tech Bad Behavior?', on Capitol Hill, October 28, 2020 in Washington, DC. CEO of Twitter Jack Dorsey; CEO of Alphabet Inc. and its subsidiary Google LLC, Sundar Pichai; and CEO of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg all testified virtually at the hearing. Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act guarantees that tech companies can not be sued for content on their platforms, but the Justice Department has suggested limiting this legislation. (Photo by Michael Reynolds-Pool/Getty Images)

Capital

Meta Is Desperate

Ludwig enjoying the moment after her win.

It’s Impossible Not To Root For Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig

EUGENE, OREGON - JULY 24: Tobi Amusan of Team Nigeria crosses the finish line in the Women's 100m Hurdles Final on day ten of the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 at Hayward Field on July 24, 2022 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

Track And Field

A Maddening Attempt To Figure Out Why So Many Runners Broke Records In One Event At The Track World Championships

TOPSHOT - Jumbo-Visma team's Danish rider Jonas Vingegaard wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey celebrates as he cycles to the finish line to win the 18th stage of the 109th edition of the Tour de France cycling race, 143,2 km between Lourdes and Hautacam in the Pyrenees mountains in southwestern France, on July 21, 2022. (Photo by Marco BERTORELLO / AFP) (Photo by MARCO BERTORELLO/AFP via Getty Images)

A Thrilling Tour de France Belongs To Jonas Vingegaard

UAE Team Emirates team's American rider Brandon McNulty (L), UAE Team Emirates team's Slovenian rider Tadej Pogacar (C) wearing the best young rider's white jersey, and Jumbo-Visma team's Danish rider Jonas Vingegaard (R) wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey cycle in the ascent of Peyragudes during the 17th stage of the 109th edition of the Tour de France cycling race, 129,7 km between Saint-Gaudens and Peyragudes, in southwestern France, on July 20, 2022. (Photo by Anne-Christine POUJOULAT / AFP) (Photo by ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT/AFP via Getty Images)

Young Americans Step Into The Tour de France Spotlight

USA's Alex Morgan (top) celebrates with teammates after scoring against Canada during their 2022 Concacaf women's championship final football match, at the BBVA Bancomer stadium in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon State, Mexico on July 18, 2022. (Photo by Julio Cesar AGUILAR / AFP) (Photo by JULIO CESAR AGUILAR/AFP via Getty Images)

The USWNT Got Their Revenge

PHOENIX, ARIZONA - MAY 07: President of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Dana White attends UFC 274 at Footprint Center on May 07, 2022 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

The Fights

The UFC’s Labor Problem Is Only Getting Worse

Jumbo-Visma team's Danish rider Jonas Vingegaard wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey (R) and UAE Team Emirates team's Slovenian rider Tadej Pogacar wearing the best young rider's white jersey (L) await the start of the 13th stage of the 109th edition of the Tour de France cycling race, 192,6 km between Le Bourg d'Oisans in the French Alps, and Saint-Etienne in central France, on July 15, 2022. (Photo by Thomas SAMSON / AFP) (Photo by THOMAS SAMSON/AFP via Getty Images)

Jonas Vingegaard Finally Cracked Tadej Pogacar, And Now The Race Is On

Father and son going on a fishing trip circa 1940's. (Photo by FPG/Getty Images)

Rays Week

I Am Not Ray Ratto’s Son

Samer Kalaf

A Review Of Three Eateries Across The Ray’s Spectrum

Kelsey McKinney

Barry Petchesky

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


Chris Thompson

The Read Planet: Let’s Discuss ‘The Martian Chronicles’

Ray Kroc Once Got On The PA And Called His San Diego Padres Stupid In Front Of Everyone

Rey Enigma taking on legendary chess player Garry Kasparov

Meet Rey Enigma, Anonymous Spanish Chess Wizard

We Might Have A Real Fight On Our Hands

Australian Simon Clarke of Israel-Premier Tech, Dutch Taco van der Hoorn of Intermarche Wanty-Gobert Materiaux and USï¿¿ Neilson Powless of EF Education-EasyPost pictured in action during stage five of the Tour de France cycling race, a 155 km race from Lille Metropole to Arenberg porte du Hainaut, France on Wednesday 06 July 2022. This year's Tour de France takes place from 01 to 24 July 2022. BELGA PHOTO DAVID STOCKMAN - UK OUT (Photo by DAVID STOCKMAN / BELGA MAG / Belga via AFP) (Photo by DAVID STOCKMAN/BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images)

Neilson Powless Came So Close To His Yellow Jersey Moment

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 23: Chet Holmgren poses for photos on the red carpet during the 2022 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 23, 2022 in 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 Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)

Report: Chet Holmgren Either Instant DPOY Contender Or Huge Flop

A mechanic prepares the bicycles of Team Sky cycling team prior to a training session on July 4, 2018 in Saint-Mars-la-Reorthe, western France, three days prior to the start of the 105th edition of the Tour de France cycling race. (Photo by Jeff PACHOUD / AFP) (Photo credit should read JEFF PACHOUD/AFP via Getty Images)