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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

Israel Daramola

Defector At The Movies

Spike Lee’s Malcolm X Still Lives

Samer Kalaf

Journalismism

The New York Times Really Asked Ms. Rachel If She’s Paid By Hamas

Albert Burneko

The obnoxious Grok logo, on a phone screen, in a hand silhouetted against a neon green background.

The Machines

Elon Musk’s Idiot Chatbot Goes Full Boer

<p>Violet Lucca is the author of <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/david-cronenberg-clinical-trials-violet-lucca/21170132"><i>David Cronenberg: Clinical Trials</i></a>. Her writing has appeared in the <em>New York Times</em>, <em>Art in America</em>, <em>Sight and Sound</em>, the <em>Village Voice</em>, and elsewhere. She was the VP of Digital at <em>Harper’s Magazine</em> and Digital Producer at <em>Film Comment</em>, and was the host of their respective podcasts.</p>


Violet Lucca

‘The Shrouds’ Is David Cronenberg’s Typically Prescient Epitaph For Our Present And His Career

<p>Maya Goldberg-Safir writes about women’s basketball and splits her time between Chicago and Oakland, where she was born and raised. She is the creator of <a href="https://wnbaroughnotes.substack.com/">Rough Notes</a>, a newsletter chronicling women’s basketball from the court, the road, and the heart.</p>


Maya Goldberg-Safir

History

How The Japanese-American Basketball Leagues Built Natalie Nakase

Kathryn Xu

Marc Marquez of Spain and Ducati Lenovo Team, Alex Marquez of Spain and BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP during the 2025 MotoGP Michelin Grand Prix of France at Circuit Bugatti on May 11, 2025 in Le Mans, France.

Racing

Finding The Limit At Le Mans

Patrick Redford

Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors dribbles the ball against Julius Randle #30 of the Minnesota Timberwolves during the third quarter in Game Four of the Western Conference Second Round NBA Playoffs at Chase Center on May 12, 2025 in San Francisco, 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.

Physicality Is Where Basketball Lives And Careers Die

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<div class="p-rich_text_section">Tom Scocca is the editor of <a href="http://indignity.net">Indignity</a>, a subscription-supported newsletter of news, essays, and commentary.</div>
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Tom Scocca

New York City police arrested dozens of Pro-Palestinian protesters on Columbia University on Wednesday evening after they took over part of a central library in New York, USA on May 7, 2025.

Margin Of Error

Teachable Moment

Lauren Theisen

The Savannah Bananas players and Party Animals players get up after making a group photo after a game

The Savannah Bananas Make Baseball Boring


<p>Jasper Hutson is a lapsed journalist.</p>


Jasper Hutson

Fitness

Any “Halfway Decent Person” Can Join And Own Ireland’s Oldest Gym

Ben Goldfarb

A bulldozer moves a pile of dirt, which features two hoofs sticking out of the top

Capital

An Abundance Of Concrete

Brandy Jensen

Arts And Culture

‘The Settlers’ Makes Louis Theroux Say What He Thinks

Shannon Sharpe and Skip Bayless on Undisputed

Media Meltdowns

Seal Up The Pit That Contains Fox Sports 1

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<div>Abigail Segel is a contributing writer at Defector. She is also an editor for The IX Soccer and the Equalizer. Her work has been published in the Guardian and the Montreal Gazette.</div>
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Abigail Segel

The Vermillion Vanguard prepares to march

Soccer

The Vermilion Vanguard Is On The March

<p>Alex Shultz is a journalist based in Brooklyn. He&#8217;s a writer for <a href="https://www.hardresetmedia.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.hardresetmedia.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1763581679564000&amp;usg=AOvVaw07bi0TNndgTXDN2QH72s3J">Hard Reset,</a> a newsletter about tech, labor, and power.</p>


Alex Shultz

A tabloid style Sports Illustrated cover in the checkout line

Horny Sports Blogging Makes A Bewildering Return To Sports Illustrated

<p>Jake Romm is a New York City-based writer and the Associate Editor of Protean Magazine.</p>


Jake Romm

Politics

The Paranoid Fantasies Of ‘October 8’

Painting of Science Fiction Scene with Robot Woman by Anton Brzezinski

Henry Blodget Invents, Hires, Sexually Harasses, Blogs About Nonexistent AI Subordinate

<p>The author can be reached at postpostdoc@protonmail.com.</p>


Post-Postdoc

How I Became Highly Educated Grist For The AI Mill

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer looks on as US President Donald Trump signs an executive order in the Oval Office of the White House on April 9, 2025 in Washington, DC.

The Bargain Vs. The Boot

Welcome To The Scam Century

David Roth

Octavio Dotel pitches for the Detroit Tigers pitches against the Minnesota Twins on August 15, 2012 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Octavio Dotel Made A Life In Baseball

Ms. Rachel attends the Sesame Workshop 2024 Benefit Gala

Ms. Rachel Is Hamas Now

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


Dan McQuade

Topps baseball cards featuring the Yankees’ Aaron Judge, are seen during the Washington Nationals media preview day at Nationals Park on Friday, March 21, 2025.

That’s Too Many Baseball Cards!

<p><i><span style="font-weight: 400">Dan Brooks writes essays and fiction from Missoula, Montana.</span></i></p>


Dan Brooks

U.S. Vice President JD Vance (L) shoots with U.S. Marines at a gun range during a visit to Marine Corps Base Quantico

American Freedom


<p>Diana Moskovitz is Defector&#8217;s investigations editor. You can contact her at diana@defector.com or dfmoskovitz@protonmail.com. She&#8217;s also on Signal @dmoskovitz.99</p>


Diana Moskovitz

The front of a U.S. Department of Education building.