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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

<a href="https://zachgozlan.info/">Zach Gozlan</a> is a data scientist, trivia ringer, and internet user based in Washington, D.C.

Zach Gozlan

Athletes stand at the Jeopardy podiums in full sports gear.

Are ‘Jeopardy!’ Contestants Really That Bad At Questions About Sports? 

charismatic megafauna (they/them)

Sabrina Imbler

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 08: U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. unveils the department's new dietary guidelines food chart during a policy announcement event at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on January 8, 2026 in Washington, DC. The Trump administration announced new dietary guidelines on Wednesday including an emphasis on proteins and full-fat dairy, and limits on processed foods. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Food

In The War On Protein, We Have Been Humiliatingly Defeated By Protein

David Roth

Federal Agents arrest a man during an Immigration Enforcement Operation in Minneapolis, Minneapolis, MN, U.S., January 13, 2026.

Politics

Fascists Are Pathetic

Patrick Redford

Capital

Let Your Buyers Become Your Criers When You Pull The Rug Out From Beneath The Table Of Success

Giri Nathan

US Vice President JD Vance speaks during a press briefing in the Brady Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, DC on January 8, 2026. (Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP)

JD Vance Is A Hog That’ll Eat Any Slop

Tommy Craggs is an editor and writer, late of Game Theory With Bomani Jones on HBO, Mother Jones (no relation), HuffPost, Slate, Gawker Media, and Deadspin. He&#8217;s part of the <a href="https://flaminghydra.com/">Flaming Hydra</a> cooperative of independent writers and artists, and one of the many founders of the <a href="https://www.oaklandreviewofbooks.org/">Oakland Review of Books</a>.

Tommy Craggs

Bari Weiss seated onstage at a Free Press event in 2024.

Journalismism

Bari Weiss Is The Symptom

Ray Ratto

Bill Kennedy explaining, to the NBC cameras, that a play was called correctly. He is making "the Bill Kennedy face."

Everybody Loves Bill Kennedy

Justin Ellis

Protestors stare down federal officers with Immigration and Customs Enforcement outside a federal building near Minneapolis following the shooting of Renee Good by an ICE agent.

When Everyday Life Becomes Domestic Terrorism

A self-portrait by Leonardo da Vinci in which he looks displeased, perhaps making the face he would make if he learned that scientists were trying to grind up some ancient hair to unlock a supervision gene

Arts And Culture

Leonardo da Vinci’s Legacy Won’t Be Found In His DNA

Samer Kalaf

ICE agents stand at the scene where ICE agents fatally shot a woman earlier in the day in Minneapolis.

ICE Is Modeling Its Brutality After The IDF

Albert Burneko

US Senator Amy Klobuchar, Democrat from Minnesota

How Hard Is It To Oppose Murder?

Staff Writer
Find me on Signal @DefectorChris.19

Chris Thompson

Which Lives Are Worthy Of The Media’s Protection?

'Grok' logo is seen displayed on a mobile phone screen in front of a picture of Elon Musk in Ankara, Turkiye on July 17, 2025.

The Machines

Who’s Responsible For Elon Musk’s Idiot Chatbot Producing On-Demand Child Sexual Abuse Material?

Sean T. Collins has written for The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Vulture, Decider, Pitchfork, and many others. He lives with his family on Long Island.

Sean T. Collins

Dadfector

This Is Awesome

flat-headed cat, small wild cat, camera trap, southeast Asia, Thailand

Creaturefector

What Would You Name This Cat?

Eva Holland is a freelance writer and editor based in Whitehorse, Yukon. She&#8217;s a correspondent for Outside magazine and the author of the books Nerve and <a href="https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/no-sleep-til-fairbanks#/">No Sleep &#8216;Til Fairbanks</a>.

Eva Holland

‘Heated Rivalry’ Is Bringing Me Back To Hockey

Brandy Jensen

American Cant

Columnist. Author of many <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Drew-Magary/e/B001JS8R52/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_book_1">fine works of literature</a>, including Point B. Handsomest man in the world.

Drew Magary

Hater's Guide

The 2025 Hater’s Guide To The Williams-Sonoma Catalog

Defector Staff

American director, producer, and actor Rob Reiner gestures near a camera while crew members surround him outdoors on the set of his film, 'North.'

Defector’s Favorite Rob Reiner Credits

<div dir="auto">Liz Cook is a freelance writer and recipe developer based in Kansas City. Her work appears in places like Serious Eats, Eater, the BBC, and Condé Nast Traveler. She also writes the experimental food newsletter <a href="https://haterade.substack.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Haterade</a>. </div>

Liz Cook

The entrance to 1587 Prime, a steakhouse that… looks like a steakhouse

Two Nights Playing With Fire At Patrick Mahomes And Travis Kelce’s Steakhouse

A general view of an NBA on NBC camera during the game between the Orlando Magic and Philadelphia 76ers on Nov. 25, 2025.

Let’s Check In On The State Of The NBA’s National Broadcasts

Maitreyi Anantharaman

Bryce Young hugs NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected first overall by the Carolina Panthers during the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft at Union Station on April 27, 2023 in Kansas City, Missouri.

Whose League Is It Anyway?

A general view of the OU logo and signage for 50 Conference Championships, 7 National Championships, and 31 Bowl Championships on June 8, 2025, on the facade of the Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium at the University of Oklahoma in Norman, OK.