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

Capital

Climate

Margin Of Error

Policing

The Machines

Politics

Albert Burneko

BuzzFeed executive guy Jonah Peretti looking like a real schmuck

Media Meltdowns

How Dare BuzzFeed Workers Expect Their Compensation To Be Worth Anything

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


Chris Thompson

Raúl Albiol and Lucas Capetian pose for a photograph.

Life's Rich Pageant

Oh No, Sir Lucas Capetian Is Out As CEO At Color Star


<p>Amy Pedulla is a writer and audio producer. She can be reached at pedullaa@gmail.com.</p>


Amy Pedulla

The Uphill Battle To Unionize Tennessee Whiskey

Warriors owners Joe Lacob and Peter Guber hoist the Larry O'Brien NBA championship trophy

Get The Owner Out Of My Face

David Roth

Phil Mickelson tees off on the third (and final) day of the inaugural LIV Golf event.

Golf

The Saudi Golf League’s Big Bet Is On Gravity

Patrick Redford

BANGKOK, THAILAND - MAY 14: A woman poses with a Bitcoin mascot during the Thailand Crypto Expo 2022 on May 14, 2022 in Bangkok, Thailand. Cryptocurrency Enthusiasts attend Thailand Crypto Expo 2022, the largest cryptocurrency exposition in Southeast Asia, at the Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Center. Visitors learn about blockchain projects, exchanges, mining, NFT production, and gamefi technology. The exposition comes during a global market crash. (Photo by Lauren DeCicca/Getty Images)

The Crypto Collapse Gets Worse


<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

Italian-made coloured leather handbags are for sale at a shop in Berlin on December 12, 2013.

Total Bag Bans Are Stupid, Lazy, Greedy, And Everywhere

Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene saying some stuff about being shadowbanned. The Distraction logo is over her face, sadly.

Podcasts

The Thin Line Between Owning Twitter And Being Owned By Twitter, With Matt Levine

Laura Wagner

The Saudi Golf League’s Opening Press Conference Sure Went Well

Tom Ley

Video Games

Of Course Elon Musk’s ‘Elden Ring’ Build Is Dog Shit

RB Leipzig players celebrate with the DFB-Pokal trophy after their sides victory during the final match of the DFB Cup 2022 between SC Freiburg and RB Leipzig at Olympiastadion on May 21, 2022 in Berlin, Germany.

The Promise Of RB Leipzig

An exterior view of Angel Stadium of Anaheim before a game between the Oakland Athletics and the Los Angeles Angels on May 22, 2022 in Anaheim, California.

The Anaheim Corruption Scandal Confirms All Your Suspicions About How Stadium Deals Really Get Done


<p>Lam Thuy Vo is a journalist who marries data analysis with on-the-ground reporting to examine how systems and policies affect individuals. She is currently a <a href="https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/grants/soros-justice-fellowships" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Soros Justice Fellow</a>, a <a href="https://www.typeinvestigations.org/blog/2021/06/14/announcing-the-2021-ida-b-wells-fellows/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Type Investigations Ida B. Wells Fellow</a>, and a <a href="https://www.journalism.cuny.edu/2021/03/lam-thuy-vo-named-to-new-role-to-strengthen-data-journalism-curriculum/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">data-journalist-in-residence at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism</a>. Previously, she worked for BuzzFeed News, The Wall Street Journal, Al Jazeera America and NPR&#8217;s Planet Money.</p>


Lam Thuy Vo

A climber scales a climbing wall at Brooklyn Boulders

Climbing

What Happens To A Rock Climbing Community When Venture Capital Comes Calling?

Barry Petchesky

I Am The Most Virtuous Barry Of All The Barrys

Lauren Theisen

Cable TV’s New Business Model Is Giving Up

This Is Why You Don’t Get Into Bed With An NFL Team

Ray Ratto

We’re Going To Need A Bigger Space Prison

Union organizer Christian Smalls (R) celebrates following the April 1, 2022, vote for the unionization of the Amazon Staten Island warehouse in New York. - Amazon workers in New York voted Friday to establish the first US union at the e-commerce giant, a milestone for a company that has steadfastly opposed organized labor in its massive workforce. Employees at the Staten Island JFK8 warehouse voted 2,654 to 2,131 in support of the unionizing drive, according to a tally of ballots from the National Labor Relations Board. (Photo by Andrea RENAULT / AFP)

Heartwarming: Amazon Eats Shit

The Pegulas Asked For Their Handout At Just The Right Time

Concrete-Company-Turned-Metaverse Now Promoting A Hook-Up For “Human Cloned Organs”

Kelsey McKinney

Keep Girl Scout Cookies Away From The Damn Gig Economy

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 19: Los Angeles Dodgers fans cheer during Game 3 of the National League Championship Series against the Atlanta Braves at Dodger Stadium on October 19, 2021 in Los Angeles, California.

What Would An Effective Sports Fan Union Actually Look Like?

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - DECEMBER 11: Former Major League Baseball player Alex Rodriguez looks on during a game between the Philadelphia 76ers and Golden State Warriors at Wells Fargo Center on December 11, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 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 Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)

A-Rod Got A Bunch Of Money To Build A “Sports Stock Market” App

Whose Disgusting Owner Chin Is This?

<p><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif">Marc Normandin currently writes on baseball’s labor issues and more at </span><a style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif" href="http://marcnormandin.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://marcnormandin.com&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1758998321491000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1ZpjG5RUFwdpapWqR1u4bd">marcnormandin.com</a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif">, which you can read for free but support </span><a style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif" href="https://www.patreon.com/marcnormandin">through his Patreon</a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif">. His baseball writing has appeared at FOX Sports, SB Nation, Defector, Global Sport Matters, Deadspin, Sports Illustrated, ESPN, Sports on Earth, The Guardian, The Nation, FAIR, and TalkPoverty, and you can read his takes on video games at Retro XP and Endless Mode.</span></p>
<div class="gs">
<div class="">
<div class="WhmR8e" data-hash="0"></div>
</div>
</div>


Marc Normandin

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred leaving the MLB owners meetings with that look on his face.