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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

The Defector Crewneck Sweatshirt Is Back In Stock

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Merch v3

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Patrick Redford

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Capital

The Logic Of Private Equity Explains The Park City Ski Patrol Strike

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Samer Kalaf

NFL Christmas Gameday signage advertising the NFL's two Christmas Day marquee games.

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NFL Schedule Creep Is Getting Out Of Control

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Rachelle Hampton

Two reflective gold wine glasses emblazoned with "Love is Blind" are held up against the sky.

Love Is Blind Cast Celebrates Netflix’s First Live Reunion With The Iconic Pods In Los Angeles

Could Unionizing Protect Contestants From The Reality Of Reality TV?

Welch, who might soon need to Talk Tuah lawyer

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Life's Rich Pageant

The Hawk Tuah Memecoin Rug Pull Is The Apotheosis Of Bag Culture

Visual Editor. Runs <a href="http://defectorstore.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">defectorstore.com</a>. Philadelphia-based, if you couldn’t tell.

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Dan McQuade

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - DECEMBER 08: Xavier Legette #17 of the Carolina Panthers drops a pass while being guarded by C.J. Gardner-Johnson #8 of the Philadelphia Eagles in the fourth quarter of a game at Lincoln Financial Field on December 08, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

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Gambling

Sports Gambling Thrives On Clicks, Not Community

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David Roth

A giant screen above the ring shows US retired pro-boxer Mike Tyson sitting on the corner stool between rounds during the heavyweight boxing bout against Jake Paul on November 15, 2024.

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The Fights

Tyson/Paul Was A Boxing Match That Felt Like Netflix

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Albert Burneko

Large bags of Halloween candy for sale in Walgreens pharmacy, Queens, New York.

variety bags of candy

Elder Wisdom

Bring Back Weird Halloween Candies

Amos Barshad

People walk by a banner outside of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) for the IPO of Flutter Entertainment, the parent company of FanDuel, on January 29, 2024 in New York City. The company, which is already on the London Stock Exchange, will be listed under the “FLUT” symbol. Wall Street observers are watching to see if an upcoming Fed announcement on rate policy and the most recent violence in the Middle East will have any effect on the markets.

Markets Open As Concerns Grow Over Conflict Escalation In The Mideast After U.S. Troops Killed In Jordan

The Gambling Industry’s Cynical Play For Your Vote

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Tom Ley

UFC 306 at Riyadh Season Noche UFC: Torres v Bahamondes

Journalismism

Jeff Bezos Made Someone Else’s Business Decision

David Gardner is a writer based in New York. His work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, GQ, The Ringer, and other outlets.

David Gardner

Investigations Editor. You can reach her at diana@defector.com or, if you prefer protonmail, dfmoskovitz@protonmail.com. If security is a concern, download the Signal app and send her a text at 929-251-8187.

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Diana Moskovitz

Taylor Swift performs onstage for night one of Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on July 07, 2023 in Kansas City, Missouri.

Taylor Swift in KC

How Public Stadiums Keep Some Profits Private

<a class="sc-1out364-0 hMndXN sc-145m8ut-0 kGbjEv js_link" href="http://demause.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-ga="[[&quot;Embedded Url&quot;,&quot;External link&quot;,&quot;http://demause.net/&quot;,{&quot;metric25&quot;:1}]]">Neil deMause</a> has covered sports economics for more publications than even he can shake a stick at. He’s co-author of the book <a class="sc-1out364-0 hMndXN sc-145m8ut-0 kGbjEv js_link" href="https://www.amazon.com/Field-Schemes-Stadium-Swindle-Private/dp/1567511384?ascsubtag=c9dca64cfbbd6c35085d286f4423ee39b8350b2f&amp;rawdata=%5Br%7Chttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F%5Bks%7Cgoogle%5Bt%7Clink%5Bp%7C1800657108%5Ba%7C1567511384%5Bau%7C5722120546910826704%5Bb%7Cdeadspinascsubtag%3D4eba2da0f6cc83fe1f221e8d8ca5894cd93bf2a7ascsubtag%3D33f4f2a16c1eda72859c34ee8aa577410b04a0d8&amp;tag=deadspinamzn-20" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-ga="[[&quot;Commerce&quot;,&quot;deadspin - Baseball Doesn't Need Collusion To Turn Off The Hot Stove&quot;,&quot;1567511384&quot;]]" data-amazonasin="1567511384" data-amazontag="deadspinamzn-20" data-amazonsubtag="[r|https://www.google.com/[ks|google[t|link[p|1831644811[a|1567511384[au|5722120546910826704[b|deadspin[lt|text" data-commerceready="true">Field of Schemes: How the Great Stadium Swindle Turns Public Money Into Private Profit</a>, and runs <a class="sc-1out364-0 hMndXN sc-145m8ut-0 kGbjEv js_link" href="http://fieldofschemes.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-ga="[[&quot;Embedded Url&quot;,&quot;External link&quot;,&quot;http://fieldofschemes.com/&quot;,{&quot;metric25&quot;:1}]]">the website of the same name</a>.

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Neil deMause

Philadelphia skyline with white puffy clouds focusing on William Penn Statue Broad Street area, Pennsylvania. (Photo by: Visions of America/Joseph Sohm/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Philadelphia skyline with white puffy clouds focusing on William Penn Statue Broad Street area, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia Has A Lot To Lose On The New 76ers Arena

Normal Gossip: portraits

Alex Sujong Laughlin

Sisters Ashley Olsen and Mary-Kate Olsen pose for photos at the CFDA Fashion Awards, at the Brooklyn Museum in 2019

Arts And Culture

When Quiet Luxury Gets Loud

An adaptation of the "Oh, the Places You'll Go" cover with a Robert Moses statue.

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Oh, The Power You’ll Broker!

A wide view of the desolate Martian landscape, captured by the Perseverance rover.

Science

Neither Elon Musk Nor Anybody Else Will Ever Colonize Mars

A picture of Donald Trump at the first presidential debate next to a rendering of a trading card which includes a swatch of the suit he wore in that debate, taken from the website selling those cards.

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Politics

Donald Trump Is Still Selling NFTs, Now Also Selling Trading Cards With Bits Of His Suit Embedded In Them

Boar's Head deli meats Recall notice at Deli counter in grocery store, Queens, New York.

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“Heavy Meat Buildup,” And More Alarming Phrases From A USDA Inspection Of A Boar’s Head Plant

Richard Staff is a <a href="https://twitter.com/RichardStaff" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">weapons-grade Twitter goblin</a> and hostage of the Mets. That is his real name.

Richard Staff

An illustration of several baseball mitts trying to catch the same ball

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The Minor League Shrink And The Growing Gap Between Triple-A And The Bigs

Alex Shultz is a journalist based in Brooklyn.

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Alex Shultz

The lobby of the Javits Center during Fanatics Fest

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Three Days At Fanatics Fest, Michael Rubin’s Hollow Monument To Sports And Culture