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

Australian Football

Better Hate An Owner

Bowling

Chess

Climbing

Cricket

Curling

Cycling

Darts

Death To The NCAA

Disc Sports

Gaelic Football

Gambling

Golf

High School Sports

Horse Racing

Hurling

Infinite Replay

Jamboroo

Lacrosse

Olympics

Parasports

Pro Softball

Pro Wrestling

Racing

Rugby

Running

Skateboarding

Soccer

Sports Highlight Of The Day

Tennis

The Fights

The Great Outdoors

Volleyball

Why Your Team Sucks

Wings Week

Sports

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

Adam Prentice #46 and Troy Franklin #11 of the Denver Broncos celebrate after Franklin's receiving touchdown in the fourth quarter of a game against the New York Giants at Empower Field At Mile High on October 19, 2025 in Denver, Colorado.

This Is The Lowest Form Of Analytics And We Must Kill It

Kathryn Xu

Commuters wait on the platform as a Northbound Broad Street Line train arrives at SEPTA City Hall subway station.

It’s Mega-Fucked That SEPTA Has To Be Bailed Out By A Betting App

Patrick Redford

Media Meltdowns

The Feds, Unlike Shams Charania, Have Not Cleared Malik Beasley’s Gambling Case

Maitreyi Anantharaman

Cleveland Guardians relief pitcher Emmanuel Clase (48) celebrates following the Major League Baseball game between the Athletics and Cleveland Guardians on July 18, 2025, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH.

The Emmanuel Clase Market Is Perhaps Understandably Bearish

Dave McKenna

Head coach Gilbert Arenas of the Enemies runs out during introductions against the Trilogy during BIG3 Week Six at Comerica Center on July 23, 2022 in Frisco, Texas.

Gilbert Arenas Arrested For Running Illegal And Depressing Poker Games

Emmanuel Clase #48 of the Cleveland Guardians pitches in the ninth inning against the Houston Astros.

Emmanuel Clase Placed On Leave While MLB Conducts Gambling Investigation

David Roth

NFLPA Executive Director Lloyd Howell discusses the state of the union and its direction for the upcoming year before the Super Bowl in New Orleans. The Distraction logo is at upper right.

Podcasts

Who Can You Trust? With Pablo Torre

Luis L. Ortiz #45 of the Cleveland Guardians looks on from the dugout during the game against the Athletics.

The Suspect Pitches In MLB’s Gambling Investigation Of Luis Ortiz Look Not Great

Giri Nathan

Malik Beasley #5 of the Detroit Pistons celebrates his three-point basket against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second quarter at Target Center on March 30, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 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 David Berding/Getty Images)

Malik Beasley Had His Wages Garnished By His Former Dentist

Tom Ley

Malik Beasley #5 of the Detroit Pistons reacts in Game Four of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the New York Knicks at Little Caesars Arena on April 27, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan. 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.

Malik Beasley’s Gambling Scandal Arrives At Worst Possible Time For Malik Beasley

Ray Ratto

Group shot of the 1919 White Sox. They would after this year be known as the "Black Sox Scandal" team, due to the allegation that eight members of the team accepted bribes to lose the 1919 World Series to the Cincinnati Reds.

Baseball Frees Its Gambling Ghosts

Journalism, who is a horse, is washed during the morning training for the 151th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on April 30, 2025.

Are You Sure You Want To Bet On Journalism?

A FanDuel gambling advertisement on the exterior of a building prior to Super Bowl LIX on February 08, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs will face each other on Sunday.

Baltimore Sues DraftKings And FanDuel For Exploiting Gamblers

MLB umpire Pat Hoberg looks on during a game between the Minnesota Twins and Chicago Cubs on May 12, 2023.

MLB Loses Its Best Umpire To Sports Gambling

Israel Daramola

Terry Rozier dribbles a ball as a Charlotte Hornet.

Terry Rozier Is The Latest Player Implicated In Illegal Sports Betting Scheme

PHILADELPHIA, PA - JUNE 22: A general view of the DraftKings logo in the outfield during the Major League baseball game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Washington Nationals on June 22, 2021 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphis, PA.

DraftKings Determined To See How Much It Can Squeeze Out Of Problem Bettors

Staff Writer
Find me on Signal @DefectorChris.19

Chris Thompson

Detail view of a DraftKings Sportsbook advertisement

How Much Protection Do Online Sportsbooks Owe Their Patrons?

Dan McQuade was a founding member of Defector. He died in January 2026.

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.

Sports Gambling Thrives On Clicks, Not Community

NBA and FanDuel online sports betting signage is displayed on the side of a building in Phoenix, Arizona.

Doing Cocaine In An MRI Machine, With Arif Hasan

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.

The Gambling Industry’s Cynical Play For Your Vote

A general view of the DraftKings logo in the outfield during the Major League baseball game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Washington Nationals on June 22, 2021 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphis, PA.

MLB Players Association Sues Sportsbooks For NIL Thievery

LOUISVILLE, KY - MAY 16: Fans check in at the ESPN Bet members lounge to receive Callaway golf balls on the 13th hole during the first round of the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club on Thursday, May 16, 2024 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/PGA of America via Getty Images)