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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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Tom Ley

Bryce Harper #3 of the Philadelphia Phillies looks on in the dugout in the third inning during a spring training game against the Baltimore Orioles at BayCare Ballpark on March 2, 2025 in Clearwater, Florida.

Baltimore Orioles v Philadelphia Phillies

Life's Rich Pageant

Bob, That’s The Wrong Bryce!

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Kathryn Xu

Vintage engraving of Army officers playing a game of Kriegsspiel, 1870s, 19th century. Kriegsspiel is a genre of wargaming developed by the Prussian army in the 19th century to teach battlefield tactics to officers.

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‘Pandemic Legacy’ Has Destroyed My Life

AI Anthony Davis points a gun at his head

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The Mavericks Don’t Want To Talk About Their Creepy AI Video In Which Anthony Davis Points A Gun At His Head

North Carolina Tar Heels football head coach Bill Belichick and his girlfriend Jordon Hudson look on during the first half of the game between the North Carolina Tar Heels and the Duke Blue Devils at Dean E. Smith Center on March 08, 2025 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Duke v North Carolina

Bill Belichick: Please Email My Girlfriend

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The Cranks Next Door

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Samer Kalaf

A news chyron that reads: Man arrested for shooting two people in Miami Beach

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This Is The Logical Endpoint Of Zionism

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Giri Nathan

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A Stinky Pilgrimage To The Corpse Flower, With Notes Of Rat, Sweat, And Cheese

A recall notice on a case of Boar's Head products.

Popular Deli Meat Maker Boar Head’s Recalls 7 Million Pounds Of Meat After Listeria Outbreak

“Residual Ham Material,” And Even More Evocative Phrases From USDA Inspections Of Boar’s Head Plants

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Luis Paez-Pumar

SS Lazio mascotte eagle Olimpia with the falconer Juan Bernabe on the pitch after the Serie A TIM match between SS Lazio and US Lecce - Serie A TIM at Stadio Olimpico on January 14, 2024 in Rome, Italy.

SS Lazio v US Lecce – Serie A TIM

Soccer

Lazio Fires Fascist Falconer For Posting Penis Implant Pictures

Ashwin Rodrigues is a <a href="https://ashwinrodrigues.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://ashwinrodrigues.com&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1736881844399000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2gTYrT5B9gKSQ8eCIDai5A">freelance writer</a> and Arsenal supporter living in New York. His work has been featured in GQ, Fast Company, Vice, Wired and other publications.

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Ashwin Rodrigues

An Arsenal fan wearing a shirt that reads "Mr. Gooner"

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A Tale Of Two Gooners

Staff Writer
Find me on Signal @DefectorChris.09

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Chris Thompson

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A Comprehensive And Maddening History Of Color Star, Would-Be Titans Of Just About Anything

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Israel Daramola

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: JAN 02 CFP Quarterfinal Allstate Sugar Bowl – Notre Dame vs Georgia

College Football

Burying The SEC Feels Too Good To Be Wrong

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Defector Staff

Accademia carrara art gallery: playing cards and tarots, bembo e cicognara, 1455-1490, bergamo, Italy.

Accademia carrara art gallery: playing cards and tarots, bembo e cicognara, 1455-1490, bergamo, Italy

Underexplained Lists

Underexplained Predictions For 2025

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Barry Petchesky

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Year In Review

What Horrible Things Did We Do To Our Penises Last Year?

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What Did We Get Stuck In Our Rectums Last Year?

Some kids who are fans of the Charlotte Hornets.

Hornets Cruelly Bait-And-Switch Child By Promising PS5 But Giving Him PS5 And Hornets Tickets

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Patrick Redford

Mounted police officers remove the riot gear from their police horse outside the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, MN, site of the 2008 Republican National Convention.

USA – 2008 Presidential Election – Security at the RNC

Defector Up All Night

They Defunded The Ponies

Welch, who might soon need to Talk Tuah lawyer

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

Shoppers walk past an MLB store during the National Day Golden Week holiday at Raffles City Chongqing on October 5, 2024, in Chongqing, China.

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In Search Of A Phillies Hat In Chinese MLB Stores

Dave McKenna

An illustration depicting high school football player attempting to catch a gigantic football

Hayfield

High School Sports

How An Imported State Champion Blew Up Virginia High School Football

Giannis Antetokounmpo smiles after pranking Jaylen Brown.

Giannis Fake Handshake

NBA Friendship Wobbled By Ill-Timed Fake Handshake

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

Split image of Magic Johnson rubbing his hands in front of the AOL logo. Other side is David Hasselhoff, as Mitch Buchannon in Baywatch, pointing while in an America Online NASCAR racing suit

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“You’ve Got Mail” Reminds Me Of A Specific Time And Place

Dubliners line the sidewalks waiting for a Halloween parade that will never begin.

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The Machines

Thousands Turn Out For Nonexistent Halloween Parade Promoted By AI Listing

Heather Chen is a former Defector intern and the managing editor at the Columbia Daily Spectator. She loves hockey, photography, and the good ol’ state of Michigan.

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Heather Wei-Xi Chen

Kristin Merrilees is a writer based in New York covering technology and the internet.

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Kristin Merrilees

A Timothee Chalamet lookalike in a Wonka costume showcases an empty briefcase

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We Went To The Timothée Chalamet Lookalike Contest And Didn’t See Timothée Chalamet

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David Roth

Split photo. Dan stands in front of some giant pastel mural, wearing a Pizza Plus shirt and sweapants, holding up an old Captain Planet costume. Dave stands in front of a giant helmet that says SPORTS CITY. They're both in a mall.

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Dan And Dave Visit A Mall Over The Ocean