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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


<p>charismatic megafauna (they/them)</p>


Sabrina Imbler

a screenshot of an email exchange with "Elena Ferrante", which contains six back-and-forth emails out of an exchange of 12

Life's Rich Pageant

What I Learned From My Annoyingly Long Correspondence With “Elena Ferrante”

<p>Libby Watson is a writer, <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/libtron">streamer</a> and <a href="https://www.patreon.com/whatsallthisthen">podcaster</a>.</p>


Libby Watson

The exterior of breakfast, lunch, and pizza

Food

I Traveled 800 Miles To Eat Breakfast, Lunch, And Pizza At Criss Angel’s Breakfast, Lunch, And Pizza

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


Heather Wei-Xi Chen

Animals

The Westminster Dog Show’s Youngest Handlers Don’t Know If They Want To Do This Forever

Kathryn Xu

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 02: Aslan, a Pomeranian, 2nd place winner of Toy Group, competes during the 150th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show – Group Judging (Hound, Toy, Non-Sporting, Herding) &amp; Westminster Legends Presentation at Madison Square Garden on February 02, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for Westminster Kennel Club)

My Life Among The 33 Pomeranians (And A Few Thousand Other Dogs)

The Secrets Of Human And Canine Fashion At The Westminster Dog Show

A Boston Terrier is examined in the judging area during day one of the 150th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City on February 2, 2026.

Interviews

A Westminster Dog Show Judge Tells Us What They’re Looking For

Dave McKenna

Jarrell Miller reacts to his toupee falling off in a heavyweight bout against Kingsley Ibeh during the Ring 6 fight at Madison Square Garden on January 31, 2026 in New York City.

The Fights

Jarrell Miller Got His Hair Punched Off And Became A Hero

Defector Staff

Austrian fortune-telling cards from a pack of 32, showing acorns, hearts, bells and leaves.

Underexplained Lists

Underexplained Predictions For 2026

Barry Petchesky

Year In Review

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

What Did We Get Stuck In Our Rectums Last Year?

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<div><a href="https://www.bystefanfatsis.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.bystefanfatsis.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1759235100786000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1mlCW5_XUY56jklGr11a_z">Stefan Fatsis</a> is the author of four books: <a href="https://groveatlantic.com/book/unabridged/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://groveatlantic.com/book/unabridged/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1759235100786000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0jbw5ZscOBp6w-1um3R6yu"><i>Unabridged</i></a>, <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/a-few-seconds-of-panic-a-sportswriter-plays-in-the-nfl-stefan-fatsis/7891278" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://bookshop.org/p/books/a-few-seconds-of-panic-a-sportswriter-plays-in-the-nfl-stefan-fatsis/7891278&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1759235100786000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0MpNNngIOKaj-715hSNVZD"><i>A Few Seconds of Panic</i></a>, <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/word-freak-heartbreak-triumph-genius-and-obsession-in-the-world-of-competitive-scrabblep-layers-stefan-fatsis/11648962" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://bookshop.org/p/books/word-freak-heartbreak-triumph-genius-and-obsession-in-the-world-of-competitive-scrabblep-layers-stefan-fatsis/11648962&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1759235100786000&amp;usg=AOvVaw02LL51Wrka0A0lLkwOxYUj"><i>Word Freak</i></a>, and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Wild-Outside-Renegade-Baseball-Heartland/dp/0802712975" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amazon.com/Wild-Outside-Renegade-Baseball-Heartland/dp/0802712975&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1759235100786000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1YzbrZGW2KCbIttDDLhkPn"><i>Wild and Outside</i></a>. He&#8217;s also a former cohost of “Hang Up and Listen,” commentator on NPR&#8217;s &#8220;All Things Considered,&#8221; and reporter for <i>The Wall Street Journal</i>.</div>
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Stefan Fatsis

How A Campy 1970s Game Show Became Part Of Canada’s National Lexicon