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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

Defector's 5th Birthday Party is on September 10 in Brooklyn

5th birthday party

Birthday party 2025

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<div class="p-rich_text_section">Puja Patel is a writer, editor, and curator who has served as the Editor-in-Chief of Pitchfork and <em>Spin</em>, a culture editor for Deadspin, and a columnist for MTV and the <em>Village Voice</em>. Her work has appeared in publications such as the <em>New Yorker</em>, <em>Harper&#8217;s Bazaar</em>, and <em>Rolling Stone,</em> among others. She serves on the advisory board of NYU’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music and Building Beats, a nonprofit organization that provides music education to underserved youth across New York City and Los Angeles.</div>
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Puja Patel

harry etc

Mods Asleep

Months, Ranked

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Brandy Jensen

Joni Mitchell posed in Amsterdam, Netherlands in 1972

Joni Mitchell

A Playlist For Being Chill About Your Crush

Children Sobbing at Concert

The Cringiest Love Songs That Make Us Cry

<p>Amy Phillips is the former Executive Editor of Pitchfork. She has written for The New York Times Magazine, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Village Voice, and many other publications. A Philadelphia native, she currently lives in Brooklyn.</p>


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Amy Phillips

Amy at 14 in her childhood bedroom (L) / Amy's daughter as a baby in that same room (R).

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Living Through This, Again

<p>Bobby Finger is the co-host of Who? Weekly and the author of the novels <i>The Old Place</i> and <i>Four Squares</i>. His third novel will be released next summer.</p>


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Bobby Finger

Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift talk on a podcast.

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Two Showgirls In Love: Travis Kelce And Taylor Swift Have A Chat

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Defector Staff

Thumbs Pointing Downwards

The Worst Songs We Love So Much

<p>Marian Bull is a writer, editor, and potter living in Brooklyn. She writes <a href="https://marianbull.substack.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://marianbull.substack.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1755179401925000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1fEbhNoXERVRom7SEmVfSn">Mess Hall</a>, a cooking newsletter, and is at work on her first book.</p>


Marian Bull

Patrons dance during weekly line dancing lessons

line-dancing

Stud Country, Queer Line Dancing,  And The Joys Of Being In Sync

Albert Einstein sticking out his tongue

Just A Tip

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Israel Daramola

2 small boys playing Street Smart video game

2 small boys playing Street Smart video

A Playlist Of Pop That Sounds Like My Gamer Youth

<p>Tommy Craggs is an editor and writer, late of <i>Game Theory With Bomani Jones</i> on HBO, <i>Mother Jones</i> (no relation), HuffPost, Slate, Gawker Media, and Deadspin. He&#8217;s part of the Flaming Hydra cooperative of independent writers and artists. <a href="https://flaminghydra.com/#/portal/signup" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://flaminghydra.com/%23/portal/signup&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1720555755229000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0dYzV3TRg8TTAptAnFcs6h">Subscribe to the newsletter here</a>.</p>


Tommy Craggs

An orchestra rehearsal, c

Are We Playing It All Wrong?

Dave McKenna

Fans of Elvis Presley (1935-1977) gather to celebrate his memory during an impersonator contest in Memphis.

Elvis Week 1992

Remembering My Elvis Death Week Pilgrimage, 35 Years Later

<div>Jaime Brooks is a writer, musician, and poster who lives in Astoria, Oregon. She has written for <a href="https://thenewinquiry.com/blogs/streaming-services/">The New Inquiry</a> and has a Substack called <a href="https://jaimebrooks.substack.com/">The Seat of Loss</a>.</div>
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Jaime Brooks

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What Caused The Current Country Boom?

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Kathryn Xu

(L-R) Lisa, Jisoo, Rosé and Jennie of BLACKPINK perform onstage at the 2023 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.

2023 Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival – Weekend 2 – Day 2

Has The World’s Biggest K-Pop Group Already Come And Gone?

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Kelsey McKinney

screenshot from the movie barbie of margot robbie with the text "do you guys ever think about dying"

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A Playlist To Escape The Summertime Blues 

<p>Clover Hope is a Brooklyn-based writer and author of the award-winning book <a href="https://store.abramsbooks.com/products/the-motherlode"><i>The Motherlode: 100+ Women Who Made Hip-Hop</i></a>. Her writing has appeared in <i>Esquire</i>, <i>Men&#8217;s Health</i>, <i>Elle</i>, ESPN, <i>Billboard, </i>and <i>GQ</i>, among others.</p>
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Clover Hope

Screenshot from Hulu's tv series remake of 'High Fidelity'

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The Trials Of Finding Love As A Music Snob

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


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Sabrina Imbler

Adelie penguins on nests, Antarctica.

How Climate Change Is Transforming The Soundtrack Of The Natural World

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Billy Haisley

Boy in a pedal car. Driving his pedal car on the pavement outside his house.

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A Playlist Of Ear-Splitting Brazilian Funk Ideal For A Long Drive

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Lauren Theisen

Taylor Swift performs onstage during "Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour"

Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour – Toronto, ON

Taylor Swift Turned Me Straight

<p>Jordan Sargent is a writer and music industry professional living in Brooklyn. His work has appeared in Gawker, Pitchfork, Slate, and more.</p>


Jordan Sargent

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There Has Never Been A Better Time To Be A White Rapper

Tina Turner Hugs Cher At The MTV Awards Party

Huddle Up, Take A Knee: It’s Puja Week

Talk show host Conan O'Brien appears on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" at the NBC Studios on September 5, 2003 in Burbank, California.

Conan O’Brien Appears on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

The Late-Night Television Wars Are Worth Reliving

<p>Nicholas Russell is a writer from Las Vegas.</p>


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Nicholas Russell

End of life petrol and diesel cars and vans are piled on top of one another as they wait to be recycled in a car scrapyard on November 29, 2022 in Glastonbury, England. The UK scraps over one million cars a year and many more petrol and diesel cars will need to be taken off the road if the Government is to reach its target for the number of electric cars to be reached.

End Of Life Vehicles

I Will Drive This Fucked-Up Car Until One Of Us Dies


<p>Corey Atad is a freelancer writer based in Toronto with an unhealthy Air Bud obsession.</p>


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Corey Atad

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The Decemberists Take Me Back And Forth

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Ray Ratto

FC Barcelona women's football team present their Champions League trophy to supporters from the balcony of the Catalan Regional Government headquarters one day after getting their third Champions League triumph, in Barcelona on May 26, 2024. The Catalans finally avenged final defeats by Lyon in 2019 and 2022 yesterday in Bilbao, beating the French giants 2-0 to lift the Champions League for the third time.

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Buy The T-Shirt, Not The Jersey

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Patrick Redford

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 06: Donte DiVincenzo #0, Jalen Brunson #11, and Josh Hart #3 of the New York Knicks react against the Indiana Pacers during Game One of the Eastern Conference Second Round Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on May 06, 2024 in New York City. 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. ()

Indiana Pacers v New York Knicks – Game One

Vinson Cunningham On The Knicks, Art, And How Basketball Can Help You Live Nobly