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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

David Roth

Shohei Ohtani smiling in the dugout during an Angels game on September 17 of 2023.

Podcasts

Infinite Bonilla Mode

Jae Towle Vieira [they/them] works as a producer for Normal Gossip. Their fiction has been published in The Normal School, New England Review, Carve Magazine, Passages North, Fairy Tale Review, and elsewhere.

Jae Towle Vieira

Normal Gossip logo with cartoon characters gossiping

Romancing The Bellhop

A man wears a bootleg Bart Simpson t-shirt—black, with the words Ay Carumba (sic) in heavy metal font over an image of Bart displaying GUD and BAD finger tattoos—on the streets of Bangkok, in 2018.

Professor Frink Is Real, And Strong, And My Friend, With Matt Selman

Dog Day Afternoon At The Salon

Irish boxer Katie Taylor exulting after defeating Chantelle Cameron in a title bout in Dublin on November 25, 2023.

Great Irish Champions, With Dave McKenna

All The Razzle Dazzle Money Can Buy

Mark Sanchez looking forlorn after a Jets game on October 31, 2010.

Gratitude, Triumph, And The Butt Fumble, With Jasper Wang

What Horrors Await In The Weedsgiving Basement?

Aaron Barrett and Derek Gibbs of Reel Big Fish perform at Southampton University on March 5, 2011.

When Ska Was King, With Rob Harvilla

In Search Of The Momfluencer’s Apprentice

Giri Nathan

Samer Kalaf

The Namedropping podcast logo, a coffee cup with a scratched-out name

A Stumble Of Keriths, With Kerith Burke

New Vikings quarterback Joshua Dobbs exults after leading his team to a comeback win against the Falcons in Atlanta.

A Dad’s Guide To Joshua Dobbs Mindset

The Secret Family Recipe That Would Not Die

Names For Revolutionaries, With Edward Onaci

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

LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 8: Sphere displays the In Season Tournament visuals on its exterior, the largest LED screen on Earth, during the 2023 Las Vegas Summer League on July 8, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2023 NBAE (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images)

The NBA In-Season Tourney Is A Recipe For Blindness, With Ray Ratto

The Bachelorette Ultimatum

Named By The Stars, With Naveen Farrani

Evan Carter of the Texas Rangers celebrates in the clubhouse after beating the Astros in Game 7 of the ALCS.

Giving Home Plate The Business, With Emma Baccellieri

A Whodunit At Junk Science Summer Camp

How Your Name Can Determine Your Opportunities, With Xian Zhao

Onterrio Smith of the Minnesota Vikings diving for some extra yards in a NFL Playoff Game against the Eagles in January of 2005.

Holiday In Onterrio

Normal Gossip Returns, In Search Of A Teenage Dream

The Geography Of A Name, With Thomas Dai

An illustration of the cohosts of The Distraction, in the style of a Nascar fan t-shirt. We're both wearing those fire-suits and appear deeply tan.