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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

Exhaust fumes adding to the air pollution in Santiago, Chile, in 1962.

Podcasts

Another Side Of Carbon Dioxide, With Peter Brannen

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

The Petty Feuds Of A Dog In Therapy

Patrick Redford

Is It Even Possible To Cheat On ‘The Bachelor’?

BOSTON, MA - CIRCA 1984: Referee Earl Strom #12 looks on prior to the start of an NBA basketball game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics circa 1984 at the Boston Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. Strom was an NBA referee for 29 years. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Earl Strom

The Ray Ratto Guide To Officiating

Alex Sujong Laughlin

Ronald Young Jr. Comes Clean

A barn near Litchfield, Connecticut. It is painted in a faded red, and there's an American flag painted on the front of it. The Distraction logo is at upper right.

A Long Weekend In “Magary Country”

Motive, Opportunity, And Sweet Potato Pie

TORONTO, ON - NOVEMBER 24: Brandon Ingram #3 of the Toronto Raptors waves to the crowd as he walks off the court after defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers at Scotiabank Arena on November 24, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 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 Andrew Lahodynskyj/Getty Images)

Welcome To The ‘Nothing But Respect’ Media Hour

Red-legged Pademelon in the rainforest, Daintree, Queensland, Australia.

A Big World Full Of Friendly Little Guys, With Nathan Thornburgh

Meet-Cute At The Anne Rice Vampire Ball

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - OCTOBER 29: Luka Garza #52 of the Boston Celtics watches warmups before a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at the TD Garden on October 29, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts. 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 Brian Fluharty/Getty Images)

Which NBA Teams Are Cool?

leader of the US Postal Service team, US Lance Armstrong, leaves the podium of 17th stage of the 89th Tour de France in Cluses, 25 July 2002. Italy's Dario Frigo of the Italian Tacconi Sport team won the stage and Armstrong, retains his yellow jersey. AFP PHOTO OLIVIER MORIN (Photo by OLIVIER MORIN / AFP)

Lance Armstrong And The Myth Of The Natural Body

Zakiya Gibbons Goes Speed-Dating

This December 16, 2016 photo illustration taken in Washington, DC. shows the definition for the word "Surreal" in a copy of the Webster's Desktop Dictionary.

The Man Who Defined “Sheeple,” With Stefan Fatsis

A Brief Tour Through The Bad Parts Of The NBA, With Ock Sportello

Who Said Malala Doesn’t Like To Gossip?

A screenshot of Matt Damon getting bad news from Paddy Considine in The Bourne Supremacy. The Distraction logo is at lower left.

Pretending To Be Someone Else In An Uber, With Rohan Nadkarni

No! Don't even think about setting a screen

A Deep Dive Into The Architect Of The Miami Heat’s Weird New Offense, With Rohan Nadkarni

US Chess grandmaster Hans Niemann speaks to the press in the run-up to the Tata Steel Chess Tournament in Wijk Aan Zee, on January 11, 2024. Niemann was previously accused of cheating by former world champion Norway's Magnus Carlsen, but the two have now ended their feud. (Photo by Olaf KRAAK / ANP / AFP) / Netherlands OUT

Why Did The Magnus Vs. Hans Cheating Scandal Shake The Chess World So Much?

Josh Plays Pickup Basketball

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Toronto Blue Jays celebrates after hitting a solo home run in the first inning during Game Five of the 2025 World Series. The Distraction logo is at upper left and the light above the stadium is lovely.

I Like To Get A Solid 12 Hours

FBI Director Kash Patel leads news conference to announce arrests tied to illegal sports betting and poker game schemes, in New York City on October 23, 2025. NBA coach Chauncey Billups of the Portland Trail Blazers and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier were arrested on Thursday for alleged involvement in illegal gambling. Billups, a former Detroit Pistons star and member of the NBA Hall of Fame, was arrested in connection with rigged illegal poker games tied to the Mafia, FBI Director Kash Patel said. Rozier and a former NBA player, Damon Jones, were arrested in a sports betting case, Patel said at a press conference in New York. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP)

Everything Is Gambling Now, With Liz Franczak

Shohei Ohtani rs rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers in game four of the National League Championship Series at Dodger Stadium on October 17, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. The Distraction logo is at upper left.

No That’s Too Good, With Justin Halpern

A crazy-ass map of the Thunder as Agentic basketball team

An Interview With The Guy Anthony Edwards Called “Fly As Fuck” While Giving Timothee Chalamet The White Boy Of The Year Award

KINGS03E-C-03JUN02-SP-CG --- Kings's Vlade Divac, lays on the floor as he fouls out in the final minutes of regulation. The Kings lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the final seconds of overtime at ARCO Arena in Sacramento, Ca. The Sacramento Kings played the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 7 of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Arco Arena in Sacramento, Ca., on Tuesday, May 28, 2002.