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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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Alan Hanson is a writer from California. He writes creative nonfiction, essays, and poetry. He’s worked in advertising for over a decade because he likes to eat. Follow him at <a href="https://twitter.com/iluvbutts247" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">@iluvbutts247</a> unless of course he gets suspiciously suspended.

Alan Hanson

This screen grab shows the Twitter account of billionaire Tesla chief Elon Musk on October 27, 2022.

Stories

I Was Almost Elon Musk’s Twitter Voice

Kelsey McKinney

Arts And Culture

Will Ticketmaster’s Death Knell Finally Toll?

A baby, blonde hair, pretty cute, but not like incredibly cute, sititng on a chair with a tan blanket draped over it. the baby is wearing a leather jacket. there's a bunch of money in front of him. it all kinda looks real except for one $100 bill which looks so fake so pretend that bill looks real too

It’s Not Nepotism; It’s Wealth.

Diana Moskovitz is Defector&#8217;s investigations editor. You can contact her at diana@defector.com or dfmoskovitz@protonmail.com. She&#8217;s also on Signal @dmoskovitz.99

Diana Moskovitz

AL RAYYAN, QATAR - NOVEMBER 30: General view outside the stadium prior to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Group D match between Tunisia and France at Education City Stadium on November 30, 2022 in Al Rayyan, Qatar. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)

A World Cup Of Blood And Gold

Laura Wagner

Starbucks workers hold a rally on October 05, 2022 in New York City. Starbucks Workers United were joined in solidarity by various unions as they held a rally outside of a Staten Island store, slated to close for renovations later this month. They are calling for the right to negotiate employment terms and want an end to the union busting campaign that is being used against workers throughout the country.

Starbucks VP Sends Pissy Letter To NFLPA Head Over Support For Workers

Patrick Redford

WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 8: Chief Executive Officer of FTX Trading Limited Sam Bankman-Fried speaks during a House Committee on Financial Services | Full Committee Hearing titled Digital Assets and the Future of Finance: Understanding the Challenges and Benefits of Financial Innovation in the United States on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, Dec. 08, 2021 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Sam Bankman-Fried Arrested As FTX Bankruptcy Team Beefs With Bahamian Authorities

ROME, ITALY - MAY 10: Founder and CEO of Binance Changpeng Zhao, commonly known as "CZ", attends the "CZ meets Italy" at Palazzo Brancaccio on May 10, 2022 in Rome, Italy. Changpeng Zhao is the founder and CEO of Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume as of April 2018. (Photo by Antonio Masiello/Getty Images)

Binance Lawyer: Do Not Tickle Me! I’m At The Base Of This Human Pyramid!

Michael is a writer who has worked with The Atlantic, The New Yorker, WIRED, Vox, The New York Times, and other publications. His first book, The Other Olympians, which uncovers the stories of several European athletes who transitioned gender in the 1930s, is now available for purchase.

Michael Waters

TOLEDO, OH - JULY 01: Columbus Clippers player's ball caps are seen on the dugout bench during a regular season game between the Columbus Clippers and the Toledo Mud Hens on July 1, 2019 at Fifth Third Field in Toledo, Ohio.

The Columbus Clippers Made Public Sports Ownership Work. Can Anyone Else?

Albert Burneko

What The Boring Company Does

Media Meltdowns

Newspaper Owner Slaps Union Organizer With Burger Bag At Ohio Rest Stop Amid Labor Strike

Starbucks workers on strike in Austin, Texas.

The Starbucks Strike Is Working

Colin Deppen is a reporter with Spotlight PA.

Colin Deppen

Barnstormers' Jake Hoover (20) slides into second base after hitting a two run double against the York Revolution during first inning action of the home opener at Clipper Magazine Stadium in Lancaster Friday April 29, 2022.

Why These Teams Got Left Out Of The Minor League Baseball Union

It Shouldn’t Be This Hard To Buy Concert Tickets

David Roth

Twitter CEO Elon Musk carries a sink into Twitter headquarters as part of a typically epic jape.

Everything Is Silicon Valley Now

MIAMI, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 21: An exterior view of FTX Arena prior to a game between the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat at FTX Arena on October 21, 2022 in Miami, Florida. 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 Megan Briggs/Getty Images)

So Much For FTX Arena

Samer Kalaf

Elon Musk's Twitter account displayed on a laptop screen is seen in this illustration photo taken in Krakow, Poland on November 1, 2022. (Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Life's Rich Pageant

Beware The Blue Checks

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 23: Sam Bankman-Fried speaks onstage during the first annual Moonlight Gala benefitting CARE - Children With Special Needs - hosted by Michael Cayre, Roy Nachum and MegaMoon Museum at Casa Cipriani on June 23, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Craig Barritt/Getty Images for CARE For Special Children )

Crypto Is Running Out Of Dominoes

AUSTIN, TEXAS - MARCH 15: Mark Zuckerberg, via video, speaks at Into the Metaverse: Creators, Commerce and Connection during the 2022 SXSW Conference and Festivals at Austin Convention Center on March 15, 2022 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Samantha Burkardt/Getty Images for SXSW)

Meta Will Continue Burning Billions Of Dollars Until Something Happens

Journalismism

Semafor Is The Problem

Life Lessons

I Just Ate $28 Worth Of Taco Bell Because Some Dingus On TV Claimed He Did

Mark Zuckerberg on a laptop screen with Meta logo

More Like Megaworse

<a href="https://twitter.com/PeteCroatto" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://twitter.com/PeteCroatto&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1664986664225000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1IOCSnf8b8k47CXUQY8Wml">Pete Croatto </a>is the author of <a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/From-Hang-Time-to-Prime-Time/Pete-Croatto/9781982103958" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/From-Hang-Time-to-Prime-Time/Pete-Croatto/9781982103958&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1664986664225000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0qtPVCYdWjoWnj-HRERk_r">From Hang Time to Prime Time: Business, Entertainment, and the Birth of the Modern-day NBA</a>. His sportswriting has appeared in many outlets, including The New York Times, The Athletic, The Toronto Star, Andscape, Shondaland, and SLAM.

Pete Croatto

<a href="https://twitter.com/DaveCroatto" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dave Croatto</a> has written for The Onion, The New Yorker’s Daily Shouts, MAD Magazine and Random House’s Little Golden Books. Once, in a diner, he saw a woman take a spoonful of complimentary mints from a bowl by the cash register, put the spoon directly into her mouth, and then place the spoon back in the bowl. The experience haunts him to this day.

Dave Croatto

An illustration of a hand holding a straight flush of Donruss Diamond Kings.

The Brief, Memorable Reign Of The Diamond King, Baseball Cards’ Most Iconic Subset

Dan McQuade was a founding member of Defector. He died in January 2026.

Dan McQuade

Feds: Publicly Traded Deli Worth $100 Million A Massive Fraud After All

Tom Ley

Brett Favre Wanted Inmates To Help Build His Fraudulent Volleyball Stadium

Malcolm Harris is the author of Kids These Days: Human Capital And The Making Of Millennials, Shit Is Fucked Up And Bullshit: History Since The End Of History, and the forthcoming Palo Alto: A History Of California, Capitalism, And The World.