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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

Tom Ley

On the left, an english fan with his face painted withe the georgian cross. On the right, the same fan with his makeup running due to crying

Soccer

It’s Time To Look At Photos Of Sad England Fans

Patrick Redford

LES ANGLES, FRANCE - JULY 06: Photographers at finish line during 113th Tour de France 2026, Stage 3 a 195.9km stage from Granollers to Les Angles 1801m / #UCIWT / on July 06, 2026 in Les Angles, France. (Photo by Tim de Waele/Getty Images)

Cycling

A Chaotic Day In The Life Of The Photographers At The Tour de France

Barry Petchesky

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 14: A person dressed as Spiderman dances as New York Knicks fans celebrate their win against San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on June 14, 2026 in New York City. The New York Knicks lead the San Antonio Spurs 3-1 and could win the franchise's first NBA championship since 1973 if they win tonight.(Photo by Adam Gray/Getty Images)

Scenes From The Street After A Knicks Title

Giri Nathan

Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks drives to the basket during the game against the Philadelphia 76ers during Round Two Game One of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on May 4, 2026 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. 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 2026 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)

Interviews

Longtime NBA Photographer Nathaniel S. Butler Explains How He Sees Basketball

Shots

You’re Not Looking Through 12,000 New Artemis Photos, So Here Are Some Of The Best

The Earth sets over the Moon, with Orion in the foreground.

Science

This Phone Video From Artemis Is So Damn Cool

Artemis Took A Picture Of Us

Piles of dirty snow and discarded trees, backdropped by a wet, gray sky. One featureless building is visible in the background. On the whole, not a postcard view.

Life's Rich Pageant

We Asked The Mayor Of Ottawa Why He Keeps Posting Such Grim Photos

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - MARCH 23: Travelers stand in long lines at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on March 23, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia.The travel disruptions continue as hundreds of TSA agents quit or work without pay during a partial government shutdown. U.S. President Donald Trump said ICE agents will be deployed to U.S. airports on Monday, with border czar Tom Homan in charge of the effort.(Photo by Megan Varner/Getty Images)

Politics

ICE Agents Deployed To Nation’s Swamped Airports To Stand Around And Do Nothing

Report: Unflattering Pictures Of Pete Hegseth Got Photographers Banned From Pentagon Briefings

Kathryn Xu

Charles Leclerc of Monaco and Scuderia Ferrari sits out after a crash.

Racing

Let’s Appreciate Some Photos Of A Dejected Charles Leclerc Retreating To The Grassy Wild

<a href="http://www.ddavisla.com">David Davis </a>is the author of Wheels of Courage: How Paralyzed Veterans From World War II Invented Wheelchair Sports, Fought for Disability Rights, and Inspired a Nation and Waterman: The Life and Times of Duke Kahanamoku. He lives in Los Angeles.
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David Davis

UNIONDALE, NEW YORK - CIRCA 2000: Photographer Bruce Bennett photographers a battle between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the of the New York Islanders circa 1990 in Uniondale, New York. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Bruce Bennett Studios via Getty Images)

After 50 Years Of Shooting Hockey, Bruce Bennett Finds An Even Tougher Challenge: Birds

Pope Leo XIV (C) reacts wearing a Chicago White Sox baseball team cap as he meets newly wedded couples during the weekly general audience in St Peter's Square at the Vatican on June 11, 2025. (Photo by Filippo MONTEFORTE / AFP)

Chicago Man Wears White Sox Cap To Work

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH - MARCH 10: Simon Benoit #2 of the Toronto Maple Leafs fights against Michael Kesselring #7 of the Utah Hockey Club during the second period of a game on March 10, 2025 at Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/NHLI via Getty Images)

Was It Worth It?

William Turton is a photographer and investigative reporter. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.

William Turton

Trump fans in rain ponchos wait in the cold.

Donald Trump’s Biggest Fans Waited In The Cold Like Dogs

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

Heather Wei-Xi Chen

TEAHUPO'O, FRENCH POLYNESIA - JULY 28: A view of photographers on a media boat during round two of surfing on day two of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 on July 28, 2024 in Teahupo'o, French Polynesia.

My Favorite Guys In Olympic Surfing Are The Photographers

A surfer in a blue wetsuit carries a light blue surfboard with him as he walks into the ocean. He is holding a Palestinian flag in his right hand and wearing a keffiyeh around his head.

The Great Outdoors

Surfers Show Solidarity At A Paddle-Out For Palestine

Earthrise - Apollo 8, December 24, 1968. This view of the rising Earth greeted the Apollo 8 astronauts as they came from behind the Moon after the fourth nearside orbit. The photo, by&#xa0;astronaut&#xa0;William Anders, is displayed here in its original orientation, though it is more commonly viewed with the lunar surface at the bottom of the photo. Earth is about five degrees left of the horizon in the photo. The unnamed surface features on the left are near the eastern limb of the Moon as viewed from Earth. The lunar horizon is approximately 780 kilometers from the spacecraft. Height of the photographed area at the lunar horizon is about 175 kilometers.

Bill Anders First Saw The Earth

He Said He Was Going To Save A Century Of Priceless Sports Photos. He Ended Up The Madoff Of Memorabilia.

charismatic megafauna (they/them)

Sabrina Imbler

Creaturefector

More Scientific Images Should Go This Hard

UNITED STATES - NOVEMBER 01: Football: San Francisco 49ers QB Joe Montana (16) gesturing bunny ears with Brent Jones (84) in locker room before game, San Francisco, CA 11/18/1990--11/25/1990 (Photo by Michael Zagaris/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (SetNumber: D52377)

Michael Zagaris Had The Backstage Pass Of A Lifetime

How They Shot “The Last Shot”

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

Dan McQuade

John Madden and Al Michaels pose in front on of a backdrop. Cartoon word bubbles have been inserted in. John Madden is saying testing and Al Michaels is saying cheese.

John Madden Taught Me A Better Way To Smile For Photos

Olympics

The Skier Who Fell To Earth And The Photographer Who Got Out Of His Way

Staff Writer
Find me on Signal @DefectorChris.19

Chris Thompson

Birdfector

A Soothing Interview With A Master Of Slow-Motion Bird Videos

Scotland's goalkeeper David Marshall falls in the net after missing a save on Czech Republic's second goal during the UEFA EURO 2020 Group D football match between Scotland and Czech Republic at Hampden Park in Glasgow on June 14, 2021. (Photo by ANDY BUCHANAN / POOL / AFP) (Photo by ANDY BUCHANAN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Here Are Some Delightful Pictures Of Scotland’s Keeper Becoming One With His Net

Mil Máscaras finishes Professor Toru Tanaka with a flying body press.

Pro Wrestling

Pro Wrestling’s Finest Down-And-Dirty Chronicle Is Getting Even Better

FILE - Atlanta Braves' Hank Aaron eyes the flight of the ball after hitting his 715th career homer in a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Atlanta, Ga., in this April 8, 1974 file photo. Dodgers pitcher Al Downing, catcher Joe Ferguson and umpire David Davidson look on. Hank Aaron, who endured racist threats with stoic dignity during his pursuit of Babe Ruth but went on to break the career home run record in the pre-steroids era, died early Friday, Jan. 22, 2021. He was 86. The Atlanta Braves said Aaron died peacefully in his sleep. No cause of death was given. (AP Photo/Harry Harrris, FIle)

The Man Who Shot The Home Run Kings

Lauren Theisen

Ryan McDonagh #27 of the Tampa Bay Lightning checks Tyler Seguin #91 of the Dallas Stars