Australian Football

Better Hate An Owner

Bowling

Chess

Climbing

Cricket

Curling

Cycling

Darts

Death To The NCAA

Disc Sports

Gaelic Football

Gambling

Golf

High School Sports

Horse Racing

Hurling

Infinite Replay

Jamboroo

Lacrosse

Olympics

Parasports

Pro Softball

Pro Wrestling

Racing

Rugby

Running

Skateboarding

Soccer

Sports Highlight Of The Day

Tennis

The Fights

The Great Outdoors

Volleyball

Why Your Team Sucks

Wings Week

CULTURE

Footer Column 2

Footer Legal

Footer Main

Nav Bar

OTHER

SPORTS

Subscribe, at any level, to play

Thanks for your interest in Defector Crosswords!

Become a subscriber today to get unlimited access

Thanks for reading!

Plans start at $8/month.

Subscribers enjoy unlimited, ad-free browsing.

Register to continue

Or click here to subscribe for unlimited, ad-free access!

Our gift to you: This year's post is unlocked. Register your email to get even more free articles.

Welcome to the 2025 Hater's Guide!

Just register your email:

This blog is free to read.

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

Patrick Redford

LE LIORAN, FRANCE - JULY 14: Quinn Simmons of United States and Team Lidl - Trek competes during the 113th Tour de France 2026, Stage 10 a 166.6km stage from Aurillac to Le Lioran 1240m / #UCIWT / on July 14, 2026 in Le Lioran, France. (Photo by Dario Belingheri/Getty Images)

Quinn Simmons Lets The Bike Speak For Him, For Better And Worse

Dave McKenna

General views around Madison Square Garden on June 30, 2026 in New York City.

James Dolan Sues Wired Magazine For Writing A Story About His Shitty Ways

Staff Writer
Find me on Signal @DefectorChris.19

Chris Thompson

Buster Posey Sucks, But Don’t Take My Word For It

Billy Haisley

Lionel Messi of Argentina weaves around Elliot Anderson, Anthony Gordon and Jude Bellingham of England during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Semi Final match between England and Argentina

The World Cup Is About Great Players And Nothing Else

David Roth

Manny Machado of the San Diego Padres makes a kind of frowny face during the sixth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Petco Park on July 12, 2026 in San Diego, California.

Podcasts

A Rob Deer Mystery, With Justin Halpern

The Bucks Are Paying So Much For Gary Trent Jr. That The NBA Is Worried

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

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

Sarah Borus

This Is So Stupid

I Have Discovered The Final Frontier In Baseball Tinkering

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)

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

Lauren Theisen

The Yzerplan Failed, So It’s Time For Plan Z In Detroit

Luis Paez-Pumar

Lautaro Martinez #22 of Argentina celebrates with Lionel Messi #10 after scoring the team's second goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Semi Final match between England and Argentina at Atlanta Stadium on July 15, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia.

You Have To Kill Argentina Dead

Hassan Abo Qamar is a writer based in Gaza.

Hassan Abo Qamar

Palestinian football fans displaced from their homes, which were destroyed by Israeli military strikes, watch Belgium vs. Egypt on a giant screen at the Nuseirat refugee camp in Gaza.

What It’s Like To Watch The World Cup From Gaza

Alexandra Tey is a writer, photographer, and birdwatcher living in Queens, New York.

Alexandra Tey

view from behind the catcher on a park ballfield as a pitch comes in and a hitter swings

Trans Girl Baseball Makes Me A Better Woman

Junior Caminero #13 of the Tampa Bay Rays is hit by a pitch

The All-Star Game Was Funereal

Spain’s Perfect Game Needed A Perfect Goal

Giri Nathan

MIAMI, FLORIDA - MARCH 30: Bam Adebayo #13 and Tyler Herro #14 of the Miami Heat look on at the end of a game against the Philadelphia 76ers at Kaseya Center on March 30, 2026 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 Rich Storry/Getty Images)

Various Reports Dispute Where Bam Adebayo’s Fist Landed On Tyler Herro’s Face

I Believe I Have Located A Ham Truck In France

US former football player Tom Brady walks the runway during the Gucci Cruise 2027 collection fashion show at Times Square in New York on May 16, 2026.

Arts And Culture

Tom Brady: The Leather Years

Jon Rahm of Legion XIII celebrates with the trophy after winning the final round of LIV Golf Mexico City at Club de Golf Chapultepec on April 19, 2026 in Mexico City.

Saudi Arabia Decides LIV Golf Is Ready To Be Supported By Its Passionate Fan Base, Unbeatable Product

Maya Goldberg-Safir writes about women’s basketball and splits her time between Chicago and Oakland, where she was born and raised. She is the creator of <a href="https://wnbaroughnotes.substack.com/">Rough Notes</a>, a newsletter chronicling women’s basketball from the court, the road, and the heart.

Maya Goldberg-Safir

Women's Basketball

Cardte Hicks Played Above The Rim And Ahead Of Her Time

Patrick Dubuque is a writer and editor at Baseball Prospectus.

Patrick Dubuque

Phillippe Aumont of Team Canada pitches during Game 3 of Pool C between Team Great Britain and Team Canada at Chase Field on Sunday, March 12, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona.

A Season For Hope

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - DECEMBER 08: Derik Queen #22 of the New Orleans Pelicans reacts after a play during the second half of a game against the San Antonio Spurs at Smoothie King Center on December 08, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. 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 Tyler Kaufman/Getty Images)

Derik Queen Might Be Good Enough To Make A Colossally Dumb Decision Look Slightly Less Dumb

<a href="https://josh-levin.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://josh-levin.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1762023504534000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2tqysV4T7Gh0gV7M0_bz7p">Josh Levin</a> is the creator and host of the sports history podcast “<a href="http://www.replaybooth.show/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.replaybooth.show&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1762023504534000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1-rpGWGr1dKP0HBTa_zohZ">Replay Booth</a>.” He’s also the author of <a href="https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/josh-levin/the-queen/9780316513272//?lens=little-brown" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/josh-levin/the-queen/9780316513272//?lens%3Dlittle-brown&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1762023504534000&amp;usg=AOvVaw357vGVOyJU7dDVIkjqFQxu">The Queen: The Forgotten Life Behind an American Myth</a>, the creator of the podcast “<a href="https://slate.com/podcasts/one-year/s6/1990" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://slate.com/podcasts/one-year/s6/1990&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1762023504534000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1LJrco6Xq1YK3vAueOtmRC">One Year</a>,” the host of two seasons of “Slow Burn” (on <a href="https://slate.com/podcasts/slow-burn/s4/david-duke" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://slate.com/podcasts/slow-burn/s4/david-duke&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1762023504534000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2PiV8w71WaqaTvzDwNTrOS">David Duke</a> and <a href="https://slate.com/podcasts/slow-burn/s10/rise-of-fox-news" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://slate.com/podcasts/slow-burn/s10/rise-of-fox-news&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1762023504534000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3LTehX3p4ZiFY9vhna8azk">Fox News</a>), and the former cohost of “Hang Up and Listen.”

Josh Levin

Illustration of Mr. Met wearing a deerstalker cap investigating some buttons reading "Huckle."

Stories

Wilbur Huckle For President: Solving A 61-Year-Old Mets Mystery

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

Tyreek Hill #10 of the Miami Dolphins looks on during the second quarter against the Cleveland Browns at Huntington Bank Field on December 29, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio. His back is to the camera, only showing his jersey number and last name.

Why There Hasn’t Been Follow-Up Reporting On Latest Domestic Violence Claims Against Tyreek Hill

Kathryn Xu

Race winner Charles Leclerc of Monaco and Ferrari poses for a picture on the podium, with the fans down on the track during the F1 Grand Prix of Italy.

Sports