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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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Defector

You DID Hear It From Us: There's Normal Gossip Merch

NEW NORMAL GOSSIP MERCH!

Merch v3

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Patrick Redford

My slightly dried-out specimens one week after harvesting.

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The Great Outdoors

An Ode To The Jack-O’-Lantern Mushroom, A Poisonous Friend

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Albert Burneko

An ultimate frisbee player leaps to make a catch, silhouetted against the sun

Zev Fishman Portrait Session

This Is So Stupid

All Of My Problems With The Name “Ultimate”

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Luis Paez-Pumar

A bike rests by the waterfront in Queens, New York

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Spinning My Wheels

A photo of Zalokar oout out by the National Parks Service as they sought information about him.

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Champion Marathoner Fred Zalokar Found Dead In Yosemite


<p><em><a href="https://twitter.com/austinlouisray" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Austin L. Ray</a> is an ATLien who spends most of his time writing, growing, and fundraising. He works for Mailchimp by day and writes for places like Rolling Stone, Tip Top Proper Cocktails, Creative Loafing (RIP), The Outline, Atlanta magazine, GQ, and more on nights and weekends. He loves reading in front of large groups of people, listening to loud rap music, and losing himself in Twitter. Zach Galifianakis once screamed in his face.</em></p>


Austin L. Ray

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Let’s Grow Some Things

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Greg Noll, The Surfer Who Became A Myth, Is Dead At 84

Trekkers walk along a path at Namche Bazar town in the Everest region of Solukhumbu district on April 25, 2021. (Photo by PRAKASH MATHEMA / AFP) (Photo by PRAKASH MATHEMA/AFP via Getty Images)

NEPAL-EVEREST

Everest Base Camp Is In The Midst Of A COVID-19 Outbreak

New River Gorge's iconic steel arch bridge.

New River Gorge Offers Stunning Trails, Subpar Locations For Faking Your Own Death To Avoid Fraud Charges

Lava flows down Etna with the city of Catania in the foreground

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Volcano Cool

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The Dark Legacy Of The CIA’s Bungled Plot To Have Famous Climbers Plant Nuclear-Powered Sensors In The Himalayas

A tomtit and a sparrow feed from a bird feeder in a park in Moscow on January 31, 2019. (Photo by Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP) (Photo credit should read KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP via Getty Images)

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Birdfector

A Suggestion For Bird Feeding

Eight of the 10 people that reached the top of K2.

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K2 Grudgingly Allows Its First Winter Summit

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Giri Nathan

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Video Games

Going On Runs

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Chris Thompson

A cartoon possum, raccoon, and skunk huddle around a table.

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Trash Animals Send Delegates To Landmark Council Of Garbage Feasters

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Here Are Some Birds That We Like

A coastal section of the Tongass National Forest

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The Biggest National Forest In The Country Is Now On The Chopping Block

Now Is The Time To Befriend The Birds, By Feeding Them

hikingwilderness

As Obvious As This May Seem, If Someone Calls For Help In The Wilderness, Help Them

TOPSHOT - A wood duck or Carolina duck, a species of perching duck found in North America, is seen in a pond at the Ghosh Para area of Howrah District near Kolkata on August 11, 2020. (Photo by Dibyangshu SARKAR / AFP) (Photo by DIBYANGSHU SARKAR/AFP via Getty Images)

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U.S. Government, To Duck Stamp Artists: Make Sure Everyone Knows Ducks Can Be Shot

Interviews

ESPN’s Tony Reali Tells Us About Helping Rescue A Downed Peregrine Falcon

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William Perry Pendley, America’s Most Zealous Crusader Against Public Lands, Finally Gets The Boot

The San Francisco skyling obscured by thick smoke.

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What Will California Be After The Smoke Clears?