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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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Arts And Culture

<p>Columnist. Author of many <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Drew-Magary/e/B001JS8R52/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_book_1">fine works of literature</a>, including <em>Point B</em>. Handsomest man in the world.</p>


Drew Magary

Three characters in the Stranger Things finale

Funbag

A Belated Review Of ‘Stranger Things’ Season 5 (Which Sucked A Fat One)

Israel Daramola

‘Industry’ Is As Beautifully Dumb As Ever

Kelsey McKinney

Brandy Jensen

Some Thoughts On ‘Heated Rivalry,’ Including But Not Limited To: Ahhhh, Mmmm, And [Crying Emoji]

<p>Eva Holland is a freelance writer and editor based in Whitehorse, Yukon. She&#8217;s a correspondent for Outside magazine and the author of the books <i>Nerve </i>and <i><a href="https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/no-sleep-til-fairbanks#/">No Sleep &#8216;Til Fairbanks</a>.</i></p>


Eva Holland

‘Heated Rivalry’ Is Bringing Me Back To Hockey

Somewhere Between Pettiness And Journalism Lies Netflix’s Diddy Documentary


<p><a href="http://Feldman.cool" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Brian Feldman</a> is a software engineer living in Brooklyn.</p>


Brian Feldman

tim robinson using the computer in the chair company

‘The Chair Company’ Is A Show About How Fun It Is To Use The Computer

Tim Robinson Understands What The Boys Are Going Through

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<div><a href="https://www.bystefanfatsis.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.bystefanfatsis.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1759235100786000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1mlCW5_XUY56jklGr11a_z">Stefan Fatsis</a> is the author of four books: <a href="https://groveatlantic.com/book/unabridged/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://groveatlantic.com/book/unabridged/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1759235100786000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0jbw5ZscOBp6w-1um3R6yu"><i>Unabridged</i></a>, <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/a-few-seconds-of-panic-a-sportswriter-plays-in-the-nfl-stefan-fatsis/7891278" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://bookshop.org/p/books/a-few-seconds-of-panic-a-sportswriter-plays-in-the-nfl-stefan-fatsis/7891278&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1759235100786000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0MpNNngIOKaj-715hSNVZD"><i>A Few Seconds of Panic</i></a>, <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/word-freak-heartbreak-triumph-genius-and-obsession-in-the-world-of-competitive-scrabblep-layers-stefan-fatsis/11648962" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://bookshop.org/p/books/word-freak-heartbreak-triumph-genius-and-obsession-in-the-world-of-competitive-scrabblep-layers-stefan-fatsis/11648962&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1759235100786000&amp;usg=AOvVaw02LL51Wrka0A0lLkwOxYUj"><i>Word Freak</i></a>, and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Wild-Outside-Renegade-Baseball-Heartland/dp/0802712975" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amazon.com/Wild-Outside-Renegade-Baseball-Heartland/dp/0802712975&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1759235100786000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1YzbrZGW2KCbIttDDLhkPn"><i>Wild and Outside</i></a>. He&#8217;s also a former cohost of “Hang Up and Listen,” commentator on NPR&#8217;s &#8220;All Things Considered,&#8221; and reporter for <i>The Wall Street Journal</i>. Subscribe to his newsletter, <a href="https://stefanfatsis.substack.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://stefanfatsis.substack.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1786480936396000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0fRpxgEOhbgbpR79WFcozC">Unabridged</a>.</div>
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Stefan Fatsis

Life's Rich Pageant

How A Campy 1970s Game Show Became Part Of Canada’s National Lexicon

Alex Sujong Laughlin

A black and white photo of a family gathered around a 1950s era television.

Media Meltdowns

Podcasts Are Not Television

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 06: Gary Oldman and Jonathan Pryce attend the SAG-AFTRA Foundation Conversations Presents "Slow Horses" event at The Meryl Streep Center for Performing Artists on June 06, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Araya Doheny/Getty Images for SAG-AFTRA Foundation)

Jamboroo

How ‘Slow Horses’ Explains The World

Soraya Roberts

To Artistic Freedom: The Cause Of, And Solution To, All Of Life’s Problems

Barry Petchesky

LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 04: Jimmy Kimmel is seen at 'Jimmy Kimmel Live" on November 04, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by RB/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)

Politics

Charlie Kirk Is A Means To An End

Hannah Smothers

Reality TV Dating Enters Virgin Territory

Sarah Jessica Parker in 'And Just Like That...'

And Just Like That… It’s Over

Luis Paez-Pumar

Tom Brady, Minority Owner of Birmingham City, looks on prior to the Sky Bet League One match between Birmingham City FC and Wrexham AFC at St Andrew’s at Knighthead Park on September 16, 2024 in Birmingham, England.

‘Built In Birmingham’ Can’t Save Tom Brady From Himself

‘Such Brave Girls’ Wants To Trauma Bond With You

<p>Former Defector intern, now freelancer.</p>
<p>For professional inquiries or tips please write lucybl00m@protonmail.com or yuck.20 on Signal.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>


Lucy Bloom

Bills Week

Bill Nye Isn’t Fun Anymore

Rachelle Hampton

Can We Pull You For A Chat?


<p>Dan McQuade was a founding member of Defector. He died in January 2026.</p>


Dan McQuade

A bird's-eye view of the Love Island basketball court, which resembles a huge blue H on a yellow background. It lacks baselines, and the right half of the court lacks a three-point line. Other than that, it's great

This Is So Stupid

The Basketball Court On ‘Love Island’ Is All Fucked Up

Ray Ratto

Sure, We Gained Our Independence, But We Lost The Ability To Make Anything As Good As ‘Taskmaster’

Two new bombshells stand inside a heart that says "home run" underneath a sign that says 4th base.

I Love My Daily Sports Shows: Baseball And ‘Love Island’

Stick With ‘Dept. Q’

David Roth

Podcasts

Monorail: Origins, With Alan Siegel

Benny (Benito Skinner), Carmen (Wally Baram), Holmes in OVERCOMPENSATING

‘Overcompensating’ Is Not A Joke

A bunch of Danny McBride characters from Righteous Gemstones, Vice Principals and Eastbound & Down

TV