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

<div>John Garrison Marks is a historian and writer who explores how Americans engage with the past. He is the author of <i><a href="https://uncpress.org/9781469693521/thy-will-be-done/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://uncpress.org/9781469693521/thy-will-be-done/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1781017423627000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1jL0F6t9RI1FoZYDei0VCw">Thy Will Be Done: George Washington&#8217;s Legacy of Slavery and the Fight for American Memory</a>.</i> He&#8217;s on Bluesky at <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/johngmarks.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://bsky.app/profile/johngmarks.com&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1781017423627000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0S-WpY5TzWTHvzMhKssu2S">@johngmarks.com</a>.</div>
<div></div>


John Garrison Marks

A drawing of the State of Liberty wearing a bunch of cheaply made America250 merchandise.

Life's Rich Pageant

“We Hold These Truds”: A Search For The Weirdest Piece Of America 250 Merchandise

<div dir="auto">
<div dir="auto">Corbin Smith is a writer and photographer from Vancouver, Washington. His work has appeared in Deadspin, The Daily Beast, and <em>Rolling Stone</em>. He is also the host of <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-pacific-northwest-insurance-corporation-moviefilm/id1712416222"><em>The Pacific Northwest Insurance Corporation Moviefilm Podcast,</em></a> a podcast about movies.</div>
</div>
<div class="yj6qo ajU"></div>


Corbin Smith

A booth at The Materials Show in Portland, Ore. in February of 2025. It's an empty couple of tables with a big banner behind it with the word BLOOM on it and some stuff about sustainability.

Capital

The Future Of The Sneaker Business First Requires A Future

Patrick Redford

A float for the Cochonou brand in the Tour de France caravan, with spectators reaching out to it as it passes.

Cycling

There Is No Tour de France Without The Tour de Brands

<p>Jen Ramos Eisen is a Central California-based minor league baseball writer.</p>


Jen Ramos Eisen

Minor League Baseball: Rancho Cucamonga Quakes Austin Hamilton (14) in action, pitching vs San Jose Giants at San Jose Giants Excite Ballpark. San Jose, CA.

Private Equity Now Owns More Than 40 Minor League Baseball Teams, And The Number Keeps Growing

David Roth

NBA and FanDuel online sports betting signage is displayed on the side of a building in Phoenix, Arizona.

Podcasts

Doing Cocaine In An MRI Machine, With Arif Hasan

Artist Yan Chuan paints his figurine creation of Garrosh Hellscream from World of Warcraft on June 8, 2016 in Shenyang, China. Chuan is a fan of Blizzard Entertainment, producer of online game World of Warcraft.

Lost In The Orc Section, With Jason Schreier


<p>Richard Staff is a <a href="https://twitter.com/RichardStaff" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">weapons-grade Twitter goblin</a> and hostage of the Mets. That is his real name.</p>


Richard Staff

An illustration of several baseball mitts trying to catch the same ball

The Minor League Shrink And The Growing Gap Between Triple-A And The Bigs

NEW YORK, NY - JULY 16: Actor Paul Rudd speaks about his latest movie "Ant Man" at the Apple Store Soho on July 16, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Debra L Rothenberg/FilmMagic)

Funbag

Who’s On The List Of Universally Liked People?

Vice co-founders and executives Shane Smith and Suroosh Alvi looking kind of wet at the 20th Webby Awards in 2016.

The Coffee Machine That Explained Vice Media

Art, Commerce, And Frankly Irresponsible Apple Consumption, With Kathryn Xu

A cartoon of an outfield wall with an encroaching shadow over the player standing looking at it. It feels dark and desolate. The baseball stadium is empty.

The Life Of An International Minor League Baseball Player Has Never Been Simple

Boeing CEO David Calhoun speaks during a joint press event with United Airlines at the Boeing manufacturing facility in North Charleston, on December 13, 2022.

How Will The Golden Age Of “Making It Worse” End?

Neal and Suit talking in what could honestly be any episode of the USA series "White Collar"

Arts And Culture

Background Television Isn’t As Easy As It Looks

Jason England

Roger Goodell, Jay-Z and Blue Ivy Carter attend Super Bowl LVII at State Farm Stadium on February 12, 2023 in Glendale, Arizona.

Music

50 Years Later, Is There Anything Left Of Hip Hop?

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


Dan McQuade

Bunch of people dressed like Rocky, woman standing on a blue car talking to them

Track And Field

They Can’t Take The “Rocky Run” Away From Us

An image of the baseball field at Stockton Ballpark in Stockton, California. There's a baseball field, and rows of plastic chairs for fans to sit in.

Minor League Baseball’s New CBA Still Won’t Solve All Its Transportation Woes


<p>Colin Deppen is a reporter with Spotlight PA. </p>


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

Kelsey McKinney

It Shouldn’t Be This Hard To Buy Concert Tickets

Laura Wagner

Journalismism

Semafor Is The Problem

<p><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif">Marc Normandin currently writes on baseball’s labor issues and more at </span><a style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif" href="http://marcnormandin.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://marcnormandin.com&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1758998321491000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1ZpjG5RUFwdpapWqR1u4bd">marcnormandin.com</a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif">, which you can read for free but support </span><a style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif" href="https://www.patreon.com/marcnormandin">through his Patreon</a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif">. His baseball writing has appeared at FOX Sports, SB Nation, Defector, Global Sport Matters, Deadspin, Sports Illustrated, ESPN, Sports on Earth, The Guardian, The Nation, FAIR, and TalkPoverty, and you can read his takes on video games at Retro XP and Endless Mode.</span></p>
<div class="gs">
<div class="">
<div class="WhmR8e" data-hash="0"></div>
</div>
</div>


Marc Normandin

Amarillo Sod Poodles infielder Jordan Lawlar seen outlined against a bright blue sky in a game against the Frisco RoughRiders in September of 2022.

Major League Baseball’s Hubris Helped Lead To Minor League Baseball’s Union


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


Malcolm Harris

Growth For What: The Shaky Promise Of Green Capitalism

Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene saying some stuff about being shadowbanned. The Distraction logo is over her face, sadly.

The Thin Line Between Owning Twitter And Being Owned By Twitter, With Matt Levine

Keep Girl Scout Cookies Away From The Damn Gig Economy

<p><a href="https://twitter.com/cdgoldstein">Craig Goldstein</a> is the editor-in-chief of <em>Baseball Prospectus</em> and the co-host of <a href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/show/five-and-dive/">the Five &amp; Dive podcast</a>.</p>


Craig Goldstein

An image of Rob Manfred, blessedly altered to obscure his face.

Artificial Scarcity Is Baseball’s Present, And Our Future

The error-strewn back text of the Topps Now cards commemorating Atlanta's 2021 World Series win.

Capitalism