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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

Luis Paez-Pumar

Scott Parker, Manager of Fulham is interviewed after the FA Cup Third Round match between Queens Park Rangers and Fulham at The Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium on January 09, 2021 in London, England.

Soccer

The Premier League Is Losing Its Battle Against COVID-19

Giri Nathan

Kyrie Irving has the look of disappointment on court.

What Is Kyrie Irving Doing?

Anonymous

Politics

I’m A Paramedic. Nothing Prepared Me For What I’ve Seen During The Pandemic

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

Dan McQuade

The writer, Dan McQuade, receiving his coronavirus vaccine.

Life Lessons

I Got The COVID-19 Vaccine, Then I Tried To Figure Out Why

Ray Ratto

So Much For The Feel-Good Browns

Tom Ley

James Harden Says He Was Not Maskless At A Strip Club, But At A Private Party For A Discreet Luxury Concierge Agency

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - DECEMBER 18: A general view inside TD Garden during the preseason game between the Boston Celtics and the Brooklyn Nets on December 18, 2020 in Boston, Massachusetts. 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 Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

The NBA Is Back, At All Costs

Maitreyi Anantharaman

UConn women's basketball coach Geno Auriemma at a December 17 game against UConn

Death To The NCAA

The Hottest Phrase In COVID-Era Sports Is An Abundance Of Nonsense

Samer Kalaf

An aerial view shows The Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California.

College Football

College Football Playoff Moves Rose Bowl For The Greediest Reason

Leland Nally is a writer living in Los Angeles.

Leland Nally

A collage of children's letters to Santa.

What I Learned From Reading Over A Thousand Letters To Santa

Staff Writer
Find me on Signal @DefectorChris.19

Chris Thompson

Pizza The Hutt from the movie Spaceballs.

Hibernating For One Year Has Turned Me Into A Toxic Blob

The NFL Could Only Get Away With This For So Long

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

Kendall Hinton #2 of the Denver Broncos looks to pass during the third quarter of a game against the New Orleans Saints at Empower Field At Mile High on November 29, 2020

Football Is Doing Its Best To Turn A Pandemic Disaster Into A Hall-Of-Fame Moment

Zach Wheeler pitches in a grey Phillies uniform (red cap) in the 2020 season

The Phillies Are Reportedly Looking To Get Worse

Kelsey McKinney

A general view of signage at Lumen Field on November 19, 2020 in Seattle, Washington.

Every NFL Team Now Has Placed A Player On The COVID-19 List

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - DECEMBER 02: A fan displays a sign during the third quarter of a game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens at Heinz Field on December 02, 2020 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)

When The Football Is Meaningless, What’s Left?

Patrick Redford

In this still image from video provided by the NFL, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell during the NFL football draft Thursday, April 23, 2020. (NFL via AP)

NFL Sets, Clears Lowest Bar Possible

Defector Up All Night

Let’s Watch This Godawful Wednesday Afternoon Football Game, Together

Ben Roethlisberger and Mike Tomlin chat on the sidelines.

We Have Reached The Absurdist Stage Of The NFL’s Pandemic Failure

It Keeps Getting Worse For The Ravens

SPOKANE, WASHINGTON - NOVEMBER 12: The Gonzaga Bulldogs scrimmage during the Numerica Kraziness in The Kennel at McCarthy Athletic Center on November 12, 2020 in Spokane, Washington. (Photo by William Mancebo/Getty Images)

College Basketball

College Basketball Isn’t Going To Handle This Any Better

Dabo Swinney Is The Perfect Shitbrained Coach For These Shitbrained Times

The NFL Wants COVID-19 Victims To Be Statistics

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Tony Fauci (C) looks on next to US President Donald Trump during a tour of the National Institutes of Health's Vaccine Research Center March 3, 2020, in Bethesda, Maryland