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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

Maitreyi Anantharaman

ABC/ESPN sideline reporter Katie George interviews head coach Kirby Smart of the Georgia Bulldogs after the Friday afternoon college football game between the UGA Bulldogs and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on November 28, 2025 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA.

Crosswords

The Crossword, July 20: No Half Measures

David Roth

John O'Brien of Troy works on a puzzle as the Times Union hosts the inaugural Upstate Crossword Championship tournament Saturday Sept. 22, 2018 in Colonie, NY.

Podcasts

Song Of The Puzzlesmith, With Ian Livengood

Nicholas Russell is a writer from Las Vegas.

Nicholas Russell

Interviews

Natan Last Has Thought A Lot About Crosswords

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 Point B. Handsomest man in the world.

Drew Magary

A spectator attempts to complete a newspaper crossword during the Vitality County Championship match between Gloucestershire and Glamorgan at College Ground on July 01, 2024 in Cheltenham, England.

Funbag

Oh Shit, I’m A Crossword Dork Now

Hoang&#8211;Kim Vu is the co-editor of the Defector Crossword. His puzzles have appeared in multiple venues, including the New York Times, L.A. Times, and USA Today.

Hoang-Kim Vu

Three competitors take part in the ACPT final

Games

The World’s Fastest Crossword Solvers Can’t Tell You How To Do This

Woman plays Wordle on her smartphone at the kitchen table of her home on 26th November 2023 in Birmingham, United Kingdom. Wordle is a web-based word game played by millions of users / players worldwide often on their mobile devices. The game was created and developed by software engineer Josh Wardle, and owned by The New York Times Company since 2022.