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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

Enter Our Raffle To Win A Visit And Home-Cooked Meal From Drew Magary

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tip jar sweepstakes

Heather Chen is a former Defector intern and the sports editor at the Columbia Daily Spectator. She loves hockey, photography, and the good ol’ state of Michigan.

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Heather Wei-Xi Chen

Kristin Merrilees is a writer based in New York covering technology and the internet.

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Kristin Merrilees

A Timothee Chalamet lookalike in a Wonka costume showcases an empty briefcase

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Life's Rich Pageant

We Went To The Timothée Chalamet Lookalike Contest And Didn’t See Timothée Chalamet

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Lauren Theisen

Casino roulette table and slot machines

Music

The Dream Of The 1980s Is Alive And Unwell On Atlantic City Playlists

Emily Bice is a Brooklyn-based writer. Her work centers on explorations of how we navigate love and life in the 21st century. These investigations have taken her to a fishmonger, inspired meditations on dating, and even led to rollerblading a marathon. You can find more on her Substack, <a href="https://129waysto.substack.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://129waysto.substack.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1728739707762000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1SlDWyDATtJJ90_yxFN0B1">129 Ways to Get a Life</a>.

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Emily Bice

Emily skates in the final stretch of the marathon

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The Great Outdoors

The View From The Way, Way Back Of The Berlin Inline Skating Marathon

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Patrick Redford

OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 26: The Oakland Athletics mascot, Stomper, waves to the crowd after the Oakland Athletics beat the Texas Rangers at the Oakland Coliseum on September 26, 2024 in Oakland, California. Today will be the final Athletics game played at the Coliseum. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Texas Rangers v Oakland Athletics

The A’s Are Oakland’s No More

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Giri Nathan

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Tennis

After Beating The Case, Jannik Sinner Beat The Field

Michael Rosen is a transportation planner and author of the <a href="https://pitchplots.substack.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://pitchplots.substack.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1725119706246000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3LfT9S-qtmoiPwAXtsicWT">&#8220;Pitch Plots&#8221;</a> Substack. He lives in Los Angeles.

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Michael Rosen

An umpire mediates between two people networking

SABR

Looking For Friends Among Baseball’s Most Passionate Nerds

Alex Shultz is a journalist based in Brooklyn.

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Alex Shultz

The lobby of the Javits Center during Fanatics Fest

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Capital

Three Days At Fanatics Fest, Michael Rubin’s Hollow Monument To Sports And Culture

A man looks at the oil painting "Beer Garden with A.K." (2009) by Nicole Eisenman

Painting 2.0 exhibition in Munich

Arts And Culture

The Beauty Of The Ordinary Is There For The Painting

Owen Lewis is a former Defector intern and co-founded the website <a href="http://popcorntennis.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://popcorntennis.com&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1726234676777000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0PFWw6PL-FUqaCMME5TLqP">popcorntennis.com</a>. He wrote 63,000 words about the Novak Djokovic-Rafael Nadal rivalry that can be accessed for free at <a href="https://thegoldenrivalry.substack.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://thegoldenrivalry.substack.com&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1726234676777000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2OjAHpo4PVIhkx8Xd21lRJ">thegoldenrivalry.substack.com</a>.

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Owen Lewis

A packed crowd at the Melbourne Cricket Grounds awaits a fateful kick from Carlton's Mitch McGovern.

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Australian Football

I Love Australian Rules Football More Than I Get It

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Life Lessons

I Don’t Ever Want My Favorite Things To Change

Investigations Editor. You can reach her at diana@defector.com or, if you prefer protonmail, dfmoskovitz@protonmail.com. If security is a concern, download the Signal app and send her a text at 929-251-8187.

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Diana Moskovitz

Simone Biles of Team United States competes in the Artistic Gymnastics Women's Floor Exercise Final on day ten of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Bercy Arena on August 05, 2024 in Paris, France. Her arms are up in the air, and she is smiling.

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Olympics

Simone Biles’s Greatness Is About More Than Medals

Simone Biles holds up her gold medal in vault at the 2024 Olympics

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Simone Biles Gets Another Olympic Gold With Her Historic Vault

American gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik surrounded by press with cameras at the Olympics in Paris.

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Stephen Nedoroscik Pommeled That Horse

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In Paris, Simone Biles Made Everyone Stand Up And Take Notice

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Pro Wrestling

Flaws Can Make A Wrestler Feel Real

A surfer in a blue wetsuit carries a light blue surfboard with him as he walks into the ocean. He is holding a Palestinian flag in his right hand and wearing a keffiyeh around his head.

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Surfers Show Solidarity At A Paddle-Out For Palestine

Citi Field scoreboard with NHL Trade Alert graphic on it

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The Mets’ Pride Night, As Witnessed By Someone Who Cared A Lot About The NHL Draft

Mistico makes his entrance at Forbidden Door

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Go See Your Guys Live

Kenny Moll rips through an impromptu finish line to mark the end of his seventh marathon. Michael-Luca is running to his right, with a crowd of runners behind them. There are trees in the background, and the area is both shaded and sunny.

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If You Run Seven Marathons In Seven Days In Central Park, Does It Make A Difference?

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Maitreyi Anantharaman

Angel Reese #5 of the Chicago Sky grabs the rebound during he first half of a WNBA game against the Connecticut Sun

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WNBA

Angel Reese Has Genius In Her Fingertips

A photo of the west side of the South Lawn in front of Columbia University's Butler Library at the Morningside campus. This picture, taken right before sunset, depicts an encampment set up by protestors on a lawn with turf and a big event tent. Students are scattered throughout, and there are multiple banners and signs depicting pro-Palestine statements.

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Politics

Why Did I Sleep On The Turf?

French Open Tennis Tournament. Roland-Garros 2024.

Tenacity Isn’t Enough Against Iga Swiatek

2022 French Open – Day Nine

Suffering Pigeons All Over At Roland-Garros

A photo of the baseball field and the scoreboard at Meji Jingu Baseball Stadium stadium in Tokyo. The night sky is a dark blue and, despite the rain, the outfield seats still hold a good number of fans. There's also a runner on second base.

Japan Baseball Photo

The Key To Having Fun At A Baseball Game Is Flying To The Other Side Of The World

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Ray Ratto

FC Barcelona women's football team present their Champions League trophy to supporters from the balcony of the Catalan Regional Government headquarters one day after getting their third Champions League triumph, in Barcelona on May 26, 2024. The Catalans finally avenged final defeats by Lyon in 2019 and 2022 yesterday in Bilbao, beating the French giants 2-0 to lift the Champions League for the third time.

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Mods Asleep

Buy The T-Shirt, Not The Jersey

field trips