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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

<p>Nicholas Russell is a writer from Las Vegas.</p>


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Nicholas Russell

A de-aged Tom Hanks and Robin Wright in 'Here'

Screenshot 2024-11-15 at 1.29.33 PM

Arts And Culture

In ‘Here,’ Robert Zemeckis Is Back On His Computer-Generated Bullshit

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Soraya Roberts

Bridget Everett and Jeff Hiller in 'Somebody Somewhere'

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‘Somebody Somewhere’ Is A Dream Without A Deadline

<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>


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Eva Holland

Lael Wilcox pedaling past a field of poppes in Spain

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Cycling

Trying To Catch Up With Lael Wilcox As She Biked Around The World In 108 Days

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<div class="p-rich_text_section">Tom Scocca is the editor of <a href="http://indignity.net">Indignity</a>, a subscription-supported newsletter of news, essays, and commentary.</div>
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Tom Scocca

Workers prepare US Capitol for 2025 inauguration.

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Margin Of Error

Last Time Was Lucky

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - NOVEMBER 5: A sign points voters where to go for voting at a voting precinct at the Two Towers Condominiums, in Minneapolis, Minnesota on November 5, 2024.

Presidential election in Minneapolis

Politics

After Tuesday

<p>Hamilton Nolan is a journalist based in New York City. Subscribe to his work at <a href="https://www.hamiltonnolan.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.hamiltonnolan.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1687350200913000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0naFbUVOe-5ZgtPDtIM3gz">HamiltonNolan.com</a>.</p>


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Hamilton Nolan

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - NOVEMBER 3: Trevor Lawrence #16 of the Jacksonville Jaguars talks to Jalen Hurts #1 of the Philadelphia Eagles after the game at Lincoln Financial Field on November 3, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Jacksonville Jaguars v Philadelphia Eagles

Jaguars Junction: Week 9

A sign reading VOTING AHEAD at an Atlanta, Ga. early voting location.

voting ahead

It’s Time To Vote


<p><a href="https://twitter.com/petesegall?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pete Segall</a> lives in Chicago. His fiction has appeared in <em>The Bennington Review</em>, <em>Conjunctions</em>, <em>The Drift</em>, and elsewhere.</p>


Pete Segall

Manchester United players Tommy Taylor, left, and Ken Morgans, line up before playing Arsenal at their Highbury Stadium, 1st February 1958. This was Taylor's last match, he died in the plane crash that killed 8 of the Busby Babes team in Munich less than a week later.

Taylor And Morgans

Defector Reads A Book

In David Peace’s ‘Munichs,’ The Dead Are Everywhere You Look

Amos Barshad

People walk by a banner outside of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) for the IPO of Flutter Entertainment, the parent company of FanDuel, on January 29, 2024 in New York City. The company, which is already on the London Stock Exchange, will be listed under the “FLUT” symbol. Wall Street observers are watching to see if an upcoming Fed announcement on rate policy and the most recent violence in the Middle East will have any effect on the markets.

Markets Open As Concerns Grow Over Conflict Escalation In The Mideast After U.S. Troops Killed In Jordan

Gambling

The Gambling Industry’s Cynical Play For Your Vote

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


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Heather Wei-Xi Chen

<p>Kristin Merrilees is a writer based in New York covering technology and the internet.</p>


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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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Music

In Communion With MJ Lenderman

<p>David Gardner is a writer based in New York. His work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, GQ, The Ringer, and other outlets.</p>


David Gardner


<p>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.</p>


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Diana Moskovitz

Taylor Swift performs onstage for night one of Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on July 07, 2023 in Kansas City, Missouri.

Taylor Swift in KC

Capital

How Public Stadiums Keep Some Profits Private

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Defector At The Movies

‘Rap World’ Remembers The Truth About Suburban Malaise

<p>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>.</p>


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Owen Lewis

Jannik Sinner of Italy poses for a photo with Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority, after being awarded the trophy following victory in his Men's Singles Final match against Carlos Alcaraz of Spain

Six Kings Slam 2024 – Day Three

Tennis

Saudi Arabia Got What It Wanted From The Six Kings Slam

<p><a class="sc-1out364-0 hMndXN sc-145m8ut-0 kGbjEv js_link" href="http://demause.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-ga="[[&quot;Embedded Url&quot;,&quot;External link&quot;,&quot;http://demause.net/&quot;,{&quot;metric25&quot;:1}]]"><em>Neil deMause</em></a><em> has covered sports economics for more publications than even he can shake a stick at. He’s co-author of the book </em><a class="sc-1out364-0 hMndXN sc-145m8ut-0 kGbjEv js_link" href="https://www.amazon.com/Field-Schemes-Stadium-Swindle-Private/dp/1567511384?ascsubtag=c9dca64cfbbd6c35085d286f4423ee39b8350b2f&amp;rawdata=%5Br%7Chttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F%5Bks%7Cgoogle%5Bt%7Clink%5Bp%7C1800657108%5Ba%7C1567511384%5Bau%7C5722120546910826704%5Bb%7Cdeadspinascsubtag%3D4eba2da0f6cc83fe1f221e8d8ca5894cd93bf2a7ascsubtag%3D33f4f2a16c1eda72859c34ee8aa577410b04a0d8&amp;tag=deadspinamzn-20" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-ga="[[&quot;Commerce&quot;,&quot;deadspin - Baseball Doesn't Need Collusion To Turn Off The Hot Stove&quot;,&quot;1567511384&quot;]]" data-amazonasin="1567511384" data-amazontag="deadspinamzn-20" data-amazonsubtag="[r|https://www.google.com/[ks|google[t|link[p|1831644811[a|1567511384[au|5722120546910826704[b|deadspin[lt|text" data-commerceready="true">Field of Schemes: How the Great Stadium Swindle Turns Public Money Into Private Profit</a><em>, and runs </em><a class="sc-1out364-0 hMndXN sc-145m8ut-0 kGbjEv js_link" href="http://fieldofschemes.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-ga="[[&quot;Embedded Url&quot;,&quot;External link&quot;,&quot;http://fieldofschemes.com/&quot;,{&quot;metric25&quot;:1}]]"><em>the website of the same name</em></a><em>.</em></p>


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Neil deMause

Philadelphia skyline with white puffy clouds focusing on William Penn Statue Broad Street area, Pennsylvania. (Photo by: Visions of America/Joseph Sohm/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Philadelphia skyline with white puffy clouds focusing on William Penn Statue Broad Street area, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia Has A Lot To Lose On The New 76ers Arena

A big campaign sign that is just Kamala Harris's head, in front of a blue sky with scattered clouds.

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The Candidates Have Nothing Left To Tell You

<p>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>.</p>


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Emily Bice

Emily skates in the final stretch of the marathon

Sportgraf High Res

The Great Outdoors

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

The new Alchem-E Gold Ex drum set, made by Zildjian.

Drumroll, please: Norwell cymbal maker Zildjian enters the digital age

Life Lessons

Tom-Tom C’est Moi

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‘The Tall Guy’ Is Richard Curtis At His Pre-Hollywood Best

Promotional photo from joker folie à deux

jokerwb

Folie À Poo: Boredom Is A Joker Sequel

<p style="font-weight: 400">Antoine E. Davis, 36, is an incarcerated journalist in Washington State. He is a licensed pastor for Freedom Church of Seattle, and Inside Director of Organizing for Look2Justice, an organization that provides civic education to system-impacted communities and works to pass sentence and policy-reform legislation. His writing has been published by Christianity Today, The Guardian, Plough Magazine, The Appeal, and more. Follow him on Twitter <a href="https://x.com/antoineedavis">@antoineedavis</a>.</p>


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Antoine Davis

Fantasy Football Notes

What Fantasy Football Means To Incarcerated Managers

A monitor shows the CBS News broadcast of the Vice Presidential Debate between US Senator and Republican vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance and Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz in Harrisburg, PA, on October 1, 2024, at a watch party.

Vance and Walz

JD Vance Found A Debate He Couldn’t Win

<p><a href="https://twitter.com/johnwilmeswords">John Wilmes</a> is a writer and professor in Chicago. His work has appeared in The Ringer, <em>GQ</em>, <em>Chicago Reader</em>, and <em>The New Republic</em>, among other places. He is the author of the novella <i>Jad&#8217;s Dad Milo</i>.</p>


John Wilmes

Andrew Benintendi gives a kind of grim looking thumbs-up in profile after completing a TV interview following his walk-off hit in the Chicago White Sox's win on September 24.

Los Angeles Angels v. Chicago White Sox

“We’re Trying To Focus On Losing”: A Night With The White Sox At The Edge Of History


<p>Luisa Rollenhagen is a German-Argentinian freelance journalist based in Berlin. She&#8217;s written for publications such as <em>The Guardian</em>, BuzzFeed News, Deutsche Welle, and <em>GQ</em>. </p>


Profile

Luisa Rollenhagen

POTSDAM, GERMANY - SEPTEMBER 22: Protesters gather outside the venue where members of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) were holding their election evening party in Brandenburg state elections on September 22, 2024 near Potsdam, Germany. The AfD entered the election today in a neck-and-neck race against the incumbent German Social Democrats (SPD).(Photo by Michele Tantussi/Getty Images)

Brandenburg Holds State Elections

What’s Driving The Rise Of The Far Right Among Young Germans?

<p>Matthew Coller covers the Minnesota Vikings for <a href="https://purpleinsider.com/">Purple Insider</a> and is author of the book <a href="https://www.triumphbooks.com/football-is-a-numbers-game-products-9781637272183.php"><em>Football is a Numbers Game</em></a>. He moonlights as a writer for the <a href="https://herhoopstats.com/">Her Hoop Stats</a> newsletter and dominates as a rec league spot-up shooter.</p>


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Matthew Coller

The New York Liberty prepare to play against the Atlanta Dream at Barclays Center on September 19, 2024 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. The Dream defeated the Liberty 78-67. 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.

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