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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

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<div>Noah Gittell is a Connecticut-based writer on film and baseball. His work can be found in <em>The New York Times</em>, The Ringer, <em>The Guardian</em>, <em>Washington City Paper</em>, and the <em>LA Review of Books</em>. His book on baseball cinema is due in 2024.</div>
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Noah Gittell

George exults while wearing a Yankees cap after being hired as the assistant to the traveling secretary for the New York Yankees in an episode of "Seinfeld."

GeorgeYankees

When ‘Seinfeld’ Abandoned The Mets For The Yankees

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<div>Casey Taylor is a writer living and working in Pittsburgh. He is currently writing a book for St. Martin&#8217;s Press about cannabis religions, Haile Selassie I, and the Cold War in the Caribbean. He also writes a free newsletter called <a href="https://weedchurch.substack.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://weedchurch.substack.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1709306863919000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1mVH2xiID6S0zvlyj6yHco">Weed Church</a> covering foolish spiritual things that occur to him. His work has appeared in The New Republic, WIRED, New York Magazine, and a sports blog he can’t currently recall the name of. You can <a href="mailto:caseyt7@gmail.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">email</a> him if you’d like.</div>
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Casey Taylor

Audrey Kim, curator and artist, talks about the piece "Genesis: In The Beginning Was The Word" by Eurypheus at the Misalignment Museum on March 8, 2023 in San Francisco, California. - A new exhibition titled the Misalignment Museum opened to the public in San Francisco on March 9th, 2023, featuring funny or disturbing AI art works, supposed to help visitors think about the potential dangers of artificial intelligence. (Photo by Amy Osborne / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY MENTION OF THE ARTIST UPON PUBLICATION - TO ILLUSTRATE THE EVENT AS SPECIFIED IN THE CAPTION (Photo by AMY OSBORNE/AFP via Getty Images)

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The Machines

AI Art Sucks Ass And You Should Say It’s Bad

<p>Dan Berger teaches at the University of Washington Bothell and writes about activism, Black Power, and the carceral state. His latest book is <em>Stayed on Freedom: The Long History of Black Power Through One Family’s Journey</em>.</p>


IAS Associate Professor Dan Berger

Dan Berger

Chicago School Closings Protest

Capital

In The Fight For Justice, The Police Can Only Be On One Side

<div>Adam Charles Hart is an author, curator, and archivist who lives in Pittsburgh. His second book, &#8216;<i>Raising the Dead: The Work of George A. Romero, </i>will be out in early 2024 from Oxford University Press.</div>
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Adam Charles Hart

An evil zombie poking its head up from behind a black wall, and at the bottom it says DIRECTED BY GEORGE A. ROMERO. And zombie has baseball stitches on his head. And then above there are comic word bubbles that say things like "OJ SIMPSON" and "BRUNO SAMMARTINO" and "REGGIE JACKSON" and "FRANCO HARRIS"

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Defector At The Movies

Remembering “The Winners,” George Romero’s Forgotten Sports Documentary Series

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Ben Tippett

ASTANA, KAZAKHSTAN - APRIL 29: Grandmaster Ding Liren (L) of China shakes hands with grandmaster Ian Nepomniachtchi of Russia during the 2023 World Chess Championship at the St Regis Astana Hotel on April 29, 2023 in Astana, Kazakhstan. (

FIDE World Chess Championship

Chess

Ding Liren Made A Legendary Move To Become World Chess Champion

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Soraya Roberts

Beef. Steven Yeun as Danny in episode 102 of Beef.

BEEF

Steven Yeun Knows What To Do With How He Looks


<p>Lori Teresa Yearwood is a trauma-aware and trauma-sensitive journalist currently covering the U.S. housing crisis for The Economic Hardship Reporting Project. A former reporter for the <em>Miami Herald</em>, the <em>St. Louis Post Dispatch</em> and the Syracuse Newspapers, she has always written stories about people from populations that have been marginalized.</p>


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Lori Teresa Yearwood

work

How Are You Coping With That?

Evicted, Homeless, And Working Full-Time

<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

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - APRIL 22: Ryan Garcia in the black trunks exchanges punches with Gervonta Davis in the green and purple trunks during their catchweight bout at T-Mobile Arena on April 22, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Gervonta Davis v Ryan Garcia – Fight Night

The Fights

Men At Work

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


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Nicholas Russell

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 15: Cherry Jones attends the "Downton Abbey: A New Era" New York Premiere at the Metropolitan Opera House on May 15, 2022 in New York City.

“Downton Abbey: A New Era” New York Premiere

Hey It's That Guy

Cherry Jones Makes Acting A Breeze

<p>John Semley is a writer and researcher based in Philadelphia.</p>


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John Semley

Clint Eastwood at a podium, it's an animated GIF, and different Clint Eastwood fake twitter accounts slowly fill the screen

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This Is So Stupid

A Fistful Of Eastwoos: Inside The Battle For Clint Twitter

Grandmasters Ian Nepomniachtchi (L) from Russia and Ding Liren from China attend the first game of a 14-game match to decide who will be the new 17th World Chess Champion in Astana on April 9, 2023.

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Haymakers Are Flying At The World Chess Championship

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<p>Charles P. Pierce is a writer at <em>Esquire</em> and the author of four books, most recently <em>Idiot America</em>, and has been a working journalist since 1976. He lives near Boston with his wife but no longer his three children.</p>
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Charles P. Pierce

NEW ORLEANS, LA - APRIL 4: Domantas Sabonis #10 of the Sacramento Kings drives to the basket during the game against the New Orleans Pelicans on April 4, 2023 at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2023 NBAE

Sacramento Kings v New Orleans Pelicans

When Domantas Sabonis Leads The Kings Into The Playoffs, I Hope Dale Brown Is Watching


<p>Corey Atad is a freelancer writer based in Toronto with an unhealthy Air Bud obsession.</p>


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Corey Atad

‘How To Blow Up A Pipeline’ Is A Film About Action


<p>Annie Rauwerda is a writer and comedian from Michigan. She loves Wikipedia, digital archives, and her cat.</p>


Annie Rauwerda

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Life's Rich Pageant

In Search Of Wikipedia’s Shrug Guy

E2_N9A5822_credit Michella Bredahl

Arts And Culture

‘Cry Wolf’ Shows How Easy It Is To Blame The Victim

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - APRIL 08: Shuichiro Yoshino of Japan and Shakur Stevenson of the United States exchange punches during their WBC Lightweight Final Eliminator match at Prudential Center on April 08, 2023 in Newark, New Jersey.

Shakur Stevenson v Shuichiro Yoshino

Shakur Stevenson Punches Where It Hurts

MADRID, SPAIN - JULY 5: Russian Grandmaster competing under the FIDE flag Ian Nepomniachtchi receives the award as the winner of the competition (2nd from L) with Ding Liren of China, FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich, Teimour Radjabov of Azerbaiyán and Jan-Krzysztof Duda of Poland during the 2022 FIDE Chess Candidates Tournament closing ceremony on July 5, 2022 in Madrid, Spain. (

FIDE Chess Tournament Closing Ceremony In Madrid

The World Chess Championship Begins On The Edge Of The Unknown

<p>Conor McKeon lives in New York. He can be reached at <span class="il">conorjmckeon@gmail.com.</span></p>


Conor McKeon

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‘Keys To The VIP’ Unlocked The Modern Manosphere

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


Jen Ramos Eisen

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.

The Stockton Ballpark

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

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<p class="sc-77igqf-0 bOfvBY">Vince Guerrieri is an award-winning journalist and author in the Cleveland area. He likes Lake Erie perch sandwiches, Jim Traficant and long walks on the field at League Park. His website is <a class="sc-1out364-0 hMndXN sc-145m8ut-0 kGbjEv js_link" href="http://vinceguerrieri.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-ga="[[&quot;Embedded Url&quot;,&quot;External link&quot;,&quot;http://vinceguerrieri.com/&quot;,{&quot;metric25&quot;:1}]]">vinceguerrieri.com</a>, and you can follow him on Twitter <a class="sc-1out364-0 hMndXN sc-145m8ut-0 kGbjEv js_link" href="https://twitter.com/vinceguerrieri" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-ga="[[&quot;Embedded Url&quot;,&quot;External link&quot;,&quot;https://twitter.com/vinceguerrieri&quot;,{&quot;metric25&quot;:1}]]">@vinceguerrieri</a>.</p>
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Vince Guerrieri

(Original Caption) Cardinals Clinch NL pennant. St. Louis, Missouri: Redbird coach Wares (right) shakes hands with winning pitcher Max Lanier, after the first game of a double header with the Cubs when the Cardinals clinched the National League pennant again this year. (Left to right seated) Chuck Klein; Lanier; Stan Musial; (left to right standing) George Munger; Ernie White; manager Billy Southworth; Danny Litwhiler; owner Sam Breadon, and Wares.

Teammates Congratulating Max Lanier

How The Cardinals Nearly Lost The War For St. Louis

Keanu Reeves as John Wick, holding a handgun, with the text "Check Out the JW Collection" and a "shop now" button

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The Gunplay Of ‘John Wick’ Is A Bit Too Real For Comfort

Felix Kent

Shoppers Looking at Records at Tower Records on Sunset Boulevard (Photo by nik wheeler/Corbis via Getty Images)

Shoppers Looking at Records at Tower Records on Sunset Boulevard

Music

The Lost Art Of Being Stuck With An Album


<p><i>Emile is a freelance writer, originally from the U.S., now living in Barcelona. He writes about Spanish soccer, namely FC Barcelona and Barça Femeni, on Substack, at </i><a href="https://barcafemeni.substack.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://barcafemeni.substack.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1699026753084000&amp;usg=AOvVaw14bYDiXeApFrdtb0hLPnFE"><i>La Barça Soc Supporter</i></a><i> and appears regularly on </i><a href="https://twitter.com/TheBarcelonaPod" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://twitter.com/TheBarcelonaPod&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1699026753084000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3pyv2PojdPBZ1Gkv3_aN-S"><i>The Barcelona Podcast</i></a><i>. His work has previously featured at outlets including The Blizzard, </i><a href="https://urbanpitch.com/author/eavanessian/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://urbanpitch.com/author/eavanessian/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1699026753084000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0I4zygG7AmIDTzwXlPE2u_"><i>Urban Pitch</i></a><i>, The Squall, Barça Blaugranes, and </i><a href="https://www.sportscollectorsdaily.com/author/emile-avanessian/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.sportscollectorsdaily.com/author/emile-avanessian/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1699026753084000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3g0kv0jxafpvL520xVCsVU"><i>Sports Collectors Daily</i></a><i>.</i></p>
<p><i>Emile also writes about the NBA, at his new outpost League Pass in L’Eixample. His previous work can be found at Forum Blue and Gold and his own site, a living relic of the basketblog era, </i><a href="https://hardwoodhype.com/the-work" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://hardwoodhype.com/the-work&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1699026753085000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2U949Uf-KXcPwkDPCbW129"><i>Hardwood Hype</i></a><i>.</i></p>


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Emile Avanessian

STADIO OLIMPICO , ROME, ITALY - 2023/03/21: Salma Paralluelo of FCB Barcelona celebrates with teammates after scoring the goal of 0-1 during the Women Uefa Champions League quarter finals football match between AS Roma and FCB Barcelona. Barcelona won 1-0 over AS Roma.

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