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The last good website.

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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

Promotional image for Matthew McConaughey's Art Of Livin' event featuring McConaughey, Tony Robbins, Dean Graziosi, and Trent Shelton

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Arts And Culture

The Art (And Commerce) Of Livin’: Five Dazed And Confusing Hours Of Matthew McConaughey’s Self-Help Seminar

<p>Keith Paradise is a freelance writer who somehow won a Keystone Press Award during his<br />
decade spent as a newspaper reporter in Pennsylvania, where he covered sports, education, and<br />
the murder of a neighborhood turkey. Originally from Pittsburgh, he is a monthly contributor to<br />
<em>Billiards Digest</em> magazine.</p>


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Keith Paradise

A rack of Starter jackets, satin and pullover and polyester. Colorado Rockies is in the front.

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The Rise And Fall Of Starter, The Coolest Company On Earth

<div class="author-header-content">
<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>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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Charles P. Pierce

Enrique Hernandez #5 of the Boston Red Sox makes an error as he throws to second base during the second inning of a game against the Tampa Bay Rays on June 3, 2023 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts.

Tampa Bay Rays v Boston Red Sox

The Red Sox Have Never Felt Smaller

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<div>
<div>Davey Davis is the author of the novels<em> the earthquake room </em>and <em>X</em><i>. </i>They write<i> </i>a weekly newsletter about <span style="color: #1a1a1a">art, culture, and sexuality at</span> <a href="http://itsdavid.substack.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://itsdavid.substack.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1687637345270000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2asJHAQI7qwTPU6pk62gjF">itsdavid.substack.com</a>. They live in Brooklyn.</div>
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Davey Davis

Drawing of a group of people helping each other over a labyrinth

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Histories Of Transition

Doctors Vs. David

Felix Kent

ZAGREB, CROATIA - MARCH 20: A sign in tribute to Craig Breen of Ireland and Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team who succumbed to injuries sustained in a testing crash last week during Day One of the FIA World Rally Championship Croatia on March 20, 2023 in Zagreb, Croatia. (Photo by Qian Jun/MB Media/Getty Images)

FIA World Rally Championship Croatia – Day One

Life Lessons

It’s Continually Alarming That Choices Matter

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Defector At The Movies

‘The Flash’ Resurrecting Christopher Reeve Is Nothing But Bad News

<p><a href="http://www.ddavisla.com"><span style="font-weight: 400">David Davis</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400"> is the author of <em>Wheels of Courage: How Paralyzed Veterans from World War Invented Wheelchair Sports, Fought for Disability Rights, and Inspired a Nation</em>. A </span><a href="https://sidewinderfilms.org/films/waterman"><span style="font-weight: 400">documentary</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400"> based on his previous book, <em>Waterman: The Life and Times of Duke Kahanamoku</em>, airs on <a href="https://www.pbs.org/video/waterman-duke-ambassador-of-aloha-ot83gi/">PBS’s American Masters series</a> on May 10.</span></p>


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David Davis

Underground Archive

Shots

He Said He Was Going To Save A Century Of Priceless Sports Photos. He Ended Up The Madoff Of Memorabilia.

<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

(EXCLUSIVE, Premium Rates Apply) LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 05: **EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE** Actor Gilles Marini attends the FAGE Total Yogurt Bar at The 25th Spirit Awards Official Presenter Lounge held at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on March 5, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Charley Gallay/WireImage)

FAGE Total Yogurt Bar At The 25th Spirit Awards Official Presenter Gift Lounge

Funbag

You Can Probably Eat More Yogurt Than You Think

<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>
<div></div>


Adam Charles Hart

raquetteurs

The Most Important Sports Movie Ever Made


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


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Corey Atad

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‘Across The Spider-Verse’ Reclaims Animation’s Pioneering Spirit

<p>Ben Orbison is a writer living in Los Angeles</p>


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Ben Orbison

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 15: Tommy Fleetwood of England plays a second shot on the first hole during the first round of the 123rd U.S. Open Championship at The Los Angeles Country Club on June 15, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.

123rd U.S. Open Championship – Round One

Golf

The Los Angeles Country Club Owes L.A. More Than Just A Good U.S. Open

<p><a href="https://abshippy.com/">Abdullah Shihipar</a> is a writer and public health researcher based at Brown University.</p>


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Abdullah Shihipar

L-R Kyla Bennett, PhD, JD Director, New England PEER and a local resident Tracy Stewart of Medway look over old astroturf piled up in a forested area, where it's apparently leaching PFAS chemicals into nearby water sources.

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Climate

The Case Against Turf Fields


<p>Richard Staff is a <a href="https://twitter.com/RichardStaff" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">weapons-grade Twitter goblin</a> and hostage of the Mets. That is his real name.</p>


Richard Staff

Michael Hermosillo of the Angels makes a catch in foul territory during the 2020 MLB season, while a bunch of creepy stuffed teddy bears look on.

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“I Almost Wished There Was Someone There To Curse At Me”: Isolation And Triumph In MLB’s Plague Season

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Soraya Roberts

I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson. Episode 302 of I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson. Cr.

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“You Knew It Was Something Really Nasty”: How The Art Department Brings ‘I Think You Should Leave’ To Life

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Derek Mead

Cyclists walk their bikes through a muddy portion of the 2023 Unbound gravel race

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Cycling

I Got My Ass Kicked By America’s Dirtiest Bike Race

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 10: Josh Taylor (L) and Teofimo Lopez (R) exchange punches during their WBO junior welterweight championship fight at The Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden on June 10, 2023 in New York City.

Josh Taylor v Teofimo Lopez

The Fights

The Mysterious Minds Of Fighters

<p><span style="color: #000000;font-family: arial, sans-serif">Casey Plett is the author of <em>A Dream of a Woman</em>, <em>Little Fish</em>, <em>A Safe Girl to Love</em>, the co-editor of <em>Meanwhile, Elsewhere: Science Fiction and Fantasy From Transgender Writers</em>, and the Publisher at LittlePuss Press. She has written for <em>The New York Times</em>, <em>Harper’s Bazaar</em>, <em>The Guardian</em>, <em>The Globe and Mail</em>, <i>M</i><em>cSweeney’s Internet Tendency</em>, <em>the Winnipeg Free Press</em>, and other publications. A winner of the Amazon First Novel Award, the Firecracker Award for Fiction, and a two-time winner of the Lambda Literary Award, her work has also been nominated for the Scotiabank Giller Prize.</span></p>


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Casey Plett

History of Transition_1

How One Dumb Woman Got On HRT In 2010

Helene Yorke and Drew Tarver in The Other Two

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Why ‘The Other Two’ Is So Good

<div class="gmail_default">Timothy Faust is a healthcare writer and author of the book <i><a href="http://www.healthjusticenow.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.healthjusticenow.com&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1685593699820000&amp;usg=AOvVaw24V19Y2HTPgYkH_EpZ_lgj">Health Justice Now</a></i>. He and his long little dog, Ume, move around a lot.</div>
<div class="gmail_default"></div>


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Timothy Faust

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - JULY 16: Zander Bathory steps on the back of the European Assassin during the AWF Wrestling Dojo Wrestling night July 16, 2004 in Sydney, Australia. For this group of die-hard sports professionals who spend most Saturdays training and wrestling in a small dojo in Sydney's South West. It's a ritual that goes way beyond dedication reaching into the realm of obsession. Founded in 1999, the AWF has now grown to over fifty professional wrestlers Australia wide. Hosting regular bout nights across the country, means these guys get a chance to do things they don't normally get to do, the blood is real and injuries happen, often. After starting a school for wrestling six years ago, AWF founder Greg Bowden has trained more than fifty pro wrestlers, in a bid to help promote the sport and build a substantial fan base. Unlike America's WWE group, which is broadcast regularly around the world via cable television, the AWF, despite numerous attempts, have been unable to secure television broadcast support, which constantly hampers the sport's promotion, keeping crowd numbers down and the group confined to low cost venues and shows. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

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Pro Wrestling

In American Indie Wrestling, Bodies Are Cheap And Healthcare Is Not

<p>Katharine Trendacosta writes about tech policy, the entertainment industry, pop culture, and where those things intersect. In her day job, she&#8217;s the Associate Director of Policy and Activism for the digital civil liberties nonprofit the Electronic Frontier Foundation. (Her writing here reflects her views alone and not those of EFF.) In her spare time, she writes things like this.</p>


A photo of the author, Katharine Trendacosta

Katharine Trendacosta

Actor and writer Daheli Hall, left, joins WGA members as they cheer on the first day of their strike in front of Paramount Studios in Hollywood on May 2, 2023.

WGA-Strike

Capital

The Writers Are Striking For The Future Of Entertainment

Jimmy Butler #22 of the Miami Heat looks on during Round 3 Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals 2023 NBA Playoffs against the Boston Celtics on May 17, 2023 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts.

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Jimmy Butler Is A Good College Player In Reverse

17 February 2023, Berlin: Matt Johnson, director, arrives for the photocall of the film "BlackBerry". Berlinale is one of the major film festivals and lasts until February 26, 2023.

Berlinale 2023 – Photocall “BlackBerry

‘BlackBerry’ Director Matt Johnson Is Not Wearing An Outfit

Aerial view of urban sprawl, Las Vegas, Nevada

What Comes After Meeting The Neighbors?

Kelly Reichardt directing Michelle Williams on Showing Up

Showing Up

Indie Cinema Is Now Genre Cinema

<p><a href="https://www.caseyjohnston.website/">Casey Johnston</a> is a writer who lives in Los Angeles.</p>


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