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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

<p>T.M. Brown is a Brooklyn-based writer who has written for <em>The New Yorker</em>, <em>The New York Times</em>, and <em>Rolling Stone</em>, as well as the good versions of Deadspin and the <em>Village Voice</em>. He writes the newsletter <a href="https://tedthoughts.substack.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://tedthoughts.substack.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1696431933834000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1vP6E3SoXDsrjiq0Qj9HM5">Is It Supposed to Look Like That?</a></p>


T.M. Brown

Tennis

Surviving Break Point

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


Nicholas Russell

Cosplayer Devan Blake dressed as Valak from "The Conjuring" attends the 2019 Comic-Con International on July 18, 2019 in San Diego, California.

Defector At The Movies

They’ll Just Keep Conjuring That Garbage

<p><span style="font-weight: 400">Dennis Young is the news editor at Front Office Sports.</span></p>


Dennis Young

Kelvin Kiptum celebrates after winning the Chicago Marathon

Negative Splits

Freak Athletes And Freakier Technology Have Tamed The Marathon

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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

Tim Wakefield of the Boston Red Sox throws a knuckleball, in profile

Tim Wakefield Was A Wizard For The Working Day

Soraya Roberts

Joanna Arnow in a scene from her movie, The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed

Arts And Culture

Joanna Arnow’s Time Has Arrived

Kelly Conaboy

A cupcake baking pan messily filled with French onion soup

Chefector

French Onion Soup In Cupcake Tins? French Onion Soup In Cupcake Tins

<div>Nate Jackson is a former NFL tight end and author of <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/slow-getting-up-a-story-of-nfl-survival-from-the-bottom-of-the-pile-nate-jackson/6430451?gclid=Cj0KCQjwpc-oBhCGARIsAH6ote9JzWMngZDpSjF2eoL1_JlyPm2QhDfkNgOzqvaB4n9ic0qqUNQ4iCwaAsasEALw_wcB"><em>Slow Getting Up</em></a>. He lives in Denver.</div>
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Nate Jackson

Not All Ass-Beatings Are Created Equal

<p>A. Andrews is a thirty-something disabled queer/trans writer and illustrator. They spent the majority of their young life sketching in hospitals and experienced their first heartbreak at age 8 during Game 6 of the &#8217;96 NBA championships. When they aren’t writing and drawing their guts out, they’re hanging with their dog, George, and drinking too many coffees. They will probably never tell you “what’s <em>wrong</em> with [them]” and you shouldn’t ask! They were named one of <em>The Advocate</em>&#8216;s 2021 People of the Year, are a 2020 Tin House Summer Workshop scholar, and their debut graphic novel, <em>A Quick and Easy Guide to Sex &amp; Disability</em> topped 2020 lists for the NYPL best books for teens, and YALSA&#8217;s best books for teens, and is available anywhere books are sold. You can find more of their work at <em>Washington Post</em>, <em>Esquire</em>, the Nib, and other fun corners of the internet.</p>


A. Andrews

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

Histories Of Transition

How I Transitioned With Complex Disability

<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

Members of WGA cheer at the end of their picket in front of CBS Television City on Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023 in Hollywood, CA. Saturday marked the fourth straight day of talks, which kicked off Wednesday with the heads of four major studios participating directly. The union and studio alliance had not announced a deal as of early Saturday evening.

Capital

The Hollywood Writers Strike Proved That Collective Action Works

<p>Nick Zarzycki is a Toronto-based writer whose work has appeared in the <i data-stringify-type="italic">Washington Post</i>, <i data-stringify-type="italic">Deadspin</i> and <i data-stringify-type="italic">Toronto Life</i>.</p>


Nick Zarzycki

Russia Daniil Medvedev in action, returns the ball vs Serbia Novak Djokovic during the Men's Singles Finals match at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

I Finally Understand Why You Ding Dongs Won’t Come To The Net

<p>James Robins is an award-winning critic and historian. His work has appeared in the <i>New Republic</i>, <i>Vulture</i>, and the <i>TLS</i>, and he writes the newsletter <a href="https://thedreadnought.substack.com/">The Dreadnought</a>. He lives in London.</p>


James Robins

Walter Isaacson (right) and Elon Musk (left) speak onstage at the Vanity Fair New Establishment Summit back in 2014, long before Isaacson wrote a big biography of Musk.

Not Even The Patron Stooge Of Fawning Biographies Can Make Elon Musk Look Good

Brandi Brown

A child and llama competing in the Llama-Alpaca Costume Contest at the Minnesota State Fair.

Life's Rich Pageant

What I Saw At The Minnesota State Fair’s Llama-Alpaca Experience

Hey It's That Guy

Lois Smith Is Too Cool To Be Hollywood’s Grandma

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<div>Zach Buchanan has covered Major League Baseball for more than a decade, for the <em>Arizona Republic</em>, <em>Cincinnati Enquirer,</em> and most recently The Athletic. He also has been published in <em>The New York Times</em>, <em>Washington Post</em>, FanGraphs and <em>Baseball America</em>. He lives in Phoenix, where he prepares for the inevitable water crisis by living off Dr Pepper instead.</div>
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Zach Buchanan

SARASOTA, FLORIDA - MARCH 21, 2023: Jackson Holliday #87 of the Baltimore Orioles looks on during a minor league spring training game against the Atlanta Braves at the Buck O’Neil Baseball Complex on March 21, 2023 in Sarasota, Florida. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jackson Holliday

MLB Prospects Are Getting Promoted Faster Than Ever. Why?

Maria Bamford discusses her memoir "Sure, I'll Join Your Cult" with Phoebe Robinson at Symphony Space on September 05, 2023 in New York City.

I’m A Card-Carrying Member Of Maria Bamford’s Cult

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<div dir="ltr">Brigid Christison is the founder of <a href="http://palaeopoems.com">PalaeoPoems.com</a>, a free digital anthology of palaeontology-themed poetry.</div>
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<div dir="ltr">My twitter/bluesky is @Brigidomorpha.</div>
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Brigid Christison

Animals

The Dead And The Beautiful

The ‘Slough House’ Series Lets Spies Be The Losers They Are

<p>Micah Herskind is an organizer, policy advocate, and writer based in Atlanta, GA.</p>


Micah Herskind

Environmental activists hold a rally and a march through the Atlanta Forest, a preserved forest Atlanta that is scheduled to be developed as a police training center, March 4, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. Intent upon stopping the building of what they have called cop city, the environmentalists were evicted from the forest in January, resulting in the killing by police of Manuel Teran, a young activist and medic.

Policing

The Stop Cop City Indictment Is An Act Of Desperation

<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>


Hamilton Nolan

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - SEPTEMBER 10: Trevor Lawrence #16 of the Jacksonville Jaguars throws a pass in the second half of a game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium on September 10, 2023 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

Jaguars Junction: Week 1

<p>Libby Watson is a writer, <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/libtron">streamer</a> and <a href="https://www.patreon.com/whatsallthisthen">podcaster</a>.</p>


Libby Watson

A very weird TV, reflected in a wall-mounted mirror in a large British "sitting room."

I Am Obsessed With The Tiny TVs Of ‘Escape To The Country’

Only Murders In The Building -- "True Crime" - Episode 101 --Upper West Side neighbors Charles, Oliver &amp; Mabel bond over a shared love of true crime. When a fellow resident dies in their building, the trio determine to solve the mystery and record an accompanying podcast. Mabel (Selena Gomez), Oliver (Martin Short), and Charles (Steve Martin), shown.

It Takes More Than Fancy Clothes To Be The Best-Dressed Show On TV

<div>Rick Paulas is a writer in Brooklyn who made <i><a href="http://www.theladyingreenpoint.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.theladyingreenpoint.com&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1693673714100000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3mdrn4_mwbI7boyzf49u2G">The Lady in Greenpoint</a></i>, a 3-mile walking audio ghost story starting at the Pulaski Bridge, and <i>The Palmer Hotel</i>, a collection of spooky short stories set over a century in a downtown hotel, which has sold out.</div>
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Rick Paulas

An overhead shot of the Williamsburg-Greenpoint waterfront area in Brooklyn, New York. Taken from a plane or helicopter or maybe one of those new tall buildings on the waterfront.

Life Lessons

I’ll Always Have Rec League Softball, Until I Don’t

Felix Kent

CANADA - JULY 24: Leonard Cohen (Photo by Andrew Stawicki/Toronto Star via Getty Images)

How Do You Reconcile A Part You Hate In A Work You Love?

Jason England

Roger Goodell, Jay-Z and Blue Ivy Carter attend Super Bowl LVII at State Farm Stadium on February 12, 2023 in Glendale, Arizona.