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


Nicholas Russell

Running Towards Nothing


<p>Kat Brewster is a PhD candidate in Informatics at UC Irvine. Researching the internet (sad parts only).</p>


Kat Brewster

Workers haul part of a fibre optic cable onto the shore at the Kenyan port town of Mombasa on June 12, 2009. An undersea fibre optic cable bringing broadband Internet connectivity to east Africa, reached the Kenyan coast from the United Arab Emirates on Friday, the president said. The East Africa Marine Systems (TEAMS) fibre optic submarine cable project is a joint venture of the Kenyan government and Emirates Telecommunication Technology (Etisalat) and a consortium of local investors. AFP PHOTO (Photo credit should read STRINGER/AFP via Getty Images)

Science

How The Internet Works

<p>Fran Hoepfner is a writer and teacher.</p>


Fran Hoepfner

Music

We All Came To See Each Other At The Harry Styles Show

Jason England

Side-by-side images of Dave Chappelle and Kyrie Irving.

Politics

The Limits Of Dave Chappelle And Kyrie Irving’s Free-Thinking


<p>Louis Keene is a writer for the Forward and the creator of <a href="http://unstatable.com">Unstatable</a>, a newsletter about the Clippers. He’s on Twitter <a href="http://twitter.com/thislouis">@thislouis.</a></p>


Louis Keene

The late Malik Sealy and Brent Barry at a Los Angeles Clippers game in the Arrowhead Pond, in 1997.

25 Years Ago, The Clippers Came Closer To Moving To Anaheim Than Anyone Knew

Soraya Roberts

Defector At The Movies

The Muddy Ethics Of The Thai Cave Rescue Entertainment Machine

Felix Kent

TOKYO, JAPAN - JANUARY 30: A local surfer is seen in action with Mount Fuji in the background from the beach of Enoshima during the build up to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games on January 30, 2020 in Fujisawa, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. The venue will hold the sailing events. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)

Life Lessons

As You Know, Jeff, Every Time I Stare Into The Abyss It Stares Back At Me


<p>Claire Watkins is a musician and writer living in Chicago, IL.</p>


Claire Watkins

NWSL

The NWSL Was Working As Intended

Photo of Andrew Bagby and his parents David and Kathleen Bagby at Andrew's graduation from medical school.

Cold Comforts

‘Dear Zachary’ Is A Greek Tragedy Come To Life

Israel Daramola

Melvin Van Peebles speaking at the Gotham Independent Film Awards in 2008.

Film Lost Melvin Van Peebles Just When It Needed Him Most


<p><a href="mailto:tara@taraariano.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tara Ariano</a> co-hosts the podcasts <a href="https://www.extrahotgreat.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Extra Hot Great</a>, <a href="https://listentosassy.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Listen To Sassy</a>, and <a href="https://www.againwiththis90210.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Again With This</a>. She is also the co-author, with Sarah D. Bunting, of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Very-Special-90210-Book-Absolutely/dp/1419747460?tag=decider08-20" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>A Very Special 90210 Book: 93 Absolutely Essential Episodes From TV’s Most Notorious Zip Code</em></a>. Her byline has appeared in the <em>New York Times Magazine</em>, <em>GQ</em>, <em>Vanity Fair</em>, <em>New York</em>, <em>Slate</em>, Vulture, Salon, and The Awl, among many others. She lives in Austin.</p>
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It's a photo of Tara Ariano. She has big sunglasses on.

Tara Ariano

An unusually operatic still image from Netflix's "Floor Is Lava"

Which Sports-Adjacent Physical Challenge TV Show Is Right For You?

James Wan Just Wants You To Have As Much Dumb Fun As He’s Having


<p><a href="http://Feldman.cool" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Brian Feldman</a> is a software engineer living in Brooklyn.</p>


Brian Feldman

At The Turtle Club In The Shadow Of 9/11


<p>Colin Daileda is a freelance journalist in Bengaluru, India, who has written for Longreads, The Atlantic, Atlas Obscura, and others. He used to be able to grab the rim of a basketball hoop, but he can no longer jump high enough.</p>


Colin Daileda

Cricket

Why India Lets Kashmiri Cricket Wither


<p><a href="https://twitter.com/robertfoconnell" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Robert O’Connell</a> is a writer from Kansas living in New York. His work has appeared in <em>Sports Illustrated</em>, <em>The Atlantic</em>, <em>The New York Times</em>, and elsewhere.</p>


Robert O’Connell

Helmets (and a pair of eclipse glasses) in the dugout of a minor league baseball team in Columbia, SC.

Minor League Baseball Is Optimized To Exploit

‘Drive To Survive’ Cracks Open The Narrow Reality Of Competition

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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

High School Sports

Bishop Sycamore’s Capital Crime Was Not Being Good Enough At Football

‘Forbrydelsen’ Seduced The World With A Sweater And A Murder

Soccer

Carli Lloyd Was A Self-Contained Superstar

Defector Reads A Book

‘The Glassy, Burning Floor Of Hell’ Is A Horror Collection That Will Validate Your Misery


<p>Shane Ryan is the author of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hachettebooks.com/titles/shane-ryan/the-cup-they-couldnt-lose/9780306874390/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>The Cup They Couldn&#8217;t Lose</em></a>, the story of the modern Ryder Cup, which came out on May 10. He lives in Durham, NC, and his writing appears in <em>Golf Digest</em>, <em>Paste Magazine</em>, and elsewhere. Previously, he wrote on Defector about&nbsp;<a href="https://defector.com/online-quiz-league-is-the-future-of-competitive-trivia/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Online Quiz League</a>. He also runs Apocalypse Sports Trivia, which you can join by contacting him on&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/ShaneRyanHere" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Twitter</a>.</p>


Shane Ryan

Life's Rich Pageant

Online Quiz League Is The Future Of Competitive Trivia


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<div>Hallie Lieberman is a historian and journalist. Her book <em>Gigolos: An Exploration of the Men Who Sell Sex and The Women Who Buy It</em> will be published by Beacon Press in January 2027. She is also the author of <em>Buzz: A Stimulating History of the Sex Toy</em>. Her writing has appeared in <em>Esquire</em>, <em>The New York Times</em>, <em>The Washington Post</em>, and other outlets. </div>
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