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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

VictorPortraitWClaw

David Roth

Police officers are seen outside the Supreme Court of the United States is seen on Thursday May 15, 2025 in Washington, DC. The court is hearing arguments about lower courts' ability to block President Donald Trump's policy to end birthright citzenship.

Supreme Court – Washington, DC

Podcasts

Notes Of Sparkling Authoritarianism, With Jason Steinhauer

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Barry Petchesky

ST. LOUIS, MO - OCTOBER 15: Filip Gustavsson #32 of the Minnesota Wild celebrates his empty net goal against the St. Louis Blues on October 15, 2024 at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Scott Rovak/NHLI via Getty Images)

Minnesota Wild v St Louis Blues

A Short History Of The Goalie Goal

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Israel Daramola

Darold DeNgohe and Khairi Manns of the James Madison Dukes react after recovering a turnover against the North Carolina Tar Heels during the first half of the game on September 21, 2024 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. James Madison would win 70-50.

James Madison v North Carolina

College Football

The Dukes Ran The Tar Heels Out Of Their Own Building

<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-kelly-180886217/">Christopher “Kit” Kelly</a> is a professor of criminal justice at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia.

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Kit Kelly

<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ray-spraggins-49638227b/">Ray Spraggins</a> graduated in 2024 from Saint Joseph’s University with a Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice.

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Ray Spraggins

Lady Justice, wearing an Eagles helmet and weighing a football and some alcohol.

Eagles Court

Eagles Court Could Only Have Existed In Philadelphia

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Ray Ratto

APR 28 1968; READY FOR ROCKET-TICKET CAMPAIGN; Jack Grunwald, right, will serve as general chairman of the Denver Rockets' season-ticket drive that will be launched with an organizational dinner meeting for 60 area businessmen Monday evening at the Denver Athletic Club. Grunwald headed last year's drive that set an ABA high of nearly 700 season tickets. Mapping plans are, from left. Rockets owner J. W. Ringsby, cochairmen Max Moore and Frank Byrne.; (Photo By The Denver Post via Getty Images)

APR 28 1968; READY FOR ROCKET-TICKET CAMPAIGN; Jack Grunwald, right, will serve as general chairman

It’s An Upset That The Nuggets Exist

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Patrick Redford

An engraving depicting Robert Houdin's automaton - chess player. 19th century. (Photo by: Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

An engraving depicting Robert Houdin’s automaton – chess player

Chess

A Non-Exhaustive History Of The Theory And Practice Of Cheating In Chess

Marlins reliever Richard Bleier looking incredulous after being called for the last of three straight balks in a game against the Mets on September 27, 2022.

Miami Marlins v New York Mets

Richard Bleier Balked Himself Into Red-Ass History

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Lauren Theisen

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Rays Week

How Seattle Fell In Love With The Worst Hitter On A Doomed Expansion Team

Marc Normandin currently writes on baseball’s labor issues and more at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.marcnormandin.com/">marcnormandin.com</a>, which you can read for free but&nbsp;<a href="https://www.patreon.com/marcnormandin">support through his Patreon</a>. His baseball writing has appeared at SB Nation, Deadspin, Sports Illustrated, ESPN, Sports on Earth, The Guardian, The Nation, and TalkPoverty.

Marc Normandin

An employee rolls out the new Sony PS5 in Japan.

Video Games

Gaming’s All-Digital-Everything Future Threatens To Erase The Past

Antique dueling pistols, on view at The Grange, the home of American Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton in New York, New York, 1933. These pistols were not used in Hamiltons's fatal duel.

dueling-pistols-sens

Senators Week

A Somewhat Comprehensive History Of U.S. Senators Who Have Died In Duels

<div id=":g4.ma" class="Mu SP" title="January 26, 2021 at 2:34:42 PM UTC-5" data-tooltip="January 26, 2021 at 2:34:42 PM UTC-5"><a href="https://twitter.com/GoStevenGoldman">Steven Goldman</a> is a former BP editor-in-chief and current consulting editor. He is the author of the Casey Stengel biography <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Forging-Genius-Making-Casey-Stengel/dp/1574888749">Forging Genius</a> and host of the long-running <a href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/show/the-infinite-inning/">Infinite Inning podcast</a>, which sits at the crossroads of baseball, history, politics, and culture. His most recent book, which has an introduction by David Roth, is <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Baseballs-Brief-Lives-Inspired-Infinite/dp/B0BBJTPGDF">Baseball&#8217;s Brief Lives: Player-Stories Inspired by the Infinite Inning</a>.</div>
<div id=":g5.ma" class="Mu SP" data-tooltip="January 26, 2021 at 2:34:45 PM UTC-5"></div>

Steven Goldman

The late Don Sutton holding three baseballs marked to reflect the 324 games he won during his Hall of Fame career.

National Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Don Sutton

The Secret Success Of Don Sutton

Visual Editor. Runs <a href="http://defectorstore.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">defectorstore.com</a>. Philadelphia-based, if you couldn’t tell.

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Dan McQuade

A collage of newspaper headlines about George Ringo, the Wrestling Beatle. Overlaid with them is a photo of George Ringo from the Los Angeles Times, and another of a poster from an advertisement that says George Ringo, with Jayne Mansfield, manager, vs. Gary Hart

george-ringo-wrestling-beatle

Pro Wrestling

The Short And Winding Road Of George Ringo, The Wrestling Beatle

Dave McKenna

Elgin Baylor receives award from Lakers

The Case For Elgin Baylor High School

A goat rodeo, with a tweet from Jon Rothstein on it, it says "College basketball scheduling in 2020: Wilder than a goat rodeo"

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