CULTURE

Footer Column 2

Footer Legal

Footer Main

Nav Bar

OTHER

SPORTS

Subscribe, at any level, to play

Thanks for your interest in Defector Crosswords!

Become a subscriber today to get unlimited access

Thanks for reading!

Plans start at $8/month.

Subscribers enjoy unlimited, ad-free browsing.

Register to continue

Or click here to subscribe for unlimited, ad-free access!

Our gift to you: This year's post is unlocked. Register your email to get even more free articles.

Welcome to the 2025 Hater's Guide!

Just register your email:

This blog is free to read.

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>charismatic megafauna (they/them)</p>


Sabrina Imbler

The President of the Lombardy Region, Attilio Fontana, is welcoming the mascots Tina and Milo of the XXV Winter Olympic Games Milano Cortina 2026 in Piazza Citta di Lombardia, in Milan, Italy, on February 27, 2024.

Olympics

Which Other Olympic Mascots Could Italian Stoats Tina And Milo Slaughter In Cold Blood?

<div>David Covucci is the editor-in-chief of <a href="https://foiaball.beehiiv.com/p/foiaball-football-for-the-people">FOIAball</a>, a new publication utilizing public records to report on college football.</div>


Dave Covucci

Sparty showing the incorrect way to lay on the field

College Football

How College Mascots Conceal Their Identity And Their Ass

Ray Ratto

Ellie the Elephant Mascot of the New York Liberty arrives to the arena before the Kia Skills Challenge and Starry 3 point contest on July 19, 2024.

WNBA

A Mascot Skeptic Warns Of What Comes After Ellie The Elephant

Lauren Theisen

TORONTO, ONTARIO - FEBRUARY 02: Wild Wing of the Anaheim Ducks competes in the NHL mascots game during the 2024 NHL All-Star Skills Competition at Scotiabank Arena on February 02, 2024 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/NHLI via Getty Images)

Wings Week

Wild Wing Keeps The Ducks Mighty

Kelsey McKinney

Is The Phillie Phanatic A Muppet?

16 Nov 1999: The Mascot of the Colorado Avalanche smiles for the camera during the game against the Ottowa Senators at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. The Avalanche defeated the Senators 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bahr /Allsport

Utah Hockey Must Seize Howler The Yeti For Their Own Nefarious Purposes


<p>Dan McQuade was a founding member of Defector. He died in January 2026.</p>


Dan McQuade

The new Saint Joseph’s Hawk, flapping his wings next to a statue of a real Hawk, with the slogan THE HAWK WILL NEVER DIE

Birdfector

St. Joe’s Just Couldn’t Get Any More Hawk Feathers

Rockies Mascot Avoids Clean Double Leg Takedown, Assailant Avoids Capture [UPDATE: Captured]

NCAA Division I Mascot Analysis - Four mascots listed Florida Atlantic: Owlsley Temple: Hooter Kennesaw State: Scrappy Rice: Sammy Also a milk carton with "WHERE IS HOOT?" and a picture of him on it and an OWLFECTOR logo with two little owls perching on it

College Basketball

Owl You Need To Know About Owl Mascots

BOTSWANA - 2014/06/12: Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) in river near Chitabe in the Okavango Delta in northern part of Botswana. (Photo by Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Animals

Here’s To Hippos

<p>Staff Writer</p>
<p>Find me on Signal @DefectorChris.19</p>


Chris Thompson

A photo of the Baltimore Ravens mascot, a giant Raven named Poe, being carted off the football field with the help of several staffers.

Ravens Mascot Laid Low By Children

Sir Big Spur in 2008 with a BEAT GEORGIA sticker. He does NOT have a crown

Cock-Up Over Gamecock Means South Carolina Must Rename Its Rooster

Devin Booker Had The Raptor Sent To Time Out

Jaxson de Ville bungee jumping. There are not many fans there.

Jags Mascot Jumps Off Top Of Stadium To Impress Handful Of Fans

Albert Burneko

Sports Highlight Of The Day

The Sports Highlight Of The Day Is This Japanese Baseball Team’s Fish Mascot Exploding Into Its New Form

Gunnersaurus, the Arsenal mascot, which is a big green dinosaur in a red Arsenal jersey, walks up the steps escorted by some people in suits.

Mascots