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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

NYC: Come To Our WNBA Comedy Show On July 15

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Live Event

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<div>Victoria Zeller is a trans writer born and raised in Buffalo, New York, where she still proudly resides. Her debut novel, <i><a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/one-of-the-boys-victoria-zeller/21775251" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://bookshop.org/p/books/one-of-the-boys-victoria-zeller/21775251&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1735306610555000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0sXpgNMmxpIwmIZOFd-Pnw">One of the Boys</a></i>, is out now. Her personal website can be found <a href="http://victoria.monster/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://victoria.monster&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1735306610555000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0PrZ7PkO1IykxAodWoMLI_">here</a>.</div>
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Victoria Zeller

Goal in sunset, at Gärdet Stockholm Sweden

The Goal

Book Excerpts That Don't Suck

Kicking Practice

<p>Marc Normandin writes about old video games at <a href="https://retroxp.substack.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://retroxp.substack.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1618674670611000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHfh-tiUJRghT9MV1BNxbtAOlI5Aw">Retro XP</a>, and on baseball’s labor issues at <a href="https://marcnormandin.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://marcnormandin.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1618674670611000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGLkSx4sN271GhHVvriAoLN_UFOKQ">marcnormandin.com</a>, which you can read for free but <a href="https://www.patreon.com/marcnormandin" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.patreon.com/marcnormandin&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1618674670611000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGC_1Zx4sq480759Z-PK-RWn8hF8w">support through his Patreon</a>. He is one of the founding members of <a href="http://pubtbnl.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://pubtbnl.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1618674670611000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGs0Hu7YMHRvAsFNZ2kh6CU-Bmwhw">Publication To Be Named Later,</a> and his writing has appeared at Baseball Prospectus, SB Nation, Deadspin, Sports Illustrated, ESPN, Sports on Earth, The Guardian, The Nation, and TalkPoverty.</p>


Marc Normandin

Pittsburgh Pirates owner Bob Nutting speaks during the 2024 Pirates Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony before the game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Cincinnati Reds at PNC Park on August 24, 2024 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He is kind of shrugging and looks like he is wearing a disguise somehow.

Cincinnati Reds v Pittsburgh Pirates

Are The Pittsburgh Pirates Really In Dire Straits?

<p>Vivian Blaxell grew up in rural Australia and co-founded Tiresias House, Australia’s first shelter and resource centre for and by trans people. Her essay &#8220;Nuclear Cats&#8221; was shortlisted for the 2021 Melbourne Prize for Literature. She lives in Naarm/Melbourne, VIC, Australia.</p>


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Vivian Blaxell

Coke Sign at corner of William Street and Kings Cross, Sydney

GET THE FUCK OFF THIS CORNER

“Get The Fuck Off This Corner. It’s Mine.”

Matt Hardigree

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Racing

The RC Car Racing Nationals Is Where Racing Gets Small

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<div><span id="m_-2092141782617832424gmail-docs-internal-guid-bb27737d-7fff-3697-05d8-6ce69444e1e4">Mike Sielski is the author of four books, including Magic in the Air: The Myth, the Mystery, and the Soul of the Slam Dunk and The Rise: Kobe Bryant and the Pursuit of Immortality. He has been a sports columnist for The Philadelphia Inquirer and Inquirer.com since 2013 and was formerly a reporter at The Wall Street Journal.</span></div>
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Mike Sielski

David Lattin (42) and a Texas Western teammate compete for control of a rebound as Kentucky's Tommy Kron, left, and Pat Riley , right, look on during the 1966 NCAA Photos via Getty Images Championship. Texas Western defeated Kentucky 72-65 for the championship title and was the first team to have an.. all-.black starting five compete in the NCAA final

NCAA Photos Archive

How The Dunk Was Banned

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Kelsey McKinney

An Adventure Story? Miss Betty Davis tries out her sales talk on the robot invented by Eark Kent, (left), of Carthage, Missouri, in the May Company Store in Los Angeles. The 21-year-old inventor claims that "John" walks, smokes cigarettes, spits fire, and gets generally "het up" when he doesn't receive attention.

Eark Kent and Robot

Gossiping With A Robot Is A Real Pain In The Ass

John Saward

Clockwise from top: James Stewart, Donna Reed, Carol Coombs, Jimmy Hawkins, Larry Simms and Karolyn Grimes.

One of the Final Scenes from Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life

Arts And Culture

How Can A Life Be Wonderful?

<p>Mohammed Mhawish is a Palestinian journalist and writer from Gaza. He is currently a contributing writer for <em>The Nation</em>. Mohammed, a contributor to the book <em>A Land With a People</em>, has reported for Al Jazeera, <em>The Economist</em>, MSNBC, +972 Magazine, and more. Subscribe to his newsletter <a href="https://www.mohammedmhawish.com/">here</a>.</p>


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Mohammed R. Mhawish

The rubble of the author's house in Gaza. A child's toy is visible.

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Stories

One Year Ago, Israel Buried Me Alive. I’m Still Clawing My Way Out.

<p>Patrick Dubuque is a writer and editor at Baseball Prospectus.</p>


Patrick Dubuque

American baseball pitcher Wilbur Wood, of the Chicago White Sox, demonstrates his 'knuckle ball' at the club's Comiskey Park stadium in Chicago, Illinois, 30th July 1973.

Wilbur Wood, American Baseball Pitcher

The Last Pitcher

Amos Barshad

People walk by a banner outside of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) for the IPO of Flutter Entertainment, the parent company of FanDuel, on January 29, 2024 in New York City. The company, which is already on the London Stock Exchange, will be listed under the “FLUT” symbol. Wall Street observers are watching to see if an upcoming Fed announcement on rate policy and the most recent violence in the Middle East will have any effect on the markets.

Markets Open As Concerns Grow Over Conflict Escalation In The Mideast After U.S. Troops Killed In Jordan

Gambling

The Gambling Industry’s Cynical Play For Your Vote

republished