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

Barry Petchesky

Russian Alexander Ovechkin talks to media in a locker room after the charity hockey "Match of the Year" between Russian players of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) at the CSKA arena in Moscow on July 13, 2025. (Photo by TATYANA MAKEYEVA / AFP via Getty Images)

Alex Ovechkin Finally Faces Some Pushback For Supporting Vladimir Putin

Kathryn Xu

Ukraine's Vladyslav Heraskevych, with his helmet, which features pictures of people killed in the war with Russia.

Olympics

Ukrainian Skeleton Slider Banned From Competition Over Helmet Honoring Athletes Killed By Russia

<div dir="ltr">
<div>Jen Golbeck is a writer, scientist, and professor at the University of Maryland. Her Substack, The <a href="http://magareport.news/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://magareport.news&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1738242090561000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1v7CItRYSjo8F2e4vcdTQy">MAGAReport</a>, tracks what&#8217;s happening on far-right pro-Trump social media. She splits her time between Washington, D.C. and Key West.</div>
</div>
<div class="yj6qo ajU"></div>


Jen Golbeck

Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, in Kharkiv. ( Photo/Jen Golbeck)

Arts And Culture

What’s Wrong With War Tourism?

A man waves the Russian national flag as he arrives at the patriotic concert at the Red square in downtown Moscow ahead the Russia Day on June 11, 2023. (Photo by Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP) (Photo by KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP via Getty Images)

Media Meltdowns

Dimwitted Right-Wing Influencers Accused Of Being Unwitting Russian Assets

Patrick Redford

Chess

Russian Chess Player Arrested For Allegedly Poisoning Opponent With Mercury

<p>Puja Changoiwala is an award-winning journalist and author based in Mumbai. <a href="https://www.pujachangoiwala.com/">This</a> is her website.</p>


Puja Changoiwala

An image of the frontline in the Russia/Ukraine war, with an image of Mohammed Sufiyan, who was lured into that conflict by an Indian YouTube influencer.

Politics

How A YouTuber Duped Indians Into The Russia-Ukraine War

14 Feb 1993: Leftwinger Alexander Mogilny of the Buffalo Sabres moves the puck during a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Memorial Auditorium in Buffalo, New York. Mandatory Credit: Rick Stewart /Allsport

Alexander Mogilny Is Hockey History Even If The Hall Of Fame Doesn’t Think So

Laura Wagner

Brittney Griner in Russian court in Moscow, Russia on July 27, 2022.

WNBA

Brittney Griner Is Free

PHOENIX, AZ - OCTOBER 12: A close up shot of Brittney Griner #42 of the Phoenix Mercury at practice and media availability during the 2021 WNBA Finals on October 11, 2021 at Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2021 NBAE (Photo by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images)

Russian Authorities Move Brittney Griner To A Penal Colony

Giri Nathan

An umpire requests that a fan wearing a Ukraine flag at a match between Russian players remove the flag.

Tennis

Fan With Ukrainian Flag Booted From Cincinnati Open Match Between Russian Players

Report: Biden Offers Viktor Bout For Brittney Griner And Another American Prisoner

US WNBA basketball superstar Brittney Griner arrives to a hearing at the Khimki Court, outside Moscow on June 27, 2022.

Swapping Brittney Griner For Viktor Bout Should Be An Easy Call

<p>Maya Goldberg-Safir writes about women’s basketball and splits her time between Chicago and Oakland, where she was born and raised. She is the creator of <a href="https://wnbaroughnotes.substack.com/">Rough Notes</a>, a newsletter chronicling women’s basketball from the court, the road, and the heart.</p>


Maya Goldberg-Safir

Brittney Griner And The Labyrinth Of Wrongful Detainment

ATP And WTA Take Away Ranking Points From Wimbledon Due To Ban On Russian And Belarusian Players

The All England Tennis Club during Wimbledon 2021.

What Message Is Wimbledon’s Ban On Russian Players Really Sending?

BARCELONA, SPAIN - FEBRUARY 23: Nikita Mazepin of Russia and Haas F1 unveils the Haas F1 VF-22 Ferrari during Day One of F1 Testing at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on February 23, 2022 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)

Racing

The Biggest Piece-Of-Shit Driver In Recent F1 History Just Got His Villa Repossessed By The Italian Authorities


<p>Luisa Rollenhagen is a German-Argentinian freelance journalist based in Berlin. She&#8217;s written for publications such as <em>The Guardian</em>, BuzzFeed News, Deutsche Welle, and <em>GQ</em>.</p>


Luisa Rollenhagen

FRANKFURT AM MAIN, GERMANY - MARCH 25: Ukrainian refugees queue at Immigration and Border Control, after arriving from Moldova at Frankfurt Airport on March 25, 2022 in Frankfurt, Germany. Moldova, one of the poorest countries in Europe, has taken in over 100,000 refugees from Ukraine. Germany is providing assistance to ease the burden. (Photo by Ronald Wittek - Pool/Getty Images)