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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

David Roth

Reed Hastings attends the Netflix and Mediaset Partnership Announcement in Rome, in 2019.

Podcasts

The Movie Studio At The End Of The World, With Will Tavlin

An Enchanted Tools robot called the Mirokai is displayed during the 2025 Consumer Electronics Show CES in Las Vegas.

The Future Feels Like The Raiders, With Ed Zitron

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin walks out of the tunnel before a game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on December 15, 2024 in Philadelphia

Los Angeles Is A Football Town, With Diana Moskovitz

A master swordsman named Bernard Ganter uses a saber to open an enormous bottle of Moet & Chandon at a celebration in Denver, Co.

The Fellowship Of The Champagne Saber

Malcolm Gladwell and Carlos Watson speak onstage during OZY Fest 2018 at Rumsey Playfield, Central Park on July 22, 2018 in New York City.

Feeling Like Ozymandias, With Susie Banikarim

A birthday cake is seen for Jess Park of England (not pictured) at St George's Park Futsal Arena on October 21, 2024 in Burton upon Trent, England. It's kind of a saddish cake sitting on what looks like a couch. The Distraction logo is at upper right.

One Hundred Distractions Deep, With Eric Silver

C.J. Stroud of the Houston Texans adjusts his helmet in close-up before taking the field for Houston's game against Jacksonville on December 1, 2024.

That AFC South Feeling, With Rivers McCown

Former Duke Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski, his wife Mickie, and Actor Ken Jeong look on in the final seconds of the Terry's Chocolate Vegas Showdown college basketball game between Duke Blue Devils vs Kansas Jayhawks on November 26, 2024.

Staying Up Late And Being Stupid

A traveler is reflected in a pane of glass with a paper snowman behind it during travel on Christmas Day at Frankfurt Airport.

Emergency Christmas Protocols And Underwater Hotels, With Sabrina Imbler

NBA and FanDuel online sports betting signage is displayed on the side of a building in Phoenix, Arizona.

Doing Cocaine In An MRI Machine, With Arif Hasan

Closeup of painted Oakland Raiders fans in Black Hole during game vs New York Jets in Oakland in 2003. They've got like weird helmets and skull stuff going on.

A Taste Of That Football-Shaped Bread, With Ray Ratto

Kamala Harris smiling out at the crowd at her big rally in Washington, D.C. on October 29, 2024. There's a bunch of people cheering behind her and she's wearing a suit.

Watching The Game, With Denny Carter

Giancarlo Stanton of the Yankees grimaces/smirks after a strikeout in the fourth inning against the Cleveland Guardians during Game Four of the ALCS.

There’s No Rutgers Football In The Champagne Room

Harrison Bader (left) and Jesse Winker (right) celebrate in the outfield at CitiField after the Mets defeated the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLDS. Bader is yelling; Winker, also yelling, kind of looks like a snake a little bit.

The Hazards Of Beef Tourism, With Rohan Nadkarni

circa 1955: Studio image of a father flexing his bicep for his young freckle-faced son to feel, 1950s. (Photo by Harold M. Lambert/Lambert/Getty Images)

Let’s Remember Some Dad

Artist Yan Chuan paints his figurine creation of Garrosh Hellscream from World of Warcraft on June 8, 2016 in Shenyang, China. Chuan is a fan of Blizzard Entertainment, producer of online game World of Warcraft.

Lost In The Orc Section, With Jason Schreier

Wide receiver Plaxico Burress #17 of the New York Giants warms up for the game with the Arizona Cardinals on November 23, 2008. It looks like he's looking at the Distraction logo at upper right of the frame.

The Plaxico Continuum

Detroit Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson (20) gestures as he runs the bases after hitting a two-run home run against the Red Sox at Comerica Park.

Mild Card Season, With Maitreyi Anantharaman

Head coach Mike Norvell of the Florida State Seminoles reacts to a play during the first half of a game against the Boston College Eagles at Doak Campbell Stadium. You can tell from the reaction that the Noles would go on to lose.

How Not To Make It In College Football, With Israel Daramola

Head coach Antonio Pierce of the Las Vegas Raiders stands on the sidelines during the national anthem prior to an NFL preseason football game against the San Francisco 49ers, at Allegiant Stadium on August 23, 2024.

The Good, The Bad, And The Kalyn, With Kalyn Kahler

Manhattan sky is seen after the rain storm in New York City.

Some Kind Of Summer Vibes

<p>Columnist. Author of many <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Drew-Magary/e/B001JS8R52/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_book_1">fine works of literature</a>, including <em>Point B</em>. Handsomest man in the world.</p>


Drew Magary

An Airplane Seating Brain Teaser, With Rohan Nadkarni

View of the podcast studio of the Saxon State Library (SLUB) before the reopening of the media library.

A Legacy Of Discarded Podcasting Equipment, With Rachelle Hampton

Rutger Hauer as Roy Batty in Ridley Scott's Blade Runner. He is very dramatically backlit, naturally.

Hollywood’s Dampest Era, With Chris Nashawaty

Former footballer Zinedine Zidane carries the torch during the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 on July 26, 2024 in Paris, France. during the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games Paris.

The Distraction