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Defector

David Roth

Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs reacts during the second quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game Five of the Second Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs on May 12, 2026.

Podcasts

The “Too Large” Gesture, With Patrick Redford

Gritty the mascot of the Philadelphia Flyers skates onto the ice prior to an NHL game against the Dallas Stars at the Xfinity Mobile Arena on March 29, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Gritty Is Beside Himself, With Lauren Theisen

Miami Heat guard Tim Hardaway (L) watches New York Knicks' center Charles Oakley (C) and Miami Heat center PJ Brown (R) go for a rebound in second period action of their game 12 April at the Miami Arena.

Getting Kicked In The Back By P.J. Brown

Fernando Mendoza of the Indiana Hoosiers prepares to take the snap of the ball at the line of scrimmage during the Indiana Hoosiers versus the Miami Hurricanes College Football Playoff National Championship Game.

Making Noises At Jim Nantz, With Aaron Schatz

Mark Vientos of the New York Mets reacts after flying out against the Athletics during the sixth inning at Citi Field on April 12, 2026 in New York City.

A New Space In Which To Be Stupid, With Michael Schur

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman speaks during the BlackRock Infrastructure Summit on March 11, 2026 in Washington, DC.

A Feast Of Sludge, With Ed Zitron

Vince Velasquez of the Philadelphia Phillies prays before he pitches against the New York Mets during a game at Citi Field on July 11, 2018.

Chartreuse And Root Beer, With Kelsey McKinney

University of Wisconsin-Madison freshman women's basketball team in the gymnasium of Ladies Hall (now Chadbourne Hall), Madison, Wisconsin, 1900.

Please, Mr. Pibb Is My Father, With Emma Baccellieri

Oscar Cluff #45 of the Purdue Boilermakers looks for a shot against Morez Johnson Jr. #21 of the Michigan Wolverines during the first half of the Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament Championship game on March 15, 2026.

Let’s Get Upset, With Ken Pomeroy

A kebab is prepared in the Elbis-Döner restaurant at Berliner Straße 2 in Wilmersdorf. It looks good as hell.

Kebab Juice On The Windowpane, With Rohan Nadkarni

Justin Agu #13 of the Louisville Cardinals catches the ball against the Toledo Rockets during the first half of the 2025 Bush's Boca Raton Bowl of Beans at Flagler Credit Union Stadium on December 23, 2025.

Imagining The End Of College Sports, With Spencer Hall

<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

Fixing Tanking By Making Everything More Confusing, With Tom Ley

Marc Kennedy and Ben Hebert of Team Canada compete during Men's Round Robin between Team Canada and Team Great Britain on day eleven of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium on February 17, 2026.

Across The Hog Line, With John Cullen

A Pomeranian is groomed backstage during the Group Judging (Hound, Toy, Non-Sporting, Herding) at 149th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in 2025.

Choosing Your Pomeranian, With Kathryn Xu

Phillie Phanatic, mascot of the Philadelphia Phillies, pumps up the crowd with some of his signature goofy antics during a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, August 9-11, 1982, at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania back in 1982. The turf looks crazy. His weird tongue is sticking out.

The Last Mayor Of Philadelphia

U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (R) and Japanese Defense Minister Shinjirō Koizumi talk between sets during their workout on January 15, 2026 in Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Virginia.

Ideologically Opposed To Proper Workout Form, With Patrick Wyman

Masked ICE agents and demonstrators face off as protests broke out following the shooting of a Venezuelan man by a Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on January 14, 2026.

What It’s Like When ICE Invades Your City, With Arif Hasan

Head coach Pete Carroll of the Las Vegas Raiders speaks with Atonio Mafi #56 prior to the game against the Kansas City Chiefs on January 4. The Raiders actually won this one but fired Carroll shortly after.

That Is Way Too Much Raiders, With Kalyn Kahler

People take in a fireworks show on Lake Ontario at midnight from HTO Park in Toronto on January 1 2026.

Goodbye To All That

Products line the shelves at a Williams-Sonoma store on April 29, 2024 in Miami, Florida.

Espresso Doodad Roulette, With Matt Selman

Caleb Williams of the Chicago Bears walks off the field after a loss to the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on December 7, 2025 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

All Things Must Pass, With Matthew Coller

Exhaust fumes adding to the air pollution in Santiago, Chile, in 1962.

Another Side Of Carbon Dioxide, With Peter Brannen

A barn near Litchfield, Connecticut. It is painted in a faded red, and there's an American flag painted on the front of it. The Distraction logo is at upper right.

A Long Weekend In “Magary Country”

Red-legged Pademelon in the rainforest, Daintree, Queensland, Australia.

A Big World Full Of Friendly Little Guys, With Nathan Thornburgh

This December 16, 2016 photo illustration taken in Washington, DC. shows the definition for the word "Surreal" in a copy of the Webster's Desktop Dictionary.

The Distraction