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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

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winter 2023 gift (eyebrow)

The Defector Crewneck Sweatshirt Is Back In Stock

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Merch v3

2019-01-01 00:15:14.989

Maitreyi Anantharaman

Katie Ledecky wins the Women's 1500 Meter Freestyle during the U.S. Olympic Swimming Team Trials on June 19, 2024 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, IN.

SWIMMING: JUN 19 U.S. Olympic Team Trials

Crosswords

The Crossword, July 1: Crosstown Rivals

Pitcher NiJaree Canady #24 of the Stanford Cardinals winds up for a pitch to the Texas Longhorns in the first inning during the 2024 NCAA Women's College World Series at OGE Energy Field at Devon Park on June 3, 2024 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Texas won 1-0 to advance to the finals.

2024 NCAA Division I Softball Championship

The Crossword, June 24: Nine Lives (Themeless)

Rihanna performs during the halftime show of Super Bowl LVII between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on February 12, 2023.

Apple Music Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show

The Crossword, June 17: You’re Out

Iga Swiatek of Poland in action against Jasmine Paolini of Italy (not seen) during the Women's Singles Final match on day fourteen of the 2024 French Open at Roland Garros Complex in Paris, France on June 8, 2024.

French Open Roland Garros tennis tournament – Finals

The Crossword, June 10: What’s The Deal?

Ha-Seong Kim #7 of the San Diego Padres bunts during the sixth inning against the New York Yankees at Petco Park on May 26, 2024 in San Diego, California

The Crossword, June 3: Tight Ends

Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills passes against Alex Highsmith

AFC Wild Card Playoffs – Pittsburgh Steelers v Buffalo Bills

The Crossword, May 27: The Young And The Restless (Themeless)

Magnus Carlsen (NOR),Sanan Sjugirov (RUS) during the FIDE Chess World Rapid Blitz 2021 in Warsaw, Poland, on December 29, 2021.

FIDE Chess World Rapid & Blitz 2021

The Crossword, May 20: Refresher Course

Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever dribbles the ball during the game against the Dallas Wings during the WNBA Preseason Game on May 3, 2024 at the College Park Center in Arlington, Texas.

Indiana Fever v Dallas Wings

The Crossword, May 13: Tossed Salad And Scrambled Eggs

German-Kurdish opera singer-soprano Pervin Chakar performs during a concert.

The famous German-Kurdish opera singer-soprano Pervin Chakar

The Crossword, May 6: Cinderella Tails

Runner participates during the 2023 TCS New York City Marathon on November 05, 2023 in New York City.

2023 TCS New York City Marathon

The Crossword, April 29: The 1,203 Club (Themeless)

Hoang&#8211;Kim Vu is the co-editor of the Defector Crossword. His puzzles have appeared in multiple venues, including the New York Times, L.A. Times, and USA Today.

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Hoang-Kim Vu

Three competitors take part in the ACPT final

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Games

The World’s Fastest Crossword Solvers Can’t Tell You How To Do This

Fans tailgate prior to the game between the Chicago Bears and the Detroit Lions at Soldier Field on November 19, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois.

Detroit Lions v Chicago Bears

The Crossword, April 22: Shake, Shake, Shake

Duke Blue Devils forward Zion Williamson (1) goes for the dunk during the 2nd half of the Duke Blue Devils game versus the Hartford Hawks on December 5th, 2018, at Cameron Indoor Stadium

The Crossword, April 15: Different Strokes

Simone Biles from the USA in action on the balance beam.

Gymnastics World Championship 2023

The Crossword, April 8: Start Your Engines

Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets reacts to referee Josh Tiven #58 in the first quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center on March 19, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Denver Nuggets v Minnesota Timberwolves

The Crossword, April 1: Let’s Dismember Some Guys

Bad Bunny performs during a stop of the Most Wanted Tour at T-Mobile Arena on February 23, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Bad Bunny Most Wanted Tour – Las Vegas, NV

The Crossword, March 25: Love All (Themeless)

Tourists, bankers, and media converge on Wall Street on March 9, 2020 in New York City.

Wall Street reacts to Coronavirus

The Crossword, March 18: Boot Sequence

Jamal Murray (27) of the Denver Nuggets handles as Stephen Curry (30) of the Golden State Warriors defends during the fourth quarter of Denvers 134-117 win at Ball Arena in Denver on Thursday, February 2, 2023.

DENVER NUGGETS VS GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS, NBA

The Crossword, March 11: Ten-Four, Good Buddy

Goalkeeper Alex Cavallini of the United States competes during the ice hockey women's gold medal game of Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.

CHINA-BEIJING-OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES-ICE HOCKEY-WOMEN’S GOLD MEDAL GAME-CAN VS USA (CN)

The Crossword, March 4: Double Team

Charlie Maier checks the tags on merchandise in the frozen foods area at Whole Foods

Daily Camera Archives

The Crossword, Feb. 26: Shifting Priorities (Themeless)

General view during the performance "Concert de la Sirène" by the Orchestre d'Harmonie de Paris, during the "Nuit Blanche" 2019 : Press Preview In Paris, at the France Television Headquarters building, on October 04, 2019 in Paris, France.

“Nuit Blanche” 2019 : Press Preview In Paris

The Crossword, Feb. 19: First Teamers

Ariana Grande attends the 62nd Annual GRAMMY Awards on January 26, 2020 in Los Angeles, California.

62nd Annual GRAMMY Awards – Inside

The Crossword, Feb. 12: Down For The Count

A Boykin Spaniel competes in the 147th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show Presented by Purina Pro Plan at Arthur Ashe Stadium on May 09, 2023 in New York City.

147th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show Presented by Purina Pro Plan

The Crossword, Feb. 5: Ring Ring

Usain Bolt of Jamaica celebrates victory in the Mens 200m Final, during the 2012 London Olympics at The Olympic Stadium on August 09, 2012 in London, England.

Ian MacNicol Archive

The Crossword, Jan. 29: I’ve Got A Blank Space, Baby (Themeless)

Jungkook of BTS performs on NBC's "Today" at Rockefeller Plaza on November 08, 2023 in New York City