Defector blogs can be put to many uses, but their best use is nourishing the youth. One of our subscribers is a seventh-grade English teacher who recently structured a lesson around two Defector stories on the same March Madness buzzer-beater. Apparently the kids had a great time, except for the Duke fans, so it’s all working as intended. We are always eager to work with educators to provide classroom access, so long as they keep in mind that Ray Ratto blogs are rated PG-13 (may contain crude humor and mild peril).
As a kid, I loved tearing open those sticky blue plastic bags to read the Star-Ledger and the Times on the dogshit Isiah Thomas-era Knicks. Along with the box scores, I started paying close attention to bylines, well-chosen verbs, pungent quotes, and quality of take. Language is so powerful that it can help a child fall in love with basketball, in spite of the dishonor his 23-59 team brings to the sport.
I dread a future where childhood sports fandom is devoid of reading. There is amusement to be had in viral podcast clips and deep-fried memes, but nothing steeps you in the esoterica of true fandom and enriches your understanding of the characters that populate this strange world like good writing. There are fewer outlets doing that kind of writing than when I was growing up, but Defector will never give up on turning tangy phrases for the curious reader seeking to make sense of what they watched.
I am still that reader; perhaps you are, too. Or maybe you’ve got an emergent fanatic in your life who would appreciate good sportswriting. If so, you can try a month of Defector, which comes with the ability to curate gift links for that reader, for just $1: