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The Distraction: A Defector Podcast

Defector Media
NFL
Major League Baseball
NBA Playoffs
Defector
WNBA
College Football
The Simpsons
Gambling
Sports Illustrated
NCAA Tournament
NBA
Olympics
Thanksgiving
New York Knicks
NFL Draft
Private Equity
Donald Trump
Sports
Kansas City Chiefs
Super Bowl

Defector's flagship podcast about sports (and movies, and art, and sandwiches, and certain coastal states) from longtime writers Drew Magary and David Roth. Every week, Drew and Roth tackle subjects, both serious and impossibly stupid, with a parade of guests from around the world of sports and media joining in the fun! Roth and Drew also field Funbag questions from Defector readers, answer listen... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes306Founded6 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
SportsSociety & Culture

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for The Distraction: A Defector Podcast

Latest Episodes

Special announcement: Rohan is not here. But Drew and Roth do actually have an important announcement.

Stuff We Talked About

• Masochistic tendencies

• The Cyber-Christ Complex

• Other people’s dogs

• Non-fungible podcasts

Credits

- Hosts: Drew M... more

Fellow Defector Justin Ellis joins Drew and Roth! They talk about his upcoming book, The Cruelty of Nice Folks: Why Minneapolis Is the Story of America, and how Justin thinks it relates to the latest primaries. But first, Drew’s got a good old fashio... more

Rohan’s back! Him and Drew both have a sandwich story of woe that simply needs to be told. But, more importantly, Giannis is a Heat! Is Rohan excited? Also, the Dodgers just traded for Tigers ace Tarik Skubal. Why do the Dodgers hate baseball? Finall... more

We’re deep in the summer, and that means a Drew and Roth solo episode! Drew is beaming in directly from his vacation, and Roth has some shit to shoot. After, they get to sports, like LeBron’s new commute, Tony Romo’s fresh DUI, and Sophie Cunningham’... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Accepts Sponsors
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Recent Guests

Justin Ellis
Author of The Cruelty of Nice Folks, Why Minneapolis Is the Story of America
Defector (author)
Episode: Tee-Hee Ha-Ha Reparations Now Motherf*cker Energy with Justin Ellis
Paul Tremblay
Acclaimed horror novelist
Self-employed/Author
Episode: The Boorish Manners of a Yale-y with Paul Tremblay
Dave McKenna
Defector contributor, guest on this episode
Defector Media
Episode: We Americans Know Better with Diana Moskovitz & Dave McKenna
Leander Schaerlaeckens
Soccer columnist for The Guardian US; author of The Long Game
The Guardian US
Episode: Don’t Tell Anyone How I Live with Leander Schaerlaeckens
David Grann
Acclaimed writer, author of The Wager and Killers of the Flower Moon
The New Yorker? (mentioned as author
Episode: A Larry David Look-a-like with David Grann
Ian Livengood
New York Times Puzzle Editor, Times Games Department; edits Pips
New York Times
Episode: You Can’t Zarf Someone in Pips with Ian Livengood
Patrick Redford
Defector colleague, host of Nothing But Respect and Only If You Get Caught
Defector
Episode: Look at What They Done Been Through with Patrick Redford
Lily Kaplan
Licensed therapist and writer of Reality Test newsletter
Reality Test (newsletter)
Episode: Introducing: No Such Thing
AJ Jacobs
Journalist and author
Mental Floss contributor (historical essays)
Episode: Introducing: No Such Thing

Hosts

Drew Magary
Host of The Distraction on Defector; Defector writer
David Roth
Co-host of The Distraction; Defector staff writer

Reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars from 3.2k ratings
  • Stick to sports, unironically!

    Drew and Roth are endearing because they clearly love and cannot divorce themselves from sports fandom like so many of their audience members. We all have the ability to understand sports as part of our shared reality, but sometimes you just have to say FTP, Skol Vikes etc. The show sings when this discordance is acknowledged, felt, and eventually ignored because this sports stuff is actually a really good way to sink your attention into something that had a modicum of logic to it (unless you ar... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Teddy Bridgewater’s ACL
    United States14 days ago
  • Thanks

    Thanks for putting such a good pod together, it’s my b-day and though all the fun i’m still looking forward to listening to the pod tonight, thank you guys so much

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Lil boby boy
    United Statesa month ago
  • Early Women’s Basketball

    My grandma always says that she hated the early rules and wanted to play like the boys played.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    mickloser
    United States5 months ago
  • I miss sports lunacy

    I haven’t listened to this in a while, then I saw Spencer Hall was going to be on. Cool! Then These self righteous clowns spent the whole time talking over him, not cool! Zzzzz

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    stinky lefty
    United States6 months ago
  • Love the show!

    Roth is the absolute best! Someone needs to stage an intervention for Drew to get him to stop spreading his horrendous Vikings inspired nonsense that has infiltrated an otherwise stellar podcast. Love that Mina Kimes and Roth called him out for this in the latest episode.

    Aside from that, keep up the amazing work!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    :The Dude Abides:
    United Statesa year ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Guests and banter are repeatedly highlighted as a strength.
Fans praise chemistry between hosts and high-energy episodes.
Some listeners want fewer interruptions from production or sponsor reads.

Top Sports Podcasts

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Pardon My TakeBarstool Sports
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The Dan Patrick ShowiHeartPodcasts and Dan Patrick Podcast Network

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

What If We Tried To Win? with Justin Halpern
Q: Justin, what inspired you to write Get Lost and how did your background influence the book?
Justin talks about creating a metaphor about projecting a 19-year-old prospect to 28, using it to explore life, disappointment, and the potential to find a diamond in the rough that can change a franchise; he also discusses the novel's setting and character dynamics.
A Larry David Look-a-like with David Grann
Q: Is there any relatively harmless action an ordinary person can take that is as universally vilified as stealing a foul ball from a child?
Grann frames character as revealed in small, everyday moments and acknowledges that stealing a foul ball is clearly evil and petty, reflecting poorly on the perpetrator rather than the moment itself.
You Can’t Zarf Someone in Pips with Ian Livengood
Q: How often do colorblind readers email you to complain about tiles?
Ian explains that while specific emails to him are unlikely, the team actively considers different solving colors and accessibility features like dark mode, light mode, and background colors to accommodate a wide range of solvers.
You Can’t Zarf Someone in Pips with Ian Livengood
Q: Tell me what the fun bag is.
The hosts explain that the 'fun bag' is a recurring reader-submitted set of quirky questions, used to add light, playful segments between the main discussion; Ian responds with humor and practical thoughts on how outside-the-box questions can reveal personality and keep the episode lively.
Look at What They Done Been Through with Patrick Redford
Q: Oh last thing before we go, Patrick. Where do you think Giannis Antetokounmpo will end up, and where should he end up?
Patrick suggests a Warriors or Rockets scenario as a maximalist fit, with a practical note that Giannis can thrive with ball-handling and playmaking partners; a Rockets destination is framed as a potential fit given the need for ball handling and dynamic offense, though he also notes the Warriors option as a more favorable, championship-oriented pairing if health cooperates.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
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Frequently Asked Questions About The Distraction: A Defector Podcast

What is The Distraction: A Defector Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A bold, humorous take on sports culture with sharp banter between two veteran writers, often featuring a rotating cast of guests from sports media, analytics, and storytelling. Episodes blend tactical sports discussion (basketball, football, and analytics), pop culture riffs, personal anecdotes, and candid sponsorship bits. A standout aspect is the chemistry between hosts and a willingness to chase wide-ranging tangents, from the economics of NIL to the craft of sports journalism, all delivered with irreverent wit. This show tends to attract listeners who enjoy provocative takes, inside-baseball sports analysis, and playful debate about the culture surrounding sports, media, and fandom.

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Which podcasts are similar to The Distraction: A Defector Podcast?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Distraction: A Defector Podcast:

1. Nothing But Respect
2. Shutdown Fullcast
3. It's Christmastown
4. Chapo Trap House
5. Guys: With Bryan Quinby

How many episodes of The Distraction: A Defector Podcast are there?

The Distraction: A Defector Podcast launched 6 years ago and published 306 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on The Distraction: A Defector Podcast?

Recent guests on The Distraction: A Defector Podcast include:

1. Justin Ellis
2. Paul Tremblay
3. Dave McKenna
4. Leander Schaerlaeckens
5. David Grann
6. Ian Livengood
7. Patrick Redford
8. Lily Kaplan

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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