The Distraction: A Defector Podcast
Episodes
Bad Baseball Grannies with Kelsey McKinney
02 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Drew is off frolicking on another continent, so it’s time to talk about baseball! Kelsey is back with Roth to swap their first ballpark stories of t...
My Best Reply Guys with Emma Baccellieri
26 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Emma Baccellieri (Sports Illustrated) is back, and with a new book! Drew and Roth ask her about her writing process, and how she worked with co-author...
A Never-Ending Math Orgy with Ken Pomeroy
19 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Happy March Madness! As always, Drew and Roth are joined by Ken Pomeroy of KenPom.com to talk about the men’s bracket. Is Ken’s insight still the ...
A Hot Sauce Faceprint on the Hotel Door with Rohan Nadkarni
12 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Rohan, of NBC News and sandwich fame, is back! He fills Drew and Roth in on his Italian Olympic experience, including, most importantly, his favorite ...
I Was Born in the Cutty Sark with Spencer Hall
05 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Spencer Hall of Channel 6 joins Drew and Roth to talk college football! But first they have to figure out whether college sports as a whole are poised...
Digest It As It Comes In with Tom Ley
26 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Roth “got stranded by the blizzard,” so Tom Ley, Editor-In-Chief at Defector, is here! Drew and Tom debate whether this was the best winter Olympi...
A Good Set of Stones with John Cullen
19 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Drew and Roth are joined by comedian, podcaster, and curling professional and expert John Cullen! His new book, Curling Rocks!: Chronicles of the Roar...
A Well-Rounded Apple Dome with Kathryn Xu
12 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Drew and Roth are joined by Kathryn Xu (Defector) to talk dogs! Kathryn covered the Westminster Dog Show, and it was a lovely, fluffy, yappy experienc...
A Difference of Degree and in Kind
05 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
We remember Dan McQuade.Do you want to hear your question answered on the pod? Well, give us a call at 909-726-3720. That is 909-PANERA-0!Stuff We Tal...
The Italian Word for Waluigi with Rohan Nadkarni
29 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Rohan is back! And promising future Italian sandwich talk, because he’s going to Milan to cover the Olympics. Drew and Roth talk with him about his ...
Born Aloft on a Cloud of Dad Energy with Patrick Wyman
22 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Drew and Roth are joined by Patrick Wyman, author of the upcoming book Lost Worlds: How Humans Tried, Failed, Succeeded, and Built Our World and creat...
Nein Mayonnaisen! with Arif Hasan
15 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Drew and Roth are joined by Arif Hasan, CEO and Chief Writer of Wide Left, to preview the divisional playoff games! But first, because Arif lives in M...
Italian-American Inspirational Magic with Kalyn Kahler
08 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Drew and Roth ring in the new year with Kalyn Kahler, and go long about the NFL post-season. First and foremost, what the hell is going on with the Ra...
It’ll Work Itself Out In No Time
01 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Drew and Roth reflect on their years, personally, professionally, and politically, and look forward to 2026 being, if not better, then maybe just a li...
Williams Sonoma Price Is Right 2025! with Matt Selman
18 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It’s the most magical time of the year once again! Drew brings Roth and guest Matt Selman, The Simpsons EP and Showrunner, a list of Williams Sonoma...
Bad For Your Heart, Bad For Your Soul with Matthew Coller
11 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Drew and Roth are joined by Purple Insider’s Matthew Coller to talk football as the NFL season heats up. In this brand new world where K-balls are c...
Batteries Are Woke, Mining is Based with Peter Brannen
04 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Drew and Roth are joined by Peter Brannen, author of The Story of CO2 Is the Story of Everything: How Carbon Dioxide Made Our World to talk about CO2’...
Eat As Much As You Can and Get Out
27 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Happy Thanksgiving! It’s a Drew and Roth solo episode this week, and they talk about Roth’s latest artistic discovery, Drew’s hometown, and, of ...
Reptile Epicurean Delights with Nathan Thornburgh
20 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Food journalist and founder of the newly-revived website Roads & Kingdoms Nathan Thornburgh returns to the podcast after many many moons. Where’...
You Depraved the Manner of Men with Stefan Fatsis
13 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Stefan Fatsis joins Drew and Roth to talk about dictionaries! For his new book, Unabridged: The Thrill of (and Threat to) the Modern Dictionary (out n...
An Emergency Private Podcast with Rohan Nadkarni
06 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Rohan is back with Drew and Roth to talk about the Mamdani win and what it could mean for the political future. But don’t worry, there’s plenty of...
My Hobby is Sleeping
30 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It’s a Drew and Roth solo joint this week! They start with the World Series and how it’s good! Really good! Then, does the NBA gambling scandal ma...
Becoming A Failson with Justin Halpern
23 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Our good buddy Justin Halpern (of Harley Quinn and Abbott Elementary fame) takes some time away from his luxury box to return to the show for a World ...
Quantum Mechanical Quarterbacks with Seth Wickersham
16 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Seth Wickersham, senior writer at ESPN (and former high school quarterback) joins Drew and Roth to talk about his latest book, American Kings: A Biogr...
Smack Barm Pea Wet with Eli Yudin
09 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Comedian and writer Eli Yudin joins Drew and Roth to talk about his new special, Humble Offering! He shares what it’s like making a living in comedy...
MLB Playoffs Preview! with Lauren Theisen
02 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Defector’s own Lauren Theisen joins Drew and Roth to preview the MLB playoffs, and the first game featured Lauren’s Tigers beating the Guardians o...
Doing Less With Less with Andy Behrens and Chris Harris
25 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The NFL is back in full swing, and so our good buddy Andy Behrens returns to the pod along with his cohort Chris Harris. We’re looking at analytics,...
The Greatest Garbage Time Performance Ever
18 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Defector’s own Dan McQuade joins Drew and Roth! Dan updates them on his cancer diagnosis (he’s doing well!), then football – what can Drew expec...
Defector Turns Five!
11 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It’s just Drew and Roth, here to celebrate Defector’s five year anniversary! Where will this company be in another five years? Then: baseball! How...
NFL Good/Bad with Mina Kimes (Part 2)
04 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Mina Kimes of ESPN joins Drew and Roth to complete this year’s NFL Good/Bad! This week, it’s the AFC, and there’s no equivocating allowed.Do you...
NFL Good/Bad with Kalyn Kahler (Part 1)
28 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Our guest is Kalyn Kahler, which can only mean one thing: NFL Good/Bad time has arrived! We’re splitting the show up this year, so Kalyn will go thr...
Inspector Fuzz Is On The Case with Giri Nathan
21 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Giri Nathan, author of the new book Changeover: A Young Rivalry and a New Era of Men's Tennis, joins Drew and Roth to tackle one of the most difficult...
This Fresca Has ATTITUDE! with Emma Baccellieri
07 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Emma Baccellieri, staff writer at Sports Illustrated and creator of The Soda Fountain newsletter, joins Drew and Roth to talk baseball and the WNBA, b...
This Book Could’ve Been a Pamphlet with Maitreyi Anantharaman
31 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Maitreyi Anantharaman of Defector joins Drew and Roth to break down the latest in the WNBA: expansion, the Aces’ fall from grace, the Caitlin Clark ...
The Defector Swimsuit Issue with Pablo Torre
24 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Pablo Torre, host of Pablo Torre Finds Out, shares with Drew and Roth what thing he’s found out about lately. For instance, he found out that the NF...
Rawdogging The Toilet with Justin Halpern
17 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Our good buddy Justin Halpern returns to the show, giving us the on-the-ground report from LA where ICE raids are still definitely happening. Justin a...
Schur-da-land with Mike Schur
10 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Mike Schur is back! With guest co-host Rohan Nadkarni and Drew to talk about how tech brainrot has infected how TV is made, as well as trades, sandwic...
A Fish-Eating American
03 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It’s summer, and Drew and Roth are both sunburned, so it’s time to talk about politics. Then, they answer questions from the Funbag, full of real ...
The Stupid Teams Are Even Stupider with Ray Ratto
26 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Defector’s own Ray Ratto joins Drew & Roth once again! First up, the NYC mayoral race, and whether New York mayors are a special breed all their...
Hartford Has It (Clinical Depression) with Megan Greenwell
19 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Drew is off doing important things, so Roth is joined by co-host Kelsey McKinney and guest Megan Greenwell, author of Bad Company: Private Equity and ...
Living For Lunch with Alan Siegel
12 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Ringer staff writer Alan Siegel drops by to talk about his new book, Stupid TV, Be More Funny: How the Golden Era of The Simpsons Changed Televisi...
The Most Polite 30 Seconds in Podcasting History with Will Leitch
05 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
New York Magazine contributing editor, Washington Post columnist, and Deadspin founder Will Leitch joins Drew and Roth to talk about the creative writ...
An Apology to Brad Lohaus
29 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It’s just Drew and Roth this week, and guess what? They’re gonna talk NBA playoffs, because Drew actually knows what he’s talking about this yea...
Crazy Mid-Air Adjustments with Jason Steinhauer
22 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Jason Steinhauer, public historian and author of History, Disrupted: How Social Media and the World Wide Web Have Changed the Past, lays out for Drew ...
A Very Grim Place To Have A Beauty Pageant with Brandy Jensen
15 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Defector’s Culture Editor Brandy Jensen doesn’t follow any sports, so she joins Drew and Roth to talk about other topics! Should Drew continue wat...
1995 Man of the Year President Bill Climpton with Ben Collins
08 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
CEO of The Onion Ben Collins joins Roth to talk about running The Onion. How does a private citizen actually buy a long-standing-and-at-the-time-langu...
Bernie Sanders Liz Phair Lyrics with Patrick Redford
01 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Defector’s own and basketball podcaster Patrick Redford joins Drew and Roth to talk about the NBA playoffs! What teams are zagging with Hyperball? H...
What Goes On in the Mind of a Football Man with Mike Tanier
24 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
National football reporter and writer of the Too Deep Zone substack Mike Tanier joins Drew and Roth to get excited about the NFL Draft. How do teams c...
The Incredibly Late Spring Break Podcast
17 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Here’s what Drew wrote for the agenda for this episode:- I bitch about spring break- Roth and I shoot the shitThat’s what will happen. And as alwa...
Why Am I Talking to the New Jags GM Right Now? with Tim Marchman
10 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Director of politics, security, and science at Wired Tim Marchman joins Drew and Roth to explain what the hell is going on with DOGE. What exactly are...
I’m Not Going to Mention Where He Went to College with Maitreyi Anantharaman
03 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Defector’s own Maitreyi Anantharaman joins Drew and Roth to talk hoops and baseball! Who should we be rooting for in the women’s final four tourna...
Luxury Ice Fishing Apparatus with Bob Mould
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Musician Bob Mould joins Drew and Roth to talk about his newest album, Here We Go Crazy, as well as life in general! They discuss how his recent marri...
The 2025 Idiot’s Guide to March Madness with Ken Pomeroy
20 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
College basketball metrics analyst Ken Pomeroy joins Drew and Roth for his annual preview of this year’s March Madness tournament! They answer your ...
I Can’t Trust Hot White Dips with Jasper Wang
13 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Defector’s own Jasper Wang joins Drew and Roth to share the true crime story that happened to him. Can you solve the mystery of the burst pipes in M...
The First Half Is About the State of the World with Denny Carter
06 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Editor of the Bad Faith Times Denny Carter joins Drew and Roth to talk about everything that’s happening. They know what happened the last time Denn...
Your Kids Are Mid with Nathan Grayson
27 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Nathan Grayson, co-founder of Aftermath and author of the new book Stream Big: The Triumphs and Turmoils of Twitch and the Stars Behind the Screen, ta...
The Paddington 2 of the NBA with Rohan Nadkarni
20 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
NBC News’ Rohan Nadkarni joins Drew and Roth to tell us what’s going on in the NBA after the All Star break. Who are three most interesting teams ...
Disrespecting John Madden’s Name
13 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Drew and Roth break down The Big Game, including why Tom Brady’s commentary is so very bad and the Eagles defense is so very good. The back half of ...
Both the Eagles and the Chiefs Are Gonna Win with Dan McQuade
06 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Defector’s very own Dan McQuade joins Drew and Roth to talk about The Big Game! As chief Philly correspondent, Dan weighs in on how the Eagles can d...
Apollo 13 Was a Well Made Movie with Will Tavlin
30 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Will Tavlin, writer of the piece Casual Viewing in n+1, talks to Drew and Roth about why every movie on Netflix looks like that. Why does Netflix not ...
This Episode Cancels Out the Manhattan Project with Justin Halpern
23 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Executive producer of Harley Quinn and Abbott Elementary Justin Halpern returns to Drew and Roth to talk about the Dodgers making baseball into capita...
Dresses Like Kevin Federline with Ed Zitron
16 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Better Offline’s Ed Zitron joins Drew and Roth for a doubleheader of British accents and Trump impressions. The first half is all about what pits of...
He Lost the Slack and the Clubhouse with Diana Moskovitz
09 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Defector’s very own Diana Moskovitz joins Drew and Roth to preview the NFL playoffs! They interrogate why the Steelers are the way that they are, th...
The 2024 Williams-Sonoma Catalog Price Is Right
26 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Christmastimeeee is hereeeeee and so is the 2024 Hater’s Guide To The Williams-Sonoma Catalog. For your last Distraction of the year, enjoy Drew lea...
Oprah Doesn’t Own Discovery with Susie Banikarim
19 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Co-host of The Kicker: The Unraveling of Ozy Media Susie Banikarim joins Drew and Roth to unravel the story of Carlos Watson and the fraud of OZY Medi...
A Century of Podcast Episodes! with Eric Silver
12 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Producer of The Distraction and co-host of Attach Your Résumé Eric Silver joins Drew and Roth to celebrate 100 episodes in the new era of the show. ...
An All Pizzas Thanksgiving with Rivers McCown
05 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Writer of the Man, Free newsletter Rivers McCown joins Drew and Roth to talk all things NFL as we head into the tailend of the season. But first, Rive...
The Dog’s Name Is Babydog?
28 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours! Take a break from watching the terrible games on Thursday and Friday to hear Drew and Roth talk about tho...
Part of Our World… of Billionaires with Sabrina Imbler
21 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Defector’s own and author of How Far the Light Reaches Sabrina Imbler joins Drew and Roth to talk about obscure marine life! Sabrina contains multit...
Cocaine in an MRI Machine with Arif Hasan
14 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Wide Left’s Arif Hasan joins Drew and Roth to talk about sports gambling. Although Drew and Roth have obligations to Bareback Sportsbook, Arif walks...
Violator Was an Investment Banker in LA with Ray Ratto
07 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Defector’s Very Own Ray Ratto joins Drew and Roth to talk only about sports and bagels and not about the election. We promise. First, they run throu...
The First Half Is About the Election with Denny Carter
31 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Editor of the Bad Faith Times Denny Carter joins Drew and Roth to preview the 2024 Presidential Election. Drew has a bold prediction he wants to share...
Increase Revenue Across Three Fiscal Hog Moons
24 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Drew and Roth are podcasting from Atlantic City, so this episode is extra impressive considering they’re glued to slot machines for the whole record...
Skin Like Cinnabon Icing with Rohan Nadkarni
17 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
NBC News’ Rohan Nadkarni joins Drew and Roth for Sandwich Talk, Chicago and The Bear edition! After that, they continue to wrestle with the ethics o...
Playing Nice with Jason Schreier and Luis Paez-Pumar
03 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Jason Schreier, Bloomberg journalist and author of the new book Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future of Blizzard Entertainment, joins Roth to talk ab...
Stations of the Plaxico Burress Cross
26 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We’re just some NFL guys, watching the players run around like miniatures in a Warhammer 40k game. In the first half, Drew revels in his incredible ...
Look at Mr. Restaurant with Maitreyi Anantharaman
19 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Defector’s own Maitreyi Anantharaman joins Drew and Roth for a September sports roundup. They discuss NFL Week 2: are the Lions bad, is Sam Darnold ...
Investors Demand 13 Players on the Field with Israel Daramola
12 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Defector’s own Israel Daramola joins Drew and Roth to ring in the college football and pro football seasons. And that means it’s also is-college-f...
The Fastest NFL Good/Bad Ever with Kalyn Kahler
05 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Former comrade and now ESPN’s own Kalyn Kahler joins Drew and Roth to preview the NFL season with the fastest ever recorded game of GOOD/BAD. As you...
An Unironic Donald Pump T-Shirt
29 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It’s the dawwwwg days of summer, so Drew and Roth hanging out by the podcast pool! First off, it turns out when everything isn’t terrible, they ac...
Sleep Number 69 with Rohan Nadkarni
22 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Best-Friend-of-the-Pod Rohan Nadkarni joins Drew to bounce back from the dark place they were in when he was last on the podcast. Now there’s a new ...
Government Controlled Podcast Microphones with Rachelle Hampton
15 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Defector’s own Rachelle Hampton joins Drew and Roth to welcome her into the Defector family of content! But Rachelle explains why she’s hanging he...
Viscosity in the Early 80s with Chris Nashawaty
08 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Chris Nashawaty, author of The Future Was Now: Madmen, Mavericks, And the Epic Sci-Fi Summer of 1982, joins Drew and Roth to talk about movies in the ...
Podcast Rant Protocol with Patrick Redford
01 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Defector’s own Patrick Redford joins Drew and Roth to put on Peacock and fully emerse themselves in the Olympic games. The Opening Ceremonies were A...
Boogaloo Zones with Pablo Torre
25 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Pablo Torre, of Pablo Torre Finds Out, joins Drew and Roth to talk about the Olympics! In the first half, Pablo walks them through the most corrupt sp...
Chief End Times Correspondent
18 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It’s just Drew and Roth in this episode, but I think it captures what it’s like living in America right now. In the first half, they process all o...
A Pog on Society with Rohan Nadkarni
11 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Chief Sandwich Correspondant Rohan Nadkarni joins Drew to actually explain how the NBA’s CBA apron actually works. Is it making everything worse? or...
What Was 1982 Like? with Ray Ratto
27 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Chief Comrade of Defector Ray Ratto joins Roth to get really esoteric with it. We’re asking the tough questions: What’s the deal with the city of ...
Mr. Met Has Fallen Down the Stairs at the Met Gala
20 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It’s summertime and you know what that means? Drew and Roth are hanging loose, chilling out, and wondering if the flags at the beach are related to ...
100 Foods to Throw in the Garbage with Megan Greenwell
13 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Godmother of Defector Megan Greenwell joins Drew and Roth to talk about how private equity is pervasive and bad. Also pervasive and bad are the Athlet...
It Doesn’t Matter If We’re Off Topic with Ray Ratto
06 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Defector’s own Ray Ratto joins Drew and Roth to dive into the 2024 NBA Finals! Is Kyrie good enough at basketball to forgive all the weird things he...
It’s the Distraction, I’m Sheila, That’s Roth.
30 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It’s time for the Annual Defector Staff Meeting, so Drew and Roth are recording a guestless ep a little ahead of time. And guestless ep means a wide...
Elite Old Guy Excellence with Stephen Rodrick
23 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Variety’s Stephen Rodrick joins Drew and Roth to talk about his most recent profile of director Paul Schreder. As Stephen is one of the premier prof...
Jake from State Farm Invented Women’s Basketball with Maitreyi Anantharaman
16 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Defector’s own Maitreyi Anantharaman joins Drew and Roth to preview the WNBA season! Which team (other than the Fever) should we be excited about? W...
The Mashup Returns
09 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Drew and Roth are chopping it up without a guest, so it’s a hearty stuff of whatever is on their minds right now: the SF real estate market, stories...
Once, Twice, Three Times a Rohan Nadkarni
02 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
*Stefon voice* This podcast episode with Rohan has everything: media speculation, Sports Illustrated tea, Michael Jordan comparisons, LeBron James spe...
The Pajama Lesson with Alec Lewis
25 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Athletic’s Alex Lewis joins Drew and Roth! The first half they wrestle with the rational idea that trading back for more picks is the best draft...
Kennedy Levels of Ruddiness with Patrick Redford
18 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Defector’s own Patrick Redford joins Drew and Roth to for a Hater’s Guiiiide to the NBA Playoffs! Which team in the East should you root for even ...
I Hear Him All Day with Justin Halpern
11 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Executive producer of Harley Quinn and Abbott Elementary Justin Halpern returns to Drew and Roth now that baseball season has started and we know the ...
Subtraction by Subtraction with Ray Ratto
04 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Defector’s own Ray Ratto joins Drew and Roth to preview the MLB season! Which teams are good? which are bad? and which teams are anonymous enough th...