The Distraction: A Defector Podcast

by Defector Media
1,431

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 listener voice mails, and get upset about the number of people who use speakerphone while in a public bathroom stall. This is a show where everything matters, because everyone could use a Distraction. Head to defector.com for more info.

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Recent Episodes
  • Kennedy Levels of Ruddiness with Patrick Redford
    Apr 18, 2024 – 01:02:41
  • I Hear Him All Day with Justin Halpern
    Apr 11, 2024 – 01:01:21
  • Subtraction by Subtraction with Ray Ratto
    Apr 4, 2024 – 01:02:26
  • As Basil Exposition Once Said…
    Mar 28, 2024 – 00:54:39
  • The 2024 Hater’s Guide to March Madness with Ken Pomeroy
    Mar 21, 2024 – 00:57:41
  • I Am a Girl and I Drive! with Kathryn Xu
    Mar 14, 2024 – 01:05:11
  • Subway Sandwiches Don’t Actually Look Like That! with Rohan Nadkarni
    Mar 7, 2024 – 01:14:11
  • Run Out of Town with Pitchforks Media with Ed Zitron
    Feb 29, 2024 – 01:00:44
  • My University of Austin Class on Bloodletting
    Feb 22, 2024 – 00:54:46
  • The Future of Schlong-Form Reporting
    Feb 15, 2024 – 01:03:30
  • Live From the Bounty House on Radio Row with Matthew Coller
    Feb 8, 2024 – 00:55:19
  • I Am Wearing a Christian Black Metal Hoodie in My Headshot With Jason Kirk
    Feb 1, 2024 – 01:00:17
  • No One Could Make Fun of Me If I Went to Bed Right Now
    Jan 25, 2024 – 01:00:08
  • The Fist Bump That Ages Me 20 Years with Ray Ratto
    Jan 18, 2024 – 00:59:20
  • Bury Me with a Terrible Towel with Rohan Nadkarni
    Jan 11, 2024 – 01:03:21
  • Happy Immunological New Year!
    Jan 4, 2024 – 01:03:23
  • A Boy Named Cloud with Dan McQuade
    Dec 21, 2023 – 00:57:42
  • The Extreme Bonilla
    Dec 14, 2023 – 00:57:34
  • Georgia Frat Relatives with “The Simpsons” Exec Producer Matt Selman
    Dec 7, 2023 – 01:00:09
  • A Conglomeration of All Sports Writers with Dave McKenna
    Nov 30, 2023 – 00:57:32
  • Break Out 28 Dollars for Taco Bell with Jasper Wang
    Nov 23, 2023 – 00:57:57
  • Non-Monster Mash Songs by the Monster Mash Guy with Rob Harvilla
    Nov 16, 2023 – 00:56:25
  • It Is Self-Care to Not Watch the Giants
    Nov 9, 2023 – 01:00:59
  • The NBA Tush Push with Ray Ratto
    Nov 2, 2023 – 00:59:55
  • His Dream Was to Be a Dentist with Emma Baccellieri
    Oct 26, 2023 – 00:57:22
  • A Farewell to Guys
    Oct 19, 2023 – 01:00:03
  • The Distraction Live in Brooklyn! with Rohan Nadkarni
    Oct 12, 2023 – 01:06:27
  • The Haterrr’s Guiiide to the 2023 MLB Playoffs!
    Oct 5, 2023 – 00:57:10
  • Taylor Swift's Elite Length with Giri Nathan & Samer Kalaf
    Sep 28, 2023 – 00:53:39
  • Vintage Smarm
    Sep 21, 2023 – 00:58:55
  • The Baseball Pathetic-Off with Justin Halpern
    Sep 14, 2023 – 00:58:40
  • It’s NFL Good/Bad 2023! with Kalyn Kahler
    Sep 7, 2023 – 01:14:52
  • Serious, Emotional Vikings Talk
    Aug 31, 2023 – 01:02:16
  • Shrimp-Fed Fools with Spencer Hall
    Aug 24, 2023 – 00:53:25
  • 4,000 Flipped Birds with Andy Behrens
    Aug 17, 2023 – 01:01:45
  • Dog, I Lived at Warped Tour 2011 with Lindsey Adler and Tom Ley
    Aug 10, 2023 – 01:10:08
  • What Is The Worst Profession of a Person You’d Admit to Have Dated?
    Aug 3, 2023 – 01:00:15
  • Is This a TV Show That Doesn’t Really Know Soccer? with Abigail Segel
    Jul 27, 2023 – 00:58:56
  • You Have to Be Prepared to Die Before You Can Begin to Live, with Paul Kix
    Jul 20, 2023 – 01:19:45
  • Pyrocumulonimbus with John Vaillant
    Jul 13, 2023 – 01:06:19
  • I Want Something that Blows Up Real Good
    Jul 6, 2023 – 00:44:25
  • Let’s Remember a Podcast with Alex Sujong Laughlin
    Jun 29, 2023 – 00:59:21
  • We’re Gatekeeping Mr. Met
    Jun 22, 2023 – 00:24:59
  • Our Knees Are Almost Touching (with Dave McKenna and Israel Daramola)
    Jun 15, 2023 – 00:51:26
  • As Albert Einstein Once Said… (With Ray Ratto)
    Jun 8, 2023 – 00:59:20
  • America Named a Team For Chicken Nuggets (with Rohan Nadkarni)
    Jun 1, 2023 – 01:06:00
  • Are They Going Bud Lite On Us?
    May 25, 2023 – 00:57:04
  • The Gulf of Pain with David Grann
    May 18, 2023 – 00:56:29
  • You Can Eat ‘Em If You’d Like! with Adam Conover
    May 11, 2023 – 01:00:00
  • What Levels of Sacramento! with Patrick Redford
    May 4, 2023 – 00:54:48
Recent Reviews
  • jdjdms
    Guests, please
    Big Roth fan, Drew’s just dandy as well. But they both flourish in the company of others. No corner-cutting on the way to excellence!!
  • Dougefresh55
    The best
    The episode with Jason Kirk is fantastic, perhaps the only thing that could have been better would be to add more sandwich talk.
  • Tmh129
    Here for the health updates
    Sometimes almost too much sports talk.
  • SeanC420 69
    Great Pod, but
    I could have gone without the Covid discussion at the beginning of this most recent episode. We need to move on with our lives:
  • snazzyshoes19
    Fantastic pod! Except for the producer
    Would give this pod 10 stars. So fun, entertaining, and knowledgeable. Drew and Roth’s chemistry is off the charts. Only to be ruined by Producer Guy’s constant interrupting. Thank god for the skip button. So, only 5 stars. Added bonus, there’s sandwich talk!
  • Dusty Baker Street Irregulars
    They’re Back, They’re Back
    A funny, absurdist take on sports, sandwiches, and other nonsense. Well worth the limited mental space it occupies. The less Producer Eric I hear the better.
  • LSUChiCub
    Love Defector and love The Distraction
    Keep up the great work Drew and Roth! I swear I’ll pay for a Defector subscription one day!
  • GlansyD
    3x the daily recommended value of Mets content
    we’re all waiting with bated breath for the next installment of Let’s Remember Some Sandwiches with Roth
  • Erict245787532
    WE’RE BACK
    The podcast is great. I’ll change this to 5 stars if drew stops screaming WERE BACK WERE BACK at the start.
  • rednekk
    the best
    great stuff
  • Panachepoop
    These guys are my friends
    I like them a lot
  • Andrex0r
    Dudes
    A fun podcast. Just guys being dudes.
  • NESwain
    Yay
    I always enjoy when Lauren T is on the pod 👍🏻
  • The Real Chris B
    Favorite Podcast Hands Down
    Love these guys, and honestly love most of the guests they have on too.
  • Podtrick69420
    Perfection
    The only thing the pod needs is more Roth impressions of anyone and everyone.
  • seamus howls
    Oh, These Magnificent Dopes
    Roth and Drew consistently hit the sweet spot of hilarious/grumpy/insightful. The only podcast I listen to every episode without being several weeks behind.
  • Fake Mark
    Kaz Matsui’s Favorite Podcast!
    Look if Roth doesn’t have this outlet though which he can Remember Some Mets he’s just gonna accost random strangers in the street about Timo Perez. That’s not what you want.
  • Rox_Shox
    A+ Podcast
    One of the few podcasts I listen to religiously
  • Olaf Jorgenson
    Great pod
    Must listen
  • TehRuben
    Bareback Sports Book Changed My Life
    After placing bets on Bareback Sports Book as advertised on the podcast, I became a degenrate sports gambling winner. I was finally able to win my wife back after I showed up to her boyfriend's house on a snow machine wearing the pelt of a grizzly bear and with a full tub of Drew's Chili in the back. This podcast will change your life.
  • Eghufffghj
    Love these guys.
    Can’t get enough.
  • Casnh
    Just doesn’t work
    These guys still think being loud and obnoxious is enough to be entertaining. Same as in their Deadspin days.
  • Mighty_Thor
    Herb-free, Sandwich heavy
    Sandwich talk? Trenchant Funbag insight? The occasional Roth DelCo and/or Macho Man accent? The Original Guy Remembering? It’s all gold, baby. If your chud brain is so poisoned by ‘stool miasma that you go out of your way to dislike this, you have my pity.
  • maczhier
    Great Distraction!
    Always a great listen for when I’m driving or just need some light-hearted fare
  • schmoolevin19
    The good stuff
    I have made a dozen, if not dozens, of dollars betting w bareback sports
  • JNRCX37
    Five Stars Baby
    Because I was instructed to do so last episode!
  • NC_N8
    Review culture is toxic
    If you don’t like something, just don’t listen to it. You don’t need to be a jerk about it. For me, The Distraction gets five stars. I enjoy it. That said, get some cheap headsets to send to your guests so they don’t sound like they’re in the bottom of a well!
  • TheLegendOfBagO'Donuts
    Easy listenin’
    A shaggy, hangout kinda show about sports and other bulls***.
  • Brusdar Graterol
    Excellent Sandwich and non Sandwich talk
    My favorite podcast about Maine, sandwiches, and sports!
  • HippRebel
    My favorite podcast of the week
    I have no idea why but it’s the perfect thing to listen to while I walk the dogs. My dogs and I would be in better shape if they did more episodes.
  • Firtl
    Some guys
    Each week’s episode of the Distraction is a highlight of my week. I appreciate the mix of sports and non-sports chat, and honestly that’s kind of the appeal here. Pure sports talk is boring and it should always be considered in the context of what else is going on. More importantly, I PERSONALLY wish there was more sandwich talk, but maybe Roth can do a spin-off podcast of his own for that. I’d listen to him describing hoagies at least 30 minutes per week. Talking about how finely shredded the lettuce is, or condiment ratios? A dream. Keep it up guys.
  • Tomato Time
    Sandwich News and Maine Talk
    This is my most important source of news for sandwiches and a critical font of Maine-related information. Sometimes they work in a little sports talk, too. But seriously, these wonderful oaves have been making my life better for the better part of a decade. They make me miss my neurotic East Coast friends. Here’s to two of America’s finest Guys.
  • Ben Wahhh
    Sandwiches and Popethrowers!
    Loved this show from way back at the other site even. Puh-leeeze stick to whatever this is, sports and not sports. Worth a listen, not like anything else.
  • jumbo jimbo 112
    Great podcast
    Screw that one 4 star review. Great podcast, love sandwich talk
  • G lockwoo
    Must listen
    Love the show. Bring back the mashup!
  • Grungeinator
    leaving a review for Drew’s weed money
    defector forever
  • mowat42
    remembered a podcast
    I don’t watch sports but this is one of the few podcasts I listen to every week on the day it comes out. Been with it ever since the Deadcast days, glad it survived the jump to Defector. Also happy they’ve done away with most the bits (sorry Drew).
  • stewart3red
    Great all-around sports pod!
    Drew and Roth bring you high level sports conversations and interesting guests
  • sok 2
    Great podcast
    Jeffrey Wayne Karstens (born September 24, 1982) is a former right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball(MLB). Karstens pitched for the New York Yankees in 2006 and 2007 and the Pittsburgh Pirates from 2008 to 2012.
  • not dead guy
    Thursday Morning Treat
    This is my Thursday morning treat. Even if Drew doesn’t see it in Justin Fields. Roth is the goat. Wait, I also live in New York! I KNOW the restaurants he’s talking about!
  • FreqTravel8Crzy
    Entertaining Podcast
    Entertaining podcast. And I’m someone who doesn’t follow sports as much as most of my friends and peers. I’ve subscribed to Defector and have come to really enjoy the insights offered up on this show. I even enjoy the food and sandwiches talk.
  • AMac326
    We’re back!
    Wonderful sandwich-related podcast.
  • Needs Points
    Smart and Funny
    Just like Defector.com, The Distraction is great.
  • Andrew4045
    Defect from everything
    Bust bars Break stool Burn bosses This life is meaningless This podcast is good
  • pberry
    Sports Buddies That Can Talk Outside of Sports
    Tired of having to be so involved with a major league sport? The Distraction is here to give you just enough sports to be in the general vicinity of a sports podcast but gives you other fertile ground to explore. Be it maple syrup or Ted Cruz, Drew and Roth are here for you.
  • This Nickname is Taken99
    Haven’t missed one, never will
    This is one of the few shows I listen to immediately every time a new episode drops. While some shows pile up a backlog, The Distraction always gets priority. Drew’s writing at old Deadspin introduced me to this family of sickos, and my appreciation of sports would certainly not be the same had that not happened. Meanwhile, Roth defies hyperbole as one of the best minds of our time. Listening to him riff and witnessing how fast he thinks is truly a delight, and you might find yourself seeking out his other podcast work.
  • Duderino2222
    Sandwiches
    I like it when they talk about sandwiches
  • dcmcgill
    Great dynamic
    Have always loved these guys! So funny
  • Drewvid MaRothy
    Need more hot sandwich talk about hot sandwiches
    Please and thank you
  • GorgeCostanza
    stick to sports!
    just kidding. please don’t.
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