The Distraction: A Defector Podcast Digest It As It Comes In with Tom Ley
Feb 26, 2026
Tom Ley, Editor-in-Chief at Defector — a sharp sports editor and writer — joins to dissect the Winter Olympics, from figure skating to emotional hockey upsets. He weighs Adam Silver's NBA anti-tanking proposals and trade-deadline lottery ideas. Tom also previews Defector's upcoming coverage and answers listener Funbag questions about phones and signature biathlons.
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Politics Can Tarnish Team Triumphs
- Political associations can sour fans' enjoyment of athletic wins when athletes engage with controversial figures.
- Tom Ley said Cash Patela's involvement and players' willingness to humor him reduced the joy of the men's hockey gold for some viewers.
Make Draft Picks Simple To Reduce Tanking
- Simplify draft pick rules to reduce perverse tanking incentives by banning complex multi-year protections.
- Tom Ley recommends straightforward pick trading: if you trade a pick, it's traded without protections or alternating-year rules.
Anti-Tanking Rules Often Create New Loopholes
- Most proposed NBA anti-tanking tweaks add complexity without solving root incentives, so teams will still find ways to tank.
- Ley argues options like two-year rolling records or frozen odds may worsen or merely shift tanking behavior.