Alex

[Aakash Gupta @aakashgupta]

In Germany, a talented 14-year-old earns his club money. In America, his parents pay the club $15,000 a year.

That single inversion explains why "we will not" is the most accurate line ever written about US soccer.

FIFA built a global system for this. Training compensation and solidarity payments send a cut of every transfer fee back to the clubs that developed the player, from age 12 onward. Develop one future pro and your academy gets paid for a decade. Barcelona's La Masia, Ajax, every Bundesliga academy runs on this logic. The kid is the asset.

US Soccer refuses to enforce those rules. When Seattle's Crossfire Premier claimed its $60,000 share of DeAndre Yedlin's transfer to Tottenham, it got nothing. Claims on the Dempsey and Bradley transfers died partly because the federation couldn't even produce the youth training records.

So American clubs earn zero dollars when a kid turns pro. They earn when a kid enrolls. Which makes the parent the customer, and the product is whatever keeps the parent writing checks: travel tournaments, hotel weekends, $500 showcase events, private training at $100 an hour. Elite pathways run $8,000 to $20,000 a year. A comparable academy spot in Italy costs about 120 euros.

Follow the incentive one level deeper and it gets darker. A club dependent on fees can't cut its weakest paying players, so rosters optimize for retention over development. The scouting pool shrinks to families who can afford the cliff, which appears around age 11, exactly when development matters most. The country runs a talent filter sorted by household income instead of ability.

Every four years someone proposes fixing this. The proposal always requires the people profiting from the $15,000 model to vote themselves out of business.

They will not.

[Evan Birchfield @EvanBirchfield]

Reminder: if the #Falcons didn’t lose to the 3-13 Jets for no reason, a win today would’ve won them the division and sent them to the playoffs for the first time since 2017.

[Zito @_Zeets]

Every time Bijan Robinson thanks God, I wish the reporter would ask him if he really thinks God cares about the Falcons. Because, where is the evidence for that?

[NFL Researcher @NFL_Researcher]

2025 Rookie Sack Leaders

1. James Pearce - 8.5 (ATL)
2. Jalon Walker - 5.5 (ATL)

2025 Rookie INT Leaders

1. Xavier Watts - 4 (ATL)

@AtlantaFalcons | #DirtyBirds

[mike @selfhatingatl2]

@MattThompson87 12-4 when mathematically eliminated
53-78 in all other games

[Joe Patrick @JoePatrick]

Xavier Watts is the best Falcons rookie DB since Deion Sanders, Bijan Robinson is having the best season any Falcons RB has ever had, James Pearce Jr. is a DROY contender, the team is second in the NFL in sacks, and they were practically out of the playoffs by Thanksgiving.

[Saivion Mixson @saivionmixson]

The Atlanta Falcons: https://t.co/VDWmBn1Ihf

[jxke. 🧸🎰🃏 @cantguardjake]

The best part about being a Falcons fan is that someday I will die

[Atlanta Falcons @AtlantaFalcons]

From the @NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month to you

RT for a chance to win this @xavierwatts6 signed @NDFootball helmet!

[Atlanta Falcons @AtlantaFalcons]

7️⃣ Giveaway!

RT for a chance to win this signed @Bijan5Robinson jersey!

[zach @ATL_Zach_]

Penix really should be 4-0 as a starter

-Game tying drive against WAS lost OT never touched the ball

-Game tying drive against CAR lost OT never touched the ball

-Should’ve been game tying drive against TB, Koo misses tying FG

[Arkesh Ray @arkeshrayyyy]

It’s crazy that Michael Penix Jr should have 3 game winning drives in 4 games but instead has 0

2 times he’s lost due to missed field goals as well

[redbully @VERSATAN3344]

piastri literally gave up on his position because his rival had a slow pitstop. max verstappen tried to kill lewis hamilton here in 2021

[Atlanta Falcons @AtlantaFalcons]

Y’all … what a time

[Alex @asapgrennan]

They must’ve dropped an update for jalapeños because these new ones are way more spicy

[SportsTalkATL.com @SportsTalkATL]

Don’t know if I’ve ever hated a player more than Taysom Hill

[Alex @asapgrennan]

@espn please find a way to make any game showing on ESPN available to ESPN+ you’re killing me here

[NBA @NBA]

JEREMY SOCHAN'S CLUTCH THREE IS THE GAME-WINNER.

Spurs hold on for the 104-102 W 😤

[Spurs Culture @SpursCulture]

Jeremy Sochan tonight:

26 PTS
18 REB
0 TOV

Sochan is the youngest player in NBA history to reach those numbers in a game

(Via: @StatMamba )

[Mink Flow @currypistonn]

People forget Goran Dragic was the Heat’s leading scorer in the bubble until he got hurt in the Finals