Elected to watch Arsenal-Villa today instead of whatever the heck is happening in United-Wolves and my main comment on the matter is that I am happy for Anne Hathaway

The line in this courageous essay about her child not remembering her broke my heart. I hope she knows what an impact it had on so many people.

I read this news at least 14 times to make sure it was a real post from a real account on a real version of a real social media app on my real phone [complimentary] [????] [!!!!]

I read this at least 14 times to make sure it was a real post from a real account on a real version of a real social media app on my real phone

The year is 2049. Nick Saban is still on GameDay. The College Football Super League is sponsored by Emirates. Northwestern (3-9 yet still in the postseason) has won yet another bowl game.

So, if you’re an NWSL GM, you are not allowed to decide yourself — using all of the tools of a pro team’s front office — that a Player has a High-enough Impact to warrant a certain salary. But you *are* allowed to vote on a list that would determine that that Player has a High-enough Impact. Sure.

What a day for an NWSL News Dump.

Just a casual Pretty-Much-Exactly-36-Hours-Until-Christmas News Dump.

“We are trading 50 years of ‘gold standard’ reputation for a single week of political quiet.” www.nytimes.com/2025/12/21/b...

London City Lionesses have sacked their manager Jocelyn Prêcheur, with the newly-promoted club sitting sixth in the Women’s Super League table. Story for @sport.theguardian.com www.theguardian.com/football/202...

The Chiefs are in such trying times that they brought in Max Martin to play quarterback today

Hopping (back?) into College Football Uniform Discourse on this sports-filled Saturday: Miami-A&M is Adidas vs. Adidas. Only two non-Nike schools have ever won CFP games. Just a coincidence that there are four Adidas schools this year? Is Adidas making any noticeable pushes in CFB? I’m curious!

🌸NEW POD🌸 Annie, Ella & André discuss why this will be an important week for the Spirit's quest to re-sign Trinity Rodman. We break down each aspect of the saga – of which there are many! 🟢 open.spotify.com/episode/0ts1... 🍎 podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h... #nwsl #woso

I take it all back I’m having a delightful time!

Another afternoon spent watching Manchester United Football Club

SOURCES: The #NWSL board has voted to approve a new star player fund—internally called "High Impact Player"—to allow teams to spend up to $1M over the cap with a much smaller cap hit for players who meet criteria. Crucially: A change affecting the cap requires NWSLPA consultation. On @espn.com:

Time for Some Personal News: This is my last week at The Washington Post. I’m immensely grateful to have started my professional career in such a legendary newsroom and to have worked alongside so many smart, talented and thoughtful journalists for the past 4.5 years.

NEWS: The #NWSL board is voting on a proposal that would allow teams to pay top players beyond the current salary cap but with limits, w/the hope that it's a solution for Trinity Rodman and other stars. Proposal still needs to pass. Details (so far) on @espn.com 👇

I love @fbref.com's annual year in review maps. Second year in a row that the Spirit is the most viewed soccer team page in DC! I would also love to know more about the diehard *checks notes* Paris FC fan holding it down in *checks notes* Arkansas.

"Guys. I was a Marine, okay? I got 200 people out of Afghanistan to Australia. I know a thing or two about visas and immigration." — Haley Carter, with a smile, responding to a question on the Spirit's roster construction and the number of international players from @ellabrockway.bsky.social

Spirit GM Nathan Minion on the Trinity Rodman talks: "No updates right now. We're continuing to work with the league, with Trin's representation. Conversations pretty much daily with everyone, trying to find a resolution."

Trinity Rodman has the blend of talent and charisma that makes a genuine star. It sounds obvious, but having her stateside benefits the entire U.S. soccer landscape way more than it does one single team. Who's the first person you see in Adidas's opening ad for the 2026 *men's* World Cup? Rodman.

this is precisely the core of it the whole reason to be in NWSL ownership is that you're betting on *growth* league revenue is already on a parabolic trajectory and it's reasonable to believe it can continue but if you want it to continue, you have to actually make some commitments to growth

The goal that Bruno Fernandes just scored / Wolves just conceded is one of the silliest Ugly Goals scored in the history of Silly Ugly Goals

Congratulations to Duke on its ACC championship

Everything about Curt Cignetti is impressive but his most impressive feat is that he has found success at both Indiana and Indiana University of Pennsylvania

I am spiritually moved by each and every Fernando Mendoza throw

Imagine telling your Dec. 6, 2018 self that on Dec. 6, 2025, a) Pat Fitzgerald would be the coach at Michigan State and b) Jim Phillips would be sweating out a football game between Duke and Virginia that could set off a college sports constitutional crisis. Time flies!

D.C. football/soccer/Whatever We’re Calling It Now fans: Saturdays Football has a pop-up shop on L Street this weekend! Tons of old kits, new kits, cool merch. I recommend.

ICYMI on a busy soccer news day: Trinity Rodman's agent Mike Senkowski spoke to CBS today. (From Madrid, he notes.) "When we pressed the league office for a response ... the answer is there isn't any rule that [the Spirit's offer] violated." League said "it's against the spirit of the rules."

Just a couple of strangers sitting next to each other, likely not discussing anything but the Men's World Cup Draw, for sure!

The 2026 World Cup draw is today. At the event — which starts at noon, airs on Fox and will stream on FIFA’s YouTube channel — national teams will learn their opponents for the group stage of next summer’s tournament. Follow our coverage:

There are lots of crazy things happening in this current era of college football but the Bahamas Bowl (played in the Bahamas) becoming the XBox Bowl (played in a practice facility in Frisco) might be what actually breaks my brain

NEW: Players union says NWSL engaged in ‘flagrant’ violation of Trinity Rodman’s free agent rights www.nytimes.com/athletic/686...

Hmmmmm.

Big Spirit announcement this morning. As soon as news broke that she was leaving Orlando, where Haley Carter would end up immediately became one of the big stories of the NWSL offseason. Nathan Minion, who was interim GM after Mark Krikorian stepped down, becomes permanent GM.

BIG NEWS this morning!

“Nicole Scherzinger is going to sing ‘With One Look’ from SUNSET BLVD at the World Cup draw in Washington D.C.” is certainly a sentence I always imagined I would one day say

Emma Hayes's face on that Macario goal said it all.

Cat Macario made that shot look easy.

In the way I would like to embed with Art But Make It Sports during the Super Bowl to watch him work, I would like to embed with On3’s social editors as they decide which singular word to put on the graphics in times like these

New On3 graphic dropped

Alabama deserves double the points for how well this worked (all while snapping with one singular second on the play clock!)

Many people are saying that Lane Kiffin is too busy watching Northwestern vs. Illinois to announce his decision

Wild stat: Kate Wiesner was the 30th (!!) player to debut for the USWNT in the two years since Emma Hayes was officially announced as coach in November 2023. Before 2024, the last time 10+ players debuted for the senior team in one calendar year was 2001. (!!)

column on jude bellingham and the media. race is an issue, of course. but it's also the fact that bellingham has no time whatsoever for the core belief of english football: that england is the centre of the footballing universe www.theguardian.com/football/202...

Happy Thanksgiving, Spirits! We are so thankful for our listeners and all the love you've shown us throughout the year. Thanks also to the Spirit players and staff for giving us such an incredible season to enjoy together!

The NWSL final between the Spirit and Gotham on CBS averaged 1.184 million viewers, making it the first game over the million mark and the most watched game in league history. Up 22 percent from last year’s final, which averaged 967,900. That’s a solid jump.