The Daily Dirt: USWNT cruises in Olympic qualifying opener

The USWNT kicked off Olympic qualifying with a resounding win over Costa Rica Wednesday night, demolishing the Ticos to the tune of 5-0.  If there was ever any doubt who would control the game, forward Alex Morgan silenced it pretty quickly.

That escalated quickly. WATCH: Alex Morgan scores 12 seconds in for @ussoccer_wnt. #USWNT https://t.co/yJSU1O5g3y

— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) February 11, 2016

It seems the ongoing spat with U.S. Soccer didn't cause much of a distraction for the American women. They'll continue qualifying on Saturday at 4 p.m. against Mexico.

A sports designer judges the controversial new Premier League logo [SBN]

The new logo is relatively clean, and it's receiving generally positive reviews across the Internet. Designer Fraser Davidson says, "It feels like a continuation and a bit of an evolution of the old [Premier League] brand. I think it feels simple without becoming too iconographic and I like the modern use of color."

Ticket price protests draw political attention in England [SBN]

"I think there is a problem here when some clubs put up prices very rapidly every year," British Prime Minister David Cameron said after being asked about the issue by a member of Parliament. "[They go up] even though so much of the money for football actually comes from sponsorship, equipment, and other sources, so I'll look very carefully at [this issue]."

Red-hot Alejandro Bedoya scores winner against Bordeaux [SBI]

The American midfielder is picking up steam for Nantes. Bedoya's latest goal — his fourth in six games for the Ligue 1 club — put Nantes through to the Coupe de France quarterfinals.

What's happening in The A?

Hawks vs Bulls final score: Atlanta stops the bleeding with blowout win in Chicago [Peachtree Hoops]

The Hawks stopped a two-game skid and picked up a much-needed victory going into the All-Star break. But the big question remains: Will Atlanta make a big move at the NBA's trade deadline?

If defense wins championships, how far away from a Super Bowl are the Falcons? [The Falcoholic]

The answer seems to be "a long way away."

Braves Farm System Ranked First in MLB by Keith Law [Talking Chop]

All of those trades are paying off!