Dustin Pollard

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The American Soccer Revolution

Soccer's popularity in the United States is growing faster than a Usain Bolt 100 meter dash. 

With the World Cup coming to an end, the frequent question about if Americans will start embracing the sport is becoming more of a reality than an uncertainty. 

Helping the cause was team USA surprising many experts by making it out of group play that featured Germany, Ghana and Portugal. 

Team USA Goalkeeper Tim Howard makes a save in the World Cup match versus Belgium on July 1, 2014. photo courtesy of Getty Images

Although, there will be doubters saying the same question "Does America care about soccer?" gets asked every four years when the World Cup rolls around, but there's reason to believe soccer is becoming more popular in America. 

The 2014 World Cup is estimated to have increased by 21 percent over the 2010 games, according to the website TV by the numbers. Contests in which the U.S. competed against Portugal, Germany and Belgium all drew   eight-digit viewership. 

In the 56 markets that were measured by Nielsen, the U.S. v. Belgium match drew an impressive 9.6 rating, according to Grantland.com. 

Soccer is not just making a leap in numbers for the World Cup either, the MLS, which is the premier U.S. soccer league is growing as well. 

Just a decade ago the MLS had 10 teams and was facing bankrupt but it boasts 19 clubs with two more on the way, according to Forbes. 

Average attendance rates at MLS games now mirror those of the NHL and  NBA, according to Huffington Post. 

An important factor in the growth of soccer is that the sport most passionate fan bases are young adults (age 18-29) and Hispanics. Twenty-six percent of Hispanics say soccer is their favorite sport, which is the highest percentage of any sport, according to Huffington Post. 

And the Hispanic population in America is expected to triple by 2050, according to projections by the Pew Research Center. 

Evidence definitely shows soccer will and is becoming a major factor in America. Maybe experts will now stop being surprised when team USA makes it to the round of 16.

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Spurs success helping international players

Thursday night the Cleveland Cavilers selected Kansas forward Andrew Wiggins with the first pick of the NBA draft, making it the second year in a row a Canadian player was picked number one overall. 

Two picks later and the Philadelphia 76ers decided on Cameroon native and Kansas center Joel Embiid and the next pick was Australian point guard Dante Exum. 

Thirty percent of the first round picks were foreign and with the globalization of the NBA since the "Michael Jordan Era" it looks like the trend will continue. 

The 2014 NBA Champions San Antonio Spurs boast an NBA record 10 foreign born players on their roster.

There was 92 international players on an NBA roster on opening night of the 2013-2014 roster, according to probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com.

It seems like other NBA franchises are trying to duplicate the success the Spurs have had since the 1998 (the year power forward Tim Duncan was drafted). 

This is not just a trend in the professional level either as two of UNA's projected starters for the 2014-2015 are international: Australian Nathan Spehr and Croatian Jere Vucica. 

As the sport of basketball grows in popularity around the world look for more international players to be playing in the NBA and in college. 

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Is it time for an upgrade?

The NBA Finals this week provided the audience plenty of headlines such the Spurs domination, Heat's fall from the throne and the breakout performance by small forward Kawhi Leonard. But one of the biggest stories was game one AKA the "Cramp Game." 

The AT&T Center's air condition broke and players were faced with competing against each other in 90 degree temperatures. This predicament caused superstar LeBron James to go down in the fourth quarter with a cramp. 

After exiting the game with 7:31 left in the game because of cramping but then returned with 3:59 left only leave again for good. 

Standing at 6'8" and weighing 260 pounds, James is without a doubt one of the most gifted physical specimens in the world. But in the first game of the series James was no match for the heat (oh the irony).

Future NBA Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant, often depicted as James' rival,  offered his two cents on the situation by saying athletes should be about to choose their sports drink, instead of being forced to drink what the team is sponsored by. 

Gatorade reportedly pays the NBA $18 million a year to be the association's "official sports drink."(via deadspin.com)

But was Bryant merely trying to promote his own brand? As Bryant owns more than 10 percent of new sports drink called Body Armor, according to Forbes.com.

Body Armor is definitely trying to make it's mark against the younger generation as they have already endorsed athletes such as Kevin Love, Mike Trout and Andrew Luck. 

Not a single one of these athletes is over the age of 25.

Body Armor is trying to be the Under Armour of sports drinks if you ask me. 

The company launched in 2011 and sales have more than doubled the last two years according to Forbes. 

Body Armor contains two and a half times more electrolytes than Gatorade, is made with coconut water and  has natural flavors, according to the website. 

Photo provided by drinkbodyarmor.com

It will be interesting to see if Body Armor will make it's way to sponsoring major sporting teams and what impact it will have on the games. 

I bet money James is wondering if Body Armor would have made a difference in the first game of the Finals. 

The young athletes have switched to the new product maybe leagues should too? 

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McKinnon inducted to Hall of Fame

Former UNA player and 1995 Harlon Hill Trophy winner Ronald McKinnon was inducted into the Gulf South Conference's Inaugural Hall of Fame this past week. 

McKinnon was a four-year starter (1992-95) for the Lions at linebacker where he helped lead the team to three straight Division II National Championships. 

Photo Courtesy of elba-clipper.com

To this day McKinnon is the lone defensive player in Division II history to win the Harlon Hill Trophy. 

After his stint with the Lions, McKinnon had a successful NFL tenure recording over 1,000 career tackles. 

In 2007 he was inducted into the Division II Hall of Fame and the next year he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. 

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Former UNA pitcher off to roaring start

San Francisco Giants pitcher Sergio Romo. Photo Courtesy of espn.com

San Francisco Giants reliever Sergio Romo has become one of the MLB's best closers in the league since the end of the 2012 season. 

In the 2012 postseason Romo helped guide the Giants with four saves and a 0.84 Earned Run Average to their seventh World Series title and second in three years. (stats provided by baseball-reference.com)

Romo's success in the big leagues has continued since then, and as of June 3, 2014 he is tied for the MLB lead in saves with 17.

His pitching ability should not be a surprise to most UNA baseball fans as he was named First-Team All-Gulf South Conference in 2004, his lone season with the Lions. 

Even on a team that has All-Star capable players in the lineup and in the pitching rotation some people are calling Romo the Giants best player.

San Francisco currently has the best record in the MLB (37-21) and have a seven game lead in the NL West over the Los Angeles Dodgers, a team that was a popular preseason pick to win the World Series.