1. The U.S. Women's national team is currently playing in the World Cup and it's kind of a big deal. Even if soccer isn't your thing, just know this is the reason for all of the "USA" and "I believe" tweets you see every couple of days.
2. Basketball season ended in the beginning of June. Here are a couple things to know in the off-season:
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- The Golden State Warriors won the NBA playoffs for the first time in 42 years (#DUBNATIONBABY)
- LeBron may be leaving Cleveland... again. Yes, he just came back, and claimed that he's "home" and vowed to take the Cavs to the championship – which, to be fair, he did. He also claimed to be the "Best player in the world" two days before his team lost...
- The Lakers are going to get their mojo back next year. They just hired a new head coach, picked up the second draft pick D'Angelo Russell (He's a big deal, google him) and with Kobe on the way out in the next couple of years, he's looking to go out on top. The team is also trying to get some young talent to look towards building a better team for the future, so expect lots of new players being picked up or let go.
- The league's salary cap is set to increase in 2016, which means many players will be signing one-year deals this season so that they can negotiate next year. This also means that in the next off-season there will be a ridiculous amount of drama from team to team, with potential free agents like LeBron and Kevin Durant being able to negotiate for the highest paycheck.
3. NHL
- The Chicago Blackhawks won the Stanley cup this past June, then proceeded to trade Brandon Saad to the Columbus Blue Jackets for four players and a future draft pick just 3 weeks later. Many fans were unhappy to say the least.
4. MLB
- The MLB all- star game will be played on July 14, in Cincinnati, Ohio. This is a big deal for baseball fans; it's a deciding factor for where the World Series will be played, and it puts some of the best players in the whole league on the field at the same time to face off against each other. It's basically like putting all your favorite music artists of all genres in one venue to perform.
- The season is still young, so even if your team is currently plagued with injuries, don't worry. There's still time to turn it around.
5. NFL
- THE BEST TIME OF THE YEAR IS FINALLY ALMOST HERE
- Players all over the country are going to report for training camp at the end of July, and fans will finally get somewhat of an idea as to whether they're going to be watching on the edge of their seats all season with dreams of playing in the Super Bowl, or drowning themselves in beer and wings every Sunday.
-As of now, everything in the NFL seems to be status-quo. The Pats and Seahawks will be good as always, the Broncos are still strong as ever, Peyton Manning is still the better of the family, and the Cowboys are still playing Tony Romo.
- The 49ers, a traditionally strong team, have been in a downward spiral since the end of the 2014 season. After drama in the front office, head coach Jim Harbaugh left the team to coach Michigan. They're still stuck with Collin Kaepernick (#TeamAlexForLife), and it seems like they've had more players retire or be traded in the off-season than they've picked up. While they have signed important players like running-back Reggie Bush, they lost key players such as Patrick Willis (retired), as well as Justin Smith, and the prediction is that they're going to have a rough season. In the words of Raiders fans everywhere, "It's a rebuilding year."
-The Cowboys are still "stuck with/relying on" Tony Romo depending on your opinion of him, and they're in negotiations with one of their strongest players, Dez Bryant. The cowboys are expected to have a better season than in the past, which is something America's old favorite football team is really looking forward too.
- The reigning Super Bowl champions, the Seattle Seahawks, are sitting pretty. Marshawyn Lynch, the LeBron James of the NFL, shared that he was contemplating retirement at one point, but then the Seahawks spread out $12 million in front of him. And Russell Wilson announced that he wants his playing to "speak for itself" as far as his paycheck goes.
- After an abuse scandal, Ray Rice is not back with his team the Baltimore Ravens. However, after completing the court-mandated anger management classes and appealing to the NFL, he is eligible to play again. Rumors of where he could possibly end up include the Oakland Raiders, and potentially the Dallas Cowboys.
