Hear Me Out...Column Buffet: A little soccer, a little NBA

We're on the cusp of the dog days of summer for sports news, the point in the sports calendar where the new and interesting topics slow to a trickle. After the NBA offseason, or once the big names have decided on a new team, this part of the year there's only baseball left, which doesn't get interesting until August.

The World Cup will do its part to keep things fresh during this stretch but we're in the knockout rounds with the games becoming fewer. So it's time to bust out the column buffet.

For those new to the column buffet, I basically give my thoughts on two to three topics going on in the world of sports.

WORLD CUP

I'm going to be honest, I haven't seen a single live minute of any World Cup game. When it comes to soccer if the Worland Warriors, Lady Warriors or US National teams aren't playing, my interest in the sport is nonexistent. But, while I haven't been watching the games, I have been following the tournament through Twitter and the AP Wire.

Following the tournament on Twitter is awesome. You see the highlights from every game with the calls coming from each nation's broadcast teams. You don't have to speak Korean to know what euphoric joy sounds like, or if you're German, devastating heartbreak.

There's also bad blood between fans that runs deeper than soccer, especially, when you have intercontinental teams battling it out. Because 600 years ago someone burnt another's village to the ground and they never forgot. Overall, Germany and England have taken the most heat for their country's past behavior.

The bad blood is fun to watch but I'd say the best part is when you see fans from different countries celebrating with each other. This usually happens during the group stage when teams need help making the knockout round. The best example of this was when South Korea beat Germany 2-0, knocking out the defending champs. South Korea's win allowed for Mexico to move on. In a clip that went viral, a group of Mexico fans ran into a South Korean fan and proceeded to carry him around like he was a hero. It was awesome.

HOPE SOLO

Sticking with soccer, US Women's National Soccer Team legend Hope Solo caused a stir Thursday when she said youth soccer "has become a rich, white kid sport." Obviously, with a quote like that, that's going to be the headline for every site that runs a story.

It's easy to see that headline and say Solo is a jerk and move on without ever reading the story. But here is what she said in full when talking about the struggles of the men's national team and why they have a hard time finding talent.

"You have to look at why have our U.S. men not qualified for the World Cup? And it goes back to our youth system. And it's because we are alienating so much talent in the youth system, and it breaks my heart because these kids are passionate about the game and they are filled with great skill, yet they're being told if you don't have the money, you can't represent your country."

"That obviously alienates so many communities, including Hispanic communities, the black communities, the rural communities and under-represented communities. Soccer, right now, has become a rich, white kid sport."

Solo went on to say it cost a player's family $15,000 a year to play youth soccer. The $15,000 figure is referring to the elite level of youth and traveling soccer teams and camps, she's not saying youth soccer as a whole cost $15,000. While people were bashing her for the hyperbole of "rich, white kid," I think they missed the point of what she was saying.

That being the high cost of elite camps and traveling teams are dissuading players from continuing to play the sport, therefore limiting the talent pool for the national team to select from.

Another US soccer legend Landon Donovan shared the same sentiments a while back saying, "Soccer has become a sport that only wealthy people can play. If you're a parent who makes $30,000, $40,000 a year, how can you possibly afford to pay $3,000-$4,000 to play soccer?"

With the UMNT recent failures maybe we should give some thought to what Solo and Donovan are saying. At its base soccer isn't an expensive sport, between football, baseball and basketball it's the cheapest, but it's the cost at the elite level in their youth ranks that's pushing promising athletes away.

A quick Google search of youth traveling soccer cost and it is story after story of families dropping anywhere from $9,000 to $20,000 a year just so their kid(s) have a shot at making the next level.

Football, baseball and basketball are more expensive sports but at their youth levels, they seem to do a better job of finding a way to make ends meet, either by offering player's scholarships, finding a booster-type supporter or fundraising. Certainly, there are kids that will fall through the cracks but those three try their hardest to bring in the best talent.

Thankfully in Wyoming, we don't have this problem but if the USMNT wants to avoid the embarrassment of missing another World Cup. Maybe the US Soccer Federation should pay closer attention to their farm system.

NBA FREE AGENCY

Free agency beings tomorrow and I fully expect to wake up Sunday morning to NBA Twitter set ablaze by LeBron's decision. Does he go to LA or does he stay in Cleveland is anyone's guess? Then once he decides where he wants to play, who is coming to join him?

I've seen some speculation that he'd be fine going to the LA Lakers and being the only superstar but I'm not buying it. The West isn't as scary as it used to be but it's still a tough conference and you need at least two superstar talents to compete, Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram just aren't there yet. He's going to need another wingman.

I still think LeBron stays with Cleveland but I'm not as confident about that as I was three weeks ago. The rumor that he's going to announce his next destination by dropping the trailer to Space Jam 2 leads me to believe LA has a shot. It seems silly but LeBron loves the theatrics.

Of his options though I think Cleveland is his best. They have more flexibility with their roster, their salary situation is tight right now but with rebuilding teams like the Bulls and Hawks willing to take on bad contracts for picks, they can dump George Hill, Tristian Thompson and JR Smith and still make the Finals this upcoming season.

After those salary dumps, they can make a serious run at next offseason's prize free agent, Anthony Davis. Plus, if LeBron stays in Cleveland he can continue to emasculate owner Dan Gilbert, which is hilarious. Gilbert has even been rumored to say that he hopes LeBron leaves "because I'll get my team back."

There's a lot to consider in the Michael Jordan vs. LeBron debate, but having an owner, the dude who signs your checks, completely whipped like that, has to count for something.