Major League Soccer has had slow, sustained growth over the past decade.  Expansion into rabid soccer markets in the northwest and an influx of veteran stars into big markets has fully established the league as a stable quantity in the American pro sports landscape.  While that can be seen as a victory for a league that launched less than 20 years ago, MLS is still looking to break through on television.  The league's national ratings are poor and show little sign of making a leap forward.

To try and develop a wider fanbase across the country, MLS is launching a new original content group called MLS+ that will hope to give fans more access than any other league in the country through a new weekly magazine show and documentary style storytelling.  From Grant Wahl at Sports Illustrated...

Our double entendre quote of the year comes from Baltimore Orioles play by play man Gary Thorne when speaking of the upcoming Orioles-Blue Jays series this weekend.  The pitching rotation put forward by Toronto is simply the greatest thing in the history of sports...

@awfulannouncing Gary Thorne: "Orioles off to Toronto where they will face Dickey, Wang and Johnson"

— Mike Spohn (@Philsfan1963) June 19, 2013

And to do Thorne one better, O's radio announcer Joe Angel...

@awfulannouncing Joe Angel on the radio broadcast: "O's will face Dickey, Wang & Johnson. Shouldn't be too hard to get up for that series."

— Sam Angell (@samangell2007) June 19, 2013

Gregg Popovich is known for being less than forthcoming with the media, especially during sideline interviews.  However, after a crushing loss with a fifth NBA title escaping his grasp in a Game 6 OT defeat, Pop was in no mood to sit through his postgame press conference.  While thankfully avoiding the John Tortorella zone, Pop was able to work in a bit of dry, biting sarcasm in his answers to some obscure, random questions after Game 6.  If you're going to ask Gregg Popovich questions, best to avoid tired cliches about being tired and "coming with intensity."  Here's the full transcript via ASAP Sports...

It's probably not a coincidence that the NFL team that gives the most chances to troublemaking players is also more than happy to take part in quasi-controversial HBO reality series Hard Knocks. The Cincinnati Bengals signed on to be featured on this summer's edition of the show, which often reveals at least a few locker-room warts on an annual basis. 

But it's the second time in half a decade Cincinnati has volunteered to take part. The Dallas Cowboys are the only other NFL team that has participated in the process more than once. Does one of the league's least popular teams just want to make headlines or do the Bengals think there's something more to be gained here?

In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Serena Williams made some insensitive comments about the Steubenville rape case, which she is now claiming was a misquote.

Most of the article was your typical athlete profile with some vapid quotes thrown in, such as:

"Can you believe I've never been asked to host Saturday Night Live?" she says. "And I'm funny. Ask my friends."

But it was her quotes about the Steubenville rape case that caused immediate controversy with many latching onto her saying, "I'm not blaming the girl, but" and sharing her opinion on the situation.  Here's the quote from Rolling Stone:

After several blowouts, Game 6 of this year's NBA Finals finally delivered a classic.  And not just any classic, many who follow the NBA were calling this game one of the best in NBA history.  The Heat defeated the Spurs in overtime to force a Game 7 thanks to in no particular order: LeBron James ditching his headband and finding super powers, Mike Miller's missing shoe, the refs, Ray Allen, Chris Bosh's defense, Gregg Popovich sitting Tim Duncan, missed Spurs FTs, the release of bad karma from front-running Heat fans leaving early.

With what could best be described as middling ratings for Game 1-5, the epic Game 6 saw ratings go way up and scored a 14.7 overnight rating, the second best Game 6 for ABC.  Here's more from ESPN...

Three and a half years ago, the UFC sold a 10% share of their company to the Abu Dhabi-based Flash Entertainment. It was the first sale of UFC equity since Zuffa bought the company nearly a decade earlier. But could another sale of a much larger piece of the company be on the horizon? It might not be as far-fetched as you think.

Wishing injury upon an opposing player?  Probably not one of those areas you want to venture into as a broadcaster, even if you're joking.  That's what one Braves announcer (who we believe to be Joe Simpson) did with Mets phenom Matt Harvey at the dish on Tuesday.  Harvey pitched 6 no hit innings and the Mets won 4-3, but it's kinda depressing when the TV crew has to resort to "hoping the opposing pitcher gets a strained oblique" as keys to the game.

In the announcer's defense, at least he didn't wish a particularly painful injury upon Harvey like a torn rotator cuff or sepsis or something.

You might be getting sick of seeing this same story repeated almost every week, but NBC Sports Network is once again celebrating their NHL coverage. Specifically, Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals was the most-watched game in network history (3.964 million). Just a couple of days later, Game 3 raised the bar even higher with 4.001 million viewers. 

Game 3's enormous numbers are the second-highest in network history, trailing only the U.S. Women's gold medal soccer game (4.350 million viewers) during the 2012 Olympics. 

All Times Eastern

College Baseball
College World Series, Omaha, NE
Elimination Game
Indiana vs. Oregon State -- ESPN, 8 p.m.

College World Series Postgame -- ESPNU, 11 p.m.

College Basketball
Inside College Basketball: Draft Special: The Backcourt -- CBS Sports Network, 8 p.m.
Inside College Basketball: Draft Special: Boom, Bust, Blah -- CBS Sports Network, 9 p.m.

College Football
College Football Live -- ESPN2, 3:30 p.m.