If you were like me, you probably had fun last week with the awesome Twitter hashtag (or tag) #ThingsTimHowardCouldSave. 

Howard, the goalkeeper for the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team, very well could have saved the dinosaurs and possibly Mufasa from the Lion King. 

For those not in the know: Howard put forth a courageous effort for the U.S. against Belgium in the World Cup quarterfinals on July 1. His World Cup record 16 saves that day made it seem he could save just about anything. 

Sadly, that wasn’t the case. Two goals that passed Howard ended the World Cup experience for the U.S. in 2014. Give a lot of credit to Belgium. They’re a good team, and they showed it. 

However, Howard’s effort was social media’s gain. Twitter exploded with the aforementioned hashtag, with creative iterations.  

While Howard’s example showed levity, it does bring to mind Twitter’s popularity in the sports realm.

Almost every professional athlete in every sport has a Twitter handle (account). A good majority of them have been verified (or proven legitimate). That’s always good to know before following who you think is LeBron James or Adrian Peterson. Trust me on this one. 

In fact, if you wanted to go even further, individual teams and leagues have their own Twitter handles as well. Heck, even specific games garner their own hashtag. 

It’s even gone as far as the high school realm. Several specific teams in the Hays and Dripping Springs school districts use Twitter.

And why not use it? 

Vital information can be dispersed as fast as one’s internet speed can go. 

If you use DSL, well, I’m so sorry. 

It becomes of larger importance for professional and collegiate teams. Gaining Twitter updates on the score of a game or even the latest developments meet many people’s needs. 

Gone are the days where weekend workers rely solely on radios to quench their sports fix. 

As an on-the-side radio broadcaster, writing the above statement kills me on the inside. So it goes. 

Twitter is also the medium where the mysterious veil of pro athletes is lifted. 

Once upon a time, the best pro athletes seemed to be limited to their opulent country clubs and mansions. 

While that hasn’t really changed, Twitter has brought athletes much closer to their fan bases. 

Many athletes put forth outstanding, informative posts. Fans get a peek into their daily lives  — what they’re thinking and doing. It allows for fans to see them more than a point guard, or quarterback that’s paid a lot of money. 

Unfortunately, many leagues ban Twitter use before, during and after a game. 

And yet, I’m still waiting for that post-touchdown selfie to make its way on Twitter. Oh, you know it’s going to happen. 

However, like all things internet related, Twitter’s role with sports has a dark side. 

The ever obnoxious sports forum trolls aren’t uncommon. With that comes derogatory hashtags and tweets regarding a sports team. Safe to say, Twitter isn’t for the faint of heart. 

And then there are the athletes themselves. Thoughts or actions that should be private occasionally make their way onto Twitter. 

A note to future pro athletes: just because you think your all-night rager was awesome, your employer would probably disagree. 

Negativity aside, Twitter and sports are now a hand-in-hand venture. 

It’s made better when creative, intelligent people use it in the right way.