David Beckham - Let AC Milan have him

The L.A. Galaxy. A team that has ascribed to greatness with the addition of David Beckham. And yet the team has done an unremarkable bit of use of Beckham.



In 2008 Beckham scored 5 goals, in 2248 minutes. He had 1 game winning goal and 1 goal assist. He made 12 shots on goal for the season. In 25 matches that’s pretty poor for one of the top players in the world. Honestly Landon Donovan, a good player but nowhere near the top of the world, who played the same number of matches, had 20 goals from 65 shots on goal – given he is a forward. Still I would expect more from the caliber of player that Beckham is at.

The question though is this the fault of Beckham or the L.A. Galaxy? I would have to think it is partially both. Otherwise AC Milan would not have interest.

Partially one would have to believe that David Beckham is playing far below his potential. Now that could be due to coaches, teammates, or the lack of gratification from the country in general. And the last part is very important. Beckham is used to being a major sports athlete, a hero among the masses, and a headline grabber.

In America, soccer is lucky to grab 3rd place above NASCAR in local news let alone ever being mentioned nationally. So even in the most phenomenal match, using all his skill, he would barely be noticed outside of the fanbase locally. That has to be demoralizing to some extent.

On the other end, L.A.Galaxy is hardly the equal of AC Milan, or Manchester United. The level of play is severely diminished. It’s just not as intense. It’s like Tiger Woods playing against amateurs in the British Open; he would be bored of the competition on day one.

So should Beckham play in Italy? Should we lose him to preserve his spirit? Can American futbol improve without him?

Again I blame them both. Beckham is a world class player, and as such should be stellar in every match. He should be motivating the team and helping to propel them to a winning streak they have not had before. And he should be speaking to the masses, ABOUT SOCEER, at every opportunity.

Show Beckham in a US ad, have a soccer ball with him. Speaking at a red carpet event, talk about soccer. Doing something for charity, you get the point.

And the Galaxy should be lining up his time with events where he can talk about this. They need to get him in front of reporters every chance they get. And in L.A. it’s not that hard to find a reporter. Or paparazzi.

I am underwhelmed by the performance of Beckham. I had such high hopes of what he could bring to the Galaxy and the MLS. But neither have happened. So let him go.

Soccer in America can only grow if we nurture it. Given the competition for eyeballs in the nation, that means a battle. But I think soccer can win, if the teams and players work the system. There is a reason why this game is so big across the world, and if Beckham spent more time displaying that rather planning his next move America would understand it just that much more.

U.S. soccer - buying fans is a bad idea

Soccer in the U.S. is anything but a major sport. And there are hordes of reasons that I have heard for why it is not.

The game is too hard to understand – as opposed to the multitude of rules in Hockey, Basketball, Football, and BaseBall (pine tar??). Or that the scores are too low, or that the game is too slow (sprinting over a football field for 45 minutes at a clip is much slower than 10 innings of baseball right). The list of complaints goes on and on. But the honest answer is that America basically sucks at futbol (what the rest of the world calls soccer).

Still we have improved and gotten a bit of respect in recent World Cup showings. No longer are we the absolute laughing stock of soccer. Though we are definitely close to Canada in terms of world-wide respect for our abilities. And deservedly so.

But there is an effort to get that to change. With the MLS (Major League Soccer) performing slightly better than the WNBA – is that still around? – and having lasted longer than most detractors would ever have guessed it is gaining some attention. And the addition of David Beckham has done wonders for his bank accounts, while providing marginal improvements to the U.S.

Yet America needs something more. Something big to grab the attention of our incredibly fanatical sports fans. The MLS is definitely trying to figure out how to grab a slice of that pie. Fans of the caliber of say the chesseheads in Minnesota or the dog pound in Cleveland would assure success for generations.

Thus the Chicago Blackhawks decided to do what most American politicians want to do with the economy. They threw money at the fans. Not literally, but far more than figurative.

When Chicago’s right wing Mark Havlat scored a goal in the 71st minute (10 minutes into the second half), the only one of the game for Chicago, all the fans were subjected to a random competition. The prize was $1,000,000 for whomever was randomly drawn from the crowd.

The name of the winner is not known at this time. And the random drawing was sponsored by the Illinois State Lottery. Talk about having a dream. You go to the game hoping your team will win and you leave planning your next new home purchase. Tell me that won’t make a fan out of that someone.

Still I think the idea is flawed. Yes there is one family that will definitely go to every game the Blackhawks ever have at home, but that is not a fan base. Some people will show up at the next game hoping to win money as well, and a few might become fans, but that is not passion for the game motivating them.

Take the same million dollars and spend it on say having the top 5 state high school soccer teams go to 5 home games and 5 away games, all in the comfort of the VIP rooms. That will build fans. Especially if they get to take 1 parent with them. That’s getting people who are involved and dedicated a reason to get fanatical. It gives them all something to brag about.

Seem silly? Go to any small town in the mid-west and ask them about their football or baseball or basketball team. Without question they will brag about whichever team is the best for the area, and how well they did about whatever. And I bet that not one of the local games ever goes less than half full. Those are the fans U.S. soccer wants.

Soccer in the U.S. will always be marginally second-rate as long as we forget the fans. If I owned a MLS team I’d remember that big money is nice, but fans support whether you win or lose. And that is the real money. And the real success for Team USA.

Introducing the history of Brazil's Golden Age

So I was running thru the web on a few of my more favored subjects when I ran across an interesting article by Zachary Ball, whom I presume is a fan of the Brazilian national futbol (soccer) team. And he has every reason, as do millions across the world, to favor this team above all others in the international arena. Having read the article I have to say that Americans should read this to get a sense of the passion and history of the game that we just can’t play.

Now most Americans are probably more familiar with a few names that are globally renowned. If I mention David Beckham some might think of the L.A. Galaxy – not realizing he is a superstar due to England and Spain performances. Others may recall Ronaldo without connection to his years for Brazil. Very few can identify (some can’t even pronounce) Ronaldinho – one of my favorites in recent years. The boy can play.

But most Americans just don’t get this beautiful game. But if the game were more stylized like the following video, they might watch a minute or so



Sadly they miss the real beauty in the game and the rich history that exists. And it’s that rich history that Mr. Ball reflects on. The fact that Brazil is the best in international soccer and that they have been for far longer than most remember. For longer than most any other nation in the world.

Instead of discussing the current greats of the game, or even focusing on just the stars, Mr. Ball goes into the history of the team and their Golden Age. Starting with the birth of international futbol and leading up to “three greatest minutes in the history of futbol” and then on to legends including Pele, Hilderaldo Bellini, Valdir Pereira, Jair Ventura Filho, Carlos Alberto up to 1970. He provides the reason why this nation has won more World Cups than any other nation, and in fact several combined.

For those that follow futbol, it’s a wonderful summary of the greatest sport on earth. To those that are unfamiliar (that means Americans) it’s a wonderful introduction and an introduction to some of the greatest names known in the world.

Let me finish with this. Mr. Ball, you did well. [article found at http://bleacherreport.com/articles/21523-The-Golden-Age-of-Brazilian-Futbol-1958-1970-050508]

Major soccer star pulls a Spears/Lohan move - 9.24.2007.1.

There hasn’t been a lot of talk about soccer (futbol) in the United States since the initial appearance of Mr. David Beckham at the L.A. Galaxy early this summer. His lackluster performance was covered widely, bringing in huge numbers. But that was then, and little is to be found about how he is doing now.

Not that America’s interest in Soccer can be called meaningful. I mean, really, have you seen the ads for women’s soccer? The only reason the league even exists is because the men’s team can’t win. I mean the Ivory Coast outscored us in 2006 at the World Cup. Of course, all the women play better than me, and many others, but the U.S. leagues are still a joke.

But I didn’t intend to beat up on Women’s soccer. Nor soccer in general, though it needs a kick in the pants to get jump started. Beckham has yet to live up to expectations so far, and while there is more attention on the MLS, a lot is left to be desired.

Yet elsewhere in the world things aren’t going as well as would be expected either. One of the best players in the world seems to be traveling down a path Maradona and many others have gone. If this happens it would be a horrible shame.

I’m speaking of Ronaldinho. Watching him play, when he is on his game, is a site to be seen. The kid is good, top of the world good. And now it seems that’s all going to waste.

Reports from Spain are mentioning that Ronaldinho has taken a page from Britney Spears and Lindsey Lohan. Recent, and repeated, sightings in nightclubs prior to matches seem to match his lackluster performances this year. The situation is extreme enough that the club president and manager have both made public statements about his need for help.

This is a huge fall from being named Footballer of the Year in 2005. What’s next? Shaving his head and falling over drunk on the sidelines? I pray not. Hopefully someone will help him, and not like the half-hearted rehab some celebrities engage in. But only time will tell. We shall see.

Because I want to see more ads like this

David Beckham's first game at L.A. Galaxy vs. Chelsea - 7.22.2007.1

So we finally got to see Mr. David Beckham play. Sort of. After a lot of hype, the likes of which virtually no performance could have lived up to, the actual exhibition game with Chelsea was a let down.


Given that this was an exhibition, so neither team was pushing hard. Still The L.A. Galaxy looked bad. Chelsea was being quite nice during the first half. Not too physical and playing rather loose. The Galaxy had a decent chance to score a couple of times especially the header attempt in the 38th minute. Yet there was nothing impressive overall. And Mr. Beckham just sat on the bench, watching.

The first half was so uneventful that there were 3 interviews with celebrities in attendance at the game. Ms. Jennifer Love Hewitt was just filler, and had nothing really to say other than she was there to see Mr. Beckham and had never been to a game before. Governor Schwarzenegger on the other hand gave a nice plug to the sport, recounting his childhood playing the game (no mention of what position), and the fact that the entire world plays this sport intently, and his children are involved as well. But perhaps the biggest boost for future Galaxy fans is Mr. Drew Carey. Mr. Carey is a major fan, and was paying more attention to the game than the interview. He was also sitting back with the rest of the fans, not in a special box like the other interviewees. As he spoke you got his passion for the game.

Throughout the one thing was very clear. ESPN still does not know how to present a soccer (futbol) match. The American announcers were flat and about as invigorating as tap water. References to other sports just don’t work in trying to describe the game. Basketball terminology has about as much relevance as wet noodles on a pizza.

With the second half we got a bit more excitement. The quick goal by Chelsea told you that the pace was going to be decidedly different. In discussing the second half with a couple of people at a local bar I mentioned my thoughts about the probable score. 3-1 win for Chelsea. The start seemed right in line with that thought. Especially when one of the driving forces on the Galaxy, Mr. Cobi Jones came out in the 56th minute. Once he was off the field, the Galaxy just got sloppy and sluggish. It was a real surprise that Chelsea didn’t score more, not that they didn’t get chances.

A great example of the sloppy play was when Pavon collided with another Galaxy player. Pavon was challenging his own teammate, for no reason. All he needed to do was wait for the ball. It looked like high school players on the pitch.

Up until Mr. Beckham entered the game, after a 7 minute warm-up (which ESPN just had to watch instead of the play on the field) and a jog around the stadium, the Galaxy looked bad. And it was interesting that of the many, many shots of number 23 on the bench none showed him speaking to a single teammate. Even when Cobi Jones came out of the game and sat right next to number 23, not a word was said. Not even a glance at his teammate. Seemed quite rude. Perhaps this means there is a little tension in the air. Maybe it’s because the Galaxy season was altered for their new star player, or that so much attention was being placed just on him and not the team. Who knows, but I’m sure if it doesn’t change the story will be out fast. At the latest, any bad blood may be revealed after Kobe retires at the end of this season.

But Mr. Beckham finally got into the game with about 13 minutes to play. Considering that the score was still 1-0 it might have been enough to tie the game, if he was up to speed and match ready. But we all know his left ankle was not tip-top. And he played with minor interest.

Yet the Galaxy responded quickly once he was on the field. They got aggressive and started to do something. Xavier, who seemed to be involved in several critical plays, lit up. The game got a bit more lively and the crescendo was about the 91st minute when Beckham decided to actually play the ball and got a tough tackle, Chelsea reminding him who was in charge of this game.

So overall how do I rate Mr. Beckham’s first U.S. appearance? Lackluster at best. He’s a far better player than what we’ve seen. Injury aside, he could have done more. He should have been in the game far sooner. The 18 minutes he played were mostly ineffective, but the fire he gave the team was needed back in the 58th minute.

Will the Galaxy be a better team with Mr. Beckham? Almost definitely. Will soccer in America get a boost, absolutely. The Galaxy stadium was sold-out. ESPN made a point of broadcasting a Saturday night exhibition game. The attention is noticed. Now we just need performance.

Superbowl and super ads - 2.6.2007.1

Well Superbowl Sunday has come and passed and now there will be a dirth of interesting activity for some sports plans until August. Perhaps some will check out Mr. David Beckham when he plays for Los Angeles, perhaps the household chores that have built up over the season will finally start getting done. Either way the debate has ended. Snickers went mad, Mr. Carlos Mencia is funny and getting more popular, and Dorito’s has been paying too much to the wrong people to make their television ads.

I can’t leave out the fact that the Bears lost. I had no expectation of that. Given the weather and the Chigaco Bears historical ability to play in cold and bad weather, plus the defense, I was sure they would win. So much for that $20 bet. I was really surprised, as many I was watching the game with were, especially after the first quarter. I don’t think there has ever been such a high scoring first quarter. By the 8th minute of the game we thought it was just going to be a blow out. I have to give it to Mr. Peyton Manning and Mr. Tony Dungy, they really rallied and took back the momentum of the game.

Of course one of the other major events that happens simultaneously to the game are the commercials. There were some stand-outs, and more than a few that just shocked. There were also several disappointments. Schick, T-Mobile, Prudential and Snapple couldn’t even bother to give us a new television ad. I assume that T-Mobile wanted to recycle their Mr. Charles Barkley ad to highlight Black History Month, just as Coca Cola and Frito-Lay did. Of course all 3 ads were boring, forgettable and uninspired to me.

The shocks were more limited. If you haven’t seen the Snickers commercial by now you haven’t had the television on. I have to say that everyone who was watching the game stopped and gasped when that commercial aired. It just caught us all, and not in the comfortable fun kind of way. It’s the kind of humor that occurs when you see a guy kicked in the groin, when its setup and done right you can laugh and still get the discomfort it provides. When it doesn’t you are just unsettled. Everyone, including the women watching the game, were unsettled.

On the upside, one of my favored comedians, Mr. Carlos Mencia gained a lot of recognition and provided laughs for his 2 ads. The best of the 2 has probably happened to every guy at least once and we all wish we could have done what he did. It was classic. If you haven’t seen his comedy before, this is just a small tame taste of it.

Probably the best 2 ads were the Dorito’s ad made for $13 dollars [someone needs to hire the guy that created that] and the Bud Light ad with the axe-wielding, Bud Lite case carrying, hitchhiker. Hitchhikers can’t be that bad if they have Bud Light right? The next best I think is the take on Grand Theft Auto, ala Coca Cola. Very well done, and visually appealing.

Not much else to say about that really. If you missed the game, it was a good one. Pretty close til the end. If you missed the television commercials, I’ve found a site that not only has them all it also has commercials for the Superbowl going back to 2002.

This is what I think, what do you think?

What 250 million dollars gets - 1.12.2007.1

Ok, I’m annoyed. I’ve read and heard quite a bit about Mr. David Beckham’s move to the L.A. Galaxy. Much of the news has been of a negative bent. I’ve seen many debate the cost of Mr. Beckham, or question his ability. I’ve read many sing the continued doom of the national soccer leagues and even a couple sneer at Mr. Beckham and his use of the term futbol (which is the international name of soccer). Well here are some facts.

There has been international futbol, or soccer, competitions since 1900 (summer Olympics – demonstration only initially, official after 1908). The World Cup has been played 17 times in 76 years. It has only not gone on 2x due to World War II. Current nations capable of qualifying number 207. It IS the most watched sporting event in the world with over a billion viewers. The final in 2002 captured 1/6 the entire population of the planet in 213 countries alone. The U.S. has qualified for games 7 times, with a semi-finalist showing once in 1930, that is the best we have ever done. [I should also mention an error I made previously. The USA did play in 1990, losing every game and I had forgotten it. I incorrectly mentioned in a previous post that the US had not played in a Cup since 1950 until 1994.] Considering the status of the nation and our obvious athletic abilities (as seen in our dominance of Olympics and national sports) to perform so weakly is embarrassing.

That said, I feel the naysaying and negative attitudes of some against the MLS league is sad. Some have questioned the price of acquiring Mr. Beckham. As I understand roughly $150 million of the price is due to sponsorships that are attached to Mr. Beckham no matter where he goes (he will actually be paid $10 million a year by the Galaxy and he gets a percentage of product and ticket sales). Even considering that, the price is not that unheard of. While this does place Mr. Beckham in the number 3 position of highest earning athletes in the world it is not so far out of place in comparison to the $252 million for Mr. Alex Rodriguez (which I understand, perhaps incorrectly, as being without endorsements). At $50 million Mr. Beckham is very close to Mr. Tiger Woods who makes an estimated $80 million per year. Let me compare these individuals.

Mr. Rodriguez is very good, but he is not one of the greatest players in the world. He does play for the best baseball team (debatable I’ll give you) but he does not elevate the sport in the U.S. nor the world. He does not raise the bar of competition in the sport among its players. And to compare baseball, it’s a game lasts 3-4 hours on average with about half the players sitting about half the game at any one time. While the players are in great shape, the main exertions are occasional 90ft sprints and arm strength/quickness.

Mr. Woods is the best player in the world (no debate there). He has raised the bar of competition. He has elevated the sport and drawn the youth of the world towards playing the game. Everyone involved with golf (predominantly professional) has made more money due to his performance than prior to it. In comparison of the game, overall fitness is essential though some are far from intensely fit. There is no running or extreme exertion. A match runs about 3 hours. It is an intense individual competition.

Mr. Beckham is one of the best in the world. Even at his older age, he is considered a star and better than most in his position. He does raise the bar of competition, especially in America where there is no comparable competitor. He does elevate the game, especially in America where there is little attention spent on a game we historically can’t play well at. He does bring the youth to the game, and thus elevating the potential of future players. He does open the door for other quality players to arrive and they too can help to elevate the game and quality of American competition. The game requires a little over 100 minutes of play with starters expected to play virtually the entire game (there are only 3 substitutes per game). The game requires constant sprints across up to the entire 300ft of the pitch. The player must be in extremely good condition with high stamina, strong legs and torsos.

Simply put, soccer gives more and requires more from a player than virtually any other sport. That requires discipline, which most have in abundance at the international level. What doesn’t normally happen are team fights like in baseball and basketball. You don’t see individual fights like in the WWE or hockey. There is no reliance on technology like in NASCAR. Why wouldn’t we want to promote or see the growth of futbol in America?

So in respectful disagreement with Mr. Josh Peter and others that question the price and worth of Mr. Beckham, I say that it is easily worth it. Just in the same way Pele was worth it to re-create a foundation that Team USA was built upon, I think Mr. Beckham will cause future growth. Respectfully to Mr. Dan Wetzel and others that think a more WWE approach is needed to gain an audience I disagree. I don’t think that wonton violence (which is implied in wrestling today) as seen in the MLB and NBA (team and individual fights or those with fans – each of which is a new trend that seems to be growing) is the reason for fans to view a game. I think than many of the youth will be interested, just as Pele motivated Team USA players, and their parents, (I think) that wound up returning America to World Cup competition in a manner never before seen.

Rather than sing doom, wait and see. There is more than enough room for another game in this nation. The WNBA proved that, regardless of its performance. Mr. Woods proved it in golf (that did not have the appeal it now has with him). Maybe, just maybe futbol, or soccer if you prefer, will have the same effect with Mr. Beckham.

This is what I think, what do you think?

Beckham arrives, Team USA wins! - 1.11.2007.2

Finally some significant news for American soccer fans. For decades there has been a desire and rumor of international players coming to play in the U.S. leagues. Other than Pele there has really been no significant player for the U.S. Now things have changed.

I’m sure the performance by the U.S. teams in several of the last World Cups has helped us to finally get some respect from the rest of the world. Some would say that it’s just about money, that we have never offered enough to draw a major player. I disagree. There is more than enough money for any sport we want. We have been able to attract players for every sport, even those from China (Mr. Yao Ming) a communist nation that has spotty relations with America. The question is not money it’s respect.

For decades, since Pele was kind enough to help draw attention to the fledgling soccer league here in his final years in the game, the thought of American leagues has been a joke world wide. I recall the disdain that was shown when the U.S. team finally made it to the World Cup in 1994, due to the fact that we hosted the games. I think the disrespect was most evident in the fact that when Columbian player Andres Escobar scored a home goal that cause a U.S. win and the elimination of the Columbian team, he was killed when he returned home. I think that his causing such an inferior team to win was the cause of his death. That same disrespect has been the reason why no major player has considered joining the U.S. leagues. It would be like Michael Jordan, at the height of his career, deciding to leave the Bulls and going to play for the South Korean basketball league [I’m not sure they have one, but you see the point].

But with our improved playing and actual qualifying for subsequent World Cups has started to change the world image. Currently I think we are just seen as bad, and not embarrassing, with some potential. Lots of talk of Ronaldo joining a team here was seen as his swan song. Equal to a model ending her career with a Playboy photo shoot. But now we have Mr. David Beckham.

Still in his solid playing days. He can elevate the whole of American soccer. He can draw fans and create new ones. Sadly he’ll draw new fans from the attempt of the media here trumping him as some type of model or for his good looks and former Spice Girl wife. Still this can lead to a real competitive league. It opens the door for international players to come to America without instantly ending their careers. Is there a chance of seeing Ronaldinho in America? Never. Not in the near future at the best. But there are many others that might consider it. And the benefit is an improved league and a real competitive national team.

Some may wonder why this is so important to me. I’m a fan of soccer, called Futbol in the rest of the world. I am a fanatic during the World Cup. Readers may recall my many posts during the entire World Cup of 2006. I love this game. Unlike the Super Bowl (which I think is fantastic) or the World Series, this is the only true international sport. It’s the only game where every country competes and many have a chance to win. To be in the World Cup is to have bragging rights. It’s a reflection of your nation and pride. It’s so important that a civil war stopped just to watch the national team play.

Considering that, and the desire by America to be the best at everything we do, I am of course desirous of a national team that can beat the world. To win this is to be the best for 4 years. It’s the real deal and I want to see America win. This is the first step in that process. The $250 million is a small price for America to get some respect, especially since I think we have the resources to excel.

So we have Mr. Beckham, maybe Ronaldo in the near future. Who’s next? And once they are here, watch out. I think the Golden Ball, Golden Shoe and the Cup itself are coming with our grasp. Go Team USA!

This is what I think, what do you think?