Pale Hose Jon Posted January 11, 2007 Share Posted January 11, 2007 Looks like David Beckham is going to the LA galaxy in a deal that will pay him 250 million dollars. http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id...465&cc=5901 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted January 11, 2007 Share Posted January 11, 2007 QUOTE(Pale Hose Jon @ Jan 11, 2007 -> 09:58 AM) Looks like David Beckham is going to the LA galaxy in a deal that will pay him 250 million dollars. http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id...465&cc=5901 Wow. This could be the move that mainstreams soccer in the US. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockRaines Posted January 11, 2007 Share Posted January 11, 2007 What a coup for American Soccer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rex Kickass Posted January 11, 2007 Share Posted January 11, 2007 Whatever, he's no Brian McBride. One thing that makes me think positively about MLS and pro soccer in the US is that we are able to get talent over here into our league... I think its a huge thing to ensure its long term viability. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LosMediasBlancas Posted January 11, 2007 Share Posted January 11, 2007 QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Jan 11, 2007 -> 10:06 AM) Wow. This could be the move that mainstreams soccer in the US. This has been his and soccer's plan all along. He'll probably wear the # 23 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chisoxfn Posted January 11, 2007 Share Posted January 11, 2007 I don't think this is a shock. He's no longer good enough to be the star of European soccer, but he's still enough of a star and good enough to be the entire face of MLS. I think the hope was that Freddy Adu could develop into that but he's vastly over-rated at this stage of his career (so is Beckham, but thats another debate) and Adu will be doing the right thing and heading to Europe in a couple years (he wants to go at 18, but I can't possibly seeing him be ready; at least Adu will get playing time now that he's in Salt Lake City). So is Beckham's entire contract >>>> entire payroll of MLS soccer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SleepyWhiteSox Posted January 11, 2007 Share Posted January 11, 2007 QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Jan 11, 2007 -> 10:06 AM) Wow. This could be the move that mainstreams soccer in the US. Anybody honestly think that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackie hayes Posted January 11, 2007 Share Posted January 11, 2007 QUOTE(Pale Hose Jon @ Jan 11, 2007 -> 10:58 AM) Looks like David Beckham is going to the LA galaxy in a deal that will pay him 250 million dollars. http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id...465&cc=5901 In the first paragraph, "Former England captain David Beckham will leave Real Madrid at the end of the season and sign a five-year deal for MLS team Los Angeles Galaxy..." The fifth paragraph, "Beckham's deal is reported to be one of the biggest in global sport, worth more than $250 million over an undisclosed amount of time." QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Jan 11, 2007 -> 12:08 PM) So is Beckham's entire contract >>>> entire payroll of MLS soccer? By a wee bit. Salaries. QUOTE(SleepyWhiteSox @ Jan 11, 2007 -> 12:19 PM) Anybody honestly think that? No, not a chance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnB Posted January 11, 2007 Share Posted January 11, 2007 QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Jan 11, 2007 -> 10:06 AM) Wow. This could be the move that mainstreams soccer in the US. soccer will never be big here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
watchtower41 Posted January 11, 2007 Share Posted January 11, 2007 QUOTE(SnB @ Jan 11, 2007 -> 11:39 AM) soccer will never be big here. I'm not so sure about that.... the last World Cup rating were not too bad, and I want to say I read somewhere that more kids play organized soccer than any other sport Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chisoxfn Posted January 11, 2007 Share Posted January 11, 2007 So per year he is going to make ~ 20 million more than the rest of the league. Wow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted January 11, 2007 Share Posted January 11, 2007 You can't look at this generation as much as the next one. We are currently seeing kids in school today for the first time in US history who have had playing soccer as an option since they were little guys/girls. 15 years ago when I gradutated HS, we didn't have a soccer team at all. Now you can start playing at Age 4 and play all of the way through until you leave for college. Now if you throw a face onto US soccer, plus having a full generation of kids playing it for the first time, and mix in that it is a truely neutral gender sport (there are huge followings in male and female scoccer)... You could be looking at explosive growth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsideirish71 Posted January 11, 2007 Share Posted January 11, 2007 QUOTE(RockRaines @ Jan 11, 2007 -> 10:21 AM) What a coup for American Soccer. I am back and forth on this move. Lets all get this straight. He was picked up for his name, not his footballing. His status has been dropping for a while. He was dropped from the English squad by McClaren and mid level Premiership clubs were after him. This move works out great for Becks, Posh gets to Hollywood. And his fame will go around here like crazy. Now from the good side, you will see for the first time people buying MLS La Galaxy shirts outside of the US based on his name. However on the bad side, if the league really wanted to become more competitive it would of sunk this money into some premier players and taken the quality of play up a notch. Watching the MLS flow of a game is almost like watching them run in quicksand. When Chelsea plaid the MLS allstarts they wet down the field, and didnt cut the grass in Bridgview so the weren't run off the field by Chelsea. For this type of money the league could of picked up a few top of the line guys who could of made this league a bit more competitive. Now on the other side of the pond, Fulham keeps signing US players in the Premiership. They just signed Clint Dempsey, have McBridge, and Bocanegra. And are trying to sign gooch for defense. Coleman is a good manager and gets the most out of a medicore budget over in the Premiership. So inmho, the Beckham thing gives the MLS its glory boy that Donovan isnt, but from a US soccer standpoint, our moves to the real competitive leagues around the world makes our country stronger for the WC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackie hayes Posted January 11, 2007 Share Posted January 11, 2007 QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Jan 11, 2007 -> 02:18 PM) So per year he is going to make ~ 20 million more than the rest of the league. Wow. He'll make more than $20 mil more than the rest of the league earned last year. But as for next year, it'll depend on what, if anything, other teams do to sign a star of their own. (Each team is allowed one unlimited salary now.) QUOTE(southsideirish71 @ Jan 11, 2007 -> 02:29 PM) However on the bad side, if the league really wanted to become more competitive it would of sunk this money into some premier players and taken the quality of play up a notch. Watching the MLS flow of a game is almost like watching them run in quicksand. When Chelsea plaid the MLS allstarts they wet down the field, and didnt cut the grass in Bridgview so the weren't run off the field by Chelsea. For this type of money the league could of picked up a few top of the line guys who could of made this league a bit more competitive. Exactly. I'm not going to watch one good player, probably going half-ass, against MLS-level competition. I'm sure the female demo will improve, but no sports fan is today any more interested in MLS than he was yesterday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZoomSlowik Posted January 11, 2007 Share Posted January 11, 2007 (edited) I'd personally rather see the league try to catch a few young stars on their way up. I don't follow soccer enough to come up with some names (one of my major complaints, can't see a whole lot of games in the US unless I pony up like $40 per league), but guys like Christiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Robinho a few years ago would be the general idea. I can understand the marketing appeal with Beckham though, financially that was probably the best signing. Edited January 11, 2007 by ZoomSlowik Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longshot7 Posted January 11, 2007 Share Posted January 11, 2007 Living in LA, I think I'll actually go to some Galaxy games this year, so yes, I guess there's an impact. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greasywheels121 Posted January 11, 2007 Share Posted January 11, 2007 Soccer will be relevant in America, but it won't happen as a result of this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Milkman delivers Posted January 11, 2007 Share Posted January 11, 2007 How the hell does any MLS team have that money to throw around? Nobody watches soccer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SleepyWhiteSox Posted January 11, 2007 Share Posted January 11, 2007 QUOTE(Milkman delivers @ Jan 11, 2007 -> 02:05 PM) How the hell does any MLS team have that money to throw around? Nobody watches soccer. Probably following the nasl template... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted January 11, 2007 Share Posted January 11, 2007 QUOTE(Tony82087 @ Jan 11, 2007 -> 01:43 PM) I'm just not seeing this as a move that will change much of anything. An over the hill Beckham isn't going to bring millions of viewers to the MLS. On top of that, are Americans really going to go out to the MLS stadiums because David Beckhmam is coming to town? I can't speak for real MLS fans, because I'm not one of them, but I would think they are knowledgeable fans, and know that Beckham isn't really going to bring a new level to the game, it's more of a publicity stunt. Are they really going to come out more because of that? I don't think just because his game isn't like it used to be, doesn't mean he won't attact a crowd, especially in a continent that hasn't seen him in person before. Look at the crowds that came to see a guy like Cal Ripken in his final go round... People will go just for the curiousity factor, and history shows it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZoomSlowik Posted January 11, 2007 Share Posted January 11, 2007 QUOTE(Milkman delivers @ Jan 11, 2007 -> 02:05 PM) How the hell does any MLS team have that money to throw around? Nobody watches soccer. The MLS has some serious financial clout behind it. It's run as a single entity, with major support from Lamar/Clark Hunt, Robert Kraft, Stan Kroenke, Jorge Vergara (also owns Chivas Guadalajara, one of the more successful teams in the world), Anschutz Entertainment Group (owns the Staples Center and the LA Kings among numerous other things), and the Toronto Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment limited (obviously own the Leafs and the Toronto Raptors). Capital isn't really that big an issue for the league, and advertising money has been on the upswing over the past few years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danman31 Posted January 11, 2007 Share Posted January 11, 2007 Beckham is still the best player in the league despite his drop off. The level of play in the league is really that far behind the top leagues and teams in Europe. I'd say the MLS champ from year to year would probably sit in the top half of the English Championship, which is their 2nd tier league as opposed to the Premiership. The MLS needs a spark because if they can build up some sort of a reputation for the league it will be possible to sign stars in their prime. The problem is that they can throw as much money out there as they want, Europeans don't dream of playing in MLS. It would be like an American or Caribbean baseball player getting an offer twice what he would here from the Japanese baseball league. Most people would turn that down until they could no longer make it here. Still, it's a step in the right direction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CWSGuy406 Posted January 11, 2007 Share Posted January 11, 2007 You know, I'd really like to be interested in soccer, but the MLS games that I have watched just don't do it for me. I know that they have a Fox Sports channel that you can order as a package, but I really wish someone (other than ESPN Deportes) picked up some of the European league soccer games. I'd love to catch a Madrid/Barcelona or Chelsea/Arsenal game, but they're rarely on. Also, boo Fifa Soccer 2007 for 360 for only carrying six leagues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chisoxfn Posted January 11, 2007 Share Posted January 11, 2007 QUOTE(CWSGuy406 @ Jan 11, 2007 -> 02:45 PM) You know, I'd really like to be interested in soccer, but the MLS games that I have watched just don't do it for me. I know that they have a Fox Sports channel that you can order as a package, but I really wish someone (other than ESPN Deportes) picked up some of the European league soccer games. I'd love to catch a Madrid/Barcelona or Chelsea/Arsenal game, but they're rarely on. Also, boo Fifa Soccer 2007 for 360 for only carrying six leagues. Fox Sports World is a part of a lot of digital cable packages and has a lot of premiership games on. I usually wake up to them early in the morning and watch them a bit (especially Saturday mornings now that there is now college football to wake up too). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZoomSlowik Posted January 11, 2007 Share Posted January 11, 2007 QUOTE(CWSGuy406 @ Jan 11, 2007 -> 04:45 PM) You know, I'd really like to be interested in soccer, but the MLS games that I have watched just don't do it for me. I know that they have a Fox Sports channel that you can order as a package, but I really wish someone (other than ESPN Deportes) picked up some of the European league soccer games. I'd love to catch a Madrid/Barcelona or Chelsea/Arsenal game, but they're rarely on. Also, boo Fifa Soccer 2007 for 360 for only carrying six leagues. Yeah, I agree totally, they do a few Champion's League games on ESPN now and then, but it's sporadic, and when they do show them it's often one powerhouse like Manchester United or Real Madrid against a lesser team like Werder Bremen or Dynamo Kiev, and they miss games like Barcelona versus AC Milan. Yeah, you can order channels for the various leagues, but it's basically like ordering Sunday Ticket just to get the Premier League, Serie A, and the Primera, plus you still miss a bunch of games. Unless I missed an offer you can't get all the Champions League games either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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