Beckham

[Miguel]

Re: Beckham

Quoting Jenks : "The generation of kids that are getting into soccer now and in the past decade are not old enough yet to have kids to teach them the sport THEY love and grew up with, which may be soccer."

so true
but i dont think soccer will ever replace teh american sports

[Lorn]

Re: Beckham

Beckham Smeckham

[GregWhelan]

Re: Beckham

For about 3-4 years Beckham, when he was at United, was a fantastic player (and I'm a Liverpool fan). Even now he is still the best crosser of a ball on the planet.

He's not much now but he's still an asset to most teams. However I can see why a lot of teams weren't in for him - can't see how his mind would be on the game if he's thuinking about magazine covers etc.

Also agree that he won't raise the profile of US soccer that much. If it hasn't caught on by now it never will

[digital_junkie]

Re: Beckham

This will be a never ending debate with real football, and why american sports are better or not better. Its all personal preference.

This will only help sell tickets, and any other merchandise they can for 5 years...after he is gone it will go back to the way it was....

If the World Cup can't get america interested nothing will!

[SyntaxTerror]

Re: Beckham

i played soccer until highschool, when i had to play football, hockey, track and baseball for my school, they were all better. they are all geared to where the team as a whole needs to play cohesively to win, in soccer, you dont, as long as you have a decent backfeild defense and one star up front, you can win. and the game of soccer, is just too slow for a game without breaks like in football and baseball. just watch the games of basketball and soccer. same principle of moving hte ball down feild, and putting it somewhere. yet, a basketball net is only 18 inches, and there are sometimes 50-70 baskets made, but a soccer.....4-5?

the real "soccer" game to follow is the brazilian verison that is played indoors, on a smaller feild, they use the walls, score more, and frankly, offer a suberb experience for soccer. i forget the name of it, but it was far more entertaining.

Mate you can pick holes in any sport, most of the soccer fans in here will disagree with your arguments, and throw back arguments as to why your favoourite sports are crap.

You're missing the main argument as to why soccer isn't popular in your country, Jenks hit the nail on the head... TRADITIONS AND CULTURE.

You don't see anyone arguing that grid iron isn't played in their country because there's so many stoppages, bla bla bla. It's not played because it's not a part of their traditions and culture.

Australia is in a similar boat to America. Soccer was never a part of my father's childhood, but has been apart of mine and soccer as a school or club sport has been reasonably popular, but never as popular as traditional Australian games - Cricket, Rugby Union, Rugby League and not to forget Australian Rules football for our Victorian friends.

I recently heard that at my old high school (one of the better Rugby Union schools around), now has more soccer teams than rugby teams, which I never thought I would see. And soccer is ahead by a very large margin.

I believe Australia's international presence in soccer will continue to get better and better, and shortly when it's the children with fathers who played soccer growing up playing it we'll be a force.

The same will happen to America. I guarantee it. You will just be a little bit behind Australia.

[kningl]

Re: Beckham

You're missing the main argument as to why soccer isn't popular in your country, Jenks hit the nail on the head... TRADITIONS AND CULTURE.
...
You don't see anyone arguing that grid iron isn't played in their country because there's so many stoppages, bla bla bla. It's not played because it's not a part of their traditions and culture.
...
I believe Australia's international presence in soccer will continue to get better and better, and shortly when it's the children with fathers who played soccer growing up playing it we'll be a force.

The same will happen to America. I guarantee it. You will just be a little bit behind Australia.

Well said. If I could add my 2 cents...

Traditions and culture are primary reasons why soccer is not popular in America. But if we looked upon baseball, we might see that the MLB is increasingly becoming a heterogeneous league. That is, an increasing percentage of professional players are coming from outside the US, from places like the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Venezuela, and overseas from Japan and South Korea. While baseball is "America's pasttime," other countries have adopted baseball as, if not a national sport, than a sport of increasing popularity. Baseball has entered into other countries' tradition and culture. How's that? And can soccer become big in the US like baseball has with other countries?

Baseball has become big in other countries because of the growth of talent, to the point where Japanese pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka can command $50 million just for the RIGHTS TO NEGOTIATE a contract. Foriegn talent has succeeded at the highest levels here in the US. Johan Santana is the most feared southpaw in the game. David Ortiz is today's Mr. Clutch. Ichiro holds the record for most hits in a season. The gorwing influence of foriegn players could be seen in the World Baseball Classic, where teams from the Dominican and Venezuela read like all-star teams.

When young kids from other countries see their native heroes striking out 15, hitting 40 home runs, stealing 50 bases, they become inspired. They dream big, emulating batting stances, pitching wind-ups...soon dozens, hundreds of kids want to become the next big thing. Kids see heroes succeed, and adopt baseball as their own.

This is why foriegn countries have become big in playing what is supposed to be America's pasttime: they export talent into the United States. Foriegn talent become big market-names, with big-money possibilities. Teams realize big-league talent exist in locations other than the US; demand for this foriegn talent grows. Meanwhile, youth become awestruck at their homeland heroes and strive to become like them. They try to meet the new demand. And the cycle cotinues.

Basketball provides another example: Manu Ginobli, Tony Parker, Yao Ming, Pau Gasol, Dirk Nowitzki...all foriegn players, all succeeding in a game that originated in America. Andrea Bargnani was the #1 pick in this year's NBA draft. Argentina and Germany and China can field teams that can compete against (and beat) the US. Just like in baseball, these countries grow in basketball culture and tradition because 1) they export talent, 2) pro teams recoginize foriegn talent and demand it, 3) kids see this talent succeed and try to meet this newfound demand, and 4) countries adopt the sport into their culture and eventually tradition.

This is why soccer will not be big in the US, at least for a generation to come. MLS is IMPORTING a big talent, David Beckham. Beckham will attract cameras, big names, money, endorsements, and fanfare. He may draw more kids into the sport. He may make soccer legitimate as a professional sport here.

But Beckham is British; he was England's captain for some 40 appearaces, not the US's. Soccer is not big in the US becuase we do not EXPORT talent (hence, the MLS importing a washed-up Beckham, or the now-defunct North American Soccer League importing past-their-primes Pele and Beckenbauer to try to stimulate soccer here in the '70s). We do not play at the highest levels. There is no American-bred "hero" for young kids to aspire to. Hence, the EPL, Serie A, all the elite leagues in the world recognize that America is (mostly) a soccer wasteland. Accordingly, at the highest levels, there is no demand for American players.

If Freddy Adu reached his astronomical potential (that he may or may not have), signed with Manchester Untied (or Chelsea or Arsenal or Inter or Real or whatever) for 20 million pounds, reached superstar level at the English Premier League (like Rooney or Christiano Ronaldo status), and single-handedly got the US to the semis of the World Cup...THEN America might get interested. Then we might adopt soccer into our culture and tradition, and run with it. Then countries might recognize American talent as legitimate, and demand it. Then young players might strive to become the "Next Great American player." Then America might stockpile enough talent to field an international team, and compete with the Brazils and Frances of the world. Then I might stop saying "then."

Until "then" (sorry ), the majority of Americans will casually dismiss soccer as "boring," "slow" and such. It's become an ugly part of our sports tradition, an ignorant part of our culture.

[Corven]

Re: Beckham

he is there plainly for his celebrity status and nothing else ... sure, he was a good player and the best in crosses when he was at the top of his game and he probably still is but noted that even when Real signed him they did kind of state that they signed him so that they can sell more soccer jerseys and they probably did during the first 2 seasons while he was there especially in Asia

for the money he is getting at Galaxy it is a good retirement plan

[Miguel]

Re: Beckham

^^^^ plus all the hollywood ass he is gonna get for the next 5 years ....

but really .. is a move to turn fans heads towards the game .... now that becks is here they want to bring ronaldo to NY Red bulls


the US Soccer league ( i dont know if it was MLS back then ) tried this before with Pele but obviuslly it didnt work .. lets see what happens now

[Drosos]

Re: Beckham

This will only help sell tickets, and any other merchandise they can for 5 years...after he is gone it will go back to the way it was....

Los Angeles bought him for the same reason as Real Madrid...to sell more tickets and official merchindise!!!

[Huggie Smiles]

Re: Beckham

this needs to be moved to the movies section now

[GregWhelan]

Re: Beckham

The thing is, I can't see WHY people would buy a shirt just because it's got Beckham on the back of it, I really can't see the logic? Can someone explain? I assumed most people were rational, why would you buy a football shirt of a team you don't give a s*** about just because it has the name of a half-decent player on it?

I love Steven Gerrard, favourite player ever and a legend in my eys, but even I balk at getting his name on the back of my Liverpool jersey

[Lorn]

Re: Beckham

People just wanna be cool.

[apollo_1444]

Re: Beckham

he just threw his football carreer to the toilet... the MLS? come on!! even my grandma is better than their best player.

[Lorn]

Re: Beckham

You should tell your grandma to give him a call.

[Miguel]

Re: Beckham

he just threw his football carreer to the toilet... the MLS? come on!! even my grandma is better than their best player.

dont be su sure, as if mexican futbol is any better