David Beckham Joins Witness Protection Program

America isn't transfixed by soccer, Mr. Beckham or his wife.

Nobody cares.

And maybe that's the point, relief from media scrutiny.



Are either Beckham looking to become a movie star?

Unknown...

Actually, I'd say the million dollars a week is probably the point for them.

I might watch if games come on TV

I won't.

250 million is nothing to frown upon.

Yet the coming anonymity must be appealing for anyone long suffering under the tabloid microscope.

Lots of hispanics in L.A., right? Makes sense, hire a good star.
Still, the MLS is a long way from becoming an attractive league, IMO.

Look at the Brits - they've lost a couple great stars and still are probably the best league out there.

Most Hispanics (Mexicans) aren't rooting for the LA Galaxy.

That's probably for the best, you need to at least have some people in the world keep watching that mutant Rugby of yours.

I said in the Fantasy Football thread what else might be behind his move.
But it's worth pointing out that today's Guardian reckons other European footballers will be queuing up to join when they see the details of Becks' deal. And given the level of unhappiness with the rotation system installed by some managers, that could mean some pretty big names that still have a few good years in them heading Stateside. I don't think any promising youngsters will be interested, but anyone over, say, 26 or so might well calculate that the payday is worth the risk of losing one more World Cup chance...

26 is the peak of a footballers powers. Can you really see JT or Stevie Gerrard going to waste time in America?

Becks and Edgar Davids are both past their best yesterdays stars in 'footballing terms'. I can see plenty more over the hills joining them but not proper footballers who can still hack it.

One of the coaches of an American team, not sure who he was says that the league is of similar levels to the bottom tier of the championship and the top tier of division 1 in England. (Thats leagues 2 and 3 to anyone not in the know). Your not going to get proper world class players wanting to compete at that level until they can't do it anymore in the big leagues.

Maybe American isn't transfixed..yet. But c'mon, Becks and his Posh Spice wife are tailor-made for LA. It's just a matter of time. The ridiculous $$ in the contract are partially to garner publicity, which it seems to have done. Within a year these two will have pix plastered all over the place.

Beckham is still in good enough shape to play at a high level in the MLS, but the article is right in that one player alone cannot transform the league into something the level of the Euro leagues. But it's a start.

Besides, if it was "relief from media scrutiny", don't you think he'd have signed for fewer $$ and landed in Columbus, OH, or Kansas City (do they even still have a team)?

Sure, it's a gamble by the MLS. But I suppose if they're bound and determined to try and become a "major" league, it's something they've gotta do.

Beckham is slow and his best years are behind him, but he will still probably be the best player in the MLS.
He and especially his wife are utter media whores and that's probably why they are moving to LA. Which other footballer is friends with Tom Cruise? Mrs Beckham has always carried herself as if she was above any other celeb in the UK, and the Hollywood glamour is a reason to why she's moving there.
The football there is worthless compared with Europe so Becks is hardly going there to test himself. It's for the money and the LA glamour...can't say I blame him!

Fuck, if I were a pro athlete I'd be in it for all the $$$ I could get. Your shelf life is definitely limited in pro sports, so you better get what you can while you can.

The other stuff sounds all personal-like.

LAG are expecting the beckham soap opera and band wagon to generate interest in the MLS, and its quite possible they will - maybe not the techmans of the world, but the more media-obsessed will certainly show an interest.

and beckham sells - he's the most bankable sportsman on the planet, and while maybe not too many americans will buy the associated merchandise the 98% of planet that isn't america will, so LAG will gain popularity outside the US where the real money is.

hell, a tour round the mideast with becks will probably net them more cash than a decade lumping a ball round LA.

and of course if beckham does break america, the interest in MLS will increase.

Now just figure out a way to keep soccer from being so unbearably boring and we'll be somewhere.

thats awful lippy for a nation that uses cheerleaders in an effort to detract from the steriod-infused drug addicts, clad in more padding than the cast of dynasty and wearing more protection that red adair, frolicing around a pitch like sexually excited hippoes that it laughingly calls a sport...

European footie doesn't need dancing babes to lead our cheers, our fans can manage just fine without it.

Becks is got more than enough £ and $ already. When you are as good as he was for a time in football, you have that much money anyway that it is medals and glory you are after. Whilst he didn't get them at Real Madrid or the England national team he got a huge haul at Man United and was an integral part of that team during it's reign in the 90's.

Unfortunatly Beckham, 'the kid with the best football engine I've ever seen' sir Alex Ferguson isn't really about the game anymore and he's more about sponsorship. Gillete, pepsi, police sun glasses, Addidas. He makes more £ out of that than he does in his not very modest footballers wages. The story broke that one of the reasons he left Madrid was in the new contract they offered him, they renaged on a deal to give him back 100% control of his image rights.

It's easier to start your own cheers when the game is so dull, you must drink enough to be drunk off your arse.

At least our cheerleaders are women

It's because the football games are so exciting that the crowd gets going.
Clearly you guys need scantily-clad bimbos prancing around during the break to get your fans excited because the sport itself isn't entertaining enough.

Aided by vast quantities of beer, you folks would cheer if a squirrel crossed the field.

Beckham...he's the dood that's, like, married or something to a Spice Girl? [/Los Angeleno]

Its illegal to buy alcohol in a stadium on match days in the UK.

It's evidently not illegal to bring it.

Soccer has to be the single least exciting sport ever dreamed up by man.

Golf.

Ranks right up there.

Evidently you are wrong!