View Full Version : Beckham comes to America and LA Galaxy
The Doctor
01-11-07, 12:04 PM
Quite the coup for MLS, plunking down a reported $250 million for the duration of his contract to play for the LA Galaxy in August.
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=399465&cc=5901
And there's still talk every now and then of Ronaldo coming to finish off his career in MLS. If they just keep Adu, too, the MLS might have some serious players to build some popularity and credibility with.
coolhand
01-11-07, 12:28 PM
No soccer player playing in the US is worth that much.
One of the highest paid athletes will now be playing in the Home Depot center in carson :laugh:
TKGAngel
01-11-07, 01:11 PM
Maybe with all that money, he can buy the Mrs. a sandwich. She's dangerously skinny.
What? No talk about Zidane unsurrendering? :p
WickerBill
01-11-07, 01:22 PM
Hopefully, they own rights to his image for that 250 mil.
All the haters are saying "this is the end of Beckham's professional career", because they feel/know the MLS is inferior.
If someone offered me a 300% pay raise to start mowing lawns, it would officially be the end of my IT career too. How could he possibly turn down $900,000 a week?
This is the soccer equivalent of Mansell coming to CART in '93.
extramundane
01-11-07, 01:44 PM
No soccer player playing in the US is worth that much.
Yep. I suspect this will do more for tabloid readership than for soccer attendance.
If it starts a trend of name players coming over before they're completely washed up, it can only be a good thing.
WickerBill
01-11-07, 01:57 PM
Most don't understand just how many Galaxy shirts will be sold now, especially in Asia.
cameraman
01-11-07, 02:21 PM
Adu's as good as gone.
Real Salt Lake seems to think they have him contracted thru 2009 at which time they fully expect him to run to Europe as fast as he can.
You heard something different?
Insomniac
01-11-07, 02:36 PM
How can they afford this in a league where a 250k salary is high? What about the salary cap? It's a huge get, but I can't see how it works out. They reportedly only offered Ronaldo 12M/yr. 50M/yr is insane. No athlete makes that type of money (excluding endorsements). Doesn't Ronaldhino make something like $12M/yr?
Insomniac
01-11-07, 02:36 PM
Real Salt Lake seems to think they have him contracted thru 2009 at which time they fully expect him to run to Europe as fast as he can.
You heard something different?
Someone will probably pay a transfer fee to get him before that.
cameraman
01-11-07, 02:41 PM
The Real Salt Lake ownership are money grubbibg weasels but they are not stupid. There is no way they are going to let that kid go. Well if the brits offered to pay for the new stadium, maybe...
coolhand
01-11-07, 03:22 PM
How can they afford this in a league where a 250k salary is high? What about the salary cap? It's a huge get, but I can't see how it works out. They reportedly only offered Ronaldo 12M/yr. 50M/yr is insane. No athlete makes that type of money (excluding endorsements). Doesn't Ronaldhino make something like $12M/yr?
I was wondering the same thing, Who is the money behind this?
It is a big sports promotion group named "Anschutz Entertainment Group" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anschutz_Entertainment_Group)
I still think there is no way this would have happened if there was no team in LA. I think they wanted to move to LA and Beckham can date actresses and his wife can be on the LA scene. Beckham knows he is in a weak league now and probably will party and not work that hard. This is like Michael Jordan playing for the LA Sparks
anyway, I don't care for soccer.
The Doctor
01-11-07, 03:30 PM
How can they afford this in a league where a 250k salary is high? What about the salary cap?
MLS instituted this goofy rule not too long ago called the "Designated Player Rule" (or the "Beckham Rule" as it was instituted when rumors were rife about him coming to MLS) that basically allows a team to go outside the cap for two players, one of which must come from a trade.
The Doctor
01-11-07, 03:34 PM
The Real Salt Lake ownership are money grubbibg weasels but they are not stupid. There is no way they are going to let that kid go. Well if the brits offered to pay for the new stadium, maybe...
If ManU want him, the Glazers and Sir Alex will pay whatever they want for Adu. Heck, the Glazers would probably build them a replica of Old Trafford if they wanted it.
Tony George
01-11-07, 04:13 PM
Soccer. :confused: wgaf! :rofl:
The Real Salt Lake ownership are money grubbibg weasels but they are not stupid. There is no way they are going to let that kid go. Well if the brits offered to pay for the new stadium, maybe...
Real Salt Lake doesn't negotiate transfers, MLS does. Adu isn't that special, he's very talented yes, but there's at least 50 Adu's running around in every other footballing nation, some pan out, some don't. If MLS reaches an agreement with Europe he is gone, RSL will see their rightful portion of the transfer fee, and that will be that.
I was wondering the same thing, Who is the money behind this?
It is a big sports promotion group named "Anschutz Entertainment Group" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anschutz_Entertainment_Group)
I still think there is no way this would have happened if there was no team in LA. I think they wanted to move to LA and Beckham can date actresses and his wife can be on the LA scene. Beckham knows he is in a weak league now and probably will party and not work that hard. This is like Michael Jordan playing for the LA Sparks
anyway, I don't care for soccer.
and yet here you are posting about the proper way to handle football dealings. and yes, he's here because he can collect enormous sums without the physical stress of a full european schedule. he can live in relative anonymity without getting mugged every 10 feet. he can continue to play the game he loves and try to help it grow instead of hanging it up. I'm not even a fan of his or MLS and I'm not bitching about this.
Soccer. :confused: wgaf! :rofl:
First time I've ever agreed with Tony Goerge.
OT - I went to see indoor soccer with one of the g.'s last weekend. It was actually very cool. I would go again, and I will.
They use a weird scoring system, 2 pt., 3 pt. goals, high scores, very physical.
They play in essentially a hockey rink without the ice. They use the glass to bank passes and to even "sort of" check.
http://www.chicagostorm.net/
They are very fan-friendly. They follow the earl's format - no crowds.
I would MUCH rather watch this than field soccer or (dare I say it?) even hockey. And I LIKE hockey.
WickerBill
01-11-07, 06:35 PM
A few years back I watched an English match and found I loved it... I had just never really given it a chance until then.
Most Americans won't get it. But there will be plenty who see it because of Beckham and find they really enjoy it. I hope the sport really grows, and I hope his presence and his academy(ies) in the States will encourage more American kids to stick with soccer.
This is probably analagous to Nigel's CART participation. Lots of Euros will be watching, which will elevate US soccer I'd imagine.
/non-soccer-fan-spouting-off
WickerBill
01-11-07, 09:00 PM
Edgar Davids in contract talks with FC Dallas. I would think, and hope, that an influx of good players from the globe, even if they are past their prime, will encourage growth and keep our locals home (Dempsey, Beasley, McBride)
Audi_A4
01-11-07, 09:14 PM
250 million geez think of all the horrible nasty taxes he is going to have to pay :tony:
indyfan31
01-12-07, 02:56 AM
That's a lot of money to get white people in L.A. to care about soccer. :rolleyes:
"He's rubbish," said Steve Didcott, a consultant mulling the deal from a pub. "And if you're rubbish, you go to the States."
:rofl:
However, even if he is rubbish, this will still boost soccer in the USA and USA soccer in the rest of the world.:thumbup:
I think his wife's career has a lot to do with this, but good luck to him, he seems to be just a normal guy who is very good at playing football and makes a lot of money doing it.
WickerBill
01-12-07, 11:08 AM
You've gotta love that. England scores 3 goals in meaningful World Cup games. Beckham scores one of them and delivers a cross for another.
If he's rubbish, Gerrard, Fat Frank, John Terry, Peter Crouch, and Wayne Rooney are worse.
Two quotes about Beckham for ya:
"Officially Beckham has managed the remarkable achievement of topping La Liga's charts for most number of assists — judged in Spain by passes contributing to a goal scoring opportunity - where he beat his nearest challenger by a margin of fifteen." - Tim Stannard, Football365.com
"According to the nanny who sold her story, Victoria used to scream at her husband: 'I gave up my music for you!' So, the next time you feel like slagging off David Beckham, just take a moment to ponder on how much we all owe the man." - Ian O'Doherty, The Irish Independant
"He's rubbish," said Steve Didcott, a consultant mulling the deal from a pub. "And if you're rubbish, you go to the States."
I think that's how we ended up with TrueBrit.;)
TrueBrit
01-12-07, 03:33 PM
"He's rubbish," said Steve Didcott, a consultant mulling the deal from a pub. "And if you're rubbish, you go to the States."
I think that's how we ended up with TrueBrit.;)
I'll ignore that snarky remark because I am too busy still giggling about this gem ""According to the nanny who sold her story, Victoria used to scream at her husband: 'I gave up my music for you!' So, the next time you feel like slagging off David Beckham, just take a moment to ponder on how much we all owe the man." - Ian O'Doherty, The Irish Independant"...:rofl: :rofl:
"According to the nanny who sold her story, Victoria used to scream at her husband: 'I gave up my music for you!' So, the next time you feel like slagging off David Beckham, just take a moment to ponder on how much we all owe the man." - Ian O'Doherty, The Irish Independant
:laugh:
I'll ignore that snarky remark because I am too busy still giggling about this gem ""According to the nanny who sold her story, Victoria used to scream at her husband: 'I gave up my music for you!' So, the next time you feel like slagging off David Beckham, just take a moment to ponder on how much we all owe the man." - Ian O'Doherty, The Irish Independant"...:rofl: :rofl:
Good to see you again. Don't wait until Cheney shoots someone else before coming back.
TrueBrit
01-12-07, 04:19 PM
Good to see you again. Don't wait until Cheney shoots someone else before coming back.
:rofl:
Insomniac
01-12-07, 04:20 PM
TMZ did some number-crunching, and that's a lot of money by any measure, but especially so when you consider that's almost more than the other 200-plus players in the league will make next year -- combined. His yearly take -- about $50 million -- would be more than five major league baseball teams' entire salary load for 2006, and more than at least one NHL team. Even Michael Jordan, who played his last season in '98 for the Chicago Bulls at the then-astronomical salary of $30 million, doesn't come close.
Anschutz Entertainment Group, owners of the L.A. Galaxy, is shelling out most of Beckham's package. They report that since this morning's announcement, they've already sold 1,000 season tickets. We're also told that Major League Soccer thinks it'll sell out Galaxy tickets for the season -- in just 30 days.
http://www.tmz.com/2007/01/11/is-beckham-worth-the-big-bucks/
devilmaster
01-12-07, 04:51 PM
the toronto drive time sportstalk show - prime time sports explained his contract....
10 mill a season base salary
10 mill max share of team profits
beck's 4 major sponsors - (one of is pepsi) are coming with and that rounds out his salary....
Gangrel
01-12-07, 05:47 PM
This is the soccer equivalent of Mansell coming to CART in '93.
Don't you mean the soccer equivelent of Michael Schumacher coming to Atlantics? :D
coolhand
01-12-07, 05:47 PM
So when is Brett Favre going to play in the NFL Europe?
WickerBill
01-12-07, 11:51 PM
So when is Brett Favre going to play in the NFL Europe?
He's not good enough.
(I'm being serious)
Napoleon
01-13-07, 07:48 AM
I don't follow MLS much, but wasn't Adu with Washington? What happened?
By the way I still have an official North American Soccer League ball in my basement from a NASL game I went to in the 70's. It really is too bad it is not more popular in the US.
WickerBill
01-13-07, 09:30 AM
DCU decided (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/11/AR2006121100920.html?nav=rss_sports/dcunited) their bench couldn't contain him any more...
Call me skeptical, but remember how much Pele helped the NASL when he came over? The only good thing I can see of this is that the LA franchise will sell every home game and the stadium will be filled with screaming girls. Just like a Duran Duran concert from the '80s.
devilmaster
01-13-07, 11:07 AM
Call me skeptical, but remember how much Pele helped the NASL when he came over? The only good thing I can see of this is that the LA franchise will sell every home game and the stadium will be filled with screaming girls. Just like a Duran Duran concert from the '80s.
Exactly. When the NASL brought Pele and a few other high profile stars, it sent the league financials skyrocketing without a parachute. And when it came crashing down, it crashed hard.
So the question now becomes, does each team start looking to bring that 1 good import by overpaying him? If Becks does make the Galaxy instantly better, then one would assume teams would start looking.
And what if 1 team owner could personally afford to bring in 2 imports?
Winston Wolfe
01-13-07, 12:06 PM
Exactly. When the NASL brought Pele and a few other high profile stars, it sent the league financials skyrocketing without a parachute. And when it came crashing down, it crashed hard.
So the question now becomes, does each team start looking to bring that 1 good import by overpaying him? If Becks does make the Galaxy instantly better, then one would assume teams would start looking.
And what if 1 team owner could personally afford to bring in 2 imports?
the old NASL New York Cosmos has the "Dream Team" of Pele, Franz Beckenbauer and Giorgio Cinaglia (sp?) and then the L.A. Aztecs signed George Best (well past his prime and with his original liver in tact) and then Johan Cryuff.... AEG is all about high profile "*entertainment* and marketing. Heck if you saw what they were doing (and spending) in Downtown LA near the Staples Center, you'd be somewhat amazed \ impressed \ confused. A very close friend has a higher level mgmt position with the Staples Center and will also be involved in their new Kodak Theatre styled entertainment area across the street.
AEG is not afraid to spend the dough, that is for sure. Bringing Beckham here is a marketing ploy guaranteed to get soccer on the front pages of sports and plenty of light on US soccer for the interim.... wait until Beckham scores his first goal....Every highlight sports show will have a lead story. Advertisers will be happy, as will many of the other teams in the league when Becks and the rest of the "whatchamacallits" come to town...:D
Cruyff, Best, Beckenbauer, Chinaglia, Pele, good times.
it's been a couple of generations since, people my age grew up playing as much soccer as little league, my little cousins have grown up watching the european leagues on top of that, it's a completely different sports landscape than it was 30 years ago.
NASL collapsed but it's 100% responsible for the sport's growth and current state in the country. back in y'alls day, you'd play football and baseball or basketball, i have friends that would be all-district in football or basketball, as well as in soccer. The general awareness of the sport is in a completely different universe than it was in the NASL days.
I'm not a becks fan, but when the Galaxy comes to Frisco or Robertson Stadium, I'm there.
eiregosod
01-13-07, 10:49 PM
You've gotta love that. England scores 3 goals in meaningful World Cup games. Beckham scores one of them and delivers a cross for another.
If he's rubbish, Gerrard, Fat Frank, John Terry, Peter Crouch, and Wayne Rooney are worse.
Two quotes about Beckham for ya:
"Officially Beckham has managed the remarkable achievement of topping La Liga's charts for most number of assists — judged in Spain by passes contributing to a goal scoring opportunity - where he beat his nearest challenger by a margin of fifteen." - Tim Stannard, Football365.com
"According to the nanny who sold her story, Victoria used to scream at her husband: 'I gave up my music for you!' So, the next time you feel like slagging off David Beckham, just take a moment to ponder on how much we all owe the man." - Ian O'Doherty, The Irish Independant
Beckham plays well when those around him pay well. he's not the kind of player who could carry a team single handed. His passing and crossing is world cass his ability to tackle and run past players are major deficiencies.
Now that beckham is in LA, I'm sure the entertainment networks will be opening slots for him and his wife.
http://nydailynews.com/front/story/488357p-411202c.html
Scientology's chief cheerleader Tom Cruise helped tempt David Beckham to L.A., fueling speculation the soccer ace and his wife may become the church's next celebrity converts.
Beckham said yesterday a late-night phone chat with the "Mission: Impossible" star helped seal his decision to move stateside.
The soccer great and his wife, Victoria (Posh Spice) Beckham, are close buddies with Cruise and his spouse, Katie Holmes.
"I talked with [Cruise] for about an hour last night and an hour the night before," Beckham said at a news conference held yesterday to discuss his five-year, $250 million deal with the Los Angeles Galaxy.
"I asked him for his advice. ... He's a very wise man and a very good friend of mine. To have his experience and have him explain some things to me, that's a big favor," Beckham said.
And for those who have never seen it...
South Park - The Truth About Scientology (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajBlH8oXk3U)
eiregosod
01-14-07, 12:59 AM
http://nydailynews.com/front/story/488357p-411202c.html
And for those who have never seen it...
South Park - The Truth About Scientology (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajBlH8oXk3U)
the numbers in the church of bolloxology will swell. :(
too bad becks is 31, if he moved last year he might be considered to be the second coming!
devilmaster
01-14-07, 01:24 AM
http://nydailynews.com/front/story/488357p-411202c.html
And for those who have never seen it...
South Park - The Truth About Scientology (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajBlH8oXk3U)
'I'm not in the closet'
:rofl:
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=400071&root=mls&cc=5901
new Superliga competition between MLS & Mexican clubs, won't replace CONCACAF champions cup but $1M prize & the backing of TV Azteca, Univision, and Televisa.
also there's the rumored expansion of Copa America to 16 teams to combine both South & North American squads, something that would be almost as high profile and competitive as the European Championships and similarly played every 4 years.
Too much corporate & grass roots interest for soccer to fail ala NASL. It'll never compare to europe, but I can see it out-gaining the NHL 10-15 years from now.
ChampcarShark
01-22-07, 11:47 AM
Soccer has gained much more popularity since the NASL. With the creation of the new tournament between, always popular mexican teams, and MSL teams soccer will be in the news and available to more and more people in the states.
Here locally, three school districts are fighting to add soccer as a regulated sport and not only played during recess.
My two sons are in their school's team and we can see more and more white people involved.
Hope this opens the eyes of the americans and finally see why soccer is a world sport.
Insomniac
01-22-07, 02:20 PM
Soccer has gained much more popularity since the NASL. With the creation of the new tournament between, always popular mexican teams, and MSL teams soccer will be in the news and available to more and more people in the states.
Here locally, three school districts are fighting to add soccer as a regulated sport and not only played during recess.
My two sons are in their school's team and we can see more and more white people involved.
Hope this opens the eyes of the americans and finally see why soccer is a world sport.
Soccer has always been huge for kids. It's just as they get older, it becomes less and less popular and they either stop playing sports or pick a different one, for the most part.
Soccer has always been huge for kids. It's just as they get older, it becomes less and less popular and they either stop playing sports or pick a different one, for the most part.
100% disagree, youth soccer was non-existant in this country at the time of the NASL. The NASL is 100% responsible for that. None of the 30 somethings I work with ever played soccer when they were young, nor did they have any friends that did, they were asking me about this during world cup. Contrast that to my generation which grew up playing it, my generation which would have friends that are or were all-district in football or basketball, but also in soccer...
Insomniac
01-22-07, 03:54 PM
100% disagree, youth soccer was non-existant in this country at the time of the NASL. The NASL is 100% responsible for that. None of the 30 somethings I work with ever played soccer when they were young, nor did they have any friends that did, they were asking me about this during world cup. Contrast that to my generation which grew up playing it, my generation which would have friends that are or were all-district in football or basketball, but also in soccer...
I wasn't disagreeing or even commenting on what NASL did. Just saying that soccer has been popular. Maybe I shouldn't have said "always". For me always goes back about 25 years (as long as I can remember). Soccer was/is the sport most kids (boys and girls) play the most, over what are the more popular professional sports (football and baseball).
cameraman
01-22-07, 04:45 PM
100% disagree, youth soccer was non-existant in this country at the time of the NASL.
Were you even born then? Soccer was not as big as it is now but growing up in the NYC area when Pele was playing I can say that every high school in the area had a jv and varsity soccer team and the city youth soccer league was far larger than little league was. That probably wasn't true in much of the country but it was in New York.
speak with the folks at US soccer & former NASL officials. you say yourself "while Pele was playing"
coolhand
01-22-07, 05:38 PM
Were you even born then? Soccer was not as big as it is now but growing up in the NYC area when Pele was playing I can say that every high school in the area had a jv and varsity soccer team and the city youth soccer league was far larger than little league was. That probably wasn't true in much of the country but it was in New York.
Soccer has been around a long time in California too
WickerBill
01-22-07, 08:58 PM
The main thing is that when I was a kid growing up, *everyone* (Indiana) played baseball. Baseball was the thing to do. Of course, in the winter, you played hoops. But baseball was big business.
I knew about 5 kids who played soccer, and two of them were brothers who were born on a military base overseas. Now, my kids are at the same age, and there is a huge struggle to fill up pee wee baseball leagues -- hardly any kids want to play. Soccer clubs are exploding all over the place; our township league expands by about 10% each season (2 per year, spring/fall).
Definitely different now. MLB should be very worried about this, but they've done it to themselves. Japan and Central America will be far superior to the US in baseball in a matter of a decade or two.
^^^ pretty much what I meant. an expansive and highly organized youth soccer system sanctioned by a central organization such as US amateur soccer analogous to the baseball system with Pony & Little League did not exist at all. but now they do, they're everywhere, and kids everywhere play, and yea most move on, but there's still plenty who keep it up, various select teams, tournaments, etc. in addition to their typical basketball or football activities.
the kids leagues play under the same sanctioning umbrella i play rec leagues under even
chop456
02-23-07, 05:57 AM
"Americans have chosen their sports and soccer isn't one of them." (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/football_focus/6387649.stm)
WickerBill
02-23-07, 09:08 AM
So, 30 years ago, the NASL folded not because the stadiums were empty, but because they couldn't get a television deal.
And their choices were... ABC...CBS... NBC.
Now, their choices are... ESPN, FOX Soccer, Setanta, ESPN2, Fox Sports Net, ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, and many, many others.
It isn't 1975 anymore.
cameraman
02-23-07, 02:04 PM
Well the Utah State Legislature just forced a quarter billion dollar soccer stadium down the county's throat. We don't have the NFL or MLB to waste tons of taxpayer cash on so we had to make do with soccer:rolleyes:
So, 30 years ago, the NASL folded not because the stadiums were empty, but because they couldn't get a television deal.
And their choices were... ABC...CBS... NBC.
Now, their choices are... ESPN, FOX Soccer, Setanta, ESPN2, Fox Sports Net, ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, and many, many others.
It isn't 1975 anymore.
What about the "huge crowds" in those stadiums in 1975, the ones who paid to watch the games live, they meant nothing to the league bosses. :irked:
Methanolandbrats
02-24-07, 01:14 AM
I coach youth soccer from the U10 to U15 level. It's a thinking man's sport. Right there is the problem with acceptance by the American Public. Soccer and Formula one have the same problem in America........"there ain't no passin' and there ain't no scorin'. Thinking and patience do not exist in this country. However, the kids are not as retarded as their parents and more kids are going out for soccer than basketball and baseball in the district where I live. American football is still number one, but soccer is gaining.
David Beckham and the LA Galaxy played Sydney FC last night. Sydney FC 5-3.
Story (http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22834027-5014194,00.html)
A crowd of 80,000 people on a week night, and the match was live and on free-to-air.
Publicitywise, Beckham is worth every cent.
opinionated ow
11-27-07, 05:18 PM
should have been 5-2. the galaxy's last goal was not real, the player was offside.
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