Beckham signs for LA Galaxy!

[chorse123]

Originally Posted by ghulkhan

hes not going to change anything because if PELE coudlnt do it, then no one really could

I think a fairly compelling case can be made for Pele doing it. After Pele (and others) joined the Cosmos, they became so popular they sold out Giants Stadium. Let that sink in for a second. That's over 70,000 people. The NASL had a major television contract with CBS. The league was ultimately poorly run and waned, then folded, but there was huge popularity, especially in New York. And the sport has only grown in the US since then.

That doesn't mean $50 million makes sense, but I don't know the terms of the deal. I doubt he's guaranteed that much in salary.

 

[benecios]

Originally Posted by texas_jack

I saw an interview with him last summer in which he said he wanted to be famous in the U.S. I suspect this is just the start of his entry into american celebrity status that could support him after football.

I am concerned we are getting another style disaster role-model for american dunces.

I think "style disaster" is a bit strong my friend.He might not meet the exacting standards of this forum but as far as sports stars go he is near the top of the pile.If I had signed a $250 million deal I don't think I would need supporting after football.

 

[edmorel]

Originally Posted by Englandmj7

Again; an absurd point. One doesn't need to answer all those questions to know who he is. I am assuming most people don't follow his career path to that extent, as most likely at this point, even 75% of Europeans don't know or care what US team he just signed for, nor does it matter that most Americans don't know who the LA Galaxy are. The point is that they DO know his name and you are most certainly wrong about that. I have no need to go ask ten people as like I said before, I have NEVER met a person who doesn't know who he is, and I talk about soccer every day.

That is like saying you have to know what the Rolling Stones last two albums were, where they are currently touring, and every band members name to understand how astronomically powerful they are (in terms of marketing). Just because you think that people don't know who he is doesn't mean crap. Tell you what, why don't you go ask 10 random people who Tom Brady, Steve Nash, or Alex Rodriguez are and see what they tell you. If they get that right, see if they can tell you what team they play for. The common person would have no clue; I guarantee it (and these are majorly popular American athletes). How about Jimmie Johnson? Do you know who that is Ed? Did you know that he won the 2006 Daytona 500 and that NASCAR brings in more revenue than $2 billion a year annually in merchandise revenue?

Again, I never said he is going to turn the sport around, but you somehow seem fixated on the fact that 'no one knows who he is', which is certainly not the case.



Exactly; excellent point. Some people don't understand the draw of those obsessed with pop culture, of which Beckham is a huge part. When I attended a Man Utd. match in LA a couple years back (they did a promotional tour), there were literally thousands of teenage girls with photos of Beckham to sign, etc. screaming his name and going nuts.

Fine, you win.

I actually know Johnson and NASCAR , they appeal to a different demographic than what Becks will appeal to. NASCAR is also very popular here (How many people saw the Daytona in person versus what is the max that can fit into the Galaxy stadium?) unlike soccer so what is your analogy with them and Beckham/soccer?

Dinner at Spago does not a marketing machine make. MLS does not even have a major TV contract. Nash and Brady, while popular players, are essentially nobodys when it comes to star/recognizability power, not sure what they have to do to the discussion at hand. Tiger Woods is an international star, Michael Jordan was an international star, Beckham is a European star, big difference.

I wish him, his fans, MLS and everyone involved, the best. Just don't get upset with us if he does not become as big as Lindsay Lohan.

 

[benecios]

Originally Posted by edmorel

Fine, you win.

I actually know Johnson and NASCAR , they appeal to a different demographic than what Becks will appeal to. NASCAR is also very popular here (How many people saw the Daytona in person versus what is the max that can fit into the Galaxy stadium?) unlike soccer so what is your analogy with them and Beckham/soccer?

Dinner at Spago does not a marketing machine make. MLS does not even have a major TV contract. Nash and Brady, while popular players, are essentially nobodys when it comes to star/recognizability power, not sure what they have to do to the discussion at hand. Tiger Woods is an international star, Michael Jordan was an international star, Beckham is a European star, big difference.

I wish him, his fans, MLS and everyone involved, the best. Just don't get upset with us if he does not become as big as Lindsay Lohan.

Correction-Beckham is a worldwide star.Other continents do exist outside the US other than Europe.

 

[edmorel]

Originally Posted by benecios

Correction-Beckham is a worldwide star.Other continents do exist outside the US other than Europe.

What????????

Where?

 

[Englandmj7]

Originally Posted by edmorel

Fine, you win.

I actually know Johnson and NASCAR , they appeal to a different demographic than what Becks will appeal to. NASCAR is also very popular here (How many people saw the Daytona in person versus what is the max that can fit into the Galaxy stadium?) unlike soccer so what is your analogy with them and Beckham/soccer?

Dinner at Spago does not a marketing machine make. MLS does not even have a major TV contract. Nash and Brady, while popular players, are essentially nobodys when it comes to star/recognizability power, not sure what they have to do to the discussion at hand. Tiger Woods is an international star, Michael Jordan was an international star, Beckham is a European star, big difference.

I wish him, his fans, MLS and everyone involved, the best. Just don't get upset with us if he does not become as big as Lindsay Lohan.

I appreciate your argument and apologize if I seem heated. The bottom line is that there are $300 million people in the U.S. and that the 'average' person does not need to know who someone is in order for them to generate large profits.

 

[odoreater]

ed, I think you're wrong on this one. Go out on the street and ask ten random people if they've heard of Pele and what sport he played. I bet you a good number will have heard of him and will know he's a soccer player. In a little while Beckham's name in America will be the same - people will know who he is and what sport he plays.

As for the guy that kept saying Beckham sucks - it seems you really have an ax to grind against the guy. I'm always suspicious of someone that has to say something 10 times to get his point across. The fact that you say it so many times shows that you don't actually believe what you are saying and so you have to say it multiple times to convince yourself. Is he the best player to ever play the g ame or playing the game right now? No. Is he going to be one of the best players in MLS? Yes. Is he worth $250 million? Time will tell.

 

[Tokyo Slim]

Originally Posted by chorse123

I think a fairly compelling case can be made for Pele doing it. After Pele (and others) joined the Cosmos, they became so popular they sold out Giants Stadium. Let that sink in for a second. That's over 70,000 people.

Not to mention sparking the "take your kids to soccer practice" thing that suburban moms and dads have been doing ever since. Soccer was relatively unknown in the US before Pele, and now at least everyone knows what it is and is generally aware of how the game is played.

I still think the game will have a uphill climb becoming as popular in the US as it is elsewhere due to its relative lack of apparent action and scoring. Passing, getting picked off, passing, getting picked off, and the game ending in a 1-1 tie after 90 minutes is not something the US is interested in watching.

Beckham might help, but he's not the answer. A 3 minute shot clock and not letting the goalie use his hands is the answer.

 

[EL72]

Originally Posted by Tokyo Slim

I still think the game will have a uphill climb becoming as popular in the US as it is elsewhere due to its relative lack of apparent action and scoring. Passing, getting picked off, passing, getting picked off, and the game ending in a 1-1 tie after 90 minutes is not something the US is interested in watching.

Beckham might help, but he's not the answer. A 3 minute shot clock and not letting the goalie use his hands is the answer.


This is indeed the heart of the matter. No amount of superstars, regardless of how popular they become in the US have the power to change the nature of the sport and its apparent lack of attractiveness to the US public. That may change over time but it will take decades or generations before Americans come to appreciate soccer like they do baseball, which is far duller than soccer imo.

 

[romafan]

Originally Posted by edmorel

Fine, you win.

I actually know Johnson and NASCAR , they appeal to a different demographic than what Becks will appeal to. NASCAR is also very popular here (How many people saw the Daytona in person versus what is the max that can fit into the Galaxy stadium?) unlike soccer so what is your analogy with them and Beckham/soccer?

Dinner at Spago does not a marketing machine make. MLS does not even have a major TV contract. Nash and Brady, while popular players, are essentially nobodys when it comes to star/recognizability power, not sure what they have to do to the discussion at hand. Tiger Woods is an international star, Michael Jordan was an international star, Beckham is a European star, big difference.

I wish him, his fans, MLS and everyone involved, the best. Just don't get upset with us if he does not become as big as Lindsay Lohan.

Ed - You know your pants/shoes/jackets/NASCAR(!), but with all due respect, Beckham is an international star. Deservedly or not, he is the biggest 'celebrity' sports figure in the entire world. He is largely responsible for making Real Madrid the world's richest sports franchise. He may be less well known here in the U.S., but give the media machine time to do their job and that will rapidly change. # 1 Bloomberg news item yesterday: Becks. There's an 'old school' Irish-american secretary here, Bay Ridge born and raised. She's as meat and potatoes as it comes. Hates 'weird' food, bowls, thinks there's too many foreigners in baseball, wouldn't know a soccer ball if it hit her in the face, and all she could talk about today is how "Beckham's going to play soccer for the United States!" Skinny Lindsay's got nuthin' on Becks...

 

[Violinist]

There is potential for soccer in the USA. Pretty much every kid in the US has played soccer, and if other teams will make moves like this (not as big obviously), I think they can create a big market for the sport.

 

[edmorel]

Originally Posted by romafan

Ed - You know your pants/shoes/jackets/NASCAR(!), but with all due respect, Beckham is an international star. Deservedly or not, he is the biggest 'celebrity' sports figure in the entire world. He is largely responsible for making Real Madrid the world's richest sports franchise. He may be less well known here in the U.S., but give the media machine time to do their job and that will rapidly change. # 1 Bloomberg news item yesterday: Becks. There's an 'old school' Irish-american secretary here, Bay Ridge born and raised. She's as meat and potatoes as it comes. Hates 'weird' food, bowls, thinks there's too many foreigners in baseball, wouldn't know a soccer ball if it hit her in the face, and all she could talk about today is how "Beckham's going to play soccer for the United States!" Skinny Lindsay's got nuthin' on Becks...

Fine, I concede

. I hope Becks becomes as big a star here as Gary Coleman was. The one thing we can agree on is the Roma sucks

 

[Englandmj7]

Originally Posted by Tokyo Slim

Not to mention sparking the "take your kids to soccer practice" thing that suburban moms and dads have been doing ever since. Soccer was relatively unknown in the US before Pele, and now at least everyone knows what it is and is generally aware of how the game is played.

I still think the game will have a uphill climb becoming as popular in the US as it is elsewhere due to its relative lack of apparent action and scoring. Passing, getting picked off, passing, getting picked off, and the game ending in a 1-1 tie after 90 minutes is not something the US is interested in watching.

Beckham might help, but he's not the answer. A 3 minute shot clock and not letting the goalie use his hands is the answer.

In the same token, Americans are mesmerized by football with an average play of roughly 5 seconds and after that, 30 seconds to one minute of standing around? My main quip with American sports is that there isn't enough action. Or how about watching 500 laps around a track for a couple hours?....I mean, some American sports are as dull as it gets and people still love them.

Soccer is continual action, unless you are counting "action" as goals, which is a relatively flawed way to think of it. Hockey, for instance, is as action-packed as it gets, and most of the time, very few actual goals are scored. People appreciate the passing, the flow, the defense, the attempts, etc. That is what makes a sport. I don't thing "boringness" is why people don't watch it as much.
Speaking of football, however, I did thoroughly enjoy the Lingerie Bowl:

http://www.lingeriebowl.com/

Why isn't there a professional league for this? I know I would rather watch these chicks kicking each other's asses than seeing a 375 lb. sweaty man do the same. Is America inherently homosexual? Time will tell.......

 

[hermes]

i think beckham is better known in the usa that some would think
i think you can equate it to the knowledge of americans to michael schumacher - F1 is poorly followed in the usa but most seem to at least know his name

there will all sorts of marketing to make sure everyone does know who beckham is and where he is now playing, however, can it be sustained for five years? and can the team really afford him at US$50 million a year for five years?

i think the financial aspects and questions on the sustainability of the move are more interesting than anything else

as my wife said, no wonder the tabloids were talking about posh and becks house shopping in LA and will they become scientologists as they seem to be best friends with tom and katy?

 

[Tokyo Slim]

Originally Posted by Englandmj7

In the same token, Americans are mesmerized by football with an average play of roughly 5 seconds and after that, 30 seconds to one minute of standing around? My main quip with American sports is that there isn't enough action. Or how about watching 500 laps around a track for a couple hours?....I mean, some American sports are as dull as it gets and people still love them.
If you are not American, you have no idea what I'm talking about, but yes. American football has more "action" than soccer IMO. Why? Because the plays that happen all have a quantifiable result attached to them. The five seconds of action you talk about can move you 30 yards down the field and allow you a better chance of scoring, move you backwards, out of scoring range, or turn into a fumble or interception - thus giving the other team a scoring opportunity. The "constant action" of soccer is basically just kicking the ball for no reason, since a successfull pass, change in possession, or a failed pass, almost statistically NEVER results in a goal. Passing is not action.

Soccer is continual action, unless you are counting "action" as goals, which is a relatively flawed way to think of it. Hockey, for instance, is as action-packed as it gets, and most of the time, very few actual goals are scored. People appreciate the passing, the flow, the defense, the attempts, etc. That is what makes a sport. I don't thing "boringness" is why people don't watch it as much.

See above. Flawed as the attitude may be, that is what the US is about. Scoring. Get used to it. Hockey is also not a sport with a very large following in the US. BUT hockey also incorporates a bit of smacking about, and when one player collides with another player, they are really smacking into each other, not like in soccer where the collisions, trips, and etc are 99% acting.

If you don't think the boringness of watching televised soccer is why people in the US don't watch it, then you have no idea why sports fans in the US do anything. Soccer is boring to watch, and if you were to poll the majority of the US, 8 out of ten Americans would probably tell you the exact same thing.

Speaking of football, however, I did thoroughly enjoy the Lingerie Bowl: http://www.lingeriebowl.com/ Why isn't there a professional league for this? I know I would rather watch these chicks kicking each other's asses than seeing a 375 lb. sweaty man do the same. Is America inherently homosexual? Time will tell.......

Chicks kicking each other's asses is not football, and there ARE women's football leagues out there, where the girls can actually play. However, you are dealing with 280lb women instead of 375lb men, so its sort of a push. Homosexual or not, gladitorial events have been popular outside the US for a long time, and I don't see this ending anytime soon. Soccer = cross country skiing. American football = downhill skiing. Sorry. But downhill is just more fun to watch.