Brand it like Beckham
It takes a big story to put soccer on the front pages in North America but this blockbuster certainly did it this week.
Now, it has been known (due to Waste of Spice's club history) that I have maligned him on many occasions, for which I do not apologise. He is (arguably) the most overrated footballer in living memory. A celebrity who happens to be a footballer, rather than a footballer with a high profile. There is no doubting his ability to score from free kicks and to pass the ball with pinpoint precision over 60 yards,but if the Yanks think they are getting a great footballer (sorry, soccer player) they are in for a big disappointment. They are getting brand Beckham. Posh will no doubt enjoy a Hollywood lifestyle, and the fact that Becks called Tom Cruise to get advise rather than anyone in the football world says it all. He is the only footballer that Americans could possibly name, and I doubt that is because they all saw his last gasp goal for England v Greece at the swamp. No...they have seen him in a magazine wearing a sarong, at a premiere, or they have seen his cologne in Walmart, or more likely - they know him as Posh Spice's "kinda cute" husband.That's assuming they knew his name before this week.
But,getting over my cynisism for a moment, and I will also temporarily remove my skyblue tinted goggles, I am really excited at this. Not because I get to yell "united reject" at him when he comes to Toronto FC( MLS comes to Toronto this season!!) but because he will put bums on seats wherever LA Galaxy plays(will they offer refunds if a match clashes with a Hollywood premiere I wonder?).
The way for the MLS to progress is by expanding the fan base, and Becks will help do this. I hear that other players who are ,shall we say, after one last big paycheck , may be coming over too...Edgar Davids to Dallas and Ronaldo to NY are being rumoured and City's own Captain America is on his way to NY..if he doesn't injure himself at JFK airport! This is excellent progress and will help grow the beautiful game in football's cultural wasteland.
But Beckham can't do it all himself, and it will be up to the fans whether this league flourishes rather than withers like the old NASL. But the fact it was the top sports story in the States and Canada this week is promising.
What few people understand is that the MLS is actually stumping up less than USD $50M of the $250m. 80% of this obscene amount is made up of projected branding rights, and part of the $50M is paid by some holding company that Becks has also bought into. This will not bankrupt MLS. Far from it.This is not NASL and Pele.
I happened to see ESPN Reporters show today where the sports experts were SO anti-soccer I wanted to smash the screen. I believe there is grassroots interest out there, but until the US media can give soccer the chance the kids/teenagers will hopefully demand, the US will remain the bastion of baseball and gridiron. While I make no claim that your average gun-totin',Bud-drinkin,Chevy-truck-drivin',NASCAR and Dallas Cowboys supportin' Billy Bob will see the light, this offers long term hope if correctly managed.
Hey what's the worst that can happen? 100 million Americans adding "y'know" into each sentence 4 times?
Good luck Becks...no pressure eh?
posted by Richard @ 5:09 p.m.
2 comments
