Beckham to MLS?!

I'm not much of a soccer guy, but this seems like a pretty big deal. I'd say this is pretty much soccer's last chance in this country. If it doesn't work after this, it'll never work. I'm just not sure if one player can bring as much legitimacy as is needed here, but I'll watch with an interested eye.

 

Oh, puh-leese.

Just because it's not one of the big three doesn't mean that soccer's "going away."

Drive around your neighborhood.

 

I didn't say anything about it going away, just that it won't be the mainstream success it was once assured of being.

 

I'd say just about every high school and college in America playing it makes it somewhat of a mainstream hit. Not to mention the millions of rugrats out there every Saturday morning.

 

I don't think soccer was ever assured of being a mainstream success, and I'm scratching my head as to who would have said that.

This does give the MLS a chance of acheiving a breakthrough. With the level of play having increased to where European teams now scout the MLS, and players that have only played in MLS previously are attracting attention abroad, this gives the League a chance to show to the casual fan though Beckham's presence how the product on the field has improved markedly since the league's inception.

 

It was probably a typo. The Galaxy meant $2.5 million. (sarcasm)

 

If anyone ever expected Americans to sway to the music in Salt Lake City like they do at Old Trafford, they were out of their minds. Too many options for the sports entertainment dollar here for that to happen.

MLS has its niche. It can get a bit bigger. It won't explode.

 

Faulty analogy, Shotty.

In SLC it is unwritten law you have to sway to Donny & Marie's music.

"You'll never Puppy Love alone."

 

I guess I can't make a direct quote here, but it seems like I heard on more than one occasion that soccer would take over. Maybe I'm not remembering this correctly, but it seems to me that 10-15 years ago that's what was being said by the big-time soccer fans.

And if high schools and college all playing soccer makes it a mainstream hit, then volleyball qualifies as well, right? All I'm saying is that the pro game hasn't done very well. As shotglass said, it has its niche. Maybe this Beckham thing will make it bigger.

 

If he continues to fall out of favor in Madrid, I could see him getting here earlier than expected.

Or maybe the Spice Boy wants to skip the scorching heat of June and July.

 

That was my quote, and I stand by it. Beckham's been a fixture in the US tabloids for years; he's famous here not so much for his soccer, but for simply being a good-looking celebrity with a good-looking celebrity wife. Gretzky might have been a bigger star among American sports fans, but among the general population? I don't think so. Beckham is Hollywood, sex appeal, style -- he transcends sports (which is good for him, because he's not as great at soccer as he is at being a celebrity).

Simple question: Would the Gretzky trade, had it happened today, have been the lead story on CNN.com or been the talk of "Good Morning America"? I'm not sure it would have been as big as this.

 

yes.

I realize it's been awhile. But when the Gretzky trade came down, it was the lead story everywhere.