Soccer Buzz

The LA Galaxy claimed they wanted to have a low key event to introduce David Beckham to the media and the public because they want Beckham to blend into the team. Well, if that was low-key, I wonder what they would have done had it been a flashy, grandiose mega-event. Confetti, cheesy rock anthems, politicians - I suppose President Bush, Bun Ki-Moon and the Pope had prior engagements.

In all seriousness, it’s tough to blame them for making a semi-big deal out of this. It is David Beckham after all. His image made Real Madrid number one in terms of marketing popularity in the world, taking over for his previous club Manchester United. Before he even moved to the United States, over a half million of his Galaxy shirts were ordered even though the new design had not yet been unveiled.

I could have done without some of Alexi Lalas’ grandstanding, and did Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaragosa get an icy reception or what? (I guess it doesn’t help that he’s rumored to support intra-city rival Chivas USA.) Still, I thought League Commissioner Don Garber did well, and Beckham himself gave a speech that was well-spoken without sounding slick and heartfelt without sounding corny.

The only one thing that annoys me about the Beckham signing is that some would like to believe that he is some sort of a savior. This league didn’t need a savior. Sure, MLS is not at the same level of popularity of the NFL, Major League Baseball or the NBA, but those expectations are silly at this point in time.

The New York Times had an article this past Sunday that explains why the league has to be considered a success in it’s 12th season. More than half of the league’s teams play in soccer stadiums, and more stadiums are on the way. The league actually receives a rights fee from television networks ($20 million in the US, and at least $2 million internationally), and this season, five teams will turn a profit.

Okay, that doesn’t sound overly impressive, but considering that only five years ago the finacial viability of the league was in serious doubt, this is great news.

One more thing, Beckham started to say “football” during his remarks but quickly corrected himself, calling the game “soccer”. He even made it a point to apologize. David, I personally don’t mind if you call it “football” (you did grow up with the word), but it’s very nice of you to try to blend in.

(By the way, MLSnet.com should have the conference archived if you would like to see it.)