****Official Beckham Mania Thread****
 

I know there has been plenty of discussion already about Beckham's arrival to the US and MLS, however this Friday the LAG's officially introduce Beckham.



http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/200...DD_468x599.jpg

The Galaxy also now have nice shiny new uni's and a horrendous schedule coming up to fully capitalize on Beckham Mania.

His first game should be on the 20th vs of all teams CHAVSKI FC from the EPL.

Let's use this thread to keep track of Goldenballs and everything that happens during his first MLS season.

Please feel free to post ridiculous pictures of Beckham, as well as interesting articles.

My contribution:
New SI article on Beck's.

Re: ****Official Beckham Mania Thread****
 

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Please feel free to post ridiculous pictures of Beckham

[/ QUOTE ]

http://wetmen.provocateuse.com/image...beckham_07.jpg

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The Beckhams on Ali G

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P842Tmi6lrc

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Another article
Also clowns on ESPN.

A good read IMO and addresses many of the main issues surrounding Becks's impact on the field, on MLS, and on America.

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http://web.mlsnet.com/mls/promotions/2007/beckham/

Watch his press conference live!

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jesus, the fans are kinda crazy there.

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All the retarded media crap around them is enough to make me hope that both he and that Posh bimbo die in a horrible car crash.

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the press conference was very underwhelming.

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the press conference was very underwhelming.

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Eh, I didn't watch it. I just know I've turned on the TV the last two nights when I got home and flipped thru channels they seemed to be on half the channels with confetti flying around and a bunch of ads for their new TV shows. Why do these people need two TV shows? Wtf?

Re: ****Official Beckham Mania Thread****
 

two TV shows? I thought his wife was on one?

either way, get use to it. A lot of people didn't believe, or refused to believe just how popular him and his wife are.

Re: ****Official Beckham Mania Thread****
 

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two TV shows? I thought his wife was on one?

either way, get use to it. A lot of people didn't believe, or refused to believe just how popular him and his wife are.

[/ QUOTE ]

And a lot of people refuse to believe that the US will go back to not caring very much in a matter of weeks.

Re: ****Official Beckham Mania Thread****
 

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two TV shows? I thought his wife was on one?

either way, get use to it. A lot of people didn't believe, or refused to believe just how popular him and his wife are.

[/ QUOTE ]

I thought there was some kind of Coming to America thing, and then her show.

I guess I'm still one of them. I don't think anyone gives a [censored] at all except the media who wants to ram them down our throats. I mean he's a European soccer star and she's a washed up pop star. Who gives a [censored].

Re: ****Official Beckham Mania Thread****
 

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[ QUOTE ]
two TV shows? I thought his wife was on one?

either way, get use to it. A lot of people didn't believe, or refused to believe just how popular him and his wife are.

[/ QUOTE ]

And a lot of people refuse to believe that the US will go back to not caring very much in a matter of weeks.

[/ QUOTE ]Thats very clever, but you are wrong.

Re: ****Official Beckham Mania Thread****
 

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[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
two TV shows? I thought his wife was on one?

either way, get use to it. A lot of people didn't believe, or refused to believe just how popular him and his wife are.

[/ QUOTE ]

And a lot of people refuse to believe that the US will go back to not caring very much in a matter of weeks.

[/ QUOTE ]Thats very clever, but you are wrong.

[/ QUOTE ]

The people that cared before will still care, but the majority of the US will still not pay much attention to soccer.

Soccer fans always say that soccer is about to explode in the US. Time after time they tell anyone who will listen that its just about make the jump in the US and that soon it'll be in the same breath as the the big 4.
They said it was going to become huge after the world cup was here, and it did get a bump but nothing like the soccer fans were claiming. They said it after the womens world cup, but the womens league went belly up and hardly anyone noticed.

Soccer is definitely growing in the US, but a past prime Beckham isn't going to create a massive surge in popularity.

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I don't know if he'll help soccer or not. I guess he can't hurt it so good luck with that and all. I just hate the way they're ramming the two of them down our throats. I feel like Princess Di died all over again or another Tomcat baby was born or something.

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So let me get this straight.

A washed up, old soccer player from the European leagues comes over here to play in, possibly, the least popular major spectator sport in the US (hockey is giving it a run, though) and I am supposed to care?

Re: ****Official Beckham Mania Thread****
 

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They said it was going to become huge after the world cup was here, and it did get a bump but nothing like the soccer fans were claiming.

[/ QUOTE ] Well, we had a domestic league established after the WC, and it has been going for 10 years now. Our mens team made it to the quarter finals in 2002. One of the biggest soccer stars in the world just moved to MLS. Numerous other international players have already moved here. Sure MLS isn't as popular as it is in Europe, but its grown enormously. When you take a step back and really analyze it, soccer in the US has grown, and there is no denying that. Tons of teams either have, or are currently building, or are in the planning process for, 20,000+ capacity soccer specific stadiums.

Re: ****Official Beckham Mania Thread****
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
two TV shows? I thought his wife was on one?

either way, get use to it. A lot of people didn't believe, or refused to believe just how popular him and his wife are.

[/ QUOTE ]

I thought there was some kind of Coming to America thing, and then her show.

I guess I'm still one of them. I don't think anyone gives a [censored]yet at all except the media who wants to ram them down our throats. I mean he's a master self publicist and she's a master self publicist . They will make us give a [censored].

[/ QUOTE ]

FYP

Dont underestimate the beckhams, there is no rational reason for them to be huge in Europe, Japan (massive there) etc etc. They are jedi experts at the publicity game. There are other much better soccer players than Becks but in celebrity terms not one can come within a million miles of him.

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http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns...ls&cc=5901

Here are some more interesting thoughts about Beckham.

Re: ****Official Beckham Mania Thread****
 

[ QUOTE ]
So let me get this straight.

A washed up, old soccer player from the European leagues comes over here to play in, possibly, the least popular major spectator sport in the US (hockey is giving it a run, though) and I am supposed to care?

[/ QUOTE ]

yeah but dude, he's REALLY hot.

Re: ****Official Beckham Mania Thread****
 

MLS attendance is holding very steady this year even as they've phased out the stat-padding ploys like including tickets distributed not just sold or holding post-game concerts.

For an idea where they stand:

Average 2006-07 NHL attendance: 16957
Average 2007 MLS attendance (pre-Beckham): 15160

Meanwhile, the league is moving rapidly towards independent profitability for every club, has expanded from 3 ownership groups to 12, and has lead to 5 soccer specific stadiums in the United States (and another in Canada) in the last decade with 2 more underway (NY and Salt Lake) and the proposal for a third (DC) a virtual certainty. The teams with SSSs are making money or very close to it. It's the teams like NY that have to pay 200k per game to rent out Giants Stadium and get no parking or concessions money that are hurting. Once these teams get stadiums, the money will come in.

Also, MLS just made 4 international deals for broadcast rights for their games, marking the first time in the history they've ever sold games to independent channels.

You don't have to like that soccer is growing, or even care. Hell, plenty of people in the US don't care one bit about NASCAR, but it's doing just fine. The MLS is similarly allowing itself to focus on a small but dedicated niche market rather than go balls out like the NASL did, and I applaud them for that.

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Sportnation poll from ESPN

1) What have you watched more of in the last year?


35.0% English Premier League

31.8% I don't watch soccer

21.2% MLS

12.0% Other


2) How much have you watched David Beckham play?


42.8% A few games here and there

24.6% Only highlights

20.8% A lot

11.9% I've never seen Beckham in action


3) How will Beckham's arrival to MLS affect your interest in the league?


70.5% More interested

28.2% I wasn't a fan and still won't be

1.3% Less interested


Total Votes: 77,976

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Hmm, the poll on the ESPN.com front page says 55% of of 140,000 votes dont care.

I'm going to guess that your poll comes from the soccer section of the site and suffers from selection bias.

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I'm sorry, but 35 % of people that view espn.com don't watch premier league soccer. That can't be right.

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Hmm, the poll on the ESPN.com front page says 55% of of 140,000 votes "don't care".

I'm going to guess that your poll comes from the soccer section of the site and suffers from selection bias.

edit: someone please screenshot the map, lol.

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I'm sorry, but 35 % of people that view espn.com don't watch premier league soccer. That can't be right.

[/ QUOTE ]you can read right?

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Hmm, the poll on the ESPN.com front page says 55% of of 140,000 votes dont care.

I'm going to guess that your poll comes from the soccer section of the site and suffers from selection bias.

[/ QUOTE ]well, no matter how you look at it, out of 77,000 people, 70% are more interested in MLS as a result of Beckham's arrival. These numbers could still change.

It has been mentioned before, there are a lot of soccer fans in the US, they generally follow the Euro leagues though and not so much MLS.

Re: ****Official Beckham Mania Thread****
 

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[ QUOTE ]
Hmm, the poll on the ESPN.com front page says 55% of of 140,000 votes dont care.

I'm going to guess that your poll comes from the soccer section of the site and suffers from selection bias.

[/ QUOTE ]well, no matter how you look at it, out of 77,000 people, 70% are more interested in MLS as a result of Beckham's arrival. These numbers could still change.

It has been mentioned before, there are a lot of soccer fans in the US, they generally follow the Euro leagues though and not so much MLS.

[/ QUOTE ]

Uhh sorry, it does matter how you look at it.

if 70% of people that had already clicked on the soccer section of ESPN.com are excited about beckham then its obviously completely different than 70% of ESPN front page viewers.

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9) What is England's best export?

15.7% Keira Knightley
15.7% David Beckham



[/ QUOTE ]

damn gay people screwing up the poll

Re: ****Official Beckham Mania Thread****
 

That poll is linked from the main espn front page, top right corner with all the beckham nonsense. the poll you mentioned earlier is available halfway down the page.

Re: ****Official Beckham Mania Thread****
 

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That poll is linked from the main espn front page, top right corner with all the beckham nonsense. the poll you mentioned earlier is available halfway down the page.

[/ QUOTE ]

Obvious selection bias.

Re: ****Official Beckham Mania Thread****
 

you're biased

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What is it going to take to make Soccer more mainstream than, say, hockey?

I watch European league soccer because it gets me excited to see the ridiculous crowds and excitement in players and announcers, and in the last couple of years i've been able to sit through an entire soccer game (like liverpool versus AC Milan). It's borderline maniacal, and something regular americans (see: doesnt care about soccer) only get a taste of at the world cup imo.

Seeing an MLS game, I don't even hear the crowd, and the announcers are C-level ESPN commentators that will probably be commentating on the LPGA or mens lacrosse 2 days from now. As such, I dont care.

So, how much is Beckham gonna help? Serious question.

I fail to see how one man can make a difference when the entire environment of American soccer is how I described it on TV. It sucks.

--

I think a decent idea would be to integrate 2 or 3 american clubs into the european league madness somehow. I know, its EUROPEAN league, but still, if its not for european involvement american soccer blows.

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Clayton, FSC, while not being great, is much better than ESPN with its soccer coverage. Their in game announcers and game presentation is quite a bit better. ESPN seriously needs to get real otherwise they could fall far behind. For example FSC has the exclusive US rights to the EPL and shared rights to Serie A in the US. GolTV has the Spanish league and Serie A. Both of these stations are making some decent change from these rights.

The atmosphere you mention is a tough one to rectify, and really the only way for it to greatly improve is for more fans to become closer to their local teams. I think it will take time once these teams become more of their life, and once the teams start to develop a history.

At some point I am very confident we will be seeing US clubs playing Euro ones in matches that mean something, but thats probably 20 years from now. In the meantime, US clubs get to play in two cool club tournaments, the CONCACAF champions cup and soon the SuperLiga tourney. These will definitely help the atmosphere.

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you're biased

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no, I actually watch soccer. I'm a realist about it though.

Re: ****Official Beckham Mania Thread****
 

Clayton,

Watch a game played in Toronto to see the European type atmosphere. The fans there are amazing.

I would agree on the whole though. Teams like NY, KC, NE and even DC despite drawing one of the best home attendances, hurt the atmosphere of the league by playing in gigantic (and therefore empty) football stadiums. NY and DC are planning new stadiums, but New England never will until Kraft sells the team since he'll use the same stadium for football too. Similar deal with KC. However, KC's attendance is so bad that I hope the team gets disbanded and moved to San Jose to fill the old Earthquakes spot. Of course, the KC team should've been moved to Houston instead of San Jose in the first place.

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you're biased

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no, I actually watch soccer. I'm a realist about it though.

[/ QUOTE ]THEN BE REALLY PUMPED! ANNOY YOUR FRIENDS WITH YOUR FRENZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Re: ****Official Beckham Mania Thread****
 

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[ QUOTE ]
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you're biased

[/ QUOTE ]
no, I actually watch soccer. I'm a realist about it though.

[/ QUOTE ]THEN BE REALLY PUMPED! ANNOY YOUR FRIENDS WITH YOUR FRENZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

[/ QUOTE ]

unwarrented hype sets back the cause, IMO.

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[ QUOTE ]
you're biased

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no, I actually watch soccer. I'm a realist about it though.

[/ QUOTE ]

Here's the reality.

-Soccer will continue to grow in the US. Soccer will not crack into the top 3 sports for a long long long time if ever. That doesn't mean that soccer will never be successful.

-MLS has done a great job with the central authority making sure that teams don't spend themselves into bankruptcy, and letting the league grow on its own rather than forcing things up to this point.

-MLS really needs to get all of the teams other than NE (for reasons mentioned earlier) into SSSs or into better markets so that they can all be profitable. As soon as this happens they need to redo the CBA and bump the salary cap up to at least $7M to improve the ability to sign international players.

-They need to not get ahead of themselves and continue with the planned expansion to 16 teams by 2010, not the 20 that has been mentioned recently. That would be waaaaaay too many roster spots for not enough top level players and the game would suffer greatly. I nominate Las Vegas, Pac NW, San Jose, and either a 2nd Chicago or NY team right now. Later continue expansion to Vancouver, Montreal, Atlanta, and a 2nd of whichever Chicago or NY didn't come first.

-Within 5 years the MLS will be the 2nd largest revenue producing league in the Western Hemisphere behind Mexico's league. They will likely not pass Mexico for 20-30 or so years unless some rapid growth comes out of nowhere (see TSCs "US clubs playing Euro ones in matches that mean something" comment).

-The U20 FIFA World Cup and the U19 FIBA World Championships are both going on right now. ESPN bought the rights to one and has already shown a game on the flagship station. The other has no press at all. That's a huge step.

Re: ****Official Beckham Mania Thread****
 

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unwarrented hype sets back the cause, IMO.

[/ QUOTE ]

I do agree with this, and worry that Beckham is being paraded unfairly and doesn't know what he's getting in to.

Then I read what everyone else says about him, and I'm sure he's got a 24/7 hardon at all the coverage he's getting and stop worrying.