WELCOME TO AMERICA BECKS!

It only took Beckham over three years to figure out Real Madrid were just using him for his worldwide marketing skills. It was NEVER Beckham's fault, it was Florentino Pérez's fault.

Beckham can now use his marketing skills for something very meaningful such as increasing the sport's popularity here in the USA. I can see it already millions and millions of kids taking up "soccer" just because they don't want to feel "left out". It's the "cool" thing nowadays (playing "soccer").

It's a win-win situation for everyone involved. Well except for those old farts who absolutely hate "soccer" in this country. I already talked to a die hard NFL football fan, and he asked me whether I thought "soccer" was gonna be really big in the USA. You had to see the concerned looked in his face. I told him he'd better tell his kids to take up "soccer" or they may be left out.

Welcome to America Becks!

Good for everybody then.. as long as they continue to get knocked out of WC relatively fast, I am happy.. Don't want them to ruin the game.

I hope he increase the popularity of the game in the US, how much will he be getting paid.

i give i shit about this gu(a)y

hes the most overrated player ever

Puro, is the uptake of soccer noticable in the US?

I know its popular amonsgt young kids but is it growing in popularity amongst th late teens and people in their 20s?

Messiah wrote:I hope he increase the popularity of the game in the US, how much will he be getting paid.

$241m over 5 years

Deaño-WHUFC wrote:

Messiah wrote:I hope he increase the popularity of the game in the US, how much will he be getting paid.

$241m over 5 years

WFT your kidding right

Deaño-WHUFC wrote:

Messiah wrote:I hope he increase the popularity of the game in the US, how much will he be getting paid.

$241m over 5 years

They still haven't gotten the hang of the game have they.. Giving a player a huge contract till he is 37!!

Oleguerisntthatbad wrote:Good for everybody then.. as long as they continue to get knocked out of WC relatively fast, I am happy.. Don't want them to ruin the game.

The USA will be a force in football. Remember my words! The MLS is already more competitive than most European leagues. I rate it higher than Austrian league already.

Oleguerisntthatbad wrote:

Deaño-WHUFC wrote:

Messiah wrote:I hope he increase the popularity of the game in the US, how much will he be getting paid.

$241m over 5 years

They still haven't gotten the hang of the game have they.. Giving a player a huge contract till he is 37!!

that figures surely a joke?

yes its £128 million over 5 years.

Messiah wrote:I hope he increase the popularity of the game in the US, how much will he be getting paid.

There are conflicting reports about his wages. I've read as low as 5.5 mil per year and as high as 250 mil full contract.

nope Tweedle its accurate.

Risk bearing investment, potential to create a higher profile, draw in higher attendances, mark up ticket prices, create a lucrative sponsors.

Beckham is commerically a good catalyst, and potentially the market is huge in the US.

Nope, those are the figures quoted in all the major online news outlets. That's not just wages, it includes image rights.


And yes, from what I've heard, the beautiful game is taking off in the States. It can only mean more money for European football, so let's not complain just yet.

Puro wrote:

Oleguerisntthatbad wrote:Good for everybody then.. as long as they continue to get knocked out of WC relatively fast, I am happy.. Don't want them to ruin the game.

The USA will be a force in football. Remember my words! The MLS is already more competitive than most European leagues. I rate it higher than Austrian league already.

The very very little I have seen was played at a slowish pace, but more importantly, the tactics were very naive and they were giving a lot of space to the opposing players.

I am not too worried. Who knows what the future will bring, but the fact that super star Donovan couldn't cut it in the second division in Germany says it all.. Athletes, definitely, footballers not really..

Rosicky wrote:yes its £128 million over 5 years.

fuck me!!!

Tweedle wrote:

Rosicky wrote:yes its £128 million over 5 years.

fuck me!!!

tweedle, how many times am i gonna have to tell you, NO!

I hope they realise that he might play badly and the price will end out a joke!

£128m! jesus....

Deisler wrote:i give i shit about this gu(a)y

hes the most overrated player ever

That's besides the point. Who cares by now? Beckham himself knows he's the most overrated player. How could he not know it after watching the real deals LIVE in action Zidane, Ronaldinho, Ronaldo? Anyway Beckham coming to the USA is very good for him especially since he will give the sport a shot in the arm. Yes, he'll make lots of cash, but at least he can feel good about being popular with kids.

Beckham is the new John Bosman.

The Beckham Rule, is the name used for a rule change in the Major League Soccer's salary cap regulations, implemented for the 2007 season. The rule will allow each of the MLS franchises to sign one player that would be considered outside of the teams' salary cap, estimated to be around US$1.9 million in 2006 (the amount will be raised for the 2007 season), allowing U.S. teams to compete in the International soccer market for star players. $400,000 would be initially charged to the salary cap, with any remaining salary toward the player being imposed on the individual owner. There are a few players who currently have a salary exceeding $400,000. According to the rule, they will be grandfathered in for the 2007 season. After that, either they would be considered a designated player, or their contract would need to be renegotiated.

There will initially be one designated player slot available to each team in the league. A team can trade their designated player slot; however, no team can have more than two. If a team uses both of their slots, $325,000 will be counted towards the salary cap for the second player.

Puro wrote:

Oleguerisntthatbad wrote:Good for everybody then.. as long as they continue to get knocked out of WC relatively fast, I am happy.. Don't want them to ruin the game.

The USA will be a force in football. Remember my words! The MLS is already more competitive than most European leagues. I rate it higher than Austrian league already.

Strange, most people who watch both MLS and european football think that the MLS is utter shite, i've seen it compared to the unibond league.

The USA won't be a force in football in our life time.

Tweedle wrote:Puro, is the uptake of soccer noticable in the US?

I know its popular amonsgt young kids but is it growing in popularity amongst th late teens and people in their 20s?

Yes Tweedle! the sport is growing. Two huge sporting indoor facilities were just built near my house so that people can play "soccer" throughout the Winter. You know "soccer" is getting big when the cheerleaders are ditching the "football" players in order to be with the "soccer" players.

Just the other day at the gym I was talking to this woman, and she said how "soccer" players just turned her on.

Kimbo wrote:

Puro wrote:

Oleguerisntthatbad wrote:Good for everybody then.. as long as they continue to get knocked out of WC relatively fast, I am happy.. Don't want them to ruin the game.

The USA will be a force in football. Remember my words! The MLS is already more competitive than most European leagues. I rate it higher than Austrian league already.

Strange, most people who watch both MLS and european football think that the MLS is utter shite, i've seen it compared to the unibond league.

The USA won't be a force in football in our life time.

Have you seen the Austrian League? The Scottish League? top MLS teams would kick anyone's butts outside "The Firm". In the EPL outside the "big four", top MLS teams can hold their own against the Evertons, Boltons, Fulhams of the EPL. True story!

Puro wrote:

Tweedle wrote:Puro, is the uptake of soccer noticable in the US?

I know its popular amonsgt young kids but is it growing in popularity amongst th late teens and people in their 20s?

Yes Tweedle! the sport is growing. Two huge sporting indoor facilities were just built near my house so that people can play "soccer" throughout the Winter. You know "soccer" is getting big when the cheerleaders are ditching the "football" players in order to be with the "soccer" players.

Just the other day at the gym I was talking to this woman, and she said how "soccer" players just turned her on.

Sounds like you were in there puro

Its good for the sport, as long as they don't try and ruin it with their americanisms.

Its too commerical enough as it is

Puro wrote:

Kimbo wrote:

Puro wrote:

Oleguerisntthatbad wrote:Good for everybody then.. as long as they continue to get knocked out of WC relatively fast, I am happy.. Don't want them to ruin the game.

The USA will be a force in football. Remember my words! The MLS is already more competitive than most European leagues. I rate it higher than Austrian league already.

Strange, most people who watch both MLS and european football think that the MLS is utter shite, i've seen it compared to the unibond league.

The USA won't be a force in football in our life time.

Have you seen the Austrian League? The Scottish League? top MLS teams would kick anyone's butts outside "The Firm". In the EPL outside the "big four", top MLS teams can hold their own against the Evertons, Boltons, Fulhams of the EPL. True story!

I'm not buying that. I've only ever seen a few MLS games(late night on C5) and the quality was really awful, ZERO tactics, ZERO skill, ZERO passing ability, and ZERO technique. It was awful stuff. It's going to be DECADES before the the top athletes in the USA start going into football, if they ever do that is.

Ofcourse America has money on it's side, but i really doubt it will ever get near to catching up with the big 3 sports. Australia is where football is really going to kick off i feel.

A-league football in Australia is already improving....

attendances are much on the rise,national team is improving and is now part of the Asian FA..aswell them producing decent players who earn their trade in Europe.

Football will never be that populair or as the same level as in Europe. Simply because of the fact, that they dont have a football-culture. It's too sophisticated for them. They can't understand the meaning of a draw. They just hate scores like 2-1, that says the average yank nothing. He wants to see scores like 78-82 with all 3 commercial breakes being used and with 45 seconds more to play.

Yes they have alot of money, so that they can buy "Big" names. But this will never ever create more interest in the game, as long as the American sportculture wont change football will never be populair there.

Well Becks isn't really that good or that fast anymore, but he'll sure try.

I think its a good investment on the part of the MLS, because while Becks is only getting shitter, his high profile will raise the image and attention on "soccer" in the USA. Adults and kids will at least be able to mention a footballer playing in MLS. That's a big achievement in raising the profile of soccer - and getting more people involved in kicking a ball. Even the million dollar deal might get those money hungry kids interested in a football career rather than the generally higher paying baseball, American "football" and basketball.

On CNN I saw this morning that it was a 5 year $250mil deal. I think the first two, perhaps three years will have its biggest impact. More kids pick up the sports, adults learn to accept it a bit more, and the Japanese keep on buying Becks' shirts and start watching the MLS more as a result (-->$$$).
After that the novelty will wear out: Becks won't run anymore and just keep on hoofing those balls up to the box.

Only Victoria can derail David's credibility in the US now. After all, LA and Victoria look like a match made in hell.

DD wrote:

Only Victoria can derail David's credibility in the US now. After all, LA and Victoria look like a match made in hell.

LA is full of talentless, stupid, vacuous people who for some reason are famous.

What odds will you give me that bu the end of the year, Posh is seen out with Paris and Britney without any underwear on?

"...by the end of the year..." !!!

How about earlier!? Wasn't she at Tom "Take me to your leader" Cruise's wedding?
What are the odds on Victoria getting into either Kaballa or Scientology by the end of the year!? Those are the bets you should be looking at SGM.