Beckham to leave Real

[Lowerdeck]

So it's a 5 year $250,000,000 contract, that's 50mil per year:

Okay, so the Home Depot Center (Galaxy's home stadium) seats 27,000. Let's say the average ticket is $50. 16 home games, let's say they sell out every game... that's $21,600,000. So if they can make up $28,400,000 in merchandising, licensing, broadcast revenue, away gates... they can start paying off everyone else's contracts and other expenses. Anyone else having trouble making financial sense of this deal?

The number seems either way too high, or LA and MLS are in trouble with this signing.

The funny thing is, I thought there was a low salary cap in MLS.

[Ananas]

The funny thing is, I thought there was a low salary cap in MLS.

[Guest President Ringiah Bartlet]

So it's a 5 year $250,000,000 contract, that's 50mil per year:

Okay, so the Home Depot Center (Galaxy's home stadium) seats 27,000. Let's say the average ticket is $50. 16 home games, let's say they sell out every game... that's $21,600,000. So if they can make up $28,400,000 in merchandising, licensing, broadcast revenue, away gates... they can start paying off everyone else's contracts and other expenses. Anyone else having trouble making financial sense of this deal?

The number seems either way too high, or LA and MLS are in trouble with this signing.

The funny thing is, I thought there was a low salary cap in MLS.

[Thrilla]

The MLS recently changed the rules so that one player per team can have a wage higher than the salary cap of, I think, $400,000.

[9 to 5]

The funny thing is, I thought there was a low salary cap in MLS.

There actually is, but they make exceptions for "high profile" players. I believe Toronto FC made use of this when they signed Jim Brennan.

Brennan is the player Beckham wishes he was. >_>

[Ananas]

So it's a 5 year $250,000,000 contract, that's 50mil per year:

Okay, so the Home Depot Center (Galaxy's home stadium) seats 27,000. Let's say the average ticket is $50. 16 home games, let's say they sell out every game... that's $21,600,000. So if they can make up $28,400,000 in merchandising, licensing, broadcast revenue, away gates... they can start paying off everyone else's contracts and other expenses. Anyone else having trouble making financial sense of this deal?

The number seems either way too high, or LA and MLS are in trouble with this signing.

The funny thing is, I thought there was a low salary cap in MLS.

[Guest President Ringiah Bartlet]

So it's a 5 year $250,000,000 contract, that's 50mil per year:

Okay, so the Home Depot Center (Galaxy's home stadium) seats 27,000. Let's say the average ticket is $50. 16 home games, let's say they sell out every game... that's $21,600,000. So if they can make up $28,400,000 in merchandising, licensing, broadcast revenue, away gates... they can start paying off everyone else's contracts and other expenses. Anyone else having trouble making financial sense of this deal?

The number seems either way too high, or LA and MLS are in trouble with this signing.

The funny thing is, I thought there was a low salary cap in MLS.

According to Real Madrid's financial reports, David Beckham brought them 41 million Euros in merchandising revenue in the last year alone, I don't really think paying him's gonna be a problem if that keeps up.

If it doesn't, then the team and the league are gonna be in shit.

Oh, and I find deeply funny that Beckham's gonna play under Frank Yallop, Mr "Canada's a football superpower, we've got Paul Stalteri on the right, he's easily as good as David Beckham or Luis Figo".

[The Kraig]

This money is insanity. No way is Beckham worth that much. Even with club merchandising.

But I suppose if I had the abilty to sign ONE top tier player, I wouldn't really care how much money it needed. I wonder what the response from the other MLS clubs will be.

[The Future]

Hey I am Asian!

*Turns to closet full of Man U merchandise*

Oh

[lafunky xxvii]

Apparently a lot of the silly money Beckham is getting in his contract relates to him have complete control of his image rights, so I doubt LA Galaxy will be footing all of that £500,000 a week.

[Thomas]

I always wondered, is football not that popular in America because the standard of play is really poor, or because they're gay?

[Steeb]

Why do you have a closet full of Man Utd. merch, and a Liverpool sig.?

EDIT: @ The Future

Edited January 11, 2007 by SSTB

[-A-]

Apparently his actual salary is around $1.5M a season, and the rest is just a lofty estimate of what the image rights will bring.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

1) The Japanese love David Beckham.

2) The younger Japanese love American stuff.

3) There's a decent market there for football shirts and merchandise.

4) YOU DO THE MATHs!

So that's one country who cares.

[Summers]

One country with the population of three.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

One country with the population of three.

The Canadians won't buy into the whole Beckham thing on principle.....They prefer Stalteri...

[Farmer Reil]

This was always coming (they called it "The Beckham Rule" for a reason).

I just think it's hilarious how hyped America is getting about it.

One past-his-prime player, with the pace of a tractor in reverse, going to an American club isn't going to revolutionise the world of football. Don't get me wrong, he'll make an excellent coach/mentor for the Galaxy players, he's a brilliant investment for them because he knows the game better than most players, and his passing/set piece taking is world class. It's not that he's suddenly going to start setting up eighty goals a game and generally being a one-man team. His real value is his experience and his notoriety. He'll make Americans interested in the game, and if you've got a load of young players suddenly interested in the game, there are few better people to teach them.

The only problem is, now the American media will expect every world class player to seriously consider American teams when they're rumoured to be leaving. They've already done it with Heinze and Gerrard. People like Gerrard and Heinze are NOT going to be going to America, until they're too old to play competitively in Europe any more (not saying Beckham is, but he has extenuating circumstances).

Beckham has an attentionwhore wife, and is one of those players who'll go where the money is. America is perfect for him. Plus, going to America means he doesn't have to speak Spanish any more. And the level of compeititon is far lower, so he'll look better.

To put it in Wrestling terms; Americans are going to get the over-the-hill, roided-up stars who can barely walk, let alone wrestle, but have name value and will sell out arenas. Whereas all the younger wrestlers with actual talent will want to be playing in Europe. Europe has the World Championship, the Royal Rumble and the King of the Ring. America has the 24/7 Harcore title.

Edited January 11, 2007 by Farmer Reil

[Summers]

Europe has the World Championship, the Royal Rumble and the King of the Ring. America has the 24/7 Harcore title X-Division.

[Farmer Reil]

No, because the X-Division is interesting, has some quality workers wrestling in it, and is one of the high points of a promotion ¬_¬

Edited January 11, 2007 by Farmer Reil

[Guest President Ringiah Bartlet]

Beckham's also gonna have the Sheva effect, where he can expect to not be a good because he's gonna have three players around him all the time. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if some Mexican twat decides to take out his knee during El Angelino, It happens every single time >_>