Beckham to leave Real

[Thomas]

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

Neither, little coverage mostly. Well on matchdays I can hardly find a game/the sports stations ignore it unless there's a wonder goal.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Apparantly some teams are getting decent crowds these days.

Also, with football's re-emergence in the USa while back didn't it return more as a woman's sport, especially as the US lasses were a pretty good team. A sport for women and kids right? Or was it just as hyped for men?

[gunnar hendershow]

With the MLS actually finally being a successful sports league the signing of Beckham is pretty big since he'll attract a lot of casual fans to various stadiums and, as a result, bring in money. The contract is absolutely huge though and this could be bad for the league since all European players past their prime will now look at the MLS as a place where they can go and make huge sums of money. And this is bad for the league since it diminishes the quality of the native players and makes MLS a minor league and retirement home and nothing else.

[Ruckus]

Didn't Pele do almost the exact same thing years ago? If that didn't revolutionise the sport in America, then I doubt this will.

[thuganomic]

The Galaxy aren't paying 250 million. They'll only be paying the 10 million a year, and they'll probably have help with that too. Beckham could make 40 additional million dollars a year through sponsorships and merchandise stuff, so the 250 million mark is a little misleading.

[Toe]

First of all, Mats Sundin kicks all sorts of ass. Secondly, bringing in Beckham, whether he ends up playing well or not, is a huge coup for the MLS in terms of advertising. They now have a face, someone who ordinary sports fans can relate to or, in the very least, have heard of.

[TheArsenal]

It looks like Edgar Davids could be on the way to joining Beckham at LA Galaxy.

[Benji]

With the MLS actually finally being a successful sports league the signing of Beckham is pretty big since he'll attract a lot of casual fans to various stadiums and, as a result, bring in money. The contract is absolutely huge though and this could be bad for the league since all European players past their prime will now look at the MLS as a place where they can go and make huge sums of money. And this is bad for the league since it diminishes the quality of the native players and makes MLS a minor league and retirement home and nothing else.

Trust me, it can't turn it into what it already is

[lafunky xxvii]

It looks like Edgar Davids could be on the way to joining Beckham at LA Galaxy.

[TheArsenal]

It looks like Edgar Davids could be on the way to joining Beckham at LA Galaxy.

I thought he was going to join Steve Morrow's team in to form a North London Connection~!

[AJ]

D'you think this means we're gonna start getting some MLS games on Sky Sports now?

If I remember right they didn't show an awful lot of La Liga until Beckham went to Real Madrid.

I'd like to see his debut, at least.

[Guest President Ringiah Bartlet]

There has already been 1000-2000 season tickets sold for the LA Galaxy's next season, depending on who you're listening to.

I bet most of them are Asians and girls though >_>

[Guest President Ringiah Bartlet]

There has already been 1000-2000 season tickets sold for the LA Galaxy's next season, depending on who you're listening to.

I bet most of them are Asians and girls though >_>

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Apparantly LA has a big Hispanic following and the link to the Spanish league could be very clever indeed.

[Guest President Ringiah Bartlet]

Apparantly LA has a big Hispanic following and the link to the Spanish league could be very clever indeed.

[The LBTN Express]

D'you think this means we're gonna start getting some MLS games on Sky Sports now?

If I remember right they didn't show an awful lot of La Liga until Beckham went to Real Madrid.

I'd like to see his debut, at least.

Edited January 12, 2007 by What in the LBTN was that?

[Thomas]

Beckham's calling it soccer. What a gay.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Beckham's calling it soccer. What a gay.

It's in his contract

If he started saying he was going to the US to play football, nose tackles and other US football defensive players around the country would be rubbing their hands with glee...

[The Sultan of Swank]

To the Leafs fans getting on my back. Look, I never said that Sundin was a bad player, but if you think you can mention Sundin in the same breath in Gretzky, you're probably one of the fans who's already got the parade route planned. Look, Sundin is a great player, but it took him what a career to hit 500 goals, it took Gretzky like 3 weeks to do it. Gretzky revolutionized the sport in the States, and Sundin has led Toronto to false hope.

[Guest Mr. Potato Head]

Sundin is this decade's Doug Gilmour. Both are good players, neither would be near as popular if they hadn't played in Toronto.

Brian Bradley would have been a superstar were he a Leaf.