the question is: Will Becks be Agent Zero Crazy, or Tom Cruise Crazy? Smart money says the latter.

MLS Doesn't need saving. Just the Red Bulls. And even Jesus isn't willing.

Becks will fill the stadiums around the league maybe even increase media revenue a tiny bit.

But um does the MLS need saving? $33 Mil for a franchise is pretty damn good. Didn't they just expand to Toronto?

I just can't wait for the Barra Brava to come up with a Spice Girls like song for Becks.

Clubhouses, locker rooms or dressing rooms are one place US athletes have it spoiled. I've been in the bowells of rfk, and i can safely say even the visitor's soccer dressing room is light years ahead of a lot of dressing rooms in the bigger stadiums in england, not even to mention spain and elsewhere in europe.

Hopefully this will be the beginning of more international stars to come such as Henry, Shevchenko, Ronaldo, Ballack, Messi, Drogba. Who knows, the sky is the limit. I don't understand why is no negative all the time when it comes to American soccer. I think it is a great move and I wish Beckham all the luck. He desrves some credit for taking a huge gamble in signing with the Galaxy. Brillant!!!!!!

Beckham coming over kind of annoys me really. I'd rather see Esky et al making more money per year that to bring in David Beckham and have him make so much. If Pele couldn't be the uber soccer savior in the 70's, then David Beckham isn't going to be either. I'm just going to look at him like I look at any player in the MLS, not based on hype, but on performance. If he rocks the kasbah, groovy, Sherif will like it (actually he won't but I wanted to mention the Sherif), if he doesn't he gets paid handsomely for trying. At least there will be some MLS coverage, but I'm not skipping around my kitchen all happy about it.

I apologize for the typo. I meant to say why is everyone in the US always so negative when it comes to the MLS and soccer in general. Was the NFL a major success after being around for 11 years? I don't think so. I think this is a match made in heaven and both the league and Beckham will greatly benefit from each other. MLS is getting better each year, and the development of American players will only continue to get better. The key is to getting an athlete like Allen Iverson to put the basketball down, and to start to kick around a soccer ball instead. If the US can field a soccer team full of Allen Iverson's we will win the World Cup and surpass Brazil. Is this a dream, not at all, you just got to believe it can happen.

It will be incredible to have the opportunity to yell obscenities at both Donovan and Beckham when the Galaxy visit RFK this year (hopefully they do so after August).

I'm not willing to write this off as a huge mistake just yet for the MLS. But, teams need to be very weary of who they bring over for this. I can't wait for they NYRB (who I loathe)to bring Ronaldo over for a comparable sum, because he'll be about 275 pounds within 6 weeks of living in NYC.

Hopefully "Fade to Balls" is watching this and making plans for a big-time DCU purchase. And hopefully said big-time purchase will please D-Stienz with his bog friendliness.

ESPN is reporting that Beckham's deal, including sponsorships is worth $250 million over 5 years. How does that work with the relatively small allocation money each team received as part of the Beckham rule? Is he actually exempted from the rule named after him? There isn't that much allocation money in the entire league.

And what is DC doing with theirs? We read about the 30 year old midfielder, but I hope they have more in mind than that with all of the talent they just shipped out.

My thoughts:

http://podcast.screaming-eagles.com/2007/01/on_beckham.html

I'm happy he's coming. I think it's great for the league and great for American soccer in general. I hope the other teams follow suit and ramp up the signings which will only benefit the turnstiles and the competition on the field.

La Barra looks forward to Señor Beckham's arrival.

Well, if I'm wrong on the dressing rooms, I apologize. In other dressing room news, I've heard that some MLS players are wondering whether Brian Davis et all will dress up the DCU dressing room.

Anyhow, Becks was the lead story on the John Thompson show. JT:

"I thought they said soccer wasn't relevant around here. [$250 million] sounds pretty doggone relevant to me....I mean, this is CRAZY money....250 baby. 250 Big M's."

Unlike most leagues MLS owns all of the contracts, not the individual teams. What the Beckham rule does is allow teams to have their "designated player" count 400K to the cap (what MLS pays) and the rest of the salary to be paid by the team owners. The difference between 400K and 10 million is what AEG (the owners of LAG) is paying. That is the Beckham Rule. Allocation money is money that the league allows you to play with to find players but they have to come in under the cap.

DC may or may not use it's Designated Player this year. The rumors have been that United was talking to Palermo of Boca Juniors. But don't even expect that. AEG is the biggest owner in the league (the Stienbrenner if you will) nobody else is going to be able to make a deal like this except possibly New York.

Great deal for him. Probably not a great deal for the league. They would have been better off trying to sign 10 guys who are 20 yrs old for that price. On the plus side, TomKat should be making some appearances at matches in L.A. I'm sure that will drive up interest...

Becks needs to go home and feed his wife. His rumored contract with her about her weight has her with anorexia now. She's going to get killed at this rate.

I'd like for everyone to please eat in front of him as well at all times.

Beckham will more than make back the money the league is paying him just from the broadcast rights. And he definitely will raise the profile of the league. The British press will still have him splashed all over its pages every day, with the MLS name and Galaxy logo getting constant publicity. It's a major coup. Nice work, Carrot Top, now F.

I have heard rumors that DC may looking at Hernan Crespo b/c of our Argentinian connection. How awesome would that be to see Christian Gomez feeding the ball to Crespo. Sick!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kevin Payne statement: "Obviously, this is extraordinary news for Major League Soccer and the Los Angeles Galaxy. David Beckham is arguably the biggest world star in sports. Throughout his career, David has not only been a charismatic figure on and off of the field, but is also known as a consummate professional. We welcome him to MLS and look forward to meeting him on the field."

The Texas Ranger's $250,000,000 landed them A-Rod, who they traded for Soriano, who they traded for Brad Wilkerson.

I'm not saying, I'm just sayin'.

Ouch.

So you're saying in 2 years.

Becks for Adu for Judah Claus.

Kevin Payne thought bubble: "Obviously, this is extraordinary free publicity for the rest of the league, courtesy of my good friend and former employer, Uncle Phil. I would like to thank Alexi Lalas for mortgaging his franchise on one player. Alexi is arguably the worst GM in MLS. Throughout his front office career, Alexi has not only been a blowhard, but is also known for a complete lack of business acumen. We welcome his overspending on Beckham, and look forward to contending with the Softest Midfield Ever on the field."

forget about Becks. when do we get our big name argie?

Thanks Kinney.

Oh how the mighty have fallen!

My Cup runneth over. Beckham, Donovan, Quaranta, Lalas, Cobi Jones, Albright. Same team! Same night! I'm going to take so many steroids for so many months before that game, so that when I boo fire comes out of my nose and it sounds like satan passing a gall stone.

Check out this guy's analysis of the signing. The most in depth analysis of the signing that I have read. Lots of good tidbits here:

http://bettersports.blogspot.com/2007/01/beckham-gamble-and-future-of-mls.html

i think ESPN and the media here has the 250 million all wrong. the spanish press is reporting that his yearly salary is 2.25million euro per year for 5 years. in addition to that, he regains full control
of his image rights which he gave up when he signed for Real Madrid 4 years
ago. those rights are valued at 30million euro a year.

i think that 250 million comes from the 2.25 million euro yearly salary for 5 years PLUS the 150million euro of his image rights for that same time period.

but neither the MLS, nor the LA Galaxy are paying him those 150million euro, that is up for him to earn doing all his public
appearances, advertisement deals, etc. money that he had forfeited when he signed on at Real Madrid (he just got a bigger signing bonus, plus he REALLY wanted to play at Real Madrid - kinda like a baseball player wanting to play for the Yankees.)

beckham did not controll his image rights while he was at Real Madrid, the club controlled them. he did controll them while he was an Man U.

Oh yeah, and if the MLS wants big stars in the league, it better come up with the ca$h. no player will come to the MLS in his prime if they dont get paid. the level of competition in the MLS is just not there. American players (Landon Donovan) are commiting the mistake of not going to Europe to play. Donovan failed in Leverkusen because he was too young and that team was a machine, they had no need for him.

Does one man make a league? Beckham, of course, is about more than football so this probably is a shrewd move for MLS - if not a costly one.

I like the idea of foreign clubs putting satellite teams in America better, though. Chivas USA is a start, but why not also Club America, UANL Tigres, Man U, Real Madrid, etc.

Exactly Vic. The Galaxy will not be paying $50 mil/ yr for Beckham, so everyone can just calm down. Beckham is past his soccer prime, but he is far from washed up. He will be an impact player in MLS... and I can't wait to see United throttle him.

"In the end, MLS will succeed for the same boring reasons everyone always cites: a growing Hispanic population, a media looking for the 'next big thing,' etc. etc. etc."

Even though it's growing, isn't soccer already beyond being the "next big thing?" Wouldn't that be lacrosse?

"I've played now for two of the biggest clubs in the world and played at the highest level for 15 years, and now I think that I need another challenge," Beckham said.

That's a backhand if I ever saw one.

he is the new Pele' for the u.s.a.

good luck to him

I'm English and I can tell you the British press will not make much of a fuss about Beckham in L.A after the first few games. He is not that big here as he is in Asia. Beckham is not good enough to play for England or any of our top teams. However he will be a good player in the MLS were the standard is low. The players around him must hav good movement to allow him to play them in and cross it though. Finally, the best players will never go to the MLS because there is no tradition there and the level will never be as good as Europe. There is no chance of decent player going to the U.S except when they are near the end and no longer good enough to play in Europe. The MLS can be the new Qatar were old players go for the last pay cheque.

Great comment Maggie. I think I love you.

"I just can't wait for the Barra Brava to come up with a Spice Girls like song for Becks"

Posh Spice, takes it up the...

Been rolling around the grounds of England for more than a decade now.

You guys will all be proved wrong! just wait till you start seeing those Beckham pin point passes, perfect freekicks and 110% effort that he brings to a team. Forget the hype Beckham is a legend with plenty left to give.

There are many top flight european managers who were trying to sign him and thats without the image rights....
Check this out if you want the truth about how much your paying
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/6253829.stm

How much of that $$$ is being for by TomKat or the other Scientologists out in LA?

Vic is exactly right. The $250 million is a made-up figure, courtesy of the English tabloids. It's similar to saying Michael Jordan's contract with the Bulls was worth $250 million. It is to him, but the actual outlay is far, far less. As far as d's suggestion of satellite teams, well, I'd stop watching MLS and start watching USL1.

It's fairly obvious that the signing has less to do with ability and more to do with marketing. The MLS cannot compete with Spain, Italy or England. That is where the best players go, including the best U.S. players. Beckham was once the best crosser of a ball in the world; he's still one of the best from dead-ball situations but he was always one-legged, couldn't head the ball and never tackled. I never see the day when soccer overtakes baseball, football, basketabll or hockey in this country. Getting Beckham five years ago would have said something about the MLS, not now.

In reference to the comment about starting satellite clubs in the MLS: I believe you were thinking about more expansion clubs like Chivas USA, right? Sounds good, but why not also try to build on the existing teams and form "sister organizations" with Europe and South American clubs? (I call Barca for the Fire.) Sharing players like that could help bring the talent level up and would give the Euro clubs another exclusive place to draw from. The obvious next step for a young talent would be to play on the ultimate stage in Europe but at least Americans would be able to enjoy watching the pace and skill of the game increase while soccer continues to expand in popularity.

The popular press is probably the part of American soccer culture that lags behind the most. These hot air balloons on TV and some of the other outlets have no idea what they're talking about.

Beckham is still a great player -- he would make a large impact on nearly any top flight European team.

The media is really bungling the $250 million figure -- that's not salary money from the Galaxy.

What worries me about this is the fact that it looks way too much like what happened to the NASL. Big bucks in a big market shelled out for Pele. He brought crowds, and other aging superstars, for a short period. The NY Cosmos drew 70k regularly to see him play. For about 2 years. Then it all started to go downhill. Other franchises tried to compete with the Cosmos, but couldn't financially, and in a few short years, the league folded.

That's a bit of a simplification of what happened, but the broad concepts are there - aging superstar, wealthy owner in a big market, busting the bank to get a short-term boost in popularity. What makes people think that this model will work this time?

Or, to make a comparison to a more recent analogy:

Pele:Beckham::Vietnam:Iraq

There are a few people here who realize, it's not all about soccer, but it has a lot to do with marketing.

And it's marketing with it's Hollywood, it's movie, T.V. and music industry that L.A. is all about.

Only a fraction of his 50 mil, will be salary for his on field abilities, declining as they are, but still formidable. The bulk of his contract will be paid for his entertainment and marketing value that will greatly benefit soccer, the MLS and the Galaxy, as well as the many sponsors, who will line up for his on and off-filed charisma.

LA and the Galaxy would be the only place where the serendipitouus relationship could take place.

It is the only city in the U.S. or even the world where two Olympics, several World Series and Super Bowls and two World Cup finals have been held. It's cosmopolitan, multi-cultural, and more importantly, internationally aware.

And it has not one, but two soccer teams, and more telling, not one american NFL football team.

When, arguably the world's top star, in what is definately, the world's most popular sport, comes to the world capitol of marketing and making dreams, the World takes notice, and for a paltry 50 mil a year, there are many in tinseltown who feel it is a bargain.

beckham has spent his ENTIRE career as a consumate professional. Despite having a pop star wife he has eschewed the celebrity lifestyle of drinking, partying and 'other things', he is rarely out late and rarely misses games.
He'll do everything they pay him for and more, I wouldnt worry if I were MLS it's a tremendous investment.

Sam, you are absolutely correct.

I personally think David Beckham is highly over-rated. He had the pleasure of being in the right 'team' at the right time. Real Madrid hasn't won anything on the soccer level since they acquired Beckham. But they were able to increase their revenue from jersey sales through Beckham mostly.

And that's exactly what LA Galaxy had in mind when they signed him. This move does not benefit the development of MLS. The only way to develop the quality of play in the MLS is to compete with European teams in meaningful competitions. This benefits only LA Galaxy and Beckham.

The fact that he is going to get paid $50 million a year for just looking pretty on the field really annoys me.

Those pesky 'side by side' beer commercials during a live game on TV is when I gave up on MSL.Good luck Becks, you seem like a decent bloke.

It's a good move. It's a big name player that still has some miles left in him. We'll get a David Beckham near the top of his game, not after he's been over the hill (see Lothar, or any of the other MetroBulls). The league will gain a ton of respect worldwide when they see that the average MLS midfielder (the Josh Gros' of the league) can pretty much hold his own.

Besides, MLS would look really stupid for enacting the "Beckham rule" and not being able to land David Beckham.

Unfortunately it seems like the old days of the NASL. South American and European players seek lucurative retirements in the US, while talent moves primarily to the big European leagues in England, Italy, Germany, etc. No real boost for MSL. Becks is already on his way out and as a matter of fact had been for a while. This is more a Posh moment. They can now tip toe along Sunset Blvd and bath in the gaze.

sam, the standard is low in the US because our best athletes don't play soccer. Once people figure out that soccer will earn them some flow, you will see our league flourish. Also, the US is the media center of the world. Don't think that great players won't eventually be seduced by NYC, Hollywood, etc. Not to take away from the great European leagues, which will always have great tradition and great soccer, but you are being a bit chauvinistic when you slam our future prospects. It also sounds like you are a little defensive. Are you afraid that we're going to take your quality of play away from you?

Hey Kim... define "ton of respect". And did you see that Shakey Jake thinks he loves me? That's right. Competition. mwahahahahah

BECHAM WON'T BE MAKING ANYWHERE NEAR $50 MILLION PER YEAR IN SALARY. He will probably make that much in endorsements, commercials, etc., but not salary from the Galaxy. This is not NASL all over again, so calm down.

Is there some Bog writer for a Madrid newspaper that's posting about how RM is getting rid of all of his/her best material?

And will Beckham say goodbye to his fans at the Spanish Grand Prix or something?

Anyone making the NASL comparison either knows nothing about MLS or just hasn't bothered to spend even a second thinking about it.

There were no spending rules in the NASL. MLS, meanwhile, has made sure that slow growth is the key. And look what it's gotten them: $150 million from Adidas, a deal in which ESPN/ABC will pay for TV rights (something that hockey currently cannot claim), and more stadiums.

MLS is growing, and will continue to do so. The level of play, which is much better than people give it credit for, will keep improving. Beckham is not going to turn soccer into the US's #1 sport; no one can do that. In fact, MLS will get more of a benefit in terms of respect if the US national team wins the Copa Libertadores this summer than because of Beckham. However, Beckham will bring more attention to the league both domestically and internationally. This being the first year of the aforementioned TV deal makes it an example of some very good timing.

The way I look at this is that MLS's slow growth will be faster this year. That's it...and that's fine.There's no crime in making sure your venture has a big enough foothold before becoming aggressive. As a soccer and hockey fan, I'd argue that MLS is now very close to being the #4 team sport in the US. Think about it: the NHL just had a lockout, and now is paying a low-rent network like Versus to put its games on TV. MLS has essentially taken its spot at ESPN. That's a big statement, because the people signing the checks had the option to go either way.

The next time you want to attack MLS, remember that it's only going into its 12th season. The fact that it has survived in what was (and in some cases, is) a hostile environment is remarkable. The fact that it has, under Don Garber, recovered from the contraction in 2000, is even more notable. People who specialize in knowing what to attach themselves to and what not to (e.g. Beckham's handlers, Adidas, ESPN, investors like DC's new owners, etc.) are attaching themselves to MLS. I don't know about everyone else, but I'll trust their judgement.

Soccer is a "team" work.
In any event, Hollywood is back to L.A.
Are you ready to pay the price to see Mr Bend, the handson white boy from Ingland?

Have fun , play soccer at the park!

MH

That's a great post Chest.

Another thing to remember, every team got ONE designated player spot. They're tradable, but a team can have a maximum of two.

So up to 13 players LEAGUEWIDE can get paid a huge wad of money, and while it's likely that NY and LA will try to maximize it, they can only have two, and can't try to assemble an all star team.

Every big "star" that has come at the end of their career, like Beckham, to MLS has so far been a flop. To name a few we have Stoichkov, Matthaus, Hernandez, Donadoni and Djorkaeff. None of these players performed well at all in MLS and all of them were actually more of an embarassment than anything else.

Sport is first and foremost about the quality of play, not celebrity. Fans will follow and support a good product. Beckham will not increase the quality of the product only the spectacle of it.

If there is any doubt about why these old European stars want to come over here, just read this quote from Maldini posted on SI.

'Maldini, who has no plans to join MLS, can afford to be candid about why so many European stars want to finish their careers in the U.S. league: "They want to have the experience of living here, and there's no stress. I spoke with [former Milan teammate] Donadoni about playing for the MetroStars, and he said it was good: He got to play golf all day."'

These guys see MLS as a joke and MLS and America football fans as chumps.

Beck's "$250 million contract" actually includes all of his endorsement rights. He'll make like $9 million/year from the team (still almost 10 times what the highest paid MLS player currently makes)... the rest will be endorsements and the rights to his image and such.

From Yahoo! Sports:

"Back in London, not everyone was impressed by Beckham's move.

"He's rubbish," said Steve Didcott, a consultant mulling the deal from a pub. "And if you're rubbish, you go to the States.""

The LA Galaxy scouts aren't very good -- Beckham's been on the bench for Real Madrid for most of the season and has looked out of form most times when he's played.

what about el diablo the best player ever in mls history

beckam sucks

It's not about respect for MLS, or the delusion that Beckham is still among the world's elite players. But, he is still one of the two most recognizable and famous players. His coming here will bring attention to the MLS. British papers -- indeed all soccer/football media will report on his play. And the league will get attention -- here and abroad. Something that has been lacking before. Top players wont come here just because Bekham is here, but they will come eventually, because they will be more aware of the league. Respect will come when it is earned.

I've never been to an MLS game, but I would definitely buy tickets to see Beckham play.

I'd buy tickets to see Posh in the stands.

YAWN. I agree with Mike Wilbon, who opined about this today on Dan Patrick's radio show and 'PTI' -- this won't do anything for MLS or soccer in America. We've been down this road before. Unless a home-grown talent makes it big here in the U.S. and eventually the world, professional soccer will always be nothing more than a niche sport.

I kiss football

That's right. LA has two soccer teams and NO football team. To the city's ETERNAL disgrace.

Remember Pele? He couldn't do anything for soccer in the U.S.
There's simply no room (or taste) for soccer in the U.S. outside of the foreign-born and the few who continued to play it in college

I've read every single one if these comments with an english accent. And all I've done is laugh.

Despite my misgivings about it, I did see PTI's take on the topic. To start, the "Will Beckham save MLS?" headline was absurd. MLS is improving on the field, building stadiums, and is getting lots of money from TV and Adidas. PTI will need saving before MLS does. Why does the rhetoric about soccer always include "saving", as if MLS is about to fold? Does anyone have patience at all these days?

David Beckham for $250M? Please soccer manager wannabe Lalas and his crew, how on earth can you justify paying such an outrageous amount for Becks. Not even Ronaldihno, arguably the best player in the world, should commend such a fee. This transaction is an insult to all the low paying MLS players who labor to keep this league going. Any serious soccer fan knows Becks is a washed up. Even when Becks was at his peak at Man U, no rational business men would pay that much for him. Well, it is obvious, the gamble is Beck's marketability. But just like another lousy talentless self-proclaimed celeb - Paris Hilton, it would not be long for Americans to loathe Becks. I hope the MLS players would wise-up and demand real pay - not the $20K they have been getting while Becks gets to look pretty for millions.

It is absurd to even mention that American soccer needs saving. The MLS has shown that it can do well more than just "stay afloat". In the aftermath of an extremely publicized World Cup that was watched by thousands of new American soccer fans, a move by the MLS to get David Beckham is one of the league's most brilliant moves ever. Beckham's arrival will help continue the World Cup's case for soccer by giving new soccer fans a familiar face to follow in the United States. Clearly he is near the end of his playing careeer, yet his relocation to the United States will not only draw Americans to the game but also set a precedent. This guy has played for the biggest and most popular clubs in the world in Manchester United and Real Madrid and brings a loaded resume with him. His experience and credibility can be transferred to the United States, which clearly needs to elevate its level of play if it is to get anywhere in future World Cups. Beckham is just the first bona fide superstar to come to the United States - others will undoubtedly follow. Ronaldo and Ryan Giggs have both mentioned making similar moves, and it is only a matter of time. Beckham's transatlantic move has paved the way for the elevation of the MLS

I wonder who'll cry more when DC United crushes LA: Landycakes or Becks?

Gary,

Pele basically *worked.* He brought them in to Giants Stadium, often to capacity crowds. And technically, the Cosmos' biggest regular crowds took place after he left, so it wasn't that short-term a "bang." (Furthermore, the fact that 30 years later people still know who he is provides proof he worked.)

The league he played in, the NASL, had two fatal flaws:

1 It overpaid nearly every single player in the league (especially thinking of scouting costs), because there were no cheap, young, underrated American players to build around the Peles, so nearly every player was foreign and expensive to acquire.

2 The businessmen just didn't have the acumen to make money on these players in a dozen different ways, as is the case today. Most bought teams on a lark, not as a long term, carefully thought out investment.

Had those problems been fixed then, the NASL would still be around today.

Chest Rockwell makes good points. Make sure you bombard the PTI email machine with that last bit at 1201am. Maybe it can spark some debate and make headlines a second day on what is probably the biggest daily sports talk show in America. Getting press on PTI is will definitely save MLS :)

Thx,

Jay!

Chet knows soccer.
Chet knows business.
Chet knows quality Bog posts.

Memo to Ted Leonsis - should have chosen to buy DC United instead of allowing out of town real estate developers to bask in the glow of the metrosexual Galactico when you had the chance.

Like the Ovechkin kid, really, but he ain't going to bring out the hordes like Posh boy. Now have to figure out how many season tickets to snag before the good seats disappear.

who is beckham, what is the mls and why should any red blooded american care?

One Trick Limey
Clap Clap Clap-Clap-Clap
One Trick Limey
Clap Clap Clap-Clap-Clap

Beckham still has a few good years left in him. As for Real Madrid not winning anything in the 4 years he has been here, it is not only because of Beckham. Much like the NEw York Yankees, Real just concentrated on bringing in the BIGGEST names in world football to play for them, regardless if it actually made any sporting sense or not. They had the big names, but the big names do not guarantee success. Their entire football structure has pretty much stunk the last 4 years all for the sake of marketing.

Someone mentioned that the "Beckham Brand" is big in Asia, and it is. Look for MLS teams, or at least the Galaxy to start touring Asia in the upcoming years to gain exposure and increase revenues for the league.

I believe David Beckham was a 'very good' player, who at 31 is now a good player.

He made the most of his available talent by sheer hard work. One thing you yanks might not be aware of is that, despite the celebrity circus surrounding his life no-one ever doubted his commitment and drive to succeed...on the pitch. He always trained well and practiced hard. If you want to see his commitment take a look at him scoring the winning penalty for England against Argentina in the 2002 World Cup (Joy!).

If people expect him to be some kind of footy genius who lights up the pitch every 5 minutes there will be some disappointment. However, if you expect an over-the-hill, out-of-condition playboy you might be pleasantly surprised.
I think Beckham is working on his 'legacy'...I mean, what does he do in 5, 10, 15 years? The idea of him becoming a coach makes me chuckle and he was never known for his intelligence ;-) By the way...Posh isn't really posh...if you know what I mean. Anyway Beckham has to succeed on the pitch to get the credibility to set up the next stage of his life and he cannot allow his career to become a laughing stock.

Therefore I think the LA Galaxy will get a good player, who will be a great example of what a professional soccer player is all about. Even if all it means is that opposing fans and players try harder to embaress him, that will increase the passion and standards!

I think he genuinely cares about his football academies and he is a decent bloke.

Undoubtedly the whole league will get more attention and soccer in the USA will go up one more notch in your nations (and the worlds) conciousness. After all, why else would I be sitting here on a Friday evening in London commenting on David Beckham!

Good luck Becks and good luck US soccer! (though I wont be so nice when you do get better!)

I have been a Manchester United Supporter for more than 30 years and I can tell you that Beckham was never world class, or even a great footballer.

In fact all real united fans always knew that he was by far the least talented of the midfield of Giggs, Keane, Scholes, and Beckham. He was a media invention right face at the right time.

As a free kick taker he was always overrated -if you look at his free kick record, the free kick that he scored in the world cup 2006 was his first in almost 3 years in any competition.

To compare him with Pele is an insult to international football and proves American football fans ignorance of the tradition of the game itself.

You will get those non-Manchester united English fans who worship beckham - they are blinded by the media hype but real Madrid and Manchester united fans know better.

As an international soccer star beckham was average at best. His best moment was a drawing free kick against a second rate Greek side. He has never achieved anything internationally for his national team, just excuses of injuries every time he failed in from 1998 to 2006.

The fact that he remained captain of England for so long and in the side, was due to the celebrity obsession of Sven.
Running around the field at a million miles a minute is no substitute for real skill and class.

The MLS has gained nothing in terms of credibility internationally. What they have got is a has been who never was playing in a micky mouse league.

The MLS has got duped in the biggest financial mistake in sporting history. What the MLS needs is quality not short lived hype.

The LA Galaxy will sell a few Beckham tee shirts but not anywhere near as many as they think because unlike Manchester United and Real Madrid they have no international soccer brand and history.

Remember Beckham would never have received international or national attention had he just played for an average team -these 2 teams are 2 of the most famous and greatest clubs in the history.

Real Madrid only ever bought Beckham for the marketing angle not as a player. They were able to capitalise on this only because they were Real Madrid -will LA Galaxy sell tee-shirts in London? - Dream ON!!

To pay $250m for an unwanted one paced benchwarmer? I really feel sorry for MLS fans.

Lets just hope that Rob Stone does NOT refer to a patented Beckham CROSS as a SERVE.