Do you think Beckham is going to become a blockbusting celebrity in the U.S.A. or help popularize soccer?
http://sports.yahoo.com/sow/news?slug=ap-sportsshowcase&prov=ap&type=lgns
Blockbuster celeb = possibly…but probably not…too old for the masses…
Popularize soccer = No.
Im a big soccer fan…but…I don’t see it gaining a foothold in the US of A Beckham or no Beckham.
The first one.
A movie came out last year, or the year before about how they brought Pele to the US in the 70’s to try to kick start the American soccer league. It was a good movie. I’d say the odds are history is about to repeat itself.
lololololol
[quote]sen say wrote:
Blockbuster celeb = possibly…but probably not…too old for the masses…
Popularize soccer = No.
Im a big soccer fan…but…I don’t see it gaining a foothold in the US of A Beckham or no Beckham.[/quote]
Beckham is an average player, surrounded by hype. Most proper football fans in the Uk have never rated him. Everyone in the USA thinks he some genius. But believe me he’s not. Think about it, why would any half decent player go to USA when all the best football is played in Europe?
Its like an average American Footballer going to a shitty European league.
I think Beckham will increase the popularity of US soccer. In the last 5 years the MLS has been becoming more popular, several teams are now profitable and several more are nearing profitablity. I don’t think he’s going to do amazing things for the league over night but I do think he’ll help push along a general trend.
There’s a lot of good young american players in the league (look at the U20 national team which is currently in the quarter finals of the U20 world cup) and the league is starting to draw more international players, which are both positive trends.
Do I think soccer will every be as popular as football, baseball, or basketball?
No
But I do think that the MLS can become profitible and be a league that showcases good young players and popular european players past their prime.
[quote]Uncle Gabby wrote:
A movie came out last year, or the year before about how they brought Pele to the US in the 70’s to try to kick start the American soccer league. It was a good movie. I’d say the odds are history is about to repeat itself.[/quote]
Yep.
Bringing Beckham to the US is like trying to bring Michael Jordan to Europe. It just wont work out. Soccer is not a huge sport here as basketball is not huge in Europe. Its just a simple analogy and i think all the talk about how he is going to change US soccer is just crap. Must be a boring week in sports.
[quote]CantStop wrote:
sen say wrote:
Blockbuster celeb = possibly…but probably not…too old for the masses…
Popularize soccer = No.
Im a big soccer fan…but…I don’t see it gaining a foothold in the US of A Beckham or no Beckham.
Beckham is an average player, surrounded by hype. Most proper football fans in the Uk have never rated him. Everyone in the USA thinks he some genius. But believe me he’s not. Think about it, why would any half decent player go to USA when all the best footnball is played in Europe?
Its like an average American Footballer going to a shitty European league.[/quote]
You’re a “proper football fan”, then, I assume. When Beckham was at ManUtd, he was a very good player. He stuck to this strengths and was a part of the best midfield in Europe. People have loved to criticise him and hate him, but I’m not quite sure why. If you look at it objectively, he still sets up lots of goals, scores the occasional free kick, and ALWAYS works his balls off for the team.
He ran something like 13km in a recent Real Madrid game. And he’s been doing this for over 10 years now…when will people like you wake up and realize that, while he was never the best player in the world, he is still a very good player (and still has the best right foot in the world)?
I personally don’t think he will make much of an impact past the immediate hype, but your high horse post irked me.
[quote]Raven3606 wrote:
Bringing Beckham to the US is like trying to bring Michael Jordan to Europe. It just wont work out. Soccer is not a huge sport here as basketball is not huge in Europe. Its just a simple analogy and i think all the talk about how he is going to change US soccer is just crap. Must be a boring week in sports.[/quote]
Horrible example considering since the Dream Team Team European basketball has blown up sending more players to the NBA now. But I do agree with you. Why are you bringing a player out of his prime to blow up a sport nobody in the U.S cares about.
[quote]engerland66 wrote:
CantStop wrote:
sen say wrote:
Blockbuster celeb = possibly…but probably not…too old for the masses…
Popularize soccer = No.
Im a big soccer fan…but…I don’t see it gaining a foothold in the US of A Beckham or no Beckham.
Beckham is an average player, surrounded by hype. Most proper football fans in the Uk have never rated him. Everyone in the USA thinks he some genius. But believe me he’s not. Think about it, why would any half decent player go to USA when all the best footnball is played in Europe?
Its like an average American Footballer going to a shitty European league.
You’re a “proper football fan”, then, I assume. When Beckham was at ManUtd, he was a very good player. He stuck to this strengths and was a part of the best midfield in Europe. People have loved to criticise him and hate him, but I’m not quite sure why. If you look at it objectively, he still sets up lots of goals, scores the occasional free kick, and ALWAYS works his balls off for the team.
He ran something like 13km in a recent Real Madrid game. And he’s been doing this for over 10 years now…when will people like you wake up and realize that, while he was never the best player in the world, he is still a very good player (and still has the best right foot in the world)?
I personally don’t think he will make much of an impact past the immediate hype, but your high horse post irked me.[/quote]
Wow! He runs a lot and works hard. Must be good then.
[quote]CantStop wrote:
engerland66 wrote:
CantStop wrote:
sen say wrote:
Blockbuster celeb = possibly…but probably not…too old for the masses…
Popularize soccer = No.
Im a big soccer fan…but…I don’t see it gaining a foothold in the US of A Beckham or no Beckham.
Beckham is an average player, surrounded by hype. Most proper football fans in the Uk have never rated him. Everyone in the USA thinks he some genius. But believe me he’s not. Think about it, why would any half decent player go to USA when all the best footnball is played in Europe?
Its like an average American Footballer going to a shitty European league.
You’re a “proper football fan”, then, I assume. When Beckham was at ManUtd, he was a very good player. He stuck to this strengths and was a part of the best midfield in Europe. People have loved to criticise him and hate him, but I’m not quite sure why. If you look at it objectively, he still sets up lots of goals, scores the occasional free kick, and ALWAYS works his balls off for the team.
He ran something like 13km in a recent Real Madrid game. And he’s been doing this for over 10 years now…when will people like you wake up and realize that, while he was never the best player in the world, he is still a very good player (and still has the best right foot in the world)?
I personally don’t think he will make much of an impact past the immediate hype, but your high horse post irked me.
Wow! He runs a lot and works hard. Must be good then.[/quote]
Are you going to focus on just 2 sentences and not comment on the rest? Do you have an opinion on my other points?
[quote]engerland66 wrote:
CantStop wrote:
engerland66 wrote:
CantStop wrote:
sen say wrote:
Blockbuster celeb = possibly…but probably not…too old for the masses…
Popularize soccer = No.
Im a big soccer fan…but…I don’t see it gaining a foothold in the US of A Beckham or no Beckham.
Beckham is an average player, surrounded by hype. Most proper football fans in the Uk have never rated him. Everyone in the USA thinks he some genius. But believe me he’s not. Think about it, why would any half decent player go to USA when all the best footnball is played in Europe?
Its like an average American Footballer going to a shitty European league.
You’re a “proper football fan”, then, I assume. When Beckham was at ManUtd, he was a very good player. He stuck to this strengths and was a part of the best midfield in Europe. People have loved to criticise him and hate him, but I’m not quite sure why. If you look at it objectively, he still sets up lots of goals, scores the occasional free kick, and ALWAYS works his balls off for the team.
He ran something like 13km in a recent Real Madrid game. And he’s been doing this for over 10 years now…when will people like you wake up and realize that, while he was never the best player in the world, he is still a very good player (and still has the best right foot in the world)?
I personally don’t think he will make much of an impact past the immediate hype, but your high horse post irked me.
Wow! He runs a lot and works hard. Must be good then.
Are you going to focus on just 2 sentences and not comment on the rest? Do you have an opinion on my other points?[/quote]
You have summarised it perfectly. No where in your original post do you rate him highly apart from the use of his right foot, completely describing his one-dimensional nature. You use the words “good” and not great or an equivalent. Ok, so he had a good end to last season, but half a season isn’t good enough.
Think about it, if he was any good and wanted to play at the highest level, why would he go over to the USA? Its like playing in the womens league in England. I’ll tell you, its because he chases the paycheck and knows he’s not good enough to compete with the best.
He doesn’t come close to any of the top midfielders in Europe.
[quote]CantStop wrote:
Beckham is an average player, surrounded by hype. Most proper football fans in the Uk have never rated him. [/quote]
He was England’s best and most influential player for how long? Thanks for playing.
I don’t know if that says more about Beckham (Great? Nope. Very good, with a few exceptional talents? Yessir.) or the English national team’s recent history.
Without Beckham’s free kick against Greece, you don’t qualify for the '02 World Cup.
[quote]Freaky Styley wrote:
CantStop wrote:
Beckham is an average player, surrounded by hype. Most proper football fans in the Uk have never rated him.
He was England’s best and most influential player for how long? Thanks for playing.
I don’t know if that says more about Beckham (Great? Nope. Very good, with a few exceptional talents? Yessir.) or the English national team’s recent history.
Without Beckham’s free kick against Greece, you don’t qualify for the '02 World Cup.[/quote]
If thats the case then, did his sending off not cost England the world cup?
[quote]CantStop wrote:
Think about it, why would any half decent player go to USA when all the best football is played in Europe?[/quote]
Because they’re paying him $250 million over 5 years and Posh Spice needs to renew her shoe and sunglasses collection.
[quote]Miserere wrote:
CantStop wrote:
Think about it, why would any half decent player go to USA when all the best football is played in Europe?
Because they’re paying him $250 million over 5 years and Posh Spice needs to renew her shoe and sunglasses collection.[/quote]
LOL exactly. Gone to collect his pension in the USA
Beckham is a good soccer player, I don’t see how that’s up for debate. Sure he’s a metro and “pretty boy” but that shouldn’t take away from the fact he works hard and does quite well. People love to attack popular athletes, forgetting they’re usually popular for a reason.
[quote]engerland66 wrote:
You’re a “proper football fan”, then, I assume. When Beckham was at ManUtd, he was a very good player. He stuck to this strengths and was a part of the best midfield in Europe. People have loved to criticise him and hate him, but I’m not quite sure why. If you look at it objectively, he still sets up lots of goals, scores the occasional free kick, and ALWAYS works his balls off for the team.
He ran something like 13km in a recent Real Madrid game. And he’s been doing this for over 10 years now…when will people like you wake up and realize that, while he was never the best player in the world, he is still a very good player (and still has the best right foot in the world)?
I personally don’t think he will make much of an impact past the immediate hype, but your high horse post irked me.[/quote]
The three other players in that midfield were undisputed genius’. He was very much an ancillary player. He was alright between 96-00 and after that he let his horrible skeleton of a wife dictate how his career should unfold. In 2003 his performances wained even more and off the pitch he’d become an uncontrolable circus, the manager rightly showed him the door.
He went to madrid where he did fuck all for three and half years and in this time two managers publically had a go at him about his fitness levels.
When Skeletor finally engineered her dream move to LA to live amongst the “stars” it seemed to reinvigorate beckham and for the first time in seven years he actually put some decent performances in.
As for running 13k in a match. This is a fairly average distance to be running for a midfielder, it’s nothing special.