David Beckham coming to America: Will one good signing result in a rush?
January 18, 2007 by William K. Wolfrum
When I first heard that it was official that David Beckham was coming to play in the U.S. in Major League Soccer, I was skeptical to say the least.
While I don’t believe per se, that Beckham’s signing will kill the league, I do believe that if this becomes a “Every team needs an expensive old dude” situation, it could spell doom for America’s soccer league.
Soccer is a niche sport in the U.S., and the presence of one or two European or South American stars in a game won’t change that over time. Especially older ones, who get more injuries and miss more games. People just aren’t going to continually go to games to see Beckham attempt a few free kicks. Or see if Ronaldo can waddle free for a shot on goal.
I always liked Beckham on the field and felt he got a bum rap and had bizarre expectations. He adds something to a team. But a lot of what he offered had to do with speed and hustle, and he has definitely lost a step. On the field, he changes nothing as far as the quality of competition of Major League Soccer.
Nonetheless, you know what, I applaud the move. What the hell, they pulled off a Massive deal. Beckham immediately becomes the second-biggest sports star in the U.S. after Tiger Woods. On the World stage, Becks is a big, big star.
MLS just needs to show discipline for this all to work, and keep expectations from getting too terribly high. By himself, Beckham is a great move that draws attention and money to the league. The problem is, like heroin, no one can stop with just one star. If we see Luis Figo lace them up for Real Salt Lake, we’ll know it was too much for MLS.
–WKW
[...] It will be interesting to see if Major League Soccer’s acquisition of David Beckham will help accelerate soccer’s growth in the U.S., but it still feels unlikely. Soccer has some room for growth left in the U.S., but at this point, it would take several soccer-friendly generations to come in the future for the game to vault into the category of the NFL or NBA**. [...]
[...] Just something to keep in mind when you hear the “Beckham is overrated” card being played. He’s older, but still a marvelously talented and intelligent footballer. He’ll bring those skills to the U.S. soon, and it will be interesting to see if he has the effect Major League Soccer hopes he will. [...]