America is where over the hill soccer gods like Becham come to die. Remember when Pele was going to take soccer to the American mainstream? Me either. America will only become a soccer nation when high schools are too poor to purchase shoulder pads and baseball bats.
You may very well be right about Beckham being one of the most recognizable athlethes in the world, but he certainly isn't the best soccer player. He's been riding the pine for Real Madrid the last few years. Even before that, with Man U, he was hardly the player he was in his younger days. Even the England national team has cut ties with him for lack of production. He still has an excellent corner kick, but he's lost quite a bit of speed and acceleration. As for it being a great move for the MLS, we'll see. Pele played in the U.S. towards the end of his career and sparked very little interest in the American population. At the time he was a much bigger star than Beckham is now--as far as popularity not skill (he was near 40 at the time). The move didn't work and the league subsequently folded. Maybe Beckham can create a large enough buzz to spark a major soccer movement in the states, but I'm not counting on it. It's going to take a fundemental change in not only the way most Americans view soccer, but in the way soccer is run. Our best American players today are bolting for Europe as soon as they get the chance. There is just very little financial oppertunity here...unless you're David Beckham.
The best thing about soccer is the lack of commercials. When you sit down to watch a 90 minute game, you know you will be there 2-2.5 hours, including half time. Compare that with a 60 minute football game that takes almost 4 hours to finish. I mean, who doesn't hate the ref with the red hat? Totally kills the spirit and flow of games, imho. I don't think anyone can really appreciate watching soccer until you go to a game in Europe. It is all about the atomosphere, how intense and passionate the fans are (And sometimes just scary). I went to a Championship league (Like the minor league) game in England this Christmas break and they were more passionate about their team than 90% of the fanbase in the US, it was just insane (35 degree weather, rain, on a wednesday, stadium filled to capacity with about 75 cops keeping them from killin the opponents fans). When it is on TV though, it can be boring just like baseball can be. For the people that understand the game, there are a ton of things to watch, for the rest they are watching the ball and waiting for scores in between drinking beer. As far as Beckham, I don't like him, even when he played at Man U (My team) and I doubt it will help the US game. He was way outclassed in Europe the last few years, and served as nothing more than a dead ball expert in the World Cup. He probably also fits the stereotype most Americans have of soccer players, a pretty boy european dancing across the field (Although he is usually just standing there), and won't turn many people that are already set in their opinion. Kinda off topic, I had heard that Pele did spark an interest in the NorthEast around soccer, it was just that it didn't receive the coverage or attention in the rest of the country. Didn't they make a movie about it?
