Wow, I keep tossing this notion around, and I just can't believe its actually happening. I know the news is a bit old, but it still amazes me everytime I read something about this...
So the big news of course is that Beckham is coming to the U.S to play for the L.A. Galaxy. And while the MLS in the US is a budding and growing sport league, its dwarfed by the attention and money it gets in Europe and the rest of the world. You have to understand that when according to Soccer America, in 2004, the Salary cap per player was $280,000 . Mr. Sunshine however just signed a deal with LA for 5 years at $250,000,0000.
That's right, there's a correct amount of zero's in there. Thats TWO HUNDRED MILLION (Dr. Evil voice) DOLLARS!!!! WHUAHAHAHA!!!

Boy that seems a bit expensive. For that kind of cash, you can build your own stadium (or two) and fund several franchise teams (or ten, give or take a few). However, and this is a big one - I don't think you can employ ANYONE, and I do mean ANYONE that brings the kind of attention with him the way Becks and his lovely Spice Girl wife do.
The biggest problem with soccer is how it seems to be played in the rest of the world, but just not here, at least not by adults. There's just no standouts that people seem to like and everything just seems like its their sport and not ours. It seems every world cup or so, people almost embrace it ('the rules just seems so strange'), and with disappointing runs at the actual World Cup even by some real talent, we just seem to fall short and everyone just kind of puts their hands up, says 'whatever' and goes back to what they were doing 10 minutes earlier.
But.. that's where Golden Boy Beckham comes in. The guy and his girl have are a walking poster that kids and even adults seem to just remind me of old "be like Mike!" anthems of the late 80s and early 90s. Attendance has gone up all over the place at MLS and some of the smaller pro leagues in the US, but they haven't had anyone to rally behind as a personality. I once thought it could Donovan, but hell, he admitted on one interview I saw him in to listenning to boy band music to get "pumped up" before a game... (oh Donovon, how you have let me down...), And when he gets his chance to go abroad at the real show, he opts to come back home (because hes awww wonely and misses his girlfriend). Nope, at least for now, Donovan's not it. He's still young and maybe got time to come to that next big step, but for now, it will instead be Captain ENGUH-LAND taking that mantle!!!
And this guy can do it. Even when he loses he looks good. The ladies love him. The guys either like him or say "nah, he looks gay" but secretly go "damn, his hair always looks good, what a bastard."
I'm going to admit I've said several times, he's overrated in an individual sense. He really struggled last year, and has seen several instances of benching and even kicking off of a squad, but there's just a few things you can't deny...
The guy knows how to win. He's been to the big show. He's won at the most competitive levels, and though it was in the past, he's been nominated for the highest amount of play at the highest levels. In exhibition games with Real Madrid, he and his teammates made some of our best boys look like school yard kids. If some of that composure, skill and thinking on the pitch begins to rub off on our players, and he can captain that kind of winning, I would love to see the level of soccer with him acting as America's Ambassador to soccer...
I can't wait to see how the ball play goes with him and the rest of the LA squad out on the pitch....