GolfHos

(http://www.uncrate.com/men/images/2007/07/david-beckham-galaxy-jersey.jpg)

No accident methinks.

I think he's going to do more for MLS abroad than he does in this country.

Still holding out hope for a St. Louis franchise though  [sm_fingersx]

Methinks you're right:

I know Beckham was #23 at Real Madrid, although I'll admit I'm not sure what number he wore when playing in England...

45

Yep - it goes like a dis:


HOORAY!!!
(http://www.sports-photos.com/catalog/images/MichaelJordan3Clr.tif.jpg)



BOOOOOOOO!
(http://perso.orange.fr/nba-history/images/chrono/autres/michael_jordan_45.jpg)



WTF??
(http://www.photofile.com/Photos/Albums/Whats_Hot_Page/NBA/Portrait_Plus/Images/Michael_Jordan_jpg.jpg)

You forgot:

ROFLMAO!!!!

(http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0Je5mXDjqFGj.kATT2jzbkF/SIG=12ancbg1s/EXP=1185079363/**http%3A//michaeljordan.pl/artykuly/jordan-baseball-2.jpg)

He was #7 at United.  Couldn't have that at Madrid as Raul had it already. 

Well now, that's over then.  Chelsea 1-0 but Galaxy significantly outplayed.  Donovan missed a softball header for the tie but not too many other scoring chances for L.A.

It's quite possible David Beckham is the biggest thing in the history of U.S. soccer.

It's an absolutely certainty that Eva Longoria is the biggest attention *trollop* in the history of everything.

You sure 'bout that?

Bigger than Edson Arantes do Nascimento?

(http://footnostalgie.free.fr/images/pele-cosmos1.jpg)

Yeah, the Galaxy was clearly outplayed - especially in the second half when Cole and Shevchenko were added.  But as the recent saying goes - Chelsea can beat you with their bench players.

Beckham is creating a media circus (in a mostly good way - there can be backlash from over-exposure - Posh better learn that quick), but as I've said before - how much of this will be sustained in the US?  Most of the press following him are still foreign based.  Your 'red-blooded American' sect has a misguided love affair with making fun of soccer (borne of ignorance and whatnot) - David won't change that.  But every little bit can help and I support his coming here and all it entails.

Possibly - Beckham is here to stay, Pele was a short term rental.  Becks has a 5 year contract, a soccer academy in LA, and he and his wife make for great tabloid fodder when all else fails (no such thing as bad media right?).  When its all said and done the impact could be larger.

not to mention, the exposure mls gets is (as pathetic as it is...) way better than NASL ever got

I don't expect grand things from the MLS, but with the influx of the global population to the US, the decline of interest in the four major sports (even a little), I think it will find its niche here. When I happen to head out to sports bars, more often than not a soccer game is on one of the TV's, something that couildn't be said 5-7 years ago..

This stems from not playing as a kid. Back when I was a kid soccer had a small boom of growth. Now that us kids are parents, soccer youth leagues are having another boom. There are more kids playing soccer then baseball in my town. When these kids grow up who knows where soccer popularity will be in the US.

NASL was a joke with the Cosmos landing all the talent.  That team, intriguing as it was, sounded the death knell of the league.

Plus, and this is meant as a realistic observation and nothing more, Pele was a black/dark man with limited English in 1975 America.  David Beckham is more like Brad Pitt than he is Pele.  Throw in the wife and you have Hollywood A-List and then some.  It's kinda sick and wrong but it is what it is.

Did you see all the wannabees at that match last night?  It's the first time since the Cosmos that a soccer match was the place to be in the United States - and I include the '94 World Cup.

Beckham's arrival has significant draw power for the game.  The Galaxy sold something like 15,000 season tickets in the last month or two.  The rest of the league will sell out when the Galaxy come to town.  And, the big thing, more big names will come to America.  I include coaches such as Steve Nicholl in that.  The league definitely needs more managerial talent and I think they'll get it.

This is big IMO.  Will it ever top football?  No chance.  Baseball?  No chance.  Basketball?  Maybe, that sport at the pro level is in trouble I think.  If it wasn't in the winter when people are forced indoors I think it would sink.  We have 300 million people and more kids playing soccer than probably any other country.  It'll come.  The U.S. should be a world power in this sport.  This move nudges things a little bit closer.

25 years I say.

I think it is really funny, that a soccer team for L.A. has a major sponsor being Herbalife, a weightloss company!!!!!!! ;D ;D ;D ;D
How Hollywood!!!!! ;D ;D

Hey, you're awful happy for a Socceroos supporter this weekend.  [sm_devil]

Sorry UB, I am not really a soccer fan!!!!
Soccer is only for Wog's and Pom's!!!! :o :o :o :o ;D

I'm not sure I share whiskey's positive rasta vibrations, having been through this before, and let down miserably.

There are too many factors involved to guess at becks' ultimate legacy to US soccer, least of which is can he still play? 250 million bones goes a long way towards the "yeah...ummm...i'm done" mentality.

I hope he does draw more big names, I hope he does play well and ignite a nation, but i've hoped this before.

hmmmm [sm_devil]

Either way at the end of the day, if we're comparing No: 23's, one of them is a superstar and the other is some ponce named David Beckham

I think the original implication was that Beckham was trying to coattail on the number 23, when in reality he's been  a global mega superstar #23 in his own right for a number years already.

We're talking about that game where guys in short shorts, and shirts with nearly as many ads on them as NASCAR drivers' fire suits, kick a volleyball around a park and that dudes with funny accents call "futball," right?

To an American audience, a #23 at Madrid does not have the same impact of a #23 at L.A.  When I saw that Galaxy jersey I made the connection immediately.  I watch 3-4 Madrid games a year and never once made that connection. 

I don't think it's coincidental.  He's a United/England boy at heart.  If he'd wanted #7 I'm sure they would have figured out a way for Chris Klein give it up gracefully.

Hater poser.

Only a hard core fan would call it a park.  You're fooling nobody.

lol. Self-pwned. (honestly, I always thought it was called a "pitch" or a "green" or something equally haughty.)

'Pitch' is the actual turf field, 'park' is the stadium and everything it entails.  Almost-Poser!

Often (re: Third Division or Non League) the pitch IS damn near everything the park entails.   ;)

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/Black_Cobra/ThisThreadIsWorthless.gif)

Used without permission.

Oh Twoiron, stop being so bloody P.C.!!!!!! ::) ::)

I had to lookup "australian for wogs" 'cuz I was pretty certain it didn't mean what I thought it meant. 

That word is pretty much a massive no-no on this side of the equator. 

Wog, is a term for Italian's & Greeks etc (especially soccer playing ones!!! [sm_devil])
They call themselves wogs!
Please lets not get all P.C.

That's what I learned when I looked it up. 

I'm not sure anyone is getting all P.C.  However, if you use that term in Brooklyn or Manchester you'll likely come home without a windpipe.  It means something quite different here.  I'm not censuring you - I'm educating you.

lol, permission granted for use. [sm_thankyou] :D