While I think it's pretty cool that Beckham is bringing his celebrity status to the MLS and I believe that initially people will tune in to see the show, but ultimately people will realize that it's still soccer. I'm afraid that he's setting a precedence for money that the league will not be able to afford. I still say that if you are a great young athlete, soccer is going to be about 4 or 5 on your list of sports to pursue. Think about some of the contracts that legitimate stiffs are getting in the NBA and MLB. It just ain't happening in the MLS. I believe we have to build the program from within and have more success on the world level. How long have people been saying that soccer is on the verge of exploding? Sure, tons of kids play soccer, but that's because it's an active sport that pretty much anyone can play when you're young. Just stand off to the side and watch the mob move up and down the field.
Am I being pessimistic?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
Yes you are being pessimistic. I think the league is taking the right ajpproach to growth. They are proceeding slowly and are not really looking for a big splash like the Cosmos in NASL. Each team is allowed one slot that they can invest in a talented player. Whats interesting is that teams can trade this single player allocation to another team. For instance, Kansas City, which would never be able to really invest in a player can trade their allocation for draft picks and other players. Another point that I didn't realize at first is that MLS is only paying Beckham around $2M a year, its his endorcements and product line that is getting him to $50M a year, not MLS directly. One player on each team won't drastically change he team or the league, but it definitly won't hurt it. The league is taking it slowly and growing a solid base before they loosen up the salary cap.
I agree that it is the right thing for the MLS to take it slow. They have to accept the fact that it will take generations to grow a fan base. By building soccer specific stadiums and being fan friendly, it will encourage more people to go out to see a match. I'm just not sure it will ever have the TV appeal. When I went to watch our friend Craig play an A league game versus Minneapolis it was pandemonium. Great environment...packed house.
Ultimately I'm afraid people are going to be disappointed in Beckham as a player. Will he be a star here? Is he still that good?
Good grief, I just went to the ESPN - MLS webpage, because I read somewhere that Reyna maybe comign to play in the MLS and 12 of the 15 headlines had Beckham's name in it. Ridiculous.
Post a Comment