Major League Difference or Minor League Sideshow: What will be Beckham's impact on MLS?

A Wax Effigy to Becks at Madame Tussauds

Getting ready to bend one

Posh'N'Becks on the way out of a party

When word first got out back in January that 32-year-old Becks' five-year L.A. Galaxy contract was worth in excess of $250 million many sports fans chins had to be scraped off the floor. Suddenly Yankee slugger A-Rod's jaw-dropping quarter-billion over ten seasons seemed a bargain basement steal. "Couldn't you buy the entire MLS for that kind of money?" was the joke around the water cooler. Later it was disclosed that Golden Balls playing contract was worth a more earthly sum, a mere $27.5 million. Sports and entertainment group AEG which owns the Galaxy will top that base salary figure off with tens of millions more from a wide encompassing revenue-sharing agreement which promises Beckham a piece of the action on everything from endorsements and merchandising, to advertising on jerseys and stadium tours.

If MLS gets its wish, the mega-bucks the L.A. Galaxy shelled out to reel in the English icon will bend perceptions of the 12-year old soccer upstart still teething on a rookie league pacifier and boot the bush league into the big time. Becks does have the most recognizable smile in soccer and his buzzing orbit of swarming paparazzi, celebrity sycophants and starstruck wannabe home-wreckers will expand exponentially once his famous right foot lands in La La land in mid-July. If all goes according to plan #23's photogenic face, spicy wife, and cherubic trio of tots coupled with his physics-flouting crosses will put his born-for-Hollywood mug squarely in the crosshairs of both Entertainment Tonight and Sportsdesk for at least a month or two.

PRIMPING PERCEPTIONS For the MLS to elevate to ranks of prime time pro sports with acronyms that you don't have to scratch your head thinking about before expanding, namely the MLB, NHL, NFL, and NBA, a dramatic sea change will have to take place. When most people picture the beautiful game on this continent they think shiny late model SUVs, luscious orange slices, blue skies and the occasional milf in yoga pants. Despite soccer being the number one participation sport in North America since the 90s, the pro game sits at the fringes of popular sports culture. Besides, to 'futbol' fans in these parts Major League Soccer still plays a distant fifth fiddle to the venerable English Premiere League, German Bundesliga, Italian Serie A, and Spanish Primera Liga. But Becks' move to the MLS has stoked the curiosity of even diehard drum pounding European and South American soccer fans. This is after all the athlete whose mystique inspired a golden globe nominated movie ("Bend it Like Beckham") and the metrosexual revolution—motivating straight guys from Manchester to Maui to frost their tips and exfoliate.

But can Becks spearhead a Galaxy championship quest? This would be more impressive than ramping up ratings and ballooning attendance numbers. He's got the leadership ability, and his free kick mastery will give the Galaxy plenty of chances but he'll need his supporting cast to buck up. The scoring-challenged planeteers have been abysmal on the pitch at the start of the season scoring just one goal in three games. At press time the Galaxy is grounded at the basement of the Western Conference. During Beckham's Manchester United heyday he scored 61 goals in 266 appearances, which averages out to one goal every four games. At his last stint with Real Madrid his pace slowed considerably but he also was given less playing time, so predicting his performance based on his Real numbers would not be instructive. Besides, Beckham will be a starter with the Galaxy and playing against lesser opponents which will goose his production. Pelé, who played out the twilight of his career in the North American Soccer League with the New York Cosmos in the mid-70s dazzled fans with 37 goals in 64 appearances.

For his part Galaxy general manager Alexei Lalas is keeping a level headed attitude and has publicly downplayed the hyped up Becks-pectations going so far as to describe the former English skipper as a "role player who will find a way to fit into the team.

"He's not the type of player who's going to dribble through everybody or be a speed demon. He is a player that's going to work his butt off, first and foremost, and be a part of the team," said Lalas.

"I fully recognize that there will be people in the stadiums this year that may have never been to an MLS game or don't follow soccer, and it's unrealistic for them to expect him to score three goals [in a game]," Lalas added.

WITH OR WITHOUT BECKS Now 13 franchises-strong, with 7 teams playing in soccer specific stadiums including the expansion Toronto FC, and, plans underway for new venues for Red Bull New York and Real Salt Lake in 2008, a new television deal in place, the first in which the league will be paid a broadcast rights fee, everything is aligned for the MLS to lift off. Also new this year is the brand new Super Liga tournament which matches teams from Major League Soccer with opponents from Mexico's Primera Division. The knockout phase in this tourney gets going on July 24th and a $1 million prize will be awarded to the winning club.

Whether Beckham's presence sparks the League to new heights or just provides a summer diversion by the time Becks and the Galaxy kick off against Toronto FC for the first time on August 5th (7 p.m./CBC) in the least expect Major League Soccer to have slide tackled the number one Google search spot away from the Canadian Real Estate Association's Multiple Listing Service.

This Article originally ran in Chill Magazine

Copyright © Mike Dojc 2007

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