With David Beckham now sidelined presumably for the rest of the MLS season with a sprained MCL, his second major injury since joining the MLS, the question everyone is asking: has Beckham been a bust?
The answer should be a resounding and unequivocal NO!
Outside of opening day 1996, never has Major League Soccer created as much buzz as it has this season with the addition of the sport's most recognizable face.
The attendance figures for the Galaxy's road games have been off the charts (for MLS games that is). Beckham sold out stadiums before even getting to the U.S.; he packed 46,600 plus at D.C., 35,400 in New England's Gillette Stadium, and a whopping 66,000 plus in New York. At home the Galaxy have sold out the 27,000-seat Home Depot Center, one of the few soccer-only stadiums in MLS.
Thousands of fans have been disappointed by David Beckham's no-shows at the beginning and now end of his first L.A. Galaxy U.S. tour, but millions more have become first-time viewers of the MLS product.
The numbers don't lie. His Galaxy debut vs. Chelsea drew the highest rating that ESPN has ever had for an MLS team at a 1.0 (nearly 1.5 million fans watched the game), and then he repeated the 1.0 rating in his first league game against D.C. United two weeks later.
Enthralled by his angelic good looks, by his gorgeous pop-star wife, or possibly by the fact that he has been one of soccer's true superstars, fans in the United States are finding out what the rest of the world already knew about Beckham. He sells out every stadium for every game, he sells millions of jerseys and he is the center of attention wherever he travels.
Above all else, the MLS craved national recognition and major dollars. That's what it needed to become a major player with the rest of big boys of U.S. professional sports: i.e., football, baseball, basketball and hockey.
Beckham gives MLS that brand-name recognition it needed to gain major marketing dollars. More importantly he supplies the demand MLS needs to get a major network television contract with the likes of ESPN or possibly Fox Sports Network.
Can you really blame Beckham - or any athlete for that matter - for getting injured? People in Boston sure have not been calling for Richard Seymour's head, the Pats' star defensive end, for being placed on the physically unable to perform list.
The answer should be a resounding and unequivocal NO!
Outside of opening day 1996, never has Major League Soccer created as much buzz as it has this season with the addition of the sport's most recognizable face.
The attendance figures for the Galaxy's road games have been off the charts (for MLS games that is). Beckham sold out stadiums before even getting to the U.S.; he packed 46,600 plus at D.C., 35,400 in New England's Gillette Stadium, and a whopping 66,000 plus in New York. At home the Galaxy have sold out the 27,000-seat Home Depot Center, one of the few soccer-only stadiums in MLS.
Thousands of fans have been disappointed by David Beckham's no-shows at the beginning and now end of his first L.A. Galaxy U.S. tour, but millions more have become first-time viewers of the MLS product.
The numbers don't lie. His Galaxy debut vs. Chelsea drew the highest rating that ESPN has ever had for an MLS team at a 1.0 (nearly 1.5 million fans watched the game), and then he repeated the 1.0 rating in his first league game against D.C. United two weeks later.
Enthralled by his angelic good looks, by his gorgeous pop-star wife, or possibly by the fact that he has been one of soccer's true superstars, fans in the United States are finding out what the rest of the world already knew about Beckham. He sells out every stadium for every game, he sells millions of jerseys and he is the center of attention wherever he travels.
Above all else, the MLS craved national recognition and major dollars. That's what it needed to become a major player with the rest of big boys of U.S. professional sports: i.e., football, baseball, basketball and hockey.
Beckham gives MLS that brand-name recognition it needed to gain major marketing dollars. More importantly he supplies the demand MLS needs to get a major network television contract with the likes of ESPN or possibly Fox Sports Network.
Can you really blame Beckham - or any athlete for that matter - for getting injured? People in Boston sure have not been calling for Richard Seymour's head, the Pats' star defensive end, for being placed on the physically unable to perform list.
The blame, if any, resides in the mismanagement by his club for overusing Galaxy GM Alexi Lalas' star acquisition. Beginning with his first serious injury, the ankle issue, the club was probably too quick to rush Beckham on the field against Chelsea. That cost him nearly five games.
When finally healthy, the team allowed him to fly across the globe to play in a friendly for his national team despite the fact that he had a game for his club less than 24 hours later.
He not only played all 90 minutes against Germany in the friendly, he played all 90 minutes the following night vs. Chivas U.S.A. after traveling back from London. The knee injury he suffered in his very next game vs. Pachuca should not have been a surprise. No player should be subject to that type of abuse, especially not the team's prized commodity.
What the MLS needs to worry about is whether or not the cache from Beckham can keep up the interest level throughout his five-year contract.
Beckham says he is in this for the long haul. If that is the case, he will attract other aging stars to the U.S., perhaps a Zidane or a Ronaldo or a Figo at some point. That domino effect would eventually enable the MLS to compete with the major European leagues for the younger stars of the world.
However, Beckham has hinted at making a return to Europe in the offseason to stay fit for England call-ups. If he should decide to stay permanently in Europe, that would almost undoubtedly cripple the MLS, and then we all can call him a bust and a bum.
Until then stay tuned.
John Shimer is an Eagle-Tribune staff writer.
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