It's being asked in virtually all the (limited) media that covers soccer here. Given the highs and lows, overall, in one word: Was the David Beckham era a good one for the team (and league). Why or why not? Obviously, off the heels of another cup win, I suspect I already know the answer.
No poll is necessary: he has helped MLS become what it is and won a few MLS Cups with us. So it is a successful run for Becks..
I said my piece in the Beckham thread, but I’m not sure how anyone could reasonably argue that Beckham’s tenure, was anything less than a huge success for the Galaxy specifically, and MLS/Soccer in general in the United States. Even those first couple of years, though painful, were absolutely necessary. Our club and our league needed to take a giant leap forward and I don’t think there was any way to prepare for the leap, it was a matter of jumping knowing you were going to take some knocks on the initial landing. Where the league and David messed up was not understanding just how bumpy that initial landing was going to be.
Probably a silly poll, but it seems ESPN was debating it, as was the LA Times. Let me ask this, supposing Houston had won? Same poll response? All in all, I completely agree with all the above thoughts. I was there at the HDC for his first match with the team, and for the last. Very nice send-off and having his family walk around the pitch with him, saluting the fans was pure class. My feeling is years from now, we'll look back on this era and how special it really was. To have a guy like Beckham agree to come to a fledging league while he (arguably) still could have played for an elite club in Europe. I'm very grateful to have seen someone of that calibre help the league become what it is today. Through it all, I think DB23 remained humble and affable. Obviously there were moments that irked me as a fan, but obviously the proof was in the pudding. I think the unsung quality of DB23 was his leadership and mentorship of younger players. For instance, Junhino really evolved as midfielder and I think DB23 had a direct influence on that. I also got the sense Becks was committed to every play. I never got the impression he took possessions off. Will be sad to see him go, as I know many will be too.
I was as irked as many by his early antics, but in the end, regardless of yesterdays outcome, you have to give it up to him. Ask yourself: Would Thierry Henry or Robbie Keane or several others play here if he hadn't first? DB paved the way. Would Landon Donovan still be here without the Beckham rule and the additional money it made available to the big stars? Would pretty much every soccer fan in the world have an idea of who the MLS and the LA Galaxy. I saw a someone wearing a DB Galaxy shirt in the Sao Paulo airport this morning, Landon and Co could have won 5 straight and I wouldn't have seen that. How many Americas started playing in Europe in the last 5-6 years? Somebody over there started paying attention to our league for some reason in the last few years. Of course the guy didn't do all this by himself (same with the increase in # of teams and attendance) but he generated interest and attention which was his stated goal. Mission Accomplished IMO.
Foregoing all debate of league growth, increased visibility and financial gains, and simply answer the question - was Beckham's Galaxy era good or bad---- In six seasons we had 3 MLS Cup appearances with 2 Cup Victories, 2 Supporter Shield's and 1 Shield runner-up season. And advanced to the knockout round in 2 of 3 CCL appearances. Plus a thrilling shoot-out loss in a Superliga invitation cup. I think any team in the league would LOVE to have that in a 6-year period and even by our higher than average standards that would be a good 6-year span... Now assigning how much of that competitive, on-the-field success belongs to Beckham, versus Arena/Donovan/whoever, could take us around in circles. But since Beckham was a key contributor to that success, I think there can be no answer but that the Beckham era for the Galaxy was very, very good...
MLS haters soccer bashers and folks who never talked about soccer know who the LA Galaxy are today. Before 2007 we were the evangelists. By far the biggest success story in the history of our sport here Next to the 94 world cup
Net positive on the field, big positive off of it. Shirt sales are key, butts in seats are key, and all of this gave rich folks with $40-$100M to burn on a new franchise more faith that they'd recoup their investment. As to the league's "stature on the world scene?" Welp, as "the world" is really just shorthand for "Europe, but mostly England and occasionally Mexico," who gives a rat's red ass?
Agree. 6 years and 2 Cups and two Shields? That's a win for any player, Beckham included, and that's just on-field stuff and not the off-field promotion.
Wanna know the weird thing about this? I really enjoyed the Beckham era. I liked watching him play, I liked that my wife wanted to go to games to see him play, I liked the energy around the team, I liked the big crowds, I liked that other players wanted to come play with him. I felt that in the end he really did commit to the team, and that he always left it on the field when he was actually playing. Lots of good memories. But I am OK with him leaving, and as for Beckham The Person....I guess I am just not that invested in him. For instance, Landon is a Galaxy legend and despite his ups and downs and loan stints, I will miss him a ton more if he leaves and I feel like he has a stronger connection to team and the fan base. Frankly, I'm feeling more strongly about Robbie Keane than Beckham and he's only been with us 2 years. I actually feel a bit worse about Bryan Jordan getting cut than I do about Beckham moving on. I care that Landon's a mess in his head and heart right now, and I hope that Juninho eventually learns to love LA and make it his dream to keep playing here. I don't think those guys could do anything to get booed by the fans, but Beckham did. In the end, Beckham was a pro's pro. Always good, always doing the right thing, but always from a distance. That's fine, but I am not going to remember these two titles as Beckham's titles. They belong to the whole team, and I will think of Omar and Magee and Robbie and Juninho before I think of Beckham because they feel more like the heart of the team to me. In the end, I really liked David Beckham. I didn't love him. There's a big difference.
Without a doubt, a major success. I would have said the same even if we had lost MLS Cup. He elevated our sport here in the US in a big way.
For me, the best thing Beckham did was bring the next level of professionalism to the Galaxy. He helped Landon learn how to handle the spotlight. He demonstrated that even a guy on a gazillion (give or take a few bazillion) dollar contract still works hard to maintain fitness and technique. Becks, sorry you didn't really believe in our league your first year or two, but, in the end, I think you grew to respect us and, as you move on, the feeling is mutual.
No I didn't. By and large, folks who worry about our "stature in world football" have a very small idea of what "the world" is.
I heard or read this somewhere, maybe even in BS, but what if you reverse Beckham's time with the Galaxy, do you think it would still be considered a success? Year 1: Win MLS Cup Year 2: Win MLS Cup Year 3: Win SS, lose in Conference Finals Years 4 thru 6: Team fails to make the playoffs. Beckham goes on loan, rupture Achilles, has a hand in getting the coach and GM fired, forces the team to bring in new Coach who thinks it is a good idea to spend no time in training on set pieces when you have one of the world's greatest set piece takers. Team is more or less in chaos, you announce you are leaving MLS.
9 I think the order in which things happened have a huge impact on the perception of Becks' success (and rightly so). Becks came into the league knowing that he had to work hard and produce on the field. However, he seemed to think that he could come and go as he liked and call the shots behind the scenes. He still did this through the length of his tenure (royal weddings, testimonial matches, Olympic ceremonies... etc)... but he learned to temper it, and to be a little more diplomatic. Most importantly, he learned to stay out of the management side of things. As I've said before, Becks' ability to make mistakes, be faced with adversity, reassess, and overcome is what has made him great. It's also what made his time in MLS a success. I hope that someday in the future he will admit the mistaked he made early on in his MLS tenure, but I wouldn't be surprised if BrandBeckham won't allow that to happen.