The "How Can they Justify Beck's Pay?" thread

Re: The 'let's financially justify 4 yr/36m for Beckham' thread

If for no other reason than the bulk of them will be unlicensed rip-offs made by the world's center for copyright and trademark infringement.

 

Re: The 'let's financially justify 4 yr/36m for Beckham' thread

Because in addition to being fans of a particular team, I'm a fan of the league and I want to see the league grow and improve, and part of that is being interested in league business.

I mean, when Newcastle bought Owen, I'm sure that their fans discussed whether or not buying such an oft-injured but talented player was the best use of the club's money. Nobody thought that odd.

 

Re: The 'let's financially justify 4 yr/36m for Beckham' thread

this would be a huge bummer if they do this, and he doesn't come until June, and the 1 LA road game for that team is in April or May.

 

Re: The 'let's financially justify 4 yr/36m for Beckham' thread

What do you think a Michael Jordan move to Barcelona's basketball team would have done to his jersey sales?

Beckham's status is being downgraded with this move, it's as simple as that. World opinion will commence to think of him as a "has been." Someone who first lost his place on the English national team, then his starting spot at Real Madrid, and then finally transfered to a developing league far away from the European game. This isn't quite the "football glamour" the Asian plastic fans are looking for when buying their next jersey.

It has to be a star player on big club, only then does the glamour image these "fans" are looking for come together.

 

Re: The 'let's financially justify 4 yr/36m for Beckham' thread

Unless you want LAG season tickets. The front office has been very closed-mouth about the prices for next year. You can put down a deposit but the prices will be announced later "pending developments." I would be willing to wager that if the Beckham signing does come off, prices are unlikely to go down.

FWIW: As a season ticket holder, I had the chance last year to put down a deposit that would lock in the 2006 prices for 2007 as well. I did, and that may be the best financial decision I have made in recent years.

 

Re: The 'let's financially justify 4 yr/36m for Beckham' thread

MJ sales probably wouldn't have been big in the US, just as Beckham jerseys won't do that well in England, but I am guessing MJ Barcelona shirts would have done pretty well in Spain, Asia and other places. Not Bulls quantities, but nothing to sneeze at. Hell, Pele Cosmos shirts still sell on retro sites, and we had to drag his ass out of retirement to play.

Yes, Beckham will fall off the radar a bit, but I really think "washed up" is too strong and that his fans will not view it as the practical end of his career. Particularly when you have teams like Arsenal saying that they would love to take him on.

 

Re: The 'let's financially justify 4 yr/36m for Beckham' thread

Well, you look at AEG and they have a portfolio of different sporting ventures. I believe they built the Staples center and have other such investments.

The Cost benefit of Becks? AEG has a large investment in Soccer in USA. They bought Beckham, I think, with an eye on future generations of soccer players and soccer fans.

Add into Hollywood. What happens if Beckham goes mainstream in LA? What happens if The Galaxy become one of the fashionable professional teams in LA? For now, they only have 1 - The Lakers, 2 if you include USC. The Brand increase alone, for that kind of thing, I think would match the cost of Becks.

The benefit of Beckham is that you add to the pool of soccer fans in America, a generation down the line.

 

Re: The 'let's financially justify 4 yr/36m for Beckham' thread

that would be unfair. AEG can easily swallow the cost of Beckham. I hope they wouldn't significantly increase season ticket prices

 

Re: The 'let's financially justify 4 yr/36m for Beckham' thread

This has little to do with the League itself, and more to do with the Galaxy and AEG.

I don't see much value for MLS itself. No one is going to be tricked into thinking MLS is great because Beckham plays for the Galaxy. What they will think is that the Galaxy are determined to entertain.

 

Re: The 'let's financially justify 4 yr/36m for Beckham' thread

Spain Yes - Asia No.

As plastic as some of the Asian fans are, they are not mindless consumers that will just buy anything with Beckham on it.

Beckham is not irreplaceable. They will find somebody else to adore, I have no doubt about that...

A bit? He likely won't even be on English NT to remind the global sports fan he still exists.

So what if people reading fashion/gossip magazines remember him a bit longer, they won't spend their money on the sport.

I honestly think some people have very unrealistic expectations with this whole Beckham saga.

 

Re: The 'let's financially justify 4 yr/36m for Beckham' thread

Which, BTW, is something LAG have done damned little of for three years running.

 

Re: The 'let's financially justify 4 yr/36m for Beckham' thread

Now, about those $8 hot dogs and $15 beers....

 

Re: The 'let's financially justify 4 yr/36m for Beckham' thread

one of the reasons I don't really like Single Entity is that it gives no real incentives for clubs to go above and beyond to try and build a better product. Before this Beckham Rule, a club had to sacrifice some part of their team, to dedicate a % of their Cap on a particular player, players, or position.

Now teams have a bit more flexibility. They can sign a Max player and combine him with upto two DPs.

If I'm an owner, I now go on a full-scale attack on my local market with ads and campaigns. And I coincide that with a star player. In America, it's the teams that go mainstream that do the best, not the ones that necessarily win championships.

You can't go mainstream if you can't entertain.

 

Re: The 'let's financially justify 4 yr/36m for Beckham' thread

Yeah, but it isn't news and analysis, so I'm gonna move it over to general.

 

Re: The 'let's financially justify 4 yr/36m for Beckham' thread

you like to dream. Where did you get that 4year=36 millons???????????????????????????????????. You lied to us.

 

Re: The 'let's financially justify 4 yr/36m for Beckham' thread

That's a reference to a blog post claiming that's what we offered. It was here:
http://mlsunderground.blogspot.com/2007/01/exclusive-beckham-offer-on-table.html

 

Re: The 'let's financially justify 4 yr/36m for Beckham' thread

Wow!!!!

You mean a meteoric rise in overhead won't have an effect on the consumer????

Are you f'ing serious?????

 

Re: The 'let's financially justify 4 yr/36m for Beckham' thread

To a degree, sure. Becks going to Inter or Arsenal or Bertha will sell many more shirts than if he goes to the Galaxy.

But I think you're downplaying Beckham's popularity and how it transcends sport. Simply put, the guy is still one of the most attractive men on the planet, and that sells.

Still.

 

Re: The 'let's financially justify 4 yr/36m for Beckham' thread

Just to relate 2 quick vignettes about the impact that Becks would have on the LA sporting/pop culture scene:

Story 1:
A friend of mine used to be a bad ass concierge at a high profile Beverly Hills hotel after several years in a high profile Hollywood hotel. She was seriously amazing at culling gossip and would never, ever tell. She would just drop cryptic hints about something and then when it came to fruition, just smile.

A.) Over X-mas break she confessed to being really bummed that she switched careers and is no longer in the loop to be able to confirm the seriousness of the Beckham rumors.

B.) She also lamented no longer having access to high profile clients to be able to get VIP passes to Galaxy-related stuff.

She said this unsolicited not knowing that I'm a huge Galaxy fan.

Story 2:
A family friend used to have 4th row Laker season ticket seats. These are a H-UGE commodity in LA. He unfortunately lost the seats due to a major lawsuit and an employee stealing a truckload of money.

Not only was he pissed that he had to give up the seats b/c he's a huge Laker fan but b/c he no longer has the same political and economic clout to leverage those seats w/.... LA Galaxy/Beckham stuff in case it comes through.

 

Re: The 'let's financially justify 4 yr/36m for Beckham' thread

an overhead to the Galaxy - yes.

another investment for Phillip Anschutz? no.

 

Re: The 'let's financially justify 4 yr/36m for Beckham' thread

All that money for Beckham is just insane

with all that money thrown away, MLS could have a world class youth system that would provide top american players to MLS constantly NOW, just like in France ...

This Beckham rule will end just like the Iraq war : failure