Fergie: Beckham won't convert USA - RivalsDM not sure what RivalsDM is, but this was an excellent read. Sir Alex Ferguson gives some excellent observations on the challenges MLS (and now Beckham) face in the US. ---------- David Beckham faces a near-impossible task to turn football into one of the USA's major sports, according to Sir Alex Ferguson. ----------
RivalsDM provides news for FoxSoccer David Beckham can't transform American soccer alone, says Ferguson SAF is right about the size of the U.S. that prevents the intense rivalries between fans that he feels make soccer exciting. I think the internet, BS can help a bit in terms of rivalries talk.
When in doubt, blame the woman. Ferguson, whose relationship with Beckham soured before he sold him to Real Madrid in 2003, also offered fresh evidence of his belief that the player's marriage to his pop-star wife Victoria had changed his focus away from football. When asked if Beckham was difficult to deal with at United, the 65-year-old said: "He was never a problem until he got married. He used to go into work with the academy coaches at night time, he was a fantastic young lad. "Getting married into that entertainment scene was a difficult thing - from that moment his life was never going to be the same"
No offense to Alex Ferguson, but he really doesn't know what the bloody hell he is talking bout. Uh, hello Alex- all other American sports are doing fine without having away fans traveling from city to city!? I understand that traveling fans are one of the cool things about the English game but it doesn't mean anything over here and never will. And let's be honest. Do you think anyone in America knew who Beckenbauer, Shilton, and Cruyff were in the the 70's? No one outside of tiny soccer circles did, but everyone in the world knows who David Beckham is, - soccer fan or not. There's a big difference there sir. Honestly, this interview sounds like sour grapes to me. Someone is a little jealous of Posh Spice and his name is Awex Foiguson.
1) He's correct about the challenges in the US w.r.t. the difficulties of supporter travel. This is really an indictment of the sport itself: without regional, urban, sectarian, and racial rivalries a lot of the fun and excitement of the sport is gone. Which is why the US "homegrown" sports have complicated rules to keep things exciting. 2) Brian McBride did not go to England when he was young. Depending on your definition of young, neither did Friedel or Dempsey. 3) From all accounts Beckham did not have much of a social life growing up. So SAF blasts him for spending time with his wife? Perhaps SAF needs a job as a plantation boss somewhere.
Yerp. But the facts have never interfered with his opinions before. But hey, at least he knows where America is. And that we kick a ball every now and then. And of course: A public swipe at a former protege's marriage. Pure class. I propose the title of this thread be changed to "NEWSFLASH: Sir Alex Still a Dick."
i was hoping to keep this thread a bit more "MLS N&A"-oriented. whether or not the guy is "Still a Dick," he does seem to have an understanding of what the sport, league and its star(s) face(s) in this country. Personality aside, I tend to agree with Ferguson's take on the current situation, as opposed to someone like Chinaglia and his views/opinions.
Giving us a choice between Ferguson and Chinaglia is like advising Captain Jack that he must choose between Scylla and Charybdis Ferguson's take is about as "spot on" as Chinaglia's at a love reunion of the old Cosmos squad, but less objective and far less informed. The aim of the MLS is not to supplant baseball, or football, or basketball in the heart of american sport. It is to become a strong and successful league which sustains a healthy love of the sport in this country, both at the domestic and international levels. In the end, Fergie is snarking at David by setting up a pathetic strawman and having his way with him. Very very unclear on the concept
I do not know much about this country's sports history, but I bet in the early years of Baseball, Boston Red Sox did not travel all the way to LA to play the games..., or did they?
You know, as a Redskins fan, I'd really hate those Cowboys if only they weren't all the way in Dallas... Put the pipe down, old man.
I disagree with Sir Alex's assessment, while distance can indeed be a factor it is not definitive. One need only look at the NFL to see that distance by itself is not a killer to atmosphere (traveling fans or no traveling fans). What football and baseball have in this country is simply time on their side--they have each been around since the 1800's. Let the MLS prove that it can stick around and slowly its own traditions, its own history, its own passionate fans, and its own fun stadium atmosphere will come. The positive on the side of MLS is that in modern times success can happen fairly quickly. The NBA is certainly much younger than both the NFL and MLB and it found success relatively quickly (within 20 years or so). Marketable stars, false hype (which over time becomes real hype), and TV coverage are absolutely essential in the new era of sports. MLS seems to be taking baby steps in the right direction.
From 1903 until the mid 50's baseball had 16 teams that never move. All teams were in the Northeast and Midwest up until that point. A lot cities had 2 teams as well but they played in different leagues and therefore never had derbies (except for the New York Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers) unless they met in the World Series.
Additionally, huge scores of traveling fans in Europe is one of the main causes of the hooliganism and violence that has marred the game there in varying degrees for decades. That's one part of European football I can certainly do without in American soccer.
My interpetation of the Posh thing is that it was not neccessarily his marriage to her per say or her as a person, but that he married into the entertainment business itself , and that created the person that we have now ' Becks'
I (infrequently) go to Oakland A's games (boring, yes, but great seats thanks to my wife's firm), and when they play the Yankees or the Cubs or the Sox or even Seattle -- the place is lousy with opposing fans. Which could speak to a couple things: -- the transient nature of the modern US population; -- the transplant nature of the Bay Area population; -- the life long, family traditions of support enjoyed by historic clubs; -- the broader support base of baseball. True, Revs fans aren't hitching a ride to LA for a match at the Home Depot Center. And my brethren in LA have reported how great/hostile the atmosphere was during the Pachuca and other SuperLiga matches with a critical mass of opposing fans (and some bandwagoning Mexican futbol fans). So El Ferg does have a defensible point -- at the moment. But time is on our side -- and hopefully we won't have to be kicked out of international club play due to fan violence on our way to more solidified and broad support for many clubs across the country. All of this deeply critical thinking on this MLS news story is, however, still wildly subservient to the overarching fact that Sir Alex has been, continues to be, and will always be a massive asshat. One man's analysis. EDIT: props to KennyWoo for preempting one of my comments.
He is correct, bottom line is Beckham can't do it alone. His overhype and now knee injury has put the MLS on the comics section of the paper... MLS needs to work on scheduling and getting/keeping homegrown players or else it's going to be a stepping stone league for young US talent, and a retirement home for out of their prime talent. The ultimate dream would be to have the MLS play at the same schedule as other world leagues (I guess we have to go neck and neck with NFL and build domed fields so we can play in cold climate). But 'dream' is the keyword... I continue to love MLS and hope for good things, but it's a hard climb!
Until the mid 1950s, the furthest west any baseball team had to travel was St. Louis. With the advent of commercial air-travel, it became possible for teams to be located on the west coast. The Giants and Dodgers moved from New York to California, and the upstart AFL also included football teams on the West Coast for the first time. So you're right, until the airplane, the west coast was off limits to the big leagues.
Fergie opining on MLS is like asking Frank Yallop to elaborate on the state of football in Australia. Or Dom Kinnear making observations on the state of football in Japan. Anyone ever stop and think that a premiership manager is not likely to have much time and motivation to keep up with the intricacies of our league? Personally I think the average MLS N/A poster has a lot more to offer on the subject.
Zis is not troo. Supporters also do a lot of advertisement for the club, so one could say that they bring in more than they chase away. Hooliganism and supporter culture can be mutually exclusive. That what you're saying there is typical British propaganda used to surpress their supporters. One only needs to go to Germany, Holland, Denmark, Belgium or France and see that like 97% of matches are incident free, and yet there are away fans at every match basically. And they do it in the traditional way, standing, usually on terraces.