Beckham probably is, but I highly doubt the majority of Europeans view it that way. All the coverage over here has focused on how pissed-off the fans are about the way he has treated LAG. One thing Europeans do understand is that if players treat their club and fans as beneath them, the player can expect to hear it from the fans. My guess is that MLS has earned some respect from this whole incident, as its fans clearly do not view it as a retirement league.
DAVID BECKHAM: "I hope to come back to Milan. They stayed in my heart and sincerely I am confident we can see each other again in November. The whistles of the American crowd? Incomprehensible." WTF??? Is this quote real? I haven't seen it anywhere else...
huh? uniting the fans in the states? there has always been a core of hardcore supporters in the MLS. (I know that might be shocking to some people overseas) Beckham has done nothing to increase level of hardcore supporters for each club in MLS. he did however, attract a lot of new people to take an interest in MLS
Wrong, wrong, wrong. None of the coverage has focused on that - the world now realizes LA's fans won't roll over for superstar like Beckham, no matter how pretty he is and whom he's married to.
When Hermosillo and Hernandez came here, I was forced to cheer for two of the players I hated the most in soccer, they're now part of Galaxy lore and I was glad they came here. Hermosillo scored what I consider one of the top 3 Galaxy goals ever and I thank him for that. I hated Beckham all throughout his European career but instantly liked him when he joined our beloved team. If Beckham doesn't want to be here then he should have been let go or sold by the Galaxy but he wasn't, which means he's still a part of this team and is out there doing his job. This team is only going to get better with Beckham and all the stars are truly aligning. The East beat up the West this weekend and the Galaxy couldn't have asked for better results. Regardless of who's on the pitch game after game, go Galaxy!
What is that banner all about? (I just had to look up the word hermeneutics, by the way). Mixed with text message spelling... just kind of weird. The German press had a devil of a time translating it, and went with "Du bist übel", which basically means "You suck."
Then I apologise sir. I guess that's what I get for taking BBCs 606 seriously! Thanks for the feedback.
Poor Sport - Beckham Taunts Fans http://www.tmz.com/2009/07/20/david-beckham-fans-fight-galaxy-video/ This photo looks like Becks is extending his hand to shake... This photo... why does it look like i can see through the LARS persons body? Is this some sort of jedi trick?
He did offer his hand at the end, but not before making aggressive gestures. I didn't hear what the guy said or what Beckham was saying, but his intentions were clear. His gestures and body language basically said "come here and say that!!". It was of a "lets take this outside" persuasion.
Who are you? David Beckham IS Los Angeles Galaxy Soccer. The sad thing is that the bitch is back.. and Jim Hill's afro-sheened pubes are moist with delight. We need this circus becasue Major League Boreball is just so f*cking fasicinating. because open up the LA times and page 2 talks about the Minnesota Vikings? What. Bill Plaschke is a huge tool. USC and the NFL pay that fat creep in comp'd dining and event VIP's to keep there awful product in the news 24/7. You know if the starting outside linebacker for USC sprains his ankle in spring workout it will be cover page material. But when Club America plays Chivas in the Los Angeles Coliseum in front of 75,000 people the L.A. times basically runs a piece on page 9 or beyond that "22 illegal aliens played soccer" and a racist coward like plaschke will write "I don't know how civilized people can watch such a thing." Thus is the state of soccer in this city. The non-spanish speaking media hates this sports with a passion. Fred Roggin can't pull the straw outta his nose long enough to do 4th grade pronunciations of Ronal-deen-yo. Sadly, David Beckham is the only one rightly or completely wrongly who can bring those dooche nozzles to cover our boys and put this thing out there. Boo david all day long, toss streamers at his gay-ly manicured hairdoo, pull banners out that read he is totally full of sh*t.... but please just don't sit there and do nothing. We had a sell-out last night and at least 10,000 poser fans came out and guess what they did? NOTHING. unfortunately, that is a negative when you bring celebrity him-bot to your team, a glorified ken doll who can play a bit. his fans are human wastes of space. but sadly we even need them too. I think we can have antics and good soccer. top it off with MLS playoffs, and an MLS championship, and who knows what else.
From a link posted earlier: "There was one positive for MLS that came out of Sunday's anti-Beckham protests: the Galaxy fans showed the world that they are not star-struck kids in awe of the celebrity Beckham but are as passionate, loyal -- and as rude -- as fans anywhere else in the world. Fans of Manchester United or Real Madrid would not put up with one of their top players spending half the season with another team in another league and Galaxy supporters showed they do not accept such an arrangement either." This nails it. LARS just did to Beckham what other fan groups in South America or Europe do to liars. Beckham lied to American soccer fans and to Galaxy fans, period. I understand his desire to go to AC Milan. The problem is a year earlier he was talk-talk-talk about he coming to establish soccer in America, commit fully to the Galaxy blah blah blah. Dude, in soccer/football, no matter where in the World you are, fans HATE liars and frauds.
I'll second this. When Beckham first moved there, the general opinion of most Brits was that MLS fans weren't real and that it was a retirement/money league. Since then, I think what has happened IS what we thought would happen (Beckham would realise he's better than MLS standard and needs to play in Europe to play for England), BUT the anger of the MLS fans has been something of a revelation. MLS still isn't taken seriously in England/Europe, but the fans have carved out some respect now. If you want to impress us Europeans, this is probably what you'd need to do: * Play a proper league format, ie home-away round robin with no playoffs, and promotion/relegation. * Enter you best teams in Copa Liberatadores, to us that is a proper Champions League tournament. * Stop calling giving the teams nicknames and moving them from city to city like franchises. Not that you need to impress us, it's your league at all
Re: Who are you? TJ always managed to make me laugh. I 'almost' anticipating his every post now. I even agree to his points here (well..90%).
I was going to tear you apart for that pompous Eurodrivel, but you managed to salvage it with the last line.
LOL, actually sir, I'm English. I just happen to be married to an American and we live in So Cal. LA are my local team. Anyhoo: * Play a proper league format, ie home-away round robin with no playoffs, and promotion/relegation. There is a home/away round robin between every team in the MLS. Pro/rel I'm sold on because it's what I'm used to. There are valid reasons why they don't do it here though. No playoffs? Most North and South American leagues (Argentina for example) have that. The large geography of the US makes them more relevant here too. * Enter you best teams in Copa Liberatadores, to us that is a proper Champions League tournament. I'm sure we'd love to, but it's by invitation as it's the SA tournament. * Stop calling giving the teams nicknames and moving them from city to city like franchises. The franchise thing I get, though again, it has relevance as the league can't afford financially to have a team in a city where gates are low when demand for a team elsewhere is high. Nicknames? It's a cultural thing. You've surely got to allow for that?
No player at Man U or RM would ever have the need to spend half the season with another team in order to considered fit to play for their national team.
Sorry dude, but we don't have a round robin. We have conferences, because as you mentioned, the country is big.
I cannot be bothered to read all of the 100+ items in this thread but my view from the UK is this. MLS have done themeslves proud with this incident but the officials of the MLS have a lot to learn. I think David Beckham has been a complete idiot with the entire move to the US. In my view he saw his days playing for England numbered when he gave up being the captain, he (like many other Europeans) saw MLS as a way to earn loads of cash quickly and saw it as a retirement league. Moving to LA he and his Mrs also saw the brightlights and the all year round sun tan at the top of the deal. Now, with the new England Manager requesting Becks to be playing in Europe soon before the World Cup he is obviously on his way out of the US regardless of how much it will cost him to break his contract. The fans will not accept him playing another half season and why should they. To all US Soccer Fans and officials, if you want your league to be taken seriously across the world please stop signing European Big names. Otherwise this will continue. They are past their best and see nothing but a Sun Tan and the $$$$$. You have a huge population, find your own David Beckhams from within the US and then put them on show in the World Cup. The fans were correct in showing anger, you have paid money for a season ticket only for the big name not to show up for half of it. Beckham should be banned/salary reduced for his behaviour, he thinks he was above the fans and the club an dyou showed him he is not. The world saw the reaction. Oh and one thing, can you stop calling your team silly nicknames. You might be taken seriously then!