Is it only me, or does anyone else find this arrangement to be tacky? From the latest press release: CARSON, CA (Wednesday, July 06, 2005) - The Los Angeles Galaxy announced that beginning today the club will be auctioning off an exclusive opportunity to participate in the > "> Dream Team> "> for the upcoming Galaxy-Real Madrid match on July 18 at 7:30 pm at The Home Depot Center. Imagine walking out on The Home Depot Center's pitch in front of a sold-out crowd of 27,000 side-by-side with David Beckham, Real Madrid and the L.A. Galaxy during the starting lineups. > > "We are extremely pleased to be able to offer this unique opportunity for eighteen lucky kids to walk out onto the stadium field with their favorite stars from Real Madrid and the Galaxy before one of the biggest games in our club's history," said Galaxy President and General Manager Doug Hamilton. "It is a never-to-be-repeated chance to stand next to some of the best players in our sport." > > Among the 18 spots that will be auctioned off on E-Bay, fans will have to opportunity to bid specifically on the chance to walk out with three select players during the starting lineups, side-by-side with either David Beckham, Ronaldo or Zinedine Zidane. > > This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for any boys and girls between the ages of eight (8) and fourteen (14). Check out the auction descriptions and start bidding on these exclusive offerings by going to www.lagalaxy.com <http://www.lagalaxy.com>. In order to participate in this event, you must have tickets to the Real Madrid-Galaxy game. To purchase tickets go online now or call the Galaxy front office at 1-877-3GALAXY. > Although, I am willing to bet that they know their crowd and there will be people willing to pay good money to let some tyke hold hands with Beckham.
Its all about the $$$$$$$ Dougs not executive of the year becuase the fans love him. hes the only GM to run a profitable team
AEG is pimping Real Madrid like a Tijuana whore. How about spending $30 bucks to watch RM practice the day before (oh yeah, and you get a ticket to see the Galaxy v. Chicago, a $10 value!).
Selling tickets to the RM practice doesn't bother me so much. If you want to see it, pay the freight. But using little kids to extort money (How much$$$$ do YOU love your kid? - see eBay to see how much$$$ other people love their kids) is somehow crossing the line. But, maybe I'm just old fashioned about this.
I would guess that the money will go to benefit the Galaxy Foundation. But, I didn't see it specifically say that, so I could be wrong..
Entry Word: extort Function: verb Text: to get (as money) by the use of force or threats <a school bully who was used to extorting lunch money from weaker kids> Synonyms exact, wrest, wring Related Words bleed, fleece, gouge, milk, skin, squeeze; cheat, gyp, racketeer, swindle; coerce, compel, force I doesn't sound anything like extortion to me. Good business sense is more the term. Damn you Doug Hamilton for wanting the team to be profitable, you should be a shamed!!!
i agree that extortion isn't the right word. i also agree with the initial post that this just smells wrong. on the other hand, i don't know that it's worse to auction this off as opposed to selecting kids based on their connection to the team or some other means. i suppose an essay contest for kids to explain why they love soccer or why they want to meet european players or something of the kind would be cool, but i guess they'll make cash this way.....
I'm sure that if the LAG knew about this game six months ago, I'm sure there would have been a more creative means of actioning off the Dream Team "spots" to fans. But the bottom line here is revenue, god knows, It's nothing but good for the team and the league...in the longrun at least.
No, it is not only you .. it is indeed tacky. Isn't usually contest winners or random selections from the kid's club that get to walk out with the players? How are the other 4 spots going to be assigned? I find it crass .. rich kids get to walk out amidst cheers with the rich players. I wonder if the players are going to demand a percentage of the revenue made from these auctions?
Great Idea, Great Moneymaker! Doug Hamilton is smart! Theres nothing wrong with this, more MLS teams would love the opportunity to have Real come.
It is tacky! but Anshutz did not become a billionaire by caring what others think of him. Doubt Hamilton is not smart enough to have come up with that idea. It does show you however that AEG only cares about finding ways to put more and more money into their pockets and absolutely not about the fans of their teams. They will continue to squeeze and squeeze every dollar out of anything they can think of. a fan friendly organization they are not!
OK "Extortion" was a sort of hyperbole. Using kids like this is more of an emotional blackmail. And the fact that they CAN make money on this does NOT mean its not tacky. An amazing number of businesses are engaged in things that are tacky and they still make money. I can't believe AEG is making enough on the "Dream Team Line" that it makes a difference to them, and AEG could have presented the event with a little more class. That kind of self-restraint, not grubbing for the very last dime, is undoubtedly an old fashioned concept. And, as I said, I am sure they will find some people who will bid on this. And if the bidding and money goes to the Galaxy Charitable Foundation, then I take back everything I said and am sorry I started the thread. [But they sure don't say that in the press release, do they?]
Wow that's about as tacky as stringing West Brom along until you can get Real instead... I've heard of clubs doing this for charity, or with, for example, a terminally ill kid like David Beckham has done a few times - always remember the little girl with an oxygen tank he walked out with before the WC qualifier against Greece - she died a few weeks later, iirc - but as a for profit venture that encourages kids to get their parents to bid?
it's really awful but no surprise since it's AEG. I could understand if it was for charrity like a few said or if maybe the winners of some kids soccer tournament got to do it. I'd love if Real got a snippet of this along with a bunch of bad publicity and nipped it in the bud. I know that I, for one am going to write to them and tell them I thought they were one of the greatest teams in the world, not a buncha millionaire galactico pimps.
I can't wait to see what little rich kid is going to walk with Mr. Beckham... hell its better than Cats!
Now, if that is not a slap in the face to Galaxy and MLS fans from Hamilton abd AEG i don't know what us. A pre-season warmup game for Madrid, in another city mind you, is the most important game in the galaxy's history? Didn't you guys win a championship one time? I guess that means nothing compared to the opportunity for AEG to cash in on a few under-14 kids.
While the "chance" lottery is really tacky, it's actually more the norm than not for mascots to pay for the opportunity, at least for many teams in the EPL. Though usually it's the kind of thing with a flat fee and a three year waiting list.
Hi David Yeah I feel as Galaxy fan, just a little more than distain and dirty for my organizations ploy of selling time with Real Madrid. No mention of a charitable organization receiving any of the funds for such an endevour. Seems like a simple business move. Ya know a prostitute is one that sells the closest and most cherished part of them, their body. But a prostitute needs the money they get from exploiting themselves to survive day to day. AEG & L.A. Galaxy are by far not prostitutes, so one might wonder how low the organization will go to profit from this event. Maybe they will auction beckhams used jock after the game.. I easily see that with a $2000 reserve on that it. Zidane will pick some toe-jam and put it in a glass jar, the Galaxy could acution that on ebay too... $1000 reserve for that. winning kid for that one could make a tea out of it and drink it, and then they'll have some of ZZ's midfield prowess. and finally Raul could blow a big snot in a kleenex and have doug hamilton himself dig that treasure out of the trash and sell that one on his personal ebay account. Knowing Hami, he will put a $25000 reserve on that, just hoping it wont sell, so he could sleep with it under his pillow probably encase it in lucite and make it his new keychain holder.
Re: Hi David To paraphrase the almighty Iceberg Slim, AEG is the pimp, Real Madrid is the dog, the Galaxy is the bottom woman and the fans are the vic in this Murphy job.
In response to: "Maybe they will auction beckhams used jock after the game.. I easily see that with a $2000 reserve on that it. "Zidane will pick some toe-jam and put it in a glass jar, the Galaxy could acution that on ebay too... $1000 reserve for that. winning kid for that one could make a tea out of it and drink it, and then they'll have some of ZZ's midfield prowess. "and finally Raul could blow a big snot in a kleenex and have doug hamilton himself dig that treasure out of the trash and sell that one on his personal ebay account." What makes you think Beckham, Zidane or Raul will show up?
Beckham wants to conquer the US, he'll be here. besides didn't you see him leading kids around a bunch of cones advertising his academy?
just when you thought it couldn't get any worse........... The Galaxy FO is now selling the tix to the Real Madrids Practice on Sunday the 17th for 30.00 but you do get tix to a regular season MLS game too. At least they are giving tix to season ticket holders free. They are milking this for every penny they can. how long before they have bus tours of the hotel the team is staying in?