Re: Wussup with ESPN's Beckham/England reporting today? Question: what's "the time between two Registration Periods"? Does that refer to the time between the beginning of one transfer window and the closing of that same transfer window? Or does it refer to the time between the close of transfer window A and the opening of transfer window B? If it's the latter, doesn't that mean a loaned-out Beckham wouldn't be able to return to MLS until June/July 2008?
I think if MLS is smart, they'll realize that they NEED the exposure from Beckham doing well at Euro '08. i've changed my tune on this general issue. i've basically done a 180. i think overall, as far as MLS is concerned, they need David Beckham to be relevant. lemme repeat: RELEVANT. all this stuff that's going on: 1. bickering about 'Beckham' ticket prices 2. bickering about Beckham no-shows in away cities 3. 'bickering' between English FA and LAG about DB's services 4. Beckham in the news, period this stuff is all viewed as a distraction, but deep down, it means that David Beckham is still a very relevant force. that means hype. and that hype means $$$$ for MLS. the worst thing that can happen for MLS is to have Beckham retreat to his Beverly Hills mansion for 6 months (yes i know LAG have friendlies scheduled, but you know what i mean), not playing for England, then start the 2008 MLS season healthy, but with no hype or fanfare. if that happens, Becks/LAG will NOT be selling out stadiums. they WON'T be getting any run on Sportscenter, and other sports news shows. they'll just be another MLS team. and Becks will be just another MLS player. and once you've done that, you've killed off your golden goose (or severely neutered him). LAG/MLS did not get the full Beckham buzz they were hoping for this summer, due to DB being injured. if DB is on SkySports/SportsCenter all winter scoring great goals in the EPL ... and scoring/contributing to England goals at Euro '08, then you keep Beckham's status as a 'wow' player and a world elite player. if you take all that out of the equation, you lose a lot of the sizzle. we know Beckham will lose that sizzle by year 4 and 5 of his contract (novelty factor long gone), i hope for the league's sake it's not gone by next April. Americans want to see the best in the world. they get it with MLB, NFL, PGA, and NHL. they were getting it with Beckham, b/c fans believed they were getting to see one of the best in the world. and that belief was shown in the outrageous ticket prices and kits sold. once the Beckham phenomenon dies down, you've just got a very good MLS player. and no one pays any extra money to see a very good MLS player ... ask Dwayne De Rosario or Christian Gomez. so i say let him go (easy for a fan of an opposing team to say so, i know). i think the growth of MLS benefits GREATLY from having a regular on the English national team on the MLS books. the league was starting to make huge strides as far as how it was perceived in the media and by people/players in other countries, not to mention people in this country. you can continue those strides for another year if Becks maintains his status as a world elite player. disclaimer: i realize that this is unfair to LAG. i'm not an LAG fan. i'm looking at the perspective of the league as a whole.
Re: Wussup with ESPN's Beckham/England reporting today? Hate soccer in what way? Wilbon and Tony K. have commented on this supposed 'hate'. How is it bad? Or do you just percieve it that way? I'm neither for nor against whatever LAG and Becks do. I don't have a horse in that race. But to be so pessimistic is more telling of your attitude than their business. He'll be back on the pitch. And then someone such as yourself will claim ESPN was just waiting for him to play again so they could do some soccer bashing. Like its something they do occasionally, just for kicks. Never mind the fat chick, let's bash soccer. I can hear it from Bristol now.
I think this about covers it. Unless that stuff about Becks being willing to give back some money means a massive contract restructuring where he'll end up being paid no more than Angel/Reyna money, a loan isn't happening. Beckham is MLS's major investment. While it's logical that Lalas and other team and league officials will say stuff about doing whatever is necessary to keep him playing for England, realistically I don't think that means putting a final national team hurrah so far ahead of their major league investment (pun not intended).
if MLS wanted to be smart about it, they'd take a break from league action for part of next summer. assuming Becks and England are involved at Euro2008, the league should fill the summer with exhibition friendlies and other non-leage events, like the SuperLiga. the Galaxy likely won't be in the SL, but if SL runs at the same time (or about the same period as Euro2008), and if the league is on a break, then there won't be any unhappy customers (who would have to "suffer" through Beckham-less LAG games) as the league could be on a break for part of June 2008. the league could return for it's "second half" of the season with those exciting July 4th fireworks matches. note, there'd still be soccer in the US in June. maybe some NT friendlies, some club exhibitions, SuperLiga. Disney would be broadcasting Euro2008 and Univision would broadcast SL2008. everyone would be happy. this could all be good practice for when the league might want to consider not playing through the 2010WC.
Yeah, because one player is missing for Euro 2008, the whole league should shut down. Talk about making a mockery out of the league. (I can't think of another player likely to play in Euro 2008, but even so, if it were just player X and not Beckham would you make this suggestion?)
i tend to think the decision-makers will see how the "final national team hurrah" (for Becks potentially at Euro2008) and MLS's "major league investment" would go hand in hand and be beneficial. there's always the threat of injury, whether he's playing exhibitions across the Pacific with the LAG or if he's getting matches in (with England or with a European club) during the MLS off-season. someone needs to start a "Beckham to Hammarby on Loan" thread. although, i doubt Beckham thinks playing in Sweden for a few months would help his NT chances with England.
first, we don't know that England has qualified, or how many MLS players in 2008 might be called to Euro2008. even if that number was zero players, i still don't see why the league should compete on the same dates with that "big" (check ESPN's coverage of it next year) tournament. i said take a break, and fill that break with non-league soccer entertainment. that's not even close to shutting it down. in a lot of people's minds (i'm guessing), when events like the WC or EuroChampionships are going on, MLS likely is "shut down" in their mind as fans, as it is not the most-important soccer being played that day/week. did you see what they did the LA schedule this year? it's not a mockery, if they think it makes business sense. i don't see how it makes business sense (even if Beckham weren't in the league) for MLS to schedule League games while major international tournaments (WC, EuroChampionships, Gold Cup, Confed Cup) are being played. why ask (or force) the sports's fans attention to be divided between concurrently running club and country events. it's a mockery of a league that goes up against the World Cup. this Euro2008 might actually be a good practice run as to how to set an MLS league schedule that doesn't conflict (too much) with a major international soccer tournament. and yes, i recognize Beckham is just one player. but the idea for MLS, imo, would be to create a league that can draw more and more quality players (players who want to be in their NT's plans but don't want to have to miss league matches -- for their clubs that pay their salary -- for Fifa dates/windows and NT duty). Beckham might do a very good job of highlighting this (and other soccer issues) for the league.
Agreed. And I am 99% sure they couldn't do Superliga during this time, because of the timing of the MFL schedule. Remember, this year, the group stage took place before the MFL season started.
SuperLiga could be in June. according to this link, http://soccernet.espn.go.com/fixtures?league=mex.1&date=20070608&cc=5901 there were no FMF games played from June 1-28, 2007. (the last game of the Spring championship was on May 27, while this next fall championship started on Aug 3.) don't know if that will hold for June 2008, but i can't see why it wouldn't.
Allsvenskan runs basically around the same time as MLS. I wonder what they are doing during Euro 2008. Don't forget the Olympics are next summer as well. A lot of the U.S. players like Rogers, Wallace, et. al. don't get much playing time anyway. I bet next year is a down year in attendance for MLS.
You just contradicted yourself. MFL teams are NOT going to play the SL right after their season ends. That was my point.
Re: Wussup with ESPN's Beckham/England reporting today? Details, details . . .I don't really know what that means. I don't know what the Swedish transfer windows are to be able speculate based on the larsson loan, but I don't think "the time between two Registration Periods" would refer to a single window as in your first scenario, I think it relates more the second but the question is whose winows. It could be the start of the gaining clubs window and the start of the losing clubs window, which would make sense since you can move during a transfer window. If that's the case I think MLS would be lose Beckham until June because the start of the winter windows for MLS and England overlap (Jan.15-Apr. 15 vs. Jan1-Jan31.) anyone have some more insight? The FIFA regs are a little nebulous on this.
they just played SL 2007 right before their season kicked off. i don't see how the proximity to their season will affect their willingness to set or play in SL. i don't know how you know what FMF clubs will or might do. especially if they see it as a "relatively easy chance" at $1million (or perhaps more) for a little amount of work, and perhaps starting 2 weeks (in mid-June) after the conclusion of their season. i'm not saying that SL 2008 in June (in the same window as Euro2008) is certain to happen or is the best possible time for the tournament, but I certainly don't see any real reason why it couldn't be played then.
Maybe is is trying to do what some of our older baseball players are now doing-come in a mid season for the playoff drive. Can play a lot longer that ways.
MLSnet just put up an article where Lalas refutes the rumor and says there have been absolutely no discussions about a loan for Beckham. And unlike the article in England, these Lalas quotes aren't from 4 months ago....
Re: Wussup with ESPN's Beckham/England reporting today? Please forgive a stupid question, but do the dates vary from league to league? I assumed that the EPL's transfer window closed at the same time as the rest of Europe's, and MLS's, since both EPL and MLS had windows close recently (on the same day, or so I thought). Wikipedia isn't very helpful either. Their article makes no reference or implication that there are different dates for different leagues, except to mention the English lower leagues' loan windows.
Re: Wussup with ESPN's Beckham/England reporting today? Aha, good to know, thanks. Does anyone know where I (we?) might find some info. on this?
Re: Wussup with ESPN's Beckham/England reporting today? http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/gossip_and_transfers/6985760.stm
Re: Wussup with ESPN's Beckham/England reporting today? I posted this in the other "Beckham Loan?" thread but...I'll be surprised if this materialises.Beckham is from a Spurs supporters family.His grandfather said while Beckham was still with Man Utd that he always wanted Spurs to score 3 and then Man Utd to score 4 when they played each other.
Re: Wussup with ESPN's Beckham/England reporting today? Beckham is friends with Arsene Wenger though.