Sports Writers Look at Beckham vs. Blanco

By: Laurie | October 15th, 2007

I think sports writers (not to mention the suits at MLS) are desperately wanting LA to win on Thursday against RBNY to set up a showdown between David Beckham and Cuauhtémoc Blanco. There have been a couple of articles written recently making the comparisons between the two.

Who’s been the better DP acquisition?

First, ChicagoSports has some thoughts. And yes, they’re a bit biased, but they have some valid points, too.

“Teammates’ thoughts
Blanco: “We were nervous to talk to him before — he’s big-time,” Fire defender C.J. Brown said. “By him doing [pranks] … he’s one of us. We can joke with him.”

Beckham: “I know it seems almost silly to keep talking about him because he’s only one player, but he makes a big difference in there,” Galaxy forward Landon Donovan said.

Edge: Blanco. He’s just as likely to give his teammates an assist as he is a wedgie.”

And second, we have ESPN Sports with article on Blanco. Their conclusion: Beckham is a “brand” and so gets the media attention, but Blanco is a player.

No player has had a greater impact on MLS this season than the explosive, 5-foot-9 striker. Since coming to the States in July, his creative and controversial playmaking has lifted the Chicago Fire from last place in the East to eighth overall, putting them on pace for a spot in the playoffs, which begin Oct. 25. While mainstream America drools over Beckham’s brand name, it is Blanco who has at last made the league relevant to working-class Mexicans, pro soccer’s most passionate U.S. fan base.

I don’t necessarily like Blanco (since I’m not a fan of south-of-the-border-style flopping,) but for the sake of the league, I’m glad both he and Beckham are here.

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Category: Player News

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Steven

Well I have this to say, Beckham has brought explosive publicity to the MLS; kind of like what Gretzky did for Hockey. But, other than that he did no more than play 13 min. and then get hurt. Blanco on the other hand has pulled Chicago Fire out of the dump and into the playoffs. When it comes to publicity Beckham is the winner, but when it comes to soccer, with out a doubt “Fire Eagle” reigns supreme.
Israel

Beckham's a good example of what you would really now have to call across-the-pond-style flopping. Just makes you see how mass media can overrate a face. Did you see those fantasy passes all along the game from Blanco or kept staring at the other player's gestures?
Dave Martinez

If Chicago gets in . . . Blanco would seriously have to be considered.

Had Schelotto not been injured, and the Crew in the race, he would have been hands down.

But MVP = Angel. He has been our lifeline.

What a horrible reference.

And dont tell me Luciano . . . DC doesnt depend on him. They would be fine without em.
mag

Blue Devil Brad
[“Two different players who are playing on different positions. David is yet to show what he can do…”
…and Blanco *has* shown what he can do. Edge: Blanco.]

David Beckham has shown what he can do everywhere he had played before. Give him chance and TIME
Blue Devil Brad

"Two different players who are playing on different positions. David is yet to show what he can do…"
...and Blanco *has* shown what he can do. Edge: Blanco.

I've been really disappointed that ESPN never picked up on Blanco to the same degree that they did Beckham - well, obviously they wouldn't to the *same* degree, but this really could've been billed as a season of two stars instead of a season of Becks. I love seeing articles like that ChicagoSports... I wish that debate had been on ESPN already! The two guys are so different, and their time here in MLS has been so different... the argument practically writes itself, and I wish SportsCenter and the PTI guys were on board (and as I told Jeff on RBNY Offside, I would love to just see Tony Kornheiser rip into any MLS marketing of Beckham and Blanco on equal footing).

You can debate for hours about the soccer sense of paying a DP salary when you've got only 2.5 mil for the rest of the team, but one thing is for certain - the league put this rule in for the PRESS. This league (unlike NASL) has a stable base, and the suits decided it was time to test it with some controlled big spending on stars. I know we all call it the Beckham rule, but why doesn't the league even try to hype up the other DP's to half the Beckham level?
mag

As for Beckham,people like to hate him,they like to call him model and media w****,but who cares-he knows how to make a lough of them all.
mag

Two different players who are playing on different positions. David is yet to show what he can do....
You can't comapare them at all.
I hate compare players because it's not fair. Football is a team game and sometimes we don't see hard black work of different players that brings goals and results.
"We don't see work of Pirlo when Kaka scores" Maldini said answering about the Best Player of the year...Blanco plays good with his team behind him and I think that our Landon made better work this year because he was too alone too many times this season but still delivered.....
Rob

I was so prepared to hate Blanco when he came to the Fire, but he's been really impressive both on and off the field...I can see why he's so beloved by Mexican fans now that he's on one of my teams (see also: The Rodman Effect). He's shown a little bit of gamesmanship, but nothing like the dirty play he had a reputation for, and it's been far outshadowed by his impressive skill with the ball and the way he's reinvigorated the Fire in the second half of this season.

Re: US vs. Mexican soccer broadcasts, I would definitely take the Beckham-Cam over mid-action split-screen adverts for soap operas that squish the game into a little corner of the screen, like the ones I saw watching some Futbol Mexicano over the weekend. Plus, I thought ESPN did a good job of playing up Blanco in the one Fire game they've broadcast since he arrived, though it was marred somewhat by Wynalda being an egotistical dick (shocka!).
Laurie

What, you don't like getting shot after shot of Beckham's shoes while play is going on off-camera? I thought ALL American's liked that.
Diane

Ahh, if only ESPN knew who mainstream America were, they could picture us clicking desperately through the channels to find a game in a language we don't understand so that we don't have to listen to their commentators...either call the match OR drool over Beckham's brand name like they have a tic. They would sense that Mainstream America will PERISH on our coaches if we have to see one more shot of Beckham at a football match unless he's playing in it (that coming from a mainstream American who's also a Beckham fan).