What makes Randolph a real threat is that he is fast and can play both defense and offense. But he is admittedly not the best at either. He’s a young guy though. With more playing time and more mentoring, I think he could be outstanding.

And Diane, keep writing exactly what I’m thinking. You’re like my identical brain twin, except you are more well-spoken than I. (Ever see that episode of “Friends” where Joey had the identical hand twin?)

Love your pieces. Keep pimping.

Continuing my tradition of pimping my SBI LA Galaxy column in this space, I’m doing it again (thank to Laurie for tolerating such crass displays of ego).

From the column below, link here: http://www.soccerbyives.net/soccer_by_ives/2008/05/post-11.html

Blech.

Sexy futbol it wasn’t.

This game was, in contrast to the recent games against Houston and Real Salt Lake, dull and spiritless. Just after I get done praising the team for their grit and teamwork, I get this piece of old laundry thrown at me. To be fair, on any given night in MLS you are prone to see the kind of thing New York Red Bulls and Los Angeles put on display. The salary cap, roster limitations, and weather conditions just don’t allow for any team to put together 30 games of quality futbol. And this one was far from quality.

Obviously, the Ghosts of 2007 have yet to be banished from the Home Depot Center. The backline was shaky and the midfield’s lack of a talented ball-distributor was obvious throughout the game. While the team didn’t quit, exactly, they had no real answer when NYRB shut down Landon Donovan and David Beckham and with them, the G’s entire offensive threat. The only real take-away I had from that game, besides a mouthful of bitter frustration, was that Carlos Ruiz cannot get healthy fast enough.

As is the case for every high-revenue athlete to one extent or another: EVERYONE, from the Galaxy to MLS, and each team in the league, to England NT to Real Madrid and ManU (still selling Beckham shirts), to theoffside’s own pure self, makes more money every time Beckham shows up at a high profile event. While some view sponsors as a separate profit-only category, Adidas’ interests are no different than those of the teams’ or the media and all of them are inextricably co-dependent — plus those Think Big ads might be my favorite thing in world football at the moment…TOO cute.

If someone else hadn’t sent a private jet for the Beckhams last week, Lalas might have and paid a bare fraction of what the team would have had to spend for the publicity it got in every paper around the world that said “LA Galaxy midfielder, …” under each the red carpet photo. Whether or not Beckham enjoys a particular appearance or not, they are most certainly part of his “job” in opening up new markets for his stakeholders — oops I mean building soccer in the U.S. . Even if Beckham and his wife were to cast off all interest in material wealth , “building the brand” supports a rather large circle of businesses and agents that all have their hands in each other’s pockets.

I’m offering no sympathy, and Beckham asks none, these are well thought out commitments, he knows exactly who profits how, and exerts unusual control over how he is placed in the equation. Personally, he’s clearly not overly inhibited, he seems to thrive on pressure (we’ll see how much), and he claims that the things he can do because of his fame (apart from being rich of course) mean something to him.

I did enjoy the fact that Laurie’s intro to the new beckham page was accompanied by an early ad for his first sponsor — that came out soon after the famous wonder goal at Wimbledon kicked off his renown. The start of the best and (worst?) in one shot!

I am nodding my head in agreement with just about everyone. I, too, see this season as only getting better because of what Diane said:

“It will be easier on both Becks and Donovan as the rest of the team becomes more of a threat to be reckoned with.”

I’m really enjoying myself this season.