So Is Beckham Really Coming?

By: Laurie | June 5th, 2007

Articles about Beckham’s supposed regrets started appearing in the European press immediately after his latest England callup. The most recent is: “Beckham’s star too bright for Galaxy.”

[Former England captain Alan] Shearer said: “I don’t know if David is regretting going to Los Angeles Galaxy. But he’s better than that standard, without a shadow of a doubt.” .

Okay. Better than what standard, exactly? Yes, granted, the Galaxy isn’t having a great year. But as a recovering Eurosnob myself, I’m wondering if any of these people have ever actually seen an MLS game. Personally, I think EPL is hugely overrated as to quality of football, and the fact that three EPL teams made the Champions League semis was an anomaly. (And by the way, none of them won.) One bad (okay, really, really bad) World Cup for the US doesn’t make the entire US league so substandard that anyone still in his prime should be ashamed to play here. Ask Juan Pablo Angel.

Beckham so far has not been quoted on any of this, although several “sources” have said he’s getting cold feet. But AEG guy and Galaxy owner Phil Anschutz didn’t get where he is in business by not knowing how to construct an airtight contract. If Becks makes any attempt to get out of it, he’ll pay with his flesh.

Want to know what concerns me, though? Two little and seemingly irrelevant facts. 1) Talk is that David is up for a knighthood, and word is that some Brits think he doesn’t deserve it because he’s coming to America. And 2) Posh gave up her reality show, ostensibly for “family reasons.”

Since Posh would probably chop off body parts and sell them on e-bay if it would allow her to achieve lifelong fame, and since according to all the media reports she saw the reality show as the first step in achieving that lifelong fame in America, the fact that she’s given it up means that she’s envisioning something better. (Or maybe it means that David threatened to dump her, as the British tabloids are also reporting.) But I’m wondering if, perhaps, the potential combination of the words “Lady” and “Victoria” were what made her become so suddenly supportive and British again?

Yes, you read it right. Lady Victoria.

(Okay, I’ll give you a few seconds to stop either giggling or gagging.)

And if that whole “Lady” thing doesn’t come about, you know who will get the blame, don’t you? It will be all MLS’s fault. (And it will have absolutely nothing to do with the fact that perhaps some Brits-on-high felt discomfort bestowing the “Lady” title on a woman who’s apparently incapable of going into a photo opportunity without bathing the twins in icewater first. But I digress.)

So perhaps, for the sake of MLS success and the Beckhams’ marital harmony, all MLS fans should hope that it is the knighted Sir David who will come to America in July.

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Category: LA Wags, Player News

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Ian

Frankly, I very much doubt Euro 2008 is going to be an issue. With or without Beckham, England has a long climb to get into the finals with their recent form.
Tom

I don't doubt Beckham would give 100% on the field for L.A.. My point was rather that when he was signed, those who felt it was more than a marketing-gimmick made the point that Beckham did seem truly to care about developing U.S. soccer, and seems to have some kind of fascination with America and its sports.

But if he has a bitter taste for being denied one last year in Europe by the Galaxy, IF he requests a transfer and is denied - potentially costing him a spot at EURO 2008, a final chance to win a major trophy - it's hard to see him working as hard for the American game off the field as he might otherwise have.
graham

The Premier League is overrated. I would only bother to watch Man Utd, Arsenal & Spurs.

True English football exists in the football league (sponsored by Coca Cola).

As for any Beckham knighthood, if it happens it will be the last act of that publicity-hungry, bandwagon-jumping, liar, war-criminal and charlatan Tony Blair courting one last fling with public popularity.

Personally I believe that when Beckham joins galaxy you will see nothing less than the 100% effort he has given to every game he has played in over the last 10 years or so.

good luck to him, just don't let him get involved in a penalty shoot-out.

His England re-call was the last-ditch attempt of the desparate and useless steve mclaren to try and keep his job. His England future is guaranteed as long as mclaren is there.
Diane

Laurie and Tom, I missed your posts while I was typing. Laurie, I completely agree about quality of La Liga, and particularly breathtaking these weeks (I made need life support for last two matches).

Tom, Beckham is enthusiastic on any pitch, he seems almost to have blinders on as soon as he laces up his boots. Look at all the stuff that's been written, by anyone who's shared a dressing room with him, about his ability to leave all craziness at the door and almost become a kid again in training and at matches. He may not be a rocket scientist, but he's a big boy and there's not much he doesn't know about the world of football. He's been doing this professionally since he was 16, and I'm pretty sure he was well aware of the pros and cons (real and potential) of his decision before he made it.

Until I hear a quote from Beckham to the contrary, I'm assuming he's sad as anyone to leave teammates, club and home cities, but as excited to come to the U.S. as he ever was. Of course, I've been waiting to see what that will mean to the world since January 12th and hoping for the best, I just don't think that's changed any.
Diane

Becks is the only one who HASN'T mentioned the possibility. As a matter of fact the closest he got was in response to a question at Friday night's post-match press conference when he said, "it's never going to happen." Obviously we never say never in sports but...
I like this column by Gary Lineker (48 goals in 80 appearances for England) who knows Beckham and has had some similar experiences, there a bunch about the match but also the most sensible comment about Beckham outlook on going West:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/spo...
Tom

There's no way Becks gets out of his contract, I agree. On the other hand, a patently unenthusiastic Becks would be a big problem for MLS, so it's conceivable he could force a transfer. Wasn't the whole point that he was excited about developing American soccer, etc? What good would a jaded Beckham away on international duty half the time even do?

This is getting ugly, fast.
Longshoe

I would be shocked if he doesn't show up in a Gals uniform this summer. A lot of the comments coming out sound really similar to the comments Capello and the Real Madrid staff were making when he made the initial decision. They sound like jilted exes, complaining that the new girlfriend isn't as pretty, cool, or popular.

I enjoy watching the EPL, but La Liga is far ahead of it for overall quality. I'd still much rather watch Toronto-Colorado than Bolton-Man. City. MLS is doing fine, and will continue to get better.
Ian

I do hope Becks makes it over the pond, but I hope he does it (a) without a knighthood (Come on, there's no way he deserves it, not yet), and (b) if possible, without his wife. How much crazier would be media craze be for a newly single Becks? The US celebrity market is pretty much based around 16-year-old girls, so this would be ideal for MLS ticket sales in that somewhat underrepresented demographic. Either way, if he tries to get out of his contract, he will show that he is entirely undeserving of a knighthood - isn't there something in the fine print about honoring your commitments? - and he'll lose the respect I have, at long last, begun to have for him.

Don't do it, Becks.