Beckham to AC Milan Rumors Heat Up

This is ridiculous. You can't sign a ridiculous contract with a team, then decide you no longer want to be there. LA Galaxy are about to get robbed.

Check this out: Klose injured, Donovan may get to start.
http://www.fcbayern.t-com.de/e...

I'm really excited for Landon. This maybe his big chance to shine.

I just want the guy off our team, I would not want to play with him. How are we going to ask those kids in the locker room to do that? Play with a guy that doesn't want to be on the same team as you. Oh yeah Charles you not that bad you kind of grow on a person. lol

Charles, I always read every word you say. The fun of watching sports is in the details.

Steve, now I will really be accused of wearing rose colored specs: New York is my local team! We might not be filling Giant Stadium, but the ten thousand of us can have great tailgating parties in the spacious parking lots. As soon as the new stadium (PULEEEEZ) is ready, which is accessible by public trans, I think we'll be in business.

TFC have been great fun, Laurie did well lobbying the league into sending her the Sounders, and of course Steve Nicol is a model for solid coaching (and the best sense of humor during interviews).

I won't mention Beckham again when I come visit (and I certainly won't use him as a moral compass either as he never gave all his money away to the starving masses as I so vigorously encouraged). He might have introduced me to the Galaxy and MLS but I have a great fondness now for many of the other players, as well as the fans (and bloggers) here who taught me the MLS ropes. And who manage to maintain their potty mouths even in the face of adversity ;-) .

Diane,
The coffee I was drinking nearly ejected out of my nostrils when I read your comments referring to me. Thanks - you're precious. As many already can agree [especially, Justin :)] I do sound very much like a "pep-talk" specialist/soccer coach. Sorry, but that's just the way I am - it's the way I'm wired. And, seemingly, my comments are almost ways summing up the same, prophetic message. I think most people will immediately just scroll down to the next commentor. Fair is Fair.

1) I like Beckham as a player, as a talent, as a promoter - but, I do NOT look to him or hold his actions and his choices as a marker for my ethical/moral compass. Yes, he was tasked with bringing outside eyes to peer into MLS and have those eyes kept there during broadcastings and sports articles. And, when the LA Galaxy didn't suceed and couldn't because of stupidity and mismanagement - the wolves & vultures came out in droves. It was very apparent from his & his wife's lifestyles alone even before coming to the US - that this "pot of gold / magical lamp" as hoped by AEG would come definitely and earnestly with very high maintenance.
2) Next, the LA Galaxy will surely survive and dare-say prosper from his absolution of contract. However, losing a speedy, attacking, scoring player like Landon will have some queasy, mildly-ill effects. But, that too shall pass. Let's not kid ourselves - MLS have shrewd, positioned, negotiating-saavy professionals at their helm... MLS will grow as a new league in this sport should. As one commentor put it - slow & steady.
3) If there is one "alkaline" after-taste in my mouth, at times - it's the fact... that I really hope that National Sports Broadcasting & TV-Reporting of Soccer/Football desperately gets smarter, more researched, more experienced, and LESS sarcastic and belligerent. Soccer is NOT American football, nor boxing nor NASCAR. The audiences for the latter thrive on drama, explosions, controversies, and fantastical proportions. Not to say that soccer cannot be portrayed as thrilling, or as emotional and as captivating - but, announcers & broadcasters should be intelligent and understand its history and context during their reporting.

Trent, for what it's worth, I agree with you.

Seattle has been doing a stellar job getting its act together. Class!
Here is the Sounders website (in beta). Best MLS team site. Period!

http://beta.soundersfc.com/

also more of this...

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Ho...

Beckham on wanting to stay at Milan - vid of him speaking. This should close the door on the Beckham experiment.

Does he have any concern for the residual damage he will leave behind in the MLS/USA soccer world after making, what appeared to be, a sincere pledge and commitment to help nurture the sport? My guess is that the battery of microphones and klieg lights that he stands in front of have erased his concern for anyone or anything but himself. I know that the fanatical Beckham fans will take umbrage at this assessment and frankly that is to be expected.

With regards to interest in the league, a lot of things have gone on outside of the world of the Galaxy and Beckham.
I look at TFC and Seattle as what is the future of the league. Solid marketing, good management, and a business structure that the MLS loves. As long as MLS makes good expansion choices (Miami, Vancouver) where the sport will be successful (sorry New york) These teams create a buzz in the community and, in Toronto at least, is important to the people of the city. Seattle and TFC don't sell out seasons tickets, cause of Beckham, but because of the inherent strength of their club's business, PR, and community approach.
Sorry..MLS won't crumble without Beckham, as long as MLS continues with a solid expansion plan. It may be less "splashy", but slow and steady wins the race.

I just saw these two brand new articles from goal.com:

1. Donovan was added to Bayern's Champions League roster. :)
http://www.goal.com/en-us/news...

2. Beckham tells the A.C. Milan website that he wants to stay at Milan. I think this is the first time Beckham has puiblicly stated this.
http://www.goal.com/en-us/news...

It's all about honor and integrity with me...and Beckham has shown little during this soap opera. I like Beckham the person and player, but, Beckham "the man who can do no wrong" is pure sycophantic BS!! He chose the road less traveled and now we see it was too difficult for him....so he runs off to the comfort of an old flame. I don't hate him, I just don't care for him and his manipulative ways anymore. He doesn't need you to defend his honor, he has a pack of lawyers and publicists whom he pays to do that for him. I was a fan until I saw just how selfish this guy really is. The world does not revolve around one man and certainly not David Beckham.

Trent, my last comment wasn't replying to you, I must just have sent it after you did. However, your comment interested me because I have thought that people on other sites have sounded like jilted lovers and you've confirmed that suspicion.

IF the guy leaves (and who knows this could still be just a Milan PR storm), he's just a player, not your wife, mother or best friend. And I would hardly compare European football, where he'd played seriously for close to 20 years, to a fling.

Ok. Must stop commenting or risk driving self and innocent blog visitors batty ;-) .

I hope that I'm not being too optimistic. It just seems that there is a lot of excitement around the league that has nothing to do with Beckham. Also, it was excruciating just being a long-distance Galaxy fan last season, the season before, and things weren't going that well before Beckham arrived. What I wish for the Galaxy is a solid, balanced, consistent (don't I sound like Charles) team with good coaching.

Eugene, its true that the Galaxy will lose potential earnings, but they only got a percentage of image income (shirt sales etc) after both Beckham and the League, and I believe the Herbalife sponsorship is worth 4-6 million a year (?) about what won't go out any more for Beckham's salary. There is no quantifying the value of visibility but that was a sword that cut both ways in many respects. It seems to me that enough visible players are coming in to bring sponsorship attention -- if not at this level. The league wasn't expecting Beckham to come to the
US as soon as he did, and a lot of revenue and interest were produced since he came which can't now be refunded. So they are still ahead.

As to ESPN, obviously we'll have to see but it was my understanding that the deal was made before the possibility of Beckham's early arrival came up. ESPN/ABC got the rights to the next World Cup (and EUROS) right after the last one, about the same time the DP rule was passed. I still think the deal with MLS was based on speculation regarding football becoming generally more popular in here.

I hate to say this but the league was embarrassing itself with how they handled Beckham since he first arrived. The major and non-major sports outlets already have a field day with his failure to light up the Galaxy. I think the Galaxy will get more respect when they start winning without Beckham. The league will only get more respect when it raises the salary cap, increases roster limits, and PLAYS ON THE FIFA CALENDAR. Those are the things that make it look amateurish not who does or does not play here.

David, we're all going to still come to games. I follow an EPL team I inherited and a La Liga team that I've grown fond of, but I can only see them on TV -- which as we all know is no place to watch football. So I was happy to "discover" my local MLS team. There are things the league should do to fill the stadiums and improve the atmosphere, but its still fun to be able to go to games.

At the end of the day it is about honor, integrity and commitment to a goal. When Beckham signed up MLS, his stated goal was to raise the level of the U.S. professional soccer program to new heights. But, as we can all see, it is really just about what David Beckham wants and what's good for him and his image.

After his mistress came calling (european footy), he has spent a lot of his time maneuvering and spinning (with the aid of his pack of lawyers) to stay with her, all the while flipping off the G's and MLS. Good riddance...and don't come back to retire here.....you shameless little media manipulating hack.

If anyone wants to be in a video game (Voice over role)check this out. This is a contest the company I work for is doing. Pass it along to any other people/boards you like. Thanks
http://www.destructoid.com/liv...

David, I know a lot of people at the games that came because of Becks and a lot of them want him to leave also and have renewed tickets this year. Its not the player on the team its the love for the team. I am going to be more sad about Landon than Becks.

Well Becks scores more Free Kicks in other leagues so does that mean our keepers are better? Eugene the league was fine before he got here and will be fine when he leaves. I am a season ticket holder and I want him out, he is messing the whole "team" up one player can not be larger than the team and he clearly is. Our league is not close to the top teams in the other big leagues but we are only 13 years old.

Since Beckham joined, people I never would have expected come to games. They don't even really care if Beckham is playing, they are just interested. If he goes, that goes too. That's probably worth more than $5 million. And if he goes now, the epitaph is Beckham came and the Galaxy were the worst in the league. If he pushes hard enough I think it will happen. But I really don't think the Galaxy want to let him go before October.

Nathan, I generally agree with you. If Beckham does sign with Milan and stays with England, I just hope that US and England are seeded in the group in 2010. My god, would that be a war.

Mind you also that the casual American sports fan doesn't understand and has had zero exposure to transfer fees. It's a foreign concept for Americans.

Incorrect as it was two years ago, Beckham was reported to have signed for $250 million over five years. Now you know and I know that it was $25 million in salary and $225 million in endorsements over five years, but for the casual observer, it's going to look like he signed for $250 million and we got $20 million when he left.

That's going to look stupid. Sure the die hard fans are going to now what happened, but we are a tiny minority here and to succeed MLS needs to grow beyond the die hards.

Diane, I realize you're new to the league, but from the perspective of someone who has been watching since before the "Beckham" rule, I have to double underline what Laurie is saying and reiterate that losing Beckham this soon will cause long-term damage to the league, its exposure, its contracts and its credibility.

Regarding this analysis:

"Galaxy won’t take that much of a hit financially (herbalife?) because of the money it will save from Beckham’s pay packet, the revenue he’s generated so far, and whatever percentage of the transfer fee they get."

I believe you are incorrect. First, you can't judge the money you will lose next year and in the next three years as not lost based on the money you made last year. That's just not finance. Second, while Beckham is profitable for LA, the club will not be *more* profitable without him. Meaning that he brings in more revenue than he costs, so if you lose him, you're not going to make up the lost profit based on lower cost. You're just going to lose profit. Now the transfer fee is new money coming in, but the correct analysis is to look at that new money vs. the money you will not receive in jersey sales, ticket sales, endorsements, the Herbalife contract, ESPN coverage, etc.

--ESPN is going anywhere either. As idiotic as they are they won’t have made this deal based on one player. They’ve had the rights to last summer’s EURO’s and, more importantly, to the 2010 World Cup since before Beckham signed with LA. Those Thursday night broadcast are like little ads for ESPN as a “soccer” network (gawd help us)."--

Why won't they have made this deal based on one player? He's the only player in MLS that moves the ratings needle, so from their perspective, he may be the only player in MLS that matters. In fact, I'm guessing that they're moving away from Thursday nights so they can focus on showing Beckham games, whenever he plays, as well as full stadiums in Toronto, Houston and LA, not a baseball field in Kansas City, empty bleachers with Chivas USA or a mostly empty Giants stadium. ESPN doesn't need MLS to feed interest for Euro 2008 or Champions League broadcasts, there is already plenty of interest in that without MLS. I can tell you from the perspective of being a New Yorker and watching numerous bars all across the city fill up to watch Euro2008 on ESPN (and the World Cup in 2006 as well). That doesn't happen with MLS matches.

Just as Beckham's coming had a major impact on the league and soccer in the U.S., I believe Beckham's going will also have a major impact, not this "slip out quietly" that many people are expecting. Then, when the major US sports news outlets start talking about what happened, there is going to be a lot of garbage thrown on MLS as a poor quality, not serious league, while whatever transfer fee is garnered will be just a footnote in the articles. The old cliche of "soccer can't succeed in America" will be brought back with full force and embarrassment for the league.

Diane, you may be right. I hope you're right. I fear you're not. Time will tell.

I do find it interesting the little things that tell me that MLS is still hoping for a glamour team, and at least partially trying to make that team Seattle, even before they've played their first game. (With Ljungberg. Because, y'know, he's a DP, he played in the EPL, and he's an underwear model.)

This year Seattle seems to be getting things like the opening home game with ESPN2 coverage, and probably more than our share of nationally televised games, and rumors of an exhibition match this summer with Barcelona. (I'll believe that one when I see the tickets.)

If the league can make even a semi-seamless switch and put the spotlight elsewhere in a positive way, while putting the Beckham-in-LA humiliation behind them (and if the $17m rumors are anywhere close to accurate,) then the league could come out of this okay and everyone will be better off in the long run.

But I'm still worried. Not least becuase it's generally not a good idea to put all your eggs in an a basket labeled "Expanstion Team."

I do think it's going to be excruciating to be a Galaxy fan this year, but maybe not. Maybe they'll thrive out of the spotlight. If not, I'm crossing my fingers that this will just be growing pains on the way to a better future. Because you can buy a lot of player for 2/3 of $17 million, the Galaxy share of the rumored transfer fee.

I am glad that Bruce Arena is at the helm. I trust him not to make rash, knee-jerk moves. (Not that I'm comparing him to anyone else. Or anything.)

Nathan, well that and the word penis of course, but I know how hard it can be to fit everything into one headline. (Doing my best to for the boost...as always).

Laurie, you already know we disagree on this, but I don't think it will (if it happens) be as you describe. Most people outside of the U.S. will just see it as another high-profile transfer which they will forget about by the next transfer window as they do with all others. If anything people (again outside of the U.S.) would think it was classy for the Galaxy to let Beckham and Donovan go to wherever they can fulfill their potential. The importance of national teams and particularly the World Cup are also better appreciated elsewhere, so the Galaxy allowing a player to go where they can pursue a goal to be involved in those would also be better appreciated.

It's likely that I don't understand U.S. fans outlooks as well, so you may be right about the impact this will have here, but I hope not. I think there are some great players here and more "integratable" DP's coming. I discovered the league through Beckham and I'm still happy to have renewed season tickets I enjoyed last year. So maybe the league is just still looking good to my less experienced eyes. Anyway, with my rose-colored specs, as always I hope things work out for the best -- or at least better than you predict -- all around.

I don't think there is a way to overstate how devastating this will be to MLS. The league was slowly moving toward credibility before Beckham with tiny baby steps based on the what the league was actually capable of accomplishing. Now, in the public perception of everyone who is not already a fan, they will be "the league that wasn't good enough for Beckham."

There is no moving past that, at least not for years. And all the monetary compensation heading the way of MLS is not going to make up for the damage that's been done.

An article that sums it up well:

http://www.nj.com/sports/njspo...

Oh, btw, I'm pretty sure that the MLS Rumor source for the $19.2m was a British tabloid, because I read the same dollar figure there. What was that about European sources being "completely fabricated"? ;-)

p.s. having just survived yet another transfer window, my solemn vow is crisp and fresh: not to believe a word anyone says unless they come into my house and tell me themselves or until I see them where they are rumored to be going when with my own eyes -- and maybe with a witness ;-) .

My vote is: most insightful b since H.L. (apart from the part where you believe the US sports pages any more than the Euros on this issue - remember how much this name in a headline does for one's readership).

Galaxy won't take that much of a hit financially (herbalife?) because of the money it will save from Beckham's pay packet, the revenue he's generated so far, and whatever percentage of the transfer fee they get.

ESPN is going anywhere either. As idiotic as they are they won't have made this deal based on one player. They've had the rights to last summer's EURO's and, more importantly, to the 2010 World Cup since before Beckham signed with LA. Those Thursday night broadcast are like little ads for ESPN as a "soccer" network (gawd help us).

Two other notes:

*I believe that letting Beckham go will be the beginning of the crumbling of the DP rule, which will also be a big step backwards for the league as well as the level of competition.

*It hasn't been discussed much, but I easily see Herbalife pulling out of the jersey sponsorship deal if Beckham leaves. For sure his leaving would be a material adverse change and likely their contract with the Galaxy has some kind of provision to let them break the contract if there is such a material adverse change.

I think the financial implications for the Galaxy and the league would be severe... really a big step backwards. God knows none of the other players on the Galaxy sell jerseys and put butts in seats, let alone bring around the ESPN cameras.

I really think Beckham in LA could work if the team is given enough time to come around and rebalance. Arena has already done a lot of that work, but he needs more time and some patience. Sadly, this is the typical fallout after having Alexi Lalas as a general manager. On the one hand the team have this star and Landon (at present, but likely not for long), on the other hand, the rest of the team and the front office have been badly mismanaged. Gullit really didn't help things last season. But give Arena a full season to work with the team and for sure LA will improve. He's already done a good job laying a new foundation.

I think his time is up. He enjoys his football in Milan ad he obviously can augment the team there. Its proven difficult to build a team around him, though. While its been fun watching him for a year, I think the circus should end. The rumoured money is great for someone that can escape from the contract in a year. We should take it before he gets injured in Italy. I'm sure the Galaxy would get a decent percentage out of the deal.
He served his purpose, but I think Galaxy and MLS should move forward on the momentum and produce teams that can shine.
The only thing that worries me about us right now is the lack of speed combined with experience. We have some awesome "grinders" now, but a little pace would be useful. I hope this is in Arena's plans somehow.