Beckham In America: MLS Hopes Star Will Boost Exposure

MLS Commissioner Don Garber, announcing the Galaxy’s signing of Real Madrid MF David Beckham to a five-year deal, said Beckham is “not going to bring soccer to the next level in this country. It’s going to take a lot of things, but I hope his arrival will be an important step” (N.Y. TIMES, 1/12). Garber: “In the last few years, MLS has added three new teams, six new owners, four new soccer-specific stadiums and signed four long-term television agreements. The addition of David Beckham represents another significant step forward for the MLS and the sport” (ESPNSOCCERNET.com, 1/11). He added, “Clearly, this will raise our profile overseas” (L.A. TIMES, 1/12). Garber said that he “already has been approached by companies looking to purchase the league’s global TV rights” (O.C. REGISTER, 1/12). Beckham: “Soccer in America is the biggest played sport up to a certain age. That’s where I want to take it to another level. Because potentially it can go higher than anybody can probably believe in America” (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 1/12).

Davids (l) Could Be Next Big European Player To Join MLS Team

INFLUX COMING? ESPNSOCCERNET.com’s Peter Keating wrote it “won’t be long before soccer’s newer owners ... decide the Galaxy shouldn’t have a monopoly on superstars” and will “start throwing money around to lure other international players” (ESPNSOCCERNET.com, 1/11). FC Dallas President & GM Michael Hitchcock said that the club is negotiating with 34-year-old Dutch MF Edgar Davids, who is “known for his long dreadlocks and protective goggles, as well as his feistiness.” Davids “has played on some of the world’s most successful clubs,” including Juventus, Ajax, and currently Tottenham Hotspur (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 1/12). Real Salt Lake Owner Dave Checketts, “who pushed hard against some internal dissent” over the Beckham Rule, which allows MLS teams to exceed the salary cap to sign int’l stars, said, “If we do this responsibly, it’ll be a huge benefit in this country for the sport” (N.Y. TIMES, 1/12). United President Kevin Payne said that his team “is not planning to use the new rule to obtain a high-profile player.” Payne: “Does it make it theoretically easier if we identify the right opportunity? Sure. But that’s not something we’re prioritizing right now” (WASHINGTON POST, 1/12). Fire coach Dave Sarachan, on the Beckham signing spurring more deals for int’l players: “I honestly do believe that this will start the domino effect.” Fire President John Guppy: “It certainly does add some intrigue to the rule and what we can do with it” (DAILY SOUTHTOWN, 1/12). Garber, during the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Convention in Indianapolis that was carried live on Fox Soccer Channel Thursday, said of whether the Beckham rule will hurt small-market teams, “It doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to win when you have a high-priced player. It’s going to provide some personality and small markets will benefit from that” (FSC, 1/12).

Eskandarian Questions Size Of Beckham's Contract

WE ARE NOT THE NASL! While the NASL folded in ‘84, partly due to overspending on international stars, AEG President & CEO Tim Leiweke, whose company owns the Galaxy, predicted that that “will not happen this time.” Leiweke: “There is not an expectation that David Beckham single-handedly makes the league relevant, because the fact is the league is relevant. The biggest impact here is that David Beckham makes us more relevant, not just in this country but internationally.” Garber added that the NASL “didn’t have the careful strategic expansion plan that we have. They didn’t have the depth of ownership that we have. They didn’t have the four network and cable television partners that we have paying us rights fees. They didn’t have soccer-specific stadiums” (L.A. TIMES, 1/12). MLS Deputy Commissioner Ivan Gazidis: “We’re not going to go into a phase of uncontrolled spending like the NASL did” (REUTERS, 1/11). USSF President Sunil Gulati “does not foresee NASL-style bidding wars, because ‘lessons learned from that episode preclude that possibility’” (WASHINGTON POST, 1/12).

FROM THE GROUND UP: The AP’s Jim Litke wrote that unlike the NASL, MLS is “watching every penny and committed to building from the bottom up -– no matter how long the haul” (AP, 1/11). NBCSPORTS.com’s Aaron Feigenbaum wrote MLS’ “fiscal discipline has been first-rate. ... The idea of building mid-size, fan friendly stadiums has produced the intimate environment that live soccer action demands” (NBCSPORTS.com, 1/11). USL President & Founder Francisco Marcos: “Thirty years ago when Pelé came, twenty years ago, the market wasn’t what it (is now). We didn’t have eighteen million kids playing soccer. They are there now” (FSC, 1/12). ESPN’s Tommy Smyth added, “MLS is in a much better position than the NASL was. ... MLS is not tied to Beckham like the NASL was tied to Pele” (ESPNews, 1/11).

WHAT DO THE COSMOS SAY? Former NASL Cosmos President Clive Toye, who was responsible for bringing Pele to America, said of the Beckham signing, “I do hope two things. One is that everybody in the league doesn’t think they have to spend that kind of money and second is that someone else does go out and spend that kind of money, but not everybody” (PALM BEACH POST, 1/12). Former Cosmos F Giorgio Chinaglia: “Hopefully Beckham will be the first of many international stars to come because that is the only way the league can survive” (STAR-LEDGER, 1/12). But Norm Samnick, former VP of the company that owned the Cosmos, said, “When we signed Pele, he was the biggest name in the world. But once Pele and the others were gone, there was nothing left. We had no other players. I’d like to think Beckham will be the answer now, but I just don’t see it” (N.Y. TIMES, 1/12). Former Cosmos G Shep Messing: “As a player you can’t compare him to Pele. Having said that, [the NASL had] no fan base; I think this one will have far more impact” (N.Y. POST, 1/12).

PLAYER REAX: The average MLS player earned about $100,000 last season, and “most teams had several players making” the league minimum of $11,700. Toronto FC F Alecko Eskandarian: “As much as I’m all for the exposure, I feel like if (MLS clubs) have all this money they could divvy up some of it, especially for some of the younger players with developmental contracts. It’s really not fair what they make. To think that one guy could make more in a one day of practice than some guys make for a whole year of effort is pretty shocking” (WASHINGTON POST, 1/12). Rapids MF Terry Cooke: “You can’t justify paying one player that sort of money. It’s marketing money — but they’ve got to be careful, because this is what happened in the 1970s [with the NASL]” (TORONTO STAR, 1/12). But Galaxy G Joe Cannon said, “I don’t think there are any negatives that can come out of this. We have to embrace this move; we’re going to get a lot more fans, both home and on the road, and a lot more exposure” (ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, 1/12). Galaxy D Chris Albright: “I think he gives us credibility that a player of his caliber wants to play over here” (SAN GABRIEL VALLEY TRIBUNE, 1/12). Crew MF Chris Leitch, who makes a five-figure salary, said that there will be “no bitterness over the money and attention Beckham will earn.” Leitch: “You want to play against the best players you can and Beckham is right up there. Every stadium he visits ... will be filled to capacity” (COLUMBUS DISPATCH, 1/12).