If Beckham Never Returns To MLS, What Legacy Will He Leave?
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Uncertainty About Becks
Frustrates Tim Leiweke |
MLS Galaxy MF David Beckham will have left "only a modest imprint on the American soccer landscape, meteor or no meteor," if he stays with Italian Serie A club AC Milan and does not return to the Galaxy, according to a front-page piece by Abcarian & Jones of the L.A. TIMES. Since Beckham joined the Galaxy in '07, "more than 600,000 Beckham shirts have been sold nationwide at roughly $80 apiece." Also, MLS TV ratings for games on ESPN or ESPN2 were 67% higher for games featuring Beckham in '07, and 22% in '08, than for non-Beckham matches. Beckham's presence created sellouts in "several MLS cities, the high-water mark being the crowd of 66,237" for a Galaxy-Red Bulls match in '07. The Galaxy's average road attendance last season was "almost 10,000 fans per game higher than any other MLS team." However, despite Beckham's presence, "soccer remains a second-tier sport in the U.S., distantly behind the NFL, NBA, baseball, college football and basketball, and golf whenever Tiger Woods plays." Meanwhile, AEG President & CEO Tim Leiweke said of the uncertainty of Beckham's return, "We have every team in the league sitting there waiting for some clarification (on whether) David is going to be with the Galaxy or not." Leiweke added that ESPN has "put its MLS ad campaign on hold until it knows whether Beckham will return" (L.A. TIMES, 2/24).
MUTUAL RESPECT: EPL club Arsenal CEO Ivan Gazidis said that when he arrived in England following his tenure as MLS Deputy Commissioner, the "culture shock splashed him in the face." Gazidis: "What's been really interesting has been the dichotomy in the way we view ourselves from the States, where we often feel an inferiority, at least we certainly feel we are. We think everybody looks to Europe, but I'm not sure if that's the case." Gazidis added, "I’ve got a very positive reaction from all the people I’ve met and these people look to the success of MLS with nothing but admiration. And I think there’s a lot of respect for MLS around the world, in terms of the business of sport. In many areas people look to the U.S. for leadership, and I suppose that’s why they looked at me for this job" (N.Y. TIMES, 2/24).
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