While the transfer season is still underway, we figured we would bring up a subject that seems to have captured the attention of even the most apathetic of the football following population – David Beckham. Who is he? What is he doing in America? Why should we care? I would also like to take some time in clearing up some misconceptions that may have been spread by media outlets that have no idea what they are talking about. Shall we begin?
David Beckham came from humble beginnings. He was the son of a kitchen fitter and a hairdresser. He began playing football as a boy for a local club and in 1991 got the opportunity to join the Manchester United youth system, the team his entire family supports. He was part of a crop of players that won various youth accolades including the 1992 F.A. Youth Cup alongside the likes of a young Paul Scholes, Gary & Phil Neville, and Nicky Butt. These players were known as “Fergie’s Fledglings” and would set a foundation for future Manchester United dominance in the English League. He received his first senior contract in 1993. Beckham would go on to score 62 goals in 265 appearances as a mid-fielder and established himself as one of the finest passers and free-kick takers in the world. With Beckham in the squad, United would go on to win the English Premier League 6 times between the years of 1995-2003 including an unprecedented treble in 1999 (3 major trophies in one year including the UEFA Champions League, F.A. Cup, and English Premier League).
Beckham was beginning to establish quite an image off the pitch as well. As most Americans seem to know, he married former Spice Girl Victoria Adams and had several endorsement deals for Coca-Cola, Adidas, and others. As his fame grew it began to irritate his manager. After a public fall-out with Sir Alex Ferguson and complaints from his wife to move to Spain, Beckham was transferred to Real Madrid for a fee of around $50 Million and would score 13 goals in 116 appearances (again, mostly from free-kicks). Towards the end of his career with Real, he was beginning to notice a drop in form and questions began to arise about the future of his career.
Over in America, the game was starting to garner a bit more excitement. The M.L.S. was starting to get more competitive but it still needed something (or someone) to get the revenue it needed to make it a league worth taking seriously.
Experiments in bringing older, big-name players into the American league had worked before. In 1975, the now defunct NASL brought Pele to New York and saw a dramatic increase in attendance, although it was not enough to save the league from eventual collapse in 1984. Beckham could bring more than just footballing ability to stadiums. So in 2007, Beckham was signed to a ridiculous contract to play in Los Angeles alongside the American talisman, Landon Donovan. More on that in a bit…
Where most of the confusion seems to lie is when Americans hear that Beckham has come to play in America, they think he will play for the U.S. National Team. This is simply not the case. Beckham was born English. Think of it this way. Every four years we put together an Olympic dream team for basketball. The likes of Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwight Howard, and others who do not normally play together get chosen to play the best players from other countries. However, the Olympics do not pay the bills. They play for the U.S.A out of pride and as soon as the Olympics end, they go back to L.A., Cleveland, and Orlando to prepare for the next season against each other. International football is the same way. Beckham is in L.A. for the paycheck, whenever the World Cup, or another international competition, begins he will play for England (assuming he gets a call up).
And this brings us to the next great saga involving the English Golden Boy. Turns out, Beckham still enjoys playing ball. He still feels he has something to offer and is not ready to see his career end. The problem lies in the M.L.S. set up. Most leagues operate from August to May (give or take a month). Here in America, College Football, N.F.L., N.H.L. as well as the N.B.A. all operate in that same time frame. To avoid scheduling conflicts for media rights and marketing, the M.L.S. agreed to have its season during the summer months. This was leaving Becks with a lot of down time and a struggle for fitness when international play resumed. To remedy this, he agreed a loan move to A.C. Milan during their season to maintain his fitness. A conflict arose when the end of the Serie A season conflicted with the beginning of the M.L.S. season. Beckham saw A.C. Milan as his ticket to a World Cup spot and asked to stay. This infuriated the folks back in L.A. who now began to question his commitment to the club considering he did not offer them too much during his first season considering his paycheck. Landon Donovan included. Thus began the great “Beckham Experiment” saga you may have seem a five-minute blip of on Sportscenter. Whether he will stay or go is yet to be seen. Suddenly “The Clash” is now ringing in my head… Anywho, hope you feel a bit more knowledgeable about the subject.
The David Beckham Primer