Comments on: The Beckham Impact So Far http://soccerlens.com/the-beckham-impact-so-far/8132/ Football News Sat, 26 May 2012 13:33:12 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Dnice http://soccerlens.com/the-beckham-impact-so-far/8132/#comment-95748 Dnice Wed, 09 Jul 2008 22:26:33 +0000 http://soccerlens.com/the-beckham-impact-so-far/8132/#comment-95748 Generally though i think MLS is most important to the growth of the sport not the National team. The national team gets attention every four years then it's four years of nothing. The national team could win the world cup and in two weeks the hype would go away. The other thing i'd mention is none of the major sports, nfl, mlb, nba are popular because of success internationally. They are popular because of the domestic game. If you want to grow soccer it can't be a once every four years event. Then it's nothing more then gymnastics and track and field. It has to be an every week thing, just like everyother major sport in this country. Yeah Landon is despised by his countrymen. Regardless i saw all but two of his games for Bayer and he was crap for most. Don't care why but he went to Europe and didn't prove himself. Doesn't mean he's crap but he hasn't proved he's world class. He's only proved he's a good MLS player. And the bottom line is really no player in modern football is considered world class that hasn't had to prove their ability under the best competition, Europe. None. People want to consider him world class they just don't want the burden of having to prove it. That's like a some guy in the Greek basketball league saying he's great. Nobody will believe it unless you go to the states and prove it. And you can't go to the NBA, get your chance, get benched, go back to Greece after 7 or 8 games and say, "yeah i'm still better then those NBA players." Donovan is a good little player. But he hasn't proven he's can play outside of MLS. That's reality. Truthfully i think he definitely can. But he has to prove it. Generally though i think MLS is most important to the growth of the sport not the National team. The national team gets attention every four years then it’s four years of nothing. The national team could win the world cup and in two weeks the hype would go away. The other thing i’d mention is none of the major sports, nfl, mlb, nba are popular because of success internationally. They are popular because of the domestic game. If you want to grow soccer it can’t be a once every four years event. Then it’s nothing more then gymnastics and track and field. It has to be an every week thing, just like everyother major sport in this country.

Yeah Landon is despised by his countrymen. Regardless i saw all but two of his games for Bayer and he was crap for most. Don’t care why but he went to Europe and didn’t prove himself. Doesn’t mean he’s crap but he hasn’t proved he’s world class. He’s only proved he’s a good MLS player. And the bottom line is really no player in modern football is considered world class that hasn’t had to prove their ability under the best competition, Europe. None. People want to consider him world class they just don’t want the burden of having to prove it. That’s like a some guy in the Greek basketball league saying he’s great. Nobody will believe it unless you go to the states and prove it. And you can’t go to the NBA, get your chance, get benched, go back to Greece after 7 or 8 games and say, “yeah i’m still better then those NBA players.” Donovan is a good little player. But he hasn’t proven he’s can play outside of MLS. That’s reality. Truthfully i think he definitely can. But he has to prove it.

]]> By: DUFF http://soccerlens.com/the-beckham-impact-so-far/8132/#comment-95667 DUFF Wed, 09 Jul 2008 00:52:17 +0000 http://soccerlens.com/the-beckham-impact-so-far/8132/#comment-95667 Well the 4th place finish in the 2000 Olympics in Australia didn't raise the profile at all in the states. Now, they never really looked the same after the Spain loss, but regardless Americans just don't care about soccer - I'm not even sure soccer fans took notice. Realistically, the average viewer follows Olympic swimming, gymnastics, basketball, etc much closer than they likely ever will soccer. The more important measure of Becks impact is how much more American soccer fans start following MLS (as many only follow Euro leagues now). I also agree what the others said in that MLS on a global scale has a much larger following and thus reputation than it did before last year. Now, having said all that, I agree that I wish Beckham was doing more to push the sport via his commercial impact. Little things like his appearance on Snoop Dogg's show help to make soccer a hipper sport. - Primachenko: I really don't understand the hate Donovan gets. When he got recalled to Bayer Leverkusen he only played in a few games before he wanted to go home. Have you seen who he is married to? He said many time he missed the girls, weather and food of California (having grown up there). I really don't blame the guy. If he had spent more time, I do think he would have become a regular starter. Well the 4th place finish in the 2000 Olympics in Australia didn’t raise the profile at all in the states. Now, they never really looked the same after the Spain loss, but regardless Americans just don’t care about soccer – I’m not even sure soccer fans took notice. Realistically, the average viewer follows Olympic swimming, gymnastics, basketball, etc much closer than they likely ever will soccer.
The more important measure of Becks impact is how much more American soccer fans start following MLS (as many only follow Euro leagues now). I also agree what the others said in that MLS on a global scale has a much larger following and thus reputation than it did before last year.
Now, having said all that, I agree that I wish Beckham was doing more to push the sport via his commercial impact. Little things like his appearance on Snoop Dogg’s show help to make soccer a hipper sport.

-

Primachenko: I really don’t understand the hate Donovan gets. When he got recalled to Bayer Leverkusen he only played in a few games before he wanted to go home. Have you seen who he is married to? He said many time he missed the girls, weather and food of California (having grown up there). I really don’t blame the guy. If he had spent more time, I do think he would have become a regular starter.

]]> By: Ahmed Bilal http://soccerlens.com/the-beckham-impact-so-far/8132/#comment-95650 Ahmed Bilal Tue, 08 Jul 2008 17:03:42 +0000 http://soccerlens.com/the-beckham-impact-so-far/8132/#comment-95650 Olympic Football is a point of prestige for the players even if the IOC gives it the middle finger at times (team sports just aren't as popular). Olympic Football is a point of prestige for the players even if the IOC gives it the middle finger at times (team sports just aren’t as popular).

]]> By: Primachenko http://soccerlens.com/the-beckham-impact-so-far/8132/#comment-95643 Primachenko Tue, 08 Jul 2008 15:52:45 +0000 http://soccerlens.com/the-beckham-impact-so-far/8132/#comment-95643 no one cares cares for olympic soccer and no one ever will. the time to make an impact is during the world cup. the time to start it is perhaps the olympics but if the us does win something there it will still be a big fat yawn. and donovan never performs in the big games. him saying that he came back to the us because he became homesick, wanted to raise the profile of mls, etc. is just bull. he wasn't good enough and he knows it. ambitious footballers always go for the top and mls is everything but. no one cares cares for olympic soccer and no one ever will. the time to make an impact is during the world cup. the time to start it is perhaps the olympics but if the us does win something there it will still be a big fat yawn. and donovan never performs in the big games. him saying that he came back to the us because he became homesick, wanted to raise the profile of mls, etc. is just bull. he wasn’t good enough and he knows it. ambitious footballers always go for the top and mls is everything but.

]]> By: Brian Lomax http://soccerlens.com/the-beckham-impact-so-far/8132/#comment-95635 Brian Lomax Tue, 08 Jul 2008 15:04:00 +0000 http://soccerlens.com/the-beckham-impact-so-far/8132/#comment-95635 The United States doesn't even have to win Gold I don't think. It'd be great, but if we win silver or bronze, that would be huge for the game here as well. The United States doesn’t even have to win Gold I don’t think. It’d be great, but if we win silver or bronze, that would be huge for the game here as well.

]]> By: Brian Lomax http://soccerlens.com/the-beckham-impact-so-far/8132/#comment-95633 Brian Lomax Tue, 08 Jul 2008 15:01:40 +0000 http://soccerlens.com/the-beckham-impact-so-far/8132/#comment-95633 I think we can compete in the Olympics. Argentina are the clear favorites, but I think we can hang with them. I think we can compete in the Olympics. Argentina are the clear favorites, but I think we can hang with them.

]]> By: frem http://soccerlens.com/the-beckham-impact-so-far/8132/#comment-95620 frem Tue, 08 Jul 2008 12:03:55 +0000 http://soccerlens.com/the-beckham-impact-so-far/8132/#comment-95620 beckham has done well, in some ways his going over there has shown the rest of the world what the mls is about, i know since him going there ive seen at least 1 or 2 replays of an mls game, him and altidore are making the mls a little more respected. That said in the olympics the USA has no chance, check out the argentinian and brazil line ups, those line ups are good enough to play against america's and most other countries first teams. The level of football is just too low in america because many athletes able to step into a soccer shoe prefer basketball or nfl. Hell athletics in america probably gets more funding than soccer does. beckham has done well, in some ways his going over there has shown the rest of the world what the mls is about, i know since him going there ive seen at least 1 or 2 replays of an mls game, him and altidore are making the mls a little more respected.
That said in the olympics the USA has no chance, check out the argentinian and brazil line ups, those line ups are good enough to play against america’s and most other countries first teams. The level of football is just too low in america because many athletes able to step into a soccer shoe prefer basketball or nfl. Hell athletics in america probably gets more funding than soccer does.

]]> By: Kurt http://soccerlens.com/the-beckham-impact-so-far/8132/#comment-95572 Kurt Mon, 07 Jul 2008 22:28:17 +0000 http://soccerlens.com/the-beckham-impact-so-far/8132/#comment-95572 IMHO, Beckham hasn't done anything except made himself look like a celebrity over here. I hope people know he is a soccer player. IMHO, Beckham hasn’t done anything except made himself look like a celebrity over here. I hope people know he is a soccer player.

]]> By: Ahmed Bilal http://soccerlens.com/the-beckham-impact-so-far/8132/#comment-95544 Ahmed Bilal Mon, 07 Jul 2008 18:23:44 +0000 http://soccerlens.com/the-beckham-impact-so-far/8132/#comment-95544 I think Becks has done exactly what he went there to do - raised the global profile for MLS plus increase interest in football in the US. If Galaxy win something (and they'll need to sign a defender or two this summer to get close to doing that) then he will have exceeded his goals. But you're right - Becks can't do it by himself. He needs support, and I think this time around the football community in the US has made a greater effort to supplement his work, and the game itself has enough traction at youth and senior level to rise up. I think Becks has done exactly what he went there to do – raised the global profile for MLS plus increase interest in football in the US. If Galaxy win something (and they’ll need to sign a defender or two this summer to get close to doing that) then he will have exceeded his goals.

But you’re right – Becks can’t do it by himself. He needs support, and I think this time around the football community in the US has made a greater effort to supplement his work, and the game itself has enough traction at youth and senior level to rise up.

]]> By: outsider http://soccerlens.com/the-beckham-impact-so-far/8132/#comment-95536 outsider Mon, 07 Jul 2008 17:27:31 +0000 http://soccerlens.com/the-beckham-impact-so-far/8132/#comment-95536 hi Mr. Lomax. yes, the ultimate goal is to achieve something. like Homer here said, bringing Beckham is a part of the plan FOR MLS, and of course, for Galaxy too, to break the global market. he's not trying to crack the global market for himself, but rather for American soccer a.k.a. American league a.k.a. MLS. and he has succeeded in doing that..he's bringing MY attention (for example) - an Asian, in South East Asia, fact i'm writing this from somewhere in the region - to American soccer and MLS when in fact i've never heard of the league, honestly, before he went there. and the goal for raising the profile of MLS (and the Galaxy) is of course to make the league more internationally standard. how? by raising the standard of play first. how? by bringing the top players in. i think many fans now can see how the level of play that Beckham alone brought was totally different than the whole of the league. (well, maybe apart from Donovan and other top league players, but overall, they have more work to do to achieve the Beckham's level/international level). but they also can see now how the standard of play has changed a bit - been raised a bit - since Beckham went there. there are no more boring football, sorry, soccer especially everytime the Galaxy play, and the top players there have really showed some very good performances. and these eventually brought in the media attention, and people like me can now see that soccer in America is not so bad, that they have potential, the players have potential, but needs more exposure of the higher level of play..and this is exactly one of the Beckham's jobs there. and with a certain amount of global "advice" from the audiences (fans, coaches, players) who have followed, or have been in, a higher standard of soccer, i believe the US' soccer (and it's players) will get more great achievements after this. like you said, it might has happened already. cheers! ;) hi Mr. Lomax. yes, the ultimate goal is to achieve something. like Homer here said, bringing Beckham is a part of the plan FOR MLS, and of course, for Galaxy too, to break the global market. he’s not trying to crack the global market for himself, but rather for American soccer a.k.a. American league a.k.a. MLS. and he has succeeded in doing that..he’s bringing MY attention (for example) – an Asian, in South East Asia, fact i’m writing this from somewhere in the region – to American soccer and MLS when in fact i’ve never heard of the league, honestly, before he went there.

and the goal for raising the profile of MLS (and the Galaxy) is of course to make the league more internationally standard. how? by raising the standard of play first. how? by bringing the top players in.

i think many fans now can see how the level of play that Beckham alone brought was totally different than the whole of the league. (well, maybe apart from Donovan and other top league players, but overall, they have more work to do to achieve the Beckham’s level/international level). but they also can see now how the standard of play has changed a bit – been raised a bit – since Beckham went there. there are no more boring football, sorry, soccer especially everytime the Galaxy play, and the top players there have really showed some very good performances.

and these eventually brought in the media attention, and people like me can now see that soccer in America is not so bad, that they have potential, the players have potential, but needs more exposure of the higher level of play..and this is exactly one of the Beckham’s jobs there. and with a certain amount of global “advice” from the audiences (fans, coaches, players) who have followed, or have been in, a higher standard of soccer, i believe the US’ soccer (and it’s players) will get more great achievements after this. like you said, it might has happened already.
cheers! ;)

]]>