good for Beckham, but not for sport?

[Dick Knights Mumm]

How can it possibly work ? How do the sums add up ? what happens after the initial impact has gone ? How can you have one player on £50k pa and another on £50k for two days ?

I can't help help but think it will all end in tears.

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

How can it possibly work ? How do the sums add up ? what happens after the initial impact has gone ? How can you have one player on £50k pa and another on £50k for two days ?

I can't help help but think it will all end in tears.

very rich tears though.

 

[Simster]

How can it possibly work ? How do the sums add up ? what happens after the initial impact has gone ? How can you have one player on £50k pa and another on £50k for two days ?

I can't help help but think it will all end in tears.

Clearly that's not sustainable, but he's being paid to promote the league rather like Wayne Gretzky when he moved to LA.

Besides, that league is being very carefully managed which should improve its chance of success:
- there are only 13 teams so as not to dilute the pool of available talent
- they are building "soccer specific stadia" for every team. which one day will create a demand for tickets, and enable the league to generate cash from their own concessions. It is also more appealing to the TV networks, who for the first time have PAID MLS for TV rights as opposed to renting out air time.
- Adidas and RedBull between them have just investe $1bn in the league over the next 5-10 years. Other companies are following suit.
- The league started out being owned by just 3 owners running 10 clubs. Now there are 9 owners running 13 clubs, with 10 in soccer specific stadia or about to move to one.


Regarding the Beckham strategy, it seems to me that the biggest owner (Don Garber and the AEG group) have got the league stable enough to consider rolling the dice. You've got to say they've probably earned that right.

 

[Simster]

And of course if this strategy pays off, it'll turn those $50k a year cloggers into $100k a year "stars" in the coming years.

 

[Skint Gull]

Where was that article from mate, its a great piece!

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

It just looks sheer folly to me. Do they think that Beckham would not have gone for say half that amount ? or less than that ? Where else would he have gone ? All credit to Beckhams negotiators - but I will not be surprised if this does not last more than 12 months.

 

[CHAPPERS]

Where was that article from mate, its a great piece!

It's on the guardian sport blog.

 

[Simster]

It just looks sheer folly to me. Do they think that Beckham would not have gone for say half that amount ? or less than that ? Where else would he have gone ? All credit to Beckhams negotiators - but I will not be surprised if this does not last more than 12 months.

Nah, he'll be there for at least 3 years I reckon.
And regarding the salary, it's largely linked to image rights, IIUC. But it's in the interests of MLS to publish a bloated salary. They are, afterall, trying to come across as "big league" and that they mean business. The average Joe 6-pack sports fan is more likely to be impressed with the product if they are forking out big bucks for players not yet over the hill.

 

[Man of Harveys]

All credit to Beckhams negotiators - but I will not be surprised if this does not last more than 12 months.

Why? What do you think is going to go wrong, you grumpy old bird?

I think the US is a good fertile ground for football - the crowds for the NASL were huge in the 1970s and, as Beckham rightly says, kids there already love playing it, plus there are few more appealling role models than him in the modern game.

I've worked with loads of Americans in London, all of whom are obsessed with the game after five minutes - I've even brought some to the hotbed of Withdean - so all that "hey, where's the shoulder pads" stuff on Soccer AM is just condescending crap, of course.

The biggest problem with its development as a spectactor sport there must come from the fact they have 3-4 huge and well-established sports there already. But this league is already quite a big deal and, from what I've seen on Channel Five when I can't sleep, the standard is pretty decent too.

 

[Simster]

So an MLS trade is now the LEADING ARTICLE on CNNSI.com (CNN/Sports Illustrated)

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/

Usually, the only soccer news to make the headlines on that site is World Cup news (male or female) - the only times when the US takes a passing interest in the sport.

 

[Simster]

Why? What do you think is going to go wrong, you grumpy old bird?

I think the US is a good fertile ground for football - the crowds for the NASL were huge in the 1970s and, as Beckham rightly says, kids there already love playing it, plus there are few more appealling role models than him in the modern game.

I've worked with loads of Americans in London, all of whom are obsessed with the game after five minutes - I've even brought some to the hotbed of Withdean - so all that "hey, where's the shoulder pads" stuff on Soccer AM is just condescending crap, of course.

The biggest problem with its development as a spectactor sport there must come from the fact they have 3-4 huge and well-established sports there already. But this league is already quite a big deal and, from what I've seen on Channel Five when I can't sleep, the standard is pretty decent too.

Indeed. Absolutely correct on all fronts, Col. Soccer is the sport of white collar and immigrant sectors - which is a substantial market. Unfortunately no-one wants to watch a match rattling around in a 70,000 bowl. It looks shit on TV, there is no atmosphere, the pitch markings are f***ed up - basically it's tin pot. The only exception to this rule is Washington DC United who have fanatic support and regularly fill the lower bowl of the stadium there.

The location of my team at work is split equally between our NY and London offices, and there are many New Yorkers I know who *love* the sport, and many more with a passing interest. When the new stadium gets built in Harrison NJ, the the NY Red Bulls will fill it with exactly these sort of people. I know that because I know people who want to go.

 

[maffew]

apparently hes getting paid more than EVERY other major league player put together!!

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

I just do not understand how it is possible for one person to be paid such an enormous sum to play a sport for which (despite numerous attempts - including a World Cup) has not taken off - does not draw in spectators - and for which there is little media appetite, and already large powerful sports putting dollars in the pockets of the media outlets.

The financing of it may well be thoroughly viable and clearly has been arranged by smarter people than me. However ................

........... the emperor is not wearing any clothes .........

 

[Commander]

that is a bit silly isnt it.

We have not the faintest idea if any other "big club" offered anything to him with regards to trasfer/employment etc etc.

It became obvious he was forced out of manU by Fergusson and forced out of England by mcClaren and now his skills are lost to European football

Not to worry, we have lots of foreign stars coming over here who are far better than Beckham, like Shevchenko, Crespo, Davids etc etc who stay around for the big bucks and then f*** off home. Oh and also loads of foreign managers Like Mohrinho, Benitez, Wenger who would much rather buy foreign talent that British players....but hey..who cares. As someone said on here yesterday, if people want to be entertained, they would rather watch foreign players....fair enough.

Sooner rather than later, the Sky TV bubble will burst, we already have Sentana or what ever its called ( another subsciption) and money will not be available and then these players will all f*** off to follow the big bucks...who knows it may be the USA...and then we will be back to watching British football again as opposed to all the Chelsea harlem Globetrotters Stuff that is prevalent in the Premiership and Championship.

Agree with every word.

 

[Commander]

Neil Warnock got it right. Would you return to a nation you CARRIED for years - fully of nasty shìt hacks who have belittled his every move, and unpleasant little shits in the stands who spit on him and hurl insults regarding his wife because of that infamous "petulant kick". And yet he's always remained dignified through it.

He's got nothing to prove - he's won the domenstic/European treble with United and would have done more with England if he'd been managed properly - hell, even Stephane G'uivarch has a world cup winners medal.

The alternative is to be paid $1m a week for 5 years, and finally help promote a sport in the US - something that not even Pele could manage.

Tough call, that one. Good luck Becks, you're a legend.

Exactly, Simster.

 

[maffew]

Indeed. Absolutely correct on all fronts, Col. Soccer is the sport of white collar and immigrant sectors - which is a substantial market. Unfortunately no-one wants to watch a match rattling around in a 70,000 bowl. It looks shit on TV, there is no atmosphere, the pitch markings are f***ed up - basically it's tin pot. The only exception to this rule is Washington DC United who have fanatic support and regularly fill the lower bowl of the stadium there.

The location of my team at work is split equally between our NY and London offices, and there are many New Yorkers I know who *love* the sport, and many more with a passing interest. When the new stadium gets built in Harrison NJ, the the NY Red Bulls will fill it with exactly these sort of people. I know that because I know people who want to go.

its only a 27k seat stadium I think

 

[Simster]

its only a 27k seat stadium I think

Yep, LA Gals have been playing there for 2 years - sold out nearly every game in 2005, and averaged 24,000 in 2006 only because they were a shit team who finished 5th out of 6 in their conference.

However, NY Red Bulls play at the US Football stadium in New Jersey. Gates are 50k+ when the MLS match forms a double header with an international. They are 10k ish if the weather is good. They are literally about 1,000 if it's a monsoon. This is the problem if the punters are indifferent to the product and there is effectively no upper limit on ticket supply.

 

[Nemesis]

That kind of money is OBSCENE for a sportsman. Regardless of who you are, who you play for and how good you are.

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

you cant have a go at him for accepting that amount of money

yes hes already sorted for life but thats a very good move for him. hope his football is good aswell.

 

[Billy the Fish]

The weather is lovely, the light is gorgeous, the fans will adore him, the beach is a free-kick away, the shopping is terrific, he and Victoria already speak the language, and the kids can keep up their Spanish with the pool guy. Together they can sit of an evening, watching the sun sink into the Pacific and imagining the end titles rolling on the final reel of a spectacular career.

That just about sums it up, he's been there and done it in european football and he's got a young family to think of. Out there he will have an excellent lifstyle and will be able to make the transition between playing and devoting more time to coaching kids at his academys alot smoother. He also has a chance to massively develop the sport in America, I heard on the radio that LA Galaxy had sold 1000 extra season tickets yesterday . Good luck to the bloke, he's been a great servant to his country only to be treated in a discusting manner by McClaren.
David Beckham