On Thursday July 12th, soccer superstar David Beckham and his family (including wife Victoria, aka Posh Spice) arrived in L.A. with the paparazzi and fans mobbing them at LAX. Regardless of whether or not you are a soccer fan, if you follow sports you probably know that David Beckham signed a multi-million dollar deal with the L.A. Galaxy of the MLS (Major League Soccer). He is scheduled to make his debut as a member of the Galaxy on July 21st in a match against the Chelsea Blues of the English Premiere League. I have a feeling that on July 21st, most of the world will be focused on another British import... Harry Potter.The MLS and American soccer fans in general are banking that David Beckham's arrival will save the sport in the States. There is no doubt that Beckham is a global pop culture icon (I can't think of another athlete who has inspired the name of a hit film) and that he will help to temporarily spike interest in soccer over here. Appearing at home Galaxy matches will most likely be the in thing to do for Hollywood celebs until the novelty dies down. The same thing happened with hockey when Wayne Gretzky was traded to the Los Angeles Kings in 1988. However, despite soccer being the most popular sport in the world, it is my opinion that it is and always will be on the fringe here in the United States.
Many cynics (including me) believe that all the fuss over David Beckham coming to L.A. is tied to his marriage to Victoria. If you're a non-soccer fan like me, you never even heard of David Beckham until he tied the knot with the "pouty one" from The Spice Girls. Yes, they are a celebrity couple... I get that. But is the U.S. arrival of a once great but aging soccer star and his wife (whose main claim to fame is that she was a member of a group that hasn't had a hit in almost a decade) worth all the excitement?
2 comments:
I am with you. Soccer will never replace the sports we hold dear stateside (Football, Basketball, Baseball). I don't see what all the ballyhoo is about. It has a lot to do with the whole Los Angeles scene and the need to be associated with celebrities, most any celebrity will do. In my opinion they are totally not worth the mob scene, but that is what L. A. is all about, Cars, Bars, and Stars. Anyone can become a star (Paris Hilton???).
I don't think the Beckhams are (or at least I don't think they SHOULD be) that big a deal. A soccer player and a former pop singer? Big deal.
But I do feel sorry for their kids. They're followed by the press EVERYWHERE they go. That just can't be fun for the three boys, who are something like 2, 6 and 8. If it were me, I'd move out to the middle of nowhere to get my kids away from the press.
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