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designated players
That’s Wonka Wash spelled backwards
So I began David Beckham’s first game thinking I’d count the number of times his name was uttered during the broadcast, but then I lost count around 237. In fact, and in part because I had very little interest in watching last night’s game between the Galaxy and Chelsea, I had all sorts of cheeky statistics I was going to produce. But then depression sat in. 234, 235, 236…
Oh god help us (patience is a virtue). God help ESPN (We don’t need no water, let the damn thing burn!). God help their announcers (dancing marionettes tangled in the company line)…
This is not sport, this was round 2 of the ESPYs. Bonny Bernstein on a red carpet… that’s what you’re going to go with? Really? If her smile wasn’t authentic, and I’d like to give her the benefit of the doubt, she deserves an Oscar, at least more than anyone she interviewed or name-dropped. Alexi Lalas said they ‘knew a good story line’ at half time. No, Lalas, in fact, if you have done anything, you have set this story up to fail like so many Hollywood productions. Nothing was more clear on Saturday Night in tinsle town.
From Mourinho saying before the game that his soldiers would stand-down when the fragile icon took the field to the split screen pop-in to check out Victoria doing her best Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka impression, the entire night had more cringe than a Tarantino horror flick. Nothing made me more upset than Dave O’Brien’s numerous calls that “this is what we’re all here to see,” referring to Beckham. No, jack ass, a lot of us were there to watch some soccer and left now with little else than to make fun of you.
I didn’t think ESPN could do it, but somehow, someway, they made me feel bad for one of the richest, best-looking athletes in the world (consolation prize going to the hoard of paparazzi on the field before the game).
I could spend a few hours transcribing my notes from the game - Beckham shouldn’t be out there; Donovan might as well have not been out there; unfit Chelsea is still fun to watch; the Galaxy weren’t awful; how many games has this Galaxy line-up even played together; Maybe Yallop can get some pointers from Mourinho - but it’s not even worth it.
I’d just like to apologize.
Sorry Mr. David Robert Joseph Beckham. And I’d like to think I speak for the entire country of real soccer fans when I say, again, sorry. You seem like a nice guy, a good guy, who is admirably stepping out on a limb (if and when you can remove Simon Fuller from the conversation). Unfortunately, there are too many cameras out there with you (Simon, a little help?), and I’m afraid that limb is about to break. Try not to land on that left ankle.
Grant Wahl’s quick hits from the game: less apologetic, more forgiving
Vin
on Jul 22nd, 2007 - 11:12am
Well said, Adam. ESPN’s coverage of last night’s game was embarrassing, a joke, and a travesty. Great job, ESPN! You’ve managed to make our sport and league look like a joke! You’ve sealed the deal for all the critics and nayers.
Equal shame to Alexi Lalas for having Beckham walk out on the field alone, instead of with rest the team as he should have. I’m sure that did wonders for team bonding.
John
on Jul 22nd, 2007 - 11:30am
I really enjoyed E!’s coverage of the party…oh what’s that? It was on ESPN? And it was actually a match?
Weird…
Alex
on Jul 22nd, 2007 - 12:28pm
Hold on a second. The game is a friendly, designed mostly to build brand awareness in Chelsea and the Galaxy and Becks and sell a bunch of stuff and make money. Sure, Lalas says idiotic things, wynalda and co. are poor, ESPN obviously did not review the Germany 06 guide to televising the sport. But it isn’t a real game and the players know that. No need for a ton of hand wringing.
peter
on Jul 22nd, 2007 - 12:59pm
just a couple of thoughts on the whole beckham thing! as if the world needed any more!!! theres a new mls/beckham show starting this tuesday in the uk on channel five. it will be hosted by tim lovejoy who is a cult legend in the uk thanks to his soccer a.m show - best fotball show ever, check it out on youtube if you can. lovejoy hosting means it will def get viewers and because it’s on ‘free’ t.v not ppv or sky etc it should bring alot of attention to the mls.
one other thought is that on this side of the atlantic we have been bombarded with l.a galaxy/posh/beckham/etc for the last fortnight. this means that lala lalas has been on our t.v.lot’s. it strikes my that galaxy/mls/u.s soccer as a whole needs a much more sensible rep to be chatting to the worlds media.i’m sure his hearts in the right place but he is making a fool of himself and the game he’s supposed to be advancing. u.s soccer wont be respected while the ginger bearded don king is it’s face. there must be someone better..??
one final thought is that the new galaxy kit looks much better than the old one!
Bob
on Jul 22nd, 2007 - 3:13pm
He’s taking his shoe off! No wait, he’s putting it back on! Please David, we’re all waiting in suspense.
What a horrible event, only a power outage in the broadcast booth and the destruction of the Beckham cam could have saved it. At least we know Arnold played soccer as a child, thats really all that matters.
pete
on Jul 22nd, 2007 - 5:00pm
has anyone seen a GM or President be so public as Lalas. Mark Cuban comes to mind, but I can’t think of another. Even the Yankees Brian Cashman, who gets lots of press, rarely appears on camera or does true interviews.
Lalas whether you like his presence or not, comes off like a child in an adult’s business world. he’s not the face that the league should promote. The new A’s - earthquakes ownership is going to be the gold standard.
the Bay Area should be psyched. I know I’m jealous.
Charley_B
on Jul 22nd, 2007 - 6:33pm
I missed it. Went out to buy discount Christmas cards. Then I drove out to a field and sat on my car for a few hours. Twas a glorious afternoon.
I do find it extremely fulfilling to see how this is all unfolding. Each camera flash and Beckham/Posh mention is for all the people that had the audacity to think this charade would translate into THE solution for American soccer.
No one is going to see the power, pace, precision, and brilliance of football from David Beckham that’s obvious in the world’s game today.
They’ll see some nice set pieces. They’ll see a bunch of great crosses.
But they aren’t going to drop their jaws at how fast and furious the game of football is now vs. the last time they turned a match on 10 years ago (or 20 or 30 yrs ago). They won’t cringe in chagrin at how physical it’s gotten. They’re not to get goosebumps in pure elation when a side like Chelsea or Manchester United are in a serious groove and on the attack with purpose.
Why? Because David Beckham and his game doesn’t embody any of these values. They never have. He’s an old school footballer. More appropriate for the England ‘86 side than the ‘08 Eurochamps side.
So where does that leave the rest of the American public and most importantly, the impressionable young bucks just starting to watch the game and pick up its most important values?
They see a pretty boy with a laughably soft voice playing the game kind of wimpy-like. “He’s already injured?” asks 99 out of 100 American soccer haters. “This is boring” says another 75 out of 100 American kids learning the game.
Anyone else concerned that this is exactly the kind of impression of football we’ve been trying to bury for years?
Are our youngest and most impressionable players going to get dumber?
Borba
on Jul 23rd, 2007 - 12:28am
Well there has been a huge amount of bashing so I will start off with something nice to say about beckham, he hit a good long ball up to a forward. Something we will be seeing alot of now that he has entered this new Galaxy. Now whether or not that is a good thing is still an unknown. What I do know is that a Chelsea side still in preseason form can play beautiful. Their ability and athletism and grace and power and etc. is what first time soccer viewers should take away from this game, not the poor sight of a man who has gone into a game on a bad ankle because of over hype by ESPN LALAS etc. It was a spectacle, plain and simple. It was meant to put Becks on display, like some kind of golden idol. Hopefully there is better stuff to come from a healthier beckham, and lets hope Lalas shuts up!
J
on Jul 23rd, 2007 - 12:11pm
love the ameri-snub attitude because it’s such an awful thing that this much attention is being devoted to an MLS team who sold out a stadium tonight against Chelsea…is it over the top? absolutely, but we’re in no position as AMERICAN SOCCER FANS to complain.
the hoopla is a minor inconvenience when you consider the positives, get over it and get over yourselves.
Steve Amoia
on Jul 23rd, 2007 - 4:16pm
Adam:
Great commentary about this seminal event.
Actually, and perhaps some might not have been aware, Telefutura also broadcast the game. They will be televising all of the SuperLiga games (LA will take part) that begin this week.
ESPN does not understand that less is more. Telefutura (Univision) does. Even if many in the North American target audience didn’t understand Spanish, Univision outdrew ESPN/ABC last summer during WC 2006.
“Univision said that 50 million people tuned in to some part of its coverage, including 29 million Hispanics and 21 million non-Hispanics.
Which reinforces the fact that fans prefer passion, competence, and respect for the game. Even in another language.
All the best,
Steve
J
on Jul 23rd, 2007 - 8:50pm
for all you amerisnobs, here’s further proof that the Beckham circus is necessary and we should welcome whatever attention it gets:
http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-plaschke22jul22,1,498987.column?coll=la-headlines-sports&ctrack=2&cset=true
Borba
on Jul 23rd, 2007 - 11:58pm
J I think you should just take it easy on the name calling. I don’t think that solves anything do you? Well this hoopla as you call was way over the top, even for LA standards. A red carpet, really? Ya it has given the Galaxy more publicity, not necessarily the league. Like did you know that the two best teams in the League played over the weekend to a 3-3 tie in perhaps one of the best games of the season? Beckham setting up goals and hitting great free kicks and 40 yard pin point passes will be good publicity, unlike Mrs. Tony Parker, which is publicity, but not of the soccer kind
Pops94
on Jul 24th, 2007 - 9:03am
One thing that shouldn’t be lost in all the Beckham hoopla is the sports context in this country at the time Mr Beckham made his debut. An MLS soccer game watched by a record audience in this country was immediately followed by Sport Center on ESPN focusing mainly on the woes of the other sports leagues in the US. If soccer is to become more relevant in this country it will have to grab some market share from other major sports. The 4 headline stories on Sport Center after the game were Beckham in his debut, Micheal Vick and his indictment, Barry Bonds trying to set the home run record that will forever be tainted with steroids allegations and the Gambino family’s involvement in fixing NBA games.
With the back drop of the drama surrounding the NBA,NFL and MLB this summer I find it hard to not look at this summer as a summer of great hope and optimism for soccer.
J
on Jul 24th, 2007 - 11:55am
Borba, diehard American soccer fans have a name we commonly use for people who refuse to acknowledge or support our product because they insist (without giving it a fair chance) that it’s very inferior to European soccer…we call those people Euro-snobs.
did i know Houston and New England played? uh yea, i watched the game.
there is NO SUCH THING as bad or too much publicity for this league, and we are not in a position to be turning it down…the hope is that down the line, Beckham will continue to help our league in different ways: attracting new fans, attracting better players to come play in MLS, etc.
the hope is that by the time Beckham’s MLS tenure is over, more people will care about a game such as the Houston vs NE game…but it’s not as if that game got less exposure because Beckham is here.
like i said, the coverage is over the top and i’ve avoided some of it but i would never hope for it to go away…there are a great deal of people who care what “Mrs. Tony Parker” is up to these days, and if she’s attending an MLS game, that means more coverage for MLS…that is how you build a product.
JPS
on Jul 24th, 2007 - 2:23pm
just the fact that you have so many comments on this post. most comments i’ve seen speaks to the power that mr. beckham brings to the sport. Attention is attention is money is exposure is opportunity for american soccer. period.
Borba
on Jul 25th, 2007 - 3:44am
J you do make fine points, as far as a Euro snob, if I am one than I am mislabeled for I play soccer in college and more publicity and growth of teams and player pool in the MLS would be a god send to aspiring players. As far as the Houston Dallas game you must have been one of the lucky 14,ooo some odd people there or live in the immediate area or have Direct Kick to see the game because it wasnt televised nationally (what a shame it wasnt too!) I agree that Becks will help the league, he brings a certain class that MLS lacks, its just that the Dallas Revs game should have recieved, maybe not the same amount of attention, but far more attention than it did, seeing how they are the two best teams in the league. And people tuning in to see what Eva is looking like for todays match or what Posh is wearing care not for MLS soccer, watch espn, who have guys on there who said just that on national tv. It takes away from the legitimacy of the league. There were very high ratings for the game, which I hope stay that way, I just dont want to see it played out and the publicity turned into annoying noise that drives more people away instead of bringing more people in.
Jeremy
on Jul 25th, 2007 - 9:52am
Great posting. Beckham doesn’t stand a chance - too many cameras and really…really not that much talent except from dead ball situations.
As for the game itself when every word in the commentary was about Beckham I started to lose focus about watching one of Europes super clubs. Which is terrible.
Living in Toronto and seeing how crazy soccer is here, but also not so hollywood. I’m looking forward to the Toronto FC game and the fans reaction to Beckham. I think he’ll be in for a surprise. If ESPN ever wanted to get the feel of what the MLS can over they should be covering that game.
J
on Jul 25th, 2007 - 11:44am
Borba, i’m not only a big fan of the league but i’m fortunate to be able to afford Direct Kick and was able to watch it that way…i highly recommend it, and the only games you can’t see are the one that are on HDNet (i think that’s about 5% of them)
anyways, we don’t disagree that the Dynamo/Revs game should’ve gotten more attention but we have to be realistic…there are A LOT of things in MLS that should be getting more attention that they do (Angel, Toja, Derose, Schelotto, etc etc), but unfortunately they currently do not…these players are not getting any less attention than they would if Beckham were not here, so that’s irrelevant
the big picture is that Beckham (among other ways) is going to attract new fans to the league, attract new investors to the league, and attract better players to come play here…all of these things for the league mean more money, more coverage and better competition in the league in the short, and more importantly, long run.
it’s one thing if there are people who can’t look at the situation realistically and/or in a business sense, but anyone who MLS “drives away” and stops supporting the league because of some of the crazy coverage, isn’t a true fan of the sport in this country…however, i really don’t think there’s that many people who will do that, if at all.
Charley_B
on Jul 25th, 2007 - 11:51am
Just responding to the notion that we should be appreciative of anything we can get as American soccer fans…
I 100% disagree and always will.
Why would we simply accept the sport getting attention? Who cares if football/baseball guys watch the sport? If you don’t get it, you don’t get it. Watch your sports…I’ll definitely be watching mine.
There’s nothing more painful than a non-futbol fan at the bar going “but, no one ever scores any goals…how is that exciting?”. After 999 of these conversations, I’ve reached the point where I’ve started asking these guys why “soccer” sucks so much just to beat them to the punch. I find the conversations are shorter and I can get onto appreciating the match that’s playing.
Demand better for the sport here. Accept nothing less than what the game deserves. DO NOT settle and give up the fight. Shrug your shoulders at the haters and people that don’t get it - they’ll always be loud, obnoxious, wrong, and completely ignorant. Who cares…enable their 3rd grade critiques so they realize no one is listening, get bored, and return to their little game of kicking rear-view mirrors of cars in the parking lot.
We don’t need Beckham and what he represents. If he wants to be here, cool. But we don’t NEED it.
We need a bit of patience until that athlete comes through that transcends the sport. The guys coming through are getting closer and closer to that level with each graduating class to the National Team.
The MLS has improved, sped up its play to a near-respectable pace, and will continue to get better each year.
Our National Team, when the A-squad is together, can ball. Bradley’s bringing the true talent to the table.
Remember everybody…we had the best player in the entire planet at the time come to America, along with his cohort of legends (Beckenbauer, Caniglia, Cruyff etc) and the excitement eventually wore out.
History repeats itself.
The differences this time around, which are the best chance we have of continuing the momentum of the last 5 years have everything to do with everything other than Beckham.
Devin
on Jul 26th, 2007 - 3:19am
admit it though
tommy smyth+eric wynalda>max bretos
i have to say, as pathetic as the production was and as pathetic as the LA Galaxy made the MLS look. two things really stood out.
1. Xavier is a beast, he was the one player on the Galaxy side that looked like he belonged against Chelsea. With Donovan looking miserable in the front it was night to see someone step up with some quality. if the team showed the toughness and heart that Xavier showed in this game they could be at the top of the table.
2. tommy smyth and eric wynalda’s constant bickering is great. i nearly laughed my ass off as smyth blabbered on about minnesota getting an MLS franchise just because Cheva’s wife’s dad played basebal there and they flashed up to the commentators in the box and wynalda had a look of death on his face..if wynalda can just manage to kill him every broadcast they do, that could bring MLS primetime the novelty they need to clinch some ratings.
Frankie
on Jul 27th, 2007 - 2:09pm
Great comments on the game Adam, think you’ve hit the sore spot dead on. Well what can I say that hasn’t yet been said already. Well I for one have always been against bringing so called soccer stars to the league. For the sheer reason that they are aged and retiring players. I would hope that even with all the circus and hoopla Beckham would suffice to keep bringing in the crowds but I don’t the he can. Well not the number he brought in against Chelsea. For one it was a media circus and second it was against Chelsea not a team most fans here in the states regularly get to see. I must say though that the game was disappointing to watch as Galaxy lost an opportunity to show not only to U.S. fans but the soccer world that this is a serious institution. Why couldn’t the team owners have done what every other league has their arriving players do, open the stadium to fans and have the player awkwardly stand in the center and juggle the ball for a couple of minutes. Never been a big fan of such a thing but now it looks like a big improvement on having a hundred cameramen surrounding the players bench. Oh and I agree with the one of the posts above having Beckham come out on his own and not with his team, like some movie hero coming out late to win the game, was just shameful.
Frankie
Megan
on Aug 3rd, 2007 - 3:31pm
A couple of points….
1) Beckham is a part of a TEAM. Yes, I understand the hype and all, but why not capitalize on the opportunity to try and bring the attention to an entire team rather than just one player? Instead they (the media, Lalas, etc.) have set him apart on purpose and perhaps risked alienating him as one player within a bigger picture.
2) For those of you who believe that Beckham’s quality of play is lacking, look at what he did for Real Madrid and the English National Team prior to his arrival in the US. His play helped to win the title for Real and pull England out of a slump
3) Watching that game was truly frustrating. While I would have rather been observing what was happening on the field, instead I got interviews with celebrities, shots of Posh and the gang up in the sky box, and a minimized screen for the game to make room for the “Becks Cam” in which nothing was happening.
4) The major thing that shows how much all the hoopla wasn’t really promoting our sport was the fact that after the game I had to watch re-play after re-play of Beckham’s right ankle (not the injured one) being tackled rather than seeing re-plays of some of the great things that happened during the game. They didn’t even re-play the goal. Now that is a pathetic way to promote soccer.
Morgan
on Aug 10th, 2007 - 10:17pm
All of this hype about Beckham is simply ridiculous. He has two arms and two legs just like everyone else on the pitch. The media is acting like he is a god. Beckham only brought attention to himself, not the rest of the Galaxy. Yes, Xavier is a beast. One of the best defenders in the league. No one gave him credit for such a great game. There was absolutely no hype for C. Blanco. This guy is awesome. Chicago was very lucky to get this guy.
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